"Of course," Harry stated, "My time and energy do not come cheaply at all!"
"Sure, sure, your excellency!" Sirius answered back with faked respect and a curt bow from his neck. "Battle Magic is what I shall teach you in the afternoons as you progress well in your studies."
"Battle Magic? What is that?" Harry asked, as he latched on to that interesting new title. He did not know why, but when Sirius said those two words, it was like his blood started boiling and excitement started bubbling up to the surface.
"Nothing but the best subject ever," Sirius stated with false modesty.
"Oh, come on tell me what it is," Harry whined as he rocked Sirius's elbow.
"Battle Magic is basically Defense Against the Dark Arts but with the offensive spells taught. It is a much pure and ancient study that has been highly valued and well recognized all around," a voice that wasn't Sirius answered.
Turning to face the speaker to which Harry had an idea who it was already, face to face with Mrs. Tonks. "Cousin," Sirius called out in greeting, "Came to grace us with your presence!"
Scoffing loudly, the older witch replied, "Why would I come to see your flea bitten hide? My dear nephew is the only one of concern here in my eyes."
Placing his hand on to his heart, and putting on a hurt expression, Sirius uttered, "You wound me deeply, dear cousin with your barred words!
Cutting off Sirius before he went on a endless tirade, Harry called out, "Hello, Aunt Dromeda, how are you doing!"
Stepping right up to Harry, the former lady of House Black rubbed his head affectionately and greeted him back, "I am doing well dear, thanks for asking." Then giving Sirius a pointed look, she added, "And I can see that someone knows how to properly greet a person."
Rolling his eyes, Sirius gave no response and wisely choose to remain silent, carrying on with the conversation Harry asked about the phenomenon that just overtook him. "Aunt Dromeda, why is it that when Sirius said those two words, Battle Magic, my blood started boiling with excitement?"
"Ahh," the older woman said as if understanding stuck her at that very moment. "I see that you have started awakening your Bloodline affinities?"
"Bloodline affinities?" Harry repeated, tasting the words in his mouth, "What are Bloodline affinities?" he asked.
"Well you see," the older witch started to explain, "Great Houses have long bloodlines that trace all the way back to distant pasts, and over those long years that they remained-- they each started to develop a major and minor affinity for a certain school of magic. For example, our family; the House of Black has a major affinity to Dark Magic-- hexes, jinxes, curses, and all the other likes. We also developed a minor affinity for astronomy which is denoted by our like to name our children after stars and constellations."
"What about my family, House Potter?" Harry asked, curious to know about his own affinities.
"If I recall correctly, your House should have a major affinity to Battle Magic which explains why you inversely got excitement when Sirius promised you that he will teach you Battle Magic plus as Sirius has told me you are very good at Defense Against the Dark Arts even though you never had a proper teacher besides Lupin. Your bloodline would explain that since like I said Defense Against the Dark Arts is basically the defense aspect of Battle Magic."
"So what is my family's minor affinity?" Harry continued with his inquiry once the older woman came to a pause.
"I do not know," the older witch replied with a shake of her head, "You must know that Houses like to keep their secrets to themselves." Then pausing for a moment, the mediwitch turning to face Sirius and asked, "Do you know any subject that James was really good in at school?"
"Mhm," Sirius said as he started to mull it over, "If I had to pick a subject then I think it would be transfiguration-- that did come to him naturally and he was the best of it among us."
"Well, then I think you have your answer dear," the older witch stated as she once again rubbed Harry's head. Then she added as if it was in a afterthought, "Oh, and keep in mind that there is a lot that comes to being a member of a most noble and ancient house, so I would take up Sirius's advise and read up."
Nodding his head in agreement, Harry planned to do exactly that. He would be doing wrong by his House if he didn't at least put in an effort to learn more about them. This small tidbit of knowledge that Mrs. Tonks offered to him showed how little he knew about the Wizarding world and its history. There is so much here to learn, and he is at the best place to do it; at the Black family's library, one of the largest repository of knowledge so he is going to take advantage of his opportunity by the scruff and learn as much as he can.
Suddenly from a corner at the bend, a book loudly dropped on to the wooden floorboards and the noise of it echoed throughout the whole silent stacks.
"How is that?" Sirius inquired as he slowly took out his wand from the holster at his side.
"Don't worry about that," Mrs. Tonks said waving off the older wizard's concern, "It is just my daughter." Then taking in an audible gulp of air, the older witch shouted at the top of her lungs, "Nymphadora Tonks come out this instant and greet your hosts!"
From out the stacks on the left side out strolled a young woman with short bubbly blue hair, the same steel grey eyes as Sirius with mischief hidden deep within it, a round face with high cheekbones, full red lips, a straight nose, and arching eyebrows. She stood at 6 feet just like he did, with a lithe and well-toned figure, long delicate hands, slender legs, a well ample bust, smooth white skin, and an ear-piercing on her left ear.
Harry took in all her sights and quickly noticed that he was staring, averting his gaze towards a bookshelf on the right, Harry tried to make himself look inconspicuous. He did not realize when he started noticing, but he sure as hell was now.
"Mom," the young adult witch whined, "I told you to stop calling me that name! Why can't you just say Dora or Tonks when you call out to me?"
"Your name is perfectly fine, I am not calling you something so unbecoming."
"Dad calls me Dora all the time, I can't see what the problem is." the blue-haired witch said as she crossed her hands together below her chest causing her bust to pop out a bit, and to which Harry became aware of.
"Your father is a nitwit, I am not going to follow in his example, now go greet our hosts and be polite."
Grumbling under her breath, the young witch turned to face both wizards sticking out her hand she first greeted Sirius. "I guess you heard my mom, the name is Nymphadora Tonks."
Shaking her hand, Sirius pleasantly replied, "I do not mind calling you Dora, Nymphadora sure sounds like a mouthful."
Grinning up at the older wizard, the blue haired witch remarked, "Yea, that is what I keep telling my mom but does she listen?"
"Don't egg her on cousin." Mrs. Tonks stated in a dangerous tone.
Giving the older witch a wink then turned a deaf ear to her warning, Sirius continued, "You can call me Uncle Sirius, and I promise you I will become your most fun and favorite uncle ever!"
Giggling with laughter in a lilting tone to which Harry found music to his ears, the young witch remarked, "I look forward to that."
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