Overreacting Muggles
"Professor?" Harry called back to Dumbledore just before the old wizard left the hospital wing.
"Yes, Harry?"
"Is it—Is it, I mean, do you think, Professor, that I could perhaps, stay at Hogwarts over the summer?" Harry's eyes were filled with hope and desperation. He sincerely wished that he wouldn't have to return to his aunt and uncle after finding this wonderful world that was his. This was where he belonged. This was his home. The home of his parents, of his grandparents. His home. Hogwarts.
Dumbledore saw the emotions and hopes flash before the boy's eyes. He sighed, knowing that he couldn't grant the boy's wish no matter how much he wanted to. And he really hoped that he wouldn't hate him for it. Harry was just too young to understand why he had to stay at his relatives' place.
Dumbledore wasn't blind. He knew what sort of influence Vernon had on his wife Petunia and knew what that did to Harry. But if the boy really was his parents' child, he will survive. He will make it through because he was strong.
"Professor Dumbledore?" Harry said when Dumbledore remained silent.
Harry sat straighter in his hospital bed when the wizard returned to his bedside. "Harry, I'm afraid…you will have to stay with your aunt and uncle over the summer."
"But why?" Harry asked, hurt that his one wish, the one thing he dared to wish for in such a long while, couldn't be granted. He was being looked at with such sorrowful eyes. "Please, Professor, why can't I?"
"Perhaps when you are older…I will tell you. You are too young now."
Harry frowned and fisted his small hands, his meek attitude, which was pressed onto him ever since he was a child, disappeared long enough for him to say to himself, "But I just beat Voldemort!"
Then the days of reprimands he received from Vernon came back to him for showing cheek to adults. He quieted again and ducked his head.
Dumbledore stared at him for a moment, trying to see James Potter in his son. He couldn't. Not because he was blind to the unruly hair or the form of the boy—that was almost the exact same.
No, Dumbledore couldn't see the mischief that was ever present in James' eyes. The boy who was always ready to make a joke at someone's expense and to give a witting comment when it was least appropriate.
Nor could he see Lily's fierce attitude and short temper that she was famous for.
But just for a moment, a heartbeat, he saw both of them, in those green eyes and defiant words.
And then it was buried beneath this shy boy.
The point was, Dumbledore thought, that it was in him somewhere. That flame was still there even though it may just be a spark.
"Your mother," Dumbledore said, surprising himself.
Harry's head shot up and he latched onto the headmaster's words before Dumbledore even knew what was happening. He couldn't stop now.
"Your mother died protecting you, Harry," Dumbledore said quietly. "By doing that, she casted a charm to protect you from Lord Voldemort."
Harry's eyes furrowed at the concept of a shielding charm.
"As long as you are with her blood, you will be safe. The charm weakens by the distance between you and her blood, Harry. The spell is renewed whenever you return home to your aunt, your mother's sister, over the summer. And that is why you must go back to her. In order to protect you from Lord Voldemort from harming you when you are most vulnerable."
"But Voldemort's not here anymore," Harry said. "I don't need the spell."
Dumbledore shook his head. "Like I said before: we haven't seen the end of him yet, Harry. You need this protection until you are well able to protect yourself. Let me remind you again that underage wizards are not allowed to do magic outside of school."
Harry scowled and looked at his covered toes, probably cursing the law like any other underage witch and wizard out there, both from the past and present, and most likely the future.
"Do you understand, Harry? This is for your own good," Dumbledore said.
Harry nodded, though anyone could tell that he was no less upset.
"Although I must say, Harry," Dumbledore said as he helped himself to another one of the flavoured beans, "Muggles do tend to overreact to the mention of magic. Do keep that in mind, so you don't startle your relatives when you return home with your wand. I wish you well and I look forward to seeing you on the first of September."
Harry watched the headmaster leave, puzzling over his last words. What was that about his relatives overreacting to magic? And what was that about his wand?
Then a smile slowly creeped up Harry's face.
Overreacting muggles indeed.
Ru.
March 7 2015
