Chapter 2
"Captain's log, Stardate 2264.217. I thought I'd seen it all in the four years of our mission, but once again, I was wrong.
Security was able to capture the creature in Engineering, and it was brought to Sickbay for examination. Doctor McCoy expressed serious concern about being able to handle the creature without stunning it again, not that that would be a bad thing, with the way this thing was carrying on.
That was when we got the shock of our lives. Nora Montgomery, our self-proclaimed witch, apparently recognized the creature, and threatened a variety of curses and hexes on any of us if he was harmed and not taken out of the box immediately. She was able to get him calmed down enough for Doctor McCoy to examine him, even going as far as being able to withdraw some blood for analysis.
The creature's name is Easzim, and he's part Kneazle and part alley cat; he resembles a very large domestic house cat, but with the biggest ears I've ever seen on a house cat. According to Nora and Harry Potter, Kneazles are known for being very intelligent, loyal, have the ability to determine whether or not someone is trustworthy or not, and can always find their way home. Nora explained that she rescued Easzim from a bunch of mean Muggle kids who were tormenting him, when he was still a kitten, and he's been with her for the last three years. Where she goes, he goes."
"That is one big cat," Kirk said, eyes wide as he watched the previously snarling and hissing cat settle comfortably in Nora's lap while Nora brushed him with a brush from within her bag. Both cat and human were seated on the floor.
"He's beautiful," Nurse Chapel gushed.
Easzim had cinnamon brown medium hair with black splotches, a round face with a punched-in nose, a big, poufy tail that bounced as he moved, large ears that twitched constantly and had ear tufts on the tips, bright yellow eyes, six toes on all four feet, and the loudest purr Kirk had ever heard from a domestic house cat, a cat that was tipping the scales at forty pounds.
Nora beamed at Chapel. "He's a real cuddle-bug when he wants to be," Nora said. "He's also very opinionated; I have a cousin he absolutely hates. Growls every time he sees him."
"He must've followed you through the mirror," Harry said. "The mirror shows you what you need, and you two need each other."
Spock appeared, a piece of old parchment and a data pad in one hand and the wands in the other other; the deed for the mirror, and something else. Seeing Easzim, he raised an eyebrow. "Curious," was all he said. Easzim ignored him. He handed the data pad to Harry. "This is the deed that was given to us from Starfleet Headquarters through their vaults, shortly after Starfleet Headquarters was built. However, tracing it beyond that has proven to be quite difficult. All Starfleet knows is that we were to receive the mirror on this time and this date, and no sooner," Spock said. He handed him a sealed envelope. "This was with the deed."
Harry studied the wax seal. "That's the Hogwarts seal," he said. He attempted to break it open, but it refused. "All right, I need my wand back."
Spock handed him his wand. "Scans have indicated that the wands, by themselves, are perfectly harmless. Harry Potter's is made of an Earth wood known as Holly, with a feather core our computers cannot identify," he said.
"Phoenix feather. Just like dragons, they exist," Harry said.
"Most curious, given that Phoenixes are considered a myth amongst humans," Spock said. "Nora Montgomery's wand is made of a wood called Blackthorn and has a core similar to a plant known as Cretan dittany."
"Dittany; it's a herb we use for healing," Harry explained absently as Spock handed the wand back to Nora, who tucked it in her sleeve. "Let's try something." He put the envelope on a nearby bed, tapped the envelope with his wand, and said, "Open!"
The envelope didn't open; instead, it floated up and a mouth formed in the wax seal. "Show me your Patronus," it hissed.
"Well, it's better than a Howler," Nora said.
"A Howler?" McCoy asked.
"It's a letter that screams whatever the writer wrote. If you don't open them right away, they explode. I've gotten a few of them over the years. Nasty things," Nora explained, watching as Harry backed off a bit.
"Expecto Patronum!" he said, drawing up on his happiest memory; the first time he'd kissed Ginny. From the tip of his wand, a silvery, ghost-like, full-size stag appeared. It galloped around the room before stopping in front of Harry and the letter.
"Very good," the letter hissed. Then it opened and a male voice began to speak.
"Greetings, friends, please take heed
Of one who knows the sin of greed.
To stop a wrong before it comes true
You must be willing to try something new.
In the future you will find
That which you must leave behind.
Get ready to fly, get ready to soar
For in your heart, there's so much more.
What was wrong will be made right,
But bring up those fists, be ready to fight.
And when all is said and done,
Just remember your loved one."
"Is that normal for you?" Kirk asked, watching as the stag faded away and the letter dropped to the biobed.
"More or less, yes," Harry said, picking up the letter. "Greetings, friends, please take heed/Of one who knows the sin of greed."
"Sounds like something on Gringotts," Nora said. At the variety of puzzled glances, she explained. "Wizarding bank.
Enter, stranger, but take heed
Of what awaits the sin of greed
For those who take, but do not earn,
Must pay most dearly in their turn.
So if you seek beneath our floors
A treasure that was never yours,
Thief, you have been warned, beware
Of finding more than treasure there."
"That sounds ominous," McCoy said.
"So was the dragon that was down there," Harry said.
"I wondered about that! What was it, exactly?" Nora asked.
"A half-blind Ukrainian Ironbelly," Harry said absently. "Poor thing had been badly mistreated by the goblins there that it was eager to get out, with me, Ron, and Hermione on its back, of course."
"Wow," Nora said.
"So the sin of greed is someone who gets a bit too greedy, and you're being warned about it," Kirk said.
"Us, or you guys. The letter doesn't specify. To stop a wrong before it comes true/You must be willing to try something new," Harry said.
"I believe that suggests that in order for us to stop this perceived wrong, we must be willing to try something new," Spock said.
"That's pretty much a given," McCoy said.
"In the future you will find/That which you must leave behind," Harry said. "Okay, well, for me and Nora, this is the future, so that means there's something we'll have to leave behind. But what?"
"Is that one of those things we'll have to figure out as we go along?" Nora asked.
"Possibly," Harry said. "Get ready to fly, get ready to soar/For in your heart, there's so much more."
"Can you guys fly?" Kirk asked.
"We can't actually fly, but we do have the means to do so, just not on hand," Harry said.
"Sounds like that one's a double entendre," McCoy said.
"It's possible. What was wrong will be made right/But bring up those fists, be ready to fight," Harry said.
"I think that one's kinda obvious," Nora said. "Something wrong will be made right, but we're going have to fight for it."
"Great. I'll check my medical supplies," McCoy grumbled.
Nora smiled at him. "I have a few things on hand that might help, depending on the situation," she said.
McCoy smiled back, and Nora blushed.
You're too easy, Donovan's taunting voice whispered through her mind. Girls who are too easy are good for counting the dots on the ceiling and nothing more, just like you.
Nora had nearly hit him that last time. Still, the memory lingered, causing her smile to fade.
"I'll keep that in mind," McCoy said.
"Yeah. Anyways, moving on. What was the next line?" Nora asked.
"And when all is said and done/Just remember your loved one," Harry said.
"Well, I don't have a loved one, but you do," Nora said to Harry.
"She's right. That may be how we get back," Harry said. "Unless you're seeing someone," Harry said to Nora.
"Oh trust me, Boss; Donovan makes damn sure my dating life is non-existent," Nora said bitterly.
"He still giving you trouble?" Harry asked, starting to study the deed. The glare Nora gave him answered his question. "Yup. Why haven't you broken his nose?" he asked.
"Maybe because he's got friends within the Wizengamot who believe every filthy word that comes out of his equally filthy mouth?" Nora asked bitterly. "If I hit him, I don't just get nailed for assault; I get sent to Azkaban, Auror-In-Training or not, cousin or not."
"Sounds like you need to move away," Kirk said.
Nora laughed bitterly. "I did; I moved in with Harry and his family."
"Something tells me that didn't work," McCoy said, feeling sympathy for the younger woman.
Nora gave him a tight smile and snuggled Easzim to her equally tight, causing the cat to meow in protest. "What does the deed say?" she asked Harry, deliberately changing the subject.
"I'm no lawyer, but everything looks pretty straight forward," Harry said. "Some time in 2162, the mirror was put into storage at Starfleet Headquarters, and given very specific instructions that on a particular date and time, the mirror was to be sent to the USS Enterprise-A." He scrolled down to the bottom to see if he could find a signature. He didn't, but he found something else instead. "Recognize the family crest?" he asked Nora, going over to her and handing her the data pad.
"That's the Longbottom family crest," Nora said, recognizing the crest. "So someone in Professor Longbottom's family had something to do with the Wizengamot, and possibly the Advocates to the Wizarding World. Bet he would be real proud."
"You've mentioned the Wizengamot twice now," Spock said. "What is that?"
"Our version of the judicial system and courts," Harry said. "The Aurors catch the bad guys, the Wizengamot sentences them."
"I think it's fair to assume that our people managed to at least survive to 2162," Nora said. "If I'm allowed near the archives, I might be able to find out where we went from there."
"I do not recommend that," Spock said. "Too much knowledge of the future could be dangerous."
"I'm not interested in the nitty-gritty details, you over-grown goblin," Nora shot back.
Ouch! McCoy mouthed at Kirk, eyes wide.
"Nora!" Harry said sharply, glaring at her.
"I'm interested in obscure reports about gas explosions and odd sightings in certain parts of the United Kingdom and other parts of Europe," Nora continued. "Things that mean nothing at first glance, but may provide some details to us. After all, there's a good chance that one of us might be stuck here, and it would help to have some half-arsed idea of what the bloody hell happened!"
"I cannot fault your logic in that; however, I would recommend exercising caution in what you look for," Spock said.
"You want to read over my shoulder, you're welcome to," Nora shot back, glaring at the Vulcan.
Harry smiled tightly, trying to resist the urge to strangle his trainee. "Nora, a word please. In private."
Nora shrugged, and shoved Easzim off her lap. "Sorry, brah, but you gotta move. The boss calls," she said to the cat, who glared at her, then swished his tail upwards. "Yeah, and the same to you, pal!" Nora shot back, apparently recognizing the gesture, as she stood up and followed Harry to a quiet corner of Sickbay.
"She's got a mouth on her," McCoy said.
"And a chip on her shoulder the size of a boulder," Kirk said.
"I suspect, based on what was said and the way she responded to the mention of her cousin, Donovan, that she may have a difficult home life," Spock said, watching as Harry tore a verbal strip off of Nora. His sensitive hearing picked up the conversation.
"What are they saying?" McCoy asked.
"Doctor, you know it's rude to eavesdrop on a private conversation," Spock admonished.
"Yeah. And? Call it security," Kirk said.
Spock thought about that, then nodded, and, turning his back to Nora and Harry, quickly began to repeat what was being said.
"Do I need to remind you that we are guests here?" Harry angrily hissed at Nora.
"You think I don't know that?" Nora shot back. "Except I don't feel like a guest; I feel like a damn museum specimen!"
"I understand that, but they have a right to be cautious; there's an awful lot of people here, and I don't want anyone getting hurt or sick because of us. Things change, and so do diseases. Small pox, remember?"
"I know that! All I want to do is find out what happened to our people!"
"You can't change the future, Nora. What will happen will happen."
"I don't want to change the future, Harry! I just want to make sure I have a future!"
Harry looked at Nora sadly, once again seeing the little girl who just wanted to be loved. "You have a future; it starts with you."
"Not according to my family, I don't," she said bitterly.
Harry sighed heavily. "Look, all I'm asking is that you cut back on the barbs for a bit. They're doing the best they can to accommodate us, and the fact that we got our wands back and haven't been tossed in whatever they call their version of jail, that's a good thing." Nora glared at him, but kept her mouth firmly shut. "For now, we play nice and play by the rules, just as if we were playing Quiddich in a different country."
"Until when?"
"Until the game gets out of hand, and then we change it to our rules, and blast a few Bludgers their way."
"That sounds ominous," McCoy said.
"Harry, just one thing," Nora said, sounding almost wistful, her arms folded across her chest and stomach.
"Hmm?"
"I'm not... easy... am I?"
Harry smiled at her reassuringly. "No, you're not. I know what Donovan said to you, and I'm betting you can still hear him." Nora nodded. "You're not easy, and it's okay to have fun." He grinned mischievously. "If it is who I think it is, then, by all means, have fun. He seems like a decent fellow, and it would do you a world of good. Having a little bit of fun once in awhile doesn't make you easy; it makes you human. And even if he just becomes your friend, then hey, there's nothing wrong with that. I fell in love with Ginny because she was my friend, and even after all these years, she still is." He rubbed her shoulder reassuringly. "Don't listen to Donovan. Listen to your heart."
McCoy looked at his friends. "And exactly what kind of screwed up family is she living with?" he hissed.
"Maybe that's why she saw you in the mirror; because she needs you," Kirk said. "She may need you just as much as we may need them." He came to a decision. "Let them have access to the ship's library, but restrict them from mission reports and critical ship details. Keep an eye on what they look at, and let me know."
"Understood," Spock said.
"We'll treat them as our guests for now, but keep one hand on a phaser, just in case they do decide to change the rules in a way that puts the ship and crew at risk," Kirk continued.
"Hard lesson much?" McCoy quipped, silently referring to Kalara, who had betrayed them and lead Kirk's first Enterprise into an ambush, resulting in a very high loss of lives, and the Enterprise herself. Kirk still had not forgiven, or forgotten, and he doubted he ever would.
"Way much," Kirk said.
