Cadet Potter
by Loralee
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry & Co
AN: I've had a couple of questions on the timeline for this story. I'm going with the idea that Harry magicing himself to the roof of the school is what set Vernon off and occured in the spring. Harry was sent off to the Academy, which has a year round schedule available, as soon a the school year was over in June of 1990. The Dursleys were killed shortly there after while moving to Manchester. Harry turned 10 that summer in the US. By Sept Sgt Field had become aware that Harry had been abused and was possibly a magic user. In Nov Harry was notified of the death of the Durselys. Thank you all for the wonderful reviews
Chapter 3
Good morning, Cadet," said Commander Phillips as Harry entered his office the day after the testing.
"Good morning sir, Mr. Wilson," said Harry.
"Hello, Mr. Potter," said Wilson, "How are you today?"
"I'm good sir," said Harry sitting in the chair the Commander had indicated.
"Well we've gone over your tests and have a couple of options to present to you," said Wilson.
Options, Sir?" asked Harry confused.
Yes, Mr. Potter; may I call you Harry?" ask Wilson.
"Yes, sir, if you like," said Harry with a shrug.
"Well Harry, you may only be ten but my job is to help you grow up happy and able to eventually take over the management of your own affairs. So you get the deciding vote on what you want to do to achieve that end," explained Wilson.
"I get to choose what I want to do?" asked Harry.
"Yes, within limits," said the Commander.
"I think I understand, thank you, sir," said Harry.
Wilson smiled and said, "As you know, you had magical tests; you need to learn magic and from the test results you will be very good at it. Option one is the easiest for you, you stay here, complete the spring term and over the summer I arrange for you to attend Magicamp and set up a schedule of tutoring starting in September using the warded rooms already available here."
"What's Magicamp?" asked Harry.
Wilson grinned, "Ah, well there are a lot of magical children who attend mundane schools during the year. So we hold Magicamps for two months in the summer to educate them in Magic. At Beginner level it's a comprehensive course in magic, focusing on basic wand use, Charms, Transfiguration and Potion making skills. Recreation includes flying lessons and broom sports."
"That sounds like fun, I think I want to learn to fly," said Harry.
"Like I said that's option one. The second is you can start learning magic right away during the holiday," said Wilson.
Harry blinked and asked, "Right now, how?"
"If you feel like you can trust me, you can come to my house in Salem, we'll go shopping for your wand and I'll set up tutors and lessons for the rest of the holiday. Commander Phillips says the school is on break the next three weeks for Christmas and New Years and over three-fourths of the students have gone home. Then, if you like, the tutors you can continue the lessons here in a warded class room on Saturdays."
Harry looked down at the table and said softly, "I don't want to be a bother, sir."
"You won't be a bother, Harry, I've already talked to my wife, and it's just her and me. We don't have any other family and she likes the idea of having a guest for Christmas. I expect she'll try to spoil you," said Wilson kindly, then he added, "She was baking cookies when I left home this morning and told me if I didn't bring you home I couldn't have any."
Harry laughed and looked to Commander Phillips, "Sir, do you think I should?"
Phillips nodded and said, "I think it's a good plan, Cadet. Your grades are excellent, so I don't see a problem with adding magic tutoring once a week and it's my understanding that once you start learning to control it that the odd things will stop happening as often."
"Really?" said Harry excitedly, "That would be very good, the other boys have been good about that but it makes me feel, well, like a freak." He turned back to Wilson, "Um, sir, I'd like to accept your invitation, please."
"Great, Harry, why don't you go pack a bag with civilian clothes and I'll finish up here with the Commander," said Wilson.
"Yes, sir," Harry bounced out of his seat and dashed to the door, then hesitated and turned back to the Commander, "Er, sorry, Sir, I—"
The Commander waved a hand and said, "Go, Cadet," and Harry dashed out the door.
Phillips laughed and said, "He's a good kid," he sobered and went on, "and I doubt you'll have any trouble but he's been seeing the counselor and he does sometimes have nightmares. As I told you before we suspect that there was abuse in the Dursley home."
"I understand you have all my numbers and my information. Getting him started learning really is the best route. I think if he likes flying at all I'll get him a broom, he can certainly afford it," said Wilson.
"Oh, yes, he may need clothing as well, you set up the spending account so he's been able to get a few toiletries of his own but I don't believe he's bought much clothing. He wears his uniform during free time, I've noticed," said Phillips.
"I'll look into that, thank you for your time," said Wilson. The two men shook hands and Wilson went out on the front steps of the HQ building to wait for Harry to return.
In a very short time Harry came pelting back carrying a small duffle and Wilson led the way over to a small car. He unlocked the door and let Harry in and then climbed into the driver side.
Then he turned toward the boy and asked, "You wear dog tags, Harry?"
"You mean our ID tags, sir?" asked Harry pulling the chain from under his shirt.
"Yes that's what I meant, do you wear them all the time, even to sleep and shower?"
"Yes, sir, my company Captain said I could take them off to shower, but I like them, they mean I'm a part of something, so I wear them all the time. The boys in my company they like me and want me here," said Harry.
Wilson nodded, "Good, this," he said holding up a clear plastic bead, "Is a signature masker, it will hide your magical signature from anyone attempting to use spells to locate you. If you don't mind, I want to put it on your chain; no one will notice it and it will keep you safe from unwanted attention."
Harry nodded and Wilson pressed the bead onto the chain, and then tapped it once with his wand and it completely disappeared. Harry couldn't even feel it with his fingers.
He grinned up at Wilson and said, "That's so cool, will I learn that, sir?"
"Something similar I'm sure, the bead is actually a bit of goblin magic and all I did was activate it. So, you ready?"
"Yes, sir, is it a long drive?" asked Harry as they drove out of the parking lot and up to the security shack at the school gates.
"No not really, Harry," said Wilson as he signed out.
They drove for only about ten minutes into a large parking garage where they parked in a space labeled reserved. Once out of the car, Wilson led Harry over to a place between the elevator and a large pillar.
"Now we're going to apparate, Harry, hold on tight to my arm, it will feel a little funny. Harry did as he was told and felt as if he was being squeezed through a tube and then suddenly they were somewhere else, a small alcove in a train station.
"Come on Harry, we have a short walk to my house," said Wilson.
"Why didn't those people notice us? How did you do that? I think that must be how I got on the school roof when I was still with the Dursleys. How soon can I learn that?" asked Harry hardly stopping to breath.
Wilson laughed, "Slow down, I'll answer everything. That little alcove has a charm on it to prevent people from noticing. It's how I commute to work everyday. What we did is called Apparating; you maybe able to start learning now but you can't get a provisional license until you're twelve and then you can still only apparate with an adult."
"Thank you, sir," said Harry eyes shinning.
"I think you can call me George, Harry, uncle George if that's more comfortable but just George will do," said Wilson.
"Er, yes sir, thank you," said Harry uncertainly.
George Wilson laughed again and then pointed to a small house set back from the street, it was white, with a picket fence running along the edge of the sidewalk.
"That's it, Harry, that's my home.
Chapter 4Sandra Wilson was several years younger than her husband and welcomed Harry into their home with a brief hug. She showed him to the guest room and helped him unpack. After seeing the scant clothing Harry had brought she smiled brightly and informed Harry and George that they would be going shopping right away.
They walked back to the nearby train station and apparated to the magical section of the city. Harry's head whipped back and forth trying to take in all the sights along the cobbled street. There were stacks of cauldrons under an awning in front of one shop and a reek of foul smelling slimy things in barrels. There were people in robes and funny hats, Mothers with children on tiny brooms trailing behind them, men in aprons levitating boxes and bags into stores and cart vendors with assorted goods talking loudly.
They finally came to stop in front of a shop with a giant wand hanging from a sign that read Linder's Fine Wands 1633.
Harry hesitated at the door and said, "Er, sir, I mean George, I, uh, don't have any money."
"You have money, Harry; I have a debit card that is attached to your account. I'll teach you how to use it today and go over your account information with you this evening, if you like. I had planned to discuss it over lunch before we left the house, but someone rushed us," he said with a look at Sandy and a wink for Harry.
"All right, if you think I have enough," said Harry.
"See the sign in the window, where it says MasterCard and Visa, the symbol just below it is the one for Gringotts Bank and lets us magical people know that the store either stocks magical items or is owned and operated by Wizards. Wizard-only shopping areas like this are pretty rare; you can find Wizard stores in a lot of mundane shopping districts, though. Come on lets get you a wand."
The shop they entered was bright and airy; a blonde girl looked up from a magazine and greeted them with a smile.
"Hi, welcome to Linder's, what can I help you with today."
"We here to get Harry here his first wand," said Sandy.
"Cool, step over here and let me measure you," said the girl indicating the end of the counter she'd been leaning on, "Are you right or left handed?"
"Right handed, Ma'am," said Harry watching amazed as a tape measure zoomed from her hand and began to crawl over him.
The girl shuttered slightly, "Please, kid, call me Lexy, I'm not a ma'am," she flicked her fingers at the measuring tape and it zoomed to her hand where she looked down at the side. "Oh, a challenge."
Lexy went into the back of the shop and came back with a dozen boxes, "Here try this one, "she said shoving the first into his hand, "No, okay, this one, no,"
This went on for several minutes with some violent reactions coming from the wands he tried. After several more trips into the back and the pile of boxes on the counter threatening to topple she said, "Last one, after this I'll have to call my uncle for a custom wand."
Harry held the yellow-gray wand and gasped in astonishment as it warmed in his hand and a large smoky flying snake sprang out of the end. The smoky shape circled Harry once and then seemed to fly into him and disappear emitting a hiss of contentment.
"Wow, cool," said Lexy with a wide smile, "I've never seen one do that before, nine inch rowan with a quetzalcoatl feather core, forty-five dollars, please."
"Oh, we want an adjustable arm holster too, and a jar of polish, please," said George snapping out of the slight daze he was in.
"Yes sir," she whipped out her wand and summoned a box and jar, opened the box and continued, "hold out your arm and I'll show you how this works. You should wear it all the time. As the more contact your wand has with you the stronger it will bond to you and the easier magic will be. It has a mild mundane notice-me-not charm on it so you can wear it with short sleeves and no one will know.
Ten minutes and sixty-eight dollars later they were back on the street, debating where to go next.
"Harry needs a wallet, lets go over to the baggage shop," said Sandy leading the way across the street.
"You don't need a new purse, Sandy," said George with a wink at Harry.
"I know, dear," she said absently as they entered the door and she headed toward the rack of purses.
George chuckled and glanced down, "Let's get you set up here, son."
They were standing at a display of wallets when a thin man approached. "May I help you?" he asked.
Harry looked up and said, "Yes, please, sir, I need a wallet."
"I have a variety with cartoon characters and superheroes on them," the clerk smiled as he pulled out a green one with a turtlehead wearing a mask. "This is very popular."
Harry turned up his nose and pointed into a display case, "May I see that one, please?"
The salesman's eyebrows rose as he pulled out a black leather wallet. Harry picked it up and ran his fingers over the smooth surface. He looked up at George and said, "I like this one."
George nodded and looked at the salesman, "What charms are on it?"
"It's rather expensive for a child sir; it's dragon hide; with anti-theft, auto return, shrink to fit and waterproof charms," said the salesman.
"We'll take it," said George handing over the plastic debit card. The salesman shook his head but rang up the purchase and handed the card back along with the wallet box and instruction sheet.
"There you go, Harry, put the card away in your wallet, and put it in your pocket. Let's drag Sandy out of the purses before she spends me broke."
They went to a clothing store next and Sandy had Harry try on a couple of pairs of pants and shirts and then helped him pick out three outfits and some pajamas. As Harry paid for his things Sandy whispered, "He'll need more but I'll come tomorrow and pick things out for Christmas presents." George nodded in agreement and steered Harry down the street to a restaurant for lunch.
After lunch they went further down the street to the Magical Arcade where George rented a broom and gave Harry his first flying lesson.
Harry loved the broom and impressed George with his natural ability.
That evening after dinner George asked Harry into his study.
"So, Harry do you have questions for me?" asked George.
"I, yes sir, can I buy a broom?" asked Harry.
George grinned and said, "You can certainly afford a broom but I had in mind questions about your estate, or guardianship or magic."
Harry's brow furrowed and he said, "What kind of magic lessons will I have?"
"You will be learning simple charms to begin with, as you master that we'll add on some easy transfiguration. In the morning you'll go with me to the office. I work in a bank and you'll have your lessons there while you are staying here. When you go back to the Academy, your tutor will come there on Saturday afternoons. Now, while you are here you can practice magic in the house with either Sandy or I to watch you but, when you go back to the Academy, you will only be allowed to practice in the warded room. Most of the people there are uninformed mundanes; so your magic has to stay secret."
"Who knows?" asked Harry.
"Commander Philips, Sergeant Fields and your Councilor, Miss Keith, know about magic so you can talk to them if you need too. I'm going to give you a phone card before you go back so you can call me anytime you need to also," said George.
"I'm sorry to be a bother," said Harry softly.
"You are not a bother, Harry. Sandy and I are glad to have you. Now assuming you enjoy this visit we will want you to come during the Easter break as well," said George grinning.
Harry smiled shyly and nodded, "You said I have money?"
George nodded, "Quite a bit of money. That's part of my job to see that you have what you need. You have money set aside to pay for the Academy, or any magic school, tutors, books, supplies and magic-camp. There are provisions for further education after that also magical, mundane or both. Your father came from an old family in Britain. He set up a trust for you and left comprehensive financial instructions for the trust managers in case something happened to him."
"So I can spend the money in the account at school? That isn't all there is?" asked Harry.
"Yes you can spend it, but not all on candy or junk food," said George with a grin.
Harry just grinned back.