Chapter Four

My Hotdog is Confiscated

AN: I got a great response from the last chapter so here I am posting again! I had many comments on how clever the story was. Thanks that was my intention. This story is my way of coping with depression and what better way than a basilisk, subway station, and blue cookies? As for if I watch Kuroko no Basket, I have to say that I'm sorry but I haven't even heard of it. I'm currently watching Full Metal Alchemist and haven't had a lot of time for other shows.

Apparently the first rule of airplane travel was no hotdogs, ever. After Harry, Neville, and Luna left Paul's apartment they made a beeline for Apartment number 4.

"Why is it always number four?" Harry asked.

"The number four is a superstitious number in some religions. The Dursleys must be addicted to the supernatural," Luna determined. Harry choked on his laughter.

"Tell me it's at least an unlucky number?" He pleaded.

"Of course," Luna agreed.

"I'm not going to even pretend that I'm following this conversation." Neville sighed.

"Never mind," Harry murmured, "Welcome to the grand-opening of Dursley Prison, complete with three dementors named Vernon, Petunia, and Dudley." Harry glared at the plain white door.

"Harry the door's never done anything to you," Neville said patiently.

"Oh yeah, I'll have you know that doors have a personal vendetta against me! Have you ever walked into a glass door? Have you? And don't get me started on the doors at Hogwarts, its painful how many of them were actually brick walls. My nose will never be the same again."

"You're nervous," Neville realized suddenly.

"What? What do you mean I'm nervous I just don't like doors," Harry denied the absolutely ludicrous suggestion. Harry was not nervous, no one little bit, well maybe a little, but only a little.

"Harry look at me," Luna said sharply. Harry spun around, he had never heard Luna use that tone of voice before.

"What," He snapped.

"Don't you give me that bull Harry James Potter. You are going to be fine,"

"How can you say that, you haven't met them?"

"Harry James Potter, don't backtalk me. How many times in your life have you had interaction with the Dursleys of any type?"

"Almost every day." Harry admitted.

"Alright, and how many of those times did you not survive?"

"Never," Harry sighed.

"So, you'll survive this as well." Luna concluded.

"But I never brought back other witches and Wizards before," Harry cried in frustration.

"Harry mate, we can take care of ourselves, we're trained fighters remember?" Neville reminded his friend.

"This too shall pass," Luna quoted, back to her dreamy voice, "and we can get hotdogs with horseradish and sauerkraut after!"

"Hotdogs?" Harry asked,

"Oh there's this deli by Seventh Street I absolutely adore!"

"Hotdogs it is," Neville agreed, "ready,"

"No," Harry said in a small voice, but he knocked on the door anyway.

The door swung open to reveal a rather sour looking Petunia Dursley.

"What?" She asked Neville irritably, not even noticing Harry.

"We've come to pick up Harry's stuff. If you give it to us with no damage done to it he will be out of your hair for the entire summer, from now on." Neville explained patiently.

Aunt Petunia gave a searching, somewhat distasteful look at Neville, finally noticing Harry.

"Fine, wait here, I don't want your kind under my roof," Petunia sniffed before turning around.

"Pleasant woman," Luna said airily. Even Harry gave her an odd look this time. A few minutes later Petunia was back with a plastic grocery bag. Harry took the bag and sifted through it.

"Fine," Harry said, "Bye,"

Aunt Petunia just slammed the door in his face.

"Yes I know about sarcasm," Luna added misinterpreting Neville's shocked look.

"Hotdogs are good," Harry decided.

"Yes, I'd imagine so." Luna agreed, chewing aimlessly on a pickled tomato.

"New York Delis rock," Neville announced, ignoring the mustard dribbling from his chin. Harry nodded, carefully wrapping his second hotdog in his napkin, and slipping it into his pocket.

"Now what," Harry wondered.

"Now we go to England obviously." Luna announced, "Those are where the other Hallows will be."

"Fair enough," Neville said, "But there is no way we can fly, Zeus will knock Harry out of the sky."

"Hey, I'll have you know I am an excellent flier,"

"It's true you know," Luna added,

"Thanks Luna," Neville sighed, "But planes are different,"

"I don't think Uncle Zeus would hurt me," Harry decided.

"Harry you don't know Zeus," Neville argued.

"I can't say that he won't hurt you,"

"He hates all of his nieces and nephews," Neville explained.

"And you all thought I was his son. I'm good, what's the easiest flight home?" Harry announced.

"How should I know?" Neville sighed defeated.

"We could always go to JFK International airport and check the flight listings." Luna suggested.

"Fair enough," Harry agreed.

"It looks like the next direct flight is full," Neville said, "the next one after that is at eleven in the evening,"

"We don't have that kind of time,"

"The next shortest flight would be to Rome Italy and from there taking a train to Paris where there will be a half hour layover and then taking another train called the Eurostar to England."

"Wont that take the same amount of time?" Harry asked.

"It's noon now. The flight leaves in thirty minutes. We should arrive at around ten in the evening. The train ride will take five more hours. With the layover we will get there at three, maybe four, o'clock in the morning. The direct flight will get us there at ten o'clock in the morning." Luna explained.

"Italy it is," Harry sighed.

Three tickets and four security guards later the trio was safely snuggling into the uncomfortable airplane seats.

"We're so going to die." Neville said sadly.

"No, we're not," Harry rolled his eyes. "I just know Uncle Zeus won't kill me."

"We're doomed, doomed, doom," Neville cried softly.

"Neville," Harry was exasperated.

"Guys the seatbelt light just turned on," Luna gently reminded the pair, "Oohh I'm so excited I can just feel Warbling Wasps,"

"Warbling wasps?" Neville asked shakily.

"Their attracted to low air pressure and electricity,"

Neville whimpered. Just then a voice came over the intercom.

"Ladies and Gentlemen this is Robert McCoy and I'm your chief flight attendant. On behalf of Captain James Hardy and the entire crew welcome aboard American airlines flight 143673 nonstop service from New York City to Rome. Our flight time will be nine hours and thirty minutes. We will be flying at an altitude of 40,000 ft. above sea level and at a ground speed of 600 miles per hour…"

"That's fast," Harry commented.

"Has to be," Luna agreed.

"No, no, no, we cannot survive a 40,000 foot drop over the Atlantic." Neville was muttering looking around quickly. At least they were seated right next to an emergency exit. Harry took a bite out of his hotdog.

Five or so minutes later a new message appeared.

"Ladies and Gentlemen I would like to direct your attention to the flight attendants who will be demonstrating the safety features of this air craft…"

"Ah good at least there is some amount of common sense here," Neville commented.

"Neville I've said it once and I've said it a million times. We Are Not Going To Die." Harry sighed, officially getting annoyed.

Five more minutes later the plane started to take off. Neville clutched the arm rests with his life as the speed and slowly the altitude increased.

"Oh my gods my ears," he shouted over the noise of the jet engine.

"What's that?" Harry shouted back, Luna was humming softly.

"My head is going to explode! I told you I was going to die!" Neville whimpered back. That was when the plane leveled out. The pressure stabilized, and Neville's head cleared some. "Oww,"

"Oh look the flight attendants have cookies!" Luna cried happily. The message system turned on again.

"Ladies and Gentlemen the Captain has turned on the fasten your seatbelts sign, we are now crossing a zone of turbulence. Please return to your seats and keep your seatbelts fastened. Thank you."

Later the entire plane would swear that Neville's screams could be heard at ground level 40,000 feet below.

"I told you we wouldn't die," Harry gently reminded Neville.

Neville was too busy grinning broadly to hear.

"Now I think we need to talk to the nice men over there," Luna said, pointing at customs.

"I'm guessing the Roman Gladiator standing next to them is for tourism then?" Harry wondered.

"Why not," Neville shrugged.

"Well then on we go on the journey to find the train station." Luna sang.

"Um hello?" Harry asked the gladiator.

"Yes,"

"Can you direct me to the international train station?"

"Through these gates, I'll need to check your personnel for any weaponry or illegal substances. If you could step right here." Harry stepped up to the security gate, soon he was patted down.

"What's this?" The gladiator asked, pulling out the hotdog, "you dare bring a sausage into the city of Rome? A remnant of those vile Visigoths?" (AN: in ancient Rome sausages were in fact illegal)

"Um dude, you know it's the year 1993 right?"

"Take your friends and leave my sight," the gladiator frowned. Sighing Harry and his friends did as told, not even noticing the grinning gladiator behind them taking a large bite out of Harry's hotdog.

"Puny mortals never learn,"

"That was…interesting." Luna looked at the gladiator oddly.

"Romans are weird," Neville agreed.

"Paris?"

"Paris."

Harry, Neville, and Luna had been on the train for close to three hours now.

"Hey," Harry said through his tea, "Now's a good of a time as any to plan something,"

"Sure mate," Neville said thoughtfully.

"I think we should visit Professor Snape in England," Luna suggested.

"Snape? Why?" Neville crinkled his nose.

"He knows our secret, and he is close to Dumbledore," Harry realized.

"and he knew Voldemort," Luna added.

"What?" Harry spit out his tea.

"He is a double player in the game," Luna explained, "He needs to know what both sides are doing so he can protect us."

"I never thought I'd say this but I'm sort of proud of my great nephew," Harry decided, "But only this once. He is otherwise a disgrace to bats of all sizes and shapes."

"Sure mate," Neville coughed.

"How do you think he'll react when I show up at his door?" Harry wondered.

"Angry, surprised, confused?" Neville offered.

"I don't think he'll notice you," Luna said, "Not at first."

"Where does he live anyway?"

"Spinners End," Neville said.

"No way, I must have walked by his house everyday day on my way to primary school," Harry snorted. "Not that he would have been home, working at a boarding school and all."

"Would you have liked to meet him before you had to?"

"Not really," Harry admitted.

"Well there you have it," Luna trilled, "After we meet with Severus we should enlist the help of the Spelling Bee and the Humbug,"

"Why not," Harry shrugged.

"So what do we tell Snape?" Neville asked.

"The truth?" Harry responded, "That his great uncle was claimed and was given a quest to steal from the two greatest wizards of our time. That Death is running rampant, that the fate of the world is in the balance."

"That he's related to Harry Potter," Neville added.

"Naw, I think I should go in in disguise." Harry chuckled, "too many people could recognize me in those parts."

"Wear a hat," Neville suggested.

"Take of your scar," Luna agreed, "and comb your hair it's the perfect nest for a family of Nargles."

"Fine," Harry shrugged, "we can buy a hat during the layover."

"Oh can I pick it out?" asked Luna excitedly.

"Sure thing Lu," Harry smiled fondly at his friend. The train kept on chugging.

"Paris had weird hats," Harry decided, fiddling with his beret.

"I think it looks good on you, and covers your hair, not to mention the makeup is doing a fantastic job of covering your scar." Neville coughed. Harry glared at his friend, rubbing his arms self-consciously.

"At the very least, I can fake a Greek accent," Harry said in Greek.

"And now we have a half hour of wruckspurt hunting at the gate," Luna cried triumphantly.

"Neville?" Harry heard a voice ask from the bench behind them. Neville spun around.

"Hermione?" he asked wide eyed, suddenly extremely nervous.

"Neville it is you! What are you doing in France? Oh never mind that have you been to the Musee d' Orsay yet? The statue garden was fantastic! Oh and the Eiffel tower although I suppose you were in the magical section of the city, Grece Ruelle, and who are they?" Hermione babbled excitedly.

"Greece Alley?" Harry said in a now thick Greek accent, "And now it makes sense why the city was named Paris, Aphrodite would be glad,"

"Hermione this is Herakles, my cousin from Greece, He's coming to spend the summer in Europe and so we're traveling with my friend Luna,"

"Hello Hermione, the blibbering humdingers told me of you," Luna said drowsily.

"Err right," Hermione frowned, "I've never heard of a…."

"I am called Herakles, but my friends call me Heri," Harry introduced himself with his thickest accent.

"Oh I have a friend named Harry," Hermione said, "You remind me a bit of him,"

"He is Greek too?" Harry asked.

"Not quite," Hermione smiled a bit, "an Englishman through and through. His father was English, and his grandfather, and his great grandfather."

Neville choked back a laugh.

"Oh," Harry frowned, "I had hope that he might talk Greek,"

"Speak Greek," Neville corrected.

"Speak Greek," Harry repeated, "not talk?"

"No speak," Neville said firmly. Harry just shrugged.

"This English makes my head pain,"

"Head ache,"

"Never mind that," Harry frowned. He was totally enjoying this.

"So why are you in France Hermione?" Neville asked.

"Oh we're vacationing! My parents and I that is, we're taking a train to Versailles next, there a monument to French wizards there, French wizards are really interesting. I bought Harry a book on them for his birthday." Hermione exclaimed. Harry winced.

"A history book for a present," he made a face.

"You don't know Harry, He'll love it I'm sure of it," Hermione defended.

"Alright then," Harry snickered.

"Oh my train leaves in ten minutes I need to find Mom and Dad, I'll see you around Neville, Luna,...Herakles." Hermione hugged the trio and went searching for her parents.

"Shoot I should have known she would be here. She told me she was going to France, but I didn't think train station, I mean what are the odds?" Harry yawned.

"Don't worry about it well just have to be extra careful," Neville said, "take a nap now, it looks like you could use one,"

"Sure." Harry yawned again, "Wake me up when we have to leave,"

"Sweet dreams," said the daughter of Morpheus.