Bad Faith Island
A Harry Potter Pirate Story
by VG Jekyll
6. Port Key
Dedicated to: AlsoKnownAs Dani
Harry Potter and Raptor, Dean Thomas and Colin Creevey walk seeming at ease through the streets of Port Key. Port Key is known for being lawless around the harbor. The small, dirty streets of the harbor are littered with drunken salesmen, cruel slave traders, sailors with screaming parrots, gamblers, hookers, bandits and parading raiders. And Harry, Dean and Colin feel at right home. Amongst these people, they know what they can expect.
They are on their way towards an old building, where Remus Lupin is supposed to live. Remus Lupin is an old friend of the late James Potter and went to live in Port Key after one of his best friends was put in the prison Azkaban.
They stop in front of the house, knock politely on the door and wait for a few moments. They share a glance as it is not answered and Harry knocks again, this time more briskly.
"He must be elsewhere," states Dean.
Harry nods and kicks a man who lays asleep against a wall of the building next to it.
"Hey, do ya know where Remus Lupin is?"
"That be a dragon?" The man asks sleepy as he stares at Raptor, sitting snugly on Harry's shoulder. Harry glances shortly at Raptor and then back at the man as if he is an idiot.
"No, it's a parrot. Where's Remus Lupin?"
"Why do yeh need ta know?"
"I need his help."
"Yeh need help from an innkeeper?" wonders the drunkard confused.
"He's an innkeeper?" asks Harry incredulous, not having known that.
"Aye, at tha 'Broken Sneakoscope'."
They go to the 'Broken Sneakoscope', an inn that is relatively better than most other in Port Key, and enter it reluctantly.
Remus sees them immediately, as they enter, and grins broadly. He places his hands on the bar, swings his legs over the counter and then stands in front of Harry. He places a hand on his shoulder and glances shortly at the dragon on the guy's other shoulder, before aiming his attention on Harry again.
"Harry! By Merlin, you're so tall!" He smiles broadly. "Last time I've seen you, you weren't higher than my waist." He ruffles fatherly through Harry's hair.
"Where's James?" he then asks and looks expectantly at the doorway, knowing that where Harry was, James couldn't be far away . After all, they had build up a really tight father-son relation after Lily's dead.
Harry gives him a serious look and looks around. There are too many people who can overhear them. "Can we talk somewhere else?"
Remus nods and motions something to a woman, who was walking around with a tray. "Alright, let's go to my house," he says and leads them to said place.
Remus' place is small and sparsely furnished. There are two chairs, a bookcase full with thick books and a few random objects to make it feel more like a home. The place smells slightly of the salty sea. Raptor immediately hops off Harry's shoulder to claim a chair.
"Nice place you've got here," comments Harry. His eyes fall on a small painting on the wall and he walks quickly towards it so he can study it. On it can he recognize a very young Remus, Harry's godfather and James Potter. His eyes become blurry as he sees his young father's face, smiling happily down at him.
"Can I offer you something?" he hears Remus ask behind him to Dean and Colin. "Rum, beer, coffee, tea?"
Both refuse politely and Harry turns around. "Remus, sit down," he orders and Remus sits immediately down as he hears the grave tone of voice that harry uses.
"Something has happened to him," Remus says. It is more a statement than a question, yet Harry still nods in affirmative.
"Aye, he's dead."
Remus stares blankly in front of him. "Who did it?"
"Voldemort."
Remus frowns as he wonders how Voldemort could have gotten to James. "What exactly happened?"
Harry explains, sometimes interrupted by either Colin or Dean to fill in the blank spots.
"-this amulet," Harry finishes and pulls the necklace from his neck to show it to Remus, who takes it and studies it thoroughly. "This is Latin," he finally says and points at the odd inscriptions on it.
"Can you read it?"
"Sadly enough, no."
"Then why did father send me to ya?" Harry wonders.
"I think that your father made a mistake. I know how to read Greek, not Latin."
"Captain? A suggestion," says Dean suddenly. They all turn towards the black-skinned man. "Maybe we should take a look in the old jail 'ere."
They all stare puzzled at him and he hurries to explain. "Maybe we can find a Latin speakin' prisoner there. Yeh never know. After all, didn't yeh find me down there two years ago?"
Harry swings an arm around Dean's shoulders and smiles brilliantly. "Good thinkin', Dean! Good thinkin'! Although chances are slim, but we can always check! Perhaps some poor scholar has been thrown there for being to curious or studious. Both naturally being very bad vices," he grins.
They all stand up with the intention to leave Remus' place and head towards Port Key's prison, but Remus crosses his arms and looks them over.
"You're going to a highly secured prison, littered with solders who'd love to catch pirates, looking like that?" he questions with a raised brow. They frown and glance down at their clothes. "What's wrong with our clothes?"
Remus takes a quick whiff and pulls a face. "First of all: you stink!"
"Hey!" yells Harry insulted.
"We're pirates," excuses Dean himself. "It's not like we can take baths everyday."
"Or want to," adds Colin pouting.
Remus can't be stopped. "Secondly: you are all dressed like sea trash."
"WHAT!"
"If I were you, I would take a bath and dress up in some nobles clothes, that way you wont be questioned every 5 seconds about who you are and what you're business there is."
"Remus got a point there," Dean admits and they follow grumbling the instructions of the older man, who somehow is quite quickly in the possession of the needed clothes.
Finally they are ready to leave, with Remus staying at home to study the amulet a bit more. Though he doesn't know how to read the Latin, he did notice that the figures on the amulet look like star-systems, and that is something he has books about. Raptor happily sleeps on his chair.
"Colin, go ahead," Harry orders. The boy obeys and they walk calmly after him. They now behave like royalty and look like it too. As they almost reach the old prison, which are not more than an underground basement with holding cells, they see Colin already heading their way.
"I found one! There's actually a prisoner inside who speaks Latin!" shouts Colin, as he runs energetic to their side.
Harry gives him a broad grin. "Good, lets break him out!"
"Unfortunately Cap'n-I mean sir. He's to be sold as a slave," tells Colin him and bites on his lip. Colin has always greatly admired Harry, who has achieved so much at such young age, and he feels bad about telling him this part of the news.
"A slave?" wonders Harry out loud and blinks. "Hmm, brin' us to him."
Dean places a hand on Harry's shoulder and looks him warningly in the eye. "They hang pirates, yeh must be careful!"
Harry laughs unconcerned and shrugs his hand off. "You worry too much."
Dean gives him a stern glance. "Behave yourself Harry."
"I always behave."
"I was there to see what an uproar yer antic with a certain Bagman caused. Yeh call that behavin'?"
Harry shrugs amused. "I can do worse."
Dean stares up in the sky and sighs as Colin softly chuckles. "We know, Harry. Trust me, I know." He shakes his head at Harry who holds his hands clasped behind his back and smiles cutely at him. "Sometimes I wonder if I be a pirate or a babysitter."
"Come on, let's go."
To Be Continued