31. Gone wrong

Harry rolled his neck in fatigue. Work in Haven could get hectic, but it was fulfilling. A bit of dark glee escaped him at the thought of his aunt having to deal with Vernon's sister. Harry felt that it was the world's form of slight karma.

With that pleasing notion in mind, he addressed his boss," It's closing time, sir. I'm going to the attic."

Andre nodded as he locked up the kitchen. Harry had taken up the night shift. Female workers had been allowed to leave much earlier since Andre detested letting them leave late into the night. Harry thought that it had been oddly respectable of the boss.

As for Harry, he was going to the attic to retrieve an old broken down computer. Haven had purchased a more up to date model and removed their oldest computer. Since he had never gotten to have one, Harry had been interested in taking it.

Andre didn't mind much.

Stepping into the attic, he noticed the old dusty model. Some of the keys looked stuck and the mouse was well worn. It was sad sight. Kneeing in front of it, he looked at the aged wires. Harry wasn't very knowledgeable on computers. Hogwarts wasn't exactly keeping track of advances in the outside world, and the Dursleys wouldn't let him near one.

Harry saw this as a good opportunity to test something out. He pulled out his spell book and chanted, "Being of queerness, holding both salvation and perdition (Spark of Life)." A metallic sheen surrounded the computer as the screen turned on.

The keyboard was rapidly working itself.

"What's taking so long?" Andre asked as he just walked into the room.

This startled Harry as he hid the book behind him. Andre brushed it aside as unimportant. Looking at the screen, he rubbed his chin, "You got this hunk of junk working?"

The keyboard's typing ceased. It pressed each key painfully slow as it typed 'Junk?' The speed picked up again and the screen went dark. When the light returned, the image showed a blue haired woman with a warm expression.

"Don't say such cruel things to me." Her tone was pouty and hurt.

Harry marveled at the working of the spell. Andre was captured by the woman's appearance. Periodically, the screen would flicker, otherwise it was a marvelous sight.

"Pardon me, my lovely flower. How could I ever be so remiss to insult a lady, in any form, so harshly?"

"Oh, I forgive you, sweetie~", the last word was spoken in a saccharine voice. Her eyes looked so lovingly at Andre as she smiled majestically. "Just come a little closer." Slowly, the woman's upper body breached the confines of the screen and brought her arms out welcomingly.

The woman had the 'sweet' voice that his aunt Petunia used regularly. It was as false as a third moon. Trying not to catch her attention, he made to open his book again.

But she wouldn't allow that.

Faster than he could react, the computer woman used one of the many cords to swat the book out of his hands. They stung from the ferocity. Hissing, he leapt back. More and more wires rose ominously around them. When sparks started to fly, even Andre got a tad worried.

Like a lover, she embraced Andre and traced circles on his chest. "Forget that boorish boy, come with me and we can be together. Forever."

"F-Forever? Now, ma'am let's be reasonable. I have gotten an acquired taste for the real world. I can't pull the electric scene like you", Andre replied nervously. He was only held harder than before.

"Let him go!" Harry cried as he pulled his wand from his pocket. Yet again, it was smacked out of his hand as he hissed. This computer was pretty sharp.

"Since you wish to separate beloved and I, you need to die", the computer woman said in a cheery childish voice. Her warm eyes had a hint of mania swirling within. Even as she spoke, she was pulling Andre within the screen, an arm already digitized.

Panic hit Harry. He wasn't sure what effects his boss would suffer inside of the screen. The woman wasn't all there.

Her electrified wires leapt at him again. There was no way he could avoid the wires, reach his book, and do a spell before Andre was pulled in. Gritting his teeth, Harry's eyes grew an unnatural green. Reaching out to the forces of magic he pleaded for their aid.

It answered his call.

All forms of matter around him lost color. Movement around him had stopped. Unlike the Pale Lady, the distortion seemed to only reach around them, not even the whole attic. In contrast to the ease of the Pale Lady, Harry was struggling to keep standing, sweat pouring down his brow. Slowly, as though in tar, he moved towards the book in unsteady steps.

As he touched it, color returned to the area. Quickly, he flipped the pages and chanted, "It is fallacy to dismiss it, for what is technology but the magic of circuits (Cyber Mastery)." With great shame he ordered, "Null."

The computer paused with a look of horror on her face. Her form disintegrated and the computer flicked off. It was simply a damaged computer now. Andre fell to the ground in a thud, a look of sadness on his face. He understood the severity of the situation.

"So, you're some kind of voodoo master?" He asked lightly, trying to lift up the atmosphere.

"No. A wizard", he answered honestly.

Harry had been humbled. Amazed by it, he had forgotten magic's strength and failed to use caution. The boy looked at the book, it was far more powerful than he gave it credit. He swore on the destroyed life he created that he would show greater care to not make such a blunder again.