Chapter Four
The next day, Harry made his way to the Fruity Smoothie Bar around noon. So far, Harry was just enjoying the quiet and relaxing from the day before and his "meeting" with Roxy. On the way to her work, he enjoyed the hum of the passing cars and this sun that shines on him. He walked calmly, with a familiar owl perched on his shoulder. Hedwig decided that she wanted to come with Harry this time and although they got some strange looks from people none of them cared much as they were used to attention anyway.
Although they briefly turned their attention to a coffee shop where a blonde waitress spilled a drink on a customer, completely unintentionally of course, but this customer still seemed very upset, as did the owner of the coffee shop. But that's not exactly why he became aware of it, but because just before he felt something strange coming from there, something magical.
But whatever it was, he didn't see it. And to top it off, it felt so foreign again. He still can't quite explain it exactly, but it feels different than magic as he knows it.
Since he doesn't get very smart about it, he just decided to move on and make his way back to his new friend.
After a few more minutes of walking, he finally arrived at his destination and headed inside in search of Roxy.
Although it's only the middle of the day, it already seems to be very busy, so he found a seat right at the counter. And then he also discovered Roxy, who just discovered another customer, but noticed him and made her way to him.
She appears to be wearing some sort of work uniform this time, and while it's less revealing than her regular outfit, it also seems to accentuate and accentuate her figure even more, although he was trying really hard not to think about it all the time, so he doesn't blush every time he's around her, no matter how impressed he may be with her.
"Hey Harry, nice to see you here again," Roxy greeted him with an enthusiastic smile.
Harry smiled back and said, "Nice to see you again too, Roxy. I see you're very busy," he remarked while looking around again.
Roxy then said with a slight frown, "Yeah, I'm not sure if I should be happy about that or not either. Of course, it's a big plus that we're so popular with people, but on the other hand, being the only waitress with so many customers is really not easy."
Harry gave her a sympathetic look, partially understanding how she feels.
Only then does Roxy realize that Harry has something on his shoulder, or rather someone.
"Now who is that Harry?" Roxy asked with a curious look while pointing at Hedwig.
"Oh, that's Hedwig. My dear friend who has accompanied me since I was eleven. It was a gift from one of my first friends," Harry said with a smile, turning to stroke Hedwig gently.
Of course, Hedwig enjoys all the attention and only shows off all the praise. However, she then looks at Roxy and inexplicably feels attracted to her. Strange is what Hedwig thinks.
As she continues to stare at Roxy, she began to wonder if anything was wrong.
"Is there a reason Hedwig is staring at me like that, Harry?" Roxy asked.
"Not sure. But I think she's just judging you. She's very protective of me, after all, and must have noticed that we're on some familiar terms," Harry said.
After a few more moments, Hedwig nodded her head and flew off Harry's shoulder to Roxy's, who seemed a little surprised, but also pleased. She then very slowly starts petting Hedwig.
"She looks even prettier up close," said Roxy, admiring Hedwig's plumage.
"Huh, didn't think Hedwig would get used to you so quickly, even just being nice to her," Harry said, amazed.
"Well, I've always had a knack for animals," Roxy said with a smile, "You know, please don't tell my dad, but every once in a while I'll pick up a few strays and take care of them. Every time I see any animal, I feel the need to take care of them and then I become friends with them relatively quickly."
"Don't worry, I can keep a few secrets," Harry said, and then mentally, "Not like I don't have a few little secrets of my own."
"So what would you like to order?" Roxy finally asked him as Hedwig sat back down on Harry's shoulder
"I'd like a mango kiwi cherry smoothie and a piece of fruitcake with it," Harry said after a few seconds, looking at the menu.
"Your order will be in right away," Roxy said, and went to process his order.
It was a few minutes before Roxy came back with Harry's order and took his attention away from Hedwig again.
"Here you go Harry, I went to extra lengths," Roxy said, blushing slightly.
"Thank you," Harry said, also blushing slightly.
"I'd like to talk to you further, but unfortunately I have other customers to attend to," Roxy said, a note of disappointment evident in her tone.
"Don't worry, I'll be here a little longer," Harry said reassuringly.
After that, when Roxy went back to work, Harry got down to eating his cake and drinking the smoothie. Both tasted wonderful. Hogwarts food has always been delicious, but this dish, prepared by Roxy, had something special about it. Of course, Harry started blushing again after such thoughts.
While he's there, Harry looks around the place again, noting that Roxy could have her hands full for a while if she really had to do it all by herself.
Suddenly a thought occurred to him that he really didn't expect to get. While he's had enough money for quite a while, and still wants to take care of other things like finding a way to keep learning magic and using it without being spotted, it probably wouldn't hurt if he would get a job. Or to be more precise, a very specific job with a very specific employee.
"I mean, I need a good pastime after all, and I also feel really bad for Roxy for all the tremendous work she has to do on her own," Harry said mentally, making up his mind.
Half an hour later Harry was done and that was also the time Roxy came back to him.
"I see you've finished. I hope it was tasty, though," Roxy said with a smile, albeit a bit of exhaustion on her face.
"It really has, and while enjoying my smoothie I had an idea that I wanted to share with you and get your opinion on," Harry said, meeting her eyes.
"What is it about?" Roxy asked curiously.
"How about I apply for a job as a waiter? You know, to help you out and earn some money on the side too," Harry asked her.
"You want to work here?" Roxy voiced in shock, albeit with a hopeful tone.
"Well, yes," Harry confirmed.
"Oh, that would be so great. I really need help and it would be especially great if you of all people would help me Harry," Roxy said and then surprised Harry by hugging him.
Harry was more than surprised, of course, and stiffened at first, but eventually returned the hug and smiled slightly.
After breaking away from him, Roxy began to speak again: "Of course I can't hire you myself, but I'll ask my father if he would do it. I'm sure he would appreciate all that extra help too."
"Well thank you and I look forward to being in charge of spending more time with you," Harry said before realizing what that sounded like and blushing a full storm, as did Roxy.
After a few moments of awkward silence, Roxy spoke up again, "But I guess I can ask him after work as he doesn't seem to be getting a moment either," she said in an apologetic tone.
"No problem, I'm in no hurry," Harry said reassuringly.
"Well, if that's the case, I'm sure I won't forget it later," Roxy said happily again and then added: "But first I have to go back to work. I'll let you know tomorrow how the conversation went. I'm sure he'll hire you though, just be prepared for a few questions. And, maybe some embarrassing questions too."
"Um?" Harry said, not quite sure what she meant by that.
"Well see you later Harry," Roxy said
"See you later Roxy," Harry said, and they both waved goodbye.
After that, Harry makes his way through town again, Hedwig on his shoulder curiously looking around to take in all of their new surroundings.
"Well then, what shall we do for the rest of the day, Hedwig?" Harry asked his owl.
After some more strolling around town, with Harry buying himself and Hedwig ice cream and strolling around the park a little and people-watching, Harry started to feel "IT".
The "IT" was something powerful, dark and utterly alien, something he had never felt before. It doesn't even remotely compare to the strange magic of before.
Suddenly completely at a loss as to what to do, Harry decided to make what was probably the dumbest choice he had. He decided to approach this dark source.
He began hurrying quickly yet unobtrusively out of the park with Hedwig and maneuvering through town, not sure exactly where to go, just following his sense of magic. Through several back alleys past many houses, Harry begins to let magic flow unnoticed, which, without his knowledge, illusions him and veils his presence.
After some time, he arrives near a warehouse and senses the dark source right on the side of the warehouse. As he slowed and tried to steady his heartbeat, he peeked around the corner and saw "They."
"They" are four men in dark leather outfits who look old even for magical communities. Rather, they remind him of some old fantasy stories he once read. But it's not their outfits that scare Harry, it's the downright darkness that seems to emanate from them. It sort of reminded Harry of the Dark Lord, but at the same time it was... more focused, and more powerful.
Hiding better, Harry tried to eavesdrop on the four men and kept wondering why his life can't even be normal.
"Are you sure Ogron. This doesn't seem like a place you'd expect the last of the Earth Fairies to be in," one of them said to the redheaded man.
"And that's exactly why this would be a perfect hiding place for them. I can feel them, albeit faintly. We will subtly look around the city and try to find them. Then we will appropriate their powers and become more powerful than ever before. Nothing will be able to stop us anymore," said the aforementioned ogron
The group then proceeded to run in the opposite direction from Harry until they began to dissolve into some sort of shadow. But before that could happen, something fell out of one of the men's pockets, but without them noticing, they were gone.
Harry, not sure what that was all about, decided to walk to where the four men had just disappeared. There he felt that other magic again, that dark other magic. Again, he can't decipher it or even begin to understand it. But then he sees the object that fell on the floor.
It was small and black, magic pouring through it, but not just one of darkness, but much more just...magic. When he picked it up and took a closer look, he realized it was a book, if not a scaled down book.
Unsure what to do with it, Harry decided to take the risk of being discovered by the American magical community and cast a powerful Finite Incantatem.
Magic then slowly, then rapidly, began to leave Harry and enter the book, which slowly expanded until it was about the size of one of Harry's textbooks, albeit thicker.
Harry slowly opened the book and saw... writing he couldn't read.
Both frustrated and disappointed and at a loss, Harry decided to close the book again and, despite all the screams in his mind telling him not to do it, took it with him and made his way back to the hotel . As he did so, he glanced at Hedwig, who had remained calm throughout the whole thing, and saw her looking at him and, despite no words being exchanged, Harry knew that Hedwig was telling him he was being stupid, but she was telling him anyway will stand by.
(Meanwhile back at Roxy, who can relax a little after several stressful hours of work as the customer rush has subsided)
"I know we're very popular with people, but this amount of customers really kills you," Roxy muttered to herself, crossing her arms on the counter and resting her head on it.
"Look at it that way, at least we don't have to worry about money," said her father Klaus, who also took a little break.
"It might be, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't be thankful for more relaxed working days," Roxy grumbled, only to sit up briefly and look Klaus in the face.
"I remember that I wanted to ask you something," Roxy began slowly and nervously, "And since I know what your first thoughts might be, I would ask you to let me finish before you say anything ."
"Oh, that could be interesting," Klaus said interested.
"Well, two days ago a new client came to us, a boy my age, and he seemed new to the area, so I chatted with him a little, and the next day I met him again and we spent some time together with Artuu and we had a lot of fun together. Earlier in the day he stopped by again and really just wanted to order something but seeing all the workload we were having he suggested he could work for us. You know, to help us out and earn some pocket money myself," Roxy finished a little awkwardly, knowing full well what her father was probably thinking.
"And this... boy, what's his name?" Klaus asked suspiciously.
"Um, Harry," Roxy said.
"And that… Harry really wants to help, too, not just staring at you and flirting with you all the time," Klaus said in a suspicious tone.
"Dad, it's not like that, he's really nice and friendly and he means it with the help he offers," Roxy said a little annoyed.
"Well, I don't know, a boy you only met recently and who is still quite unknown to you. Of course I don't want to accuse him of anything reprehensible, but are you sure that he would be suitable for the job," Klaus asked his daughter.
"Very sure," Roxy said confidently.
"Well, I guess I could at least interview him and get to know him a little myself, but only because you asked so nicely," Klaus said, complying with his daughter's request.
"Oh thanks daddy," Roxy said, hugging him.
"Well, that's for later, now we have to work a little more first," said Klaus
(Later in the day, back in his hotel room with Harry, just after dinner)
"It's been an interesting day, hasn't it, Hedwig," Harry said to his owl, which was already settling into its perch to get some sleep. She may be an owl, but she has adapted her sleep cycle to her companion.
"Hoot hoot, hoot hoo hoo, hoot," said, or rather croaked, Hedwig.
"Meeting Roxy was nice, of course, and I might have a new job if I really get that job, but our discovery later in the day regarding the four men who appear to be some sort of magicians was beyond odd, and I'm sure our next adventure awaits us," Harry said in a frustrated and tired tone.
Then he thought back to the brief conversation the men had and the book he found lying on his bedside table.
"I have no idea what all this strange and new magic is, I don't know anything about any earth faeries either, nor can I read the book, which is most likely a spell book. All in all, I'm just as ignorant as how Else," Harry said, a little angry and frustrated.
Since he has no further ideas about all the new topics right now, he just decided to go to bed and rest. Maybe in his sleep he'll get an idea about, well, anything, to be honest.
"First I guess I should focus on whatever job Roxy might get me. After all, she really seemed to need some extra help. And I could also spend some more time with her specifically, maybe that way we can get to know each other a little better," Harry said to himself before laying down on his bed.
Unbeknownst to him and Hedwig, the grimoire began to glow softly, and it changed in a way that Harry hadn't really expected, but once he notices the change, he will surely be grateful for it, for it will give him both help, as well as offer many new and particularly good opportunities.