Harry Potter and the Children's Crusades
Harry Potter theme and related characters are property of J.K. Rowling. Plot and character Naera Vale is property of Meisako Pyoko-Chan (Melissa Pomeroy), 2002. Any and all reviews appriaciated.~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~
chapter THREE: Floo Powder and Flat Treacle Tarts
*****
Welcome to my version of Harry's sixth year at Hogwarts. This is the story of Harry, Ron, Hermione, and just about everyone else, and a new character, Naera Vale. Please read my rendition of Harry's fifth year, Harry Potter and the Fallen Angel at Hogwart (complete), and Lily and James (from seventh year to that fateful night), Until Death Do Us Part (work in progress).
****
When they were far away from any city, Harry landed. His posterior was sore from sitting for so long. Naera, too, was thankful for the touch down. She walked around a bit before going to her bag and pulling out a directory.
"Let's see... Yes! There's a wizarding family around here somewhere. Surely they'll have floo powder."
Harry had long ago forgotten many wizarding conveniences; floo powder, charms, owls, spells- Harry froze.
"Naera? Where's my stuff?"
She shrugged. "They had nothing under your name at the hospital and we found nothing at your home. I'm sorry, dear."
Harry's heart sank. "My wand and books and robes and Firebolt... Hedwig." Harry muttered to himself sadly. "My photo album and my invisibility cloak! Surely some one must know where those are? They are the only things I have left to remember my parents! I can't... No..." Harry sat on a rock and hid his face with his hands. "Curse the Dursleys to Hell!" He slapped his knee in a fit of anger. Naera looked truely sorry.
"Tell you what. As soon as we get to the Ministry, I'll have some one sent out to look for them. I'm sure I heard that some one had spotted your owl, however, in Aberdeen. They sent loads of people that direction to look for you, hoping that the two of you were together, but that was nearly two months ago..." Her voice trailed as she turned back to the directory. "Ah ha! Just half a mile in that direction." She pointed enthusiastically to her left. "McHugh... c'mon then, Harry!" Naera picked up her bag and shouldered it. "We'll walk, if that's alright. I don't think my bottom could handle even five more minutes on that broomstick."
Together they walked, exchanging news. Actually, Harry did the majority of the listening, rather than exchanging.
"-and the worst of all, I think they'll let him off!" She exclaimed exasperately. They had been talking about Sirius Black for the past fifteen minutes. His trial to clear his name was looking good, to Harry that is.
"That's great!"
Naera looked at him oddly. "Great? Then you believe he didn't kill all of those people? There were all of those witnesses!"
"There were also alot of witnesses, last time Voldemort," Naera flinched, "attacked, who saw Peter Pettigrew personally. Cornelius Fudge, even! I'm suprised the trail has taken this long!" Harry argued.
Naera looked deep in thought. "I suppose those accounts she amount to something, but without Pettigrew physically in the Ministry's hands, it's going to be hard to convince the public of his innocence. Not everyone was there to see it for themselves, you know."
At the crest of the next hill stood a homely looking cottage covered in moss. Around it was a crooked white picket fence and a garden, obviously full of magical plants. All together, besides the six chimneys protruding from the roof, it looked like a house from a fairytale.
"McHugh." Naera read off of the mail box, which looked at though it had never been used. She smiled and opened the gate which, on a cobble stoned path, led up to the front door. "Come on, Harry." Naera knocked lightly on the weathered door. It opened almost instantly and a wave of warm, perfumed air hit Harry strongly.
"Can I assist you?" An elderly woman in a grey shall stood in the threshhold. She eyed Naera and Harry suspiciously.
"Please, ma'am, are you Elise McHugh?"
"I am. And you are?"
"My name is Naera Vale and I'm the Japanese Ambassador to English Wizards, I've been sent from the Ministry." She flashed a gold badge in the woman's face. "I was wo-"
"Your name isn't too Japanese, now is it?" Elise leaned against the doorway amicably.
Naera was slightly put off. "Huh? Oh, well, my father was English and my mother Japanese. Dad named me, but that's not the point here." Naera frowned. "I was wondering if you had any floo powder we might use. We're in a hurry."
Elise smiled and moved to let them in. "Of course, anything to help the Ministry!" Once inside, she called for her husband. "Erin, go and get the floo powder, if you will."
Naera spoke breifly with Elise as Harry stared about the room. It was very comforting to see that all of the pictures were moving about. He at last felt like he was truely going home. His hands absentmindedly fumbled with the necklace Naera had let him borrow. He had forgotten to take it off. Harry pulled the chain over his head and continued to look about.
Erin, a man who was just as old as Elise, entered with a silver, antique looking box. "Here you are, floo powder-" He looked at Harry. "Bless my heart, Harry Potter!" Elise jumped and turned about wildly.
"Great Heavens! It is Harry Potter! Dear, dear! We've thought the worse..." She placed an uneasy hand over her heart. "Would you look at him?" Elise said to Erin. "He looks half starved. Go and get those fresh treacle tarts. That'll help him a bit."
"Oh, that's alright, really. I'll just eat when I get to the Ministry. You don't have to..." Harry felt his face heat.
"Nonesense! Of course we don't have to, but what kind of witch would I be if didn't?" Elise took the box Erin had handed her and shoved it into Harry's hands. "Fresh from the oven." Naera smiled at the elderly couple.
"Thank you," She bowed, "for all of you help. Now, we must really be heading to the Ministry."
"Sure, sure- here." Erin offered the box to her and she accepted it with a bow.
Harry did likewise and turned to thne fireplace, where he noticed a particular figure in a picture on the mantel waving at him.
"That's Seamus!"
Erin beamed. "Aye! He's my grandson. My daughter Heather's son. Spanking good Keeper and I heard they made him Captain!" He smiled at Harry. "Tell him 'hey' for us, won't you? We don't see him much, anymore."
"Of course, sir." Harry took a pinch of floo powder and followed Naera into the fireplace.
"Ministry of Magic, England!"
Harry held tight to his box of tarts and closed his eyes. After a while, the set of fireplaces he was traveling through changed into a tube. Harry dared to open his eyes and saw only blue. He was traveling under water. Soot reappeared and Harry quickly snapped his eyes closed again.
His feet met hard with cement floor and his ears with loud voices. Harry opened his eyes to see a large pair of eyes looking back. He screamed and several people laughed. It took him a moment to realize the eyes weren't large, just very close.
"Harry!" Fudge began to beat the soot off of him. "Welcome back, are you alright?"
"Wait until I owl Molly!"
"What happened, Harry?"
"Can you walk?"
"You've flattened his tarts, Minister-"
"We've been worried sick!"
"LET HIM BREATHE!" Naera pulled on Harry's sleeve and tugged him away from the waiting crowd. "Please, Harry's been through enough without you badgering him!" Naera scowled.
Cornelius Fudge frowned back, but at long last, he nodded. "Luke, contact Dumbledore, and Percy, find a place for Harry to sleep tonight." Percy Weasley and Luke Privado nodded and quickly left the room. "Everyone else, back to work!"
The room slowly emptied, except for Fudge, Harry, Naera, and Arthur Weasley.
"Harry- I don't know what to say... I- We're glad to have you back." Mr. Weasley ran his hand through Harry's extremly messy and extremely long hair.
"Order of Merlin, second class, Vale!" Fudge declared.
"Thank you sir," Naera bowed. "But completely unneccessary. I must decline the offer."
"I insist!"
"Really, no- Minister. Now, if you please, I must contact my superiors. they are awaiting my owl." Naera bowed herself out of the room before Fudge could think of another reward.
Mr. Weasley smiled at Harry, teary like. "I'm going to owl Molly."
"Just make sure you don't let you kids find out about this until we know what we are going to do, exactly." He turned to Harry. "Come along."
Harry said good bye to Mr. Weasley and followed Fudge, clad in his usualy puprple pinestriped robes, down a corridor.
"Can I owl my godfather?"
Fudge started. "Black?"
"Yes. Can I owl him? Tell him I'm alright?"
"No, I think you'd better wait until tomorrow. Things will be sorted out by then." Fudge halted and knocked on a door.
Percy opened it, looked at Harry, and said, "Fifth chamber, second corridor, fourth door on your right."
"Thank you, Percy." Fudge placed his hands on Harry's shoulders and steered him into the fourth door on the right and into another corridor. "He should really just say, guest room number five. Make things alot easier- Hare we are, Harry!"
Harry was greeted by a giant room with a fireplace and feather four-poster. There were three doors leading out of the room and Harry decided he'd find out where they each went later.
"I'll have Luke bring you some fresh robes a little later on. Get some rest, Harry, it'll be getting dark soon."
"Alright, good night, Minister." The door shut and Harry sighed deeply. For the first time in what felt like years, he was sane. Harry sat on the bed and ate the treacle tarts. Although extremely flattened by Fudge's roughness earlier, they were still very soft and warm. No sooner than he had licked his fingers, than he fell into a deep and dreamful sleep.
~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~
TatraMegami: Yeah, it is kinda funny. I was kinda wondering myself how he could blow up Aunt marge without a wand, but not break his restraints... The only thing I could come up with (being the author and all) was that the nut house had driven him too crazy to remember how to do that... I dunno! :)
Lady of Arundel: Thanks! Right now, I'm not even sure how it will unfold. 'It is a puzzlement'.
Tarawen: Yes. Darn Dursleys. But the good thing is I will never have to write about them again! So long 'Dinky-Diddy-Duddy-Dums'!
TatraMaegami: It wasn't really that fast- you just reviewed right before I updated.
Ice Fox: Thanks, and I will try to post more soon!
I have a new E-Mail: Slytherin_Angel@MostlySunny.com Please email me! :) I'd like that.
Harry Potter theme and related characters are property of J.K. Rowling. Plot and character Naera Vale is property of Meisako Pyoko-Chan (Melissa Pomeroy), 2002. Any and all reviews appriaciated.
chapter THREE: Floo Powder and Flat Treacle Tarts
Welcome to my version of Harry's sixth year at Hogwarts. This is the story of Harry, Ron, Hermione, and just about everyone else, and a new character, Naera Vale. Please read my rendition of Harry's fifth year, Harry Potter and the Fallen Angel at Hogwart (complete), and Lily and James (from seventh year to that fateful night), Until Death Do Us Part (work in progress).
****
When they were far away from any city, Harry landed. His posterior was sore from sitting for so long. Naera, too, was thankful for the touch down. She walked around a bit before going to her bag and pulling out a directory.
"Let's see... Yes! There's a wizarding family around here somewhere. Surely they'll have floo powder."
Harry had long ago forgotten many wizarding conveniences; floo powder, charms, owls, spells- Harry froze.
"Naera? Where's my stuff?"
She shrugged. "They had nothing under your name at the hospital and we found nothing at your home. I'm sorry, dear."
Harry's heart sank. "My wand and books and robes and Firebolt... Hedwig." Harry muttered to himself sadly. "My photo album and my invisibility cloak! Surely some one must know where those are? They are the only things I have left to remember my parents! I can't... No..." Harry sat on a rock and hid his face with his hands. "Curse the Dursleys to Hell!" He slapped his knee in a fit of anger. Naera looked truely sorry.
"Tell you what. As soon as we get to the Ministry, I'll have some one sent out to look for them. I'm sure I heard that some one had spotted your owl, however, in Aberdeen. They sent loads of people that direction to look for you, hoping that the two of you were together, but that was nearly two months ago..." Her voice trailed as she turned back to the directory. "Ah ha! Just half a mile in that direction." She pointed enthusiastically to her left. "McHugh... c'mon then, Harry!" Naera picked up her bag and shouldered it. "We'll walk, if that's alright. I don't think my bottom could handle even five more minutes on that broomstick."
Together they walked, exchanging news. Actually, Harry did the majority of the listening, rather than exchanging.
"-and the worst of all, I think they'll let him off!" She exclaimed exasperately. They had been talking about Sirius Black for the past fifteen minutes. His trial to clear his name was looking good, to Harry that is.
"That's great!"
Naera looked at him oddly. "Great? Then you believe he didn't kill all of those people? There were all of those witnesses!"
"There were also alot of witnesses, last time Voldemort," Naera flinched, "attacked, who saw Peter Pettigrew personally. Cornelius Fudge, even! I'm suprised the trail has taken this long!" Harry argued.
Naera looked deep in thought. "I suppose those accounts she amount to something, but without Pettigrew physically in the Ministry's hands, it's going to be hard to convince the public of his innocence. Not everyone was there to see it for themselves, you know."
At the crest of the next hill stood a homely looking cottage covered in moss. Around it was a crooked white picket fence and a garden, obviously full of magical plants. All together, besides the six chimneys protruding from the roof, it looked like a house from a fairytale.
"McHugh." Naera read off of the mail box, which looked at though it had never been used. She smiled and opened the gate which, on a cobble stoned path, led up to the front door. "Come on, Harry." Naera knocked lightly on the weathered door. It opened almost instantly and a wave of warm, perfumed air hit Harry strongly.
"Can I assist you?" An elderly woman in a grey shall stood in the threshhold. She eyed Naera and Harry suspiciously.
"Please, ma'am, are you Elise McHugh?"
"I am. And you are?"
"My name is Naera Vale and I'm the Japanese Ambassador to English Wizards, I've been sent from the Ministry." She flashed a gold badge in the woman's face. "I was wo-"
"Your name isn't too Japanese, now is it?" Elise leaned against the doorway amicably.
Naera was slightly put off. "Huh? Oh, well, my father was English and my mother Japanese. Dad named me, but that's not the point here." Naera frowned. "I was wondering if you had any floo powder we might use. We're in a hurry."
Elise smiled and moved to let them in. "Of course, anything to help the Ministry!" Once inside, she called for her husband. "Erin, go and get the floo powder, if you will."
Naera spoke breifly with Elise as Harry stared about the room. It was very comforting to see that all of the pictures were moving about. He at last felt like he was truely going home. His hands absentmindedly fumbled with the necklace Naera had let him borrow. He had forgotten to take it off. Harry pulled the chain over his head and continued to look about.
Erin, a man who was just as old as Elise, entered with a silver, antique looking box. "Here you are, floo powder-" He looked at Harry. "Bless my heart, Harry Potter!" Elise jumped and turned about wildly.
"Great Heavens! It is Harry Potter! Dear, dear! We've thought the worse..." She placed an uneasy hand over her heart. "Would you look at him?" Elise said to Erin. "He looks half starved. Go and get those fresh treacle tarts. That'll help him a bit."
"Oh, that's alright, really. I'll just eat when I get to the Ministry. You don't have to..." Harry felt his face heat.
"Nonesense! Of course we don't have to, but what kind of witch would I be if didn't?" Elise took the box Erin had handed her and shoved it into Harry's hands. "Fresh from the oven." Naera smiled at the elderly couple.
"Thank you," She bowed, "for all of you help. Now, we must really be heading to the Ministry."
"Sure, sure- here." Erin offered the box to her and she accepted it with a bow.
Harry did likewise and turned to thne fireplace, where he noticed a particular figure in a picture on the mantel waving at him.
"That's Seamus!"
Erin beamed. "Aye! He's my grandson. My daughter Heather's son. Spanking good Keeper and I heard they made him Captain!" He smiled at Harry. "Tell him 'hey' for us, won't you? We don't see him much, anymore."
"Of course, sir." Harry took a pinch of floo powder and followed Naera into the fireplace.
"Ministry of Magic, England!"
Harry held tight to his box of tarts and closed his eyes. After a while, the set of fireplaces he was traveling through changed into a tube. Harry dared to open his eyes and saw only blue. He was traveling under water. Soot reappeared and Harry quickly snapped his eyes closed again.
His feet met hard with cement floor and his ears with loud voices. Harry opened his eyes to see a large pair of eyes looking back. He screamed and several people laughed. It took him a moment to realize the eyes weren't large, just very close.
"Harry!" Fudge began to beat the soot off of him. "Welcome back, are you alright?"
"Wait until I owl Molly!"
"What happened, Harry?"
"Can you walk?"
"You've flattened his tarts, Minister-"
"We've been worried sick!"
"LET HIM BREATHE!" Naera pulled on Harry's sleeve and tugged him away from the waiting crowd. "Please, Harry's been through enough without you badgering him!" Naera scowled.
Cornelius Fudge frowned back, but at long last, he nodded. "Luke, contact Dumbledore, and Percy, find a place for Harry to sleep tonight." Percy Weasley and Luke Privado nodded and quickly left the room. "Everyone else, back to work!"
The room slowly emptied, except for Fudge, Harry, Naera, and Arthur Weasley.
"Harry- I don't know what to say... I- We're glad to have you back." Mr. Weasley ran his hand through Harry's extremly messy and extremely long hair.
"Order of Merlin, second class, Vale!" Fudge declared.
"Thank you sir," Naera bowed. "But completely unneccessary. I must decline the offer."
"I insist!"
"Really, no- Minister. Now, if you please, I must contact my superiors. they are awaiting my owl." Naera bowed herself out of the room before Fudge could think of another reward.
Mr. Weasley smiled at Harry, teary like. "I'm going to owl Molly."
"Just make sure you don't let you kids find out about this until we know what we are going to do, exactly." He turned to Harry. "Come along."
Harry said good bye to Mr. Weasley and followed Fudge, clad in his usualy puprple pinestriped robes, down a corridor.
"Can I owl my godfather?"
Fudge started. "Black?"
"Yes. Can I owl him? Tell him I'm alright?"
"No, I think you'd better wait until tomorrow. Things will be sorted out by then." Fudge halted and knocked on a door.
Percy opened it, looked at Harry, and said, "Fifth chamber, second corridor, fourth door on your right."
"Thank you, Percy." Fudge placed his hands on Harry's shoulders and steered him into the fourth door on the right and into another corridor. "He should really just say, guest room number five. Make things alot easier- Hare we are, Harry!"
Harry was greeted by a giant room with a fireplace and feather four-poster. There were three doors leading out of the room and Harry decided he'd find out where they each went later.
"I'll have Luke bring you some fresh robes a little later on. Get some rest, Harry, it'll be getting dark soon."
"Alright, good night, Minister." The door shut and Harry sighed deeply. For the first time in what felt like years, he was sane. Harry sat on the bed and ate the treacle tarts. Although extremely flattened by Fudge's roughness earlier, they were still very soft and warm. No sooner than he had licked his fingers, than he fell into a deep and dreamful sleep.
TatraMegami: Yeah, it is kinda funny. I was kinda wondering myself how he could blow up Aunt marge without a wand, but not break his restraints... The only thing I could come up with (being the author and all) was that the nut house had driven him too crazy to remember how to do that... I dunno! :)
Lady of Arundel: Thanks! Right now, I'm not even sure how it will unfold. 'It is a puzzlement'.
Tarawen: Yes. Darn Dursleys. But the good thing is I will never have to write about them again! So long 'Dinky-Diddy-Duddy-Dums'!
TatraMaegami: It wasn't really that fast- you just reviewed right before I updated.
Ice Fox: Thanks, and I will try to post more soon!
I have a new E-Mail: Slytherin_Angel@MostlySunny.com Please email me! :) I'd like that.