Chapter 2: Trouble at Work
Harry began the walk to the bus stop. He glanced down at his watch, he had gotten a new one with his first paycheck, 7:45. The bus would arrive in fifteen minutes. Harry picked up his pace a little until he saw the stop. He arrived with five minutes to spare. There were two others waiting for the bus with him. He knew one of them. Mrs. Figg was her name. She used to baby-sit Harry when he was a kid. She had many cats at her house and always smelled of them. The other person waiting Harry did not know, but didn't really care. The man was sitting at the bench reading the day's paper. He was reading the first article about the 'terrorist' attack.
The bus arrived right on time and Harry, Mrs. Figg, and the other man boarded. Harry now had a twenty-five minute ride into town to the bookstore which he worked at. As he waited on the bus he noticed the man from the bus stop acting strangely. He looked nervous as his hand strayed towards Mrs. Figg's purse. Harry knew what was about to happen and before the man could get what he wanted Harry yelled, "THIEF!"
At this the man turned and on his face was a look of panic. Harry tackled the man before he could get up and the others on the bus helped to constrain him. At the next stop the police were waiting to pick him up. Harry was thanked by Mrs. Figg and accepted the praise given to him from the others on the bus. He just smiled through it all, glad he didn't have to use magic.
Harry got off at the next stop and began the walk towards the bookstore he worked at. On the way he stopped in a florist shop and picked up a rose. He nodded to Michelle as he walked into the store and headed to Angie. Harry stopped for a minute as he admired her from a distance. She had light brown hair that fell to her shoulders, dark brown eyes that Harry had lost himself in many times, and a smile that made Harry feel like he was melting inside. Harry began to sweat as he neared her and began mentally practicing what he was going to say.
'Angie, umm, I was wondering if you wanted to go out with me? No that's no good. Angie, do you think that we could get together sometime, nope. Umm, oh god.' She turned around and saw Harry with the rose.
"Who's that for Harry?" she asked him teasingly.
"Actually, its for umm - you."
"Harry, that's so sweet."
"Um, Angie, I was, um, wondering if, um, if you wanted to, uh - "
"Harry, are you asking me out?" she asked happily.
"Uh, yeah. I wanted to know if you wanted to go for dinner sometime, after work or something." He began mumbling to himself saying things like, 'maybe not,' and 'if you want to.'
Angie just laughed and said, "Harry, don't be so nervous. Of course I will go out with you. In fact, I was wondering when you were going to ask me, I was just about to ask you myself." She added.
Harry let out a sigh of relief and then looked around noticing everybody that worked in the bookstore was staring at him. Then everybody began to laugh. Harry received a few pats on the back and everybody teased him about being so nervous. Harry just smiled back and joined in their laughter. After the commotion had died down, he and Angie talked. They talked about many things, but mostly about himself. Harry knew a lot about Angie, but Angie knew very little about Harry, only that he was handsome, nice, and caring. The conversation was going well when Angie asked where Harry went to school.
"Oh, uh, I go to a boarding school. My guardians you see, don't uh like me much. Probably especially so after this morning."
"Oh what happened?"
"Oh, uh, I sort of got into a fight with my uncle and -"
"BOOM!" A deafening noise hit the store as the back wall collapsed. Out of the dust came six figures, all dressed in black, and to Harry's horror, all with wands drawn."
"Oh no," said Harry quietly, "Angie, get the others and run, NOW! RUN!" Angie didn't move.
"What about you Harry?" she asked. Harry could tell she was genuinely scared, terrified was probably a better word.
"You can't worry about me right now, get out of here!" Angie hesitantly complied and ran out of the front door of the store along with the other employees. Harry was left alone to deal with six Death Eaters.
'I'm gonna need a miracle to survive this one,' he thought as he drew his own wand. The death eaters laughed.
"You are brave Harry Potter, but you know that you cannot defeat six of us," said the leader. Harry recognized his voice, it belonged to Draco's father, Lucius Malfoy.
"We will see Lucius, we will see. Ildkraft!" As he said this word fire flew out of his wand. The heat was almost unbearable. He heard three different distinctive screams. 'Three down, three to go.'
"Ferksvann!" a voice that Harry recognized as Lucius's yelled. Instantly the entire store was drenched in water as the humidity rose to huge levels. Harry's firestorm had been put out.
Harry kept on the attack, he could not let them go offensive or he would lose. He dodged a disarming curse and shouted, "Kraftstale!" An energy beam of gigantic proportions shot out of Harry's wand at Lucius who could nothing but apparate out of the room. The other two were not so lucky. Harry heard their screams of agony and although he tried he could not block out the pain of their screams. Then he heard them. He heard the sirens. The police were coming. Harry quickly ran out of the building.
Angie was there, she was crying. 'She must think me dead,' Harry thought as he ran towards her. "Angie!" he cried.
"Harry!" she ran towards him. They embraced each other in a hug. She held him tightly. So very tightly. "Harry, don't ever do that again. Next time stay with me, leave with me."
"I couldn't Angie, it was me they were after. I'll explain everything to you. You deserve it. Follow me."
"You, why were they after you! And don't you need to stay to talk with the police?" she asked him frantically.
"No, they will take care of it."
"Who is 'they'? Harry, what are you going to tell me?!"
"Just come with me." She followed, scared.
Harry led her down a street. They were silent the whole way. However, the rest of the city was in a panic. Some were running to, some were running from the scene of the attack. Harry kept walking until he reached where he wanted to be. In between a record shop and book store there was a small, shack-like structure.
"Here," Harry said simply.
"Here, in one of those stores?"
"No, the shack between them."
"What? Harry, there is nothing there."
"I can assure you there is. Follow me and hold onto my hand." She did as she was told and Harry led them into the side of the two buildings. They ended up in a yard and in front of them was a shack.
"The Leaky Cauldron," Harry muttered to himself. Angie became hysterical.
"Where are we Harry, can't you tell me what is going on NOW?" she asked. "Was that some kind of illusion we walked through, holographics?"
"Inside we will talk Angie, and no, that was magic." She didn't know what to say to that last message and was quiet as they walked into The Leaky Cauldron. Harry nodded to Tom the barkeeper as he walked in.
"Harry," Tom questioned, "What are you doing bringing a muggle in here?"
"Don't worry Tom, she needs an explanation." Then he added softly so Angie couldn't hear, "if I need to I will put a memory charm on, but I think I can trust her."
"Okay Harry, I trust your judgment."
Everybody was staring at Harry and Angie. Everybody was wearing robes, carrying wands, and some of the women were wearing floppy wizard hats. Angie passed out. Harry caught her as she fell, paid Tom for a room, and dragged Angie up to it. He laid her on the bed and stood next to her. He took out his wand.
"Enervate," he said. She woke up looked up at him, her face voicing the question, 'where am I?' Then she saw him holding a wand and passed out again. Harry patiently raised his wand and woke her.
"Angie, this is what I needed to talk to you about. I am a wizard Angie. Yes I know what you are thinking, 'magic doesn't exist,' but it does Angie. Let me show you. Lumos." Harry's wand lit up. Angie started to waver again. "Angie no, don't faint." Harry caught her again. 'This is going to be a long night,' he thought. She had passed out again.
When she awoke Harry comforted her. She began to cry. "Why," she asked, "why can you use magic and I can't?"
Harry had expected many things, anger, violence, accusations, but not this. "Well, I'm not really sure what prevents you from using magic. I'm sure I could find out. Would you like to stay here for a while Angie. We can get a note to your parents.
"Yes, I'd like that."
"Okay." Angie wrote a note to her parents telling them that she was okay. She lied in that she told them that she was with the police and might be for a day or two. She said that she loved them very much and that she couldn't wait to see them again. "Good, now," Harry whistled and Hedwig flew into the room through the open window, "Angie, meet Hedwig, Hedwig, this is Angie. Be nice to her."
"She's beautiful Harry."
"I know," answered Harry, "almost as beautiful as you are." Angie just smiled. "Now, let me get you some proper clothing for this part of London. I will be back up in a couple minutes." Harry ran downstairs where he asked Tom if he had any female robes that Angie could borrow. Tom gave Harry some robes with another warning.
"Be careful Harry. Don't show her too much, she may go insane after what she's seen."
"Thanks for the advice Tom," Harry answered. He ran back upstairs and gave Angie the robes. "Here, put these on."
"Where are we going Harry?"
"Diagon Alley. It is where wizards and witches do all their shopping."
"Wow," that was all she could say. Harry led Angie downstairs telling her on the way to act like she was supposed to be here so nobody would know she was a muggle. She had asked him what a muggle was.
"A non-magical person," was all he gave for his answer.
"Oh, ok." Harry led her out the back door of The Leaky Cauldron giving Tom a thumbs up on his way out. In the back he walked straight up to the brick wall and tapped one of the bricks causing them all to move out of the way for him, opening the way to Diagon alley.
"Oh my god. This is - this is amazing," she whispered to him. People were running from shop to shop looking for the best deals. As always there was a crowd outside the Quidditch shop looking at the newest broom, The Lightning. Harry decided that it was a fitting name after seeing what its top speed was. He led her to the bookstore and they stepped inside. They walked to the section on the basis of magic. Harry took out a book that was extremely old and began to flip through the pages. Angie picked up something a little more modern.
Suddenly, Harry's eyes opened wider and he shut the book. "Come on Angie," lets get out of here. Harry and Angie walked up to the counter and Harry paid for the book he had been reading. He shrank it using magic and then took Angie out for ice cream.
After ice cream Harry announced that it was getting late and he wanted to go back to The Leaky Cauldron. Angie agreed yawning an so they set off back the way they had came. It was late when they returned. As Harry came in he saw Tom. He gave Tom a look of 'its okay' and Tom shrugged. Harry took Angie back to their room.
"Uh, if you want you can have the bed Angie," he said to her.
"Oh yeah, forgot about that. Um, okay, I'll take the bed then."
"Alright. Can you sleep with a light on, I want to read this book for a little bit."
"Yeah, I can sleep well with a light on."
"Okay - goodnight Angie."
"Goodnight Harry."
Angie used the bathroom to change into her muggle clothes then laid down on the bed and went to sleep. Harry however, took out his book and began to read by firelight. What held is attention was the title of the section: How to Give Muggles Magic. Harry began to read. To give a muggle magical power is a dangerous thing. It may mentally damage them. However, if they so wish to receive these powers and you wish to gift them with magic the following is the process used -.
Harry spent the night preparing for what he wanted to ask Angie in the morning and setting up what would be the most difficult spell he had ever attempted.
Harry began the walk to the bus stop. He glanced down at his watch, he had gotten a new one with his first paycheck, 7:45. The bus would arrive in fifteen minutes. Harry picked up his pace a little until he saw the stop. He arrived with five minutes to spare. There were two others waiting for the bus with him. He knew one of them. Mrs. Figg was her name. She used to baby-sit Harry when he was a kid. She had many cats at her house and always smelled of them. The other person waiting Harry did not know, but didn't really care. The man was sitting at the bench reading the day's paper. He was reading the first article about the 'terrorist' attack.
The bus arrived right on time and Harry, Mrs. Figg, and the other man boarded. Harry now had a twenty-five minute ride into town to the bookstore which he worked at. As he waited on the bus he noticed the man from the bus stop acting strangely. He looked nervous as his hand strayed towards Mrs. Figg's purse. Harry knew what was about to happen and before the man could get what he wanted Harry yelled, "THIEF!"
At this the man turned and on his face was a look of panic. Harry tackled the man before he could get up and the others on the bus helped to constrain him. At the next stop the police were waiting to pick him up. Harry was thanked by Mrs. Figg and accepted the praise given to him from the others on the bus. He just smiled through it all, glad he didn't have to use magic.
Harry got off at the next stop and began the walk towards the bookstore he worked at. On the way he stopped in a florist shop and picked up a rose. He nodded to Michelle as he walked into the store and headed to Angie. Harry stopped for a minute as he admired her from a distance. She had light brown hair that fell to her shoulders, dark brown eyes that Harry had lost himself in many times, and a smile that made Harry feel like he was melting inside. Harry began to sweat as he neared her and began mentally practicing what he was going to say.
'Angie, umm, I was wondering if you wanted to go out with me? No that's no good. Angie, do you think that we could get together sometime, nope. Umm, oh god.' She turned around and saw Harry with the rose.
"Who's that for Harry?" she asked him teasingly.
"Actually, its for umm - you."
"Harry, that's so sweet."
"Um, Angie, I was, um, wondering if, um, if you wanted to, uh - "
"Harry, are you asking me out?" she asked happily.
"Uh, yeah. I wanted to know if you wanted to go for dinner sometime, after work or something." He began mumbling to himself saying things like, 'maybe not,' and 'if you want to.'
Angie just laughed and said, "Harry, don't be so nervous. Of course I will go out with you. In fact, I was wondering when you were going to ask me, I was just about to ask you myself." She added.
Harry let out a sigh of relief and then looked around noticing everybody that worked in the bookstore was staring at him. Then everybody began to laugh. Harry received a few pats on the back and everybody teased him about being so nervous. Harry just smiled back and joined in their laughter. After the commotion had died down, he and Angie talked. They talked about many things, but mostly about himself. Harry knew a lot about Angie, but Angie knew very little about Harry, only that he was handsome, nice, and caring. The conversation was going well when Angie asked where Harry went to school.
"Oh, uh, I go to a boarding school. My guardians you see, don't uh like me much. Probably especially so after this morning."
"Oh what happened?"
"Oh, uh, I sort of got into a fight with my uncle and -"
"BOOM!" A deafening noise hit the store as the back wall collapsed. Out of the dust came six figures, all dressed in black, and to Harry's horror, all with wands drawn."
"Oh no," said Harry quietly, "Angie, get the others and run, NOW! RUN!" Angie didn't move.
"What about you Harry?" she asked. Harry could tell she was genuinely scared, terrified was probably a better word.
"You can't worry about me right now, get out of here!" Angie hesitantly complied and ran out of the front door of the store along with the other employees. Harry was left alone to deal with six Death Eaters.
'I'm gonna need a miracle to survive this one,' he thought as he drew his own wand. The death eaters laughed.
"You are brave Harry Potter, but you know that you cannot defeat six of us," said the leader. Harry recognized his voice, it belonged to Draco's father, Lucius Malfoy.
"We will see Lucius, we will see. Ildkraft!" As he said this word fire flew out of his wand. The heat was almost unbearable. He heard three different distinctive screams. 'Three down, three to go.'
"Ferksvann!" a voice that Harry recognized as Lucius's yelled. Instantly the entire store was drenched in water as the humidity rose to huge levels. Harry's firestorm had been put out.
Harry kept on the attack, he could not let them go offensive or he would lose. He dodged a disarming curse and shouted, "Kraftstale!" An energy beam of gigantic proportions shot out of Harry's wand at Lucius who could nothing but apparate out of the room. The other two were not so lucky. Harry heard their screams of agony and although he tried he could not block out the pain of their screams. Then he heard them. He heard the sirens. The police were coming. Harry quickly ran out of the building.
Angie was there, she was crying. 'She must think me dead,' Harry thought as he ran towards her. "Angie!" he cried.
"Harry!" she ran towards him. They embraced each other in a hug. She held him tightly. So very tightly. "Harry, don't ever do that again. Next time stay with me, leave with me."
"I couldn't Angie, it was me they were after. I'll explain everything to you. You deserve it. Follow me."
"You, why were they after you! And don't you need to stay to talk with the police?" she asked him frantically.
"No, they will take care of it."
"Who is 'they'? Harry, what are you going to tell me?!"
"Just come with me." She followed, scared.
Harry led her down a street. They were silent the whole way. However, the rest of the city was in a panic. Some were running to, some were running from the scene of the attack. Harry kept walking until he reached where he wanted to be. In between a record shop and book store there was a small, shack-like structure.
"Here," Harry said simply.
"Here, in one of those stores?"
"No, the shack between them."
"What? Harry, there is nothing there."
"I can assure you there is. Follow me and hold onto my hand." She did as she was told and Harry led them into the side of the two buildings. They ended up in a yard and in front of them was a shack.
"The Leaky Cauldron," Harry muttered to himself. Angie became hysterical.
"Where are we Harry, can't you tell me what is going on NOW?" she asked. "Was that some kind of illusion we walked through, holographics?"
"Inside we will talk Angie, and no, that was magic." She didn't know what to say to that last message and was quiet as they walked into The Leaky Cauldron. Harry nodded to Tom the barkeeper as he walked in.
"Harry," Tom questioned, "What are you doing bringing a muggle in here?"
"Don't worry Tom, she needs an explanation." Then he added softly so Angie couldn't hear, "if I need to I will put a memory charm on, but I think I can trust her."
"Okay Harry, I trust your judgment."
Everybody was staring at Harry and Angie. Everybody was wearing robes, carrying wands, and some of the women were wearing floppy wizard hats. Angie passed out. Harry caught her as she fell, paid Tom for a room, and dragged Angie up to it. He laid her on the bed and stood next to her. He took out his wand.
"Enervate," he said. She woke up looked up at him, her face voicing the question, 'where am I?' Then she saw him holding a wand and passed out again. Harry patiently raised his wand and woke her.
"Angie, this is what I needed to talk to you about. I am a wizard Angie. Yes I know what you are thinking, 'magic doesn't exist,' but it does Angie. Let me show you. Lumos." Harry's wand lit up. Angie started to waver again. "Angie no, don't faint." Harry caught her again. 'This is going to be a long night,' he thought. She had passed out again.
When she awoke Harry comforted her. She began to cry. "Why," she asked, "why can you use magic and I can't?"
Harry had expected many things, anger, violence, accusations, but not this. "Well, I'm not really sure what prevents you from using magic. I'm sure I could find out. Would you like to stay here for a while Angie. We can get a note to your parents.
"Yes, I'd like that."
"Okay." Angie wrote a note to her parents telling them that she was okay. She lied in that she told them that she was with the police and might be for a day or two. She said that she loved them very much and that she couldn't wait to see them again. "Good, now," Harry whistled and Hedwig flew into the room through the open window, "Angie, meet Hedwig, Hedwig, this is Angie. Be nice to her."
"She's beautiful Harry."
"I know," answered Harry, "almost as beautiful as you are." Angie just smiled. "Now, let me get you some proper clothing for this part of London. I will be back up in a couple minutes." Harry ran downstairs where he asked Tom if he had any female robes that Angie could borrow. Tom gave Harry some robes with another warning.
"Be careful Harry. Don't show her too much, she may go insane after what she's seen."
"Thanks for the advice Tom," Harry answered. He ran back upstairs and gave Angie the robes. "Here, put these on."
"Where are we going Harry?"
"Diagon Alley. It is where wizards and witches do all their shopping."
"Wow," that was all she could say. Harry led Angie downstairs telling her on the way to act like she was supposed to be here so nobody would know she was a muggle. She had asked him what a muggle was.
"A non-magical person," was all he gave for his answer.
"Oh, ok." Harry led her out the back door of The Leaky Cauldron giving Tom a thumbs up on his way out. In the back he walked straight up to the brick wall and tapped one of the bricks causing them all to move out of the way for him, opening the way to Diagon alley.
"Oh my god. This is - this is amazing," she whispered to him. People were running from shop to shop looking for the best deals. As always there was a crowd outside the Quidditch shop looking at the newest broom, The Lightning. Harry decided that it was a fitting name after seeing what its top speed was. He led her to the bookstore and they stepped inside. They walked to the section on the basis of magic. Harry took out a book that was extremely old and began to flip through the pages. Angie picked up something a little more modern.
Suddenly, Harry's eyes opened wider and he shut the book. "Come on Angie," lets get out of here. Harry and Angie walked up to the counter and Harry paid for the book he had been reading. He shrank it using magic and then took Angie out for ice cream.
After ice cream Harry announced that it was getting late and he wanted to go back to The Leaky Cauldron. Angie agreed yawning an so they set off back the way they had came. It was late when they returned. As Harry came in he saw Tom. He gave Tom a look of 'its okay' and Tom shrugged. Harry took Angie back to their room.
"Uh, if you want you can have the bed Angie," he said to her.
"Oh yeah, forgot about that. Um, okay, I'll take the bed then."
"Alright. Can you sleep with a light on, I want to read this book for a little bit."
"Yeah, I can sleep well with a light on."
"Okay - goodnight Angie."
"Goodnight Harry."
Angie used the bathroom to change into her muggle clothes then laid down on the bed and went to sleep. Harry however, took out his book and began to read by firelight. What held is attention was the title of the section: How to Give Muggles Magic. Harry began to read. To give a muggle magical power is a dangerous thing. It may mentally damage them. However, if they so wish to receive these powers and you wish to gift them with magic the following is the process used -.
Harry spent the night preparing for what he wanted to ask Angie in the morning and setting up what would be the most difficult spell he had ever attempted.