Harry Potter and the Stone Wand
Chapter 7
"Ella Harrison"

Harry walked towards Hogsmeade dressed in his muggle clothes carrying with him nothing but directions Dumbledore had written down for him. "It will take you more than twenty minutes to get there. Think of it as training for Quidditch," Dumbledore had said with a smile.

'There's no walking in Quidditch,' Harry thought to himself. But he was extremely curious to find out why Dumbledore found this muggle to be so special. How is she supposed to help Harry? And help him do what? He decided it was not to defeat Voldemort. Muggles are useless in that area. Perhaps this muggle was an expert at getting information from an enemy. Dumbledore had said she would teach Harry magic. He never saw a muggle do anything remotely magical, but then again, he lived with the Dursleys.

He walked through Hogsmeade, past a village of wizards' houses, over a clearing, and into a village that appeared to be mostly muggle. It was not difficult at all to find the house he was looking for. Dumbledore had described it to him. He stood on the stoop of a split level, three-story house. It looked very dignified, but Harry felt like the inside would be different.

He used the knocker, which looked like a tiny golden horseshoe. The door opened slightly, and Harry saw the top half of a girl's head peek around it. "May I help you?" she asked.

Harry went over in his head what he had discussed with Dumbledore. He was not to mention anyone from Hogwarts or anything about the wizarding world. "I was referred to you by a friend," he said, not knowing what he meant by it exactly.

Her eyes lit up, and she swung the door open. The girl was his height, had medium length mahogany-colored hair, and had a huge smile on her face. "Come on in!" she exclaimed.

"You're American," Harry said, not meaning to aloud.

"Canadian, actually. My grandmother is English though. She went to college in America. Would you like a drink?" she asked, heading into the kitchen. Harry followed her hesitantly. "Soda?"

"Okay." She was making him feel slightly uncomfortable even though she was very friendly.

She sat down at the table and set a bottle in front of Harry. "My name is Ella Harrison," she said shaking his hand.

"Harry Potter."

"So what can I do for you today, Harry Potter?" she asked, not holding back her excitement very well.

"Pardon me?"

"Your reason for the visit. What is it that you want me to help you with?"

Harry searched is brain frantically. Dumbledore had not prepared him for this question. "Well...I...uhm...."

"Are you here for money? Because I don't do that. That's a bunch of rubbish if you ask me. If you want money, get it the old-fashioned way." Ella started shaking her head. "Nowadays people just don't want to work. They want everything to just fall into their lap." She let out a sigh.

"No, I don't need money. I--"

"It's love. Isn't it? Well, that is completely against my ethics. If she doesn't love you, get over it. Ever try putting in a little effort?"

"Um...actually, that's not it at all."

Ella suddenly became serious. "Then what is it that you need my help for?"

Dumbledore said she could help, but he did not say how. Perhaps if she knew his problem, she could determine how. Harry decided there was no harm in telling her as long as he did not mention anything remotely magical. "A few of my friends, um, recently got in to some bad things."

"Drugs?" Ella asked, sympathetically.

"Well, no, not exactly. They sort of," Harry tried to put it in Muggle terms, "joined a gang, but one of them, she joined against her own will, but I need to bring them all back to their senses somehow."

Ella had a sort of horrified look on her face. "How did your one friend join against her own will?"

"I guess she is sort of brainwashed. Well, in a sense they are all brainwashed. I guess hers is more like she is hypnotized." Harry was suddenly impressed at how he was leaving out all the magic but getting his point across.

"I see. Does this gang do magick?"

Harry was stunned by the question. The he realized she meant her idea of magic. "I suppose so..." He had a questioning look on his face.

She let out a sound of frustration. "I hate it when people give witches a bad name." Harry's eyes sprung wide open, but he did not say anything. "Magick is not supposed to be used that way. One of the rules: you never, ever interfere with someone's free will."

Harry thought about the Imperius Curse. Perhaps a Jade Heart is like a longer lasting Imperius Curse.

After a bit of silence, Ella said, "You're here for a protection spell then. That's good. It's my specialty."