Chapter 8
"And remember to be-"
"On my best behaviour. I know, Uncle Moony." Harry finished rather sullenly.
"Exactly." His guardian smiled a strained smile and rang the doorbell. Harry was surprised that the house even had something as modern as a doorbell with it standing in the middle of a forest and all that. How the Knight Bus driver had even found it was beyond him.
Remus rang again.
Actually, the construction looked pretty cool to Harry. It reminded him a bit of a witch cottage, which - in all truth - it was. The roof was hatched and a broom was leaning against the side of the house. A black cat lay on the stones of a decrepit looking well, sunbathing. Around the well there was a high fence. Harry wondered why it was there. Certainly not to hold back animals. The meshes were just too big for that.
Just as Remus was about to ring a third time, the door was opened by the strangest creature Harry had ever seen and, mind you, Harry had seen lots of strange creatures; courtesy of Uncle Moony's books. It had spindly arms and legs, a long nose, pointy ears, was wearing what looked to be a pillow- case, and - it spoke.
"Lonny apologises for the delay, sirs. Doorbell is broken, sirs " (Harry snorted) ", but Lonny checks carefully every threes minutes for visitors. Comes you in!" Lonny turned and walked inside.
Harry started to ask just what Lonny was but Uncle Moony once again seemed to anticipate what he was thinking and nudged him in the ribs.
They entered the house which turned out to be much larger on the inside than on the outside. At least three doors led away from the atrium. Not that Harry noticed. He was busy staring at the thousands of hunting trophies hanging on the walls of the entrance hall. There were heads of every non-magical and magical creature native to Britain. Foxes, grindylows, elks, stags, jarveys. And loads of foreign animals, as well. Lions, tigers, even a manticore, and...
"What's that?!"
Remus whipped his head around to where Harry was pointing. His eyes widened.
"That's a... er..."
It was the first time his Uncle was not able to answer a question about a magical creature and Harry was quite sure the thing was not a "normal" animal. He had never heard of any rabbit that had antlers.
"It's a Wolpadinger, young man."
"Oh, hello, Mrs. Longbottom," said Uncle Moony and looked pointedly at Harry.
"Hello, Mrs. Longbottom," said Harry. He looked at her curiously. Hmm, she looked pretty strict and stuffy. Harry would bet his favourite teddy, Sill (well, //former// favourite teddy because he was too old for Silly now), that she couldn't take a joke. How boring an adult!
"Hallo, Harry. I see you've been wondering about Wolpie."
Uncle Moony nodded sheepishly. "Yes, I've-"
"It's a fake."
"Oh?"
"Yes," Mrs. Longbottom said, "the Wolpadinger is a Muggle legend from Bavaria, a rabbit with antlers. It was on one of my many hunting trips..."
Harry recognised the beginning of a long and dull narration and tuned it out. He was pretty good at tuning out as he had had much practice in school.
Instead, he looked for something else to occupy his mind with. The stuffed animal heads soon failed to further intrigue him. He let his eyes briefly sweep over the hat stand and almost started giggling as he saw what he supposed must be Mrs. Longbottoms hat. It had a vulture on it. Talk about obsessed! That woman was an addict!
If he could develop an interest in hunting? An image of him riding an elephant and pointing a rifle at a wild tiger appeared in his mind. Another quickly followed. Two baby tigers crying over the dead body of their mother. He banished the picture but an aftertaste of it remained and he felt slightly gloomy.
He was also starting to resent Mrs. Longbottom.
"...so, I put it there as a joke."
Harry couldn't believe his ears. Had she said 'joke'? It wasn't really all that funny.
Uncle Moony chuckled a bit, though it sounded as real to Harry as that Wolpadinger head.
"Terribly sorry, ma'am. I'd have liked to hear more, but-"
"Yes, yes," she interrupted him again, "I understand. Off you go!"
And Uncle Moony was gone with a Pop!
Mrs Longbottom looked at Harry. Harry looked back at Mrs Longbottom.
"Now, do you have homework?" She asked finally. "Because Neville is still doing his and he's absolutely forbidden to play before he has finished."
Harry nodded uncertainly. "Er, yes. Maths."
"Well, why don't you join Neville at the kitchen table, but, mind you, no chattering away before you two have finished."
She led him through a door on the left and into a large kitchen. A boy with mousy brown hair and a plumb body was sitting at an equally huge table, a quill in his hand. He was writing very slowly and very carefully. Harry took the chair across from him and got out his school things. Neither said anything. Looking satisfied Mrs. Longbottom left.
About half an hour later, Harry was working on his last problem, the other boy put his stuff away and waited. His scrutinising gaze made Harry feel nervous. Hastily he wrote down a figure that might have been the correct answer or it might have not, and closed his exercise book.
"Done." He grinned.
The other boy smiled back shyly. Just as Harry was about to think that he couldn't speak, he heard a soft "Hi."
"Hi," Harry said, "I'm Harry."
"I know," said the other boy, "I'm Neville."
Harry racked his brain for something else to say. "Er, what school are you on?"
"Oh, I-I'm home-schooled. Gran thinks it's safer." Neville leaned towards him and gestured for Harry to come closer as well. He complied.
"I'd actually rather be on a real school," he whispered, "it must be so much fun playing with other children."
Harry started to tell Neville that, indeed, it was, but then he remembered that at the moment the other kids weren't playing with him.
//... "And peng! he's dead!" Harry glared at Alan while the other boys cheered.
"Now, c'mon, Harry! Don't tell me we did it wrong again!"
When Alan had asked his friends if they wanted to play out 'Ghost Busters' , Harry, even though he hadn't seen the film - Uncle Moony had been quite firm about it because in his opinion Harry was too young for it - or maybe it was //because// he hadn't seen the film... either way, he had been the first to agree (and rather enthusiastically, one might add). At that point he had still believed that Muggles couldn't possibly get everything so utterly wrong. Oh, how wrong //he// had been!
"A ghost can't look like a giant marshmallow! He's the spectral form of an actual human!" That was a line out of one of Uncle Moony's books. Harry felt very proud that he could remember that.
His friends' reaction to his statement, though, had been anything but positive. And they had argued about this and other things. Alan had said that this was what the ghost in the film looked like, so it was correct, and Harry couldn't proof to him that he was wrong because his Uncle had told him that it was very important not to tell the Muggles about these things. It had to be kept secret. So, he had humoured his friends. This time, however, they were going too far.
Harry couldn't remember when their search for ghosts had become a search for vampires and werewolves, as well, but it had happened. Alan being the leader of their little group, for he had seen the movie twice while everyone else had only watched it once (Kevin and Terry) or not at all (Harry), had led them into a dark forest - an alcove in a corner of the school yard - and followed the traces of a strange animal.
And naturally, he was also the one who got to play the hero and fight against the vampires and ghosts... well, and werewolves.
"They //are// killed by silver bullets!" Alan crossed his arms before his chest looking smug as the others gave their consent.
"Werewolves are people like you and me!" Harry fumed. "They don't deserve to get killed by anyone."
The boys looked at him. Then Kevin started to laugh.
"Now, listen to that. He actually believes in such things! What's next? The Tooth Fairy?"
Harry snapped his mouth shut. He had already said to much as it was. Uncle Moony had made him swear he would never tell anyone about this and now Harry had gone and almost babbled it out!
Alan, seeing that nobody was paying attention to his glorious victory, tried to get them back on track.
"Okay, let's just go back to the point when I've slain that monster and-" //Slap!//
"Harry!"
It was just his luck that a teacher had to be close by when he had lost patience for once.//
"//If// they play with you," he whispered back instead.
Chapter added on 11/03/2003. Reviews will be answered in Chapter One entitled "Author Notes, Disclaimer, Answers to Reviews, etc." Constructive criticism welcome! Please, review!
"And remember to be-"
"On my best behaviour. I know, Uncle Moony." Harry finished rather sullenly.
"Exactly." His guardian smiled a strained smile and rang the doorbell. Harry was surprised that the house even had something as modern as a doorbell with it standing in the middle of a forest and all that. How the Knight Bus driver had even found it was beyond him.
Remus rang again.
Actually, the construction looked pretty cool to Harry. It reminded him a bit of a witch cottage, which - in all truth - it was. The roof was hatched and a broom was leaning against the side of the house. A black cat lay on the stones of a decrepit looking well, sunbathing. Around the well there was a high fence. Harry wondered why it was there. Certainly not to hold back animals. The meshes were just too big for that.
Just as Remus was about to ring a third time, the door was opened by the strangest creature Harry had ever seen and, mind you, Harry had seen lots of strange creatures; courtesy of Uncle Moony's books. It had spindly arms and legs, a long nose, pointy ears, was wearing what looked to be a pillow- case, and - it spoke.
"Lonny apologises for the delay, sirs. Doorbell is broken, sirs " (Harry snorted) ", but Lonny checks carefully every threes minutes for visitors. Comes you in!" Lonny turned and walked inside.
Harry started to ask just what Lonny was but Uncle Moony once again seemed to anticipate what he was thinking and nudged him in the ribs.
They entered the house which turned out to be much larger on the inside than on the outside. At least three doors led away from the atrium. Not that Harry noticed. He was busy staring at the thousands of hunting trophies hanging on the walls of the entrance hall. There were heads of every non-magical and magical creature native to Britain. Foxes, grindylows, elks, stags, jarveys. And loads of foreign animals, as well. Lions, tigers, even a manticore, and...
"What's that?!"
Remus whipped his head around to where Harry was pointing. His eyes widened.
"That's a... er..."
It was the first time his Uncle was not able to answer a question about a magical creature and Harry was quite sure the thing was not a "normal" animal. He had never heard of any rabbit that had antlers.
"It's a Wolpadinger, young man."
"Oh, hello, Mrs. Longbottom," said Uncle Moony and looked pointedly at Harry.
"Hello, Mrs. Longbottom," said Harry. He looked at her curiously. Hmm, she looked pretty strict and stuffy. Harry would bet his favourite teddy, Sill (well, //former// favourite teddy because he was too old for Silly now), that she couldn't take a joke. How boring an adult!
"Hallo, Harry. I see you've been wondering about Wolpie."
Uncle Moony nodded sheepishly. "Yes, I've-"
"It's a fake."
"Oh?"
"Yes," Mrs. Longbottom said, "the Wolpadinger is a Muggle legend from Bavaria, a rabbit with antlers. It was on one of my many hunting trips..."
Harry recognised the beginning of a long and dull narration and tuned it out. He was pretty good at tuning out as he had had much practice in school.
Instead, he looked for something else to occupy his mind with. The stuffed animal heads soon failed to further intrigue him. He let his eyes briefly sweep over the hat stand and almost started giggling as he saw what he supposed must be Mrs. Longbottoms hat. It had a vulture on it. Talk about obsessed! That woman was an addict!
If he could develop an interest in hunting? An image of him riding an elephant and pointing a rifle at a wild tiger appeared in his mind. Another quickly followed. Two baby tigers crying over the dead body of their mother. He banished the picture but an aftertaste of it remained and he felt slightly gloomy.
He was also starting to resent Mrs. Longbottom.
"...so, I put it there as a joke."
Harry couldn't believe his ears. Had she said 'joke'? It wasn't really all that funny.
Uncle Moony chuckled a bit, though it sounded as real to Harry as that Wolpadinger head.
"Terribly sorry, ma'am. I'd have liked to hear more, but-"
"Yes, yes," she interrupted him again, "I understand. Off you go!"
And Uncle Moony was gone with a Pop!
Mrs Longbottom looked at Harry. Harry looked back at Mrs Longbottom.
"Now, do you have homework?" She asked finally. "Because Neville is still doing his and he's absolutely forbidden to play before he has finished."
Harry nodded uncertainly. "Er, yes. Maths."
"Well, why don't you join Neville at the kitchen table, but, mind you, no chattering away before you two have finished."
She led him through a door on the left and into a large kitchen. A boy with mousy brown hair and a plumb body was sitting at an equally huge table, a quill in his hand. He was writing very slowly and very carefully. Harry took the chair across from him and got out his school things. Neither said anything. Looking satisfied Mrs. Longbottom left.
About half an hour later, Harry was working on his last problem, the other boy put his stuff away and waited. His scrutinising gaze made Harry feel nervous. Hastily he wrote down a figure that might have been the correct answer or it might have not, and closed his exercise book.
"Done." He grinned.
The other boy smiled back shyly. Just as Harry was about to think that he couldn't speak, he heard a soft "Hi."
"Hi," Harry said, "I'm Harry."
"I know," said the other boy, "I'm Neville."
Harry racked his brain for something else to say. "Er, what school are you on?"
"Oh, I-I'm home-schooled. Gran thinks it's safer." Neville leaned towards him and gestured for Harry to come closer as well. He complied.
"I'd actually rather be on a real school," he whispered, "it must be so much fun playing with other children."
Harry started to tell Neville that, indeed, it was, but then he remembered that at the moment the other kids weren't playing with him.
//... "And peng! he's dead!" Harry glared at Alan while the other boys cheered.
"Now, c'mon, Harry! Don't tell me we did it wrong again!"
When Alan had asked his friends if they wanted to play out 'Ghost Busters' , Harry, even though he hadn't seen the film - Uncle Moony had been quite firm about it because in his opinion Harry was too young for it - or maybe it was //because// he hadn't seen the film... either way, he had been the first to agree (and rather enthusiastically, one might add). At that point he had still believed that Muggles couldn't possibly get everything so utterly wrong. Oh, how wrong //he// had been!
"A ghost can't look like a giant marshmallow! He's the spectral form of an actual human!" That was a line out of one of Uncle Moony's books. Harry felt very proud that he could remember that.
His friends' reaction to his statement, though, had been anything but positive. And they had argued about this and other things. Alan had said that this was what the ghost in the film looked like, so it was correct, and Harry couldn't proof to him that he was wrong because his Uncle had told him that it was very important not to tell the Muggles about these things. It had to be kept secret. So, he had humoured his friends. This time, however, they were going too far.
Harry couldn't remember when their search for ghosts had become a search for vampires and werewolves, as well, but it had happened. Alan being the leader of their little group, for he had seen the movie twice while everyone else had only watched it once (Kevin and Terry) or not at all (Harry), had led them into a dark forest - an alcove in a corner of the school yard - and followed the traces of a strange animal.
And naturally, he was also the one who got to play the hero and fight against the vampires and ghosts... well, and werewolves.
"They //are// killed by silver bullets!" Alan crossed his arms before his chest looking smug as the others gave their consent.
"Werewolves are people like you and me!" Harry fumed. "They don't deserve to get killed by anyone."
The boys looked at him. Then Kevin started to laugh.
"Now, listen to that. He actually believes in such things! What's next? The Tooth Fairy?"
Harry snapped his mouth shut. He had already said to much as it was. Uncle Moony had made him swear he would never tell anyone about this and now Harry had gone and almost babbled it out!
Alan, seeing that nobody was paying attention to his glorious victory, tried to get them back on track.
"Okay, let's just go back to the point when I've slain that monster and-" //Slap!//
"Harry!"
It was just his luck that a teacher had to be close by when he had lost patience for once.//
"//If// they play with you," he whispered back instead.
Chapter added on 11/03/2003. Reviews will be answered in Chapter One entitled "Author Notes, Disclaimer, Answers to Reviews, etc." Constructive criticism welcome! Please, review!