ADDITIONAL NOTES Yes, it's anachronistic. Yes, there's no Severus yet. Yes, 'The Cabinet of Dr Caligari' was actually made in 1919 and not 1920 like I said in the previous notes. And for those who've never heard of that film - go and investigate German Expressionism and the Weimar Republic. Go on. The monkey dares you. Oh, and don't ask about the lambs. It just seemed like a good idea at the time. Blame the monkey. I do.
Harry Potter and the Secret Cabinet, chapter 2
And the boy woke up...
Fair Day! Harry told himself excitedly as he scrambled out of bed and his pyjamas and into something that didn't have frolicking blue embroidered lambs as a motif. 'Honestly, sometimes I don't think Sirius realises how old I am,' Harry muttered with a glare-of-death and the much abused sleepwear. 'To this day I do not know what he was thinking. Lambs of all things...'
Not that it mattered. Today was the day of the long anticipated Fair and Harry had better things to do than ruminate over his PJs.
Although, he still couldn't wait for the day when he outgrew the blasted things...
But enough of that - it was time now for breakfast and then to sketch out a plan of attack with Sirius before meeting up with Hagrid and then Ron and it would be a day of magic tricks and fantabulous creatures and even a visit to Ron's beautiful lady if Harry felt like a good laugh and...
On it went. Harry was so full of plans for the day that -
'I think you're going to burst,' said Sirius when Harry appeared downstairs, 'you're that full of energy.' Harry tried to smirk around the juice he was damn near inhaling and narrowly avoided death-by-choking. However, he didn't quite escape embarrassment-by-snorting-juice-out-one's-nose. Sirius just shook his head, in that rueful way adults do, and tut tut-ed
Putting on a slightly more serious face Sirius addressed Harry, 'I won't be able go with you this morning, Harry. Albus came round last night after you'd gone to bed, apparently there's been a spot of trouble in Hogsmeade and I promised the old man I'd hear all the details today. There's a chance I'll have to go to Hogsmeade, too, if things can't be sorted out from here.' Harry nodded. He understood that his godfather had special skills for putting pieces together and asking the right sort of questions when it came to mysterious matters. And that there were times when his godfather was needed elsewhere even if Harry wanted him to be near.
'Is everything okay?'
Sirius sighed. 'It seems the town clerk has gone missing and the mayor's office is in an uproar and so of course the mayor had to trouble Albus with it and he's promised to look into it... But Albus is getting on a bit, the last thing he needs is anymore grey hairs...' Sirius trailed off. He glanced at his godson, 'Just don't be back too late today, hmm? I'll try and meet up with you if I can.'
'I'll be with Hagrid and he's easy to spot. And I promise I won't be out too late' said Harry dutifully. Sirius leaned over the table and mussed Harry's hair. 'OK, off you go. And don't have too much fun!' he called out.
'I won't!' Harry called back as he rushed out of the kitchen and headed off towards the Fair.
--oOo--
Godric's Hollow, like most villages of its type, was mostly built around the town common, and as such, had an almost labyrinthine web of narrow, twisting alleyways running off in all directions. Legend had it that all the twisting alleys were originally trampled into being by the sheep and goats that were herded to graze at the common. While it might be an apocryphal tale, Harry was inclined to believe it if only because he knew how twisty and turny the alleyways were and how amazingly stupid sheep are. Although, he wasn't sure about goats... Maybe they'd trampled the slightly more direct paths...
Harry let his mind wander as he weaved in and out between the wood and stone buildings, veering around fellow pedestrians and cutting corners. He was so anxious and everyone else was so slow! He'd never make it to the Fair in time to see everything, he was sure of it! Hagrid probably wouldn't even be waiting for him anymore and then Ron would never find him! And then Sirius wouldn't be able to meet up with him and...! Oh look, there's Hagrid now. And Harry slowed his hurried pace.
'Hullo Harry!' the genial giant of a man glimpsed his friend and waved to him. Harry dodged the few remaining people in his way and bounced beside Hagrid.
'All ready then?' Harry asked. With a nod the duo set off, arms waving and hands gesticulating as they described the wonders they planned on witnessing.
--oOo--
One ice cream, two sticks of fairyfloss and a half a pound of sugared peanuts later, Harry had met up with Ron and Hagrid's cousin Neville, but there had been no sign of Sirius. This hadn't prevented Harry from sitting through the fire-breathing and sword-swallowing act three times and the levitating show twice. Hagrid had dragged them around every single sideshow exhibit that promised more than two legged displays, and to Harry's amazement they hadn't all been animals. Ron had been determined to see his lady-love but the crowd had been overflowing from that tent and the boys hadn't been able to get even the tiniest glimpse.
Harry was in the midst of apologising for making them all sit through 'The Magical World of Magical Me - with Gilderoy Lockhart' which had only been some pompous git in pale pink robes and nothing about magic tricks at all (except Lockhart's insistance that his beauty routine might appear to some to be magical).
'Not your fault, Harry. No one could've known from the sign what that drip was about,' Ron maintained.
'Ron's right, Harry. Besides, that sword-swallower bloke was ruddy well fascinating. We could always stop by there again if y'wanted to,' consoled Hagrid.
Although he was tempted, Harry didn't think it was fair to make the others sit through that show for a fourth time, so he turned to Hagrid's quiet cousin instead. 'Anything you'd like to see, Neville?'
Neville blushed at the attention. 'Well, my gran said she once saw a s-s-so-somnambu-bulist,' he stumled over the unfamiliar word, 'at a fair when she was a girl. She said it was frightfully fun. He could answer questions and everything.'
'A somono-whatsit?' asked Ron.
'A somnambulist is a sleepwalker. Y'know, a fellow that can move around and stuff without ever waking up.' supplied Hagrid. Ron made a face.
'Eugh, sounds creepy. But how do you know they're really asleep and not pretending?' the red-head asked. Harry looked puzzle, too. Poor Neville simply blushed even more at being the centre of attention.
'I don't know,' he answered quietly. 'I suppose you can tell by looking at them?'
'Well,' said Harry, 'let's find out. I'm sure there's got to be one at this Fair. It seems as if it's had everything else so far...' And so they set off.
It didn't take the intrepid Fair explorers long to find a couple of posters advertising 'Dr Pettigrew's Sensational Somnambulist!' and that his tent was in the southwest corner.
The stained canvas moved slightly in the breeze and the paper banner crackled slightly. It was quieter in this corner than in other parts of the Fair and Ron thought it was cool that something so mysterious was so... well, mysterious.
All four of them were hesitating around the tent's entrance flap, unsure whether the quietness was something they should interrupt when a scratchy voice spoke.
'Come inside, see the somnambulist. See him move! Hear him speak! He will answer any question you might have. Any question at all! Come inside...'
With a glance at his friends, Harry shrugged, pushed aside the canvas flap and went inside the murky tent of the somnambulist. Hagrid, Ron and Neville followed Harry's lead and went inside the tent, all of them curious, and just the littlest bit apprehensive.
The tent swished closed behind them.
The paper crackled in the breeze.
To be continued...
