New Neighbor Chapter 3
It was dark when I opened my eyes. I felt the bandage on my right wrist and realized that I must have fallen asleep while Eryk was cleaning me up. I felt around on the coffee table for my glasses and slipped them on my face when they were found.
"Eryk?" I called out hoarsely. Eryk poked his head in minutes later and smiled when he saw me sitting up. Zeus, his dog, bounded in and jumped up beside me.
"He really likes you Harry." I smiled and patted the dog. "The Dursley's are looking for you."
"Seriously?" Eryk nodded.
"They're worried Dumbledore might burn them on the spot for losing you." I laughed and accepted another cup of tea from him. "They've just about given up on you I think. They've stopped searching."
"They might be trying to find a way to contact Dumbledore, but I doubt it." Eryk shrugged. "Have they been over here yet?"
"Nope." I laughed. Figures they would miss the most obvious spot. Eryk smiled. "You're welcome to stay with me for a bit."
"I should really contact Dumbledore." I said. Eryk pouted. "I don't want him to worry."
"I understand. You may use my fireplace if you'd like." I nodded gratefully and stood up slowly. There was little pain now, thankfully, and I managed to get over to the fireplace without much difficulty. I threw in some floo powder and shouted out 'Albus Dumbledore'.
"Ah! There you are Harry. You had your relatives very worried." Albus scolded, his eyes twinkling. I snorted. "Where are you?"
"I'm right next door. I fell asleep watching TV and I didn't know they were looking for me." I lied. Albus sighed.
"And what is this next door neighbors name?" I glanced at Eryk and he nodded.
"Eryk Snape." Albus's jaw dropped comically. "Professor?"
"I didn't know Eryk moved into a muggle neighborhood...." Eryk got up and shouldered in beside me. He grinned at the aged Headmaster. "Hello Eryk."
"Hello Albus. How's Sev doing?"
"He's well. What on earth tempted you to kidnap Harry?" Eryk laughed.
"Do you see how horrible those muggles are treating him? I had to step in after Vernon got.... carried away. Harry was punished for speaking with me." Albus's smile left. "I don't want him going back there."
"He has to." Albus held up his hand to fend off Eryk's protest. "But you may spend as much time with him as you want." Eryk smiled. "And talk to Vernon about his treatment of Harry."
"Will do sir!" Albus's head disappeared and I sighed. "Hey, don't worry! I'll speak to Vernon and you can come over every morning from sunup to sundown." I smiled. "Now, lets go have that talk with Vernon."
Needless to say, Vernon was scared. Eryk terrified the obese man almost to the point of wetting his trousers. I could hardly contain my glee. After that, Vernon and the others stayed as far away from me as possible.
I spent every day over at Eryks, reading his books and playing on his computer while he did other things. Sometimes we would go out, but we mostly just stayed indoors because of the sweltering heat. That's when I decided to pry into his life a bit more...... after all, he knew more about me then I of him.
"What side are you on?" I asked one evening while we were playing Rummy. He cocked an eyebrow at me. "I'm just curious. You don't seem to be on Voldemorts side, cause then you would have handed me over by now." I paused, putting down a card in the discard pile. "But you don't seem to like the Ministry or Dumbledore too much."
"Well," He began. "I believe in what Voldemort is saying, but I don't believe in how he's going about changing things." I cocked my head and hooked my feet in the chair rungs.
"What do you mean?"
"Well if we allowed muggles into out world, just think of the possibilities! Wizards and witches would have children with muggles and soon the magic in our blood will be diluted until there is none left." I sat back. "We'd cease to exist."
"I never thought of it like that before. But wont it be the same if we don't introduce new blood?"
"Yes. Which is why I think we should keep track of all the muggle borns and the muggles we allow into our society."
"That seems reasonable enough." I stated.
"It does. But Voldemort has twisted it up so badly that people think it's wrong. What we need is for someone to come out and take up that side in the war." I cocked my head again. "This war against Voldemort. There are three sides; the Ministry, the Order, and Voldemort."
"Yes."
"The other side would be a mix of all three sides. Something anyone who agreed with one of the groups ways, but not the others, but agreed with all three at the same time." Realization dawned inside of me.
"A neutral side of sorts. One that is all three combined, but only has the perks of them." Eryk nodded. "I get it now."
"Good. I think that's something Dumbledore should have told you long ago." I sat back, deep in thought. "Want to go watch some TV?"
"Yeah." Eryk picked up the cards and I wandered into the living room. When he joined me minutes later, I could barely concentrate on the movie. I couldn't help but think about the possibilities of a fourth side of the war and the help, or harm, it might bring.
TBC
It was dark when I opened my eyes. I felt the bandage on my right wrist and realized that I must have fallen asleep while Eryk was cleaning me up. I felt around on the coffee table for my glasses and slipped them on my face when they were found.
"Eryk?" I called out hoarsely. Eryk poked his head in minutes later and smiled when he saw me sitting up. Zeus, his dog, bounded in and jumped up beside me.
"He really likes you Harry." I smiled and patted the dog. "The Dursley's are looking for you."
"Seriously?" Eryk nodded.
"They're worried Dumbledore might burn them on the spot for losing you." I laughed and accepted another cup of tea from him. "They've just about given up on you I think. They've stopped searching."
"They might be trying to find a way to contact Dumbledore, but I doubt it." Eryk shrugged. "Have they been over here yet?"
"Nope." I laughed. Figures they would miss the most obvious spot. Eryk smiled. "You're welcome to stay with me for a bit."
"I should really contact Dumbledore." I said. Eryk pouted. "I don't want him to worry."
"I understand. You may use my fireplace if you'd like." I nodded gratefully and stood up slowly. There was little pain now, thankfully, and I managed to get over to the fireplace without much difficulty. I threw in some floo powder and shouted out 'Albus Dumbledore'.
"Ah! There you are Harry. You had your relatives very worried." Albus scolded, his eyes twinkling. I snorted. "Where are you?"
"I'm right next door. I fell asleep watching TV and I didn't know they were looking for me." I lied. Albus sighed.
"And what is this next door neighbors name?" I glanced at Eryk and he nodded.
"Eryk Snape." Albus's jaw dropped comically. "Professor?"
"I didn't know Eryk moved into a muggle neighborhood...." Eryk got up and shouldered in beside me. He grinned at the aged Headmaster. "Hello Eryk."
"Hello Albus. How's Sev doing?"
"He's well. What on earth tempted you to kidnap Harry?" Eryk laughed.
"Do you see how horrible those muggles are treating him? I had to step in after Vernon got.... carried away. Harry was punished for speaking with me." Albus's smile left. "I don't want him going back there."
"He has to." Albus held up his hand to fend off Eryk's protest. "But you may spend as much time with him as you want." Eryk smiled. "And talk to Vernon about his treatment of Harry."
"Will do sir!" Albus's head disappeared and I sighed. "Hey, don't worry! I'll speak to Vernon and you can come over every morning from sunup to sundown." I smiled. "Now, lets go have that talk with Vernon."
Needless to say, Vernon was scared. Eryk terrified the obese man almost to the point of wetting his trousers. I could hardly contain my glee. After that, Vernon and the others stayed as far away from me as possible.
I spent every day over at Eryks, reading his books and playing on his computer while he did other things. Sometimes we would go out, but we mostly just stayed indoors because of the sweltering heat. That's when I decided to pry into his life a bit more...... after all, he knew more about me then I of him.
"What side are you on?" I asked one evening while we were playing Rummy. He cocked an eyebrow at me. "I'm just curious. You don't seem to be on Voldemorts side, cause then you would have handed me over by now." I paused, putting down a card in the discard pile. "But you don't seem to like the Ministry or Dumbledore too much."
"Well," He began. "I believe in what Voldemort is saying, but I don't believe in how he's going about changing things." I cocked my head and hooked my feet in the chair rungs.
"What do you mean?"
"Well if we allowed muggles into out world, just think of the possibilities! Wizards and witches would have children with muggles and soon the magic in our blood will be diluted until there is none left." I sat back. "We'd cease to exist."
"I never thought of it like that before. But wont it be the same if we don't introduce new blood?"
"Yes. Which is why I think we should keep track of all the muggle borns and the muggles we allow into our society."
"That seems reasonable enough." I stated.
"It does. But Voldemort has twisted it up so badly that people think it's wrong. What we need is for someone to come out and take up that side in the war." I cocked my head again. "This war against Voldemort. There are three sides; the Ministry, the Order, and Voldemort."
"Yes."
"The other side would be a mix of all three sides. Something anyone who agreed with one of the groups ways, but not the others, but agreed with all three at the same time." Realization dawned inside of me.
"A neutral side of sorts. One that is all three combined, but only has the perks of them." Eryk nodded. "I get it now."
"Good. I think that's something Dumbledore should have told you long ago." I sat back, deep in thought. "Want to go watch some TV?"
"Yeah." Eryk picked up the cards and I wandered into the living room. When he joined me minutes later, I could barely concentrate on the movie. I couldn't help but think about the possibilities of a fourth side of the war and the help, or harm, it might bring.
TBC