Harry sat on the bank of the lake, his thin legs tucked up to his chin, slowly rocking while he sunned himself. He was still very easily startled, I tried to make little noises while I approached him carrying the tray with his lunch on it. As I got closer, he turned to look at me- first fearfully, then with recognition in his eyes. No one his age, with his background had ever been left with the dementors as long as he had after those types of ordeals for we still don't know how long.
We'd moved him here rather then mungo's, hoping that between the anti-seeking charm on him and the land being unplottable, that he would at least be safer here and isolated enough to help him rebalance.
Remus Lupin had agreed to stay in one of my guest-houses with him and keep an eye on things here. I think this was best for his recovery as well, although I think it's been causing Snape some consternation since he was also still here recovering. I'm not sure Dumbledore was thinking clearly when he put this lot in a confined space at the same time, but they seem to be getting along okay (for a change) with each other and the other refugees hidden here.
I placed the tray beside Harry and sat down. I looked over the lake towards the mainland. The day was relatively clear and we could just make out the ruins at Glochestershire through the ever-present mists.
"Are you enjoying your stay here Harry?" I speak quietly, trying to keep my voice in a soothing tone as I was instructed. He looked at me and nodded, a slight smile forming at the corners of his mouth, a smile that didn't truly reach through the sorrow in his eyes. But this at least was a good sign of improvement. The first few weeks he was here he just kept staring ahead from what the house-elves and Lupin told me. After surgery Carly put a silencing charm on him, to give his vocal cords and windpipe a chance to heal fully. He still hasn't been able to speak all this time, except when he cried out during his sleep.
"Did you know this is my place?" He looked mildly interested. He'd been wandering and exploring the grounds and miniature forest that I'd bought and added to almost ten years ago. On one of my previous visits, I found that one of the Wild Kneezel's on the island had taken an interest in him and Hedwig had made a home for herself in my owlry tower.
"I bought this island from a retired wizard broom and wand tree-farmer. He wanted to move back to the mainland, and be closer to his family. Over the years, I've made many additions to the house and outbuildings, added my workshops, flight arena, and such. His old clients became my new clients, so the place is prospering. This forest is my retreat from the world. It is also one of the hidden sanctuaries of wild snidgets, the little yellow birds you see fluttering around. If you look real closely you'll also see bowtruckles among the magical creatures here."
"This land overlooks one of the oldest centers of the entire wizard world. It is said that the Merlin himself walked these shores over a thousand years ago. I hope you'll be comfortable here as long as you care to stay." I stood up to leave him to his lunch.
"By the way, if you're ever looking for something to occupy your hands, feel free to go work in the broom barn. If I remember, you enjoyed my classes on broom restoration- and there are plenty of brooms that need trimmed and polished. I'm usually out there when I'm home, so just tap on the door and I'll show you where everything is to get you started." I dusted myself off and walked away without looking back.
When I reached the house, everyone else was already in the dining room enjoying the meal the house-elves had prepared for us. When I first moved here, two of the elves that had worked for the previous wizard opted to say on with me. I was actually rather relieved about this. Being away from the place so often, I wasn't sure how I'd keep it up.
When they found out my plans for the place, they asked me to bring in two of their friends as gardeners and tree-tenders after they had been recently released from another position. Throughout the recent wars, I've noticed a slow increase in the house-elf population on my island. I'm guessing many elves are being displaced and finding there way here.
"So how's he really doing?"
I ask bluntly. Remus, and I were having tea in the keep solar. Snape had declined, saying he wanted to get back to his experiments. The old owner had a cellar he had turned into a miniture potions lab. I had added to it over the years and kept the supplies up. Snape claimed it as his sanctuary immediately.
"Improving. Slowly, but improving." Remus answered after silently staring out the window in the direction Harry had walked. "He's more able to care for himself now, and he's starting to gain back the weight he's lost. But he still isn't able to talk, and he's prone to tune out people out and just go- elsewhere."
"I miss my student." Lupin said sounding frustrated. "The one that flew a Hippogriff to a window to save Sirius... I just miss the life and mischief in his eyes. He won't even see Ron, Ginny, or Hermione. They come to visit, and he just makes himself scarce. I'm afraid we're losing him to the madness." He beat his hand against the chair.
"Carly tells me he'll start talking when he's ready after that charm is removed. He's avoiding people because he doesn't WANT to talk yet. She'll be back out to check on him next Tuesday. We all know it's going to take more time then this."
The look on his face said clearly that he knew, but didn't have to like it.
I went out to the barn but I was a little too restless to start working on the new shipment. The sun and breeze was calling through the open door. I grabbed my Silver Arrow I, and flew out the door to the arena behind the work-shed. As I was flying threw the drills I learned as a chaser, I noticed Harry sitting on one of the benches near the field watching me almost wistfully. I fly down near him hovering a few feet above the ground.
"You want to try a few laps?" He nodded, almost eagerly. "Give me a sec."
I fly to the barn and grab my old Silver Arrow II. I'm the one who's startled this time as I turn around and find him already behind me.
"I was just grabbing a broom for you, unless you'd rather choose one for yourself..." I let the question hang in the air as he contemplated my selection of racing brooms by the door. Not too surprising to me, he chose a Nimbus 2000 for himself over the Firebolt. I smile as I re-rack the Silver Arrow. On a whim, I grabbed a golden snitch from its holder before taking back to the air myself.
Harry had grown into a beautiful flyer. I'd have no trouble recommending him for tryouts in the Quidditch league if, when he recovers. He effortlessly rode the currents, even doing some of the various common seeker exercises. I watched him dive, skim the ground, and rise into the air again. It occurred to me that this was the first time he'd been in the air since he was taken from Hogwarts.
I called out his name and released the golden snitch in my hand. The charm on it wouldn't allow it to leave the pitch area. I returned to the circular obstacle course that lapped the Quidditch pitch. Finally after another three rounds, I felt settled enough to work indoors. Harry was still playing catch and release on the pitch, and I left him to it after setting the various safety charms on the pitch to active mode.
I replaced the broom on its rack and made sure the quidditch ball chest was near the Nimbus' rack and went to the workshop area. My next shipment of racing brooms was almost ready, and I took a moment to scrutinize my work. Satisfied that the charms were settling in properly, I went to work on the two remaining brooms. I put on my dust mask as a matter of habit, along with my safety goggles.
Contemplating the Cleansweep7 propped up on the bench I picked up the sander/polisher and went to work on the handle. The anti-mold / fungal I'd painted on the wood had taken care of the slight mold spots that storage neglect had caused. The sanding would remove the thin layer of damage before it spread. I took a mark of pride that I didn't just use spells and charms on these simple things.
When I was done with the sanding, I removed the goggles and painted the handle over with a stain sealant to help bring out its original color. While it dried, I took off the mask as I went to the pile of birch and holly twigs that my house-elves kept stocked for me to choose to fill out the new brush tip. Rather then leave the brush end open I tapered them down into a fine point. As the Nimbus creators found out, this helped increase the airflow around the broom.
I had already cleared out the over-damaged and splintered twigs from the old brush end, and went to work trimming, weaving, and shaping the new brush. This was very precise and meticulous work that even when it went smoothly, could take hours. I preferred to do this when I could work start to finish on it. Occasionally I would use a bit of magic from my hands to make the twigs more flexible for a moment or two. I was so absorbed in my work that I didn't notice I was being watched until I was nearly finished.
I met Harry's eyes and smiled at him, and motioned with my head for him to come look closer if he wanted. He silently sat on the bench beside me, watching with apparent fascination at the process. I set in the final few twigs, satisfied from long practice that the brush was as full and long as it needed to be for a Cleansweep.
The sealant on the handle was dry and ready for the new brush end to be attached. I slid the brush on to the handle, clamping it in place. Drawing my wand, I did a quick check on the charms for waterproofing and flying and found them sound. I added an enhanced charm for wind resistance, and a broad based anti-hexing spell. Finally, it was time for my personal final touch.
I walked over to the display of Cleansweeps, opened the case and taped my wand once on the fully restored and functional Cleensweep7. Walking back to the bench, I taped my wand twice on the broom on the workbench, and the final coat of finish paint appeared, along with a full copy of the original Cleensweep logo, and my personal seal of restoration. I heard a small gasp from Harry.
I turned and smiled at him as I released the clamps. I pointed the wand at the broom and cast up.The broom rose crisply into the air. I waved it towards the still open door, and out into the late afternoon sunlight. With no noticeable drag, the broom flew out to the arena.
"Remember what I said in class, that a well cared for older broom with a few modifications can fly as well if not better then a new broom?" I said at last to Harry, breaking our silence. He nodded, looking curious. I motioned for him to follow me outside. I could see the broom was flying easily under no weight, I cast the weight bearing check on it starting at 200lbs, and continued to watch.
"Most of the brooms I sell out of Diagon Alley end up as students brooms at Hogwarts. Even for the students that aren't quidditch players, they usually prefer the lighter and faster racing brooms. I'll get the occasional special order, like the broom I modified for Hagrid, but that's not the norm. The students want that." I pointed at the broom flying quickly through the obstacle course with little direction from me.
"A good racing broom does most of the work of flying for you, sometimes too much by my way of thinking. That's another reason whenever I'm working with quidditch players at Hogwarts, I put them on the most rundown brooms that Hogwarts has to offer. To be sure they're flying technique is the student's not the broom's." Harry nodded. He was one that I had to correct for sloppy technique, but did notice a marked improvement in his flying when I finally let him back on his Firebolt for quidditch practice.
"The Nimbus 2000, and the Firebolt series are good brooms for you, Harry. They give you a high level of control without sacrificing much in the way of maneuverability. The Cleansweeps are a sturdier broom overall, and will take crashes and hits that many of the other racing brooms simply can't. Which is why I recommend them for anyone learning to be a beater." I manurvered the broom on the field to the exact center and sent it into a Wronski feint. Instead of pulling it out of the dive, I let it crash directly and hard into the ground. I thought Harry was going to have a litter of kittens from the look on his face. The broom returned jauntily over to where we were standing. Both Harry and I checked it over for damage.
There wasn't a scratch or bent twig on the entire broom.
"Have you ever flown a Cleansweep?" He shook his head. "Well, this one could use a test flight from an experienced flyer. You want to try?" He looked at me dubiously. I was very encouraged by this. He was practically having a conversation without saying a word to me.
Rather then pressing him about the broom, I got on it myself and took a speed lap around the arena. When I flew back to him, he looked impressed. I jumped off the broom.
"Would you like to try it now?" This time he nodded with surety. "Go ahead and really put it thorough it's paces. Try some of those seeker exercises you were doing earlier, try out the obstacle course, that sort of thing. It would be really helpful."
I watched him take off on the broom with a look of determination on his face.
Smiling to myself, I went back into the barn. And found Severus was watching in the shadows by the door.
"There's an owl from the Ministry for you. It's urgent."
I can't help but sigh in exasperation.
"Isn't it always?"
Fine for now