None of these people belong to me.
35.
LILY
She found him sitting at the edge of a bottomless waterfall.
"Hello, Harry."
Harry looked up.
"Mom?"
She sat down beside him and hugged him.
"It's me," she said.
"Did I die in my sleep?"
"No, you didn't. It's your dream. But I'm really here. Your dad and Sirius are
here,too." She rolled her eyes. "They went cow-tipping."
"Cow-tipping?"
"Your dreams are always so big. This one has a pasture full of cows. They couldn't
resist."
Harry smiled.
"Can I come with you, when you go?"
"You're going to live a long and wonderful life, Harry. You cannot follow us."
"I miss you."
"We've never left you. Someone very,very wise told you that."
Harry
"I would answer all your questions,if they were mine to answer. It's your
dream. This shirt,for instance. Look at this."
Harry looked. The letters G E C were printed-a green and white background over red-
on Mom's shirt.
"Do you know what this means?" She asked.
"No," Harry said.
"You will," she said.
Harry nodded.
"There is one thing I can tell you."
"What is it?"
"I was going to let Sirius tell you this, but I think I'll tell you myself. Did
he ever tell you about the time he turned Lucius Malfoy's butt into a portkey?"
---
"Did 'e jus' laugh?" Hagrid asked.
"Oh, yes." Sprout said.
"He certainly did," Dumbledore said.
Hagrid grinned at Professor Dumbledore.
"Come here and look at this, Minerva."
"I can see perfectly well from here, Albus."
"Mom," Harry said,turning on his side.
Hagrid had to wipe his eyes dry. He could hear
the others blowing their noses.
In a minute, Harry opened his eyes.
"How'd yeh sleep, Harry?"
"I talked to my mom..."
"She was there?" Dumbledore asked.
"Yeah," Harry. He sat up. "It was just a dream, though."
"Harry, no." Dumbledore said. "If she was there, then she was
really there."
Harry thought about that.
"Breakfast is on the table," Dumbledore said. "I'll be outside,
should you need me."
"So will we," Professor McGonagall said, and nearly fell out of the chair. She
steadied herself, one hand over her heart. Professor Dumbledore held the door open
for her and Sprout, and then followed them outside.
When the door closed, Hagrid,laughing, lifted Harry into the air and twirled him
around the room. It was a miracle Harry's legs didn't destroy anything.
He put Harry down on the bed and sat beside him.
"Hagrid?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you know anyone with the initials GEC?"
Hagrid thought a moment.
"Nah," he said.
He handed Harry the plate of food.
"Have you eaten yet?"
Hagrid affirmed the question with a grunt.
This time, the plate was stacked with wannkuchen, with bacon baked into it. It
was delicious.
"Lunchlady made it fer us. Doris,is 'er name. Oh,an' here's yer clothes,"
Hagrid said,handing him a pair of denim shorts and a plain gray t-shirt.
"Thanks," Harry said.
"Watch out fer the woman wi' the wart on 'er nose."
Harry looked up,mid-bite.
"What she'll do teh yeh, nobody knows."
"Wow," Harry said. "Did you-"
"Nah,a guy named E.E. Cummings. Sprout's fav'rite poet."
"Cool," Harry said.
"Yeh want some tea?"
"You don't have to."
"'Arry," he said, "Makin' yeh tea's just one o' the many pleasures of knowin' yeh.
Yeh want me ta make yeh tea...I'm gonna make yeh some tea."
"Could you sit here a bit longer?"
"Oh...yeah. O'course."
Harry ate in silence a while; Hagrid sat there,occasionally looking down at Harry
with a smile that held both affection and pride.
"Do you ever dream about your dad?" Harry asked.
"Jus' once, after e'd been dead fer years. We didn't really talk. 'E helped me
tame a wild horse. One o' them regular ones? A bronco?"
"Right."
He took the last bite of food.
"I'll be right back," he said,sliding off of the bed.
Hagrid put a hand on his shoulder.
"Yeh want me to come with yeh,keep away the...what's the word?"
"Paparazzi. At least that's what my uncle calls them."
"Eh, your uncle can go stick his head in an oven."
"I'll be okay," Harry said.
Hagrid nodded. "I'll make yeh that tea,then."
---
"Professor?"
"Yes, Harry?" Professor Sprout asked.
"Do you know anyone with the initials GEC?"
"Can't say that I do," she said. "Minerva-"
"Yes,Addie?"
"Ever known anyone with the initials GEC?"
"Does it have to be a person?"
"I guess not," Harry said.
"Geospace Electrodynamic Connections,"
said Professor Dumbledore. "Of course,it
could well be the Genetics Education Center.
Not that they have anything to do with you, Harry."
"The answer's probably right in front of my face," Harry said. He
looked up at Professor Dumbledore. "Professor,maybe I should go back
to Hogwarts. Maybe the answer is there."
Dumbledore almost said no.
I just wanted to spend some time with you, Harry, don't go.
He didn't say it.
Instead,he said "Your help has been invaluable,Harry. If you must-"
"Oi,mate."
Ron Weasley had burst from the back doors of the school, followed closely
by Hermione.
"Ron," Harry said.
Perfect timing,Mr. Weasley,Dumbledore thought.
"No class today," Hermione said.
"I figured no one would mind if we visited."
"Not at all, Mr. Weasley," Dumbledore said.
"I'm going to get dressed. I'll be out in a minute."
Ron nodded.
"If you see Neville inside the school-"
Harry turned to Hermione. "Neville's here?"
"Direct him outside."
"Sure," he said.
---
Harry stepped inside the school.
"Harry," Neville called.
He looked like he'd run down the hallway.
"Hey,Neville."
"Oh,blimey..." he looked down the hall.
An ear-splitting screech came from the way Neville had come.
"What was that?" Harry asked.
"These guys...their heads-"
Someone skidded to a halt at the end of the hallway.
The glare from the windows caught the figure,and distorted its focus,made it
a fuzzy shadow.
As it came down the hallway, Harry recognized the shadow's clothing...jeans,
a black t-shirt decorated with a skull, and a purple cap. The thing was, the
kid still had the head of a hamster.
"Go tell McGonagall about this," Harry said.
"Okay," Neville said, making his escape.
The hamster-headed juvenile delinquent goggled at Harry.
"What?" Harry asked, not sure how to feel.
Professor McGonagall walked into the building.
"Well,well,well..." she said. "Misbehaved, have we, Mr. Jones?"
Hamster Head screeched.
"Don't take that tone of voice with me, young man."
She pointed her wand at him,said something Harry didn't quite understand,
and the hamster became human.
"Hey, lady," Jimbo said. "I-" he paused. His eyes went wide. He ran down
the hall, screaming, his tail trailing the floor after him.
35.
LILY
She found him sitting at the edge of a bottomless waterfall.
"Hello, Harry."
Harry looked up.
"Mom?"
She sat down beside him and hugged him.
"It's me," she said.
"Did I die in my sleep?"
"No, you didn't. It's your dream. But I'm really here. Your dad and Sirius are
here,too." She rolled her eyes. "They went cow-tipping."
"Cow-tipping?"
"Your dreams are always so big. This one has a pasture full of cows. They couldn't
resist."
Harry smiled.
"Can I come with you, when you go?"
"You're going to live a long and wonderful life, Harry. You cannot follow us."
"I miss you."
"We've never left you. Someone very,very wise told you that."
Harry
"I would answer all your questions,if they were mine to answer. It's your
dream. This shirt,for instance. Look at this."
Harry looked. The letters G E C were printed-a green and white background over red-
on Mom's shirt.
"Do you know what this means?" She asked.
"No," Harry said.
"You will," she said.
Harry nodded.
"There is one thing I can tell you."
"What is it?"
"I was going to let Sirius tell you this, but I think I'll tell you myself. Did
he ever tell you about the time he turned Lucius Malfoy's butt into a portkey?"
---
"Did 'e jus' laugh?" Hagrid asked.
"Oh, yes." Sprout said.
"He certainly did," Dumbledore said.
Hagrid grinned at Professor Dumbledore.
"Come here and look at this, Minerva."
"I can see perfectly well from here, Albus."
"Mom," Harry said,turning on his side.
Hagrid had to wipe his eyes dry. He could hear
the others blowing their noses.
In a minute, Harry opened his eyes.
"How'd yeh sleep, Harry?"
"I talked to my mom..."
"She was there?" Dumbledore asked.
"Yeah," Harry. He sat up. "It was just a dream, though."
"Harry, no." Dumbledore said. "If she was there, then she was
really there."
Harry thought about that.
"Breakfast is on the table," Dumbledore said. "I'll be outside,
should you need me."
"So will we," Professor McGonagall said, and nearly fell out of the chair. She
steadied herself, one hand over her heart. Professor Dumbledore held the door open
for her and Sprout, and then followed them outside.
When the door closed, Hagrid,laughing, lifted Harry into the air and twirled him
around the room. It was a miracle Harry's legs didn't destroy anything.
He put Harry down on the bed and sat beside him.
"Hagrid?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you know anyone with the initials GEC?"
Hagrid thought a moment.
"Nah," he said.
He handed Harry the plate of food.
"Have you eaten yet?"
Hagrid affirmed the question with a grunt.
This time, the plate was stacked with wannkuchen, with bacon baked into it. It
was delicious.
"Lunchlady made it fer us. Doris,is 'er name. Oh,an' here's yer clothes,"
Hagrid said,handing him a pair of denim shorts and a plain gray t-shirt.
"Thanks," Harry said.
"Watch out fer the woman wi' the wart on 'er nose."
Harry looked up,mid-bite.
"What she'll do teh yeh, nobody knows."
"Wow," Harry said. "Did you-"
"Nah,a guy named E.E. Cummings. Sprout's fav'rite poet."
"Cool," Harry said.
"Yeh want some tea?"
"You don't have to."
"'Arry," he said, "Makin' yeh tea's just one o' the many pleasures of knowin' yeh.
Yeh want me ta make yeh tea...I'm gonna make yeh some tea."
"Could you sit here a bit longer?"
"Oh...yeah. O'course."
Harry ate in silence a while; Hagrid sat there,occasionally looking down at Harry
with a smile that held both affection and pride.
"Do you ever dream about your dad?" Harry asked.
"Jus' once, after e'd been dead fer years. We didn't really talk. 'E helped me
tame a wild horse. One o' them regular ones? A bronco?"
"Right."
He took the last bite of food.
"I'll be right back," he said,sliding off of the bed.
Hagrid put a hand on his shoulder.
"Yeh want me to come with yeh,keep away the...what's the word?"
"Paparazzi. At least that's what my uncle calls them."
"Eh, your uncle can go stick his head in an oven."
"I'll be okay," Harry said.
Hagrid nodded. "I'll make yeh that tea,then."
---
"Professor?"
"Yes, Harry?" Professor Sprout asked.
"Do you know anyone with the initials GEC?"
"Can't say that I do," she said. "Minerva-"
"Yes,Addie?"
"Ever known anyone with the initials GEC?"
"Does it have to be a person?"
"I guess not," Harry said.
"Geospace Electrodynamic Connections,"
said Professor Dumbledore. "Of course,it
could well be the Genetics Education Center.
Not that they have anything to do with you, Harry."
"The answer's probably right in front of my face," Harry said. He
looked up at Professor Dumbledore. "Professor,maybe I should go back
to Hogwarts. Maybe the answer is there."
Dumbledore almost said no.
I just wanted to spend some time with you, Harry, don't go.
He didn't say it.
Instead,he said "Your help has been invaluable,Harry. If you must-"
"Oi,mate."
Ron Weasley had burst from the back doors of the school, followed closely
by Hermione.
"Ron," Harry said.
Perfect timing,Mr. Weasley,Dumbledore thought.
"No class today," Hermione said.
"I figured no one would mind if we visited."
"Not at all, Mr. Weasley," Dumbledore said.
"I'm going to get dressed. I'll be out in a minute."
Ron nodded.
"If you see Neville inside the school-"
Harry turned to Hermione. "Neville's here?"
"Direct him outside."
"Sure," he said.
---
Harry stepped inside the school.
"Harry," Neville called.
He looked like he'd run down the hallway.
"Hey,Neville."
"Oh,blimey..." he looked down the hall.
An ear-splitting screech came from the way Neville had come.
"What was that?" Harry asked.
"These guys...their heads-"
Someone skidded to a halt at the end of the hallway.
The glare from the windows caught the figure,and distorted its focus,made it
a fuzzy shadow.
As it came down the hallway, Harry recognized the shadow's clothing...jeans,
a black t-shirt decorated with a skull, and a purple cap. The thing was, the
kid still had the head of a hamster.
"Go tell McGonagall about this," Harry said.
"Okay," Neville said, making his escape.
The hamster-headed juvenile delinquent goggled at Harry.
"What?" Harry asked, not sure how to feel.
Professor McGonagall walked into the building.
"Well,well,well..." she said. "Misbehaved, have we, Mr. Jones?"
Hamster Head screeched.
"Don't take that tone of voice with me, young man."
She pointed her wand at him,said something Harry didn't quite understand,
and the hamster became human.
"Hey, lady," Jimbo said. "I-" he paused. His eyes went wide. He ran down
the hall, screaming, his tail trailing the floor after him.
