Author's Note: Yeah, I know that Danny and Marina aren't really engaged and Lizzie hasmessedup Company on the show, so don't get on me about that one if you watch the show. Just enjoy.

Augusta

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters or places in this chapter.

Chapter Three: Welcome to Springfield

James sat down on a bench outside a building. This Springfield was like no city he had ever seen before-he was already hopelessly lost. Dumbledore hadn't thought further ahead that getting him here, and he didn't have a clue as to where the local wizards would be-or if there were any. He was starting to have a suspicion that there were not. A tall, dark woman and a man were walking past him towards the building.

" Bill, you know I have a meeting-"

" Olivia, if you don't have time to stop and eat a Buzz Burger, then you seriously need a vacation," the man said firmly, and steered the woman into the place. Probably her husband. Too bad, she was quite nice-looking.

All right. Time to start working out where to go and what to do. Looking to his left, he could see a sign hanging from a flower-covered post. Company. Must be the name of the place. From Bill and Olivia's conversation, it was a restraunt. Restraunt owners typically knew a lot about the city they worked in; Company would be as good a place as any to begin. He walked in.

It was a nice enough place, he had to admit. Everything seemed to be done in colors that suggested a man had a hand in it-wood and green and brown, with some sort of low stone fireplace. If that was on the Floo Network, he could have just stumbled into the right place, but he wasn't taking any chances. The couple he had seen were sitting in a far corner, whispering. A girl stood behind the bar wiping some glasses. She smiled when he sat down. She looked a lot like Lily.

" Hi," she said brightly, in an American accent. " You must be new in town, because I've never seen you here before. I'm Marina Cooper."

" James Potter," he replied, wondering why on earth someone would name their kid after the Muggle word for a place you tied up boats. Marina giggled.

" New to the country, too, by the sounds of it. Only other guy in town with an accent is Edmund Winslow-him and Cassie were here last night making the arrangements for their engagement party." Marina was obviously inclined to talk away, and he stood nothing to lose by listening to her rattle on. " Stick around here for a while, and you'll know everyone in Springfield soon, Mr. Potter." Marina seemed to expect an answer to that one, so he gave her one.

" I am planning to stay in Springfield for a while," he offered. " Speaking of which, do you know of anywhere that would offer lodgings?" He paused; he didn't know what Americans would call it. "An inn?" he ventured." Marina seemed to understand.

" We run a boardinghouse here," she told him. " I can set you up."

" Thanks. By the way, who's 'we'?"

" This place belongs to my grandpa-he's Buzz Cooper." Marina paused as if expecting that name to mean something. When it didn't, she went on. " You can meet Grandpa later. He opened up this place after our family's diner on Fifth Street burned down, before I was born. See that?" She pointed to a picture frame with what he recognized as being a one-dollar bill in it. " That was the first dollar Grandpa ever made at Company. My dad-Frank Cooper, chief of police- and my Aunt Harley had it framed for him."

" Your family must be important in this town," James commented.

" Oh, yeah," Marina said, as if being important was of no significance. " We Coopers and the Spauldings-" Marina sneered slightly at the mention of the name 'Spaulding'- " get more attention that any of the other families because of our War. They asked for it, we gave it."

Nice move, Albus, James thought. Land me in a city with a turf war going on, not to mention that she makes it sound like everything has to do with who you're related to. Exactly what I needed, old friend. Marina must have noticed his face, because she smiled reassuringly.

" Don't worry about not knowing anyone- you'll forget you ever lived anywhere else before long. How did Edmund put it? 'Once a Springfielder takes you in, the whole town does'?"

James chuckled wryly. " Am I to assume that you've taken me in?"

" Yeah. Call it my good deed for the day."

" It is," he told her. " I'm about out of places left to go. Got ran out of England by my wife, got ran out of the South by my wife's family."

" You married an American?"

" No, but she had family over here. " Albus had decided it would be best to say that Lily had relatives in the South.

" Had?"

" She's dead," he said shortly. " She died, and I left. " Marina's eyes widened.

" Oh, I'm so sorry-I can be really, really tactless."

" It doesn't matter." It didn't, he realized. He could scarcely remember what Lily looked like, and it had only been a month since she died.

There was a slightly awkward silence for a moment, then Marina grinned. " Danny!" A man about James's age came over and kissed Marina. " This is my finace, Danny Santos," she said to James. " Danny, meet James Potter. He's new in town, from England."

" Welcome to Springfield," Danny said, extending a hand. " What brings you to town?"

" A friend told me this was a good place to settle," James replied. " My wife died, and I left England. Her people weren't exactly welcoming down South, and an old school friend suggested this town."

" Oh, I'm sorry to hear about your wife," Danny said, flinching slightly. " I lost my wife in an explosion not long ago."

" The same killed Lily," James said. " House blew up. Something to do with the gas pipes."

" Michelle ended up on the wrong end of a mob hit," Danny said, as if he'd rather not think about it.

" We share something in common. That was how my father died."

" Ok, you two, snap out of it," Marina chided, clapping her hands at them. " You two can get together sometime and talk about all the bad things, but not around me, got it?"

" Yes ma'am!" Danny saluted with mock fear.

James smiled to himself. He might not do badly in this town after all.