Inspired by "Meant to Live" The Beautiful Letdown. Switchfoot but unable to put the song on the site because of the idiotic rules. Blame the site, thank ShivariBlue for saving this story from deletion.
Meant to Live
Chapter One: Getting There
by V. C. (Velvet Curtain)
Words: approx. 13400
Microsoft Word Web Pages: 9
Rating: PG (according to me, not the site)
Reasons: Harry's kind of ticked, there's light romance, and a few things I don't think would be appropriate for very young children. It's my personal feeling, but feel free to disagree.
Relationships: Harry/multi, Ron/Hermione, OC/OC
Summary: Harry gets ticked at having no control over his own life, so decides to take a bit of a trip to regain that control. On the way, he makes some pretty amazing discoveries. Some tragedy, lots of drama (a lot like a soap opera, I think), light romance (for now...), slight OOC (no one can be completely IC, I don't think), etc. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: If I owned this, I would not be writing this.
A/N: First off, I would like to thank all my lovely reviewers and apologize for the long-time-coming chapter. I wanted to add in some foreshadowing and recheck my grammar, though I can't claim perfection. I will, in fact, be putting up The Professor to Top All Professors, but I do need to work through some things. For those of you who want a reason for the delay, I shall say that yes, I do have a social life, and yes, I do go to school. Tomorrow is my FINAL day of exams! WOOHOO! It's thrilling, no? I only have one last exam tomorrow (Algebra- curse it all, my worst subject) and then I'm out for the summer! Whoopee! Sorry. I'm slightly excited, if you can't tell. I'm actually reviewing right now (since it covers the whole year, I'm going over exponential notations and scientific notation). Fun, eh? Yes, well, sorry if the OCs are a bit overwhelming, but don't worry- they do have a point! Enjoy!
1. Getting There
Two weeks later, just before Harry's birthday, Uncle Vernon came home from work one day with a passport and a plane ticket for the first of August to New York. Harry was ecstatic, and immediately wrote to Ginny.
Dear Ginny,
I've got them! Uncle Vernon got my passport and ticket! On the first, Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia (and Dudley) will sneak me and my trunk out to their car and get me to the airport. My uncle's sister is returning from Majorca then. The Order won't know what hit them! I'll be gone before they can do anything!
Everything's ready and in place- I can hardly wait! I'm finally going to America! Can you believe it? In two days I'm going to be on a plane over the ocean … Unbelievable! I'll write you all about everything, but it will take a while. I can't write until I get to school because they have to deliver our letters- I haven't got a clue how. I'm starting to get nervous. An entirely new school. Different classes, different teachers, different friends and classmates, different dorm, different sports, different everything! It's going to be so weird to adjust to a similar but almost completely different culture.
I suppose this is my last letter until late August then. I really can't thank you enough for everything you've done for me, Ginny. You're becoming my best friend pretty quickly, so quickly that it's almost scary. But really, there isn't anyone I can trust more than you. Thank you so much!
Best,
Harry
Harry set down his quill with a sigh. Tomorrow, an Order member would be arriving with his birthday gifts. The next day, Harry would be on a flight to New York and entirely new life. It was surreal.
July thirty-first dawned bright and early with an orange-red sun, and come midday came a knock on his door. Soon Harry was buried in gifts from the Weasleys, Hermione, Hagrid, Remus, and all his other friends. Harry was nearly shocked by the amount of presents. He thanked Kingsley Shacklebolt, who had delivered, and set about opening all of them.
Mrs. Weasley had sent her normal cakes and pies. Ron had sent some Cannons memorabilia along with a copy of Witch Weekly with his face across the front and a Chocolate Frog card with his face on it. Harry was slightly stunned, having no knowledge of this new development, and blushed when he saw the title of the magazine: "Hogwart's Hottest Hero: Why We Love Harry Potter." He'd read it later, just to make sure they weren't printing any more lies. It might be more informative than the Daily Prophet that he was not getting, courtesy of Dumbledore, or the tight-lipped Order members. Ginny had sent some American reading material, Muggle and magical alike, along with a singing card, which she said was "just for tradition's sake." He laughed when he read that, remembering her other singing cards very well. In her package came the best wishes from Bill and Charlie, who had gotten together to give him some books of ancient curses, hexes, and jinxes. Hermione had sent him (surprisingly) some jewelry that she insisted was quite stylish in the Muggle world. Coral and shark-toothnecklaces, wristbands and bracelets with the same style, and even a few rings and an earring. He didn't know why Hermione would send him an earring, but he wrote it off as one of her quirks. Hagrid, along with his famous rock cakes, had sent him a Magical Creatures text including how to treat injured creatures and what uses their products had in potions, charms, etc. Good book, really. Remus Lupin had sent perhaps the most welcomed gift of all: a pensieve. Not just any pensieve. It wasn't like Dumbledore's at all. It was a cool, silver, cauldron-like basin, and the only thing that determined it as a pensieve were the smoky memories swirling underneath the lid that had been secured for traveling. Remus explained in his letter that he had placed all of his memories of Harry's parents in the pensieve. He still had the memories, of course, but they weren't as heavy on his mind, and he admitted that it was somewhat of a relief to share the memories that sometimes brought pain upon remembrance. Harry was very much looking forward to discovering more about his parents, but it would have to wait until America. The Creevey brothers had sent him an album of pictures from the DA, telling the story of every success. Looking at the photographs, Harry found that he really did act like a leader in the DA, and he experienced all over again the joy of seeing the students under his leadership accomplish something. It was a record of his achievement. It was just the note along with the album that was slightly depressing:
Dear Harry,
We put this together to show you just how great of a teacher you are. We can't wait until school starts up again and we can be in the DA again! See you at school,
Colin and Dennis Creevey
All the Ravenclaw members of the DA had compiled all their notes of the DA classes into a book, recording all of their achievements and experiences, how the DA had helped them, all their failures and successes. There were even a few diary entries from some of the girls that had been torn from the precious notebooks, and there were even some book pages ripped from books that held notes in the margins. It was charmed to speak in the voices of whoever had written the notes if Harry said the right incantation. Fascinating, to say the least.
The Hufflepuff DA members had also worked together to gather everything bad they had ever heard anyone say about Umbridge and put it together so that if Harry tapped the enchanted parchment (which portrayed an ugly caricature of Umbridge running from centaurs) with his wand, the voices of the people saying the insults would come from the parchment, loud and clear. Harry nearly fell off his bed when he heard Hannah Abbot let off a round of expletives about Umbridge that Ron would have been proud of, surprised speechless.
The members of the DA in Gryffindor had been creative as well. They had created a banner, with a red background and all writing in gold. On every corner was a Gryffindor lion, roaring and pacing. Around the border were hundreds of little Harrys chasing hundreds of little snitches on Firebolts. In the center, a characterized Harry was kicking Umbridge out of Hogwarts with a herd of centaurs behind him and all of the DA cheering. They even portrayed McGonagall waving her walking stick at her, and Peeves raining raspberries and water balloons on the fleeing frog. Harry was greatly amused by this, and determined to display the banner in his dormitory at McKinley's House of Magic if he could.
Fred and George had sent him numerous WWW products for "trial" as well as a fair amount of money. They had made him a partner in business, not listening to any argument, and apparently business was paying off admirably if the amount of money in Harry's hands was anything to go by. Harry couldn't wait to test some of the new prank items at McKinley's. He was really going to live it up when he was in America, and pranking was only one of the things he had in mind. He had to live up to his father's title, after all. Not to mention that of his godfather and mentor.
All in all, it was the wealthiest birthday Harry had ever experienced, and he found himself with at least half a dozen birthday cakes. It would be a miracle if he managed to get them all to America in one piece. Highly improbable, actually, but well-worth the risk, in Harry's opinion.
Harry spent the rest of the afternoon writing to everyone who had sent him birthday gifts, finding it difficult to explain that he wouldn't be there for their next year at Hogwarts and why he was leaving so suddenly and drastically. He knew that Hermione and Mrs. Weasley would probably be in tears. It was hardest to explain to Remus.
Dear Remus,
I can't thank you enough for your gift. It is far and beyond the best birthday present I have ever received. I can't wait to look through those memories. Only you can possibly know how much it means to me. It makes me hesitate to do what I'm about to do.
I'm going away. I can't tell you where, or I would. I'm not telling anybody. Not even Ron or Hermione. I've arranged for schooling elsewhere, though I can't say where. I just can't stay. That's not to say that I don't love everyone here, or that I'm so unhappy. Really, that's not it. I just feel that lately I've had no control over my life. Dumbledore has confirmed that, and I refuse to let him control me like a chess piece. It's like Voldemort controls one half of my life, and Dumbledore controls the other. I'm going to a place where I can live my life without Dumbledore and the Order breathing down my neck or Voldemort after my head. I know the consequences of my actions. I know that Dumbledore will try to find me (everyone will, I'm guessing), but I also know that he won't be able to. I will find a way to keep up to date on all that's happening back here, but I'm not going to be a part of it for a while. I will come back. It's not like I'm running away. I'm just taking a break to be a normal person for a year or two. I'm not sure whether it will be just one year or if I'll finish my education at this new place, but I promise that I will come back and I'll be better than ever, ready to take on whatever Voldemort wants to throw my way or whatever guilt-trip Dumbledore wants to toss me. I hope you'll understand when I say that this is something I have to do. I'll go crazy if I don't.
I will miss you, perhaps more than anyone else here. You're the only connection to my parents that I have anymore, and the only one who's always believed in me, listened to me, and talked to me like I was a normal person, your best friend's son, not The Boy Who Lived. Even Ron and Hermione have been guilty of acting like I was a celebrity, but you never have, and I can't tell you how grateful I am for that. Like I said before, your gift is the best one I've ever received, and you can be sure that wherever I am, I'll be looking into it. We'll have a nice, long chat when I get back, and maybe I'll have a few questions about them. Or about you, for that matter.
Speaking of you, I wanted to make sure that you were okay while I was gone, because I know that this will be hard so soon after Sirius's death. Merlin, it still hurts! I can't imagine what it must be like for you. I want you to spend as much time with the Weasleys as you can, because there is no way I'll let you get lonely. I've recruited all of them to make sure you aren't left alone, especially Ginny. She'll need someone to talk to, since I know that as much as her brothers love her, she's still the youngest and only girl in that family and it gets really lonesome. We'll make up for lost time when I get back. I promise. Also, I've left some money for you in your vault at Gringotts. There is no way for you to return it to me, and I can honestly say that I'll hardly even notice it's missing. As I'm sure you know, I'm not lacking in that department. I want you to get yourself a new set of robes, some new books, and whatever else you've ever wanted. I've already donated money to the lycanthropy research lab, so don't bother with that. I really hope they'll find a cure sometime. Preferably soon.
If I can, I'll send you a long letter from wherever I'm at. I've discovered a way that will make it impossible for you to figure out where I am, but I can still correspond occasionally. Unfortunately, letters will be limited, and I won't be able to tell you too much without giving away my location, but I will try.
Don't worry about me. I'll be just fine. I'm going to a place where I can be happy, free, and live my life as just Harry. Not Harry Potter, The Boy Who Lived, but plain Harry, son of James and Lily Potter with an abnormal obsession with Defense Against Dark Arts and youngest Seeker in a century. Thanks for everything you've done for me. I hope to write soon.
Love,
Harry
Harry signed the letter with a trembling hand, fighting back the fiery tears. That was the first time he had ever written 'love' at the end of a letter, and very possibly one of the last. Remus deserved it though. Remus had never seen him as The Boy Who Lived, or even as his father's son, or his mother's son, or even a student. He had seen him for who he truly was: Harry James Potter, and accepted that. He had been so constant, so reassuring, so kind, and so helpful all the time. Harry couldn't imagine living in America without him, especially now that Sirius was gone. Remus was the last tie Harry had to his parents, and Harry was going to make sure he would stay that way. He would send a letter to Remus along with Ginny's letter. Maybe he would even send one to the Weasleys.
It was the longest letter he had written. The other letters were shorter, less exhaustive, and much less emotional. He thanked everyone, explained his reasons for going away, assured them that he would be back, good as new, and that he would be safe and happy wherever he was. He left the running of the DA in the hands of Ron, Hermione, and Ginny. Hermione to do the research, Ron to do the organizing, and Ginny to do the actual teaching. He explained this to all the DA members, and insisted that they show them the same respect they showed him. He told the Weasley twins that he would be sure to advertise their shop wherever he was and use the pranks to his best advantage. He told them to just use all the money he 'earned' from the shop in starting up businesses in the Americas, China, Africa, and Australia. He thanked Mr. and Mrs. Weasley whole-heartedly for making him a part of their family, informed them of the money in their account, and proceeded to ensure them of his well-being and gratefulness. He told Hagrid to be careful with Grawp and give him his regards, and also thanked him for being so understanding the last part of the school year, apologizing for being so rude at times. He even wrote a letter to Dumbledore, explaining everything he could and assuring him that he could take care of himself, he would be back to defeat Voldemort after he had lived his own life, and pleading for him not to look for him. After a lecture, of course. He also included a quick letter for the Minister that he could release to the press if he chose, since he predicted his disappearance would create quite a disturbance among the wizarding population.
With all the letters written, Harry laid them out on his desk and packed all of his gifts into his already packed trunk, taking particular care with the pensieve. Later that night, Uncle Vernon snuck into his room silently, nodded to Harry, and heaved his trunk out to the car while the Order wouldn't notice. Tomorrow, Harry would be gone, and no one was going to stop him.
The next morning, Harry and the Dursleys rose before sunrise, much to Dudley's unhappiness, and loaded into the car while the Order wouldn't be able to see the extra, thin shadow of Harry hiding behind his large cousin.
The drive to the airport was tense and silent for the most part, Aunt Petunia occasionally shooting looks back at him to make sure he was lying low on the seat and Uncle Vernon grumbling the off-hand complaint about traffic. Dudley was scowling at nobody in particular, cracking his knuckles habitually.
Uncle Vernon loaded his trunk onto a trolley and helped him get past security and all the other details. Once Harry was settled in the waiting area, armed with only a good deal of Muggle and wizarding money, a few letters for direction, and one of the Muggle books Ginny had sent him, as well as the copy of Witch Weekly and his Chocolate Frog card, just to amuse himself, Uncle Vernon grunted a good-bye and left him.
As ten o'clock approached, the announcement for the flight to New York came over the intercom. Harry approached the woman at the desk, went through all the procedures, and soon enough found himself with his own window seat, no one beside him, for the long flight to New York. The flight attendants showed all the safety procedures, announced the movie show times and what to do if you needed anything, and then proceeded to order all seat belts fastened.
Harry buckled the seat belt, trying to control his excitement. He was really going. He was really going to New York, to America! The plane traveled down the runway, and Harry gripped the edges of his seat. A broomstick would be so much better. Not as comfortable a seat, but much more comforting. At least he had control of his broomstick. He had no control over the airplane.
The plane took off smoothly, and Harry relaxed in his chair. This was it. Time to relax and enjoy the view before he arrived in the Big Apple. He could hardly wait.
Harry looked out his window at the fast approaching shoreline, his heart beating excitedly in his chest, constricting his breathing. The flight attendant pointed out the Empire State Building and the Twin Towers, and Harry caught his breath. He was used to old, medieval-style castles with towers and turrets, flagged stone floors and large fireplaces. This was going to be a very large change.
"Excited, sir?" a flight attendant questioned him with a knowing smile, coming to collect his breakfast tray and blanket.
"Er- yeah. Yeah, I am," he replied, caught off guard but recovering quickly.
"Are you an exchange student then? Most people don't vacation this close to the start of the school year."
"Yes, exchange student."
"Have a good time."
"Thanks. I will."
The flight attendant moved away to attend to another passenger, and Harry returned his eyes to the city. It was enormous! It was like London in America, only … different somehow. So much more exciting.
The plan came down for landing, sending Harry's stomach into a whirlwind. They bounced down on the runway, and Harry's stomach settled as they slowed to a halt. The flight attendant told them to unfasten their seatbelts, and Harry stood, stretching his legs. His frame, which had taken on a growth spurt over the past few months, was not happy with the cramped seating. He ran his hands through his messy hair with no interest, checking to make sure his money pouch was still in the pocket of his denim jacket. Satisfied that his money was with him, Harry looked in his bag next. Books, magazine, card, letters. Now he just had to retrieve his trunk from the baggage claim. Everyone had looked at him oddly when he turned it in. Apparently, no one used trunks anymore.
He made his way to the baggage claim, following the steady stream of passengers. He stood by and waited. His trunk finally came down, and he grabbed hold of it. He dragged it off, getting himself quite a few odd glances, and looked around for a trolley. One of the workers rushed forward with one, seeing his predicament, and helped him load it onto a trolley, asking where he needed to go.
"Central Park," he said. The worker raised an eyebrow but said nothing. "Er- could I buy this, or something? I'll rather need it, but …"
"Of course. Five dollars, sir."
Harry took out his money pouch (ignoring the curious, odd look the worker gave him) and counted five dollars out of the Muggle American money. He still didn't understand why Muggles had different monies in different countries. Wizards did fine on galleons everywhere, but Muggles just had to make things complicated.
The worker took the money and released the trolley to Harry, who thanked him and departed the airport. The sun was bright in the sky, and the sky was as blue as Ravenclaw's banner. Harry sighed. Hogwarts was going to haunt him wherever he went. Harry hailed a cab, following the example of the thousands of other people.
Soon Harry found himself in Central Park. It was a beautiful thing, but Harry wasn't too interested in looking around. He just wanted to get to Central Park Avenue. He nodded to the hot dog vendor, who smiled knowingly, and made his way towards the center of the park.
It took a little bit, but Harry finally found the tree with the owl carved into it. He smiled, looked around to make sure there were no Muggles watching him, and pressed his thumb against the owl, stepping forward into the tree with his trunk in tow. Harry found himself in a bustling street crowded with witches and wizards of all sorts. Harry flattened his hair over his scar, ducking his head. It was amazing!
Similar to Diagon Alley, shops lined every side of the street, and pedestrians were hustling in and out, laughing and chatting, greeting friends, pointing out new objects in the windows. In the center of the wide street was a large garden with stone fountains and shady trees. The street was flagged as well, and the buildings were all brick. He saw Adam's Apple Apothecary, Da Vinci's Robes, Sports Shoppe, Quick Thinking ("Everything you need to keep your thinking quick!"), Bonkers Joke Jamboree, Muggle Merchandise, and even Smooth'N'Sweet Sugary Soda Snack Bar. There was everything he could possibly imagine and more; like Diagon Alley with different titles and a lot of different accents.
Harry quickly spotted The Double-U Inn and made his way towards it, apologizing as his trolley rolled over feet and snagged robes. He finally pushed open the door and let himself into the dimly lit room. Lanterns hung on the walls to give off light, and a chandelier hung above the large gathering area. A bar stood along one wall, and the rest of the room was like a lounge. Rough wooden tables stood in corners, at which wizards with dark cloaks conversed quietly, but the rest of the room was filled with jolly, talkative wizards and witches, stopping by for a quick drink or snack.
Harry approached the counter, and a large man with a pot-belly and a golden-toothed grin approached him.
"What'll it be, kiddo?"
"Er- Do you have any board?"
"Well, this is an inn, ain't it?" the man chuckled at Harry's awkwardness, slinging the bar rag over his shoulder. "How long're you lookin' at staying, Brit?"
"Until August twentieth."
"McKinley's then? Good school, that," he commented with a toothy grin. He named a price, which Harry quickly paid, much to the man's surprise. "Well, well, then. Rich kid, eh?" He went back behind the counter and pulled a ring off a rack, holding it out to Harry. "Room 26, kiddo. See you around."
"Thanks," Harry thanked him, taking the key and grabbing his trolley. He towed it to the stairs, folded up the trolley, and dragged the trunk the rest the way up the stairs. At the landing, he unfolded the trolley again, reloaded his trunk, and went down the line of doors. 20 … 21 … 22 … 23 … 24 … 25 … 26! Harry unlocked the door and let himself in.
Despite the rowdy ways of the downstairs, the room was very peaceful and tidy. The bed was made with clean white sheets, a lantern was lit by the door, and a large window let the midday sun into the room, dancing patterns across the hardwood floor. It was plain, but presentable. Harry settled his trunk by the dresser, debating whether to unpack or not. Deciding it could wait, Harry opened his trunk and pulled out his Gringotts key. He dropped everything he had carried on the place with him on the bed and sorted through it. He would need the supply list (he slid it into the back pocket of his jeans), and he would need the key (he slid that into his jacket pocket), but that should be it.
Harry left the room, locking the door behind himself and slipping the key into his pocket beside the Gringotts key. He made his way down the stairs, observing the people that came and went. He left the inn and stepped back into the sunny streets of Central Park Avenue. He looked up and down the street, and he finally spotted a tall, sturdy building at the end of the street. The sign read Gringotts, so that was where he had to go.
He started in that direction, walking slowly to take everything in. He saw some people his age and figured they would be at McKinley's with him. It was odd, to Harry, to see students his age and younger shopping the way he, Ron, and Hermione would have been in Diagon Alley. A pang of homesickness tugged at his heartstrings for a moment, but Harry quickly pushed it out of his mind. It was his first day in America; he was going to enjoy. There was no way he was going to get homesick already! There was a giggling group of girls outside of Smooth'N'Sweet Sugary Soda Snack Bar, one exclaiming, "I swear it on Harry Potter! He promised he'd meet me at Five-SB today!" Harry blushed and hurried on, praying to Merlin that they wouldn't recognize the back of his head, and noticed some younger year boys in front of the Sports Shoppe.
"Seriously? I didn't know that. Where'd you find that?"
"My mum was talking about it. One of her magazines. They named him the hottest hero in the world or something. Stupid, really, but the list of his accomplishments … Whew! Youngest Seeker in a century! And did you hear about that battle he was in at their government building or whatever?"
"Oh, yeah, my sister couldn't get over how brave and daring and absolutely adorable it was." The boy snorted. "Sweet Merlin, it's like the guy's cast a spell on all the girls in the world to make them fall in love with him. Harrificus Potternus Totalus!"
"I dunno. He seems like an okay guy to me. I mean, he's had a pretty bad time of it, hasn't he? Probably a lot more than the papers and magazines said. Maybe he actually deserves it."
"Well, if he's the youngest Seeker in a century…!"
"Seriously! Do you think he would give us some advice if we wrote to him?"
"I dunno, maybe. He doesn't seem too keen on fan mail, from what my mum said anyways. She kept going on about how his life is so unfair, and he doesn't really want all the attention and all that."
"I'd take some of it for him!" The boys all laughed and continued in their discussion on Seekers, and Harry sped up his pace a bit more, face flushed. He had no idea he was so famous in the US! Had there been a story about him recently that he didn't know of? Besides the "hottest hero in the world" of course. He'd seen that in Witch Weekly. Maybe he could burn that in his room at the inn. Yep. Definitely. After he read it, of course. He hadn't gotten around to it on the plane. Now, after listening to the boys' conversation, he was more interested. It listed his accomplishments? What exactly did they mean by that?
Harry let himself into Gringotts, not surprised that it was incredibly similar to the one in Diagon Alley. He approached one of the tellers and presented his key. The goblin nodded without speaking, and soon Harry was on a cart and on his way to his vault.
The goblin opened his vault for him, and Harry was somewhat surprised by the amount of gold in the vault. He had asked for enough money for his tuition and extra costs to be transferred to his American vault, but he hadn't expected this much.
Harry studied the piles. There seemed to be about twenty galleons per stack, so he would need thirty-five stacks. Harry nearly laughed out loud. He would have plenty for this year's tuition and next year's, not to mention he would be able to throw a few extravagant parties in between. Harry emptied a good amount of gold, silver, and bronze into his money pouch and left Gringotts to do his shopping.
He pulled out his school supply list and headed towards Quick Thinking. In the window display were old, tattered books alongside newer books on everything from prophesies to pranks to poetry. There was also a magnificent set of quills and some personalized parchment on display. Harry managed to enter the store unnoticed and made his way to the aisle labeled "school supplies." He scanned the titles of the books, looking at the list and then back up at the shelves again.
Defensive Drills for Dummies, Defending Yourself Against Dark Forces, Muggle Maneuvers to Defend Yourself, How to Defend Yourself Without a Wand, finally! Physical Defensive Drills, Maneuvers, and Training by Billy Joe Knowles. His text for Defense, his first new class. He slid the book off the shelf. What next? His Advanced Defensive Magic text, Protecting Yourself With Magic by Jean Grimshaw was easily found, not far from his Defense book. He also found his texts for Advanced Transformulation, Advanced Potions, Advanced Divination, and Advanced Magical Creatures. His Astronomy text was also fairly easy to find, but he had some difficulty with his Advanced Charms text. He skimmed the titles, biting the inside of his cheek frustratedly. Charming Your Opponent, Charms for Children, How to Charm His Socks Off, Charming Charms. No where could he find Difficult Charms and How to Use Them by L. M. Evans. He groaned frustratedly. He had scanned that shelf ten times already, the one below it eight times, and the one above it nine times. He couldn't find the textbook anywhere! He had even looked in the other aisles, but the book was no where to be found.
"Looking for something?" asked a curious voice behind him. Harry spun around, running his hands through his hair and then quickly flattening his bangs over his scar when he realized what he was doing.
"Er- Yeah, actually, I am," he admitted, pulling his hand back down and stuffing it in his pocket. A tall boy with long red hair and green eyes to rival Harry's stood behind him, and behind the boy stood a man who seemed to be the model of the boy. It was like seeing double; the boy looked like a carbon copy of his father. Surprisingly, it brought to Harry's mind a mix of the Weasleys and his mother as he had seen her in Snape's pensieve.
"Need any help?"
"I would say so, yes," confessed Harry, a little embarrassed. "I can't find Difficult Charms and How to Use Them by L. M. Evans."
The boy examined the shelves carefully, shook his head, and then lost himself in thought for a moment. "I'll be right back," he said, dashing out of the aisle in the direction of the counter with the speed of a Seeker and disappearing.
"Sean Lane," the man introduced himself, extending his hand. "Founder and owner of this shop."
"Pleased to meet you, sir," Harry replied, taking the man's hand firmly. "I'm Harry."
"British accent? Are you just visiting then?"
"Er- exchange student, actually," Harry corrected him mildly.
"Really? McKinley's House of Magic?"
"Yes, sir."
"What grade?"
"Er- eleventh, I think," said Harry, pulling the letter of acceptance from his pocket and scanning it quickly. "Yeah, eleventh."
"You'll be with Ryan, then, my son. Excited?"
"Very."
"What school did you attend before?"
"Hogwarts. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in, er, Northern Ireland, I believe."
"Really? I've heard it's a very prestigious school. What, with Albus Dumbledore and Harry Potter, it's probably the most famous school in the world."
"Er- yeah, I guess."
"Why did you want to come here?"
"Eh- personal reasons, really. Had to do it for myself. I just felt … too confined there."
"There? I heard it's a large castle. Not to mention extensive grounds and a Quidditch pitch."
"Well, yeah, that's true. It's very large, actually. Kept getting lost my first few days. It doesn't help that everything always changes."
"Changes?"
"Yeah." Harry quickly explained about the moving staircases, the walking suits of armor, the vanishing doors, entrances hidden behind tapestries and portraits, Peeves, the ghosts, and all the other physical aspects about Hogwarts. Mr. Lane was fascinated by the ceiling and the library, and he just couldn't stop asking questions. After a while of chatting, the boy, whom Harry assumed to be Ryan, came back with a book in hand.
"Sorry 'bout that," he apologized breathlessly, grinning at him. "Still packed. New order and all."
"Thanks," Harry thanked him, a little embarrassed, and added the leather-bound book to his other texts.
"You'll be at McKinley then?" Ryan quired curiously. "I haven't seen you before."
"Yeah. Exchange student."
"Really? We haven't had one in ages! What grade are you in?"
"Eleventh."
"Cool! So am I. You'll love it. Oh, yeah, I'm Ryan, by the way."
"Harry."
"Good to meet you."
"Ryan, you aren't finished yet," Mr. Lane reminded his son, tapping his watch.
Ryan rolled his eyes. "All right." He turned to Harry to explain, "Dad's teaching me how to run the shop so I can take over. Family business, you know. Where're you staying?"
"The Double-U Inn," answered Harry.
"Great. That means I'll see you later. Bye!" Ryan grinned and waved as he approached another customer who was examining two different books and looking confused. Mr. Lane smiled, shook hands with Harry, and followed his son, watching over his shoulder as he assisted the witch.
Harry was incredibly grateful that they hadn't asked for his last name. That would have been a very difficult situation, to say the least. He approached the counter and paid for his books, adding a set of quills and some more parchment to his bill. He thanked the clerk and took the bag before heading back outside, waving to the Lanes on his way out of the shop. He was suddenly incredibly grateful that Ginny had thought to buy him contacts. Harry was certain that he would have been recognized immediately for who he was if he had been wearing the glasses.
Harry already had new robes, so there was no need to stop by Da Vinci's. Adam's Apothecary would be useless, since he already had all the potions ingredients he would need. Bonkers Joke Jamboree would probably be worth a stop, though, as would the Sports Shoppe and the "Five-SB". But Harry decided that it wouldn't be exactly fun to drag around his books all day, so he stopped by the inn to drop them in his room before he went pleasure shopping.
First Harry stopped by Bonkers Joke Jamboree, which was closest. They had some pretty great stuff, but nothing to rival Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes. He left the shop with a few minor pranks in his pocket and his money pouch a few coins lighter, but it wasn't really so interesting to him. Harry then visited the Sports Shoppe and was instantly stunned. Of course, there was Quidditch gear, but he had rarely seen some of the other things. His eyes grew round as he looked around. There was everything from hula-hoops and ribbons to basketballs and swimming trunks. There were footballs (soccer balls) and tap shoes, cleats and hurdles, gloves and caps, uniforms and even books on "how to dance like Shirley Temple" and "everything you'll ever need to know about soccer." Harry spent his time looking around, trying to decide if he wanted to do anything. Track was a possibility, but those shorts were really short. Basketball or soccer seemed much more interesting. He could use gymnastics- sometimes Seekers had to be flexible- but those uniforms were slightly disturbing. Dance, though it might become useful someday and looked interesting, didn't exactly appeal to him. He didn't have to make any decisions right away, though, thank goodness.
He saw the cluster of boys that he had seen earlier and did his best to steer away from them, still rather embarrassed about overhearing their conversation. Alas, his best was not enough. The boys ran into him while he was looking through a book about basketball, nearly knocking him into the shelf. They apologized quickly, but paused when they heard his accent.
"Are you British?"
"Yes."
"D'you go to Hogwarts?"
"I used to."
"Did you know Harry Potter?"
"Er- yeah."
"Is he really the youngest Seeker in a century?"
"Yes."
"He's a Gryffindor, right?"
"Yeah."
"What were you?"
"Gryffindor."
"Cool! Were you in his dorm?"
"Mm-hmm."
"Can he really make a Patronus?"
"Yes."
"What's the form again?"
"A stag."
"He started an illegal defense group, didn't he? Potomac Army or something?"
"Dumbledore's Army, otherwise known as the Defense Association, but yes."
"Were you a part of it?"
"Yeah."
"He won the TriWizard Tournament last year, didn't he?"
"Yes."
"So he really faced a dragon?"
"Mm-hmm."
"And saw that Dark Lord guy rise from the dead?"
"Yep."
"And was that other guy really killed right next to him?"
"Cedric Diggory? Yeah."
"And he was dating his best friend, Himonee or something?"
"Hermione? No, that was just a rumor."
"What about that battle at that government building?"
"At the Ministry of Magic? What about it?"
"What happened?" "Yeah, who was he with?"
"Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Ginny Weasley, Neville Longbottom, and Luna Lovegood."
"My sister's been dying to know this one: is he dating anyone?"
"Er- no. Only girlfriend was Cho Chang. Broke up when her friend betrayed the DA and she stood up for her."
"Ouch. That had to hurt. Did he pass his exams after that?"
"After what?"
"The battle!"
"The O.W.L.s were before the battle. It all started during the last exam."
"What happened?"
"Didn't you read about it in the paper?"
"Well…"
"Sort of…"
"Yeah, but…"
"Look, guys, I can answer all your questions at school, all right? I'll talk to Headmaster Keatley about arranging some sort of questioning thing and I'll answer whatever questions you throw at me. Ok?"
"Ok, but … what grade are you in?"
"Eleventh."
"At McKinley's?"
"Yeah."
"Cool. You'll be in my sister's grade! She's totally obsessed with Harry Potter."
"Hmm."
Harry scrambled away from them as fast as he could, abandoning the book on basketball without a second thought. He could come back later. Those boys were really scary. Once outside, he took a deep breath. He didn't think he would ever get used to that. Hopefully he could arrange a questioning session with the Headmaster and everything would be finished at that. Hopefully.
Harry shook himself and headed for Smooth'N'Sweet Sugary Soda Snack Bar, otherwise know as "Five-SB" by those girls, and was relieved that they weren't there anymore. He entered the small, blue-and-white striped bar (which he thought looked really cheesy) and sat down on one of the bar stools, staring up at the menu. When the waitress approached him, blonde hair piled atop her head and bubble gum chomping loudly in her mouth, Harry ordered a Smooth Strawberry Soda with Super Sweet Sprinkles and a Shaken-Up Shortcake. Before long the pink drink and small cake were in front of him.
Despite the absurdity of the place, Harry quickly realized why they were so popular. The food and drink were delicious! It was like Muggle food with a magical twist, and Harry quickly decided to come here as much as he could. Mrs. Weasley would be proud. He would be "fattened up" in no time at this rate.
The bell above the door jingled merrily as each customer entered or left, and the place was filled with a constant chatter. Just listening to other people's conversations was enough to give Harry good entertainment, so he was almost sorry to leave after he finished. He paid the waitress, left a tip, and went back to the inn. The sun was setting, and he wanted to get settled in before dark. He couldn't wait to write Ginny about this. This was going to be a wonderful way to end his summer.
The last days of Harry's summer holidays passed by quickly and wonderfully. Harry found a close friend in Ryan Lane, who was a lot like all his friends rolled into one, but he was his own person. Harry finally confessed to being Harry Potter, but Ryan, being Ryan, swore up and down that he wouldn't tell anybody without permission- not even his father, who, as Harry found out, was very close to him. Harry helped out around the Lane's shop some, and the boys would spend evenings at Five-SB or exploring the other shops. Ryan convinced Harry to join the basketball team with him and filled him in on everything he would need to know. The Lane's shop had a small courtyard in the back with a basketball hoop set up, where Mr. Lane had taught Ryan how to play, and where Ryan now taught Harry everything he knew on the sport. Sometimes Mr. Lane would join them, giving some helpful pointers and critiquing their skill. Mrs. Lane would bring out drinks and snacks for the boys, complimenting their work. She was a warm, friendly mother with blonde hair that was always swept up in a loose bun and kind blue eyes that sparkled with love. To Harry, this was one of the best families he had ever met. The Lanes had a younger daughter, too, and Ryan was very protective of her. Rachel was built with a small frame, and though she was fourteen and in ninth grade, she looked more like a seventh grader. She had the same blonde hair as her mother, but she had her father's and brother's green eyes. Ryan insisted that she was the best gymnast in all of America with a pride only a brother can have, and he always made her blush. She became like another sister to Harry, helping her mother bring out trays of delicious delights and organizing picnics for all of them in Central Park. Harry was introduced to some of Ryan's school friends, Tim Lucas and Nathan O'Neill, who stopped by the shop a few times to visit with their parents. Harry almost wished that the summer would never end. It had turned out to be the best summer of his life.
When the twentieth of August rolled around, Ryan and Rachel helped Harry pack up all his things in the inn and make sure he had all of his new stuff, including his basketball equipment that had been readily broken in over the past few days. Harry returned the key to room 26 to the barkeeper, Mason, and hauled his trunk over to the large fireplace. He took some Floo Powder from the mantle, said a quick "see you later" to his new friends, and stepped into the fire. He threw down the powder and cried out: "Lincoln Hall, McKinley's House of Magic!"
Holding his trunk tightly, Harry's world spun out of control for a while before he stumbled ungracefully out of the fire into a large, elegant hall with tall, stained-glass windows, glass chandeliers, marble floors, imposing statues of Greek figures, porcelain figure-heads and vases filled with pure white and pink roses, tall columns, and a very open space in the center of the circular hall. There was already a small cluster of younger students gathered in the center around a tall woman who looked very polished and sophisticated, but Harry noticed that she could still smile. Harry pulled his trunk out of the fire and then realized that every eye was on him.
"Er- good afternoon," he greeted them awkwardly, shifting his feet and hesitating a smile at them. The tall woman came forward to greet him with a smile.
"You must be Harry," she smiled warmly. "Welcome to McKinley's House of Magic. You had no trouble?"
"None at all, ma'am."
"That's fine." She drew out the 'i' in 'fine', making it sound very posh but still kind. "I'm Ms. Davis, the Overseer."
"Pleasure, Professor."
Ms. Davis looked flustered for a moment before she gathered herself. "My, my, you are quite the well-mannered one, aren't you? Do you have everything? Texts, tuition, classes…?"
"Yes, ma'am. Would you like the tuition now?"
"Oh, no, no, no. After dinner we'll meet to arrange everything. Why don't you join our new seventh graders while we wait for the rest? I was just talking to them about our extra-curricular activities."
Harry joined the younger students, feeling slightly out of place, leaving his trunk by the wall at Ms. Davis's insistence. Finally, at half past four, Ms. Davis called roll to make sure all the students were there. The seventh graders went into a frenzy when they heard Harry's name called, but a stern look from Ms. Davis settled them down immediately. After, Ms. Davis gave a formal introduction to McKinley's House of Magic, most of which Harry had learned from the letter she had sent him, and proceeded to give them a tour of the House.
Out of one of the large, white double-doors that led off Lincoln Hall was the Dining Room. The floor was marbled, and tall columns were along the walls as they were in Lincoln Hall. The ceiling was painted with elegant cherubs that darted playfully behind the painted clouds, giggling with each other in a pure, innocent way. The enormous room was occupied with two extraordinarily long tables with blood red table clothes, set with silver dishes, and candles hovered above the table, similar to Hogwarts. Hundreds of mahogany chairs were placed along the tables in orderly lines, and every so often there came a chair larger than the others, which Ms. Davis explained were for the teachers. In the front of the room was a table for three, which was for the Headmaster, Overseer (Ms. Davis), and Second Overseer. Ms. Davis explained that normally there would be round tables, but for the first dinner the Headmaster preferred the straight ones. Tall, full-body portraits graced the walls between the columns, showing off former presidents of the United States, with President McKinley's in the front behind the Headmaster's table. There was a door behind a portrait of President Taft that led to the kitchens, where house-elves in clean, crisp uniforms were scurrying around in preparation.
Another door off of Lincoln Hall led to the swimming pool. It was Olympic sized, and a large set of bleachers stood against the right wall. Showers, restrooms, changing rooms, and lockers were through doors on the far end of the room, in which were white, fluffy towels, McKinley's House of Magic swimming attire/gear, and lockers for every student. Wouldn't you know it, the showers and toilets were inside the lockers, so that everyone had their own personalized bathrooms. In a display case on the left wall were large trophies, cups, plaques, and ribbons portraying all sorts of swimming competitions and awards.
A third door off Lincoln Hall led to a flagged stone hallway, large contrast, with classrooms coming off all sides. Ms. Davis pointed out all the classrooms, taking care to acknowledge that these were the seventh grade classrooms only. The fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth doors led to similar hallways for the other grades, and at the end of each hall was a small library with texts pertaining to each grade's curriculum.
The tenth door opened into a large gymnasium. Actually, it was more like two gymnasiums in one. On one side there was a basketball court, complete with benches and bleachers. There were locker rooms for girls and boys respectively on the far side. It was the same on the opposite side, only instead of a basketball court, it was set for indoor soccer. A door on the soccer side of the gym led to a weight room, and a door on the basketball side of the gym led to the gymnastics and cheerleading room.
Once back in Lincoln Hall, Ms. Davis led the group up a sweeping marble staircase to the dormitories. The second floor, just above the main rooms, was mostly a large room with a big fireplace, comfortable sofas, study tables, window seats, and a good deal of games. There was even a Muggle foosball table, table tennis (ping-pong table), and other assortments of Muggle entertainment from puzzles and magazines to board games and billiards. There was a door on each side of the room, one leading to the girls' dormitories and the other to the boys'. Each dormitory was shared by two people and had their own bathroom. This second floor was for seventh and eighth graders. The other floors were almost exactly alike, only the third was for ninth and tenth graders, and the fourth was for eleventh and twelfth graders.
When Ms. Davis finally led them back down to Lincoln Hall, it was nearing five o'clock and students were already arriving. Trunks were being lined up along the wall next to Harry's, and students were greeting each other after the long summer holidays. Ms. Davis dismissed them, and Harry immediately found Ryan and Rachel.
"Have fun on your tour?" teased Ryan with a lopsided grin only he could pull off.
"Yes, actually," Harry admitted, shrugging his shoulders. "This place is really … extravagant."
"Extravagant?" Ryan raised an eyebrow artfully. "Well, that's not the word I'd use, but yeah, I guess. Not like Hogwarts then?"
"The only thing I saw the least bit alike was … the floor in the classroom corridors, the fireplaces, the kitchen behind a painting, and floating candles."
"Really? Well, that's fairly cool. Hey, there's Tim!" Ryan waved his friends over. Rachel wrinkled her nose a bit.
"Hey, Ry, I'm going to find my friends. I'll see you later."
"See you. Hey, Tim, Nathan!" The boys greeted each other with a round of hand slapping. Tim, a shorter boy with lots of curly brown hair and puppy-dog face, was outfitted in an outlandish set of cobalt blue robes with hot pink lining and trim, while Nathan, being somewhat less absurd, was wearing charcoal grey robes over his jeans and black T-shirt, making his long blonde hair and studious brown eyes seem more sophisticated than ever. Ryan was just starting to ask where Tim had bought his robes (because Da Vinci's definitely did not make them like that) when a group of the same giggly girls Harry had seen outside of Five-SB approached. Harry shifted nervously, and Ryan grinned wickedly. Harry had told him about overhearing the conversation he had heard and couldn't stop teasing him about them. Whenever they were joking around and Harry would ask him if he was telling the truth, Ryan would say, "I swear it on Harry Potter!" He always got a deserving slap upside the head, but he took it good-naturedly.
"Have a good summer?" the leader of the girls questioned, twirling a piece of her curly brown hair around a finger idly.
"Yeah," answered Ryan immediately, grinning mischievously. "Have you met the new exchange student? Harry, this is Irene Mitchell. Irene, this is Harry Potter."
Jaws sank to the floor at this pronouncement, and immediately Harry was mobbed by the girls, clinging to whatever bit of him they could find. Harry's eyes widened at the contact and he tried to shake them, looking alarmed. He turned helpless eyes to his friends, but they were laughing too hard to be able to do anything. In the end, it was Rachel who came to his rescue, giving her brother a hard slap on the shoulder for not doing anything. She calmly pried each of the girls' hands off of Harry and pushed them back as gently as she could while still being effective.
"Thanks," Harry panted gratefully. She nodded and turned back to the girls.
"He is a person, you know," she pointed out point blank, glaring at them disgustedly. "What if he was claustrophobic? Idiots," she breathed under her breath, then turning on her brother with a hard glare. "That was so not nice."
She pinched her brother's arm one last time and then returned to her friends quite calmly, as though she had just taken a sip of water. Harry finally caught his breath as Ryan, Nathan, and Tim moved to his side in the manner of bodyguards, blocking the girls from further attempts to smother him.
"I'm never going to get used to this," Harry moaned. Ryan chuckled.
"You mean you weren't this famous in Britain?"
"Well, yeah, I was, but people didn't … Well, I generally didn't hear my name in the streets or get mobbed anyway. Normally people just stared."
Ryan shook his head amusedly as he pushed the girls back. "Sounds fun."
"Oh. Yeah. Ruddy brilliant."
Ryan laughed amusedly.
Thankfully, they were saved from further mauling as Ms. Davis called the large group of students, which successfully crowded the enormous hall, into order, opening the doors and allowing them to flow into the Dining Room.
Ryan took his right, Nathan his left, and Tim his right as they entered the room, but that left his back open for target. Much to his relief, Rachel came up behind him to block him from the other girls, giving him an encouraging squeeze on the shoulder. He relaxed a bit, knowing that she had his back, and gladly took a seat between the two siblings who had become like his own. The wooden chairs were surprisingly comfortable. He was introduced to Rachel's best friend, Julia Schemmel, who was on Rachel's other side. She was almost exactly like Rachel, only Julia had bobbed brown hair and midnight blue eyes as opposed to Rachel's long blonde hair and emerald eyes. She was slightly louder than Rachel, but they were both very kind and thoughtful, which Harry noticed immediately. Both of them avoided questioning him, and instead kept to casual talking of upcoming classes and summer adventures.
As soon as everyone was settled, Ms. Davis rose at the Head Table and called for their attention. The room fell silently immediately, faster than Hogwarts ever had, and all eyes turned to the Overseer. Also at the Head Table was a tall, structured man in stately black robes and graying dark hair, watching the students with hawk-like eyes and a studious gaze.
"Welcome back to McKinley's House of Magic!" she greeted them with a smile. "It's good to see you back and well. Dr. Keatley is unable to join us tonight due to an emergency session that was called in the United Kingdom by Professor Dumbledore. I'm sure you have all heard of him. For those of you who haven't, he's a great wizard and the headmaster of the very prestigious wizarding school in Northern Ireland, Hogwarts.
"Speaking of Hogwarts, I am pleased to welcome an exchange student from that school, Harry Potter. Harry, if you would please stand?"
Harry stood reluctantly with a flushed face as the room burst into applause, cheering, and chatter. Harry quickly took his seat again, receiving a teasing shove from Ryan and amused smile from Rachel.
"Unfortunately, there are a few unique circumstances. Due to the necessity of Harry's privacy, nonentity, and safety, the knowledge that he is here must be kept quiet. No one is permitted to speak of him to their families, and when you refer to the 'new student,' please refer to him as Harry Patterson. Also, please do not question him about his experiences. He deserves to be treated as a normal student for once in his life, and I hope you will all treat him accordingly. He is here to learn, just as you are, and take a break from the stress of his life in the United Kingdom.
"Moving on, all try-outs and practice times will be posted on bulletin boards on your floors, as well as a list of banned items. I hope you will take part in the events enthusiastically and support your classmates. Class trips will be arranged later this year.
"I would also like to address the growing issue of the dark Lord Voldemort in Europe. Please to not be misled to believe that this is Europe's issue alone. As I'm sure Harry can testify, even our country will eventually be affected by this man's tyranny. He has a blood-thirst for purity of blood, wishing to be rid of all with Muggle blood or whoever supports Muggles. I don't feel that I need to impress the severity of his actions upon you. If he succeeds, our entire wizarding world will be wiped from existence. Possibly even the Muggle existence. He has power, strength, and our only hope of defeating him is by joining with the rest of the world and attempting to uproot him and his evil plots.
"On a happier note, I would like to once again congratulate our swim team for winning the annual swim competition versus Haven Academy from Arizona, Maple Leaf Boarding from Montreal, and Tecuala School from Nayarit, Mexico."
A round of cheering and applause echoed throughout the chamber in response. Apparently, McKinley's swim team was very good and had a lot of support. Ms. Davis raised a hand and they quieted.
"Also, congratulations to our basketball team in their victory over these same three schools. It is good to see that trophy on display."
The cheers erupted once more. The basketball team members, including Ryan and Nathan, were slapped on the back and applauded enthusiastically by the student body. Ms. Davis let them go on for a minute before continuing.
"We hope to see many more trophies take their places beside these. That is all the announcements for now. Please be sure to check your floor bulletin board before bed and in the morning for further announcements. Enjoy the feast."
That said, Ms. Davis took her seat and tapped her wand to her glass. Instantly, the empty silver pitchers that had been sitting uselessly in the center of the tables were filled with liquids, and with a second tap to her plate, the unfilled dishes were also overflowing with food and delicacies. The students broke into babble as they tucked in, but Harry was very satisfied to just eat and listen to all the others' conversations. Ryan and Nathan were discussing the basketball team's prospects over Tim's shorter, curly head, while Tim himself was involved in a conversation a blonde girl on the other side of the table about the swim team. To his right, Rachel and Julia were chatting about the musicals they would be doing that year with their other friends who were seated across the table. Harry could overhear conversations from the second table as well, discussing sports teams, classes, summers, clothes, Voldemort, friends, clubs, teachers, and everything else under the sun. Actually, not really under the sun- a group of boys and girls behind him were currently in a debate about whether life existed outside of the galaxy. Harry was slightly put off by the fact that they spoke freely and eagerly about Voldemort. They said his name with no fear, spoke of the last war casually, compared death rates with other wizarding and Muggle wars, and debated how long the war would last. Some thought it would last little more than a year, while others believed that it would be longer than the first, which was about eleven years. Harry knew that it would last until he could finish it, or until Voldemort killed him. Fat lot of fun that would be.
After a while, Harry began to relax and really enjoy himself. Normally during the Hogwarts feast, Ron and Hermione would be questioning him about his summer and whether Voldemort was bothering him, discussing Voldemort, wondering about their new Defense professor, worrying about their friends, Dumbledore, and the Order, and worrying about Voldemort even more. Occasionally a bit of Quidditch would slip in, but never had Harry enjoyed the beginning of a term so much. It was nothing like his first year at Hogwarts, but it was his first year at McKinley's, and Harry found that it was just as magical.
After they had feasted until their stomachs bulged and the number of yawns increased tenfold, Ms. Davis rose and dismissed them. Harry, however, was to stay behind. He met Ms. Davis, gave her his tuition and choice of classes, and then made his way up to the eleventh and twelfth grade floor. Everyone had retreated to their dormitories but for two twelfth graders who were deep in conversation by the fire when Harry arrived. They didn't look up when he entered, and Harry went immediately to his dormitory. He was sharing a dormitory with Tim, a far cry from Ron, Neville, Dean, and Seamus. If Harry had to compare him to one of his dorm mates at Hogwarts, it would probably be Dean. Tim was very creative and artistic, Harry supposed. They didn't know each other too well, but Harry figured that they would know perhaps too much about each other by the end of the year.
Tim was in bed when Harry arrived, and large sketchbook in his lap and look of concentration on his face. A Muggle pencil was resting lightly in his hands, and he didn't look up from his drawing when Harry entered.
"How d'you like McKinley's so far?" he asked, keeping his eyes on the sketch. Harry shrugged, shutting the door behind himself and moving over to his trunk to take out his pajamas.
"It's pretty great," he confessed honestly, pulling off his shirt. "I guess I'll really see tomorrow in class, won't I?"
"Hmm." Tim remained focused on the sketchbook and only paused when Harry turned off the large light, leaving the candles on the bedside tables the only source of light. He put away the book in the top drawer of his bedside table as Harry crawled into bed, placing the pencil neatly on top.
"G'night."
"Night."
Both boys blew out their candles at the same moment, and the room fell into a comfortable, heavy darkness. Harry closed his aching eyes and relaxed, taking the moment to think of his friends. Ron was probably at Grimmauld Place with everyone else, glaring at everyone and being in a general foul mood. Hermione was most likely enveloped in a book or trying to pull Ron out of his funk. Ginny could be doing anything- Harry never knew with her. She could be pulling a prank, reading with Hermione, playing chess with Ron, writing to one of her own friends, helping her mother, talking to her father….
While Harry imagined all the possibilities of what Ginny might be doing, he slipped easily into sleep.
"No, My Lord. There is no trace of him. The boy was very careful."
"Idiots! The boy must be somewhere! He is a foolish child. He lets his emotions control him. There is no way that he could have put so much thought into such a thing as running away! Find him!"
"Y-Yes, My Lord."
"For your ignorance and blundering, you will be punished accordingly."
"N-No, My Lord! Please! I will do better! I will find him! Please, My Lord!"
"Yes, you will. And perhaps Bella can encourage you. Bella?"
"Yes, My Lord. Crucio!"
"N-AAAAAAAARRRRRGGHHHHH!"
Harry woke suddenly, clutching his forehead, to find Tim standing next to his bed, looking very concerned.
"Harry, are you okay?" he asked worriedly, handing him a glass of water. "I was about to dump this on you to wake you up, but I bet your throat would make better use of it. You were screaming pretty loudly."
"Did I wake anyone up?"
"Besides me? No. There are Silencing Charms on the rooms. What was that all about? Are you all right?"
"Sorry. Nightmares. I'll be fine."
"Nightmares? Man, I haven't had those since I was a kid. Are they really so bad?"
"Well, they are about Voldemort. The Cruciatus Curse isn't exactly pleasant, you know."
"You've actually … felt that?"
"Yeah," Harry chortled unamusedly, sipping the water gratefully. "It's one of Voldemort's favorites."
"So he's really that bad?"
"Worse. You've no idea. People back home are too scared to even say his name. They call him You-Know-Who or He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. It's ridiculous, but they do."
"Really?"
"Yeah. It's kind of weird to hear people talking about him like they do here, honestly. Everyone's terrified of him. And rightly so, actually. He doesn't play for fun, and he certainly doesn't play fair."
"I had no idea it was so bad."
"Well, now you do."
"Why don't you go take a shower?" Tim suggested. He raked a hand through his matted, curly hair. "It'll help. Besides, it's only half past seven. Only an hour and a half until class. You'd never be able to get back to sleep."
"Thanks." Harry slid out of bed, shaking slightly, and made his way to the bathroom. Tim really was a good guy. As he turned to shut the door behind himself, Harry saw Tim pulling out his sketchbook again. Yes, Harry would definitely compare him to Dean.
Classes, Harry discovered, were relatively pleasant at McKinley's.
His first class was Advanced Potions, which was much more enjoyable without Snape. The professor, Ms. Hammond, knew her potions well, and she taught them in a way that Harry was unused to. She informed them of the potion, its effects, common mistakes in making the potion, and compared it to other potions while they took notes. Harry had never realized that there was much more to it than just making the potion. Snape had never taught them any of this.
Second period was Advanced Transformulation, in which they were lectured on the basics of Transfiguration while they reviewed. Harry found that he was ahead a bit in that class, so relaxed and answered when called on with ease.
His third class, after lunch, was Advanced Divination. Despite his misgivings about the subject due to Trelawney, Harry felt that he should learn more about this imprecise branch of magic, considering it was going to be ruling his life mercilessly. It was also a review, and Harry found that he had a lot to catch up on. He soon realized that passing his exam had been pure luck, or so he thought, and he had no real knowledge of the subject. Half of the stuff he had learned from Trelawney was wrong and had to be corrected. It wasn't as bad as he had expected, though.
The last class of his first day was Defense. The entire time was spent taking notes on tactics and strategies used when you are cornered and outnumbered, ending with a demonstration by the professor. It seemed that the Muggle method of Defense was highly effective, which was why it was taught as a regular class. Harry was impressed by the sheer flexibility and strength the professor portrayed, as well as the incredibly useful knowledge. In his mind, it was his best class of the day.
The next day was Advanced Defensive Magic, Advanced Charms, Advanced Magical Creatures, and Advanced Astronomy.
Defensive Magic was nearly as good as Defense, but everything they were learning was review to Harry. They were only just learning about the Unforgivable Curses, yet Harry had learned those in fourth year. However, the teacher was good, and she covered the material much better than his other teachers ever had. Harry couldn't wait to learn something he didn't already know.
Charms was brilliant, in Harry's opinion. They were learning some of the more advanced charms, such as charming solid objects into life and controlling them, and even the Patronus Charm. Some of it was review, but Harry learned a good deal that he hadn't learned before. It proved to be an interesting class that Harry looked forward to.
Magical Creatures was, in all honesty, a bit of a joke. All they did was look at the text, review the names and properties of the creatures, and talk. A lot. Harry was surprised by how much talking the teacher allowed. The students interrupted her in the middle of speech and whispered to each other loudly when she was giving instructions, but she hardly said a word about it. It anyone had tried that in McGonagall's or Snape's, they would have had detention before you could bat an eye.
Astronomy was no better. They studied star charts and discussed the conditions, properties, and features of each of the major stars, planets, and constellations. A few times the teacher actually went off into a story about one of the subjects, and the students would pay just enough attention to keep her going while holding side conversations with their friends.
Harry's first week passed quickly, and soon it was Saturday. Harry took the extra time he had to write his letters. It had been nearly a month since he had last written, and no doubt everyone was worried.
Dear Ginny,
Wow! America is incredible! I love it here already! I'm a bit more recognized over here, but those contacts help a lot.
Central Park Avenue was great. You would love it. It was just as it was described in the book you read. There was a gorgeous garden in the center, too. I stayed at the inn, The Double-U Inn, and made some great friends. Ryan is the son of the owner of the bookshop in Central Park Avenue called Quick Thinking. It has all the school supplies. He's going to take it over for his dad when he's grown up. It's very funny, but he has red hair a lot like Bill's in style. Truly a Weasley color. He has green eyes almost exactly like mine, and he's practically a carbon copy of his father. He plays basketball for the school and taught me how to play this summer. His mum is really nice, too. Ryan's little sister, Rachel, is a good friend as well. She's got the same green eyes as her brother and dad, but she has blonde hair like her mum's. She's on the gymnastics team, and Ryan says she's the best one. She's a year younger than you. Actually, she's a lot like a quieter, much more sensitive version of you. Pretty funny, really. Ryan's friends, Tim and Nathan, are my friends now as well. Nathan is on the basketball team, and Tim is on the swim team. He's a real artist, too. A bit like Dean, really. He's my dorm mate (we only have to share a room with one other person here!), and he's really nice about my nightmares and such. I had one the first night here. Voldemort knows that I've gone and he has people searching for me.
Class is good. I'm taking Advanced Defensive Magic, Defense, Advanced Charms, Advanced Transformulation, Advanced Astronomy, Advanced Magical Creatures, Advanced Potions, and even Advanced Divination. Defensive Magic, Defense, and Charms are my favorite classes so far. Transformulation is a lot of review, and so is Magical Creatures and Astronomy. Divination is much better, mostly because there's no Trelawney, but I have a long ways to go to catch up. Potions really isn't so bad, but Snape doesn't teach us anything worth learning. Really, you should study up some more on different kinds of potions, how they react together, stuff like that. It's really proved helpful.
Tonight I'm going to talk to Ms. Davis (the Overseer, like Deputy Head) about having some kind of meeting. Everyone gives me weird looks, but they've been forbidden from asking me questions about my past. I want to get it out in the open, because some kids who ambushed me in the Sports Shoppe at Central Park Avenue made me promise. It's really awkward.
I'm going to try out for the basketball team, so I'll write to let you know how that goes. I might join the Art Club as well. Tim says I'm good, but I don't know yet.
It's really different here. It's really nice. Lincoln Hall is grand- really elegant and extravagant. So is the Dining Room. There are columns, marble, porcelain, flower vases, busts, stained glass windows, silver silverware, round tables, it's all really nice. They have a big swimming pool, basketball court, indoor football court, and gymnastics area. They have a theatre, libraries for each different grade, a weight room, and all sorts of other Muggle things. There are three floors above Lincoln Hall for the dormitories and floor rooms. The second floor is for the seventh and eighth graders, the third is for ninth and tenth, and the fourth is for eleventh and twelfth (my grade and the year above mine). There are two people per dormitory, and the dormitories are all lined up down two separate hallways, one for girls, and one for boys. The floor room is like the common room, only slightly different. They have all sorts of games in there, Muggle and magical alike. People do everything in their dormitories or floor rooms. There aren't any houses, which is actually kind of cool. You wouldn't believe all the stuff that's here!
I should end this now, but I've sent some letters for Remus, Ron, Hermione, Dumbledore, and a few other people along with this. Could you make sure they get them? You could just leave them on their plate or something when they aren't looking, but somehow could you get them to them? Thanks.
Really, thanks so much for helping me, Ginny. I can't thank you enough. It's great to get away for a while. I'll write again as soon as I can.
Best Wishes,
Harry
Dear Remus,
I told you I would write you! Sorry it took so long, but letters are limited. I happen to know that Dumbledore is searching for me. I'm not completely cut off from the news, you know. I specifically told him not to bother, but that's just typical Dumbledore, isn't it? You don't have to worry about me at all, because I'm perfectly safe, I assure you. I'm getting a good education and am in no danger whatsoever.
It's great to be a normal teenager for once! Of course, people do recognize me some, but I've been able to avoid detection most of the time. People who do know who I am are sworn to secrecy. I made some very good friends. They're a lot like the Weasleys, only they have two kids instead of seven. My best mate, Ryan, is really brilliant, and his little sister, Rachel, is cool too. They're making sure I don't get into any trouble. My dorm mate, Tim, deals with my nightmares very well. After the first night, which was a bit of a shock for him, he's gotten used to them and makes sure that I have a glass of water afterwards to cool me down. My other friend, Nathan, is great as well, though I don't know him so well yet. The girls my age aren't so great, though they do provide entertainment. There are a few who are nice, but I can't see myself being interested in them. One girl, Irene, is a real fan of mine and nearly mobbed me when she found out who I was. It's crazy and really disconcerting, but I'm adjusting quite nicely. I'll be arranging for a meeting of some sort to take place so I can explain stuff to everyone and answer questions. Not everything, of course, but as much as I can without being harmful, just to get everyone off my back.
I haven't had a chance to look at your pensieve yet, because I've been really busy getting ready for school, working, making friends, and avoiding fan girls for the past few weeks. I really can't wait though. Should I take someone with me or go alone? I don't know if I'll want anyone there or not, since I don't know what the memories are about.
To put your mind at ease: I am happy, safe, and, of course, missing you all terribly but enjoying myself nonetheless. It's great to get know new people! You'll have to tell me how you're doing. I probably won't be able to write back for another month or two, at the very earliest, but I'd love to hear from you. You can just leave your letter on the table at Grimmauld Place and it will get to me. Please though, don't try to watch for whoever gets it or try to attach a portkey or something to it, because if you do I won't be able to write to you anymore. Besides, if no one else can find me, Voldemort can't find me, right? Please don't try to bring me back before I'm ready- I've only just begun to live my life, and I want to enjoy it for as long as I can.
That about wraps it up. I supposed I'll hear from you soon? Sorry I couldn't put much information in, but I can't give away my hiding place. Again, please don't try to locate me. The less people who know, the less likely it is that Voldemort will find out. I promise to be good (at least somewhat) and take care of myself (Ryan's mum will make sure of that, as will Rachel), and I'll try not to get into trouble. I'll look into the pensieve as soon as I get the opportunity. Any warnings? Don't worry yourself, and I'll write again when I can. Take care. Hope to hear from you soon.
Love,
Harry
Dear Weasleys,
Well, I made it here without incident. I'm currently being schooled and am very content after perhaps the best summer I've ever had. I've made friends, and my classes are pretty great. I'm learning loads. You know I miss you all, but I really am happy here. I told you I'll be back, so don't worry about me staying here forever. Please don't try to contact me- I have my own ways of finding out things. I'm perfectly safe where I am, but that is mostly due to secrecy. Thanks again for everything you've all done for me. I suppose I'll see you when I do, and I might write again sometime.
Sincerely,
Harry
PS- I know you'll share this with the Order and Hermione, so I won't bother writing them.
Harry tied these letters all together in a package to give to Ms. Davis. Just as he tied them up, Ryan burst into the dormitory excitedly.
"There you are!" he exclaimed with a large grin. "I've been looking everywhere! B-ball in the gym. Now!"
Harry's face split into a smile. "Brilliant! Be right there."
Ryan left, and Harry changed into athletic clothing quickly. He had only played with Ryan, Mr. Lane, and his friends, so he couldn't wait to be involved in an actual basketball game. On the way out, he grabbed the package of letters to drop by Ms. Davis's office on his way to the game. He really felt like he was living now, and it felt good.
A/N: WOOHOO! First chappie up:victory dance: I'll go celebrate by reviewing for my Algebra exam. Care to join me? Hmm...Thought so. Anyways, since you can't take my exam for me, please REVIEW! I really love to hear what you guys have to say- it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. :D Love you!
V.C.