The Years Before

Chapter 4 : Three kinds of a surprise.

A feeling of sadness and longing,

That is not akin to pain,

And resemble sorrow only,

As the mist resembles rain.

The Day is Done by Henry Wadsworth, Longfellow

After Harry and Chris walked to the park, still talking until Chris asked for the time. "It's 3:42.." Answered Harry, after looking at his watch. They had been talking about the crude English Lesson at school, and Chris admitted English was his second language.

"3:42! I had to be home at 3:30!" Cried out Chris before saying "common, we'll call your house from mine!" And he then started to drag Harry off. The ran down the streets past the large, more expensive houses. The front yards varied, the buildings took on different styles till each house was different from the last.

"I never.. though fist grade would be so.. so.." Harry gasped out, breathing heavily from the run. Eclipse growled silently in his bag. Harry had taken off his coat and had let it disappear a while back. And Chris hadn't noticed.

"This is home!" Said Chris, motioning to the large house in front of himself.

The front yard was huge, and surrounded by a large, white fence that surrounded the whole property of the front yard. The grass was green and the few trees around the front yard were, surprisingly willow trees with a small pond.

The house had a gothic structure. With high arches and large, broad windows and a flat roof on top of the second story. The porch was large as well.

Harry grinned and said "wow..." Chris smirked and said "yeah, I know. A big place for only two people." Chris pulled out a small ring of keys and used two to unlock the gate to let himself and Harry inside. The door locked by itself once it was shut.

"This place is huge. And only two people live here?" Asked Harry, looking at the marble white walls of the two story house. Chris grinned and said "yep. But I'm gonna be home by myself for a few weeks. Since my Godfather is out of town at the moment. But he calls during certain times a day." Harry nodded as they walked up to the house.

Chris used two different keys from the ones before and opened the large wood doors painted white. The inside was just as amazing as the outside. The walls were white and the floors were tiled in greens and blues. There were boxes leaning against the walls and a few things nailed up to the walls. "We just moved in a month ago, we haven't gotten much done yet.." Said Chris as he led Harry, and unknowingly Eclipse into his kitchen.

"But before you call home, you have to watch me summon a Demon Lord!" Said Chris with a large grin. On the floor of the otherwise normal kitchen, was a circle. A summoning circle.

Harry's eyes widened and he started to edge away with Eclipse's warning to haul butt.

"I summon thee! Demon Lord!" Shouted Chris next to the circle, waving a staff like object before slamming both hands against the ground.

The circle, turning from it's sandy red to a glowing white incased the kitchen in a bright glare before it went out.

And standing inside the circle, Harry fidgeted. "Uh.. Hi?" Said Harry meekly. And Eclipse hit his head against the side of Harry's hard back book inside the book bag.

Chris' mouth was open, mouth in the form of a 'o' in surprise. Eyes widened as well. Before his eyes rolled upwards and he fainted. Harry started to panic then and said "Eclipse! Eclipse! What do I do now?" Eclipse calmly hopped out of the bag and walked over to Chris and sat down next to him as Harry joined him.

Eclipse looked at the small staff like object and said "Harry, this is a High Cleric in training."

"Oh.." Said Harry. As he poked Chris on the side of the face. Causing the other boy to groan before his eyes opened. Chris jumped up and backed away. "You can't be a Demon! I Chris, the Supreme Cleric Supergenius could not have befriended a demon!" Chris shouted.

Harry's eyes watered, lip out in that kind of look a puppy would give after it's owner kicked it and shouted at it to 'get lost'

Eclipse sighed and laid down, covering his head with his paws when the wailing started. The ground shook a bit and a light bulb shattered and Chris had ran over to Harry and started shaking his shoulders shouting "don't cry! Don't cry!" Some loose objects on the counter fell, any pictures up fell and the chaos went on.

Then the back door connected to the kitchen burst open and in ran a group of people. With sticks in their hands. Harry's wailing was cut off as he stared at them. Tear tracks down his face and Chris had yet to stop shaking his shoulders when he had done to try and make him stop crying. Eclipse next to him sighed and Chris was staring at them as well. And Chris had stopped shaking Harry.

A girl with spiked, hot pink hair and a sharp nose and bright blue eyes lowered the stick in her hand and said a bit meekly, "ah.. hullo there.."

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING RUNNING INTO MY HOUSE!" Chris' scream ran through the halls of the house. But didn't make it outside, thanks to the silencing charm around the house.

Cliffy! Read and Review!