Harry Potter and the Charm of San Francisco

By Charming Marauders

Chapter One - The Neighbourhood

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, Charmed or any related syndicates and settings. However, the plot is mine, as are any characters and settings you do not recognise.

After a lot of thought, Harry decided it was time to have a look around the neighbourhood and maybe meet other Whitelighters.

He looked around for a key to the front door and found one in his bedside cabinet drawer and a spare in the drawer by the kitchen sink, where there were a few oddments such as string, nails, a hammer, and a screwdriver.

He opened his front door for the first time, closed and locked it behind him, then remembered his wand. Even here, I need to be able to defend myself while I'm still learning, he mused, letting himself back in and grabbing his wand from the coffee table, shoving it in his back pocket, something he still did, even after all of Moody's warnings about elementary wand safety.

Harry found that his flat was on the first floor of a three-story building, and that the digit printed on his door was a 5, his lucky number!

Harry walked down the stairs at the end of the hall and found that the front door was ajar. This brought back the memory of a joke Ron had told him once.

Flashback --

"When's a door not a door?" Ron asked Harry, as they were walking through the back door into the Burrow's kitchen.

"I don't know," Harry said half-heartedly, as he saw that the room was empty.

"When it's a jar!" Ron said, not noticing Harry's lack of enthusiasm.

Flashback Over --

Harry smiled at the thought of his best friend, and as he was walking along the road, not noticing where his feet were taking him, he wondered what Ron, Hermione, and their families were doing at that moment.

After many minutes of walking, Harry found himself outside what looked like a cluster of local shops. He decided to go into the nearest shop and see if America was any different from England.

The doors slid open with a whoosh that reminded Harry of Hedwig's wings going past his head as she delivered the post. He walked through the door and saw many people who were in the midst of the hustle of weekly shopping. Harry looked around and saw displays of food not unlike the ones he was used to seeing at home whenever he helped Ginny with the shopping.

"Hello sir, is there anything I can help you with?" said a voice to his left.

"Erm, no thank you. I'm just looking around," Harry said, slightly startled.

"You look like you've lost something, are you sure you don't need any help?"

"Well, to tell you the truth I was wondering how to get home," Harry said, grateful that this man seemed to want to help. "I've just gotten here, and I was thinking and ended up at this store, and I don't even know what road my flat's on."

"Ah, that is a problem, sir," the shop assistant said kindly. "Are you a new Whitelighter?"

"Yes," said Harry. "Are you?"

"No, I'm just a normal human who knows about magic and runs a little shop the Whitelighters can get their food from."

"Oh, do you know how I can get home?" Harry asked.

"Would you like me to ask someone to orb you back? I'm sure they could find your flat for you," the shopkeeper offered.

"If that's not too much trouble, please," Harry said, thankful that the people here were nice, even if it was hard to understand their accents.

"It's no trouble at all. -Travers!" he called to one of the shop assistants. "Adam, could you take Mr.…"

"Potter, Harry Potter," Harry supplemented.

"-Mr. Potter back to his house? He doesn't know the street name."

"Of course, can't have any lost Whitelighters or there'll be no one to guide everyone else!" Said Adam.

"Thank you very much, and thank you for being so kind, Mr. …- sorry I don't know your name."

"Norris, Terrence."

"Yes, thank you for your help."

"That's no problem, please come back once you're used to this place," he said jovially.

"Of course," replied Harry. "Lead the way, Mr. Travers."

"Please call me Adam," said Adam.

"Okay, Adam. So how exactly are we going to find my flat?"

"Well, tell me all the details you remember about it."

"It's a three-story, red, brick building with an electric front door. -Erm, my flat was number five and it was on the first floor. Oh, and it has a blue door," Harry added.

"Well, that narrows it down to about eight places! Is there anything else you remember?" Adam asked.

"Erm, there was a blackbird's nest in a big oak tree outside," Harry said, suddenly remembering this detail

"Right, I think I know where you mean. It's on Oak Street. All of the streets are named after the trees that grow best in the gardens!" Adam told him with his hand out.

"Well, thanks," said Harry, when they orbed to the foot of the oak tree. "This looks like it. -Erm… How do I get in? The door was ajar when I left."

"You hold the black card on the key-ring against the key-sign by the intercom," Adam explained.

"Thanks for your help. If you need anything, I'm in flat 5," Harry said, thankful that he was back.

"Sure, any time. See you around," Adam answered, waving as he walked away.

A.N. Thanks to the reviewers of chapter Two:

ItsMajesty - Glad you liked it, really it was just easier for me to put the handbook stuff in than explain it. Harry's death comes in to it lots later. Also I will probably have some random demons attack him (or his charge), and maybe Darryl or Sherridin, I don't know yet. Thank you so much for reading through this chapter.

iceangel998 - Thanks.

s.halliwell24 - He may meet some dead people!

MaraWeaves - Thanks

Silver-Entrantress-Elf - Thanks

Ace Ryn Knight - Feel free to put it in your C2.

Lady Urquentha - His charge will be coming soon.