MUGGLE STUDIES
CHAPTER 2
"Welcome to your home for the next ten days," Professor Hoyt said two weeks later, as she opened the door into the house that Lily and James would be living in. "Now, you are equipped with everything that Britain's standard muggle would have," she said motioning them into the kitchen. "Refrigerator, electricity, running water, an automobile, television, computer, et cetera," Professor Hoyt explained. "And now for the new introduction into the family," she said leading them down a short hallway to a nursery, where she peered over the side of a crib at something that looked like a baby, but was completely motionless. She gave it a quick tap with her wand, and it started wriggling about, and cooed exactly as a baby would. "Now," she said picking the baby up from the crib, "you'll need to care for him just as a real baby, there are sensors inside that will tell me how well you took care of him," she said handing the squirming baby to James, who looked rather frightened. "And he'll need a name."
"Professor, how exactly will you see how well we did other things?" Lily asked tentatively.
"Everything has sensors that will tell me, how you used it and if you used it," she said. "Now, since everything must be done without magic, I will need your wands," she said, holding out her hand.
Lily handed hers over, and James, still looking scared, reluctantly handed his over.
"Good luck to you both," she said with a large grin, and left the house.
Lily and James both stood still in silence, there was no movement except for the baby which was chewing on James's collar.
"So…what shall we call him?"
"Dunno…got any ideas?"
"James Junior?" he said smiling at the baby.
"Eh, I'm not a fan of juniors," Lily said lightly, sitting on the back of a sofa in their living room. "What's your dad's name?"
"Edward," James replied. "I don't really like the idea of naming him after my father though."
"Okay, what about...David?"
"Eh, too common."
"Ryan?"
"Nah."
"Umm…I dunno, I'm out of ideas," Lily said shortly, she was already getting frustrated.
"Thomas?"
"Eh,"
"Matthew?"
"Nah, too common."
"Okay…Michael?"
"Hmm…sure, why not," Lily said, actually somewhat satisfied with the name.
"Good. Michael. I like it," James said. "Can you take him for a sec?" James asked, as he handed Michael to Lily.
James wandered into the kitchen. There were the usual appliances…microwave, refrigerator, toaster. James aimlessly opened the refrigerator, and gasped. "No way," he said loudly.
"What?" Lily said from the living room.
James bounded into the living room. "They didn't give us any food!"
Lily stood up with Michael, who was now asleep drooling on her shoulder, and strode to the kitchen and stared at the open refrigerator, which was completely devoid of food.
"Well, I hope they gave us some muggle money, because I haven't got any," she said.
James looked around to the opposite counter. "What's that?"
Lily picked up an envelope and a piece of paper.
Dear Mr. And Mrs. Potter,
You've happened upon your first assignment. As you have probably found out, you are in a house that has no food. Your first task is to go to the grocery store, and buy the food you need. There is some muggle money in the attached envelope that should last you through the next week and a half. Good Luck!
Professor HoytP.S. There are directions to the grocery store inside your car.
"Um, Lily do you know how to drive?" James asked nervously.
"I've driven around the block once or twice with my dad," Lily said.
"Well, that's more than I've done, so you're driving," James said picking up the envelope.
"Wait, wait, Potter," Lily said. "Shouldn't we at least make a list of what we need?"
"Um, how 'bout everything," he said exasperatedly.
"Well, lets at least write down the essentials, that way we won't forget anything," she said. "Are we just without food, or are we without everything?"
"Dunno," James said, getting up from where he was sitting at the kitchen table. He wandered down the hallway to the bathroom, and looked inside. "No soap, no shampoo, God, not even toilet paper," he said.
Lily wrote the things down on the back of their assignment paper. Lily sighed heavily. "So that means we're gonna need nappies, and all that other sh—er—stuff for Michael."
James smiled at Lily's almost slip in front of the baby. "Well, Let's go I guess," Lily said, opening the door, and walking out to the drive. James followed her. There was a silver sedan parked there.
"Um, what are we supposed to do with him?" James asked motioning to Michael.
"Put him in the car seat, I suppose," Lily said, opening the back door and placing the sleeping Michael into the car seat and strapping him in firmly. Then she closed the door, opened the driver's side door and got in.
"Okay, keys are here," she said as James got in on the other side of her. "Let's go."
She turned the key and the car's engine sputtered into life, shifted into reverse, and backed out of the drive, running over the curb.
James gave her an amused look. "I told you I only drove once or twice," she said defensively, while shifting to drive and starting down the quiet residential street.
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