So many reviews! That encourages me to write faster ;-)

gboyary: I'm glad, your expectations didn't come true :)

resaispoe: I could make longer chapters, but then there would be longer breaks between the updates. So you'll have to wait anyhow. I think, I'll just keep this length.

dovasery: well, here is the next one. But now you'll have to wait again. ;-)

Star and Lightning – 10th Chapter

"Potter! Come down in the kittchen at once!"

Harry put the homework, he had been doing, aside and left his room, wondering what his aunt wanted him to do. The Dursleys barely spoke to him at all during these holidays, so why did she call him now? When he arrived in the kittchen, he saw that all three Dursleys were ready to leave.

"Potter," his uncle addressed him. "we need to go shopping in the city. I don't trust you to stay at home alone, so you will come with us."

"Oh, do I have to?" Harry prefered staying at home on his own in stead of going shopping with his relatives when he anyhow wouldn't be allowed to buy anything.

"No argument. You are to come with us. Go upstairs again and put on some suitable clothes. We will leave in five minutes."

Harry resigned and went upstairs to his room. There, he quickly changed in a pair of new jeans and a black T-Shirt. He didn't even try to flatten his hair, it was useless.

When he was downstairs again, he was ushered into the car by his aunt Petunia. Dudley didn't look very happy to have to sit next to Harry, but he had no choice.

During the drive there was a frigid silence. When they got stuck in a traffic jam, uncle Vernon had enough. Frustrated he slammed his hands on the steering wheel and asked angrily: "Why does there have to be a jam right now? Things like this only happen, when this freak is with us!" As it was a hot day and the Dursleys' car was black, perspiration was running down his forehead as he turned around to look at Harry.

Harry defended himself: "How is this jam my fault? It wasn't my idea to drive shopping now!" But he knew that they would blame him anyhow, so he didn't say anything more.

When they finally arrived at the shopping center, all of them were hot and irritated. Harry tried not to do anything to get their attention. And he succeeded. The Dursleys were so busy with themselves that they ignored Harry. Petunia needed a new dress for the ball celebrating 'Ten years Grunnings', Vernon's enterprise, and stayed in one shop for ages. Harry was bored and didn't like the stuffy air inside the boutique, so he went outside and sat down on the pavement, watching the people passing by.

Suddenly, he heard a familiar female voice. It was none of his close friends from Hogwarts, but he had heard it somewhere before. He looked around to see where the voice was coming from and saw the girl he had met in the park two days ago, the one that had knocked Dudley down and then disapparated. What had been her name? Right, Starlett. She was talking to an elder woman with green hair while they were eating chips. Should he go over and talk to her? He was still wondering about her and this would be his chance to ask her some questions. Harry peeked inside the boutique one last time to make sure the Dursleys were still busy, then walked over to the two women.

Starlett was just telling Zaza of her promise to Dumbledore to come back to the Leaky Cauldron and his offer that Zaza could come, too, when a black-haired boy spoke to them. It was the one, she had met in the park, after her first visit to Diagon Alley. Harry, that was his name

"Hi, Starlett. Remember me?"

Starlett nodded and said: "You're Harry, right? This is Zaza. Zaza, I met him two days ago, after… you know what."

Zaza nodded and looked at him curiously. Harry didn't know where to begin and there was an awkward silence. Then he decided to be direct: "You're a witch, aren't you?"

Starlett was surprised. "How do you know?"

Harry smiled and said: "You did magic right under my nose. I'm a wizard, I recognise magic when I see some. I've been wondering: Which school do you attend? I have never seen you at Hogwarts."

"I, uhm, I didn't go to school till now." She answered hesitatingly.

"So, you have been home schooled?"

"Not exactly." was her vague answer. Now Harry was none the wiser, but still curious. But he didn't know what else to ask, so he began to tell of himself.

"That git, who grabbed you, was my cousin Dudley. He's always that macho-like and tries to impress girls. But you should have seen him after you disappeared. He was whining like a puppy and was afraid to go out the whole next day."

They laughed and then Starlett asked: "Do you live with your cousin?"

"Yeah, I live with him and my aunt and uncle. My parents are dead." He said sadly.

"Oh. Well, we have something in common then: We both live without our parents. I don't even know mine."

"Did they die when you were very young?"

"I don't know wether they are dead. I don't even know their names."

They were silent for a short time. Then Harry asked: "When did you get your Apparating Licence? Aren't you still a bit young?

Starlett frowned and asked: "My what?"

"Your Apparating Licence. You apparated away."

She didn't have to answer this question, because Petunia had finally decided on a gown and the Dursleys were leaving. Vernon bellowed: "Potter! Come here, we're leaving."

Harry quickly bade Starlett and Zaza goodbye and then followed his relatives. Fortunately, Dudley didn't recognise Starlett as the girl who had humilated him so much two days ago.

Starlett sighed, when Harry was gone and whispered: "That was close. How am I supposed to know what an Apparating Licence is?"

"We can ask Dumbledore." Zaza suggested. "Apropos, we should get going to this pub now."

Starlett nodded and together they headed for the Leaky Cauldron.