Harry Potter and the Emerald Raindrop
AkashaWintersDisclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the Harry Potter world. JK Rowling owns the Harry Potterverse anyone who doesn't know that should be exiled to Mars, I make exceptions only for poor penniless people in remote corners of third world countries, who cannot read and don't have the money to buy the overly priced one – thousand paged books. I make no money from my poor attempt at fanfiction. Also for this page, A necklace of raindrops was written by Joan Aiken, I do not own any of the rights etc.
Chapter 9
Old Grandma Thyme
The next day dawned bright and clear, there was dew on the grass and the air was crisp as if autumn had some early. The horses stood around grazing on the lush grass as Harry collected water from the nearby stream, pulling his cloak around him to keep the cold out. Families sat in groups on logs as they cooked breakfast from magically lit fires, leaving the ground below untouched. Harry returned to where Jacob and Gavin sat cooking bacon and egg.
"Here", Harry said pouring the water into a large copper pan to boil for drinking water.
"There some bread on the side for bacon sandwiches" Jay grinned at Harry.
"You're obsessed with Bacon, Jay" Harry laughed back grabbing a couple of sliced and filling them with bacon. A dog crept up behind Harry snatching a ration of Bacon from one hand. "Hey!" Cried Harry, glaring at the fuzzy brown dog which sat eating it lazily in front of him. A childish giggling came from behind him and Harry looked round to see Megan clutching her patchwork dress with one hand and giggling.
"Hello Meg", Harry called, smiling despite himself, he had grown fond of the small girl and enjoyed entertaining her with small magic tricks that Harry had learnt from Gavin and Jacob.
Megan grinned at Harry peering at him with her big blue eyes. "Flower! Flower!" She demanded. Harry laughed and held out a closed hand, he opened it to show a large rose bud, closing his eye he concentrated a small amount of magic into the flower and it bloomed into a beautiful red rose with held out to Megan, who squealed with enthusiasm and took the bulb and ran off to find her grandma, her mother had died a year ago and her father had been a wizard.
"She adores you", Jay told him knowingly, "you'll have to watch out or you'll have her all over you we she gets a bit older". Harry laughed and whacked Jay over the head.
A large ball of white feathers landed on Harry's shoulder and stole some of his breakfast. "Hello girl, I wondered when you were going to join us, been as the Burrow again have you?" Hedwig gave him a peak on the ear. "I'll take that as a yes then, I have something for you", Harry grabbed the newspaper and letter he had written the night before and attached it to Hedwig's leg. "You know where to take that don't you?" Hedwig made a cooing noise and took off towards the south; he knew that she would not reach her destination for a day or so, so he would have a few days of peace at least.
"What are they saying? Can you hear anything?" Ginny whispered to Ron, who was using an extendable ear to listen under the door to the order meeting they had not been allowed into.
"No, they must be using a silencing charm around the room again. I don't understand what could be so important that they have to wake everyone up in the middle of the night and not let us join them!" Ron ranted, scowling at the door.
"Honestly Ron. I doubt its anything that important at all, I expect Dumbledore's just trying to remind us that we're still students by deliberately excluding us" Ginny said scowling.
"I bet he wouldn't have shut us out if Harry were here!" Ron added.
"Oh. It's you two." A bushy-haired shadow joined them at the bottom of the star case. "It's know point I heard them casting a silencing charm earlier."
"What's this, Miss goody-two-shoes using extendable ears?" Ron teased, Hermionie blushed and rolled her eyes.
Suddenly the door banged open and Snape flew out his black cape billowing behind him. "Insufferable Brat!" He snarled storming up the stairs a newspaper clutched in one hand. The three glanced nervously at each other.
"What's he done this time?" Ginny mouthed to Ron, who shrugged. Professor McGonagall, Tonks, Remus and Bill Weasley shortly followed Snape. None of them seemed surprised to see the three standing outside. "What's going on Bill?" Ginny asked the longhaired man.
"Harry's run away again", Bill told them dully. Ron and Hermione groaned. "Dumbledore wants to talk to you three and Neville and Luna as well." He said before moving towards the door with the rest of the group to leave.
"I'll go get them," Ginny said running up the stairs as Ron and Hermione cautiously entered the living room of the Black House. Dumbledore was standing near the window; the rest of the order had left except for Molly and Arthur Weasley who remained, looking very worried. Ginny arrived with Neville and Luna in tow.
"As I'm sure you've just been informed, Harry is no-longer in the care of the Dursley's" Dumbledore informed then gravely, looking down at them over the top of his half moon glasses.
"Do you know where his is, Sir?" Hermione asked somewhat un-phased by the Headmasters gaze.
"We believe he is on his way to Hogwarts", Dumbledore continues surveying them. "I would like to know that none of you had any contact with Harry about his proposal to leave the care of the Dursley's?" At once they all shock their heads, it had not been a complete surprise to them, not with Harry's past history, but none of them had any forewarning.
"No, Sir" Ron replied, "the last letter we had from him was about a week ago, saying he was enjoying himself and that he had met some gypsies". He looked at the headmaster nervously. "He also said he'd had a strange dream, but he'd tell us about when he saw us"
"A vision?" Dumbledore prompted.
"No, he said it was more like a nightmare, but it wasn't." Hermione added.
Dumbledore frowned at this, then signed. "Alright, you are free to leave".
They began to file out when Luna turned to look at the Headmaster. "What was Professor Snape so made about? He was mumbling something about an "Insufferable Brat" when he stormed past us, I assume he was referring to Harry?" She asked gazing at the headmaster. A twinkle seemed to return to his eyes.
"Ah," he said, "I believe he did not approve of Mr. Potter's artistic flare", the headmaster replied gravely.
Life with the gypsies was most enjoyable, the weather had cleared up and Harry had made many new friends. He was currently grooming Taz while watching a group of young children play hide and seek amongst the trees. They were preparing for a hand fasting tonight, a pagan wedding. While not all of the gypsies were religious and one or two followed other religions, the majority of them were Pagan. Jacob had explained to him about the faith and the eight festivals of the year, it seemed a nice religion to follow, full of life. The couple to be married where young, only couple pf years older than himself and Jacob, the bride was called Jasmine and groom Peter, Harry had met them briefly and Jasmine was Megan's aunt.
Megan ran up to him and grabbed his hand "Come on Harry!" She said pulling him towards the trees, "Meet my Grandma!" She cried.
Harry smiled down at the soon to be Flower girl, something Megan was very excited about. He followed her into the woods to a small clearing that was being decorated for the wedding. An old Lady with long grey hair dressed in a very battered but colourful dress was sitting on a log sawing some embroidery onto a white dress.
"Grandma!" Megan called to her, "This is Harry". The old Lady smiled up at him knowingly.
"Nice to meet you Harry. Come and take a seat, my name is Grandma Thyme" She said patting the log next to him. "Aren't you supposed to be getting ready young lady?" She asked Megan, who nodded enthusiastically and ran off towards the Wagons.
"So, they tell me that you've been learning some of our magic tricks" She said with a warm smile.
"Yes," Harry replied, "I enjoy it more than using a wand".
"Show me. " The Grandma thyme said nodding to a closed flower bud hanging from one of the wedding garlands. Harry held out his hand and manipulated the magic it was emitting letting it flow through him and making the bud spring to life.
"Hmm, very good" She replied, continuing with her sawing. "You do realise that few wizards can manage our magic, don't you?"
This surprised Harry; he had found it easy enough once he worked out how to manipulate things. "No, I didn't" he replied, truthfully.
"Never been one for following the trend have you?" She smiled at him warmly, "Have they explained how it works?"
"No" Harry shook his head, the theory behind it had not been discussed; Gavin had just told him what to focus on or think about.
"It's not just wandless magic you see, some wizards can do that, but with little power behind it and in limited ways. Its using living magic, raw magic from around us from nature, we work with nature to create magic. In some ways this limits us, we can't magically put a car together or clean a cauldron. But we can manipulate anything in nature, with force far more powerful than most wizards." Grandma Thyme explained.
"I think I get that", Harry said nodding, "So we can manipulate the four elements; Earth, Air, Fire and Water, in anyway?"
"As well as lightning and other forms of nature, but yes those are the four main varieties. You seem to work well, with earth and water, have you tried fire and air?" She asked with a measuring look.
Harry concentrated on his outstretched had and managed to conjure up a ball of green flames, "I guess that's a yes to fire", he said, banishing the ball of flames. He then concentrated on the ground in front of him and imagined a circling wind and sure enough in front of him the leaves began to kick up in a small circle a mini tornado was formed. "That would be a yes to air as well". Harry replied, pleased with himself.
Grandma Thyme seemed pleased as well, she seemed to know a lot though Harry, suddenly he though about tell her about his strange dreams and decided that maybe she could explain them to him. She seemed very thoughtful about this the one about the tigers did not seem to surprise her, but the second one puzzle her greatly.
"I do not know my dear. I think maybe the first is a vision from the future, a very ominous thought I'm afraid, I may of course be wrong it may be something else entirely, but this second one I'm not so sure." She mused, "Now dear you must go and get ready for this evening and I must finish this wedding dress or my daughter will not be happy, will she?" She said, smiled at him. Harry nodded and left the woods to change into his green suit, he had outgrown his dress robes from fourth year.
The wedding was a beautiful one, Harry had never been to a wedding, so he presumed that most weddings were beautiful, but everything seemed so alive, there was magic everywhere. After the ritual there was a great feast and much dancing, and for Jacob and Harry, a little too much alcohol. Late into the night they partied and Jacob pulled Harry aside to a where a group were entertaining themselves by skrying in a large bowl of water.
"Here! Let the beautiful boy have a go!" Jay called, making Harry blush and laugh at Jay's drunken antics, "Come on lets do a love one for your perfect match. Peer into the water and concentrate on happiness and love and all that!" jay commended Harry. Harry laughed and fell onto his knees in front of the bowl and peered into it. He took a breath and concentrated really hard. Suddenly his vision clouded over and the bowl became like a pensive, a shadowy figure sat in a large chair in front of a stone fire, it was a man he had long black hair and pale skin and was reading something, he had a glass in one had which was filled with what looked like alcohol, he took a sip and frowned. Suddenly the figure became all to familiar and Harry let out a cry and the vision melted.
"What's wrong Harry?" Jay asked looking at him, "Did you see anything?"
"I think I did it wrong!" Harry told him forlornly, "I saw Snape!"
Jay and Harry looked at each other then burst out laughing. Harry grinned to himself; life was great.
Chapter 10…. Under Attack! Harry's journey to Hogwarts concludes and the gypsies run into trouble on the way!