CHAPTER FOURTY-NINE
A Muggle Meeting
It took quite a bit of effort for Harry and Ron to tear Hermione away from her book, but when she finally got the idea that Harry had big news, she quickly ran up to her room to get some warmer clothes and was ready to go in a flash. Once the three of them were safely outside and alone, Harry began telling them everything: his Legilimency training with Dumbledore, the real reason for his detentions with Draco, and his deal with Dumbledore about Snape's tardiness on Christmas Eve.
"Harry, this is extraordinary!" Hermione exclaimed. "Do you realize what you can do once you have mastered your Legilimency powers?"
"Sounds spooky to me," Ron replied, shivering. "I don't suppose you can read my mind now?"
"Of course not," Harry replied. "It's not like that." Although, it was beginning to get easier and easier to unintentionally read people. However, he didn't need to use his new skills to realize that Ron was a tad bit jealous over the fact that Harry got to spend the night with the girl he loved, and that was what he was really sore about.
"But if you don't even have to speak the incantation, you can dip inside people's minds without them even knowing it," Hermione said. "It's amazing."
"It's scary!"
"Not if you don't have something to hide," Hermione replied, raising an eyebrow at Ron.
"I'm not reading your minds!" Harry cried. "See, this is exactly why I didn't want to tell you. You're both blowing this way out of proportion." He swiped his fingers through his hair in frustration. "In order for this to work, you're going to have to trust me. Otherwise, you'll always be suspicious. I am not going to try and "dip" into your mind," he glared at Hermione, "and I'm not going to see anything that you don't want me to see. You can trust me."
The two of them exchanged guilty glances. "Sorry," Ron muttered.
"We trust you, Harry. Really," Hermione said. "It just might take some getting used to."
Harry sighed. "That's fine. But in the meantime, I need the two of you to help me figure out what Draco was up to in the Olwery."
"What did you say that stuff was called?" Ron questioned.
"Ubreadit with Dried Scaag," Harry replied. "I already know that he used it to empty the Owlery. He wanted to make sure all the owls were gone so that some substance could be delivered."
"But whatever it is, it must not be delivered by an owl," Hermione interjected. "Because then the owl itself wouldn't arrive in the Olwery."
Harry nodded. Hermione was bright enough to catch that right away. That was something he didn't think of until he spoke to Hagrid. If she had known what he did the whole time, would she have already solved the mystery? He was glad that he would have her and Ron to help continue his investigation.
"And what about the owl that was killed last term?" Ron asked.
"Hagrid said that it looked like it had been scorched by a dragon. But a dragon? One of those beasts cannot slip into Hogwarts unnoticed, let alone inside the Owlery."
"Not necessarily," Ron replied. "Charlie says there are a few of breeds of miniature dragons. Some people keep them as pets. They can be trained."
"It could have arrived at night," Hermione said with a shrug. "No one's usually out and about then, at least not outside or up in the skies."
Harry nodded. "And it appears that Malfoy's first attempt at attaining this substance was a failure. So he must have sent for it again. I just don't know what the substance is."
"There are dozens of magical items that can only be touched by dragons or dragon-hide gloves," Hermione said. "But most can be sent by owl using the proper precautions. And I'm guessing that whatever Draco ordered probably came from the black market. I can do some research in the library tonight after dinner. I've already finished my homework for the weekend."
"What a surprise," Ron mumbled.
Hermione glared at him. "We may need to make a trip to the restricted section once or twice as well."
Harry nodded, knowing that probably involved using his cloak. "But Dumbledore said I also need to find a way to keep tabs on Malfoy. I need to get closer to him somehow."
"There's always the good old reliable polyjuice potion," Hermione suggested. "I could whip up a batch and it'll be ready next month."
"A month might be too long," Harry replied.
"And who's he going to turn into, anyways?" Ron questioned. "I doubt Malfoy tells Crabbe or Goyle anything anymore. Stupid gits can't be trusted with anything." He glanced sideways at Harry. "I bet he confesses everything to Pansy Parkinson, though. Caught them snogging last night after dinner. It was disgusting."
"I refuse to turn into Pansy," Harry said. He shuddered, remembering what happened after the Yule Ball when he used his Legilimency skills on Draco. "There's got to be someone else." Maybe even Michael Corner. He and Malfoy seemed to be rather chummy, but he didn't know if he was ready to tell Ron about the ordeal with Michael yet. Ron would kill him if he ever found out his plans for Ginny.
"We can cross that bridge when we come to it," Hermione said. "Think you could talk to Moaning Myrtle about using her bathroom again and keeping it a secret?" she asked Harry.
He sighed. "I guess I'll have to turn on the charm."
"I think you've been doing enough of that lately," Ron laughed. Harry elbowed him. Hermione looked at them suspiciously. "So what should I do?" Ron said quickly.
"You could help Hermione in the research department."
Hermione scoffed. "He'll only slow me down."
"Fine," he said with a scowl. "I can tell when I'm not wanted." He turned on his heel and continued walking down the path, back towards Hogwarts.
"He's such a baby," Hermione said. "I was only joking."
Harry knew that she was, but he also knew how she'd broken Ron's heart only weeks earlier. He was beginning to see Ron's side of things. Not to mention he was feeling a bit of guilt because his own love life was going so well. "Great joke," Harry muttered and followed Ron.
When Harry arrived for his Legilimency training with Dumbledore the next night, the headmaster sent him back to his dormitory to retrieve his coat. Tonight was the night he would join Eva in London to confront David. There would be no lessons.
"You'll be using Floo Powder through this very hearth and go directly to the Ministry," Dumbledore said, gesturing to the fireplace. "Eva will be waiting for you there."
"Sir," Harry said, "before I go, may I ask you a question?"
"Certainly, Harry." The headmaster settled back into his armchair, looking as calm as ever.
Harry hesitated. "Do you… really believe that this is the right thing to do?"
"If it were up to me, I would rather you not leave school grounds and not break school rules, but as we cannot bring the subject to Hogwarts, I suppose this is the best route, yes. It cannot be helped."
"But I'm not just talking about breaking school rules, professor. What we're doing tonight—it's breaking the law. A law that was created to keep Muggles safe. Instead, we are directly violating the Ministry and we're going to change someone's life forever."
"I didn't realize that you struggled with this, Harry," Dumbledore replied, stroking his beard thoughtfully. "You are a legendary rule-breaker."
Harry felt his face flush. He wondered if Dumbledore knew of the nights he and Eva spent together. "It's not just the rule-breaking I'm concerned about."
Dumbledore nodded. "Giving Muggles responsibility in the fight against Voldemort is a giant undertaking that many do not agree with. However, tonight is just a small step, Harry."
But it wasn't exactly that, either. Harry scarcely gave any thought to what David might feel upon hearing everything about the wizarding world. In fact, Harry felt indifferent whether he believed them or not.
"She doesn't understand," Harry declared. "She hasn't experienced the death that comes with fighting Voldemort. She doesn't know how it feels to see the people you care about most die in his clutches. She just doesn't know what she's getting herself into, and now she's about to drag someone else with her."
"You'd be surprised," Dumbledore said quietly. "Harry, I believe that Eva knows what she's up against. She's read everything at the Ministry, she's heard first-hand accounts…"
"But that's not the same as living through it," Harry interrupted. He knew what it was like to be the one left standing—the Boy Who Lived—and the guilt that came with it. He knew how it felt to watch others suffer and die.
"No, it's not." Dumbledore was solemn. "But sometimes Harry, you've just got to have a certain amount of faith in someone. I suggest that instead of trying to sabotage her project you trust her with it first. You may be surprised at the outcome."
"Yes, sir," Harry replied. He had no intention of sabotaging her plans tonight, but he wasn't certain he was going to be entirely cooperative. In his mind, he was accompanying her to see David to make sure that he didn't make a move on her, not to prove to David the existence of magic.
After a few warnings from Dumbledore about how to behave and that leaving Hogwarts tonight was a privilege, he slipped his coat on and stood in front of the fireplace. He took a handful of Floo Powder from a container on the mantle. "Ministry of Magic, London!" he shouted, and stepped into the burning green flames.
Harry twisted and turned through the maze of the Floo Network until he felt himself falling forward. Feeling a little queasy, he stepped into the main hallway of the Ministry. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust from the darkness to the brightly-lit hall. At first he thought he was alone and that perhaps Dumbledore had gotten the time wrong or maybe he was supposed to meet them somewhere else. But a few moments later he heard footsteps and saw red hair approaching him. Mr. Weasley hurried towards him, waving animatedly, but Harry saw there was something off about him. Was he limping?
"Hello, Harry! Sorry, I'm a few moments late. Got caught in the office." He embraced Harry with a tight hug. "How's school? How's lessons?"
"Er… they're all right," Harry replied. Was there a fading bruise over his left eye as well? He studied him closely. "What happened to your leg, Mr. Weasley?"
"It's Arthur, Harry. How many times must I remind you?" he said, hesitating. "Afraid I took a nasty fall down the stairwell the other day. Nearly landed in the hospital. But it's much better, mind you." Harry didn't even need to use his Legilimency skills to figure out he was lying. Arthur continued, "I need to give you a few last-minute precautions before you meet up with Eva."
Harry nodded. "Yes sir."
"Now, due to the fact that Muggles often need to see proof with their very own eyes before believing in anything, Eva has warned us that you may need to use a bit of magic to convince the subject that we do, in fact, exist." He seemed to find this quite odd, Harry realized. Arthur still had a lot to understand about Muggles. "Now, we believe that a simple charm will work. Preferably, something colorful and friendly. If it needs to be performed on someone, we recommend you perform the spell on Eva, and not on the subject, as it could frighten him and sent him into hysteria. We were hoping that some sort of object transfiguration would do the trick but he may not believe it even if he does see it, and take you for a run-of-the-mill David Coppertone."
"Copperfield," Harry interrupted.
"Right." Mr. Weasley gestured for him to follow him towards the elevator. "Whatever spell you choose to do, it needs to be small yet effective. I'll leave the choice up to you. Also, we believe that you ought to keep yourself as an anonymous wizard. We realize that you already know the Muggle in question, but he doesn't realize who you are in our world and it would be best to keep it that way."
"Yes sir." In fact, Harry rather enjoyed being anonymous.
"And thirdly, upon completion of the task, no matter the outcome, you and Eva must return to the Ministry straight away. No dilly-dallying. It's a wonder Dumbledore has even allowed you to leave school grounds, and we want to make sure that this operation goes smoothly. No side-trips. I know it's been a while since you and Eva have seen each other, and that it must be torture, but we just cannot risk anything on this mission."
So Mr. Weasley didn't know about their monthly meetings either. "I understand, sir."
"Excellent." Arthur punched a button and Harry felt them moving to the ground level of the Ministry.
Harry took the silent time to appreciate the fact that he was allowed out of Hogwarts for this mission. It was like he was a sanctioned criminal. Leaving the grounds, telling Muggles about the wizarding world, performing magic outside of school. It was special treatment.
When the elevator door opened, Eva and Fudge were waiting by the atrium fountain. Percy was there as well, right at Fudge's side. There was also another woman there, who Harry didn't recognize. She had straight, jet-black hair with a ghostly white forelock and a crooked nose. Her fingernails were long and painted a dark crimson.
When Eva saw him, Harry could sense that she was fighting the urge to run over and greet him properly. She maintained her composure and treated Harry as nothing more than an acquaintance. To the untrained eye their relationship was merely one of business, not pleasure.
"Ready, Harry?" Eva asked as he and Mr. Weasley approached the small assembled group.
He nodded. Let's get this over with.
They met David at a restaurant across the street from the movie theater where he and Eva had their Muggle date. She clasped onto his hand when they were a few blocks away from the Ministry. Her own hand was quite warm and a bit sweaty.
"Nervous?" Harry questioned as they walked down the street.
"A bit," she replied, checking her watch for probably the hundredth time.
"It'll be fine," he said, squeezing her hand.
She chewed on her lower lip. "I hope you're right." She pointed to a brown building with a sign that read "Aunt Mae's Pub." "We're a little early. I told him to wait at our table if he got there before me."
"Our table?" Harry questioned.
Eva nodded. "We used to eat dinner here after every paycheck."
Still holding his hand, Eva led him down the street and into the pub, opening the door to a dimly-lit restaurant with a large bar in the center. Immediately, Harry was overwhelmed by the smells of grease, ale, and smoke, but there was also something comforting about it. It reminded him of the Leaky Cauldron.
"Eva, darling!" an older woman cried, striding over to her with a single arm outstretched. She had a tray in the other as she gathered Eva into a fierce plump, one-armed hug. "I thought I'd never see you walk through here again!"
"Aye, I'd never be able to stay away from your fine cooking," Eva said with a grin.
"Where have you been?" she questioned. "David told me you'd been sacked from the company, but I thought for sure you'd come 'round asking for a job sooner or later. Instead, you both disappeared. And who's this?" She gestured to Harry.
"This is Harry," Eva replied. "Harry, this is Aunt Mae."
Harry shook her hand. "Nice to meet you, ma'am."
"A polite one, I see." She winked at Eva. Harry felt himself blushing. He wondered why Eva didn't introduce him as her boyfriend or even as a friend. She didn't need to. Aunt Mae could see their relationship by just looking at them. Was their love really that transparent?
"And I'm not here for a job. Just to catch up with David. Is he here yet?"
"Not yet. Your table's open, if you want to wait for him there. Want anything in the meantime?"
"Just tea please, Mae," Eva replied, unwrapping the scarf Harry gave her for Valentine's Day from around her neck.
Aunt Mae stopped for a moment and placed her hand, palm up, beneath Eva's chin. "You're looking frail, dear. You sure you're all right?"
Eva looked slightly alarmed and quickly flashed a grin. "I'm fine. Just the tea, please."
She gave Eva a pat on the cheek. "All right. I'll be over in a bit." She turned and marched over to the bar, balancing the tray she was holding against her hips.
Harry followed Eva to a dark table near the back. He helped her remove her coat and hung it on a nearby rack, then slipped his own over it. He sat in the chair next to her and watched her silently. She had her hands in her lap at first, fidgeting nervously. Then she laid them on the open table, trying to calm her nerves.
He hadn't noticed how she looked at first, perhaps because he was used to seeing her the night before her transformations, when she looked much worse, but now it was days after the full moon and she was still not fully recovered. The whites of her eyes were red, and her face itself looked pale and puffy. Her clothes looked a size too big for her, and the collar of her sweater exposed the scar-less bone of her shoulder blade. Her hands were shaking. She had one leg crossed over the other and was tapping her foot in the air.
She scowled. "I can't believe I'm so nervous. It's David! It's just David."
Harry didn't think it would do any good to also remind her that her job was riding on tonight's outcome as well. However, he could sense—he couldn't help it anymore—that for Eva, there was a lot more riding on this confrontation as well. It was a test of their friendship. Eva had never had many friends to begin with, and tonight she was risking both her job and her friendship with David.
He put his hand on her knee to stop her from kicking the bottom of the tabletop. "Don't be nervous," he said. It was more of a command. He could sense how panicky she was, and it was making him uneasy as well. "Do you have some kind of a plan to tell him? Or are you just going to come out and say it?"
"I… I don't really know. I sort of had a conversation planned out in me mind, but I'm not sure things will swing that way. I don't know how to tell him."
"Tell me what?"
Eva gasped. David was standing right in front of their table. His hair was lighter—almost blonde—and gelled. He slipped off his own coat and hung it on the rack, not quite looking at them. He was bigger than Harry remembered from that night at the Royal Realm. Better looking, too.
"If it's about your budding relationship with the bloke who got you fired, I'd say that's rather obvious." He spoke harshly, but sat down on the other side of Eva. Harry quickly took his hand away from Eva's lap.
"Er… it's not."
"Good, I'd prefer it if you'd break my heart after we've had a round and not before."
Harry studied him for a moment, feeling slightly panicked. He wasn't expecting a confrontation about his relationship with Eva—at least not this early. Then suddenly, Eva reached over and punched playfully in the shoulder. "You liar! Is that anyway to greet me after I've been gone for so long?"
"You're right." David leaned over and pulled Eva in a tight hug and kissed her on both cheeks. "How are you, stranger?"
"Look at what the cat dragged in!" Aunt Mae bellowed, swooping over to their table with a tray of tea and some frosted cakes.
"Mae!" David cried. He stood up and gathered her in a tight hug. "You get younger and younger every time I see you."
"You're a slippery fellow, David." She turned to Harry. "I'd keep my eye on this one if I were you, Harry. He's got quite a few tricks up his sleeve."
Harry managed a smile and took what Aunt Mae said to heart. He didn't know what he was expecting tonight, but it certainly wasn't this. He felt like such an outsider in the Muggle pub. Now he knew how Eva had been feeling in the wizarding world all along. Was she crazy? She was trying to disturb all of this—this priceless reunion—just to tell David about magic? Didn't she realize what she had in this blissful ignorance?
He was suddenly overwhelmed with images. The dark, exhausting nights they'd spent celebrating in the pub after a particularly challenging show. Or the holiday celebrations with bright decorations and a warm atmosphere. This was a world Harry could never be a part of. A world he couldn't touch.
David took his seat again and ordered up a slab of pie for himself. Harry and Eva stuck with their tea. He poured himself some and added a few cubes of sugar, chatting away. "So how's little Nora doing at boarding school?"
"Really well, actually," Eva replied, taking a sip of her tea. "She always was the brains of the family."
"Oh, nonsense," David replied. "And I bet she misses you like crazy."
"It's the other way around, sadly." She grinned sheepishly. "I'm quite proud of her."
"As you should be." For the first time that evening, he cast a long look in Harry's direction. He'd felt invisible as David and Eva caught up. "And what's your story, Harry? Eva said you both had something to tell me."
Harry and Eva exchanged glances as someone from the bar brought over David's pie. Aunt Mae was busy with other customers. "Perhaps we'd better wait until you're done eating," Eva suggested.
"I see. So it's serious, is it?" David frowned. Harry caught him stealing a glance at Eva's middle. Oh god! He thought Harry'd gotten her pregnant.
"Not in the way you're thinking," Harry said quickly.
David looked at him sideways. "And how would you know what I'm thinking?" he demanded.
"I… I guess I wouldn't."
David set his fork down and wiped his mouth off with his napkin. "I think I'd rather have you tell me now, if it's all the same. I thought this was going to be a casual catch-up call, but now I see that it's strictly business."
Eva sighed. "Don't be angry, David. Really, it is great to see you again. I can't tell you how much I've missed you in the past few months."
"Yes, well, you're the one who disappeared. You didn't even bother to call or write. I was afraid I'd be reading your obituary in the papers!"
"I'm sorry I worried you, but I'll explain." Eva chewed on her lower lip. Harry was in-sync with her; he couldn't help it. He just couldn't make himself turn his Legilimency skills off. It was too important. He had to understand what both Eva and David were thinking to avoid any disasters. This was starting to look like a horrible idea.
Eva thought so too. Maybe she should have met David on a lonely street corner instead of a noisy pub. She was doing this all wrong. "David," she began, "on the night I was fired, I know there were a lot of things you didn't understand. Hell, there were a lot of things I didn't understand either." She paused. "Well, now I'm going to explain them to you, so that you will understand.
"For almost two years you were my best friend. I know there was a time when I couldn't picture my life without you…"
Harry suddenly found himself wishing that he wasn't there for this part of the conversation. A montage of images overwhelmed him. The day David and Eva met at an anonymous marketplace, a harmless outing to a movie, getting Eva a job as a runner at the Royal Realm. There was a history between them he wasn't even aware of. David was the only person she could confide her fears in during that part of her life.
"A lot of things have changed since that night."
"So I see," David replied, glaring at Harry.
"What happened to me—with the, er, dancing—well, it was quite literally magic." David looked confused. Eva took a deep breath, and then quickly plunged into her explanation head-first. "What if I told you that there was another world that coexisted with our own? One filled with magical beings that we only heard about in fairy tales. Witches and wizards and warlocks and werewolves."
"Is this some kind of sick joke?" David questioned. "Are you mad?"
"No, David. I'm quite serious. What you saw that night was magic. You saw my legs, you saw how I had no control. It was a spell. A spell that Harry performed."
David turned and looked at Harry, his eyes narrowed in disgust. Suddenly, he stood up and threw himself across the table at Harry. "You bastard! What did you do to her? You bloody brainwashed her!"
Eva quickly sprang to her feet and used all of her strength to push David back into his seat. "He didn't do anything to me. It's the truth, David. I know it's hard to believe, but it's the truth. What reason would I have to lie to you?"
"What reason would you have to tell me?" David demanded. "Eva, you're insane! You can't seriously believe in this rubbish."
"I've been living this rubbish every day these past few months. I'm telling you because I thought that you, my best friend, of all people would believe me! This other world, David, they need our help!"
"Oh really? You mean Harry here can't just use his magical powers to fix his own crazy world?"
"It's not like that. If you would only try to understand. Just believe me. Harry can even perform the spell for you. He can make it happen again."
"He's probably some sort of clever psychotic hypnotist. No, save your magic for someone else. I would have expected something like this from him," he said, jerking a thumb at Harry, "but not from you, Eva. This is insulting."
"But I'm telling you the truth. David, if you'd just come back with me to my office, you'd understand. I can show you…"
"I'm not going anywhere with you!" he cried.
Eva noticed some people around the bar were watching them. She lowered her voice. "Fine. You don't have to come with me. Just believe me. I know it's a lot to take in, but think about it. All of the things that have happened to both of us. The things that we've seen. It makes sense." She was calmer, more forceful.
David almost believed her. Harry could sense it. But there was something still standing in his way, some kernel of doubt that wouldn't let him believe. Harry knew what it was: fear.
"This is ridiculous. You don't even know what you're talking about—what you're suggesting."
"I do, David. And I'm right."
This conversation seemed to be going way over Harry's head. The two of them stared at each other for what seemed like ages to Harry. Suddenly, he was bombarded with images of the two of them together. Flirting. Touching.
Kissing.
David was the first to break away. "I don't believe it," he said simply. "I don't believe you."
Eva sat back in her chair as though she'd just been slapped across the face. I don't believe you. It echoed inside of Eva's entire being. David quietly stood up, took his coat, and walked out of the pub, leaving Eva in shattered pieces.
"I thought he would believe me," Eva whispered, her eyes swelling. She was fighting back tears. "I thought after everything… I thought he'd believe me."
Harry couldn't find any words. He was filled with raw emotion. Jealousy. How could she let him have his hands on her? How could she let him press his lips on her own? He was shaking with fury. Why didn't she tell him they were like that once?
"Oh god, I just lost it all. Everything I worked so hard for. My job. My friends. My mission." She pressed her face into her hands.
"That might not be all," Harry mumbled.
Eva lifted her head and glanced at him. "What do you mean?"
"You never told me you two were together."
"But we weren't together," she replied, confused.
"You kissed him." He knew he shouldn't have said it. It was privileged information. But she was the girl he loved—the girl who held his heart in the palm of her hands.
"How do you know…?" she began, but then realized it wasn't important how he knew, just that he did. "It was just once. It was a mistake."
"Only once?" Harry scoffed. There had to be more. He'd kissed her many times, and there was no way any man could do it just once.
However, as he searched, he realized it was the truth. She had kissed David, just once, and he pushed her away. She thought there was something more that friendship between them, and took a chance one late night after work, and he refused her.
Eva studied him, and this time her eyes were wet. "It was a long time ago, Harry. It didn't mean anything." But it meant something to Eva. It meant heartache.
The damage had been done. "Let's go," Harry said gruffly. He stood up and got his coat. Eva slipped some pounds onto the table, got her own coat and threw it over her shoulders. She followed Harry silently out the door.
The scarf he'd given her only a week earlier lay draped across the rack.