[a/n]Compliments of Slytherin66 chapter 15 "...loved the line from M*A*S*H. Radar might have had magic in his family given he knew what people thought and his uncle knew when he was going to die.

Harry Does Different CDLXI

Korea

"Radar!" a man in a white mask with plastic gloves was looking down on him "Find out why a boy about twelve is in my O.R. Wearing a set of civvies I never seen before! And all he's got is some piece of wood."

A distant voice replied "Yessir Colonel Potter."

"I'm Pootttr" he muttered as something covered his mouth and nose. He knew no more. It was a timeless period later, the patient moaned himself awake "Oooooh Maaaaadam Pommmmmmfrey, my belly feels like I ate a blast-end skrewt."

A large woman in a drab green t-shirt approached with a friendly smile "Never heard of them, but if you have some severe pain, I can give you a shot of delaudin."

"Shot? Not a po- -" a combination of a pain spasm and awareness setting in, that he wasn't in any magical place stopped his thought "Maybe so, ma'am. Ahh… where am I? And what happened?"

She was going through a ritual of preparing a needle, as she explained "You were suffering from a bullet in the stomach. Rather a large one. Lucky you came to the 4077th. Finest MASH in Korea. Pretty serious, but you'll be fine in a few weeks."

"Weeks?!" exclaimed the patient before catching himself "Ahhh… where's my stuff? Especially a stick, about a foot long? Wait! Korea? You mean near Japan? Bloody hell! Hey, that's good stuff." His muscles felt like lead, and the pain in his abdomen receded.

She smiled slightly "Well, that's a partial answer to the mystery. Oh. Major, as you can see our young belly wound is awake. Partial answer for you, he's English."

"Thank you, Lt. Kellye." The rather stiff blonde woman took a clipboard off the bed and studied it.

The patient looked at his first acquaintance "Hi, Kellye I'm Harry."

"That is Nurse or Lt. Kellye. Soldiers and nurses are not on first name bases." The newcomer snapped and eyed him with disfavor "Especially one we suspect of being underage. Now, to complete introductions, I am Major Houlihan. Head nurse. Though I expect my rank when being addressed. Your full name? Rank? Unit? C.O.?"

The oriental nurse made herself scarce. Gulping nervously, he answered through some discomfort "Harry Potter, Major, ma'am. I don't know how to answer co, or unit- -"

"In proper military usage, soldier, an officer …regardless of gender… is addressed as sir." She instructed curtly.

That only heightened his nervousness "Sorry, ma'am, that is sir… I *grr* Look… last thing I remember - - I'm English. I was at school, in southern Scotland. I'm not a soldier of any kind. I'm just a Third Year not even fourteen yet."

"Fourteen? Colonel Potter said you looked young." She cogitated, less military "Too young in fact. Exactly how do you explain being halfway around the world from where you claim you're from?"

The patient shrugged, suppressing a comment about Hermione would know, said simply "Can't say. Don't know." Then painfully clutched at bandages across his stomach. It was agony.

"Captain Pierce!" she called out sharply. The recovery room became very hectic around one patient.

Abcij

"Good to see you awake again, son." A heavily lined face said kindly "Gave us rather a scare. You came in with several casualties and we were a bit rushed. Seems you took three bullets instead of the two I found the first time. Of course, despite the name, you're rather young to be my son. Though I'm a bit young to have a grandson your age. Margaret tells me you're fourteen?"

Feeling very much better, but groggy, the patient muttered "Huh wha who're you?"

"Col. Sherman T Potter. And while I'm regular Army, I certainly don't expect civilians to abide by it." Answered the man "And that is what you will be considered here. No matter the English are our allies in this war. I know we're not drafting children and pretty sure they ain't either. So? What's a schoolboy doing in my MASH recovering from a triple case of lead poisoning?"

Harry sighed, the man seemed so nice, but he couldn't tell the whole truth "I don't exactly know what to say, Colonel. The last thing I remember is a friend of mine wrapping a gold chain around my neck. It was a …school project… in Scotland."

"Well I don't have any direct authority over anyone English." The old colonel was skeptical "But, son, you smell of equine manure …if you catch my meaning. Calls are already out to the nearest English formation. An unknown foreigner, you'll have to chat with Col. Flagg. Though your tale seems more like Dr. Freedman's can of peas."

This wasn't the first time he'd been accused of being either a liar, or crazy, so he guessed …quite accurately… that one was a cop of some kind, the other a psychologist. Another thing he was good at was faking the need for sleep, which he did. And he actually was asleep when the doctor left.

Abcij

"Wake up, kid! Wake up!" someone was nudging their mystery patient.

Harry almost jumped out of bed, except he lacked the strength. He opened his eyes to see a new face. Not really in appearance, but all he could think of was a Creevey. Equally curious and suspicious, he asked "Who're you?"

"Walter O'Reilly, but everyone calls me Radar." whispered the visitor "Look, you're here by some kinda accident ain'cha?"

To this the patient scowled "What makes you say that?"

"My uncle Ed. Well actually, he's my great uncle. He fought in the Civil War." The fairly young staffer leaned forward and asked "You are like him? A wizard?"

Harry pinched his nose, he was dealing with a Creevey albeit an adult one. But then, this one was in on the secret "Yes. And I really am English. I have no idea how I ended up here. Or who shot me. Or when? I really want to get home. Me and my friends were doing something pretty important."

"Then you'd need this." Radar shook his uniform sleeve, allowing the strangely carved stick to drop out. And handed it over. A second later, he reached under his shirt and untangled a gold chain from his dogtags "I know that's a wand, but this. Uncle Ed never mentioned anything like it."

Immediately as Harry touched it, the hourglass started spinning. It glowed, faintly at first, then more intensely and it grew. Finally encompassing the whole bed.

Radar stumbled back, having to shield his eyes from the glaring white. When it faded, the boy was gone. The disturbance brought security guards, brandishing rifles. The two on-duty nurses, and Major Burns and Colonel Potter.

"You little snot! You let a spy escape!" came high-pitched accusation.

A moment later his two tent-mates arrived. The curly-haired one comment "Not the way I saw it. Dangerous prisoner. Held a gun on Radar, who did the best thing for the other patients. Right Hawk?"

"Got that right, Trap." Said the raven-haired surgeon. And in a very rare moment of respect for the military, spoke crisply "Colonel Potter, sir, I submit the name of Corporal O'Reilly for commendation for bravery."

September 19 2002

It made the young wizard laugh. Korean War veteran Walter O'Reilly was a patient at the Sherman Potter Memorial Nursing Home.

The staff was positively instructed to be suspicious of non-family visitors. Thus, the white-clad woman faced the young be-spectacled man with the backing of three walls of muscle "Name? Patient's name? Relationship?"

"Harry Potter, ma'am." The visitor replied politely "And I would like to see Walter O'Reilly. He saved my li- - sorry, my Grandfather's life, in Korea. According to the family story, granddad was only there a couple days. But Corporal O'Reilly's MASH saved his life. I was in Des Moines for a conference. I had to visit Ottumwa in his memory. If not for him, I would not be here today."

Still eyeing the visitor, the nurse ordered "Take him to room 314. Do not leave him alone with the patient." The mass of muscle obeyed.

Abcij

"Hello old friend. Last time we met you were about my age." Harry spoke quietly to the unresponsive man sitting in the wheelchair. He cast a privacy charm and rested his hand on the wrinkled one.

For the next couple hours he sat with the old man who couldn't answer, sometimes talking. Once asking "Was it the drugs? Or did I really see a guy in a wedding dress?" This was rewarded with a brief smile.

Finally, when the Sun was beginning to set, leaned in whispered a "Thank you" and left the nursing home.