Unspoken Chapter 4: Primary school, a harry potter fanfic

Unspoken
by Teddylonglong

Please refer to chapter 1 for my disclaimer and warnings. Thank you.

"Regina, you're a wonderful mother."

Regina stared at her sister in disbelief. While Artemis had to attend a last-minute staff meeting at Hogwarts, as the students were going to arrive the next day, Rebecca was spending the evening with her, probably knowing that she was driving herself nuts worrying how Harry would get on at the muggle primary school.

"Don't worry too much. You chose the optimal school for him."

Regina nodded. As she had worked as a mind healer for a few years, she knew all the primary schools in the area. In fact, just around the corner was a relatively small school that allowed children with special needs to attend the school together with normal children. Among the pupils, there were physically handicapped children, and the parents who allowed their children into the school, accepted that they were interacting with kids with special needs.

While Harry was a fairly normal child, if one did not consider that he had been abused during the last few years and that he was a wizard, he was allowed to bring Lucy. That fact alone had ruled out any other primary school.

Apart from that, Regina knew the headmistress well enough to admit to her that Harry was a wizard. Naturally, she was not allowed to tell anyone about it, but she had found it to be in Harry's best interest if at least the headmistress was aware of it, and Rebecca had readily cast a spell at her assuring that she was not able to talk to any other person about it.

"I just hope that no one will call him a freak like the Dursleys did."

"We shall see, and if so, we're going to teach him several ways to reply to it. I also believe that these two weeks of training at the Unspeakables' office has already done wonders for his self-confidence."

"Yes, that's true," Regina agreed, smiling.

Rebecca remained pensive for a moment. "I rather believe that he's going to be incredibly bored at school. During these two weeks, you've taught him to read, the centaur has taught him Maths to an extent that will most likely exceed everything the children are going to learn at the primary school, and he has become used to be confronted with difficult tasks. He'll be bored after the first week at the latest. Mark my words." She grinned. "If it's too bad, we'll just take him out again. The Unspeakables will be able to teach him everything he needs to know."

Regina nodded, feeling very much reassured. "I just hope he'll attend long enough to have at least one good friend of his own age."

"He will," Rebecca replied, smirking.

Regina's eyes narrowed. "Have you recently become a seer?"

"No, but according to Harry, the centaur told him to bring his muggle friend with him to study at the Unspeakables' office. As our teammate, he's allowed to tell us the details of his training. He cannot tell you anything, but trust me, if there's anything you should know, I'll inform you. It's not exactly an Unspeakable secret, but Harry is too young to know the difference."

Regina nodded in understanding. "That's true. Thank you, Rebecca."

After breakfast the following morning, Regina accompanied Harry and Lucy to the school.

"Lulu, remember, you must sit on my feet and be quiet," Harry instructed the canine in a firm voice, receiving a confirming =Yes= in return.

=It's going to be boring. Devil always plays with us.=

"Maybe not. Let's wait and see."

"What is she wuffing about?"

Harry looked up at Regina, smiling. "She said it's going to be boring, but we don't know that yet, and we'll have training with Lorenzo this afternoon. He's totally cool."

During the first hour, the parents remained with their children for a small ceremony. The headmistress, Mrs. Brighton, greeted the new first-years and their parents, before she explained a little about the school. Every few minutes, the ceremony was interrupted by a children's song played on musical instruments by a group of five older pupils.

Harry liked the music, and heard how Lucy let out small sounds of happiness by small yowls. They were very quiet though, and he was certain that no one else but perhaps Regina would be able to hear them. 'The instruments are different from those, which the giant showed me,' he thought, 'but the music is equally good.' During his lesson with the giant Unspeakable, he had been allowed to try out various instruments made by the giant, and he was looking forward to practise again in a few days' time.

Finally, Headmistress Brighton divided the children into two groups of twenty pupils each, before she instructed them to say good-bye to their parents. Harry's group was assigned an older teacher who went by the name of Mrs. March.

Harry allowed Regina to pull him into a light hug and whispered his good-bye, while Lucy laid her front paws against Regina's stomach and gently licked her face. He then joined Mrs. March and the group of children standing around her.

"Will the doggy attend class with us?" one girl asked. She had light blue eyes that seemed to smile at him and Lucy.

"Yes. That's Lucy, my dog." Harry returned the smile, knowing that Regina and Rebecca both had reassured him that he was allowed to take Lucy to school with him. 'If she couldn't come to school with me, I wouldn't attend the school but simply study with the Unspeakables,' he thought in determination, just when the teacher motioned everyone to follow her into their classroom.

Harry and Lucy trotted behind everyone else. By the time they entered the classroom, the teacher instructed everyone to sit in a circle on the floor.

"Harry, here!"

Harry smiled upon seeing the girl with the light blue eyes wave at him and happily sat between her and a fat boy, who picked his nose and reminded him of Dudley.

Lucy obediently sat in front of him with her front paws on his lap, from where she gently licked the girl's hands.

When everyone was firmly seated and had quietened down in apparent expectation, Mrs. March began to speak. "Now, I am Cornelia March, and I will be your class teacher during the time you will spend at our primary school. As you might or might not know, our school is a bit different from ordinary primary schools, which is why you have two handicapped classmates as well as two children who are accompanied by their dogs."

Glancing around, Harry noticed that there was one boy sitting in a wheel chair and another who was missing one hand. A blond girl, who looked very bony, was accompanied by a small dog. It was black and white and seemed to be smaller than Lucy.

"Now, I wish each of you to shortly introduce you to your classmates. Please say your name and whatever you wish to tell us. This can be about your family, the things you like to do or something you do not like. It does not matter. We will all listen quietly."

'Too bad that I can't tell them about the Unspeakables,' Harry thought, as he absentmindedly listened to his classmates talk about their parents, siblings and hobbies.

The girl, who was sitting next to him, went by the name Connie Cox. "I don't have siblings, and my parents, Giselle and John Cox, are both professors at a university in London. We live just around the corner."

Noticing that everyone was now looking at him, Harry cleared his throat. "I am Harry. Harry Potter. My parents died, when I was a baby. We live just around the corner, too."

'Thank Merlin I did it without mentioning magic,' he thought, when the fat boy next to him continued with the introduction.

To Harry's surprise and at the same time disappointment, he did not learn anything new that morning, as they spent all the time playing several games, apparently so that they would have the chance to get to know each other.

Everyone was friendly, and after a few hours of playing, Harry slowly relaxed. For the last hour that morning, the teacher took them into the garden, where they could play catching or hide and seek.

Seeing that Lucy picked up a branch that was lying under a tree, Harry playfully summoned it from her without even considering the matter. Only when several of his classmates stood there staring at the branch that was steadily gliding through the air, did he notice his mishap.

'Oh no, I mustn't do magic here,' Harry recalled, slightly panicking, when several of the other children began to talk at once.

"How did you do that?"

Harry shrugged, uncertain how to respond.

"Leave Harry in peace." Connie stepped over to him, smiling. "I think that was quite brilliant."

"Thanks," Harry replied, feeling very much reassured, glad when the other children went back to playing almost as if nothing out of the usual had happened.

Nevertheless, when Harry returned home after his last class, his mishap of doing magic was still at the forefront of his mind. However, Regina managed to quickly alleviate his fears.

"How did your classmates react?"

Harry shrugged. "They stared, but then they just played on. Only Connie asked me how I did it, but I think she liked it. She was smiling."

"Ah, thank Merlin. That's no problem then. In fact, this morning, Rebecca invisibly followed us to the school and cast a spell at everyone during the ceremony. If someone realises that you can do magic, the spell will disable them to speak about it. You should still try to not cast magic in front of muggles."

Harry nodded. "I know. I am sorry."

Regina smiled. "I know that it's difficult for you, because magic will probably come naturally to you after the two weeks of intensely practising magic with the Unspeakables. That is why Rebecca has taken all possible precautions to ensure that you won't get into trouble. Now, let's have lunch, and then tell me, how was school? What did you do?"

Harry shrugged. "Nothing really."

"Nothing?"

"It was a bit boring. We only played games."

"How are your classmates? Are they nice?"

"Yes, everyone is nice. Rudi is in a wheelchair and Mary's left arm is very short. Kathleen has a small dog."

"What kind of dog is he?"

"I don't know. I forgot, but Lucy and he played together."

=It was fun, although he's a muggle doggy. We could still do some kind of a doggy fight.=

Harry translated for Regina, before he confirmed that he was going to travel to the Unspeakables' office right after lunch.

"That's fine, Harry. Be careful to not use too much magic and have fun. I will have one patient this afternoon, but I should be finished by the time the two of you will be back home."

During the rest of the week, the primary school remained boring. However, his classmates were nice, and he somehow enjoyed playing with them, even if he was now very conscious about not accidentally using magic. To his relief, nothing happened during the rest of the week that would have given him away as a freak – before the last class on Friday.

Mrs. March told them to paint whatever they liked using water colours. After pondering what to do for a moment, Harry happily busied himself painting Lucy and Marlin in the garden, which Lorenzo always used during their lessons. Peter, the boy who reminded him of Dudley but was very nice, on his right side painted some kind of building, while Connie on his left was doing a flower garden. Harry found that it was very beautiful.

Staring at his own painting, he concentrated on giving it a final touch with Lucy and Marlin engrossing themselves in a mock fight, just like the two canines often did, when they met at the Unspeakables' office.

While Connie merely smiled and whispered, "Totally cool," Peter let out a huge gasp, which alerted Harry to the fact that it was probably magic that made animals in a painting move. To his relief, Mrs. March commended Connie's and then his painting, before she proceeded to look at Peter's almost as if nothing was strange.

'Thank Merlin,' Harry thought in relief, wondering if Regina would perhaps like the painting. However, to his disappointment, they were not allowed to take their paintings home. Instead, Mrs. March promised to put all the paintings up onto the wall for their parents to come and look at them one evening four weeks into the school year. "Afterwards, you may of course take them home, as they're yours."

When Mrs. March released them, Connie kept Harry back. "Harry, can you perhaps help me? I want to make such a painting for my mummy, but I can't make it move. Can we meet on Sunday and you show me how to do that?"

Harry's thoughts went haywire. 'What can I tell her?' he feverishly thought, while they walked home together, knowing that Connie's parents' house was almost next to Regina's. He glanced around to make sure that no one was nearby, before he whispered.

"I am sorry, Connie, I can make strange things happen, but I cannot teach you how to do that. I think you can either do them or you can't. Sorry, I don't know how to explain."

Connie nodded, wearing a sad expression. "Oh, that's too bad, because I really like what you can do."

"It's magic," Harry informed her in a small voice, "but you mustn't tell anyone about it. If you bring me your painting and tell me what you want me to do with it, I can try."

"Thank you, Harry."

By the time Harry returned from the Unspeakables' office that evening, Regina smiled. "Your friend Connie came by earlier."

"Oh." Harry stared at her, feeling happy at the idea of having a friend but at the same time sad that he had not be at home, when she came to visit.

"I told her to come back tomorrow afternoon."

Harry nodded in understanding. "Thank you, Regina. Eh, is it all right if she comes to visit?"

"Of course. I am very happy that you've already found a friend. I told her to bring her parents with her if they have time."

"Oh, great. Thank you very much."

"Now, I believe that it's time to finish your dinner and go to bed, son. Lucy is already asleep."

Harry chuckled upon hearing Lucy lightly snoring under the table. "She must be knackered. We had training with the goblin today, and he made me cast protective spells at her and me, before he attacked us, and I think Lucy didn't understand that he had already cast protection at her just to make sure she was safe. Anyway, she jumped out of the way to not be hit all the time. It was funny."

'Tomorrow, Connie is going to come over together with her parents,' he thought, as he lay down in his bed waiting for Regina to come and tuck him in like she did every evening. 'I hope they're nice.'

Harry noticed soon that Connie's parents were as friendly as their daughter.

The instant the doorbell rang, Dolly put up tea, hot chocolate and cheese cake on the table in the living room, before she vanished unseen by the visitors. Harry found that the cake looked absolutely yummy with many strawberries decorating the top.

"Please come in and let's have some tea." Regina gently greeted their visitors and led them into the living room, while Lucy ran forward and backward and did her best to be in the way, as she tried to give everyone an appropriate greeting.

"Lucy, come here," Harry called out to her several times, but only after greeting Connie and the Coxs, she obediently came over, pressing her head between his legs from behind, causing Harry to almost stumble.

'What are you doing?' he thought to her in a combination of annoyance and excitement at receiving his first guests ever.

Before Regina could offer tea to their visitors, Harry already served tea and cake to them and Regina, before he looked at her and receiving an encouraging nod, placed a piece onto his own plate as well.

'Dolly is the best,' Harry thought upon realising that she had even placed a small bowl with dog treats onto the table. However, Lucy was clearly more interested in the strawberries on Harry's cake than in the dog treats, and Harry and Connie took turns feeding her some of the delicious fruits.

"Sorry," Harry mouthed to the girl, who was sitting next to him on the sofa.

However, Connie merely smiled. "That's fine, Harry. Lucy is too cute. Aren't you, Lucy?" she cooed, receiving a light face washing in return.

"Have you been living here for long?" Mrs. Cox asked, colloquially. "I mean, we've met on the street every now and then, but I've never seen Harry before."

Regina smiled. "Harry only came to live with me a few weeks ago. He was raised by his relatives, who did not get along with him well, and I took him in. I am his guardian now, and I believe that we're both happy with it."

Harry nodded, eagerly. "Yes, very happy," he uttered in a barely audible voice.

"He is not your son?" Mr. Cox asked in apparent surprise. "One wouldn't know, seeing you interact with each other."

"He's already like a son to me," Regina admitted, smiling, and Harry nodded, feeling extremely happy at the idea.

"They probably didn't like him, because he can do strange things," Connie spoke up, knowingly, wearing a sad expression.

"Yes, they told Harry he was a freak," Regina concurred, letting out a deep sigh.

Connie gave Harry a strict look. "You are not a freak. You're amazing. Never forget that."

Harry smiled, uncertain what to reply to her outburst, while the adults were trying to contain their laughter at the five-year-old's obvious compassion.

"I know they say that there are people able to do things which others can't," Mrs. Cox said, pensively, causing Regina to sigh.

"In fact, we are not allowed to talk about this, but as you noticed by yourselves, I believe that there is nothing that we can do about it but ask you to keep the matter to yourselves. Yes, Harry is a wizard, and what he does is magic."

"Totally cool!" Connie grinned broadly. "Is it possible to learn how to do such things?"

Regina shook her head. "Unfortunately not. In fact, I was born in a magical family; however, I do not have magic, and there is nothing that I can do about it."

"So, your parents and siblings are all magical, just you aren't?" Connie clarified, her eyes widening in horror.

"Yes dear."

"Mrs. Lestrange," Mr. Cox said in a firm voice, "we promise you now that we will not speak about this with anyone, but my wife and I are very much interested and obviously our daughter is as well. Please tell us everything about it that you feel comfortable telling us."

"Please call me Regina."

"Giselle and John," Connie's father offered.

Harry listened with interest how Regina told the Cox family stories from her own childhood in a magical family, wondering if it was all right to speak about magic with muggles, when he recalled that Rebecca had cast a spell at all parents that would prevent them from telling anyone about it. 'So, that's all right then,' he thought, feeling outright happy to have a friend for the first time in his life.

He did not realise how the time passed, before Rebecca suddenly joined them, her eyes widening in apparent surprise upon realising that they had visitors.

"Come, Rebecca, join us," Regina invited her. "This is my sister Rebecca, and these are Connie, Giselle and John Cox. Connie is Harry's friend from school."

"If you're Regina's sister, are you a wizard, too?" Connie was the first to speak with apparent eagerness.

"Sorry, Rebecca, they've found out that Harry can do magic, so we told them all about it."

"That's fine." Rebecca nodded reassuringly in Regina's direction, before she turned to Connie. "While Harry is a wizard, I am a witch."

"Can you show us some magic please?" Connie stared at Rebecca in clear excitement that seem to intensify tenfold, when Rebecca transformed into her feline Animagus form.

"Harry, can you change into a cat, too?"

Harry shook his head. "No. I've only learned that I'm a wizard three weeks ago. I don't know much magic yet."

Much too soon for his liking, the Coxs decided that they had intruded for a much too long time and had to return home, as it was already beyond dinner time.

Connie cast him a genuine smile. "Thanks, Harry. I loved hearing all these stories, and I'll see you on Monday."

Harry smiled, when her parents invited Regina and him to come over on the following Saturday afternoon.

"Don't forget to bring the cutie!" Connie shouted, as she turned around once more waving at Harry.

When Harry was in bed an hour later, he heard the two sisters talk in the living room.

"Rebecca, I'm sorry. I know that I shouldn't have told them so much. I don't know if you'll have to obliviate them."

"No dear. I believe that there is some connection between Harry and Connie. I could sense some kind of magic between them, even if she's clearly a muggle. Is it possible that they're soulmates? I don't know if Harry told you, but Lorenzo once instructed him to bring his muggle friend. I believe that it's Connie he was talking about. I'm not sure. Perhaps, we should just wait and see how things will develop. If I'm wrong, I can obliviate them at any time."

"Thank you, Rebecca. I don't know what I'd do without your advice."

'Perhaps, I can take Connie with me to the Unspeakables' office, although she's a muggle?' Harry thought in disbelief. 'I'll ask Lorenzo on Monday,' he resolved, before he was lured into sleep by Lucy's soft snoring.

During the following weeks, Harry thoroughly enjoyed himself. At the primary school, the other children sometimes talked about their siblings, who had school until the early or even late afternoon. Their school seemed to be an exception, and Harry was very glad about it, as it gave him the opportunity to spend the afternoons at the Unspeakables' office.

Every other week, he had classes with the various creatures, and during the other weeks, Whisker and Archie took turns teaching him. While Whisker taught him to brew easy potions using the toddler's potions kit, which Felina had bought for him on their first visit to Diagon Alley, Archie taught him about various materials.

The only Unspeakable who taught him for an hour each day was Devil. Most of the time, it was more of a game than a lesson, and Harry enjoyed himself greatly, especially as it often involved Lucy.

When he returned home, he had dinner together with Regina and Dolly, before Connie used to come over for an hour, before both of them had to go to bed – much to their chagrin.

While all of their classmates at the primary school were nice, he and Connie had become best friends. Even the teachers knew that the two children were inseparable and any attempt to pair them with anyone else could cause strange reactions from Harry.

Once, when Mrs. March had been away for a few days and another teacher oversaw their class, she tried to divide the pupils into different groups, only to end up with green hair for her attempt to separate Harry and Connie.

Having received permission from Felina, Harry told Connie everything about his classes with the Unspeakables, and Connie never got bored learning new aspects of magic.

By the beginning of December, Harry had yet to ask Lorenzo about bringing Connie with him to the Unspeakables' office. As the girl was not aware of the possibility, she did not urge him to do so, and Harry somehow was reluctant to ask, knowing that muggles usually did not know about the Unspeakables let alone being allowed to enter their office.

One day, Connie shocked him to the core, when she asked what he thought Father Christmas was going to bring him for Christmas.

He averted his eyes to the floor in a vague attempt to not let her see his saddening expression, before he replied in barely audible voice. "I never get anything from Father Christmas."

"What?" Connie jumped from the sofa, where she was sitting on Lucy's other side in apparent shock. "Why?"

Harry shrugged. "The Dursleys always told me I wasn't a good boy."

"Nonsense. Let me ask your Mum."

Before Harry could react in any way, she stormed out of the room and right into Regina's office, where she used to work on her lesson plans for the university.

Deciding to not follow the girl, Harry cuddled Lucy close and gently played with her ears, before he leaned back and pointed his hand at her ears to make them stand up like Devil had taught him a few days ago. He chuckled upon receiving a light growl in return.

=You know I hate that. I will bite Devil if he teaches you such a thing again.=

"Oh, please don't or they'll kick you out of the Unspeakables' office."

=Only a warn biting of course.=

"The Unspeakables' office?" Harry had not even realised that Connie had returned with Regina in tow. "What's that? And what are you barking about, Lulu?"

Harry let out a deep sigh. "The Unspeakables are the people who teach me during the afternoons, and she complained, because I played with her ears. Look here. Sorry, Lucy, only this once."

During the remaining minutes before their bed time, Harry had to explain everything about the Unspeakables, the question if Father Christmas would bring presents for Harry forgotten for the time being.

"Ah, I wished I could study together with you." Connie sighed, exchanging a sad look with Regina.

'I'll ask Lorenzo,' Harry resolved, knowing that he was going to meet the centaur again on the following Monday.

The centaur let out a sound, which resembled a laugh. "I already told you to bring your muggle friend during the summer. Let's go and speak with Croaker about it."

To Harry's relief, he did not even have to ask the Head Unspeakable, as Lorenzo swiftly informed Croaker that he had a muggle friend, whom he wished to bring with him to his class.

Croaker's eyes narrowed. "Harry, you cannot bring a muggle to the Unspeakables' office."

"She's not a simple muggle." Lorenzo let out a scoff. "She's his soulmate and will be his anchor on his way to greatness."

'What is a soulmate?' Harry wondered, however, knew better than to ask. Instead, he added, "Felina and Whisker know her, and they have allowed me to tell her about magic."

Croaker nodded, seemingly pensive. He waved his hand, and a moment later, two small, green animals left through the nearest wall. 'Were they tortoises?' Harry wondered, recalling how he had visited the zoo together with Connie and her parents on one of the previous Sundays.

"Paws, I believe that Devil is waiting for you," Felina informed him, as she entered the room. "He just came to the team room to ask for you."

"It's all right, Paws. I'll discuss the matter with our colleagues and inform you later on."

Harry cast Croaker a grateful look, before he motioned Lucy to hurry up and follow him to Devil's training room.

When he returned to the team room after his training with Devil, Regina and Nicholas were waiting for him and informed him that he would be allowed to bring Connie during the Christmas holidays.

"There are several parts of Alchemy, which can be achieved without magic. Therefore, I don't mind your friend studying together with you in my class, at least for the time being. When you're older, we might have lessons that involve a lot of magic and won't make sense for her to attend. Just know that if the two of you decide to not be friends anymore, how far into the future that might be, she will be obliviated of everything that she learned here."

Harry nodded in understanding. "She is my best friend and always will be." He did not know why he was so certain about it, but he just knew it.

'Connie belongs to me as much as Lucy,' he thought, when a sudden thought crossed his mind. 'When I received Lucy, she did something to me, so that we're able to think to each other. When we'll be alone tonight, I'll ask her how to do that. It would be cool if I could do such a thing with Connie.'