Catching Fire
When they arrived back at the room, Severus conjured more clothing for the floor as the previous ones had begun to fade. Whispers jumped up from the falling garments and started dancing around Lyra nervously. Severus gave the children calming draughts and they laid down to sleep, with Whispers cuddling into Lyra.
As he stepped outside, Alastor and Tristan arrived back at the pub.
"The kids are asleep. What happened to Lucius?" asked Severus.
"The healers are working on him now, whatever the kids did to him, it looks like they broke all the fingers on his left hand and petrified him up to the elbow in stone," answered Alastor.
"Narcissa's fine, just a quick heal to a growing bruise," said Tristan.
Alastor turned back to Tristan, "Go back to Narcissa, I want to know exactly how she and Lucius knew we were going to be there."
Tristan apparated away.
Looking at Severus, Alastor mentioned, "We've got another problem. I heard one of the bystanders ask if that was Harry Potter. Doesn't matter if it doesn't look like him. They're expecting him back this fall, so they're going to jump on it, and this will be in the paper tomorrow."
"Shit," Severus swore.
"I'm going to take advantage of Malfoy's stupidity." He turned to an Auror by the door, "Auror, what's your name?"
"Derek Worth, Sir!"
"Come over here, you have an assignment. Do you know who we are guarding?" The man shook his head. "The two children upstairs are a scion of the Black family and Harry Potter." The man's mouth gaped open and shut like a fish. "What I need you to do is leak this to The Daily Prophet." Now the auror looked shocked AND confused.
"You haven't heard yet, but we were just attacked by Lucius Malfoy at St. Mungos. Harry and the Black scion repelled him, injuring him in the process. Go to The Prophet and tell them you know about Potter's return to England. Demand money for the story, haggle until you think you've got every knut they can give you for the story, and then tell them everything I just said along with when you received this assignment and where we are located."
Alastor paused and took a deep breath. "This is the most important part. You need to tell them I am running security at the Leaky. Use my fun name or any of the other names the cadets call me when they forget that I have a magical ear as well as a magical eye. I want them to know that attempts to breach the security will end with pain and not just arrest. Bring the money back here when you are done. Got it?"
Derek nodded vigorously and left out the back door to the alley.
Alastor plopped down on a chair and poured himself a drink.
Severus stared at Alastor for a moment and said, "I didn't know you had a magical ear."
Alastor poured another drink for Severus and pushed it over to him. "I don't, but I always find it fun to build my legend a little more."
Severus smirked and raised his drink, and Alastor followed suit.
"Ambition," said Severus
"Cunning," said Alastor
"Slytherin," they said together and drank.
While Harry slept, he had flashbacks of his life with the Dursleys, particularly of the times his Uncle had been angry with him. Dreams like this used to frighten him, but now he realized that he could defend himself and others if needed. So now, any fear he felt in his dreams just faded away and it was like watching it on the television while he was far away on the couch.
As the memories played in his head, he remembered when Dudley called him a thief and his uncle tore apart his room. He couldn't see the bag under the floor.
Magic, it must have been magic.
It all started to connect. Cynthia Abbot had a wand, that's why Aunt Petunia was so angry. The kid at the party who asked him about taming a dragon had something to do with it. The blessing Cynthia's husband gave was some kind of magic too.
The bag, with all the notes saying 'thank you.' He was a celebrity. All the people that had looked at him funny when they heard his name. It all slid into place like someone snapped the world from grey into color.
And then he woke up. He sat there for a moment pulling everything that he had dreamed about and bringing it into focus. He placed his staff next to Lyra's sleeping form and exited the room. There were only the people in red coats, plus the bartender when he went downstairs. He went over to the table with Severus and Alastor and sat down.
"Do either of you know any wizards named Abbot?" he asked.
"I do," Severus replied, quirking his eyebrow curiously. "Why are you interested?"
"I just realized how many things I remember growing up weren't just weird, but were actually magic," said Harry.
The bartender took that moment to bring a sandwich to Harry. He took a few bites before putting it back down and looked at Severus, "I need to visit my aunt and uncle." Seeing the shock on their faces, he added, "I think there is something of mine still at the house, and if I'm right, we can get afternoon tea when we are done, my treat."
Alastor and Severus shared a glance, "Not today," said Alastor. "Tomorrow or the day after would work better. After the incident at the hospital, we need to wait to see how things pan out. We might also need a place to go if the situation gets hot here."
When Harry was done with his sandwich, an auror came in. Alastor's magic eye rolled back to look at who came in behind him. "Auror Worth! Report!" he commanded without turning around.
"Went off without a hitch. Most of the time was spent haggling on the tip," reported the auror. He pulled out a large sack which Alastor took and nearly dropped. He looked back at the auror with an impressed look on his face and added, "Impressive haggling skills Mr. Worth." Alastor cast a spell at the bag and his eyebrows raised even more. He took a few handfuls of the coins inside and placed them on the table.
From the pile, he pulled out three different coins, gold, silver, and bronze then placed them in front of Harry. "These are wizarding coins, they are minted by Goblins at our bank, Gringotts. A galleon is approximately five pounds, every galleon is worth 17 sickles, and every sickle is worth 29 nuts." He showed each of the coins to Harry.
Harry hadn't done any serious math in years and he had only just started multiplication before he left, plus this system just seemed like the goblins were purposely trying to give people a headache.
The confusion was evident on his face, so Alastor turned to Auror Worth, "Next assignment, Worth. Sit down with Mr. Potter here and explain to him how much various things will cost him. Food, toys, books, anything else you can think of that isn't too complicated, and nothing particularly magical as he doesn't have anything to compare it to right now."
Alastor took the handfuls of coins he had pulled out of the first sack and conjured a smaller one to put them in. He called Severus with him over to the bar. "I'm going to need to go back to the department to file reports. Will you be ok here?" Severus nodded. Alastor called over Tom the bartender. "Tom, have you already started filing the paperwork for us commandeering your place the past few days?"
"I sure have, it's going to cost the ministry a lot of gold to keep me closed in the middle of summer," replied the bearded man behind the bar.
"Well, you can stop that right now," said Alastor. He placed the larger sack on the table. "I am commandeering your place for the remainder of the summer up until the day the express leaves. We will take care of getting people through the pub to Diagon. I am also deputizing you with the rank of field commander exclusive only in this building." He placed a silver badge on the bar. "That means that if any of the men here get out of line, you can give them orders. Do not let them drink when they are on duty. Do not let them drink within four hours of being on duty either." Alastor placed the smaller bag on the bar. "This is for feeding the aurors on duty. Prepare a list of any staff you need to be keyed into the wards. Any off-duty aurors need to pay, if they give you problems, remember you're their field commander."
Tom gave Alastor a rather lackluster salute and started putting away the money.
"Sir!" Derek yelled, "I think there is a niffler in here. Some of the money just disappeared off the table!"
Harry whispered, "It was just Whispers, he's hiding over there and pointed to the corner."
"We're going to have to tell everyone about him," said Alastor to Harry.
Alastor turned to the rest of the bar. "Attention!" he yelled and all the aurors snapped to their feet.
"Some of you have been derelict in your duties!" All the aurors looked around nervously. Turning to Harry, "Bring him out, lad." Harry walked over to a corner and picked up an invisible Whispers. He stroked the air a few times and slowly, and the demiguise faded into visibility. There was a sharp intake of breath from the collective group of aurors.
"This little guy has been here since we arrived. Not one of you let me know there was an unidentified animal on the premises, I will make sure everyone here goes through a revised detection course next month with the new trainees." There were a few groans heard around the room. "I want all of you to be aware that this demiguise will be with our VIPs and is just as important."
"The Leaky Cauldron is being converted into a Field HQ. That means we are now at Standard S5 Warding. When you are on duty, keep your jackets on. When you are off duty, your jacket is off. Convert all rooms upstairs except Room Seven into bunks for four. Low power transfiguration only, everything is temporary." He called two aurors by the door. "Set up a checkpoint with a privacy screen inside the front door. One auror outside in muggle clothing at all times. Use a muggleborn auror who knows how to set up a VIP line for a nightclub and how to dress properly. Inside, I want a temporary two-way floo connection from the checkpoint to the Diagon Alley entrance. Finally, Tom here is the Field Commander. He will stay out of your way and provide food for on-duty aurors. When you're off duty, it comes from your own pocket. I don't want to hear of a single instance of him using his authority."
Everyone stood waiting. Alastor stared them all down, "Go!" he yelled and they all took off to set up. He grabbed Derek as he started to run off, "Are you done with Mr. Potter? No? Sit back down and finish."
Severus was just watching this all take place while he sipped his ale.
He wasn't an auror at all. Alastor turned to him and said, "They've got everything handled, I'm headed to the department." His blue eye spun upstairs, "Lyra just woke up, have her come down and sit with Harry to learn about money. If there's even a little Malfoy left in her, she'll have it down quick."
He snapped away in apparation.
That evening they started getting a few curious parties showing up at the pub but the aurors had it locked down tight.
In the morning The Daily Prophet arrived.
THE BOY-WHO-LIVED RETURNS!
HARRY POTTER DEFENDS AN UNKNOWN BLACK SCION FROM A VICIOUS ATTACK BY LUCIUS MALFOY
By Andy Smudgley
Harry Potter, Boy-Who-Lived, and conqueror of The Dark Lord He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named has returned, as promised, to our shores. Last year we were told his return was delayed because of a need to finish his preliminary education. Some critics and politicians claimed this was a lie, that he was lost or dead. Though we see now, that his preliminary education has paid dividends to the highest degree.
The savior of the wizarding world does not appear to be the same as the one we have seen in our children's books. He is taller, stronger, and more powerful. With a head shining with black and silver hair, deeply tanned skin, and the bright green eyes of his muggleborn mother; he was spotted in St. Mungo's Hospital defending a young girl identified as a scion of House Black from an attack by none other than Lucius Malfoy.
According to eyewitness reports, Mr. Malfoy yelled at the girl about stealing magic and being a squib, only for the girl to unleash a torrent of orange magic which was then reinforced and strengthened by Harry Potter. It appeared that Mr. Malfoy was going to tear through their shield with his bare hands when the magic coming from the children painfully twisted and darkened Mr. Malfoy's left arm before he was stunned by a squad of our ministry's finest aurors.
Rumors abound about who the mystery girl is. From St. Mungo's staff who wish to remain anonymous, we have been informed that both children were visiting with the ailing Arcturus Black, the current Lord Black. If this girl is indeed a scion of the family, maybe we are looking at its next head? The Prophet's chief geneticist also discovered that Harry Potter has a connection to the Blacks through his paternal great-aunt, Dorea Potter, formerly Black.
The Prophet speculates that the Black scion shared in Mr. Potter's preliminary education as they both wielded a staff of power similar to great wizards and shamans of old. The Black scion wielded a staff with two types of animal fur wrapping the sides with a phoenix feather hanging from it; while Mr. Potter's staff was wrapped in snakeskin with the horn of an unknown animal adorning the top.
Why would Mr. Malfoy attack a child? Why would Harry Potter defend her? Was Mr. Malfoy again under the imperius curse? Our questions demand answers. Keep reading to get them!
Mr. Potter and the Black scion are currently residing at the Leaky Cauldron, which is off-limits to civilians, and under heavy Auror guard led by the ever-watchful gaze of Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody.
[Below the headline, there was a picture, a sketch from a pensieve memory of the event. Lucius Malfoy looked terrifying. Like a lethifold with a head and hands in his flowing black robes, fury coming out of his eyes as his hands pushed through an orange and white shield. Some of the magic twisted around his left hand as the children pushed back. A terrified look on Lyra's face and a determined and angry look on Harry's. Narcissa Malfoy could be seen laying on the ground behind Lucius.]
"Damn, that's even better than I was hoping for." Alastor whistled as he tossed the paper to an auror waiting for their turn.
The morning had already been crazy. They had a line of people trying to get through the front entrance. They had a hit-wizard dressed as a muggle bouncer who set up a line with a velvet rope at the entrance of the leaky cauldron. With all the witches and wizards trying to enter, it looked like they were having some weird daytime costume party for any muggles walking by. Some muggles had even waited in line just because it looked like something fun was going on inside.
Now that all the aurors knew they were guarding Harry Potter and a Black princess, they were all on higher alert constantly. Tristan got to tease the auror who had kicked down the door on their first day as well. After she stopped hyperventilating, she realized that she now had a great story to tell her grandkids, one day. They had a few attempted breaches from both Diagon and the street. None were even remotely successful. By 10 a.m., Alastor had decided to take a covert trip to Watford for Harry to visit his relatives' house.
Whispers had become friendly with two young aurors who swore heavily to Lyra that they would take care of him while she was away. So Harry, Lyra, Alastor, and Severus prepared to leave. In Harry and Lyra's room Alastor started to modify the wards so they could apparate out and have a place to return to.
Severus explained the security procedures, "Before we apparate, I am going to put a disillusionment charm on each of you. It will feel like an egg breaking on your head, once it washes over you you will blend in wherever you go."
Lyra was about to say something, but Harry elbowed her. What followed was an argument between two children in the sign language they used to talk with Whispers that ended with Lyra smiling.
Harry turned back to Severus, "We don't need the charm. We wanted to keep it a secret, but we can also disappear as the Hidden do." To illustrate his point, he and Lyra vanished in front of Severus and Alastor.
Alastor rallied first, "Well that is certainly incredible. If we could teach that to the Auror Corps, that would be amazing. However, I am going to insist on disillusionment rather than your invisibility. You say you want to keep it a secret, so don't use it unless it is an emergency."
The kids reappeared and agreed. They each got the tap of being disillusioned and it kind of felt gross. They ended up apparating to the alley behind the market near Privet Drive. Seeing that no one was around, the charm was removed, but the kids' staves were shrunk so they could be put in their pockets. The adults transfigured their clothes into something more muggle-like and headed towards #4 Privet Drive.
As they arrived, they could see Petunia Dursley working in the front garden. Severus turned to Alastor and said, "Watch the street, this might get messy."
Alastor hung back as Severus led the children up to Petunia in the garden.
"Hello there Tuney," said Severus with a bit of a mocking tone.
Petunia jumped up to greet them, but her eyes widened quickly, "You! What are you doing here?"
Severus smiled sweetly and said, "I thought I might bring you a present." He stepped aside to reveal Harry, with Lyra behind him.
It took Petunia several moments looking at Harry to recognize him. Nearly five years had passed. He was taller and stronger, with different hair and darker skin… but those eyes. Her sister's eyes gave her shivers, "You! What are you doing back here?" She saw Alastor out on the street, "You brought more freaks to my house? Why would you even come back here? We threw you out!"
Harry's heart had hardened to this and was about to reply when Lyra jumped in front of all of them. "You cruel, evil, shrew. How could you treat Harry like this? Harry is the best person I know and you treat him like mud on your shoe. You should be ashamed of yourself. But you have none." She spat at Petunia's feet and continued glaring at her.
It took her a moment to recover before looking at the angry little girl in front of her. She was about to reply when she saw the blinds on the house across the street open, so she turned around and marched into the house.
Severus just strolled in after with the children following.
Once they were inside with the door shut, she turned to them and said, "You're here for a reason, speak and then get out of my house."
Harry looked around. If Vernon or Dudley were around, they would have come out by now. He examined the house he grew up in, it seemed so much smaller than he remembered, then he looked over at his room. In his memories, he remembered it was a room; big enough to sleep in, store some clothes, and other possessions. Now looking at it, he saw it for what it was - a boot cupboard. He had been wedged under the stairs in the most pathetic place they could shove him.
He walked over to the cupboard. The paneling and door had been replaced and repainted. He opened the door and found shoes and shelves. There was no way to get to the floorboards he needed to get to. Turning back to Severus and his aunt staring daggers at him, he said "There's something of mine under the floorboards there, at least there used to be."
"You don't have anything here," snapped Petunia. "We put it all in the box with you when we sent you away."
Lyra remembered the box Harry had been in. She had heard him inside the box drawing on the walls. She looked at this evil woman with pure malice in her eyes. "Thank you for putting his things in that box; you're such a kind and compassionate shrew. I was one of the other children that were sold to those men as you did with Harry. Harry read to me from the book you put in his box and he saved my life later."
Harry grabbed Lyra's hand and looked at his aunt, "You didn't put everything in there, or I wouldn't be here." Turning to Severus, "Can you check if it is there? A bag underneath the floorboards."
He motioned for them to back up, and just as Petunia realized what he was going to do, he waved his wand and all the shelves and shoes were ripped out of the cupboard and strewn around the room. Harry was shocked for a moment but then regained his composure and pulled up some of the broken floorboards and found his treasure. The red velvet bag with a wooden nameplate on the string with his name, Harry Potter.
Petunia didn't seem to be able to focus on the bag, but saw that he had taken something, "You have what you wanted, now get out! Leave my house and never come back."
Harry turned around and walked out the door. Lyra however stayed. Harry could feel the magic rolling off her and before he could reach back for her, the feathers in her hair burst into flame covering her whole head. The long braid on her head swung back and forth like a flaming tail. She screamed at Petunia, "Why would we ever come back here? You will pray you don't ever see us again!" The fire in her hair went out, leaving smoke in the air, and she stormed out of the room. Severus and Harry followed, just as they were on the street, they heard the smoke alarms going off in the house.
Alastor was on the street waving his wand, the air around the house had a silvery film-like barrier around the house. "I thought we might need an aversion ward," seeing a bit of smoke coming out of the house and the beeping inside, "and it looks like I was right. Now, I think you said something about tea?"
Harry breathed a sigh of relief and opened the bag to pull out the card in the bottom for tea service at Cynthia Abbot's tea house. Looking at the map on the back, "It's this way."
They approached the parking lot to the muggle entrance for the tea house. When they got to the front door, there was a sparkling sign to the right of the entrance with a wand on it and an arrow towards the back. The four of them followed the arrow around to the rear of the building and saw an archway on the wall that was filled in. Alastor winked at the kids with his one real eye and walked through the wall. Both kids thought this was awesome and ran after, though they closed their eyes and put their hands out when they were about to hit. Severus came in behind them.
The tea house was empty except for a little blonde girl at the front desk who looked terrified at their arrival, "P-p-p-professor Snape!" she cried out, "H-how can I help you?"
Severus seemed to put on a mask that cast a shadow over his eyes and his robes began to billow in a non-existent wind, "Well, Miss Abbot, I think I am here to have tea. But if rumors are to be believed, maybe I will just need a large cup of blood, with a splash of cream, and two sugars."
Alastor was doing his best not to laugh, while Harry and Lyra were just confused.
The girl was shaking and pulled her robe up to cover her neck just as a blonde woman came walking in, "Hannah, do we have guests? Severus! You came at a good time, everyone is in London to catch..."
looks down at the children
"To catch a glimpse…"
blink
"A glimpse..."
blink-blink
"Of Harry Potter..."
Harry just stared back at the woman staring at her. He shifted nervously a bit and then pulled out the card, "Umm, I had this card for afternoon tea. I was hoping to redeem it."
The blonde lady fainted.
"Mum!" cried the little girl as she raced to the fallen woman.
They propped the fainted woman in a chair around a table and sat down. Severus popped open a vial small under the woman's nose vial which caused her to wake up. She stared at Harry and then the girl, and then Alastor Moody, then back and Harry and then Severus.
"So you found him!" She exclaimed, then adopted a mocking glare. "It sure took you long enough."
The girl looked at Harry with slight recognition. Her mother decided to clear it up completely, "Hannah dear, you remember when you met Harry Potter at our holiday party?"
It all clicked together and the girl let out an "EEEP!" and disappeared to the kitchen.
Her mother let out a laugh. "So you finally came back for tea, did you?"
"Yes ma'am," Harry said. Remembering the holiday party and introductions, he continued. "I would like to introduce you to Alastor Moody, Severus Snape, and my sister Lyra Black."
She smiled, "It's good to see you still have manners. I'll go start the tea." She looked around at the ceilings and walls. "Alastor, did you put up wards in my shop?" At his nod toward Harry, she smiled and headed for the kitchen.
The four of them sat around a table near the center. Lyra kept seeing Hannah peeking out of the kitchen at them. "Are people always going to act like this around Harry?" she asked.
"At least for a little while," responded Severus. "I could scare her off if you would like."
Harry was curious, "Why is she afraid of you?"
"I have a reputation at school as a terrifying and evil creature that will drink your blood and drown kittens," Severus replied dryly.
Harry looked at Severus for a while, then at Lyra, and back at Severus. "I don't see it."
Alastor broke down in laughter.
Severus put on a serious face, "When we are at school, I won't be the same person. You will need to call me Professor Snape. I will not allow any playing in my classroom and breaking rules will be severely punished."
"OK!" Said Harry happily, which led to another round of chuckles from Alastor
Lyra chimed in, "How do you do that dark thing with your face? It's like you suck the color out of the area so you look all dark and broody? I want to learn that, it would have been even scarier if I did that while threatening Harry's aunt."
Alastor fell out of his chair laughing.
Cynthia came out a moment later with a large tray of sandwiches, fruit cakes, scones, and other pastries. Pots of hot water and teas appeared on the table in front of them as well. She pulled over two chairs between Lyra and Alastor and sat down in one of them.
She called to the kitchen, "Hannah, come out here and sit with us!" Then turning to Harry, "So where have you been all this time?" The little girl slowly inched her way out to the seat next to her mother.
Harry and Lyra both looked to their chaperones who exchanged a look before Alastor said, "You know already that Harry was missing, not at school. We're not releasing any information to the press yet, so we will need a promise, just a regular one that you and your daughter won't spread this around."
Cynthia gave a calculated look to Alastor as the tea began to pour itself, surprising Harry and Lyra. "I think we can agree on three conditions for the promise. The first is that you will let me know when the news breaks so I can be free to speak about it before the paper arrives in the morning. The second is that Harry comes back for tea on the break and to the holiday party this year. The third is that Hannah is allowed to show him and Miss Black around Hogwarts.
Hannah was pulling on her mother's sleeves and moaning, "Muuuum, you're embarrassing me."
Alastor replied, "I can agree to the first one, the second one is Harry's decision, and the third we can tell Harry that if he needs any advice or assistance, your daughter will be available to help. Agreed?"
Harry looked at them and to Lyra, "The holiday party will be fun, I told you about it, and this is Cynthia. THE Cynthia." Lyra's eyebrows went up and realization in Alastor and Severus's eyes clicked as well. There was curiosity on Cynthia Abbot's face though.
Cynthia raised her glass to Alastor, "Agreed."
Alastor raised his glass, "Cunning."
Severus raised his glass, "Ambition."
Then all three of them together, "Slytherin."
Then they drank.
"So tell me, about me being THE Cynthia."
Harry jumped in to tell the story. He started telling about the shipwreck and Severus stopped him, whispering in his ear, "Do not tell anyone about the ship, I will start the story and then let you know when to continue it." Cynthia and Hannah were looking at them so Severus started to speak. "Due to reasons we will not speak of, ever, Lyra and Harry ended up on an unpopulated tropical island. Where they were adopted and lived with… Go ahead, Harry."
He jumped back in, "We were adopted by creatures we called 'Hidden.' When Severus found us, we learned that wizards called them demiguise." Cynthia gasped at this and quickly explained what they were to Hannah.
Severus added some commentary, "There was another on the island, a kind of half-breed similar to a dwarf. He was able to teach them about magic."
Lyra jumped in, "But the Hidden are our family. We lived with them and grew food with them, and spent every day with them. The Giver just taught us magic stuff, but he lived outside the village."
Harry continued, "What she said. We lived with the Hidden and made up a sign language to speak with them and the ones we were closer with we gave them names." Cynthia's eyebrows raised a fraction knowing what was coming. "There was one female in the village that had eyebrows that seemed to curl as they went up above her head. They reminded me of your hair at the holiday party, so I named her Cynthia."
Cynthia smiled at Harry with adoration in her eyes. "I think I'll wear my hair like that every day now. That's the sweetest thing I've ever heard." She played with her hair for a bit while they ate some pastries, then she asked Harry, "Did you name any of the little hidden girls after Hannah?"
Hannah's face went bright red and she pulled on her mother's sleeve, "Muuum! Why?"
Harry wasn't sure why Hannah was embarrassed, so he just said, "There weren't any smaller Hidden with the same eyebrows, but Cynthia has had a few children in the last few years, maybe one of them will, and then I can."
If anything, Hannah became an even deeper shade of red, while Cynthia just smiled.
Determined to continue to embarrass her daughter, she turned to Severus, "Hannah didn't have the scores in potions this year that I was expecting, do you have any advice you can pass on to her?"
Severus turned to them and darkness appeared to shroud part of his face. "She could stand to pay attention a little more. She could also use a new silver knife and revise proper cutting techniques. Right now, she would have trouble knowing the difference between cutting a root and hacking the arm off of a troll."
Hannah started shaking a little while Lyra giggled a little. The giggle made Alastor chuckle. Cynthia smiled and said, "You're horrible, but she'll get a little extra instruction before school starts again."
They chatted a bit more, though Lyra was quiet and withdrawn while the others spoke. Harry might have been too if he wasn't often the center of the conversation most times. Lyra started taking apart some of the sandwiches on her plate. She took a few of the seeds out of the cucumbers and placed them on the side of her plate. Then she plucked the petals off of the loose camomile flowers that were being pressed for tea. She laid the petals on top of the seeds and then pushed the combination into small pieces of salmon. She used the tiny knife at her place to cut small squares out of the salmon so there were tiny squares of salmon with one seed covered in a chamomile petal in each one.
She then placed nine of the little squares in her teacup and filled the cup with hot water. Taking her teaspoon, she stirred five times to the left and nine times to the right. At that point, all of the packets in the water appeared to dissolve into a light pink solution with flakes of gold drifting around in it. She lifted the cup to drink to see that everyone at the table was staring at her.
Hannah was the first to speak, "What did you just do?" She was very curious.
Lyra felt very on the spot, but Harry held her hand under the table for support.
"I made something to drink," she said. "I liked this tea, but I wanted to make it good for me and taste a little better."
Severus was staring at the drink with calculations in his eyes, Alastor's blue eye was staring into the cup. Cynthia seemed to be interested in her daughter's question too.
"You made a potion!" said Hannah. "You didn't put anything magical in it, and it still dissolved."
"Why does a potion need a magical ingredient? The stirring is magical. Otherwise, you wouldn't need to count the number of stirs and in which direction."
Severus raised his eyebrows, looking impressed. "Lyra is correct, though we don't start studying that rule of potions until after OWLs. Most potions rely on the magic in the ingredients, wand-waving, and the little magic that gets infused just from a magical person being near it. However, with the right level of magical awareness and concentration, it is possible to infuse magic directly into a potion so it can be done without a specific spell or ingredient. Until you learn to infuse your magic directly, you will have to rely on the exact stirring directions, the same as you would for the proper wand movements for a spell."
Cynthia and Alastor nodded like they were remembering something they learned long ago.
Harry reached over to a bowl of candies on the table and handed one to Lyra. He smiled at her and said, "It's not a mango, but a good job all the same."
The others didn't know what to make of this but smiled at the gesture.
"However, I think you made a small mistake. Take a sip and you'll see." Severus added on, gripping his wand under the table.
Cautiously, Lyra took a small sip only to spit it everywhere. The liquid however hit a small wall and remained suspended in mid-air. Severus pulled his wand out with a spell glowing at the tip. With a quick movement, the liquid disappeared. Lyra had a disgusted look on her face and was drinking from Harry's tea to wash the taste away.
"The idea was sound, but your stirring pattern needs some work," said Severus. "When you get to Hogwarts, speak to Professor Vector about basic arithmancy. The importance of numbers is heavily involved in the number of stirs and the direction you do them in for creating potions."
Hannah was staring at Lyra with amazement and Harry was looking at her with the face of a proud older brother.
Alastor folded his napkin and stood up. "I think it's time we headed out. I can't imagine the kind of chaos that is going on now at the Leaky Cauldron."
Cynthia and Hannah both stood and politely said their goodbyes.
Cynthia added, "I hope both of you can come to the holiday party this year." Facing Harry she said, "You should also make time to see Lauren Davis, she was most upset when you disappeared, though you'll be seeing Tracey soon."
Harry's eyes brightened, "Mrs. Davis and Tracey!" Harry looked down at his feet, ashamed. "I had forgotten about them. I should have named a hidden after Tracey, there was one that really liked to hug me."
Cynthia looked at Harry like he was the most precious creature in the world.
Suddenly, Harry's head snapped back up, "Wait, why would I see Tracy soon?"
Hannah responded, "Because she goes to Hogwarts, of course!"
The gears in Harry's head slowly started to turn, picking up speed.
"She told me about unicorns! And she did some magic when Dudley got hurt! Well, we both did…" He looked back to Severus and demanded, "Why didn't you tell me Tracey was magic?"
Severus looked taken aback, "I, uh, guess it slipped my mind."
Alastor and Cynthia were chuckling slightly.
"Are any of my other friends magic too?" Harry asked.
"The only two I was told about were Hannah and Tracey," replied Severus.
Harry ended up going through a list of everyone he could remember, most of which he just described because he couldn't remember their names. Severus tried to remain patient as he slowly escorted Harry and Lyra out the door. Alastor followed and took down the wards he had set up in the tea shop.