Chapter 14: Summer Antics
So, as you have guessed this is now a mostly different story. If you read the original then you would realize that a great many scenes have disappeared, and I've added my own twist. I am hoping to keep the plot and characters the same, but I'm winging it, so that might not happen. I actually have the end scene already written, and the road to get there will be fun.
DaughterOfIris23, Dashti-the-dramione-shipper and AngstyCanadianGleek are the betas for this chapter.
HP-BTVS-HP-BTVS
The first thing Xander did after talking to Amelia and Fudge was hit himself on the head. Then he went home, released his wolf eyes, and grabbed Harry and went to London proper. They made their way to a walk-in optical shop.
"Okay, Harry," he said, clasping the boy on the shoulder right before they went in and turning the nervous boy to face him, "we're going to get you some contacts. I talked to Poppy, but she said they didn't have any in the magical world, so here we are. Don't worry, this stuff is easy. You just have to look at things."
"Okay, Xander," Harry said, keeping a brave face. He was worried that his eyes were in worse condition than he thought. He had read that bad nutrition could cause really bad eyesight and added to that was the fact that he spent a good part of his childhood in a dark boot-cupboard, which didn't help at all. What he didn't know was that his magic had spent most of his life preventing the effects of malnutrition. So, his bones weren't weak, and his eyes weren't that bad. He was still short, and genetically nearsighted since there was only so much his magic could handle and those weren't potentially damaging. It did what it could with what it had.
They walked through the door, and a little bell on the door rang. It was a fairly bright shop, with large windows and glasses frames everywhere. A few tables and a large receptionist desk were right in front of them. Behind them was a nice-looking young woman. She was petite and a brunette. Her smile looked like she should be working at a dentist's office, it was so big and bright.
"Hello there! Welcome to Dorie's Spectacles. What can I do for you today?" she asked as they approached.
"Hello, I'm Xander and this here's Harry. We need to get him some new eyewear. Harry was playing sports at school, and he lost his glasses a few times. We've talked it over and decided that he's old enough to try contacts," Xander said, keeping his hand on Harry's tense shoulder.
"Not a problem. Let me see who's available. May I have his Health Card?" she inquired as she picked up the interoffice phone, still smiling. Harry was a minor so his exams would be covered, but Xander would have to pay for contacts.
"Oh, yeah, give me a minute," he said, pulling out his wallet and grabbing Harry's card. It was one of the first things he did when he got non-magical custody of Harry. The Dursleys had never bothered, since they never took him in for treatment. Free health care still boggled his mind. He had heard a few congressmen had tried to get it passed in the States, but with the money that could be made with a private practice, he never saw it working there. He handed it over and they watched the girl run it while talking to someone in the back.
"This is Dr. Allen. He's going to take care of you today," she said, handing him back the card and indicating the average looking dark-haired man who had just entered the room.
"Hello, Doctor, we need an eye exam and contacts for Harry here," Xander repeated.
"Are you sure? Contacts are a big responsibility," the optometrist inquired, waving them into the back.
"He wants to try," the one-eyed man said. "We'll get glasses as well."
"Okay. Well, let's see what we can do," the doctor said, and then proceeded to test Harry's eyes. He spent the entire time warning Harry the pitfalls of not using or caring for contacts correctly. He wanted to make sure the boy knew what he was getting into. Xander wasn't worried; they'd magic the contacts to prevent most of these things. However, Harry would have to take them out every night and soak them. It would give him a sense of responsibility. He did want Harry great at magic, but it shouldn't be the end all of everything.
The tests took about an hour, since Xander wanted him completely examined. He too was worried about the effects of Harry's childhood.
The exams weren't as bad as Harry thought. Xander was right, besides the dilating, it was just looking at stuff. It was easy. He made sure to listen to the doctor, and he would take care of those contacts.
"Good news, young man," the doctor said to the now-relaxed Harry. "Your eyes are in fine condition. A bit nearsighted, but we can fix that with the contacts. Go give this to Sharon at the front desk to settle the bill and get your contacts ordered," he said, handing Xander the prescription. He led them back to the front and nodded to where Sharon was. "Don't forget the backup glasses. Just in case," he added, then went back to the back.
Xander ordered the contacts and glasses and paid the bill. They would be ready in a few days. They went home, reassured for different reasons. Xander because he was glad that that liability was gone, and Harry because he wasn't as blind as he thought. The night with Voldyshorts must have been due to a hit on the head or maybe the aftereffects of the stunning charm. He didn't know. Still, he was glad he was getting contacts as it took a great deal off his mind.
A few days later everyone could see Harry's beautiful eyes. It took a while to get used to not grabbing for his glasses first thing in the morning and sticking his finger in his eye instead, but he was getting there. He'd have to go back every six months since he was still growing, but to be able to see so well was well worth it.
A few weeks later and summer was in full swing. Harry was having a great time doing absolutely nothing. Well, not nothing, he still had his chores, but cleaning his room and helping with the dishes werechild's play to what he was used to. Xander was great, he taught Harry how to use the equipment in the workout room. And Harry had to admit, his dad was right, housework was not the same. The first few days he ached in places he didn't even know he had. He started out very light and worked slowly upwards. Xander said that it had to be done slowly or you could damage yourself, especially since Harry had not hit puberty yet.
Xander also took the time to teach some basic carpentry skills, so Harry now knew how to nail a nail and screw in a screw. It was fun. He got to build a birdhouse that now sat in the tree behind the house. Hedwig claimed it, so Xander expanded it to fit her. Harry couldn't be happier.
They had a great birthday celebration with Neville and Hermione. Harry learned that Neville's birthday was the day before his, and he made sure to get him a gift. Well, Xander had to run out and get it, but the thought was there. They got him a small plant terrarium with a few Venus Flytraps that would fit in one of the windows in Neville's bedroom. The round-faced boy was ecstatic. He never knew the non-magicals had carnivorous plants. He vowed to take very good care of it and to read the booklet that came with it. Harry just hoped he didn't feed it magical fertilizer. It might become a man-eating plant if he did.
The upgrades to the castle were done. The teachers were back and learning how to use the new equipment. It was funny to watch them flounder a bit, but they soon got the hang of it. They all marveled on how much easier it made their lives. Even Dumbledore was happy about it. His paperwork was cut in half. Professor Sinistra was over the moon at the new telescopes. This opened up a whole new world of magic theory.
Today Harry and Xander were going to visit the Weasleys. Bill wanted Harry to meet his parents and youngest sibling. The young wizard was excited. He had never been to a friend's house before, besides Hermione's. But this was a magical household. And while Bill wasn't a friend, per se, he was a really great guy. If Harry wasn't so leery of strangers, men specifically, then Bill might have rated an uncle. However, Harry could not shake his childhood off that easily. He did wonder why he had taken to Xander so well. There was something about the man that just screamed 'trust me'. Every day that went by, Harry felt closer and closer to the Xandman.
"Harry! Are you ready to go?" Xander called across the house. He had told Bill they'd meet him in ten minutes. They would have left earlier, but Harry was working on something, and they lost track of time. Good thing he had set an alarm spell, and it went off fifteen minutes ago.
"Be there in a minute, Dad," Harry replied unthinkingly, while he slipped on his sandals.
Xander blinked, then teared up a bit. That was the first time Harry showed affection in any form. Heck, he still didn't hug for bed. He would just politely say 'goodnight' and then scurry off. This was a great breakthrough. He was so proud of his son's progress. "Come on then," he said loudly.
"I'm here," Harry said as he entered the room, a bit breathless. He had tried on at least three outfits, not wanting to make a bad impression. He settled for a dark blue t-shirt with tan shorts and sandals. Xander was dressed in a bright red Hawaiian shirt and long blue shorts, also sporting sandals. They looked at each other and gave each other the thumbs up.
"All right, why don't you get us to Diagon Alley, so we can hook up with Bill? He wants us to take something called the Knight Bus. It's supposed to be safer than Flooing," the wolf-eyed man said as he made sure the house was locked up. He grabbed his keys, not that he needed them, but it was a force of habit, and nodded to Harry.
In a wink, they were gone. They appeared in an alley not far from the Leaky Cauldron. They had scoped it out a few weeks back, so they always had a spot to teleport to.
They walked to the pub while Harry talked excitedly about what a magical house could look like. Xander nodded his head in all the right places and just basked in the fact that Harry was happy. They met up with Bill, who called the Knight Bus.
'BANG' was the sound the triple-decker bus made when it stopped not two feet in front of them. Xander almost pulled his gun.
The Knight Bus was a huge purple monstrosity. Inside was lined with huge, comfortable-looking armchairs with small end tables next to them. The group boarded, declined the drink, paid the fare, and Bill warned them to grab a seat. No sooner were they seated, than the big bus took off at sonic speeds. The chairs were all thrown back, and the two newbies held on for dear life.
"It gets easier once you've taken it a time or two!" Bill shouted over their screams. Xander's bellows of frustration at not being able to sit up straight, g-force be damned, and Harry's whoops of joy.
"This is great!" Harry yelled back.
Xander finally relaxed in the chair and had to agree. It was like being on a ride in Disney World only enclosed, and through crowds of traffic and people. He just never expected it on public transportation. He wondered if he could get a car to do the same. That would be nifty. There were times when teleporting wasn't feasible. And he knew that the CCTV cameras would be about soon. He was going to have to tell a few people about those like he had with Madam Bones. Mostly the students, so they would then tell their parents, and so on. Hopefully even the most foolish would learn not to Apparate in crowded areas anymore.
Soon they were in Ottery St. Catchpole and getting off the bus.
"We live right up that trail," Bill said, ignoring the loud BANG from behind him. Xander and Harry jumped.
"I can't wait to meet the rest of your family," enthused Harry, as he followed the two adults down the trail.
"They want to meet you, too. Me, Percy, and the twins won't shut up about you and Xander. Mum's going to kill you, Xander," the redhead said with a smirk.
"What did I do?" the wolf-eyed man asked indignantly.
"You're letting the twins teach Harry how to prank," came the truthful answer.
"It's teaching him stealth," Xander corrected proudly. Harry had pulled quite a few pranks this summer - without his invisibility cloak - and had yet to be caught in the act. The only way he knew it was Harry was because he was the only other person in the house.
They made it to the towering house. It was held together by magic alone. The carpenter in Xander was having raging fits on the design. He itched to fortify the place because logically it shouldn't be standing.
"Mum, Dad, look who I brought home!" the oldest Weasley called as he went through the door.
There was a stampede of children as they came from all parts of the house. Only Charlie wasn't there, and Percy came at asteadier pace.
"Oh, Bill, it is good to see you. You were not at supper last night," a plump redhead woman said as she engulfed her eldest as if he had been away for years.
"Mum, I am an adult now. I have my own life," the very embarrassed man said, patting his mum on the back.
"Pish-posh, you will always be my baby," she said as she released her child.
"Mum, Dad, this is Harry Potter and Xander Harris," Bill recovered nicely, making the two adults focus on the new people. "Xander, Harry, this is my mum, Molly, and my dad, Arthur."
Xander held out his hand and said, "Nice to meet cha."
Harry was a bit politer and said, "It is very nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley."
"Oh, Harry, look at you, all grown up. Why the last time I saw you Ginny was a newborn," Molly gushed as she tried to pull Harry into a hug.
The boy in question quickly ducked behind Xander, who let him hide here. "I've taught him that he doesn't have to take hugs that make him uncomfortable. Since you are a stranger, you'll have to get to know him better before you try that," he said unapologetically. It was a small way Harry could stand up for himself. Never take affection from those he didn't know. A lot like Stranger Danger. Even though he was sure Molly was harmless, she should not be hugging children that were not hers.
"What silliness is that? Not taking hugs? Just what are you teaching the poor child?" she questioned, very insulted.
"I didn't say he couldn't get hugs, just not from strangers," Xander said firmly.
"How will he ever learn affection?" she asked, as if to say Xander's parenting skills were lacking. Xander was sure Dumbledore had her ear, too.
"Changing the subject. Hello, Arthur, I hear you work with the Ministry," the wolf-eyed man stated, turning from the woman, who he felt was being invasive. It was none of her business how he raisedHarry. As long as Harry was happy and healthy, he could teach him as he pleased.
"Yes, I'm head of the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office," the redhead said proudly, glancing at his fuming wife.
"So, you know a lot about non-magicals?" Xander asked, still ignoring the irate woman. Bill and the rest of the Weasley children looked on. They had never seen their mum snubbed and weren't sure how to take it. Harry was just glad he wasn't forced to take the woman's affection. He hated hugsunless they came from Joyce or Hermione. Or Xander, right?
"I like to think I know a fair bit," Arthur said with a tilt of his head.
"Good, you're just the man I was looking for. I already told Madam Bones, but I thought the more people who knew the better. You see, the non-magicals are going to be putting CCTV cameras all over London soon. Nowhere will be safe. They will capture all forms of magic used in the area. They will record it and send it to the higher-ups. Then someone will hack it and it'll be all over the Internet. Things like the Knight Bus and Apparation will be taped."
"What?" came the intelligent reply.
Xander went on as if Arthur hadn't spoken. "You need to get the word out, not to use magic in the non-magical world or you will be discovered. Precautions must be made and implemented," he explained. Then he saw the blank look on Arthur's face and decided to spend the day's visit explaining a few things to the man who was supposed to know all of this. "Harry, go play with the kids," he suggested, nudging him in the direction of the twins.
"Okay, Xander," Harry said, just glad to be out of the tense room. And with that the children scattered.
Hpbtvshpbtvs
Harry and the twins went to the garden.
"Why didn't you hug mum?" George wanted to know. Everyone hugged his mum.
"I don't know her. I am uncomfortable getting hugs from people I don't know," Harry replied. He knew that Xander hinted to the student body about his terrible childhood, but these guys didn't know the whole story. He would have to tell them a bit, so they weren't offended that he snubbed their mum. "Look, the Dursleys, my relatives, aren't nice people. The only time I got touched by them was to be hit. I don't like it when people touch me. Hugs are worse because I feel trapped."
"Can't say I really understand that, but I do get the gist," George stated with a reluctant nod.
"It's all right, Ickle Harrykins, we won't hold it against you," Fred agreed.
Harry sighed with relief. Then he spotted a flash of red ducking around the corner. "Who's that?" he asked, pointing to the disappearing girl.
"That's our sister," Fred said with a smirk.
"Yeah, she's madly in love with the Boy-Who-Lived," George added, his smirk identical to his brother's.
"'Madly in love?' How can she be 'madly in love'? She's what, nine?" Harry asked flabbergasted.
"Eleven. She's starting Hogwarts this year," Fred said, looking fondly at his sister's shadow, which could be seen from where she was hiding.
"Yeah, she's all grown up now," George wailed, wiping fake tears.
"That's still a bit young to be 'madly in love,'" the dark-haired boy commented, wrinkling his forehead.
"It's a bit of Mum's fault," Fred started.
"She read Ginny all the storybooks about you."
"Built you into a right shining prince, she did."
"Ginny thinks she's the princess who's going to marry you," George finished.
"She's going to be disappointed. I'm not getting married," Harry stated decisively. Then he saw something scuttling in the vegetables. "What's that?" he asked, pointing at the potato-like creature darting through the lettuce.
The twins shared a look, shrugged, and explained what a gnome was and how to fling them. The three boys spent a good hour flinging gnomes, and then played as boys were wont to do. They spent some time teasing Harry's shadow. And then it was time for Harry and Xander to go home.
The kids trooped back into the house and noted that Arthur looked dazed.
Hpbtvshpbtvs
Earlier, Xander had taken Arthur and Bill for a quick tour of Harrods, where they went to the entertainment department. The one-eyed man showed them what cameras were, and how they could record everything. Xander stood in front of one, making sure they were alone and created a small flame in his hand. Arthur saw it on the TV and blanched. He was now officially worried. He needed to report this as soon as possible. Bill wasn't much better. He needed to tell the goblins, if they didn't already know. Then he remembered Xander was their king, and that he had probably already told them. Dig sites needed to be more secure. Especially if these satellites Xander talked about could do the same as the cameras.
Molly was very upset that Xander had her usually jovial husband and son in a twist. She had never seen Arthur so serious, not since the war. To say she was peeved was putting it mildly.
"It's been a great day," Xander said, ignoring the glare he was getting. "We'll have to do it again. Hey, I know, the book list will be out soon. How about we all go together? That should be fun," he added, winking at the youngest Weasley. He had seen the glances and thought it was cute, the way she was crushing on his foster son. He didn't know it was hero worship. That was a whole other ball game.
Harry glared at him when he saw the wink. He'd have to talk to Xander about this.
Arthur, shaking himself out of his daze, replied, "That's a lovely idea. We can meet in two days' time at the Leaky Cauldron."
"We'll be there. Say around ten in the morning?"
"Yes, that will be fine. The kids will have eaten by then."
Arrangements made, Harry and Xander went home via Harry Air, after they left the wards. They had learned it was rude to go through wards, that and they didn't want anyone to know they could. The first time they did, when they went to Hogwarts after the trial, McGonagall had sat them down and explained it. Going through wards could damage them, that and most wards prevented it. If they wanted to keep it a secret, then they needed to follow that rule.
"Xander, why did you invite them? Not that I don't like them, but I thought we'd go alone," Harry asked as he settled on the couch in their living room.
"I thought it'd be fun. You know, shopping with friends, ice cream and stuff. If you really don't want to, I can go back and cancel." Xander threw himself into the chair. He wondered if he hurt their relationship with the spur of the moment invite.
"No. It's fine, but you owe me a day out," Harry said cheekily, hoping to get that father/son day. He didn't care what they did, as long as it was together.
"Sure, we'll go do something manly, like hunting, camping or something," Xander said, watching the boy's reaction. He wanted to go hunting, he was getting rusty, but he was unsure how squeamish Harry was.
"That'd be great. I've never been camping before," the young man enthused.
"That's what we'll do then," Xander said, clapping his hands together.
"Hey, since we're not going school shopping alone, can we invite Neville and Hermione? Xander, you know that Ginny is 'madly in love' with me, right? I mean, she's in love with the Boy-Who-Lived." Maybe that would make the hero worship better if she saw him being just a kid.
"Shit, really? Damn, I'm sorry, Harry. I thought it was just a crush."
"Not according to Fred and George. They say she's been 'in love' with me for years. She's eleven, shouldn't she be playing with dolls or something?"
"Harry, girls start thinking of marriage from a young age. It's actually why they play with their dolls. House, I think they call it. A mommy and daddy and lots of kids. Willow never played, but she still dreamed of a husband when we were kids. I just never knew it was me she was dreaming of marrying. I'm not sure if it's nature or nurture, but they start young. We men just simply nod our heads and try not to catch their eye until we're ready. It doesn't always work, but we go with what we have," Xander explained to his clueless son.
"I'll take your word for it. We're going to have to do something, cause I'm not getting married," the dark-haired boy stated firmly.
"You say that now…"
"Nope."
"Na huh."
"Nu… I'm not arguing with you, Xander. You sound like a two-year-old," Harry said with a smile. He loved it when Xander got childish. It was nothing he ever remembered experiencing. But he was firm on this. He really didn't want to get married. That way led to kids, and he wasn't sure he'd make a good father.
"Wait until you hit puberty, then talk to me, okay?" Xander said, getting up and ruffling his son's hair. "I'm going to call the Grangers, then Floo the Longbottoms. We'll get everything set. Why don't you go and see what we have for dinner?" he asked as he passed by.
"Okay," Harry said, scrambling up and going to the kitchen. Maybe the day in Diagon Alley would go okay.
The next two days were filled with Xander going to Hogwarts to vet the new hires. He wanted to make sure the kids got a good education. He, Joyce and Minerva, weren't sure about the new DADA teacher, but he was the only one that applied. He looked good on paper, but his 'style' was overbearing. Still, they didn't have anyone else. They still didn't have anyone for History or Potions. No one applied at all. Xander was wondering if they even posted the advert. In reality, no one wanted to pick up the major learning deficit that was left by the former teachers.
His problem was solved when he returned the stone to the Flamels, who were at the point in their lives where they thought dying would be a good thing. Not suicidal, per se, just very tired.
"We have nothing left to learn," Nicholas lamented, looking to his lovely wife. Neither of them looked a day over forty.
"When was the last time you went to the non-magical world?" Xander asked, picking up a stray rock from the desk in front of him, then dropping it when it stung him.
"I must admit it has been quite a while. I think that Einstein fellow was just getting popular," Flamel admitted.
"Well, a lot has changed since then. Don't you use Astronomy in your calculations?" the one-eyed man asked.
"A bit," Nicholas hedged, not seeing where this was going.
"How far can you see with the magical telescope?"
"To Mars, thereabout."
"What if I told you that we can now see to the edge of the galaxy?"
To say the Flamels were gobsmacked was fair. They were completely floored.
"Come on. I'll show you a whole new world," Xander promised as he rose. And he did.
In doing so, he also got them to teach Potions and History of Magic, after consulting Albus. However, since Dumbledore knew both of them to be good teachers, he was all for it. They were neutral with the headmaster, since it was his warning that made them give up the Stone in the first place. They did have a caveat; they would teach if they could learn more about the non-magical world and amalgamate it with their lessons. Xander was all for that.
Now it was time to go to the Alley. Xander and Harry were in the Leaky Cauldron waiting for all Harry's friends. They were sipping butterbeer and just relaxing. Harry was donning blond hair and his scar was replaced on his hip, so people didn't recognize him. His friends would recognize Xander. The first family to appear was Hermione and her parents. They waved them over and spent the next few minutes catching up. Xander and Harry had kept in contact with this family all summer. Hermione spent a good deal of time with Harry, and it was by her insistence that he got the rest of his summer homework done. Which admittedly wasn't much.
The next to arrive was Neville and his gran. Neville was still enthusing about the Venus Flytraps, going on and on about how they were fed. Augusta was just primly sitting, sipping tea and listening to her happy grandchild.
Then the Weasleys entered, like a small storm in a calm sea. They loudly came to the table, the whole family was there, bar Charlie.
Xander took control. "Does anyone need to go to the bank?" he asked loudly, getting everyone's attention.
There was a lot of shaking of heads, so he moved on. "Since we have a bookworm with us, we're going to do Flourish and Blotts last. However, we should hit Second-Hand Bookshop first to see if they have what we need. Harry, let me see your list," he added, kicking himself for not looking sooner. He thought he knew what was on it, but he remembered the interview with that Lockhart fellow. If he hadn't been the only applicant, Xander would have booted him so fast his oh-so-white smile would have been left behind. As it was, he was going to keep a very close eye on the man. He took the list from Harry and saw the long list of the blowhard's books and frowned. "Okay, change of plans, we're going to Flourish and Blotts first." He was going to nip this in the bud.
Everyone gathered up their belongings and moved to the entrance of the Alley. Making their way to the bookstore, wondering why Xander was so upset. They whispered to themselves as to what it could be and followed the angry man. They decided to wait outside, just in case it got bad. The twins were pressed against the window. The others were talking to the women who were lined up.
The store was set up for a book signing event, but Xander grabbed Harry and bypassed the line. He marched up to the counter and demanded to talk to the manager. After having some words with the man about the list, he relaxed.
Xander then went outside and addressed the waiting crowd. "Listen up parents of Hogwarts students, the book list has changed. Lockhart's books are no longer a requirement. Get the standard DADA book for the grade level of your child. If you have already purchased the books, Flourish and Blotts has agreed to give you back your money in store credit." With that, he went back inside. He penned a quick note to Minerva stating just that and used the bookstore's owl to send it. A notice would be sent out that afternoon.
Lockhart, who had just come out of the back room, was flabbergasted. "I say, my good man, just who do you think you are?" he asked Xander, only seeing the back of his head.
"I am your boss," Xander said as he turned, his yellow eyes glowing with anger. "Don't you remember me from your interview? I don't know how you got your books on the list, but if you want people to buy them, you will not be using the school to do it. Fly on your own merit, jerkface," he said menacingly, destroying the image with the babyish name, but he was in public.
"Oh, Ummm, Mr. Harris, how lovely to see you again," the fop tried to recover.
"I'd say the same, but it's not," Xander disagreed. "Come on, Harry, let's get to the other stores," he said to Harry, leading him out of the store.
"Okay, Xander," Harry said, glad to be gone, but worried that this was his new Defense teacher.
They went back outside to a muttering crowd. "Let's go to the Second-Hand Bookshop, we'll get what else we need later," Xander said to his group.
The rest of the shopping went well, and at the end of the day, they went back to Flourish and Blotts. The line outside had greatly diminished, Lockhart's popularity had taken a hit. The group quickly gathered the books they still needed. They were outside, making plans for dinner, when a cultured voice interrupted them.