Friday, 26 August, 22:20 GMT Almost 13 years ago
He watched her check her wristwatch for the umpteenth time that evening. The group of five teammates had just stepped out of the second sports bar on their last night in downtown London.
The club team, coached by Phillip Martinez, Sr. was usually reserved for student athletes who had just graduated secondary high school. The coach had made an exception for his son and the lone female player.
The two Year 12 athletes helped the Wellesley Lions win the London High School Boys Basketball Championships during the winter sports season. It was a great feat considering how they started the season.
The club team had just won the summer tournament earlier that afternoon. To celebrate, the coach gave the whole team the night on the town; with the lone caveat that they made the midnight curfew.
She hesitated as they approached the pub. "It's getting late, guys," she said.
Timoh Bahadur raised an eyebrow. "Come on, Drew. Live a little. We've graduated."
"You guys have graduated," Drew said pointing to the three older teammates. "Besides, we're all still under-aged."
"For once, do something out of character," the team captain said.
"I can't," Drew said looking at them.
"Okay," Timoh nodded for the boys to follow him into the pub.
Phil clenched his fists. He glared at her. "Why are you here?" he asked, a little crossed as the three older boys entered the adult establishment.
"I've been asking myself that the whole night," she said as she took a step back. "Look, I'm going back to the hotel."
"You're such a wet blanket," he said, throwing his arms up in the air.
"Go with the rest of the guys. I can find my way back," she said as she turned to walk down the street.
Phil clenched his jaw. He pulled his phone and quickly dialed the team captain's mobile number. "Hey, Timoh. I'm going to escort Drew back to the hotel. It's getting late."
"Ah," the older teammate said and then added with a little innuendo, "You two have fun together."
"Very funny," Phil said, already feeling his ears start to flush. "I gotta go."
Phillip rushed to her side. "You're kidding, right? Dad would kill me," he paused. "Your parents would kill me if they knew I'd let you go back to the hotel alone.
"I could call you a taxi, you know that," he offered.
"The hotel is just five blocks over," she said as she patted her pocket that held her wallet.
"You're so straight-laced," he said as he followed her down the block. "Timoh was right."
"I'm sorry," she stopped in her tracks. "I'm not as extroverted as you are. That's not in my nature."
"Yeah, no shit. Loosen up a little," he said as he followed her.
They turned down a narrow alley before he realized it. "What the hell," he said aloud. "Why'd we go through here?"
"Short cut. This will take us one block away from the hotel," she said a little uneasily.
The shadows down the alley played tricks on his mind. Not that he was afraid of the dark, but he narrowed the distance between her and himself rather quickly.
He could sense her sharp intake of breath. He wondered what was going on in her head when he saw the figure himself.
The hooded figure stepped out of the shadows. His hood fell off, revealing a young man in his twenties, clean shaven, and a tattooed bald head. Phil noticed the skull tattoo on his left inner forearm as the mugger rolled up his sleeve. It was quite interesting how the snake protruded from the skull's mouth. Then he noticed the knife in his hand; a fairly intricate design on the blade.
Drew seemed to take in a breath. Phil's heart raced. He needed to calm down, trying to figure a way out for the both of them.
"We don't want any trouble," Drew said softly as Phil watched her reach for her wallet. She gestured at Phil for him to give her his valuables.
Phillip canted his eyebrow at her. He stewed for a moment before he reached for his wallet and cellular.
He watched her hand their belongings to the assailant. She blew out a breath as she looked the mugger in the eye. "We'll go our way and you should go yours," she said trying to take a step back.
The tall assailant said nothing but kept the weapon out ready to strike. Phil knew the young man wasn't going to leave quietly.
He watched the attacker drop their belongings to the ground. Phil immediately wanted to kill the guy. Then the young man stomped on his cellular. Phillip took a step forward ready to strike.
The young man narrowed his eyes at Drew as if he was targeting her. The assailant lunged at the girl. Phil heard her gasp as he stepped in front of her. Phil looked down at his torso and then up at the young man who seemed to be in shock.
Phil started to choke as he felt the blade slice through his abdomen. The athlete slumped to the ground. Everything seemed to sound muffled. He heard Drew start to scream for help. Phil watched as the young man seemed to walk away and suddenly disappear.
He looked up at Drew who knelt next to him. "You have to go to the street to flag down some help, Drew," Phil said taking in small breaths.
"Oh, God, Phil," she said as she touched his shirt. She looked into his eyes, "Do you trust me?"
"Yeah," he said. "Go get some help."
She tore his shirt open. She touched his chest.
"What the hell are you doing?" He asked, "You're wasting time. Go get some fucking help."
He felt her hands course over his wound and then he felt her fingers in his abdomen. He looked at her questioningly. He took in a sharp breath, almost heaving; as he saw her hands work nimbly in his abdominal cavity. Then he felt calmness as he watched her hands slowly exit his body. He watched as she moved her hands over the laceration and, as if by magic, watched the long cut seem to close up.
She looked up at him, her eyes glossy. She lost her balance and leaned against him. She couldn't keep her eyes open. Phillip stood up shakily.
"Drew," he shook her shoulder.
"I need to get home, Phil," she said looking up at him.
"I'm going to flag down some help," he said, making a move toward the street just as he felt her clutch at his pant leg.
"Please don't leave me, Phil," she said, barely conscious.
"Drew," he said harshly.
"I need a family photograph from my wallet," she gulped.
Phil, thinking she was losing it, "You're going to be okay, Drew."
"Please," she looked into his face, pleadingly.
He hurried to where their attacker had dropped their wallets. He looked at his broken phone, the screen cracked where the would-be mugger had slammed his heel into it. He snuck a peek at Drew, who looked like she was growing paler by the minute.
He quickly pocketed the phone and his own wallet. He scanned her wallet for the family picture as he walked back to her. He pulled the photo from the plastic protector as he knelt next to her side.
"Here," he said handing it to her. "I have to go get help."
"Please, Phil," she said as she grasped for the photo, making sure to take a hold of his hand. "Don't let go."
Phil wanted to scream at her. She was wasting time. He needed to get her out of the alley. Then something strange happened as he held onto her hand.
The wet ground of the alley gave way to the hardwood floor of the living room in the house in the London suburb of Chiswick.
"What the hell," the young man said as he looked at his new surroundings.
o-o-o
Phil looked down at Drew as she let go of his hand, the photo slipping from her bloodstained palm. He looked up as he heard the clatter of a dish falling onto the wooden floor. He looked up to see the girl's mother looking quite shocked to see them.
Dr. Hermione Granger Malfoy rushed to their side, kneeling down as she looked from her daughter to the young man who had brought her home. Then she noticed his sliced and bloodied shirt.
"Are you wounded, Phillip?" she said looking concerned. He looked down at his shirtfront.
"I don't think so," he said slowly as he looked back up at her. "I … don't know."
"Okay, listen to me, Phil. I need you to help me bring Drew to her room," Drew's mother said as she stood up and pointed to the room behind her. She nodded as he pulled Drew into his arms. "I need to call her father."
He nodded at her as he carried Drew toward her bedroom. He entered the room. The light from the full moon filtered through the window curtains. Phillip suddenly felt the severity of the situation.
His knees buckled. He pulled her in closer to his chest as he knelt on the floor. Their clothing was wet and soiled from the alley. He took a breath before gently removing her shoes.
'Please be okay,' he kept repeating the mantra in his head as he concentrated on her face. Her eyes were shut and her face beaded with sweat. He was unsure of how long Dr. Malfoy had taken to enter the room as he saw the room brighten as Drew's mother turned the light switch on.
"Phillip," Dr. Malfoy had said as she knelt in front of the two teenagers. Phillip saw her placing a box on the floor. "Are you alright?"
He took in a breath. He looked down at Drew and then looked back up at the older woman. "Our clothes are dirty from the alley."
Dr. Malfoy nodded as she waved the eleven inch vine wood wand over her daughter. Her soiled clothes refreshed. The young man looked up at the doctor who nodded at him.
"She's burning up, Dr. Malfoy," he said as he stood up.
"Help me place her in her bed," she said as she pulled the covers down. He placed her gently down. She started to wave her wand hand over her daughter. "I need to get her core temperature down."
Phillip watched his friend tremble for a moment. Beads of sweat rolled down her forehead. Dr. Granger blew out a breath as if she knew the girl's fever broke.
"We need to get you checked, too, Phillip," she said as she nodded for him to lie on the floor.
He looked up at the ceiling as he lay on his back. Dr. Malfoy looked at his sliced shirt stained red by his blood. She lifted it off his abdomen, studying his skin. He watched her turn on the box that she had brought into the room.
"Phil, this is a medical scanner, sort of like a sonogram machine," she said as she pulled a tube out. "I'm placing some gel on your abdomen. I want to see if there is any internal bleeding."
He nodded as he felt the cool gel on his stomach area. He took in a sharp breath as he felt the paddle on his skin. He looked over at the monitor as Dr. Malfoy moved the scanner around.
"No bleeding, no scar tissue either," Dr. Malfoy said after a few minutes. She blew out a breath as she looked up to see her husband walk into the doorway. She waved her wand over the boy's clothing to cast the cleaning spell and the repairing spell, Reparo.
"We got here as soon as we got the message," he said as he looked down at the young man.
"Phillip," Dr. Malfoy said as she helped the young man to a seated position. "You remember Drew's father, Draco Malfoy."
The young man stood up and shook the platinum blonde's hand. "Nice to see you again, Sir."
"Phillip, this is, uh," the Hogwarts professor said as he pointed to his travel companion. "Mr. Harry Potter, Drew's uncle. He works for the Ministry's Law Enforcement Division."
Phillip gulped, as if he needed to feel guilty. The scarred wizard shook the young man's hand.
"Phillip, Mr. Potter's going to ask you a few questions about what happened, okay," Mr. Malfoy said as the boy nodded his head. "I know you might have a lot of questions about the strange things you saw tonight. We'll try to do our best to answer them for you, alright."
Phillip nodded. He looked at his watch. "Dad's doing a bed check in ten minutes," the teenager said.
"Okay Phillip," Dr. Malfoy said. "Why don't you and Mr. Potter head out to the living room. We'll call your father in a few minutes, okay."
Phillip nodded before following the wizard out of the room. Mr. Potter led the young man to the couches. The two took a seat. Phillip looked back at Drew's parents. He watched as Drew's father hugged his wife after they said a few words to each other. Dr. Malfoy nodded at her husband as she exited the room.
"Phillip, why don't we call your father," she said as she handed him the receiver to the landline. "Tell him you accompanied Drew home in a taxi; that she wasn't feeling well. She might be suffering from food poisoning or something."
Phillip gulped but nodded at the older woman as he dialed his father's mobile. He shut his eyes for a moment as he listened to the phone ring.
"Hermione?" Mr. Phillip Martinez said as he recognized the home phone number of the Malfoy residence.
"No, it's me, Dad," the younger Martinez said.
"Phillip?"
"Yeah," Phil gulped, "I brought Drew home. She didn't feel well. We think it's food poisoning. Dr. Malfoy's tending to her now."
"Is she going to be alright?" his father asked, concerned.
"Here's Dr. Malfoy," Phillip said as he handed the receiver to his friend's mother.
"Hey, Phillip," Dr. Malfoy said. "The kids came home. I think Drew's come down with the stomach flu. She should be fine in another couple of days.
"It's getting late, though," she said as she nodded at the young man as Draco entered the living room. "I'll drop Phillip off at the hotel around 8:30 tomorrow morning when I come to pick up Drew's belongings."
"That sounds like a plan," the veteran coach said as he stepped out of the lift on the team's floor. "Say 'good night' to the kids for me."
"I will do that," Hermione said as she hung up the phone. She blew out a breath before nodding to the two wizards. She turned and disappeared into Drew's bedroom.
The two wizards looked at the teenager. Draco took a seat next to the young man. "Shall we get started?" the platinum blonde wizard said as he nodded to his former adversary. "Mr. Potter is going to take your statement now, Phillip."
"Just say whatever happened, no matter how strange it seemed, alright," the Ministry Auror said as he pulled out a self-inking quill and a long roll of parchment. "This will take down everything you say, so just keep talking."
Phillip looked at the scarred wizard with skepticism. "Okay, where do I start?"
"Why don't you start a few moments before the incident," Harry Potter said as he nodded at the boy.
"Dad gave us the night off after we won the championship this afternoon," he said as he watched the pen and the parchment floating in the air. "The older boys usually have no time for the younger kids. Drew actually wanted to come with.
"So the five of us had dinner and then we crawled from sports bar to sports bar," Phillip said. He gulped, "Then the older boys suggested a seedy looking pub. The boys went in.
"Drew decided she would rather head back to the hotel," he said, shrugging. "I figured I'd accompany her. She left her mobile in the hotel to charge and she wouldn't let me call her a cab."
"Okay," Mr. Potter nodded.
"We entered the alley where the mugger showed up," the young man said.
"Phil, tell us about the assailant," the bespectacled wizard said.
"He was white, bald. He held a knife. I don't know what else to say," Phillip shrugged his shoulders.
Harry smiled at him. "It's okay, Phillip," the wizard said. "I'm going to ask you to close your eyes for a moment. I'm going to walk you through a few things, okay."
Phillip nodded at the wizard and did what he was told. He shut his eyes and took a deep breath.
"Alright, Phillip, take a look at the man from top to bottom. Tell me about his head," Harry said calmly.
"He's bald," Phillip said squinting his already closed eyes. "He has a skull on his head, right side."
Harry nodded at Draco. Harry prodded the young man, "Was the skull colored?"
"No Sir. It was an outline," the young man said.
"Look at his face for a moment. Can you tell what color his eyes are?"
"They're dark, Sir. I'm not exactly sure what color, though."
"Okay, that's alright," Harry said. "Are there any other tattoos that you see?"
"His right fist, it's inked, all black. Wait, it looks like a snake's head," Phillip said, canting his head.
"Okay, Phillip. How far up his arm did the tattoo go?"
"Just to his wrist," Phillip said.
"Any other markings that you can see?"
"On his other arm," Phillip turned his head to the right. "There's a skull. Also there's a stick coming out of it's mouth."
Harry looked at Draco for a moment as Phillip opened his eyes. The young man took in a deep breath.
"It wasn't a stick," Phillip said as he looked at the Ministry Auror. "It looks like a snake."
Draco inhaled deeply as he picked at his left sleeve, coursing over his own Dark Mark. He took a peek at Harry who tried to hide his concern. Harry nodded at the teenager.
"Tell us what happened next," Harry said.
The young man shrugged. "Drew stepped in front of me. She probably thought I was going to charge at the guy.
"She told him we didn't want any trouble," Phillip said as he started to clench and unclench his fists. "She looked at me and stuck out her hand as she pulled her own wallet out.
"I rolled my eyes at her. But, I pulled my wallet and mobile out of my pockets and handed them to her.
"She handed the items to the guy. He sneered, just looked at us. He dropped our stuff on the ground and he stomped on my phone.
"He was eying Drew out," Phillip said as he looked at the scarred wizard. "He, uh, looked like he wanted to do something awful.
"He, um, kept adjusting his grip on the knife handle in his left hand."
"Phillip," Harry interrupted. "Tell us about the knife. Was it a switchblade, a kitchen knife?"
"No, it was more like a hunting knife," the young man said. "Or a double-edged type, maybe a dagger."
"How long was the blade, Phillip?"
"I don't know, maybe six inches long. There was a design on it."
"In black ink?" Harry asked.
The young man shook his head. "No, like it was etched."
"Okay," Harry said as Hermione walked in from the kitchen carrying four bottles of water. Harry nodded at his old friend as she took a seat next to him. Harry continued. "Phillip, could you describe the design?"
Phillip shut his eyes and concentrated. "It looks like letters. An I, R, S, E, eight. No wait, an S," he said as he opened his eyes. But not before the three adults looked at each other. Harry kept his composure as he looked at the young man intently.
"Okay, take us back to that alley, Phillip. Tell us what happened next."
The young man gulped. "The guy advanced on us. He lunged. I stepped in front of Drew.
"I could feel the knife point pierce the skin on my abdomen," the young man almost wretched. "I looked down to see most of the blade in me. He raked it across and, I don't know, I started to get queasy. There was blood gushing out. I think my knees gave way and I could feel my back hit the wall.
"I think I heard Drew screaming. The guy panicked and started to run down the alley. I think I saw him disappear into thin air," he said as he looked at all three of the adults. "Maybe I was going crazy, by then."
Harry smiled at the young man as he nonchalantly forwarded the parchment paper, leaving some space before he allowed the enchanted quill to touch its tip to the paper. Harry nodded at the young man to continue.
"I looked at Drew. I could see the distress in her eyes. I told her to go to the street to get some help," Phillip said as he took a breath. He gulped. "She asked me if I trusted her. In my head, I was screaming at her for wasting time. But then I told her, 'yes, I did trust her.'
"The next thing I knew, she ripped my shirt open," he said as he touched the shirt that Dr. Malfoy had magically cleaned and repaired earlier. "She placed her hands in the wound and I could feel her in me.
"Her hands were stained with my blood as she pulled them out of me. I could feel her run her hands over the wound. And then I felt a calming feeling.
"She looked pale as she looked into my eyes. Then she pitched forward into my chest. She felt like she was burning up.
"She kept saying she needed to get home. I was going to go to the street to flag down some help, but she kept insisting I grab the family photo from her wallet.
"I thought she was crazy. But I went to grab our stuff," he said as he pulled his wallet and broken mobile out of his pockets and placed them on the coffee table. "I pulled the mobile and our wallets off the ground and grabbed the photo from her wallet. I crouched down by her and handed the photo to her, and she told me not to let go. The next thing I knew we ended up here."
The three adults blew out a collective breath. Hermione looked at her oldest friend. Harry waved his wand and the quill stopped coursing. The parchment rolled up by itself and landed in Harry's palm. The wizard stood up. The other two Wizarding folk looked up at him.
"I'll file this report with our Law Enforcement Division. We'll get the description out to our Muggle liaison with the Muggle London police force. You did good, Phillip."
"Okay," Phillip said softly.
"Draco, Hermione, I'll see you at Sunday dinner next week," Harry nodded at the pair.
"Of course," Hermione said as Draco stood up to walk with him to the fireplace to see him off.
Phillip watched as the platinum blonde put his arm around the other man. Mr. Malfoy shook his head as if declining some sort of invitation that the Ministry Auror offered. The brown-haired man seemed to kindle the fire and the flames seemed to glow green. Phillip took in a breath as he watched him step into the fire and disappear as he said something.
"I know you probably have some questions for us," Dr. Malfoy said as she handed a water bottle to her daughter's friend. Phillip took the bottle and drank half of it as Mr. Malfoy sat back down.
"The earth is home to at least two worlds living concurrently," the platinum blonde man started. "The Wizarding world, a world full of magic and magical people and the Muggle World, full of non-magical beings such as yourself."
"You might see at times on the London streets, strange folk dressed in long robes or cloaks," Dr. Malfoy said as she looked at the young man. "Sometimes we Wizarding folk have a hard time blending in."
Mr. Malfoy let out a small laugh. Dr. Malfoy smiled. She continued, "There are those whose families have been a part of the Wizarding world since the beginning. These witches and wizards are considered to be of Pureblood.
"Mr. Malfoy is from one of those early families," Dr. Malfoy said as Mr. Malfoy squeezed her hand.
"Then there are witches and wizards who are at the other end of the spectrum," Mr. Malfoy began as he nodded at the teenager. "They are first generation Wizarding folk who do not have any ancestors with Wizarding blood. We call these wizards and witches Muggle-borns.
"Mrs. Malfoy," the former Slytherin smiled at his wife, "is a Muggle-born; which makes our children Half-bloods.
"I met Mrs. Malfoy at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry when we were eleven," he smiled, knowing how different their relationship was at the beginning. "I teach there now and that's where Drew's brothers are learning how to use their wands to cast spells."
Phillip looked at the older couple incredulously. He blew out a breath. "Has it become an all-boys school now?"
Mr. Malfoy canted his head at him, pondering his question. Mrs. Malfoy squeezed her husband's hand. She answered, "It's the school's magic that chooses its student candidates after their eleventh birthday."
"Drew never received an acceptance letter," Mr. Malfoy said. Dr. Malfoy nodded at her husband. "She's what we would call a Squib, someone from a Wizarding family who hasn't received any formal wizarding training."
"Drew's been able to maneuver through both Wizarding and Muggle world seamlessly," Dr. Malfoy said.
"All of our kids were given the choice of telling anybody about our family," Mr. Malfoy said. "For her brothers, this was easy enough. All of their close friends are part of the Wizarding world. Drew's situation is slightly different."
"It's hard enough trying to fit in when you're different," Dr. Malfoy said nodding at the boy. Phillip nodded in agreement. "I'm sure she would have told you soon enough."
"I know it's a lot to take in, Phillip," Mr. Malfoy said as he waved his wand over Phillip's mobile casting Reparo. He stood up. Dr. Malfoy nodded as she stood up as well. He nodded for Phillip to pick up his belongings. "It's getting late, don't you think? Dr. Malfoy's going to show you to one of the guest rooms upstairs."
"Mr. Malfoy's right," she said as she nodded for the young man to follow her. "A good night's rest will do you some good, Phillip."
Mr. Malfoy watched as his wife led the young man up the steps. He blew out a breath before heading to his daughter's room to check on her.
Phillip followed Drew's mother up the stairs and turned into the right hallway. Dr. Granger opened the last door at the end.
"Here Phillip," Dr. Granger turned the light switch on. "There's a full bath if you'd like a shower. We'll leave tomorrow at 8 a.m. to get to the hotel by 8:30."
Phillip nodded his head as he watched her leave down the corridor. He took in a breath as he shut the door to the room. He took a pass on the shower. He stripped to his boxers and slid under the covers.
'This is all a dream,' he thought to himself as his head hit the pillow. His eyelids hung heavy as he gave way to slumber.
o-o-o
Saturday, 27 August, 08:00 Almost 13 years ago
Phillip had awoken at 7:30 a.m. and quickly took a shower. He looked at his stomach in the mirror as he ran his hand over it, amazed that there wasn't even a scar. He quickly dressed, made his bed, and exited the guest room.
Dr. Malfoy was already awake, sitting on one of the couches that they had sat on the night before as she read the morning paper. She nodded at him as she stood up.
"Shall we?" she asked. Phillip nodded. He hesitated in front of Drew's room before following Dr. Malfoy out of the house.
o-o-o
Saturday, 27 August, 08:30 Almost 13 years ago
"Hermione," Phillip Martinez, Sr. kissed Hermione on both cheeks as he spotted both his son and the good doctor by the lift. "How's Drew?"
"She's still under the weather," Hermione said.
"Well, I'm sure she'll shake this thing soon enough," Mr. Martinez smiled. "Will you be joining the team for breakfast?"
"I'm afraid not," Hermione smiled. "I'd like to get back home as soon as possible."
Mr. Martinez nodded. "Phil, why don't you go upstairs and help Mrs. Malfoy with Drew's things."
"Will do, Dad," the young man said as he held the lift doors open.
When the doors closed and the lift went on its upward ascent, Phil finally spoke, "Don't worry Dr. Malfoy, your family's secret is safe with me."
Dr. Malfoy nodded at the young man. The pair stood quietly listening to Muzak as the carriage zoomed upwards.