[A/N: Hey y'all! Thanks to everyone who's stuck with me thus far, it means the world to me. It's ironic, I'm writing a story about cooking and what am I eating while typing? A couple of slices of store bought bread with butter and a handful of berries to pick at… (sighs). I chose the name of the town in Wales simply because it was the first place that popped up in a map search with a cool sounding Welsh name. I tried to write in Minerva's Gaelic accented English but my word processor threatened to go on strike…
Chapter 5: Serving up an order of Roasted Bumblebee
Dursley Residence, just after the excitement at the Grangers' house
"Welcome to my home, Professor McGonagall," Petunia said as she unlocked and opened the front door. Harry pushed past and hurried into the kitchen muttering something about needing to check on his latest experiment; Minerva tilted her head in curiosity.
"He likes to experiment with various sauces, spices and marinades." Minerva slowly nodded her head in acknowledgment yet still clearly confused.
Petunia led Minerva into the kitchen and offered her a chair; Harry quickly wiped his hands on a towel, opened up the refrigerator and pulled out a glass pitcher filled with something green. He poured two glasses and handed them off to his aunt. Minerva peered at the glass with undisguised puzzlement.
"It's some sort of healthy drink he made after reading about it in a book his uncle got for him for his birthday. Harry's said that the book claims that it's an offering to promote good health and favorable relations. It's actually not bad tasting though it does take some time to get used to it." Petunia explained as she took a sip.
Minerva sniffed it and took a sip before grimacing, "Um, Mr. Potter? What was the name of this book?"
Harry had gone back to poking around the fridge and pulled his head back when he heard his name called, "Uhh… Lemme go get it." He let the door to the fridge close and trotted off to the cupboard under the stairs. Minerva's eyes widened dramatically and her mouth dropped open.
"He sleeps under there?!" she yelped in outrage and pointed to where Harry was bent over at the waist rummaging around for something inside.
Both Harry and Petunia looked at her like she'd just grown three extra heads, "What kind of psycho would make their kid sleep under the stairs?" Harry queried with a look of bemusement on his face before standing up with a book in hand and closing the cupboard door.
Minerva let out a gasp of relief and patted her chest with her hand, "I, I'm sorry Mr. Potter. I don't know why I automatically assumed the worst."
Petunia just shook her head; forcing a child to sleep in the cupboard under the stairs seemed like something out of a trashy crime novel.
Harry placed the book on the table and went back to his puttering in the kitchen. Minerva took one look at the title "The Modern Witch's Garden" and let out a strangled sort of laugh.
"Oh, dear. Mrs. Dursley? Mr. Potter? This book doesn't describe a drink using these ingredients; it's describing a 'blessing' to be used to consecrate an altar for rituals. You're supposed to splash the altar with the waters to promote those habits or expressions you want to occur within the ritual."
Petunia started turning as green as the juice while Harry started making gagging noises and hurried to the fridge where he pulled the pitcher out and dumped the contents into the sink and started scrubbing it out with soap and water. Minerva just chuckled at their responses.
"Don't worry about it; it happens to the best of us sometimes. Like you said, it's not bad tasting though I would refrain from experimenting with any more potions until you get to school young man."
Harry's bedroom
Minerva did get a chance to see Harry's bedroom; it located just to the left of the upstairs landing and contained all the usual trappings of a child his age and to the same level of cleanliness. Shoes lying where they were dropped, trousers carelessly draped over a chair, stacks of books (some even on shelves) and an unmade bed. In addition, there was an interesting display on the wall. It appeared to be a wooden backboard with mason jars attached at a sloping angle. Each of the mason jars were filled with soil of varying types and were labeled with the names of the plants growing in them like 'red basil, thyme, rosemary.' They were laid out in the shape of a capital 'H.'
"Nice display you have here, Mr. Potter. Very pungent," Minerva complimented him as he tried in vain to kick a few cartoon printed pants under his bed. Petunia nudged him and shook her head in dismay.
"Thank you, Professor. I love my herb garden wall. My uncle and I built it this past summer. I also have a greenhouse in the backyard and a regular vegetable garden too. It's important to have fresh herbs and vegetables when making food."
Harry was making tea for their guests while Petunia hosted Minerva in the lounge. She explained to the older woman the history over the past ten years since Harry had arrived. Petunia admitted that the thought of treating Harry poorly had crossed her mind for all of a mere second but attributed that to the compulsion placed in the letter from the headmaster. She got up and retrieved the letter that was attached to Harry's basket that night.
Minerva's eyes were truly opened to the callousness that Albus had displayed in that condescending letter to the only family Harry Potter had left. She detected the remnants of the compulsion as well as a ward trigger for something else. She carefully closed the letter and took a deep breath.
"Mrs. Dursley, I am so sorry that this had to happen to you. I cannot believe that Albus Dumbledore could be so…so… that!"
"Hmph, that's not the only thing he's done since then that makes it difficult for me to allow Harry to go to that school."
Minerva's face paled, "There's more?!"
Vernon arrived home right about then and was brought up to speed on the conversation as well as whom their guest was. He confirmed that the headmaster had been playing 'sticky fingers' with Harry's financials and political name. The hard truths just kept coming and coming which threw Minerva for a complete loop. She clearly was having a difficult time assimilating the knowledge that Albus Dumbledore, the supposed 'Leader of the Light' would be so petty as to steal from a child, use the family name for his own gains and oppress so many disadvantaged people just to fulfill his delusional idea of the Greater Good.
"This, this is going to take me time to get through…and accept. Merlin, I had no idea! I was against Harry's placement here in the beginning because at the time I had thought that you and Lily had had a falling out. I'm glad to see that I was wrong about that; but I'm outraged that Albus was trying to capitalize on that belief! If I may ask, what are your plans for dealing with this?"
Vernon shrugged, "We haven't really decided; the Goblins are collecting as much financial evidence to prove conclusively all the misappropriations and outright theft. We want to wait until everything is assembled in a way to prevent him from wriggling out of a proper punishment, especially if it gets him removed from his positions within your world. I will tell you this, if he's still in power by the time Harry gets his letter, he will NOT be going to that school."
Minerva was invited to share a dinner with them so she could witness and sample Harry's culinary skills. She was sat on a stool in front of the kitchen counter where she'd have an unobstructed view of his talents. First thing he placed on the counter was a small shallow dish of something crunchy. She peered at the contents and asked him what it was.
"Puppy chow."
The look she gave could've frozen Hell. He just smirked and let his aunt explain that it was just a humorous name for a collection of cereal, nuts, raisins, and chocolate pieces dusted with a cinnamon-sugar topping. Proving that it was edible, Petunia took a couple of pieces and popped them in her mouth and smirked at the disbelieving look on Minerva's face.
"So what's on the menu for tonight, Harry?"
"We're having Caribbean fish and slaw tonight. Uncle Vernon, would you please make the punch?" He nodded and got up from his chair.
Minerva watched entranced as Harry began explaining as he went along, describing the steps involved with making dinner. She wished Severus would be as descriptive when 'teaching' his class!
"These fish fillets come straight from my uncle who harvested them straight from the ocean and brought them by the last time he visited," he explained as he picked and weighed 2 lbs of fish, "This recipe also works well for any type of fish or even shrimp."
Minerva glanced in the direction where Vernon was busily making the punch but Petunia corrected her. "Different uncle."
Next, he brought out a half of a head each of red and green cabbage, a couple of carrots and a red bell pepper which he proceeded to shred, "The vegetables are straight from my garden and were only picked this morning. This will be used for making the slaw."
Out came the spices, oils and canned fruits, "I normally prefer to use fresh fruits for my recipes but know realistically that some fruits just aren't available fresh this time of year here in Britain or they're too cost pro…pro… Aunt Petunia?"
"Prohibitive," Petunia supplied.
"Thanks, pro-hib-itive." He finished as he sounded out the word.
He spun around and turned on the oven to 204 degrees C then grabbed a jar of premixed ingredients from the pantry, "Again, fresh is always better but I premade this dried mix for the seafood citrus marinade a couple of months ago when I was planning out the upcoming cuisines. Best part about this is that they will keep for several months if stored in a cool, dry and dark cupboard so if plans change, I'm not stuck with rotting vegetables and whatnot." He scooped out about a quarter cup of the mix and poured it into a bowl with an equal amount of light oil, water and two tablespoons of white vinegar. He whisked it around until the mix was combined and separated a quarter cup of it. Next he added the fish and let it sit and soak for roughly fifteen minutes.
Minerva's sensitive nose picked up the scents coming from the marinade and it made her mouth water. Her feline side was practically purring with anticipation of tonight's meal! She caught Petunia's eye and could only shake her head in bemusement at the display of culinary artistry going on before her. Vernon reappeared a moment later saying that the punch was mixed and ready to be served.
Harry nodded his acknowledgement and continued with his demonstration. He finished shredding the slaw mix and tossed it with some oil, the reserved marinade and a tablespoon of raw sugar before pulling out a large serving bowl and dumping it in.
Dudley proved how good his timing was when he arrived home. Petunia told him to go wash up then set the table.
Multitasking, Harry explained his views on the benefits of fresh over frozen ingredients; he simultaneously removed the fish from the marinade and placed them in a baking dish and covered it with a sheet of aluminum foil then popped it into the oven. The timer dinged after fifteen minutes and he opened up the door and tested the fish with a fork. The flesh flaked quite easily so he removed the fish and turned off the oven.
Out came the plates as Harry arranged the fish and a healthy scooping of the slaw onto them then carried a pair to the table. Vernon brought the punch over and served a half glass to the boys but a full one to the adults. There was also a chilled pitcher of plain water for after.
One bite and Minerva was a true believer…
Wolf's Bay Campground, two days later
Remus watched as Sirius went through his new duties as the campground's reception clerk. His best friend seemed to be taking well to his new life even if there was the occasional rule breaking. One of Remus' main rules was that magic could only happen within the confines of their shared house out of view of the muggles. That said, he did catch Sirius using magic to clean the public restroom but frankly didn't say anything because it was a rather dirty job. 'Now that I think of it, it begs the question as to why I never used magic to clean that bathroom.' Shrugging it off as something to think about when he got a free moment (like that would ever happen!)
For his part, Sirius was thoroughly enjoying his new life and duties! The open land, the blue skies (when it wasn't rainy, foggy or whatnot), the ocean teeming with life was probably as close to heaven as he was going to get. It was sometimes difficult to believe that life could be so simple out here in the middle of nowhere and as far from the city life he'd grown up in. 'What did Moony call it? Oh yeah, a return to nature.' He had a few slipups in the beginning since it was his first time using a telephone or handling the cash from the campers when they came in to pay for their souvenirs or to make change for the vending machine.
"Padfoot."
Sirius turned from where he was leaning against the counter, a magazine in his hands, "Moony. What's up?"
"Just wanted to know if you had any outstanding assignments."
Sirius thought for a moment then shook his head, "Nope. All clear. Why? What's on your mind?"
Moony gave him the same grin that heralded the solution to a complicated prank during their school days, "How'd you like to go visit Harry today?" He started laughing as Sirius threw down the magazine and raced into his room to grab his bag. He sauntered in as well in a more sedate pace and continued chuckling as he watched Sirius practically vibrating in anticipation near the floo.
"Sorry to disappoint you, Pads but we won't be going via the Network. We're going to be driving there."
"Why?"
"Well, for starters, I have a couple of boxes of seafood that I need to bring to Harry. He's planning something extravagant for his best friend's eleventh birthday plus it'd do you some good to see more of the island."
Sirius gestured in a sort of 'Fine, why not?' manner and followed his friend out to his car.
Dursley Residence, Harry's greenhouse out back
It was a damp sort of day while Harry was tending to his burgeoning herb growing trays when the intercom crackled to life, "Dursley residence to Harry. Dursley residence to Harry. Come in, Harry." He snorted and hit the button with the side of his hand, "This is Harry. What's up, Dudley?"
"Mum says to finish out there and come in to clean up. We've got visitors coming in soon, over."
Harry rolled his eyes at his cousin's antics. It was always the same routine; Dudley thought he was being funny.
"Right, I'll be in, in just a minute."
"Roger that, over and out." The intercom clicked off.
He stripped off his gloves and dusted them off before hanging them on the hook next to the tool rack. Upon entering the house, he quickly washed up and was heading to the front door when he spotted Dudley getting there first.
Two men entered after being greeted by Dudley. One was Uncle Remus, the other seemed familiar; like someone out of a dream. For the life of him, Harry would never know what compelled him to ask this question.
"What smells like wet dog?"
Out in the front…
Moony and Padfoot pulled up in front of the house and got out to stretch and start unloading the car. Padfoot had been impressed with the developments of the non-magical world, especially those drive-thru restaurants. Hot food delivered directly to your vehicle! No need to get out and wait in line or deal with crowded rooms. If only they had something similar in Diagon Alley! They were greeted at the door by a blonde boy of about ten years old who introduced himself as Dudley.
As they entered, another boy appeared from around the corner. Sirius' eyes teared up as he recognized his godson. 'He's gotten so big! Merlin, is he going to like me? What should I say?'
"What smells like wet dog?"
There was only one response to that. He let out a barking laugh.
Petunia, Vernon, Dudley and Harry could only watch in puzzlement and a little trepidation as this stranger who accompanied Remus nearly fell to the floor laughing his butt off. They each glanced at each other all probably wondering the same thing: 'What the heck?'
Remus just grinned and hauled Sirius to his feet, "Petunia, Vernon and Dudley Dursley? May I introduce Sirius Orion Black? Harry? This is your godfather, also known as Padfoot of the Marauders."
"The same question almost word for word, Moony! Just like his mother!" Sirius wheezed as he tried to recover. Sighing with another brief burst of chuckles, Sirius offered his hand to the adults then turning to face Harry, "Hello, Harry. You look so much like your father, James but you got your mother's eyes."
"Thanks, Aunt Petunia has commented that our eyes are similar. It's probably why she likes keeping me around."
Petunia's eyes widened and let out a squeal of indignation. Dudley and Harry just laughed at her reaction. "You scamp. Now, take your godfather to the lounge while Remus and I deal with his packages. Dudley, you can help too." She made shooing motions with her hands.
Sirius didn't know where to begin. He kept opening and closing his mouth like a fish out of water; he had so many questions but for the life of him, didn't know where to start.
"Umm…hi… you're a lot bigger than the last time I saw you," he trailed off lamely.
Harry grinned at his attempt at humor, "Thanks, I guess. So, how are you doing? Have you recovered from your time in uh…"
"Azkaban?" Sirius shrugged unconcernedly, "I guess so. There have been a few nightmares but I think I'm getting through it pretty well. Spending my days with Moony has helped. That campground is something else, right?"
Harry let out a groan of pleasure, "I know, right? The amount of fresh fish and seafood is incredible! The foraging there is spectacular. I want to move out there someday, it'd be wonderful to catch my food the day I need it."
An eyebrow rose on Sirius' face, the look that appeared was one that Harry recognized from everyone that had never been apprised of his unique talent. He just returned Sirius' incredulous stare with a smug look.
The others came into the room and Sirius leaned over to Remus and whispered, "He cooks?"
Over the next several hours, Sirius was incorporated into the warm family dynamic that was the Dursleys, Harry and to some extent, Remus. Petunia decided to bring out the baby photos of Harry growing up much to the boy's audible displeasure.
"Aww come on, Aunt Petunia! Whyyyy…." He groaned and buried his blushing face into his arms. Dudley poked at him laughingly while Vernon fixed them a non-alcoholic drink.
"Harry, be nice. Mr. Black here needs to get caught up on the past ten years of you being utterly adorable," Petunia replied with an overly sweet voice that promised many hours of embarrassing torture for the boy before pointing to a picture of him being bathed in the kitchen sink with a frilly bathing cap on his head.
"Don't worry, pup. I got plenty of embarrassing stories of your dad from when we were in school," Sirius said comfortingly. Harry perked up at that, he hadn't heard many stories of his father while growing up. (Most because Petunia didn't know any.)
Opening the album, Petunia began her narration into Harry's embarrassing past.
"So for the next week, all Snivellous had to wear was that frilly dress James picked up from the children's clothing store!" Sirius laughed as he told the punch line of the time James pranked a class mate of theirs. He was still chuckling but sobered up when he spotted the disapproving look on Harry's face. "Pup?"
Harry shrugged, "It just sounds like bullying to me. Pranks should be funny to both sides, not embarrassing like that one was."
Remus interjected then, "What you have to understand is that Severus gave as good as he got, sometimes worse. It was also a time of war in the later years. If we could disrupt the morale and recruiting practices of the dark side members, we would do so willingly."
Harry still looked pensive but let it go for now, "What was the most embarrassing attempt by my dad in trying to get my mum to pay attention to him?"
Both Remus and Sirius let wide grins appear on their faces…
Dinner that night was, in Harry's mind, a simple affair. A shrimp wonton soup for the starters, followed by a teriyaki chicken bowl with spiced rice, steamed vegetables and chow mein on the side. For dessert, he pulled out a heavenly cookies and cream ice cream sandwich cake. Sirius kept glancing at him with a strange look on his face. Harry finally broke down and asked him what was with the looks.
"It's just that your parents weren't all that great in the kitchen, I'm just trying to figure out where you got your skill from."
Vernon chuckled, "As far as we can guess, the talent in the kitchen probably skipped a generation. Remus here said the same thing." Remus made an agreeing noise as he finished his slice of cake.
Harry sat up a bit proudly, "I overheard something Aunt Petunia said to you, Uncle Vernon a while back that fits my style I think. Take a trip around the world and never leave your kitchen! There are so many places I'd love to go to someday and if all I can do right now is just cook up a sample of their cuisine, I'll do it."
Dursley Residence
A letter arrived with the morning mail rush from Gringotts. It was a thick envelope stamped with 'IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS, EYES ONLY' in large red letters. Interestingly there weren't any signs of postage which meant hand delivery. Petunia glanced outside to see if there was a courier leaving but spotted no one.
"Package from Gringotts, Vernon. No postage either which could only mean a courier but I didn't see anyone," she said as she handed over the envelope.
"They must have their own delivery system. Nice of them not to use an owl or something conspicuous," he replied while opening the package.
Inside was a rather lengthy letter outlining some suspiciously new activity against the account by Dumbledore; new offshore accounts that had been opened using variations of their names and the monies being funneled into them, new book contracts being written in Harry's name but using Albus as the point of contact, and the final kicker was the bribes being passed out to make sure all of this was passed quietly in the Wizengamot. Petunia saw one line item that had her blood boiling…
"A marriage contract?" she hissed angrily, "He penned a marriage contract in Harry's name to someone he doesn't even know?! This is too much, Vernon. It's time to let the Goblins wage financial war on that bastard."
"I agree, Pet but let's contact Remus first so he's not blindsided when this hits the fan." She agreed and went for the phone.
Remus was incensed as well and agreed with the Dursley adults that the Goblins should be unleashed, "We should also write up a statement to be sent to the Daily Prophet as well as the DMLE. Both are going to want to know. The DMLE can press legal charges against everyone involved while the newspaper will bring this scandal to the public's awareness. Nothing gets a politician to move faster than angry voters."
The Dursleys and Remus stopped in to Gringotts the next day while the boys were at school. The look on Daggerclaw's face could only be described as 'vicious.' He started barking out orders into his intercom for the Accountant Horde to mobilize.
The open letter to the Daily Prophet went out a day later and if Voldemort himself were seen dancing in a tutu to Swan Lake, it wouldn't hold a candle of a spectacle than that of the public's response to Albus' thievery from their savior, Harry Potter.
'Dear People of Magical Britain,
My name is Harry Potter and I am writing you this letter with the aid of my aunt and uncle as part of my outrage that Albus Dumbledore has been discovered to be stealing from my family's accounts and vaults for his own personal gain. Amongst such items is a large amount of gold and jewelry, he's penned several contracts for books and stories written about my alleged adventures around the world. I can personally tell you that I've not once traveled the world. The farthest I've ever been from home is to Cornwall for a bit of camping and fishing. Additionally, Albus Dumbledore has penned a marriage contract for some witch I've never met before! I don't know about you but anyone who signs such a contract sight unseen needs to have their heads examined. On top of all that, Albus Dumbledore has used my name to pass laws that would be used to oppress those of mixed race, nationality, sex, and abilities. He's also used my name to reject laws that would make things easier for incoming muggle born or raised to integrate into the magical community.
It's my belief that ALL magical children regardless of their blood status, be they of mixed heritage or suffer from an easily treatable recurring disability should be offered a place at Hogwarts. To deny anyone of an education because of something that is beyond their control is totally unacceptable.
If things continue as they are then I, along with my guardians, will be taking a long, hard look as to whether or not staying within Britain is worth the hassle. I call upon the readers of this publication to send in their responses to their representatives and tell them that Albus Dumbledore should be removed from all offices of power.
It is for the Greater Good.
(signed) Harry Potter, Head of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Potter; Heir Presumptive of the Noble and Ancient House of Black
Owls carrying red-enveloped Howlers flocked into the newspaper's head office as well as flooding the Ministry to vent their owners' outrage over the scandal that the supposed 'Leader of the Light' was nothing more than a common thief and those Warlocks on the Wizengamot who took the bribes should be strung up by their toes and beaten around their heads.
19 September 1990
Hermione burst out of her room full of energy. She was officially eleven years old today and nothing was going to bring her down! Her parents wished her a happy birthday and even joking suggested that she might consider taking the day off from school. She responded maturely by sticking her tongue out at them and blowing a raspberry. After being dropped off by her mum at school, she dashed in and went in search of Harry and Dudley.
She found Dudley hanging from the monkey bars on the playground but saw no signs of Harry, "Where's Harry?"
"Kitchens," came his upside down reply, "Said he needed to keep your surprise chilled or something." He gripped the bar with his hands and flipped his legs off cleanly, landing with a flump, "Whoa, head rush…"
The bell rang then so Hermione guided a slightly dizzy Dudley to their classroom.
Harry appeared not too long after the class got underway. He waved to their teacher and took his seat. Hermione sat there and stared at him with an expectant look on her face. He did his best to ignore her but eventually giggled and turned to face her.
"Good morning, Hermione. How are you?"
"Harry…" she growled at him.
With wide 'innocent' eyes and a slight tilt to his head, "Yes, Hermione?"
She gave him her best 'Hermione Granger Glare of Death,' "Isn't there something you care to wish me?"
Harry tapped his chin with a finger in thought, "Well, I can't think of a reason what could be so important today," She pulled her hand up like she was going to whap him on the arm, he couldn't hold back any longer and laughed out loud, holding his hands up in submission, "Sorry, couldn't help it! Happy birthday Hermione!"
She whapped him on the arm anyways in indignation of having to put up with such 'boys.'
Down in the cafeteria for lunch…
Miss Bomberg led her charges into the cafeteria and announced that today they would be celebrating Hermione's birthday lunch here. Cheers went up and all eyes slid over to Harry who put on his best 'who me?' look but finally relented when Dudley pushed him towards the kitchen door. When he returned, Harry along with the rest of the kitchen staff wheeled out carts laden with plates of roasted chicken and cheese lasagna, jicama dill potato salad and fruit-sweetened chocolate cake! Each student got a serving of each along with a carton of milk (they were still at school after all!) and sang the happy birthday song to Hermione. Her cake had eleven candles arranged in a halo and it lit up her blushing face perfectly.
As usual whenever someone took a bite of Harry's cooking, they were hooked and usually making some sort of noise in pleasure. The room was a cacophony of mumbles, sighs and whispers.
Late October, Dursley residence
Both Sirius and Remus had arrived to ask for permission to take Harry to Godric's Hollow to see where he used to live and to visit his parents' graves for a bit of closure and have him stay overnight at the campground. Vernon was surprised that they drove all the way from Cornwall to ask but Sirius explained that Remus drove in while he apparated to a tracking charm attached to Moony's car in so they could learn the coordinates if they ever needed to make a portkey. This led into a discussion of what a portkey was and how it was made; Vernon marveled at the possibilities for said devices. When asked to clarify he replied that from a logistical perspective, using a portkey to deliver critical supplies nearly instanteously would be a godsend.
"Why don't you just use a topographical map of the area to create this portkey?" Vernon inquired, looking at Remus who shrugged and replied it had something to do with a person's magic to be able to anchor the portkey's starting point.
Petunia asked Remus how they would be getting there but vetoed the idea of taking that monstrosity on wheels known as the Knight Bus.
"There has to be a safer way, Remus. What about by car?"
Remus tilted his head and pursed his lips in thought, "I guess we can. Godric's Hollow is in Wales so it's not that far. About the same distance as it is to the campground I reckon.
"How do you know about the Knight Bus?" Sirius asked her.
"I took a trip once with Lily about a year after she graduated. It left enough of an impression on me that I wouldn't wish that deathtrap on anyone," she replied with a shudder.
"Where is Godric's Hollow anyway? I couldn't find it on a map," Vernon asked Remus.
"You wouldn't. The town is mostly magical and there are town-wide wards up to discourage outsiders. There is a sign on the highway to it but it's so unobtrusive that most people blink and they miss it."
"What's the name of the nearest non-magical town then?"
"Umm… Merthyr Tydfil, I think? Definitely within Wales, for sure."
"Hey, Harry!" Vernon bellowed towards the kitchen however there was no response. Vernon picked up the telephone and dialed the intercom number and called his nephew's name again.
"Yes, Uncle Vernon?"
"Where are you?"
"Greenhouse, magical side. What's going on?"
"Have you ever made Welsh cuisine before?"
"Umm…no. I don't think so. I'd have to check my notebooks. Why?"
"Remus and Sirius are here and want to take you to Wales for a special trip. I just got curious if you ever made any of their dishes."
"They're here? I'll be right in!" Click! The line went dead.
Vernon chuckled to himself at the boy's enthusiasm and waited for Harry to come bouncing into the room.
Harry came bouncing into the lounge all smiles, "Hey Uncles Sirius and Remus! Are we really going on a trip? Just the three of us?"
Sirius looked smug at getting top billing, "That's right, pup. Go wash your hands and put on a jacket so we can get going."
With a loud cheer, Harry threw his hands in the air then bolted for his bedroom. The adults snickering behind him at his enthusiasm.
"What time do you figure you'll be done?" Petunia inquired.
Sirius shrugged, "It shouldn't take us all that long. Most of it will probably be recovering from crying and memories. We'll probably stop in to see where they're buried too."
"Okay and he'll probably be too emotional for anything else either." Harry came thumping down the stairs again and slid to a stop in front of the group with an expectant yet happy look on his face.
"Harry? Do you have anything you could take for the journey to Wales? Some finger foods and maybe a thermos of tea?" Petunia inquired gently.
"Ooh! Be right back." He dashed off into the kitchen. They heard the sounds of the fridge being opened then slammed shut and the sound of a cooler being retrieved from the cabinet; Harry dashed back out a couple of minutes later.
"Ready."
Godric's Hollow
The ride itself was a mixture of quiet trepidation (Sirius and Harry were still getting used to one another) and excited energy. It wasn't the first time that Harry had ridden in a car with his Uncle Moony but they were now going somewhere other than the store! Sirius kept up a running dialogue about some of the things that the Marauders got up to while in school as well as some of their best and worst subjects.
"Because of that sensitive nose of his, Moony here is terrible at potions yet if you ever need help in arithmancy, it's him you should seek out. My talents lay in ancient Runes and astronomy, not surprising considering that my family had a predisposition to naming their children after astronomical objects.
"What are ancient runes?" Harry asked, intrigued.
"Runes are a symbol based language that roughly arose first in the Mesopotamia area during the era of the pharaohs. Hieroglyphs are one such form. Another would be Elder Futhark, first developed in the regions of what is now Germany and Poland. Each symbol doesn't really correspond to a letter but more of an idea. When arranged in a certain pattern and magic is applied, the array can take the place of a wand or magical staff." Sirius explained to a wide-eyed Harry.
"I should be writing this all down," he breathed.
Sirius just smiled at him, "You got plenty of time to do that. It's a shame that the class isn't offered until your third year."
Harry pondered that, "Is there anything stopping me from learning about it beforehand?"
"No, I can't think of anything. Why?"
"I wonder if there are any runes I could inscribe into the posts around my garden to keep the bugs away?"
Sirius bobbled his head, "Possibly though it'd be tough to fine tune it so only the harmful bugs get filtered out while letting the good bugs in.
Remus got them there in good time and found a place to park on the street, a short walk away from the house itself. The two and a half wizards were quiet as they approached the fence line; each weighed down with the mounting memories of the happy home that once existed there. Sirius was the first to break down into tears.
"Oh, James! Lily, I'm so sorry that this happened to you!" He wailed, Remus patting him comfortingly on the shoulder while wiping at his own eyes. Harry just stood there silently. He reached out and touched the railing only to jump back when a signpost grew up out of the ground like a plant on speed. There was an inscription plaque dedicated to the Potter Family:
'On this spot, on the night of 31 October 1981, Lily and James Potter lost their lives. Their son, Harry, remains the only wizard ever to have survived the Killing Curse. This house, invisible to Muggles, has been left in its ruined state as a monument to the Potters and as a reminder of the violence that tore apart their family.'(1)
Harry also saw that many other well-wishers had visited the site and signed or carved their names into the sign. It touched him and brought a tear to his eyes that there were so many people whom he didn't even know who wanted him to have a good life.
At the cemetery 'kissing gate'…
Sirius managed to regain his control over his emotions with the help of both Harry and Remus, the latter of whom led the three of them to the cemetery. There were a lot of names that both men pointed out of families that would most likely have children his age or slightly older while he was at Hogwarts. There were other notable names too; Godric Gryffindor (not surprising given the town's name), Bowman Wright (Sirius said he was the inventor of the Golden Snitch and promised to explain Quidditch later), Ignotus Peverell (both men said that the name sounded familiar but neither had a definitive clue as to whom he was); they saw a grave marker for the Dumbledore family (which surprised both Remus and Sirius). (2)
The next tombstone they came across was for Harry's parents. It was tastefully done in white marble and had both James' and Lily's birth and death dates along with the inscription 'The Last Enemy that Shall Be Destroyed is Death.' (3)
There were no words. Nothing could be said; the three just sat there in a tight group in front of where James and Lily would rest for eternity.
At the 'kissing gate' again…
"My stars, is that little Harry Potter?" an ancient voice rasped. All three spun around, Sirius nearly going for his wand when they all spotted a tiny, hunched over woman peering at them through thick glasses and rheumy eyes.
"Who, who are you?" Harry asked nervously, he didn't know how anyone could recognize him with those thick glasses.
The old woman straightened as best she could, "I'm Bathilda Bagshot. I was a close neighbor of your family before that dreadful night." She waved at them to follow her, "I need to get back home, I got a stew on and I shouldn't be standing so much these days."
With a shrug, all three followed her.
The home of Bathilda Bagshot
It turned out that once inside, her eyes were much sharper than anyone gave her credit for. Harry asked her as politely as he could how she accomplished that.
"Enchantments built into the house. It sharpens the air in front of me like a lens so it acts like the perfect pair of glasses. I have to rely on those other things when I go outside." She waved her hand in disgust at the glasses and parked herself on her chair, "So… Harry Potter. The last time I saw you were just before you went into hiding with your parents. Such a good and loving couple they were! Lily and I would have many a long chat over a cup of tea about the history of the town and of magic in general."
At Harry's puzzled look, she turned to peer at the other two, "He's never been told as to who I am?"
Sirius gave an exaggerated shrug, "Frankly, ma'am, we didn't know you were still alive nor that you live here." Bathilda nodded her acceptance of that.
"Fair enough. Harry, I am the leading historian of magic and accomplished author, if I may toot my own horn as they say. I wrote the textbook for History of Magic as well as the definitive guide to Hogwarts itself!"
Harry's eyes widened comically, "Wow! You and my best friend would get along really well. She loves to read! Anything she can get her hands on too."
Bathilda smiled pleasantly, "What about you, young Harry? Do you like to read?"
Harry nodded rapidly, "Yes, I love to read adventure books, crime novels and also cookbooks."
That brought her up short and she let out a surprised laugh, "Cookbooks? Who reads cookbooks for fun?"
Both Sirius and Remus immediately pointed at Harry who smirked.
"He cooks?"
Harry just slapped his forehead and groaned.
As they were pulling up to Remus' private parking spot, Harry was excitedly and rapidly talking about how amazing it was to have met the legendary author. When they got inside, Sirius went to his room to change into something more comfortable and get out of his boots for a while; Remus got some blankets and a pillow out from storage and stacked them next to the couch. Harry chattered on about how amazing it must have been to be alive during some of the greatest events in history, muggle or magical.
"Imagine being old enough to see the railroad being developed, reading about the first airplane to take to the skies or whatever the magical equivalent would be."
Remus sat down in his favorite chair and mused thoughtfully, "That reminds me. We should start giving you a basic guide into the history of magical Britain. It'll help with your etiquette studies as well."
Sirius came in carrying three steaming hot mugs and handed one to Harry who examined it carefully, "What is it?"
Sirius shrugged, "Just a bit of coffee to warm you up. I noticed you shivering a bit earlier."
Thirty minutes later and Remus was glaring at Padfoot who watched in amazement and puzzlement as his godson blitzed around the room like he'd just downed a liter of Pepper-up. He glanced down at his mug and looked over at Moony.
"It was just a bit of coffee; I don't understand."
Harry had just bolted out the door in the direction of the paddock as Remus stood to follow, "He's most likely never had coffee before and the amount of caffeine in it is going to make him excitable for a while. It's not your fault but you should've asked first."
Harry did crash from his caffeine rush; while they were sitting at the table eating a light dinner, both Sirius and Remus heard (and felt) a loud thump on the table. Harry had faceplanted into his mashed potatoes and was quietly snoring away.
[A/N2: Well, I hope this worked and y'all liked it. For some reason, this chapter fought me so I decided to take a couple of hours for a mental health "Me time." It's amazing what a change of scenery can do for a weary mind.
(1,2, 3) Excerpts from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and online Pottermore Wiki.
Recipes Used:
Caribbean Citrus grilled fish and slaw (Yummly)
Shrimp wonton soup (Pinterest)
Teriyaki chicken bowl with spiced rice (Pinterest)
Chow mein (Pinterest)
Cookies and Cream ice cream sandwich cake (Personal)
Roasted Chicken and cheese lasagna (Personal)
Jicama Dill Potato Salad (Yummly)
Fruit sweetened Chocolate cake (Yummly)
Puppy Chow (Personal)
