Chapter 20: In the Summertime
"Harry! What the hell's going on?!" Sirius shouts as he enters my flat. "What's that noise?"
"Sirius!" I beckon him over. "A petrol generator! The formula needs power!" Currently set up in the centre of the room is a large cauldron, full of water, and a Honda generator. The discarded jerry can sits by the sofa.
"What are you doing?" He shots over the roaring.
"Alchemy!" I point to the leads connected to the generator. "These transfer the power through those copper rods, which powers the reaction!"
"Should they be glowing?" I turn my attention to the red hot conducting rods.
"Probably not!" I pat the generator. "Hang in there buddy." I point to the cauldron, which is now bubbling. "This is where the reaction happens! Normally it'd take weeks, so I'm using a catalyst!" I point to the jar in the centre of a chalk circle on the floor. "Ideally it would be crushed pixie wings, but I don't have any!"
"What are you using instead?" He calls.
"Sand!"
"Sand?!" The cauldron starts to rock.
"Sands of time?" I shrug. "I don't know, shoulda seen the muggles faces when I nicked a bucket from the park!"
"What are you making though?" He takes a step back.
"The water is going to turn into pure petroleum!"
"Petroleum?"
"Petroleum!" I cheer.
"What the fuck is petroleum?!"
"It's-" The generator starts to sputter and shake. "No! No! Too soon!" I quickly grab the jerry can and pour the remaining fuel into the funnel. "Here we go! Stand back!" I roll my sleeve up and extend my hand towards the cauldron, touching the mithril ring to it. Steam quickly bursts out, filling the air in a split second just as the generator lets out a loud bang as it gives up.
"Harry?" Sirius becomes visible as the steam settles. We are both wet. The copper rods have melted into pools on the floor and the jar that held the sand appears to have been obliterated. The generator starts to smoke.
"Safety first." I point my wand and extinguish the fire on the generator. "You alright? No glass in your legs or eyes?" He shakes his head.
"Did it work?" He asks as we lean over opposite sides of the cauldron. "Where'd it all go? It was full."
"A lot turned into steam and into the air..." I quickly conjure a glass and dunk it into the cauldron. "And some of it was used up and transmuted into petrol."
"But there's not even a full glass left." He wrinkles his face as he sniffs the glass.
"Well sorry for not being Nicolas Flamel, but I think I did quite well for my first attempt." I flick my wand and the petrol coils out of the cauldron and into the, now up-righted, jerry can.
"Wait, you used all that petrol to make a tiny amount?"
"Impressive, right?" I screw the cap back on. "I can work out a more efficient method in the future, but that's as good as it can get with these materials." I crouch next to the generator. "Not bad for fifty quid, the guy thought it was broken." I turn to Sirius. "You don't know what petrol is?"
"My bike doesn't use it any more, you said 'petroleum' too." He shrugs. "In my defence, it was a very stressful environment, so I think I'm allowed to forget what muggles put in their cars."
"Reparo." The generator groans and clicks as it puts itself back together again. "Once I get a feel for the finer points, I'll be able to do a much more efficient transmute, maybe a higher yield with a proper catalyst. I just wanted to make sure I had something in that slot, rather than making it blank."
"And you chose sand?"
"It was poetic." I shrug. "It's difficult to reverse engineer these things. Flamel used a focus that was also a power source, mine works very differently." I stand up and dust my hands off. "What brings you to my humble abode?" I push the cauldron and generator to the edge of the room.
"One of the girls in the mansion said her sister's daughter got her Hogwarts letter this morning." He explains.
"Finally weaselled your way into the mansion then?" I smirk as I pick up today's post.
"I didn't weasel into anything. I just … bought the whole company." He grins.
"Here we go." I toss the letter to Sirius. "'The Monster book of Monsters'? The hell does that mean?"
"What do you mean?" He frowns. "You've not even opened it." I roll my eyes and look at him impatiently. "Oh right – 'I-Know-Everything Potter'. Forgot." He tears the envelope open as I drop into my armchair.
"I'll wait til Hermione's back and get this year's stuff with her. Don't look at me like that, It'll give us a chance to catch up before school."
"Oh yeah. 'Catch up'. Of course." He pretends to be engrossed in the letter.
"Piss off." I throw my shoe at him.
"Oi!"
"I was thinking of going clothes shopping soon."
"Yeah?"
"With Tonks." He winces.
"Take it from your old Godfather – That's a terrible idea."
"What's a terrible idea?" Tonks appears at the top of the stairs.
"She's got a sixth sense for that." Sirius mutters.
"I was going to ask your to marry me, Tonks. But Sirius doesn't think it'd work out." Tonks sits on the arm of my chair.
"I'd have to start being called 'Potter'." She muses aloud.
"Maybe Nymphadora Potter." She wrinkles her nose at my suggestion.
"Spill the beans then." She says. "Smells of petrol in 'ere too. Either Sirius is sniffing, or your little experiment worked."
"You knew about this?" Sirius exclaims.
"'Course I did. Who'd ya think bought the petrol?" She grins.
"Against Sirius' advice, I was going to get some new clothes and I wondered if you could come along so I don't end up looking like a clown."
"Sure! Hermione gets back on the 20th, I'm not working that day either."
"Hermione? That wasn't the-"
"Thanks, Harry!" She bends down and kisses my cheek before walking into the kitchen.
"It won't be that bad, will it?" I look over at Sirius' face.
"I'll put your violin in your coffin." He says solemnly.
If my first mistake was planning this trip at all, the second would have been letting Sirius give Tonks a big sack of galleons. "Get something for yourself too." Before I could wipe the grin off his face, Tonks had dragged me out into Diagon Alley. Hermione had met us in the Leaky Cauldron, looking a lot different than she did before the summer, and quickly agreed to accompany us for the whole day. Tonks had said that Sirius hadn't specified that Hermione wasn't included in the budget, and arguing with Tonks is impossible, so Hermione had conceded and let Tonks throw clothes at her as well as me.
"Try these." Tonks hands me something leathery as she finds me once more. I'd been trying to hide at the other side of the shop. Nobody needs to try on 30 pairs of jeans.
"Are these trousers?" I ask as she pushes me towards the changing rooms.
"Yep!" I can almost hear the smile.
"I don't think these are even made for blokes." I protest. "They won't fit me."
"They're magical, of course they'll fit." She puts her hands on her hips. Dammit.
"I don't think they're my style. Why don't you try them on instead?" I suggest.
"Why don't you both try them on?" Hermione says. "I'm sure they're not the only pair in the shop."
"Great idea!" Tonks runs off to find another pair.
"I don't see you volunteering." I scowl.
"Not my style." Hermione smirks.
"I think you could make them work." I back into the changing room as Tonks arrives. "This was supposed to be a simple trip for clothes, not me playing dress doll for the two of you." I say, trying to slip my leg into the leather.
"Don't pretend you're not enjoying it." Tonks says in a sing song voice. Ok, Maybe it's not all that bad. The two of them have also tried on their fair share of … well fitting clothes. "Come on out." Tonks knocks on the door. I look … odd.
"I vote to veto these ones." I open the door. Tonks is apparently looking for a dropped contact or something. Right in front of me; She wears them much better than I do.
"What do you think, Harry?" She straightens up and spins on the spot, almost tripping over. They are very, very snug.
"Well, you look a lot better than me." I mimic the spin. "A bit tight around the … well everything really."
"I think I'll get these." Tonks twists her body to view the,uh, behind. She goes to the front to buy them.
"Stop staring, Harry." Hermione says.
"I'm not sure if that's actually possible." She lets out an exasperated sigh. "Is it possible to use a sticking charm on-"
"Harry!"
After spending a healthy, or perhaps unhealthy, chunk of the money Sirius have us, We head to Magical Menagerie – Hermione wants a cat, Her parents had said they couldn't get one abroad and bring it back.
"What kind of cat are you after?" I ask her. "Fluffy? Shaved? Bald?" Tonks coughs to cover her laugh.
"I'll know when I see them." Hermione says, oblivious to the joke.
"Look, Harry!" I turn to Tonks' voice. She's bent over by the puppies. Damn that leather. She's doing it on purpose, I know it. I lean on the small fence beside her. All of the puppies try and get as close to me as possible. "Steal the spotlight much?" She pouts.
"Maybe they know I'm the topdog?" I lean down to rub the nearest puppies ears. "My cute, fluffy minions." They scamper back over to Tonks as I stand up. I think they can tell that I'm an animagus even then I'm not transformed. Interesting.
"Awh, look at them." She coos.
"I'll leave you to it." I say, mostly to myself, as I venture off into the shop. It's host to hundreds of various animals of all shapes, sizes and colours. It's surprising that they all get fed really. I suppose some of them don't need to be fed as often as others. Such as the snakes here that are being kept in one large case. "Snakey snakes." I greet.
"A speaker?" They shuffle to get a better look at me.
"Suppose not a lot of people look at you lot."
"We scare the young ones." "On purpose." I smirk.
"I want to ask you something. When you smell me, or taste – whatever, what do you sense?" They stop moving for the most part as their tongues flicker from their mouths.
"Human." "Snake." "And … wolf."
"Wolf? I guess that settles it then." So animals know what I am. "You said snake? Is that the case for all, uh, speakers?"
"We have not smelt another." "But it was not thought a speaker would carry the serpentine scent." Interesting. "The Great Serpent, at that."
"Great Serpent?"
"I believe in your tongue – She is 'Basilisk'."
"In my tongue? We're speaking the same language." I grown as the snakes laugh.
"Forgive us, Master. We thought it a jest." One of the red snakes says hastily. "This is ah... Quasi-Parsel; More fitting for your native speech."
"So there are other kinds?" I press.
"Yes Master. High-Parsel. The true Noble tongue. Such words strike fear into the very minds of lesser beings."
"And the Great Serpent?" I hiss. "Basilisk."
"Master, Forgive me for speaking out of turn." One of the younger snakes coils into a tight circle.
"Cease your worthlesss blithering." This is far too entertaining.
"The Basilisk is said to be the child of the Great Serpent. Forgive the younglingsss, Master, for they know not of the true tales." An older, white snake slithers forward. It's blind, the wise old man of the snake pit. This is all getting quite bizarre. I note that the lizard in the next case is doing everything it can to get as far away from the snakes as possible.
"Continue." I command.
"Your scent carries the trace of the Basilisk, Master, along with a similar taste that the sons of Fenrir hold." Sons of Fenrir? Werewolves?
"The Great Wolf, Fenrir." I nod. "And does the true Great Serpent hold a name?"
"We know only of them as … Jörmungandr." The snakes collectively bow their heads. The neighbouring lizard is now irately scrabbling to get away.
"I believe that is enough High-Parsel for your friend their. Thank you, My children." They shiver in delight. I can see how a nutcase like Tom Riddle enjoyed the company of snakes so much. An enlightening conversation all in all. It sounds like animals know what I am, on an instinctual level at least. And they are scared of High-Parsel.
"Mraow." I look down at the loose cat. A big ball of messy orange fur and a squished looking face. "Mreow." The cat rubs against my legs. I bend down and he crawls into my arms, quickly climbing up onto my left shoulder. "Mreow." He rubs his head on my cheek as he purs.
"Crookshanks?" I ask him. Some noise of approval follows. It's similar to when I link with Hedwig, but not quite as intense or fitting, yet there is something warm and familiar about the cat. "You're looking for Hermione?" Affirmative. "But how do I know that, my friend?" I head through the aisles of the shop with Crookshanks riding along on my shoulder.
"Harry! You found him!" Hermione rushes up to me and scoops Crookshanks into her arms, cooing to him in a way she's never acted before. "This is-"
"Crookshanks. We've met." She looks surprised, probably because Crookshanks isn't wearing a collar. "He insisted I find you actually."
"Insisted?" She frowns, scratching the top of the ginger head.
"It was quite strange really, and I think you've found your familiar." I say in an almost smug manner.
"Familiar? Don't be silly, Harry. We've only just met."
"But you knew Crookshanks was the one as soon as you saw him and his uh, history has the same feeling I'd imagine yours would be."
"Would be?"
"Well I've not really touched you to find out what makes you tick." I grin.
"You've spent far too much time with your Godfather." She blushes, returning her attention to, a very content looking, Crookshanks.
"Nah, Sirius is a great influence." I laugh. "Come on, we should make sure Tonks hasn't bought 6 puppies." A worthwhile trip overall. I smell like a wolf and a snake – Old Gods at that. Not bad at all.
I reach out to locate Hedwig and smile. She is currently happily sleeping in my flat. She wakes for a moment and hoots before settling down once more, apparently feeling my thoughts on her. I wonder if all familiars share a similar bond to Hedwig and I. Knowing my track record – Probably not.
Later that night, Tonks comes back to the flat from some late night drinking. It's a surprise she even managed to walk this far. She stumbles over to the sofa and drops down beside me.
"Have fun?" I ask her. She mumbles something and leans on my shoulder. "You made it this far by yourself, points for that." I remove my ring and set it on the coffee table. "Come on." I slip my arms under her legs and lift her up, supporting her neck with my other arm. She sleeping wraps her arms around my neck as I carry her into her room. Thank you wolf strength.
"Thanks." She mumbles as I lay her onto her bed.
"Goodnight, Tonks." I turn to leave.
"Mmmmm. Boots." She kicks her legs. I roll my eyes as I sit down beside her and work her boots off of mismatched socks, They fall to the floor with a heavy thud as I drop them. I watch as she squirms, slowly managing to get under her quilt. "Harry?"
"Hmm?" She mumbles something quietly, I bend down slightly. "What?" She turns her head and … kisses me. Just for a moment, soft and warm.
"Night, Harry."
A/N: Dun dun duuuun.
Mixed feelings about this one. Snakes sort of have their own religion going on, so Harry got a bit caught up in it all. Animals in general don't see Harry as another human, but something powerful that could protect them. Dogs might steer towards the pack mentality.
Crookshanks! Although Hedwig and Harry share a special connection due to his abilities, A regular familiar is nothing to shake a stick at,
I don't know when the third year will be ready, so bear with me. Let me know what you think of this one. Enjoy.