Ride Along: Chapter Eight: Being Al Norm.
Harry finds peace at the end of a quill.
Harry sat in the dark in his cupboard and thought.
He'd donated a lot of money to the Sirius Black foundation, so now he should really find a way to make some money, and something to do. All he really knew was Defence against the dark arts, and there was no way he'd be allowed to teach, not having been to Azkaban. And it scared him anyway. Hogwarts reminded him of the war. And worse, Ginny.
…
Andromeda had a mind healer called Lawrence come to talk to Harry on Wednesday.
Harry talked, the mind healer talked, but conversations didn't seem, to Harry, to be about anything.
Finally the mind healer had Harry walk around the house talking about whatever.
Harry told an abridged version story of the quiche supper, and the mind healer asked "Why don't you go watch some quidditch?"
Harry sat down on a dining room chair and thought about it.
"No reason, really" said Harry.
"Are you sure?" asked Lawrence.
"I'm not mental. It's not like I'm not going because it was fun and I shouldn't have fun" said Harry.
"Really because it sounds like that's just what you said" said Lawrence.
…
Harry went with Andromeda to get things called 'contact lenses'. The muggle eye doctor in Cardiff had made them. Andromeda had take the day off work to, well, hold Harry's hand really. Putting the contact lenses in a week later, when they were done, was weird and slightly painful. Harry blinked and looked at himself in the mirror. He had no glasses. Harry could see the lines around his eyes, under his eyes. He really did look quite like Sirius. A man used up. Harry felt suddenly inadequate. Sirius had survived twelve years. Harry had only been there for four.
Harry hadn't shaved his face again after the first time; when he saw how hollow his cheeks looked.
He kept his beard long enough to hide how thin he looked.
...
Harry put on a warm coat, and a woolly hat and flooed to Caerphilly, where there was a match today.
He paid a galleon at the gate and went instinctively to the stalls. Something on a stick, a bag of popcorn. He walked to the stands, feeling nervous. He ate some of the thing on a stick. It tasted pretty good.
Harry watched the players, the Catapults were playing well, their chasers forming a tight vee and bashing through the Ballycastle bats defences, but the Bat's keeper was playing well, and less than half the goal throws got in. Harry remembered Pritchard's good run. Harry hadn't even looked up to see who the current Arrows team was. Harry tried to remember to do that later.
Harry made it to half time and had run out of popcorn and thing on a stick. He went and got some more of both. By the time the Bat's seeker caught the snitch, Harry felt a longing in his chest, for the camaraderie of the Arrows games, so long ago.
Harry apparated home. He had forgotten something. But… he couldn't remember what it was.
There was nothing to do, except the list Andromeda had given him.
"Study for your NEWTs" was item one.
Harry got a pile of Defence against the dark arts books out of storage, Thanks Kreacher, and started to read them.
A lot of the writing was a bit pointless. Had the people who wrote it ever even faced a werewolf?
Harry started making notes. Kreacher popped in and complained so Harry got Kreacher to put a desk at the other end of the Nursery. Kreacher came back later, clicked his fingers and all the papers and books disappeared.
"They are in masters study" croaked Kreacher
Harry climbed the stairs, it was hard work and sat at his desk at the end of the Nursery. Kreacher lit a fire in the fireplace.
...
A month later, Harry had a pile of notes thicker than the thickest book. He started writing the first year textbook he wished he'd had. Instead of waffle, he put side boxes, like in muggle textbooks.
Months passed. He gardened, saw Teddy, got back to cooking for Andromeda every night.
Harry finished his first textbook just before Teddy's birthday. Somehow Teddy was only two. He sent it by owl post to the publisher Flourish and Blotts used for textbooks. They sent a polite refusal.
Harry sulked and complained.
Andromeda said Harry to "Get out and attend some Quidditch matches"
Harry started going to Wednesday matches, and started thinking about going to Saturday matches.
He felt oddly nervous about going to an Appleby Arrows match. "I don't think I'll go" said Harry on Friday.
Andromeda hit him with a stinging hex. "Go, you lazy, mopey man"
-==0==-
Harry went to an Appleby Arrows vs Bangory Bangers match.
Appleby no longer had Pritchard apparently.
Harry ate three something on a sticks, and drank a couple of bottles of butterbeer. Appleby played really well, and the Arrows fans called out to their team. Harry felt oddly, like he'd come home after a long absence. The lack of Arrows on poles rankled. It didn't seem right. Harry didn't see any of his old buddies, and felt embarrassed somehow, at the thought of going to the Appleby Arms for post match ciders. Harry apparated to Appleby, and the sight of the pub made Harry's mind up for him, for some reason.
Harry walked in, the pub was fairly expanded today, ordered shepherds pie and crisps, and a pint of cider. He sat down with the Arrows supporters, opened out the bag of crisps, took a sip of cider and let quidditch discussion roll over him like some sort of… soothing brook. He supposed.
Two ciders later, he was feeling the effects, and switched to lemonade. He managed to finish his shepherds pie, and heard fragments of a conversation about Pritchard. He was off the team, he had a new small child, which some wag attributed the great run he'd had. 'Half his luck' thought Harry.
Harry's had started gardening again, it looked halfway decent now.
-==0==-
Harry sent his first year Defence text to 'Defence Against the Dark Arts Teacher, Hogwarts' He signed his name Al Norm.
A day later he got an enthusiastic reply from Penelope Clearwater, of all people. Harry gave permission for the school to school print the books. Headmistress McGonagall insisted Al Norm get a sickle per book, and asked if he had a Second year text.
Harry went to a Ballycastle Bats vs Falmouth Falcons game on Wednesday. Getting outside was… Harry was getting used to it again, really. He ate three commemorative "bats" on a stick. He'd bought more than one to… share with his friends, he admitted to himself. Feeling a bit teary eyed, he drank hot butterbeer, and watched the Bats beaters demolish the Falcons chaser line. It was brutal. Then the Falcons subbed out the injured players and everyone played quidditch at speeds Harry had last seen at the world cup. One of the Bats beaters, trying to stage a repeat of their earlier drubbing of the Falcons, ended up flying backwards into a handrail from the stands, and got subbed off. It looked very painful. "Splinters" said Harry and the bloke standing next to Harry laughed.
The next day, Harry sent off for a WEA syllabus set by owl order. Andromeda insisted Harry keep studying for NEWTs.
...
The weekend game was the Chudly Cannons vs the Wigtown Wanderers.
Wigtown absolutely stomped all over the Cannons. The Cannons keeper, though, managed to save several quite hard shots. They lost 210 to 50, and Harry ate four battered cheeses on a stick. He felt a bit bilious, and was glad it wasn't a Appleby game; he rather feared cider would make him sick.
He told Andromeda and she had words with Kreacher.
The next morning Harry had round crumbed thing on his breakfast plate. He cut into it and it oozed cheese. Crumbed cheese. It was nice.
...
On Tuesday Harry got the WEA syllabus in the post.
Kreacher kept feeding Harry what Harry now knew was crumbed Camembert.
Harry took the second year WEA syllabus, rearranged his notes, and sent off a Second year text. Penelope Clearwater replied three days later and suddenly Harry, pen name Al Norm had two books in print.
...
Harry went to a Puddlemere, Kenmare game on Wednesday. It rained, Harry ate battered something on a stick, and Harry saw professional seekers looking as wet and miserable as he'd ever felt. They did not get hit by lighting, which Harry thought, made them somewhat pikers. The Puddlemere chasers racked up Goals, the Kestrels broke out a beautifully executed Wollongong shimmy and the scoreboard never stopped moving. The score was a ridiculous 430 to 410 when Kenmares' seeker caught the snitch. Harry went to the pub with the Puddlemere fans, just get warm again. And drank three pints of hot butterbeer; He spent a lot of time going to the loo. The Puddlemere team once again invited the Kestrels for after match drinks and Harry felt buoyed up by the happy banter, well except for the two seekers, who sat, looking small and cold. Harry sent them a plate of hot chips.
Harry flooed to Andromeda's house feeling pretty good.
Teddy was there, and Harry got to show Teddy the whole match using quidditch figurines transfigured from other stupid toys.
"Harry Happy" said Teddy. Harry teared up.
…
There was an Appleby home game that weekend and Harry go there early, wearing contacts.
He asked one of the local supporters what happened to the Arrows on poles. "I remember them from a few years back" he said.
"Oh well, that was mostly the Greengrass sisters, and they got too busy apparently. One's going to be a healer after NEWTs"
Harry felt oddly worried when he herd the Greengrasses were too busy for quidditch, only to be relieved that it was NEWTs. Not that he'd ever done more than flirt with Daphne Greengrass… well apart from that thing; but that had all been Kreachers doing. And it had been both sisters anyway. Harry felt a stupid pride in that.
Harry bought four things on a stick… for um… no reason. He wandered to the definitely Appleby section of the crowd and stood around.
Harry stood there, snacking on one thing on a stick, when a familiar voice said "He's not here. He never comes" Harry tried to ignore the voices.
"Oy, had them over" said Traceys voice. Harry turned and a few feet way, there was Tracey, in a light blue wooly hat and warm coat with her hand out.
"Oh. Shit… um sorry" said Tracey.
Behind Tracy Daphne said "I told you he never comes". Harry couldn't help looking and he had a look at Daphne; she seemed almost the same; though her face was a bit tired looking.
Harry extended his arm to Tracey, offering the things on sticks. Tracey blushed and took two.
"Did you just mug that stranger for two of Mattie's Sos on a stick, Tracey" asked Daphne.
Tracey handed Daphne a Sos on a stick and shrugged, smiled to Harry "Sorry, thought you were a friend of ours". Harry turned away before the tears in his eyes weirded Tracey out.
Appleby played well, the Wasps played like a mid division team. At the last second, the Appleby seeker caught the snitch, winning the match. Harry cheered "woo hoo." Everyone he was standing with was cheering anyway.
Harry couldn't miss the pub today. It was expanded and Harry on autopilot ordered shepherds pie, and bought two packets of crisps. He sat down at the big table, split flat the crisps packets and waited. Tracey and Daphne came in with everyone else, arguing.
"I have to get back to study" said Daphne.
"You need to relax a bit. You've got worry lines." said Tracey. "Look, Harry's put out crisps." Tracey stopped, and Daphne stopped too. Harry looked up "Well, wheres my cider?" he said.
Tracey blinked, her mouth opened and closed and she went to the bar. Daphne sat down timidly, as if… Harry was an ex inmate with a history of assaulting his girlfriends.
"Er, what are you dong these days" said Daphne.
"Study for NEWTs and writing Defence Textbooks" said Harry.
"You do not!" retorted Daphne.
"I do so, and I can prove it" said Harry. "My desk has my drafts and first copy of my first two books and the notes for my third book."
"You are full of shit… Harry Potter" said Daphne.
Tracey handed Daphne a mug and Daphne took a large swig.
"Harry claimed he now writes Defence textbooks" said Daphne, Tracey reached over the table and handed Harry a mug. "She has cats now" said Tracey.
"How is Blaise" asked Harry.
"In Italy" said Tracey "Mummy called, Blaise ran"
"She's thinking about remarrying" said Daphne, taking another large belt of cider, then giving a small belch.
"And Tori?" asked Harry.
Daphne snorted. "Is having to train to be the heiress. I'm off the hook; some remedial NEWTs then hearer training." Tracey drank cider and nodded pointedly to Harry.
"So no arrows on poles" said Harry.
"Malfoy is becoming a philanthropist. The Sirius Black foundation" said Tracey.
"I'm actually impressed. He's doing some good" said Daphne.
Harry smiled. Something good happened, and he was behind it.
The match was dissected, Daphne drank more heavily than Harry was used to, and Harry stopped after two. Starting to bawl in the pub wasn't a good look.
As the discussion wound down Tracey said "come on, lets go see these books"
Daphne and Tracey grabbed an arm each "You've got skinny" said Daphne.
"Sorry" said Harry, and apparated them to his front hall.
Tracey and Daphne looked about. "Looks the same as it ever did" said Tracey.
"Where's these books" asked Daphne.
"Upstairs" said Harry, using the banister a bit to go up.
When they got to the top of the stairs Tracey said "Oh no, Harry will take us both to his bedroom" and giggled in a forced sort of way.
Harry shook his head and led them, a bit out of breath to the nursery, and the desk at the far end.
"My notes" said Harry, pointing to the ungainly pile of parchment.
"My draft of Practical Defence, volume one" he said , pointing to a pile, "And my copy of the first print run" he pointed to the small, cheaply bound book. Tracey picked it up and flipped thought it. She stopped flipping "This… this is good" she said. "Wish we'd had it"
"That's why I wrote it" said Harry.
Daphne held out a hand and took the book, she picked a page and studied it "Well written, but no proof you did it. "Written by Al Norm" anyway. Harry blushed.
Daphne picked up the last draft and flicked through it. "This...draft made this book. How could anyone read this… chicken scratching"
Daphne looked at the parchment on the desk, covered in chicken scratchings. "It could be staged, could you write something from the book?
Harry took a self-inking quill and wrote the first lines of the preface from memory. "Page one" said Harry.
Daphne checked. "You… you actually wrote two books, and the first one is decent"
Tracey looked up from the second book "The second one has an example of how to deal with Cornish pixies" she said, with a snort.
"Well, we all know why it's there… but the students won't" said Harry.
"Do any schools actually use this?" asked Daphne.
"Hogwarts" said Harry. "And maybe Hull, I'm not sure."
"So are you rich yet?" asked Tracey.
"Well, I used a lot of my vault to found the Sirius Black foundation" said Harry. "oops, should not have said that"
Daphne blinked "And why does… The Ferret run the foundation"
"Is the face of the foundation" said Harry "Tabitha Weedling runs it"
"Who's she?" asked Daphne.
"A muggleborn witch with good grades who never got a ministry job" said Harry "Hermione found her"
"Why make the Ferret the front for doing good deeds?" asked Daphne "I was starting to like him for that"
"He does as he's told. He owes me" said Harry. "I can hardly be the public face of it, sponsored by Harry Potter, the man who killed his girlfriend"
"It was an accident" said Daphne. "And you only injured her"
"I was stupid." said Harry "I didn't take another dose of your mums potion"
Daphne looked upset "Mum messed up?"
"I wanted to, um… feel something" said Harry "My heart rate went up, and boom, calming draft"
"Oh" said Daphne. "How?"
"I don't remember" said Harry honestly. "I remember snogging Ginny, then, um you turned up… and I remember waking up in the holding cells"
Daphne looked pale "You had your hands up her blouse" she said. "I might have told you not to be such a"
"Filthy casual" said Harry. "I vaguely remember Ginny… she started into me"
"What?"
"Accused me of two timing her with you… witches" said Harry, feeling a headache coming on.
Daphne took a deep breath, in through her nose, out though her mouth.
"Harry wasn't two timing Ginny with all of us… just the Greengrass sisters… both at once" said Tracey.
Daphne blushed. "That is an inappropriate topic, Tracey"
"You have to know, Harry that Daphne here has had her head stuck in a textbook all night, and practicals all day for the last four months" said Tracey. "This is the second time I've managed to get her to come to a game this year"
"Andromeda make me go to two a week, says its therapeutic" said Harry, holding his head.
"Harry, when did your headache start?" asked Daphne.
"When I was thinking about… the argument" said Harry.
"And you have a big blank in your memory" said Daphne.
"Yeah"
"You were obliviated. Have you previously had recurrent nightmares or day time flashbacks" Daphne asked.
"Er, yes" said Harry.
"Standard treatment" said Daphne. "There are other techniques, but they take longer. You can still take the other techniques"
"Is it a month of icky tasting potions?" asked Harry.
Tracey snorted "He's an expert on potions, all potions are icky."
"Not all treatments for trauma are a month of potions. There's one from south America that's only one day" said Daphne.
"Sounds good" said Harry. "Where do I sign up"
"The side effects can be terrible. A patient with your symptoms could not take it" said Daphne.
"Daphne's going to the know more about Healing than her mum,. Or your auntie" said Tracey. "My best friends' going to be the head healer of St Mungos one day".
"I just finished the short-course notes" said Daphne "I've still got..."
"Eight years to go" said Tracey. "Harry, can you take this witch, go and lie very still and let her get off? I swear she's probably seized right up"
Daphne slapped Tracy on the arm. Harry snorted.
After they left, Harry felt odd. It had been fun.
...
On Tuesday an owl arrived asking if Monsieur Norm's books could be translated into French, for Beauxbatons. Harry replied immediately "Yes", then did a little dance.
On Wednesday, Holyhead played Pride of Portree, and Harry watched the match not without some misgivings, though once they started playing Harry fell into a quidditch watching coma and just watched quidditch and stopped ruminating over the fact that his girlfriend it been in the Holyhead harpies development squad before he …..
On the other hand Pride of Portree's beaters managed to knock a couple of harpies almost off their brooms which made the Harpies beaters start playing extremely rough Quidditch.
Five players were subbed off by the end of the match. Harry was glad he wasn't playing professional Quidditch.
He couldn't swear to it but in addition to cobbing, he was pretty sure he'd seen bunting as well and beaters bats he had a suspicion that hit some people.
The end of the match did however see the Harpies winning by catching the snitch by a fairly impressive 180 point lead.
After the match being a Wednesday match however rated to in Andromeda's house and showed Teddy a very edited version the match without quite so much violence or cobbing or blatching or any of the other fouls of which Harry was quite disappointed the referee hadn't seen at least half of.
That night Andromeda was very pleased to not hear anymore of the Quidditch match.
...
Thursday evening Harry talked to Andromeda about this healing ritual had heard about from South America that only took one day.
Andromeda looked at Harry and said "who were you talking to?"
And Harry said "well I met up with Miss Greengrass at the Appleby's match"
Andromeda laughed "well at least she's not a pain in the ass like her mother"
"Is she not" said Harry.
"She's ducked in a few times to run collections for the Sirius Black Society around St Mungo's" said Andromeda.
"Did you talk to her about the Sirius Black Society?" asked Andromeda.
Harry said "I may have accidentally mentioned things and got dumped in it a bit"
"Harry you are not very good at keeping secrets from women" said Andromeda.
Harry said "yes that's true but I'm better at keeping secrets than Hagrid."
Andromeda looked at Harry very curiously "why do you know the Groundskeeper at Hogwarts and how do you know how good he is keeping secrets"
Harry replied "well I had a very complicated 6 years at Hogwarts"
Andromeda said "which reminds me you young man you should learn NEWT level defence at least and finish the rest of your NEWTs after all it would be bit scandalous for someone to write a NEWT level defence textbook who didn't have a NEWT in defence.
"That rather sounds like an entire year of work" said Harry "it would cut into book writing"
"Really" said Andromeda. "It is a necessary precursor for the 7th volume"
"Oh " said Harry "I guess it isn't it"
-==0==-
Harry lost track of time, sleeping in his cupboard, eating, cooking for Andromeda and flooing home.
A week later, there was an Applyby-Wigtown Game.
Harry floo called Greengrass Manor. It was disconcerting having magic stretch his neck like that.
A cranky Daphne came over "What? Harry?"
"Applby game tomorrow. You're coming, bring Tori, Tracy, the old gang. I'll be at the clubhouse early to being the Arrows." said Harry.
Daphne looked amused "I have to study"
"You need to take a break… it's once every few weeks" said Harry.
"Okay, but you're buying onna sticks" said Daphne
"Of course" said Harry.
-==0==-
Harry stood, holding an Arrow pole in one hand and four somethings on a stick in the other.
He was feeding Tracey, who was complaining.
…
They apparated back to Appleby, dropped off the poles and Arrows and went to the pub.
…
Harry was leaving when Daphne Greengrass came out of the pub looking a bit flushed
"Harry, can we talk" she said.
"Sure" said Harry.
"At your house"
Harry Nodded and they Apparated to Harry's front hall.
Harry sat down in the sitting room and Daphne sat nervously.
"Harry, I was… I was the one who found you and Ginerva Weasley" said Daphne.
"EH?"
"I came back later; you were passed out and Weasley had a concussion."
"Later?"
"You said, come back later" said Daphne "So I did"
"And saved Ginny Weasley's life" said Harry.
"I shouldn't have called Aurors. If I'd just covered up the incident, you wouldn't have spent four months in Azkaban"
"I spent four years in Azkaban" said Harry slowly.
Daphne stared at Harry "Months." she said equally slowly.
"Years, I remember being tried for murder" said Harry.
"You've been confounded." said Daphne. "Someone got to you in the cells and confounded you"
"What?" said Harry, blinking.
"Well, oddly Harry Potter, there are all these people from families that lost the war who have it in for you. One of them got to you and made things a dozen times worse."
"I know I killed her" said Harry.
"She's not dead Harry. I met her after the bloody Trial." said Daphne. "She was pretty upset."
"Why were you there"
"you're a friend, and I was a witness"
"I don't remember that"
"I wasn't called" said Daphne. "Because you made an insane confession. Because you'd been confounded"
"Oh" said Harry.
Daphne called out "Kreacher?"
Kreacher appeared with a pop "Mistress?" he croaked eagerly.
"Parchment and a quill. Now"
Daphne wrote a note to Andromeda, explaining what Harry thought vs reality. "Take this to Andromeda, Harry. You need help"
Harry took the note "Thank you" said Harry feeling confused and upset.
Daphne apparated away.
Harry was about to get up when he smelt her perfume. Good memories flooded back.
-==0==-
Andromeda took Harry to see Healer Lawrence and gave him the note.
Lawrence looked irritated. "Oh for Merlin's sake!" he said.
"Harry, sit down and relax. I'm going to check your memories" said the Mind Healer.
Harry felt the pressure on his mind of someone using Legelimancy, and then the trial and Azkaban flashed past.
"Harry's been confounded, and fed confounding concoction as well" said Lawrence. "He'll need medical memory charms to put reality into his memory"
"Can you do it?" asked Harry.
"It is a little risky, you might have broken memories of the actual events"
"I remember murdering Ginny, being tried for murder and spending four years at Azkaban" said Harry "It can't be worse"
...
Harry woke up the next day and remembered the endless cold of Azkaban. The boredom. And then across his mind's eye, he saw a sign "This memory has been created by a confundus charm. Ginerva Weasley did not die and the total time spent in Azkaban was four months"
He blinked. He still remembered the endlessness… but also saw the sign, announcing it was fake. He got up and washed.
-==0==-
Harry caught up with his Quidditch mates a month later, nearly done with NEWT transfiguration, with most of NEWT charms studied.
After after Harry said to Daphne Greengrass "Greengrass, We need to talk"
Harry and Daphne went back to his sitting room.
"I'm so glad yo wrote the note" said Harry. "I went to a mind healer and I have been confounded. I've got a medical charm on it now, so the tampered memories have signs on them telling me they're altered. It's weird but it makes living so much easier. Thank you so much."
"Well" said Daphne Greengrass "I've started Healer training and I've been using a pensive to review lectures. I also reviewed a certain incident with an over-enthusiastic house elf."
Harry blushed "Not his finest hour" said Harry feeling embarrassed.
"Well, you will be pleased to know that Harry Potter was not as unconscious as we all assumed, and did in fact catch the Snitch. Both Snitches. So if you're feeling a bit pitiful sometime, you did in fact have your hands on two snitches at once" said Daphne, blushing. "You were pretty good for mostly asleep"
"Pretty good for mostly asleep" said Harry. "Well, Miss Greengrass, "Ill um… think about that"
"You do that Harry" said Daphne Greengrass and walked into the front hall.
"Oh and Harry? Call me" said Daphne. Crack. She was gone.
-==0==-
The next day Harry begged Andromeda for access to the South American mind healing treatment.
"I want to get better." he said.
"I'll make you a booking. It won't be today" said Andromeda.
It was three weeks later.
Harry sat in very comfortable chair in a healers office at St Mungos, they gave him a potion to drink that tasted of electricity and purple.
Harry woke up in a hospital bed.
"Ah, Mister Potter, you had an atypical reaction to the treatment. You're probably a lot better then you were." said a Healer with a clipboard.
"How will I know"
"If you ruminate, suffer depressive episodes, uncontrollable crying, have avoidant behaviour"
"Wow, that sounds really terrible" said Harry.
"That's your case notes. If you don't have all those symptoms, you're better off than you were" said the Healer.
Harry went home and cooked for Teddy.
"Hawwwy?" said Teddy.
"He wonders where you were last night" explained Andromeda.
"I was having… an atypical reaction" said Harry.
"Yes, quite" said Andromeda.
-==0==-
Andromeda insisted Harry had to go see Ginny Weasely. Harry disagreed.
Andromeda ended up making several very loud floo calls to the Burrow, which had Teddy crying. Harry held Teddy and tried to think Happy thoughts. It was difficult.
It was a Sunday afternoon when Andromeda took Teddy and a very reluctant Harry to the Burrow by floo.
Harry stepped out on the familiar floorboards and felt a crushing wave of guilt.
"Harry needs to see Ginny" said Andromeda.
"Mister Potter is not welcome here, and I don't want my baby daughter having to see her abusive ex-boyfriend" said Mrs Weasley.
Andromeda sighed "Harry was attacked in prison. He was confounded to think Ginerva is dead, at his hand"
Harry hid his face by turning around and looking into the sitting room, where the old couches and bookshelves were, the same as they ever were.
Mrs Weasley disagreed. The disagreement got louder.
"Well, you killed my sister, I suppose you'd have no problem killing Teddy and I" said Andromeda surprisingly bitchily. "Call your daughter. Harry has not seen her and has great difficulty with life"
"Only if he hasn't got a wand said Mrs Weasley, arms crossed over her chest.
Harry handed his wand to Andromeda, who tucked it into Teddy's jacket.
Mrs Weasely stepped out through the split door and yelled out "Ginerva, Come inside!"
Harry saw Ginny Weasley, looking windswept and sun-kissed, and something inside his head screamed. The room got very tall all of a sudden.
Harry woke up in bed, and from the ceiling, at Andromeda's.
Some time later Andromeda came in to check on him.
"You fainted, and er, had a brain bleed" said Andromeda. "What do you remember?"
"Going to the Weaseleys, you arguing with Mrs Weaseley and seeing… Ginny" said Harry, feeling like his brain had cotton wool in it.
"How long where you in Azkaban?"
"Four years" said Harry instantly, and a sign suddenly popped into Harry's vision "You were in Azkaban for four months for Assault, not murder" The sign lingered for a few seconds and vanished.
"Still remember the four years huh?" asked Andromeda.
"She's not dead though, is she?" asked Harry. "I know I killed her, but she's not dead"
"I suppose the memory charm breaking was too much to hope for" said Andromeda. "Miss Weasley was somewhat conflicted about you lying on the floor. She did not rush to your aid though, so I think you've lost that, whatever you had with her"
Harry made to speak and Andromeda shushed him by handing him a potion "Drink this" she said.
Harry walked to the loo, and staggered, grabbing the wall
"Oh, your balance is a bit gone" said Andromeda "The brain bleed, I'm afraid"
"Will I get better?" asked Harry, walking one hand on the wall to the loo
"Might not be able to fly a broomstick" said Andromeda. Harry slumped.
"Harry, you didn't die." said Andromeda.
"Was it that close?"
"The closest you've been in ages" said Andromeda. "Don't forget to put the seat down"
...
"I need an upstairs loo" said Harry to Andromeda as he gingerly sat back down in the sitting room.
"Get MacBrides" said Andromeda. "They're a reputable from, unlike… whoever built your house"
Harry flooed home a little unsteadily and collapsed into his cupboard, dark, warm and safe.
-==0==-
An owl arrived from Andromeda that afternoon with a sketch of how Harry should arrange his house extension. He flooed MacBride's and just said "I need this done" and handed the parchment through.
"We're very busy mister?" said the old Wizard on the other end.
"Potter, Harry Potter" said Harry.
MacBride's apparently had hidden depths of resources and found time to pop around for a quick look before the sun set. The very elderly wizard, who looked like a strong wind would blow him away, sucked his teeth at the house. Jorge MacBride was apparently MacBride the elder, and had come to see, out of professional curiosity. 'Because I'm so famous' thought Harry.
Harry shrugged "It was not my finest choice" said Harry.
"How about rebuilding the old Potter Manor?" asked old Jorge MacBride.
"This first" said Harry. "Not having an upstairs loo is really unpleasant."
"Who's your bride?" asked old Jorge MacBride "The walk in wardrobe and full sized master bathroom don't seem the choices of a man who wants an upstairs privvy"
"My Aunt has more idea about these things than I do, and can draw" said Harry.
"Well, it's decent" said MacBride, who looked like he'd been young when Dumbledore had been born. "I did some work on the old Potter Manor. Mistress Potter wanted a new herbarium. Some of her favourite magical herbs needed warmer temperatures."
"You met my Grandmother. I've only seen her picture" said Harry sadly.
"Very… handsome woman" said Jorge, blushing.
Harry snorted "I saw" he said.
"Very… silent." said Jorge. "She watched the whole build, just standing there. Years later I found out her father owned a really big construction business. I'm glad I hadn't known. That job was one of my first really high-toned jobs. If I'd know she'd known what I was doing, I'd have dropped my wand. They built the MACUSA building, the Roundtrees."
"Did they really, cor" said Harry.
"So, We'll do this.. you want it done quickly?"
"How much for two months" asked Harry. Jorge nodded "Twelve thousand."
"And to do it in a month?" asked Harry.
"You… we… thirty; I'd have to pull everyone off everything, pay some penalties"
"Bill me for forty" said Harry.
"That is a lot of money, Mister Potter"
"My godfather spent that much on a Firebolt for my birthday" said Harry "I won't have to run downstairs in the middle of the night"
"There are commodes" said Jorge. "you can Scourgify them"
"I don't wish to use one next to somebody some day" said Harry.
Jorge nodded "Anyone can understand that" he said.
"What did my grandmother sound like?" asked Harry.
"She had an American accent" said old Jorge "Very proper but… long vowel sounds… 'ahhh ammm pleased toooe meeect yuoooo meester Maccc Briiiidee' said Jorge.
"A Southern American accent?" said Harry
"I think she was from the warmer bits of America" said Jorge "Those herbs of hers wanted to be stiflingly hot and humid. Your Grandfather joked that she would have had the whole property heated up to an hundred degrees"
"But that's boiling" said Harry.
"Fahrenheit" said Jorge "I Don't hold with those funny french measures, hot like a really hot day"
"Did she always wear the silver jewellery?" asked Harry.
Jorge laughed "Oh, the wedding photo. You've seen it. Fleamont, your Grandfather pointed it out. Your grandmother, well she was a very fashionable woman, she rolled her eyes and explained that her elderly great aunt wanted your Grandmother to wear traditional wedding robes; for where's she's from. Your grandmother refused and compromised by wearing, what did she call it? Touristy silver and turquoise"
"So she didn't dress like that?" asked Harry.
"The height of fashion. My Sanny, we were courting at the time she was always asking me what Mrs Potter was wearing. The Prophet society pages got the odd picture of her in the Alley. A bit of a trend-setter, a bit like ahem, Narcissa Malfoy use to be, before… the war" said Jorge.
"Thanks" said Harry. "I can go to the Prophet and get copies of those articles, I'll have more pictures of grandma"
"It's a crying shame the manor was torched" said Jorge. "I think I still have the plans from when I did the herbarium"
"Wasn't that long time ago?"
"Nineteen twenty five" nodded Jorge. "Old Henry Potter had moved to the west wing to give Fleamont and Euphemia the east wing. Henry's father Odwin had died."
"Odwin?" asked Harry.
"All I remember about him is that he was very old, used to mope about, missed his wife, and all summer he sat on a beach chair in shorts, he had the nobbliest knees"
"Family trait" said Harry. "You didn't have to talk to me about my family, you know"
"Well Mister Potter, I thought, what can old Jorge do for Harry Potter, the man who conquered?" said Jorge.