Harry stood with Lieutenant Holman on the deck of the HMS Eden as it rocked gently in its mooring. The air hung heavily about them and Harry felt like he had been dipped in sweat and then coated with dust. He thought about what Lieutenant Holman said… about deciding how he was going to move forward. He felt like he'd been doing a lot of that already… moving, moving, moving. What he really wanted to do was rest a bit. Even though he'd been able to nap a little yesterday and then slept a long time last night, he still felt so bone tired.
Was resting moving forward? He wondered.
He didn't think it was what other people wanted him to do. Resting was definitely not what the Dursleys wanted him to do, except when they wanted him out of sight, pretending he didn't exist.
That's different from resting. The Dursleys aren't here, Harry told himself sternly, trying to banish them from his mind. Pretend they don't exist!
"What did you do, Lieutenant, when… you first lost your sight?" Harry asked.
"Ah, well. I was very ill and was attempting to find balm for my ailments in the healing waters at Bath so that I could return to active duty. I was staying with dear friends who were so kind as to let me trespass on their hospitality while I attempted to find a cure for my flighty gout. Instead of improving, alas, I suffered from a terrible pain in my eyes from which even cold compresses, dark rooms, and a seemingly endless supply of leeches could not release me. Finally, the pain left, but it took my vision with it and after several weeks, I felt I couldn't burden my friends any longer and I returned home. Those first few weeks were very challenging and I don't have much to offer you in terms of inspiration or even guidance. In fact, I was not up and about traveling independently for many months. I am loathe to speak of those first few months as they do not reflect well on my character. You, Mr. Potter, seem to be made of sterner stuff than I. I was twice your age and still, it took me a very long time to rally and seek adventure. You are already scaling mountains and plunging into the jungles… and you've only had a month to accustom yourself to your lost sight." Lieutenant James Holman's speech was archaic in style, but it felt sincere.
"Well, I didn't have much choice… " muttered Harry.
"And yet, here you are… aboard the HMS Eden and contemplating a journey to the shore," Lieutenant Holman added brightly. "So, what's it going to be? Are you going to stay aboard or venture down the plank?"
"How do you go down the plank?" Harry asked.
"Well, I prefer to follow some stout, surefooted fellow and place my hands on his shoulders as he descends," the Lieutenant said.
"I'm not sure if there are many of those around right now," Harry stalled.
"Come on, then, let's see who we can find!" the Lieutenant grasped Harry's arm firmly, placed his hand on his elbow, and started moving toward the group of people who were still waiting their turn to deboard. He had a peculiar scent—damp wool, but also an overlay of sweat mixed with unusual spices—it was different, but not unpleasant.
"I'm in search of a hearty soul upon whom this lad can lean upon while going down the gangplank!" Lieutenant Holman said in a booming voice that surprised Harry. "Who is willing to lend their shoulders?"
Harry felt the heat spreading across his chest and up his neck. At the rate he was going, he was going to be permanently flushed with embarrassment.
"I can do it, Sir," Tony answered. Harry was surprised.
"Well, there you go, Mr. Potter! You have a volunteer!"
"Hi, Tony," Harry muttered.
"Well, you know each other! That's grand!" Lieutenant Holman seemed genuinely pleased.
"Lieutenant Holman, this is Tony Montague," Harry remembered to introduce them a little belatedly.
"It is my pleasure to meet you, Mr. Montague," Lieutenant Holman said formally.
"Er. Yes. Nice to meet you, too," Tony replied, though his response was steeped in embarrassment. Harry blinked as he tried to figure out why and then it clicked.
"Lieutenant, Tony is unable to shake your hand," Harry said softly to the Lieutenant.
"Oh, quite right," Lieutenant Holman responded.
"So, you're going to go down now?" Tony poked, obviously wanted to draw attention away from himself.
Harry bristled at the poke and scowled.
"Hey, I was only joking," Tony said teasing, stepping close enough to Harry to brush up against him. Harry put his hand on his back.
"Let's get this over with before I change my mind again," Harry muttered wishing he had chosen the "whisk me back to my bed" option instead. He had an instant flash of his room on Privet Drive and shook his head.
Not that bed, he admonished himself.
"Healer Jordan said that there are charms on either side of the gangplank that will keep us from falling in," Tony said.
"Geez. Why didn't anyone say that before?" Harry breathed in exasperation.
"She was too busy with Mei."
"Is she the only one working at the Center?"
"There's the Burbage fellow… the son of Professor Burbage at Hogwarts… he's around here somewhere, too," Tony said. "And the petite blond in the levitating chair."
"Oh, yes, an excellent chap! Mr. Burbage!" Lieutenant Holman exclaimed.
"Whose shoulders are you going to lean on, Lieutenant?" Harry asked politely.
"Well, if you don't mind, I think yours would do," he replied lightly.
"Oh, I guess so," Harry replied.
"You guess? Is there a lot of uncertainty in your time?" Lieutenant Holman questioned.
"Yes?" Harry wasn't sure.
"Very good! Well, shall we proceed?" Lieutenant said.
"Um, sure?" Harry followed Tony as he moved toward the gangplank.
We must be among the last people on board, Harry guessed. Most of the noises were now coming from the shore.
"Did Gemma, Aminah, and everybody else go down already, Tony?" Harry asked.
"Not everyone, but mostly. I think Aminah and that one big woman with the short black hair went down—the deaf one who can talk," Tony said.
"Shannon," Harry supplied as it finally occurred to him who Tony must be talking about.
"Right. Her."
"Is Gemma still up here?"
"Yes, she's helping that Fitz guy," Tony supplied. "They are on the gangplank now."
"What about Adam?"
"Don't see him anywhere," Tony snorted.
"Very funny."
"I'm right here," Adam's deep voice came from nearby.
Tony squeaked in surprise.
"I wanted to make sure you were okay," Adam continued, ignoring Tony's discomfort.
"Adam, have you met Lieutenant James Holman?" Harry asked. He heard Adam's footsteps approaching them.
"I have not yet had the pleasure. Lieutenant Holman, I'm very pleased to meet you," Adam said.
"Adam… " Lieutenant Holman paused.
"Adam Ceesay."
"I'm very pleased to meet you. Your accent puts me in mind of the people of The Gambia, but you speak the Queen's tongue very well," Lieutenant Holman said with interest.
"That is correct, Lieutenant Holman! Very few people are able to place my accent. I was born in The Gambia, but have lived most of my life in the United Kingdom."
"Oh, what is the United Kingdom?" Lieutenant Holman inquired.
"Harry, let's go down," Tony urged.
"Oh my, you must pardon me, Harry. You go on down, and I will ask Mr. Ceesay if he would lend me his shoulders for the journey down the gangplank while he tells me of this United Kingdom," Lieutenant Holman said.
"Okay," Harry agreed as he followed Tony who was moving away from Adam and Lieutenant Holman.
Harry was trying to remember what it was like to gain the deck of the HMS Eden so that he could anticipate what it would be like to descend the gangplank. Down at the shore, there were squeals of delight. It sounded like a bunch of children. For a moment, Harry wondered if there was a school group… but then remembered where they were. Maybe village children from Fernando Po? They were definitely happy.
"Tony, is anyone there to help you get on the gangplank?" Harry asked wondering how Tony was going to manage what had to be an awkward move without arms to hold onto anything or provide balance.
"No, I think we're it now," Tony said with a thread of nervousness running through his voice.
"I'll help steady you, okay?" Harry said, remembering the long step up.
Behind him, he could hear Lieutenant Holman and Adam excitedly talking about the history of England, or in Lieutenant Holman's case, the future of the country.
"Okay, I'm stepping up now," Tony warned as he leaned to the side as his right leg stepped up. Harry put his hands on either side of Tony's waist to steady him as he pulled his left leg up to join his right, crouching down, rather than standing up all the way. Tony teetered a bit and Harry helped steady him. Then, still crouching, Tony moved forward a step down the gangplank, the ship rolling gently in its mooring and the gangplank settling under the weight of Tony.
Harry took his hands off of Tony's waist for a second while he felt the railing and found the sides to pull himself up. He heard Tony move down another step and pulled himself up onto the gangplank behind Tony, then reached forward to find Tony's back.
"Are you going to go down like that all the way?" Harry asked.
"I'm thinking about it. I feel a bit safer like this."
"Okay. I guess I'll crouch, too."
"Yeah, I think this is going to work," Tony said, sounding a bit more confident.
"I bet we look silly."
"Yep. I'm pretty sure we do," agreed Tony, "Luckily, only Gemma's watching us. Everyone else is watching Mei. She's showing her fin to a bunch of children and nearly everyone is gathered around them."
"Oh, yeah. I was wondering what the kids were shouting about."
They slowly made their way down. When they were about halfway down, they felt the gangpank move with the weight of people getting on it at the top and stilled themselves as they waited for Adam and Lieutenant Holman to find their rhythm. They slowly added their movement back in and continued carefully on their way down.
"Okay, Harry, we're nearly there."
Harry drew in a shaky breath—filling his lungs with the briny air. His legs were cramping up in this crouched position, but he had to admit that he felt safer. He could put a hand down and grab the side of the gangplank when it wobbled to steady himself as well as Tony.
"Good."
Tony rose up to a standing position and Harry followed and found that his next step was on solid, though uneven, ground. He felt like he had stopped suddenly. No longer was he rolling along with the gentle waves of the lake.
No, wait, we're on the ocean now. Weird, he thought.
There was a slight putrid odor on land underlying the salty sea air—as if something were fermenting. The children's noises were even more joyful now that they were closer.
Tony started walking away and Harry tripped trying to keep up with him.
"Hey, wait," Harry said.
"Oh, sorry. I forgot," Tony said.
"No worries. I can get my staff out," Harry said, fishing around in his pocket for it and shaking it out.
"It's pretty cool how small that gets."
"Yeah, it's handy… " Harry said and then wondered if he should have said that.
"Don't worry," Tony said as if he'd read Harry's mind. "It's weirder when people stop using words like hands and arms around me. And I noticed you haven't stopped saying stuff like "see" and "watch."
"Yeah, I guess so," Harry agreed.
"Still guessing? Are you, Mr. Potter?" Lieutenant Holman and Adam had just come off the gangplank behind them.
"Yes, sir," Harry replied, chuckling a little.
"Well, we'd better join the group and see what they're up to," Lieutenant Holman said.
Harry smiled and heard Tony make a breathy sound like he was quietly laughing.