Summary: The war is over for everyone but Harry. He is still fighting just to survive, but he won't make it on his own. Just when he's given up, help comes along.
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters, but I do own my imagination which takes me on wonderful adventures.
PLEASE NOTE: I am in the process of revising and finishing this story. I have removed all the chapters that had been previously uploaded because they have been slightly modified.
Chapter 7: Hiding in Plain Sight
"Out?" Harry paled. "I… I think I'll stay here. You two go – enjoy yourselves."
"Harry, we could all use the change of scenery," Poppy admonished.
"I can't. You don't know what it's like," Harry barely managed to keep the whine from his voice. "Even if I was able to make myself invisible, the muggles would still sense me."
"We will go to a wizarding area, then, and use glamours – no one will know it's you," Severus offered.
"I can't hold a glamour, nor does polyjuice work reliably."
"Then we will just have to disguise you with muggle methods," Poppy insisted. She thought for a few minutes, then nodded her head. "Severus, have you got any lawsonia?"
"Yes, I use it in burn poultices. What do you plan on doing with it?
"In the muggle world, it is more commonly known as henna and is used as a natural hair dye," she explained. "While I deal with Harry's hair, Severus, you will take a trip to a muggle optometrist and pick up non-prescription coloured contact lenses in… bright blue, I think. We can use magic to change the look of his glasses.
"Next, go to a cosmetics counter and pick up concealer to match Harry's colouring. I will use it to even out his skin tone which will be more dramatic than it sounds." Poppy pulled out a scrap of parchment, pointed her wand at it and muttered a few words. She handed the paper to Severus and said, "This is a sample of his skin tone – ask the sales clerk for help to match it."
"Anything else?" Severus asked.
"I will need some lemon juice to mix up the dye, but I think these modifications will cause a drastic enough change to make Harry unrecognizable by anyone who doesn't know him well. Most people's memory of him will tend to be based on images from the Prophet, which are rather dated. You have changed physically from your years as a student, both in your body and in your face" she commented, looking at Harry.
Severus nodded and went to get the lawsonia and lemon juice. "Here you go, Poppy. I will be back as soon as possible."
"Don't rush. The dye will take about an hour to set."
When Severus left, Poppy mixed up a paste from the ingredients. "Sit here, Harry," she said, indicating a stool she transfigured from a chair. As she spread the paste on from roots to ends, she explained what would happen.
"The henna will give your hair a reddish tint. In order to make it more natural looking, I will also dye your eyebrows. Muggles normally need a number of hours for the process to set and the colour gradually loses intensity over the course of a few weeks. When I finish applying the paste, I will use magic to infuse the colour into your hair follicles. Since your hair is essentially 'dead,' I don't expect there to be any problems with your magic. However, due to my forcing the colour into the hair, it will probably last quite a bit longer than if we used the muggle method."
"I remember my Aunt Petunia used to colour her hair blond and when her hair grew out the roots would come in dark. It always made me think of a skunk with reverse colouring," Harry reminisced, with a chuckle. "Will my hair do the same?"
"I believe henna dye fades away slowly. Additionally, since your hair is dark to begin with and the new colour is in the dark range, the roots that do grow out won't be quite as noticeable as your aunt's."
Nearly an hour later, Severus returned as Poppy was rinsing the last of the paste from Harry's hair. She wrapped his head in an old towel to dry.
Severus handed over the packages. "It is amazing what muggles come up with when they don't have magic at their disposal. The options available for contact lenses were fascinating! Starbursts, spiral and zigzag patterns, cats-eye pupils, marbling, even colours that have no basis in nature! And I haven't even gotten to the sheer number of shades for concealer! I never realized how many different skin colours existed! It's just astounding!"
Poppy laughed as she removed the concealer from the package and began spreading it over Harry's face. "Staying pretty is big business. The manufacturers want to make sure there's something for everyone.
"Okay, Harry. At first, this will feel heavy, but you will get used to it fairly quickly. You'll need to be careful about scratching or wiping your face. Keep this jar with you at all times in case you need to patch up."
"The optometrist said to store the contacts in this container when not in use and to use this solution to keep them from drying out," Severus explained as he set the items mentioned on the countertop. "Make sure you wash your hands well before you insert or remove them so you don't introduce any contamination. Also, make sure you remove them before you go to sleep, shower or swim. He said they would be comfortable for about 12 hours, but may begin to irritate your eyes after that. Regardless, he suggested using eye drops periodically to maintain the moisture levels in your eyes," he added, handing Harry a small bottle.
"How do I insert them?"
"The doctor noted that inserting the lenses may feel awkward and take several tries at first, but it will get easier with practice. Start by placing the lens on your index finger and applying a few drops of the solution to them. Make sure that the edges face upward so the lens will float properly on your eye. With your other hand, pull apart your lower and upper lids; then place the lens over the coloured part of your eye."
Harry disappeared into the bathroom to insert his lenses. After a few minor difficulties, he managed to get them properly situated. Next, he removed the towel from his head, brushed out his hair and replaced his glasses. He blinked at his reflection. "Amazing!" he said softly, examining his new look. After a few more moments, he stepped out of the room.
"Well, do I pass?" he asked as he heard two distinct gasps.
"Incredible," Severus commented. "What a difference colour can make. I can barely make out the Potter genes."
"You could pass for Lily's twin – with your natural eye colour, of course," Poppy observed. "Let's see what we can do with your glasses."
She took them from Harry, tapped them a few times until she felt they were different enough from the original design. "Here, that should do it." Poppy handed over a now frameless, squared pair of lenses with nickel earpieces.
Severus modified himself to his Ethan Prince disguise while Poppy took on her Paula Romani glamour.
"I think we are ready," Severus said, taking a final look at each. "Shall we go, then?"
"How are we getting there?" Harry inquired.
"Apparition, of course."
"I am unable to apparate and I'd be afraid of the effect the instability of my magic might have on either of you if I go side-along. Flooing is out for the same reason and so is flying. So, unless either of you have a car or a flying animal here, my only option is going by Knight Bus."
Severus groaned. "I guess we don't have much choice, then. But I refuse to return on that contraption until I have had a chance to digest my meal, so I suggest we plan on staying in town for a few hours, at least."
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After half an hour of bouncing around Southern Wales, the purple bus finally let them out by the wizarding district of Aberaeron, located near the port. After a short walk, the three entered the district simply known as Hud Ardal (Magic Street). They located a cosy diner and ordered some of the local fare.
Over tea and pastries, Poppy explained what she knew of capturing the magical core in action.
"I have never performed it myself and I've never seen first-hand results. However, I remember from during my training that we learned about this method as a rarely used diagnostic aid. It is uncommon because it is difficult to cast and use and also due the fact that it is redundant in most diagnoses.
"If I remember correctly, this method uses high frequency sound waves to cause vibrations in the molecules of the body, akin to the way a bat uses sonic acoustics for echolocation. This allows us to determine the depth and thickness of tissues and the speed, pressure and power of various flows. A quartz crystal is used to refine and narrow the spell 'beam' that is sent out. The reflected image is extracted as a pensieve memory from the person casting the spell. The viewer can then enter the memory and observe the flow of energies and the health of tissues. The image can be seen in real time, frozen, speeded up or slowed down. It is possible to copy individual images and create a series of pictures similar to time lapse photography, but it is a delicate and lengthy process."
"That's incredible," Harry commented.
"I concur. Does the spell affect the caster and/or the patient? How long does it take to perform such a scan? Can it be viewed multiple times and stored for future reference or does it degrade like a regular memory? Can you manipulate it from within?" Severus asked, thinking of the possibilities and limitations.
"Those are just some of the things I don't know – and the spell itself. I will research those answers during the week, while the two of you see what you can come up with in connection with Harry's idea."
"Sounds like a plan," Harry remarked. "How about we get moving? I feel like a stuffed pig."
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The three left the diner and strolled leisurely along Hud Ardal. Other than a distinct difference in architecture, the street was disappointingly similar to Diagon Alley. In fact, even the stores were the same – Welsh branches of the London versions.
It was decided to explore the town beyond the magic street – although with trepidation on Harry's part.
"Remember that muggles fear me," he voiced, apprehensively.
"Don't worry – we are with you," Severus calmed.
"You truly have no idea what you both are getting yourselves into," Harry warned.
"Then, I guess we will find out," rejoined Poppy. "Think of it as continuing research."
They left the district behind.
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Due to the late hour, there were few people about – mostly couples strolling hand in hand or owners walking their dogs. Except for the occasional diner, most shops had already closed for the evening.
Severus and Poppy were engaged in a practical discussion on the uses of quartz crystals in healing.
"Why use quartz, Poppy? Wouldn't a harder gemstone like diamond or sapphire be preferable?"
"I understand your resistance to using something less than optimal, but, truly, in this case, quartz is preferable. It is one of the hardest natural crystals known to man and is extremely resistant to any form of physical or chemical corrosion."
"What about heat? The focus of magic can be highly charged."
"Quartz is found all over the world in various types of temperate zones, so we know it can withstand extremes of temperature. Additionally, the crystals that form quartz develop in a linear aspect making it a good choice for directing energy, without itself being affected. Even if the energy levels fluctuate, the crystal is able to stabilize the flow by initiating a temporary electrical field through steady, rhythmic vibration."
"I know of more than a dozen varieties of quartz. Does it matter which we employ?"
"I think the best option is to use clear quartz. It has the fewest imperfections. As it is, crystals in general are known to amplify power, but quartz is also dependent on the integrity of the wielder. I can't guarantee that my own flaws will not affect the outcome of the scan, but the best way to minimize them would be to use the purest quartz crystal we can find."
"What about from me?" Harry interrupted. "Won't whatever spell damage I have also have an effect on integrity?"
"No. You will not be directing any energy through the crystal. In fact, the opposite may be true. Recent studies on quartz have shown it to be highly effective in promoting overall health. The researchers believe that the vibrations created by the energy open a gateway between the physical and metaphysical worlds. So, you may feel more 'energized' when we are done."
"Just like the bunny," Harry noted, cryptically.
"Bunny?" Severus questioned, his forehead furrowing in confusion.
"Never mind – it's a muggle thing," he muttered, falling back to look in the windows. He was beginning to feel like a science experiment.
Severus and Poppy continued their discussion, moving ahead and around the corner. They didn't notice Harry stopping in front of the jewellery store window to look at the gemstones on display.
Trying to get a closer look at the variety of stones, Harry leaned against the window, inadvertently placing his hand on the glass.
"Hey! Get away from there!" Harry spun, going pale at the sight of a security officer aiming a pistol at him and his large – very large – German shepherd at his side baring his teeth. "Get your hands up where I can see them!"
"I was just looking…" Harry began calmly, only to be cut off.
"'Just looking' doesn't set off the alarm!" shouted the guard, brandishing his gun. "Now move away!"
Harry began to step away from the window, but it didn't stop the gun from going off. The bullet hit him in his right shoulder, knocking him down. Just as he was falling, the guard released his dog. Harry didn't have time to do more than throw up his uninjured arm to shield against the dog. However, in so doing, he couldn't cushion his fall. He fell into darkness as his head met the pavement.
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Information about quartz was found at: . .
Thank you to Arisflame for the suggestions about crystals.
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Please review – I'd really like to know what you think!