To anyone still reading this...There are NO words for me not updating this fic. I have maybe four chapters left to write. I am sorry for abandoning this. I thought I had it updated a few months ago.
Alyssa POV
She left him there, along with the other campers, and walked toward the infirmary. Her eyes wandered around the camp, noticing a few changes. In the distance, there was a new obstacle course that looked intimidating and a new swimming pool. She idly wondered what creatures were in there this year.
Walking down the sloping pathway that led to the infirmary, she passed several campers who were laughing and pushing each other. The sun beamed hot on her neck and she could feel a slim trickle of sweat roll down her back. Squinting in the harsh June sunlight, she saw the infirmary up ahead and quickened her pace.
The infirmary was a standard white building with the St. Arrow Hospital logo on the glass door. Placing her hand on the silver door handle, she pulled the door opened. A chilly breeze washed over her and she shivered from the cold.
Stepping inside, she saw the crossed bones and a wand surrounded by laurels printed on the wall. The official logo of St. Arrow hospital in Manhattan. Sitting behind the desk, a young nurse was busy reading over a stack of files. Alyssa assumed they were about the incoming campers.
"Welcome to the infirmary, how may I help you?" the girl named Meghan said as she set down the file.
"I need to speak to Healer Jaxson, please?"
The nurse frowned and turned her head toward the stockroom. "I don't know if he's in yet..."
"I can wait," Alyssa offered, pointing to a nearby chair. "I don't mind."
"I will go see if he is here," Nurse Meghan said, rising from her chair. "Does he know you have an appointment with him?"
Alyssa stopped and turned her body around to see the worry on the Nurse Meghan's face. "Yes, he does. We've been corresponding for several weeks about a delicate issue."
Nurse Meghan nodded and disappeared down the hall. Taking a seat, Alyssa watched as the girl disappeared from her sight. She sat back in her chair and idly let her mind wander about the upcoming summer.
The time she and Harry spent in Manhattan earlier was something she wanted to repeat. It was fun to be, well, normal for once. No one stared at them-, especially at her brother. The communication mirror was sitting in her rucksack and she had the urge to pull it out and call Sirius. She wondered how her Godfather and Uncle were doing without them there.
Her mind strayed to Henry. Snatching her lip with her teeth, she knew about the disagreement with his family. He wouldn't speak of it to her, but she knew that it somehow involved her. He wanted to permanently move to the Magical World, but his family was adamant he stay in the Muggle world.
There were also the upcoming finals for her Auror exams. She was fairly certain she would pass the Practical and possibly the Theoretical part. Being an Auror wasn't what she wanted to do with her life. Sliding her shoes over the tile flooring, she contemplated what she would tell the Head Auror about her career choice.
There were far too many things for her to worry about. Sirius wanted his name cleared, but doing so posed a problem that she couldn't fix until she returned to Britain. If she could fix it at all. He told her to simply act like the Regent to the House Potter and demand that someone take an interest in his case.
She snorted softly, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her left ear. Her acting skills were lacking. They would see right through her and laugh. The sad thing was, she didn't have a clue about proper wizarding etiquette.
Before she could dwell any further, her ears caught the soft tapping of tennis shoes on tile. She turned her head toward the noise and smiled, seeing Nurse Meghan standing there smiling. "Healer Jaxson will see you now."
Alyssa nodded gratefully and stood up. She absently brushed invisible dirt off her shorts and followed Nurse Meghan down the hall. They passed several curtained off areas that was their triage. Two sets of doors to her left was a small lab and an office.
Continuing down the hall, the smell of antiseptic was strong, but it carried a clean smell to it too. It was as if a magical air freshener tried to hide the smell of disinfectant. The overhead lights were bright, the light bouncing off the white walls and flooring. It was almost enough to make her squint.
Alyssa was busy looking around the infirmary when she failed to realize that Nurse Meghan had stopped. Grinning sheepishly at her, the nurse stared at her for a moment before knocking on a door. They heard a faint 'Come in!' and Alyssa watched as Nurse Meghan opened the door and stepped aside to let the younger witch in.
Inside, the room was stark white. There was a wooden desk filled with stacks of files. A few frames on the wall depicting diplomas and awards from Ilvermorny and St. Arrow Hospital. Along the wall was a large bookshelf stuffed to the brim with Healer text and journals. In front of her was a small chair for visitors.
"Ah! There you are," Healer Jaxson said, looking up from his file. It was the Potter file. Both of them, actually. When Alyssa Potter wrote to him asking about the magical suppression, it intrigued him. Most times, a parent would use magical suppression on small children who exhibited powerful accidental magic. The suppression or bindings would be removed once the child was of school age.
However, this wasn't the case. From what he could tell from the two years that Alyssa Potter was a camper, she had suppression on her magic. He bet the dragnots in his pocket, her brother would have the same thing on him. He watched as she took a seat across from him and wondered why there was a suppression on her magic.
"Thank you for seeing me," Alyssa said, taking a seat.
"It intrigued me by the letter you sent during the past school year. I assume you were in school, correct?"
"Yes, I was. I was attending Hogwarts for my last year," she said, resisting the urge to squirm in her seat.
"Hogwarts? Why?" Healer Jaxson inquired.
"It's where my family went to school."
That he could understand. His entire family was Ilvermorny graduates dating back over two hundred years. Shifting in his seat, Healer Jaxson reached for an empty coffee mug. Reaching for his wand, he cast a spell for never-ending coffee.
"Coffee?" he asked, showing his mug.
"Oh, no thank you. I will be portkeying back to Britain later. It will probably be dark by then."
Jaxson nodded and sipped the hot coffee and leaned back into his chair. He swiveled it for a second before deciding to get down to business. "So do you want to know about the magical suppression?"
"Do you know when it was cast?" Alyssa asked, leaning forward in her chair.
Setting his mug down, Jaxson reached for her file. Flipping it open, he scanned the paper until he found what he was looking for. Closing it halfway, he looked at the young teen, "It says someone cast it when you were a small child."
"Then why were we—I able to still do magic?"
"Because it wasn't a permanent suppression. Think of it like a carbonated drink. The contents inside are your magical core. The lid is tightly closed off, that would be a full suppression, but when you twist the cap, it lets out the air for the bubbles to rise." he paused, seeing if she was still following him. When he noticed it, he continued, "The more you open the cap, the more magic you have access to. That's what I think happened.
Your core was probably suppressed because of powerful accidental magic and whoever placed it on you should have removed it when you began school. I don't know why Robert didn't catch it."
"What happened when they ran the diagnostics in my first year here?"
"From what I can tell, the spell that was used cracked the suppression. The notes I wrote state the suppression was weakening and your physical weakened it even further. I have several potions that you can take over the next couple of weeks that would eliminate the suppression."
Alyssa mulled over his words. The magical suppression was weakening—which was good, but someone should have removed it when she began school at ten. Dumbledore wasn't at Ilvermorny when she arrived. He was thousands of miles away at Hogwarts in Scotland. Upon entering Ilvermorny, the new students weren't subjected to physicals either.
Though she was in the infirmary a few times, nothing was ever said to her. If she was going to do this for her, she needed it done for her brother, Harry. It was far more important than the magical suppression was lifted from him. Hers was weakening until eventually, it would finally break.
"I'll take the potions," she said finally, meeting him in the eye. "What about my brother?"
"Yes... Mr. Potter," Healer Jaxson said, rummaging through the files. She suspected it was the list of new candidates. Finding his file, it had a list copy of his medical records from Hogwarts. That had been a tricky beast to gain from Madam Pomfrey. At first, the matron did not want to release Harry's files to Alyssa, but with careful persuasion, she relented. That very night, Alyssa sent his files to Healer Jaxson.
"Yes, well, we can do the same. Your letter says he's magic is under the same suppression, but far more restricted than yours?"
Alyssa nodded her head at him slowly, disgust showing on her youthful face. "Yes. A Professor and I cast the spell I found and realized that his magic was suppressed by 60%."
Jaxson whistled lowly. For someone to place that kind of magical suppression on a lad, he must have been powerful. He closed the file and set it aside. Inside was a detailed letter describing what they found and the powers that were supposed to be emerging. It was a damn good thing; the kid was taking Occlumency. It would help the Empath abilities.
"Unfortunately, the potions won't come cheap. I will have to order them. This infirmary does not carry restricted potions here," Jaxson eyed her carefully, hoping that she understood what she was getting herself into.
"That's fine. Money is not a problem," she said, waving off his caution. "How much do I owe you for two? I want Harry to take them."
"Is this the reason you want him here?"
"No," she chewed on her lower lip and crossed her left leg over her right. "He wants to become an Auror one day and wants to learn how to defend himself. I can help a bit, and this is where he needs to be."
Jaxson nodded and flipped opened a small book full of restricted potions that needed to be ordered for more serious cases. Reaching for a pen, he began writing what potions they needed. The room was silent sans for the scratching of his pen and the occasional sigh from Alyssa.
Five minutes later, he set the pen down after adding up the cost. Doubling it, he raised an eyebrow. But Alyssa said that money wasn't a problem. "It will be 10,000 dragnots."
Alyssa hid her shock at the sizeable sum. That would be roughly three hundred galleons. Nothing was more important than helping her brother and freeing herself. Nodding her head, she reached down into her rucksack and pulled out a money bag. She had thought beforehand to make sure they had plenty of American Wizarding money. Gringotts had been helpful once they realized what she was doing with it.
Setting the money bag onto the desk, Jaxson's eyes widened at the money she freely sat in front of him.
"I think this is enough to cover the costs for two people," Alyssa said, retaking her seat.
Jaxson reached over the desk and gingerly picked up the small black money bag and gave it a small shake. Pulling the cord, it opened to reveal the gold coins. He shook his head and set the money to the side of his desk.
"I'll send you a post with the potions in the next few weeks. Your brother will have his physical most likely tomorrow and will start the potion regimen as soon as they arrive. Does that suffice?" Healer Jaxson asked, putting away the 'Potter,' file.
"Thank you Healer Jaxson," Alyssa said, coming to her feet. She fixed her bag on her shoulder and opened his door. Closing it, she wandered down the hallway, ignoring the stares from the other Healers and nurses.
Pushing the front door open, she sighed seeing the sun dipped below the horizon. Checking her watch on her wrist, she noted that dinner would already be over. The instructors would usher the campers to the outdoor amphitheater where the camp director would give the opening speech before sending everyone off to bed.
Walking up the hill, she followed the pathway to the outdoor amphitheater. As she walked, she passed the bunk dorms. Wistfully looking them over, she almost wished she could come back. In the dying daylight, she saw the obstacle course and the lake. She wondered what new equipment was installed.
Stepping off the pathway, she followed the sounds of laughter and talking toward the amphitheater. She stopped from a distance and listened to the camp director, Mike Simkins, talk about the camp motto, their lessons, and what it meant to be an Auror. Alyssa had to admit, he was very good at getting the crowd motivated.
When they started on the camp song, she chuckled and turned away to leave. Once she made it through the entrance, she closed her eyes and apparated back toward Manhattan. There she took the international portkey back to Britain.
***********Meanwhile at Hogwarts************
Albus was still fuming from the rude way the Yanks had spoken to him concerning Alyssa and Harry Potter. No one spoke to Albus Dumbledore like that! Unfortunately, his reputation was within the British Isles. He was the ICW Supreme Mugwump. He could pull a few strings, but the aging wizard had a feeling he would be shut down again.
Within hours of Alyssa returning to Britain, Albus knew she had arrived. His spy at the Ministry of Magic owled him a letter saying that Alyssa Potter returned, but Harry Potter was not with her. Leaning back in his chair, he sucked on a lemon drop as his mind raced through the possibilities.
It seemed she took him somewhere and left him. When he sought the Weasley's a few weeks ago, he used passive legilimency on young Ronald Weasley but found nothing. The only thing he remembered was that Harry Potter said something about going to a camp. But what camp? Surely someone must know.
It was time to craft another letter...
Alyssa landed in the entrance room at Potter Manor just as Albus was crafting his letter to the Weasleys. Vertigo from traveling so far rattled her brain for a minute. She knew a nap was for later. For now, she was content to find her Godfather and uncle.
Stepping out into the expansive foyer, she didn't see nor hear anyone around. Though her Godfather and uncle had their own places, she figured they would roam the Manor. Maybe she would pester them later.
Walking toward the flight of stairs to the second floor, she shifted her bag on her shoulder and let it drop into her hand. She dragged it up the steps until she reached her room.
Opening the door, she waved her hand, illuminating the room with the various lamps and candles. Electricity, much to the amusement of others, powered her mother's home in Atlanta. The Americans had invented technomancy. If only the British would get on board with the rest of the world.
Dropping her bag on the floor, she flopped down on her bed and breathed in the scent. It smelled vaguely of the soap powders the house-elves used, her and Henry. She blew out a puff of air, thinking about him.
It seemed it was months ago the last she saw him, but she knew it had been just a few days ago. The day the small family traveled to Godric's Hollow to see the home and their parents. She shuddered, pushing the day out of her mind. Raising her head, she rested her chin on the Gryffindor red quilt. Her eyes caught the sight of the baby hippogriff that she recovered from Potter Cottage.
Sighing, she took a breath and rolled over onto her back. Her eyes staring up at the ceiling she wanted to decorate. Maybe she would do the entire ceiling in stars and constellations. The mid-day sunlight streamed into the bedroom reminding her she was on British time and not New York time.
In New York, Harry would just be getting into bed while she was awake for lunch. She groaned to herself, realizing her internal clock was ajar. Maybe it was time for that nap.
"Tippi!" she called softly into the room.
A subtle pop a second later and she turned her head to see her elf, Tippi. He was dressed in a butler uniform with the Potter Crest on the smart jacket. She wondered who gave him the idea for a uniform. She would ask when she woke up later.
"Yous calls Miztress?" Tippi asked, seeing his Mistress return.
"Do we have a light sleeping potion anywhere?"
Tippi nodded and snapped his fingers. In his hand was a small purple corked bottle. Handing it to her, she smiled and thanked him. He nodded and popped away quietly.
Uncorking the small bottle, she scrunched her face, smelling the foul-tasting odor. Chucking it back, she set it down and rolled over to nap.
Alyssa rose a few hours later, feeling rested, and saw the sun had dipped into the horizon. Stretching, she squeezed her eyes closed before rolling to a sitting position.
Coming to her feet, she stretched again before leaving her room. Opening the door, she could hear light chatter from the downstairs dining room. Sirius and Remus must have dinner. As she traveled down the steps, she realized that she had not finished exploring Potter Manor.
It was something she needed to do before the summer was over. Who knows what sort of things she would find here. Pausing at the double doors to the dining room, she saw Sirius and Remus in a quiet discussion about something.
She hadn't stood there long before Remus noticed her, "Welcome back, Alyssa!" he smiled widely at her. "Are you hungry?"
"Famished," she said, taking a seat beside Sirius, who leaned over and kissed the side of her head.
Within seconds a platter of food appeared, and she felt her stomach growl.
"So how was taking Harry to America?" Sirius asked, setting his fork down and reaching for his wineglass.
"Better than expected," Alyssa said, pausing the fork to her mouth. "The traveling part was horrendous, but once we arrived things went smoothly."
"How did he do at camp?" Sirius pressed. He sounded like a true parent. A parent these kids needed.
"Don't know," Alyssa shrugged. "I left him with two of his instructors and the new campers and did my business."
"Oh! How did that go?" Remus asked, giving Sirius a glare.
"I'm poorer for it, but Healer Jaxson is sending the potions for me to take. He's also ordering potions for Harry to take."
"Good... good," Remus said, turning back to his dinner.
"What is on your agenda for the rest of the summer?" Sirius asked before Remus could open his mouth.
Alyssa smirked seeing this, "I will have to take my Auror exams first then I am done until I pick up Harry in August."
"Do you want me to pick him up?" Sirius asked, keeping up with the twenty questions.
"Can you even get a portkey that will travel that far?" Remus drawled.
Smiling at his best friend, but then frowned. "Probably not, but it would be nice to travel. Staying on the grounds isn't fun."
Alyssa could sympathize. Living with her mother for the summer breaks during her school years, she was locked up and not permitted to travel outside the grounds. Finishing her plate, she scooted her chair back and gave a hug to each man before departing.
A week later, Alyssa stood in the Atrium of the Ministry of Magic. She was being escorted to the Auror Academy to finish her exams. The young witch knew the examination would be sixty percent practical, with theory thrown in to keep the testing balanced. Once her testing was over, she would take care of Sirius's problem. Maybe coming here every day for the next two weeks would give her insight on how to achieve her goal.
Harry POV
Harry followed the group of boys that were to be his bunkmates for the next few weeks down a sloping pathway. They were getting a quick tour of the campus before the campers were guided to their dorms. All campers were instructed to unpack their belongings and find their way to the mess hall for dinner before joining the rest of the campers at the amphitheater for announcements.
It amazed him at what he saw. He could see right away why Alyssa enjoyed her two-year stay. Two of the obstacles courses reminded him of Remus's end-of-year exam. He wondered if they filled one with magical creatures. The lake, with the unbearable summer heat, looked inviting, but Harry learned that looks could be deceiving.
There were several buildings situated around the grounds. He was told they were classrooms. While he didn't relish cracking a book open during camp, he learned it was necessary for his training.
"The instructors teach a variety of things here," his Resident Counselor, Teddy said, pointing at the white buildings. "You will learn in your first summer: Basic first aid—magical and muggle, defensive and offensive spells, dueling, swimming, aquatic and magical creatures, run the obstacle courses, mind magics, and occlumency. They will test you on everything you do. You will do physical training every day."
Harry's eyes widened at the many topics he was going to learn. No wonder they needed several buildings.
"So why two buildings?" one of his new bunkmates spoke up.
"The first building with the large crossing wands on it will be the first summer building. There you will learn the basics. The second building with the cauldron is second summer topics. Those are intermediate and advanced classes.
Yea, Hermione would die and go to Heaven if she were here, Harry mused to himself. The campus was brilliant in Harry's mind.
Half an hour later their Resident Counselor Teddy showed them the long rectangular buildings that were considered the dorms. Harry walked into the white building and saw a large sitting room. There was a couch shaped like an 'L' along with two more sitting chairs.
The walls were a navy blue with white trim, making the room seem bigger. Harry followed one of his bunkmates, shoving his hands in his pockets. His fingers played with his shrunken, bottomless rucksack. He was trying to commit everything to memory so he could tell Hermione later.
The group passed a study section with two large tables and chairs. Harry saw there were pictures and posters in this area about studying and working hard to achieve. He kept his snort to himself. Harry was busy looking around that he almost plowed into the guy in front of him. The guy turned around and glared at him before turning back to Teddy.
"This is the first floor. There are two more floors above it. Each floor will have four bedrooms. You will share a room and a bathroom with your bunkmate. It also has two study areas and bookshelves filled with the material you will need for exams." Teddy explained, motioning behind him. "There is also a small common room that we passed on the way in."
A small murmur passed through the boys. Studying and exams? They were here to learn to fight and duel. Not study! Harry kept his mouth shut, realizing that it wasn't any use in arguing with someone about it. He still had plenty of summer homework left.
"Right. When I call your name, you will step behind me and find your room. Each room door has the names labeled on it." Teddy said, pulling his clipboard to eye level.
Harry tuned out the names being called until he heard his own. "Harry Potter!" Shaking his head from woolgathering, Harry pushed through the last of the group and stood in front of Teddy, who ushered him to the side.
Harry walked over and stood by Joey Tyndall, who gave him a quick smile and turned back to Teddy. After Teddy called the last name, he turned around to stare at the group, "The first group called is on level one. The second group is on level two and the third group is on level three. You have fifteen minutes to find your room, toss your things in there and meet back. Dinner is at six, followed by a speech at the amphitheater."
Harry scurried off to the second floor, following several others. The stomping of the stairs sounded like a running herd of elephants. Boys were huffing when they reached the second floor. The second floor was an exact copy of the bottom floor with a different color on the walls.
Coming to the second door, Harry smiled seeing his name, "Hey! We're bunkmates." Harry heard behind him. He turned to see Joey Tyndall standing there grinning. Did this bloke never stop smiling? It was like he had a permanent Cheering Charm cast on him.
Grabbing the knob in his hand, Harry pushed the door open, revealing a set of bunk beds on the far left wall with two conjoined white desks. Beside him were two small chests of drawers that would house their clothes. To his right, Harry saw a small built-in vanity. Joey opened another door, revealing a small room with a toilet and a stand-up shower.
"So you want the top bunk or the bottom?" Joey asked, closing the door to the toilet room.
"Don't care. I'll take the bottom bed if you don't mind?" Harry said, pulling his shrunken rucksack from his pocket and set it on the bed. He flicked his wrist, his wand appeared in his hand as he cast Engorgio charm on it. He watched it resize to its original size.
"Neat trick," Joey said, sliding his wand from his pocket and doing the same to his rucksack.
Harry smiled, reaching into the bag and pulling out the journal. It glowed faintly, reminding him he had a message. Hermione would be the only one who would write to him daily. Ron, he knew, would try at least once a week. Did he dare to tell Ron about the camp?
It felt like he was on the run from the Headmaster, like he was a fugitive. Harry knew he wasn't, and he was free to roam about as he pleased, but he had a sinking feeling that once he stepped back onto British soil, the Headmaster would circle him like a vulture.
"Wand holster given to me last Christmas. I was told to keep it on my at all times."
"Yea, my dad bought me one before we left. Haven't used it yet," Joey said, fishing around in his bag and pulled the wand holster out showing him.
Harry glanced at the clock on the wall, realizing they had five minutes before they were supposed to be back on the ground floor to head to the mess hall for food. He looked longingly at the journal, wishing he could sit and write everything he saw for Hermione, but time wasn't on his side.
"We better leave before we get into trouble on orientation day," Joey spoke up, ignoring the journal.
"Yea, let's go." Harry conceded.
The boys left the room after closing the door. They would soon be back inside laying on their beds wondering what tomorrow would bring. Down the stairs, they went to meet up with the rest of their dorm mates. Harry looked around at the sea of fresh faces and wondered which one of them was going to make it till the end of summer and who would leave.
Harry followed Teddy up a small hill to an outdoor eating area. He could see the rows of wooden tables, much like the ones at Hogwarts. A separate table was for the staff and counselors. Harry noticed that three of the walls were gone, leaving it bare to the elements.
Harry's stomach grumbled, smelling the food. He lined up behind two other guys. The line slowly progressed until Harry received his tray full of food. He was shocked people were handing out plates of food instead of house-elves. Maybe it was snobbish of him to assume Americans had house-elves.
Sitting down a few minutes later, Joey sat across from him along with a dark-haired girl he didn't know. Both of them smiled at him before digging into their meal. Harry reached for his drink and realized it wasn't pumpkin juice. Picking up his hamburger, Harry took a bite and chew quietly over the dull roar of teenagers conversing.
Harry pushed his plate aside when he had taken the last bite. For a moment, he looked down at the empty plate, feeling like Ron mourning over the loss of food. Mentally he shook his head and smiled, missing his friend.
"If everyone is done, follow the Resident Counselors to the amphitheater where we will make our announcements," a male voice called out to the crowd of teenagers.
Quickly, everyone departed from the outdoor pavilion and followed the Counselors. Harry tried to push down the slew of emotions coming from every person in the camp. Harry knew this was one reason Alyssa sent him here. He needed to learn and to control his empathic ability.
As they neared the amphitheater, Harry noticed that it was outside. It was a circular pit with stone slabs for seating. In the middle of the pit was a space for a bonfire. It looked well used. Taking a seat near the top, Harry tucked between a large dark-skinned boy and a red-headed girl. Both of them smiled and introduced themselves to Harry. It was a relief when neither of them recognized his name.
Harry looked to the darkening sky and could see the constellations forming above. The stars started their nightly routine of shining brightly down upon the world. Before he could get lost daydreaming about his girlfriend, he heard a loud voice speak up.
"My name is Mike Simkins, I am the Junior Auror Camp Director. I am sure you have met several of your instructors and your Resident Counselors already. So, I will make this brief," the Director took a breath, eyeing the crowd. "At this camp, you will learn to fight, duel, defend yourself. Every one of you has the potential to succeed here. Many of you will and many will not. We are a family. We all work hard and play harder. We defend one another until our very last breath."
"You," he pointed at everyone, "are the future. We will teach you everything we know. Have a pleasant summer and good luck!" The Director said, stepping away from the unlit bonfire.
Harry sat there enraptured. He compared Mike to Dumbledore and realized he preferred Mike. His speech, while invigorating, differed from the odd speeches Dumbledore gave at the Welcoming Feast. Everyone clapped politely before someone from the pit started singing. Harry groaned to himself. Even at camp, they had a song.
Later that night, Harry sat on the bottom bunk with his journal in his lap. He scribbled furiously to Hermione, trying to remember everything.
Hermione
I know it's late at your house, but it's curfew for me. You seriously won't believe this place! I am staying in the all-male dorm for the first summer season. My roommate is Joey Tyndall from Chicago. It's funny to hear him speak, but I am sure he thinks the same about me.
Alyssa left hours ago after she finished her task here. I barely got to stay goodbye, but I suppose it was for the best. I've already met two of my instructors. One for Defensive and Offensive Magic and the other is Mind Magics. Yes, that means I will learn Occlumency and yes, I will teach you.
The campus is huge. It has everything a camp needs. The mess hall is outside! I wonder how they make sure we never get rained on? There are obstacle courses, buildings for classrooms, dueling platforms, exercise areas for strength training. I didn't see a library, though. Maybe a small one for studying the required courses. The people at this place expect us to strive to do our best.
I know I am rambling, but I wish you were here with me. You would love this place, Hermione. I miss you terribly and I can't wait until I can get you alone. I miss having you in my arms.
I need to sleep. My physical is tomorrow.
Love
Harry
Setting the journal under his pillow right next to his wand, Harry removed his glasses and set them down on a small conjured table. He could hear Joey snoring above him. Rolling over, he closed his eyes and passed out.
The next morning a clap of what sounded like thunder roused Harry from his sleep. Cracking an eye open, he saw that it was dimly lit in the room. The sun must have risen a while ago. Sitting up in bed, Harry rubbed his hands over his face and reached for his glasses. Sliding them on, the world came into view. Above him, Joey snored again. Harry punched the bottom of the mattress, hearing the booming noise again. It must be the wake-up call to start the day.
"Wh—what?" Joey mumbled in his sleep.
"Wake up," Harry said, swinging his legs over the bed and coming to stand. "I think the noise is supposed to wake us up."
"Yea—mm-hmm," Joey muttered and rolled over, his arm dangling off the side of the bed. Harry had half a mind to jerk the arm and wake his bunkmate.
Heading to the shower, Harry climbed in and turned on the spray. The heat from the water waking him up. Ten minutes later, he climbed out of the shower, toweling himself off.
When he entered their room again, Joey was sitting up in bed. "So you're finally awake?" Harry asked, shuffling through his side of the closet for clothes.
"Yea, I'm a heavy sleeper. My dorm mates at Ilvermorny have to wake me up every morning so I can go to class." Joey shrugged, reaching for a towel and his toiletries bag. He walked past Harry toward the shower room. "Give me fifteen minutes and we'll go down together."
Harry nodded mutely and finished throwing his uniform on. Shoving his feet into the dragon-hide boots, he crossed the room and reached under his pillow for the journal. It glowed light blue. Opening it up, he saw that he had two messages.
Harry!
I think I am actually jealous of your description of the camp. There are times I wish that Alyssa had gotten me in with you. That would have been wonderful! All the learning you will get to do...
We have arrived in Nice as our starting point. I think my parents want to cruise around the country and sight-see instead of laying on a hot beach somewhere for the entire trip. Not that I mind, but I would love to go to Paris's wizarding town.
You will teach me EVERYTHING! But enough about that. I miss you too, Harry, and I can't wait to see you. This summer seems like it will take forever. Maybe because we're both excited and impatient about something.
Write to me as often as you can.
Love
Hermione.
Harry!
Hey, mate! Glad to see you've made it... You have made it, right? Mum wants to know, and she is still in a right state that you won't be joining us at all this summer at the Burrow. Everyone has listened to her complain. What's funny is that Ginny's complaining too. I think she wants to come to visit when you get back. With you gone and Hermione in France, it will be dreadfully boring.
Anyway, have fun mate.
Ron.
Before he could write back, the shower room door opened and steam poured out into the vanity area. Joey stepped out and quickly began dressing.
"What's that?" he heard Joey ask.
"Oh, this..." Harry paused, closing the journal. He didn't have to worry about it being stolen. "It's a communication journal my sister gave me and my mates."
"That's awesome. It would come in handy. My girlfriend lives in Charleston."
Harry nodded, knowing how his roommate felt, "Mine is on vacation with her parents in France this year."
"You got a girlfriend too?" Joey asked as Harry nodded. "What she like?"
"Brillant," Harry said, his face lighting up. "The smartest witch at Hogwarts. We've been dating since earlier this year."
"A smart one? Yea, Tiff is the same. She pushes me to try harder with my studies at Ilvermorny."
"My sister went to Ilvermorny before she transferred to Hogwarts."
"Yea? What's her name? I've probably heard of her."
"Alyssa Potter. She looks a lot like me, but with brown eyes like our dad."
"I think I've heard of her. A bit of a recluse, if I remember."
"She was the same at Hogwarts," Harry stated, tucking the journal under his pillow. Rising to his feet, he realized he would write both of them back later tonight after dinner. Who knew what was in store for the newcomers today.
A few minutes later, Harry and Joey rushed down the stairs and toward the mess hall where they dug into breakfast. Harry kept to the foods he knew from Hogwarts. It saddened him realizing they didn't serve tea, but kept it simple with juice and milk.
That was fine. He wasn't the only one from England who had to suffer without their usual fare of culinary foods. Once he was finished, Harry set his fork down and picked up his glass of juice and emptied it. The dark-haired wizard looked around, seeing the teens around him finishing their meals.
Three rows across from him, Harry watched as the teens from the two smaller tables rise and stand in attention. His eyes followed an instructor who was hustling toward the exit of the outdoor mess hall. He noticed the man wiped his mouth with a white napkin and flicked it in the air, never noticing it disappearing.
"ATTENSHUN!" the instructor bellowed, standing in front of the two smaller tables. "FALL OUT!"
Harry watched in amazement as the two tables of teens walked out in two lines toward the obstacle area. He caught the worried glimpse of his future teammates as they all stared. He could only imagine what they were thinking.
"You don't think..." the redhead girl sitting beside him said as they watched three other instructors march down the aisles and toward the end of the mess hall. Harry's eyes followed the man passing his table and winced when the man stopped, turned, and faced them. He noticed that the other two instructors did the same.
"Today is your physical. Each of you will line up and follow your instructors toward the infirmary. You will go through a series of tests before nightfall. If you miss lunch, that's your fault." A voice said near the front table for the instructors.
All eyes turned toward the Director from last night. He was standing on a transfigured podium, his hands clasped behind his back as he stared them down. He dressed similarly to the instructors.
For a moment, Harry wished he was back home.
Almost.
"EVERYONE STAND!" the tall dark-skinned instructor shouted. He was standing in front of the third row, who scrambled to stand up. Harry quickly stood up and cast a glance at Joey, who was looking worried.
"This will be an all-day event. Every one of you will take a physical, so don't start being shy about your body," the Director instructed, rubbing his hands together. He looked over the crowd and hoped... hoped he could help whip them into shape. He prided himself on making sure every cadet (he refused to acknowledge them as campers) would be prepared to fight and win against the enemy, if possible.
Harry followed behind Joey, his eyes forward. The early morning sun shined brightly in their eyes. Harry squinted against the glare. No one spoke as they followed their instructor toward the infirmary. Harry realized there were forty-eight first season campers. It was going to take all day before they were finished.
A few minutes later, their instructor stopped in front of a white building with a logo emblazoned on the front. Harry didn't recognize it but deducted that it had something to do with medicine.
"Inside, there are eight rooms. We will escort the first eight of you to a room where you will begin your physical. Once it is done, you will come back outside and wait for your group to be finished." Their instructor explained, narrowing his eyes at them.
Eight rooms? Harry quickly calculated there would be six groups of eight before they were done.
"...Also, when everyone is done, you will convene at one of the training centers where you will be tested for spell accuracy, speed, and agility." The instructor continued. "Now the first eight of you, please enter the infirmary."
Harry watched, with the glaring sun blazing on the back of his neck, as the first eight walked into the infirmary. He saw that he would be in the second group of kids to go inside to be poked and prodded at. Hopefully, none of the Healers had Madam Pomfrey's bedside manners. He held back a snort. These American Healers were probably far worse than Madam Pomfrey.
Though the symbol on the outside of the building was bothering him. Tapping Joey on the shoulder, the sandy-haired boy turned around to look at him. "What's that symbol on the building?"
"That's the symbol for St. Arrow Hospital. The crossed wands and laurels."
"St. Arrow?"
"Yea, it's the wizarding hospital in Manhattan."
"Like St. Mungo's," Harry supplied, catching on.
"Yep. I've never been, but my younger sister wants to be a medi-witch when she gets older. I've seen the logo." Joey shrugged and wiped his forehead.
Harry nodded his head. The boy behind him sneezed, which resulted in someone pushing the boy into Harry. Harry bumped into Joey, who bumped into the girl in front of him.
This action caused their instructor to bark, "We are NOT here to play people. You want to play, go back home." He narrowed his eyes at them, which resulted in several sheepish faces.
Half an hour later, the door opened as the first group walked out. Harry could see the relief on their faces as they passed by. "All right, the next eight of you, go on."
Harry followed Joey through the glass-paned door and into a stark white building. In the center were a desk and a woman dressed in muggle-style nursing clothes. She came around and smiled brightly at them. "Four take a left and four take a right..."
A similar nurse stood to the right, showing they were to follow her. They walked passed two curtained off areas that Harry assumed were important. As they came to a door, she would stop and usher one inside. When she got to Harry, she quietly knocked on the door and told the Healer his next patient was there. Giving him an encouraging smile, Harry walked past her and into a light blue room with white trim.
It interested him that they painted the room, but the rest of the interior was a bright white. Almost like the color of snow. Suddenly, Harry missed Hogwarts.
"Come in and hop up on the table. I am Healer Rathbone." the Healer said, motioning toward the table.
Harry pursed his lips but did as he was told. Hopping up on the table, he looked over at the Healer expectantly.
"This your first physical, I assume Mr... Potter?" the healer asked, looking over his file. "Though, I can see by your medical chart from Hogwarts you spent a fair amount of time in the hospital wing."
"Yes, I did. I play Quidditch."
"I read that. What position?"
"Seeker," Harry replied, wondering why they were getting off-topic.
"However, there are more incidents in your file. They say little except for a few broken bones, burns, cuts and scrapes." Healer Rathbone continued. Healer Rathbone knew that whatever he asked, the boy most likely wouldn't speak of it.
When he received the Potter file, he was unsure about a few things that Head Healer Jaxson explained about the suppression on the kid's magic. He worried there would be power difficulties if they broke it, but Healer Jaxson stated he had already spoken to Potter's guardian who wished for the suppression to be lifted.
"Right, let's get this done," he said, closing the file and setting it on a small table beside him. Walking over to the sink, he scrubbed down the muggle way before turning around to see the boy watching him.
He then led Harry through a series of Muggle-style examinations. Harry noticed the Healer was taking notes as he watched Harry perform the actions he was asked to do.
"Excuse me, why are you not using magic?" Harry asked, lowering his foot to the ground.
"Sometimes the Muggle way is better than Magical. St. Arrow works alongside our Muggle counterparts in these types of situations." He explained, then pulled out his wand and ran the magical diagnostic spells on him.
"Well, there are some things that need to be addressed," Healer Rathbone said once they were finished with the physical. "First, you are underweight and short for your age. Do you know why?"
Harry's eyes widened, but he slowly nodded. He could feel his heart beating like a stampeding hippogriff. What could he tell the Healer?
"I suppose you won't say, will you?"
Harry shook his head in negative.
"All right," Healer Rathbone said, eyeing him warily. "There is a note in your file about a magical suppression, do you know about this?"
"Yes, I do. I found out this past term at Hogwarts." Harry informed the man, much to Healer Rathbone's relief.
"I performed the same spells that Healer Jaxson did on your sister, Alyssa, to help break her suppression." Healer Rathbone explained. "There are several potions that you need to take twice a day for the next two weeks. They haven't arrived yet, but when they do, I will notify you."
Harry smiled gratefully at the Healer. Something was getting done to fix this. It should have been fixed years ago, he thought to himself. Stepping down from the table, Harry stood there and watched as the Healer wrote a few things in his file. He noticed they didn't use parchment as the British Magicals did. It looked much simpler to use.
"You are done here. Have a pleasant afternoon," Healer Rathbone said, shooing Harry out of the room.
He shrugged and started walking back toward the front entrance where he met up with the other seven individuals. Exiting the infirmary, they met up with another instructor, this time a pretty blonde-haired female. She quietly led them across the campus and toward the training and dueling area.
When they arrived, the group before them was packing up to leave. Harry wished he had a watch to check the time. Squinting against the sunlight, he saw in the distance, dummies mounted on metal poles.
"This is one of your training areas. We will test you today on spell accuracy, speed, and agility," she instructed. "Do not worry about the person beside you. Everyone's skill level is different in the beginning. It is our job to teach you to be on the same level."
Harry listened intently. This was a training test to see how well they performed magic. Maybe it was a good thing that Alyssa started training him on how to duel properly. He would have to tell Remus and Sirius about this. This place would tickle his Godfather and impress his uncle.
"Now everyone pick a dummy and stand there until an assistant approaches you. They will take notes on how well you perform," she instructed again.
Everyone dispersed to a dummy. Harry stopped in front of 'dummy number 3' and waited patiently for an assistant. When the assistant arrived, he reminded Harry of Neville.
"Well, get started..." the boy snapped quietly at him, clicking a button on a timer.
Fifteen minutes later, the timer went off. Harry stood there, sweat pouring down his face, his face red and sweaty. He pushed a healthy gust of air from his lungs to control his beating heart. Lowering his wand, he turned to the assistant who kept his face impassive as the assistant scribbled notes down on a clipboard.
"You are dismissed. I will have your results to you by tomorrow morning at breakfast," he said, dismissing the tired teen.
Nodding his head, Harry didn't know if he could still speak. They tested him on what they said they would. It didn't matter what spell he used, but he had to be accurate with it. Had to be quick to fire it. What caught him off guard was the dummy would aim a spell at him which caused him to dodge several times. He was hit twice before he realized the dummy would fight back.
Limping off the course, he tugged his glasses off his face and lifted the bottom of his shirt to wipe his face off. He could feel the sun beating down on his back and was grateful for the white shirt he was wearing. His shirt was soaked through, leaving a cool imprint on his back.
Putting his glasses back on, Harry walked back toward the tired group of teens who had just finished. He eyed the pretty blonde-haired instructor, who was speaking to one assistant before turning back to the tired group.
"You are dismissed. Dinner is at six," she said offhandedly before turning back to the assistant.
Harry walked toward the dorms, praying for a cold shower to relieve him. If he was so far up north, then why was it so hot? He wanted to ask, but he could already feel the ridicule if he did. Many of the kids here were from America. They wouldn't understand the cold, rainy mountains of Scotland like he did.
As he walked toward the dorms, Harry stopped to watch a group of second years battle off in an intense dueling session. The speed and agility of these two magicals impressed him. He knew he was nowhere near their level. Hopefully, by the end of the summer he would be.
Walking into the dormitory a few minutes later, Harry wiped the sweat off his brow and trudged slowly up the short flight of stairs to the second floor. Using his wand, he unlocked the door and pushed it open. The cool breeze from the window soothed the overly hot teenager.
Stripping out of his clothes, he tossed them in the hamper that opened up and seemed to swallow his clothes. Raising an eyebrow, he shrugged and within minutes found himself under a hot spray.
When he emerged from the shower he realized he was still alone. Shucking his towel, he rummaged through his closet and found another set of uniforms. Leaving himself bare-chested, he sat down on the bed and fished out his journal from underneath his pillow.
The lowering sunlight streamed into the room, giving it a healthy glow. Harry leaned back on to his bed, his back propped up against the pillow, and opened his journal. Inside, he had two messages to reply too.
Ron was by far the easiest,
Ron!
Yes, I made it, and this place is brilliant! It has everything someone needs who wants to learn how to defend. I wonder if the actual Auror Academy is like this.
You won't believe it though, there are NO house-elves. At least none that I can see. Americans must have a different way of cleaning than we do. This should make Hermione happy.
How's your summer going so far? How's your family?
It's almost dinnertime and I am starving after my initial testing day. Talk to you soon.
Harry.
Flipping the page, he sighed, realizing that it was easier to write to Ron than it would be with Hermione. His gut instinct nudged at him, letting him know it was all right to not tell Ron everything.
Hermione,
I have decided that I will write to you every day if I can. Today was our physical and testing. I think I did well on my testing. They tested me for agility, speed, and accuracy. We threw spells at dummies that moved! It was firing spells back at me.
They set this place up like a military camp. It's very disciplined and unlike anything I have ever encountered. I watched several second-year campers train earlier and their speed and precision was something you would see in a professional, like a real Auror or a Hit Wizard.
The sun is sinking, and dinner will be shortly. We eat outside under a large roof. You can't see the surrounding wards, but I think they're there to protect us from the elements. I really wish you could be here.
I miss you... lots and I can't wait to see you again. Today is day 1 and I will count down the days.
Love
Harry
Harry closed the journal as soon as he heard the door click. Lifting his head from the journal, he saw his roommate walk in and head toward the shower, much as he did earlier.
Fifteen minutes later, he and Joey were heading back toward the mess hall and sat down across from one another. Harry felt a strange sense of deja vu, remembering his time at Hogwarts. He wondered if the American school was similar. Platters of hamburgers, chips, juice, an assortment of side dishes appeared.
Reaching toward the large stack of hamburgers, condiments appeared a second later. While hamburgers weren't a known Hogwarts dish, Harry had some idea about them. He cooked plenty for the Dursley's over the years. Fixing his sandwich the way he wanted, he began piling the side dishes on his plate.
The conversations flowed around him as he ate. It wasn't as if the young wizard was shy, but some of these kids went to the same school. He felt like an outsider, but realized that several others weren't speaking either.
He figured it would be the same way if the camp was in Britain. He scoffed to himself, Britain having something as extraordinary as this? They feared a name for Merlin's sake! Chewing through his hamburger, he jiggled his leg in anticipation. He wouldn't mind sending an owl to his Godfather and Remus.
He would have to find out soon if they could.
Halfway through dinner, Teddy walked down the aisle handing out slips of paper. When he reached Harry, he sat it down on the wooden table beside his half-empty plate without saying a word. Setting his fork down, Harry wiped his mouth and picked up the paper.
Reading over it, Harry realized it was a timetable.
Week 1 Schedule:
History: Auror Corp & of sizing Auror model holsters
Testing
Intro to PT
What was PT? Harry turned his head to look at one boy from his dorm hall and he could tell the boy knew what he was reading.
"What's PT?" Harry asked, showing the boy the paper.
"PT means physical training," the boy replied, his accent hard to distinguish. "My uncle is an Auror. They will work our bodies out until we are fit."
That made sense to Harry. He knew that Quidditch helped, but it was nowhere near an Auror level. Pushing his plate aside, he watched as several other campers left the mess hall. Apparently, they didn't have to stay until everyone was finished.
Taking his cue to leave, Harry wandered away from the mess hall and around the campus. The dying sun was falling into the horizon as he walked. It cast shadows everywhere he walked until he stood in front of the dorm hall. Shrugging his shoulders, he wandered into the dorm hall and found a large bookcase filled with books.
Scanning over the titles, Harry instantly knew that if Hermione was with him, she would advise him to study. Not that he wanted to be the top of his class here, but it made sense. Reaching into one of the many pockets of his pants, he found the timetable. Reading it over again, he looked up to see if could find a title about the History of Auror Corps.
Seeing nothing, he noticed there were several volumes of healing and aquatic and magical creatures. Nothing about Quidditch. What a shame Ron would have a fit if he knew that Quidditch wasn't the major topic here.
Seeing a muggle clock on the other side of the wall, Harry reached for a book on healing and headed up toward his room. Using his wand, he unlocked it and pocketed his wand. His holster was still in his rucksack. He would have to retrieve it for tomorrow's lesson. He supposed he would wear it all summer. Knowing his instructors, he would wear it during the school year.
The wall scones were brightly lit as he flopped down on the bed and opened the book on basic healing. Halfway through the third chapter, he fell asleep with his head on the book. Tomorrow was going to be one busy day.
****************Meanwhile at Hogwarts*************
Albus Dumbledore sat alone in his office, his dinner long discarded as an ancient thick tome sat opened in front of him. He was looking for a loophole that could help him find where Harry Potter was. His letter to the Weasley's was sent yesterday, and he knew their decrepit ancient owl would take several days before it would finally arrive.
What he didn't count on was his fireplace roaring loudly as Arthur Weasley's head poked through the fire.
"Albus!" he heard his name being called. Turning his head, he saw Arthur waiting patiently for him.
"Yes, Arthur, may I help you?"
"We, uh, received your owl and instead of sending Errol, I thought it would be best if I talked to you in person," Arthur replied.
Albus stood from his comfortable chair and walked over to the fireplace and knelt down on the hard stone. He could hear his knees protesting the action.
"You said that you needed to speak with Ron and Ginny about Harry?"
"Yes, I did. You see, the boy has left and I cannot find him. He's been belligerent this past year and I worry for him. I wanted to know if they knew anything."
He could see Arthur contemplating this over. On one hand, it didn't seem right that Harry would run off like this, but it was summer and he had a magical guardian.
"If you like, you may stop by tomorrow and ask them," Arthur said before disappearing from the fire. Finally! Albus knew the answer was in his grasp.
The next day he arrived at the Burrow at precisely ten in the morning. Finding Ron Weasley a minute later, the redhead boy was flinging small garden gnomes across the expansive backyard. There was something different about the boy today. Something different from his first visit here.
After speaking to Ronald, he was coming to realize the boy knew nothing of Harry Potter's plans. Next, he would seek Ginevra and see what she could offer... if she could offer anything.
She was hesitant at first to answer anything until he threw in Harry's safety and a promise that if she helped find out where he was, there was a certain incentive for her and the boy-who-lived. Hearing this, she perked up and wore she would do all she could to find out where Harry was.
Leaving the Burrow, Albus realized a minor victory when he saw one. Appearing back at Hogwarts, all he needed to do now was wait.