Hello readers and welcome to my new chapter. Sorry I took so long updating this, but I was focusing on my other stories. I hope you don't hold it against for taking so long. I hope this chapter is good enough for the wait and that I got the characters correctly. I try not to make it too dramatic and try to make their reactions correct. So, enjoy.
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter and the Gift of Memories nor the original Harry Potter series.
Chapter 8: The Goodbye Chapter
"Chapter 8: The Hardest Part is Saying Goodbye…" Lisa C flinch, knowing what chapter is this. She wish she didn't have to read this, but she couldn't.
Anastasia frown when she saw her daughter flinch. She hope that this chapter won't be hard for her to read.
Harry woke up with rays of sunlight shining in his eyes. After blinking several times so he could adjust to the light, the young eleven year old looked around and saw that, much like he had suspected, he was laying on the couch in Lisa's living room. The sunlight was coming in through the sliding door that led to the backyard.
"He's at your house?" Terry asked Lisa C.
Lisa C nodded. "He sometimes stay there for the night." She smile fondly, remembering all the times he stay with her
Also, much like he had expected, Lisa was still with him, curled up like a cat as she lay on his chest. Her arms were wound tightly around his torso, preventing him from moving much. Despite the fact that the girl was a heavy sleeper, even the littlest of movements seemed to make her tighten her grip, as if she knew he was trying to escape her grasp.
"Aw, so cute!"
"Mum!" Lisa C cried out in embarrassment, blushing up a storm. Hannah, Tracey, Lisa T, Terry, Neville, Hermione, and Nymphadora laugh at her embarrassment.
Somehow, despite the fact that Harry had expected to find himself in this situation, he was still surprised. It had been a long time since he and Lisa had fallen asleep together. The last time it had happened was when they were nine. The Dursley's had gone on vacation to Italy and he had not been allowed to come.
"I doubt he wanted to come with those bastards." Tonks said, rolling her eyes. She ignore her mom's look at her mild swear.
In an act of incredible kindness, Anastasia Crawft had offered Harry a place to stay since he would have otherwise been forced to stay with Mrs. Figg, a strange old lady who owned several dozen cats too many.
The TV show a picture of the Mrs. Figg and the several cats she owned. The magic users boggled at how many cats that woman owns. How can one person afford having that many cats? And why does she own that many?
The first night he had stayed over, Lisa had them staying up well into the night watching movies of all kinds – mostly Disney movies – and the two of them had fallen asleep on the couch together.
That was also the first time he had woken up to find Mrs. Crawft taking snap shots of him and Lisa so she could frame them on a wall in the house that had many other pictures of Lisa – mostly baby picture – which she showed to her guests.
Everyone laugh at that while Lisa C blush madly in embarrassment. Andromeda turn to with a mischievous smile on her face.
"Do you have one of those pictures on you?" Andromeda innocently asked. Anastasia grin, ignoring Lisa C pleading look, and gave a picture of them sleeping together from her pocket.
"I always keep one of them incase someone ask for a picture." Anastasia said with a twinkle in her eye. Andromeda coo at the picture while Lisa C put her hands in her face in pure embarrassment.
Lisa had never been more embarrassed in her life, or so she always told him.
"It's true!" Lisa C cried out.
"Come on, Lisa, the pictures are cute!"
"It's embarrassing to show them to others!"
Harry noticed that someone had put a blanket over them sometime during the night. He suspected Lisa's mum to be the culprit as the television had also been turned off.
Thinking of how Mrs. Crawft had most likely come in last night to cover them with a blanket reminded him of how he had been convinced to stay over for the night by Lisa. Yesterday had been the last day before he left for Hogwarts, which he had told the Crawft's was a very prominent boarding school in Scotland – for some reason they had simple accept that.
"Yeah, we did." Anastasia said. "I wonder why we easily accepted it now though." Lisa C is wondering the same thing. Andromeda explain it to them this time.
"It was a form a magic." Andromeda said shortly. "It's help when your telling friends or distant muggle family members about what school you'll be going to."
Harry suspected magic was involved – and his friend had all but demanded he stay with them for the night so she could say goodbye to him when morning came. The two of them had then proceeded to stay up late watching movies, before falling asleep together on the couch like they did when they were younger.
Harry had to admit that even to this day he was not sure how he felt about waking up to find himself being used as a giant teddy bear.
Some of the first years laugh or snicker a little at that. Harry Potter, being used as a giant teddy bear. That something every fan-girl would dream of doing.
Uncomfortable because of how close this girl was and how deceptively strong her grip seemed to be as she held onto him, or warm because this girl who was the closest thing he had to a sister cared for him so much that she would stay up late into the night just so she could be with him for as long as possible before he went to Hogwarts. He supposed it was a mixture of both.
"Of course I would." Lisa C said. "He is my best friend in the whole wide world, ever since he beat the crap out of those bullies." Not to mention crush, but she didn't say that.
Knowing that he needed to get up to start his day, Harry carefully shifted in the girls grip, ignoring the way her arms tightened against him, then proceeded to gently tap certain points on her wrists and arms.
"Hmm, I thought that was only on TV." Hermione said to herself. "Maybe I can Harry to teach that to me."
The pressure points he touched caused Lisa's hold on him to loosen, and he swiftly removed himself out from under her and replaced his body with a pillow. Lisa frowned for a moment, no doubt sensing the lack of warmth the pillow emitted, but thankfully didn't wake up and just buried her face into sack of feathers.
The first thing Harry decided to do after escaping his friends grip was take a quick shower. Having stayed over at the Crawft's many times in the last three years, he had grown comfortable enough to use their facilities. These days Harry was practically considered a member of the family. Even Mr. Crawft, who didn't really like him all that much due to how close he was to their daughter, said nothing against him.
"So an overprotective father?" Lisa T asked Lisa C. The girl nodded.
Absently, he wondered why Mr. Crawft disliked how he spent so much time with the man's daughter, but shrugged the thought off as the older male just being an overprotective father. He had read about how some father's could get very protective of their children, especially their daughter's, though he couldn't for the life of him understand why. It wasn't like he or Lisa were up to anything they shouldn't be.
Lisa C blush madly at the thought. She sometimes wish that her dad would stop so overprotective of her and try to get to know Harry.
Dispelling those thoughts Harry made for the shower, where he spent a good long while under the hot spray of the shower head before actually getting clean. By the time he was dried off and clothed again it was nearing six o'clock, and he could hear the sound of the stove burning, as well as smell the bacon that was being cooked on said stove.
That meant Lisa's mum was awake and cooking breakfast.
Moving into the living room which was connected to the kitchen/dining room, Harry saw that Lisa still had yet to wake up. The girl had changed positions and was now laying on her back. The blanket had been thrown off at some point while he was getting clean, and one of her legs was dangling off the couch, while the other one was raised up on the couch's arm. Likewise, her left arm was hanging off the couch while her right was lying at a slightly awkward angle behind her head.
Everyone laugh at how silly she looks while Lisa C cried out in embarrassment. She's starting to hate this chapter, a lot.
With a shake of his head, Harry walked past the couch and into the kitchen/dining room where he found Anastasia Crawft cooking what he had already deduced from the smell to be bacon, eggs, and hash browns.
"Good morning, Mrs. Crawft," Harry greeted amicably as he walked up to her. "Do you need any help?"
"I wish he just call me Anastasia." the woman grumbled. Is it so hard to call her that? It makes her feel old.
"Good morning, Harry," Anastasia said with a smile. She did not seem at all surprised to find him in her kitchen at such an early hour asking if she needed help, and why should she? This particular scene had occurred so regularly in this house whenever Harry slept over that by now it was practically tradition.
The smile soon turned into a pout, and Harry didn't even need to guess to know what was coming.
"Though I do wish you would stop calling me Mrs. Crawft. It makes me feel old. Perhaps you call me Anastasia," the smile soon returned with a vengeance, only this time there was a teasing glint to it as well. "Or better yet, why don't you call me mum?"
And there it was. This was not the first time Lisa's mother had suggested he call her mum, and it would most definitely not be the last either. Within the last year alone, Anastasia had asked him to call her mum exactly six hundred and fifty two times, which was exactly sixteen times more than last year.
"Wow." Nymph said with a whistle. "You are persistent, I'll give you that." Andromeda merely grin at that. And she not going to stop anytime soon.
She seemed to be increasing the amount of times she asked him to call her mum every year since they had met and she had learned of his less then desirable living conditions. Or, to be more precise, his less then desirable relatives.
"You learn about his living condition?" McGonagall asked the woman. The others look at her as well, including Lisa C.
Anastasia shrug. "Not everything there is, but I've met them. And had Harry told me about what's happening, but not when he was a toddler. I can see why." Anastasia felt incredible anger at the Dursleys. She should call the police first chance she get, but she'll ask Harry first.
Harry had to resist the urge to sigh. It wasn't that he didn't like Anastasia, because he did. She was everything a mother should be in his opinion; kind and compassionate, yet also firm when needed, and wise when it came to certain aspects of life. She also had a slightly mischievous side that came out quite often, though that could have just been because he was around. Still, just seeing how Lisa had turned out showed how well the woman was at raising her child. He had great respect for the woman's abilities as a mother and truly appreciated the hospitality and acceptance she had given him.
Anastasia smile at that. She is glad that Harry held a high opinion of her, even though he refuse to call her mom.
The problem was that Anastasia was not his mother. His mother had died tragically, nobly sacrificing her life to protect his. It didn't matter that he had only known his mum for a year, that year had been more than enough that no one could replace her in his heart. And if that wasn't enough, she had given her life for him, something that Anastasia, for all his respect and admiration of her character and abilities as a mother, could never hope to compete with. There was just no contest.
She frown a little. She understand why he doesn't call her mum, but that doesn't mean she's a little disappointed. But he's right. That is something she can never compete with.
Neville frown in sadness, remembering that his parents sacrifice their lives for him.
Still, that didn't mean he was going to be rude. Even if Anastasia Crawft was being serious and not just jesting, he did like and even appreciate her attempts.
And the smile got right back on her. Some of the others are suspecting that woman is bipolar.
"So, do you need any help with breakfast?"
Anastasia Crawft huffed a bit as Harry changed the subject, but decided not to call him out on it and instead went back to scrambling the eggs she was making. Harry smiled when he saw that she was using the method he had taught her for making scrambled eggs. "Breakfast is almost ready so I don't really need any help here, but if you could set the table, that would be nice."
"Very well."
"That is nice of him." Andromeda replied. "Most boys don't help adults with their chores when visiting a friend, much less ask to help cook. That goes for some girls as well" Terry, Blaise, Neville, Hannah, Tracey, and Lisa C pouted, knowing it was jabs on them.
Harry knew where all the plates and utensils were from having helped Lisa's mum plenty of times in the past. He quickly and efficiently gathered the plates, forks, knives, and cups, and began arranging them on the table with four people in mind.
"Harry," Anastasia called to him. He looked over at the woman to see she hadn't turned from her self-appointed task as she spoke, still scrambling the eggs after putting a few new pieces of bacon to cook on the other pan. "I'm going to start putting breakfast on the table. When you finish setting the table, could you please go and wake up Lisa?"
"Sure," Harry replied, and after he finished his task made his way into the living where Lisa was still sleeping heavily on the couch. He noticed with some amusement that the girl's mouth was wide open and she had a small trickle of drool at the left corner of her mouth.
The first years and Tonks laugh at the site of a drooling Lisa C while the girl blush in embarrassment and bury her hand in her face.
Meanwhile, with the adults, Andromeda and Anastasia coo at the cute picture while Mcgonagall has a twitch on her lip, that suspiciously look like a smile of amusement.
Shaking his head, Harry knelt down next to the girl in question and began to gently shake her. "Lisa, it's time to get up." Despite his attempts it took a while before his friend actually began to stir. Lisa had always been a heavy sleeper. Her mother had once joked that the world could come to an end and she would probably sleep through it.
"That was not a funny joke." Lisa C grumbled, her cheeks pink once again.
"Mmmmggggg..." Lisa let out a long, drawn out groan as her eyes began to open blearily. She was forced to shut them almost as soon as she opened them due to the light hitting her face. "Could someone turn that light off?" she asked in a voice that was slightly coarse from disuse and sleepiness.
"Unfortunately the light you're talking about just so happens to be the sun," Harry informed the girl. "Which, by the way, is impossible to turn off."
"Smartass." Lisa C grumbled, getting a stern stare from her mother. She flinch and mumbled an apology to her.
Lisa just groaned some more as she turned over onto her side and tried to go back to sleep. Harry frowned as he realized that his friend was going to be stubborn this morning and decided that more drastic measures were going to be needed to wake her.
Lisa C pouted. She always hated that he wakes her like that.
Reaching out, he grabbed her side and gave it a light pinch.
This action earned a loud squeal from Lisa, who shot into a sitting position and jerked away from Harry. She rubbed the spot where Harry had pinched her, glaring at the boy in question, who could only watch her in amusement.
The others found it amusing as well, due to the laughing from the kids, plus Tonks, and the amuse looks from the adults. Lisa C pouted in more. Is it embarrass Lisa day?
"Breakfast is almost ready," he told her without preamble. "Your mum asked me to wake you up."
"Did you have to pinch me?" Lisa asked with a grumble.
"I probably could have found another way to wake you," Harry admitted with a shrug. "But this was the most efficient and expedient method."
"And the most funniest." Tracey grinned, getting a annoyed glare from Lisa C.
He rolled his eyes as Lisa glared at him, clearly not pleased with his reasoning. Not that Harry was too bothered by her glare. In his opinion she really should have known better than to assume he wouldn't do something like that to wake her if she was being stubborn.
"Did you wake my daughter up yet, Harry?" asked Anastasia as she stuck her head out of the kitchen door. "I thought I heard her squealing."
"I was not squealing!" Lisa said with a huff as her cheeks took on a slight tint of red.
"Yes you were." Most of the first years and Tonks chorused. Lisa C merely huff with red tint on her cheek.
"Yes, she's awake now," Harry told the mother of his best friend. Standing up, he offered his hand to Lisa who, after several seconds of glaring at it, took the proffered hand and allowed him to pull her up.
They walked into the dining room to see that Mrs. Crawft had already put all of the food on the table. Both of them moved to what was essentially their assigned seats, Harry near the head of the table on the left side and Lisa right next to him.
"No need to stand on ceremony you two," Anastasia Crawft said as she moved around the counter that separated the dining room from the kitchen with a pitcher of orange juice. She moved towards them swiftly, and quickly filled their glasses with the freshly made beverage. "Dig in."
Not needing to be told twice, Lisa was quick to grab the large spoon that was stuck in the bowl of eggs and serve herself up. Harry shook his head slightly at his friends enthusiasm, and decided to help her out a bit by setting several pieces of bacon and a serving of hash browns on her plate. When finished, he served himself with a much larger serving of food that had Lisa shaking her head at him in turn.
"I don't know how you can eat so much," she mumbled as she eyed his plate with a look that was somewhere between envy and disgruntlement. "Especially when you're so tiny."
"But he taller than all of us." Hannah pointed out, pointing at everyone that is either eleven or twelve.
"I'm taller than you are," Harry grumbled a bit. It was true that Harry was technically thin. While his body was layered with muscles that really had no right existing on a boy his age, they would never be very big. He just wasn't built that way.
"Besides, with all the exercise I do, as well as my martial arts and football, I burn a lot of energy. I need more food than you to keep my body going." There was another reason for his need to eat more, he believed. But it was something of an untested theory, and definitely not something he could tell Lisa or her parents even if he did manage to find ample evidence to support it.r
"Wonder what it is." Lisa T said in curiosity. It's interesting to learn more about Harry. Harry physical abilities, his mental abilities, his magical abilities, inner thoughts, and his pasts are all interesting to her. Though she believe that Harry would want to rip that book apart to keep his privacy.
"Right, right," Lisa rolled her eyes as she took a fork full of eggs and put it on her mouth, chewing carefully before swallowing. "And just what do you think I do when I go to my dance classes? Sit there all day and watch others like some kind of lemon?"
"You're smaller than me," Harry argued, "much smaller than me. And I didn't say you were lazy. Plus, I'm a male. Generally speaking, the male body requires more sustenance than the female body. The theory is that..."
"Make him stop!" Lisa C, Hannah, Tracey, and the younger Tonks yelled, holding their ears.
"I don't need to hear your technobabble," Lisa interrupted him, causing Harry to shrug indifferently.
The four girls sigh in relief, causing everyone else to roll their eyes, Susan, Daphne, Anastasia, and Andromeda being the main one.
"Then you shouldn't have said anything." Lisa grunted, but didn't reply as she turned fully to the task of eating. This kind of banter was nothing new. More often then not he and Lisa would trade barbs back and forth when they weren't engrossed in something both of them enjoyed. However, it rarely happened when they were eating sans dinner.
Harry knew why she was doing it, of course, and couldn't begrudge her for it. He was feeling much the same way she was to a lesser extent. And so when she grew silent, he started up on another subject, forcing her to speak some more while they ate.
Sitting farther away at the other end of the table, Anastasia Crawft watched them with a sad smile.
The banter between the pair was interrupted when the door to the dining room opened and Mr. Crawft walked in.
Daniel Anderson Crawft was a tall man, much taller than most people Harry had run across. His dark raven hair with flecks of gray was cut to just below the chin and slicked back, giving him stylish yet professional look. Like his hair, his eyes were very dark. They were brown, but with how dark they were they almost looked black.
He was also in decent shape for a man of forty, with a build that, while not athletic, was at least fit. Despite his age he looked rather young. The only signs of him getting up there in years being the distinguished looking gray hairs and the small age lines around his mouth and eyes.
"Ann, Lisa... Harry," he greeted as he marched into the room while straightening the tie to his business suit. Harry did not miss the slight hesitation in the man's tone when greeting him. He was well aware that the man didn't approve of how close he and Lisa were and it showed. The only reason he did not say anything against Harry was because both Lisa and his wife would become cross with him if he did.
"That we will." Anastasia said, remembering the arguments she have sometimes with her husband about Harry. She and Lisa C would definitely be cross.
Daniel Crawft was a rather prominent business man, a manager at the bank Harry had set up his account, HSBC Holdings, and was very successful when it came to investing money in the stock market. It was actually thanks to him overhearing Mr. Crawft speaking with his wife about some of the investments he had made in the stalk market that had gotten Harry interested in learning about the stalk market and how to properly invest his money in the first place – not that he ever had enough money to invest until now. The man was a business man through and through and, in Harry's opinion, was not a very good dad.
That was not to say that Harry thought the man didn't care for his daughter, or that he was a bad person. Just that he focused more on his work than he did his family. The few times he did focus on Lisa was when they were having a... difference of opinion, which they had quite often as Harry could attest to.
Anastasia frown, along with Lisa C. It was true. He does focus on his work more often than than them.
It was only during dinner that Mr. Crawft actually acted like a father towards Lisa, and Harry was almost positive that Mrs. Crawft was the largest reason for that. The woman could be quite persuasive when she wanted to be.
Anastasia nodded in confirmation, seeing Andromeda and Mcgonagall silently asking her the question.
"Off to work so soon, dear?" asked Anastasia, pouting a bit as she watched the man grab the cup of coffee she had made for him and a piece of toast from the toaster. This was as much tradition as her's and Harry's 'call me mum' moments. "And I went through all this trouble preparing a large breakfast to see Harry off before he goes to that boarding school too."
"Sorry," Daniel replied, though Harry already knew the man wasn't. If anything, he was most likely relieved that he wouldn't have to deal with watching his daughter get so close to Harry for at least another six months.
The Crawfts frown at that, along with a few others.
Beside him, Lisa stiffened a bit at the mention that Harry would not be going to school with her. He did his best to ignore that right now, knowing that bringing it up would only make the current situation worse.
The man of the house looked at him and inclined his head. "Good luck at your new school."
Well, at least that had been a sincere statement. If nothing else, Harry could count on the fact that while Daniel Crawft may not like how Harry was getting so close to his daughter, he at least respected him for his intelligence and drive.
"Thank you," Harry returned as Lisa's father kissed his wife on the cheek, before taking his leave.
Breakfast was finished fairly quickly after that, and before long Harry found himself standing in front of the doorway while Lisa and her mother stood in front of him.
"Are you sure you don't want me driving you to your relatives, Harry?" Anastasia asked him. Harry shook his head.
"It's fine," he said, "I don't have to be at the train station until ten, and it's still only eight thirty."
Anastasia sighed, but didn't argue with him. "Very well. I know you like your independence when it comes to these things." She leaned down and gave Harry a tight hug, which, after a moment, was returned. "Good luck at school. We'll miss seeing you around here."
"We will." Anastasia said softly. This part was a few minutes before she and Lisa C teleported
"Likewise," Harry replied softly.
When the mother of one released her hold on him and backed away, Lisa walked up to him and stopped just short of being able to touch him. She was biting her lower lip, and Harry could already see the tears that were barely being contained at the corner of her eyes.
She flinch, but continue reading. She really want to close the book and throw it in the fire, but she knew the others won't approve.
He knew this would be hard on her. Lisa had been his best friend for years, and they had done practically everything together. Well, almost everything, and the idea that he wouldn't be around her for an extended period of time was no doubt eating away at her.
"It is." Lisa C whispered emotionally, holding back tears. Some of them felt bad for her, seeing that she won't see Harry for at least six months. Anastasia hold her hand, giving her some support.
Suddenly, Harry wasn't so sure going to Hogwarts was a good idea anymore. For a moment, he was tempted to forget about learning magic if it would keep the only person he had ever let get close to him from feeling so sad. Just looking at the girl as she tried not to cry made him feel like someone was trying to tear his heart out of his chest.
Many of the others are surprise about that. Harry Potter, questioning himself even for a second sound so foreign to them. They never thought he would. But Lisa C smile a little, tears threatening to come out. She is glad Harry care so much about her. But she's glad that he didn't stop from pursuing his dream. She wasn't selfish enough to keep him from doing that.
However, the feeling only lasted for a moment, before he strengthened his resolve. He needed to do this. Not just because of he was a wizard, but because of his parents. They had spoken of Hogwarts so much when he was younger, about how amazing it was. The joy in their voices had been undeniable when they spoke fondly of their times at the school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry wanted to follow in their footsteps, to make them proud by becoming the greatest and most powerful wizard in the entire world. He couldn't do that if he stayed here.
"And he started off well." Mcgonagall said, remembering all the things he did during his first year, along with Andromeda and Harry's friend. Mcgonagall and Andromeda are proud at what Lilly and James's son has become.
In a rare display of open affection, Harry was the one who moved forward and initiated their hug. While he had never denied the girl physical affection. Indeed, he probably allowed her to be more physically intimate with him than was probably proper for children their age, he rarely ever was the one who initiated such instances. He would go along with her because she meant so much to him, but it was always Lisa who started any contact between them.
"It did surprise me a little." Lisa C admitted, sniffling a little. "But that didn't stop me from returning the hug."
This did nothing to stop the girl from returning his hug fiercely.
"See?"
If she was surprised by the contact she did not show it. Her arms wound their way tightly around his torso and she buried her face into the crook of his neck, while one of his hands slowly stroked her hair and the other rested against her back.
"Promise you'll write to me?" she croaked, and Harry could feel a few tears hitting the bare skin of his neck. He felt a moment of intense guilt, but reigned in it with the a small exercise he used during the day to keep his memories from troubling him. This was something that needed to be done, so he kept telling himself.
He also managed to reign in the suspicious moisture that threatened to gather in his eyes. He would not allow himself to show weakness by crying. Especially not when his friend needed him to be strong.
"Wow, never thought I see the day where Harry Potter cries." Tracey said, getting a slap in the head by Daphne. Even though she slapped her, Daphne a little surprise, along with the others.
"I promise," he whispered. He had actually spent quite a bit of time making sure that it would be possible to send her letters. He couldn't send Hedwig to her. While that wasn't quite breaking the law or jeopardizing the secrecy of magic, it would cause a lot of unwanted questions to be asked.
"Too bad. I would love to see that owl." Lisa C said. She would've pouted if she wasn't trying to hold back the tears in her eyes.
Fortunately, there was a way to send letters to non magical people via the wizarding post office. Harry was not sure how the mechanics worked, but he knew they had a way of transferring any letters that needed to be sent to non magical people to a regular post office using some kind of magic. While it would be interesting to study at some point, at that moment the only thing he really cared about was that it meant he could send letter's to Lisa.
"Everyday."
He chuckled, though it was lacking any humor. "I'll see what I can do."
"Does he?" Lisa C asked the first years.
Neville was the one to answer. "Yeah, he rights to you very often. Even if he's really busy with something, he would find some time to write to you." The other first years nodded in agreement, causing Lisa C to have a teary smile.
Harry could feel her nod against his neck. For a moment, no one spoke, and the only sound were the small sniffles coming from the girl in his arms.
"I'll miss you."
Harry's arms tightened around the girl who was a sister in all but blood. Why was this so much harder than he thought it would be?
"And I you."
Lisa C voice croak the more she read, so her mum gently took the book away from her. "I'll read Lisa." Lisa C smile at her thanks and tried to control her emotions.
He carefully loosened his hold on the girl, his hands going to her shoulders. He pushed her back a bit, forcing her to let go of him. Giving the girl a small smile, Harry gently wiped the few tears that had fallen from her eyes.
"Try not to be too depressed, ok?" he said, trying to give her a smile, though it came out as more of a grimace. "I know it seems like a long time, but it won't be forever. I still get Christmas off, and I'll see you then."
"It seems like it's going to be forever." Lisa muttered, knowing that she's repeating the same thing she said right when he left.
"It seems like it's going to be forever," Lisa muttered, and Harry looked away uncomfortably. He wished he could make her feel better, wished he could say something or do something that would assure her that everything would be all right. That he could take away all the pain she was feeling. But there really wasn't anything he could think to say or do, there was nothing he could think of that would help in a situation like this. Because even with as much knowledge as Harry gained, there were some things that you just couldn't learn from a book. Sometimes, the only way to learn is through first hand experience.
"Too true." Andromeda said, smiling at the wise words in the books. Mcgonagall, Wei, and Anastasia are also smiling as well.
Unfortunately for Harry, this was one situation he had never been in before. And soo all he could do was hope that with time, things would get better.
"That's all you can really do." Lisa T said, with a few others agreeing.
XoX
The moment Harry arrived home, he received the very expected summons from his uncle.
"Boy!"
Sighing, Harry made his way into the living room where his uncle was watching television. Over at the table, Dudley was scarving down food like it would disappear if he didn't eat it as soon as possible, and Petunia was flitting around her son heaping praises on how adorable he looked in his school uniform.
Lisa C, Hannah, Tonk, and Tracey gagged at the site of the fat boy scarfing down the food. And the uniform didn't help the horrorify site. The adults look at the scene with a bit of disgust. Shouldn't the mother teach the boy manners?
It was a sight that Harry only spared a brief glance towards before focusing on Vernon.
"Yes, Uncle Vernon?"
The walrus of a man released a brief grunt, not even bothering to look away from the news channel he was watching.
"Spending time at that trollops house again, were you?"
"What did he call me daughter?!" Anastasia yelled in anger. Lisa C also look angry at being called that as well and the both of them want nothing more than to punch the man right in the face.
The first years look at each other and, remembering what happened to Draco, they thought that this guy is digging his own grave.
Harry's fingers twitched as the desire to blast Vernon through a wall for insulting his best friend nearly overpowered him. He resisted, but only just.
"Excellent will." Wei said in approval. But it seem the man is getting bolder now that Harry is leaving. He is lucky that he taught Harry self control, otherwise, it probably won't be pretty.
The man seemed to be getting bold now that the day for Harry to leave had finally come. Harry could only hope Vernon Dursley would not be completely insufferable during the trip to King's Cross. At the moment, he wasn't all that sure if he could hold himself back from reacting violently.
Lisa C scowl turned into a small smile at how protective Harry is to her.
"What time do you need to leave?"
"As soon as I get packed we can go," Harry answered.
Vernon grunted. "Then hurry up. I don't have all day. I need to be at work soon."
Harry nodded, resisting the urge to roll his eyes, and made his way upstairs. As soon as he closed the door to his room, he sank down to the floor using the wall to support his back as he sat down on his butt.
This day had started off much worse than he had initially thought it would. Everything was more difficult than he had assumed it would be. He had known that leaving his best friend would be hard, but he had not believed it would hurt so much. His emotions at this moment were feeling raw, as if someone had peeled away the hard layer of carefully crafted defenses he had put in place and than poured the proverbial salt over his open wounds. It was so bad that he had very nearly used his magic on his Uncle, something he had not done since he was seven.
"He must be very close to the girl if it hurts that much." Andromeda murmured, getting Anastasia to nod at the woman. The two are close, closer than any other friend. Lisa C manage to find a way to Harry's heart, no matter how many times he pushed her away.
Needing a moment to center himself, Harry forced himself to go through some light breathing exercises. It would not do for him to be an emotional wreck when he arrived at the Hogwarts Express. He needed to present an image of strength if he wanted any of his more political plans to work.
Thankfully, he had grown so accustomed to meditating that he did not need very long to clear his mind and regain control over his emotions. It only took five minutes at the most, though it did feel like the longest five minutes of his life.
His eyes were forced open when a pair of clawed feet landed on his left knee and a hoot garnered his attention.
"Hey, Hedwig," Harry softly stroked the snowy owls feather's.
Hedwig gave him a hoot of concern as her amber eyes stared into his green ones.
"I'm fine," he reassured her, only to yelp when she nipped his fingers hard enough to draw blood. "Ok, I'm not fine," he admitted with a sigh. "But I'll get over it, so you don't need to worry."
'But it seems like someone else is closer to Harry than Lisa C is.' Anastasia thought, as she observed the owl and Harry. Those bonds must be stronger than she thought.
His reassuring smile didn't seem to work on the strange bird he was connected to. Hedwig just gave him a deadpanned look that somehow seemed to say 'it's when you tell me not to worry that I worry the most'.
"Ah, one of the most famous lines." Lisa C sighed.
Harry shook his head ruefully. He still wasn't sure how he could understand Hedwig so well, or how she seemed to understand him so perfectly. It was almost like they were reading each others minds. Whatever the case was, Harry definitely planned on looking up any information pertaining to their situation that he could when he got to Hogwarts.
"I'm being serious, you don't need to worry about me," he told Hedwig as he used his magic to make the blood on his finger disappear. The wound had already healed over. "Change like this is always difficult at first, but I've read that the pain will eventually fade. And it's not like I won't be seeing Lisa again. You know what they say, absence makes the heart grow fonder."
Hedwig gave a hoot before flying off Harry's knee, allowing the young raven haired boy to stand back up so he could begin gathering his belongings.
His trunk was already prepared, he had taken care of the task of packing it two nights ago. All of his books were put away. Well, almost all of them. He did want some reading materials for the train ride to school.
"Of course." Lisa C said with an eye roll while Hermione nodded in approval. Anastasia smile at her daughter, glad that she isn't sad anymore. For now though.
His clothes were neatly folded and organized in the compartment he had made specifically for them, and the few possessions he wished to take with him were all packed up as well. There were only three things left that he needed to grab.
"Do you want to come with me when I get on the Hogwarts Express?" asked Harry as he moved over to his desk. "Or are you going to fly there on your own?"
Hedwig tilted it's head from side to side in slightly jerky movements. Harry waited as his owl pondered the question he posed to her. After a moment, she gave a hoot.
"Alright then," with a small gesture of his hand the window to his room opened up, allowing a small breeze to blow through it. "Be safe while flying, I hear traffics rough this time of year." Hedwig gave what pretty much amounted to an eye roll at his horrible joke, and with an affectionate nip of his ear, took off through the now open wind.
The window closed behind the owl as if on it's own accord, and Harry grabbed one of the two items he had decided not to pack in his trunk. The item in question looked like two small straps of leather that ran parallel to each other and were attached together by small pocket that was only about as wide as his finger. Sitting inside of the pocket was his mother's wand.
Leaning down Harry undid the clasp and attached the wand holster containing the willow wand to his left ankle. He watched with a smile as it's form seemed to shimmer in the light before the wand and holster vanished. Truly, magic was a wonderful thing.
"Here, here." All the magic users said at once. Lisa C pouted, wanting to use magic as well.
The next object he got was another wand holster, only this one looked much different than the other one. This particular holster also had a small slice of leather for the wand to slide into, though it was nearly two-thirds longer, quite a bit wider, and was shaped like a rectangle with sharper edges and hard casing instead of the softer and pliable material that had been used in the creation of the holster holding his mother's wand. This was because of the catch located near the front of the opening, which when released would cause his wand to shoot out into his hand. It was called a dueling holster for obvious reasons, and Harry had spent much time simply practicing the motions of releasing and reloading his wand into the holster until he could do it with the same economy of motion that he used in his hand-to-hand combat.
"He comes prepare for anything." Nymphadora commented. The boy would make a great auror, as much as he can make a great politician.
Carefully, he slid the holster around the wrist of his right forearm so that the holster was on the underside of his forearm. Then he tightened the leather straps that kept it attached to his arm, and slid the sleeves of his long-sleeved shirt over the holster until just the tip was poking out. With swift and sure movements, he released the catch, allowing the wand to shoot out at startling speeds. He caught it, and a smile came to his face as he looked at the wand that Ollivander had told him was his greatest work.
"One of his greatest?" Mcgonagall asked with a arched eyebrow. She wonder how powerful that wand is.
It was about a week after the first time he had been to Diagon Alley that he received a letter from Ollivander informing him that his wand was ready. As Harry entered the store, the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. The magic of this place was much more heady than the last time he had spent here, more potent. He wondered if there was a reason for this, but put the thought out of his mind and walked into the middle of the room.
"Ah, Mr. Potter," Ollivander did not appear behind him this time, but rather, walked out from the door at the back of his shop. He looked tired, Harry noted. There were bags under his eyes, and his posture was stooped slightly. Despite that, he also seemed very pleased with himself. The reasons of which became clear soon enough. "It is good that you are here, I have your wand all ready for you."
From within the old man's robes, Ollivander produced a simple black box. Harry waited on baited breath as the old man with silvery eyes opened the box.
When the lid was pulled off, Harry saw his wand lying on top of a plush purple pillow made of what looked like satin. The wand was made of a light brown wood. It was long, with a spiral pattern starting from the tip of the wand and moving down before it reached the handle, which was thicker than the rest of it by a few centimeters and had notched grooves that Harry recognized were for his fingers.
Harry found himself transfixed on the wand as Ollivander moved closer. "Thirteen inches, made from the wood of one of the oldest elder tree in recorded existence. Dual wand cores are used as the focus, the heartstrings of a Griffin, willingly given to my many times great grandfather before the time of the founders. It has been dusted in ground dragon scales from a dragon whose very legend has transcended time, Odahviing." Ollivander's eyes held an intensity that Harry had yet to see in the man as he spoke. "This wand is powerful, very powerful, but it is also incomplete."
"Incomplete?" Many of the magic users asked in disbelief, along with the muggles. From the sounds of it, that wand is very powerful. And Ollivander said it's incomplete? Mcgonagall furrow her eyebrows, knowing that Ollivander wouldn't leave an incomplete work unless…
"He needs Harry to finish it." Mcgonagall said in realization. Some of the others have their eyes lit up in realization as well. But it was the part that need to be completed.
"Incomplete?" Harry's attention was snapped away from the wand that lay in the box as he looked at the old wand maker, his brow furrowed. Why would Ollivander call him here to inform him that his wand was ready if it had yet to be finished? Unless... "You need me to finish it."
"Indeed," Ollivander said, seemingly delighted that Harry had figured everything out so quickly. "The three components I have used for this wand are all very powerful, incredibly so, but because of that they are also unstable when used together. This wand cannot be used safely unless I have a powerful catalyst that can bind the wood and two cores together."
"Blood," Harry answered again. It was the only logical conclusion he could come to. "You need my blood. How much?"
"Enough to fill this vial," Ollivander held up a small tube-like vial that was about six inches in length and half an inch in circumference. Harry took it from the wand maker, and held it aloft to his eyes.
"I assume you have something I can cut myself with?" His question was answered when Ollivander produced a gleaming white dagger that shone in the light streaming through the window. Taking it from the wand maker, Harry sliced open the vein in his wrist and held the wound to the opening in the vial as blood gushed out.
Everyone winced as the blood was gushing out of his wrist. They are surprise that Harry didn't even wince in pain. Then again, he had to endure pain for five years at his own home.
When it was full, Ollivander healed the wound before Harry's magic could do the job, and took the vial from him.
"It will take me about an hour to perform the ritual that will bind the wand's materials to your blood," Ollivander told him. "You may wait right here, or come back later today."
"I think I'll wait here," Harry informed the wand maker, and with that he walked over to the spindly chair, sat down, and pulled out a book on potions from within his robes.
In turn, Ollivander flicked his wand at the door, changing the sign on it from open to close, and walked back through the door at the end of the room.
It was only half an hour later that Harry was forced to stop his reading when the power coming from behind the closed door forced his attention off his book. Like a jolt of electricity racing across his skin, Harry could feel the magic in the air like an electric current. The atmosphere became filled with the heady scent of ozone, as if the magics within the shop were actually beginning to burn the stale air of the place due to their potency.
Mcgonagall wonders what in Merlin is Ollivander doing in that room. The same thoughts are going through Andromeda as well.
Whatever ritual Ollivander was doing, it must be very powerful, Harry concluded.
The power surge lasted for a total of fifteen minutes before diminishing, and in another five it dwindled down to nothing. Harry stowed his book away and rose from his seat just as an exhausted yet elated Ollivander walked into the room.
"It is finished," the old wand make said, once more presenting Harry with the wand sitting in the box. It did not look that different from the last time he had seen, save for one exception, the black markings that now lined the spire.
Moving from the tip of the spire, down into the handle where they abruptly stopped, the ancient looking symbols that he recognized as Norse and Anglo-Saxon runes. He saw Sowilo, the same rune that was carved onto his forehead and was associated with the god Baldur. There was also Uruz, corresponding to the god Thor and a symbol of mental and physical strength. Harry could see many others that he recognized from his studies of ancient Norse history; Naudiz, the rune of necessity. Tiwaz, the warriors rune. Ehwaz, the rune of momentum. Ihwaz, the rune of defense. Jera, the rune of success and continuity, and Dagaz, the rune of transformation. They moved along the spire, tiny black symbols of ancient runic language that continued in a string of combinations.
Lisa T and Hermione are dribbling down notes like mad. And they put in a mental note to ask Harry if they can see the wand.
Harry had no idea what these runes meant from a magical stand point. He had only ever studied them from a historical standpoint, but what he did know was that these symbols of old had been written in his blood and soaked so thoroughly into the wand that they had become a part of the very grain of the wood.
"Go on," Ollivander gestured with the box, his voice a breathy whisper. "Take it."
Harry reached out, his fingers found purchase in the notched grooves of the wands handle, and he grasped it tightly.
A gasp escape his lips as a powerful current of energy surged through him. The runic symbols running along the wands spire began to glow a bright silvery green. Harry's eyes closed, and his body shuddered as his magic began to sing in harmony with the wood and twin cores of his wand.
He could feel them. He could feel the twin cores harmonizing themselves with him and the wood that made up his wand. He could feel the elder wood synchronizing itself with the cores and himself, becoming one with him in ways he had never in his wildest dreams imagined possible. It felt like a part of his soul was being restored to him, like a piece of him that had been missing for so long he never even knew it was gone had suddenly come back. It was impossible for him to tell where he ended and where the wand began.
"Wow." Most of them whispered in awe. On the TV, they can see the power coursing through Harry. The magic surrounding him and the wand bonding to him.
If he had to sum up how he felt in a single word, it would be complete.
Harry opened his eyes and Ollivander actually took a step back in shock. His eyes were burning with emerald green fire, and the outer edges of the iris were lined with silver. The colorful irises bathed the room in light. His pupils were gone. No. Not gone. They had been replaced. The once black dots were now a bright silvery green that were only visible if one looked very hard.
Everyone look surprise at the change in Harry's eyes as well. Just how powerful is Harry Potter?
The glow in Harry's eyes soon died down, and the power seemed to... not quite diminish, but more like it simply decided not to manifest itself for any longer. It disappeared within Harry and the wand, thrumming beneath the surface as it waited eagerly to be released again.
"That wand you have there is very powerful, Mr. Potter," Ollivander said softly. "It is the most powerful wand I have made to date, and now it will only ever work with you. No one else will ever be able to use it. Your wand is also unique."
"No one else will be able to use it?" Nymphadora asked incredulously. "So anyone that try to use it will not be able to? Lucky bastard."
"Nymphadora!"
"Sorry and don't call me that mum!"
"Unique how?" asked Harry, looking from his wand to Ollivander.
"Due to the way I had to use your blood as the catalyst that bound the cores to the wood, the wand has become intimately tied to you and you alone. Your growth as a wizard will be reflected by your wand. Whatever magics you excel in, your wand will be able to accomplish with ease. If you were to become a master in every single branch of magic, then your wand will excel in every single branch of magic. On the other hand, if you excelled at nothing, your wand will excel at nothing."
"So the wand is literally bonded to him." Mcgonagall said in awe. With every chapter she reads, the more surprises she keep getting.
Ollivander gave him a slight smile.
"However, I believe that the latter case will prove unfounded. I expect great things from you, Mr. Potter."
Harry smiled at the man who had given him what was quite possibly the best gift anyone ever had, the lost piece of himself that he had never known was missing.
"I'll be sure not to disappoint."
"BOY!" A shout from Harry's uncle interrupted the raven haired youth's musings. "You'd better be down in five seconds or I'm leaving without you!"
Sighing, Harry made sure both his wands were in place and that the holsters were secure, then grabbed his trunk and made his way out of the room.
He came downstairs to see Vernon Dursley' his face the color of puce, glaring at him behind his brustly mustaches.
"About time you got down here," he grunted to Harry with a scathing look. "Well, get a move on. I don't have all day."
"Can someone cut his tongue of?" Tonks asked anyone. That man is extremely rude and from the looks of it, really loud.
His uncle must be feeling awfully bold to talk to him like that. Normally the man would just ignore Harry to the best of his ability. It probably had something to do with the fact that they would not be seeing each other for nine months. Perhaps that fact was making his uncle anxious to make sure he was gone as soon as possible?
Well, whatever. It's not like it truly mattered to Harry anyways. He would be out of their hair and they would be out of his soon enough.
"Very well, Uncle Vernon," Harry replied as he moved to the car, his trunk rolling behind him.
The trip to King's Cross was long. About an hour all told. Harry sat in the back of the car so he wouldn't have to deal with his uncle glaring at him as he read his book on magical theory.
Normally, he would have actually taken amusement in how twitchy his walrus of an uncle got at seeing the book on magic, but right now he just wasn't feeling it. In fact, he wasn't feeling much of anything. Something he attributed to his recent inner turmoil at leaving his best friend.
When they finally did get to the train station, Harry got out, grabbed his trunk from the trunk of the car, and watched as Vernon sped off without even so much as a good bye.
Yes, the man truly wanted nothing more than getting Harry out of his presence for good.
"Bastard!"
"Language Tracey!"
"I'm not sorry. He deserve to be called that."
Turning, Harry made his way into the train station. The place was very packed, with hundreds of people jostling their way through the grounds of the crowded railway station. Considering this was a place that many people traveled to in order to get to their jobs, it was to be expected that there would be so many people.
Harry wove his way between the crowd of people, making his way towards the platforms of nine and ten. His destination was marked by a big plastic number over platform nine, and another big plastic number over platform ten. There was nothing in the middle, nothing that could be seen anyways.
It was not hard for one as attuned with magic as Harry to sense the tendrils of energy coming off the dividing barrier between platforms nine and ten. There was most definitely something there. An illusion? A gateway, perhaps? It was hard to tell, but Harry knew that in order to get to platform nine and three-quarters, all he had to do was walk through the divide between the two barriers.
Taking a deep breath, Harry attempted to center himself, preparing himself for the journey that would make his parents proud. His journey to greatness. To become the greatest wizard this world had ever and would ever see.
The first years and Mcgonagall smile. From what they saw during the year, it didn't sound farfetch when Harry thought it.
"And that's the end." Anastasia said, turning to the next page. "Who's going to read next?"
And that's the end. I hope you guys like this chapter. Once I get chapter nine through twelve from the Engulfing Silence, I'll find time to do those. Review, favorite, and follow, and I will see you later.