Harry Potter FanFiction

Maxamillian Black and the Wand Maker

Chapter 3: The Pensive

Whoever was knocking on the front door, he was a big man. The sounds of his fist against the door rang against my cinder block constructed house like a kettle drum. What was more interesting, was that my dog wasn't barking. In fact, he ran to the front door like a comet, and started crying like an old friend was on the other side. Fireball (my dog) was a good judge of character, and this was a good "omen" as it were.

This was certainly Professor Brightwood. My text message from that person, who I couldn't remember, described him accurately. He was big enough to play American rules football. He wore what looked like a leather breast plate and it looked like it was made out of dragon scales. It had very strong enchantments on it I knew. He had gauntlets and greaves to match. Around his neck he wore what looked like a dog chain, that had a gold ring on it with a large red gemstone set in it. When he saw me through the door's window he was visibly relieved to see I was alright. A large sigh went across his mouth, and he closed his eyes in a release on fear and tension.

Why this intimidating man would fear anything, I had no idea. He looked as if he could hunt bear with a stick, and give the stick to the bear. I could see the crucifix on his left arm. It was a Celtic cross, but what struck me was the detail, and it almost seemed alive, like a 3d image on his arm. He had a nasty scar across his neck, like he had been bitten.

I let him in, despite the fact that it seemed all so crazy. He was even bigger on this side of the door. He must have weighed 250, easy, that's about 115 kilos. Normally I would have been extremely careful about letting a man like this into my personal space, much less into my house. But Fireball seemed to really like him. This man had dogs of his own, and Fireball could smell them. Almost without realizing it he hugged me. He was cold, and a little damp. I think he could have hugged the stuffing out of me. This was not the gesture I expected from a man who looked like an entire biker gang condensed into a single individual. I admit that I felt very safe in this man's embrace, and between you and me, I'm kind of a macho man so that's really saying something. Fireball was getting very jealous. He (Brightwood, not Fireball) spoke for the first time.

"Thank the Lord you're safe." He said with a thick Scottish accent. He finally let go of me. "When we got the 'return to sender' letter we feared Darkness might find you before we did." Darkness was a proper name. He was a person. It was not a thing. I looked at him puzzled. He understood my expression.

"Blighme," said he. "You don't remember anything do you." It wasn't a question.

"uh, no." I replied

The large intimidating looking man sat in one of my chairs, he looked exhausted, like he knew where the chair was. He had been in my house before. I imagine he had magically come all the way from England. He looked like it. Fireball jumped in his lap quicker than you could say 'puppy dog'.

"Well hello there Fireball, I suspect you smell me doggie Angel." He stroked Fireball's ears like a professional dog lover and turned his attention back to me. He knew my dog's name, I hadn't mentioned it. "We put a memory charm on you so that you wouldn't remember. Safer that way. It was supposed to wear off two weeks ago, right before you got your letter."

"Well it didn't work," said I, "Because I don't know you from Adam and Eve." The weight of what I said seemed to hit him. I had just let a complete stranger into my house.

"Max, I glad you let me in, but you must be very careful about it. You can open the door for someone, but never, never, never, never, never, never, ever, never-ever-ever-ever… " His accent was very sure of itself. "Ever i-n-v-i-t-e someone into your house even if they look like your own mother, and ESPECIALLY if they ask to come in." He said this as if it were the single most important thing he had ever told anyone. I think it may have actually been that important.

"You mean like a vampire?" I said like he couldn't be serious. He gave me a face that said that he was as serious as a heart attack.

"Aye Max, Precisely like a vampire! We enchanted you so that the undead couldn't enter the place you lived. Of course anyone you invite can always come in. But of course, you don't remember do you?"

"No, I don't." What was weird is that none of this actually seemed as strange as it should be. I said as much to the man and added. "Who are you by the way?" I sensed, even as I said this that this man had risked much on my behalf.

"Ugh, I completely forgot, where's me manners? Professor Wolfrick Brightwood, at your service. Most folks just call me Wolf."

"Can you remove the memory charm from me?" again the strangeness of the question didn't actually seem strange. Almost like we were discussing the big game.

"I'm afraid not. Hermione, she's a friend of mine, is really very good at them. If I know Hermione your memory is locked up tighter than a dragon's (he hesitated) bite. I can, however, show you the memory anyway." I must have looked extremely confused now. But this was really exciting. I was about to see my first bit of magic. I was sure of it.

With that another man appeared outside the front window seemingly out of nowhere. It was like he was wearing a cloak of invisibility, which I suspect he a-c-t-u-a-l-l-y was. Yes indeed, I got a better look at it as he folded it and put in to his pocket, almost like a he would a cell phone. Coooool. This man was a stark contrast to Professor Wolf. This man was of medium build, with jet black hair, He wore round glasses and had a thin beard. He had a scar on his forehead in the shape of a lightning bolt. Very cool. He looked in the window and was relieved to see me and Professor Wolf both here in the same room. This seemed to relax me as well. He knocked on the door.

He stole a quick glance at me and Professor Wolf and asked, "May I come in?" The tone in his voice betrayed that there was a hidden message behind this question. I've always been very good at reading other people's tone of voice as well as their words. I quickly remembered what Professor Wolf had said to me. "Absolutely not!" I stated with resolve. It was almost as if I had told the man we were going to a theme park, he was so pleased with my response.

"Excellent." Said the slender man. He came in.

"Max, this is Harry Potter." Harry extended his hand.

"Good to see you again Max. I'm Harry Potter." He said like he was pretending not to be a big deal. His tone said otherwise though.

I didn't let go of his hand, "Pleased to meet you Mr. Putter, I have no idea who you are."

He looked at me with kind eyes, "I can't tell you how nice that is to hear." I was surprised, but he meant it. Brightwood chuckled to an inside joke I didn't know. Harry turned to join Brightwood in the chair next to him. "Memory charm didn't wear off." It wasn't a question.

"No." Confirmed Brightwood. "Harry can you check the enchantments around the house?"

Harry Potter sprang from his chair like he had a purpose. This guy was quick. Despite being obviously winded he snapped to it, "I'm on it." He said. As he went to the back door, I noticed he seemed to know exactly where it was. He had been in my house before. He knew the layout, and he knew it well. I had a strange sensation, sort of like seeing a guardian angle and having a man walk over your grave at the same time. I followed him through the kitchen and got him a diet soda from the fridge. That seemed to please him. I got one for me and Brightwood as well.

"You two have been in my house before." I stated flatly. I wasn't upset, but I wanted some insight to what was going on.

"Max, there is a lot to explain to you." That was like saying the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor was a big boating accident. I made certain to express that thought in my face. He held up his amulet, with the red gemstone set in the ring on it. "This gem works like a pensive, Max. It's a magical device that can share and store memories." With that he took out a wand from his belt. It was lacewood, and had a beholder's eye for a core. How did I know that…? Professor Wolf placed the tip to his head and drew out a silvery web like energy from his head. He placed it in the gemstone. He took off the amulet, and handed it to me. As I put it on I could feel the magical energies from it. This amulet was made for him, specifically, for him. But the gemstone ring wasn't. It was made for someone else. A girl named Ariana. It struck me. I seemed to know something about anything that was magic. The same way I could read people's expressions and the tone in their voice. Very cool, it was something I could do, and it was m-a-g-i-c-a-l.

Brightwood and I looked into the gemstone facing each other. The room around me began to disappear in silvery smoke and then Professor Wolf and I appeared in another place.