Thank you to all those who have read the start of this story. I appreciate your feedback. I did not intend to submit this chapture today, but I reached a place where it seemed appropriate to stop.
A young boy wearing ill-fitting clothes was walking alone down the street. His eyes were downcast and searching the flowers and shrubbery that lined the streets. As he walked an observant person might have seen him speaking to himself.
"Mrs. Reynolds always has many different types of flowers in her yard. Maybe we'll be able to find lilies there."
A witch was walking next to him. Sophia looked much younger than she'd been on his birthday a couple of days previously. Now she had the appearance of a young woman not any older than Tom. Today she was wearing blue robes. Around her, the surroundings, especially the plants flickered and shifted as the Harry continued his search. She occasionally glimpsed at them, but kept her eyes up at the horizon or towards Harry. She spoke, "In a neighborhood like this it is very unlikely we are going to find any magical plants. Is there anything else you would like to do?"
On the other side of the boy walked a young man. He was wearing red and gold robes. Whenever, he saw the witch's glance stray towards him, he would flick his arm or take a skip, anything to cause a flourish of his robes. A Gryffindor? Tom thought to himself.
Tom spoke, "What else would he like to be doing? It is a nice day, and a young boy should take advantage of the fresh air. It seems the rest are all stuck inside watching television." He paused, "I don't expect that we will find anything of value today either, but it's an adventure let's have some fun."
He fell silent watching the changing landscape around them. "Wait Harry, stop and look to your right again. Is that a hawthorn? No I guess not." And the group continued to walk.
Harry's hair was it regular length again, but someone had taken the time to flatten it to his head with liberal amounts of hair grease. As they continued to walk, hair after hair could be seen to free itself from its imprisonment and fly wild again.
The witch spoke up again. "Wait. Look at that rose bush." He paused and examined the bush. "Yes. I thought so. Look. The owner of this house has not been removing the dead blooms. You can see that there are rose hips starting to develop. If we are lucky, we might be able to find the lover's berry."
Tom turned to examine the bush with the other two. The stems and leaves were still appearing uncomfortably. "It is possible, but the only use for lover's berries I know of is as an ingredient in potion making. Besides, this muggle has not cared for the bush correctly; if a lover's berry did develop it will not be very potent."
Harry was now carefully moving the different stems aside, being careful of the thorns. "I don't care what it does, or how powerful it is. I want to see something magical."
"Okay. The lover's berry will be produced by the first bloom of the season. Look for the most developed hip. If it has stored any magic you will be able to identify it by the two leaves just below the berry."
Harry continued to search through the bush, receiving occasional tips from Sophia and Tom, who nevertheless avoided looking at the bush.
"I think I found it. " Harry spoke excitedly. He was carefully holding a stem and a berry was in focus. It had the two leaves described. His two companions examined it.
Tom spoke, "I think you are right. It is still not completely ripe, and it will be a weak little thing regardless. Nevertheless, I believe you have been successful in locating your first magical plant. Or at least in this case, magical plant part."
Sophia added. "If you want we could harvest it now."
"I do." Harry's hand went to his pocket and took out a silver earring. He had borrowed it from his Aunt Petunia's jewelry box.
"That's right Harry," Tom spoke as Harry removed the earring, "In this particular case, in order to preserve the berry magic, you will need to cut the stem with a silver blade. It would be better to do it at dusk, but we don't want you to get into trouble."
Sophia touched a spot on the stem about 3 inches from the berry. "Cut here."
Harry found it very difficult work to cut the stem. There was no edge of any kind on the earring and the stem was very tough. Eventually he was able to work his way through by reducing the stem to a pulp. He held the length of stem with the berry and two leaves appraisingly. He fingers were stained green from his effort.
Tom laughed, "You did it Harry. I don't think even a beggar of a witch would bother with that, but you hold in your hands a plant that has developed and stored a small amount of magic."
"What can I do with it?" Harry asked eagerly.
Tom laughed again, "I think it will only be useful in a potion, but I doubt that we will be able to manage it." Harry started to look at the berry with disappointment.
Sophia spoke, "Harry, one reason that it is caused the lover's berry is that it can be used to store and preserve feelings. These feelings can then be revisited later. We could try that. Would you like to?"
"I guess."
Harry folded the stem and berry in some newspaper from his pocket then continued his searching walk.
--
Later that evening, Harry was back in his closet. He had been sent there early. As far as he could tell, he had been sent there because he had been missing for most of the day. He suspected that his punishment was more for coming back than for leaving.
He held the rose stem and was examining it as he turned it in his hands.
"It does not have much power, and it never will have much. If it had been specially bred and cared for, berries can act as a strong resivoir of emotion. However, if we are careful to prepare and dry it, it should be possible to observe a noticeable effect."
"What do I need to do?"
Sophia continued, "Think of an emotion. Do not think of it, but feel. Try to feel as you felt at the time. Let it move you."
Harry tried carefully to think of an emotion. He wanted an emotion that would want to revisit again in the future. He remembered that first morning after his birthday, when Sophia had gently wakened him up. He had been comforted in way that he could not compare. He tried to feel that same comfort and he thought that he was close to succeeding when he remembered why he needed that comfort. That night and for the next couple of days, his uncle had sworn that he would master Harry's hair and each night he had quietly cried to sleep overcome by hurt and anger. But mostly shame.
That same burned in his heart and brought tears to his eyes.
"Harry?" Tom spoke with concern.
"No, I'm okay."
Sophia wore a worried expression. "This emotion, can you feel it, a spot where it exists and seems to radiate throughout your body?" Harry nodded. "Okay. Hold the lover's berry in front of you then visualize that spot moving. Moving outside your body and into the berry."
Harry concentrated. Through watering eyes he tried to visualize that burning dot of shame moving from his body and towards the lover's berry."
"Good job. I think you are doing it," spoke Tom.
Harry did not feel any different. He did not feel any different, until he felt a small pop and suddenly his shame flowed away as if it were carried a cool stream.
"What happened?"
Sophia smiled. "I did not expect it, but I am not surprised. From my perspective I could actually see a small light move from your body to the berry. Just now it disappeared. I think that you have done it!"
"Now what?"
"A lover's berry is used to store and remember emotions. You should now be able to relieve the emotion that you have just stored. Although, this emotion did not appear to be pleasant one worth revisiting."
"No, it is okay. I want to see this magic work."
"This is what you need to do. Open yourself to the berry. Let it become a part of yourself. Imagine that it is talking to your heart."
Harry did this. He tried to imagine that the berry was a part of his body. Nothing happened. He tried see the berry as a spark as flame. Lightly, subtly, and very easy to miss, he felt the shame, a pale echo of the previous thundering.
"I think I felt it. It was very faint."
Tom spoke. "This berry is only marginally magical. Now that you have prepared it, as it dries it will be able to store greater emotions, but it will only ever be very weak."
"So that's magic?"
Sophia smiled, "That is a very small taste. The world is a very glorious place. You cannot see much of it from this closet."
--
Hermione watched as Harry slept. She struggled with her emotions, trying to bury them again. Ruefully she wished that in this world she could have a lover's berry or a dozen where she could hide and lock away these feelings. But it really was the Lover's berry that had been the cause or least the trigger for her current struggle.
It reminded her to much of one that she had been given years ago as a gift. It was a cultivated lover's berry, but not a very expensive one. Voldemort had been defeated and they had been trying to figure out their purpose. She and Ron were on a picnic. Ron gave her the berry and somewhat fearfully asked her if she would be willing to look inside. She had, and instantly knew the depth and quality of love that Ron felt for her. The answer to his subsequent question was then never in doubt.
She did not regret coming back, nor did she regret what the consequences may prove to be. But she hurt. There in her private world of shadows, she allowed herself to stop struggling, and let herself cry. With no body to become exhausted, her tears lasted a very long time.