Chapter 5 – Having a life

I arrived on time and knocked on the door. I figured my company would be early and have their wands handy. I of course had my good looks to repel all manner of spells and curses. While nervous and ready to run I was not that worried. This was a bar/hotel/meeting room and as such had anti-apperation, anti-portkey and probably a lot more wards. Management would not want someone to pop into your room when you were out or fast asleep. I received a response and entered. I found a dark-haired slim man in his late thirties or early forties with a slim red-headed woman who was just short of gorgeous.

"Mr. Jones I presume?" the man asked.

"No Sherlock its Dr. Watson." I answered.

"Oh very good, I am Nicholas Flamel and this is my wife Penelope." That took the wind out of me for a few seconds.

"Nice to meet you, err…" I was at a loss for words.

"Yes well we thought that we would look you up and offer you a job." His wife stated.

"Yes indeed, after you returned the Philosophers stone to us after Dumbbunny tried to use it as bait we have watch you very closely."

"Err…" Come on brain start working with your mouth. "Job?"

"That's the offer we…" now I cut him off as my brain was trying to sync with my mouth.

"How the hell did you find me and my name?" I spit out.

"Simply put you used Hedwick to deliver the stone back to us and she is a smart owl to have found us the first time. We called her and sent the letter. We were going to use the Goblins to deliver the letter but she showed up, a extremely smart owl. We have lived for many years and have high up contacts in the bank that you may never see or hear of, want a job?"

"What kind of job and why", I was dumb founded.

"Potions and a bit more and because you interest us, not many would give up their magic and your reasons intrigue us."

I was confused but then his wife continued, "Harry I'm asking you to call me Penny and please accept the old duffer's proposal. We only want to help and you could help us do some good." She looked sincere in her asking.

"I'm no good at potions what do you need a gopher?" I asked.

"No and Yes, you are not a potion master but you could help me and if you wish to call it a gophers position then do so but I think you will find it interesting." Nick smiled.

In any case Nick always needs some one to try out his new potions. Oh dear, from the look on your face I must add he has never lost a gopher yet. So that is that, here is a port-key if you wish to join us and further evaluate the offer just say Nick's Place and the Port-key will bring you to us, do pack for a long stay its in the tropics." Nick and Penny held hands and disappeared.

/Scene Break/

I thought about it for awhile and then it dawned on me 'What the Hell' what did I have to loose? I could gain information; training and so I packed and said "Nick's Place". Morgana I hate port-keys, no I hate all kinds of wizard traveling. I landed and rolled until something stopped my momentum. With my luck Penny was there to view my spectacular arrival and was laughing and laughing.

"Oh I have to put that in my pensive as a most funny moment in history."

"Yea, laugh it up but I find wizard traveling the pits." I groused.

"Come on your just in time for lunch and I think Nick will finally come out of his cave so you two can chat." Penny was still giggling.

Nick did join us for lunch and we chatted for a couple of hours before he had to get back to a potion he was brewing. Penny showed me my room and then did a tour of the house. It wasn't that large but it was situated on an island so it was almost a brick bunker five bedroom house. There were storms that came and the place was actually bunkered down to weather the storms. There were two elves that took care of everything except Nicks work room. Nick was the sole person authorized in there until I came along.

"So you will be helping me clean up, that will be your first training. No don't try and say Snape taught you that as I know Snape, he teaches nothing he just directs you to do things." Nick was part of the dislike Snape club.

"So then what will I be doing?"

"You will of course be reading a gazillion books and then we will at some time get you started on potions 101 and maybe brewing a potion by next year."

"With this job of potion brewing and other work, if magic is require you realize I have no magic and very little other experience?" I stated what was probably obvious to Nick.

I watched Nick's facial expression fall but then he answered, "Harry I am not trying to give you hope, your magic is blocked and that's a fact. However, your magic is not gone it was not removed it was blocked by magic itself. Magic will never return it to you but your magic is still there."

"You're just trying to cheer me up." I laughed. "I have no illusions of regaining my magic. I traded my magic for being free of manipulation by just about everyone and their brother. To date I have no regrets of making that decision."

"Good then you will have no problems with me poking at your magic?"

"I guess not as long as you don't blow me up or something similar." I joked not thinking he was serious.

/Scene Break/

I was here and doing things as directed, the Flamel name was respected for good so it automatically came with some trust. While studying took time and there was work but there was alot of free time. With no muggle distractions like radio or TV life could get quite boring. Hobbies were a norm in the magical world but I had not yet developed any serious interests. That is how I came to walking on the beach, then running some and finally it was a daily run on the sandy beaches. That brought about cooling off dips in the ocean and finally learning to swim. I was content with my life and was not missing my old life at all.