Har har, it's been what? Like four months? Sorry. But homework for four honors and two AP classes, plus school musical rehearsals every night, can really get to you.

"Harry…" Nefaria said, wringing her hands nervously. "I don't know. I don't think I should."

"Are you afraid I'll break it?" Harry asked timidly.

"N-no," Nefaria stammered, looking down at her feet. "I just… it's hard to explain. In my world- our world- your wand is sort of… yours. No one else uses your wand. It's your…" she struggled to find the right word.

"Identity?" Harry finished for her.

"Yeah."

"Ok," Harry said softly. "I understand. I just thought it might help, so I don't always have to deal with Dudley. But if it's not comfortable for you, then-"

"All right," Nefaria gave in, still looking slightly torn. But she wanted to help her friend stop being bullied. "Here." She held out her wand, handle facing Harry. "It's 12 inches, Holly and Phoenix feather."

Harry's face burst into a wide grin. "Thank you!" he exclaimed. "And it won't be forever. You'll find a time to take me to… what was it called again? Diagonal Street?"

Nefaria snickered. "Diagon Alley. And yes. But it'll take a few months of planning. Mother can't know about anything, or she'll…" she trailed off.

"What?" Harry prompted.

"Nothing," Nefaria shrugged off the thought of being tortured, like the day she herself had learned the curse. "Here," the girl said for a second time. "Give it a try."

Harry, slowly but confidently, reached out and closed his fist around the wand handle. It felt warm in his hand, and soon this warm feeling began spreading into his arm and throughout his whole body. The wand vibrated, and then shot out a small shower of red sparks.

Nefaria shrieked.

"What?" Harry asked. "Was that not supposed to happen?"

"No… no. That's my wand. Wands can't have two owners. That's MY wand!"

"I'm- I'm sorry!" Harry looked frantic. He shoved the wand back into Nefaria's still-outstretched, shocked hand. "Maybe we should just leave it until I'm older."

Nefaria took a step back and pushed her hair out of her face. "No. We should do this. But not yet. This wasn't supposed to happen. I'm supposed to… it's hard to explain. Let me research this first, ok?"

Harry just stared. "Ok…"

Nefaria turned and began walking away, still contemplating what had just happened.

"Nefaria!" Harry called after her. "I'm sorry!"

She turned. "I didn't mean to do anything bad," he murmured.

Nefaria smiled shyly. "Thank you," she said. "It wasn't really you." She kept walking down the sidewalk, black flats clicking softly every time she took a step.

"Nefaria?" Harry said again.

She stopped, and turned her head to look at him over her shoulder. "Yeah?"

"You're a good friend."

[BREAK]

Bellatrix sat slumped over on her black leather couch in the living room of the great Victorian house. She was twirling her wand in her hand, staring at it intently.

Nefaria plopped down on the couch next to her mother. "Hi, Mum," she said.

Bellatrix glanced at her daughter and pushed her wild black hair behind her shoulder. "Hey," she said and stuck her wand back in her pocket. "How was your walk?"

"Good," Nefaria said succinctly. "Mum?"

"What?"

"Do you know anything about wandlore?"

Bellatrix looked taken aback. "Why do you ask?"

"Just curious. I was thinking about when I got my wand. Can wands have two owners?"

"Er… I don't think so. I don't know much about wands. I think we have a book about it somewhere. Summon it."

"Accio wandlore book!" Nefaria said, sticking her wand in the direction of her house's massive library. Moments later, a leather-bound, dark red book came zooming towards her. She caught it, and hopped up from the couch. "Thanks mum!"

Bellatrix paused, and then said, "What are you up to?"

"Nothing!" Nefaria said, and looked her mother straight in the eyes, giving her an innocent look.

Bellatrix broke the stare and nodded. "All right. Dinner's in an hour."

[BREAK]

Nefaria poured over the book for several days, but nothing. There was a lot of explanation of how wands could change ownership, but there was absolutely no mention of a wand having two owners at the same time. Defeated (but only temporarily), Nefaria turned her attention to her other ongoing research: Harry and his family.

Strangely enough, Bellatrix only had one book in the entire library on modern wizarding history. It was a brief overview of the 20th century, mostly focusing on the rise and fall of Grindelwald and the World Wars (including the wizarding world's involvement). Post-1970's only had one chapter to itself, due to the fact that the book was published in 1980. There were mentions of famous people: the Minister, head Aurors, and a few prestigious professors at Hogwarts.

Hogwarts- something Nefaria knew little about. It was the only wizarding school in Britain, and Nefaria knew Bellatrix had gone there and met her father while in school. But that was it. She had no yearbooks, or photographs, or any memorabilia whatsoever concerning her school days, excluding textbooks.

Everything Nefaria knew about Hogwarts, she had learned from Hogwarts, A History, and she had only been able to get through part of it (way too boring). Disappointed by the lack of information she was finding, Nefaria resolved to research Hogwarts and find out as many details as she could to give to Harry.

Nefaria pulled her wand out of her pocket and twisted it around in her hand. Nothing had changed since the previous Saturday; it still worked just the same for her. Nefaria sighed.

"Maybe it's ok for my wand to be Harry's too," she thought. "Maybe it's not a big deal."

The young girl decided to take it in stride, and to help Harry to protect himself from his bullying cousin. Even if it meant sharing a wand.

After all, aren't that what friends are for?