(A/N: Sorry, a longer than normal chapter so I could stop things in a good place. I hope you don't mind. :)
Chapter 14
Harry blinked awake suddenly. He heard a groan that didn't quite sound like his, but it was a noise he felt like making. He couldn't really say he had a headache, but his head felt a little "stuffy" for lack of a better word.
There was a thump and "Wake up you old fool! I knew you'd fall asleep!" hissed. Tilting his head, Harry saw the woman he'd been introduced to as Deshke moving away from Jikum and moving to kneel down next to Zhade. He rolled over and pushed up on one elbow to see the older woman fussing over the girl as Zhade pushed herself up and turned to look at him.
"Are you all right?" Zhade asked.
"I am. Are you?" Harry replied and noticed the older couple was looking at him, then at her.
She smiled and nodded. "I'm even better now that I know the ritual worked. There was doubt, but once I saw The Dragon I had no more doubt."
"You were foolish for doing that, daughter! Always taking risks like your father," the woman said.
Harry realized now that if she was Zhade's mother, then Jikum had to be her father.
"It would have been foolish only if it failed." Zhade looked around, so Harry did too and saw only the four of them. Still, Zhade lowered her voice to a whisper, "But I knew it wouldn't fail so you should have trusted me." She walked towards the rock house that held the bathrooms.
Harry realized he needed that too, so he got up and followed her. He had no idea which door she'd used inside, so he went to the far right one and that room happened to be empty. He also realized he was going to need a few minutes so he sat down. Looking around, he saw there was no roll of paper, no stack of paper, no nothing. Well, good thing he could conjure. He also realized it was probably what they did too. Why spend time making something that would be used only once and thrown away seconds later?
Since he had a moment, Harry considered what to tell his ship. Perhaps it'd be best to omit a few details for the moment. So he sent a message that he could now talk to the people and was fine. If they wanted to think the translator was working now, they could do that he thought with a smile.
His business done he washed his hands and left the building, finding the family of three talking quietly.
When Harry walked up to the family, Jikum looked at him and said, "Welcome to our village, Harry. Where are you from?"
Expecting something like this, Harry said, "It's probably best to say that I'm from a village a long way from here."
The man didn't look happy at that but nodded. "How long will you be here?"
"I will need to leave tomorrow afternoon to continue my planned journey," Harry replied.
"In the afternoon?" Jikum looked confused. "Other than those on the other side of the river, the nearest village is two days away and it's best to leave in the early morning, otherwise it would take three days."
Harry nodded, understanding Data's counting better now. Two villages separated by a river, but Data had counted it all as one. "I'm just visiting for a short time," he told them honestly. "Zhade," he looked at her, "thinks I'll return one day, though."
Zhade shook her head and held her hand in front of him as she hissed, "Shush!"
They hadn't been talking loudly but it was otherwise dead quiet so if someone wasn't too far away they would be overheard. He had no idea what she didn't want overheard, but there was obviously something. He waved his hand around the four of them while casting the Muffling spell. "There, now no one can hear us. I apologize for what I said, whatever it was."
"You can do it that easily? It takes us longer," Zhade said to the discomfort of her parents.
"Well, I find it that easy; others might not. Isn't all magic that way?" he asked.
The mother nodded. "That is true, we all have our talents, but…" she paused and still lowered her voice to a whisper, "some talents aren't discussed in public and the morning cooks should be here soon."
"Maybe you should go home and we'll stay here and talk in silence," Zhade suggested.
"Jikum will go home," the woman said with a glare, "and I will start breakfast. If you two want to be foolish enough stay up the rest of the night, then you better be silent."
Zhade agreed.
"Fine," the woman said in a huff and glared at her husband now, who shrugged and turned.
Harry released the privacy spell and let them walk away before he cast it again around only he and Zhade. He saw the mother stop a few meters away and look. "I think she wants you to talk to her so she can test it."
Zhade looked right at her mother and said, "Yes, you'd think that by her fifth child she'd learn that by the time we've grown up we've learned at least one or two things." Sarcasm dripped from the statement but the mother didn't react. "Look at that, it worked just as you said it would." She looked at him. "Will it move with us or is it attached to this spot."
"The magic is on us as long as we don't get too far apart," he told her. "Water would be good if there is some near."
"Over here," she walked slowly to a barrel and grabbed two cups, handing him one after she'd filled it. Then she walked over to a nearby table and dropped onto a bench and took a drink.
"Did you have trouble with your parents when you grew older?" she asked him.
Harry set his cup down after a drink. "A little bit of trouble with my friend's parents who tried to act like my parents sometimes, thinking I needed protecting when I didn't." He saw her nod in agreement. "But my parents died when I was one year old."
She looked at him sharply. There was no moon, but there were a few torch like fires on poles and he could see her concern for him. "I'm sorry. So other family raised you?"
"Not a topic for now, but I didn't have anyone I considered family. Let's say distant relatives tried," he told her. "So you're the fifth child?" he purposefully changed the topic a little.
"Yes, but I was a surprise if it wasn't obvious. Number four is a brother who's 25 years older than I am." She snorted. "My oldest sister is 42 years older than I am and has a son who's older than I am." Her complaining turned to a look of pride. "But in some ways, I'm the strongest of them all." She sighed suddenly. "Yet, you are definitely stronger than I am." She smiled shyly. "In many ways we would be a good match."
Harry smiled at her. He appreciated her attitude at her position. Her attitude was much more like Ginny's and was one that Ron really should have had, or at least he thought Ron would have been happier with that attitude. "What makes you so much better?"
Now Zhade looked apprehensive and lowered her voice even with the privacy spell. "There are a few magics best not talked about in public. Fortunately for you, magic without a staff is not a problem but one that anyone would be glad to do if they could. At best, a strong person might learn to do one or two in their life, not the many you have showed us and at such a young age."
"Oh," he said quietly. "Should I not be showing off and instead I should use my wand?"
She giggled quietly. "No, too late, the secret is already out. You're already marked as special."
Harry thought he understood. "And you're afraid of being marked for something that should be hidden."
She nodded and looked at him carefully and whispered. "I can see things." When he didn't react, she added just as quietly, "I knew where and when to find you and that I should. I already knew you were leaving tomorrow and I will see you go up like we flew on the dragon except you will do it yourself - somehow. I already knew you will come back one day; I don't know which day yet, but you will come back and be better than you are now. One day, you will be great, the greatest since The Dragon."
Harry blinked and breathed, "A true seer, an oracle."
She nodded. "If they found out and I was lucky, they'd trade me to another village for another girl to improve the blood line here, and where I'd have to hide my talent too. Next and most likely, they'd cast me from the village as an exile. Worst, I'd have to run." She shook her head and stopped talking.
"Can't you say the visions come from The Dragon?" he asked.
Zhade looked at him in horror. "Don't even say that! They'd kill me for sure if I said that. No, no one must know of this. Only my parents know, and now you."
"Why me?" he asked, feeling sorry for the spot she was in.
"Because I know I can trust you; I know you'll protect me," she admitted softly.
"Because you've seen that too?"
She nodded. "I don't know when or why, but we'll be older and you will do amazing magic. You'll say it was to protect me." She looked at him oddly and smiled. "I don't think that's true and I don't know why, but I do know that's what you'll say. Before you ask, I don't know more. The visions don't come often, they're only about important events, and I usually don't see the whole event but only a short time."
Harry considered all she'd said. "One more for you. I was told that one day I'd find a special person."
She gasped. "You think…"
He shrugged. "Maybe." He smiled. "Probably."
The torch lamps in the area brightened, causing them to look around. Harry saw a small group arriving at the food prep tables.
"They're to start breakfast. Sunrise will be soon," she told him and looked at him, tilting her head again. "Who told you?"
This was a bit of a problem. "It would be a long story that wouldn't make much sense to you, but let's call it a person with a lot of power who can also see things. She's helped me a few times in small ways, but I think of her as special. I'm not related to her at all, but she likes me in some way and so she helps me occasionally."
"You make her sound like The Great Dragon, but no one is as powerful as her," Zhade said reverently.
That made Harry wonder if there was a religion here around The Dragon. Should he? He fumbled with the leather cord around his neck. "I don't understand how it all works, but I was told she and The Dragon know of each other, whatever that means and I can't explain more because I don't know."
He made up his mind. "But I can show you something from The Great Dragon if you want; he gave it to me."
"She," Zhade said firmly, "but really? How could you have met her? It's been thousands of years since she left. Or did you get a gift last night and I didn't?"
That was a minefield, as the saying went. "Not last night, but I've been visited by The Dragon and she, although she looked like a he to me, gave me this." He pulled his medallion out of his shirt and took it off of his neck and held it out to her. The scale caught the light and shined like a pearl in the firelight and coming day as the sky now had a pink band on one side.
"It's warm, or is that from you?" she asked.
"No, it's always slightly warm even if I haven't been wearing it for a few hours," he told her. "It's one of his … her scales."
"Seriously?"
"Seriously."
"It's so pretty."
Harry smiled. "It is." `Like you`, he almost said but stopped himself. She was pretty and nice, but had to remind himself that he had Paige waiting for him. Yet the way she talked; the prophecy from Aunt Q. He was so confused about this … about her.
The scale was returned and he put it around his neck again and back under his shirt.
"Probably good you hide that and I won't tell," she promised solemnly.
"Err," he looked over, "I'm getting hungry and I see a few people eating. Can we…"
Zhade laughed. "Stop your magic and we can go get something to eat." She stopped suddenly and looked very sober. "Then I will need to go to work on today's task soon. Although," she looked at him slyly, "if you help we can get done sooner and then go do what we want, even take a short nap." She suddenly looked horrified. "Not together! That wouldn't be allowed!"
Harry laughed. "I knew what you meant." He waved his hand and whispered. "Everyone can hear us now."
While everyone still ate here, breakfast was more come eat as you woke. He took a wide bowl from the stack and received something that looked a lot like porridge in one half, what he would have sworn was scrambled chicken eggs on the other half, plus a medium sized sausage patty on top, along with another roll like he'd had last night. For a drink he could choose between a milk and a juice.
"Get the juice," she told him. "You can try my milk to see if you like it." So he did.
"You can talk now?" one of the older women asked looking at him.
"Yes, and thank you for the food - last night and this morning," he returned.
"Ah, so we can't talk about you and Zhade now?" The woman said disappointed while Zhade blushed again.
"Well," Harry smiled at her, "at least not where I can hear you," he teased.
The woman laughed loudly. "I like you. You'll fit in. But there was no doubt after the blessing from the Dragon."
He just smiled at her and followed the pink tinged girl to a table.
"Please don't give her ideas, she's a gossip," Zhade told him.
"It happens everywhere and she seemed nice," Harry told her. "So, what do you have to do today?"
"I have to go to the gardens and work. I have four sections to look after. At least I don't have to look after the animals," she said with relief.
Harry found the meal to be surprisingly filling and a taste of her milk wasn't too bad … just a little different. As he'd suspected, it came from the goats.
Zhade took him out to the gardens and to her plots as the first rays of the sun came over the trees. All of the plots were medium sized. Three were for food and one was for potions ingredients, which she said was pretty normal unless some was given a plot just for a hard to grow plant.
He watched her spread her legs some and then bend over and start pulling up the few weeds that had sprouted recently. He noticed her freeze after a moment and look up at him, still bent over.
"Why are you just watching me work and not helping?" she asked accusingly.
"Oh, I wasn't sure exactly what you needed me to do?" he prevaricated, very much enjoying looking at her … form.
She caught on though. "Or were you just watching me?" She sighed and stood up. "I'm not used to working with someone else. How about you go over to our pond and bring water back?"
He shrugged and said, "Sure. Want a hat?" He conjured a wide straw hat and put it on his head to protect him from the sun. She gave him a look like he was crazy so she didn't get one.
Not far away he found a small pond that was fed by a small stream and had a stack of buckets at the edge of the water. He pulled out his wand and waved it at the stack. Each bucket jumped into the air and moved over to the pond and dipped themselves in before coming back in a line. With a smile, Harry returned with a long line of buckets of water following him.
Returning, he noticed that Zhade had moved and, to his disappointment, her backside was now to the plants in the middle. When she looked up he asked, "How many do you want and where?"
She raised her body up and gawked at what he'd done. "I only needed four."
"Oh," he said a little disappointed. "Here you go, I'll take the rest to the others." He left four there for her before walking down the row with the rest of the buckets following him. He asked the same question to the others and left the number they needed until all of the buckets were handed out.
She had him prune a few dead leaves from some of the older plants and generally take care of them. "You've done this sort of thing before."
"Yes, a bit different with different plants, but a lot of it is the same," he told her as he worked. "What are those plants for?" he asked pointing to her fourth plot.
"Those make a remedy to help those sleep who are dealing with nightmares and such. We can make other things with them, but that's the main use." She looked at him. "It's a common plant. You don't have those where you come from?"
"We make the same remedy, we just used a different plant," he replied. "Honestly, it's not something I take much of an interest in."
Another voice asked, "What do you take an interest in?"
The two looked up to see an older man. Zhade sighed. "Harry, this is Vozzov, one of my uncles."
Harry stood and gave him a short bow. "Hello, it's good to meet you."
"Is it good?" the man asked dubiously.
"Uncle, be nice," Zhade complained.
"I'll be nice if he'll answer my question, and answer it well." The man looked at Harry while leaning on his staff.
Harry realized that really every adult was armed at all times since there seemed to be no such thing as Muggles here. "I do what needs to be done, generally fixing things."
"Oh?" the old man harrumphed. "Fixing what?"
"Whatever needs it. Most of the time it's just broken things or cleaning up. But other times it's a little more dramatic," he said vaguely.
"What makes it dramatic?" the man asked.
Harry worked hard not to sigh as the old man wouldn't let it go; Zhade didn't looked pleased with her uncle, but she did look interested in his answer, so he answered it for her sake. "There are times I have to find people who are lost and need rescued, and usually from places others have a hard time getting to. One of the last ones was half buried alive and very injured. Or defend a group of people from unexpected attackers when they didn't have the ability to defend themselves."
Harry shrugged. "I prefer to help others with simpler things, including cooking when I know what I'm working with, but when something special needs to be done I'll step up to save others - every time."
"So like a guard?"
"Guarding is boring," Harry said with a grin. "But let me know if the guards need help with something bigger."
"Sounds like me," Zhade said with her own grin. To her scowling uncle she retorted, "What? I've said guarding is boring before, but I'll fight off a wild beast trying to attack the herds."
"Yes, you have said that," her uncle acknowledged before looking back at Harry. "I do hope we don't regret inviting you in as you seem like one of the exiled ones."
"I have not ever been exiled; I am traveling though. Zhade," Harry looked at her with a smile, "seems to want me to return again. Perhaps I will." He enjoyed watching her blush.
"Hmm," her uncle said before he turned and walked away.
"Sorry about him," she said after the man was far enough away. Mother probably sent him to check up on you." Zhade did look apologetic.
"Don't worry about it," he told her with a smile. "What else do we need to do?"
"There is one more thing I've been putting off, if you'll be nice enough to rescue me and do it while I finish up here." She gave him a cute begging look.
He smiled and laughed. "For that look, what would you like?"
Zhade looked pleased now and took him over to the end of the row. "I'm supposed to be getting this ground ready for more planting but I've been … busy."
"Busy waiting for someone?" he smirked.
"Just busy," she retorted but without looking at him. Summoning some stakes over from a stack, she placed them in the ground to show where the work was needed. "This area."
Harry looked it over. "So, remove vegetation then turn the soil?"
"That would be great, although we really should mix in some of the manure too," she said, obviously not wanting to do that.
"Right, right. So," he looked at her, "why don't you go get the manure and bring it here, in a wheel-barrel or something and bring it back. I should be ready for it by then," he told her.
"What's a wheel-barrel?"
"If you don't have one, just put it in a big barrel or crate and bring it back. All that matters is that it's in a container," he explained.
"All right, but what's a wheel-barrel?" she asked again.
Harry summoned one of the empty buckets over and did a transfiguration, turning the bucket into a large wheel-barrel, so it would hold about what one of the cubic meter crates would hold. "Normally, you put whatever you want to carry in it and the leverage of the long handles allows you to lift and move much greater weights. Of course, with magic there's no need to lift the handles yourself."
"And after I lift on the handles then it can roll on the wheel. Smart, I like it." She beamed and grabbed the handles and rolled it, playing a little with it as she went, getting stares from others who saw her.
While he laughed and got busy, he also hoped he hadn't just made a mistake and broke rule number one. With his bare left hand he created a shield on the line he needed, then with his wand he cast a stream of fire to burn the vegetation. He moved and repeated the process over and over until he had gone all around the edge. All that was left was some in the center and he easily burned all of that.
By this time, he could see Zhade heading back. He conjured ten garden forks. With a wave of his wand, they all jumped up and started sticking themselves into the soft'ish ground and turned it, then continued on across the plot.
"Oh," she said as she returned, "yeah, I guess burning it and then using the ash is good; I've just never done that." She didn't bat an eye at the animated garden forks working. "Where do you want this?"
"Dump it in the middle on the already turned ground. I'll have them come back and do a second turn to mix it in," he told her. Then he realized she didn't know how to dump a wheel-barrel, so he showed her.
She happily left to get another load, thinking this was fun. Harry just conjured a rake and animated it too so it spread the manure as needed.
By the time she'd brought the fourth load, the forks were done and the rake was ready for her last load.
"You make this quick," she told him happily as she watched the last load be spread. Then the forks were animated to turn again, but going back the other way this time and mixing in the manure. "If it matters," she smiled at him teasingly, "Uncle was impressed with your wheel-barrel and called it a good fix."
She finished her work a short time later. "That was good timing too. Come on, lunch is here."
"Here?" He was getting hungry again, although he thought it was only late morning.
"Lunch is brought to us, I think so we'll work longer but my father says that's not true," she joked as she led him to a small tent not far away. There, they cleaned their hands before each picked up a couple of rolls with meat and cheese in it. It was their version of a sandwich he realized. The water was good, but he chilled his large cup to make it better. Zhade copied him and smiled at his idea.
"Now what?" he asked at they sat in the shade of a tree to eat.
"With your help, I'm done for the day." She smiled broadly. "That means we can go back and get cleaned up and do whatever we want for the afternoon until it's time for dinner. Of course," she lost her smile, "since we're done early we'll probably be pulled into helping with dinner. Especially," she grinned at him again, "after your trick with the plates and spoons. No one has ever put them out that fast before."
"It was fun," he admitted, "sort of like a game."
When they finished eating, they headed back into the village. "Do you have another set of clothes?" she asked.
"I thought I'd clean these when I cleaned up," he told her.
She wrinkled her nose at him, cutely he thought. "Come, I have enough money to get you one set of clothes."
"I'll pay you back," he said quickly as he thought about what he had. A few of his golden Galleons should do.
She waved his reply off. "You are a guest and you've already paid me back by saving me a half day of work. The first harvest of the crops from the new ground will be worth more than a set of clothes."
Harry wasn't sure about that, so he reached into his Mokeskin bag and fished around with his fingers before pulling out a Galleon. "Would this be worth much?"
Zhade stopped in shock then looked at him. "A whole coin of gold?"
"Is it worth much?" he repeated.
"You can buy a lot with that. I don't recognize the design on it though. Where's it from?" she asked and started walking again.
"From where I was born, a long way away," he told her a little wistfully. "So, if I return, I should bring more gold?"
"If you want to be rich, I guess, but it won't get you out of working the gardens or tending the animals if you want to eat with the rest of us," she stated.
"Good to know and that's reasonable. You ask a good question. What would I do if I lived here?" He looked at her and noticed she very purposefully wasn't looking at him.
"I guess whatever you wanted. You have a lot of magic so that allows many things; being a little older helps too." She sighed. "I don't have many choices at the moment, but mother says that will change with time. Umm, how old are you?"
He smiled at her and wondered how long she'd been wanting to ask that. "I'm almost twenty-two. You?"
Zhade smiled and looked at him very pleased. "I just turned nineteen. We are close."
"Yes we are," he agreed as they walked past a currently empty pavilion. "Where are we going?"
"Over there. By the way, you forgot your cloak earlier. I saw Mother pick it up, so she has it," she told him.
"Oh good, I'd forgotten about that," and he had.
They walked into a store which had a middle-aged woman behind the counter. "Good afternoon, Zhade; what can I get you? Or our new friend."
"Our visitor, Harry, needs one more outfit, something for evenings while his other clothes are drying." Zhade looked at him. "Something more colorful, I think."
The woman smiled. "I would agree." She looked at him one more time before she turned and went into the back.
"More colorful?" he complained good-heartedly.
"Definitely," she said firmly. "At least you didn't come in all white or all black."
Harry snorted. "At least give me some credit for what I wear."
"All right, some is probably about right as long as it's little. Sorry, but that's boring," she said of his now dirty tans and browns.
The tailor returned and laid some clothes on the counter. Zhade used her staff to clean her hands and arms again, to the appreciative looks of the proprietress. The girl held up an orange shirt in front of him before shaking her head. Next she grabbed a pale yellow and nodded after looking at it. Some black trousers were also picked along with a light green sash for a belt.
"What is that for?" she asked, pointing to his tricorder on his belt.
"Oh that?" Harry realized he'd never figured out a story for it. "Just something I brought along, a small carrying case with a few things from home. This isn't a bad look," he said hurrying along, "at least you're not trying to make me wear pink and red at the same time."
Both women laughed at him. The tailor pointed at another small stack. "Pick your size," she said with a large smile.
It took a few seconds, but he realized she meant the underpants and then socks on the other side of that pile. He picked something close to the right size for each, knowing he could transfigure them to the correct size.
"I'll size them for you since she shouldn't," the woman said, giving a pointed look at Zhade who blushed but glared back.
"I'll size them myself, thank you," Harry told her and opened his bag again and fished out some coins. "Now, Zhade said the gold one was too much, but I have a silver one and two bronze ones. What is the right amount?" He held the coins out.
The tailor was surprised at the gold one, but moved to the others. "They're real bronze?"
"Yes, or I was told they were. You're welcome to test them," he told her and put both on the counter.
She picked one up and bounced it in her hand. "Feels about right. Thank you."
He pushed the other bronze coin to her also. "Take it as well."
"It's too much," she protested.
Harry looked around and spied a black leather hat with a wide brim that looked almost … rakish. He vanished the straw hat still on his head before he grabbed the one he saw on the wall and put it on his head to find it fit perfectly. Taking it back off, he conjured a good sized white feather such as Hedwig would have had and stuck the end in a pair of the air holes on the side before popping it on his head again. Seeing a mirror on the wall, he walked over and looked and found he liked it. The mirror also showed Zhade behind him looking like she was trying to hold a laugh in.
He turned and rolled his eyes at her before looking back at a smiling tailor. "Keep the second one; I'm happy if you are." He tipped his hat at her, grabbed his new clothes, and walked out … leaving a mirthful woman and a now giggling girl who had to hurry to catch up with him.
"You're silly and the hat with the feather is funny on you," she told him as they walked.
"But I like it," he told her. "Now, where can we get cleaned up?"
"This way," she said and led him through the village, smiling and giggling occasionally. A few minutes later they arrived at a nice looking house made of bricks, which he found really were rocks cut into brick sizes.
"Mother?" Zhade called as she walked in.
The woman came out of the back with cloth in her hand. "No need to tell the entire village you're here," she said before she sat down in front of what looked like a spinning wheel. A small loom sat not far away.
"I just needed to be sure you were here as I know you'd want to be if I brought Harry to get cleaned up."
"At least you thought of that," her mother said pithily. "You go first; he can keep me company until you're done. Be sure to close the door behind you."
Zhade rolled her eyes and huffed, "You act like I'm nine, not nineteen."
"And so I shall be until you are at least 29," her mother replied as if this was a common argument between them.
Harry conjured a chair for himself near the door so he could feel the slight breeze and sat as Zhade went into the back and closed the door.
"Are our chairs not good enough for you?" the woman asked him with the same tone she had addressed her daughter.
"I thought you'd appreciate me not sitting in one of your clean chairs while I was still dirty. Oh, Zhade said you'd picked up my cloak that I'd forgotten. May I get it back so that I can clean it too?" he asked.
"It is on the hook and already clean," she said with a pointed look to direct him. "You can get it when you leave."
"Thank you," he told her, trying to figure her out.
"It is an interesting design. Who did it?" Deshke also eyed the stack of new clothes in his lap.
"I did, but I just followed the design others did from where I was born. I'm not that creative with clothes," he told her as he realized some of the stacks of cloth to her side looked a lot like the shirt he'd just purchased.
She glanced back up at him from her work for a moment. It was a very neutral look. "Were you trying to be creative with your hat? I've seen it before but it never had a feather in it."
Harry smiled and pulled the hat off, holding it front of him to look at it. "I had a little extra money to spend and I liked the hat but felt it was missing something. All right, I suppose I was trying to be a little creative with it. I like it."
"I've seen worse," Deshke said non-committally. "Harry, about my daughter. She is many things, some good and some bad, like all people. Nonetheless, she is our daughter and you will treat her well or I will bring the entire village down on you." She was looking at him now, letting the spinning wheel just turn on its own.
Harry looked right back at her just as seriously. "You have nothing to worry about from me. I can tell that Zhade is a very special person, and even before she told me her secret."
Deshke hissed as she sucked in air in shock.
"Do not worry," he told her, "her secret is safe with me. I would protect her with my last breath - if required - while I am here. I wouldn't want to do it, but I would even remove the secret from someone's mind if she asked me in order to protect her."
"Y-you can do that?" the mother paled.
"I haven't done it myself, but I've seen it done by someone else and I believe I could do it if I really wanted to. The thing I've found about magic is that if you have enough magical power and enough confidence in yourself, you can do some very amazing magic," he told her.
"Such as?" she asked quietly.
"Whatever has to be done to save someone even if it seems like it shouldn't be possible. I'd do anything to save Zhade from anything or … anyone. I hope I don't have to do that while I'm here," he said even quieter than she had been.
As they stared at each other, the door to the back opened and Zhade came out for one step before she stopped and looked at the two in a death stare. "What's going on?"
Harry turned and smiled at her. "Just some conversation; nothing you would be surprised by. My turn?"
"Err, yes, yes it is," she said slowly. "Uh, do you need to know how to turn on the cleaner?"
"A quick demonstration might be useful," he allowed.
"I shall," Deshke said and rose. "Prepare a cold drink for Harry for when he returns, daughter."
Harry smiled at his friend before he followed the woman into the back. There was a corridor with three rooms off of it.
Deshke opened one door and walked in. "Just twist these two levers to get the temperature you need. The rest should be obvious." She paused and looked at him for a moment before she whispered. "I'm sorry for what I implied because I don't know you, so thank you for your willingness to protect her. She may be our last and have a talent I wished she didn't, but we do love her."
Harry smiled and nodded. "Just as every parent should love their child."
She gave a wan smile and grateful nod before she left with hurried steps.
Harry went in and closed the door. Really, it was a pretty typical bathroom in a sense. The only major difference from most he'd used was that this one was all stone so he could get everything wet if needed.
Before he forgot, he also grabbed his wand and sent a message to Riker that he was still good and would see him about this time tomorrow.
Setting his new clothes over on a shelf, he stripped down to take a shower he knew he'd enjoy.
— — —
Zhade made some chilled fruit juice until her mother returned to the front room. "What did you say to him?" she asked quietly and intensely.
"Nothing to concern you," the mother replied as she sat back down at her spinning wheel to pick up her work again.
"Mother!" the girl growled and caused her staff to vibrate against the wall a couple of times.
The woman looked at her daughter with a touch of fear she had only ever felt a few times before, the previous episode only a few minutes before. The second shock in as many minutes unnerved her even more.
"We just talked about you and him. I think I trust him now." Or at least learned enough not to challenge him, Deshke thought.
"Leave him alone," Zhade ordered. "Today is not the day, nor is tomorrow, but one day-"
"Say no more," her mother cut her off. "I understand."
Zhade lowered her voice. "You talk of being foolish so often, yet you are the fool now. He is amazing yet you challenge him. He…" She stopped herself. "You snipe for no good reason at a person who has done nothing to deserve it. He has done what none of us will ever do. I would tell you but you would not believe and it is his secret I have vowed not to betray anyway."
She continued to stare her mother down as she walked a step closer. "I am not ready and he is not ready; but I'm telling you now. If you and father and everyone else do not stop going after him, I will find a way to convince him to take me with him when he leaves."
Her mother gasped in horror.
"What happens is up to you." Zhade turned and went to the small kitchen area and made a second drink for herself. She sipped it slowly and watched her mother sit and do nothing but look at the plant fibers in her hands that would become cloth one day.
Harry came out a few minutes later in his new clothes that were the correct size and looked very good on him. "Err, where can I hang these to dry, or should I just use a drying charm on them?" he asked of his original set of clothes that were now wet.
"Bring them this way," Zhade said pleasantly as she grabbed his drink. "I'll show you where to hang them up and then we can walk around so I can show you the rest of the village. Will you grab my staff since I have your drink?"
"Sure." As he did, he missed look of fear in the mother's eyes and triumphant look in the daughter's.
They went outside then around to the back of the house. He set the staff against a tree and hung the clothes on the single rope that was up. Zhade gave him his cup and then grabbed her staff and off they walked.
"Harry, will you teach me something before you go?" she asked sweetly.
"Hmm, what?" he grinned. "I sense something, although I'm not sure what to call it."
"Let's call it a help for a demonstration," ignoring the obvious question. "I want to learn how to summon things without my staff, like you do," she told him.
"In theory, none of it is hard," he told her. "It's just the willingness to do it and practice."
"That's all?" She was amazed, expecting it to be a lot harder.
"Well, I didn't say it was easy for everyone," he grinned at her and sipped on his drink. "This is good. Anyway, yeah, power and practice. I also find that emotion can help get you started sometimes, but it's mostly practice and most people just give up too soon - I think. Oh, take a break if the emotion you feel is frustration, that's never helpful. You also might want to make the first spell you learn the Light charm since it's the easiest one. Try the Summoning charm second."
"All right," she agreed and vowed to learn them both - soon. She had seen her staff sort of bounce against the wall as if it wanted to come to her.
They found a shady spot in the Pavilion and sat. She worked on the Light charm for a bit with him coaxing her on it, throwing in small tips as he thought of them. It wasn't working by the time they were asked to help with dinner, but she still felt confident she'd learn it.
— — —
The family walked back to the house after an evening by the fire talking to others and having a good time socializing, without a ritual this time. He had used the public bathroom and sent a message to Riker from there. A little surprisingly to him, Deshke had offered their couch for him to sleep on and he'd accepted.
Harry conjured a bag and retrieved his now dry clothes that had been hanging on the line out back.
After a little more talk, the family bid him good night, although Zhade was the only one who gave him a special smile. He put a cushioning charm on the couch before removing his boots and hat. Most who talked to him that evening seemed to like his hat because it was different.
As Harry laid down for a well deserved rest, Zhade was lying in bed and working on her magic. After an hour, she noticed her fingertips glow ever so slightly in the dark of her room. With a smile at the small success, she finally let herself fall asleep.
Harry was wakened by Jikum coming out of the back. The old man went into the kitchen and did something for a minute before he had a drink, or so it looked in the low light. He held up a second cup and then set it down on the counter.
Tossing the light blanket he'd conjured to the side, Harry rose to grab the drink and joined him. Sipping the drink he found it something like chocolate coffee, which he'd have to admit he could like. "This is good," he said quietly.
Jikum motioned him to follow and went out the front door, grabbing his staff that had been leaning against the wall. He concentrated for a moment before a slow wave of his staff left to right and a bench appeared and he sat on one end.
Harry took the hint and sat on the other end.
"Don't worry, they won't hear us unless they come out," he said quietly.
Harry waved his hand between them. "Now no one else can hear us."
"Useful," the man harrumphed. "Are you still leaving this afternoon?"
"Yes, sir."
"I'll admit I thought my daughter crazy, bringing you in and just trusting you as she did; but unlike Deshke I've learned to listen to my daughter … even when she's crazy. This is not the first time she asked for something that made no sense, only for it to make sense later. So it is hard for me to deny her things when she asks for them." Jikum sighed. "The mind sharing ritual on two people that aren't married? It's not done, and yet the appearance of The Dragon blessed you."
The man looked at him. "With The Dragon's blessing, why are you leaving?"
Well, that was sticky, Harry thought. "Zhade has mentioned that there are things that must be done, like gardening if you want to eat with the village. She didn't say it, but she implied you do something special."
"I'm on the village council," Jikum admitted.
Harry nodded, not surprised considering the deference many had given the old man at the two dinners Harry had attended. "I have a duty too for a time." He looked around the quiet area, seeing a few lights coming on up and down the street. "Living here would be good."
He sighed. "I have made promises and I must finish my duty to uphold the promises, but I think I will be back." He snorted. "She says I will so it must be."
"You believe her?"
"I've met another like her. Not as powerful, not nearly as good, but when magic speaks you listen." Harry looked over and saw the man nodding.
"How long?"
"A minimum of a year and a half to complete my duty, then there will be time to travel back. Then, there is one other complication that I don't know how it will end or when," Harry admitted. "I will not make false promises. I intend to return, but I can not say if it'll be two years or fifty. I will live a very long time, probably over two hundred years, if I'm not too stupid."
Jikum snorted. "That is true for us as well. I don't know what else a father can say other than to ask you to please not break her heart."
"I'll do my best," Harry promised.
— — —
Zhade came out not too longer after Jikum left to help with breakfast. "There you are," she said to him as she said on the bench where her father had. "Breakfast?"
"Yes, let me get my things," he replied and went in for his boots, hat, and everything he wore on his belt. A few minutes later they were off and his tricorder was back on again … since he turned it off when he slept.
"What do you have to do today?" he asked her as they walked.
"I have the day off." She looked at him. "I traded with someone to work today and I will take their day tomorrow." She made a face. "I'll have to do guard duty."
He chuckled lightly. "The first day I was here, why weren't you working then?"
"That was my normal one day a week off," she replied as the Pavilion came into view.
A minute later they were served breakfast, including by her father. "Does everyone do this too?" he asked.
"There is a set of cooks who are always here, otherwise, most help cook over time. I serve occasionally," Zhade explained. "Everyone helps where they can."
Harry looked around. He would have called it a form of Utopia, but he knew better. He knew there was tension at times within Zhade's family. He'd also seen a few arguments from others at a distance. There was also little doubt there were bigger problems at times he just hadn't witnessed, else why did you need guards watching the paths into the village?
Still, there was a lot to like about this place. It would be a nice place to live and there were people like him: magicals. He'd discreetly scanned Zhade and her parents yesterday. Their DNA would work with his without any problems or help. He'd stay except for two issues.
"Is something wrong?" Zhade looked at him in concern. "You looked lost."
Harry smiled and took a drink of his juice. "I was thinking about living here one day."
She smiled brightly. "I would like that idea."
He waved his hand around them. "Your father asked me why I had to go when I have The Dragon's blessing. I told him I have made promises and I have a duty to do; but once that is done…"
"You can return," she finished. "When?"
"I don't know because there is one more reason I can't stay right now and I don't know how that will work," he told her flatly. "I must return for her; I'm sorry."
Zhade looked away and her voice was flat. "For her?"
"I know what you told me about what will be, and there what someone else told me that will be; but I don't know how to work that with what I have to do now. I promised I'd return because we care about each other. I would be wrong not try to make that work. Yet I'm also sure you're the one who was prophesied to me. So as I told your father," he swallowed, "I will return, but I don't know if that will be in two years or fifty."
She looked at him with burning and shiny eyes for a moment. "I want to be angry with you, but I can't because you've done nothing wrong. You've made no promises to me other than you will return. But…" She stopped and turned away.
"But I will not forget you and I will return, I will promise that. Maybe she'll leave me when I tell her about this place and so release me, I don't know," he said lamely. "I wanted you to know it's not completely in my control."
It was a moment before Zhade asked, "If she did not exist, would you stay?"
"I still have the promises of a duty to others. That will take a year and a half at least, then I would have to travel back," he explained.
"The two years, you said." She dropped her elbows to the table and looked out and not at him. "I will commune with The Dragon and ask for only the two years."
Harry had no response for that and decided it would be wise not to say more. He also noticed a group of children make their way off in a single direction. "Where are the children going?"
"To school," she said absently.
"Will you take me, please?" When she looked at him he smiled at her.
"I want to be angry at you but it is hard. Come," she huffed the command and rose.
Harry removed the muffling spell. Another quick spell sent their empty plates and such to the waiting pile of things to be washed. He would have washed them but there was already a spell going for that.
A few minutes later they came to a building the size of several houses. Windows for each room made it easy to see what was happening inside. There was a larger room of those who looked to be under ten; there were four adults in there. The next room were those a little older, who were listening to a single teacher. A slightly larger room had students who looked to be about the age to start Hogwarts.
"What are they doing?" he asked as they looked in the window. There were two teachers here.
"They recently got their staff and they are learning to care for and use them," she told him.
He watched for a minute. "Why did the teacher stop that boy from grabbing the other boy's staff?"
"Because one does not touch the staff of another except in emergency … or for someone you are married to." She blushed slightly and stared in the window and not at him.
"Except you-"
"The next class is more interesting," she told him and walked down the building.
He made an irked face as he followed her to the next room, which also had a bigger window too. "You didn't follow that rule," he whispered as they watched students practicing various spells.
"This is more of a learn at your own pace class and it only runs for the mornings so they can do work tasks in the afternoon to contribute to the village," she went on.
"Zhade!" he hissed.
She turned to him and looked him in the eye and matter-of-factly said, "I was angry at my mother and used that to make a statement to get her to understand my point. Fine, I admit that was wrong of me, but I knew it wouldn't hurt you. What else would you like to see?"
He just blinked at her for a moment. "So it doesn't hurt to touch anyone's staff, it's just not done?"
"Pretty much," she said plainly, still looking at him expectantly.
Harry stared at her for a moment before he said, "The river."
"Huh?"
"I've seen things to the east, but not to the west. I don't need to cross it, but I'd like to look. I'm sure your village must do a lot of trade with them," he commented.
She turned so the sun was at their backs and started walking. "We do. It's one of the things that keeps my father busy, and those who make things."
They walked in silence for a bit and Harry reflected on her change in demeanor. She was still polite, but not quite as friendly after his revelation. Honestly, he couldn't blame her. He really had tried not to lead her on and thought he had succeeded, but he could also realize he had … damaged a … dream, maybe, of hers.
As the reached the western edge of the town, he could see the ground go down a little and a grassy plain where many more goats grazed and a few shepherds. A couple of hundred meters beyond flowed a brownish blue river that was maybe fifty meters wide. Further west was another grassy plain then a few structures. He couldn't see anything after that. Back at the river, and down a short distance were large log rafts tied at the river bank, a couple on each side.
They stopped on the hill before the ground really sloped down to the grazing area and what Harry assumed was a flood plain to really look it over. Off to his right in the distance he saw a small herd of something on the other side of the river.
"I see why it's two villages. The river and grazing area is a little too wide for it to be one," he said.
"The grazing area also floods every spring too, so we can't build in there. It's also two villages because that one over there was started when two brothers had a big fight and the one that lost the fight picked up his things and left, going over there to start his own village. Enough people felt sorry for him so they went too, or so the story goes. It happened a long time ago, longer than anyone has been alive so who knows the real story," she ended with shrug.
"Your father said you'd live to be about 200. Is that correct or did I misunderstand?" he asked.
Zhade looked at him suspiciously. "About, but it's rare to have children after 50. Although my mother was 62 when she had me, so she is rare." She looked at him pointedly. "I'm still expecting you after two years. If you're not here by the time I'm 29 I am coming after you, no matter where you are."
Part of Harry wanted to laugh, part of him wanted to scream and cry. He settled for closing his eyes and meditating for a few seconds. He suddenly remembered a question he had from earlier.
"Zhade, I have a serious question."
"What?"
"Has anyone ever been born without magic?" He looked at her and managed to keep his smile on the inside when he saw her shock.
"No! I don't think that's possible. Why?" She looked genuinely surprised and perplexed at the question.
"What would happen if one did?" The answer probably didn't matter, he considered, but he really wanted to know. How much like the old Purebloods were they?
"Like I said, I don't think it's possible." She looked out at the river. "I know a few, very few, babies have been born dead, or died at birth maybe. I've never seen one, but I heard they looked fine but they were dead. Some of the older woman say the babies couldn't live because they didn't have magic, but that's foolish, right? Right?" She almost begged.
"I'm…" Harry stopped to really consider it. "I'm not sure," he said finally. "Maybe, but I'm sure there could be other reasons for babies to die too."
"I know," she said quickly. "There must have been other reasons. The idea of being without magic is… I can't even really imagine it."
It took a moment, but Harry realized it wasn't bigotry like he had grown up with. No, they'd never even seen a "Muggle", couldn't even comprehend the idea because it was not in their "universe". For some reason, it settled a fear he'd barely known he'd had.
"Shall we go back?" he suggested.
She nodded and looked to be glad to be off the previous topic.
"Maybe I can help with lunch or something," he said idly.
"I'm sure they'd like that," she replied and looked at him and … she smiled for the first time since her unhappiness early this morning. "Come on."
He noticed she had a spring in her step again and could only guess she must have worked through the problem in some way.
— — —
Lunch was over and cleaned up, Harry had helped and the other workers had been grateful. He snuck a glance at his tricorder and saw he had a little over an hour left. Going to the bathrooms for some privacy, he sent a message to Riker saying he was planning to be there in an hour.
When he came out, he was not surprised to see a not so small group of people waiting for him. He had seen some of the others around before but hadn't known who they were then. However, with them all standing together it was obvious who Zhade's brothers and sisters were, with the rest being their families.
Harry said hello, talked for a few minutes, then said good-bye to them. Saying good-bye to Jikum and Deshke was a little harder since he knew them a little better, but he managed that too, ending with a bow to each. Deshke handed him his bag that he'd sat down again so he'd have his extra clothes and cloak.
Finally he turned to Zhade. "I'll walk with you," she told him.
He nodded once and turned and started walking fairly quickly. "How long will it take to walk to where you first met me?"
She thought about it as they headed out of the village. "At this pace, not quite an hour." Of course, she didn't say "hour", but that's how it translated.
He considered it and then smiled. "If I show you some magic I don't think you've ever seen before, will you promise me you won't try it until I return to teach it to you?"
She narrowed her eyes at him. "Why can't I practice it like the other magic you've shown me?"
"Practice that all you want, but if you do this wrong and I'm not here to help you, you could die. Is that a good reason?" He looked at her and was pleased she seemed suitably shocked, for he did not want her hurt or killed.
"Yes, then I promise to only think about it," she told him, "as long as you promise to teach me soon after you return."
"I can agree to that," he said as they hurried through the garden area and then past where the two guards were.
"Are those two the last we'll see? I'd rather only you see this," he told her.
"Unless someone went to the big clearing, but that's unlikely," she answered.
He looked back after a moment and thought they were far enough along the somewhat twisty path with enough trees between them and guards to be safe. Still, he stopped and asked, "Do you see anyone behind us?"
She looked and said, "No."
Harry held out his hand. "Take my hand and I will take us to the meeting place, or else we can say good-bye here for a few minutes and then I'll leave."
Zhade was confused but whispered, "I know I'll see you fly and you can't fly here because of the trees, but no one can travel without walking or running so…" She looked at him intently. "New magic." She nodded. "New magic I can't try." She sighed but she reached out and took his hand, barely grasping it as if she shouldn't but must.
Harry squeezed her hand firmly. "It'll feel a little weird but trust me." He Apparated.
Upon landing, Zhade staggered and almost fell over, but his hand kept her upright.
He let her go when she stopped staggering and asked, "All right?"
"I think I will be but that-" Zhade froze as she looked beyond him and saw the big clearing and slowly pointed. "This was half an hour of walking away…"
"See the other side of the clearing, that dead tree?" He pointed. At her slow nod, he Apparated to the dead tree, pulled off a leaf, then returned and handed the leaf to her. "Where I grew up we call that Apparating. I'm very good, maybe even better than most of my friends, or the friends I had."
"That would, uh, yeah, um…"
Harry almost laughed as he watched the concept sink into her head. He snapped his fingers and got her attention. "Zhade, we'll talk about it when I return and after I'm settled I'll teach you, all right?"
She nodded, still a little lost.
Harry reached down and touched the button to turn off the recording on his tricorder. "Great, listen, I have to go but I do promise I will return." He had an idea and smiled. Reaching down to his belt he undid it, which caused her to gasp, so he realized he had her attention. Pulling the sheath for the knife off, he handed the whole thing to her. "Take it."
When she did, he re-closed his belt. "Now, that is my favorite knife, but I want you to hold it for me. Please don't lose it because I want it back. All right?"
She looked at it and pulled it out to see it. "This had to be expensive. The design on the side is so pretty." She touched the engraving going down the blade.
"Zhade, listen, it's very important. That is a very special knife. It should be unbreakable. It should also never get dull. You can try to cut a rock with it but it won't dull."
She looked at him in surprise. "Magically? That's priceless. No one can do that."
He smiled at her. "I made it, so someone can. Listen, I said I want it back and I meant it. But you hold it as that's my promise I'm coming back."
That made her happy. She shifted the knife to her other hand and placed her right hand on his chest and leaned forward slightly before stopping suddenly. Dropping her head she pushed back. "I'm sorry, that would have been wrong-" She stiffened and her eyes squeezed shut tightly for a second or two before she gasped and stared, her light brown eyes showing shock.
"I'll meet you back here because you'll send a message to me you're coming." Her face lit. "I still don't know when but it won't be long. You will still look like you do and I won't look much older. I could hardly see the difference in me except my hair will be longer."
"You received a vision?" He asked in wonder. That was much different than what happened to Trelawney. He was also a little troubled by it and yet… What did that mean for he and Paige?
"Yes." She realized she still had a hand on his chest. With sadness, she removed it and stepped back. "I will keep your knife safe. It will stay with me and I will guard it. I will also do magic with my hand." She smile again and whispered, "I made my fingers glow last night. Not like you, just a faint outline, but I will do this."
He grinned at her. "You will, I'm sure of it."
"Now you must fly," she told him. "I want to see this too."
He had no need to, but if it made her happy. "Good-bye my lovely Zhade." He gave her a deep bow and enjoyed her deep blush. "Until I return because you said I will."
Putting both hands palms down, he willed himself to fly and he lifted off a little. He watched her smile and clap like a little girl. He turned and flew across the clearing to the other side and landed. He waved and saw her wave back before he turned and headed into the woods.
It only took a few steps before he encountered a large bush, taller than he was. Ducking behind it, sent a "coming up" message to Riker. Then he considered the cloud he had seen when flying. To be safe, he put a Full Body Bubble Charm on himself and Apparated up to the cloud. In that fog, he flew up until he burst through the top and still he went up.
Only a couple of minutes later he saw something catch the sunlight way above him. With a smile, he Apparated and found he was only about a ship-length above the Enterprise. He stayed there for a moment just looking at the ship and enjoying the view. Picturing the shuttle bay, he Apparated one more time.
— — —
"It's about time, Captain," Riker said, "assuming he's on time."
Picard nodded. "Very well. Does anyone on the senior staff not want to go meet Mr Potter and hear his preliminary report?" He could tell that Mr La Forge definitely wanted to be there. "Very well, Lt Ro you have the bridge. Senior staff to the shuttle bay." The captain tapped his comm badge as he walked to the lift. "Picard to Crusher, Mr Potter should be returning to the shuttle bay very soon."
"Thank you, Captain, we'll be there. I'll notify the transporter room. Crusher out."
The lift was a little crowded, but they all fit. Picard knew he was curious about the outcome of this away mission and hoped the young man had kept the Prime Directive at the very least, while also hoping for some excellent data and recordings.
— — —
"Doctor Muun, you're in charge for the next hour or so. Doctor Sorrd, I believe you wanted to come." Beverly Crusher almost laughed at the last paying rapt attention to her. Fortunately she contained her self to a smile. "Ensign Harley, would you like to come as well?"
"Yes Doctor!"
"Let's be off then," Crusher grabbed her medical kit as did Sorrd. She tapped her comm badge. "Crusher to Mr O'Brien, be prepared for a decontamination procedure shortly in the shuttle bay."
"Aye, aye, Doctor, I'll be ready for Mr Potter as requested. O'Brien out."
As they entered the lift, Crusher looked at her intern, who actually had been doing a good job, but perhaps some advice wouldn't be amiss. "Ensign … Paige, a word of advice. I'm sure you'll be given a moment for a reunion, but I'd advise you not to get between the captain and his objective. Also, assuming there isn't a problem and the captain isn't too vexed, I suppose you can have the rest of the shift off. That is conditional."
The young woman lit up. "Thank you, Doctor! I'll be very careful of the captain!"
Beverly sighed. "Too be young and in love." At Paige's quickly suppressed giggle, Beverly smiled to herself very momentarily before the lift halted and the doors opened. She exited all business.
When they entered the shuttle bay, Crusher found they were the first there, although the group from the bridge arrived mere seconds later. "Mr Data, I need a containment field between us and where Mr Potter left from and I assume he will arrive at."
"Yes, Dr Crusher." The android walked over to a console to make that happen, which everyone saw spring up a moment later.
"And now we wait," Riker said casually. "Has anyone heard any good jokes lately?"
La Forge chuckled but Worf quickly and gruffly said, "No," cutting the idea off at the knees just as Data raised his hand and opened his mouth, only to shrug and close up again.
A ghost of a small dragon landed in front of them all, surprising everyone but Data, Riker, and Picard. It said with Harry's voice, "Coming up."
Crusher moved forward. Paige started to go too, but Sorrd grabbed her shoulder. "Medical first," the Vulcan whispered. Paige moved back contritely. When she noticed Riker looking at her and smiling broadly, she took another half step back, hoping she hadn't just lost her time with Harry this evening.
Suddenly, Harry appeared, on the other side of a force field screen from the group there. Relief hit Paige because he looked perfectly healthy. In fact, he looked amazing; she loved the hat on him too.
"Stay there, Mr Potter," Dr Crusher called out. "We need to decontaminate you since you've been to a new planet and didn't return by transporter." She tapped her comm badge. "Now Mr O'Brien, beam Potter from where he is to in front of me."
Harry disappeared in a swirl of sparkling light and reappeared in front of the doctor, who immediately scanned him and then looked flustered. "Your energy levels are up again."
"Oh? I guess that's why I feel so wonderful," he said with a grin that went well with his hat. "No real injuries either. Go me!"
"I have to agree on the no injuries part." Crusher turned around and nodded at the group.
Riker spoke up. "Ensign Harley, would you like to be the first to welcome him back? I think a moment more of waiting won't hurt us."
Paige all but squeaked and looked surprised. She was even more surprised when Picard turned and looked at her with a smile and a wave towards her boyfriend.
"Briefly, if you don't mind," the captain said kindly.
"Thank you, sir!" she jogged over hitting Harry with open arms as he dropped the bag that had been hanging off of his shoulder. It probably wasn't right, but she kissed him for all she was worth in front of everyone. Far too soon for her liking, he pulled back and she knew she needed to disengage as well. "I'm glad you're back."
"Me too because you're wonderful to see," he said with a grin and managed to shift her from in front of him to beside him with a single arm around her back and hand on her waist.
"Captain, I'm reporting in," he said with a smile.
The group walked forward with the captain leading. "Welcome back, Mr Potter. How did it go, in a nutshell?"
"Overall, it went very well," Harry reported. "I had a bit of a surprise upon landing as I broke your third condition within five minutes, but I kept the rest of your conditions and have lots of scans and recordings. I also learned their language, so I should be able to translate the recordings given time."
Picard looked puzzled for a moment. "Condition three? Oh, yes, observe more than interact. What happened?"
"I'm sorry, sir, but magic interfered. Magic told someone I was coming and I was met only five minutes after sending my first message to Commander Riker. I managed good explanations for everything so I'm fairly sure I preserved the Prime Directive. On the other hand, interacting with them gave me a lot more information."
Picard nodded. "I'm sure, and I suppose these things happen." He gave a soft snort. "It's not like we've never had an away mission go awry, have we Number One?"
"I believe I can recall a few that didn't go as expected," Riker said wryly with a grin. "Ensign, you have the rest of the day and tomorrow off to rest and change back to your normal shift times; but perhaps you can submit the recordings and start on write-ups while the time is still fresh on your mind?"
"Yes sir, thank you sir," Harry said quickly, lightly squeezing the waist he was holding.
"Captain," Harry hurried on, "I'd like to make a suggestion before we leave the system."
"Yes, Ensign?"
"Captain, this is a planet of people who live a fairly simple lifestyle. If you wanted to look for the equivalent in Earth's history, it would be something like the early 1700's, I think, or at least it looks that way from an outside perspective because you won't find any industrialization. In fact, the only critique one might give me is that I did give them one idea they didn't have before, and that was a wheel-barrel."
"The wheel-barrel?" The captain looked concerned.
"Captain, it was an off the cuff remark where I'll admit I didn't mind my words for one moment, but what's the difference between using a wheel-barrel and conjuring a box to load things into and then levitating the box and taking it where you need to go? The levitation magic is the wheel, so I really didn't advance them, it was just a different way to do the same thing. After that, I minded my words much more closely - of course.
"I must also point out they do have wheels to turn things, they just never created a wheel-barrel," Harry added hastily.
Picard looked at Riker. The commander replied, "Perhaps that should have been avoided, but the slip was small and as pointed out, it doesn't seem like anything really all that new was given away."
"I think I'd agree," Picard said slowly. "A lesson learned?"
"Yes sir," Harry agreed. "Sir, the point is that they are not advanced and are unlikely to ever advance because they don't have a need to. They don't see a need for … computers or even a plow. If they want to plow, they use magic and do it. They asked me to turn some dirt to help with their garden and I created ten turning forks, put them in a line, then animated them all to start turning the dirt and working their way down the plot on their own."
"That seems overboard," Picard said uneasily.
"I'm sorry sir," Harry said with a smile, "but my guide and everyone around didn't even bat an eye at it. They thought that was normal."
Picard, and really everyone there, looked shocked.
"Sir, it's a different mindset. If a person can manipulate magic to do work, they will. In simplistic terms, it's their way to overcome the laws of physics for a short time to their advantage. They don't need electronics and mechanicals to advance their world. If they want advancement, they create a new spell or a new ritual to do a task. Therefore, they will never travel the stars. They will enjoy life where they are."
"I see," Picard said slowly.
"Yes sir. So I was going to ask if you could put up an interdiction buoy warning all approaching ships of a primitive civilization and to stay away in order to protect them. They talked about it in class and this seems like a case for it. In a sense, it'd be really difficult for anyone to take advantage of them because advanced technology doesn't work unless you know how to shield from the magic and I think that's a pretty closely guarded secret in the Federation and it took the minds of the Vulcan Science Academy to find a way to make my tricorder work and not just go up in smoke. However, I am concerned about their destruction and so to tell visitors that this system is under the protection of Starfleet seems like a needed thing."
"You're worried about orbital bombardment," Geordi said.
"Yes sir," Harry answered.
Picard looked at him for a moment. "Your argument is well made, Ensign. We'll deploy such a buoy before we go. I'll also look over your reports of the mission and send those to Starfleet so they'll deploy a more permanent version that will also send an SOS signal if a ship shows up."
"Thank you, Captain."
"That work," Picard said with a smile, "sounds like the makings of a fine officer. I look forward to your report and the recording."
"Yes sir; thank you sir." Harry was pleased with the outcome.
"I'll see you in three shifts, Harry," La Forge said, "I look forward to reading your reports too. Good job." He stepped forward and held out his hand.
Harry had to let go of Paige to shake the man's hand, but it was just as well as everyone else wanted to shake his hand for a job well done, even the captain.
Paige grabbed his bag while he was shaking hands.
"All right, let's head out," Riker's voice boomed with a purposeful smile. "Dr Crusher wants to clear the room."
La Forge and Worf groaned and Crusher gave him a withering look, while the captain was able to pretend he hadn't heard a thing. Data looked puzzled, "Yes, we are going to clear the room of potential pathogens by evacuating the air into space. Why was that funny?"
Riker now laughed and slapped Data on the shoulder lightly. Turning to ensure Potter was coming, he was not surprised to see the young couple was already gone. Shaking his head, he wondered how many times he'd have just disappeared with a pretty and willing girl if he had that power.
(A/N: And so we finish the away mission; the follow up to it will be in the next chapter. I have a huge family event coming this week, but after that, I hope to be able to start posting a little faster and I hope to finish the story before the end of May.)