Disclaimer: See page one.
Sorry about the wait
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The Ivory Cane
Missing Time
Upon Harry's explanation of his troubles with deconstructing spells, the peculiar man strode suddenly round the dangerous stacks of books and disappeared through the large wooden door through which he had first arrived. Harry frowned and cast his puzzled expression up at the stuffed bird uneasily.
"Well?!"
The muffled shout startled him.
"Are you coming to solve this equation or not, lad?"
After stumbling through the cluttered room (and having a smile as he imagined Aunt Petunias reaction to it) he finally fumbled his way out into the darkened hallway. As he followed the source of light from beneath another doorway at the end of the hall, he began to notice the variety of maps that lined the sturdy walls and the stacks of books that decorated either side of his route.
Although the place was packed full of objects, it had quite a nice feel to it. There was something welcoming in the smell of the leather and ink... although not in the collection of large swords that he spotted glinting beneath a blanket in the corner. It served as a reminder that he ought to be a little more wary of this stranger, and he felt suspicion rising up within him once more.
The darkness helped fuel these worries, and by the time he had pushed open this new doorway he half expected a blast of green light to speed fatally towards him.
"Tea?"
Harry blinked at the new sight that met him in this room. The old man was tending carefully to a steaming pot that rattled away on a little wooden stool. Some odd devices were clicking and whirring on a bench at the back of the room, and instead of unruly piles of books all over the floor, they were crammed inside a large jaunty bookcase that ran the whole length of the wall.
"I... er, yes please. Harry finally replied, his unease suddenly gone.
"Good, good. Sit down, Harold. Now, let me show you something." The old man said, waving over at a blackboard in the corner that Harry hadnt noticed.
Harry pulled a stool out from underneath an old table and sat down cautiously, expecting it to collapse under his weight. A pleasantly steaming little cup was placed in his hands, and as he blinked the old man began scribbling away on the board some familiar symbols, some unfamiliar.
"Now, this is the correct spell you are describing, yes?"
"Er-"
"And so this must be the way that you are used to deconstructing it, yes? Now, where is your main problem?"
Harry closed his mouth slowly, frowning. The equation was much shorter than the one that was imprinted on his brain after struggling over it for so long. Although he recognised the start of it, there was an unfamiliar symbol in place of the long-winded equation that normally stood in its place. As a result the answer was reached much sooner than seemed normal.
"It's... well, that's the right kind of... What I mean is," Harry sighed, "Maybe you could just show me from the start. I think what I've been learning is a bit different."
The old man met his puzzled gaze solidly and, raising his eyebrow he began to explain to Harry the workings of his sum. Harry felt himself rising to his feet as a trickle of excitement ran down his back. He could understand what the man meant. And it wasnt as long-winded and messy as everyone else had tried to have him believe it was much easier!
"So, what does this symbol stand for exactly? I dont think I've ever seen it before."
"What? Who on earth is teaching you, boy? This is a well known Greek symbol that stands in place of the Phenilian equation."
Harry shifted on his feet slightly,
"And, er, what is the Phenilian equation?"
The old man narrowed his eyes.
"Hmm." He murmured, eventually chalking out another long sum on the blackboard.
Harry avoided his gaze, feeling rather stupid, and watched as the text became clear. This was so easy. Why had he struggled with it so much before?
"Understand now?"
Harry nodded, enthused once more in the conviction that he wasnt actually stupid.
"Can I try one?"
"By all means. How about the basic levitation charm?"
Harrys confidence faltered.
"Well, I've only really practised it with simple transfiguration and er even then, the spells are already broken down into the initial figures."
"Oh dear, oh dear if you hadnt managed to apparate through my wards I would have thought you a mere muggle, Harold. Your tutor must despair. Or perhaps he is just as useless as you, eh?"
The old man winked and proceeded to show him the steps taken to break-down a spell from its initial wording and wand-movements (both methods were different) into the equations that Harry and his classmates were familiar with. He then went over the sum as far as the Phenilian equation and continued into the modifications that could be made to make the spell more efficient, or powerful.
Harry was wide-eyed once more. Could all his classmates do this? Had he been missing out on this all along?
"So really," The old man finished, "You shouldn't be using words at all. Its all in the movement and intentions. You are rather old-fashioned in your ways, you know. It's not Dominicus Lentius that teaches you, is it?"
Harry frowned, puzzled. That peculiar feeling was coming over him once more there was more to this situation than met the eye, but he just couldnt put his finger on it.
"No, I'm not sure I've ever met him." Harry replied, picking up his now cold cup of tea, "I have a few teachers actually."
"Really?" The old man didnt hide his surprise at the answer, and carelessly waved Harrys mug of tea warm once more, "Well, where did you say you were from, boy?"
"Hogwarts." Harry replied, taking a sip and blinking in surprise at the mixture of spices that he could taste in the amber liquid.
"Ahhh," The man replied softly, his gaze drifting to Harrys robes and the school crest, "I understand now. Well, Harold! You've come quite a long way. This question must have been bothering you quite incessantly!"
He began to chuckle quite heartily, and Harry, slightly bemused at the reaction, finished off his tea and stood once more. There was definitely something odd about this stranger, but it wasnt for him to worry about anymore he had found his answers and could return back to Hogwarts happily. Or at least, he hoped he could.
"I should probably be heading back - they'll be looking for me."
The old man nodded with a smile and handed Harry a sheet of parchment, upon which several lines and swirls of ink began to take the shape of the words and numbers on the blackboard.
"I shouldn't worry about them, they probably wont even have noticed you absence. A few notes for you," He indicated to the sheets, "In case you should need to refer back."
Harry nodded his thanks and took a deep breath, trying to focus back on the Great Hall and the circle he was supposed to apparate back into.
"I hope we meet again, Harold."
The last thing Harry saw before the room squeezed out of existence were the deep brown eyes of the stranger, still somewhat amused but also incredibly intelligent, Harry now noticed. A bit like an owl.
It was with a wide smile that his feet touched down within the circle upon the floor, and although he was prepared for an irate Professor Flitwick he was quite unprepared for the light applause that greeted him.
"Well done, Mr Potter! One of the first to manage the apparition perfectly. Keep it up! Next please!"
He kept his mouth closed as he was ushered back round to the end of the queue, where his classmates now waited for the class to end.
"Well, done Harry, that was brilliant!" Ron said grinning, and patting him on the back heartily, "Wiped the smirk off Malfoy's face anyway."
"But, how long was I gone for? Didn't everyone have to wait for me?" Harry asked quietly.
"What? You were only gone a few seconds, Harry. You didnt splinch your brain or anything did you?"
"No," Harry replied with a laugh, "It's just I- never mind."
He could see from Ron's confused face that he wasnt going to get anywhere by trying to explain the mystery disappearance that must have lasted at least an hour. Perhaps he could leave it for later. He had some deconstruction homework to catch up on!
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A/N: More to come! Bear with it the boring equation stuff is over now. Mysteries to solve!