Harry Potter Junior Level:Year Two

Ch. 43

The Promise

Harry and Sirius are enjoying their five day vacation in Ireland. They have been staying in a lake cabin enjoying some stress free time together.

"What are your plans for today, Harry?" Sirius asks over breakfast. "I need to do a few things inside this morning but you are free to explore within the boundaries."

"I know the boundaries Dad so you don't have to tell me. The lake is off limits unless you are with me and I can't get out of sight of the cabin. I plan to build a giant sandcastle on the lake shore. Will you be able to come out so we can get in the water this morning?"

"It shouldn't take me but an hour to finish the planning I've been doing. I should be free to do whatever you want after that. Would you like to take the rowboat out again? We could see if the fish are hungry this morning."

"Okay, and then can we swim? Can we go over to the side where the waterfall is? I want to swim there."

"We'll do that for lunch. We'll pack a picnic and take it to the waterfall. Not to spoil your fun but I have to ask. Have you finished your essay for Severus? I know you have the Transformation and Defense essays finished but what about Potions?"

"DAD! Don't talk about homework now. It's spoiling my appetite and I wanted to enjoy your pancakes. Couldn't the professors let us have one week off? Did they just have to give essays over our Spring Holiday? It's just five days!"

"I sense you are avoiding the question. I may have to remove the plate of pancakes and put porridge in it's place. Boys who are too distracted by pancakes to answer must need a different breakfast option. Hmmm?"

"Fine!" Harry huffs in annoyance. "I have one foot finished. He wants four feet on the difference between Carabid beetles and Heather beetles. We have to include at least one potion each could be used for. I have that Carabid beetles are the good guys. They eat the other insects that bother plants, such as caterpillars. The Heather beetle is the bad guy in the story. They are evil plant strippers. I have to come up with the potion part. I'm still working on that. You know something, Dad? Heather is a pretty plant and a pretty name so I think that beetle should not be named Heather. I'd change it's name to something more like Darth Vader, something mean and evil. Maybe Voldie would be a good name."

"You best not call it that in your essay, son. Professor Snape would not want Voldemort mentioned in an essay. I'm pretty sure he would not get the connection of Darth Vader either, as he hasn't been put under the Star Wars mania spell that you have. There are times, I regret taking you to see that film."

"You do not. You loved it as much as I did and I know it. I think you have a secret longing to be Obi Wan Kenobi!"

"I am very much like him as I too know all my padiwan is up to. So remember that young padiwan, when you go out exploring today."

"Hmmpf! I didn't plan to do anything bad."

"You rarely do plan it, trouble just finds you." Sirius teases.

After playing in the sand while waiting for Sirius, Harry hurries his Dad as they walk to the waterfall.

"Dad, come on! You aren't moving quickly and I need to get there! Sometime today would be nice!"

Smiling at the boy's sigh of despair, Sirius replies "Yes Lord Black. Your wish is my command. What is the rush oh cheeky one?"

"Am I a Lord?" Harry asks having run ahead and now run back to get Sirius to walk faster.

"Not at the moment. I hold that title for now but someday, you will be. Now what is all the hurry my son?"

"I just really want to get there so we can eat and I can get into the waterfall! I've waited all morning and it's so hard to wait more. Can I skip my wait after eating this time? Please Dad? Please can I get in the water right after I eat this time?"

"What is the rule for swimming after eating, son?"

"I have to wait at least thirty minutes to digest my food. I won't get stomach cramps. I never get any kind of cramps."

"See there, you don't get cramps because the waiting time keeps you from it so therefore we will continue to follow the rule. After you eat you can explore nearby, though. You won't have to just sit and rest."

"But DAADD! I wannnnttt TO GET IN ..."

"If you continue to whine in that annoying tone Harry James, we will turn back and not swim at all today." Sirius interrupts before Harry finishes his complaint.

"I'm stopping. I wish Draco or Nev had come. I'd have someone to play with then. All you want to do is read essays or research for lessons. We have a shore with really great sand for sandcastles and I had to try to build all by myself. I needed someone to help me as I don't build well. Draco or Nev would have played with me not done boring old research. Tomorrow, will you be able to play Dad? It's not much fun by myself. We're supposed to be on holiday but I don't think you know you are!"

"I told you when we left Hogwarts, I had work to do on this trip, remember? I'm starting a new series of lessons with the sixth years and have to be prepared when we start classes. Two nights when we return isn't enough time. I'm free now, so let's have our picnic and enjoy the afternoon without complaints. Let's have a better outlook on life, alright?"

"Yes Dad."

"Good, because a boy who is complaining is one who is likely to wind up standing facing a tree trunk instead of swimming. If he keeps up the cheeky talk, he might have a stinging bum while he examines that tree trunk."

As they finish their sandwiches, Harry asks "When you were a kid, did you and your Mum and Dad have picnics like this?"

"No son. My parents were brought up to be strict about following Wizard culture. They believed in traditional pureblood wizarding ways only. Picnics and swimming in ponds was not a part of that. Any holiday we had was only lessons in proper behavior, defensive spells, lordship training or visiting important families to make an impression. If we traveled outside of England at all, it was never for something fun. That's one reason, I enjoy our trips as much as you do. I never had any growing up. I want you to experience the fun side of life as a boy as I wasn't allowed to do so."

"That sounds dull and boring Dad. I'm through eating, may I go exploring now?"

"Go ahead but don't wander so far that you can't find your way back. There's a large boulder just past the first few trees and that is your boundary line. Stay where you can hear the waterfall. I'll call for you in thirty minutes so we can enjoy the water."

"Thanks Dad, you're brilliant!" Harry calls as he runs into the trees surrounding the pond.

Walking along examining the different flowers growing, Harry is startled when a figure appears. It looks about the size of a house elf but seems human.

"Uh, hello. I'm Harry. Do you live around here somewhere? I'd like to see your house."

"Are you here to steal from me? Are you going to try to take my ring or capture me? It won't happen, I tell you now!"

"Why would I do that? I don't even know who you are, why would I capture you? Stealing is wrong and leads to getting in big trouble so I don't plan on that either. Could you play with me? I need someone to play with. What's your name?"

"Do you not know what I am, then?" asks the small man.

"Umm, well you look like an elf. Are you a house elf or a wood nymph, maybe?"

"An ELF! A Wood NYMPH! What are you? A backward child?"

"No, I'm not a backward child. My clothes are not on backwards and I don't walk backward. I walk forward like most people and animals do. Why are you turning that funny color in your face? Can you not breathe? I don't know any spells for breathing. Wait, forget I said that about spells. I'm not to mention that to strangers and I'll be in trouble if my Dad hears about it! Don't say anything about it if you happen to see him okay?"

"Child, you are different. You really don't know what I am, do you? I sense something unusual about you. Are you of magic, perhaps? You talk of spells."

"No, No, I can't say. I need to get back to my Dad. I think I walked too far. Nice meeting you and sorry if I upset you with questions. My uncle says I ask too many questions and can drive someone over the edge with them. If you don't ask questions how do you find out anything? I asked him that and he said he would put me under a silencing spell if I didn't quit talking when he was brewing. He's a potion's master. Oh, I'm talking too much again. I don't know why I can't stop saying these things. I can't seem to control my mouth. I need to go so I'll stop talking."

"I will tell you a secret if you tell me the truth. You are a magical child, are you not? A young wizard I believe, am I correct? I once met a wizard."

"I am a wizard in training. I go to a Wizarding School. What's your secret? Is it a good secret, something fun to know? I don't want to know any bad secrets. Don't tell me if it's about something evil or mean, okay? I already know about something really evil that is around." Harry asks, not able to resist the idea of knowing a secret.

"I am also magical. I am not a house elf or wood nymph. You will have to find out what I am and come tell me to learn the rest of my secret. I will tell you this much, it is a very good secret and it involves some treasure! Go back now, your Father is looking for you. He is worried about you." The strange man replies before vanishing.

"WAIT, Don't Go! I didn't learn your name or how to find you again! Do you live around here somewhere?" Harry calls out hoping the man will reappear.

"Harry James Black! Did you not hear me calling? I've been looking for you for twenty minutes!" Sirius reprimands, coming out of the trees to find the boy just staring into space.

"I didn't hear you, Dad. Did you see him? The little man?"

"What little man? I saw nothing but a boy who disobeyed. You were told to stay where you could hear me and not wander off. You are far beyond the boulder that is the boundary! Let's go. We are returning to the cabin now. There's a storm coming, I can feel it. We'll come back tomorrow to swim, if the weather allows."

"You are very quiet tonight, son. Are you feeling well? Are you upset because of your punishment?" Sirius asks after their dinner.

"I feel fine, Dad. I just don't think it was fair of you to stand me in the corner like a four year old! I'll be eleven in July! I told you I couldn't hear you call me."

"I realize that son. You couldn't hear me because you went too far. I told you not to pass the large boulder and you did it anyway. Your safety depends on your obeying the rules. What if you had been hurt? I think ten minutes of facing the wall is appropriate to make you remember not to pass the boundary next time. I could have used a more hands on punishment so consider yourself warned."

Deciding to change the subject, Harry asks "If I wanted to read about Ireland, is there a book here I could read?"

"Well, let's go look. I did see a bookshelf in the third bedroom, let's go check. I'd like a good book to read also."

"Dad, who owns this cabin? What if the owner is mad because we are trespassing? What if he wants his home back?"

"Your Grandfather owns this cabin but it used to belong to my old Potion's Master. That is why you are likely to see books on Potions here. I hope there are other choices as well."

"How did Grandpa get the cabin?"

"Professor Slughorn willed it to him, son. Now let's see what's in the bookcase. Here you are son. Irish Legends And Mystical Creatures sounds just your style of reading material. I'll take the Jules Verne novel for myself. Around The World In Eighty Days sounds interesting. Why the sudden interest in Ireland?"

"Well, you always tell me I should learn about the places we visit. I didn't think about going to get a book or two out of the Hogwarts library before we left. Besides, I have a feeling Uncle Sev will ask me questions about Ireland and I need to study. He likes to throw in these unexpected quizzes and if we can't answer, he assigns essays!"

"Is that so? What was the last quiz on?"

"The Bloody Baron. Draco had been asking him questions and Uncle Sev told him to read about him. I didn't get quizzed but Draco did and his answers weren't good enough because Uncle Sev assigned him a three foot essay! I don't want to have to write any extra essays so I'm going to read all about Ireland just in case he asks."

"Excellent idea, son. I'll be interested to hear all about what you learn. You can read until ten o'clock and then it's bedtime. If the weather is clear, after lunch tomorrow, we'll go for a swim. In the morning, I'll show you the secrets for building sandcastles."

"So you see Harry, the secret to keeping your sandcastle from crumbling is to put water on it." Sirius explains as he pours water over his attempt at a sandcastle. Watching his Dad's face as the castle disintegrates into a pile of soaked sand, Harry can't stop the giggles.

"So you think that is funny do you? Well, your castle could suffer from a tidal wave next, my boy!" Sirius exclaims as he lifts his bucket of water.

"NO Don't! Please. I'm sorry for laughing, Dad. It was your expression not the fact that the castle fell apart."

"I'm teasing, son. I won't ruin your castle. The wet sand will form better walls though. If you want to build a taller castle, you can add to the bottom level with wet sand. We will carve out doors and windows after we get the castle built. Did you have something in mind for your castle?"

"I haven't planned much other than just making a two level building. Every time I added sand to start the second level it collapsed. Maybe using wet sand will work better. Will you build with me? I think I want to put a door in front and a few windows on the sides. What else do we need for a good castle? We can't make a Hogwarts style 'cause it's too large."

"Well now, we could make a moat around the castle. Remember how some castles have drawbridges over the moat? We could look for a piece of flat bark for the door or drawbridge." Sirius exclaims getting excited with his plans for Harry's castle.

"How could we make it be a drawbridge though? We don't have any way to make it move. I KNOW! You could cast a mobility charm on it. You can do magic anytime but I can't."

"We'll see son. Right now let's work on getting the second level built. You go get water while I guard the castle from dragons."

"Daaaaddd, there are no dragons around. You are just wanting me to go in the cold water instead of you!"

"Smart kid. You figured out my devious ways. We'll both go down to the water. I'll get the water while you look for a small piece of wood or a bigger flat shell to use for the bridge/door."

After what to Harry seems hours, he stands up to look at their castle. It's lopsided but it has two levels, four spaces for windows, a piece of bark for a door and a moat with water around it.

"This looks pretty nice. We need something up on top, Dad. I've seen pictures where castles had flags on top. I don't have any little flag, though."

Looking around to see if anyone is nearby, finding themselves alone, Sirius pulls his wand, waves it over the top of the castle and smiles. "There you are. One flag just the perfect size for our castle."

"Dad, I think you put the wrong flag. That's the flag of Scotland. The flag for Ireland is a green block, white block and orange block side by side. This is Scotland's flag with the blue background and white X. We don't want to make people angry by putting the wrong flag. Can you change it?"

"I can and I will. How did you know the colors of Ireland's flag and how they appear? Did you learn that from reading last night?"

"Yes, and I learned all about leprechauns too. They are better than elves because they can lead you to treasure but you have to capture one first. They dress in green, yellow, white but many have red beards or hair. That's using the Irish colors from the flag. Green, white, orange are all colors on the flag. I learned leprechauns are thought to be cobblers. That's the shoemaker kind not the pudding kind. What would you do if you met a leprechaun, Dad?"

"I'd say "How do you do?" and ask "Will you take me to your workshop and make me some comfortable shoes."

"You're being silly again. I wouldn't ask for something like shoes! We can buy them. I would say show me the treasure!" Harry giggles. "You know something, Dad? This castle building is tiring. Let's go look for shells instead. Hermione said she would like a pretty shell to have for her own if I could find one."

"Let's go look then. I don't know how successful we will be but we can make the effort. After we look, we'll go back to the cabin for a quick meal. If you'd like we can then go for a swim at the waterfall. Would you like to?"

"Yes, I want to swim and go behind the waterfall too. It looks as if there's a cave behind it and I want to explore the inside. Do you think there might be stalactites in it? That would be brilliant to see rock icicle things hanging from the ceiling. I read about them in a story where three boys went spelunking and saw some stalactites. Spelunking is a cool word for exploring caves. I want to swim in the pond again, too. The water feels so good because it isn't as cold as here. I wonder why it's not."

"There could be a small cave there but you won't be going spelunking without me. I don't want you to go behind the waterfall or beyond the boulder without me along, son. You need to remember the rules for your safety. Stay in sight or within calling distance and no exploring without me. This isn't Hogwarts and there are no safety wards or other magical means to keep you from harm. The answer to why the water seems warmer is because the pond gets more sunshine and isn't as large as the lake. It doesn't take long to warm a small body of water." Sirius tells him.

Having enjoyed playing in the warmer water, Harry climbs out and walks dripping to where Sirius has placed a long canvas lounge chair. Approaching his Dad, he sees a book lying on Sirius' chest and his eyes closed. He watches several minutes and decides his Dad is asleep. Moving quietly, Harry walks into the forest beside the pond until he comes to the boulder.

"Hello? It's Harry. I know who you are now. Come talk to me." He calls out. Not getting an immediate answer, he climbs the boulder to sit and wait. He doesn't wait long before the little man in the funny clothes appears.

"Well? What am I? If you call me a fairy, elf or nymph, I will vanish and never show to you again!" The little man says irritably.

"You are a being called a Leprechaun. Do you work in a shoe factory sir? I read how leprechauns are cobblers who make shoes. Do you do that for a living to support your kids and wife?"

"I have no bairns or wife, lad. I do not make shoes either. Now, I promised to tell you my secret. My secret is I can show you where to find treasure. I know where there are gold pieces but before I show you we must make a bargain."

"Gold pieces? I could be rich with gold! I could buy all the candy I want or books or games or ..." Harry is interrupted before he can list the rest of his wishes.

"No gold until you hold up your end of the bargain. You are of magic and I want to know how to cast a spell. Do you know a spell for making, that is helping someone fall asleep? I need to know."

"I could help you with that spell. I can't do it right here out in the open, though. I have to be somewhere hidden so my Dad can't stop me. He forbids me to practice magic without an adult near. Wait, you are older than me. Maybe we could say you are the adult supervising? Are you an adult?"

"I'm over sixty years of age so I would say I am not a child. Do you wish to find this treasure?" At Harry's nod, he continues. "Do you agree to the bargain or promise? You teach me a spell, I show you treasure." At another nod from Harry and getting a verbal commitment the man proclaims "Follow me, I'll take you to a secluded field where we can practice. My name is Ian McKinnon and you are Harry, if I remember correctly. Do you have a surname?" He asks as he leads the boy towards the deeper forest.

"I'm not a Sir yet. You have to be a Lord to be a sir or a grown up, I guess. I have to say "sir" to the professors and my Dad."

"Yes, I was meaning a last name, child. What is your last name?"

"Oh! I'm Harry Potter Black. It's a pleasure to meet you Mr. McKinnon."

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well Harry Potter."

"Harry Potter Black, I'm adopted now and have my Dad's name too."

"Yes, well come along and we'll soon be practicing magic. The sooner I learn the spell, the sooner I show you the treasure."

Following, Harry walks further away from the boulder and into the trees with what he thinks of as a new friend.