Chapter 14
I Am A Wizard
Harry had been lying on the pavement with a crying Lisa lying on top of him for twenty minutes and going. Her tears had stopped a minute ago. However, she continued to sniffle, and Harry, loathe to interrupt his friend as she poured out her emotions, waited until she stopped wiping her nose against his shirt before talking.
"I'm sorry for disappearing on you."
"You should be sorry," Lisa mumbled into his shirt. "Do you even realize how worried I was when you went missing? It was like you had completely vanished. The Dursleys couldn't even remember you for some reason. I had no idea what was going on."
He sighed. "I know, and I know I have a lot of explaining to do. I promise to tell you everything… but I think we should get off the ground and head into your house before I start talking."
Lisa shifted on top of him before slowly standing up. Harry stood as well, discreetly using a cleaning charm on his clothes to get Lisa's tears and nose fluids off his shirt. He then held out his hand for Lisa, who grabbed onto it and squeezed as though he might disappear if she didn't keep a tight grip.
They walked up to the house, and Lisa pulled out a key, unlocked the door, and then entered. Harry went in with her.
The Crawft's house looked just as he remembered. He glanced around as his feet tapped against the wood panels. To his right, he observed the carpeted living room, which had a comfortable-looking sofa, several chairs, and a television sitting on top of a stand.
"Are your parents home?" Harry asked.
Lisa shook her head as she lead him to her room. "No, Mum is out with friends and Dad is working. Neither of them will be home for a few hours at least."
That will probably make telling Lisa what I need to tell her easier…
Not much had changed in Lisa's room, though he could see a few new items dotting the landscape. He and Lisa walked around several footballs that lay scattered across the carpet as they traveled deeper into the room. A number of picture frames containing photos of when they were kids hung from the walls; they hadn't been there before. As he and Lisa sat down on her bed, Harry glanced at the desk, where several frames filled with pictures of them sat.
Lisa crossed her arms. She tried to look stern, but her eyes and nose were both red. "Start talking. I hope you have a good explanation for why you disappeared on me."
Harry would have smiled at the front Lisa was putting up if he hadn't felt so guilty. It gnawed at him like a black void consuming his soul, this horrible feeling of self-loathing. His friend was hurt because of him. While he'd always known that he was going to hurt her when he disappeared, he'd been so wrapped in his own darkness that he hadn't even cared. He truly was an awful friend.
"What I have to tell you is a long story, and it might be hard for you to believe," Harry began. He unsheathed his mother's wand. It had been so long since he'd tried to use it that he wasn't even sure if he could.
"What's that?" Lisa asked as she gestured to the wand.
"This… is part of what I need to tell you about."
Because he wanted to be safe, Harry cast several basic charms to mask their conversation, including a muffliato spell. It was dumb. However, a part of him was really worried that someone from the Ministry would find out what he was going to do here. If they learned that he was planning to tell a non-magical human about magic… well, he didn't want to know what they would do.
So I can use my mother's wand now. I wonder if it's because the wand sensed my dark intentions before and refused to work with me?
It was an interesting theory. He would have to explore it later.
"Lisa," Harry said, taking a deep breath. Lisa leaned forward in anticipation. "I am a wizard."
Whatever she'd been expecting, that had apparently not been it. After nearly falling off the bed, she stared at him with a stupefied expression and put her thoughts in the most eloquent manner possible. With a "Huh?"
"A wizard. I'm a wizard."
Lisa stared at him for several seconds. The expression on her face reminded Harry of someone who'd never studied fine art suddenly being put in front of a Van Gogh painting. Finally, she placed a hand on his forehead.
"Are you feeling okay, Harry? You're not feverish, are you?"
"I'm feeling fine," Harry said, pushing her hand away. He held up his mother's wand. "Watch."
Harry flicked his wand at the photograph on Lisa's desk. Lisa gasped as the photograph rattled and then slowly rose off the wooden surface. It floated over to Harry, who held out his hand and allowed the object to silently land on it.
He looked at Lisa. "I'm a wizard. The school I go to is called Hogwarts. It's a school where witches and wizards go to learn about magic."
Harry launched into an explanation about magic; he told her everything he could, holding nothing back. He told her about his parents, their death, how he came to live with the Dursleys, and how he received his Hogwarts letter when he turned 11. Throughout it all, Lisa said nothing. She just sat there, her mouth slightly agape, her eyes widened to the size of a snitch. He hoped she wouldn't pass out after he finished his story. That would have been cliched.
By the time he finished, not only had Harry spent an hour talking, but he'd transfigured her table into a lion-and then back to a table when Lisa freaked out-and repainted her walls to make them look like a somewhat decent replica of the Mona Lisa. Needless to say, Lisa couldn't dispute his words.
"This… this is a lot to take in," Lisa said at last.
Harry looked away. "I know. I'm sorry for dumping so much information on you."
"Don't apologize," Lisa said, though it was with a weary sigh, as if she now had the weight of an entire world on her shoulders. "I'm glad I know. I only regret not being able to help you. Also, I'm sorry about your friend."
A tremulous smile appeared on his lips. Harry hadn't neglected to tell Lisa about Hermione, as it was his friend's death that ultimately lead him to erasing the Dursleys's memory of him and disappearing.
"It's okay." He paused. "Aren't you angry at me?"
"You mean about how I'm only just now finding out that you're a wizard?" Harry nodded, and Lisa looked at her hands. "No… I feel like I should be, but it's not like you didn't want to tell me. You're not really supposed to. I know you'd get in trouble if people from your side found out you told me all this."
Your side. It wasn't something that Harry wanted to hear from Lisa, but he couldn't deny that there were sides. Lisa was not a witch. She was not a part of "his side." She was also correct. If the Ministry found out that he'd told her about all of this, they would both be in trouble, and she would have her memories of him erased. He would need to be cautious now that she knew.
"So, you're a wizard," Lisa said at last.
"Yeah."
"Do you think you can show me more magic?"
Harry smiled. "I think I can handle that."
For the next hour Harry performed various feats of magic. He showed Lisa apparition, transfigured objects, used glamor charms to change his appearance, and he even showed her his jaguar animagus transformation. That was, in fact, the last thing he showed her.
"So cool," Lisa muttered as she ran her hand down his back. Her fingers glided through his fur, gently scraping against his skin and making him purr with pleasure. Since animagus transformations literally turned animagi into an animal, the same strengths and weaknesses of their animal applied.
Jaguars, like most cats, had a weak spot on their back near their neck. When stroked, it made them weaker than a kitten. It took everything Harry had not to dig his claws into the carpet as he melted into a puddle.
"So what's this called again? Animagic?"
Harry transformed back into a human, and Lisa stepped back as he shook his head and stood up. "It's called animagus transformation."
"Right. Animagus." Lisa nodded. "This is really cool. I can't believe my friend's a wizard."
Harry smiled. "There are wizards all over the world. However, because of the Statute of Secrecy, we're not actually allowed to reveal ourselves."
"That must be hard on people when they're married to non-magical folk."
"Not really. If a witch or wizard marries a non-magical person, they're allowed to tell their spouse about it."
"R-really?" Lisa blushed.
"Yeah. Really." Harry let out a yawn as he stretched. Being in animal form always made his muscles tense. "Do you have any questions for me?"
Lisa shook her head. "No. I don't think so. Not right now, at least. To be honest, I'm still trying to take all this in."
Harry nodded and opened his mouth, prepared to ask if she wanted to watch something with him-when the door to her room suddenly opened and Mrs. Crawft walked in.
Lisa's mom didn't look much different than he remembered. She appeared a little more weathered. Her hair had lost some of its luster, her face seemed to have more lines. Even so, she remained the pretty woman that he recalled from his memories.
"Lisa, dinner will be re… ady… soon…" Mrs. Crawft trailed off. Her eyes landed on Harry. They slowly widened. "H-Harry?"
Harry straightened. "Mrs. Crawft, it's good to-"
He froze when Lisa's mum pulled him into a hug. He would have said something, but when Mrs. Crawft started crying, he remained silent.
The sound of a grown woman's cries echoed around the room.
XoX
Once she finished crying, Mrs. Crawft had given Harry the sternest lecture he'd ever received. He had spent nearly an hour standing in front of the woman as she angrily ranted at him, telling him that he was reckless, asking if he knew how much she and Lisa had been worried about him, and making him promise to never disappear like that again. Harry had agreed. What else could he do? Once she'd exhausted herself, Mrs. Crawft had pulled him into a fierce hug once more.
She had then started on dinner and asked Harry if he planned on staying. Sirius was going to "pick him up" in a few hours, but that was merely a formality. He was coming to introduce himself to the parents of Harry's friend. Harry had told Mrs. Crawft as much, stating that while he could have dinner with them, his godfather would be coming over eventually.
That was when Mr. Crawft had arrived.
The man had taken one look at him, frowned, and then wandered over to the sofa in the living room. He'd been sitting there ever since.
Harry had offered to help Mrs. Crawft in making dinner. She'd smiled at him and told him not to worry. Her exact words had been, "you should spend more time with Lisa, so leave the cooking to me."
Since Harry wasn't needed to cook, he ended up spending all of his time with Lisa. Of course, spending time with Lisa meant sitting in the living room and chatting as they watched a Disney movie.
"So, you're not going to stay the night?" Lisa asked, pouting at him.
Harry smiled. "I think we're a little too old to be having a sleepover."
Thinking about it, he and Lisa had been too old for a while now. They'd done it anyway because neither of them wanted their relationship to change, but ever since Harry had recognized that Lisa was a girl, he'd begun to realize how bad an idea sleeping at Lisa's house was.
"Ugh…" Lisa groaned. "That's what Dad said too. I can't believe you two would actually agree on something."
Harry glanced at Lisa's dad, who was eying the two of them. There was a satisfied smile on his face. However, when he saw that Harry was staring at him, he frowned and looked away.
Lisa stood up. Harry looked at her with a raised eyebrow, but she just smiled and said, "I need to use the loo."
As she wandered off, an uncomfortable silence filled the air. Harry glanced at Mr. Crawft. He didn't know what to say to the man, and it appeared the man didn't know what to say to him either. Neither of them spoke.
"My daughter," Mr. Crawft started causing Harry to look back up. "My daughter has not been the same without you here."
Harry blinked. This was the first time Mr. Crawft had ever said something to him that wasn't rude. Harry was more than a little shocked.
"Sir?"
"Do not think this means I'm giving her to you," Mr. Crawft continued. "I'm only saying this for the sake of my daughter's happiness. It's become clear to me that you make her happy. Keep making her happy, and you and I will have no problems."
Harry didn't know how to respond to this strange turn of events, so he just nodded.
Mr. Crawft's expression became hard enough to cut diamonds. "However, if you ever make my daughter as miserable as you have these past few months, no force in this world will stop me from making you regret being alive."
Harry gulped. He wasn't necessarily afraid of Mr. Crawft. Indeed, he was quite sure that, even if Mr. Crawft tried to harm him, the man wouldn't last five seconds against him. Even so, hearing Lisa's father say that made his insides squeamish.
Seconds later, Lisa came back in. As she sat down, she took one look at Harry's face, and then frowned. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah." Harry coughed into his hand. "I'm fine."
"Hmm…"
Lisa frowned for several seconds before shrugging. Moment's later, Mrs. Crawft came into tell them that dinner was ready. Harry, Lisa, and Mr. Crawft all moved from the living room to the dining room, where they sat down for the feast that Mrs. Crawft had prepared for them. It was quite large. There was salmon and crab legs, salad, pasta, and French bread. It looked like Mrs. Crawft had gone all out.
While dinner wasn't quiet, it wasn't as talkative as it used to be. A strange tension hung in the air. Words were occasionally exchanged, but it was quiet most of the time.
Harry felt like this change in the atmosphere was his fault. It was because he'd disappeared on them, destroying his place among them. Now they didn't know how to react.
Because he wanted to make up for what he'd done to everyone, when dinner ended, he cleaned the dishes. Mrs. Crawft had tried to tell him that he didn't need to. However, while Lisa's mum could be quite stubborn, so could he. In the end, she'd given up and let him do as he pleased.
Footsteps echoed to him as someone walked into the kitchen. The lightness of the steps let him know that it was Lisa. He didn't turn around, and she stopped walking. He could feel her gaze on his back.
"You know, Mum doesn't feel like you need to make things up to us or anything," Lisa said.
"I know," Harry said.
"Then why are you washing the dishes like you're trying to patch things up between us?" Lisa asked. Harry didn't answer her. She sighed. "Harry, I know you feel like you need to make things up to us, but you really don't. We're just glad that you're back."
"I know," Harry admitted, his voice a whisper. "And I know that you and your mum aren't blaming me for what happened. But still… I'm doing this because I wouldn't feel right if I didn't. Even if you tell me that everything is forgiven, I can't forgive myself."
"Oh, Harry." Lisa's footsteps started again. Harry froze when her body collided with his back. "Why are you always like this? You beat yourself up over everything? Whenever something goes wrong, you blame yourself and wallow in guilt. I hate seeing you like this."
Harry placed the rest of the dishes in the sink, and then he leaned back, allowing Lisa to embrace him. "I'm sorry."
Lisa buried her face in his neck. "Don't apologize."
"Sor-I mean, okay."
Harry wondered if there was something wrong with him for feeling guilty. He felt bad for giving in to Lisa's arms, for letting her comfort him. He was supposed to be a pillar of support. It wasn't supposed to be the other way around.
A loud knocking echoed from outside of the kitchen. Harry strained his ears and listened as the door was opened by someone.
"Hello?" Mr. Crawft said.
"You must be Daniel Crawft," a voice said. Sirius. "I'm Sirius Black. Harry's godfather. I'm here to pick up Harry."
"I see. Mr. Black. I've heard of you. The news says that you were wrongfully accused of your friends murder over a decade ago and were only recently acquitted. Congratulations on finally having the truth brought to light."
"Thank you. I appreciate the sentiment. Is Harry in?"
"He's probably in the kitchen," Mrs. Crawft said. "I'll go see if he's still there."
Footsteps resounded in his ear. They grew closer to the kitchen. Harry was still turned to the sink, so he couldn't see when Mrs. Crawft entered, but he knew she had because her footsteps stopped.
"Hm… I guess I'll leave you two alone for a moment," she said after a long pause. "Harry, your godfather is here, so make sure you come out soon."
"Yes, Mrs. Crawft."
Mrs. left the kitchen. Harry frowned when Lisa pressed her nose to his back.
"Looks like it's time for me to go," Harry said. "Lisa?"
"… Don't want you to…"
"Huh?"
"I don't want you to go."
Harry felt a sullen smile tug at his lips. "I know, but I have to. Don't worry. I promise to come back."
"You promise?"
"I promise."
Lisa sniffed and let go of his back. Harry turned around and, before she could step backwards, he grabbed her arm and pulled her into a proper hug. Lisa stiffened, but then she relaxed into his embrace.
"I'm holding you to that," Lisa said.
"Of course." Harry let go of Lisa and took a step back. He held out his hand. "Would you like to meet my godfather?"
Lisa stared at his hand for a moment, biting her lip before, with some hesitation, she grabbed onto his hand. "Yeah… I would."
"Then come on."
Harry tugged on her hand, making her follow him into the living room. There, Mr. Crawft stood with Mrs. Crawft and Sirius. His godfather was wearing a grin, which brightened when he entered the room hand in hand with Lisa.
"Hey there, Harry! I'm guessing this is the friend you told me all about?"
Harry nodded. "Sirius, this is Lisa Crawft. Lisa, this is my godfather, Sirius Black."
"Um, hello Mr. Black," Lisa said, her voice more demure than Harry had ever heard it.
"What's with the formality?" Sirius asked. "Try not to be so serious and just call me Sirius."
"Sirius," Lisa said in a tone that suggestion she wasn't comfortable being so informal with a man she didn't know.
"You ready to go, Harry?" Sirius asked.
Harry nodded. "Yes."
Goodbyes lasted a while longer, in spite of what he had said. Sirius spoke with Mr. and Mrs. Crawft for several minutes, giving Harry plenty of time to give his friend a proper goodbye. Lisa had given him another hug and refused to let go. Mrs. Crawft had to physically pry the girl off of him. Harry supposed he should have just been glad that Lisa hadn't run off to her room. The last he saw of his friend before leaving was her teary-eyed smile.
As they were leaving, Harry looked back at the house. Lisa was standing in the window. When their eyes locked, she grinned and waved. Even from this distance, he could see the tears still falling down her cheeks.
I'll visit her again soon, Harry promised himself.
"So that's your muggle friend, huh?" Sirius said, his manner casual as they walked away from the house. "She's cute."
"She is," Harry agreed.
"I can't believe you're surrounded by so many cute girls."
"I'm not sure what you mean by that."
Sirius ignored him. "Let's see… there's Susan, Daphne, and now Lisa. So, which one do you like the most?"
"Is that a serious question?"
"As serious as my name."
"Meaning not very serious at all."
"Oi! I'm always serious!"
"If you say so."
As Sirius began to rant about how "serious" he was, Harry masked his sigh of relief with a smile. He'd properly succeeded in changing the subject. Even so, a part of him couldn't help but think about Sirius's question.
Romance seemed to be a big part of his life now that he was a little older. Granted, Lisa had always been into romance, and her mum would tease them about how they were such a cute couple for years. Harry used to ignore it. However, ever since the summer before his second year, their comments had been getting to him.
He didn't want to become involved in a romantic relationship, but he couldn't stop thinking about the girls in his life. His dreams often involved one or more of them. They were a constant presence now. Daphne and Susan had barely let him out of their sight since he returned to the fold, and he imagined that Lisa would be around near constantly during Christmas break. It was sad, but he wasn't going to be able to avoid thinking about it.
Who did he like?
That question bothered more than any other.
XoX
The next day, Harry went with Sirius and Professor Lupin (who asked that he go by Remus when not at school) to buy a motorcycle. Since motorcycles were a mundane creation, it meant they were all dressed in purely non-magical fashion.
Harry had elected to wear fashionable black jeans, a white T-shirt, and a name brand leather jacket. Unlike his clothing, which cost about as much as a well-made replica of fine art, Sirius and Remus had donned regular clothing. While Sirius wore a pair of jeans and a sweater, Remus was in a worn, gray suit.
They had gone to a motorcycle shop. It was a tiny place. The main building was only a few dozen meters wide, and the parking lot was only large enough to contain maybe 50 motorcycles. Even so, all the bikes they passed as they were lead on a tour looked like custom models. Harry knew little about bikes-they didn't interest him-but even he could tell these were high quality creations.
"What exactly are you looking for?" the man who was leading them on the tour asked. He was a lanky person. His legs were long and gangly, and his arms were longer than average. They hung down to his knees.
"I want a Norton, if you have one," Sirius said. "If not, then let's go with a Viper."
"We have several Norton's," the man said.
They were shown several Nortons, like the Dominator and the Commando 961 SF MK II. While Sirius spoke with the sales person, asking all kinds of questions about torque and speed, Harry and Remus stood back and watched.
"This reminds me of the first time Sirius bought a motorcycle," the DADA professor said, wearing a fond smile.
"Was he like this before?"
"He was even worse," Remus said. "Back then, Sirius was having an argument with his parents, who felt like he wasn't a proper Black because he was in Gryffindor. Sirius had bought his first motorcycle as a means of getting back at his parents. He'd then gone and customized it for the next year or so. He added all kinds of magic enchantments."
"I imagine you helped him with those," Harry said.
"I did help with some of them, but your mother cast the majority of the enchantments." Remus paused. "Lily was the most talented person at Charms that I've ever known. I don't know if you know this, but after graduating from Hogwarts, she'd studied under an enchantress for two years."
"I hadn't known that," Harry admitted.
It sounded like there was a lot about his parents that he didn't know. Thinking about it logically, he understood that he couldn't know everything, but he was still surprised. His mum and dad had told him so many stories. At the same time, they'd only had one year together, and a single year was not enough to learn everything about someone-even for one with eidetic memory.
"Oh! I like this one!" Sirius's loud voice snapped Harry's attention back to the present.
The motorcycle that Sirius was being shown was a slick motorcycle that looked like a streamlined war horse. Covering much of the vehicle was red plating, which had an organic appearance as opposed to one with hard angles. The end piece was tapered. Meanwhile, the front was also kind of bulbous. The engine was the only part visible, but even that was covered by what appeared to be flaps. Long metal pipes jutted from the engines and shifted into a single exhaust near the back.
"You like the Viper V10?" the sales person asked. "That's definitely a good one, though it's a bit more expensive than most of the other motorcycles here."
"I don't care about the price," Sirius said. "I'm buying this one."
The man didn't seem displeased by this. His lips kept twitching as if he was trying to hide a smile. Harry imagined he was thinking about the commission he'd get for selling this bike.
The process for buying the motorcycle was easy. After filling out some paperwork, Sirius paid the man in cash. The slack-jawed expression that the salesperson had worn was pretty impressive. Harry was surprised his jaw hadn't dropped to the floor.
Sirius had then made Harry get on the back and drove them to Grimmauld Place. Remus had apparated. It was still early in the afternoon, so Harry decided to make some lunch and head to Lisa's house. His idea was to go on a picnic with her. He'd done his best to ignore the kissing noises that Sirius had made as he was leaving.
Standing in front of the Crawft's residence after apparating in a nearby alley, Harry knocked several times and waited. In his hands was a basket filled with the food he'd prepared. Kreacher had complained when he saw that Harry was cooking food, but he wasn't about to let a house elf outdo him when it came to cooking for his friend.
The one who answered the door wasn't Lisa. Harry shifted when Mr. Crawft opened the door. After frowning at him for nearly a full thirty seconds, Mr. Crawft sighed, looked back into the house, and said, "Lisa! Harry Potter is here!"
"Harry is here?" a shout came from inside. Then came the footsteps, followed by Lisa pushing past her dad and leaping at him. "Harry!"
Stumbling backwards after Lisa slammed into him like a pro-wrestler, Harry was barely able to keep from falling. He wrapped an arm around her waist as he put his left foot back to stabilize himself. Lisa laughed as she looked up at him.
"I'm glad you're back!"
Harry smiled. "I came to see if you'd like to go on a picnic with me."
"A picnic?"
"Yes."
Lisa's eyes gained a vibrant sheen as her smile widened. "I'd love to!"
Mr. Crawft, who'd been watching them from the doorway, grunted. "Be sure not to come home too late."
"Don't worry," Lisa said as she wrapped her arms around one of Harry's. "We'll come back before it gets dark."
The nearby park didn't have many people there. Harry didn't find that odd, given the cold weather, though he had expected there to be a few kids at least. Since no one was there, he chose a spot in the sun. He set the basket down, pulled out a blanket, and spread it across the grass.
"I'm kinda surprised to see you again so soon," Lisa admitted as she sat down.
"I didn't spend any time with you all summer," Harry said. "I figured I should make up for lost time."
"Lost time, hmm?" Smiling, Lisa looked off into the distance and nodded several times. "Yeah, I guess you do have a lot of lost time to make up for. You should do everything in your power to make it up to me."
"I know. I plan to make it up to you however I can."
Lisa gawked at him. Then her face turned bright red as she shook her hands back and forth in a warding gesture. "I-I was just kidding! I already told you there's nothing to make up for! I forgave you the moment you explained everything to me."
Nodding, Harry said, "I'm aware of that. However, it doesn't really change the fact that I hurt you. I can't make up for what I did in the past, but I'd like to make things right by being here for you now."
As she calmed down, Lisa leaned back on her hands and sighed. "You always did take things like this personally. Even when I tell you not to worry about something, you still take it upon yourself to make up for any perceived misbehavior on your part."
Shifting uncomfortably, Harry tried to deny Lisa's words. It wasn't like he always took the blame for something upon himself. He only did that when he had made a mistake. One could not consider themselves an adult if they couldn't recognize when they were wrong and do all in their power to atone for their mistakes.
Harry changed the conversation to Lisa and her schooling. He took out their lunch as she spoke, setting the sandwiches he made on a plate and handing it to her. Lisa chattered on about how she didn't like her school because everyone had forgotten about him, or how none of her friends talked to her anymore. It seemed she was having a hard time fitting in.
"I just can't seem to get along with anyone these days," Lisa concluded. "It's, like, I don't know, I just feel like all the people I spend time with aren't actual friends, like they're just people I know and hang out with because I don't have anyone else to spend time with."
Even though he knew that, technically, it wasn't his fault, some part of him still felt responsible. If he hadn't become such a large part of Lisa's life, she wouldn't have had trouble fitting in. Maybe if he'd never befriended her, then-
"Stop that."
"Ouch!" Harry winced as Lisa pinched his hand. Shaking his hand, he sent her a mild glare. "What was that for?"
"Because you were about to start blaming yourself for my school life," Lisa said, crossing her arms. "You can't fool me. I know you too well."
"So it seems," Harry said.
"Right. So stop being a sour puss. I'd much rather smile and laugh with you than mope around on what should be a happy moment."
"You're right." Harry smiled at Lisa. "Thank you."
Lisa returned his smile with a grin. "Anytime."
As the picnic continued, Harry became aware of the fast pace of his heart. It was beating faster than usual. While he didn't let Lisa know about the way his heart felt like a drum solo to a Weird Sister's cover band, he couldn't help but feel worried.
Why did his heart beat so quickly whenever he was around his friend?
XoX
Saint Mungos hospital had several patients already inside when he and Sirius entered. There was a young child sitting on the chair, kicking his legs back and forth as he belched out green bubbles. An older gentleman sat several meters away from the kid, several lumpy, undulating protrusions growing from his body at random.
Harry walked up to the front, Sirius trailing behind him. He stopped in front of the register. "Hello. I'm Harry Potter, and I'm here for my appointment with Ms. Emily Smith."
The woman behind the register, a plump woman with large lips, jerked at his name. She looked up and her eyes widened. "M-Mr. Potter. Emily has been expecting you. If you'll fill out this application form, I will let her know that you are here."
Harry took the application form offered, thanked the woman, and filled out his form using the quill that the woman had provided. After handing it back, the woman stood up and left. Harry assumed she was going to let Emily know that he was there.
"Saint Mungos… it's been a long time since I've been here," Sirius said as he and Harry sat down.
"You're probably going to be coming here a lot more now," Harry said. "While my potions have done a good job healing your body, there might still be some problems they didn't fix. You'll need to be checked up at least monthly."
Sirius grimaced. "I'm not a big fan of getting check ups."
Harry felt his lips twitch. "I think you might change your mind once you meet Ms. Smith."
As if his words were a magic spell, Ms. Smith walked into the room. She looked just as he remembered. Her long, black hair swayed behind her. She wore a mediwitch overcoat, which swished as she walked. A youthful face with brown eyes, lush lips, and a pink blush on her cheeks reminded Harry that this woman was still only in her twenties.
Sirius looked like he'd been struck by Cupid's arrow. His eyes were wide, and there was a large blush staining his cheeks. Before Ms. Smith could even open her mouth, he was before her, smiling in what Harry guessed was supposed to be a suave look.
"I had no idea the doctors at Saint Mungos seconded as angels. Do you think you could heal me? I'm suffering from heartache, and only you can fix it for me."
Ms. Smith took one glance at him, and then walked around him as if he wasn't even there. Sirius's jaw dropped as Ms. Smith stopped in front of Harry and began speaking. "Mr. Potter, it's a pleasure to see you again. I read about what happened recently. You have my condolences for your loss."
Harry knew that Ms. Smith was being courteous, but he didn't want to talk about the past, not now, not here. "Thank you. A lot has happened, but I'm fine now. More importantly, I think something is wrong with my magic."
"So I've heard. Come on back and we'll give you a check up." Ms. Smith turned and began walking away. Harry looked at Sirius, who remained frozen in place, and then followed Ms. Smith.
Footsteps behind him alerted Harry that Sirius was following. Ms. Smith lead them into a medical room and bade Harry to sit down on the hospital bed. As he did, Sirius walked over to a wall and leaned against it, crossing his arms. Ms. Smith took out her wand and began performing basic diagnostic spells.
"So, what seems to be the problem?"
"My magic has been fluctuating wildly. Some of my spells have been overpowered, out of control."
"Overpowered in what way?"
"Such as when my glacius spell froze an entire barrel and the ground around it when I was only trying to put out a fire, or when my levitation spell sent an object flying toward the ceiling instead of hovering above the ground. I once used an augmenti, and instead of shooting a small stream of water, it sent a jetstream that nearly broke the trunk of a tree."
Ms. Smith hummed as she cast another spell. Harry's body was covered in a light blue aura that caused his skin to prickle. "That does sound like a problem. I'm going to catalogue your magical index again, to see if there are any changes."
"That sounds fine."
Ms. Smith glanced at Sirius, then back at Harry. "Do you want him to stay, or should I kick him out?"
"Oi!" Sirius apparently took offense to the dismissive way Ms. Smith talked about him.
"Sirius can stay," Harry said.
"Very well. Then let's begin."
Harry remained perfectly still as Ms. Smith began creating runes all around him. Having studied up on those runes since the last time he was here, Harry could name all of them, and he knew how they worked in conjunction together. He didn't know if he could perform this spell, though. He hadn't learned anything about Rune Projection, the magic that she was using to carve runes into the air.
"Hmm…" Ms. Smith frowned. "Have you undergone any recent changes?"
Furrowing his brow, Harry asked, "changes?"
"Like have you had any mental or emotional changes?" Ms. Smith clarified. "People who undergo changes in their mentality can sometimes experience a change in their magic."
"So, my magic has changed," Harry said.
"It seems to have become… lighter, for lack of a better term," Ms. Smith said. "Thanks to the curse that remains from when the dark lord tried to kill you, your magic has always held a kernel of darkness. However, it looks like the darkness has been repressed, for lack of a better term."
Lighter, huh. The only thing Harry could think about that might have caused this change was Daphne and Susan, the two who'd become a constant presence in his Hogwarts life. Without them, he would've been swallowed by his own darkness. While his other friends were a big help, those two were the ones who'd spent the most time helping him. A part of him actually felt guilty for relying on them so much.
"I understand," Harry said, sighing. "You're not wrong. I have gone through a few changes."
"I thought as much," Ms. Smith said. "Your magical index hasn't changed. It's the same as it was last time, so I figured that must be it."
Sirius walked up to the bed, his face set in a concerned frown. "This change isn't going to affect Harry, will it?"
"Don't worry," Ms. Smith assured him. "The effects are only temporary. Once his magic has settled down, Harry's spells will go back to normal."
"That's good," Harry said. "I was a little worried about this change."
Ms. Smith stood up. "Well, you can rest easy. You have nothing to worry about."
Harry also stood up. "Good to know. Thank you for the check up."
"You're welcome."
"Come on, Sirius," Harry said. "We're leaving."
"Actually, I was thinking maybe I could stay here and-ouch!" Harry ignored Sirius's pleas as he grabbed the man by the ear and pulled him out. "Ow! Ow! Ow! Call me soon, Doctor!"
After leaving Saint Mungos, Harry and Sirius apparated back to Grimmauld Place.
Sirius spent the next several hours sulking.
XoX
Harry was glad to know that his magic wasn't being adversely affected. It was a large load off his shoulders. That said, it was only one resolved issue among a series of other, unrelated problems.
First and foremost on his mind were his friends, not just Lisa, but his magical friends. Daphne and Susan, in particular, were on his mind. He wanted to gather everyone together and do something fun. Sadly, he wasn't sure what they should do. A simple get together? Go out and see a movie? His friends might enjoy learning more about the non-magical world. He could even invite Lisa that way.
Sirius's new motorcycle was also on his mind. He, Remus, and Sirius had started working on the motorcycle the day after Saint Mungos. Remus did most of the enchantments. Harry had learned that while Remus didn't have his mother's ability at charms, he was skilled enough to cast most of the enchantments that had been on Sirius's original bike.
There were three basic enchantments that the bike used: A levitation enchantment to help the bike fly, an invisibility enchantment, and a refueling enchantment. The refueling enchantment was the one that Harry was most interested in.
It was a spell based on a theory known as the Theory of Transfiguration Particle Relativity. By taking in the various carbon particles floating in the air, the enchantment will transfigure it into fuel, ensuring that the motorcycle would never run out of power. Such an efficient method of fueling was genius. Not only would it mean the motorcycle never had to be refueled, it also helped clear up the atmosphere.
Harry didn't know any enchantments. He spent most of the time watching, though he did ask Remus many questions on the enchantments he added.
While Sirius knew nothing about enchanting, he was an able mechanic. Even now, he'd taken off the chrome chassis and was working on the engine. His clothing, an old shirt and ripped jeans, were covered in grease as he took the engine apart.
Harry knew enough about mechanics to know he was upgrading the parts. Sirius had gone out the previous day and bought a bunch of new motorcycle parts. Harry didn't know what they were, or what they did, but they appeared to be mostly engine parts and exhausts.
"What are those new parts supposed to do?" Harry asked as Sirius finished screwing in one of the new pieces. His voice echoed across the room.
They were in the "hanger" as Sirius called it. The large space could have easily fit a single person airplane. Concrete walls, floor, and ceiling surrounded them, and the only way out was through a door on the north eastern corner of the room.
Wiping his head, which consequently caused it to become covered in grease, Sirius said, "These new parts will add power to the engine, allowing me to reach top speeds faster."
"And the metal cylinder things?"
"Mufflers to give the engines a nice purr."
"I see…"
Sirius finished up his work. Then he went to take a shower while Harry traveled up to his room. He sat down at his desk, smiling when a plate of whey chocolate chip cookies appeared, and pulled out some paper and a calligraphy pen. He started writing a letter to his friends. He wanted to invite them all to his house, including Lisa. Harry didn't want to leave her out of anything.
As he finished writing his letters, Hedwig's presence touched his mind. He stood up, went over to the window, and opened it just as Hedwig flew inside. She landed on the desk. Harry summoned some owl treats and walked up to her.
"Hey, girl. Did you have a good hunt?"
"Hoot!"
"That's good. Try not to eat too many mice, though. It'll spoil your appetite."
"Hoot!"
"Well, I guess it's true that you mostly eat mice anyway… but you don't know where those mice have been."
"Hoot! Hoot!"
Harry sighed. "Fine, but don't blame me if you get sick-ouch!"
Wincing, Harry healed his now bleeding hand. Meanwhile, Hedwig puffed up her feathers and glared at him.
"All right. All right. I think that's enough joking around." Harry grabbed his now rolled up letters and placed them in a pouch. "Think you can deliver these for me?"
"Hoot!" Hedwig gave him a look that all but said, "who the hell do you think I am?"
"Right. Here you go."
Harry placed the pouch around Hedwig, who shifted a bit before hooting. With a flap of her wings, the white owl took off, disappearing out the window. He watched until she was gone. Then he grabbed his plate of half-finished food and left the room.
He was going to spend some more time with his godfather.
XoX
Harry paced back and forth across the living room, which was a massive space filled with cozy furniture. He walked the entire length of the brand new leather sofa. Then he about faced and walked back the other way. Sitting on the sofa, Sirius stared at him with an expression that Harry had seen on a certain Cheshire Cat that starred in a certain Disney cartoon.
"You really should stop pacing like that," Sirius said. "You're going to wear out the carpet, which is brand new by the way."
"I can't help it." Harry reached the end of the sofa, turned around, and walked back to the other end. "This is the first time Lisa's going to meet all my friends… and it's the first time my Hogwarts friends are going to meet a mundane person."
"Mundane?"
"What if they don't get along?" Harry continued, ignoring Sirius's questioning gaze. "They come from two different worlds, so there's no telling what could happen. Also, Lisa is the only one who can't use magic. What if that makes her uncomfortable?"
"Wow." Sirius whistled. "You really are a worrywort, aren't you?"
Harry opened his mouth to reply, but the doorbell chose that moment to ring. While Sirius slowly lumbered to his feet, Harry rushed out of the room, into the hallway, and toward the door. After fumbling with the lock, he threw the door wide open.
"Harry!" Lisa shouted as she leapt on him.
Harry caught his friend in a hug, twirling her around and laughing. Seeing her smiling face made him relieved. Perhaps there was something pacifying about her presence, but whatever the case, he felt like a weight was being lifted off his chest.
Mr. and Mrs. Crawft stood in the doorway. Harry greeted them courteously, but most of his attention was on Lisa. He let Sirius do most of the talking to the adults.
"Be sure to have fun, Lisa," Mrs. Crawft said.
"I will!" Lisa beamed.
Mr. Crawft grunted as he and Mrs. Crawft left. The door shut. Seconds later, Harry heard the engine of a car starting.
Smiling at his friend, Harry said, "Come on, Lisa. I'll give you a tour of the house."
Lisa smiled back. "Okay!"
"You kids going on a tour of the house?" Sirius asked.
"That's right," Harry said.
Sirius clapped his hands together. "All right then. Let me join you. I know a bit more about this house than you do, Harry."
"Fine," Harry mumbled after thinking about it for a moment. It wasn't like he really needed to be the only one showing her around, though the thought of not getting to be alone with Lisa did rankle on his nerves for some reason.
As they were heading up the stairs, the portrait of Walburga followed them. Portraits could not detect magic, so Harry didn't think it knew that Lisa was not magical, and he had no intention of letting it know that either. The portrait might listen to him. However, if he suddenly became friendly with someone from the mundane world, that alliance would end.
With Sirius taking the lead, they showed Lisa around Grimmauld Place. Lisa reminded him of a child during the tour. Her big eyes were wide as she looked at the massive rooms, which were larger than they should have been, and the magical portraits that moved and spoke as they walked past them. Those portraits were given more than just a little attention. The moment one of them opened its mouth, Lisa bombarded him with thousands of questions regarding how a portrait could talk. By the time they had finished the tour, Lisa was slumped on the couch, reeling from shock.
"I never knew our worlds could be so different," she said. "I mean, I knew you had magic, but I don't think I was prepared to see how much that changed things. You really do live in a different world than me."
"Yeah," Harry said softly. He was sitting next to Lisa. "But you know, even if we live in different worlds, you're still my best friend."
"Best friend?" Lisa frowned.
Harry nodded. "Yeah, you and I have always been best friends."
Lisa smiled, but it seemed somewhat brittle. "Yeah… I suppose we have."
The doorbell rang again. Harry stood up, and Lisa followed suit. He walked into the hallway with his friend. Sirius was already opening the door.
"Oh, hey there, you three. I know you, but I don't know who you two are."
Harry walked up to the door, looked past Sirius, and felt a moment of shock. Blaize, Daphne, and Tracey were standing in the doorway. Daphne was the first to notice him. Her lips curved into a smile.
"Harry, it looks like you're doing well," she said before her eyes landed on Lisa.
"Uh… yeah. It's good to see you too." Harry couldn't explain it, but for some reason, he felt nervous. His stomach was twisting into knots, and he thought he could feel an unusual heat on his back.
"Harry," Lisa said as she walked up behind him. "Who are these two?"
"Um, you mean three, right?" Harry asked.
Lisa looked at Daphne, and then Trace. Finally, her eyes landed on Blaize.
She looked back at Harry. "Right. Three. These three. Why don't you introduce me?"
"Okay." Harry coughed several times. "Uh… Blaize, Tracey, Daph-"
"Daph?" Lisa raised an eyebrow.
Harry barely withheld a squeak. "T-this is my friend Lisa. Lisa, these are three of my friends from Hogwarts. That's Blaize, Tracey, and Daphne."
"Yo!" Tracey gave Lisa a grin and a lazy salute. Blaize didn't say anything, but he did not in acknowledgement. Daphne, on the other hand…
"You're Lisa Crawft, right?" she asked.
Lisa stiffened under the blonde girl's gaze. "T-that's right."
Daphne smiled and grabbed Lisa's arm. "I'd like to talk to you… in private."
Lisa gulped.
XoX
Harry had no idea what Daphne said to Lisa. However, when the two came into the living room, Lisa had taken one look at him, blushed from her head to her toes, looked at Daphne, and then looked away just as quickly. Daphne was smiling. Harry wasn't sure he liked that smile.
"So, where is Astoria?" Harry asked.
"She's with Luna Lovegood," Daphne said as she sat next to him on the sofa. Lisa hesitated for a moment before sitting on the chair. Harry frowned. "I think she's still a little uncomfortable around you."
"I guess so," Harry sighed.
"Don't feel too bad." Daphne placed her hand on his. Lisa squeaked. "Astoria just isn't sure how to deal with you anymore. You were one of her heroes, you know? So when you… well, after what happened this year, you kind of shattered her illusions of you."
Harry grimaced. "I guess I can't blame her for that."
"Hey," Tracey said to Lisa, poking the girl in the side. "You all right? Your face looks like a pigmypuff."
"I doubt she knows what a pigmypuff is," Blaize said. Unlike the others, who were lounging around on the chairs and couch, he was standing by the window.
Tracey rubbed the back of her head. "That's right. I forgot."
"Idiot," Daphne said with a sigh as she pressed a hand to her forehead.
More people soon arrived. Neville came with the Dowager Longbottom. While the Longbottom matriarch engaged in conversation with Sirius, Neville joined Harry and the others.
"Hey, everyone!" he greeted in a cheery voice.
"What's up, Nev?" Tracey said with a grin as everyone else greeted him.
Introductions were made between Lisa and Neville, and then Lisa Turpin and Terry Boot when they showed up about ten minutes later. Lisa Crawft was shocked to find out that Harry knew another Lisa. Even so, she was pretty excited to meet someone else who had the same name as her. Soon after the two Ravenclaws arrived, Susan and Hanna showed up while the Dowager Longbottom left, and then the group left Grimmauld place and headed to the movies.
It was the first time for all of Harry's magical friends. They had never even heard of a movie theater, much less been to one. The expressions on their faces as he and Lisa lead them into the theater, with its red carpet, massive size, and gigantic screens showing trailers for the latest movies that were out, was impressive. Harry was reminded of a Sarlacc pit as he looked at their slack-jawed mouths.
"W-what the bloody hell is this place?!" Tracey squawked. Neither Daphne nor Susan were able to correct, such was their surprise.
"I never imagined the muggles could build something so large," Lisa Turpin said in awe.
Muggles… Harry frowned.
"And what about those people hidden inside of those boxes?" Terry asked. "What kind of magic is that?"
Lisa Crawft leaned over to Harry and whispered, "Do they really think those TVs are magic?"
"It might as well be to them," Harry whispered back.
"What are you two whispering about?" asked Susan.
"Nothing," Harry and Lisa said at the same time.
"I bet they're making fun of us for not knowing about movie theaters," Daphne said, eying them with a dry look. Lisa and Harry looked away from her. While his non-magical friend pretended to whisper innocently, he decided to engage the shocked Neville and Blaize in conversation.
The movie they were going to see that day was Jurassic Park. It was a new movie that had been produced by Steven Spielberg, a famous movie Director from the Colonies who'd created a number of movies and cartoons. Of course, only he and Lisa knew that. His magical friends didn't know squat, and the looks they had given him as Sirius went up to the booth and bought tickets made him feel stupid.
"You'll understand when you see it," he told them.
Once Sirius had the tickets, Harry directed everyone toward the concession stand. Since none of them knew the first thing about concessions, he bought everyone popcorn, drinks, and a few different types of candy. Tracey, being who she was, ate a good portion of her popcorn before they even reached the theater.
"Don't eat too much of that," Lisa warned. "If you eat too much popcorn, you're going to get fat."
"W-what?!" Tracey's aghast expression as she warily eyed the popcorn was hilarious. Everyone laughed at her, which caused the girl's face to turn bright red.
Everyone sat down. Lisa Crawft frowned when Susan and Daphne chose the two seats on either side of Harry. It looked like she wanted say something. Her mouth even opened and closed a few times, but then she looked around at everyone else, and she slowly sank into a chair between Neville and Daphne.
I'll spend some extra time with her later, Harry promised himself.
The movie eventually started playing, and all of Harry's friends became enraptured. Their gawking faces were impressive. Harry didn't think he'd ever seen anyone whose eyes could get so wide, never mind the fact that all eight of his magical friends had the same expression. He wondered if it was the dinosaurs that made them gape like that, or if it was the non-magical technology.
It's probably a mixture of both.
Once the movie was over, everyone hopped over to the train station that would take them back to Grimmauld place. Since the train consisted of numerous long benches, Harry and the others were seated across the benches. Susan had ceded her seat to Lisa. Now Lisa and Daphne were sitting next to him, and maybe it was his imagination, but his mundane friend seemed to be more clingy than normal.
Girls are so weird.
"I just don't understand what those things were," Tracey confessed. "What's a dinosaur? Are they magical? They looked like demented dragons."
"Dinosaurs are creatures that existed somewhere between two-hundred and thirty-one and two-hundred and forty-three million years ago," Harry told her. "They're a form of giant reptile. The word dinosaur literally translates into terrible lizard. I actually have a theory that dinosaurs are the pre-evolved form of dragons."
"You're using a lot of big words," Tracey complained, holding her head as though she had the world's largest headache.
On the other hand, Lisa Turpin had sparkles in her eyes. "So you think dragons were originally dinosaurs? Do you have any evidence to support your hypothesis?"
While he and Lisa Turpin talked about how dragons were clearly an evolved form of dinosaur, Lisa Crawft pouted. "He should be paying more attention to me. I was his friend first."
Susan smiled at the girl. "Don't be too jealous. This usually happens once Lisa and Harry start talking about history."
"Harry always has been a history nut," Lisa sighed.
"Besides, you can't afford to be jealous," Daphne added. "Remember what we talked about before?"
While Lisa blushed, Harry frowned. "What did you two talk about?"
"Nothing," Daphne and Lisa said at the same time. His frown deepened. It deepened even more when Sirius started snickering at him from afar.
Upon arriving at Grimmauld place, the group was given a feast prepared by Kreacher. Everyone spent that time eating and talking. When they were finished with their meal, they took their conversation to the living room and played games. Lisa Crawft was given her first taste of Exploding Snaps.
"I think I hate this game," she muttered after the cards exploded in her face for the 12th time.
Susan offered her a conciliatory smile. "It's fun once you get the hang of it."
"Are you being patronizing?"
"Not at all."
Harry leaned back against the sofa as Lisa bantered with Susan. Sitting next to him on the floor, Daphne twirled a strand of blonde hair between her fingers.
"You look like you're thinking about something," she said, clearly offering him an ear.
"I was just wondering if your father is okay with all this," he said. "I mean, I doubt he'd let you come with us if he wasn't, but I won't deny that seeing him let you go so easily has me worried. I can't help but wonder if he's planning something."
"Father is always planning something," Daphne informed him. "However, for the moment, I have you and Blaize's mum to thank."
"Celestina?"
Daphne nodded. "Thanks to her blackmailing Father with something, he's been a lot more lenient with me and Stori. Of course, you loosened the noose first. I'll always be grateful for that."
Harry had not been informed about Celestina blackmailing Nathaniel Greengrass, but when he considered how out of touch he'd been, it made sense that he wouldn't know about this. So much had happened this summer. There was a lot that went on which he was unaware of. Thinking about how unhelpful he'd been bothered him.
"Well," he started, "I'm just glad your dad is letting you and Astoria have more freedom."
"Me too," Daphne said.
Harry's friends stayed for nearly an hour longer before, in groups of twos and threes, they left. Lisa Turpin was the first to leave. Her sister had come with their parents, and she tried to convince Harry to give her a tour. Lisa had dragged the older girl out of the house, apologizing as the older of the two complained like a child who'd been told she couldn't have anymore chocolate. Then Terry's parents came and picked up, followed by Celestina coming to pick up Blaize, Tracey, and Daphne. Susan and Hannah left next, and then Neville was picked up by his gran. Soon, the only person remaining was Lisa.
"So, those are your friends, huh?" Lisa asked. She and Harry were on the couch. Lisa was laying down and using his lap as a pillow. Harry was glad that he wasn't experiencing any male issues right then. That would have been embarrassing.
"Yeah…"
"They seem like nice people."
"They are."
"And they're all able to use magic?"
"Yeah."
"I'm so jealous. I wish I could use magic."
Harry placed a hand on his friend's head. "I wouldn't worry about that. Even if you can't use magic, nothing's going to change the way I feel about you."
"I'm not so sure that's a good thing."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Nothing," Lisa mumbled, sighing as his fingers scratched her scalp. "That feels good. Keep doing it."
"Yes, ma'am."
For the rest of Lisa's time there, Harry gently ran his hands through her hair.
He ignored the feeling of Sirius's grinning eyes on him.
I'm never going to hear the end of this, am I?
XoX
Harry Potter woke up in the middle of the night. Opening his eyes, he stared at the ceiling, wondering what the heck had woken him. It wasn't until his bladder told him he needed to use the restroom that he realized why he'd woken up.
Clambering out of bed, Harry exited his room and wandered down the hall. After taking care of business in the bathroom, he was about to wander back to his bedroom.
Several voices stopped him.
"I apologize for asking to meet you so late," said the voice of Madam Bones.
"Don't worry about it. I was already up anyway," Sirius answered.
"Sounds like I'm not the only one who has trouble sleeping."
Harry turned back around and crept down the stairs. He wandered into the hallway as the sound of a door closing echoed through the interior. That had been the kitchen door, which he silently crept up to. The door was closed, but he could still hear the conversation taking place on the other side.
"So," Sirius began, "Can I ask what this is about?"
"I don't know how else to tell you this, so I'm going to just come right out and say it," Madam Bones said. "Peter Pettigrew is dead. One of our aurors found him early this morning hanging in his cell."
Another chapter, and it looks like we have a mystery on our hands. What happened to Peter Pettigrew? Will we find out? Will Madam Bones be able to determine what happened? Who knows? Find out next time on Dragon Ball-erm, I mean, find out next time on Harry Potter and the Really Bad Fanfic! XD