Chapter 88
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Criminal Minds or any of their characters. I do however own this story, I wrote it and I do NOTgive permission for anyone to post it anywhere else. If you want to share it post a link.
A/N Spencer and Harry enjoyed being able to email and used it to have long conversations with each other almost every day. I will just include the more important parts of the conversation.
To: Spencer Reid email
From: Harry Potter email
Friday 3/7/92 6:04pm (GMT)
It's unusually hot this week for London, I'm sure that you wouldn't find it all that hot at all compared to Las Vegas or California but after a year in Scotland where it rarely gets warm enough not to need a jumper or a warming charm it's a bit hard to become accustomed to. So we've been spending most of our free time out of the flat as it's too hot and stuffy.
Dean and Seamus are teaching me how to swim. There's a public pool just up the road from Seamus place and we spend a couple of hours each afternoon there that Dean isn't looking after his sisters. Swimming is really hard, so much harder than flying but it is fun. Dean has a lot of friends at the pool most days and he hangs around with them while Seamus is teaching me and then Dean teaches me some himself when his friends aren't there. They're nice guys and Dean tries to make sure Seamus and I are included in the things he does with them but it's more difficult than I thought it would be to hang around with people who aren't allowed to know about magic. None of our stories about school make sense without magic involved, as you said our school isn't safe and the things that happen are crazy even with magic, without it the stories make no sense at all, any other school would be closed if even one of the things that happened this year happened there. Possessed teachers, teachers attempting to kill students, taking students into the forest where they are attacked by a creature. Even the classes don't make sense if you convert them to nonmagical subjects, history that teaches about wars nobody has ever heard of, Defence, astronomy, gardening and cooking instead of maths and English. Still it's nice to hang out with people without having to question their motives for what they say all the time. These people don't know that I'm famous and they've never even heard of Dumbledore or Voldemort, or whoever else my secret enemy at Privet Drive was and they hopefully won't ever meet any of them and I can be myself and not worry about who the others are talking to and what they're telling them about me.
Speaking of cooking, how is it going? Are you starting to enjoy it? I do, even more now that I know that people are grateful for my work and that I'll get to eat as much as I want of the results.
To: Harry Potter email
From: Spencer Reid email
Friday 7/3/92 10:10am (PST)
No I'm not starting to enjoy cooking, it's still a stressful chore, but I think that I am getting better at it. I'm able to follow your recipes without stopping to look things up other than converting the temperatures and the food is edible even if I can't help but think that you would have made it better than I did. Mom seems to be enjoying my cooking, or at least she's eating more. I think that she's got used to eating proper meals cooked by her friends so I'm glad she's eating well enough not to lose weight again over the summer and make them and Aunt Ethel think that I'm not capable of looking after Mom properly or worse, that I'm deliberately neglecting her for some reason.
I can see how not being able to tell people about where you go to school or any of the magical world would be difficult. I'm so glad that you were aware I already knew about the things you could do before you found out that you weren't allowed to tell me, and that you felt that you were able to tell me more about magic and the wizarding world because of that. Otherwise I seriously doubt that our friendship would have survived you not being able to talk honestly about most of the things going on in your life without having to double check you hadn't mentioned anything you shouldn't. Let alone not being able to explain why it takes more than twice as long to send and receive letters. I hate to think that way because you're the best friend I could ever imagine having, but honestly, I can't picture feeling like you trusted me when you were so clearly withholding so much of the things going on in your life. I'm glad to hear that Dean is trying to remain friends with the boys he went to elementary school with. In a lot of ways it is like when I moved up classes. If I'd known how hard it would be to make new friends, I would have tried harder to spend time outside school playing with my original classmates. Maybe if I'd put more effort in we could have stayed friends even if we didn't have an awful lot in common. It's too late now, they don't know me as anything other than the genius that was moved out of their class. It would have been difficult because Mom wasn't keen of me going out and playing without her being there, and there was so many days she wasn't well enough to come, and of course on a bad day she's even more paranoid about letting me out of her sight.
I'm glad that you're having fun learning to swim, I have trouble swimming too, it takes more body fat than we have to be naturally buoyant so we have to work harder than everyone else. It is a good skill to have though and it will help you to keep fit now that you're not working hard in the garden and the house or training for Quidditch.
To: Spencer Reid email
From: Harry Potter email
Friday 3/7/92 6:15pm (GMT)
I'm glad Dean's keeping up with old friends as well. Seamus doesn't receive letters from any of his friends at home but then neither did Dean, which makes me wonder whether these friends are real friends or just friends of convenience. Hermione never mentioned receiving letters from friends either, she always says her letters are from her parents but I just assumed that she didn't have friends in her old school since she knew nothing about how to treat a friend and her behaviour would've driven the other students away just like it does at Hogwarts. Speaking of hearing from people, I haven't heard from Ron or Hermione. I did hear from Neville though, and he knows where I am, which surprised me. He wrote to the three of us together, because he said that he didn't think that I was getting the letters that he only sent to me. He's right I hadn't been and he hadn't received the letter I sent to him either, so I had Dean help me send a letter back to him which he got. I don't know why we didn't get each other's earlier letters and I wonder if the same thing is happening to letters from Ron and Hermione or if they have bothered to send me any. I'm not going to ask for Dean or Seamus' help to write to them though. I don't trust either of them to not tell someone where I am. Or where I spent the summer. I feel a little guilty knowing that they might be trying to write to me and can't get through when I know of a way around that but I remind myself that it is not my fault I cannot trust them. I only hope that Hermione hasn't realised that she could look the Dursleys up in the phone book and try to ring me there. Heaven knows what they'd tell her, though they don't know where I am exactly either. She'd probably write to Dumbledore and tell him that I'm missing or something.
To: Harry Potter email
From: Spencer Reid email
Saturday 7/4/92 10:21pm (PST)
I'm sorry if this letter is a bit incoherent it's hard to concentrate and to look at the computer with my head hurting so much. Mom's having a bad day, the worst she's had since I came home for the summer, she didn't recognise me at all and keeps insisting that Spencer is a small child. She called me William a couple of times, that's my Dad's name. I don't think that I look anything like him from his pictures and she didn't know him when he was my age, they met in graduate school when Dad was 22. She came after me with a fry pan, hit me in the head. It didn't bleed but it hurt an awful lot and I feel kind of sick and dizzy. Thank heavens it wasn't full of hot oil so I wasn't burnt this time but I think that I might have a concussion so I'm staying here in the library so if I do pass out someone will call the paramedics. I don't think that I'm going to pass out, I feel lousy but it isn't getting worse. I can't believe that you had to deal with this while you were a kid.
To: Spencer Reid email
From: Harry Potter email
Saturday 4/7/92 6:27pm (GMT)
Spencer what are you going to do? I wish I was there to try to heal your head for you but I'm not and you need help, I know you don't want to go to the hospital but you can't be on your own with a concussion. You shouldn't be using the computer or even reading for the next couple of days, you need to avoid too much visual and mental stimulation. You also need to avoid doing anything too physically strenuous. You really should see a doctor, even if it has to be one of the off the books clinics that you told me about. Concussion can get worse for up to two days Spencer. Just because you think that you're okay at the moment doesn't mean that you're going to be fine. Please go to the Doctor. You don't have to tell them who hit you or even what, you could claim to have lost your balance and fallen into a brick wall. You haven't been home for a couple of hours so even if they do think you're protecting someone with your history at school they won't think that you were injured by your mum, no need for anyone to investigate your home situation.
To: Harry Potter email
From: Spencer Reid email
Saturday 7/4/92 10:33pm (PST)
You're right I will go now.
To: Spencer Reid email
From: Harry Potter email
Sunday 5/7/92 6:04pm (GMT)
Spencer. I hope that you are feeling better and that your memory and brain power hasn't been affected by the blow to your head.
To: Harry Potter email
From: Spencer Reid email
Monday 7/6/92 10:00pm (PST)
Hi Harry,
I'm sorry that I upset you so much the other day. I'm fine now so please stop worrying.
I still have a bit of a headache but I am much better, it isn't hurting me at all to sit and read or look at the computer. You were right to send me to the clinic, they were quite concerned with my head injury and even gave me an x-ray to check for a skull fracture. Don't worry I didn't have one, she didn't hit me that hard. I think that they bought my story of having caught up with school bullies and being shoved into a wall.
Mom is better too, she was asleep when I got home from the clinic, they kept me for the rest of the day until it started to get busy, about eleven at night and when they released me I was able to slip out without them realising that I was on my own and hadn't called for an adult to pick me up. Because Mom was asleep, I was able to give her an injection of her medications when I got home to make up for the ones she would have missed during the day when she wasn't well enough to take them and she woke up calm and knowing who I was. That's one of the best things about her new Doctor, when he found out I was capable of giving injections and had been giving Mom a sedative that way when she was out of control he gave me the injectable form of her medications with a stern warning not to give it to her unless I was absolutely sure she hadn't taken any of them for at least a day. My card counting ability comes in handy for being able to look at the bottle and know how many are in it without having to tip them out and count them each time. The medication injection does work a lot better than just sedating Mom and hoping I can convince her to take her regular medications when she wakes up. If I was here all the time I'd be tempted to give her all her medications this way and save the almost daily argument, but I don't know if I should give these injections to Aunt Ethel though, she isn't here all the time and sometimes Mom does have an episode even after taking her medication thought they aren't usually as extreme as this one and I wouldn't want to risk Aunt Ethel giving her an overdose, Doctor Howe agreed that it wouldn't be the best option. She did talk to me about the possibility of a slow release medication that could be injected every three weeks but I'm not sure how that would work. I wouldn't be able to do it and neither would Aunt Ethel, a nurse would have to come from the clinic or the hospital and the Doctor admitted that usually these patients are on it because the alternative is institutionalization and they don't have a choice in receiving the injection, it would be done by force if required. I don't want to put Mom through that if I can avoid it.
The house was a huge mess when I got home, Mom had pretty much destroyed the place looking for government mind control devices or something, she'd even tipped out all the ingredients in the pantry. I managed to get most of it cleaned up so the mess didn't set her off again and she has no memory of that day, which was a problem as well because she's now upset with herself at losing track of what day it is again. Thank heavens that she never can bring herself to destroy books but most of the rest of my things are ruined. Luckily, I put a lot of my clothes and textbooks and my bedding and things for college into storage rather than bringing them home. I half expected this to happen and didn't want to lose all my stuff again. For one thing I really couldn't afford to replace it all, for the other I've got used to being able to keep my things safe and have grown attached to knowing that they're going to be there when I get home. I think that's the saddest thing about the last few days. I've realised that I don't think of the house I grew up in as home anymore. Home is now Caltech, my classes and my dorm house and my roommate Ethan.
To: Spencer Reid email
From: Harry Potter email
Monday 6/7/92 6:13pm (GMT)
I'm so glad that you're okay, and that your mum is better. I'm kind of sorry that she doesn't remember what happened, maybe if she did, she would be more careful not to forget her medications and it would be easier to talk her into taking them when she didn't want to. I understand you not wanting to have to be injected against her will but she really might do better on the long acting medications. The one's she's on now can't be working well if she has so many days when she refuses to take them.
I understand that you're sad that you've lost your home but you're lucky to have found a new one and I don't blame you for loving Caltech, from all you've told me, you belong there and you feel safe there. I only wish I could find a place that I could think of as home. I had hopes at the start of last year that Hogwarts could be my home and I do feel like I belong there most of the time, but I can't think of it that way after all the times I was in danger and all the times I've questioned whether I can trust the people who claim to be my friends and the professors who are supposed to keep us all safe. The restaurant was the closest thing I've had to feeling like a home but it wasn't because I always knew I had to be careful not to wear out my welcome.
The Thomas's apartment is the first real home I've felt welcome in and it feels really good but I'm very aware it isn't my home no matter how nice everyone is, I know they're doing it for Dean's sake. I'm glad he has such a nice family, and that he appreciates them. He's close to his stepfather and sisters though he finds looking after them frustrating at times but he totally adores his mother. I've never had much to do with younger children but the girls are kind of fun, we take them to the park most mornings. They're not spoiled brats, they share toys with each other and they don't whine when Dean tells them he hasn't got the money to buy them ice-cream even when their friends get some.
After Mr or Mrs Thomas get home to look after the girls we mostly go to the arcade or the pool, or just hang out in the park or at the shops. Dean doesn't say it but I think he feels that he needs to get out of the house and let the girls have some time alone with their mum and dad, as well as needing a break away from the girls. Dean's dad loves watching the cricket and Dean says his mum is just as bad watching Tennis during Wimbledon so we try to be out or quiet as much as possible while they're watching those on TV.
Seamus and Dean and Dean's friends spend a lot of time watching the older girls in their short skirts or their bikinis, though they don't pay much attention to the girls our age most of the time, I don't mind looking at them they are less intimidating than the pictures in Seamus' magazines, but they really aren't that interesting and I don't want to be caught looking. Looking at the older boys isn't interesting either so I think that you're right I'm just not old enough yet. Dean and Seamus are both more than six months older than me and they don't give me a hard time for not watching, so it's all good. I don't think that I'd want to risk them catching me watching boys though. One of Dean's friends is gay, Dean's cool with it but Seamus was shocked. He explained to us that such things are not accepted in the wizarding world, or actually what he said was that gay wizards don't exist. I don't think that can be true that they don't exist at all, there's no reason why having magic should influence feelings like that so I guess it's just that anyone who is gay is very careful not to let people find out. That would make it very difficult to find a boyfriend though so I don't know how that would work. I guess most muggleborns would just date in the nonmagical world if they needed to but purebloods couldn't walk down the street in the nonmagical world without everyone thinking they are part of some weird cult.
To: Harry Potter email
From: Spencer Reid email
Tuesday 7/7/92 10:09pm (PST)
In your letter a couple of days ago you were complaining about the possibility of Hermione telling Dumbledore that you were missing. I know you think she'd be interfering but that's because you know that you're not missing and that you're safe with the Thomas's but if you had been kidnapped by whoever put you back in the Dursleys' house to be abused then you would want someone to worry about you and to contact the authorities. She has no reason to know that you're safe and I don't think that it's occurred to her that you would deliberately not tell her you weren't going to your relatives for the summer. Of course, if it was Dumbledore behind everything then telling him wouldn't do any good and could actually put Hermione in danger of having her memory interfered with, but Hermione doesn't know that you don't trust him let alone the reasons why you don't. I know she doesn't know because you don't trust her enough to tell her but you can't blame her for acting in good faith in what she truly believes is your best interests.
It is an unsolvable problem but be careful not to punish her too harshly for something that isn't her fault.
To: Spencer Reid email
From: Harry Potter email
Tuesday 7/7/92 6:16pm (GMT)
You're right about Hermione and I will try to be nice to her when I see her again and to be careful only to blame her for things she's knowingly doing. But if I do get into Salem or Ilvermorny then I probably won't see her again anyway. I can't try to keep in touch with her even if I really wanted to.
I would regret not being able to keep in touch with Neville and Dean but Dean will understand if I don't write to him at school, and I could contact him by email over the holidays. I guess that he would willingly pass on a letter or message to Neville as well but Neville probably lives in a house without electricity or telephone, much less the ability to get a computer with internet access and email.
To: Harry Potter email
From: Spencer Reid email
Tuesday 7/7/92 10:26pm (PST)
I hadn't considered that. Not wanting anyone to track you down really means you shouldn't keep in contact with anyone from Hogwarts or Little Whinging. Though it might be safe to write to the restaurant if you've been keeping in contact, since nobody seems to know about your visits there.
You could ask Mr Thomas to forward you letters from Dean, Seamus and Neville during the term, I'm sure she would if you continued to supply her with stamps and envelopes but I'm not sure how safe it would be, whether all three of them would be able to keep the secret that at least Mrs Thomas and probably Dean know where you are, it might be safer to restrict yourself to email and then have Dean or Seamus print out a letter to Neville each time they're home. Then even though you're in contact the only thing that they could give out would be your email address, which even if someone knew how to use it wouldn't tell anyone other than someone expert in tracking down people electronically anything about where you actually are.
A/N2: Thank you to all those who reviewed followed or favourited this story for your support.
A/N3: I wish everyone the best in this time. Please stay safe and keep your distance, stay at home if you can. I'm very concerned that the UK and the US and some other countries are raising the restrictions too soon, putting the economy above people's health and lives.