Harry Potter is owned by JK Rowling. This version of Aleister Crowley, along with 1,083,092,867 others, was created by Kamachi Kazuma.
A review left here told me orphanages more or less no longer exist in the United Kingdom now. That's a fun fact. Well, for the purposes of this fic, pretend it's a children's home or institute or something.
Chapter 02: Hidden Away by Magic – 魔法隠し。
Part 2
"I'm really surprised you let Franny come along," Harry whispered in the darkness.
"Shut up," came the acerbic reply.
Along the corridor, illuminated only by moonlight through the windows, three children crept along, hugging the wall, trying to make as little noise as possible. Soon, they reached their destination: a little office which Sally had seen the staff carry confiscated goods into.
"You're up." Harry nudged Sally. "Branwen, you can go with her, look out for any adults on the other side. I'll stay here."
"Why do I have to be the one-"
"Because uh-"
Because you're more familiar with this door, so it'll be easier for you to unlock it. Elly supplied helpfully.
Is that actually a thing? Harry questioned, but repeated the words anyway. "Besides, you needed the practice," he added, to a smack on the arm.
To a miniscule and negligible degree. Elly shrugged.
'Negligible'?
It means 'small and can be ignored'. Elly explained. Enough about that. Focus on the task at hand. Despite the prod, the white-haired magician was quite enjoying this. Her usual seat was reclined, and there was a small bucket of popcorn on her lap.
"Low stakes and low risk. Still, a good opportunity to practice stealth." She idly spoke to herself, before thinking of one more thing. Harry, look over at Sally for a bit. I want to see her cast under pressure. "There are better heist films, but this will do."
Sally, who had accepted Harry's flimsy excuse with a significant helping of doubt, had now retreated to the door, and withdrew an ordinary twig from her pocket. "S stands for sneaky; you won't get found out. Not if you're the smartest, without a doubt."
She really liked that piece of homework, huh. Harry thought to himself. It was English, to practice writing your own rhymes with a given format. Most of the other kids were content to finish it off with uninspired canned sentences like A is for apple, but Sally had apparently derived a lot of fun with it by swapping in rude words. Harry had almost set himself on fire when Sally had recited B is for bald in the middle of his Incendio practice.
It's a good mnemonic for the wand motion. Elly remarked.
I don't think she needs one. Harry pointed out.
Hmm. You're right. In that case, I'm not going to disparage someone their own verbal quirks.
What does 'disparage'-
"Alohomora." Sally muttered. There was a surprisingly loud clunk as the slightly-misaligned door was unlocked, and all three children jumped, Franny emitting a small cry, to only be shushed angrily by Harry and Sally both.
"Inside." Sally said decisively. With some effort, the heavy door was pushed open just wide enough for them to slip through, and then carefully guided back until it could shut quietly.
Franny made to reach for the light switch, but Sally slapped her hand away. "Are you nuts?" she hissed. "If you light up this whole place they'll see!"
"S-sorry." Franny withdrew her hand as Harry frowned. From his back pocket he retrieved his own twig, which he flicked. "Lumos." For some reason, it was one spell he couldn't do wandlessly, which Elly had attributed to it being the Wand-Lighting Charm. Deeper in the room, Sally did the same, and two points of light cast a dim glow over the room.
"I could only get in here once," Sally muttered. "And then I found out all the drawers were locked." She walked over to a particular set, where spots of earth-green and grey paint were peeling off the metal. "It's probably this one or the ones around here."
"I'll do it." Harry knelt down. "Alohomora." As he swirled his finger, the light on the end of his wand dimmed, then return as the spell finished. He tugged at it, but it appeared to be snagged.
Try the spell again, he heard Elly suggest, and he did so. This time he heard a mechanism grind in the interior, and the drawer now slid open, revealing a bunch of toys. Model cars, model planes, and…
Toy weapons. Harry marvelled. Guns made of plastic that made bangs when you pressed the trigger. He remembered Dudley chasing him around the yard with one, poking him with the barrel whenever he got close enough.
"Wonder how long those've been there." Sally peered over his shoulder. "Oi, idiot." She gave him a light shove on his shoulder, nowhere near hard enough to topple him over. "If you want one so badly, you should take it."
"Hmm." Harry mused, and Sally reached past him, a hand already rustling inside. "Heh." She retrieved a long, pink stick of plastic, with a big five-pointed star on the end - a stereotypical toy wand. "Nothing compared to the real thing," she muttered, and tossed it towards Franny, who caught it after fumbling. "You want it?"
"N-no thanks." She had an uncomfortable expression on her face.
"Then toss it back to Harry." Sally said dismissively.
Instead, the black-haired girl opted to throw it back into the drawer, where it landed with a clatter-quiet, but loud compared to everything else.
"Really, you're still looking?" Sally's hand darted out once more, and she took a simple grey rubber knife and stuffed it in his back pocket, before prying his hands away and pushing it shut. "It's easier to hide the small things," she murmured in his ear, before she straightened. "Right, let's try somewhere else."
As she walked away, the dim light of her wand-twig outlined her figure, casting a shadow on the ground which Harry still squat.
The next drawer revealed a bunch of soft toys - not those especially large, but small ones. Some hung on keychains.
"These are new." Sally held up her wand. "I remember these. The older girls were sneaking them back." Franny had reached in and picked one up: a rabbit which was grey with dust, with big oval red eyes.
"Goodness' sake, Franny, we're supposed to be here for your magazine." Sally rolled her eyes in exasperation."Really, our first night adventure, and the both of you get distracted so easily."
She made to pry it out of her hands, but Franny would not let go.
"Fine, keep it. See if the adults catch you." Sally sighed.
"You let Harry keep something." Franny said, not so much an argument as an observation.
"Harry doesn't get many things." Sally said dismissively. "Whereas you keep wanting after stuff."
"And you don't?" Harry questioned.
"I grew out of it. There's no point in having something if it'll get taken away." Another dismissive wave.
Harry frowned to himself, but said nothing.
The magazines were next to a shelf, in a drawer that wasn't locked.
"Really? These are the ones you like?" Harry couldn't stop himself. The cover itself showed a normal picture of Stonehenge, but the headlines all looked lurid and sensational. "Large structures - evidence for alien life?" Harry read off. "What your star sign says about your future love life."
"Like I said, Harry, Franny's a weirdo." Sally sighed again.
"Rich coming from you," Harry muttered under his breath.
"What did you say?" Sally's head turned.
"Don't call her a weirdo." Harry said seriously. "Remember, we're also both freaks of nature."
At the f-word Sally twitched, but controlled herself. "Don't say that." She turned to face him.
Harry thought about pushing her further, but decided now wasn't the time. "Just be nice. Anyway, now that we've got what we wanted, can we leave?"
The pair of magicians looked towards Franny, who clutched her freshly-liberated magazine to her chest. "Yeah. Thanks."
"Just remember to hide it better this time."
~~[a]~~
Of course, not everyone was happy about the new way things were.
"Tell me what you did to her."
There was a muffled thump as Harry found himself being shoved into the wall. He didn't see this coming, but somehow he felt as if he really should have.
"I didn't do anything, Peter." Harry ground out, his feet dangling a few inches above the ground. "Go ask her yourself!" Inwardly, he reviewed his options. The boy was older than him, stronger, taller. Spiritual Tripping…or maybe Incendio? A small flame in the eyes…but…
"What, and be beaten up? No." Peter snarled. "She may have given up, but I won't." He bent his arms, re-shoved Harry up where he was sliding down, still holding him by his shirt.
"Nothing to give up, Peter." At least this way, I don't need to look up to stare in his eyes, Harry thought to himself. "People do this thing called 'having a change of heart'. Or did you not pay attention in English class?"
"Bloody book-nosed four-eyed freak." The older boy cursed. "I guess I'll just have to dirty my hands for once–"
"Peter!" An semi-familiar voice called out, with rapid footsteps, and Harry found himself being unceremoniously dropped to the ground.
"Franny." Peter's voice held obvious displeasure. "What are you doing here." The question was flat, exasperated. "Are you following me?"
"Maybe I wanted to talk to Harry as well." The girl shot back with unexpected lip. The rabbit plush (with normal eyes) that she was cradling with one arm was squeezed tighter to her chest.
Definitely not the person I thought would be my savior. Harry thought silently. Maybe I can use this chance to get away–
A single hand shot forth slammed into Harry's shoulder, pinning him there.
"Yeah, you can help me ask him what he did to Sally! Our Sally!" Peter continued to say. "She used to be the strongest person around, but after she came out of there it's like she's been replaced!"
"...no." The dark-haired girl spoke quietly. "Go ask her directly yourself. If you don't want to do it, I'll do it for you." Franny ran off.
"Shit." Peter cursed under his breath, an act that the adults would have washed out his mouth for. Harry did not notice it before, but the older boy seemed to be hesitating, fighting something within himself. "Nobody watching now," he muttered.
Before Harry could say another word, he found himself shoved up against the wall once more, the sudden motion knocking him breathless.
"Be careful of her." An entirely unexpected line came from a most unlikely person, and Harry's eyebrows shot up in surprise at Peter's fearful whisper. "She can get into your head. Don't trust her."
Then the older boy leaned back, giving him space, before he gave another shove: this time sideways, such that Harry toppled over to the ground. "One warning only, Scarhead." He stood over Harry, looking down imperiously on him as he delivered the line.
"What do you think you're doing?" Franny had returned, with Sally in tow.
"Did this git do anything to you?" Peter turned to Sally, indicating Harry.
"First, I asked you a question." Sally's eyes were burning with anger. "Second, you idiot, I can take care of myself. Third, why are you doing things on my behalf without asking me first?"
"Because you haven't been yourself." Peter said instantly.
"Who are you to say what is normal behavior for me or not?" Sally rounded on her ex-enforcer. "I don't have to answer you, but I'm going to do it anyway. The answer is that nothing happened to me. You know how the adults call it 'Reflection'? That's what I did. I reflected."
"But…"
"The going around and terrorising everyone thing? It gets old fast, and you have to keep doing it, which pisses me off. So I've decided to stop. If you have a problem, feel free to stop listening to me or whatever, I don't care. Or, even better, have a go at me. Sam and Linda thought they could, and I had to beat them down again."
The pressure in the air increased somewhat, Sally's mind/fear magic/aura, and Harry shot the girl a look. The girl caught it, but did not let up.
"No. Don't have to do that." Peter took a step back, almost warily.
So all this time, Elly observed wryly to herself, more than one kid's probably beating up other kids to make sure they don't get bullied in turn. I guess human psychology doesn't really change much no matter how old we get, eh? She looked back at the conversation.
"Are you sure, Peter Ellis Travers?" Sally took a single step forward. "Because I can still do that. Just because I don't go around attacking everyone, doesn't mean that I somehow forgot how to fight."
"I think you did." Peter, who had looked conflicted before, was now looking more angry. "You might have broke Harry's arm, but he broke your mind." The last word came out with venom.
"I," Sally said, with growing anger, "am not broken." The air felt positively felt oppressive now, but it appeared Peter either did not feel it, or no longer cared.
"Sally, let it go." Harry said from the ground, where he had not bothered getting up.
"You're telling me to let it go?" Sally turned to Harry. "Did you just forget all the things he did to you?"
"First," Harry mimicked Sally's speech, "I may not have your utterly unfair perfect memory, but even I won't forget something so severe." Harry shot a single quick glare at Peter, and the boy almost seemed to flinch. "Second, you, of every single kid here, treated me the worst, ever since the day I came here." Harry's head snapped back to Sally. "If I am willing to be friends with you–"
"Okay, shut up." Sally seemed to deflate. "I get it."
"Pete, it's not worth it." Franny tugged at Peter's sleeve.
The older boy looked at Franny.
Franny stared back at him.
"Fine." Peter relented. He looked back at Harry, who still hadn't bothered getting up. "Remember what I said, Potter." He left, and Franny followed along.
"He said something to you?" Sally immediately questioned after.
"Yeah, told me I was a four-eyed freak." Harry muttered.
~~[a]~~
"What was he doing? Warning me about Sally?" Harry questioned. He was having trouble reconciling the act with how the boy had behaved previously: bullying, taunting, always inflicting suffering - the kind of tormentor that always pushed you to act first then retaliated in 'self-defense'.
"It just goes to show exactly how much control she had over all the other children." Elly mused. It was past bedtime, and they were back in Elly's room. Harry was practicing levitation on the couch, and Elly, for the upteenth time, was going through Tom Riddle's declarative memory. "Hmm, a lightning spell. Elemental conjurations seem to take a bit more effort using this system of magic," she muttered to herself. "Harry, come over here."
"What?" Harry let the paperweight fall back into his hand, and got up from the couch with a swinging motion. "Why?"
"Let me look at your forehead."
Harry complied. He was beginning to understand that the person…guardian…whatever you could call it, or rather her, that lived in his head, was rather more eccentric than the average person, but, well…
She had saved him after all. And taught him a lot. And she was fun to be around, in a way. It was much better than to be stuck with someone with a personality of say, Petunia Dursley, in his head.
"Yes, a lightning bolt. Also corresponds to the Futhark Sowilo, the sun…hmm…right, this should be fine." Elly manifested a stick and handed it to Harry, who took it and looked at Elly inquiringly. "I'm sorry. I would like you to cast a spell for me."
"With a wand?" Harry asked. "I thought–"
"This is a bit more dangerous." Elly said. "I wouldn't like you to fry your fingers."
"Er…"
"The motion is a straight line down, and then an arrowhead–just the head–to the right. And the incantation is Fulminis."
Harry finally thought to ask the obvious. "What exactly am I casting?"
"Lighting." Elly said simply. "In any case, please do try it. I'm testing something."
A few more runs through the wandmotion and pronunciation later, Harry took the appropriate stance and aimed at a blank stretch of wall. "Fulminis!"
A single bolt of lightning shot forth, a forking branch, leaving a black scorch-mark.
"That was surprisingly underwhelming." Elly muttered to herself. "And we're on the mental plane, which means that it'll probably be weaker in real life."
"Elly, why did you tell me to cast this?" Harry asked.
"Just testing out a theory," the blazer-uniformed witch sprawled down onto the couch.
Harry was curious. He had never seen his guardian in this sort of mood. "Is something wrong?"
"Nothing that I should be troubling you with, Harry." The statement was said as Elly stared up into the ceiling. "But if you really must know–and I stress that it is not your responsibility to do anything–I am bored."
"Bored." Harry repeated, not quite understanding.
"Yes." Elly said. "Inquisitive and intelligent as you are, you are still a child, and are surrounded only by other children. I, on the other hand, am a century-old magician."
"Mmhmm." Harry said.
"I brought the Golden Cabal to its knees. I climbed both the Alps and the Himalayas. I wrote several books and developed my own system of magic. I built an entire city and developed the supernatural abilities of millions of children, and created a stage that brought forth numerous scientific advancements, even if I did have to leverage the archetype of the mad scientist to do it."
"Mmhmm." Harry said. His guardian so far had been mostly reticent about her past, but even as young as Harry was, he did not think that she was a being that had simply sprang into existence to teach and care for him.
Also, he was at least sly enough to let her continue ranting if that would mean he would get to know more about her. Alas, it appeared that Elly had caught on, because she suddenly salt bolt upright and turned to Harry. "But never mind all of that. Just put it out of your mind and forget it. For you, Harry, I am just Elly. Nothing more."
"But you must have had an interesting life." Harry whined. "Tell me more about it."
"It is…" Elly appeared to consider her words, "...well, what I want to say is, it's not good to have, as the Chinese say, a long and interesting life. Not really."
"It's not?"
"I would not wish it on you." Elly said. "Not my kind of interesting." Not a long and winding path of suffering, and vengeance, and anger, and torment. And yet, if the schoolboy's memories are accurate (and if prophecies really do come true), you are marked by destiny, in either case. "Now, while the flames of your curiosity still burn, let us continue our magical study of the Kabbalah."
Harry groaned.
Ominous Aleister foreshadowing? It's more common than you think.
I am also seeking advice on how to write good slice-of-life scenes.
Review please!