When Lightning Strikes
By Ryu Katanna
Beta:
Disclaimer All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
Chapter Two
Harry, George, and Draco maneuvered slowly and silently around the people moving about what seemed to be a resort of some kind. It was nothing as large and luxurious as Harry had seen in the magazines his Aunt Petunia had often looked through, but it was similar if a bit small. They had flown low on the brooms across the water under disillusionment and silencing spells with the rope they had used the night before tied around them to let them know where the others were to keep them from moving too far apart. They had trailed along the coastline of the land until they spotted their first sign of what appeared to be human habitation.
A mostly open-air building was suspended over the water, a long wooden bridge stretched over the water that led to it from the shore, and a pier where a boat had been docked in the deeper waters. Bungalows and palm trees surrounded the area and, upon flying closer, the open building suspended over the water also appeared to have a restaurant if the delicious smells coming from that area were any indication. Harry thanked their foresight in using disillusionment charms as none of them could see or sense any magic from the people moving about in the early morning hours. Following the tugging from the rope toward the shore, Draco followed Harry and George to the parking lot on land even as they took mental notes of the way the people had been dressed in what the wizards and witches of their world would term 'muggle' attire.
They landed in an area of the shore that was clear of people before George stored both his and Fred's brooms away in his bag once Harry had handed it to him before he quietly moved to help Draco put his Nimbus away so as not to jostle Teddy too much. They moved slowly and silently as they followed Harry's direction as the rope tugged around their waists, listening to the conversations going on around them as Harry guided the group around people so they didn't bump into anyone or risk someone walking into the rope between them. Harry was thankful that they could understand the language these people spoke without translating spells though the people they were listening to did sound like they had a bit of an accent to his ears. It sounded almost... American? He knew it wouldn't be considered that here, but it was the closest reference they had to go on at that moment.
They spent two hours observing people as they moved among them, unheard and unseen, listening to the conversations happening as they tried to glean some information about the world they now found themselves in. Some things weren't important, just everyday conversations, but the names of places and certain details of daily life that were different or foreign to them did draw their attention. Draco signaled for them to go somewhere else with a tug on the rope and Harry tugged on the end of the rope connecting him to George for him to follow. He knew that Teddy was probably starting to get fussy as it was getting closer to noon. It was almost time for lunch and his nap, so Harry wasn't surprised. They avoided the sand so they didn't draw attention by leaving footprints from their movements, and moved further up the hill using the edge of the road until they reached a grassy area. They left the road and moved out of sight of people before stopping in a grassy area where palm trees kept them concealed from the road as well as the inhabited area.
"I think we're in the clear." George said as he canceled the silencing spell on himself and released the rope from his waist to continue moving and checking their hiding spot from different angles.
Harry nodded before he dispelled the remaining disillusionment and silencing spells on Draco, Teddy, and himself that had made their movements both unseen and unheard. He rubbed Teddy's back to settle him when he heard the babe's fussing, and Draco handed him over to be soothed as they looked toward George as he came back from making sure they wouldn't be easily seen before dispelling the disillusionment over himself.
"We're good. What do you think, Harry? You know the most about muggles. Will we be able to blend in?" George asked as he untied the rope around the younger's waist and started to roll it up to be stored away once Draco had also set himself free from it.
"Judging by the vehicles in the lot, their civilization looks advanced enough that they may be on par with the muggles of our world. It didn't see or feel any magic from the people here though so we'll need to be careful with how we use ours." Harry said and George nodded in agreement as Draco pulled a fresh cloth nappy from Teddy's bag and handed it to Harry.
Harry shuffled out of his cloak before George helped spread it on the ground so Harry could sit down and place Teddy on the fabric to change him. Draco warmed a premade bottle as Harry changed the baby. He handed Harry the bottle to feed Teddy after Harry had finished and spelled the soiled nappy clean. It would need to be washed properly later, but the spell would make it so they didn't need to worry about a mess as Draco placed it in the bag.
"The muggle cars look similar enough to the ones from our world. Dad had your bike repaired and packed for you. I also went with Hermione to look at a few vehicles. She wanted us to have another option in case we needed to use muggle transportation rather than wizarding. It'll be better to use them than draw attention with the brooms, and walking from place to place sounds like it would be dangerous here." George said and Harry nodded seriously in agreement as Draco scowled.
"Do either of you even know how the blasted muggle contraptions work? Can we all fit into one? Are they safe?" Draco asked with a dubious look toward the parking lot where several muggle vehicles were parked.
"Kind of... I know the basics, but George flew his father's Ford Angelina back from Surrey in the summer after our first year. I'm more concerned about Teddy. Did Hermione buy him a special seat so he could ride in one? What kind of vehicles did you two get for us?" Harry asked with a raised brow and George smiled as he tried not to think about the fact that it had been Fred who had figured out how to operate their father's car so they could go pick Harry up that summer.
"We'll figure it out between the three of us. I don't know anything about a special seat for Teddy. You'll need to look through the list Hermione made. As for what kind... Well, we knew you already had Sirius's bike and the sidecar. So we picked up a few more bikes. One each for Draco and me, and a few more as replacements if we couldn't figure out how to fix them if something happened. Hermione also said something about choosing something for all of us to ride in together. Dad and Bill laid enchantments all over them so they had Hermione write everything out and left the list of modifications on the seats. They also did the same for our bikes. Hermione said something about making them as fuel-efficient as yours, and making them safe." George told him and Harry almost groaned as he knew he would need to read her instructions and notes before he even attempted to drive the vehicle she had chosen for them.
They would also need to learn to ride the bikes if they decided to use them.
"Alright. Luckily, it's still early. It would be best if we make sure we are in a well-lit area after nightfall. We'll need to investigate these daemons the people here were talking about ourselves, but I won't risk Teddy while we do it. We can stay in the area for a few days to get our bearings before moving." Harry said as Teddy finished the bottle and he gently patted his back to burp him and try soothing him into a nap as he gently rocked.
"I agree. It's a good thing there are three of us. One of us can stay with Edward while the other two investigate once we've found a place to camp. I'll volunteer. I've never been around muggles. You both have a better chance at gathering information without sticking out." Draco said and Harry nodded in understanding as the blond had never spent time around non-magical people, or even muggle-borns who spoke of their muggle upbringing before Hogwarts, while he and George had.
"We need to figure out their money if we're going to do that. Somehow I don't think the raw ore and gems we all brought will be worth much in trade to anyone here aside from jewelers or smiths. If there are any. I watched their payment method at the shops. They all used these little square things. Looked like plastic." George described and Harry nodded with a pondering expression as Draco grimaced.
"They might be something like the debit cards muggles in our world used. They're these little plastic cards they could use to pay for things. The shops had a machine to read the card and take the money directly from their bank so they didn't need to carry large amounts of money." Harry told them with a pondering expression, and Greorge huffed while Draco looked thoughtful.
"If only the wizards had something like that. It would have made shopping more convenient without carrying and counting out coins. No wonder the shop we bought the motorcycles from looked at us strangely. We paid for them with a lot of that muggle paper money. I don't know how Hermione paid for the other ones though." George told him and Harry chuckled as he imagined the look on the face of the guy who sold them the bikes when George and Hermione pulled out stacks of banknotes.
"That presents another problem. How do we get them to pay for things? Wouldn't it be strange that we don't already have them?" Draco asked and Harry sighed before nodding in agreement.
"George and I will need to watch and listen some more to get an idea of what to do about that. For now, we can use the camping spot farther down the beach that I heard someone mention. She called it a haven. I assume if a resident of this world thought it was safe then that means these daemons that people fear here must avoid them." Harry said and Draco agreed as he took the sleeping Teddy back to put him into the carrier that he hadn't removed from his torso, and Harry stood up.
"You can both let me know what you find when you return to camp. Once we've set up I'll take care of Edward while you're gathering information. Mrs. Weasley prepared enough food for a few days. It should be easy enough for me to warm it up so we can eat when you return." Draco said and Harry nodded while George looked them all over when Harry picked up his cloak from the ground to shake off the dirt.
"I'll need to teach you to cook the muggle way. It'll be a good skill for you to have if you're going to be in charge of camp most of the time. Might be best that all of us learn the skills we need to look after ourselves here anyway." Harry said knowing that Draco would probably remain at camp a lot more than he or George did until he was confident enough to navigate this new world with as inexperienced as he was around muggles.
"I'm not... You may be right." Draco started to look a bit indignant at the thought of doing the menial chores of a house elf the muggle way but deflated quickly as he agreed with the reasoning.
"We should take off the cloaks and change into muggle clothes. I didn't see anyone wearing anything like our wizard's wear. Teddy's going to need glamour, too. Don't want him shifting his appearance in front of the muggles." Harry said as he gestured to the cloaks they had put on to keep them warm for their flight over the water and glanced at Teddy while he stuffed his cloak into his bag.
"Good idea. I'll see if I can find a concealment spell for Edward after we set up camp. I can keep him covered with a blanket until we get away from the populated areas or we get inside." Draco said as he removed his cloak; slipping it into his bag before pulling a baby blanket out of Teddy's bag to conceal him from the sight of the muggles until he could figure out a spell to disguise him on a more regular basis.
"The big vehicle is in your bag, Harry. We have our bikes, but Hermione thought that it would be for us to use one of them while Teddy is small, or so we can move as a group. Something about the bikes not being safe for him." George said as he also removed his cloak, storing both his and Harry's in his bag while Harry searched his own bag.
"Is this it?" Harry asked as he pulled out a small metal lockbox and George nodded as he recognized it.
It didn't take Harry long to take the small vehicle that looked like a muggle toy out from beside the identical one next to it as well as the five bikes and sidecar in the box. Setting it down, Harry made sure they were a good distance away before enlarging it to full size with a wave of his hand as he directed his magic to cancel the shrinking spell. Harry made sure the others were well padded to avoid damage before closing and returning the lockbox to his bag for later. He opened the door of the now full-sized vehicle to find the parchment left in the seat by Hermione. He read through the information about the vehicle, a black 1997 Jeep Cherokee 4x4 Sport, before breathing a sigh of relief.
"George! Look in the glove compartment. Hermione wrote here that she left a book in there that should teach us how to drive as well as the owner's manual." Harry said as he looked over to see George had climbed into the passenger seat while Draco had opened the back door of the driver's side to look inside.
"Glove compartment? Is it this?" George asked as he opened the storage compartment of the armrest between the seats.
"No, that's the armrest; it does have a place to put things, but the glove compartment is in front of you. There!" Harry replied as he pointed to it and George opened it with an 'Ah-ha!' as two small books fell out; leaving what looked like the owner's manual inside the glove compartment.
"Here you go, Harry. Oh! There's one on how to drive motorcycles too." The redhead said as he handed Harry the book on operating a vehicle and the manual while he kept the one for motorcycles and started flipping through the pages.
"Let's just get in the car. You both should find some muggle clothes to change into. I'm going to need a few minutes to figure this out so I'll change after." Harry said as he slid into the driver's seat and Draco climbed into the back with Teddy.
"Are you saying you don't know how to work this contraption?!" Draco asked with alarm as he eyed everything warily.
"I know how it works from seeing others drive while I was growing up, but I've never done it before. The road signs and everything could be different here. We'll just need to be careful as we learn. It looks like Bill warded the interior with runes so none of us can be hurt even if we get into an accident. It'll be safe for Teddy with someone to monitor him until he's old enough to sit on his own, so Hermione didn't include a child seat. Where are the keys?" Harry murmured as he looked around but didn't find them.
"Does it say on the parchment Hermione left?" George asked and Harry looked back before chuckling.
"She made several sets. Three in this one as well as copies in the other jeep. They're all on rings in the middle. She didn't want us to risk losing them without extras." Harry said as he pulled the compartment open, reached for the keys inside, and then pulled them from inside.
He almost choked as he looked down at the four key rings connected by a chain. Each one held a charm that must have been custom-made and differentiated them. Each ring held the same keys in case they needed a spare for one of the other's vehicles. One he knew was the Malfoy coat of arms made from platinum inset with a green gem, and Harry passed that one to Draco in the back seat for him to put somewhere safe. The next was a golden letter W inset with what looked like tiny shards of red gems that created a pattern that looked like fireworks. This, Harry knew, could only be for George and so he handed it to the red-head.
The last two almost took Harry's breath away.
One he knew must be for Teddy when he was older if it was needed. The image of a wolf with the curve of a full moon took up the size of the emblem, but what really drew the eye was the butterfly inset with a rainbow of tiny gems. The other had the now familiar symbol of the Deathly Hallows on one side, and Harry cringed at seeing it before flipping it over. The images of a stag, wolf, and grim looked like they had been etched into a platinum frame. The only colors came from the edges of the frame where colored gems had been molded to shape a lily. The charms weren't very big, but the details were very intricate. It was apparent to Harry that crafting them must have taken a lot of skill. He couldn't help but wonder if it had been one of their friends who had made them or if someone had commissioned them.
"Let's get this thing on the road!" George cheered as Harry returned the wolf and butterfly keyring into the compartment before finding the correct key in his after trying a few to see which one fit in the ignition.
"We should get changed before we go. Draco, take some pillows and lay Teddy down next to you. We all need to get into some of the muggle clothes before I try driving." Harry said before reading the manual for another twenty minutes while the others changed.
Harry pulled a change of clothes from his bag after he finished reading and felt mildly certain he would be able to drive the short distance back to the resort. He changed quietly into a pair of denim trousers and a short-sleeved shirt. He moved the belt and pouches to his new outfit before shoving his feet into a pair of dragonhide boots and tying the laces so they wouldn't catch on anything as he moved. It was only once he was finished changing that he grunted when George threw something at him over the hood of the jeep.
"What?" He muttered as he looked up and pulled what he found to be a leather jacket from over his head.
"A gift from Charlie." George said, and Harry looked closer before gasping in surprise.
"Dragonhide?" Harry asked in disbelief at the generous gift; one he saw that George and Draco were also wearing upon looking at them.
"He wanted us to have the best protection for wherever we ended up. Dragonhide is spell-resistant and can't be damaged through normal means. Muggles shouldn't be able to tell the difference without looking very closely. Let's find this camp and get set up. We'll need to eat lunch and settle in. With the way the people here were talking about these daemons, we need to get everything finished before the sun goes down for the night." George said before he slid back into the Jeep.
Harry silently wondered if letting George drive in the future would be a good idea with the mischief in his expression when he started the engine, but it was good to see some of the spark returning as he directed the Jeep toward the road and back to the resort.
"He's going to kill us all!" Draco muttered as he placed his hand protectively on the pillows cradling Teddy next to him and held onto the back of Harry's seat tightly with his other hand.
123
"This has to be the haven." Harry said as they came to a stop in front of the raised stone surface.
They had parked in an empty space at the resort before Harry and George left to figure out exactly where this 'haven' was from the locals. After, they walked along the beach toward where they could see the magic rising like white smoke high in the sky. They could feel the protective magic from the sigils, or this world's version of runes, even as they glowed slightly from the stone surface. The markings were unfamiliar to Harry, but that wasn't so surprising since he hadn't taken the class for ancient runes. Draco, however, looked at the sigils curiously and Harry knew he would be recording them when he had time to study later. The haven had been easy enough for them to find after some directions from one of the strangers back at the resort they now knew to be called Galdin Quay.
"Well, at least we'll be able to find other havens after we start exploring. The protective magic is unfamiliar, but more than strong enough for us to sense it." George said with a look of curiosity as he climbed up to stand on the flat area with a fire pit already set up in the center from previous campers.
"There's enough room for two or three muggle tents the size of mine and Teddy's. I don't mind sharing when we're all together, but if you're more comfortable in your own tents then at least there's enough room to set them up. We'll need to be careful if others show up to camp as well though. I don't think we should cast concealment wards when we're camping at one of these havens. It would be suspicious for it to disappear." Harry said as he started pulling the tent out of his bag so they could set it up.
"Not just suspicious, but dangerous for anyone seeking safety from the daemons they were talking about. This world seems to be unsafe for normal people outside of settlements where they have lights." George replied as he started helping Harry set up camp by pulling out a tripod cook stand to go over the fire before looking around and starting the fire with a wave of his wand and muttering incendio after looking to ensure no strangers would be able to see what he was doing from a distance.
"Daytime doesn't appear to be much better. Did you see those giant crab-looking creatures over toward the water? They're bigger than an average human. If they're any indication then the things living in this world may be just as dangerous during the day." Draco said as he unbuckled Teddy's carrier from his torso and laid the baby down on his cot after Harry had set it up, tossing the carrier next to where Harry was setting up the tent to be dealt with later, before helping George and Harry.
The three of them set up their camp equipment quietly; each of them concentrating on their self-appointed tasks. George set up their camp chairs and Teddy's fold-out high chair before getting the pot set over the fire and pulling out the container holding his Mum's lamb stew to warm over the fire for lunch. Harry finished setting up the tent and canopy with Draco's help before casting protective wards onto it so they would be safe while they slept. If any strangers came to make camp with them at the haven they wouldn't be able to enter the tent without waking the three wizards. Draco cast cushioning charms on the stone under the tent before pulling their sleeping bags, pillows, and Teddy's baby blanket from their bags. Draco gently moved Teddy and his cot to one side of the space before setting up their sleeping areas the same way they had the night before and then joined the others near the fire.
"I think I have an idea about what we could do for some money. Did you notice the bloke in leathers near the truck the one guy was selling weapons from?" George asked after Harry and Draco got comfortable in their camp chairs while the stew was warming over the fire the muggle way.
"I did see you were talking to a bloke like that when I came back from talking to the woman working at the counter of the restaurant. Why?" Harry asked as he remembered the conversation he had with a woman when he'd asked about the location of the closest haven while Draco had waited for them in the jeep with Teddy.
"He hunts things for money. Daemons and other creatures that have hurt people. He warned me it is a dangerous job, but that most hunting jobs pay well. I asked him what someone needed to do to sign up and he told me to talk to the tipster. She's the one you must have spoken to. Apparently, there's one in most places and some hunters travel all over while others stay around one area or another. He also recommended stopping in at a place called Meldacio HQ if we decided to sign up. Most hunters wear tags with their names because the job is so dangerous. He said sometimes it's the only way they can identify a hunter when the hunt goes bad. I guess Meldacio is where you need to pick the tags up after you register." George explained and Harry bit his lip in thought as he leaned forward to stir the stew.
"It's a possibility. It would give us a way to earn money without tying us down to one location. We wouldn't be able to do it with Teddy though. One of us would need to stay with him while the others are off hunting. I don't know, George. We don't really have any training with weapons yet, and we wouldn't be able to use our magic in case we're seen." Harry replied with a bit of worry for George and Draco in that kind of work.
He wasn't worried for himself as the assassination attempt in Diagon had proven that he couldn't be killed by normal means. Any wound he'd gotten since, even slicing into his arm to test it several times, had slowly healed after several minutes with only the blood left behind to show that he'd had a wound at all. The healing wasn't instant, but it always healed over before he lost a dangerous amount of blood. It would be very difficult for him to be permanently hurt, if he could at all, but the others weren't able to heal like he could without the aid of potions or spells. If either of them were injured or eaten by some creature while out alone on a hunt then they could die before Harry came looking for them.
Even Harry's healing was unlikely to be much help if he was devoured by something, and even if it was, he wasn't sure he would care to live through the experience.
"It would be easy enough to train with muggle weapons. We could start with easier hunts to see how we handle them. We go to a safe place near the hunt's location where one of us stays with Teddy and the other two hunt." George said after a few moments of thought while he pulled bowls and spoons from one of their bags and ladled some of the stew into it before handing the first one to Draco who passed it to Harry on his other side.
"Bloody Gryffindors. You would choose the most dangerous thing you can find in less than a day. Well, you two can have fun with that. I'll stay with Edward while you two go and get yourselves killed." Draco huffed as he settled into his chair once George handed him another bowl and tried to hold the bowl and eat at the same time; he was completely unaccustomed to eating without a proper table.
"We'll see. I think we should learn more about our options when it comes to employment. I'm not ruling it out, but we've only been here less than a day. We'll need to learn more about our options and the creatures of this world first. I want us to all train in how to use a weapon other than magic either way. That includes you, Draco. I had hoped we'd be somewhere safe enough for all of us, but this world doesn't seem as safe as we would have liked. We need to be able to survive here." Harry said between spoonfuls.
"You have a point, but I would still prefer to be the one taking care of Edward if you decide to do this hunting thing." Draco sighed with his agreement as George served himself after setting a filled bowl and spoon aside for Harry.
"We'll go back to the resort and gather more information after we finish eating. Maybe we'll learn of a better option, but we'll need to do something. We are well supplied right now but that won't last forever. Sooner or later we'll need money." George said and Harry and Draco nodded in agreement.
"Alright. Did either or both of you want to sleep in the other room to have your space or bundle in with Teddy and me again tonight? I would rather we at least share a tent until we're more familiar with this world." Harry said so that he could give them the option as the room had been a bit crowded the night before but it hadn't been too uncomfortable for him.
"I'll share with you two for a few nights. At least until we get used to this change. As long as you don't mind." George replied as he looked out past the edge of the haven toward the giant crab creatures moving about at the water's edge.
"Same. I've already set everything up like we had it last night. As long as we're together I don't see why we should set up the other tents. If it's too crowded in one room then there's always the other one." Draco replied and Harry nodded before finishing his stew and setting his bowl down so he could get ready to head back to the resort.
Draco should have some peace to think of more options for them while Teddy napped and Harry and George were gathering information at the resort.
123
They got their first experience sleeping on a haven in this strange new world that night. Teddy woke them twice; crying after being startled awake by the strange sounds of the creatures shrieking in the distance outside. Harry grew frustrated after getting Teddy settled into sleep the second time, and all three adult wizards stepped outside of the tent to try to see what was making the noise.
"It's coming from over there. Sounds like it's far off. Up the hill." George said as he tried to pinpoint where the shrieking sounds were coming from.
"Could it be one of those daemon creatures the people at the resort were talking about? Are we really safe here?" Draco asked as his wand hand twitched with anxiety at the unknown threat.
"Sounds like more than one. They're supposed to avoid the havens so we should be fine. I don't like doing it, but I think we should use a muffling charm so Teddy can sleep." Harry said a bit reluctantly.
"I don't like us not being able to hear what is going on around us either, but we all need some rest." George replied tiredly and Harry ran his hand through his hair as he nodded in agreement.
"We'll need to depend on the perimeter ward to wake us if anything crosses them. Hopefully, they respond properly to the creatures of this place if they do get too close." Harry said quietly as they returned to the tent to cast the muffling charm and try to get back to sleep for a few more hours.
"Should we take shifts again?" Draco asked and George shook his head.
"We all need sleep. I'll make the walls of the tent more solid for the night so we'll be a bit safer if anything does get past the perimeter wards. It's alright tonight because it's just us, but it wouldn't be safe to keep it that way if more people show up." George said as he zipped the screen of the 'porch' and the room before transfiguring the thin walls of the tent into hard stone, keeping the outward appearance, and crawling back into his sleeping bag between Harry and Draco.
Harry remained awake as Draco and George drifted off. He knew that these havens were supposed to be safe, but the inability to hear anything outside of the tent unsettled him. It had his senses on too high of an alert to sleep. They still didn't know what these daemons were, or what they were capable of. This world was too unfamiliar for him to feel comfortable sleeping with only perimeter wards to warn them.
What if they didn't work on the creatures of this world?
Huffing silently, Harry sat up and slipped out of his tent with his bag. The side of the tent was solid thanks to George's spell, and he leaned back against it as he pulled the Gryffindor sword from his bag. Propping the sheathed blade against his hip, Harry leaned back to listen and guard those most important to him as the three slept soundly within.
He would get no sleep that night.
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That's it for this chapter! I know it's been a while since I posted, and I meant to do so earlier. I've just had a lot going on.
After my husband passed last year I couldn't bring myself to stay at the house we had just bought a couple of years ago. So one of my brothers is buying it, and I moved in with my mom and youngest brother. We just moved again after buying another property with some acreage and enough space for all of us to have our own space. I'm currently remodeling a tiny home on the land about half an acre from the house for me to live in but still have family close. So yeah, not much time to focus on writing between moving and remodeling but everything else I've been up to.
I wanted to thank you all for your condolences, well wishes, and patience in what has been the worst time of my life. I do appreciate it. I have started on the next chapter, but when it will be finished… Who can say? Hopefully things will start settling down once the remodel is finished and I'm moved in and settled with less distractions.
~Ryu