"Tomorrow is Harry's eleventh birthday. He'll soon get proper teaching about his powers."
Honey mentally laughed, as she recalled some of the incidents where Harry had unconsciously used his powers to get himself into and out of trouble, most often in clashes with his bully of a cousin, Dudley Dursley. After the third time, Honey went straight to the Durselys and told them to rein in their son. She left that meeting feeling disgust with Vernon Dursely, but pity for Petunia. She did manage to get a lot, but not all, of the bullying stopped, after she brought up what Vernon did with Harry and how it would look to the authorities. Once done with that, Honey started working with Harry, trying to get him to use his powers under conscious control, instead of unconscious. It was very slow going and there were still quite a few incidents. Honey recalled the last incident was shortly after Harry's tenth birthday and had made the glass from a snake exhibit vanish and the snake had slithered over Dursely causing him to faint.
Honey just shook her head about that last one. "I didn't know Harry could talk to snakes. Petunia was not too happy about that."
Strangely enough, Petunia had become a friend with Honey. It was a secret friendship, for Petunia did not want her husband to know and Honey could understand the reasons for a lot of Petunia's actions.
Honey heard the front door open and Harry came in.
Harry quickly found Honey. "Hi, Mom. It was quite a day today."
"You didn't do anything to Dudley did you?" Honey asked in a sharp tone.
Harry had a confused expression on his face. "That's just it. Dudley kept saying that he wouldn't have to look at my face at school anymore. I don't understand what he meant. He said that Aunt Pentunia told him to leave me alone because of this."
Honey remained quiet, as she thought about tomorrow.
"Mom? I know you and Aunt Petunia meet secretly. I've also kept quiet about it, but why do you talk to her?"
Honey sighed. "Harry, you know about the wizardling community and how I adopted you."
"You've told me about it."
"Your mother and aunt are from a family of squibs. Your mother was the first full-fledged mage from that family. Petunia was upstaged by her younger sister and resented that. I pity her, because she's been trying to deny part of herself. That's why she married you uncle. She also feels guilty about your uncle shoving an innocent bystander into becoming your parent. Not that I regret that. I feel grateful for it actually. I first met with her to stop Dudley's constant bullying of you. I got most of it stopped, but Dudley is Dudley."
Harry just nodded.
"After that first meeting, Petunia came to me and asked how you were doing. I was suspicious at first, but I heard her out. Pity and regret are not the best foundations for friendships to be built upon, but it happened. Do not doubt that Harry, we are friends. Please do not tell Dudley or you uncle about our meetings. I'm trying to get Petunia open herself up to that side of herself she has walled off."
Harry said, "Thanks mom for explaining that. I won't say anything to Dudley, but I'm still curious about what he meant."
Honey smiled a sad smile. "You mean about not seeing your face at school anymore? That's because your parents made arrangements for you to attend a school before their deaths. The same school they attended. A place called Hogwarts."
Harry was stunned. "Hogwarts? The school of magic?"
"The one and the same," Honey replied.
Harry got a concerned look on his face. "Mom, what will happen to you if you step onto Hogwarts' grounds."
Honey laughed. "Because I'm an android? Don't worry about me, son. I'll be all right. There are places in Japan that are just as heavily bathed in magic, if not more so. Then there is of course Panther Zora's domain. Hogwarts is nowhere near as saturated in magic energy as that. I won't switch off due to the magic."
An impish look formed on Honey's face, as she thought about something.
Harry knew that look well. "Mom, what are you thinking about?"
"I was thinking what the Ministry of Magic and Cornielius Fudge would think of Mikki's husband."
Harry laughed. "I could see the reactions now."
Honey stood up and pulled an old book from a shelf. She opened the book and handed Harry a trio of letters.
Honey said, "I was going to wait until tomorrow; but I figured that since you started asking the questions, you should know."
Harry took the two letters. The first explained just what happened to his parents. The second was what Dumbledore was trying to do with Petunia Dursley.
Harry looked up. "A blood protection spell? That is one of the strongest protection spells there is, but how come..."
Sighing, Honey replied, "That is another reason for Petunia's visits. It took a little doing on Dumbledore's part, as well as mine. When she visits, she charges the protective barrier. There are other barriers put up. I can only think of one place safer and that is with Mikki, or I should say Akira."
Harry nodded at the explanation, but then he looked confused. "Mom? Your doing?"
"Completely pure elements made by the ACU to go into the creation of certain runestones that are secreted throughout the house."
"Mom, does Dumbeldore know that you are an android?"
"He knows I'm different, but not how. The only ones who do know the truth about me, and are still alive, are very few. You, Akira, Mikki, their daughter Jun, and Master Danbae and his family. Until Akira and his family moved to England, you were the only one who was not in Japan."
Harry nodded and read the third letter. He quickly re-read the letter.
"Mom? Where am I supposed to get some of this stuff?"
Honey threw up her hands and smiled. "I have no idea. I have a feeling, we'll find out tomorrow."
"Tomorrow? What's so special about tomorrow?"
"Your eleventh birthday. That's when students usually get that letter. My guess is that Dumbledore will send someone along to help you acclimate to that world."
"Will you be coming with me?"
"Of course. I'm not going to let my son go off with some stranger. If it was Dumbledore himself, that would be a different matter."
An impish look came across Harry's face. "Mom, what you said about Akira gave me a strange idea. Jun just turned eleven last month. What if...."
Honey laughed. "I am a bad influence on you. You have my sense of humor."
"You're my mom. What did you expect?"
Honey sat back down in her chair with a wistful expression and thought, "Mom? I never thought I would get used to being called that. It still makes me tingly inside. Master Danbae was wrong. Harry wasn't lucky to have me as his mom. I was lucky to be his mom."
Honey said a bit more seriously. "We'll stay up until midnight, just in case."
Harry got a pained look on his face. "Witching Hour? Full of clichés aren't they?"
Honey shrugged. "They've been isolating themselves from the rest of the world for generations. You have to expect a few graveyards full of dead horses still being beaten"
Harry let that pass. The two of them stayed up talking about other tings, while waiting for midnight to approach. When the digital clock above the lintel of the door read 23:59, Honey nodded.
"It's almost time."
Just as the clock read 0:00, loud booms were heard at the front door. Honey and Harry went to the door and answered it. Standing outside was one of the largest men that either had seen.
Smiling, Honey said, "It is a good thing that I read up on wizards, or I might be a little put off about someone banging on my door at this time of night. Who are you?"
The man was a little put off by Honey's manner and stammered out, "I'm Hagrid: Groundskeeper and Keeper of the Keys for Hogwarts."
"No last name?" Harry asked.
Honey said, "That doesn't matter, Harry. Come on in, Mr. Hagrid."
Hagrid ducked his head and replied, "Thank you, Miss Kisarigi. I have Harry's letter here for him."
Harry said, "Mom has already shown me the letter, saying I'm to attend Hogwarts. Why do I need to see that one?"
"It has a list of your school books that are being used now and some of the rules that are being enforced," Hagrid replied with confidence, now that he was on a subject he knew about. "The letter that Miss Kisarigi showed you did not have your school books in it."
Harry took the letter and read it. "Why are you calling her that? She is my mom?"
Hagrid got a pained look on his face. "I knew your parents Harry. I was the one to pull you out of the rubble of your house in Godrics Hollow. I have a hard time thinking of anyone but Lily Potter as your mother."
Honey said, "Let it lie, Harry. It's not important."
Harry nodded. "My owl? I do intend to go, but an owl?"
Hagrid put his hand to his forehead. "I almost forgot."
Hagrid pulled out a birdcage from inside his robe. Inside the birdcage was a small brown owl. Hagrid quickly wrote a note and tied it to the bird's leg. The owl trilled once as it was removed from the cage and looked at Hagrid.
"Take this letter to Albus Dumbledore."
The owl spread its wings and looked around. Honey laughed to herself, as she opened a window. The owl shot towards and then through the open window; after it had flown away, Honey shut the window. Hagrid had pulled out a small box and opened it. Inside the box was a cake with the words 'Happy Birthday' on it.
Harry said, "Thank you for the cake, Mr. Hagrid."
"Please, just Hagrid."
The trio of them quickly went into talking about Hogwarts and what would be expected of Harry. Hagrid let slip that he had been expelled and his wand snapped in half. Honey directed the topic away from that painful subject, promising silently that she would ask Dumbeldore about it the next time they corresponded.
Honey finally broached the subject. "Where do we get these books and other objects? I can easily find a black robe. Choirs use them all the time."
"Diagon Alley."
Honey said, "Go to bed, Harry. We have a busy day tomorrow.
Harry asked, "What about Jun?"
Honey smiled and rubbed the side of her nose. "I'll think about it. Now, scoot."
"Yes, Mom."
Hagrid asked, "Jun?"
"Jun Fudo. Long story," Honey replied, as she thought, "The Ministry of Magic is full of idiots. The collective heart attacks might be worth it though."
Honey opened a door and said, "This is our guest room. You can stay here for the night."
Honey's eyes narrowed, as she said sternly, "This room has also been warded by Albus Dumbeldore so that if you have any hostile intentions towards me or Harry, you will regret it."
Hagrid backed up at the sudden change in tone. "I assure you, I have no intention of harming Harry. You are being very protective, aren't you?"
"He is my son. Shortly after I adopted him, we were attacked by three Death Eaters. I killed all three of them. After that, wards were put up to keep them away."
Hagrid let out a long breath. "I can see why Dumbledore trusted you to raise Harry."
"Thank you."
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(Posted Tue, 24 May 2005 11:09)
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