Transition

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Transition By Firesword
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~ Chapter Twenty-six: Eyes On Them ~

Monday, 20th July 1998.

Ever since the gathering three evenings ago, Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy had been busy meeting the other occupants of the vale face to face – the Veelas. That afternoon was one such occasion, although this one had been pre-arranged by Bluestone.

The two young wizards were presently sitting on a couch, drinking iced lemon tea, and simply enjoying their lunch with their hosts – one grown female Veela and her twin daughters – on a gazebo-like porch.

Earlier, Vela Svaniel had profusely apologized to the young wizards in regards to the absence of her husband. Deran Svaniel, husband to Vela, and the father of the twins, Anna and Miriel, had to rush back to work after receiving an urgent owl-post.

Harry really liked the female Veela; she was quite unlike Fleur Delacour, who was slightly snobbish in his opinion. Vela's friendliness however, seemed sincere and she was able to project a presence of calm that made both he and Draco relax. Still, Harry suspected that Veelas were born with unusual qualities, such as to entice, and to bring peace to others. He remembered how easily Bluestone had displaced his uneasy feelings after a staring incident with a peculiar, lavender-eyed horse. After all, Vela was Bluestone's relative, though distant. However, unlike the Malfoys and the Weasleys, Bluestone and Vela's families got along well with each other.

Harry drank the cool liquid and sighed blissfully as he felt the fluid slid down his throat and into his gut. His green eyes flickered over to watch Draco, who was listening intently to an excited, chattering Miriel. Vela's daughters were going to start their school life at Hogwarts that autumn, and her children were thrilled to go to school.

"Are there a lot of beautiful boys?" Anna asked somewhat breathlessly.

"Anna!" Vela exclaimed and her daughter smiled back at her innocently. "You two had better behave yourselves ... or else ... we're not going to allow you to go to Hogsmeade."

"We were just joking, Mama!" Anna said happily.

Harry grinned, then suddenly found that he missed his school friends.

"Well ... not so many handsome boys ... or I would have noticed," Draco said casually.

Harry coughed. "And I don't think you'd find any of the teachers that cute-looking."

"Awww..."

Vela made shooing motions and her daughters scampered into the kitchen carrying the plates and trays away. The female Veela turned back to her two guests. "Thank you for coming by, Harry, Draco. We rarely get any visitors and my daughters were quite lonely."

"I thought there are a couple of children their age about," Draco said tentatively.

"Well, yes, but my daughters are very mischievous, and it is not really wise to get them to socialize with the boys of their own kind." Vela's facial expression turned rueful. "All kinds of things can happen at their age. Especially if things turn nasty and squabbling breaks out."

Harry and Draco chuckled softly. Then they glanced at each other and Draco nodded.

"Well, Mrs. Svaniel, we have to go," Harry said to the Veela.

"Oh? Where are you going?"

"Well, I'm off to see Professor Vine, and Draco has to meet Professor Reed. They want us to start reading on some materials to prepare ourselves."

The three got to their feet and each of the young wizards embraced Vela warmly.

"Anna! Miriel! Harry and Draco are leaving!"

Harry hugged the twin girls, while Draco patted them awkwardly on their heads. Then the two wizards picked up their bags that were lying undisturbed on the ledge. They stepped off the porch and waved goodbye at the girls.

"Come and visit us again! Soon!" both girls yelled when Harry and Draco walked past the two birches that acted as a gate to the Svaniels' home. The two young wizards shouted their response, promising the twin girls that they would come and visit before the first of September.

As one, Harry and Draco turned and started for the twin buildings ahead of them at a very slow pace. The sun was burning down on them and Harry was beginning to feel the heat of the midday sun. He glanced at the young man walking behind him and wondered if Draco was feeling all right beneath his layered clothing.

His boyfriend had a difficult time that morning trying to decide what to wear. He had told Harry that he did not want to appear too formal ... or too informal. Draco had finally chosen to wear full robes, light grey in color.

"Draco, are you all right?"

"What? Oh, yes, I'm fine." The wizard walking beside him smiled. "There is such a thing as a spell to keep you cool, you know. I'm a bit nervous though," Draco added.

"Is Reed that difficult to get along with?"

"I have no idea. We'll see how my apprenticeship goes. But I can't help wondering why Severus did not offer me that in the first place."

Harry sighed, and Draco watched him with curious eyes. "It's nothing ... I just wish that you and I can go cuddle up somewhere this afternoon."

"Really?" Draco's smile was roguish.

"Yes. However, I can't help feeling that it's unfair to Elaviel and Bluestone. Tell me something – are we too saccharine?"

"What do you think, love?"

"For some reason, I think even Hermione would say that we're both disgusting at this point. But I can't help myself."

"Can we talk about something else? I'm meeting my mentor in about five minutes. I don't want to embarrass myself by acting like a person who is still having problems with hormones," Draco said plaintively, glancing at the vicinity of his trousers. As Harry started to laugh, so did he.

They walked side by side in comfortable silence before stopping in front of a fountain. There were two separated paths to their mentors' houses from it.

"Well, I'm sure that I have to get some reading materials later ... those which I may have to buy." Harry glanced back at Draco. "Shall we meet by this fountain in about an hour's time?"

"All right. See you later, love."

"Yeah."

However, neither of them made the first move to go.

"We're hopeless, aren't we?" Draco asked, rolling his eyes theatrically. "Let's move at the same time."

"Okay."

Harry approached Vine's house somewhat nervously. He climbed the staircase leading up to the door and gulped at the sheer immensity of it. The door was curiously imposing. Harry looked dubiously at the gargoyle-face knocker for several minutes before he summoned enough courage to rap against the white-painted door. He knocked once, then cocked his head to one side to listen to the deep echo he had made.

"Who is it?" a lively voice emerged from somewhere above his head. The young wizard looked up in surprise but there was no one above him, except for a small bell-like object hanging from the ceiling.

"Uh ... it's Harry Potter. Sir." Harry cursed silently, feeling slightly silly at his own awkwardness. He readjusted his grip on his bag and waited nervously for a response.

"Oh! Come in, Harry! But stay in the hallway, will you? It's easy to get lost in here the first time round. I'll come and get you!" Harry could hear the sound of a door opening and slamming shut from somewhere inside Vine's home. Meanwhile, the heavy white door miraculously swung open and Harry entered the house cautiously.

The first word that came into Harry's mind was gold. It was not that there were a lot of gold objects, but the house looked sunny with the dome-like window several feet above him. The hallway was enormous, and Harry went forward to examine a portrait of Vine with a great deal of interest. He was still studying the portrait when his mentor appeared.

"Does it resemble me?" Vine questioned the young wizard in a cheerful voice.

Harry turned around and smiled. There was just something about the older wizard that made him feel relaxed and happy; perhaps it was because of Vine's cheerful disposition. The older wizard had tied his shoulder length hair with a piece of string, but his fringe stubbornly fell over his eye.

"Well, yes," Harry replied to the wizard's query.

"The artist would be relieved upon hearing that. He was not too sure about his work." Vine stared at his portrait with a smile. "It's very good, even if he thinks he's an amateur."

Harry stepped back and studied his mentor carefully. Vine looked as though he had been cleaning the house because the man was attired in very nondescript clothing. Harry also noticed that Vine's cream-colored shirt was smudged with dirt, and that the wizard was barefoot.

"What in Merlin's name am I doing?" Vine exclaimed. "Why didn't you say something and stop me from woolgathering?"

Harry could only smile.

"Follow me, Harry. The books I want you to have are in the library," Vine said and Harry followed his mentor to the second floor.

"Do you live alone, sir?"

"No need to be so formal, Harry." Vine smiled. "And yes, I do live here by myself."

They came upon a dark oak door and it opened the instant Vine touched the doorknob. Harry entered a huge red-carpeted room that was half-filled with bookshelves, tables and chairs. The other half had a huge office desk, files and cabinets, along with a large study table. On it were two huge brown volumes and a small piece of paper.

Vine picked the note up and handed it to Harry. "I'm afraid you'll have to buy some books to complete your reading. I hope you don't mind getting them at Flourish & Blotts."

Harry read the note quickly; he noted that most of the books he needed to buy involved psychology. He also needed to buy the latest edition of Defense Against the Dark Arts spells and a book titled 'Curses and Counter-curses ' by an author who was only named Kavanagh. Harry felt puzzled, not because of the author, but he was uncertain why he should read up on the book. Vine must have noticed his quizzical expression because his mentor broke into soft chuckles.

"I'm certain that Aran has also advised your partner the same book." When Harry still looked clueless, Vine elaborated. "Some of the children are pure devils, Harry. I am thankful that they were extremely well-behaved during the gathering."

"Oh," Harry replied, as he finally understood. "So I'm as much in danger in the centre as in Hogwarts."

Vine laughed heartily. "But it will keep your instincts and reactions sharp."

The older wizard gestured at the chairs by the window and waited for Harry to sit before doing the same. They first began to talk about inconsequential things before Vine broached on the more serious topics. Harry's mentor first started on the general rules of the centre, emphasizing and explaining why Apparating in and out of the school was prohibited.

Vine also explained some of the duties Harry was going to have to deal with once he start becoming Vine's assistant in the centre. The violet-eyed wizard also told Harry in a very serious tone that he would not tolerate irresponsible behavior that was caused by relationship problems.

"If such a thing should happen, I hope the two of you solve the problems before they get out of hand and start distracting you from work." Vine gazed at him gravely. "Remember that these children you would be working with came from very unstable – if not, traumatic lives. If they see a person who is supposedly their role model struggling to cope with personal and emotional problems, they are more likely to turn rebellious and more unmanageable."

Minutes passed and their conversation took on a lighter mood, and it dispelled the feeling of trepidation that had sprung in the young wizard's heart when Vine started to recite his responsibilities.

A shrill alarm went off suddenly, making the two wizards jump in their seats. Vine muttered something incomprehensible and took out his wand before tapping it on his palm twice. The ringing stopped, and the house fell once more into its comfortable silence.

"Sorry for startling you, Harry," Vine apologized.

"It's okay. Was that alarm meant for something?" Harry asked curiously.

"Yes. I have to go and change; I'm having a dinner party with Aran and the other teachers. I would gladly spend some more time lecturing you, but I have to pick up several crotchety old wizards for the party."

"Oh.... Thanks for the books," Harry said as he got up to his feet.

"It's not a problem at all. Oh, I won't need those books, so you don't have to return them to me. Maybe you'll find yourself in my position someday," Vine replied, and his brilliant amethyst eyes twinkled joyously.

Harry inserted his new books into his bag and carefully pocketed the slip of paper into his pocket. His mentor escorted him to the door. From where he stood, he was able to see that Draco had yet to emerge from Reed's house. Harry was just about to say goodbye and leave when Vine grabbed his arm.

As his mentor pulled him, Harry had this puzzling vision of a man looking at him through a crystal. He could not tell who it was since the stone distorted the image of the man. Meanwhile, Vine was lashing at the air with numerous spells until both could hear a high-pitched snap.

Harry leaned against the wall and he took deep breaths to calm his pounding heart. He watched as the older wizard stood on the front steps of his house, looking about with a wary expression. Then Vine finally turned to look at him. Gone was the cheerful look; Vine looked very serious and alert.

"Harry, someone was spying on you," his mentor said quietly. "I managed to break his spells connecting you to him but I can't tell for sure if you're truly safe from his reach. This could be just temporary."

He could only nod dumbly in response. His mind whirled; he felt so unsettled by the discovery.

"You ought to be safe ... for now." Vine tugged at the ribbon holding his hair together and his long, light brown locks tumbled over his shoulder haphazardly. "I advise you to inform Elaviel and take the necessary steps to protect yourself."

"I'll do that," Harry promised in a rather weak voice.

"Good." Vine sighed explosively. "I had thought that life for you would not be as dangerous as it once were, Harry, but it seems like there are some people out there who refuse to leave things as they are."

Harry was troubled as he made his way back to the fountain. He realized that trouble would always find him, no matter the circumstances. He was not that surprised that there were still quite a number of people that hated him; he knew that Fudge was one such person. But what if those people who wanted me hurt hurts the students at the centre instead? It's not as if it's impossible, Harry thought worriedly and did not notice the two figures coming up to meet him. And what of Ludo Bagman? He frowned. I've heard no news about his arrest or anything of the sort. What happened to him? And the others?

"Is something wrong, Mister Potter?" a voice asked.

"No, it's nothing, Professor Snape," Harry replied automatically. Then he blinked and looked up. Then a slow blush crept upon his cheeks when he realized that it was Draco's mentor whom had spoken, and not the greasy-haired Hogwarts professor. Reed was looking at him with a sardonic expression, while Draco was trying not to smirk.

"Well, Potter. It seemed that Professor Snape is certainly living up to my expectations," Reed said with a sly smile, but it was quickly replaced by a serious expression. "And what was the noise all about?"

"Noise?" Harry and Draco asked at the same time.

Reed raised an eyebrow sarcastically. "That sharp, high-pitched snap."

Harry was certain that Vine was going to tell the wizard later, so he quickly told Draco's mentor what had happened. Reed said nothing, only nodding somberly.

"Tell Bluestone and his husband, and I don't think it's going to hurt either of you to write to Professor Dumbledore as well as Severus."

Harry nodded determinedly, then jumped when a sharp crack exploded right beside him. Vine appeared, handsomely dressed, and he looked at the three conversing wizards apologetically.

"You're ten minutes late, Elron. What's the use of an alarm if you can't keep up?"

"House chores." Vine shrugged fluidly. Then he whistled piercingly. "Come on boys! We've got to go pick up some pigeons!"

"I don't think the warlock will like it if he hears you calling him that."

"He doesn't know, right, not unless you want my hide peeled by him." Vine arched his eyebrow. His face brightened when the magical team of horses emerged from the back of his house and trotted sedately towards the wizard. He gracefully jumped up onto the driver's seat. "So ... how about it, Aran? Do you want a ride or would you rather escort the ladies on your own?"

Reed merely snorted and climbed up the wagon.

Vine took up the reins and gazed down at Harry. "Be careful while you're down in Diagon Alley. I'll see you again sometime next week, Harry. I might want to give you a surprise test."

Harry and Draco watched their mentors silently as the horses led the cart up the road. After a moment, the raven-haired wizard asked in a dubious voice. "Do you think he was serious?"

"I don't know about him, but my mentor certainly was."

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