Drifting

Chapter 16: Solving Problems

"There are times I can't decide,

When I can't tell up from down,

You make me feel less crazy when otherwise I'd drown,

But you pick me up and brush me off,

And tell me I'm okay,

Sometimes that's just what we need to get us through the day-"

Sarah McLachlan, Push

~*~

Orli raced around her room, throwing things haphazardly into her trunk. She was completely unaware of what she had just done to Wormtail downstairs.

Orli had no idea of her magical capabilities. Also, the Dark Lord had no idea what he was losing if Orli wasn't on his side.

Her brother, Adam, knew however of how powerful his adoptive sister would grow up to be. He had been secretly training her this summer. Ever since it had been confirmed that Voldemort had returned, Adam wanted to make sure his whole family was protected.

He knew he couldn't train his parents. They weren't magical. Yet Orli was. So in the private of his room, he would spend two hours every three days training Orli. Right from the start she showed more power than was normal for a nine-year-old girl. Within three weeks she had already mastered everything up to a few fourth year spells.

Adam was amazed. He never expected his younger sister to be so powerful. However he was afraid. Since she did not have wand to channel her magic, if Orli wasn't careful, her magic could become out of her control.

That was exactly what had happened downstairs.

Orli hadn't a clue that she had stunned Wormtail. She had wished that he couldn't follow her but she had never uttered the word that put the curse into effect.

She began to hum to herself, unable to bear the eerie silence anymore. By now she was done packing.

I wish there was some way to levitate this. If only I had Adam's wand...

Orli heard a small creak of the wood on her floor. She spun around and saw her trunk levitating behind her. Her eyes widened in shock.

How did I do that? she thought, amazed. Well, no time to dwell on it. I need to get out of here.

She began to walk out of her room. The trunk, however, stayed put. Orli wheeled around angrily.

I wish the stupid trunk would follow me.

She took another step away from the door to her room and this time the trunk followed her.

Can I do thought magic?

In the back of Orli's mind, she remembered Adam telling her something about powerful witches and wizards being able to do magic with thought.

No, she thought, shaking her head slightly. I'm not powerful.

As Orli reached the bottom of the stairs and entered the kitchen, she stopped dead in her tracks. Wormtail stood, frozen to the floor.

Cautiously, Orli reached out to touch him. Instead of semi-soft skin, she felt a hard surface, almost like marble. She poked Wormtail again. He didn't move.

Orli stepped back and then ran around him as fast as she could. She shoved out the front door, not really looking where she was going.

With a bump she collided with someone getting out of his car. Orli fell to the ground and shut her eyes, afraid to see who it was.

"Orli! What are you doing outside?" a soft deep voice asked.

Orli's eyes flew open and she found her brother's hand being extended down to her. Orli pulled herself up and hugged her brother as tight as she could.

"Mum and dad..." she said, shaking with suppressed sobs. "They're...dead..."

She felt Adam pry her arms off of him and close his car door with a click. Then he crouched down to her level.

"What happened?"

"Death Eaters," Orli whispered. "They killed them and then they tried to take me but I did something to the person who was going to take me away. I don't know what. I made it so she would let me stay and someone would just have to come to watch me."

Thought magic. She must have fooled the Death Eaters using her thought magic, Adam thought.

"Then I froze the man who came to watch me and a levitated my trunk down the stairs. I didn't have a wand either! I don't know what's going on, Adam, but it's scaring me."

Adam enveloped Orli in another warm hug. He knew he had some explaining to do.

~*~

Harry woke up at three in the morning, gasping for breath. Ginny moved beside him, tugging gently at the sleeve of his shirt.

"Harry, what's wrong?"

A chill ran up Harry's spine, causing him to flinch.

You'll meet your match in this girl, Potter. I'm going to teach her my ways.

Voldemort's words still echoed through his mind. Voldemort had captured Harry in an alternate universe and had told him these things. Bellatrix had been there too. She bragged about the girl they had captured, saying she was one of the best; saying that Harry was no match for her. It had nearly driven him insane.

"Harry?" Ginny whispered, tugging harder at the sleeve.

Harry turned and kissed her cheek. He grasped her hand in his and pulled it away from the sleeve, running his fingers over her palm.

"I'm going to go for a walk, okay?"

Ginny frowned. "You shouldn't go out this late. You said so yourself, there are bullies around here. You'll have to be extra careful."

Harry nearly laughed. "The only bully around here is in this house, currently asleep. I don't think I have to worry."

Ginny sighed and drew her hand away from his. She crossed her arms over her chest and put on the meanest face she could muster.

"Be that way then."

In Harry's opinion she looked like an angry four-year-old when they didn't get the toy they wanted. He kissed her once more, this time on the lips. As he leaned back, he watched her struggle to keep her mean face in place. It didn't work though, Harry noted, as her expression softened.

"Just don't run off with any strange girls," she warned, waving a finger at him.

Harry nodded and stood up. He pulled a sweatshirt over his head and started out the door of the room.

"I meant what I said before. You need to be careful."

Harry stopped, turning back to Ginny.

"You didn't See something, did you?"

Ginny shook her head and Harry breathed a small sigh of relief.

"I suppose it's just motherly instinct. After being around my mum for so long, it starts to wear off on you."

Harry rolled his eyes. "I'll see you soon."

Ginny blew him a kiss and settled back under the covers as Harry shut the door behind him.

~*~

Harry had been wandering for over an hour now. He just couldn't get everything out of his mind. He was sure that in a few minutes Ginny would send out a search party to find him. Harry highly doubted she had gone back to sleep.

Probably checking the window and then the clock every thirty seconds.

He rounded another corner, not really watching where he was going. The next thing he knew he was knocked to the ground.

"Harry?" a voice said above him.

Harry stood up, brushing some dirt from the side of the road off of him. He peered at the person in front of him. It was hard to see in the dark.

"Dudley?"

This is the search party Ginny sent?

"Yeah, it's me."

"Okay, I'll just go home and no one will ever know either of us were out. Bye," Harry said quickly, turning to leave.

Dudley's arm shot out and his hand grabbed Harry's wrist.

"Don't go. Please. I just want an explanation."

Harry turned back to his cousin, confusion evident on his face.

"Explanation to what?"

Dudley raked a hand through his hair. Harry could tell he was stalling.

"Out with it or I leave."

"No! I just wanted to know about... about... your world."

"The wizarding world?"

"Yeah. That one."

Harry was giving Dudley a look that clearly said you've got to be out of your normal state of mind asking me this. Dudley couldn't see, however, and kept talking.

"Ever since Lord Voldymart-"

"Voldemort."

"Yes. Ever since Voldemort took me and you and Draco saved me, there are so many things I want to know. Like how can m-m-magic be so good and so bad at the same time? What's your world like? I just want to know everything about it."

Harry let out a long breath. He knew he was risking a lot just by having Dudley know about the wizarding world. Telling him more about it was a very bad idea. Still, Harry thought he had a right to know, seeing as he already had a taste of magic.

Dudley had kept babbling while Harry was thinking everything over. He had started shooting out more things he wanted to know.

"...And what about that broom you have? What is it for? Do you clean the halls at your school or something?"

"Stop."

Dudley shut his mouth instantly. Harry began to walk again and Dudley fell into stride with him.

"A lot of this is going to shock you so I'll start with one of the simpler things. First of all, my school is called Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Now normally when I get there..."

Harry plowed on and Dudley hung on to every word he said. After another hour and a half the two boys returned to Privet Drive. Both of them were very tired so Harry said he would explain the rest at driving class later on.

As they entered the kitchen they were met with an angry Ginny Weasley.

"There you are! I was just about to send a search party for you!"

Harry burst out laughing.

~*~

Albus Dumbledore sat up in bed as a yell reached his ears.

"Professor! Professor Dumbledore!"

Yawning, the headmaster pulled back the covers and stepped out of bed, heading in the direction of the yells. As he entered the room he was positive they were coming from, he saw a head in the fireplace. Immediately he was wide-awake.

"Professor! I'm glad I got to you."

Albus smiled down at the boy in his fireplace.

"Mr. Levine, nice to see you. Now what is so urgent that you must call on me at such an early hour?"

Adam blushed slightly. "Sorry sir but there's been an attack. The Death Eaters came when I wasn't home. They killed our parents."

Dumbledore knelt down in front of the fire. He was suddenly very alert.

"Our, Mr. Levine?"

"My sister Orli and I, sir. She's nine and she couldn't do anything to stop them. They tried to capture her but..."

"But what?"

Adam shook his head. "I'm not quite sure yet, sir. Maybe Orli can explain. Hold on."

Adam's head was replaced by Orli's in the fire.

"I think I can do thought magic, sir," Orli said. "When the woman tried to take me away I wished that I could stay here. It's all I was thinking about. Then she gave in and let me stay. Later I froze Wormtail just because I didn't want him to follow me. Then I levitated my trunk just because I wanted to get it down the stairs and I couldn't drag it."

Dumbledore looked intrigued. "I believe you can do thought magic, Miss Levine. I assume your brother taught you basic spells as well?"

Orli nodded.

"Do you have any other relatives? Cousins, grandparents, aunts and uncles?" Dumbledore asked.

"My grandparents want nothing to do with my family, sir. They live in Canada. My Auntie Leah and Uncle Zachary live in America. They don't write anymore. Otherwise I have no one except for Adam."

Dumbledore felt tears well up in his eyes. He knew Orli had been adopted. Any adoption of a magical child was listed in the book he had of any magical children yet to start Hogwarts.

"It would be odd if you and your brother just showed up at their doorstep," he muttered to himself. "You and your brother go pack your things. You'll be staying here at Hogwarts for the rest of the summer. I assure you, it is the safest place from Voldemort. You have nothing to worry about once you come here."

"Thank you sir," Orli said, nearly bursting with delight.

"Come back down when you're done and I'll pull you through."

Orli nodded and scampered off. She couldn't wait. She'd wanted to see Hogwarts ever since Adam had told her stories about the castle.

She told Adam the news and they both began to pack. Orli stuffed a few more things she wanted in her trunk and then used her thought magic to get it back downstairs. Adam followed a few minutes later, using his wand to levitate his trunk behind him.

"Okay, Orli," he said. "Let's go."

~*~

Hermione slammed her lunch down on the picnic table. She couldn't remember ever being angrier at the world.

Harry talked to everyone. Well, except for Piers of course. He'd even made Draco sit with Piers so he and Dudley could talk on the way to driving class. Draco had been bored to death and deprived of his morning talk with Harry so he had tried to make small talk with Hermione, who sat in front of him the passenger's seat. Hermione had ignored him, trying to listen to what Harry and Dudley were saying.

"No way!" Dudley had shouted at one point.

Everyone in the car, minus Petunia who was driving, swiveled to stare at Dudley. His mouth was hanging open slightly and he was staring at Harry.

Harry nodded. "Yes way. It's all true."

Draco turned back around and raised an eyebrow at Hermione. He was silently asking her if she had figured out what they were talking about. Hermione shook her head, a firm no.

She didn't find out until much later what they were talking about.

Hermione didn't bother to smooth out her short denim skirt before she sat down this time. She was too angry to even think about it.

In a way you could say Hermione's jealousy was driving her mad.

Yes, Hermione was jealous. She longed to have her special relationship with Harry back. She had loved being called Harry's 'sister'. She still did. It's just that she was never referred to as that anymore. Harry was the only one who had ever called her that. Now that he was ignoring her completely Hermione had no one to call her brother.

She watched as Harry walked past, talking with Draco. She knew she had to talk to Harry. One of them had to get their relationship back on track and if Harry wasn't going to do it, she would.

Harry kept walking however, because Hermione didn't call out to him.

Where's all that Gryffindor courage I'm supposed to have?

Hermione sighed, defeated. She had just about given up hope when Draco walked up to her. He sat down across from her on the bench.

"Talk to him."

"I don't know who you're talking about," Hermione mumbled.

Draco clasped his hands on top of the table.

"I think you know full well who I'm talking about."

"I am not talking to my ex-brother who hates me."

If the situation weren't so serious Draco would have laughed. Hermione sounded just like a stubborn six-year-old.

"You do know why he's ignoring you, right?"

"Yes. He hates me."

For a bright student, she's not that smart when it comes to her own friends, Draco mused.

"He's afraid to talk to you. He thinks it's you who hates him, not the other way around. Something about him being friends with me? Jealous, are we, Granger?" Draco said, unable to resist the joke.

Hermione's cheeks became tinted pink.

"I suppose I'm a little jealous. I miss him."

Ahh. Finally. A breakthrough. I feel like a bloody psychologist.

"Please go talk to him. He's really upset and he just doesn't know what to do."

"So why hasn't he talked to me before now?"

Draco sighed, getting slightly fed up with Hermione at this point. He thought all he would have to do is talk to her for a little while, not give a ten-minute explanation.

"He's ignoring you because he has all the worst case scenarios planned out in his head for when he does talk to you."

Hermione cocked her head sideways in a silent question. Draco began to tick the scenes off on his fingers.

"A bloody lot of slapping, all directed at him of course, exploding hexes, drowning in the creek, getting piles of books thrown at him until his body is covered with red welts from where the books spines cut into his skin-"

"All right!" Hermione said, holding up a hand. "I'll talk to him."

Draco gave a rare smile. "Good."

Hermione nodded and stood up. She already knew where Harry was so it didn't take long to get to him.

Harry sat at the edge of the creek. His shoes were off, his socks stuffed in them. His feet were in the water and he was slowly moving rocks around to form a dam.

"Hello, Harry," Hermione said, sitting down next to him.

"Hi, Hermione," he mumbled.

Harry looked up as he reached past Hermione's foot to get another rock. Hermione could practically see the fear in his eyes.

Malfoy was right, she thought a little sadly. She couldn't remember a time when Harry had ever been afraid of her.

It was a sickening feeling to know someone was afraid of you. It made Hermione feel as if there was something dreadfully wrong with her. Something along the lines of the next time she looked in a mirror she'd see a hideous monster staring back at her. Then she'd scream but everyone would be too afraid of her to come near her and help...

Harry snapped his fingers in front of her face, drawing her out of her disgusting thoughts. Once she focused on him, he pulled his hand back, apparently satisfied that he had her attention.

Just as Harry opened his mouth to talk, Hermione launched herself at him. She hugged him as tightly as she could, laying her head on his shoulder.

"Oh, Harry, I'm so sorry. I never should have let myself get so jealous. You're allowed to have other close friends and I know that. Malfoy is no different. This is all my fault," she said, more into the thin fabric of his T-shirt than to Harry himself.

Harry rubbed his hand up and down her back in a soothing manner as Hermione continued to grip him tightly.

"No it's not your fault. I was stupid. I should have known I'd have to do something drastically bad to make you hate me."

Hermione's small laugh was mostly muffled by Harry's shirt.

"You could never do anything bad enough to make me hate you. You're my brother. I'm not allowed to hate you."

Harry smiled and laid his head gently on top of hers.

"Glad this is over with, sis."

~*~

Draco watched the two from behind a tree.

You're not the only two who are glad it's over. Now I won't have to listen to Harry complain anymore!

Smiling to himself, Draco decided to leave the two of them alone for the rest of the lunch break.

~~**~~