Harry Potter and the Northern Star

It was one of the best weeks of Harry's life. Regardless, of course, of what had happened with Nerissa. Hermione and Ron rented the first two open rooms in the Leaky Cauldron, with Harry insisting that he continue to room with Nerissa. He never saw Nerissa during the day, and it didn't bother him that much. His days were bright and sunny, and he, Hermione, and Ron spent all their time in the streets of Diagon Alley. Shopping for their books became a great distraction for Harry, and Nerissa was never even mentioned. It was as if everything had been forgotten, and summer had just begun. The group took their time with buying their school supplies, pausing between each purchase to sit, eat gooey ice creams, and joke around. Diagon Alley had become their personal playground, and nobody seemed to mind.

Their excitement arose when they heard the next bit of news; a new store was opening up right next to Flourish and Blotts. This was going on right under their noses. Harry marveled at how he never even noticed, even though he spent the last week and a half roaming the streets. He, Ron, and Hermione immediately made beelines for the new shop, forgetting their current task of buying new quills. They stood in front of the store, taking in the scene.

"Yesteryear's Collectives," Ron read the sign slowly, "Wow. I've heard of this place. They had one in Egypt, but Mum wouldn't let us go in."

"What she won't know won't hurt her," Harry said with a smile. "Come on, let's check it out." The three walked past the display of books and silver trinkets, and right in the front door.

Yesteryear's was full of things Harry had never seen, and was sure he might never see again. Shelves lining the walls were full of intricate baubles, gadgets and other amazing things. The group split apart, with Hermione immediately enraptured in a nearby book, Bruhas and Brains: The World's Wiliest Witches. Harry walked past shelves stocked high with crystal balls full of trapped lightning (Amaze your Friends, Astound your Nearest Muggle!) and tiny, mechanical dragons only three inches long. They looked at Harry with cogs and gears spinning madly, their snouts emitting small puffs of steam. A small dragon sneezed, and Harry smiled as a small gear came flying out of it's side. Harry didn't think that mechanics could be combined with magic, but he was most impressed with the result.

"Hey, Harry! Come look at this!" Ron called, motioning to Harry with a jerk of his head. Harry walked past the dragons and saw that Ron was busy stretching and twisting a long brown strand of what looked like melted rubber. Harry looked to the barrel next to Ron and read: Yesteryear's Stretching Beer: Can you Taste the Difference?

Ron gave Harry a wicked smile. "Wanna test the fates?" he asked, moving his eyebrows up and down.

Harry backed away. "I'll take a raincheck," he said as Ron tossed the glob back in the barrel, where it immediately blended back in with the rest.

"Doesn't that strike you as being a bit unsanitary?" Hermione asked, siding up next to Harry and peering into the barrel with disgust. Ron shrugged.

"I swear, I know you have it here, Jeff!" a voice sounded from the back of the store, and Harry's ears perked to the sound. He looked at Ron and Hermione, who both had the same look on their faces. They knew the sound of Draco Malfoy's voice a mile away.

"Duck!" Ron said, and the three immediately hit the floor. At that moment, Draco emerged from the back room, accompanied by a small, wiry man who scuffled after Malfoy. He was wringing his hands.

"I'm not lying, Mr. Malfoy, I don't have anything that you're asking for! Those items ran in with some trouble with the Ministry, if I had them on me..."

"Oh, be quiet, will you?" Draco said, folding his arms across his chest. "You're just not looking at it from my side. How would you feel if you were being victimized at your school, Mr. Yesteryear?"

Hermione looked at Harry, who was peering through the merchandise at the scene. "Victimized?" she mouthed silently, and Ron looked up at Harry, not really believing what he was hearing.

"It's that dratted Harry Potter and his little friends ganging up on me everyday, I swear it's time to take action!" Draco hit his hand with a balled fist. "How would you feel if you were harassed everyday by some destitute ragamuffin, a beaver-toothed know-it-all and a scarred freak?" Draco asked, his voice hitting unheard levels of self-pity. He was trying to throw Yesteryear off. "I want revenge, simple as that."

"I'll show him, destitute ragamuffin!" Ron hissed, starting to his feet, but was abruptly stopped by Hermione, who grabbed him by the seat of his pants. She put an angry finger to her lips, shushing Ron.

"Mr. Malfoy, I'm sorry you feel that way about your classmates, but I say again, I do not have what you're asking for, and if I did, I couldn't sell it! It's not legal..."

Draco interrupted him with a sigh. "Fine. If you won't give it to me, a paying customer, I'll find someone who will." He turned sharply, and marched out the door. Mr. Yesteryear looked at the door as it clanged shut, and sighed deeply. He walked back into the back room, muttering to himself.

"That kid's gonna end up in Azkaban some day, I swear..."

Harry, Ron, and Hermione waiting until Yesteryear was out of hearing range, then took it upon themselves to leave as soon as possible, with all minds wondering what exactly Malfoy was planning for them.

It was true, Harry never saw Nerissa during the day, but the nights were almost as good as the days with Nerissa around. He had nearly forgotten all of her suspicious mannerisms when he talked with her, and the two talked every night until they couldn't stay awake any more. Harry was astounded at how easily he could talk to her, and soon, his discomfort with rooming with a girl was as good as gone.

Harry was in heaven. He had never known that he could share so many interests with a girl his own age. Nerissa was a fairly up-to-date Quidditch fan, and many of their conversations involved brooms, tactics, or favorite teams. Harry was amazed when Nerissa showed him her broom, which was a Firebolt, just like his. The ash tail-twigs were a little bent, thanks to crashing head-first into the Knight Bus, but it was in perfect condition otherwise. But it wasn't just the broom or the Quidditch that interested Harry. Nerissa owned some very interesting things in her trunk that she openly shared with Harry, no questions asked. Her trunk had been magically wired so all she had to do was kick the side with her foot and the lid would fly open, regardless of whether or not it was locked. Her trunk was full of jars of frogspawn and dandelion jelly ("My favorite," Nerissa smiled, "I make it myself."), which Harry quickly grew attached to.

That night, Harry and Nerissa were lounging around, reading from Nerissa's vast library of Quidditch books, when a small scuffle emerged from Nerissa's trunk. Harry recognized the sound from the first night in the Leaky Cauldron, and knew that it wasn't his imagination at all.

"Nerissa? There's something in your trunk," Harry said, pointing to the trunk on the floor.

Nerissa put down her book and listened. When the noise repeated, she sighed. "Eh, it's nothing," she said, and tapped the trunk with her foot lazily. The lid shot open, and a ball of fire erupted from the trunk and flew upward, landing neatly into Nerissa's open hands.

"OHMYGODYOU'REONFIRE!" Harry shouted, and grabbed the water pitcher next to him.

Nerissa started laughing, and put a hand up to stop Harry. "Don't worry, don't worry, it's just Ichabod, my salamander, it's okay!"

Harry put down the pitcher. "A salamander?"

"Yes, it's okay, it doesn't burn. Here, you can hold him," she said, sliding the flaming lizard into Harry's hands. He flinched, expecting a burn, but instead his hands were full of cool, slimy lizard. Harry looked down, and saw that the bright orange lizard, with flames licking out of it's back, was looking up at him with small, beady black eyes. Ichabod emitted a soft meep, and Harry was enchanted. It was rather cute, he had to admit.

"Where did you find this?" Harry gasped as Ichabod started to climb up Harry's sleeve.

"Oh.... I bought him when I went to Japan. My orphanage went on a trip for Christmas," Nerissa said quickly, suddenly very interested in her book again. Harry began to feel as if he had struck a nerve, having brought up Nerissa's shame in being an orphan. Saying nothing, he played with Ichabod, who had snuggled into the messy strands of Harry's hair, on top of his head.

Midnight rolled around soon, and Nerissa and Harry were both tired. Nerissa took Ichabod and laid him down on her bed. Ichabod found a cozy corner of pillow, and lay down to sleep. Nerissa climbed into bed, and blew out the candle by her bed.

"G'night, Harry," she said, and rolled on her side, not looking at him. In the dark, Ichabod let off a soft glow, like a child's nightlight. Harry sat on the edge of his bed, wondering if he had done something wrong.

"Nerissa? Did I upset you?" he asked.

"No, you didn't do anything," Nerissa said from under her covers.

Harry bit his lip, with a question tugging at his mouth. "Nerissa, I don't mean to upset you, but can I ask you something?"

"Sure, Harry."

"Well, I was wondering.... Do you remember your parents at all?"

He could see Nerissa stiffen at the question. She was silent a moment. "Yes," she finally said, softly. "I do remember them. I wish I couldn't." Harry couldn't see it, but a large tear trickled down Nerissa's cheek and soaked into her pillow. Her sadness couldn't be heard in her voice, so Harry had no clue.

"Was it that bad?" he asked, leaning forward. "What did they do?"

"I really don't want to talk about that yet, Harry. I'm not ready," she replied, sitting up and facing Harry in the darkness. Harry could see, in Ichabod's glow, a silver trail down Nerissa's face, and he immediately regretted it. He got up quickly and walked over to her, sitting down on her bed.

"Oh, don't cry, I didn't mean to make you sad, I'm sorry," he said, desperate for her to cheer up. Nerissa's tears were enough to bring his own to his eyes. "It's just--"

"Just what?" she cut in, looking up at Harry with teary eyes. No more tears fell, but they threatened to spill.

Harry looked at his hands in his lap. "It's just--I never knew my parents, I only see them in my nightmares, and I was wondering if maybe.... You were the same way."

Nerissa looked at Harry sadly. It almost broke his heart. "I see my father in my nightmares, Harry, but not in the same way you see yours." A fat tear dropped out of her watery brown eye, and she hung her head, refusing to break down. Harry was in agony; how could someone else's sadness hurt him so?

Harry put his arms around Nerissa, and laid his head on her shoulder. He felt Nerissa's muscles stiffen at his touch, but she relaxed soon, and leaned back on Harry. "I'm so sorry," he said quietly, "I'm sorry you have to know so much pain, Nerissa. I'm sorry the world couldn't have accepted you better."

Nerissa sat up, looking at Harry with drier eyes. Harry fell into the dark depths of her eyes, and before he knew what he was doing, he felt his head lean forward, his eyes close... and his lips brushed against Nerissa's with a feathery-light touch. It was his first real kiss. Nerissa was shocked at first, but she warmed to it, kissing him back with more and more passion the further it went. Harry's hands ran up her shoulders and into her silky red hair. He ran it through his fingers, holding Nerissa's face as though it were some priceless treasure sure to break. The kiss intensified, and Harry could feel Nerissa's tongue lashing again his own. Nerissa pressed herself against him tightly, and Harry could feel every curve of her body against his own. His hand ran down to the small of her back, and in his innocence not going any further.

Nerissa wrapped her arms around Harry, and Harry's nose was thick with her scent--cinnamon and vanilla. It reminded Harry of fresh-baked cookies, or some other delectable he couldn't place. His breath was beginning to turn harsh, ragged; his scar was electrified, sending a delicious warmth down his body, all the way down to his toes. It was a totally new feeling, and Harry didn't want it to stop.

Nerissa pushed away from Harry suddenly, staring at him with a mix of amazement and shock. Harry saw the blush creep up her cheeks, but a whole new sadness filled Nerissa's eyes. She looked at him desperately, shaking her head slowly to herself. She reached over and picked up her wand from her nightstand.

"Nerissa? What are you..."

She frowned. "I'm sorry, Harry. I can't do this." She sighed heavily, and with a quick swish of her wand, the Memory Charm took its toll. Harry stared at Nerissa blankly, his eyes empty for a moment, and when she put her wand down, he coughed to clear his throat.

"Urm... what were we talking about, again?" he asked, his face full of confusion.

Nerissa smiled, the smile not reaching her eyes. "You were just about to go to bed," she said quietly.

"Oh. Oh yes, that's right. Well, goodnight, Nerissa," Harry said, walking over to his bed and slipping under the covers.

Nerissa lay down, looking at Harry a final time. She sighed, and tucked her hands behind her head, staring blankly at the ceiling. The fading desire tugged at her heart, and a sadness so great threatened to wash over her, but she fought it back, as she was accustomed to do. She closed her eyes as her heart sank pitifully.

Father...oh the mistake you're going to make, she thought before falling asleep.

Harry, having forgotten the kiss but not all the suspicious acts from the week before, thought on them, wondering what he was going to do if Nerissa really did pose a threat. He fell asleep after a while, but not without having an absolutely fantastic dream that kept him smiling all the night long.

One morning, Harry awoke with a jerk, falling out of his bed. He sat on the floor, trying to gather his thoughts, when he realized that there was a lot of action going on in the room. He looked up, seeing Ron, Hermione, and Nerissa running around, throwing things into their trunks and double-checking the room. Ron stopped and tossed Harry his glasses. "Mornin', sleepy-head!"

Harry slid his glasses on his face and looked at the clock. It was five in the morning.

"Jeez, what are you doing so early in the morning?" Harry asked, his voice still thick with sleep. Hermione tossed him his clothes.

"Come on, Harry! Get dressed! We have a train to catch!" she exclaimed excitedly.

Harry was dumbfounded. "But--but--the Hogwarts Express doesn't leave for another three days, what do you mean we have to catch it now?"

Ron hefted his trunk onto Harry's bed, counting pairs of socks. "We're going early with Nerissa, to see her testing!"

"Testing?" Harry looked at Nerissa, who was fitting her cauldron back into her trunk over her school robes.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier, but I was kinda supposed to keep it a secret. I have to be tested at Hogwarts, so I can find out what year I'm supposed to be with when school starts. I realized I didn't want to go alone, so I invited you and Ron and Hermione to come with me," she said, slamming her trunk shut. "They actually traveled here by Floo Powder and ended up coming through the toilet. You could imagine the look on my face," she continued, giving Harry a very knowing look.

"Isn't it exciting?" Hermione squealed, "We're going to ride in the Hogwarts caboose all by ourselves. And see a real testing! Isn't it great?" Hermione ushered Harry into the bathroom as she spoke, all smiles. "Hurry up and get dressed, then pack your trunk! We leave at seven sharp." She slammed the door behind her, and Harry was standing alone in the bathroom, his robes in hand.

He looked at himself in the mirror. He looked very confused. Harry took a glance at the toilet, wondering how Ron and Hermione could have accomplished what they did, and with all their stuff with them as well. "This is turning into a madhouse," he said, nodding to himself.

"Tell me about it," the mirror replied with a groan.