Rating:
R
House:
Schnoogle
Characters:
Harry Potter
Genres:
Action
Era:
Multiple Eras
Spoilers:
Philosopher's Stone Chamber of Secrets Prizoner of Azkaban Goblet of Fire
Stats:
Published: 05/20/2004
Updated: 10/16/2004
Words: 44,951
Chapters: 8
Hits: 5,736

Harry Potter and the Summer of Discovery

Raistlin

Story Summary:
A short story sequel to the Ancient Order. Harry returns to Privet Drive for the summer only to find out that he has two new neighbors. One will lead him to adulthood, the other to maturity. One will teach him what love is, the other will show him what love is. Can Harry cope with these new experiences with Sirius's trial looming over his head? And where exactly does Cho Chang fit in the big picture?

Chapter 08

Chapter Summary:
Harry finally hears from Cho, chills at Xander's for a week (yes, back at Xanders again), and puts the wheels in motion for Sirius's defense. This is the last chapter, so I hope you all like the ending... and I hope it was worth the wait.
Posted:
10/16/2004
Hits:
412


Chpt. 8. ...Comes from Some Other Beginning's End

Harry returned to work Monday morning, following his usual routine of wake up, shower, go to work. The later start time was a benfit, as Harry had spent all weekend reading his History of Magic textbook in the hopes of finding something that would help Sirius. He should have assumed that nearly the entire book would be about goblin rebellions, but he had to try. The only benefit was that he could safely sleep through every lesson this year, now that he knew that whole book by heart.

He had taken his share of teasing over his new haircut and Kat's performance Friday afternoon, but he didn't care much. Sirius took up most of his thoughts as he decided to put Mrs. Figg out of his mind for now. Let them deal with it. I want my godfather back.

It was lunchtime when he finally saw it. Harry'd been expecting it all weekend, and knew that he couldn't avoid it, but he hoped that it wouldn't happen on the job. He should've known better than to leave a loose string dangle, but there you go...

"You have some serious answers to give," snarled Kat, pointing a threatening finger at Harry. He could hear his co-workers sniggering. "You tell me to hang around all night, then I hear nothing all weekend. What the fuck!?"

Sometimes, her bluntness could be rather annoying. "Look," said Harry, totally ignoring the teasing in the background, "first of all, I don't take kindly to being chewed out on my job. Second, if something extremely important to me didn't come up, I wouldn't have broken my word. And thirdly, if you can't accept the first two points right now, than we can end our friendship."

Kat was taken aback. In one swift, smooth stroke, Harry had taken her off her game, stolen control of the situation from her, and put her on the defensive. He wasn't sure what had caused the outburst, but whatever the reason, it was time to deal with it.

"If you want to talk this through, we'll meet later," added Harry, after Kat had been silent for nearly a half minute.

"We'll talk later," said Kat, trying and failing to sound irritated.

Harry knew he had said the right things as Kat's usual foul mouth was now missing in action. She stood there, staring at Harry as if seeing him properly for the first time.

"Come find me when you're ready," said Harry, trying not to sound as annoyed as he felt. "This is my last week of work, then I'll be staying with Xander for the last week before school," he added as an afterthought.

Kat mumbled something that might have been "sure" before turning and walking away. Maybe it was the fact that Harry had yet to hear from Cho, or his rapidly-forming plan for Sirius's defense team that caused his irritableness. Maybe it was the fact that Voldemort was out there, plotting the takeover of the wizarding world while he was here in Surrey knuckle deep in fertilizer in some over-paid ignoramus's garden. Or maybe it was his own concience feeling guilty for Kat becoming a target due to her relationship with him, and was somehow trying to distance himself from her.

His conversation with Kat remained on his mind for the rest of the week, even as he planned for his trip to Diagon Alley. He was stuck at a dead-end; feeling guilty for knowing Kat, yet feeling guilty for not paying any attention to her. He wasn't sure exactly what to do. Should he go apologize to her, or should he stand his ground and wait for her to come to him, like she said she would?

And wait he did. His last day of work was as close to goofing off as Mr. Tompkins would allow. They had maybe a half-days' work to finish their current job, and Mr. Tompkins was not one to pay only a half-day's wages, so he had the crew do a 'thorough cleaning of the jobsite'. This chore consisted of watering the lawn for 3 hours and pushing a broom for another hour. Kat never showed.

His last night at Number Four, Privet Drive was the night that he finally heard from Cho. He had just finished up the last of his planning for his trip to Diagon Alley when Hedwig flew in from the dreary night. Looking extremely tired and weather-worn, Harry thought it wise to dry her off and feed her, lest she screech and disturb Uncle Vernon as he watched the Sunday night weather forcast. He could be such a git if you interfere with his habits.

Finally hearing the tele shut off and Hedwig soundly sleeping in her cage, Harry tore into the letter wondering vaguely how Hedwig knew he very much desired a response from Cho, let alone how she knew Cho had one prepared. His feelings of lonliness probably playing some part in it, Harry thought he could actually smell Cho's fragrance as he opened the envelope. It was the scent that reminded him that anything was possible.

Dear Harry,

As beautiful as your owl is, sometimes she can be quite a nuisance. She pecked at my fingers until I sat down to write this letter. Are you sure that Hedwig doesn't think she's your girlfriend?

Harry smiled, pulled Hedwig out of her cage, and held her affectionately as he continued reading.

Anyway, let me get to the point. I miss you very much, even though I probably haven't proven it to you. I sat down every day to write you a letter, but I just couldn't think of what to say to express what I felt. I still don't feel comfortable telling you in a letter, and am hoping to have some alone time with you before we reach Hogwarts. There is a lot I want to talk to you about, not the least of which is begging for forgiveness for not keeping in contact with you this summer.

You've been in my mind morning, noon, and night. Not just because I wish to see you in person again, but because I know how lonely it must be for you to be at your erm... relations house over the summer, unable to see your friends. I feel so terrible for adding to that lonliness and do plan on making it up to you.

Most of my time has been spent with my family this summer. Again, this is one of those things that should be discussed in person and not in a letter, so I hope that you don't get the impression that I'm hiding things from you. That's the last thing that I want to do from now on. You showed me a great deal of trust this past year by sharing your feelings with me so much, and I feel that I owe you at least the same in return. I hope you're ready for a nice long conversation on Sept. 1st...

By now I know that you're wondering why this letter has been at least somewhat more affectionate. Now that I've made my decision, I feel a lot more comfortable expressing how I feel. Again, see above.

I truly hope that you're not too upset with me. When we see each other, I can't wait to author's note: Harry has asked me to delete the next couple of sentences, as it is meant for his eyes only and is a shared secret between he and Cho. He kindly asks you to mind your own business and get on with the story. See, I still remember our favorite thing to do together...wink wink.

With Love,

Cho

* * *

It was with a happy heart that Harry was welcomed into Xander's home on Monday morning. Uncle Vernon's only comment was "Couldn't you find someplace farther away to stay?", which only made Harry smirk. Uncle Vernon just didn't want Harry to ask for a week's rent back. Dudley, however, took the time to sucker-punch Harry one last time and hid behind his mother before Harry could do anything back. The wobbly-chinned wanker.

Alicia was wearing one of Xander's baseball jerseys when she answered the door, and didn't seem the least bit embarassed about it. She even laughed when Harry tried to find anyplace else to look and teased him about his timidness. So, Harry did what any hot-blooded teenage male would do: he took a good long look at Alicia. After all, it was her own words that "all the good stuff is covered up". Now it was Alicia's turn to blush.

Xander insisted that Harry "take a wizz in the new toilet" before he left for the Ministry. When Harry insisted that he didn't have to go, Xander kept pouring water from a full glass into an empty one until Harry's bladder was ready to explode. To this day, Harry isn't sure how he managed to keep it all in the toilet. Xander had somehow rigged his toilet to play music as someone went, the tempo of the music adjusting to the pressure of the flow. Harry hadn't laughed that hard in weeks.

It was after Xander and Alicia had vacated the house that Harry took the time to catch up on the Daily Prophet, and immediately wished that he didn't. Just glancing over the front pages, the headlines read:

Take Majere Off The Case: Should A Mage Be Hunting a Wizard?

Ministry Auror's Security Clearance Questioned

Is Majere A Threat To Wizarding Secrecy?

Fudge to Majere: Shape Up or Ship Out

When Will Majere Snap: A Medi-wizard Chronicles the Rise and Future Collapse of a Hero

And they went on and on. Harry simmered at the irony of the stories; accusations that Xander couldn't handle the pressure of his task, yet exponentially adding to the pressure. All of this over a punch. No wonder Alicia has been around so much lately. Anybody would go insane with the public breathing down your back. A quick inspection of Xander's liquor cabinet relieved Harry's worries. Nothing touched since Xander received his notice from the mages.

As Harry stepped into The Leaky Cauldron, he put the Daily Prophet articles out of his mind. He needed to focus on one thing at a time, and now was the time to focus on Sirius. Only one person could be helped at one time, and now was the time to help his godfather.

"Oy, Harry! What can I do for you today?" asked Tom the Innkeeper.

"Actually, I was hoping for a few minutes of your time," said Harry smoothly.

"Oh? Okay, then, have a plate of crumpets and we'll see what I can do for ya," said Tom cheerfully.

A ten-minute meeting later, and Harry was feeling good. Maybe... just maybe he could pull this off...

A stop in Quality Quidditch Supplies and some luck later, he was feeling even better. His spirits rose with each meeting, which included Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor, Flourish and Blotts, Dervish and Banges, a surprising 'yes' from Eeylop's Owl Emporium, and Mr. Ollivander's. One last stop on his agenda...

"It can't be-"

"But here he is-"

"Our biggest finacier!"

"Fred, George, the place looks great," lied Harry. In actuality, the warehouse looked like a dump.

"All prospectors start small, my dear Harry," said Fred. "We're starting as a mail-order service, and hopefully from there we can expand into a genuine shop."

"And once we learn our cleaning charms properly, we can make it look like a genuine shop," added George. "So, what brings you here?"

So Harry told them his idea. He knew he could count on Fred and George, but he didn't count on them being a mail-order service only. In any case, they agreed to Harry's adjustment, and promised the full support when the time came. They even treated Harry to a grab bag of trick sweets, which included fake wands, a few self-emptying goblets, some Swamps-in-a-Box, and a few new tricks that Harry didn't have the time to read before he ended his visit.

It was quite possibly the longest week of Harry's summer holiday. He didn't want to spoil the surprise of his mission, so he couldn't talk about what was on the tip of his tongue. He was anxious for his meeting with Cho, which wouldn't happen until Monday. Kat was mysteriously absent, not so much as a walk around the block as far as Harry could tell. A week's worth of waiting felt like a year's worth of life passing you by.

Xander and Alicia spent a couple of hours a night in Harry's company, for which Harry was grateful for. They taught Harry how to play a card game called 'Asshole', which was a drinking game typically played at university, but they drank soda instead of alcohol. Alicia turned out to be an incredible cook, so long as the menu included nothing beyond the scope of sandwiches and TV dinners. Harry took the time to teach her how to make an omelete.

Harry was thankful for Xander's attitude about his job: work stays at work. Unfortunately, so did Xander. A fourteen hour shift apparently was the norm for him, and Thursday night was a special occasion. He had stopped in momentarily to say he wouldn't be home until well into the night, leaving Harry alone to talk to Alicia. Not that he didn't like Alicia, it's just that she was in a miserable mood. She had gone to great lengths to make a special meal of frozen fish and chips, and now Xander wasn't there to enjoy her newfound skill.

"So, Harry," began Alicia, "what's going on between you and that girl down the way?" Apparently, she was trying to forget her moodiness by making Harry moody.

"Nothing," said Harry honestly. "We're friends."

"Okaaayyyy," said Alicia disbelievingly.

"Okay, so at one point, we were a bit closer than friends, but that's all we are now. Or at least, I thought we were."

So Harry broke into the short version of the story, leaving out such details as Xander's warning in regards to her and the haircut that she gave him.

"I see," said Alicia. "So you think that she thinks you two were more than friends and now she thinks that you think she's all sixes and sevens, but you think that she thinks you're an asshole?"

"Umm, something like that," answered Harry, not quite sure that he understood.

"And now you want her to know that you know how she feels about you, but she wants to know how you feel, but you don't know if you want her to know?" asked Alicia.

"Erm... yeah..." said Harry, growing more confused by the minute.

"But you know that if she knows, she may not want to know you anymore?" continued Alicia.

Harry could only nod and hope to figure it all out later.

"So your solution is simple," said Alicia, as the doorbell rang.

"Hopefully easier than your questions," said Harry.

Alicia pointed. "Answer the door."

With a look at Alicia that told her he wasn't her butler, Harry got up and opened the door, only to find Kat standing there.

"You told me to find you," she said, not looking above her shoes.

Harry turned to glance at Alicia, and she merely blew him a kiss before he left the house.

They walked for a few minutes in silence before Harry finally spoke up. "So, how exactly did you find me?"

"Your cousin told me," she said.

"That easy?" asked Harry increduosly.

"Erm, no... well, a friend of mine said she'd flash him if he told me..."

"It wasn't Jean, was it?" he asked immediately.

"No," said Kat, staring at Harry out of the corner of her eye for a moment. "Why?"

"Well, Dudley saw her walking around with you that day, and I won't give you an exact quote but Dudley would turn his own parents over to the police for the chance to be with her."

"Oh," said Kat vaguely. "Speaking of excuses," which, of course, they weren't, "I think you said you'd give me one?"

"I didn't say I'd give you an excuse, I said I'd give you the truth," corrected Harry.

"Okay, truth away," said Kat.

So Harry gave her the short version (which was becoming a popular way of saying 'Here's what you need to know and mind your own business if you want anything else') , of course leaving out the part that Sirius was a former convicted murderer.

"Let me get this straight," said Kat, holding up a hand. "Your godfather, whom you didn't know until you were thirteen, is in some sort of bind, and can only turn to his sixteen year old godson for help?"

"I'm not the only one who can help him, I'm just the most willing," stated Harry. "If things work out the way I hope they will," he looked at Uncle Vernon's house with disgust, "then I can get the hell out of here."

"So you'd like to leave all of this behind, including me?" asked Kat, trying to joke her way out of her accusatory behavior of late.

"You try being left on the doorstep of people who don't want you, after your parents die, then come talk to me about moving on with your life," said Harry irritably. There was so much that Kat didn't know, and even more that she couldn't know...

"Hey, I'm trying to work my way up to an apology here, if you'd quit snapping at me-" said Kat.

"I'm not looking for an apology, I'm just looking to fulfill my promise to you," shot Harry.

Kat looked like she was going to cry. "Why are you being so cold to me?" she asked in a voice higher than usual. "All I ever wanted from you was -"

"What do you want from me?" Harry cut her off again.

"I..." she trailed off, a tear escaping the corner of her eye. "I wanted to be the one girl who knows you better than anyone else in the world knows you," she sighed heavily.

As much as Harry knew this already, he wasn't prepared to hear it put in these words. It said so much, yet left so much unsaid.

"Look, Kat," began Harry, taking a seat on the curb. "There are things in my past that you can't understand. There are things in my present that you can't know. And there are things in my future that you can't accept. And just by knowing that, you probably already know too much."

"And what exactly does that mean?" asked Kat timidly.

How do I word this?, thought Harry. "It means that knowing me as you know me right this minute is as happy with me as you'll ever be."

"How can you say that with such certainty?" asked Kat, finally looking Harry in the eyes.

"Call it a good sense of intuition," said Harry, allowing the sarcasm to drip off of his words.

Kat wasn't about to let Harry get away with sarcasm. Not after admitting that she had feelings for him. "So, you're telling me that you can just march right into my life, all mysterious-like, sweep me off my feet, back off, and that I'll 'have to learn to be satisfied with that'?"

Harry just stared at her, as if to say 'sure'.

"And what if that's not good enough for me?" asked Kat.

Harry felt like ripping his hair out and giving Kat a hug at the same time. Confusing, how girls can make you feel both extremes of the emotional spectrum at the same time.

"Kat," started Harry, forcing himself to control his voice, "Don't think that the thought of becoming very close to you doesn't sound promising. Hearing you say that makes me want to forget about all of my worries and only concentrate on making you smile.

"I'm a guy who hasn't been close to very many people in his life, and I don't always recognize the chance to be happy when it appears. There has been so little in my life to make me happy that I have a hard time coming up with a happy enough thought to cas-.... concentrate on when my insides grow cold.

"Now, this great girl moves in across the street from my home, a home that I've grown to hate. She's beautiful, she's got a personality that always keeps me on my toes, a smile that never fails to melt my heart, and always manages to make me feel like I'm the most important person in the world. And she wants me to be all hers, and she all mine."

Harry paused, his feelings of longing beginning to overwhelm him. He did notice, however, that Kat was staring at him, unblinking. Her golden eyes were shimmering, and they looked so beautiful...

"And it's something that I'm not allowed to have right now."

Kat hiccuped, attempting to cover a sudden burst of crying. "Why-" she managed to croak before the tears came.

"Kat, please..." said Harry softly, placing an arm around her shoulder. She allowed Harry to pull her close, placing her head on his shoulder. "Please don't... don't think that I don't want this. Don't think that..."

Her crying continued for several minutes. Harry thought it best to let her continue and remain silent, knowing that nothing he could say would make her stop. Sometimes, people just needed to cry when they were unhappy. He just did what he could do for her, and held her close.

"Harry," sniffled Kat when she could speak again. "Please tell me why we can't be together." Her heartache was apparent in every syllable she spoke, and it broke Harry's heart.

Harry sighed. "There are... people counting on me... and if I let them down..." He chose to leave the sentence unfinished, as adding 'the fate of England is at stake' sounded much too far-fetched and dramatic right now. "Maybe one day, things will change. Maybe one day, it'll be my turn to be happy. Maybe I'll be lucky enough to find that one girl whose happiness makes me happy." Unaccountably, a mental image of Cho popped into his mind.

"What if you've met that girl already?" asked Kat.

Harry's mental image of Cho smiled her stunning smile, the smile that to this day caused his stomach to flip. Again, his heart ached, but for a different reason... a different someone. He smiled back at his mental picture.

"Then," said Harry, "maybe I'll finally realize the chance to be happy when it appears." He continued grinning as he looked at Kat. "I can be hard-headed about things sometimes."

Kat giggled, not because it was funny, but because it broke the tension. They sat in silence together, being content to be in each other's company. Unbeknownst to each other, they were both attempting to deal with the feelings that were laid out on the table that night.

Harry finally realized just how much he missed Cho, and that a large part of him felt guilty for using Kat's company to fill the void. Not that he didn't enjoy being around Kat, he liked her very much. But things happened this past summer that probably shouldn't have happened, and Harry couldn't decide if that was a good thing or a bad thing. One thing he was sure about, however, was that he would be seeing Cho in two days, and that he would make sure that she knew exactly where she stood in his feelings.

Kat, for her part, was apparently coming to terms with the fact that Harry couldn't (or wouldn't) pursue a relationship with her. She seemed surprisingly relaxed for someone who had just been turned down. Harry suspected that it might be because she had finally gotten her true feelings off her chest.

Kat was the first to break the silence. "Speaking of leaving," which, of course, they weren't, "will you walk me home?"

"A whole two doors down?" asked Harry. "Yeah, I think I can manage that."

"You leave for school soon, don't you?" she asked, still not looking at him.

"Day after tomorrow."

"Would it be too much if I wrote you occasionally?" Harry wasn't sure if she was being sarcastic or genuine, which was, after all, one of her most endearing qualities.

"I would like that, yeah."

"Um," she said, stopping in front of her front door. "Do you have an adress, or would the letter just magically show up in your mailbox?"

Harry snorted. "Just give the letters to Xander," he said. "He knows how to reach me." When Kat looked apprehensive, Harry added, "Don't worry, I promise you he won't read them."

"Why can't I just mail them direct?"

"There are certain... channels that have to be followed," said Harry evasively, "and Xander knows how to get around those channels."

Kat looked skeptical. "He seems to know quite a lot about you for only knowing you a short time."

"We've been through a lot together already," said Harry, shrugging. "I told you, we've gotten each other out of a lot of trouble."

"The Potter Mystery continues..." said Kat mystically. She was now staring at her feet as though they were the most interesting objects in the world, and Harry knew that she was trying to figure out how to say good-bye.

"I'm glad that I got to know you this summer," said Harry. "And I'm glad that you still want to be my friend. You've become quite special to me, and I'll never forget the time we've spent together."

Apparently, this wasn't what Kat wanted to say, as she turned her back in order to enter her home. Halfway through the door, she paused and turned around.

"If I never get the chance or the nerve to say it again," she said, "I love you, Harry Potter."


Author notes: Lordy, Lordy, I finished another story. I hope you guys enjoyed it, even if it did take me forever to post. Depending if my personal life ever slows down to the pace of a normal person, I would like to try to write Year 6 (in fact, i have 4 whole pages written. Woo Hoo!), so hopefully if you're patient enough, it'll happen. Just keep up with the encouraging messages, they truly are what gets me through this.