Last Time:
The headmaster smiled, "I have no doubt little one. Go to sleep." He gave Harry the toy wolf to cuddle and watched as the boy finally lost the battle with the Sandman and fell asleep. Brian gently ran his fingers through the black hair before getting up to call Aster and tell her about what happened ...
XXXXXXXXXX
Aster sat down on the couch with Brian and smiled as she watched Harry play with the now animated toy wolf in the living room section of the tree house. "He has become much calmer around magic now."
"Yeah, it only took a couple weeks ... he was so scared when I first turned the charms back on the toys." Brian smiled softly as Harry settled down with his very animated wolf toy, who was named Mickey, and started coloring.
"When is the appointment at Gringotts?" Aster asked softly so as not to startle Harry.
"Tomorrow afternoon, actually. I have to explain about the goblins and the possible exams they will perform ... I hope he won't be scared." Brian frowned more than a a little nervous about how Harry would react if he met the goblins. The last thing he wanted was to stress Harry.
The healer smiled, "Don't worry yourself. The goblins are very good at handling these kinds of situations and we can give Harry a calming potion before going. Are you sure you want me to come too? Harry hasn't completely warmed up to me yet."
"Just because he calls me Dad doesn't mean he is calm around me all the time. Harry gets scared easily, which is understandable considering what he went through. I just want him to have two people he knows there so he won't be too scared." said Brian as he saw Harry run over his room and come back with a small figure of a basilisk charmed to slither around and hiss. "He seems to like the serpents the best." Brian chuckled as Harry seemed to pretend to listen to the snake.
"Have you thought of any names, Harry, or do you want to keep your own?" Aster asked softly, but they were shocked at the response. As always Harry shyly avoided eye contact with Aster and a set of hisses came out. Both Brian and Aster blinked in shock as Harry hissed softly always watching the toy basilisk, but stopped when Brian burst out laughing.
"Hold on one second, little one," Brian slid off the couch to join Harry on the floor and took one of the pieces of papers Harry didn't color on. The headmaster held it between Harry and the toy snake blocking the mini basilisk from view even though Mickey was pawing the paper playfully. "Now try talking." Brian said softly.
Harry tilted his head in confusion, "Daddy gave me a book of names to look at and we read most of it ... I think I like ..." Harry trailed off shyly a little afraid though he knew he shouldn't with these people. Poor Harry was behind most children his age in much more than weight and height. The child's education suffered immensely as well because of his muggle relatives. In fact, the boy couldn't read, write or even identify any animals beyond cats and dogs. The child knew more about kitchen items than toys, but Brian has had a lot of fun helping Harry learn and there's no doubt that Harry will be up to par with other kids his age by school time.
Brian grinned and patted Harry's head gently, "There's no wrong answer. Which did you like?"
"Matthew ... and Anthony." Harry blushed shyly, but he just couldn't resist glancing at the paper separating him from the toy snake, which was still hissing.
"Both are excellent names, but let me explain why I'm blocking your snake first. Harry there are people who can speak to snakes and some reptiles. It's a very rare gift that only a handful of magical people are born with each year. When Aster asked you what you wanted as far as your name goes you hissed back as you were looking at the snake. What is the snake saying?" Brian asked as Aster was beaming with excitement.
"It says ...'cute little hatchling' ... 'slither with me' ... 'keep your scales shiny' and 'my eyes are deadly' ... was I hissing, Daddy?" Harry asked, he looked scared. This was something his aunt would freak out about.
The headmaster chuckled as he pulled the boy into his lap with Mickey bouncing next to him, "It's nothing to be afraid of. The language is called Parseltongue and you know someone who speaks it too." Brian pointed right at the healer.
Green eyes widened in excitement, "You speak Pars-... persel ... Perseal tongue?"
Aster giggled as Harry butchered the name of the serpent language, "It's Parseltongue and yes. I'll help you learn when you're speaking it and not English. It can be hard to tell sometimes. Just don't look a snake while talking because you will go straight to Parseltongue until you learn to control it." Aster couldn't help but smile as Harry finally met her eyes and smiled at her.
Brian smiled still holding the paper in front of the basilisk, "I knew that these toys were made all over the world with snake speaking children in mind, but I never knew what they said ... guess it wouldn't be a good idea to put a recording device in a snake's face and put it in the toy."
"Doing that would guarantee a not so friendly response. Someone who speaks Parseltongue has to check to make sure it's child friendly." said Aster who was very amused at the suggestion.
A ringing made Harry jump slightly in fear, but Brian gently patted his hair comfortingly. "It's ok, little one. It's just my phone." The headmaster smiled as he pulled out the cellphone from his jacket pocket without moving Harry from his lap and answered. "Brian here ... ok, I'll see you in a minute." Brian hung up and put the phone back. "Ok Silvia and Sophia are coming with some things. Harry, remember what we talked about with the floo?"
Harry nodded, "It's not as scary as it looks."
"Exactly." Brian with a smile that hid his worry very well. Only one week earlier he thought Harry was comfortable enough around magic to activate the animating charms on the toys, but once the wolf toy started moving he screamed and if there weren't safety charms around the home Harry would've fallen out of the tree house. Granted Brian realized the fear was actually more about the fear of dogs than magic, but Harry didn't warm up to most of his toys right away until the last couple days.
Magic was certainly interesting to Harry, but he was still nervous as if he expected Petunia or Vernon to suddenly come flying around the corner and hurt him. Really the worst moment so far was when Harry's magic flared and accidently knocked over a set of plates causing them to crash to the floor. Brian has never seen a child so scared about something they can't control, but Harry got even more fearful when Brian came to comfort him.
Unfortunately, the child's magic flared up again and the forks started dancing with the spoons. Brian couldn't resist laughing at the sight, which did calm Harry down. After all, no one laughed at his 'freakish doings' as Petunia calls them and that was a turning point for them. Harry finally feeling safe with Brian. For a while Harry was afraid that the man he liked, the man he wanted as his Daddy, would get rid of him once he found out how big of a freak he was, but that hasn't happened. No bout of accidental magic or anything swayed the man. Harry was so happy to have someone truly want him ...
The white haired healer smiled softly as Harry held onto to Brian's jacket with his tiny hands. Aster was relieved that the twins were coming. She met with them earlier that week when Harry healed more and described Harry's scars and eyesight issues ... and get more nutrition potions since Brian refuses to leave Harry. Although it really was a good excuse Aster suspected he was a little nervous about being within range of the twins by himself.
After hearing what Aster had to say twin potion masters believed that a more powerful scar removing salve will be needed to help with the painful scars the little boy has. Since that point Sophia and Silvia have spent the entire time brewing the potions to heal eyesight, remove scars, a potion for helping him regain the height he lost due to malnutrition and a different type of nutrition potion to help him gain some much needed weight. Today is the day the twins have finished the potions and first day they meet Harry. Stephen already informed them on Harry's situation and she told them to call Brian's cellphone first before visiting ... Harry might not react well to someone sticking their face in burning embers to chat or seeing people burst into flames.
The fireplace roared to life with green and black flames and Harry yelped before burying face in Brian's chest. "It's perfectly alright, little one. They aren't scary ... most of the time." He said softly and Mickey licked the boy's hand comfortingly.
"And what is that supposed to mean, Brian White?" Harry peeked out from his Dad's shirt when he heard two women and saw the pretty tanned women with very short black hair and orange/amber eyes. Each woman had a different streak of color in their hair and they had their hands on their hips while watching Brian with pouts.
The woman with the pink streak looked at Harry and smiled, "Hello sweety. I'm Sophia-"
The woman with the gold streak started speaking "-and I'm Silvia. Aster told us you have some scars that-"
"-are hurting you.," Sophia finished perfectly. Harry nodded shyly, but didn't make eye contact. He just kept most of his face hidden by Brian's jacket, which is exactly how he acts around Aster. "Ok sweety, we have some things that will help." said Sophia as they kneeled on the ground next to Brian who was still holding the boy.
Brian smiled softly, "Can you show them that scar that hurts the most, Harry?"
The head under the mop of black hair nodded and Harry moved to pull u his shirt to show a burn scar on his tummy. "This one hurts." He mumbled softly.
Silvia looked just a heartbroken as her twin when they saw the scar and the skinny boy's emaciated state, "Ok sweety, this won't hurt at all." She said as Sophia pulled out a small bag from her pocket and very slowly made it grow in size so the boy was startled. Silvia was given a green jar by her twin and she opened it to show Harry the white cream in the inside, "A little dab of our salve will help you feel much better. Is it ok if I put some on?" Harry peeked out shyly and he nodded again.
The twin with the gold streak in her hair took a little of the salve on her index finger and gentle wiped it on the long jagged scar. It was cold and made Harry shiver a little, but the little boy could feel the tight retracted skin ease almost instantly. Feeling the strange prickling sensation that followed made Harry look at his scar and his eyes widened as he saw the scar fade away.
"Thank you." Harry said softly with the toy wolf nuzzling his hand.
Sophia smiled, "We are happy-"
"-to help, sweety." Silvia finished perfectly as she dabbed some more salve on her finger. "Now what other scars bother you?"
Brian smiled as Harry tried to not answer. The boy always tried to not be a bother to people. Hell, if Brian wasn't as observant as he was he may not have noticed that Harry was in pain and was trying not to waste the pain relieving potions, but like always the headmaster wasn't going to let him get away with being in pain. "We talked about this, Harry. What you supposed to do when you are in any amount of pain?"
"I have scars that hurt on my back, arms and right leg." Harry said softly feeling a warmth in his chest knowing his Daddy just wanted to take the pain away.
The blonde man smiled, "Very good, Harry. I'm going to move you."
A squeak escaped Harry's lips as Brian gently turned him and pulled the back of his shirt up revealing the horrific assortment of scars. The sight made Sophia tear up a little. Both twins have helped children heal after they were saved, but it never got easier and this was one of the worst situations they have seen. A part of them wanted to go with Brian tomorrow to see the full extent of the abuse from the scans the goblins will run or at least to make sure Harry was alright, but they were strangers to him and didn't want to overwhelm the boy. For now they will settle for healing the scars to make Harry more comfortable.
"Are you excited to go with your Daddy to the bank tomorrow?" Sophia asked as her sister applied the salve making each scar disappear.
Harry nodded into his Dad's chest, "Yes, I get to pick my name." He mumbled shyly peeking out quickly to look at the women. The cool salve being spread on felt really good and each time it was applied Harry felt a the tight painful scars go away. this was really happening! Nearly every night of his short tragic life he hoped for a kind person to take him away and Brian comes. Now these nice people are getting rid of his scars. He'll soon have a new name and take a potion that will make him more like his Daddy ... Harry was so happy!
Silvia grinned as she dabbed some salve on the last scars on Harry's back, "Have you decided on a new name?"
"Harry has some ideas, but no decisions yet. That's ok though, there's plenty of time." said Brian as he gently ruffled Harry's hair unknowingly making little Harry blush.
"Really? Well maybe this will help clear things up a bit." Sophia exclaimed as she reached into the potions bag and pulled out a vial filled with a clear gray liquid. "Harry .this is a special potion that will make it so you don't need glasses anymore." She explained as Silvia finished healing the scars on the boy's back.
Brian looked down at Harry, "Want to take it now, Harry?"
Harry peeked out from his Daddy's shirt ,"Yes please." He turned to take the vial. Sophia uncorked it for him and didn't let go until the tiny hands had a good grip. It wasn't very tasty at all, but Harry noticed that most potions weren't. However, potions worked fast and were really effective. The pain relieving potion made him a big potion fan already and he couldn't wait to start learning. After a second his eyes got blurry and removed his glasses.
"How is it? Seeing better?" Aster asked ignoring the twins' pouting. Of course it worked since they made the potion!
Dazzling green eyes glanced around the room in excitement before blushing shyly, "It's brilliant, thank you." Mickey was howling in excitement.
The twins beamed at the adorable child and spoke in perfect sync, "You're very welcome, sweety."
The next few minutes were spent getting rid of all the other scars. Harry had to undress a little, but he was ok with that since his Daddy was there. The last scar to be removed was the lightening bolt on his forehead. After that the twins gave Brian a set of potions.
"Now this potion is for Harry's height. Stick to a tablespoon with each meal." said Silvia as she pulled out a set of two vial filled with a purple potion.
"And this is one for helping this little sweetheart get to a healthy weight faster. Just add one tablespoon with the regular nutrition potion." Sophia explained.
"We also have some calming potions-"
"-in case you need it and some more regular nutrition-"
"-potions. Now we'll let you have fun with your Daddy, but first-"
"What's your favorite color?" Both the twins asked together after taking turns talking. Brian suddenly felt nervous. He knew the twins weren't going to let him off the hook dealing with another potion master ... even if it wasn't really his fault since it's the bank's protocol. Hell he never even met the person brewing the adoption potion. Either way he will get pranked and if he ever meets this potion master involved with the adoption potion he or she will be grilled on their expertise ... this won't end well ...
Harry smiled shyly, "Blue."
The twins grinned playfully, "Then it's settled! We'll turn something you like blue! Good bye, little sweety!" They headed for the floo, but both glanced at Brian before disappearing in green flames. Harry flinched, but it wasn't as scary this time. Aster suddenly bursting into laughter did startle him though and he glanced at the healer only to see her pointing at Brian. That's when he saw his Daddy's arms and looked up in shock.
Brian's entire body turned blue!
"I knew I wasn't getting out of this without something happening." Brian sighed, but couldn't resist smiling when Harry let out a little giggle ... maybe it was worth it ... Soon after Aster said goodbye and left giving Brian and Harry time to themselves to eat lunch.
"Potions first, little one." said the blue headmaster. He poured out the right amounts of each potion that was needed into one small cup and set it on the table for Harry. The child climbed up into the chair with his toy wolf bounding after him and the basilisk draped on his shoulders. It wasn't tasty again but Harry gulped down his potion mixture and waited for Brian to set some food on the table for them. Brian quickly set out some food, which was at set of sandwich wraps with chicken, cheese and lettuce and started eating with Harry.
The headmaster seemed to think about something as he munched, "Harry, would you like to meet my familiar?"
"Familiar means magic animal friend, right?" Harry asked cutely as he licked a drip of cheese off his lip.
"Exactly, very good, Harry! My familiar is a creature that lives in the waters near here. Her name is Gloria and I know she'd love to meet you. If you feel good enough to go that is. I didn't bring her up before since I wanted you to adjust a little to magic before seeing her." explained Brian, who was happy to see the blue fade from his skin. It seems the twins were forgiving this time or they didn't want him freaking out the goblins tomorrow.
Harry was bouncing in his seat. "I want to go! ... we don't need to take the fire shoot, right?"
Brian blinked and then laughed, "You mean the floo and no. We will take the floo to get to the bank tomorrow, but today we just take the elevators down to the forest floor."
"Elevators! Ok!" exclaimed Harry excitedly.
The blonde chuckled, "After lunch then. This will be interesting because she's one species of reptile that understands parseltongue so the three of us can chat."
"You can speak to her too, Daddy?" Harry said in confusion. His Daddy said Aster could speak the language, but him too.
A smile came to Brian's lips as he wiped his hands with a napkin, "I can't understand parseltongue, but the bond between familiar and its witch or wizard is so strong that you can understand them no matter the species." He explained and was happy to see the curious look cross his son's face.
The green eyed child eagerly finished his meal and as his Daddy put the dishes in the sink he went to put his toys and coloring things away. When Harry came back down he sat on the wrap around porch not far from the strange rectangular elevators made of sturdy wood slats. The vines growing out of the top and wrapped around the wood seemed to be the only thing holding the two elevators to the porch. Harry has always wondered how the elevators moved and now he'll be able to see for himself.
The headmaster chuckled as he saw Harry waiting, "I'm coming." He scooped up the child and stepped in the left elevator. They all, except two vines, unraveled and flattened as they wove themselves together to form four wings. As the wings fluttered the last vines let go of the porch and they were off fluttering to the ground. Harry watched in awe as the trees became higher and higher. He had no clue how high his home was until they were settled on the dark forest floor. Almost no light came passed the treetops making for a vastly different scenery than what he sees from his room.
A gasp escaped Harry's lips that turned into a laugh as Brian set Harry on his strong broad shoulders and stepped out of the parked elevator. With surprising speed Brian moved through the dense forest and over the brush littering the ground. The little boy yelped in joy as they moved quickly. It wasn't long before they came to a glistening river, which is where Gloria lives ...
"Gloria! Harry's here to say hello!" Brian called out. Harry looked at the water's surface wondering what sort of animal Gloria was. He learned about so many new creatures out there from playing with the toys and books with his Daddy so he was excited to meet the familiar. At first glance he thought he saw some driftwood, but the supposed driftwood glided quickly towards them and against the current no less!
Finally, it was clear what Gloria was ...
A massive crocodile ...
The child's green eyes nearly popped out of his head as the large, 25 foot long or so, reptile strode onto the shore, 'Brian, it has been too long! Let me see the little hatchling.'
"It's alright, Harry. You can say hello." said Brian soothingly as he gently lifted Harry off his shoulders and set him on the ground.
Harry held his Daddy's leg nervously as the crocodile turned to see the child, 'Hello Gloria.' He hissed in parseltongue.
Gloria's eyes widened just a little in surprise, 'A speaker! What a wonderful gift! ... it's ok, little hatchling. I never hurt children. The only humans who should fear my teeth are the ones who try to hurt you.' The crocodile opened its mouth and let a threatening rumble out from deep in her throat to prove a point.
Brian saw Harry relax and gently nudged him forward, "She's right. She won't hurt you. You can touch her, Harry." The headmaster was a little stunned when the little child only waited a few seconds before walking over to touch the armor like scales on his familiar. He was expecting Harry to be far more scared, but then Gloria wasn't a dog or purple faced muggle or a sudden burst of accidental magic. Harry might not fear a creature he hasn't met yet. Perhaps a trip to the zoo is in order or the dragon parks. "Oh Gloria, Harry has been thinking of names for tomorrow. Any thoughts?"
'You have been through much for such a short life.' The crocodile hummed as the child ran his tiny fingers over her scales. 'This darling hatchling has already decided a powerful name that fits him, but he fears your thoughts on the matter because he believes you have a preference ... also he desires another change.' Gloria chuckled at the child's shocked look. 'I feel much through my scales, young one.'
"Is that true, Harry?" Brian asked as he crouched down and frowned when Harry nodded quietly. Although he suspected it, as much it still hurt a little to hear Harry was afraid to talk to him, but then he has to remember that Harry has been through a lot and has only begun to realize the depth of a real parents love. The little boy needed time and Brian was very patient. "You can tell me anything, there is no wrong answer. This is your name and you can pick whatever you want. I won't be mad as long as you love what you choose. What change do you want to make?"
Harry looked up at Brian breaking the automatic switch to parseltongue and answered in English, "My ... other name."
A blonde brow arched in confusion, "Other name? ... oh, your middle name! You don't want James, is that it? Well that's a simple fix you can ask for tomorrow." Brian felt his heart melt as Harry smiled happily, "Do you know what you want as your middle name?"
"I don't know." Harry pouted, he just felt the need to completely change his name, but the four year old didn't think farther than that.
'Perhaps a ride on my back will clear your mind, little hatchling.' Gloria offered, soon after Brian and Harry were riding on the back of the large intimidating crocodile upstream and enjoying the very different environment Australia has compared to the UK ...