Harry Potter - Series Fan Fiction ❯ McGill ❯ Simon McGill ( Chapter 3 )

CHAPTER THREE: Simon McGill

June 15, 1990
McGillis House
7:34 a.m.

Harry opened his eyes slowly. He could smell bacon and eggs frying. Sitting up, he bumped something large. Blinking slowly, he realized it was the huge stuffed white tiger from yesterday… yesterday. IT HAPPENED. IT REALLY DID. THERE REALLY WAS MAGIC!

A knock on the door caused Harry to jump. Looking around for his clothes, he was surprised to find them gone. A pair of jeans and blue shirt was laid out with underwear and socks. Turning around, he noticed a robe on the wall by the door. Grabbing the robe, he shrugged it on and tied it tightly. Biting his lip, he opened the door.

Carmus stood outside. "Feel better, Harry?"

"Yes, sir."

"Call me Carmus. Now I can guess you are hungry and want to eat, so I'll make this fast. Today, you can come down to the table in your robe, but that's really not polite. So tomorrow, you need to wake up, shower, make up your bed, get dressed, and come down to eat. This room is not your room. I let you stay in mine. Yours is across the hall and two doors down. It's really not ready yet. I thought today, we could go shopping for a bed, furniture, toys, and other stuff. We'll also go school shopping."

Carmus paused. "I know this is a lot to take in and I promise to explain more over breakfast, so for now, if you'll go through the door opposite you'll be in the bathroom. Go now."

Harry nodded and turned towards the door.

"Harry, they lied, your parents were so good to you. I can't wait to tell you about them." Carmus closed the door and went down to set the table.

Harry hurried down the steps, now he knew why the socks had been left out, the floors were cold. He had peeked into the room Carmus had said would be his. It was totally empty but clean, with a large closet. Best of all was the floor. It was wood placed in a pattern. Up and down like spiky waves. The room was bigger than Dudley's room! And there was a door to the bathroom. The window in the room looked out over the back yard and garden. And Carmus mentioned buying furniture. His hair slightly damp, Harry ran downstairs, his stockinged feet padding through the hallways. When stopped in amazement as he pushed opened the two large wooden doors to reveal a huge dining room. Shaking his head, he wondered exactly who Carmus McGill was and how could he afford this place. Walking around the table which could have seated 12 or more people, he found himself at a honey colored wooden door.

Pushing the door open he stopped in his tracks.

A small … creature was standing there, big eyes and huge ears. It wore a tunic of sorts with a shield on it. Like the shields in his history books. It squeaked and Harry jumped back, his head hitting the wall behind him.

Carmus looked at Harry, concern in his eyes. "I forgot, Harry, this is Dayn. Dayn is a house elf, she takes care of the house and us. She's totally harmless. I'm afraid you will be seeing many more strange creatures and people before we are done today. I promise, she won't hurt you."

Harry just stared at the house elf.

Carmus led Harry to the table. ". You know those old stories about farmers who would put out milk and honey for the wee folk who would come in and clean or keep the house or animals safe? That's house elves except wizards employ them. Their family is linked to my family and they will serve faithfully until I give them an article of clothing to keep. Giving clothing is dismissing a house elf and they don't do well with that sort of freedom. They have a burning need to clean and organize things. Dayn?"

The house elf walked over and bowed to Harry. "I am being Dayn, young master. I take care of the house. Master be telling me to fix you something light for breakfast."

Carmus watched as Harry ate slowly. He knew from Sean's messages and his… aunt's attitude, that Harry was not feed much, so Carmus had Dayn make porridge and scrambled eggs.

"Harry, I've known about you for all your life, even though I didn't know where you were. I had a friend who could see the future and he left me message that I've been following. I take care to follow them in the order he gave them to me. I didn't get the message about you until near the first of June but I had to leave you there. I'm sorry, but one of the reasons I waited so long to get to you was because I know that the school you will be attending has already written your acceptance letter under 'Harry Potter'. It's a magical school with magical records. However, the letters are hand written and thus not magical. So I needed the time for the letters to be written, so they don't know that you've gone. It's one of the way, I can and will protect you.

Now, because it is a magical school, you can only go if you are invited. You can't go in under the name of Harry Potter, for your safety's sake. So, if you are willing, we will undergo a magical ritual that will cause me to be considered one of your parents. I won't replace your mother or father but it will give me the right of a second father to you. It will also allow you to have a new name, first and last. Once you do accept, if you accept, the book will alert them to new student. They won't check really to see if the name 'Harry Potter' has disappeared, they'll only look for the new name."

Harry stared at him, "Why would I need protection? Why would anyone want to hurt me? I'm just Harry."

"No, you aren't 'just Harry'. This is the problem of you not being raised by a wizard. In the Wizarding world, which is different from this which we call the Muggle World, you are known as 'Harry Potter, Boy Who Lived'. It is all tied up in your parents' deaths. Just as abuse happens here, abuse can happen there. Decades ago, a young and powerful wizard named Tom Riddle was orphaned and orphanages back then were horrible. He saw his entrance to the Wizarding world as a rescue. He wanted to be someone, not surprisingly. He went to Hogwarts, the school you will be going to, and was sorted into a House. The houses are four: Ravenclaw, Slytherin, Gryffindor, and Hufflepuff. Well, he was sorted into Slytherin, and being an orphan, he did not have all the fancy clothes that so many of the wizard-born take for granted, or the manner, or the history. He was treatedly badly by the other three houses since in every school there is one section everyone blames things on. Slytherin is it. So, he grew angry and rather than blaming the fact they were children, he blamed the fact that it was his Muggle upbringing.

"In time resentment and anger twisted him into a cruel man. His final straw was when he was refused a chance to work at the school, the school he viewed as a true home. He delved into some very EVIL arts and became Lord Voldemort. He led a reign of terror for several years."

"Voldermort?!" Harry snorted.

Carmus grinned and used his want to write out 'Tom Marvolo Riddle', the letters switched around to read, 'I am Lord Voldemort'.

"Your mother and father defied him. Your mother,Lily, was the Ancient Runes teacher and your father, James, was an Auror, think Wizard Scotland Yard. One day, he found where they were hiding with you, and attacked. He cast one of the three Unforgivable Curses and killed them. He cast it at you, and it bounced back. Part of the curse carved your scar, the rest destroyed his body. His body is gone, but not his soul. His soul fled in tatters. One of the most evil things he did, helped to preserve his soul against death. His soul exists and can and will inhabit a body again. He believes that he must destroy you so that you will not destroy him. He believes that it was prophesized.

"After their death, you should have been given to you godfather, but you weren't. He later did something stupid and got himself locked up. After his was another family, the Longbottoms who had a child who was only a day older than you, but they were attacked the same night, Then there was another family, the Tonks, pureblood witch mother and muggleborn father. They could have taken you but you were never delivered to them."

"Why not? My aunt hates me?" Harry dropped his fork, tears falling gently.

"Oh Harry, I don't know… but I do. In fact, that's one reason, why they ignored your parents' wishes and placed you with your aunt. This person will claim that they believed that the blood you share with your aunt would power wards, magical protections. They won't. It needs other components. It takes FAMILY to power blood wards. It needs well, love. Love, Intent, and Will, as my Sean said. Love for you, even when they are ready to slap you, if they still loved you or your mom who died for you. Will, a determination to protect you and keep safe. They didn't have that and I am sorry for that. If they wanted you safe, they wouldn't have hurt you. Intent, if they did everything they did with the sole thought of 'oh well, he is family', but Harry, when I heard your aunt call you an 'it' and 'freak', they had no intent. I'm so sorry, but on the other hand. If you are willing to be adopted by me, you will have my blood. My love, I will you willingly. My intent, to save you and let you choose your own path. I will be there to make sure you don't fall into an abyss but I will not force you into a mold.

Also because the person who placed you with your aunt, knew what would happen to you. They wanted you to become malleable, predictable, and useful. They knew that you would be ground down slowly under their hatred and like Tom Riddle; you would love to be rescued. They would rescue you and of course you would do anything to make them happy. And every summer you would be forced back into that house just so you would appreciate their attention more. This person, who is often called 'the one who steals' in the prophecies I was given." Carmus leaned over and refilled Harry's milk glass.

"It was a prophecy that got my parent's killed, right?"

"Yes. Let me say though, that particular prophecy came from the mouth of someone who never spoke a real prophecy. Also, Riddle only heard part of the prophecy. If he had heard it all, he would never have attacked you or the Longbottoms, because by doing so he made it true. Tricky thing, prophecy. My prophecies were given to me by a friend who hates speaking mysteriously. His prophecies are for the most very clear spoken. Now he uses metaphors for people but they aren't exactly hard to figure out."

Harry nodded and played with his food for a moment. "What would be my new name?"

"Well, you can pick your first name, you will take McGill as your last name. So it will be whatever Harry James Potter McGill."

"James?"

Carmus closed his eyes for a moment. "Yes, Harry JAMES Potter. You were given your father's name for a middle name. You can't use it though. The ritual will change how you look a bit but not that much. It will only add my features into yours. If you called yourself James, someone might make the connection. I'm sorry."

Harry nodded again. "I like the name 'Simon'.

"Okay, Simon. Now finish up, and we'll go shopping. You have so much to learn and only two and a half months to learn it.

"Yes, sir."

Carmus looked at Harry, one eyebrow raised.

"Yes, Carmus."

Carmus ruffled his young charges' hair and headed off.

Carmus apparated them to Diagon Alley. Turning Harry to face him, he cast an illusion over the scar, "This is Diagon Alley, one of the main wizarding shopping centers. We're going to Finckle's Fine Furnishings. A bed is important in our culture, young Simon. One day, long from now, you will leave home and you take your bed with you. So pick a good one, k?"

Harry laughed and turned around. Owls were flying overhead, people were walking in robes. Diagon Alley had a sound, like the happy roar of the waves. Children ran between people. Carmus led Harry towards a book store.

"I already have your books for school but I thought you might want to pick some up for fun."

Harry nodded and headed into the stacks. Carmus sat on a bench just inside the door and waited. A dark man in dark robes stood in the door, his hair pulled back with a black tie. It fell to his back with a slight wave. He was pale with a nose that had obviously been broken before and dark eyes.

"Carmus, what do you want?"

"Severus, my friend. Sit. Please. You know of Sean's prophecies. He asked me to rescue a child. Oh, Severus, what you went through was bad, but at least you had love. This child was worked like a slave. No touches of love, he received less food than a house elf. He is small, Severus, about the size of an eight year old. He's fragile. I'm positive that his bones have suffered. I need more than usual nutrient potions. Please, Severus."

Severus Snape lowered his head. He felt fingertips rest against the line of jaw. "Of course, I'll come to McGillis tonight."

"Thank you. I'll expect you for dinner and I'll make up your room. Right now, I have to find him before he decides to bring the entire store home."

Severus nodded and stood up. Carmus stood next to him. One finger resting in his friend's palm. Severus squeezed it gently, quickly before he left. Carmus shook himself and decided to go and find Harry.

Three hours, 29 books, a tour of Grigotts, and a stop in the apothecary later; they finally had managed to get to Finckle's Fine Furnishing. Harry darted from one wonder to another and still wasn't ready to sit still. Carmus knew that Harry would crash later tonight. Finding the directory, he nudged and poked Harry upstairs. He stopped Harry in front of the bed section. He turned Harry towards a wall that had squares of wood mounted on it.

"Harry, pick a wood."

"A wood, sir?"

"What color wood would you like for your bed or would you prefer a metal bed frame?" Carmus waved at the wall.

"Oh…" Harry walked closer, one hand reaching out to touch it. He finally pointed to one piece that had been lacquered a deep honey almost red. Oak, it took the stain well.

Carmus reached up and pulled off the block of wood. "Now, we pick the type. Go over there and pick a bed type. And Simon?"

"Yes, sir?"

"Pick what you like, don't pay attention to the price. This bed is to last you for a long time."

"Yes, Carmus!" Harry walked over to look at the different frames while Carmus went looking for a mirror. When he looked back, Harry was staring at one bed. A big four poster, the finials on top were shaped like large raindrops. A curved headboard and footboard. It came with a bench that sat against the front of the footboard, extra storage. The bed itself was a captain's bed with two large drawers on one side, magically deepened. Four smaller drawers on the other side, also deepened.

Carmus stepped up and pressed the wood into a cut out in the headboard. Like water flowing, the bed rippled and changed. "Very nice bed, Harry. Now this bed is set up for curtains, so let's go select some."

Carmus led Harry to a book that stood next to the bed, flipping it open, there were sheets of cloth. "I think cotton, silk, and velvet, now the color. Just touch one of those colors and you can lighten it or deepen it. There are also patterns. Select one and we can change it."

Harry flipped through the book until he came upon one with very small metallic silver stars. Selecting it, he deepened the purple. "It's like the sky at night."

"Yes, it is. So we'll take bed curtains in this motif. Perhaps some also in green, blue, ivory, and black. Similar to this shade, just so we can change it every so often. Now sheets, silk is impractical for children, not to mention you sweat in them. Cotton, jersey, a set of silk for show. Hmmm, comforters in both plain and with the star pattern, duvet both plain and patterned. And pillowcases for three pillows. Now, Simon, as a McGill, you have a certain manner to uphold. We are purebloods who also happen to have a great deal of money, that is why the salesman knew better than to bother us. I want you to raise your left hand and sharply point to the bed. That lets him know to come over. See how the book recorded our order, hand him the book and tell him to charge it to 'Vault 37'."

Harry nodded and raised his hand. Before he had even pointed a young woman came over. He handed her the book and asked her to 'please charge vault 37'. She bowed and left. She was back a moment later with a slip of parchment. Carmus took it and signed. About five minutes later, the woman was back again with a medium sized wooden box that she handed to Harry. After thanking them for shopping, she left.

"Go ahead, open it."

Harry did and saw the bed he chose in miniature. "Ummm, it's a bit small for my bedroom."

Carmus laughed. "Well carrying a bed all over town would hurt your back, now wouldn't it? It's shrunken, we'll go put in your room when we get home. Latch back the box and keep it. When you are ready to move out, may it be a long time in coming, you can place the bed back in there. Now let's go eat."