Chapter 23: Bedlam in the Belfries
"To the depths of Merlin's armpits, you odious creatures!!" Percy roared furiously through his mask, making the motion for Wingardium Leviosa with his wand.
Soon several of the Gnomes were lifted into the air and then sent screaming over the fence. He felt something tugging at his pant leg, and he reflexively shot a blast of pure magic into the face of another Gnome. Furiously he flew spells about the garden, doing everything he could to hammer the vermin with all the mystical might he could wield. He was about to cast Incendio to flush out a Gnome hole when the creaking noise of the door broke his concentration.
"Is everything alright out here?" The voice of Harry asked politely.
Percy's brief moment of broken concentration caused his fireball to sweep wide to the left, blasting apart a potted tulip next to the shed. Furiously, Percy spun around to face the young boy.
"What are you doing here!? You're distracting me already!" Percy demanded vigorously.
"I-I'm sorry! I just heard a bunch of racket and wanted to see what was up…" Harry explained as Percy stepped towards him.
"First you mess up breakfast, and now you mess up this chore too!? Is nothing sacred to you Potter!? Can I do nothing in any kind of peace!!?" Percy roared, his voice becoming mere volume through the solid mask.
"Percy!! Why the bloody hell are you yelling back there!?" Molly cried out from inside the house.
"Nothing, Mother! Merely getting a bit rough with the Gnomes!" Percy called back, taking off the mask for a moment.
"Well, please do it a bit more quietly!! You're going to disturb the neighbor's dog again!!" Molly called back.
"We don't have neighbors!" Percy corrected.
"Just keep it down, will you?!" Molly called out.
Percy let out a deep, exasperated sigh. "Yes, mother." He replied.
Harry blinked before clearing his throat. "So, are you going to let me help you now?" He asked.
"No, Potter. Go do something else." Percy told him in a deadpan voice.
"Okay. I'm sure your mother isn't going to be too pleased about that…" Harry replied as he turned around to leave.
"... I dislike you. Immensely." Percy continued in a deadpan tone.
"I know. But I don't know why." Harry replied. "Anyways, how do you want to do this?"
"Get on a suit like mine and get your wand out. We are giving these gnomes hell." Percy told him, glaring at the little beasts.
"Isn't this a bit much?" Harry asked.
"They know what they did…" Percy growled in response.
"I don't think they do…" Harry muttered to himself, before turning around to get on a suit of his own.
After some minutes of rounding up the suit, mask, and other protective gear, Harry returned to the garden. The scene had turned to resemble a warzone, with Percy ducked behind a wheelbarrow taking potshots at the gnomes. The Gnomes in kind retaliated by throwing stones and vegetables at him. After taking a chunk of rock to the face, the mask cracking on impact, Percy finally noticed Harry standing in the doorway.
"Are you just going to stand there?! Do something!!" Percy roared as he clutched his face in pain.
Harry raised his wand and pointed it at the gnomes. With a quick flick of his wand, he cast a spell. "Flipendo!" He called out, firing a ball of blue light that bowled a Gnome over.
"Where did you learn that?" Percy asked; his face warped in surprise.
"A book for Professor Quirrell's class. 'The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection.'" Harry explained.
"You can… never mind. All right. Let's send them packing." Percy replied, reading his wand.
Harry smiled a bit. "I'll knock them over with the Knockback Jinx, you send them flying." He told Percy with a chuckle.
"First good idea you have had this whole summer." Percy reluctantly replied.
"Are we bonding?" Harry asked curiously.
"... No? Maybe? You cannot prove anything…" Percy replied, unsure of if they were or not.
Harry smiled a bit at that before stepping towards the Gnomes. Before they could train their fire towards him, Harry hit several of them with a powerful Flipendo. As soon as they were off their feet, Percy leapt out from behind the wheelbarrow, hitting them with Levioso. Screeching like banshees, the Gnomes then sailed over the fence. Harry smiled at how well it worked and kept hitting them with Flipendo. Bit by bit, the hordes of Gnomes were evicted from the garden. Until the last one was finally sent over, punted as hard as Percy could muster.
"And stay out!!" Percy screamed.
"I think that's the last of them." Harry said through a series of pants.
"I… hate to admit it… but well done, Potter. You certainly know your way around a jinx." Percy panted, catching his breath.
"Thank you. I've never seen anyone fling Gnomes as hard you can." Harry replied with a smile.
"You've never seen anyone fling Gnomes at all before now." Percy replied; a small smile came to his face.
"Well, you're a high bar to beat then." Harry said with a small chuckle.
"Do not do that, Potter. Do not make me start to like you." Percy replied with a chuckle of his own.
"Why not?" Harry asked, confused.
"Because I still have not forgiven you for dragging Ron into trouble last year and almost getting you both killed. Multiple times." Percy told him, beginning to straighten out his suit.
"I only did it one time." Harry protested but was soon stopped by Percy.
"The dog? The troll? The Dark Forest? The trials for Nicholas Flamel's Philosopher's Stone?" Percy listed off, counting on his fingers.
"You mean the Sorcerer's Stone?" Harry asked.
"It has multiple names." Percy waved off.
"How do you know what's the right name then?" Harry asked.
"Uh… hm… You win this round, Potter. But you have not won the war." Percy replied, opening his mouth to explain with his finger up before closing it and lowering his finger to stop and think.
"There's a war?" Harry asked, confused.
"... How are you so pure?" Percy asked in disbelief.
"My Aunt says I get it from my mother." Harry answered.
"Hm. Then I suppose we owe your mother Lily Potter a debt of gratitude for the fact that you are not a complete delinquent." Percy noted thoughtfully.
"I think that's the first time anyone has complimented me, or my direct family." Harry said in disbelief.
"... How are you still sane?" Percy asked in disbelief.
"The jury is hung on that one, Percy." Harry replied dryly.
Meanwhile: In the Hoggerton Manor
"Alright. I got my toad Winslow. I got several changes of night gowns. Silver craft supplies. All the books and school supplies. Wand. Is there anything else, mother?" Albert said, turning to face her.
"I believe that should be everything, dear. Wait… do you have your broomstick?" Martha asked him.
"... Do I have to?" Albert asked, before gulping.
"You'll have to learn to fly eventually, dear." Martha reminded her son.
Albert sighs, before heading over to grab it from its mount on the wall. "If Goblins and Wizards were meant to fly, then Merlin would have given us wings." He grumbled before putting it into his suitcase, his arms sinking down into the suitcase as he did so.
"I know you hate flying, Albert, but you won't get better unless you practice." Martha told him gently.
"Why do we need to fly? We got Portkeys, Floo Powder, Teleportation Toilets, and even good old Apparation. Why, oh why, do we ever need to fly?" Albert asked.
"... Because it's not traceable by the Ministry." Martha said, thinking about it for a moment.
"Starting to see why everyone doesn't like them." Albert sighed before closing his suitcase.
"Dear, the Ministry is simply trying to keep too many Muggles from finding out about our world. With those damnable 'guns' and 'nucular' weapons they developed, even our magic wouldn't be enough to combat them now." Martha explained.
"I notice they do a lot of trying, and not a lot of actual doing." Albert quipped.
"Fair. Now did you remember your quill and parchment?" Martha replied.
"Yes, I did." Albert sighed.
"And your spare robes?" Martha asked.
"The invisible servants are washing them." Albert groaned.
"Then we'll mail them to you via owl. What about your Remembrall?" Martha replied.
"Aren't those used to cheat?" Albert asked.
"No. Simply to remember something you've forgotten." Martha replied simply.
"Why can't it just tell you what you forgot? If I forgot it, what makes the blasted thing think I'll remember if it flashes red at me?" Albert groaned as he packed it.
"The Ministry is working on developing ones that help you remember what you've forgotten." Martha told him in response, just as annoyed with the concept as him.
"Starting to see why people go rogue." Albert grumbled, before zipping his suitcase up again.
"Did you remember to pack your Chocolate Frogs and Bertie Botts' Every Flavor Beans for a snack on the train?" Martha asked him.
"I'm not five, mother." Albert grumbled.
"You need to have a snack for the train ride, dear. You know that the trolley's overpriced." She reminded him.
Albert groaned as he hobbled over to pack some. He looked around his room one last time. Despite the opulent wooden and gold veined walls, the rest of it was rather plain. A bed, a hardwood desk, a silversmithing table, and a great wardrobe. He sighed before heading back to his suitcase with the sweets.
"Don't forget your Licorice Wands! I know they're your favorite." Martha told him with a smile, holding a container of them out to him.
"Thanks, mum." Albert said with a small smile.
Martha simply patted him on the head. "You're welcome, dear. Don't forget to write home and do your best in class. Also, do try to make some friends." She told him warmly.
"Why do I need those? Everyone's just gonna laugh at me." Albert grumbled.
"You won't know unless you try, dear. I want you to have at least some friends your own age." Martha replied.
"Alright. Alright. I'll try." Albert groaned.
"Now I believe you're forgetting one more thing." Martha reminded him before opening her arms wide for a hug.
Albert smiled and threw himself into the hug. Soon her much larger arms enveloped him and pulled him against her warmly. Yet as he looked off to the side of his mother's arms, he saw something in the corner of the room. Fluttering about were strands of white light floating about. As if they were dancing to some tune that he could not hear. Albert turned his head in confusion.
"Mum. Do you see that over there?" Albert asked, pointing to the corner of the room.
"See what, Albert?" Martha asked in confusion.
"The swirlies in the corner." Albert asked, his tone light from confusion.
Martha turned to look but saw nothing there. Frowning in concern, she looked down at Albert. "There is nothing there, dear. Are you sure you got enough sleep last night?" She asked worriedly.
"Yes, mum. I was out like a light." Albert replied.
'I have heard of this somewhere before. Could he… no, he must be imagining it. That is extremely rare…' Martha thought to herself.
"I swear, mum. I see white floating swirlies over there." Albert insisted.
"I see. Well… keep your eyes open for more, Albert. Just in case…" Martha told him ominously.
"Yes, mum. Of course, mum." Albert said with a nod.
Soon the two broke their hug as Martha left the room after a simple goodbye. Yet even after she left, Albert looked again in the corner, and the swirlies had disappeared. As if they were never there. Leaving the boy to wonder what he saw was truly there, or had he finally gone insane?