FicWad

3: UNMASKED

What seemed like only a short time later, Harry was woken by an announcement over the cabin's public address system. His ears had started to pop, although he didn't understand why, never having flown before-at least not to the great height an airplane reached. "GOOD EVENING LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. AS YOU HAVE NOTICED, WE HAVE BEGAN OUR DECENT..." He looked down at the book open in his lap. He had only read a few chapters, and didn't remember when he had fallen asleep. /Good thing I had the window seat/, he thought, as he slipped the book into his satchel. The other 2 seats beside him were empty.



His satchel, in fact, held everything he owned. Bill had helped out by applying notice-me-not charms on most of the contents. After all, airport security would get suspicious with a lot of miniaturized items and so on, and might start asking uncomfortable questions.



oOo

Exiting the plane, he followed the other passengers into customs screening. The small booklet he had looked over while waiting for the flight back in London had explained what to expect. If anything, it had been a smooth process from the time he had gone through check-in back in London. It was far easier for a wizard to travel and get through customs, than for a muggle. After all, charmed documents tended to move things along a bit.



So, as far as the customs officer who interviewed Harry was concerned, a young man named James Evans was in the country for a month to visit his aunt and uncle in Barrie. Harry had retained his glamour charm Fred had applied much earlier that day.



After clearing customs, he then made his way to the magical section of the airport. It took him nearly an hour to locate it, since it had been moved, with the ongoing demolition of Terminal 2. He actually almost missed it, in fact. The entrance behaved exactly like that of the Leaky Cauldron, with several muggle-repelling charms applied.



Stepping through the door, he could feel the magic around him, but the area didn't look much different from the rest of the airport. The room was still lit with electric lights, instead of candles and gas lamps, like back at Heathrow. There were devices Harry knew were computers, set up on several tables at the centre of the room. He had saw computers before, but had never touched one. There were numerous people milling around, some of them talking on... radios? Or was that a telephone? He wasn't sure. How did all this work, though? Didn't Hermione say that magic and electronics didn't work right together?

"You look lost, son." Said an older gentleman.

"Just, a little confused. But I need to get to Baldwin Alley." Answered Harry.

"The floo room is through that door right there." Said the man, gesturing to a door toward the rear of the room. "You'll actually want the Snitch & Bludger Hotel. Given the late hour, they'll set you up with a room for the night."

"Thanks." Said Harry, smiling silently to himself.

"Not a problem, son. Welcome to Canada."



The floo room was nearly as busy as the outer room, with short lines in front of the outgoing fireplaces. It reminded him of the Ministry of Magic back in London. As his turn came up, he took a handful of floo from the slot beside the fireplace, threw it into the fire, and said, "Snitch & Bludger Hotel!". He stepped into the then green flames, and vanished.



He had already saw a few differences in the way Canadian magical society worked, but the floo network was the same. He was unceremoniously dumped out of the grate onto his backside.

"Not used to travelling by floo, I take it." Said a voice to his right. He looked up to see a middle-aged man, offering him a hand up.

"No, never have." Answered Harry, accepting the help of the stranger.

"Welcome to the Snitch & Bludger. I'm assuming you'll be needing a room for at least the night?"

"That would be great."

"Follow me, then." The stranger said, "You can call me Stan."

"Thanks." Said Harry, looking about his surroundings. Unlike wizarding places in England, this looked very modern, and could very easily pass as a muggle establishment. Once again, the building was lit with electricity, even though he could feel residual magic around him. He couldn't help it anymore.

"Excuse me... but, I thought electricity and magic didn't work well together."

"We get that a lot from you Brits." Stan laughed, "Our Ministry of Magic has a muggle technology integration department. They've been able to get around some of the problems with combining magic with muggle technology." Harry had to smile at that. What would Mr. Weasley think? Wait, what would Hermione think? At that, he burst out laughing.

"Did I say something funny?"

"No, it's just, well, one of my best friends is always on about magic not working well with muggle technology, and it can't be done... and oh Merlin, I can't wait to see her face!" Said Harry, finally getting hold of himself.

"Alright, here we are. Speak to Mitch here, he'll get you registered." Said Stan.

"Thanks." He turned to the counter, where Mitch had already pulled out a key.

"How long do you expect to be staying, sir?"Said Mitch.

"I don't know, at least a couple of days."Answered Harry.

"Very well then. It's 9 galleons a night, that includes breakfast in the morning."

"That's fine." Said Harry.

"You can pay now or settle when you check out."

"That would be a better idea." Said Harry.

"Alright. If I could get you to fill this out, then." Mitch produced a form and a pen. Harry looked at it quizzically."A pen?"

"We did away with the quills years ago. Many places still use them, but it's only an issue of preference." Answered Mitch. Harry nodded in understanding. He quickly filled in the details, then passed the form back across the counter.

"Alright, Mr. Evans." Said Mitch, glancing at the name on the form, "Your room is 307, up on the 3rd floor. Stan will take you up, do enjoy your stay."



Like the rest of the building, the room was furnished with quite modern comforts. There was a television, a small refrigerator, a desk, and, of course, a queen-size bed. First thing Harry did, was check the window. What did Baldwin Alley look like? He assumed the hotel was either on the edge of it, or in the middle of it, one of the two.



He was mildly disappointed to find the street looked much like a muggle neighbourhood. Then again, perhaps he was facing the wrong way. Maybe it WAS a muggle neighbourhood he was looking at.



He turned back and sat down at the desk, pulling out several pieces of parchment from his satchel. He was about to reach back into the satchel, when he spotted a pen, or several pens, at the corner of the desk. /Stuff the quills and ink/, he thought. He began to make several notes, outlining his next steps.



The first order of business in the morning, he thought, was to find the Toronto branch of Gringotts. At least to make sure he could still access his money and so on. He would also need to set up an account manager there; As Griphook had explained, he had been the manager of the Potter accounts for quite some time.



Then, there was the issue of his education. At this point, Harry had decided he would not be returning to Hogwarts in September. Yet, he would need to complete his 6th and 7thyears somewhere. What options were available to him? He was aware of Salem Witches' Institute, in Massachusetts. Did Canada have any magical schools?



Perhaps an even more pressing issue, what aplace to live. Although he did have a substantial amount of money in his trust account, almost 60 days staying at the hotel would cost more than a few galleons. It might be nice to have room service and so on, yet, to have his own space would be a much better option. Then again, what were the wizard laws like in Canada? What about underage magic?



oOo

The following morning, after taking ashower and getting something to eat from the continental breakfast provided in the restaurant, he was ready to go into Baldwin Alley. Thing is, he thought, where's the entrance? He returned to the lobby, where he found a young woman working the reception counter.

"How do I get into Baldwin Alley?" Asked Harry.

"See the door over there?" The woman pointed to a door near the floo area. Harry nodded. "In there, touch the red wall with your wand. It will open up for you."

"Thanks." Said Harry. He quickly made his way to the indicated door, actually feeling excited. Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade had been the only two wizard shopping districts he had ever saw. What would Baldwin Alley be like?



Inside the room, he drew his wand, and touched the red wall as instructed. It slowly vanished... to reveal the same street Harry had saw from his room. This looked like a muggle neighbourhood. Even the people didn't look like wizards. There were no robes, pointy hats, or other indicators. Yet, Harry could feel the residual magic. Then, to confirm he was truly in a magical community, an owl swooped down to someone not too far from him, delivering a letter.



oOo

While Harry was just beginning to explore Baldwin Alley, Travis Carter, his new friends, his lawyer, and his mother were in a meeting with the Commonwealth attorney who prosecuted him at the end of June. They were in the attorney's office within the Ministry of Magic.

"Once again, Mr. Carter, I offer the apologies of this office for putting you through a trial." Dean Stratford, an Assistant Commonwealth Attorney, said, "You do understand, the Aurors were only doing their job."

"Yeah, I know." Said Travis.

"And Mr. Iero. My apologies to you and the rest of your musical group, for the offences committed by Mr. Bartlett. It was truly inexcusable. The Ministry is still determining an appropriate compensation for your lost revenues and so on." Said Dean. The rhythm guitarist for My Chemical Romance only nodded. The events of May 11 had rattled Frank, and even the mention brought back frightening memories.

"My question is, why was Mr. Bartlett allowed to get away with the offences he committed in the past?"

"No less than the same reason Mr. Carter did, Mr. Sawyer. Had he used unforgivable curses sooner, we most certainly would have investigated sooner."

"So he was allowed to run rampant, continuously assaulting my client, both physically, and magically, without fear of prosecution." Jeff Sawyer, Travis' lawyer, was not impressed.

"The better question is, Mr. Stratford, how are you going to prevent this from happening in the future? My son has been through hell because of the Bartlett boy, and quite frankly, I'm sick of it." Travis' mother declared.

"Understandable that you would feel that way, Mrs. Carter." Said Dean, "Once again, we have opened an investigation into the dealings of the Bartlettfamily. Standard procedure, with unforgivable curses involved. I can assure you, Mr. Bartlett will not be a problem once we try him for murder."

"You have his memory of the event, so why are we here?" Asked Travis' mother.

"Actually, I need to see more memories, specifically, of some of the incidents between your son and Mr. Bartlett. Although I have a pretty clear-cut case as it is, the more evidence I can gather as to past involvement with you, the better. I've already filed this as a capital offence. If found guilty, he will receive the Dementor's kiss."Answered Dean. Just then, there was a knock at the door. Dean opened it up to find a messenger with a parchment. He accepted it, and began to read.

"Well, looks like this might be worse than expected."He said, more to himself. "Aurors raided the Bartlett residence yesterday afternoon, found numerous dark objects, banned texts, and Mr. Bartlett Sr. was found to bear the dark mark."

"Dark mark?" Asked Frank.

"Death eaters." Said Travis quietly.

"A terrorist organisation out of England. They've been trying to get afoothold here in Canada for years." Said Dean, his features seeming to darken. He remembered all too well the horrors of the last wizard war in England.

"So now they've succeeded?" Asked Travis'mother.

"I sincerely hope not, Mrs. Carter, for if they have, incidents like May 11, will become commonplace, particularly now that Voldemort has returned to his body." Said Dean. That got a strange look from Frank.

"What memories are you looking for?" Asked Travis.

"Some of the more serious incidents involving Mr. Bartlett. Particularly the ones that resulted in a visit to Upper Canada Hospital." Said Dean, producing a pensive. Travis thought carefully, then drew his wand. He pointed it at his right temple, and drew out a long, silvery strand of energy, then let it drop into the bowl, turning the liquid a silvery colour.



An hour later, the group had left the office, leaving Mr. Stratford feeling just a little sheepish for having prosecuted Travis.

"Alright, Travis. This is where I leave you. I have an 11 amappointment with another client." Said Jeff.

"Thank you again, Mr. Sawyer." Said Mrs. Carter.

"Glad to be of help. And Travis. Do try to keep out of trouble." Said Jeff. Travis only grinned, as they watched Jeff walk away. The remaining group was then in the lobby of the Ministry of Magic.

"Mum, I still need to deal with this shit."Said Travis, pulling out several letters.

"More fines, I suppose." Mrs. Carter pursed her lips.

"That would be it, mum. Then I might like to go for a butterbeer at the Snitch & Bludger."

"Alright, then. A nice cup of tea sounds about right for myself, I think. I'll meet you at the Snitch & Bludger, then. Like Jeff said, please behave yourself."

"I'll try, mum. But it's not my fault trouble keeps finding me." Said Travis, as his mother planted a kiss on his forehead. She then walked off, headed toward one of the outgoing fireplaces.

"Alright, to Gringotts, then." Said Travis, as he and Frank also headed to the outgoing fireplaces. "Remember how to do it?"

"Yeah." Answered Frank. Travis took ahandful of floo powder, tossed it into the fire, stepped in, and said,"Gringotts Bank!". He vanished into the green flames.



Travis stepped out of the fire, into the lobby of the bank. He quickly stepped aside, and he was wise to do so, as Frank tumbled out of the fireplace into a heap. Travis only shook his head, offering his friend a hand. He had tried explaining it many times, but it didn't matter. The result was downright predictable.

"You Ok?" Asked Travis, trying not to laugh.

"Yeah."

"This shouldn't take long. I want to drop by Quality Quidditch Supplies, I hear they have a new Firebolt model." Said Travis, as they stepped into the banking hall.

"THAT OLD CODGER! BLOODY HELL!" They heard someone shout. The subject of the disturbance was in front of one of the wickets. He had raven black hair that grew to his shoulders, stood about 6feet tall, and was shabbily dressed. What kind of business would someone like that have at Gringotts? He looked like a bum. Yet, at the same time, Travis could also pick up the sizzle of angry magic in the air. It was the type of thing that made the hair on the back of one's neck stand on end. The outburst had made patrons in the bank jump, and security had pulled out their weapons.

"Mr. Evans, we are attempting to sort out this inconvenience. If you'll just..."

"DON'T YOU TELL ME TO CALM DOWN, BLOODY HELL!" The young man exploded, "I'M SICK AND TIRED OF PEOPLE TRYING TO CONTROL ME!!!" One of the lamps over top of the wicket exploded into a thousand pieces. That drew security over, and the young man was very swiftly escorted out of the bank, leaving a hall full of shocked customers.

"Jesus fuck." Travis swore. Of course, he had saw many bouts of accidental magic. To do so at Gringotts? "He'll be lucky if he doesn't end up in a Ministry holding cell."

"How... how did he do that?" Frank stammered.

"Accidental magic. It happens when awizard gets too emotionally charged." Answered Travis, as they made their way over to a teller. "I need to settle these." He produced the pile of parchment, and placed them on the counter.

"In more trouble, Mr. Carter?" The goblin behind the wicket gave an evil grin, showing all his pointy teeth.

"I guess you could say that, Spikebelt."

"Let's see..." The goblin named Spikebelt said, leafing through the parchments. "My, my, we HAVE been busy. A final total of 2,108 galleons, Mr. Carter."

"Fine." Travis said, producing his key. Spikebelt accepted said key, and placed it in a slot, along with the parchment. Moment later, he retrieved the key, and a single parchment. "An updated statement of your vault, Mr. Carter. A 5 galleon fee was charged for our services today."

"Nothing new there. Thanks, Spikebelt."Said Travis, as he collected key and parchment.

"So you get a fine whenever you use magic?"Frank was confused, as they stepped away from the teller.

"If I do when out of school. 'course, if Ican ever figure out how to put up an anti-detection charm, it'll be the end of the fines." Said Travis, glancing at the latest bank statement. The fines had cut a quarter of it.

"So how much is a typical fine?"

"Depends on what I did. If it's something really complicated, an advanced spell or charm, it can be 200 or 300 galleons. Something really simple, I might only get a warning." Travis explained. They left the bank, to find the man who caused the disturbance in the bank sitting on the steps.

"Wasn't too smart of you causing a scene like that, you know." Said Travis.

"What does it matter to you?!" The raven-haired man turned his head to look at the speaker, and a flash of surprise crossed his face.

"You recognize me." Said Travis.

"You... you were in the Prophet."

"Yeah, I'm sure I was."

"What do you want?"

"Well, judging from your accent, you're not from around here. Anything I can help with?"

"No, there isn't! Bloody hell, just... piss off!"

"Hey, I was only offering to help, but if that's the way you're gonna be, then fuck you too." Travis hissed. He grabbed Frank's arm, and led him away.



Harry watched the two guys walk away. What had started as an awesome morning had became a nightmare. He had been into several stores, purchasing a few items, and a couple extra books to study, and had then gone into one of the clothing shops. It all went to hell when he went to use his debit card less than 15 minutes before.



oOo

"I'm sorry, sir, the transaction has been declined." The young woman behind the counter said.

"What... what do you mean? I mean, my vault... never mind." Harry stammered, collecting his card, and sliding it back into his wallet. It looked like his next stop would be Gringotts. He had hesitated about going there, as it would mean dealing with Sirius' will again. This little 'inconvenience' obviously demanded attention.



He had passed the bank several times during his exploration of Baldwin Alley, so it only took him a few minutes to get there. He found it virtually empty, and so stepped up to one of the wickets.

"Excuse me, but I'm having a bit of trouble with my debit card."

"Your card and your key, please." Said the goblin behind the wicket. Harry quickly produced both, and slid them across the counter. The goblin inspected both items, then looked at Harry strangely.

"And how did you come to be in Toronto, Mr. Potter?"

"Please don't tell anyone!" Harry blurted,"But... how did you know?"

"One, this IS your key, correct? And number two, we can see through your glamour."

"Oh."

"One moment, please." The goblin disappeared into a room behind the teller wickets.



The goblin returned a few minutes later, bringing a single sheet of parchment. He slid it through the cage. "This should explain what has happened, Mr. Potter. Your key and your card." They were also slid back through the wicket, as Harry read the parchment:



Regarding vault No. 687:

As this is a trust vault, the wizard guardian has requested it be frozen as the benefactor has left the care of his guardians without permission.



Ragnok, Manager,

Gringotts Bank, Diagon Alley Branch



He had a whole vault full of money that he could no longer access. He felt his temper rising, now having a suspicion as to who had vault access frozen. "Dumbledore." He cursed.

"Pardon me?" Said the goblin.

"THAT OLD CODGER! BLOODY HELL!" Harry exploded, making a number of people around him jump.

"Mr. Evans, we are attempting to sort out this inconvenience. If you'll just..." The goblin behind the wicket began.

"DON'T YOU TELL ME TO CALM DOWN, BLOODY HELL!" Harry erupted, "I'M SICK AND TIRED OF PEOPLE TRYING TO CONTROL ME!!!"One of the lamps over top of the wicket exploded into a thousand pieces. That drew security over, with weapons drawn. Harry knew better than to take it any further, and sighed, grabbing his key and the parchment.

"Very unwise conduct, wizard." Hissed one of the guards, giving a menacing grin, "We'll escort you out now."



oOo

Harry was at a loss as to what to do then. Without access to money, he now had nowhere to stay. He had perhaps 17 or 18 galleons on his person, definitely not enough to do him any length of time, particularly considering he had to pay for the room back at the hotel. He had no owl, so he couldn't even send out a letter asking for help. The last time he had felt like this, was on occasions he had been locked in the cupboard under the stairs by his aunt and uncle.



He slowly stood up, and after getting his bearings, returned to the Snitch & Bludger. He quickly packed up the few books and belongings back into his satchel, then headed to the reception counter in the lobby to settle his bill.

"Just one night?" Asked the young woman, the same who had greeted him earlier that morning.

"Yeah."

"And everything was satisfactory."

"Yeah, it was fine." Answered Harry, absently.

"Alright, your final fee is 9 galleons, 8sickles." Said the woman. Harry pulled out his money bag, and lay 10 galleons on the counter. "Keep the change."

"Do come back and see us, Mr. Evans." The woman said, smiling. Harry only nodded, then stepped away from the counter. It was almost lunch time, and so he made his way into the restaurant. He had to come up with new plans, and a growling stomach wasn't helping things.



Having ordered lunch, he took a seat at an empty table, and again took out the sheets of parchment he had written back at No. 4 Privet Drive, along with the notes he had from his meeting at Gringotts the day before. So many things were dependent on him having access to his vault! Now he doubted he would ever be allowed back into Gringotts as it was, with the outburst. Curse Dumbledore and his meddling!!! He screamed in his head, slamming his fist down on the table. It made a number of others in the room jump.

"Are you alright, dear?" Asked the woman at the table across from him. What got his attention right away, was her bright red hair. She reminded him of Ron and Ginny. He only sat there, as a range of emotions raced through his head.

"Dear?"

"I'm... I don't know." Harry stammered, "No, NOTHING'S alright."

"English, eh?" Said the woman, picking up her tea and the newspaper, and sliding into the seat opposite him. "You look like you need someone to lend you an ear." Harry only nodded, leafing through the parchments in front of him. "I don't know what to do."

"I would assume you haven't been in the country long."

"I've only been here since last night."Answered Harry, "Everything was fine until a little while ago. I... I just want CONTROL of my LIFE!" He sighed, again looking at the woman sitting opposite him. "Merlin, what am I doing, I don't even know you! How do I know you're not working for Voldemort?" The woman let out a laugh. "My dear, I can assure you I'm not in with Voldemort or any other dark wizard for that matter. You see, I'm a muggle."



That made Harry pause for a moment. What was she doing here, then? Wait, she's probably got a magical child, like Hermione's parents, he thought.

"Your children are magical." Said Harry. The woman nodded. "I'm James. James Evans."

"Alicia Carter. Please, call me Lisa."Said the woman. She paused. "You remind me of my son. He's going into 6thyear at Nipigon."

"I'm... 26." Harry hesitated. Lisa pursed her lips. "Somehow, I find that hard to believe-I'll have you know I know about glamour charms... my son uses them enough. Your mannerisms make you a teenager."Harry felt his heart skip a beat. He felt like it was Mrs. Weasley sitting across from him. "I'm almost 16."

"That's better. Where are your parents?"

"Dead." Answered Harry, as his features fell.

"Oh my... I'm sorry." Lisa apologized, realizing the effect that question had.

"Its ok." Said Harry, "My guardians hate me, I've got a manipulative old codger of a headmaster trying to rule my life, a certain dark lord who wants to either possess me or kill me, I had enough of the dragon shit, and I left. I left my friends behind, but Merlin! I just..."

"You just need to breathe." Said Lisa. Harry nodded. "It just became too much. I want to live on my own terms, that's all."

"That's a reasonable expectation, James. You're almost an adult, but you are still a boy."

"So Dumbledore says."

"Headmaster of Hogwarts." Said Lisa. "You go there."

"I did. I haven't decided whether I'll be returning in September. How did you know of him?"

"My son and I have bumped into him a couple of times at the Ministry of Magic."

"He's been here, in Canada?" Harry was alarmed at the idea.

"He is a member of your Wizengamot over there, is he not?" Harry nodded. "Then I would assume that would be why. You seem to have an issue with him."

"An understatement. He's my magical guardian."

"Oh."

"Because of the old codger, I have no access to money, so I'm now effectively stranded."

"Oh my. Do you have somewhere to stay?"Asked Lisa. Harry shook his head.

"You do now. We've got a couple of guest rooms."

"Thank you, but... I..."

"Oh, don't start about being a burden, Mr. Evans. We have plenty of room." Lisa scolded. Harry only nodded. "Thank you."

"We just have to wait for my son and we'll be off." Said Lisa. She barely finished speaking, when the boy he had met outside Gringotts appeared, along with the young man that had been with him.

"Mum, what's HE doing here?" The boy hissed.

"Travis!" His mother scolded.

"I'll be alright." Said Harry, "Your son and I already met, I'll..."

"Don't even think of it, young man." Said Lisa, "You'll not be spending a night without a roof over your head."

"He's homeless." Travis sneered, "Now how did I know that already?"

"Travis, come on." The guy with him said.

"You don't know ANYTHING about me!" Harry snapped.

"HEY, I offered my help earlier, you bit my FUCKING head off. So why should I let you just..."

"Travis. It isn't your decision to make."Said Lisa, "This young man needs our help."

"Look, mate. Sorry I snapped at you back at the bank, but, err... I just lost access to my vault." Said Harry, "You don't have any idea the dragon shit I've just gone through the past 24 hours." Travis glared at Harry for a moment, then his features softened. "Alright, I guess we did get off on the wrong foot. Travis Carter."

"James Evans." Said Harry, offering his hand. Travis accepted. "And this is Frank Iero."Travis introduced. Harry and Frank also shook hands.



As their hands touched, Frank felt astrange surge of energy travel up his arm. It was coupled with a sensation that made the fine hairs on his shoulders stand on end, and butterflies seem to dance in his stomach. Whoever this guy was, he was special. Looking into his face, Frank saw his features briefly change. It only lasted a fraction of asecond, yet he saw the real person beneath the glamour. He made a note to ask Travis about that later; yet, something else seemed to say not to. God, why am I feeling like this? He thought, as they let go.

"I remember both of you from the Daily Prophet." Said Harry.

"Daily Prophet?" Asked Frank, his head still swimming from the strange encounter.

"That's our wizard newspaper. Most of it is trash, of course."

"Well, boys, it's best we get back to the house, if you've gotten everything you need."

"For today, yeah." Said Travis, "I'll probably come back in a few days. Quality Quidditch Supplies has a Firebolt II."

"Really?" Asked Harry, "I didn't know they had a new model."

"Just come out. You fly?"

"Seeker." Said Harry, "I made the house team my first year." Travis blinked at that statement. Not many kids accomplished that... and only a couple had done it in recent memory. He filed that away for later, more questions he would ask James. The group headed to the fireplaces.

"I assume you know how to use the floo."Said Lisa. Harry nodded. "Alright, then. The address is 'Travis Carter's Residence'."



Being the last one through, he, in typical fashion, ended up in a heap on the floor. He quickly accepted Frank's outstretched hand, and was helped to his feet.

"Never can get used to that." Said Harry, brushing the ashes off his clothes. Lisa was then appraising the young man who stood in the living room. "Is that all you have?"

"Yeah. I mean, most of my belongings have a shrinking charm on them." Said Harry.

"I'll show you up to one of the guest rooms." Said Travis, "Actually I'll give you my old room, I don't sleep in the house."

"Why not?"

"Because some of the things Travis does, well, doesn't make my husband very comfortable." Answered Lisa. Harry nodded in understanding. "But you both love your son?"

"Without question, James. Why would you ask such a question?" Asked Lisa.

"My aunt and uncle hated me because I can do magic."

"Outrageous." Lisa declared, "Although there are many things that Travis does that might make us uncomfortable, dear God, we would never abandon our son. That's just plain inexcusable."

"Tell that to a meddling old codger who thinks he knows what's best for me." Harry growled, "That's why I'm here rather than there."

"I'll show you the room. Then we can all have a chat." Said Travis. Although he still carried a bit of anger toward the guy, something was piquing his curiosity. There was much more to James Evans than met the eye.



oOo

While Travis and Frank watched, Harry unpacked his meagre possessions from his satchel, and then his trunk. He had started a pile on the floor, dumping all his school robes and so on. "I think anice Incendio will do for that stuff. By the way, I assume the underage magic laws are in effect here too, right?"

"I don't know how it works in England, but you would only get a warning or a fine here." Said Travis.

"No, my luck, they'd haul me in front of the Wizengamot, again." Said Harry.

"We have something in common, then." Said Travis. Harry smiled at that one. /So we do/, he thought.

"Although here you would face a wizard court. The Wizengamot only makes the laws here, not enforce them." Travis added.

"What happened?" Asked Frank.

"I'm... not ready to talk about that."Answered Harry. He pulled out his miniaturized Firebolt from the trunk, and that had Travis eyeing it with envy. "It's not..."

"It is." Said Harry, tapping it with his wand, returning it to full size. "My godfather gave it to me for Christmas in my 3rd year."

"I'll show you my broom later." Travis promised, as Harry stowed his broom in a corner. Just then, there was a knock at the door. "Frank, Gerard's looking for you." Said Lisa.

"Thanks." Frank left the room.

"Everything Ok, James?" Asked Lisa, gazing about the room.

"Yeah. Thank you again." Said Harry, "Wait a minute." He looked at one of the posters that still hung on the wall. "That's Frank, right?" He pointed to one of the people on the poster, labelled 'The Black Parade'.

"Yup." Said Travis, it's a band. They're all really cool."

"My Chemical Romance." Harry read. "That was the concert you and that other kid had the... err... the fight at, in May."

"Yeah, that would be it." Travis said, his features darkening.

"Merlin, I know how it feels... to have dragon shit happen, you not expecting it and so on." Said Harry. Travis only nodded. "Troy Bartlett. Fucker. He bullied me ever since I first met him in 1st grade. Then I got my letter from Lake Nipigon, and I thought that would be the end of him. Of course, I get to the school, and who's also there, but Bartlett. He was dangerous WITHOUT magic, for Christ's sake!" Said Travis. It was Harry's turn to nod in agreement; he knew that scenario all too well. Although in this case, it was from different people.

"Boys, why don't we take this downstairs? I'll make up a snack."



Stepping into the dining room, Harry knew at once it had been magically expanded. The table itself had been expanded, now seating 10 people comfortably. He smiled to himself, remembering the Weasleys' tent at the 2005 World Cup of Quidditch(1). Similar to the Dursley household, however, the kitchen was only separated from the dining room by an island counter. Lisa was then fetching a bag of nachos from the pantry, along with a container of salsa and some sour cream from the refrigerator. Just then, Frank and another guy entered through the glass patio door.

"How is it that when I make a snack, at least one of you show up?" Lisa teased, reaching into the pantry again, and fetching a second bag of nachos.

"Maybe their stomachs have ESP." Joked Travis, as Frank and the stranger took a seat at the table.

"Not." Said Frank. "James, this is Gerard Way. Gerard, this is James Evans."

"Nice to meet you." Said Harry, as they shook hands. "Wait, you're on that poster in Travis' room."

"He's got my old room." Explained Travis. Gerard nodded in understanding. "So are you... magical, too?"

"Yeah." Said Harry, as Lisa placed the large plate of nachos at the centre of the table. She then retrieved bottles of butterbeer from the refrigerator for everyone, and after passing them out, finally took a seat a the table herself.

"So exactly what happened in Gringotts this morning?" Travis pressed.

"I have a trust account, left to me by my parents. My magical guardian froze it this morning." Answered Harry.

"Now your reaction makes sense." Said Travis, "That's all the money you had." Harry nodded. "I'm supposed to get some kind of inheritance in a week or so, but it doesn't do any good right now."

"Well, you don't have to worry about aplace to stay, you're quite welcome." Said Lisa.

"I still need to think about my schooling. I would like to complete my NEWTs and so on." Said Harry.

"Have you gotten your OWL results yet?"Asked Travis.

"No."

"So your system is the same as here, then."Said Lisa.

"I don't know, I guess so. Have you got yours?"

"Not yet. They'll probably arrive sometime in August. I'll be lucky to get 3 or 4 at most. I was suspended from school for the rest of the year because of Bartlett. Fucking ass." Said Travis. That got a sour look from Lisa.

"What about hooking him up with Mr. Sawyer?" Suggested Frank.

"Who's Mr. Sawyer?" Asked Harry.

"My lawyer. A good idea." Said Travis.

"What can he do against Dumbledore? He's the head of the Wizengamot."

"I don't know." Said Travis, "Trust me, you'll like Jeff. He's saved my ass a few times."

"Alright, I'll meet him." Said Harry. Travis got up. "I'll give him a call. Unlikely he'll be able to meet with us today, though."

"Whenever he can... I think talking to alawyer will be a good thing." Said Harry, the wheels already turning in his head. He was completely in the dark about Canadian wizarding laws and customs, so perhaps things were done very differently this side of the pond.

"So Frankie says you just got here." Said Gerard.

"Yeah, last night." Said Harry, "It's not been a lot of fun, the past 24 hours." He then thought of something. "You guys are both muggles, right?"

"Yeah." Answered Frank. Gerard only nodded, as he grabbed a handful of nachos from the bowl.

"So why didn't the Ministry modify your memories?"

"I was a witness for the prosecution."Answered Frank, "Although I think it helped Travis far more than anything."

"Merlin, the way things are going in England right now, Travis would have just been chucked in Azkaban, forget the trial. Idiot Fudge, viewing the world through blinders. And they think I'M the one who's crazy?" Harry instantly regretted saying that, as Lisa looked at him strangely. "I mean, well, the Prophet prints a lot of trash these days about people, and, it's stupid, really." He thought for a moment. "Still, the trial's over..."

"No, actually not." Said Lisa, "The reason we were in Toronto this morning was to meet with the prosecuting attorney about Bartlett's trial. Apparently the Bartlett family is a real piece of work."

"Wait a minute. A Darryl Bartlett was supposed to pick me up a the airport last night." Said Harry.

"You flew in by commercial flight?" Asked Lisa, appearing surprised.

"My friends though if I used a port key or the floo they'd just send me back to England."

"More than likely, given that you're aminor." Said Lisa. That got a strange look from Frank, Gerard, and Travis.

"Mum, no way he's under 20."

"I'm going on 16." Said Harry, sighing. "I wouldn't have gotten through customs without it."

"Yet, you've obviously left people behind who were willing to help you. Why? You've landed yourself in a place you have very little support..." Lisa started.

"I'd rather that, than the dragon shit that goes with it." Answered Harry, "Too many people want to control me, or kill me. Or well, that's because of one person, actually. That's if you consider Voldemort can still be CONSIDERED a person."



Travis blinked. This young man, or kid, facing one of the worst dark wizards in history? No, this was by NO MEANS an ordinary kid. In trouble from using magic while under age. Recently? Vilified in the media last year, attacked by Voldemort. A ward of the most powerful wizard in England, but raised by muggles. His parents dead.

"Harry Potter." Travis said.





/CHAPTER NOTES/: I know, I'm evil. Yet, this just felt right to stop here. I had originally wanted to introduce you to Travis with him facing trial for the incident on May 11, but it felt better to do it as was done here. Again, I'll suggest you do read "Gross Breach of Secrecy", story ID No. 4226060. It reveals what actually happened, including the trial. Gerard and Frank's reason for hanging around the Carter residence will be dealt with soon, by the way. It's a given they are now friends with Travis, but I'll give a little more background detail on that.



Thanks to all who reviewed the last chapter, and to those who have been adding it to your alert/favourite list. Good to know you're enjoying what I've been publishing.



Anyway, I'll be out of town over the next few days, so no writing. It'll probably be next week sometime before Iget the next chapter out.



(1) Reminder, the calendar has been moved up by 11 years to take advantage of current technology and events.