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Unity in Diversity | ||||||
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Category: Alternate Universe Characters:Dumbledore, Harry/Ginny, Hermione Granger, Minerva McGonagall, Neville Longbottom, Other Genres: Action/Adventure, Drama, Romance Warnings: Mild Sexual Situations Rating: PG-13 Reviews: 118 Summary: Sequel to The Beast Within. Highly reccommend you read that first. Harry and Ginny make new friends, find a few rivals, and generally enjoy themselves until danger is thrust upon Harry once again. Hitcount: Story Total: 61541; Chapter Total: 3300 Author's Notes: Some sightseeing. Honestly, the next few chapters will be centered around their travels, so if that bores you, then you may want to skip the next few. I've never been to any of the places they go, so the errors are mine. Thanks to Arnel for being my beta for this story, too. As always, she's been a huge help. |
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― Wally Lamb, The Hour I First Believed About an hour or so later, the three of them climbed out of their rented car at a train station. A sign above the ticket office read Catskill Mountain Railroad. The teens followed Sirius to show the ticket agent proof of their paid tickets. After a brief conversation, Sirius pointed to a short line of small buildings. “If you need the loo, now is the time to go. The ride is forty-five minutes long and there isn't a loo on the train.” Harry eyed the indicated structures warily, but he needed to go, so he stepped up to one and opened the door, not certain what to expect. To his surprise, it was actually rather clean inside. After taking care of business and washing his hands, he exited to find Sirius standing alone. Apparently, Ginny had braved the loos as well. Sirius took his turn, leaving Harry to wait for Ginny. Soon, the three of them were together and finding seats on an open train car. Before long, the train was loaded and left the station. Someone came over a speaker giving the passengers a brief history of the area and telling them to watch for wildlife, especially along the banks of the Esopus Creek that paralleled the train tracks. Harry had to admit, Sirius was right in insisting they wear jeans and take a jacket. The air was definitely cooler here. The train startled a few does away from the creek. Harry watched them disappear into the woods, and suddenly grabbed Ginny's hand, whispering furiously to his companions. “Look! There! By those trees! It's a stag!” “I see it!” Sirius whispered back, his gaze focused on the creature no more than twenty feet away. “Me, too!” The stag seemed to stare at them before regally bowing its head and running off into the trees. Harry sat back against his seat, lost in the moment. It felt to Harry as if the stag had stared into his soul and approved of what it saw. He knew he was being fanciful, but it didn't matter. It was as if his father had come to see him. “Harry? Are you okay?” Harry tightened his grip on Ginny's hand briefly, giving her a small smile. “Yeah. I'm fine. I just was surprised to see it. With Dad, er, you know...” “We know, Harry,” Sirius reassured him, patting his shoulder. “From my understanding, it's rare to see a stag. Unless, of course, they choose to be seen.” “I felt like it was staring at us, at me. I know that's silly, but that's how it felt.” “It's not silly at all, Harry,” Sirius said quietly. “I also thought it was watching us. Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't. We'll never know.” They settled down and enjoyed the rest of the trip, spotting a bald eagle flying overhead, a heron standing in the creek, and a few other woodland creatures scurrying between the trees and the creek. The three made it a game to see who could spot the animal first. All three of them were competitive and took the game seriously, putting forth great effort to outdo the others. In the end, with his skill at finding a hiding Snitch, Harry beat out the other two, but barely. “That was fun,” Ginny declared after the train ride. She slowly rotated to take in the surrounding hills, seemingly attempting to commit the view to memory. “It's so pretty here. Who would have thought that a short drive from that huge city, was this?” Her hands rose to indicate their surroundings. “Yeah, this I like. I could get used to this.” Sirius smirked, obviously enjoying himself. “Well, don't. This isn't our final destination.” Harry glared at his godfather, though there wasn't much heat behind it. “And you still aren't going to tell us where that is, are you?” He said it more as a statement, rather than a question. Sirius adopted a horrified expression. “And spoil all the fun?” Harry rolled his eyes at that, shaking his head, as they returned to their waiting car. He and Ginny climbed into the back seat as they had done for the trip there. Harry liked the idea of Sirius driving them around like a chauffeur. More importantly, he could sit next to Ginny and hold her hand. “Sirius, this is the third time you've taken us somewhere in which we had advanced tickets. How exactly did you manage that?” Sirius steered them from the car park and onto the street in the direction of a town called Shandaken, according to a street sign. “Harry, what did you think I was doing on those times I wasn't around Hogwarts after you made the decision to not return?” Harry shrugged, though he knew Sirius couldn't see him. “I don't know. I guess I thought you were busy getting us the houses.” “Well, I was, but I was also planning out this entire trip.” “But...how?” Ginny asked. “London has a great library. I used their computers to find all these great little attractions. I used their maps to plan out our traveling route.” “Okay, but how did you pay for everything in advance?” Sirius gave a little sigh of resignation. “Suffice it to say, I had money in some accounts I left here when I went back to England in search of you and Remus, money I haven't touched in a long while. I quit what I was doing here and returned to England, hoping to find you. It took longer than I expected. Though I hadn't used that money in so long, the accounts were still active. That's what I used for our tickets, and it's what I'm using to fund this trip.” Harry exchanged a confused look with Ginny. Sirius couldn't have come to America to purchase all their tickets before they'd left after converting gold to Muggle money, so he either had someone do it, or he had a huge amount of Muggle money stashed away. Harry figured it was the latter, remembering Sirius had once said he'd been in America for some time after that night. He thought about Sirius' connection to the band that had come to Hogwarts at Easter. How could Sirius have known them? The only way he could have was– Harry's eyes widened as he stared at his godfather. Hesitantly, he asked, “Were you ever in the music business?” Ginny's gaze flew to Harry, then darted between him and Sirius. “Well, what other explanation is there, Ginny? Think about it. He has all this Muggle money, he's on a first-name basis with a band, and he sent that band a letter and received a very personal reply. It makes sense.” “It does make sense,” Ginny agreed, nodding. Both turned their attention to the man at the wheel. Harry wasn't sure they'd get a response. Sirius seemed very reluctant to talk about that part of his life. But then, Sirius nodded. “I was, at one time. I'm not too proud of it, though.” “What? Why not?” “Because I should have tried harder to find you, Harry. I was your godfather. I should have been there for you. Instead, I gave up and wallowed in my own self-pity. Dumbledore told me you were where you belonged, so I turned my back on my obligation to you, and did my own thing over here. I made a fortune, grew tired of the lifestyle, and disappeared again. I returned to England and hid out, not doing much of anything. That's when I saw the Daily Prophet article about you finally attending Hogwarts. I was curious as to why you hadn't been there before, but didn't have the courage to go see you. As you know, it was October when I finally talked myself into going.” Harry swallowed painfully. He cleared his throat before he could speak. “Well, you're here now. That's what counts.” Deciding things had become too somber, Harry tried to lighten things up by saying cheekily, “So, you're famous over here, then?” Sirius let out a bark of laughter. “A bit, yeah, but don't worry. It's nothing like what you get back home.” “Good to know.” Harry winked at Ginny. “So, then, oh wonderfully famous godfather of mine, when do I start getting some pocket money?” Ginny snickered. Sirius snorted. “Kiddo, you have your own money. There's no need to go latching onto mine.” Ginny, getting in on the fun, piped up, a look of sincere innocence on her face. “But, Sirius, his is still at Gringotts.” “Oh, no you don't. You're not pulling that on me. Lily used to do that to me and I couldn't say no to her. I know for a fact, Ginny, that Harry pulled out a nice bit of money from his vault for this year. That will have to last him.” Both Harry and Ginny laughed. Harry said, “Well, we tried, at any rate.” Harry turned back to Sirius. “So, where are we going now?” Sirius leaned over to his right, fumbled with something, then a rectangular, folded paper was tossed over the front seat. “Take a look for yourself.” On the front was the Statue of Liberty and a giant waterfall. The words 'New York' boldly proclaimed where those landmarks could be found. Harry unfolded it to find colorful lines like cracks in a windowpane covering the paper. Dots with names were scattered all along the lines. It only took Harry a second to realize what he was looking at, then another second to find on the map the area they had just visited. “Oh, here we are.” Harry folded the map to a more manageable size and showed Ginny. “This is a map of New York. It shows all the roads, cities, rivers, lakes, and mountains in the state. We're here.” He pointed to Phoenicia in Catskill Park, then moved his finger northwest to the town that road sign indicated. “And here's Shandaken.” “Merlin!” Ginny breathed as her eyes roamed the section of the map she could see. “The state is huge!” “It's bigger than you think.” Harry unfolded the map completely. “There's the entire state.” Ginny's jaw dropped. Her finger touched the area of the map they were in. “We're in just a tiny section of it!” “Here's your trivia for today, kids. New York has a total of 54,555 square miles. England has a total of 50,346 square miles.” Harry exchanged wide-eyed glances with Ginny. He shook his head in disbelief, unable to imagine a land so big. Refolding the map to only show their area, Harry laid it back in his lap and sat back to enjoy the rest of the car ride. Less than thirty minutes later, they pulled up to a quaint looking building with a rounded tower attached. A sign out front read Welcome to the Kaatskill Kaleidoscope, the World's Largest Kaleidoscope. “What's a kaleidoscope?” Ginny whispered to Harry as they walked up to the door. “I don't know, but we're about to find out.” The trio entered the building and joined the small crowd inside. A staff member welcomed them, then continued with a short history of kaleidoscopes in general and then with a few specific details on theirs. Again, Harry and Ginny exchanged surprised looks when they learned the one they were about to see–housed in the silo–stood sixty feet high. The speaker led their group into the silo and suggested they find a spot to lie down. Mats with tiny pillows were arrayed haphazardly on the circular floor. Relatively close to the door, Sirius chose his mat. Harry and Ginny took mats that lay close together, but were a short distance from Sirius. Once everyone was settled, the lights went out, leaving the “room” so dark, it was impossible to see anything. Harry felt Ginny's fingers intertwine with his and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. Music began to play, a dreamy kind of music that could easily lull one to sleep. In almost the same instant, a dizzying, twisting, mishmash of colorful pictures displayed above them, morphing into themselves and into other things, some pictures recognizable, while others were simply geometric shapes. By the time the show was over, Harry felt strangely relaxed. He shook his head in an effort to dispel the lethargy that had come over him. Looking around him, a few others seemed to have the same problem. He looked to Ginny. She was sitting up and rubbing her eyes. Sirius, too, was sitting, a hand running over his face. “Well, that was...different,” Harry murmured. “Yeah,” Ginny agreed. “That made me a bit dizzy. They sure like circles.” Harry thought about the number of times circles had played prominently in the mesmerizing designs. “I hadn't realized it, but you're right.” He shrugged. “Maybe since this,” he waved a finger around them, “is round, they went with a theme or something.” Ginny shrugged, too. “Not that it matters.” She stood and held out a hand to help him to his feet, which he accepted. With a tug stronger than one would think from someone her size, Harry gained his feet. After switching hands, he turned to Sirius, finding him already at the door, waiting for them. The teens waited while those in front of them filed out of the room. “What did you think?” Sirius asked them as they headed for the gift shop. “I don't know. It was...odd. It made me feel really tired for some reason. Maybe it was the music.” “It made me dizzy a bit,” Ginny added. “What about you, Sirius? Did you like it?” “It was a unique experience, certainly.” Harry stepped into the gift shop and felt his jaw drop. “Bloody hell, that's a lot of kaleidoscopes.” Every shelf in the shop was filled with kaleidoscopes. Some were large, while others were small. Some were made of glass, others made of both stone and glass. Others contained housings of metal. Kaleidoscopes resided in ordinary objects like baseball bats and clocks. All of them had a price tag. As they wandered through the shop, Ginny giggled. “Can you imagine what Fred and George would do with one of these?” Harry grinned. “I think the better question is, do I want to imagine what Fred and George could do with these?” “Find one to send to them, Ginny. My treat,” Sirius told her. “We'll figure out how to get it to them without giving away our location. Maybe if we used the Mu–er, the post, we could make it work. I, for one, am interested in seeing how those two use something like this.” “Are you sure?” Ginny asked, looking uncertain. “Of course, I am. We're not leaving until you find one for them.” “Well, alright.” It was obvious to Harry that Ginny still wasn't convinced. Taking her hand, he led her down an aisle. “Come on, let's take a look.” Lunch was at a local diner. After lunch, Sirius drove them back towards the city. It took Harry a little while to realize they weren't heading back to their hotel. “Where are we going now?” “Just sit back and relax, kiddo,” Sirius said from the front seat, his voice taking on a tinge of exasperation. So, that's what Harry did. When he leaned back into his seat, Ginny laid her head on his shoulder. Kissing the top of her head, he sighed and focused on relaxing, breathing in deeply and exhaling fully. His eyelids grew heavy. Before they'd reached the main highway that led back to New York City, Harry had fallen asleep. When he next opened his eyes, he saw they had driven into a multi-level, enclosed car park. Sirius pulled into a spot and parked. Harry stretched, gently waking Ginny up. “Oh, good, you're awake. A nice walk will help wake you up.” Sirius glanced around. No one was nearby. “How would you like to see America's Ministry for Magic?” “Yeah, sure!” Harry enthusiastically climbed out of the car, taking a moment to really stretch. “What are we doing here? Or is this another secret?” “What we're doing here is getting a Portkey. Where the Portkey is going is a secret.” “Of course it is.” Sirius quickly performed the spell he'd devised to prevent audible overload for Harry, then the three of them walked out of the shadows, heading south. Harry wasn't too fond of getting bumped and jostled along. Three blocks later, they could see a tall building. Manicured greenery lined the pavement. As they drew closer, a long row of different flags flapped in the breeze. Looking closely, Harry thought he saw England's flag. “They have our flag!” Ginny exclaimed, pointing. “Of course they do,” Sirius said, his amusement obvious. “Welcome to the United Nations Headquarters. Representatives from all over the world come here. They regulate peace and have some really important talks.” Behind the row of flags sat a long white building that curved slightly at its ends. A large area in front of the building looked to contain some huge works of art. “That's where we're going?” Harry asked, once again finding himself in shock. “What better place to put it, Harry?” Sirius intentionally was vague in his question. “This way, foreign accents won't draw any attention.” “It really is the perfect place,” Ginny agreed. She snorted. “Hermione would love to see this.” “I think Percy would love to see this,” Harry joked. “There's a few shops inside. We can get them both some books or something once we're done.” Stepping inside the building, Harry immediately felt a subtle change in the air, like the weight of the world hung there. Harry could relate. At least here, though, it wasn't oppressive, simply weighty, just as one would expect upon entering a place such as this. Come to think of it, he hadn't felt all that stressed about his fate, either, since Ginny had come into his life. Yes, it still bothered him. Of course it did. The difference was, he didn't fixate on it anymore. He was taking steps to prepare himself and Ginny for what was coming. That was all he could do. Mentally shaking himself out of his reverie, Harry followed Sirius to a door marked with a big sign of the letter M. Sirius opened the door and stepped inside, holding the door open for the teens. Harry's brows rose at that. People were coming and going not far away. He looked to Sirius incredulously. “Don't worry, Harry. They don't see us, just like they don't see this door. There's a special spell, like a Notice-Me-Not Charm, in this little area.” Harry noticed a big brass plaque on their left next to a glass door. It read Magical Cooperation: International and Intranational Offices. On their right, a plaque beside another glass door–in fact, all the doors in the corridor were glass–read Quidditch Headquarters. Harry was certainly glad to see that. Maybe things wouldn't be as different as he thought. The next door's plaque read Magical Creature Control: Creature, Being, and Apparition Office, Office of Goblin Interaction, Pest Removal Board. The next group of offices dealt with reversing accidental magic, obliviations, and excuses for the Muggles. Official looking wizards and witches exited the following office. Harry heard them discussing some law, so he figured that the office contained the American version of the Auror division and Magical Law department in England. As they passed by the door, he looked at the plaque. Wizencourt: Law Offices, Illegal Use of Muggle Items Office, Courtrooms, ICW. He'd been correct. The last door they came to was the one they needed. Apparations, Broom Regulations, Floo Network, and Portkeys read the plaque. Sirius entered, then waited for Harry and Ginny to enter before walking to the front desk. As it appeared in the other offices, this one was also divided into sub-offices. After a brief discussion, the witch at the desk directed them to the appropriate door. While Sirius dealt with the necessary paperwork for procuring a Portkey, Harry and Ginny stayed in the main office, watching as notices magically appeared in or disappeared from trays and parchment airplanes flew up toward the ceiling and disappeared into a rectangular hole in the wall. “Where do you think that goes?” Ginny asked, watching the parchment planes. “If I remember right, Muggle buildings have these vents that allow warm or cool air to travel throughout the building. Usually there's some sort of cover over the hole.” Harry watched one plane speed towards the main desk, dive-bombing the poor witch by landing right on top of her current work. He thought he saw a faint plume of smoke waft up from it. “That one must have been urgent. All of the office vents are connected, just like in the Muggle section of the building. Using the vents was a good idea, really.” “I wonder what the age is for Apparating here?” A passing wizard heard Ginny's question and stopped to greet them. “Hello. I couldn't help but overhear your question. From your accent, I think it's safe to assume your tourists?” Both kids nodded. “Apparating lessons can be taken at the age of fifteen. A license can be had at the age of sixteen. A license can also be obtained earlier if proficiency is shown, but no earlier than age fourteen. I hope you enjoy your stay.” The wizard went about his business. “That's a whole year earlier than at home,” Ginny marveled. Ginny excitedly grabbed Harry's arm, turning to face him. “You could get your Apparation license this year!” Harry grinned, her excitement infectious. “That would be brilliant! I've already asked Sirius to teach me. Maybe he'll teach the both of us.” Ginny sobered slightly. “Harry, I won't be old enough to get my license.” Leaning close, he whispered in her ear, “That doesn't mean you can't learn. Maybe we'll be here long enough for you to get your license. Or maybe Sirius could put in some paperwork and let you take the exam early. Either way, you'll know how and will be able to do it by the time you take the exam.” “What are you two whispering about?” Sirius inquired, exiting the office behind them carrying a short length of rope, and motioning for them to follow. Out in the corridor, Harry answered him. “They let teens my age get an Apparation license. The standard age is fifteen for lessons and sixteen for a license, but if someone my age can show proficiency, then they can get a license.” “And, let me guess, you want to work on it, and you want me to teach Ginny, as well.” “We've already talked about it, Sirius. You said you'd think about it, but you did admit it would be a good idea. And, yes, I do want you to teach Ginny. She needs to know how just as much as I do.” The trio stepped out into the summer sunshine, all three squinting a moment in the bright light. As they trekked back to the car, Sirius was silent. Harry hoped his godfather was thinking over the decision to teach him and Ginny. Harry got his answer once they'd arrived at the car. “Alright, I'll teach you. I can't deny that it would be good thing to learn.” “Yes! Thanks, Sirius!” Harry yelled and hugged Ginny. Turning back to Sirius, Harry remembered the piece of rope. Since Sirius seemed to be in a mood to be compliant, Harry figured it wouldn't hurt to ask his next question. “So, what's the Portkey for?” “You'll find out tomorrow,” Sirius said, amusement lacing his voice. Ginny, brow furrowed in confusion, glanced at the rope before lifting her gaze to Sirius. “Why do we need it? For that matter, why didn't we simply use a Portkey to go directly to our school?” Sirius leaned his back against the car. “Good questions, Ginny. I'll answer your last one first. I didn't want our movements tracked. I had to be truthful on the paperwork I filed just now, so there's now a record of us being here. Tonight will be our last night in New York City. I'd really prefer our movements not be tracked beyond this city.” “I don't understand.” Ginny still looked confused. “You can't track a Portkey.” “No, but you do have to write down where you plan to go when you apply for one. That's what can be tracked.” “Oh. That makes sense.” “Now, as for why we need it, it's taking us to an interesting little place in the morning.” Sirius chuckled. “I suppose I could have Apparated us there. Actually, once we landed, I could have simply Apparated us to the school.” Harry groaned at the thought, making Sirius bark in laughter. “And that's why I didn't. I'm not sure Harry's stomach could have handled it.” “I can't help it,” Harry muttered, scowling at the ground. Ginny's hand rubbing his back soothed him. “And, yet, you want to learn to Apparate.” “I do. It has to be better going alone than by Side-Along.” “We'll see, but it'll have to wait until we get to the school.” Sirius winked at Ginny. “Harry's gastric fortitude–or lack thereof–notwithstanding, the main reason I chose to do it this way was so we could all see some sights.” Harry scowled again at his godfather, but it only made the man laugh again. Rolling his eyes, Harry did admit to himself that, had they Apparated a long distance, he likely would have given them a visual they'd rather not have witnessed. Besides, seeing a bit of the country he was going to be living in for the next several months was actually nice, and it had been fun so far. “Yeah, yeah, you're so wise, oh godfather,” Harry intoned with mild sarcasm. “And don't you forget it, kiddo. Now, get in, and we'll get some dinner. Then, maybe we'll go to Central Park and wander around there for a bit before we go back to the hotel room.” Cheekily snapping out a salute, Harry climbed into the back seat with Ginny. Laughing, Sirius circled to his side of the car and climbed behind the wheel. Soon, they were out of the car park and heading for a restaurant. Ten o'clock the following morning, Harry, Ginny, and Sirius appeared on a wooden dock inside an open-ended building. Harry stumbled and very likely would have fallen into the water next to them if Ginny and Sirius hadn't grabbed him quickly enough, Sirius shaking his head and chuckling. “Harry, you need to work on your landings.” “Shut it, Mr.-I'm-so-perfect-I-have-no-issues-what soever. Remember what happened the last time the three of us were near water, old man.” Harry ruined his “threat” by snickering. Looking around the interior, Ginny asked, “Where are we?” Sirius pocketed the rope and led them out of the good-sized boathouse. Turning to face Harry and Ginny he threw out an arm and, adopting a formal air, declared, “Welcome to Dark Island. Singer Castle awaits.” “A castle?” Ginny eyed Sirius dubiously. “Here?” Harry looked in the direction Sirius indicated. A short distance away, on a field of green grass, stood a four-story, gray-brown granite castle, and a four-story tower. Compared to Hogwarts, this one could barely be called a castle. At the top of the tower, a golden clock face informed him it was only a few minutes past ten o'clock. Halfway to the castle, they were greeted by a docent, who proceeded to welcome them and gave them a brief history of the castle and island. Harry thought it odd that the person never questioned the fact that the three of them hadn't arrived with any groups, until the man mentioned they currently had a tour party in the castle and had a private tour group coming later. Harry reckoned the man had assumed they were another private party, even though there was no boat tied to the dock behind them. Stepping inside, Harry's brows jumped to his hairline. The entranceway was much bigger than one would expect. To their left was a booth in which visitors paid for the tour. Sirius walked over and pulled out his wallet. Across from where Harry and Ginny stood, a suit of armor stood guard on each side of an enormous marble fireplace. Harry supposed it wouldn't be a castle without either one. “Well, of course it has suits of armor,” Ginny commented somewhat sarcastically, unknowingly echoing Harry's thought. “And a fireplace, don't forget,” Harry added. The two teens caught the gaze of the other, then snickered. The others on the tour milled about, waiting for the tour to start. Sirius returned from paying, which signaled the docent it was okay to begin. Their tour guide opened the tour with the story of how the castle came to be built, before leading the group up a marble staircase. Harry turned to Ginny. “And, of course, there's the requisite marble staircase leading out of the entrance room,” Harry whispered in Ginny's ear, adding to their previous conversation. Ginny snorted loudly, and slapped a hand over her nose and mouth. Sirius curiously studied Harry and Ginny, brows raised. Harry sheepishly scratched the side of his nose with his thumbnail, doing his best to hold in his laughter. “Sorry,” Harry whispered. “I'll explain later.” The next room they found themselves in was the Breakfast Room. The room was big enough to hold several medium-sized round tables. Plush light-colored carpet covered the floor. Three walls were nothing but tall gothic-styled windows with blue curtains that had been pulled up and out of the way to reveal a marvelous view of the St. Lawrence River. “It's beautiful from up here,” Ginny remarked of the vista. She looked around the room, a dreamy expression on her face. “I can almost imagine what it would be like to eat breakfast in here every morning, watching as the sun slowly lit the river.” Looking out at the river, Harry could almost picture it, himself. Maybe one day they'd have a nice home with a spectacular view. He certainly could afford to have one built. That was years from now, once the world was free of Voldemort, so Harry mentally filed away the thought of his and Ginny's home. On the next floor up, the group was taken to the Library, a walnut-paneled room filled with mostly books from when the castle had been first built. Ginny murmured something about Hermione liking the room, and Harry had to agree. Their scholarly friend would, no doubt, find the old books fascinating and would want to sit down and lose herself in each of them. As his gaze took in the room, he thought he saw a ghost disappear through a wall. He glanced at Sirius then Ginny to see if either of them had noticed. They hadn't. He looked back to the section of wall where the pearly white apparition vanished, and was slightly startled to see the ghost's head sticking out of the wall and staring straight at him, beckoning him to come closer. “Er, Sirius, Ginny? We're being hailed. Look.” Both looked in the direction Harry indicated. Ginny gasped slightly. Sirius had a noncommittal response, but it sounded to Harry as if he was intrigued. Deciding to see what the ghost wanted, Harry walked over, albeit cautiously, not knowing whether it was simply a ghost or actually a poltergeist bent on mischief. Having been on the receiving end of Peeves' antics once or twice, Harry certainly didn't want to find himself in the same situation, with no way to explain things away to all the Muggles. He glanced around to see if the Muggles were paying him any attention, but they were too busy studying the book spines and listening to the guide. Not wanting to be caught talking to a wall, Harry casually glanced around the room while asking what the specter–he saw now that it was a young woman clothed in a long dress that was typically worn seventy years ago–wanted. “Follow me. There's something you should see.” The young woman disappeared through the wall once more. “Er, sorry, but how are we supposed to do that?” Harry asked softly, trying not to gain any of the Muggles' attention. “What is it you want us to see?” The ghost popped her head back through the wall again and giggled. “Move the panel, silly. It leads to a secret passage behind the wall. Hurry. You need to see this.” Baffled by the ghost's words, Harry looked to his companions for help. Ginny looked just as puzzled as he was. Sirius seemed more wary. Noticing that their tour group was moving out of the room, Harry turned back to the ghost. “We can't. Our group is leaving. We have to stay with them or they'll get suspicious.” “Nonsense. They never see anything. You are the one I've been waiting for, aren't you?” Harry froze at that. “What do you mean, the one you've been waiting for?” “Many years ago, I was told to wait for the Seeker, that he would be coming and I was to show him the castle's secrets.” Harry exchanged glances with Ginny and Sirius. He wasn't sure what to think of that, and neither, apparently, were they. He noted their group moving on to another part of the castle, but no one gave them a second glance. He returned his attention back to their transparent 'friend.' “What makes you think I'm the one you're looking for? I mean, I am a Seeker, but that's just in Quidditch.” The young ghost stared at Harry and he felt as if she could see into his very soul. “You are the one. You have sought many things in your life, some of which you've found,” her eyes landed on Ginny then moved to Sirius before returning to Harry, “some of which you have yet to discover. Come, I must show you.” The ghostly young woman disappeared again through the wall. Harry turned to his girlfriend and godfather for guidance. “What do you think? Should we follow her? How would we explain our absence from the group?” Sirius walked to the door and looked out. “They're long gone. I don't think they've even noticed we're not with them anymore. Honestly? I don't think it would hurt to find out exactly what she wants to show you. She obviously knows something about you.” “Maybe it'll help you, Harry, in your fight against Riddle,” Ginny suggested. “I don't think you should ignore her.” Thinking it over, Harry decided they were probably right. He couldn't risk the chance that whatever it was might just help him. The choice made, Harry began running his hands along the section of wall the ghost had gone through. She'd said he simply needed to move the panel, so there had to be a button or lever or trigger of some sort. When he couldn't find anything, he balled a hand into a fist and hit the side of the panel, hard enough to let out his frustration, but not so hard as to do any damage. He heard a click, and the panel slid silently aside, revealing the narrow, lit stone passageway the ghost woman had mentioned. “Let's go before someone notices,” Sirius advised. Harry went first, followed by Ginny, then Sirius. The woman reappeared and beckoned them to follow. Sirius pulled the panel shut behind them. “Hope no one is claustrophobic,” Sirius muttered. Harry, curious about their guide, asked, “Who are you? How did you come to be here?” “My name is Margaret Potter. My sister, Nancy, married George Bourne, son of the man who built this castle. I was here visiting...” Harry wasn't listening, just moving on autopilot. His brain had stuck on the woman's name. Margaret Potter. Could she be a relative? Did his grandfather have any relatives? Surely, he would have heard, wouldn't he have? Maybe Uncle Remus hadn't known. Would Sirius know? “Potter?” Ginny gasped, clutching his hand. “Harry, do you think...?” “I don't know, Ginny.” Harry looked over his shoulder as best he could. “Sirius, do you know if it's possible?” “I don't, Harry, I'm sorry.” Disappointment flooded Harry. For a brief moment, there had been the hope that he actually wasn't the last Potter in the world. But then, just because neither Uncle Remus nor Sirius had known, that didn't mean that there weren't other relatives. Maybe he could ask the goblins to check his family vault for some record of his ancestors. Surely there would be one. “Er, excuse me, Miss, but you wouldn't happen to have had any relatives come from England, would you have?” The ghost stopped moving and Harry had to brace himself against the walls–which really wasn't all that difficult seeing as they were barely wide enough for a full-grown bloke–to keep himself from walking through her. She turned to face him, her gaze thoughtful. Ultimately, she shrugged. “I don't know. I suppose it's possible. After all, most people in this country came from somewhere else. Why do you ask?” Harry took a deep breath, taking comfort in feeling Ginny's hand gently rubbing his back. “Because my name is Potter. Harry Potter. I was told I was the only one left.” The ghost woman–really, she looked to be about the age of a Hogwarts seventh-year–studied him carefully. “A Potter, you say? I'm sorry I can't help you more. Daddy never really talked much about his family. I think there was some sort of family trouble.” “It's okay. Maybe I have a book on my family history just waiting to be looked through.” Deciding a change in topic was in order, Harry queried, “So, what is it you wish to show us?” “Follow me.” The apparition began to glide again in the direction they had previously been heading. Reaching behind him, Harry covered the hand resting against his back with one of his own. It was a bit awkward walking that way, but it they managed. His fingers toyed with the ring he'd given to her on her birthday. So far, Bill's charm was working, but Harry knew that wouldn't last long. They definitely were going to need a more permanent solution. Harry made up his mind to insist that be one of the first things done as soon as they arrived at their school. He mentally kicked himself for not double checking the ring's metal content. He'd just been so excited to find it, and nothing else seemed right. The four of them descended a narrow set of stone steps that reminded Harry of the spiraling staircase that led to Dumbledore's office, except these steps didn't move. Another lit hallway connected to the steps, with branches to either side of the steps. Their ghostly guide continued straight ahead, so Harry followed. They stopped at a large, wooden door several minutes later. The young woman floated through it. Harry, shrugging, reached for the old iron ring being used for a handle, and gave a sharp tug. Harry had to admit, he hadn't been prepared to see what appeared to be a fully-stocked potions lab in a Muggle castle. By Ginny's gasp as she entered the room, Harry surmised she had been caught by surprise, as well. Sirius merely looked around in interest after closing the door behind him. From the looks of the thick layer of dust on the bottled ingredients, the lab hadn't been used in decades. Open books with spiky, scrawled notes in the margins, lay on a table top. Other ingredients stood next to them, some shriveled with age and indecipherable. Whoever had been here had left in a hurry. “Okay, so it's a potions lab,” Harry said, not understanding why they had been taken down there. “Yes, it's a bit odd in a Muggle castle, but it's not extraordinary or anything.” Margaret, looking frustrated, waved her arm around. “Look! See! Understand!” Confused, Harry turned to Ginny and Sirius, but neither of them knew what was meant. Harry strode over to the cabinet and studied the bottles and jars. Nothing abnormal there. Turning around, he noticed Ginny studying the book, touching it as little as required to turn a page here and there. Sirius was busy examining some shapes in one wall, running his finger along them. Stepping closer, Harry could see that it was a chain of triangles that spanned the length of the wall. “That's odd,” Harry commented. “Why would someone carve triangles into the wall?” Sirius shrugged. “Who knows? It was a different time then. Maybe it was high fashion or something.” Shaking his head, thinking he'd probably never know the answer, Harry joined Ginny, who was still looking through the book. “Find anything interesting?” Ginny sighed. “Not really. This is an old text, older than this castle. The writing has faded so much I can't read it.” After attempting to read a passage on one of the pages, Harry gave up. The book had been written in Old English, or something similar, and the style of the letters looked to him like squiggles. Harry could feel the disappointment and frustration radiating from Ginny, so he cupped her face and placed a kiss on her forehead, then a soft one on her lips. Though he would love to really kiss her, he held himself back. They had an audience, after all. He promised himself the next time Sirius took a shower, he would take full advantage of the opportunity and get in a good snog. Taking a half-step back, he met Ginny's gaze and smiled. “It's fine, Ginny.” One hand slid into her hair. “Maybe we'll solve this little mystery later, and maybe we won't. Don't let it bother you.” “It just seems so important. Why else would she bring us here?” “You don't understand, now, but hopefully you will.” Harry and Ginny startled at their transparent guide's proximity. “Your journey of discovery has only begun. Do not forget what you have seen here. Now, you must go. Join the others. I'll lead you to them.” The four of them left the potions lab behind, bypassing other corridors branching off the main one they were following. “Where do those lead?” Ginny asked of their guide, as they passed another corridor. “Oh, there's tunnels that lead all over this island. I think they were built as a safeguard against attack, but I'm not certain. After all, the family who built this castle were Muggles so who would be attacking them is a mystery.” After climbing several sets of narrow stone steps, their ghostly guide stopped them. “Your group just left. If you're quick, you can catch up to them.” Harry regarded the space in front of them a moment, wondering if there was another latch or lever like the Library panel they used to get into the secret passage, but he didn't see one. Upon closer inspection, he realized what exactly it was he was seeing. He felt really dumb for not noticing before, his face heating with embarrassment. A few seconds later, the trio filed into the room, Harry holding the massive painting that had rotated ninety degrees. Harry thanked the girl for her help, but whipped around, wand in hand, at Ginny's gasp. Realizing her reaction to have been born of surprise rather than fear, he stowed his wand and took a good look of the room. Harry really couldn't blame her. Upon each of the walls, heads of deer, elk, caribou and moose were prominently displayed. In the case of the wall adorned with the moose head, a fireplace took up some of the space, ready to be used. The side tables, chairs, sofas and desks of the room were made of a rich mahogany wood. The forest green upholstery and window hangings, along with a matching green area rug gave the room a very masculine feel. Ginny shook her head. “I don't think I could ever be comfortable in a room like this.” She shuddered. “That's just so cruel. I don't understand how anyone could do such a thing. It's one thing to hunt for food, but to stick its head up there like some kind of trophy is just mean. It's so … Malfoy-ish.” Harry draped his arm over her shoulders, pulling her into his side. “Don't worry. You won't have to worry about a room like this … ever.” His reward was for Ginny to wrap an arm around his waist and to kiss his cheek. The contact of her lips against his skin sent little electric pulses zipping through him, giving him gooseflesh. His cheek tingled, his breath caught, and he fought hard to suppress the shudder that threatened to expose just how affected he was by her sweet kiss. “We should go,” Sirius advised, unknowingly helping Harry focus on something other than the girl he held, “before our group gets too far.” “Right,” Harry agreed, clearing his throat. One glance at Ginny's smirk told Harry she was well aware of how he'd felt and took joy in causing such a reaction. Taking Ginny's hand, Harry followed Sirius out of the room, catching up with their tour group at the top of the staircase they'd seen upon entering the castle. After thanking the docent for the tour, the three wandered back toward the boathouse where they'd arrived. Taking out their Portkey, Sirius told them each to take hold, then activated it, returning them to just outside the United Nations Headquarters building, hidden by a stand of decorative trees and shrubbery. After Sirius dropped the length of rope into a wicker basket sitting beside a shrub, the three of them walked out to the street, Sirius hailing a taxi to take them to the airport, their luggage currently residing in their pockets. Again, Harry distracted Ginny from their ascension, just as he had initially done. In just over an hour, the plane landed. Sirius hailed another taxi that took them to their hotel. It had the same exterior and name as the other one, leading Harry to believe it was owned by the same people or company that owned the first one. This time, their room was located on the top floor. Once he'd entered the room, Harry could see it wasn't just the outside of the building that matched the other hotel. The rooms were identical, as well, not that it mattered to him. He didn't care what the rooms looked like. All that mattered was that the beds were comfortable. Not wanting to assume he would be taking the first bed again, Harry turned to his other two companions. “I claim the sofa,” Sirius said, dropping his bag onto it. Not knowing how to ask Ginny which bed she wanted without stuttering his way through it, Harry kept silent, opting to raise his eyebrows in question and motioning towards the beds. Prickling heat burned in his cheeks and the tips of his ears. He couldn't help it. Just the thought of Ginny and beds made his insides feel all twisted together. “Would you mind terribly if I took the first one?” Ginny asked anxiously. She turned to Sirius. “I know it would be more difficult to put up a barrier ...” “Don't worry, Ginny,” Sirius reassured her kindly. “It's not a difficult thing to do.” To show he didn't really care which one she chose, Harry dropped his bag on the floor at the foot of the second bed and plopped down, falling backward with a sigh. Folding his hands behind his head, he looked over at his godfather. “So, why did we come to Buffalo?” Sirius grinned. Rummaging around the desk, he pulled out a color brochure from a little tray sitting there. He held it out to Harry. “Can't come to New York without seeing one of the country's best waterfalls. It's only thirty minutes away.” Harry looked over the brochure, reading the little informative tidbits it gave. “Sounds like fun.” “But first things first, I need to check things out. Yes, this one is laid out like the other one, but I want to be sure.” Harry's heart began to race. Maybe he wasn't going to have to wait for Sirius' shower to get in a little snogging after all. All his hopes were ruthlessly dashed when Sirius suggested Ginny talk to her family again since she hadn't done so in a couple of days. Pasting a smile onto his face, he dug out his mirror and handed it to Ginny. His disappointment melted away at the excitement shining in her eyes. He couldn't begrudge her the time spent staying connected to her family. Family truly was one of the most important things a person could have. And really, he did feel a bit guilty for not keeping in touch with Hermione, Neville, and Ron as much as he could have. He needed to do better. To give Ginny a bit of privacy, Harry pulled out his music player, slipped the earbuds into his ears and started the music. This group had a heavier style than the first one he'd listened to, lots of guitar and drums, a driving rhythm that called to the savagery that lived within him. The band members played and sang with a wildness that Harry could easily understand. Keeping the beat by tapping his stomach, he tuned everything else out. Sirius chuckled to himself as he closed the door behind him. He'd seen the look in Harry's eyes, could practically see the wheels turning in the boy's head. Sirius had to do something to diffuse that situation, and knew that suggesting Ginny talk to her parents would be the proverbial blast of cold water that Harry needed. In a way, Sirius felt sorry for the two of them. They'd had little to no time alone together, and that wasn't changing any time soon. A long shower or two was the best he could offer them. After scoping out the locations of the exits and where the pool, exercise room and restaurant was, he headed back to their room. Unlocking the door, he stepped in. Ginny's giggles immediately cut off. “Sorry, to interrupt. Here, I'll cast the same charm I used before so that your conversation can remain private.” Waving his wand and walking around her bed, he cast the spell. He grinned at the sight of Harry lying on his bed, eyes closed, knees bent, his stockinged feet flat and tapping out the rhythm to whatever it was he was listening to. Sirius doubted Harry could hear much of anything else, but just to be safe, he continued the spell, effectively encasing Ginny in a bubble. She could hear them, but they couldn't hear her. If he were to be honest with himself, he was glad Ginny seemed to be coping well. Granted, they hadn't been gone long, but so far, so good. Ginny's relaxed manner certainly made this trip easier. A thought occurred to him as he reached for the door of their loo, giving him pause. What if she was coping too well? Would he even know? Should he say something and hope she gave him a sign of her true feelings? And how in Merlin's name was it that a thirteen-year-old girl had him anxiously worrying over something that hadn't even occurred? Rolling his eyes at himself, Sirius entered the loo, knowing full well that there was a very good chance Moony, Prongs, and Lily were laughing uproariously at his expense. Ginny put the mirror on the table beside her bed. It was nice to talk to both her parents this time. Naturally, her dad was full of questions about the aeroplanes and everything else Muggle-related., though he took it gracefully when he asked something she couldn't answer. She wanted very badly to be able to tell them everything. She sighed. Just a little longer. She had to be patient just a little while longer. The talk with Hermione was entertaining. When Ginny admitted–after taking note that Harry couldn't hear anything but the music in his ears–to taking the first bed and letting Harry have the one by the wall, Hermione's brows rose, but she couldn't hide her grin, which in turn, made Ginny giggle. That was when Sirius returned, placed the privacy charm around her, and disappeared into the loo. Ginny couldn't help but feel a bit guilty, though. Hermione was at home with the one she fancied and couldn't do anything about it, and here she, Ginny, was complaining about not getting any alone time with her boyfriend. Her frustration over the lack of quality time with Harry threatened to explode all over anyone in the vicinity like a volcano blowing its top. Was it really too much to ask for a bit of time to snog her boyfriend? It almost physically hurt to hold his hand every day, sleep nearly within an arm's reach of him at night, and >i?not kiss him the way she really longed to. She wasn't sure how much more she could take. Harry might just find himself getting snogged in Sirius' presence, whether he liked it or not. Ginny's gaze wandered to her boyfriend and she felt the rush of affection's warmth fill her. Now that she wasn't concentrating on what she wanted to say to her family, she could detect strains of the music he listened to coming from the earbuds. Despite having acute hearing, he turned the volume up higher than he normally did, risking a massive headache, just so she could have some privacy. Oh, she was so tempted to show him how much she appreciated his selflessness–well, as long as he didn't take that selflessness to an extreme, at any rate. Sirius exited the loo so Ginny let him know it was safe to remove the charm. He nodded, produced his wand, and began the motions for disabling the charm he used. “Silly question, I'm sure, but have a nice chat?” Ginny nodded, grinning. “I did! Dad asked me about a million questions about the aeroplanes! He asked about other things, like what we've been doing. I told him what I could, keeping things very generalized.” “I appreciate you doing that, Ginny. I know it can't be easy to not be able to share everything with them.” Sirius' gaze flicked to Harry still tapping to some unknown beat. “I'm just terrified that we'll be discovered. In a way, we're very exposed, traveling the way we are. If anything were to happen, we'd be on our own.” “I understand, Sirius, and so does my family. We all want what's best for Harry.” Her own gaze jumped to boy they were discussing. “Speaking of what's best for Harry, you wouldn't happen to have any headache potions, would you? I'm fairly certain that volume is up louder than it really should be, and that his head is going to be bothering him.” Sweet, wonderful git. “I do, but I'm saving them for the full moon. Well, they're more a general pain potion than a headache potion. Regardless, I'd rather save them if at all possible. I do have some Muggle headache pills I picked up at the hotel's front desk in New York City.” She hadn't even thought about the full moon! How could she have forgotten? Face burning with her shame, eyes tearing, Ginny turned away from Harry. She was so awful to have not remembered that. Harry couldn't forget it. The least she could do was remember it, too. Oh, she was a terrible girlfriend! She didn't deserve a boyfriend as sweet, and caring, and selfless as Harry. She flinched at the soft pressure on her chin, forcing her to meet Sirius' concerned gaze. “I haven't even thought of the full moon,” Ginny tearfully whispered. “I'm so terrible! Harry deserves better.” Ginny initially resisted Sirius' attempt to draw her into a hug, but his gentle strength won out, and she let herself be enfolded into his arms, at least temporarily. Afraid Harry might turn off his music and see her crying, she stepped away from Sirius and wiped the tears from her face. “You're not terrible, Ginny. There's been a lot happening lately. So it slipped your mind. It's not the end of the world. I can guarantee you that Harry is better off with you than without you. Okay?” Sniffling, Ginny nodded. “Thanks.” She quickly inhaled and let it out slowly, taking another swipe at the wetness on her cheeks. “So, what's the plan for that night?” “We won't be here; we'll have moved on. For that night, we'll have a bigger room. In fact, it's a suite, with two bedrooms and a sitting area. I have enough Wolfsbane Potion for the week leading up to the full moon. He'll have a room to himself so he can transform in there. All the walls will have a Silencing Charm placed on them to keep any sounds from escaping to where they shouldn't go.” More in control of herself, Ginny nodded. “Sounds like a plan. Speaking of, what's the plan for the rest of today?” Sirius shrugged nonchalantly. “Oh, just to wander around, see what's here, maybe do some shopping.” “Sounds like fun.” “Good. Why don't you go drag Harry back from music-land, and I'll get the headache medicine out.” Sirius grinned wickedly. “I'll give you ten minutes to drag him back to reality however you see fit. Well, within reason, of course.” Ginny blushed furiously, but couldn't keep the smile from her face. She knew exactly how she planned to get Harry's attention. Stepping lightly to Harry's bed, she waited until Sirius was settled on the couch, his nose in his book, before gathering her hair in one hand and leaning over to press her lips to Harry's. He startled, but a second or two later, he deepened the kiss, fervently giving her the snog she'd been wanting. Ten minutes later, Ginny jerked away and rubbed her leg. “Ow!” Sirius had thumped her leg sharply. “Time's up,” Sirius said impenitently. Turning back to Harry, she saw he'd pulled the earbuds from his ears, looking at her in concern. “I'm fine, Harry. I suspect you aren't, though. Thanks for the privacy, but you didn't have to go overboard with the volume. I don't want you hurting.” Harry shrugged. “I didn't want to overhear anything that I shouldn't. I wanted you to be able to say whatever you wanted to, without the fear of being heard.” Ginny sat next to him on the bed. Sirius handed over to her the medicine and a cup of water. “Here,” she offered them to Harry, “take this. It's what Muggles use for headaches. It'll help.” Glad he didn't try to downplay how much his head bothered him, Ginny watched him swallow the pills and hand the empty cup back to Sirius. After requesting that Harry let him know when the medicine began to work, Sirius returned to his book, leaving Harry and Ginny alone again. While they weren't being watched, Ginny took the opportunity to lean in and give Harry a soft kiss. “Tá grá agam duit,” she whispered, telling him she loved him. “Go síoraí, mo chroí.” Forever, my heart. Ginny beamed. It hadn't been the first time he'd used that term of endearment, but that didn't mean the effect from hearing it had lessened. Sometimes, she simply couldn't believe she'd been gifted with Harry as her best mate and boyfriend–and he truly was a gift, whether he wanted to believe that or not, which she knew from previous conversations that he didn't believe it. She could only hope that she'd shown him every day how much she appreciated him. The two of them sat on his bed, shoulders touching and leaning against the wall, talking softly as they waited for Harry's headache to subside. Two days later, Harry awoke, his breath hitching as he stretched, reminding him that the full moon was now a week away. Oh, how he wished that Transformation Suppression potion, the details of which had been found in the Basilisk's lair, had worked for him! Granted, there was a good chance it would have no effect on the pain he endured pre- and post-transformations, but it would have been nice to have found out. He briefly wondered if Snape was even still working on it. Maybe there was still a chance the potion would work for him. That was something to ponder another time. Taking his time, he slowly sat up. “Alright, Harry?” Sirius asked upon noticing Harry was awake. “Stupid question. Of course you're not. If you need a pain potion, I have a few doses.” Dragging a hand over his face, Harry shook his head. “No, let's save them. I'm sure I'll want them later.” “Okay, well, Ginny's getting dressed. Why don't you get your clothes out? You can change when she comes out. Then, we'll head down to the hotel gym.” Yawning and running a hand through his hair, Harry nodded. “Yeah, okay.” Grabbing his glasses from the bedside table, he got up and dug around in his suitcase for his exercise clothes. As he waited for the loo to be free, he checked the weather. It looked to be a clear day. Yesterday, it had rained, forcing to the three of them to spend the day indoors. It would be a good day to visit that huge waterfall, Niagara. He suspected they would have gone yesterday if it had been clear. Harry couldn't conceive of something so huge, and was looking forward to seeing it, maybe have some more pictures taken. Turning back to his godfather, Harry asked, “How did Ginny seem? Was she okay? Did she seem to be in much pain?” The blank look on Sirius' face clued Harry in to the fact that she hadn't said anything. “Oh. I thought you knew.” He faced out the window again, his heart constricting, as he softly said, “She's been affected by those marks I gave her, you know, when Uncle Remus died. Obviously, she wasn't turned, but her tastes have changed when it comes to certain foods, and she told me she gets sore with the coming of the full moon, too. Not as badly I do, but still...” “Sorry, kiddo. She didn't say a thing. I'll make sure you both get some extra stretching in before moving on to the main work-out.” “That would be good.” Ginny chose that moment to step out of the loo, dressed in her usual shorts and tee shirt, hair pulled back into a ponytail. He'd always feel guilty about the scars he'd given her, but whenever she smiled at him, like she was now, her smile never failed to chase the guilt away. Returning her smile, Harry walked over to her. Bracing himself, he admitted to having let out her secret. “Oh. It's okay, Harry. Sirius would have figured it out eventually anyway. No harm done.” She flashed him a teasing grin and winked. “Now, go get dressed so that we can get this torture session over with. I want to go see that waterfall.” Harry grinned. “Well, then, I guess I'd better get around, then.” “Here, Harry,” Sirius said, holding out a smoking goblet, “take this before we get too busy.” Grimacing, Harry dutifully downed the potion before disappearing into the loo to change his clothes. The visit to Niagara Falls was fun. The power of all that water rushing over the cliff was simply spectacular, and very humbling. One tends to forget that one is truly at the mercy of Mother Nature. They took a boat ride that took them along the basin of the Canadian Horseshoe Falls, which, needless to say, sprayed them all. Thankfully, they wore protective gear that kept them mostly dry. Sirius insisted on taking a few pictures, just like all the other tourists. From there, Sirius talked them into taking the Cave of the Winds tour, too, which, after taking them down into the gorge, allowed them to walk along a boardwalk up to the Hurricane Deck mere feet from the actual falls. Harry held tightly to Ginny's hand and made sure she was sandwiched between himself and Sirius, so that the high-powered winds buffeting them didn't knock her around too terribly much. Although they wore more protective gear, Harry could feel his clothes and hair dampening thanks to the wind blowing the spray. Those little droplets managed to find every gap between his gear and his clothes and hair. He had to admit, it was thrilling to be so close to all that rushing water. Even though he was certain he looked like a drowned rat, Harry posed with Ginny for some pictures once they reached the top. He even managed to get Sirius to stand beside Ginny so he could take their picture. Then, naturally, Ginny turned it around and made Harry stand beside Sirius. They thought about crossing the Rainbow Bridge into Canada, but neither Harry nor Ginny was very comfortable with the height, so they chose to do a little souvenir shopping instead. For lunch, they stopped at a diner, then returned to Buffalo. After making sure they had everything packed, they left the hotel. “So, where to, now?” Harry asked, not expecting an actual answer. “You'll see,” Sirius answered, apparently still keeping the mystery alive. “It's about half the size of Buffalo, population-wise. It's not far away, only about an hour and a half so we're driving this one.” Harry shrugged, not really caring how they reached their next stop. He was feeling a bit tired after that long walk up to the Hurricane Deck at Niagara Falls. Maybe he'd rest on the way to wherever it was they were heading next. Ginny must have thought he needed the rest, too, for she patted her shoulder once they'd climbed into the back of the car. “I make a fairly decent pillow. You look like you could use the sleep.” Sliding down into his seat, Harry dropped his head to Ginny's shoulder. Before long, the motion of the car lulled him to sleep. Sometime later, he woke to someone gently patting his cheek. Lifting his head, he stiffly sat up. Yawning, he took off his glasses to rub his eyes in an effort to wake up more. “We're almost there,” Ginny softly informed him. Replacing his glasses, Harry asked, “Where's 'there'?” Front the front seat, Sirius answered, “Welcome to Erie, Pennsylvania.” |
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