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Harry Potter Squib Tales Chapter 57: Easter Rising
🕑 Added 2024-11-20 17:01:20 +0000 UTCChapter 57: Easter Rising
“I feel like a guinea pig,” Sam grumbled as Delilah and I poked and prodded his body. We had been doing this to him for a couple days, now, and we were inching closer to being finished.
“You are, though,” I told him. “A cute little piggy wiggy we’re gonna test all kinds of stuff on.”
“That is so much worse,” Sam drawled, giving me a deadpan look.
“Heh, you’re welcome,” I snickered, Delilah hiding a giggle from behind her hand. She was acting as my nurse today, helping me with the ‘experiments.’
“What exactly is all of this for, anyways?” Sam asked, looking down at the assortment of medical tools we’d been using on him. “I thought we were going to try and use that ritual to give me magic powers.”
“We need to establish a baseline so we can know if anything does change or go wrong,” I replied.
“Right, okay,” Sam muttered. “I get that much.”
“Not to mention, many types of magic revolve heavily around symbolism, and rituals are tied closely to such things as well,” I continued to explain. “Nobody is entirely sure ‘why’ or ‘how’ this is the case, but it’s a verifiable factor. Things like the phases of the moon and the positions of stars and planets is one thing, they have observable effects on even the mundane world. But more intangible ones, like faith, also has a strong influence on how things work in the magical side of the world.”
“And that’s why we’re aiming to do this ritual on Easter Sunday?” Sam asked.
“Correct. By tying the ritual to grant you access to magic to the day of Jesus’ resurrection, we hope to create a sympathetic arcane resonance,” I confirmed. Sam blinked at me in bewilderment, not having understood a word of what I’d just said.
“What he means, is that we hope to reduce the risks of you dying to this by making it so the ‘resurrection’ aspect of Easter Sunday influences the ritual,” Delilah said, and my best friend nodded in relief and thanks for her.
“That’s what I said,” I grumbled as I checked Sam’s blood pressure.
We’d already drawn some blood, taken urine samples, and saved some snippets of hair and nail clippings, but there were other things to double-check. Weight, height, diet, and the color of his eyes. Then there was his magical signature – or lack of one – alongside the levels of magical energy within him, influenced by passively absorbing the ambient mana in the air.
Basically, everything and anything that could be observed and quantified was. It was basically an in-depth medical examination, and we knew everything about Sam that modern science and magic could uncover.
That was what we’d been doing for the past few days since my birthday, and Sam had, at first, been into the whole thing. Who wouldn’t want to gain magic, even if it wouldn’t allow somebody to actually cast spells. All it would do was improve Sam’s ability to brew potions, make runes, and perform alchemy. Oh, and see things normally invisible to Muggles. But even that was incredible and a step forward in the right direction.
“Don’t worry, Sam,” Delilah assured him. “Today’s the last day for all of this. After that, it’s just preparations for the ritual on Sunday.”
“Speaking of Easter Sunday, you two are going to that party at the Finch-Fletchley’s, right?” Sam asked.
“We are,” I nodded. “Why? Wanna come with us?”
“Well, there’s a couple different people I wouldn’t mind meeting, but no, I was just curious,” Sam replied, rubbing the back of his head.
“Hmm. Well, if you do want to come with us, just say so,” Delilah said, humming a bit, and not quite trusting his words. I didn’t believe his nonchalant attitude either.
“In that case, I think we’re done here,” I said, jotting down the numbers I’d taken from the pressure band. “Drink plenty of water and get lots of rest.”
“I’ll get right on that, doc,” Sam said with a roll of his eyes.
“Any plans for this evening?” Delilah asked, and Sam tilted his head to the side.
“Well, maybe,” he admitted. “I’m going out for drinks with a few classmates from the cooking school I’m attending.”
“That so? Gonna take them out to Mark’s night club?” I asked. “You can use my tab.”
“Our plans are a bit more sedate than that,” Sam chuckled. “Though maybe some other time.”
“Alrighty. Have fun, whatever it is you’re gonna do,” I said, and Sam nodded before leaving my apartment, leaving Delilah behind.
“So… what do you want to do, now that we’re alone?” she asked, turning to me with a sultry grin.
“I dunno… what do you want to do, Delilah?” I whispered back.
She licked her lips. “I have a few ideas…”
And that was how we ended up cuddling together on the couch under a blanket, watching a Doctor Who marathon, while chatting about magic. Oh, and we had tea and biscuits, of course. We weren’t barbarians!
“…and that’s why I think the World Egg model Flamel was teaching us is close, but not quite there,” I told her.
“What do you think the reason is, then?” she wondered. “Because the Leylines are clearly connected to magic while also being intrinsically tied to the planet itself.”
“I think magic exists on Earth due in part to the molten core,” I said, hand across her shoulders as I explained my theory. “Some Leylines are mapped to tectonic fault lines, but others aren’t. However, they’re all very clearly ‘below’ the surface connected to the mantle. I bet if we could map the subterranean flow of magma alongside the ‘rotation’ of the planet’s core, we find a correlation between those and the Leylines.”
“So you hypothesize magic is tied to geo-thermal events?"
“Partly. I think, in some way, it’s both. Somehow the planet is generating magical energy, we know this empirically. We also know that living beings also produce magical energy. Human magic plus planetary magic equal spells. It’s how we power runes, wards, and rituals.”
“And what about the other stellar objects?” Delilah pointed out. “Magic is also influenced by the moon and motion of the universe.”
“I think it’s a two-fold system. Some of it is connected to the aspect of ‘faith.’ If you believe in it, it will work. A significant part of magic operates off of willpower, after all. But that is due to human interference. The rest can be tied to gravity and, as you put it, the ‘motion’ of the universe.”
“So you’re advocating for an Omniversal Energy Model?” Delilah guessed, and I nodded.
“Right! Energy is energy, after all. There’s just something about Earth and the life upon it that is causing said energy to take on a new form. In this case, magic.”
“Alright, I can see that. What about Dark Matter, though?”
“Ugh! Don’t even get me started on Dark Matter!” I groaned. Delilah giggled at my exasperation.
“Okay, okay, I’ll stop. How did we even get to this discussion in the first place?” she wondered.
“I think we were arguing about how the Sonic Screwdriver worked,” I replied. “And I still stand by my assertion it works via oscillations of energy waveforms, which is basically what magic is! How else would the Doctor be able to do literally anything he wants with it? Besides ‘because the plot demands it!’”
“Yes, now I remember,” Delilah said with a roll of her eyes.
“Hmph. Well, anyways, what about yourself?” I asked her after taking a calming sip of tea. “What have you been busy with?”
“I came up with an idea for creating electricity with magic,” Delilah said, and I leaned over to her, curious.
“Go on,” I requested.
“It’s simple. The Aquamenti spell on a massive scale combined with a hydro-electric generator,” Delilah said excitedly, and I nodded to myself as I thought it over.
“Huh… yeah, not bad,” I muttered. “Most water conjured by magic follows Gamp’s Laws, one of which stipulates anything created by magic will eventually fade. However, you don’t need the water to stay around, you just need the force behind it to turn the turbines that generates electricity.”
This had a lot of potential! You sadly couldn’t use the base Aguamenti charm to water plants or to get a cool, refreshing drink to slake your thirst, at least not for an extended period of time, but it would be perfect for an eco-friendly hydro-electric generator!
‘The only tricky part will be finding a way to produce enough water via magic at once. We’d need an enchanted artifact to do that, since having a witch or wizard just cast the spell constantly would be impossible. Plus a Leyline to power the artifact… but it could very well work!’
“You’re a genius, Delilah,” I praised, and she preened happily.
“Of course,” she smirked. “I am a woman of many talents!”
“That you are,” I nodded.
“I also had another idea for you,” Delilah claimed. “For a new business, since the magic-powered generator is a bit of a long-term goal.”
“Really? Okay, lay it on me,” I said.
“So, your ‘medicine’ business is growing slowly since you have to rely on very specific materials that are quite a bit harder to source than regular chemicals, right? In fact, your garbage disposal business is growing the fastest and shows the most profit since your use of alchemy can convert trash into viable materials,” Deliah said.
“Yeah,” I nodded, wondering where she was going with this.
“So, what if we break into another industry that is worth billions but is also rarely talked about?” Delilah offered. “I’m talking about transportation, of course. Cargo shipping, to be precise.”
“Of course!” I gasped in realization. Magic could turn the transportation industry on its head! Apparition, Portkeys, and Space Expansion charms! Any one of those could make it so much easier to move huge amounts of cargo around!
“I see the gears are turning in your head,” she smirked. “Now, I don’t know if we’d be able to do all that much, as I’m unsure what it actually takes to create a magically expanded space or a Portkey, but even if we have to hire Mr. Black as a ‘consultant’ it would be worth it.”
“Since you brought this up, do you have anyone who could help us with this business plan?” I asked.
“I do, in fact, know somebody,” Delilah nodded. “Isaac Raincroft, a man my parents know. He owns Waverider International Cargo Shipping. Unfortunately, WICS has suffered a bit in recent years. WICS used to own eleven multi-ton cargo transportation vessels. Now they only have three.”
“Sabotage? Or just bad financial planning?” I asked.
“Mostly the latter. Mr. Raincroft is not exactly very good at the business side of things. He’s pretty much the definition of a trust-fund baby who has no idea what it actually takes to run a company due to never working a day in his life beforehand. Ever since his father died, he’s tried his best, but WICS is bordering on bankruptcy,” Delilah told me.
“Hmm. You think we could get into the transportation business by buying into Mr. Raincroft’s business?”
“Very much so. I bet if I help you, we could convince Mr. Raincroft into selling majority share of WICS to us. He would be so much happier living off the money he’d make selling it off and having somebody else run things for him. He would want to stay on the board, or perhaps as a contractor or consultant, but yeah, he'd jump at the opportunity."
“I do have a bit of a windfall from all those precious metals the ‘recycling factory’ has been churning out,” I mused. “Plus, there’s the money the Flamels left me.”
“He’ll be at the Easter party,” Delilah informed me. “If we team up, we can wear him down and win him over.”
“I love the way you think,” I told her, kissing her head fondly. She grinned at that and snuggled closer into my side.
“Mmm. Glad to help. Now shush, the Doctor is about to mess up some Daleks!” Delilah said, turning her attention back to the tv screen as the Sixth Doctor confronted the killer trashcans. I nodded in agreement and watched the episode with her. It was a good one, worth shutting up over.
111 &&& 111
“What do you think?” I asked as I adjusted my tie a bit. Delilah gave me a slow look before nodding.
“You look nice,” Delilah said. I preened a bit. My black, Acromantula silk suit with crimson cravat tie was always a crowd pleaser. The retro style appealed to the older crowd as well as the new.
“Thanks. And you look stunning as always,” I praised. She was wearing a sunflower yellow shoulderless dress, with white elbow-length gloves, her silver hair done up in a French braid. And, just for a bit of extra protection, runes courtesy of Hildegarde had been woven into it to create a defensive garb on par with my own.
“Flatterer,” she smirked.
“Yup,” I confirmed shamelessly, offering her my arm. “Come on, then, let’s get going.”
The two of us left the limo we’d ridden in to get to the Finch-Fletchley’s home, ready for the party. The Finch-Fletchley’s Easter cocktail party was apparently a ‘Big Deal,’ with everyone the wealthy couple considered close friends attending. That this vaunted list of guests included high-ranking members of the government and military was quite exciting, not to mention many powerful businessmen.
“Edward! Delilah! I’m so glad you two could make it!” Mrs. Finch-Fletchley said happily as she greeted the two of us, her husband standing beside her. They were meeting and greeting the guests as they entered the ballroom.
“Josephine, Earl, good to see you both again,” I said. I shook Mr. Finch-Fletchley’s hand in greeting before kissing the back of his wife’s hand.
“It has been a while,” Earl agreed.
“Has Justin been doing well at school?” I inquired.
“His letters home are quite… interesting,” Josephine admitted.
“Sounds like he’s mentioned the… snake problem,” I said slowly, guessing as to why she didn’t sound very enthused.
“Quite,” she said with a crisp nod. “I am most displeased such a thing can happen at a school for children. Especially my own child.”
“Well, I’d be happy to discuss any problems and address any concerns you have,” I assured her.
“Thank you, I am glad to hear it,” she said with a relieved smile, before waving us into the lounge.
We entered and Delilah immediately took over, leading me around the room introducing me to everyone. I met too many people to remember, though I did my best, repeating names as I shook hands and chatted about this and that.
“Delilah!” a happy voice called out to us as we made the rounds.
“Mother,” Delilah said, a note of fondness and genuine love entering her voice as she turned to the woman who’d called out to her.
Mrs. Hunt was a woman with short brown hair done up in a bob. Delilah’s mother was in her mid-forties, though she looked like she was early thirties, minimum. She wore a flowing, flowery green dress, and was smiling at her daughter.
“It’s so good to see you again,” she said, the two of them hugging.
“You just saw me yesterday,” Delilah giggled.
“That’s far too long,” Mrs. Hunt declared, before turning to me. “And Mr. Rose. How are you?”
“Doing well, thank you,” I replied. “Your daughter has been showing me off to all of her acquaintances.”
“Why wouldn’t she? A girl needs to show off her strapping boyfriend to impress everyone, and she has to mark her territory, lest other women get ideas,” Mrs. Hunt tittered.
“Quite right,” Delilah nodded.
“Glad I could be of service,” I drawled.
“Have you two met Dr. Cartwright?” Mrs. Hunt inquired, turning to look at the young man who was with her daughter. “He’s quite interested in your medicine, Mr. Rose.”
“We have not,” I replied.
“Then perhaps that should be your next person to speak with,” Mrs. Hunt suggested, and Delilah nodded in agreement, so I decided to go along with it.
Delilah and Mrs. Hunt led me over to Dr. Cartwright, who was wearing thick glasses and had a streak of grey near his temples.
“Mr. Cartwright! How are you?” Mrs. Hunt said cheerfully.
“Mrs. Hunt, a pleasure as always,” he replied stiffly. “Miss Delilah, you’re looking well.”
“Thank you,” Delilah said with a bob of her head, before tugging my arm. “This is Edward Rose of Cauldron Remedies.”
“Is that so?” Cartwright inquired, suddenly looking much more animated.
“Mr. Rose, this is Doctor Cuthbert Cartwright,” Mrs. Hunt said, introducing me to the older man. “He’s a researcher at a very prestigious institute.”
“A pleasure to meet you,” I said, offering my hand to shake.
“Indeed,” Cartwright nodded. “I must say, your hair growth cream is quite fascinating. I never imagined such mundane materials could do some much, especially when inspired by home remedies.”
“Sometimes the old can teach the new a thing or two,” I chuckled.
“Quite. I was initially skeptical of the claims surrounding your products. Seemed much more like homeopathy than genuine science,” Cartwright admitted. “But seeing the results myself, I can’t deny they work. It’s almost… magical.”
“You know what they say. Sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic,” I chuckled, even though the way he’d said the word ‘magical’ made the hair on the back of my neck stick up. “Really, though, there were plenty of olden day medicines that worked perfectly fine. Willow bark as an aspirin analog, for instance, does in fact work, though to a lesser effect modern medicine possesses due to a lack of ability to extract the raw material responsible for the anti-inflammatory effects.”
“If looked at it through that lens, then yes, that is true,” Cartright admitted. “I would be interested in discussing your methodology regarding the way you’ve turned these ‘home remedies’ into more effective medicine. No doubt you’ve found a way to synthesize the effects in some way.”
“Glad to oblige,” I told him, and we chatted for a bit about science while Delilah and her mother wandered off to speak with other guests.
As we spoke, I was curious about whether Cartwright was a Squib, or perhaps a Muggleborn wizard or the relative of magic, but there was no real way to tell. Not without asking some pointed questions.
“That was interesting,” I told Delilah after she came to whisk me away from the conversation with Dr. Cartwright. We’d been chatting for a while, and lost track of time. There were still people Delilah wanted to introduce me to, so I promised the doctor we’d talk later, gave him one of my business cards, and went off with Delilah once more.
“Do you think Dr. Cartwright knows about the magical world?” she asked in a low voice.
“Seems likely,” I replied. “Though from what I gathered while speaking with him he’s likely not directly involved. He knows somebody who is – or was – aware of it.”
“Hmm. Something to look into,” she murmured, before tilting her head to side.
“Over there, that’s Mr. Raincroft,” Delilah whispered in my ear, and intrigued, I took in the owner of the shipping company. He was in his mid-thirties and had a morose look as he stood in a corner of the room watching the rest of the partygoers. He was also on his third martini which told me a few things about his mood and drinking habits.
“So, how should we approach him?” I asked back, voice low.
“Hmm. You’ll probably be able to get his attention if you bring up your successful businesses,” Delilah said. “Raincroft highly respects self-made men, much like his father, who started Waverider International Cargo Shipping.”
“I see,” I mused. “Alright, let’s do this.”
We approached Isaac Raincroft, who looked up from his drink. Recognition flickered through his eyes when he saw Delilah, and he gave her a weak, watery smile.
“Miss Delilah. You look as lovely as ever. You’re truly taking after your mother.”
“Thank you, Mr. Raincroft,” Delilah said. “May I introduce my friend to you?”
“Edward Rose,” I said in greeting, offering a hand. “I see you’re a man of culture with that choice of drink. Mr. Bond sure knows how to pick ‘em.”
Raincroft snorted as he shook my hand, though he didn’t seem to be disappointed by my banter. “Agreed, James Bond knows how to pick his drinks. A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Rose. You’re here as Miss Delilah’s Plus One, I assume?”
“The Finch-Fletchley’s invited me over, so Delilah and I decided to come together,” I replied.
“Is that so? I’m impressed. Earl and Josephine don’t usually let just anyone through their doors, no matter how witty.”
“I tutor their son, Justin,” I told Mr. Raincroft. “I also have quite a few business deals with the lady of the house. She’s quite the fan of my homemade remedies.”
“Remedies? Ah, I see! You’re the young man who’s taken the pharmaceutical world by storm!” Raincroft realized. “Cauldron, was it? Good to know that I don’t have to worry about losing my hair when I get older with your products on the market.”
“I’m sure that won’t be a worry for you for a long while yet, Mr. Raincroft,” Delilah assured him. He just chuckled, though there was a self-deprecating note to it.
“Perhaps, though I just know that I’ll be going fully grey before I’m fifty,” the businessman sighed.
“I know how that feels. It’s like I’ve aged several decades while trying to get my own businesses up and running,” I commented sympathetically. “Surprised I don’t have any grey hair yet myself.”
“I think you’d both look rather distinguished with grey hair,” Delilah told us, though I noticed she was staring at my hair closely, as if searching for any hair that had turned silver recently.
Putting that to the side for the moment, I decided to pull out a business card for the man to take.
“Here,” I offered.
“You also own Citrine Services?” Raincroft said in surprise when he read the information on the card.
“Yeah, it’s a recent acquisition, but it’s already gotten quite popular,” I said proudly. “Projected profits are quite impressive thanks to several new odor-eliminating chemicals and techniques. Not to mention the recycling process I devised cuts down on the amount of trash going into landfills by over 15%.”
“I see… would you perhaps be interested in any other business acquisitions?” Raincroft asked, a glint of intrigue entering his eyes.
“I’m always looking for new projects to sink my teeth into,” I replied, flashing a toothy smile.
“Hmm. I believe we might indeed have something to discuss, here,” he murmured, almost more to himself than to me. He then looked back up and offered me a card of his own. “I’ll be in contact.”
“I look forward to it,” I replied, taking his info and shaking his hand. Raincroft looked pleased, as well as excited. Delilah’s hints had worked out perfectly. I didn’t need Legilimancy to know he was going to try to convince me to buy into his shipping company.
“Well done,” Delilah murmured after we walked away.
“Thank you,” I whispered right back. “Where to next?”
“It should almost be time for dinner,” Delilah said.
“Oh yeah, this is a dinner party, isn’t it?” I mused. “Almost forgot.”
Delilah rolled her eyes at me, but with fondness. I grinned back. This was a good day. A nice way to unwind, and have some relaxation before the busy days of the summer approached.
111 &&& 111
“Are you ready, Sam?” I asked, looking up from my calculations to my best friend.
“Let’s do this,” he said firmly. His body was covered in runic sigils made from his own blood mixed with expensive magical reagents that should, if Flamel’s journal could be trusted, facilitate the biological transmutation ritual. There was no fancy circle to stand in, just the alchemical equation made of runes.
It was Easter Sunday, and it was time for the ritual. Would we succeed in turning Sam into a wizard? Only time would tell, but I couldn’t help but feel nervously excited.
Sam was naked, so it was just me and him in a warehouse I’d converted for the exact purpose of the ritual. I had no idea how ambient magical energy would affect the ritual, so there were no wards or magical defenses in the building, just in case they interfered somehow.
Finally, after a few more preparations and some waiting, it was time. At the exact moment it turned noon, Sam picked up a potion bottle I’d left at his feet and drank it. He grimaced but swallowed it all, and after a second, the runes began to glow white, reacting to the power within the potion. Sam winced in pain, but staying immobile.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
“My skin kinda tingles,” he muttered. “Like… it’s a really weird, bone-deep tingling.”
“Interesting,” I said, noting it on the clipboard. “Anything else?”
“Uh… no, not really,” Sam replied. “I think that was it.”
A minute later, the runes on his skin flashed before vanishing, and Sam was completely fine. Still naked, but there was nothing odd or out of the ordinary.
“Did it work?” he asked, looking at his hands.
“No idea,” I said. “But you know what we have to do now, right?”
“Yeah, I know,” he sighed, extending an arm. “Take the samples.”
I walked over and jabbed a needle into his arm, extracting a blood sample. Then, I snipped off some hair from his head and swabbed his mouth with a Q-Tip for a saliva sample.
“Get your clothes on, and then we can do the rest of the tests,” I offered as I tucked the samples into an armored briefcase.
“Thanks,” he murmured, and did just that.
“No changes?” I inquired.
“Still nothing,” he assured me. “It’s weird. I thought I’d feel different, but nope, none of that.”
“Well, no news is good news, right?” I said, and he chuckled.
“Your optimism is awe-inspiring,” he drawled.
“Of course it is. I’m awesome, after all,” I said, sticking my nose into the air. He rolled his eyes at me, and once dressed, we made our way out of the warehouse.
“How many of these do you have?” Sam asked, looking around the empty interior.
“This is warehouse number five. It’s gonna be turned into a base for my new enterprise.”
“Considering the location, is it related to boats or the water?” Sam guessed. We were close to some docks along the Thames, so it was a logical guess after all.
“Yeah. I met somebody with a failing shipping business. Delilah has some interesting ideas for it that use magic,
“For real?” Sam asked. “Huh, I guess that makes sense. Those bottomless bags and magical trunks are quite useful… yeah, I can see how those could revolutionize the entire industry.”
“Right?” I nodded. “I’m considering letting Delilah take the lead on this particular project. It was her idea, after all.”
“Joint ownership?” Sam guessed.
“Yup. We’ll own equal stakes in the company,” I confirmed. “If you want, I’d be happy to let you buy in as well.”
“Might take you up on that offer,” Sam said. “I never really realized how much the world revolved around money, but now that I’m living on my own… it’s wild. And a bit frightening. Owning part of a company that’ll have you two at the helm is bound to make a profit. Gotta secure my future, after all.”
I grinned, glad that Sam was thinking ahead like that. Money didn’t buy happiness, but it sure as hell made sure you could buy the things that would lead to happiness, like food, shelter, and safety.
“Any news of your own?” I asked, patting him on the back. “School going alright?”
“Yeah, school’s fine. But, well… I’ve been seeing someone, recently.”
“You have?” I asked. “I kinda expected that, given how shifty you were being recently. Who are they?”
“She…” Sam began, but trailed off.
“She?” I pressed, curious.
“I don’t if what we’re doing is actually dating or not, but we do hang out a lot. Her name is Nymphadora Tonks…”
“What?” I uttered, stopping mid step.
“Yeah, she… wait, you know her?” Sam asked, blinking in surprise.
“I do,” I said slowly. “She’s magical. And an Auror. Remember when I told you I got help Obliviating my kidnappers? That was her.”
“I know all that, too,” Sam admitted. “It was a bit of a surprise, but we met during trivia night at a bar my class mates tend to frequent, and just… clicked, ya know?”
“What do you two talk about?” I wondered.
“Being different,” Sam claimed.
“I see,” I murmured. “Your gender dysmorphia?”
“Yeah! She didn’t… well, Tonks – that’s what she prefers to be called – knows a bit about not feeling right in your own skin. She has this ability where she can transform her body however she pleases, and, well, people always wanted to use her for it. Anytime she dated somebody they’d want to change her. Literally. And because she can look like anyone, she was never allowed to be herself.”
“Damn,” I muttered. I hadn’t thought about it like that, but it made sense. A Metamorphmagi could change their appearance at will, and even alter their gender. Who better to understand Sam’s dilemmas than a person who could be anyone they wanted, but at the same time, couldn’t be sure they’d be accepted for it?
“Okay, then,” I said, throwing an arm around my best friend’s shoulder as we approached the car. “I’m happy for you, Sam. If you want, I’ll totally be your wingman. We can go on Double Dates.”
“Really?” Sam asked, surprised but hopeful. “You don’t care?”
“As long as you’re happy, I won’t ever care,” I told him as we piled into the vehicle. “You’ve been with me practically since Day One. I mean, I’m a bit worried about you dating the magic popo, but if Remus can do it without spilling the beans, so can you.”
“Thanks,” Sam said, relief and joy on his face. “That means a lot.”
“By the way, does Tonks know you’re… uh, well, you might not be a ‘Muggle’ anymore, actually…” I trailed off, unsure of how to phrase that while I started the car.
“I lied and said I was a Squib,” Sam admitted.
“Ah. Smart,” I hummed thoughtfully. “Easy way to avoid having to admit why you know certain things. But won’t that be weird if you introduce her to your family?”
“Nah, don’t worry. Apparently it’s possible for Squibs to be born in normal households as well, no recent magical blood required,” Sam said. “It’s pretty rare but it can happen due to living in close proximity to magical contamination, like old and powerful wards.”
“Didn’t know that,” I said. “Who taught you that, anyways?”
“Sirius did,” Sam informed me. “He helped me come up with a cover story.”
“Wait, he knows?” I exclaimed.
“I mean, yeah, Tonks is his niece. He found out pretty quickly, especially after he reinstated his cousin as a Black.”
That made sense, and a little bit later I dropped Sam back at his dorm. “You need to introduce us,” I told him. “Don’t wait too long, either, or else Delilah might get upset.”
“Don’t want that,” Sam said with a mock shudder. We laughed, and then I drove off to do some office work. And then it would be time to finish up my homework for the week once that was over. Busy, busy bee, that was me.
