Chapter 38: Best Friends Reunite
I walked out of my door, ferret (well Jarvey) on shoulder, into the crisp December morning. The streets of London were already bustling with holiday shoppers, their breath forming small clouds in the cold air.
Professor Flitwick had already placed the Muggle Charm, as I liked to call it, on Jarvey - a clever bit of spellwork that would make people see him as just a slightly larger than normal ferret. Without it, I'm sure the Statute of Secrecy would have been shattered within minutes of Jarvey opening his mouth.
The enchantment worked perfectly as we made our way through the crowded streets. People would occasionally point and smile at Jarvey, their faces filled with the kind of delight that only seeing an unusual pet can bring. If they could actually hear him, those smiles would quickly turn to shocked gasps, which was all in all very funny to think about.
A police car rounded the corner, its lights off. My heart skipped a beat, remembering all the Muggle regulations about exotic pets, but the officers' eyes simply slid past us as if we were nothing more interesting than a lamppost. Guess there wasn't anything bad with a ferret after all, even by muggle standards.
It wasn't long before we reached our destination - that familiar door that had featured in both my nightmares and my waking hours. The wooden door with the number 23 looked different now, restored to pristine condition.
Where once it had been splintered and broken by my magic, now it stood whole and unmarked, as if that terrible night had never happened. The brass number gleamed in the winter sunlight, perfectly straight where it had once hung crooked - another small detail changed by my mother's memory charm.
I raised my hand and knocked three times, each sound echoing in my chest like a drumbeat.
KNOCK;KNOCK;KNOCK
The sound of footsteps approached from within, and I found myself holding my breath. I expected - hoped - to see Louise, but instead, the door opened to reveal her mother. Her blonde hair was neatly arranged in a bun, her celeste blue eyes clear and bright - so different from the haunting memory of that night. The magic within me began to stir unbidden, responding to the sight of her.
"Oh hi, are you lost kid?"
The question was innocent enough, but it made my stomach churn. Of course - Louise had never introduced me to her mother, even during the summer I couldn't stomach seeing her mother so I never met her, getting reminded of a person who almost killed her daughter and who later you almost killed wasn't really fun.
I forced myself to meet her eyes, struggling to keep my voice steady.
"No miss, I'm here to see Louise, I'm Felix. N-nice to meet you."
The words felt like ash in my mouth, but I managed to force them out without revealing the storm of emotions churning inside me. My magic roiled beneath my skin, remembering what she had been, what she had done - even if this version of her never would.
"Oh that Felix, I've heard a lot about you, come in, come in."
The invitation made every muscle in my body tense. The thought of stepping into that house, of seeing that kitchen where Louise's blood had pooled on the floor, where my magic had nearly consumed everything in flames - it was too much.
"No, thank you. I'm here just to hang out with Louise since I'm here for Christmas."
She clapped her hands together, the gesture so perfectly maternal it made my chest ache. "Oh isn't that adorable."
Her gaze shifted to Jarvey, who was unusually quiet except for a low, continuous growl. It was strange - he usually treated women with exaggerated charm, but something about her seemed to set him on edge. Perhaps he could sense my own turmoil, or maybe there was something in her that even memory charms couldn't completely erase.
"Can I touch it?"
"No you can't," I said sharply, taking an involuntary step backward as she raised her hand. The movement triggered a flash of memory - her hand raised with a broken bottle, Louise crumpled on the floor, blood spreading across the wooden boards. The remembered smell of smoke and the heat of my own flames made me dizzy for a moment.
I shook my head, forcing myself back to the present. "I'm sorry HE doesn't like strangers touching him, can I know where Louise is?"
"Oh yes she should still be in class her vacations don't start until this weekend."
It was Thursday - just two more days until her break began. The thought of waiting that long made my heart sink, but at least I knew where to find her now.
"What school does she go to now?" I asked, trying to keep my voice casual.
"She's at St Paul's Girl School, it's next to Brook Green Hotel in Hammersmith if you want to wait for her once she gets out at three."
"Thank you, madam." The politeness felt like ground glass in my throat.
"Oh don't call me madam it makes me feel old, call me Victoria."
I nodded but couldn't bring myself to say her name. Instead, I turned and began walking away, my legs feeling slightly unsteady. The memory of that night seemed to overlay everything, making even this simple interaction feel surreal.
"Hey Felix?" Jarvey said while snarling.
"Yeah Jarvey?"
"I don't like that bitch."
"Me neither Jarvey, me neither." I replied while scratching his head, grateful for his simple, honest reaction.
Standing at the curb, I was struck by an idea. I raised my wand hand toward the street, and with a deafening BANG, the Knight Bus appeared before us, its triple decks looming impossibly in the narrow street.
I climbed aboard, the familiar smell of peppermint and chocolate filling my nostrils.
"Welcome to the Knight Bus, emergency transport for the stranded witch or wizard. Just stick out your wand hand, step on board, and we can take you anywhere you want to go. My name is Stan Shunpike, and I will be your conductor this evening."
"Thanks, I want to go to the Brook Green Hotel in Hammersmith, thank you."
"The rates for tickets are as follows, 11 Sickles standard fare, 13 for hot chocolate, 15 for hot water bottle and toothbrush."
"Oh, oh the hot chocolate, hot chocolate." Jarvey began yelling, momentarily forgetting his dark mood from earlier.
I looked at him with fond exasperation. I wasn't entirely sure if ferrets could safely drink hot chocolate, but then again, Jarvey wasn't exactly a normal ferret.
"Well you heard him," I said, reaching into my magically expanded wallet and counting out 13 sickles.
The hot chocolate arrived quickly, and I carefully held it up so Jarvey could drink. His enthusiasm was infectious, making me smile despite the lingering unease from our encounter with Louise's mother.
"Well then, Ernie you heard the kid. Let's get a move on."
A grunt from the driver was the only response, and suddenly we were hurtling through London at impossible speeds. I sank into my seat, the force of our acceleration making everything tilt backward. Just as suddenly, we stopped, and I had to catch Jarvey's hot chocolate before it spilled.
"Thanks," I called out as we disembarked.
"We welcome you back to the Knight Bus whenever you wish, dear customer."
The bus vanished with another BANG, somehow squeezing itself between two buildings that seemed far too close together. The school stood before us, impressive and imposing. Girls in uniforms played in the grounds, some older than me, some younger. Through a window about seven or eight meters away, I spotted a familiar figure - Louise, her hair slightly longer than I remembered, but unmistakably her.
I considered my options for getting inside, and suddenly remembered the sensation of apparition. I began gathering my magic, trying to shape it into that same compressed form I'd felt when Dumbledore had transported us.
But something felt different - my magic wasn't responding the way I expected. Instead of condensing, it seemed to be spreading outward, more like my usual casting style. Without conscious thought, I found myself speaking.
"I Cast Misty Step."
"Misty wha-"
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