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Author: angelmorph Story: A Different Boy Who Lived Rating: Everyone Setting: AU Status: WIP Reviews: 9 Words: 62,801
As fate would have it, the boys didn’t get to finish their game that afternoon. The heavens sent rain down while they were eating and the weather still hadn’t let up by the time they were tucked into their beds that night. In fact, it was still raining the next morning when the three awoke in their separate beds and they were each forced to spend the day indoors. By the third afternoon of the downpour, Lily had become quite frustrated with the boys’ whining that they wanted to play with Colin. They had only known each other a day, after all. Still, Lily decided that the best thing to do in order to calm them down would be to call Mrs. Creevey and invite the boy over. Naturally, it simply wouldn’t do to give them a fire call. So instead, Lily picked up the muggle telephone that she still used to call old friends and dialled the muggle phone number that Carla had given her three days earlier. After three rings someone at the other end picked up, “Hello?” “Hello, Carla? This is Lily Potter, from next door.” “Yes of course. How are you?” “I’m very well, thanks. How are you? I take it you’re still busy unpacking.” “Dear me, it’s a disaster area over here. So many boxes…” Lily gave a sympathetic sigh, “Yes I remember when we moved here, with Harry a little under a year old and He-Who-Mu– but you don’t want to know about that… I’m actually calling because the boys have been asking after Colin and… I was wondering if you’d mind my having over for the day?” “Mind? You’d be doing me a favour. Are you sure he wouldn’t be a bother.” “Nonsense, I’ll be over to pick him up. I know you have the little one the keep an eye on.” “Thanks, I’ll see you in a bit. Bye.” “Bye” Hanging up the phone, Lily turned to the boys who were sitting not far away, listening to her side of the conversation. “Come on boys, get your umbrellas, we’re going to get your friend. Although the umbrellas that they each got out looked exactly like muggle umbrellas on the outside they were charmed so as to prevent the people they covered from getting wet at all and could even be used in handless mode, hovering above a witch or wizard whose hands were otherwise occupied. In fact, The boys had been out in the yard with them the previous day, playing in the puddles and had come in completely dry. Unfortunately they’d also come in covered in dry and caked mud from the puddles they had intentionally jumped in… Making sure that the boys were following close behind her, Lily made her way over to the house next door. She paused for a moment as they reached the edge of the Potter’s property and considered the fact that once they crossed the invisible barrier that surrounded the house, Neville would be perfectly visible, something which could possibly put him in danger. She didn’t pause for long though. They couldn’t keep the boy cooped up forever, much as Augusta seemed to want to. What harm could be the harm in a short trip next door in a muggle neighbourhood accompanied by a fully trained and competent witch? And so, before long they had rung the doorbell of the neighbouring house, collected Colin, and were once more in the safety of the dry kitchen of Number 5. Now faced with the dilemma of how to occupy three young boys, Lily came up with the suggestion, “Let’s bake cookies.” Naturally, there wasn’t much that two four-year-olds and a three-year-old could do to help out but they were quite content to just watch her bake, anticipating the delicious warm cookies that they would later be getting. Colin in particular watched in awe as Lily baked. He had never seen anything quite like cooking being done with a little helping hand of magic. Even her magical display a few days earlier with the laundry hadn’t been enough to prepare him. Finally, after several minutes of watching, he asked the question that had been building up inside him ever since they had moved, “Are you a witch?” It had taken him a while to even consider the question and still longer to become convinced that he was right. But by the time he asked he was so convinced that even if she had laughed him off and denied it, he would have remained stuck in his belief. However, Lily had no intention of laughing the incident off. Having grown up as a muggle herself, She was well aware of the culture shock involved in learning about the existence of the Wizarding World at age eleven. She considered it her duty to inform him about the world of magic, seeing as his parents were completely clueless in that regard. Her desire to prepare him had actually been part of her motive for wanting the boys to be able to make friends with him. She was convinced, after all, that he was a wizard and as such would have to learn the truth eventually. The fact that she had yet to receive a warning from the Ministry about performing magic in front of muggles, simply reinforced her belief. So rather than laugh, she answered simply, “Yes, I am.” Despite his convictions, it was quite obvious from his reaction that he was not expecting her frank response. His own mum would have surely laughed at him or else grin in that strange way only grown-ups can and shake her head, had he asked her the same question. So, for the first time since he had learned to talk, Colin was speechless. It was several seconds before he recovered enough to respond, “But, but…Mum says … she says there’s no such thing as…as magic…” At this point Lily let out a light-hearted giggle, “Of course your mum would say that, though I’m surprised she broke it to you so soon… Your mum’s a Muggle. She doesn’t know anything about magic, well not about it being real anyway. No, magic is very real, just not everyone can do it.” “What’s a muggle?” Colin asked shyly. “Muggle is what magic folk call people who can’t do magic,” she replied. “Am I a muggle?” Colin was suddenly concerned that he was doomed to be excluded from all the adventures and interesting things his friends had told him about. “Merlin, no. I wouldn’t be telling you this if you were, now would I?” The boy just stared blankly. “You’re a wizard, though your parents, like mine, are muggles. In fact, it’s probably best if you don’t tell anyone, not that they would believe you, but it might cause problems when you’re older. Of course, you mustn’t try too hard to cover things up with your parents. They need a few hints along the way or they’ll be completely shocked when you get your letter. I still remember when I got mine... I was shocked, my parents were shocked, my sister… well she was just plain jealous.” When Lily looked up at the boy, she noticed that his eyes had glossed over in confusion. “Ah, I can see I’ve told you more than enough for one sitting. No need to worry if you don’t understand it all right away, with time… Now, you boys run along. There’s really nothing for you boys to watch anymore. I’ll call you when the cookies are ready. You can get out a board game in the meantime.” Harry made to protest being sent away, “But, Mum…” “No ‘buts’. There’s really nothing to watch here. Go show Colin your ‘Snakes & Ladders’ board?” Now, Colin had several board games home. Well mostly they were packed away in boxes, but he remembered playing ‘Snakes & Ladders’ with his mum at the old house. It was one of his favourites but still he couldn’t imagine the board being more excited than cookies. Of course, when Colin thought about board games, he pictured, flat pieces of cardboard and pawns so he quickly changed his mind when he saw what it actually looked like. He certainly wasn’t expecting the three-dimensional game with lifelike snakes, toy sized ladders and little men that walked, climbed, and slid. Perhaps the only part of the game that he did recognize was the die that came with it. Within minutes he was as enthralled in the game as he had been the baking. In fact, he didn’t hear Lily call them when the cookies were ready, though the others did and refused to continue playing until after they had stuffed themselves. None of them heard the doorbell though, when Colin’s father came to fetch him. Yes, the boys were getting to be good friends… A.N. Well what do you think? Now don’t go telling me that Colin isn’t supposed to know he’s a wizard until he gets his Hogwarts letter. I know that’s what he says in canon, but in canon, Lily wasn’t around to tell him. Anything else you might want to complain about is welcome. I don’t promise to agree but I promise to read. Either way, I hope you enjoyed and leave reviews. I like reviews… I’d like my beta, Aggiebell for working through the weekend to get this back to me and for her wonderful comments.
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