3 The Key to the Sea

Chapter 3. The Key to the Sea

Harry gave an unimpressed look to the dilapidated shack nestled between a book store and a record shop. "I want to go home."

Lily chuckled and threw her arm around his shoulders, pulling him into a side hug. "Don't judge a book by its cover. I keep telling you that. Just wait until we cross over to the other side. You'll be drooling then."

He sighed. It wasn't just the crumbling inn that made him uneasy about entering the magical world. There were other reasons, too, that stirred paranoia inside him. Like how his mum was hated here and that she could be hurt if all didn't go as planned. And the upcoming meeting with his 'family' was bothering him too. His father seemed to be ecstatic to see his sons unite for the first time. But Harry was not so sure about that.

Oh yes, he now had an eight-year-old sibling. And he didn't know how to react to that.

There was no overwhelming bitterness or anger, just pure indifference. Though there was a tiny spark of excitement present too if he were honest with himself, which he wasn't right now.

As if knowing his worries, his mum patted his head. "Everything will be alright."

He nodded reluctantly.

Harry had always wanted to jump into the wizarding world and see if his mum had been exaggerating or this side of London was truly full of impossible wonders. He would have grown up here, surrounded by all-encompassing magic, if things had been different. He would have had the freedom to run through Diagon Alley without care if things had played out differently.

Unfortunately, the Hogsmeade Massacre changed everything. It had sown seeds of distrust and rage for Lily Evans, which led her to keep him away to ensure his safety. And he didn't blame her one bit for that.

But now that he was standing at the threshold of the other world, he was scared.

"If you smile, I'll buy you a new Game Boy." She bribed, kneeling before him and loosely circling his waist with her arms.

"I thought we were too poor to afford another one. Was that just an excuse?" He narrowed his eyes, pouting and trying to gently push her head back while she tried to kiss him. Just like always, she didn't seem to respect his personal space.

But he knew this dance and understood that there was only one outcome. And so he resigned himself and closed his eyes, letting her loudly smooch him on the cheek.

He was eleven now, dammit! He was too old for this shit.

She laughed at his crimson face and stood up, done with the task of embarrassing him in front of passersby. And the fact that he stopped stressing over the upcoming meeting was just an added bonus, of course. It wasn't as if that was her plan all along.

Grabbing his hand, she sauntered into the Leaky Cauldron with her head held high and a small smile playing upon her lips. The pub became silent in an instant and then exploded into shocked whispers. She was hard to miss with her blood-red hair and black muggle dress.

Thankfully, James was already waiting for them at his table.

The whispers intensified once people realised James Potter and Lily Evans were in the same room.

Everyone held their breaths, waiting for the drama to unfold. It wasn't everyday that the Minister and his disgraced ex-wife met in public after all.

"Lily! Good to see you. Come on, others are waiting outside," he said jovially, instead of arresting her, and took her and Harry's arms, pulling them through the other door.

As the door closed behind them and they stepped into the open, Harry caught snippets of confused conversations.

Well, no one cursed his mum yet; that was a positive sign in his book.

As he turned to look forward, his gaze fell on the group waiting before a brick wall.

"This is Harry?" The pretty young woman with bright ginger hair asked with a soft smile, her sea-blue eyes glowing with warmth.

"Yes." James smiled back, coming to a stop before his family.

She approached him and offered her hand. "I'm Lena Potter. Nice to meet you, Harry. I'm your second mum."

Harry was in a daze, surrounded by his 'family'. He shook her hand in a stoic manner. "Harry Evans. Nice to meet you too."

"Lena. Good to see you again. You have my condolences for Edward's death. He was a good man." His mum butted in, taking Lena's hand roughly from his and giving it a perfunctory squeeze before letting go.

He didn't miss how the girl behind his stepmother flinched at her true father's name.

If Lena was uncomfortable about the sudden remembrance of her dead husband, then she didn't show it, opting to keep her placid smile. "He was. You're looking just as beautiful as ever, Lily."

"Thank you. Who's the lovely lady?" His mum asked, pointing at the girl.

"That's my daughter. Susan, come forward and introduce yourself."

Susan approached them nervously and hung her arm in front of them. "Hello, I'm Susan Bones."

He clasped her hand and shook it gingerly. She was cute for a girl. All the girls in his previous school were whiny hags that always screamed at him for who knows what reason. It definitely wasn't because he picked fights with them. Of course not; he was eleven years old now. He was too mature to mess with annoying brats just for fun. Jonnie would attest to that.

"Susan Bones, not Susan Potter? Is James not accepting of your child from your first marriage? Poor girl." His mum questioned mercilessly.

Before his father could take the bait and explode, Lena gently shook her head. "No. It was Amelia's request that made me give Susan her biological father's last name. You see, my daughter and Amelia are the last remaining members of the Bones family. And James was kind and understanding enough to allow that."

"Who's that shy brat?" Harry interrupted, pointing his finger at his half-brother, who was hiding behind Lena.

"Julian, say hello to your big brother." Lena smiled at him, grateful for how he tried to diffuse the tension, and pushed her son towards him.

Harry raised his eyebrows at the boy half a head shorter than him. They both shared many similarities in their appearances. Both were on the slimmer side and had wild black hair; even their faces were quite the same. But where he had inherited his mum's green eyes, Julian took after his own and had blue eyes.

"I'm Julian Potter," the boy mumbled, offering his hand while looking down at his feet.

"I'm Harry," he said, shaking it.

…

"You're ugly." Harry added sagely after a moment, glancing at his face once more as if to confirm it.

Julian blinked owlishly before gaping at him and shouting, "You're ugly too. You're... you're four times as ugly!"

Harry shook his head at the juvenile insult. He ought to teach his brother more interesting and colourful insults in the future. He couldn't accept a dumbo as a brother.

"Tch! When someone says you're ugly and you can't muster up any good comeback, then you should just kick the cockless cunts on their cunts. After all, the morons can't make fun of you if they're snivelling for their momma."

Susan and Lena cringed at those words, while James shot Lily a disapproving look. The redhead frowned herself, deciding to tell her son how he didn't really look 'cool' when using that type of language.

Julian grinned savagely and tried to kick him between the legs in anger, taking up the advice, but Harry simply turned to one side and chopped him on the head. "Such a girly kick. You're not wearing a skirt. You're not Susan. Kick like a man, boy!"

"Hey!" Susan's meek protest went unheard as the brothers had a go at each other.

"It warms my heart how quickly they're getting along." James smiled after a moment, wiping an imaginary tear as Harry ducked under a punch and gave Julian a shove.

"Right. I do hope Harry picks up a child-friendly language, though," Lena said with a wince when Julian's punch connected with Harry's chest. And that spurred Harry to stop playing. He grabbed the incoming fist and swept Julian off his feet. Then he proceeded to sit on his stomach with a triumphant grin.

"Mum!" Julian began bawling, struggling under him.

"Tch! Such a crybaby," Harry grumbled, and got off of him, hauling him back on his feet and dusting his brother's muddied clothes in a surprising gentle gesture.

In response, Julian just punched him in the gut and ran back to his mum, crying and complaining.

"Enough, folks. We have shopping to do. Stop crying, Julian. I'll buy you ice cream."

Harry perked up at the mention of ice cream, though he hardly thought his father would give him a treat after that. So consider him surprised when James shot him a wink and a nod as if he had done something good.

… But Harry just wanted to establish his dominion as the elder sibling. Why were they looking at him with fond smiles?

Oh well, at least he'd get an ice cream now.

"Good boy." His mum nodded proudly and led him after them.

He smirked and squeezed her hand, glad that at least she understood his reasoning.

~xXxXx~

"Stop doing that!" Julian snapped, stumbling before righting his shoes and sending a glare over his shoulder.

Harry whistled innocently, as if he wasn't intentionally stepping on his brother's heels.

Presently, they were walking towards Ollivander's shop. His father had decided to split up, saying he would buy the books and the rest while they go get their wands and robes.

The three—sorry, two Potters and one Bones—were walking ahead of him, acting as their guides and telling them about the new shops. Because there were many new shops that had popped up since his mum's last visit.

"Harry," Lena admonished him mildly.

He didn't need to glance at his side to know his mum was bristling at that tone. It hadn't taken him long to realise how she was getting increasingly annoyed every time he and Lena talked. Must be because Lena had introduced herself as his 'second mum'. And knowing his possessive mum, she had taken it badly.

'There's no second mum. There's no second son. It's just you and me.' That was what she must be thinking.

Before she could start breathing fire, forgetting that she was supposed to smile and act all happy in front of the ogling crowd, he gave Lena a sheepish grin. "Sorry, was just playing with Julie."

"It's Julian!"

Even Susan, who was trying to protect her baby brother from his 'bullying', cracked a smile at the girly name.

"What's that?" Harry halted abruptly and gawped at the store to their immediate right.

He hoped he wasn't drooling like he had done after entering Diagon Alley.

The store's name was shining brightly in neon lights. 'Play Zone.'

From the name alone, he had an idea what it was.

It was Julian who answered excitedly. "That's a game store. They sell muggle gaming consoles. Though you can also play at the arcades for a small fee."

Harry looked at his mum, who couldn't hide her shock at finding muggle things in here. It was becoming clear to them that her knowledge about the wizarding world was outdated.

"Doesn't magic mess with electronics?" he asked, because that was what his mum had told him since the beginning. And they had only been able to keep electronics at home because neither of them used magic much. Well, there were a couple instances of accidental magic, but they were very rare. And his mum had simply lost access to her magic over time, though she was still able to use the Magiscape.

'I can draw in the magic, but can't push it out of my body, with or without the wand.' Those were her words when he asked about her peculiar condition.

Lena gave him a nod, signalling them to keep walking. "It does. But we have many brilliant innovators who're finally getting enough funding and freedom to make the impossible possible. You can thank your dad for that. In just a couple of years, he had removed numerous archaic laws, even one that stopped muggleborns from opening shops in Diagon Alley."

"Dad's like a superhero." Julian added proudly. And Susan too puffed up her chest for her dad's unprecedented achievements. After all, it was under his government that the magical world flourished so quickly.

Harry and Lily, on the other hand, were barely able to stop themselves from scoffing.

Hero. A hero who risked his wife's and child's lives for the greater good.

"Do you want anything from that store? I can buy it for you once we're done with the wands. Consider it a late birthday present." Lena offered, mussing his hair as they stopped at Ollivander's.

He didn't give his mum any chance to explode. "Thanks, Lena, but I already have one."

Did he want a new game? Absolutely yes. Was he going to hurt his mum's feelings for that? Absolutely no. It was that simple.

"We can play together then!" Julian said, forgetting that he was supposed to be annoyed at him.

Harry just shrugged, not wanting to say no, but unable to say yes either. How could he, when he broke the console yesterday?

Thankfully, they entered the shop, and Julian was unable to pester him for that ambivalent response.

Half an hour later, after being done with the old geezer's vexing antics, Harry and Susan left the shop with their wands.

Harry didn't try to hide his broad smile, twirling his brand new wand in his hand, intoxicated by the bliss of the new, solid connection with the Magiscape. He tried to draw out his magic, and it easily responded to his will. Before it could leave his body, he shoved it back in.

He had been trying for a while to find the door leading to the golden sea. And the last year had been frustrating for him when none of his mum's suggestions helped him reach it.

But it seemed her hypothesis was indeed correct. The wand was the key to easily reaching the Magiscape. Without it, the process of finding the Magiscape would be nearly impossible, it would be like sailing blindly in the vast sea. But now that he had his wand, now that he had his compass, he was sure he'd be able to see the golden waters that had his mum so awed. He was itching to close his eyes and meditate. And he hated meditating, so that should show how excited he was.

Alas, the trip wasn't over yet. They still had to get the robes and then find his father.

As they walked towards Madam Malkin's shop, a sudden jet of green light kicked him out of his thoughts.

"Avada Kedavra!"

Screams of shock filled the alley, and everyone scrambled away from the source of the yell.

Even though he knew there were invisible aurors protecting them, he flinched and threw himself before his mum, trying to shield her. Of course, there was no need for it. The aurors turned visible, and a flock of birds appeared in the path of the spell. Just to be on the safer side, they also rose the ground and cocooned the Minister's family.

"Jackson, Hangar, go after him!" A surly man barked, and the two aurors ran after the scurrying assailant, who himself hurried towards the apparition point.

The 'family' huddled together in the dark, waiting for it to end. Harry and Lily pressed together with their arms coiled around each other, and Lena and her children did the same.

They didn't have to wait long to see the light of the day. Seconds later, the cocoon crumbled away, and they were met with the sight of senior auror Gawain Robards standing alone in the desolate alley.

All the people had either apparated away or taken shelter in the shops.

Before everyone could sigh in relief and step out in the street, dozens of aurors began popping into the alley with their wands ready.

Harry and the others were quickly herded away by the protection team and safely portkeyed to Potter Manor.

And that was the abrupt end of Harry's first visit to the magical world.

Later, even though James and Lena would try to cajole Lily to spend the day at the manor, she would insist on returning home.

~xXxXx~

"We still going to Hogwarts, right?" Harry asked the instant they portkeyed to their flat.

Instead of answering, she shot him a furious glare and stomped to the bedroom before closing it shut, not giving him the opportunity to follow her in.

He groaned and slumped face first on the sofa, already aware of why she was acting like this.

'Listen, Harry, you must never risk your life for anyone. If you ever see anything suspicious taking place, just move away and be safe. No one is worth your life. Not kidnapped toddlers, nor foolish old women with death wishes.' That was what she had said when he got a cut on his forehead trying to prevent an old deaf geezer from getting crushed under a car.

He remembered asking a very important follow-up question. 'What if you are in danger?'

She had looked at him somberly and said in an even tone, 'There are no exceptions; just move away to safety and leave me behind.'

His answer was, of course, a resolute no. She was his mum. His only family. The only one he loved with all his heart. And so, no amount of bribes and threats had been able to convince him to promise her that.

But such unfortunate incidents, where he had to risk his life, never happened. And it all remained a hypothetical scenario.

That was until yesterday.

Since yesterday, he had risked his life twice for his mother. The first time, he ignored her order and led her away from Dumbledore, fearing they were in danger. And the second time was today, when he jumped before her to take the Killing Curse.

He shivered, suddenly feeling cold and tired. And scared. So fucking scared.

He could have died, and the realisation made his entire body tremble.

Of course, both of these incidents weren't dangerous, and everything had been under control. Dumbledore hadn't meant them any harm, and his father had assigned them veteran aurors who'd protect them if something bad happened.

But it proved one thing. It proved that in the heat of moment, his first instinct was always to protect his mum, even if that meant risking his life.

And that must be worrying and angering her. It worried him too. But he couldn't help her with that. He'd reluctantly turn away when strangers were getting hurt, but he wouldn't do the same when it was his own mum.

Wiggling under the blanket, he turned on the TV and relaxed.

Whatever happens, happens.

An hour later, Lily stepped out and found him curled in the foetal position on the couch.

Walking up to him, she sat on her haunches, aligning their faces.

Sighing, she nuzzled his face. "Don't sleep here. Come on, go to the bedroom."

He slowly blinked his eyes open and rewarded her with a smile and a kiss. "Do I have to?"

"Yes, if you don't want back pain."

Harry groaned and raised his arms childishly. "Up."

She couldn't stop the twitch of her lips. "Aren't you too old for this shit?"

He snickered as she used his weapon against him. "Good one. Now, pick me up, peasant. I'm roleplaying as a lazy king. And you must follow my command."

She shook her head at his 'roleplaying' and swept him into her arms.

Harry latched onto her like a koala, with his arms around her neck and legs locked around her waist.

She heaved him up. While it was a bit odd, he wasn't heavy or tall enough to make it hilariously difficult. Carrying him to their bedroom, she gently laid him down. "About Hogwarts, I—"

He cut her short as she stood by the bed and began to answer his earlier question.

"Wait a minute, don't change the mood. I want to say something important before you turn all serious and gloomy."

She cocked her eyebrows and gestured for him to continue.

"I have noticed something," he said, sitting up and looking at her intensely. "You've turned even more beautiful."

She stifled a laugh at his attempt to butter her up. "So subtle."

"No, no, I'm telling the truth. Your skin has become more soft. Your hair has become more silky. And even your boobies look perkier. Yes, yes, you're starting to look like those super-pretty models. Honest."

She rolled her eyes. While she knew he meant all the compliments, the timing was too convenient for it to be anything other than a desperate attempt to convince her to go to Hogwarts. "Perkier, are they? You are looking at mum's boobies?"

Her attempt to embarrass him failed when he tilted his head and stared at her cluelessly. "I mean, you do sleep without a top on. How can I not notice them?"

Right. She shouldn't forget that. Harry would be desensitised to her nudity by now since they shared the same room. Oh well, she'd get another chance to embarrass him. "Erm, anyways, I was going to say that we are still set for Hogwarts, before you rudely interrupted me."

"Really?"

"Really."

She laughed as he wrapped her in a tight hug, thanking her again and again.

~xXxXx~

"What don't you understand?" Lily asked as he plopped down face first in her lap.

It should have been simple. It should have been easy. But even after getting the wand, he was nowhere close to accessing the Magiscape.

Now, the day was gone, and it was bedtime.

But at least he found something, he consoled himself. Which was still massive progress from getting bored and falling asleep.

"There is just the golden light once I enter the internal orb. And there's nothing on the other side. I keep going and going, but there is no entrance to the Magiscape like you said," he complained as she ran her fingers through his hair.

She frowned, thinking about how to resolve that.

While she got lost in her thoughts, he shifted and rested the back of his head in her lap and laid down comfortably, musing what he was doing wrong.

He hummed in appreciation when she began massaging his head, almost lulling him to sleep. And he would have really fallen asleep if she hadn't pinched his cheeks and broken him out of his half-asleep state. "What?"

"Do you feel any sort of tug while going through the internal orb?"

Harry took a moment to ponder it before shaking his head.

"Try again. And this time, be alert and see if you feel any tug."

"Do I have to? I wanna sleep."

"I'll buy you ice cream tomorrow."

…

"Alright. Here I go."

She smiled amusedly as he snapped his eyes shut and looked within. If she didn't fear disturbing him, she'd have squealed and pinched his cheeks. That was how cute he looked while biting his lip and trying to focus.

Minutes passed. Then an hour passed. And in the meantime, Harry became comatose.

That was a good sign. That meant he was inside the internal orb. And once he found the entrance to the Magiscape and mastered navigating it, he'd be able to keep his eyes open and see the two worlds merge into one.

Suddenly, he flinched. But the moment passed, and he relaxed.

Lily felt her legs begin to go numb.

But she couldn't move with Harry's head in her lap.

Mercifully, Harry woke up from his trance and shot her a brilliant grin. "I found it."

She gave him a proud nod. "Good. Now sit up facing me."

Harry did as he was told.

"Alright. Now go back. I want to try an experiment. When you feel something brush against you, try to calm your magic and let it in. Got it?"

"Okay."

Closing his eyes, his consciousness bled into the Magiscape. And since he had already been there, it took him only a minute to find his way back.

Unlike him, Lily didn't close her eyes. She had mastered it enough to keep her foot in either world. That was why she could even move freely, which she couldn't at first.

The world didn't lose colour like it used to.

Harry didn't become a golden spectre.

She was still in the physical realm. But a couple of things were added to the world.

Golden waters made the bed an island. It filled the room and replaced the floor like always, and the only thing not submerged in its depth was the bed. The ceiling, too, disappeared, replaced by clouds of golden mist. And Harry's body was given a sheen of gold too. The golden sheen signified his magic, which would have been a golden silhouette if she looked at him from inside the Magiscape.

Preparing to touch him with magic, her body sprouted golden tendrils. The golden ribbons numbered in the dozen and were as thick as her arms.

She willed them to approach Harry, who was sitting in front of her.

With narrowed eyes, she pushed her tendrils into his personal space. It was gentle and slow as she tried to be submissive and non-threatening. But even then, just as her tendrils came into contact with the golden sheen of his body, his magic flared angrily, and her tendrils shattered, flinging her back.

Thump!

"Ow!" She moaned, hitting her head against the wooden headboard.

"Mum!" Harry snapped open his eyes and scrambled towards her, looking at her worriedly.

She chuckled and rubbed her head. "I'm fine. I had expected it. Don't worry."

"What happened?"

"Nothing much. Your magic defended you against a foreign influence. That's good and all, but you need to be able to control it if you want to navigate the Magiscape." She answered, sitting up cross-legged.

"Does that mean you're going to get ragdolled until I take control over my magic?"

"You worry too much. I'm not some frail ceramic vase that will break with a little push. Now go back in the Magiscape and try to remain alert."

Instead of doing as he was told, he began arranging the pillows and the blankets against the headboard, making sure she wouldn't get hurt.

She smiled softly at his concern. Though she drew a line when he asked her to wear dozens of sweaters to become a soft ball. That was just too much.

Positioning her back in the direction of the cushioned headboard, she asked him to continue.

A minute later, she was thrown away again. She grinned when she collided against the soft headboard.

She had to admit. This was really a good idea if she didn't want to break her spine. And she really did not want to break her spine.

They went on with the training until midnight, when she decided it was time to go to sleep.

She took off her top and trousers, standing just in her knickers.

Then she walked to the wardrobe to get her cosy loose shorts.

Harry was already in a comfy t-shirt and boxers, so he simply flopped on the bed and went to sleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

After tying up her blood-red hair in a loose bun, she climbed into bed and threw her arm around him. Then she pulled up the blanket and turned off the light.

While Harry wasn't successful tonight, she was sure he'd be able to detect and accept the intrusion before he had to board the train.

~xXxXx~

In the Black Tower, Belphegaor still slumbered on her throne.

Surprisingly, she wasn't alone.

No, there was one more being residing in the dark tower since it moved away from that world.

A ghost—an intruder—roamed the hall, patiently waiting for the demon to wake up.