Puddle of Mud
by TK Yuy
Dudley stared at the flat, not knowing what to do with himself as he watched Draco walk into the bedroom with his trunk. Kain put his own trunk in the knobless closet and as Dudley took a quick look inside, he walked out and shut the door. He glowered at the once fat boy and walked over to the couch. He moved the coffee table, and pulled the couch out, bedding magically appearing. Dean laughed as Kain left the two of them and joined his Father in the bedroom. Harry smiled and walked out of the kitchen, tray laden with chips, finger sandwiches, and soda. They noticed the dark green bottle under his arm, and the two wine glasses, and Dean raised an eyebrow.
“Celebrating something, Harry old boy?” Dean laughed, ignoring Draco, who had come to stand in the doorway.
“It’s Butterbooze. Want some?”
“I had plenty of it last night, thanks.”
“Butterbooze? What’s that?” Dudley asked.
“A Wizard’s drink. Here, try it.” his cousin replied, pouring a bit into a glass.
The face Dudley made as the sweet liquid touched his tongue was priceless. Then of course, the alcohol hit, and he didn’t know what to think of that. Draco chuckled and took the bottle and glass from Harry, filling it to the top, and downing it. Harry laughed out loud as his eyes flashed red, a low growl coming from his throat. Dean couldn’t help but laugh with him, as Draco shook his head.
“What the hell did you do to that?!” he spat, holding onto the doorframe so he wouldn’t fall over.
“I had Tom add a bit more ‘Umph’ to it.”
“Obviously! Shit, that’s strong!”
“A shot could get ‘Mione seriously buzzed, and she had the strongest tolerance than the rest of us, eh Dean?”
They all laughed, and soon settled in for the night. They would have a long day ahead of them tomorrow, and it would be Kain and Dudley’s first time in Diagon, and Knockturn, Alley. They were however, unaware of the red eyes that stared at them from the balconies.
~!*!~
They walked into the Leaky Cauldron, and Tom nodded to the back room. Dean pulled out his wand once they were out the back door, and tapped the familiar brick sequence. Both boys, as Draco and Harry had taken Dudley’s attitude about his first trip to the Wizarding World to be that of a child, looked around as they walked through in awe. There were so many wizards and witches, Kain had no idea that places like this existed in Muggle cities. He’d been to Hogsmeade, but that was a totally different ball game. The air in the Alley was so much different than anything he’d ever seen.
“Come on, let’s go introduce you to Olivander.” Harry said, taking Draco’s hand, and watching as Dean took Dudley’s. “It’s okay Dudders, Wizards are much more accepting of such things than Muggles. Right Dean?”
“If they can accept you and Draco as being together, then I’m pretty sure they can accept Dudley and I. Come on!”
Kain was still standing in his spot as they started off towards Olivander’s Wand Shoppe, and Draco made his Mate stop and look back. Harry smiled and nudged his son forward with a mental push, and put an arm around his shoulders as they laughed and entered the shoppe.
“Don’t touch anything.” Dean hissed to both boys, “Harry, should we, you know…?”
“I already know you’re here Mr. Thomas.” an elderly voice called out from the back. “Mr. Potter, Mr. Malfoy, pleasure to see you both alive and well.”
“We need your expert advice, Mr. Olivander.” Harry said, taking his wand out and placing it on the counter. “My Cousin and my Son seem to need wands.”
“Cousin? I thought you were… oh.”
When Olivander walked out of the back, he had a few wand boxes in his arms, and his eyes widened as they settled on Dudley.
“Ah, yes, the Evans woman’s child. I should have known you would bloom much later than the others. Well, considering what we had to do to your mother…”
“My mother? Believe me, sir, she’s no Witch.”
“No, no, of course not, but when she was born, she was. Quite unfortunate that her power had to be stripped. She and your mother, Harry, would’ve been a great team.”
“If Petunia Evans could get along with the other Marauders…” Draco whispered to Kain.
“I heard that Mr. Malfoy. But enough of that. You are here for wands, yes? Yes, of course you are. Now, come Mr. Dursley, step forward.”
Dudley looked from Dean to Harry and then to Draco, before Kain pushed him forward. He didn’t have a clue as to what was happening, and was nervous as all hell.
“Now, you must know that the wand choses you, not the other way around. It took a good 5 or 6 wands before Harry’s found his. Speaking of that… you and Mr. Malfoy are due to be upgraded.”
“Upgraded?” Harry laughed, “I didn’t think wands came with an upgrade.”
“As a Wizard goes through his Wizards Puberty, they’re magic changes. Most of the time the wand will change with them, but sometimes they’re uncapable of doing so. Considering what you and Mr. Malfoy have gone through, and with your control of the Dragon’s Eye, I think it best to make sure your wands are capable of handling that power.”
Harry and Draco looked at Dean, who laughed nervously and shrugged. He hadn’t told anyone about their ability to control the Dragon’s Eye.
“Being that I work closely with the Ministry, I am priviledged to much information.” Olivander said, holding a box out to Dudley. “Holly and Dragon Heart String, 7-1/2 inches.” It sparked before catching on fire. “No, definitly not. Try this. Viridian, Unicorn hair, 8 inches.” The same vase Harry had broke, shattered. “Hmm, it must be a family thing. Your Father and your Mother broke that when they came for their wands, Harry. I believe your Grandfather and your Godfater did as well….” Handed Dudley another, “Yew and Veela hair 7-1/4 inches” The window in the back room shattered. “Very peculiar… try this. Fire Oak and Phoenix down, 8 inches.” A swirl of red light trailed around Dudley before collecting above his head and forming a Phoenix. “Yes, yes, very good. You have very strong magic, much like your cousin. Harry’s wand has a full tail feather of the Phoenix that down came from.”
Harry watched as Dudley looked his wand over, the Fire Oak concerning him. It was an ancient tree that grew only in the Forbidden Forrest, and it never lost so much as a twig. Unless touched by the Phoenix. Draco sensed his thoughts and reached out to take his hand, when Fawkes flew in the broken window.
“Fawkes!” Olivander snapped
<Someone touched my wand!> he almost growled.
“That would be Mr. Dursley.”
The bird looked at Dudley, obviously studying him, and made a soft chirp as he bowed, holding the wand out, base first. Harry blinked at his cousin, and Draco’s hold on his hand just got a whole lot tighter.
<A Muggle-born WizElf… interesting. Mr. Potter, take the wand.> the bird said, and Harry did just that.
The same thing happened, with the exception of the light being brighter, and the Phoenix it displayed flying around Fawkes. His old wand glowed brightly, and the magestic bird motioned for Dudley to pick it up. When he did, white light surrounded him, and Draco’s wand started to glow green and crumble. He gasped as the ashes swirled around Dudley, flowing into the tip of the wand with a loud bang. Olivander took the wand and looked at it carefully before laughing.
“Ebony and Phoenix tail feather, 9 inches. Seems as if the wands have decided that the Phoenix is a strong influence on your family line, Mr. Potter.”
“Dudley’s related through my mother’s side, not that it makes a difference, but she was WizElf. How is it possible for-“
<Your mother’s side was of my Clan, Harry.> Fawkes interupted, looking him straight in the eye. <I was hesitant to say something sooner, but your mother’s line and I are, well… see for yourself.>
-flashback type sequence from Fawkes-
“You idiot! You’re not supposed to touch the Fire Oak!”
It was a young girl, about 12 or so, with fiery red hair and golden eyes, yelling at a boy, his hair just as red, eyes crimson, with a touch of yellow around the outside. He pulled out a knife and held it to the girl.
“Cut my down.”
“Are you nuts! Mama will kill us if she finds out that you’ve made a wand out of Fire Oak!”
“The wand choses the bearer, Stella, you know that. If I make a wand from myself, how can it not chose me?”
Before Harry’s own eyes, he saw the boy take the form of a Phoenix. The Fire Oak branch in his talons glowed a bright white as the girl cut a bit of the down feathers from his chest, and the wood caught fire as he changed back. He quickly set the burning down on the branch, and in a great flash of white, a perfect black and red marbled wand floated before the two. The girl gasped as its power swirled around the boy, and he laughed.
“Stella, Fawkes, come on in!” a female voice called.
Harry watched as the two quickly put the wand away, and ran out of the Forbidden Forest. From what he could see, Harry guessed Hogwarts was just in the planning and building process. Things fuzzed out and he saw Fawkes, in Phoenix form, sitting on a perch before a man that looked vaguely familiar. The Sorting Hat and Gryffindor sword were enough for him to make the correct assumption.
“I believe this was yours, Fawkes.” the man said, holding the Fire Oak wand up for the bird’s inspection.
<Yes sir.> was the reply as he hung his head.
“You know that creating a wand out of Fire Oak is forbidden, and to make it attuned to yourself no less!”
<I was but a child, Godric, you know that. A mere 12 years old! I am now well over 200 years, and have been stuck in this form since I was 15!>
“I know all this, and I wish to know why did you not have this destroyed?”
<To destroy that wand would be like destroying part of myself. I am not perfect, nor do I claim to be, but I do know that wand will obey one other Master. One with both your blood and my own.>
“Quite impossible Fawkes.”
<My sister’s children have the Elven blood in them, just as your kin do. Your daughter has the dominant gene, does she not?>
“Yes, and one day that will be broken, and a full blood Male will be born. I suppose that maybe you are right, and the joining of our bloodlines would be very much a good thing.”
-end flashback-
Harry could only stare at the bird, and Draco did the same. Despite the fact that it was only shown to his Mate, the blonde man saw everything. What had Fawkes done to deserve that punishment? Forever in his Phoenix form.
<Olivander, the young Forever Guardian needs a wand of his own, now that Harry’s belongs to Mr. Dursley.>
“Yes, yes, of course. Try this one.”
Kain wrinkled his nose at the wand and looked at Harry. The older wizard closed his eyes and hung his head. Draco did the same.
“Something wrong?” asked Olivander.
“It’s against Harry’s religion to use anything made out of Elder, and none of us will touch a wand with Stag Velvet as its core.” Kain said, taking Harry’s hand.
“Religion? Ah, yes. Wicca. I remember now. Forgive me gentlemen. Perhaps this one.”
Draco watched as his son took the wand, and as the dragon that erupted from the tip of it flew around him, smirked. Harry actually started to laugh. Fawkes appeared to be smiling, and they all felt his mental laugh.
“Ebony and Gryffin Heartstring. Appropriate for a Slytherin.” Harry said, pulling a box off the shelf and handing it to Draco, “This one’s been pulling at me since we walked in the door.”
As the fair-haired man took the wand from the box, his eyes flared ice blue before sticking red, lightning crackling around his feet. Fawkes’ smile widened, and Kain stepped back. An electric bird formed over Draco and Harry, and it screeched as it saw the Phoenix.
<Fawkes!>
<Hello Stella.>
“Fire Oak and the down of an Electric Phoenix. Seems as if you two are more than just the Elves we thought.” Dean said, chuckling at the static shock the blue Phoenix was playing with as she flew around the room. “Let me guess, she’s your sister?”
<Not by blood, but by Clan. It is your blood Fawkes that runs through the Evans family, while mine runs with the Potters.>
<Yes, I know. Tell me, how is he?>
<Quite well. Although he wishes to see his Grandson, and his Mate and son.>
“Excuse me, but who are you talking about?” Draco asked.
“My relatives are dead, and I’ve met Drac’s parents already.” Harry added.
<There is much you were not told about your family, Harry Potter. About one Andrew Potter to be exact.>
“Potter? But I’m the-“
<We will explain later.> Fawkes interupted, <but right now, I think it best you get your Cousin and Son a vault at Gringotts, and let them explore the Alley.>
<Fawkes and I will meet you at your flat tomorrow morning, and take you to Godrics Hollow.>
“Godrics Ho-“
“Harry.” Draco stepped between his Mate and the Phoenixes. “Tomorrow love. Right now, lets just show Kain and Dudley a good time in the Wizarding World. We’ll worry about the Hollow later.”
“But I’ve never been there Drac. I’ve never had the guts to go. Places that my parents have been, they hurt too much.”
“I’ll be right beside you, and nothing will hurt you then. I promise.”
“Okay. You’re right. Tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow.”
Draco kissed his lover lightly and quickly before he paid for the four wands, and repaired all the damage they’d done to the shop. Olivander wished them all well, and the birds disappeared.
~TBC~
Odd chapter, I know. And I know, I made up another character, but you’ll see how he fits into this. And how Dudley fits into it as well. And just for the sake of mentioning it, Stella is the latin word for Lightning. I thought it fit.