Prompt 26 & 27
Title: A different explanation
Author: SugarAnnie
Format & Word Count: Fic, 1281 words
Rating: G
Prompt: 26, style: crossover ; 27: spoon
Warning: None
Summary: Dumbledore sends Remus to talk to the guardian of a little boy who has been showing extraordinary powers - but will Remus be able to put his mind around what awaits him there while he’s still trying to figure out his relationship with Tonks?
Author's Note: When I first read the “Crossover” prompt, I was thinking about a post-DH crossover with Meg Cabot’s The Mediator at first. But the “spoon” just beneath it made it almost a must for me to do this. Matrix/HP, yay.
Thanks to Michaela for naming Spoon Boy, and to William for doing a cameo.
It had seemed such an easy task, Remus thought. Just a little favour to Dumbledore, talking to the guardian of a Muggle-born boy with magical powers. But as soon as he had arrived at the address he’d been given, things had started to become - different. He hadn’t thought about anything when he’d been pushed aside by a bunch of people in dark coats and sunglasses in the hallway. It was not the best address in town, after all, and it looked like this was some kind of gang thing. He had also not been suspicious when the woman who had opened the door had known who he was and what he wanted (there was usually a letter explaining some things before a wizard turned up at the house of the parents). But when the woman had told him to sit down and wait, he’d begun to feel a bit nervous.
And it was not only because he was convinced that if she’d make him wait for long until he could talk to the guardian or the child, he wouldn’t be able to pick Tonks up after work, and he was still not sure whether she really wanted to go on a date with him at all. Being late would probably just make her see what a mistake she had made and that she shouldn’t have even agreed on it. Yet this date was no longer the thing that astonished him most.
There were about ten children in the room with him, and every single one of them was showing signs of magical abilities, and not the kind you usually saw with such young witches and wizards. But how was that possible? How could one foster mother who took on a number of children accidentally get so many magical ones?
The woman who had let him in came back to him, a little boy walking behind her.
”I am sorry, but you will have to wait longer.”
Remus started to get u, already thinking of a way to tell her he didn’t have the time to wait for much longer, but she simply continued speaking: “And I am to tell you - don’t worry about Nymphadora. You mean so much to her, she’ll wait for the rest of your life, if need be. But you won’t be late anyway. This - “she indicated the little boy behind her “- is Norman. I understand he is the one you’re here about?”
“Hello Norman.” Remus said, smiling at the boy. Norman smiled back shyly for a moment, but then seemed to lose all the shyness and asked : “Do you want me to show you my trick?” Remus nodded, and tried to keep his thoughts from straying to tonight again. He still hadn’t decided on where to take Dora. Would she be dissatisfied if it was just dinner in some cheap pub? ”You mean so much to her.”, the woman had said, but how could she know? She’d probably just been trying to calm him down.
He focused on the boy in front of him, who had taken a battered-looking tablespoon from somewhere. The boy simply looked at the spoon and it started to bend and sway around. It was quite a good trick for a boy who had only just turned eleven. Filius Flitwick would be glad to have a student like this.
“It’s a great trick.” Remus praised the boy, smiling. “Do you know any other tricks like this?” Norman smiled back at him. “Oh yes, I can do loads. But this is my best trick. Everyone here has a best trick. Anamaria and Carmelita “- he indicated two girls, who were talking and giggling and trying hard not to look over - “are good at making things fly, and William over there” -a boy of maybe seven, who was sitting in front of the TV, apparently absorbed into a soccer game - “can change things into something else. It all depends on your concentration, and on how much you are aware of the code of the Matrix. The more aware you are the better you can manipulate it.”
Remus debated silently whether he should inquire about this statement or whether this would only confuse the boy, who obviously had come up with his own explanation about what he could do. Although it was an explanation worthy of Xeno Lovegood, by the sound of it.
But just then, the woman returned into the room and led him away from Norman, into the kitchen, where an older woman was sitting, smiling up at him.
“So, you’re here about the school of magic.” She said. Remus nodded, sitting down across from her.
”You know, I think Norman is better off not going there, to be honest. Everyone needs their own explanation, but sometimes you cannot make the different ones fit together.”
“Like this Matrix code he was talking about.” Remus asked.
She smiled again. “He said that, yes. I thought he might. But just as much as the school is not for him, these answers are not for you. I know you would like to hear something else now, but all I can tell you is that it is a concept about what is real and what is not. And that’s enough to stop you from looking for more answers, because they would not be good for you.”
It was true, strangely enough, Remus thought, but how could she - oh. Maybe it wasn’t a coincidence that she was “collecting” magical children. He needed to close his mind, quickly. This could be dangerous. The things she could find out from him, about the Order…about Dora -
“Don’t worry about that.” She interrupted his thoughts. “I am not a witch, and I mean no harm. And maybe we should change the topic now and talk about you quickly for a while. And about her.”
She couldn’t know that, he had to close his mind…
“You worry too much. Let go of it and it will be better for both of you. There’s a lot of good things love can do. I always try to tell people so, but most of them, sadly, don’t believe it.” Her smile looked a bit sad for a moment. “The two of you have a great chance, but in the end, it will all come down to your decision. And this will be enough for now. You will be late if I keep you any longer.” She took something out from behind her and held it out to him. It was a chocolate cookie. “I know you like these. And just try to remember - it’s not important what you are, but who you are.”
He had already almost left the kitchen when he hesitated and asked another question: “Who are you that you know all this?”
”It is of no real importance to you, but most refer to me as The Oracle.”
“That was definitely not what I expected when I asked how your day was…a psychic muggle, a - how did you call it - reality concept and a kid telling stories like this.” Dora looked amused.
He didn’t know why he choose to tell her exactly what he had done, but it had been the right thing, he was sure of it. Not what you are but who you are…a great chance…your decision…, all that she had said made sense, somehow. They both did not think twice about the child’s story, just enjoying each other’s company. That was all that mattered.
A man, standing in the shadows of the small pub and looking strangely out of place in his business suit, touched his earpiece and stated: “They are of no further relevance. Drop the surveillance.”
Author: SugarAnnie
Format & Word Count: Fic, 1281 words
Rating: G
Prompt: 26, style: crossover ; 27: spoon
Warning: None
Summary: Dumbledore sends Remus to talk to the guardian of a little boy who has been showing extraordinary powers - but will Remus be able to put his mind around what awaits him there while he’s still trying to figure out his relationship with Tonks?
Author's Note: When I first read the “Crossover” prompt, I was thinking about a post-DH crossover with Meg Cabot’s The Mediator at first. But the “spoon” just beneath it made it almost a must for me to do this. Matrix/HP, yay.
Thanks to Michaela for naming Spoon Boy, and to William for doing a cameo.
It had seemed such an easy task, Remus thought. Just a little favour to Dumbledore, talking to the guardian of a Muggle-born boy with magical powers. But as soon as he had arrived at the address he’d been given, things had started to become - different. He hadn’t thought about anything when he’d been pushed aside by a bunch of people in dark coats and sunglasses in the hallway. It was not the best address in town, after all, and it looked like this was some kind of gang thing. He had also not been suspicious when the woman who had opened the door had known who he was and what he wanted (there was usually a letter explaining some things before a wizard turned up at the house of the parents). But when the woman had told him to sit down and wait, he’d begun to feel a bit nervous.
And it was not only because he was convinced that if she’d make him wait for long until he could talk to the guardian or the child, he wouldn’t be able to pick Tonks up after work, and he was still not sure whether she really wanted to go on a date with him at all. Being late would probably just make her see what a mistake she had made and that she shouldn’t have even agreed on it. Yet this date was no longer the thing that astonished him most.
There were about ten children in the room with him, and every single one of them was showing signs of magical abilities, and not the kind you usually saw with such young witches and wizards. But how was that possible? How could one foster mother who took on a number of children accidentally get so many magical ones?
The woman who had let him in came back to him, a little boy walking behind her.
”I am sorry, but you will have to wait longer.”
Remus started to get u, already thinking of a way to tell her he didn’t have the time to wait for much longer, but she simply continued speaking: “And I am to tell you - don’t worry about Nymphadora. You mean so much to her, she’ll wait for the rest of your life, if need be. But you won’t be late anyway. This - “she indicated the little boy behind her “- is Norman. I understand he is the one you’re here about?”
“Hello Norman.” Remus said, smiling at the boy. Norman smiled back shyly for a moment, but then seemed to lose all the shyness and asked : “Do you want me to show you my trick?” Remus nodded, and tried to keep his thoughts from straying to tonight again. He still hadn’t decided on where to take Dora. Would she be dissatisfied if it was just dinner in some cheap pub? ”You mean so much to her.”, the woman had said, but how could she know? She’d probably just been trying to calm him down.
He focused on the boy in front of him, who had taken a battered-looking tablespoon from somewhere. The boy simply looked at the spoon and it started to bend and sway around. It was quite a good trick for a boy who had only just turned eleven. Filius Flitwick would be glad to have a student like this.
“It’s a great trick.” Remus praised the boy, smiling. “Do you know any other tricks like this?” Norman smiled back at him. “Oh yes, I can do loads. But this is my best trick. Everyone here has a best trick. Anamaria and Carmelita “- he indicated two girls, who were talking and giggling and trying hard not to look over - “are good at making things fly, and William over there” -a boy of maybe seven, who was sitting in front of the TV, apparently absorbed into a soccer game - “can change things into something else. It all depends on your concentration, and on how much you are aware of the code of the Matrix. The more aware you are the better you can manipulate it.”
Remus debated silently whether he should inquire about this statement or whether this would only confuse the boy, who obviously had come up with his own explanation about what he could do. Although it was an explanation worthy of Xeno Lovegood, by the sound of it.
But just then, the woman returned into the room and led him away from Norman, into the kitchen, where an older woman was sitting, smiling up at him.
“So, you’re here about the school of magic.” She said. Remus nodded, sitting down across from her.
”You know, I think Norman is better off not going there, to be honest. Everyone needs their own explanation, but sometimes you cannot make the different ones fit together.”
“Like this Matrix code he was talking about.” Remus asked.
She smiled again. “He said that, yes. I thought he might. But just as much as the school is not for him, these answers are not for you. I know you would like to hear something else now, but all I can tell you is that it is a concept about what is real and what is not. And that’s enough to stop you from looking for more answers, because they would not be good for you.”
It was true, strangely enough, Remus thought, but how could she - oh. Maybe it wasn’t a coincidence that she was “collecting” magical children. He needed to close his mind, quickly. This could be dangerous. The things she could find out from him, about the Order…about Dora -
“Don’t worry about that.” She interrupted his thoughts. “I am not a witch, and I mean no harm. And maybe we should change the topic now and talk about you quickly for a while. And about her.”
She couldn’t know that, he had to close his mind…
“You worry too much. Let go of it and it will be better for both of you. There’s a lot of good things love can do. I always try to tell people so, but most of them, sadly, don’t believe it.” Her smile looked a bit sad for a moment. “The two of you have a great chance, but in the end, it will all come down to your decision. And this will be enough for now. You will be late if I keep you any longer.” She took something out from behind her and held it out to him. It was a chocolate cookie. “I know you like these. And just try to remember - it’s not important what you are, but who you are.”
He had already almost left the kitchen when he hesitated and asked another question: “Who are you that you know all this?”
”It is of no real importance to you, but most refer to me as The Oracle.”
“That was definitely not what I expected when I asked how your day was…a psychic muggle, a - how did you call it - reality concept and a kid telling stories like this.” Dora looked amused.
He didn’t know why he choose to tell her exactly what he had done, but it had been the right thing, he was sure of it. Not what you are but who you are…a great chance…your decision…, all that she had said made sense, somehow. They both did not think twice about the child’s story, just enjoying each other’s company. That was all that mattered.
A man, standing in the shadows of the small pub and looking strangely out of place in his business suit, touched his earpiece and stated: “They are of no further relevance. Drop the surveillance.”