Three Hallows' Eve || Harmione & Jily

Chapter 11.2

Wednesday 16th August, 1989

The park at the end of Thornbrook Avenue wasn't as big as some of the other parks that his parents or Sirius had taken him and his sister to, but Harry quite liked it that way. Their neighbourhood was a relatively small one, and there weren't all that many children living there. Almost all of his school friends lived nearer to the centre of the city while their village of Eppington was just on the outskirts.

All of this, of course, meant that he and Thea had free reign over the playground and the green areas pretty much whenever they wanted. Mrs Levisham had brought them over today - she was a kind old lady who sometimes babysat for them both when Mum and Dad had needed to attend functions or parties or galas, or when they'd gone away for a weekend for their anniversary and Auntie Alice and Uncle Frank couldn't host them as they usually would.

She'd offered to accompany them both today, and Dad had eagerly accepted on their behalf. In fact, Dad's eagerness had surprised Harry a little; he and Thea certainly weren't very likely to turn down a trip to the park, so it didn't really make sense as to why Dad had been so quick to speak for them. Harry had asked him about it later that day, but didn't really get an answer he was. Dad had said that he and Mum had some long overdue business to attend to which they couldn't do with the children in the house. Of course, Harry didn't believe him for a moment, but judging by the look on Mum's face, he'd resolved to let the matter go.

'Tag!' He was broken from his thoughts as an auburn haired bullet streaked across his vision, lightly hitting his arm as she passed. Oh, it's on, he thought as he set off after her.

For a girl of almost six years old, Thea Potter was impressively quick. By no means could she outrun Harry, but he also didn't have to try very hard to make it look like chasing her was a challenge. As she quickly turned and ducked under the slide, he absently noted that she'd probably make a wicked chaser one day.

Leaping over the swings as she ran around them, he nearly caught her, but she just managed to avoid his reach and then dashed off as he recovered his balance. They squared off on either side of the seesaw, staring each other down, trying to anticipate in which direction the other would run. Thea giggled as she feinted left and Harry jerked to follow, only to have to double back as she shot right and sprinted around the carousel. He jumped onto it and let the momentum carry him around, springing off of it at a run once he'd got the right angle.

The siblings reached a stalemate again on either side of the slide, each attempting to fake the other out. Harry slowly started to creep around, and they both circled it while a plan came to his mind. As soon as he got a clear shot, he dived under the slide and reached out to her. 'Tag!' he exclaimed and Thea squealed and jumped out of the way.

'You missed!' she said joyously, and laughed as she ran away once more. Frustrated, he picked himself up off the ground and made after her. By the time he'd reached her again, she'd clambered onto the climbing frame and was being careful to remain out of his reach. 'I'm the Queen of the castle, and you're a dirty rascal,' she sing-songed at him teasingly.

He smirked at her and jumped, stretching as much as he could in an attempt to reach her. Thea's giggles turned to a squeal as she jumped over his swiping arm, before turning around and grabbing onto the fireman's pole behind her to slide down and make her escape. Harry darted around the structure, intent on reaching her before she got the chance to make a run for it again.

Before he got around there though, he heard his sister give out a yelp of pain and all thoughts of chase promptly left his mind. Kneeling on the floor by the fireman's pole, Thea was clutching her wrist to her chest, sniffling as she obviously tried to hold back tears.

'Hey, what's wrong?' Harry asked as he dropped to his knees beside her.

She sniffed as she looked up at him. 'I fell over and now my arm hurts.'

Harry frowned. 'Can I look?' he asked, and at her nod gently reached out and held her arm in his hands. Her wrist was all red and puffy where it met her hand. Thea's breath hitched as he gently ran his hand underneath where she'd hurt it and he winced sympathetically. 'Sorry.'

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, mentally picturing Thea's arm and concentrating on the injury, willing it to heal. When nothing felt different, he cracked open one eye and saw no golden light either, only Thea's wet eyes looking at him expectantly. Frowning, he screwed his eyes shut harder and focused on his breathing for a full minute before opening his eyes again desperately. Tears were actually running down her cheeks now, and her sniffles had become more apparent.

'It won't work,' he said hollowly, and Thea's eyes grew wide with panic. 'I can't heal it. Why won't it work?' The question, no matter how emotional, was bound to be rhetorical. Neither of the young Potters could even begin to provide the answer.

Mrs Levisham's voice snapped him back to focus. 'Is everything okay?' she asked as she walked towards them. 'Oh dear,' she said softly, 'what happened here, then?'

'Thea fell over and hurt her arm, Mrs Levisham, and now it's gone puffy,' Harry answered, taking charge of the situation as any good big brother should. 'I think Mum and Dad will need to take her to hospital,' he added as an afterthought. Obviously he knew that it wouldn't take much for a witch or wizard to heal her arm, but most people would need to see a doctor for it.

His astute reasoning fell to pieces as their babysitter of several years produced a wand from her sleeve. 'I don't think that'll be necessary, Harry. You can't see anybody else around here, do you?' she asked as she checked their surroundings. Getting over his surprise, he looked around and upon seeing nobody in the area shook his head. 'Now, I'm afraid that I can't fix your wrist, Thea, but how about we make it so it doesn't hurt as much?' Thea nodded weakly as she sniffled. 'Lenio,' Mrs Levisham cast, and immediately the relief was visible on his sister's face. 'Let's get you back home to Mum and Dad, then. They'll have you right as rain in no time.'

The old lady gently helped Thea to her feet, being mindful of her arm, and handed over a hanky so she could dry her eyes and wipe her nose. It wasn't a long walk back home - a few minutes at most, really - but Harry used the time with full efficiency. 'I didn't know you were a witch,' he said, almost accusingly.

Mrs Levisham smiled at him good-naturedly. 'Not many people do,' she confided. 'That was the idea.'

He didn't really understand that, but pressed on with his questioning regardless. 'Did you go to Hogwarts?'

'Ooh, a good many years ago. Hufflepuff, to answer your next question.'

'Was Mr Levisham a wizard, too?' he asked cautiously. Mrs Levisham rarely spoke about her husband, who she had told him had died in the war. Since learning about it in school, he'd always understood her to mean the Second World War, but now that he knew she was a witch, he had to wonder if Mr Levisham had actually been involved in the last Wizarding War.

Mrs Levisham had the oddest expression on her face as she answered - it was a mixture of both happy and sad. 'We were the Head Boy and Girl together all the way back in 1923 - he was a Hufflepuff too.'

Before he knew it, they had reached the front door of the Potters' house. 'I bet he was fantastic,' Harry said quietly before he knocked on the door.

'The best,' came her reply.