A Change of Heart

Leprozengracht

Harry looked suspiciously at the dirty water below him. The canals of Amsterdam were beautiful to see and Harry had to admit that he regularly followed the water from a bridge to let the beautiful view take his breath away; beautiful grand mansions, together with an idyllic image of cyclists on the narrow roads and small boats that silently glided past through the water. He understood the appeal of the Dutch canals and could well imagine why Amsterdam attracted many artists.

But admiring something from a distance was different from experiencing the murky, foul-smelling water up close.

"We have to jump?" he asked in a small voice.

Sirius nodded enthusiastically. His father had been very eager to hear that they were going on a trip to the magical district of Amsterdam. He had been confined too long within the walls of the mansion and had grown quieter each day.

"Think of it as the entrance to the Hogwarts Express in Kings Cross, it's accessible from the Muggle world- just walk through a wall," Sirius grinned broadly, his gray eyes twinkling wildly. "Although the Dutch think otherwise – there is no wall, but water... If you are a muggle you will get wet – we will, however, land in Leprozengracht, it is really brilliant."

Harry, however, was not convinced and made a grimace. "The water stinks, is there no other way to get there?"

The people around him started to chuckle, Corvus was the only one who seemed to take Harry seriously and took a step towards Harry. "The magical community in Amsterdam used to have a leprosy home where they gathered. Amsterdam has always been a trading place- has been for centuries- so traders sought a safe haven to stay out of sight of Muggles. A house full of lepers was therefore perfect, there was no one with common sense who would want to enter a leprosy house. The free trade spirit and the neutrality that Amsterdam offered made it very attractive to establish yourself as an entrepreneur. Soon the house was not big enough and they used the moat - at least the bottom of it - to serve as a marketplace."

Corvus pointed his finger at a busy square where many cars and trams ran. "That is the place where the Leprozengracht used to be, but as you can see: at the end of the 19th century the canal was filled in and the original canal disappeared. The magical community of Amsterdam is still there - under the streets, but with the loss of the canal and eventually the house, they had to find another access point. The Dutch, however, had a strange kind of humor and wanted to keep something from their old shopping district... hence jumping into the canal."

Harry looked hesitantly over the edge of stone lace into the gray water. He pulled down the corners of his mouth and wrinkled his nose. "I don't think I-"

With a short run, Rabastan threw himself into Harry's arms and pulled the younger man securely against him. The momentum caused Harry to fall toward the water, but before the water could make contact with the pair's skin, they landed safely on a cobbled street paved with red stones. Harry was draped on top of Rabastan, it was obvious the older man had twisted him in such a way that he would break Harry's fall. With a swift movement, Rabastan turned onto his side so that Harry was beside him.

Rabastan pressed a kiss to the tip of Harry's nose, then pulled him up. He grinned wickedly and then, with Harry's hand clamped tightly in his, stepped to one side. Soon after, the rest of their family appeared; first Bellatrix and Rodolphus gracefully walked into the street. Next came Sirius and Remus, who both giggled nervously but, like their predecessors, kept on their feet. Corvus simply appeared, as if he had always been there - secretly Harry thought his entrance was the most impressive, Corvus was there, motionless as a house.

Sirius spread his arms and smiled invitingly at Harry: "Pup, welcome to Leprozengracht!"

Harry looked around wide-eyed, the street with shops, which was also filled with smaller stalls, looked very different from Diagon Alley. Of course, there were similarities - it was just as chaotic, for example, and the shops looked as crooked and oddly built as the shops in England, but that's where the comparison ended. The sky was a strange moving light, like water reflecting the sunlight in different directions. Harry decided that this illusion was also a reminder of the past and thought the beautiful light matched the rest of the street.