To Live is the Rarest Thing

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Harry slipped his wand back in his arm holster and stepped out of the drawing room, announcing this presence, as was the polite thing to do. And Harry had learned a long time ago that it didn’t hurt anything to be polite, especially with people you didn’t like. Kill ‘m with kindness, and all that.

“I was wondering, my boy,” Dumbledore said to a very unimpressed looking Sirius, “if we might make use of this house to search for your godson.” It was then that Dumbledore noticed Harry standing in the doorway to the drawing room.

“Now there’s a face I saw just the other day after I ate a chocolate frog,” Harry said with a crooked grin and a relaxed pose as he leaned against the doorpost, laying on his American accent nice and thick. “Albus Dumbledore, as I live and breathe. Headmaster of Hogwarts, right?”

“Indeed,” Dumbledore said with a slow nod. “Now you know my name, but I am still at a loss as to yours.”

“Jack Bird, at your service,” Harry said and touched his finger to his temple in a little salute.

“I didn’t realize you’d been making new friends so soon already, my boy,” Dumbledore said, unable to hide his curiosity as he gave Sirius a questioning look.

“Oh no,” Harry answered for his godfather, since Sirius seemed at a loss of how to respond. “I only just met Mr Black here. But Remus and I go way back.”

“Indeed?” Dumbledore looked from Harry to Sirius and back, blue eyes twinkling behind his glasses. Ugh, Harry had forgotten they did that.

“Indeed,” Remus said as if on cue as he climbed the stairs up from the basement kitchen. “Jack and I have know each other for a while now.”

“About two years,” Harry added, to help Remus fill in their shared history on the fly.

“Belgium is where we met,” Remus continued while he stopped beside Harry and gave him a warm smile.

Harry nodded amicably. It was easy enough to go along with that. “In that little bookstore in Rue de Magique, god, what’s it called again?”

“Livres et la Vie,” Remus filled in helpfully, as Harry knew he would. He couldn’t imagine Remus travelling to any country and not visit any local bookstores.

“It’s always nice to meet a fellow bibliophile,” Harry finished with a huge grin. “And when Mr Black here was looking to get rid of some books Remus knew just who to owl.”

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr Bird,” Dumbledore said jovially. “Am I to assume you attended Ilvermorny?”

Harry shook his head as though expressing deep regret. “Nah, wanted to, but my parents couldn’t afford it. Home-schooled myself, basically. Remus here only just convinced me to get my OWLs and NEWTs this December.”

Remus played along beautifully. Really, who knew he was such an accomplished actor? Harry sure as hell didn’t. “I’ve been telling Jack for years now that sitting for official exams will open up far more lucrative jobs for him in the future.”

“What fields are you looking to work in?” Dumbledore asked pleasantly enough.

“Oh, a little of this, a little of that,” Harry said with a careless shrug. “I’m pretty good at warding, curse-breaking, defence, that sort of thing.”