An Opus Alchymicum Vol 1: The Experimental Theologian's Apprentice

The Godfather

"I've found him. It took a while, but I found him in the end."

Harry looked up from watching 'The Great Umberto' on television, as the door to the living room clicked open and a second later his father entered. A second after that and James Potter had completely disappeared from view, hidden behind a curtain of auburn hair as his wife raced to him and clobbered him with a bear hug so ferocious that Harry was reasonably certain that it would have knocked a real bear flat.

Then Harry looked away shyly, as his parents' outward displays of affection always left him awkward and embarrassed, not that they seemed to care about such things. Harry simply had to grin and bear it until they disentangled themselves from one another and came up for air.

It was Lily who spoke first when this finally happened.

"A day you said, maybe two. Not a whole week! Where have you been?!"

Harry thought this was a little unfair. His mother seemed to be interrogating his father as if he'd gone on a weekend away with friends, not snuck up to the surface to make arrangements for Harry's safe residence there.

But James seemed to agree with Lily. "I'm sorry. Things were a little more complicated than I expected. Getting into contact with Sirius was very difficult. It seems he's been travelling."

"Travelling?" Lily asked. "Where to?"

"That's the thing ... he wouldn't say. Either that or he couldn't," James mused. "It's very suspicious either way. Sirius never kept anything from me ... unless he was up to something."

"So do you still think the plan is safe? Has he agreed to get involved?"

"Agreed? He was practically euphoric!" James chuckled. "As for being safe, well, that's a relative thing. Here ... hang this on the wall. I know you were looking for something to put in that spare picture frame over there."

James then handed Lily a rolled up sheet of shiny paper. It looked to Harry like a poster or a flyer. Lily unfurled it and promptly frowned at what she saw.

"Oh no, James, I am not having this on the wall," Lily grumbled.

"Come on," James cajoled. "We don't have many pictures of our old friends around the place. Besides, I think it would be useful for Harry to see it."

"For Harry to see what?" Harry asked, as he got up from in front of the television and crossed to his parents to investigate.

"You'll see in a bit," James grinned impishly, as Lily huffed and set to task hanging the picture into a vacant frame on the wall near the door. Then James turned back to Harry. "While I was on the surface, I thought it might be an idea to get you a present, something to whet your appetite for when you start out on your little adventure. Here, I think you'll like it."

James reached into his coat and took out an object that he then offered to Harry. It was a book, a rather large book, and Harry's first reaction was to wonder how his father had stowed such a weighty tome inside his relatively small pockets. It was as if he'd somehow resized the book by magic.

Then Harry read the title. It was written in swirly silver lettering which stood out and sparkled against the handsome royal blue cover. Harry felt as if he were looking at a key to a whole new world.

"Hogwarts, A History," Harry read in near whisper, his eyes flashing with excitement. "This is about the school? The one that teaches magic?"

James nodded. "A complete history of the old place, from the Four Founders to famous alumni, from the House Crests to secret legends. It's all there. Your mother always had her head buried in it, if I remember right?"