The Marauders: Year One | #Wattys2016

The Homorphus Charm

The Homorphus Charm

Dora Potter was waiting at the edge of the property to greet her son and husband. Charlus found his face caught up in her palms and a generous amount of kisses applied across his cheeks and forehead as she desperately smothered him, as though checking to see every pore of his skin had been kissed. James quickly ducked away before she could repeat the process on him, leaving his dad to bare the brunt of her panic.

Dumbledore, true to his word, waved his wand and transfigured the Potter's backyard into a right little celebratory party. Butterbeers and mead for the adults and an assortment of foods appeared across long picnic tables beneath glittering fairy lights. "The house elves made the food, of course," whispered Ted Tonks, smiling and leaning in to James's ear, holding his cup of mead, "Gamp's Law, you know."

James sat on the edge of the party, in an old swing his dad had strung up to a tree in the far corner of the yard during a father-son bonding experience with the Parish family years ago. James had hardly ever used it, of course, seeing as it was nowhere near as exciting to pretend at flying once you'd done the real thing. He let it move gently back and forth as he watched the happy members of the Resistance celebrating, Sirius laying on the grass nearby.

"I'm sorry," James said quietly.

Sirius turned to look up at him, cocking his doggy head a bit so that his ears sort of flopped.

James stared down at his feet, the toes of his trainers dragging in the dirt, "Fat lot of help I was today. If it weren't for you and my dad, I'd be a goner." He sighed, shaking his head, "I'm not a very good wizard, I'm afraid."

Sirius got up and walked over, putting his paw up on James's knee.

"I'm not," James said, argumentative, even though nothing had really been said, of course. A fat tear rolled over his cheek. "I can't even figure out how to help you and I never think to draw my wand, it's like I forget I'm a wizard. I'm practically a squib."

Sirius put his chin on James's knee with a doggy groan and a deep sigh.

James wiped his tears with his fist, frustrated. "I wish you could talk. I miss you."

A shadow fell over them and James looked up, wiping his eyes more, and saw Dumbledore silhouetted against the fairy lights and the party. Dumbledore clutched a glass of butterbeer with vanilla ice cream plopped into it, a fat purple straw sticking up through the foam. He held it out to James. "I thought you should like a treat," he said, "You seem rather down."

"Thank you sir," James said, taking the cup half-heartedly.

Dumbledore smiled and waved his wand, producing a platter filled with bits of beef. He winked and placed it on the ground before the big shaggy dog. "And here you are, Snuffles," he said, "I apologize it's not biscuits, but I should think you'll find this more exciting in the end."

Sirius wagged his tail and quickly leaped to devouring the meal set before him with loud squashy noises.

Dumbledore magicked a small chair and set himself down, leaning into it happily and watching the party, the same as James had been doing. "You did marvelously today, James," he said.

"It's okay to say I did lousy and that I have a lot more to learn," James said, "I know I'm a ruddy git that let everyone else do the fighting. I didn't even think to draw my wand until Si--Snuffles pulled it out of my pocket... And then I hid in the brush and screamed for my Dad and --"

"You defended yourself and stunned one of the most powerful wizards in the world," Dumbledore interrupted him, "Abraxas Malfoy is a worthy opponent for a wizard far more advanced in the arts than you are, my boy, and yet here you stand. Very few wizards your age could go up against a Death Eater and a Werewolf and live to tell the tale. You should be proud of your accomplishment."