Liber Fatalis: Chapter 4
Chapter 4: Mischievous Pixies
It wasn’t until he looked up from his book on Cornish pixie in order to take a bite from the slice of birthday cake that Hagrid had made him that he noticed that he was not the only one eating the cake.
Sharing the cake with him was a Cornish pixie that he had seen earlier in the Wizard zoo. She was munching on some frosting that she managed to scoop into her hand. Harry dropped his fork in surprise, as it landed half on the table with a clank. The pixie giggled at him.
“Hello,” Harry greeted the winged creature. The third chapter from the book that he had been reading talked about how Cornish pixie’s diets mostly consisted of sugar. That would explained why the devious creature was eating his birthday cake. Also, as he read the book, he had discovered that it was quite rare that a Cornish pixie would warm up to a human and bond with them. Reading that part in the book had made him a bit sad, he had wanted a pixie for a pet, they seemed like very interesting creatures to have around you.
Though that was true, there were cases where pixies did bond with a chosen human. When that did occur, a pixie would ultimately devote itself to their human, dying when their human died due to their bond.
Thus, he was surprised to see that this pixie had followed him home. Did this mean that the pixie wanted to bond with Harry? The pixie began to fly around Harry, tickling her nose with his delicate wings, giggling near Harry’s ear before appearing at the side of his face. She put her right hand against his cheek, smearing the frosting that she had been eating on the side of his face.
“Ewwwww…”
She giggled before repeating the act with her left hand.
“I see someone has made a new friend that enjoys playing with her food.” Aunt Bella said with a bit of a smile. She had just arrived in the room to notice that the magical creature was playing with Harry’s food (as well as with Harry).
“I swear I didn’t steal her,” Harry said quickly. He did not want Aunt Bella to think that he was a bad child that had stolen a pixie from the zoo. He had grown so close to Aunt Bella during the time that he had spent with her and did not want to do anything that might make the kind witch upset with him.
“I know you did not, child,” she said in a kind voice before grabbing the pixie by her wings and examining her. The pixie pouted from being handled in such a way. She let out small squeaks, trying to get the witch to let go of her.
“It would be much to difficult for you to take such a thing from the zoo. I do believe it was the pixie that had taken it upon herself to escape and follow you home. She probably liked you immensely.”
“Does this mean… I get to keep her?” Harry asked then. The pixie had stopped trying to stuggle and focused her attention on Harry instead.
“You will have to ask her if she would like to bond with you, for formality’s sake.”
“Would you… like to bond with me?” Harry asked the pixie. The pixie gave a nod at him before picking up some more frosting and dabbing it on Harry’s nose.
“A troublemaker, that one is.” Aunt Bella said as she watched Harry’s eyes light up in delight at his new familiar.
*
The remaining time that Harry spent with Aunt Bella went by fast. Harry spent most of his time reading the various books that was now in his possession. He read up on a bit of everything that would be in his class. However, most of his reading time ended up being devoted on magical animals, especially his book on Cornish pixies.
He named the Cornish pixie that followed him home Marie. Marie loved attention and did not like it when Harry was immersed within his school books and independent reading such that he no longer paid attention to her. Thus, Marie would do things such as yank on his unruly hair, tap on his glasses and sometimes leave tiny handprint smudges on the glass of the thick frames or else land right in the middle of a paragraph that he was currently reading and get his attention.
However, when Harry was not attempting to study and get distracted by Marie, Harry had spent his time with Aunt Bella. Aunt Bella told him stories about his parents and about the time she had spent with him. She also told Harry about the different things that she did when she was at Hogwarts and the stuff she had learned when she went to a school of magic.
Thus, when the day came for Harry to leave for Beauxbatons, Harry could not help but feel prepared for school, even though he was going to miss the company of Aunt Bella.
Harry told Aunt Bella exactly that.
“Don’t worry Harry. From the information your Headmistress had given me, Beauxbatons has monthly visitation rights. Either I will try and visit you during those weekends as long as you get the paperwork done in time. In Hogwarts we never did have such rights, though I believe it would have made things a lot better. Sometimes the homesickness did make the studying difficult.” The Ravenclaw said.
She then pulled him into a warm embrace, making him feel as though this might be what having a person that cares you felt like, like what having a mother might feel like… or perhaps an Aunt that loved to spoil you.
It was a wonderful feeling.
“I will miss you child. It is lonely living here in the muggle world and you are such a dear, dear child.”
He hugged Aunt Bella back, feeding off of her warmth and kindness. He knew that even if he had to live at the Dursley’s for those visits, he would come regardless. To spend time with the witch, even if it was a short period of time would be precious to him. She was the one that had showed him the wizarding world and showed him what it was liked to be loved.
*
They had sent Harry’s trunk and familiars to the school a few days before had had left. Marie was not happy with not being able to stay with Harry, however, Aunt Bella insisted that the pixie be sent ahead because it wouldn’t be comfortable for the two familiars to travel to the school with him. Reluctantly, Marie had agreed to be sent off.
However, on the day of travel, he was more than surprise when Aunt Bella revealed that they were going to travel to France using a can opener.
Smiling at the boy’s surprise expression as he looked at the white handled metal can opener, she told him that Headmistress Maxime was kind enough to send them a portkey that would allow the two of them to travel to the French train station located in Paris.
Not knowing exactly what a portkey was, Harry continued to look at her in confusion.
“How will a can opener do that?”
“The can opener might not look like much, however it was enchanted to be a portkey. It allows a person to transport themselves to a specific location using a keyword.” Aunt Bella explained to Harry.
Harry continued to look at the can opener suspiciously, wondering if she was teasing him or else she was serious.
“Come on now Harry, trust me on this one, just hold on to the end of the can opener with me.” He did exactly that. She whispered some words and soon, they were pulled out of the summer house Harry had stayed with and to the train station.
Harry landed without grace at the platform. Aunt Bella and a few others who had witness the scene laughed at the boy. He could feel his cheeks burn up as he got up.
“It appears as though your affinity with some of our modes of transportation is a bit, chaotic,” the older woman teased. “I cannot wait to see you apparate, if only to watch you land.”
Already red on the face, he began to take a good look around him. The platform was busy with students and their families. Everyone wore their light blue silk robes as required of students on their first day. He was more than happy to find out from Aunt Bella that the light blue uniforms were only required for special occasions, though students were welcomed to wear them year around. The students were given the option to wear standard wizard or witch robes on the other days.
As he took a look around, something fast flew his way and was soon clinging onto his robes. Harry was surprise to see it was Marie.
“It looks like you have a naughty pixie in your hands. She was suppose to meet us at the school, not at the station,” Aunt Bella commented. The pixie stuck her tongue at Aunt Bella and clung onto Harry instead.
“Oh well, she won’t have any difficulties riding the train. Though one day she is going to need to learn how to listen to others.”
Harry highly doubted that Marie was going to learn how to be obedient anytime soon. Harry was about to tell Aunt Bella this when a whistle blew and a deep voice told the students that they were to board the train now.
Harry felt something clump in his throat when he knew that he had to leave his caretaker for many months. He was going to miss her so much. Even if she did come and visit him every month, she was going to miss sitting with her in the den, hearing her tell him stories about the things that happened in the past while drinking hot chocolate and pumpkin juice. She was the first person to shower her affection and actually care for Harry.
It hurt to have to leave it all behind.
Aunt Bella threw her arms around him then, sniffling a lot and crushing her with her arms.
“You are a dear, dear child. I love you.”
“I love you too.” Harry hugged her back just as hard before boarding the train.