James Potter and the Curse of the Gatekeeper 43 страница

аааааааа"Here they come," Rose said morosely.

ааааааааJames followed Rose's gaze and saw a cloud of dust approaching from the end of the drive.

ааааааааThe three stood and brushed themselves off as the vehicle neared. They walked slowly over to stand by their parents. Harry squinted and adjusted his glasses.

аааааааа"They have a different car than the one they drove to the bank," he commented.

ааааааааGinny said, "You would notice that, Mr. Auror."

аааааааа"Must be nice," Ron mumbled. "Buying a house and a new car all in the same week."

аааааааа"Shh," Hermione said, but without much feeling.

ааааааааHarry was frowning slightly. "That's not exactly a new car. In factЕ" Suddenly, his face broke into a wondering grin. "I'll be a hinkypunk's uncleЕ"

аааааааа"What?" Albus asked, standing on tiptoes and shielding his eyes from the sun.

ааааааааJames looked as well. As the vehicle rolled closer, he could see that it was certainly not a new car. It was, in fact, very old but carefully restored. It bounced and jogged on the uneven path, winking sunlight off its chrome bumper and huge windscreen.

аааааааа"It's the Anglia!" Rose cried, jumping up and down, clapping her hands. "Granddad's Anglia! But how?"

ааааааааHarry was shaking his head, smiling. Ron frowned, puzzled, as the car ground to a squeaky halt directly in front of them. The driver's door swung open and a large figure climbed out. James didn't recognize the man at first since he still wasn't accustomed to that suddenly aged face.

аааааааа"Merlinus!" Hermione said, stepping forward to meet him. "What are you doing here? How did you get Arthur's automobile?"

аааааааа"I am happy to say," Merlin replied, "that it came with the house. This is the correct address, is it not? I assume I'd not find the lot of you standing in front of anyone else's soon-to-be-reacquired home."

ааааааааRon laughed. "This is the place, I guess, but what do you mean? Where are the Templetons?"

аааааааа"Happily negotiating the sale of a condominium in Kensington Knob, I believe," Merlin answered, carefully closing the door of the Anglia. "After the rather unseemly amount I paid them for this charming domicile, I suspect they were able to increase their home-buying budget rather a lot."

аааааааа"You bought the Burrow?" James exclaimed, a grin spreading across his face.

аааааааа"But why, Merlin?" Harry asked, shaking his head in wonderment.

ааааааааMerlin looked surprised. "I would think the answer to that is quite obvious. I am still rather new to this age and in need of a home for myself. The offices at the school are quaint, but a wizard of my temperament desires room to spread out. I find this cottage to be perfectly suited to my needs, if perhaps a bit too large. That is why I was hoping I might persuade the previous owner to stay on, to keep me company and manage the place during the school terms."

аааааааа"You want Grandma Weasley to come live here again?" Rose cried happily. "Hooray! That's wonderful!"

ааааааааRon asked, "Are you serious? You'd really want Mum to keep living here?"

ааааааааMerlin nodded dismissively. "Perhaps she'd indulge me with a cup of tea now and then. I, on the other hand, can help her to magically support the place. Seems a fair trade, does it not?"

ааааааааHermione grinned happily. "You'd have to lock Molly in the attic to keep her from making tea for you. Really, Merlinus, this is more than we could have hoped for. But where did you get the money?"

ааааааааMerlin narrowed his eyes conspiratorially. "Did you know that Gringotts bank is over twelve hundred years old? It's truly remarkable what a small investment can turn into over a thousand years. Let's just say that I will not be lacking for income for quite some time."

аааааааа"You made a deposit before you zapped through time?" Ron exclaimed, his eyes going wide. "That's genius!"

аааааааа"What fun is it being a sorcerer if you cannot manipulate temporal loopholes to your advantage?" Merlin agreed, matching Ron's grin.

аааааааа"Let's go get Grandma and Lily!" Albus said excitedly. "Before she does anything stupid like renting some flat in the city! We can move her back in today, right? Right?"

аааааааа"I don't see why not," Harry laughed. "If it's all right with Merlin."

аааааааа"I'd not have it any other way," the big man replied. "In fact, we can take your grandfather's delightful vehicle. I believe we'll all fit inside if we don't mind getting rather close."

аааааааа"The Anglia?" James asked as everyone began to clamber into the old car. "It'll take us forever to get into the city in that."

аааааааа"I think you'll be surprised," Merlin answered, climbing into the driver's seat and smiling cryptically. "Hold on to something, everyone. This might be a little bumpy."

ааааааааCarefully, Merlin pushed a large button on the car's dashboard. With a jerk and rattle, the huge canvas wings erupted from the car's sides, protruding from behind James' head where he sat in the backseat. Noisily, the wings began to flap up and down, assuming a steady rhythm.

аааааааа"The wings work!" Albus laughed. "You got the wings working! Excellent!"

ааааааааSlowly, accompanied by a rising cloud of windy dust, the car lifted off the drive. Ron whooped from the passenger's side window as Merlin steered the car in the air, aiming it toward the western horizon. To the sound of delighted laughter and Hermione's shriek of happy terror, Merlin stepped on the accelerator, pushing it to the floor. The wings buzzed, and the car nosed down, darting like a bumblebee over the yard of the Burrow and casting its shadow over the garage as it went.

ааааааааFor miles around, Muggle children looked up, wondering about the mysterious sound of laughter that passed quickly, fleetingly overhead.

The End

Dear Reader,

So this is the second book. Thank you so much for reading!

Just as James Potter and the Hall of Elders' Crossing was, at least in part, a retelling of C. S. Lewis' haunting novel That Hideous Strength, I came to discover that Curse of the Gatekeeper was very much inspired by Ms. Rowling's own second work, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. As always, I doff my hat with the greatest of respect to Ms. Rowling, whose imagination has spawned a world so fertile and inspiring as to feed the imaginations of so many others. Similarly, I'm sure I am not the first author to realize that my writing tends to reflect the works of whoever I happen to be reading at the time, thus I should extend additional thanks to Orson Scott Card and Stephen King, whose ideas and themes are also peppered throughout this work. If fan-fiction is simply reheated leftovers of another writer's creation, at least I can hope that this story is a casserole.

Special thanks should be offered to all my friends at the Grotto Keep forum, whose constant encouragement and inspiration are chiefly responsible for this story's existence.

I'd also like to mention Ms. Julianna So, who edited this work in the same way that I wrote it: for no compensation and merely for the love of the story. Her painstaking effort and love of the world of Harry (and James) Potter were invaluable all through the editing process. Every correct detail in this story can be credited to her; every incorrect detail is probably a result of my ignoring her suggestions.

Also of great assistance was Mr. Derek Kelley, whose grasp of language, history, and all things English was of immense help. Among many other things, he is responsible for the Shakespearean "translation" of all the passages from the Triumvirate, giving my clumsy lines the metre of true poetry.

Finally, of course, many thanks to my wife, who endured my reading every new chapter to her each night as I finished it, and whose sincere enthusiasm and feedback was the first step in helping these stories to happen.

In all honesty, I wasn't sure there really would be a sequel to James Potter and the Hall of Elders'Crossing, even though, as I was writing that first book, I knew it was part of a much larger story. Now that I've finished Curse of the Gatekeeper, I can see that there is still an awful lot of story to tell. Will Scorpius win the struggle against the inertia of his pureblood heritage? How will Ralph cope with the ongoing baggage of his own family name? What of Petra, whose struggle between her own goodness and the last shred of the Dark Lord so closely mirrors the struggle we all have in our hearts? Will James ever be able to face Petra if she allows darkness to rule her? And most importantly of all, what was the meaning of James' last, mysterious dream, in which Petra and Albus stood at the edge of that freshly dug grave beneath the green glow of the revived Dark Mark?

As I sit here, two months before the official release of JPCG, I wonder how this story will be received. Will people be angry about what happens with Arthur Weasley? Will people hate the story, since it is so unlike JPHEC in many ways? Or will they be asking, when it is finished, "What happens next? Will there be a book three?"

And will there be? The answer to that question is: I don't know. I have an idea of how this whole story is meant to play out, of course, but it is exhausting writing stories grown in someone else's creation. Not because the ideas won't come, but because the seeds aren't mine. They belong to Ms. Rowling. I cannot sell these stories, and there are loads of legal restrictions about what can be done even with a free distribution. In short, there is only so much practical benefit to writing more James Potter stories. I should probably write some of my own stories, don't you think? It scares me a little bit, but I think I can do it. I think I will do it.

But do you want to know a secret, dear reader? I am almost positive I will eventually, in some way, shape or form, write the rest of James Potter's story, even if I never release it. Why? Because I, myself, want to know what happens! You may laugh, but it's true. I know the basic outline, but I don't know the details at all, and I'm very, very curious to find out. Does James' growing love for Petra win her over? Does Albus change Slytherin, or does Slytherin change him? And what, oh what, really happens in that scene in the graveyard beneath the eerie glare of the Dark Mark? Someday, somewhere, I believe I will write the rest of these stories, because I want to find out for myself. And if I do, I probably will share them.

Еprobably.

(Evil grin)

G. Norman Lippert 27 June, 2008

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