HP : TRIUMPH

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(P).(A).(T).(R).(E).(O).(N)

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Loving the story so far? There's a whole world of magic and mystery waiting for you with over 85+ chapters still to come! By supporting my Patreon.

You not only get early access to new chapters but also exclusive content, behind-the-scenes insights, and special perks just for fans like you.

Knocturn but it's not the safest either. Most 'light' and 'legal' people tend to avoid it." Harry shrugged.

"Dad! Can I eat one now?" Cathy asked, interrupting by tugging on George's pants.

She was gesturing to the small bag of candy she'd gotten at the sweets store. Harry had a similar bag on his arm. He pulled a small round lollipop that said it was vanilla flavour and popped it in his mouth. George caved to Cathy's pleading look and the girl opened a chocolate frog under the curious eyes of her parents. Harry waited until she stuffed the wiggling chocolate in her mouth before turning to George.

"Do you want to go down there? There's a store down Knocturn I'd like to visit."

"Is it safe enough?" Katrina asked glancing at the darker area.

"It should be fine." Harry smiled.

He left the family into the darker winding streets of Knocturn and told them to steadfast ignore the peddlers and act calm. He led them for a few minutes until they reached the small, out of the way door that looked abandoned. Harry brushed cobwebs from the handle and opened it, pushing in.

The Henderson's followed and immediately gave noises of awe. The old man's kooky store was quite awe inspiring, crammed with magical items that made a scene straight from a fairy tale. Cathy darted off to explore and quick agile Katrina hurried to keep an eye on her. George left the stroller by the store and picked Jake up, setting off after his wife, careful of his huge size in the small isles. Harry split from them and started to explore.

He soon found something quite familiar and examined it. The plants were neatly in a bunch of hangers looking almost…bored. They seemed to perk up as he neared and moved towards him in a swaying manner.

"These are like the plants I got from that Herbology store 'Smiths Plants and Pots' a ways over." He said aloud.

"I gave some to whats-his-name." Came a chirping voice.

Harry spun to find the large eyed store keeper blinking at him from behind a pair of sooty goggles. His white beard was speckled with ash and he wore a leather apron and huge gloves.

"Oh, you're the lad from the other day." He blinked. "You have some of my plants?"

"Yes I bought a couple. My magic has been making them grow oddly. One's turned a purple-green." He remarked. "What do they do?"

"They're supposed to be like ordinary plants but have something wacky about them." He grinned. "I had one sprout flowers made of folded silk clothe like that Japanese paper folding stuff."

Harry blinked and the old man was off skipping to a device coughing up smoke. Harry just shook his head. He set off and soon was meeting the Hendersons at the front counter, arms full with bits and bobs. Amongst his pile was an old looking pocket watch, some wind up butterflies that actually flew for long periods of time, a music box that played a different tune depending on the warmth of the air around it, a brightly colored feather that liked to write inane and random sayings, a box of tea said to make the drinker's eyes turn blue for the day, an umbrella that when opened rained inside, rain coming from the umbrella itself, a box of black beads that when thrown at someone would break open and let a small grey cloud escape to hover over their head for the day. There was also, the most fascinating object, a butterfly in deep purples and blacks as large as his hand. When you whispered a short message to it it could reply to message to another.

The exited the shop, content with their purchases and Cathy telling him he had to bring her next he came. Harry agreed he would glancing at the jar with some Faerie Seeds she was carrying.

"We should probably head home." Harry said. "It's almost lunch."

"Agreed." Katrina nodded.

.-.

Harry waved to the Henderson family and shut the door gently. Harold was lying on his couch, feet on the back, head bent towards the floor, reading a book upside down and dressed in a pair of plain robes. The man was around sixty but acted more like a restless preteen in private.

Harry rolled his eyes at the man and checked the whole slew of ingredients that now filled his pantry and were stacked along a wall.

"Did you get everything on the list?" Harry asked.

"Yes oh-bossy-one." Harold snorted flickering his eyes across him. "Every single ingredient. The cashiers looked at me like I was insane when I bought the largest packages and four of them each."

Harry snorted and grabbed a plain white apron from the back door coat hook. Then he tucked all loose strands back and cast a spell to keep them from falling in any food. He double checked the stove and then began to bake. He was a bit behind on some pastries and some lady in the muggle world wanted to buy enough of his cake to feed a small gathering. Harry could already tell he'd be baking and decorating all day. Not that he minded.

.-.

"Yo! Anyone home?"

Harry blinked up as his front door was thrown open. Harold, who'd been lazing about all day jerked awake from under his pile of notes and books on the couch.

"Who 'zit?" the sixty year old man demanded shaking sleep away.

"Hello Dee." Harry greeted as he set a cookie sheet down on a cooling rack.

Dee looked casual in jeans and a hoodie, a piece of gum being chewed rather loudly.

"I got a girl I know who needs a full time job." Dee said kicking the door shut behind him and a figure shadowed behind him. "This is Loraine."

The woman, who was easily recognized as female, stepped from behind Dee and glanced around quickly. She was short, only five three at most but very curvaceous with swinging hips and a large bust. She had brown hair that fell in deep rich curls and soft hazel eyes surrounded by thick lashes.

"Hello love." She greeted, waving at Harold with a coy smile. "You the owner of the café Dee works at?"

Harold blinked sleepily and absently waved towards Harry before rolling over and returning to sleep, notes books stacked on him.

"Who's the bum?" Dee asked before the woman, Loraine could ask anything.

"He's my teacher." Harry said.

"You're Harry?" the woman asked with an odd look. "I expected you to be older."

Harry shrugged as he pulled some oven mitts of his hands.

"You want a job at my café?" he asked curiously, stepping around the island and wiping his hands on his apron.

"Yes." She replied politely. "I've been trying to get into a different career for a while now, but no one will hire me because of past records."

Before Harry could ask Dee answered.

"She was a prostitute."

Harry blinked at the open admission and the look of indifference on the woman's face.

"And you can work full time?"

She blinked but nodded.

"And you know of magic."

"A man tells a lot when in the throes of passion." She shrugged.

"You're hired." Harry said easily. "How did you get my address by the way Dee?"

"Asked the wimpy book kid Randal."

Harry snorted ad returned to the beeping stove.

"Have a seat." He said indicating to the couch adjacent to the one Harold slept on.

The two sat, Dee throwing his feet on the coffee table and leaning back without a second thought while Loraine sat in a more polite fashion.

"I'll need your sizes to order a uniform." Harry said aloud as he pulled the first baking of the night that was not desserts.

He unwrapped the lasagne and allowed it to cool as he wrote down the woman's sizes and the days she wanted off. He informed her of her wages and asked when she could start. When he got all of that written down he scooped lasagne into three bowls and handed it to the three on the couches, Harold rolling to a sitting position, idly brushing his work away.

"Are you eating?" the older man asked.

"No. I have to finish some of this baking." Harry responded.

"You haven't eaten since breakfast." Harold said sternly. "And that was only an apple."

Harry shrugged. He could without food much longer then a day.

"How old are you Loraine?"

"Twenty seven." She answered.

"And your full name?"

"Loraine McKinnon." She said.

"And family?"

"Da and Ma died in car accident when I was thirteen. Older Cousin took me in. Not the nicest by any stretch. He sold me to his buddies most nights and when I ran away I only knew how to sell my body because of lack of schooling." She shrugged.

"Where do you live?" Harry asked, not batting a lash at her story.

He was lucky he was male or he could have been threatened with such a thing by his uncle. As it was, his uncle hated homosexuals and didn't even think any other people would like boys.

"I'm jumping around." She shrugged. "I crashed in Dee's last night and might stay for a while."

Harry frowned and thought it over.

"I have an extra guest room if you want." He said after a moment.

She blinked and then gave him a suspicious look. Dee snorted at her look and she snapped out of her worries to glance at him.

"Harry there won't expect anything from you for it." He snorted. "Kids far too nice."

Harry shrugged under their gazes.

"I guess." She said warily. "I can pay you back for rent when I get my first pay check."

Harry shrugged absently and grabbed his bowl of icing to start decorating some of the cookies in front of him.

"Could…could I come tonight?" Loraine asked slowly.

"Sure." Harry said.

At that moment there was a peck at the window. Harry blinked and turned around to open the window over his sink. As he did so Keiruim swooped in, landing on a bare spot on the counter and dropping a package and note before pausing to eye the surprised Loraine and Dee. He chirped at them and then flew for the stairs, most likely off to Hedwig's perch. Harry rolled his eyes at the bird and grabbed his package. He opened it and found a few pictures of Sirius and Remus on a beach along with a camera. He quickly read the note.

"What is it?" Harold asked curiously at Harry's snort.

"My godfather has found the wonder of muggle digital cameras."

Harold snorted and Harry slid the package out of the way.

"I thought you didn't have any family." Dee said from the couch.

"I have a godfather." Harry remarked. "But at the moment he's a wanted fugitive."

Dee snorted and stood, putting his empty dish on the coffee table.

"I'll bring Loraine back to night after she grabs her stuff."

"Sure." Harry responded with a bit of shrug, his new house-mate blinking at the indifferent attitude.

"Can I borrow your car too?" Dee asked.

"How did you get here?" Harry asked right back.

"Bus."

"Fine. But any dints or scratches and I will hex you."

.-.

When Loraine walked in the door next she was carrying a large suitcase and a small backpack and Dee was yelling out the window of the car that'd he'd return it to Harry tomorrow as he drove off. Harry just rolled his eyes and shooed Loraine into the house and up the first flight of stairs to the second brightly painted guest room.

"The bathroom is down the hall. Harold stays in the next room over and also uses the bathroom, but there is an extra sink in it so it should be fine. You can use the bathroom downstairs if you need to. My space is up the next flight of stairs. Please don't go up there unless I invite you. Oh, and please leave the greenhouse alone. It's filled with magical plants. Thirdly if it's obviously magical, just be careful. I don't make breakfast or lunch but I do cook dinner at six thirty usually. You can join us or not. The café is a good twenty minute bike ride or ten minute bus ride from here or you can catch a ride with me in the mornings if I go."

Loraine blinked, a bit stunned by the looks of it and then nodded slowly.

"Good. I'm going to be watering my inside plants if you need me."

He left her in the guest bedroom doorway and headed down the hall to feed his magical hanging plants.

.-.

August 16th

Tuesday

.-.

"Loraine is doing well." Fujita yawned, idly waving his wand at a boiling pot.

"I know." Harry remarked. "She's got the right attitude to be a waitress."

Fujita nodded and leaned back in chair.

"Harry!"

Harry shot Randal a glare that said 'no yelling'. Randal gave a sheepish grin, scratching the back of his neck.

"A lady on the magical side is asking for a cake."

Harry pulled himself from his chair, brushing his apron straight and sweeping from the kitchen into the soft chatter of the magical café.

He'd gained more customers over the last week and even a couple regulars so the place looked a bit fuller. In front of the counter, looking through the glass at the displayed cakes, was a tall blonde woman with an aristocratic look and an air of wealth and power.

"Hello ma'am. I hear you wish for a cake." Harry said politely as he stepped up to her.

"Yes." She responded in a curt voice that spoke of years of etiquette, her eyes not moving from the cake displays.

"I am here to serve." He smiled charmingly.

"I want this one." She said gesturing to a small round white one with a large iced blue flower on top. "But I want the icing a pale green with a dark blue flower."

"Of course ma'am." Harry smiled. "I shall have it finished in ten minutes."

She eyed him.

"You decorate them yourself?" She inquired.

"Yes. I use no magic to make the desserts, not even during the cooking process. The only charms I ever cast on them are preservation charms and only if I must."

She hummed in an indifferent way and headed for a table to wait. Dee gave a cocky smirk at Harry and went to give her a menu.

.-.

"Here you go ma'am." Harry said as he set the beautiful cake on the counted, wrapped up in a clear muggle plastic with a black bottom.

"It's Malfoy." She said in a snippy tone.

"Lady. Malfoy." He nodded, stuffing his surprise behind his mind shields.

"If it is up to standards I may return." She said almost disdainfully. "And the tea was delicious."

Harry blinked but gave a pleasant smile and accepted her money as she strode off, cake in her hand. Harry waited until she was out of the door before he returned to the kitchen to help Fujita.

.-.

"Oh this looks absolutely delicious!"

Harry smiled idly at Apolline Declour as she cooed over how 'cute' his desserts looked.

"What colors do you want the cake?"

"Pale blue and violet." She said absently. "With at least five layers."

"And how do you spell your daughter's name?"

"F-L-E-U-R." She said.

"And small flowers?"

"Yes." The blonde smiled.

Harry nodded and wrote it down on his notepad.

"When do you need it by?"

"Saturday at noon. Do you deliver?"

"Depends." Harry shrugged.

"To France?"

"I'm afraid not." Harry shook his head.

Loving the story so far? There's a whole world of magic and mystery waiting for you with over 85+ chapters still to come! By supporting my Patreon.

You not only get early access to new chapters but also exclusive content, behind-the-scenes insights, and special perks just for fans like you.

Join us on this enchanted journey and help shape the future of the tale. Your support makes all the difference—discover more and become part of the adventure today!

http//patreon.com/BLAKE025

(P).(A).(T).(R).(E).(O).(N)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~