Griselda's Room
Harry arrived at the Grimore house of Abbey Road, humming to himself, a school bag on his back filled with clothes, and another bag with wizarding things he wanted to spend time exploring with Griselda. When Harry reached the door and knocked it was however to his surprise Mrs. Grimore who welcomed Harry in rather than Griselda.
“Hello Harry, welcome in! Can I take your necessities bag dear?”
“Um sure Mrs. Grimore.” Harry stumbled over his words feeling awkward and out of place. Usually it was Griselda who let him in without much formality, but Mrs. Grimore, forever prim and proper was the epitome of propriety in her every move. Harry felt scrutinized even under her kind gaze filled with warmth there was something hawkish about her.
She took his bag the manual way with a flourish of her wrist to lay her palm flat in a hand over motion which Harry obliged. Setting it behind her she drew her wand and whispered an incantation to which the bag shot off no doubt to whatever room Harry was being put up to sleep in. Turning back to meet Harry's eye as he stared wide eyed in awe of the magic, she smiled. “Glad you enjoyed my little magic trick dear.”
Mortified his staring had been caught, Harry focused on untying his shoes and laying them on the guest rack. “Sorry, Ma’am I didn't mean to stare.”
“Oh don't worry Harry I know you meant nothing by it other than curiosity.”
Sensing Harry’s embarrassment, and that the conversation was finished she turned skirts swishing softly and exited the mudroom into the foyer where no doubt she had been nursing a cup of tea over a book. Even if he had not spent much time interacting with Mrs. Grimore Harry did know she was nothing if not a woman who favoured the routine and comfortable peace.
Realizing he had been dismissed, Harry padded up the stairs to find Griselda, he passed a confusing number of rooms before he came upon the last door on the right of the hallway which was different from the others, it was white and painted with a moving scene of rabbits in snow. Emblazoned clearly near the middle was Griselda's nickname.
Harry knocked solidly three times and stepped back not knowing what to expect. The door swung inward suddenly surprising Harry, Griseld stepped out wearing a casual dress much like a dressing gown, her hair was done up as it could be in a wizard's company but in a much messier fashion than he had seen previously.
“Hey Griselda, thanks for having me over.”
She smiled, “no problem at all Harry, you know I'd never say no to getting you away from those horrid muggle Dursleys.”
Harry rubbed the back of his hair embarrassed… “Thanks anyway” flushing he took the time to look around the room, Harry had never been in a girls room, Aunt Petunia's side of the master bedroom at Privet Drive hardly counted after all.
“Sure sure. Soooo Harry, what do you think?”
“Its very…” Harry was at a loss how to phrase it in a way that would not sound insulting, it was girly as could be and oh so very white. Frills and lace dotting everything, Griselda would no doubt blend in easily with her white hair and fair skin.
“Very, what ? Harry…” Griselda laughed, sounding a bit self conscious now.
“Nothing bad I swear!” Harry was quick to backtrack. “It just caught me off guard, it's so pretty and… white. Much nicer than my room…” Harry trailed off, of course realizing that to talk of his own ‘room’ would only end in information he wished not to tell coming out. One could hardly call the cupboard under the stairs the Durselsys permitted Harry to sleep in a room.
“Thanks Harry, make yourself at home why don't you, did you bring the books you wanted to read together?” Griselda patted the bed before moving to sit at her desk.
Harry noted the large bookshelf bursting with books to the left of her desk which was cluttered with papers and drawings. He knew Griselda was studious but this was another level, he had not expected that many books. It was more he had ever seen in his life. Like twice that of the Dursleys own collection which largely included Aunt Petunia's novels and Dudely’s comics.
“I did bring them.” Harry smiled wryly, it's not like he could read them at the Dursleys. “It's easier to read here, so we can talk about things I don't understand. Plus the dursleys go ballistic when they see my ‘witchy curse books’ so it's best that they don't see.”
“Right,” Griselda snickered. “Which one do you want to read first, Harry?”
“I wanted to ask you about this one, 101 Magical Tidbits Every Wizard Should Know.”
“What about it Harry?”
“Well I was thinking, if the trace is linked to wands, can we start practicing magic now, just wandless”
Griselda looked thoughtful, she sucked on her teeth before responding. “Well Harry, its not that easy, if it was, what would the point of wands be right?”
“Aww really, that's no fun.”
“Oh Harry don't be sad, we can try if you want, let me just find a spellbook for something easy.” Griselda stood and rummaged through a bookcase to the left of her desk. “Aha! Here it is Harry,” She tossed the book almost carelessly across the room to land beside Harry.
“Lora Levosas Compendium of Basic Spellwork?”
“Yes! It's a classic Harry. Not quite like the ones we need for Hogwarts but rather useful since it lists as many simple spells as it can rather than directing.” More quietly Griselda explained, “It was written a long time ago, before Grindlewald or The Dark Lord, so there's a lot of ‘Dark Magic” not that any of it is bad, just little hexes for kids our age to try out. Granted it does expect that we have a wand, but mother won't let me practice with a family wand so here we are.”
Harry opened the book, lifting the thick weathered pages his hands shook with excitement. “How about this one Griselda, Lumos?”
“Sure Harry, its quite simple with a wand so it shouldn't be too hard.”
This Lumos however was in fact harder than it looked, while simple in execution the channeling of a spell which normally sent light to the tip of one's wand was exceedingly difficult without a want or tip to channel it too. After many tries and quite a few false starts Harry and Griselda learnt to use their fingers to channel their magic and got some half hearted glows for their efforts. It was not much but still quite pleasing to Harry.
Before long it was supper time and a tired Grisleda and Harry staggered down the stairs to the dining hall. Mrs. Grimore was waiting for them looking quite ready to eat, though she had a rather mischievous smile plastered to her usually unreadable expressionless face. “Had fun trying wandless magic children?”
“How did you know?” Harry could not keep the surprise from his voice.
“Well children, you really should close your door fully if you don't want to be checked in on.”
“Oh, right, you’re not mad are you mama?” Griselda scratched the back of her neck sheepishly embarrassed to have been caught.
“Oh not at all my dear Zel, i'm happy you and Harry enjoyed practicing magic, I just do wish you waited for wands to begin, wandless magic can take a lot more effort. You both look rather famished.” And with that the dining table filled instantly with a feast of foods whose drool worthy aromas washed over Harry.
Harry’s stomach growled and without a second thought he dug in. If there was more that he loved about the Grimore house is that Harry never went hungry.