Harry took stock of where had arrived. In front of him stood a house which looked to be Muggle. Even as he looked at it, he saw through the window a large conflagration: The house was on fire.
He glanced over and saw a small boy running out of the house, looking terrified. That jolted him into action. Casting Homenum Revelio, he saw that there seemed to be once more presence in the house.
Rushing to the door the little boy had just left, he moved inside. He cast a quick flame-freezing spell and jumped through the flames. A young girl, likely just a teenager was moving around. He heard her voice call out, "Josh? Josh!" The sounds of the flames almost drowned out her voice.
Putting his wand away, Harry rushed over and yelled, getting the girls attention. "He ran outside!" Harry caught up to the girl. "Let's go!"
He bodily picked up the girl and swung her over his shoulders and moved back toward the wall of fire. Wandlessly casting the flame-freezing charm once again and the two jumped through. Harry released the spell even as they exited the house.
When he was outside, he saw the little boy who had run out looking at the house in terror. When he was Harry carrying the girl he cried out, "Joanie!" and began running over. Once Harry was away and when the boy was almost to him, he lifted the girl off of his shoulder and put her down.
She dazedly looked just in time for the boy to run into her. She reflexively grabbed him to her and yelled, "Josh!"
"Come on, kids. Let's move further away. Is there a neighbor who can help?"
Joanie looked at the stranger who had saved her life and pointed to a house across the street and said, "Mrs. Caverly."
Suddenly, all three heard the sirens in the distance. Harry, relieved that someone had called the fire brigade, said, "Let's move over and make sure we don't get in their way."
Nieghbours were coming out of their house to watch. Out of the house Joanie had pointed to, a matronly lady appeared and rushed over. "Joanna! Joshua! You're all right!" She rushed over and inspected the children. "Where are your parents?"
Joanie, in a bit shock, replied, "I was babysitting. Mom and Dad went out to a dinner party. I had set some popcorn and went upstairs to get my homework. When I came down, I was in the fire. I was trying to find Josh and this man," she pointed to Harry, "told me he had run outside and then picked me up and took me outside too."
Mrs. Caverly cried out, "Thank heavens!" She looked over to the man and said, "Thank you, young man!" She turned back and asked, "Do you have the phone number for where your parents are?"
She shook her head. "It was next to the phone. They're at a fundraiser in New York City. They didn't expect to be back until late tonight."
"Well, once we talk to the firemen, you can stay with me until they get home," the lady said kindly. She turned toward the man. "And where are you going?"
Harry raised his hands. "I was just out for a long walk, kind of got lost. Saw the fire, wanted to make certain everyone was safe."
Although she disapproved of the young man's dress – he looked like he was trying to dress like James Dean from Rebel without a Cause – he sounded well educated and respectful with a British accent to boot. And he was quite handsome. And he was quite heroic getting Joanie out of the house.
Before she could enquire further, the firemen had shown up. One of them came over to the group. "Ma'am. Can anyone say what happened?"
Mrs. Caverly took over. "These two were inside. Joanie was babysitting Josh for her parents and apparently a kitchen machine caught on fire. This man was walking by and helped get her our. I will be watching them until their parents get home."
The fireman looked over to Harry. He shrugged. "I happened to be walking by and saw the fire. I wanted to make certain no one was hurt."
The fireman nodded. He wanted to ask more questions, but there WAS a fire to put out.
Mrs. Caverly said, "I'm going to get these two inside." She paused. "Would you like anything? Water? Coffee? A drink?"
"Thank you, Ma'am, but not. Why don't I have a seat on your porch until they're ready to ask questions?"
Mrs. Caverly nodded. It was the 1970s and there were all manner of odd people. People were far less trusting that they had been during the previous decades.
Once the children were inside, Harry sat casually, watching the fireman work. He heard the screen door open slowly. He looked over and saw the boy watching him. "Hello."
"What's your name?" the boy asked curiously.
He smiled. "Harry. Harry Potter."
The boy nodded and looked inside – apparently to make certain the coast was clear. He quietly moved to stand closer. "Why did you help us? Why did you rush into the fire?" The boy looked really curious.
Harry gave him a gentle smile and said, "It's my nature to help people when I can."
The boy asked, "Why? You could have been hurt."
Harry chuckled. "I think it's every man's job to do what he can to help his fellow man … and woman of course." He sighed, still smiling. "And as far as getting hurt – yes, I could have been hurt. But doing the right thing sometimes means taking a chance. I think your sister's life was worth taking the risk. Don't you think so?"
The boy nodded rapidly. He then heard a noise from inside and looked over. "They're coming back. I gotta go." The boy then quickly and quietly returned inside.
Harry suddenly felt the call. He moved off the porch. Looking around, there didn't seem to be anyone paying attention to him. He chuckled even as his form compressed down and he disappeared, a quiet melody in his wake.
If he had looked over to the window, he would have seen seven-year-old Joshua Lyman looking outside the front window from the couch, with eyes wide with wonder. He would never tell anyone what he saw that day.
When Mrs. Caverly looked outside, she was surprised to find the man gone. No one asked Josh because "he had been inside". No one even knew the man's name then.
A few years later when he heard his sister telling the story, lamenting that she didn't know his name, he quietly said, "Harry Potter."
Joanie looked at her younger brother, a Fulbright scholar by then, and asked, "How did you know that?"
He said with his dimpled smile, "I snuck back outside to talk to him when you were in the kitchen. I snuck back in before you came back." He paused. "He left after I came back inside."
Joanie sighed dreamily and told her friend, "He was very cute." She laughed. "It's why I seem to be partial to a man in a leather jacket."
Josh covered his ears. "I didn't need to know that!"