15 To Find My Father I

I woke up to a comfortable silence. Almost as if the loud echoes of explosion and gunfire of yesterday were just a dream. But I look around and see a room different from my own. Everything that had happened was real. And now everything is gone, everything taken away from me because I was too slow, to weak to do anything.

I've lost my family and my home once more due to my incompetence.

I push myself up into a sitting position, grimacing at the pain that shoots through my chest. It's been quite some time since I last woke up with a gash cutting across my body.

I lift the white sheets off my legs and scowl at the sight of the clothes I have been put in. A hospital gown? Sure I had a cut a few inches long, but it's on my chest! Would it place their finances in jeopardy to give a 7 year-old some pants?

I stand up and enter into what I presume is a bathroom. Thankful that it was a toilet and had a mirror, I lock the door behind me and slip off the hospital gown. I proceeded to take off the white bandages underneath and got a clear view of my wound. It was about 5 inches long spanning 1-2 cm wide. I hoped this wouldn't leave me with a new scar. After getting around fifty or so of them in your previous life it was pretty easy to get sick and annoyed an at getting them.

"Vulera Sanen-"

Wait. I stopped myself just in time to realize that Vulnera Sanentur is most likely an advanced spell. If it was to backlash, the effects could be worse than the initial wound. It would most likely be best to use a simple spell multiple times.

"Episkey."

I could see the wound scab over slowly. I repeated the action until I was satisfied with the coverage, stopping just short of completely healing it. I should find some dittany before I do that.

Content with my work, I lean over the sink and wash my face. Taking a deep breath, I recalled all the events of yesterday, then thought of all the actions I could take.

I needed to find Tony. Even if all that was left was a body, I still needed to find him. It would be difficult if he were blasted into the waters, I wouldn't even know what to do if that were the case.

I decided in the end that I would search the rubble and whatever remains of our house. I couldn't keep performing magic, so I would need working gloves. A hammer would also be good if I could manage to befuddle whatever poor chap ends up at the cash register.

If I were to buy it at a store of medium or large size, there would be a number of witnesses, I should buy it in a junk shop. I transfigured my clothes into a regular pair of jeans and a t-shirt, shaking of the stinging pain that coursed through my arm, putting it down to magical backlash. Better safe than sorry, I decide to place a light disillusionment charm on myself.

I step out of the bathroom and glance around the room for anything useful. The room was completely void of anything except for some flowers in a vase, my earphones, and my phone that sat at the side table. I take it and look for any scratches, finding none. It was one good phone.

I turn it on and open Google Maps, searching for nearby junk shops. Surprisingly, I found one that wasn't too far off from the mansion. I click on "Mark's Junk Shop". A short 10 minute walk from here. I plugged in my right earphone and leave my left slung over my shoulder.

I exited the room, making my way to the elevator and pressing '1'. I close my eyes and take another deep breath, calming my anxiety. My hands won't stop shaking.

I come back to my senses after hearing a ting as the metal doors slide open.

I'm greeted by the sight of bustling people and blinding white lights. The reception area. I cross the floor hopefully unnoticed, heading straight for the glass doors on the other side.

As I come close to the door, I see that there were more people outside than in here. They were all carrying cameras. Paparazzi? Could they be waiting for me? This can't be good.

I turn around and start heading towards a motherly looking woman. Sorry miss, but I would have to borrow you for a few minutes. I raise my hand and cast my strongest Confundus charm, dispelling the earlier Disillusionment charm.

"Miss, you're taking me outside, right? Let's go immediately."

"W-what? Is that so? Alright let's go."

"Right! You're also lending me your hat and glasses because the sun could hurt my eyes."

"That's right. Here you go."

The woman takes off her beanie and glasses and I put them on. I believe the press doesn't know what I look like since I always refused to go to any events with Tony, but there is no saying if they saw me yesterday.

I take her hand and we walk out of the hospital, not garnering any attention from the paparazzi waiting outside. As soon as we make it down an entire block, I sigh a breath of relief and say goodbye to the lady - returning her glasses and hat before I head on to my destination.

Staying true to the reliability of Google Maps, I arrived there 9 minutes later. It was a small, dusty, and cluttered shop, with all kinds of items; from disposable cameras to cat picture frames and fish coffee pots. At the corner I spotted what I needed. Some old rubber gloves and a rusty hammer.

"Hey kid, anything you need?"

I look up to see a bearded face with greying hair. It was a man, presumably Mark, about in his mid-thirties.

"Yes sir, my father needs those gloves and that hammer."

"And how do you suppose you'll be paying for them?"

Oh tosh. I forgot to get some money.

"I won't be paying for them yet, I'll still look around for anything else I might need."

The man lets off a grunting sound as he resumes to whatever it was he was doing at the counter.

"Don't even think about stealing kid, or I'll be calling the police."

I nod my head and walk around the store looking for a place where I could not easily be seen. On my way to the back I come across some bottle caps.

By Merlin, I'm doing something illegal. But it is for the greater good. I grab two fistfuls of bottle caps and transfigure them into quarter dollar coins. I observe them for a few seconds hoping they won't revert back into bottle caps and miracle! They don't! Why hasn't anyone fixed this loophole yet?

Transfiguring muggle money should have been-

. . . the metal coins morph back into bottle caps. I knew it, too good to be true. Wait! I could still transfigure this into something else, something more valuable! I return half of the bottle caps and transfigure the other half into a metal bird with small leaves and flowers dotting the feathers haphazardly. And I'd have to say, I'm quite proud of how it turned out.

"Hey kid, what are you doing back there."

I wipe the smirk off my face and head to the front with the bird in my pocket. Taking it out, I place it on the desk and confound the irate man.

"This was my mom's, my dad told me to trade it for those gloves and a hammer. I found nothing else."

". . . Yeah sure... Go ahead kid, just leave that here with me."

"Thank you sir."

I hide my growing grin as I walk to a far corner of the store to get my hammer and gloves. That was a doss (easy as pie). I pocket the gloves and fasten the hammer to my side (sliding it through one of the loops for the belt on my jeans). Feeling proud, I rush out of the store and head towards the direction of my house with a jump in my step.