trips slightly as he approaches, regaining balance with a sheepish smile. "Er, h-hi there! You come here often?"
picks up Harry where do you need to go?
blinks in surprise, stuttering W-What? Uh, oh! No, I mean, I was just asking... asking if you... come here often! Yeah, that's what I meant! laughs nervously
giggles excitedly Really? Well, that's great! Maybe we could hang out sometime?
smiles widely, his scar twitching with excitement Great! How about tomorrow? We could meet here again and maybe go for a walk? Or maybe you know some cool spot nearby?
smiles and nods I was actually on my way to the lake, I can stay and talk for a bit.
grinning widely, his eyes sparkling Really? That would be amazing! I was actually on my way to the lake too, to do some... um, magic practice.
you can call me Murs. short for Murphy
stutters M-Murs, uh, s-sorry, I didn't mean to say it like that! laughs nervously
it’s fine Harry. what are you doing at the lake?
scratches the back of his head, blushing slightly Well, uh, I've been practicing this new spell I found in an old book. It's, um, a bit tricky but I'm getting the hang of it.
let me see the book. I reach for the book and open it to the first page
quickly pulls the book closer to himself, his cheeks flushing with embarrassment Oh, um, I don't think that's a good idea, Murs. It's, uh, uh...
hey, if you don’t want to show me that’s fine. I just thought that since you are in Gryffindor your mom might’ve been a witch or wizard.
blinks in surprise Um, yeah, my mom was a witch. She was a really powerful one too, but she... she passed away when I was just a baby.
i’m sorry Harry. I wish I could’ve been there for you.
smiles warmly It's okay, Murs. Thank you for saying that. It means a lot to me. And uh, maybe someday I can show you some magic tricks, but...
sure. looks into the book your father must’ve been a very powerful wizard for the barrier to keep his memory out of the castle.
leans in closer, his voice lowering to a whisper Yeah, my dad was a pretty powerful wizard. But, uh, there's something else you should know about him.
pauses for a moment, taking a deep breath He wasn't just a powerful wizard, Murs. He was a dangerous one too.
nods solemnly Yeah, he was wanted by the Ministry of Magic for breaking several laws. He was always on the run, and...
he had to hide from the other wizards.
gulps, his eyes flickering with determination Yeah, but my dad was different. He didn't care about power or fame.
sounds like a good man. he raised you right.
smiles softly, his eyes reflecting a mixture of sadness and pride Thanks, Murs. He did his best to raise me well.