"Harry," Mr. Potter remarked, "my daughter,
Pamela. Her and Dudey have become quite good friends, I suspect
considerably more in the future!"
"Father!" the girl moaned.
"Now, now, my dear!" Mr. Potter teased, touching his
daughter's cheek, "You know I always have to speak the
truth. I'm cursed!"
The girl smiled. There was a large group of girls and boys by the
edge of the fence talking with each other, and they all made for
them. Suddenly there was a screeching sound. Harry turned to see
a car come crashing through the fence a way off from them and hit
one of the light poles that surrounded the field! The pole
snapped and began to fall towards the crowd of young athletes.
Suddenly it stopped; everything stopped! Bodies that were
scattering froze in mid air. Harry turned back to see everyone
around him was motionless. Two shadowy figures were grabbing the
young athletes and pulling them out into the field away from
where the lights would fall. A voice suddenly spoke to Harry.
"Harry! Get the girl out of the car! Put her in the trash
bin! Quickly! We can't freeze time for long!" Instantly
Harry was running. When he got to the car he found a little girl
perhaps five or six half way over the front seat and heading for
the windshield. He reached into the car, grabbed her, pulled her
out, carried her over to the trash bin, and put her inside, then
looked to the driver. His face had already contacted the
windshield. Harry realized there was nothing that could be done
and rushed back to the position that he had held. Just as he had
reached it everything started moving again. The light pole came
crashing down. The lights shattered and flew in all directions.
Only one boy cried out as one of the fixtures banged his leg.
When the screaming died down Mr. Potter's driver was on his cell
phone calling for an ambulance. "What's that?" Harry
asked, and headed for the dumpster. "There's a child in
here!" he cried.
Everybody rushed over and they soon had the child out of the
dumpster. "What a bit of luck!" Mr. Potter mused.
"She landed in the bin that holds the facility's shredded
paper for recycling! That probably saved her life! What a miracle
the impact threw her clear!"
Harry looked at the bloodstained windshield and remarked
"Yes! What a miracle!"
One of the soccer players came up. "James is hurt, Mr
Potter! He's not going to be able to play and we've got no
replacement!"
"Yes we do!" Mr. Potter answered. "Before he goes
to the hospital ask him to lend Harry his shoes. I'm sure they'll
fit!"
"But I'm not a soccer player!" Harry objected.
"None of us know what we truly are, Harry," Mr. Potter
put in, "until we pick it up. You're the athletic
type."
Harry sighed, put on the shoes, and joined the practice. To his
astonishment he found he DID pick it up. As the day wore on him
and Dudley began to play exceptionally well together. Finally Mr.
Potter called an end to practice and said it was time for lunch.
They went to a local restaurant and had a good meal. The others
were away for a moment and Mr. Potter looked at Harry. "Have
you learned anything today, Harry?" he remarked. "We
should learn something every day. I always try to. Have you
picked up anything?"
Harry stared at him questionably then he realized a thought had
been in his mind. "Yes sir!" he finally commented,
"That sometimes the best way to deal with any situation is
to give people what they really desire. Then they will be what
you want them to be. I don't know why, sir, but I've been
thinking about that all day!"
Mr. Potter smiled. "Good Harry!" he praised.
"You've learned a great truth about muggles that will serve
you well."
Harry's eyes widened. "Muggles?" he
remarked.
Mr. Potter smiled broadly and lifted his glass. "To muggles,
Harry!" he continued, "Bless them, every single
one!" Harry smiled and lifted his glass in reply.
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