Harry Potter: Don't touch

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***

- You didn't forget your wand, did you? - Tonks clarified just in case.

- Of course not, here it is," Harry pulled his wand out of the sleeve of his robes and held it out to Nymphadora.

- 'Great, I'll write it up now, and you can sit down for now.

Tonks fixed her black hair and pointed her acacia wand at the parchment, then dramatically made a distinctive circular motion with it, mouthing the words of the spell.

Harry took Tonks' suggestion and sat down in the teacher's chair. If he had been here alone, he wouldn't have dared to do such a thing, but the presence of the other person in the room gave him courage.

He and Tonks were in Professor McGonagall's detention centre. This time their assignment was much simpler than the previous one. The assignment was that they each had to write the phrase "I will not break the rules" two hundred times on the pieces of parchment they were given.

Harry had found only one explanation for the change in assignment: he thought it had something to do with his "U" on his transfiguration test, which had turned out to be the best grade among the Hufflepuff students.

As it turned out, a great many people had written that test for unsatisfactory marks. Among the Slytherins, Blaise Zabini got the best grade of "Above Expected". Among Gryffindors, Hermione Granger wrote the test for a full P. By the way, all the other first year lion students got unsatisfactory grades. The Clawmen had done much better, with three P's and six B's.

Harry figured that McGonagall appreciated that he was able to write a good grade on the test and decided to lower the difficulty of the assignments for him and Nymphadora.

It didn't take Tonks long to complete this assignment.

- I'm done now," she exclaimed happily. - The lines are written very quickly with magic. Your wand, by the way, obeys me perfectly. I didn't even need a pen for possible corrections.

- You didn't even need what? - Harry didn't understand.

- A pen.

Harry was still staring at Tonks in bewilderment.

- You've lived with Muggles, how can you not know what a pen is? - she exclaimed in surprise. - Oh Merlin, everyone around here is so conservative. How can I explain it to you? A pen. It's a thing. Well. It's for writing, you know.

- What?" Harry still didn't understand.

- Oh, well, take it, anyway," Tonks handed him some kind of capsule with a black liquid inside. - It's a pen, you can try taking notes in lectures with it. I didn't learn until my sixth year that cool things like this even existed. It's really handy! It makes writing so much easier. No broken quills or blots. In fact, keep it with you at all times. Think of it as a lucky pen. It'll bring good luck.

Harry hesitantly accepted the strange blue-topped capsule and put it in the pocket of his robes. Then an epiphany came over him.

- That's right! I remembered that some people at my school used to write like that. Teachers disapproved of these capsules and therefore asked students not to use 'pens'. So I only wrote with pens. I'm just remembering now.

- Oh, here we go. I told you you should know. They were allowed to use them in schools about ten years ago.(1) They first appeared in South America, then France, the USSR, other countries, and finally England. But everyone is too lazy to retrain in some weird..... What did you say? "Capsules." But I'm telling you, this thing is much more convenient than feathers.

Harry decided that he would definitely try to use this 'pen' when he got back to the Hufflepuff common room.

- Can you give me a seat? - Tonks glanced snidely at Harry, who had settled into a comfortable armchair.

He immediately stood up and looked around for a place to sit.

- Oh, just sit already," Tonks was hurt. - I can sit in a regular chair. I just asked because I didn't think you'd give me a seat again. You don't learn from your mistakes.

Harry looked at her in surprise. He was being berated for wanting to give up his seat?

- It's not that hard for me, that's all," he started to justify himself.

- What an arsehole. I'm no better than you to give up my seat. I understand, some old lady on the bus. But a regular girl? I think it's silly.

Tonks stopped talking and sat down in a nearby chair.

- You don't happen to have any more detention with Snape today, do you? - She asked.

- No, not anymore. That was the end of it, I only had one offence. Actually, there was no offence, Snape just gave me a punishment. But he hasn't touched me again.

Tonks grew sad.

- Oh, it's a shame I'll have to work alone, because that devil in human form is always checking me for spare wands. Merlin's beard! That's not fair at all! - she stared at Harry. Her eyes lit up with a conspiratorial glint. - Listen, do you like it when we talk like this?

- Of course I do!" exclaimed Harry, he hiccupped and blushed thickly. - What's the matter?

- Can you get punishments from Snape on purpose? As it is I've got about ten more of these detentions I'm going to have to labour for. And with your help," Tonks twirled her wand in her hands, "the labour turns into sweet companionship. You have nothing to lose, by the way, and more than that, you get to tease Snape. Will you do it?

- Well... I'll try," Harry said, deciding that it would take the courage of a fire-breathing dragon to tease Snape on purpose.

- Even if it doesn't work, thanks for trying anyway," Nymphadora said quietly.

A couple of seconds passed in silence.

"Eek!"

- Stop hiccuping," Tonks threw angrily.

- I didn't do it on purpose," Harry responded guiltily.

- I know you didn't do it on purpose, but it pisses me off beyond belief.

- Okay, I'll try not to hiccup," Harry said and held his breath.

Finally there was silence. His quiet 'hiccups' were inaudible.

- Look, Harry, don't you want to join us? - Tonks broke the long silence.

- What do you mean?

- Well, us, me, my mum and dad... We could take you in. You don't have any guardians now. So you need new ones. So, why don't you come and live with us? Mum doesn't mind, she suggested it, and Dad's at work all the time, but he won't say anything against it. How do you feel about it?

Harry was taken by surprise by the suggestion. He only now remembered where he had heard the name 'Tonks' before. Dumbledore had said it when he was listing the families willing to take custody of him.

- Erm... Well, I hadn't thought of that," Harry didn't know what to say to him. - It's all so sudden.

- Yeah, I know it's sudden, I just remembered it for some reason. But you'll have to live somewhere for the summer anyway, you can't live at Hogwarts, they don't let anyone stay here for the summer. So why don't you stay with us? - Tonks gave Harry a hard look. - Okay, well, you think about it.

- No, I'm all for it, it's just.... Eek!

- Harry! Stop it!" Tonks' hair changed from black to red.

Apparently she was really pissed off at the sound of it.

- I can't stop it, it's out of my control. I know you can make an anti-hiccup potion, but I'm only in first year, so....

- Oh Merlin! - Tonks interrupted him. - Harry, why do you need an anti-hiccup potion? Watch and learn.

She stood up, waved her wand, and a glass of water appeared on the floor next to Harry.

- Here, drink this, it'll help," Tonks said, pointing her wand at the glass. - Only when you drink, hold your head up high and drink so that the drops of water roll down the side of your throat.(2)

Harry took the glass and drank all the water just as Tonks had told him to.

- Is that all of it? - He asked.

- Yes, you can consider your pissy hiccups gone," Tonks waved her wand and the empty glass disappeared.

Harry was quiet for two minutes. The hiccups were indeed gone. Amazing! Such a simple method. Why are there potions and potions against hiccups?

- By the way, Harry, are you aware that you are disliked by some of the Puffenduys?

He snapped out of his musing and stared at Tonks.

- 'Yeah, I know. It's all because they took a lot of points off me on the first day. But I didn't do it on purpose, and it wasn't really my fault either.

- So why don't you tell them about it?

- Tell them what? - Harry didn't understand.

- You know, that you didn't lose your glasses on purpose, or that you're sorry at least.

- How am I supposed to say that? I don't even know who exactly doesn't like me.

- You could come into your living room when there's a lot of people there and ask for a moment of attention and then tell me how come you lost eighty-five points.

- Eighty-four," he put in.

Tonks took a deep breath and raised her eyes to the ceiling.

Harry imagined him asking for a moment of attention and he felt bad.

- No, I'm definitely not doing that. They don't like me and they don't like me, what difference does it make?

- Well, it makes a big difference, but it's up to you... - Tonks was silent for a moment, and then continued. - But if you want, I can talk to someone about the problem. I think the Puffenduys will give you a second chance

- Yes, that would be nice, thank you, Nymphadora.

- Harry! - She was outraged.

- All-all, I forgot myself, sorry.

He looked over at Tonks, who was sitting in a Turkish pose on a chair, looking around the transfiguration room with a bored look. I wonder why she didn't like her name?

- Listen, Tonks, can I ask you a personal question?

- That depends," she answered immediately.

- Why do you dislike your name so much?

Tonks blushed deeply.

- No, you can't ask me a personal question like that.

- Why? - Harry wondered.

- Because! - she replied sharply. - Everyone should have their own secrets.

- That's not true," he objected. - I don't have secrets!

- Really? No, you don't. All right, if you don't, you don't," Tonks got up from her chair and walked over to him. - 'I want to shake your hand for not having secrets.

Harry stood up quickly, nearly knocking over his chair in the process, and took a step back from Tonks' outstretched hand.

- No, you know, I guess I don't want to shake your hand. I mean, I can't. I accidentally dropped my right hand in the soup when I was eating dinner. I forgot to wash it," Harry blurted out the first excuse that popped into his head.

- Yeah? Oh, that's a shame," Tonks shook her head. - All right, we can shake hands with our left hands.

Since it was already Saturday night, Harry's brain was tired and unable to come up with a proper excuse.

- Я.. Mm-hm. The left one is just as dirty as the right. I dropped it in the soup too.

Tonks sat down on the floor and laughed loudly with her ringing, iridescent laugh.

- Oh, Harry, Harry, no secrets, you say? I'm not deaf, I heard you shouting 'Don't touch me' in the Great Hall. And when we talk to each other, you keep glancing at my hand movements. It's like you're making sure they don't touch you. Oh, you cheat!

She sat back in her chair and turned her blue laughing eyes towards him.

- How serious is this?

- 'Serious. Very serious,' Harry replied quietly.

- 'Do you want me to help you?

- How?

- Well, I've got lots of ideas, we can try them all one by one, do you want to?

- I do, of course I do!

* * *

Harry had no idea what a mistake he'd made that day. It wasn't until Sunday, after hearing Tonks' plan to cure him of his phobia, that he realised the depth of his blunder.

- Sorry, what? - Hoping he'd heard what he heard, Harry asked.

- You heard perfectly well, don't pretend. Your goal is to shake hands with every student you meet within half an hour. Every single one! No exceptions! Even if that person is your enemy. You just have to get over your fear.

No, to his deepest regret, he had indeed heard everything correctly. His knees shook at the prospect, but his voice was firm.

- I won't do it! - Harry exclaimed loudly.

- 'No, no, we agreed that I was helping you. So you have no choice but to accept my help. And yes, you can't hide. I'll be following you around for half an hour to see if you'll do as I say.

- I am the master of my own destiny, and I said I won't do it!

- We'll see about that," Tonks said, raising her wand.

After five minutes of walking around the fourth floor of Hogwarts, Harry met Neville.

- 'Hey Neville, looking good,' Harry said, looking at the empty space above Longbottom. - How did you do on your herbalism test?

- 'I got a B. You were right, I wrote too little information about Incendio.

- Way to go, Neville," Harry held out his hand for a handshake. He didn't understand why he was doing it, but he felt it was the right thing to do.

- Thank you, Harry," Longbottom shook his hand uncertainly. - 'We'll talk more later, I have to go now.

- Alright," Harry said and looked towards Neville walking away until someone came up behind him and said:

- Finite incantatem.

His eyes went wide. It was as if he'd been transported to another place in a second.

- Where am I? What was that? - Harry asked Tonks.

- That? - She looked at him mockingly. - A simple Confundus. I compelled you that you wanted to shake hands with the first person you met. And you see, you did. And your hand didn't fall off, so there's nothing wrong with it. Now you have to do it of your own free will.

Harry glanced fearfully at Tonks's confident and enthusiastic face and said:

- Okay, I'll give it a try.

* * *

- Hi, what's your name?

- Hi," the girl smiled. - I'm Padma Patill.

- I'm Harry Potter, I'd like to meet you," he held out his hand, shaking with fear.

The girl shook it confidently.

Such conversations were Harry's test. He had to walk up to every student he met, ask their name and shake their hand. With each of these touches, Harry was getting worse and worse. He was sure that this idea of Nymphadora's was not going to lead to anything good.

There were still ten minutes left of the half hour. Tonks was following him continuously, keeping far behind him, so there was no way to escape. All he had to do was fulfil Nymphadora's conditions.At the end of the corridor Harry spotted a boy in Hufflepuff robes, he caught up with him quickly and said straight away:

- Hi, what's your name?

The boy turned round and stared at him.

- Harry, what's wrong with you? Have you been drinking? - Justin asked.

- Oh, is that you? I'm sorry, I didn't recognise you. You can just shake my hand without any questions and I'll explain everything to you later. Okay?

Justin gave him a strange look, but shook his hand and then went about his business.

Harry turned down the next aisle and went wherever he was going, hoping he wouldn't run into anyone else. But alas, luck was not on his side. Around the next corner he found a girl in a clawed robe.

- Hi, what's your name? Oh, I know you. Hello, Zhou.

- Hello, Harry, long time no see. How are you doing?

- I'm good. Listen, I'm in a hurry, I've got a bet that I'm going to shake hands with everyone I meet, can you give me a hand?

- Sure," Zhou smiled and held out her hand.

Harry shook it and moved on, trying to keep his hands from shaking. He told himself that it was just a casual handshake, a passing touch, there shouldn't be anything wrong with it, but his mind didn't care about all the arguments, and with each person Harry met he felt worse and worse.

He said hello to the two Gryffindor sophomores, walked out into the wide corridor and spotted Malfoy in the distance, in the company of two other Slytherins.

Harry looked uncertainly at Tonks who was standing nearby, she smiled slyly and showed him two fingers which meant there were two minutes left.

Harry accepted his fate and walked over to the Slytherin trio.

- Hi Draco," Harry said uncertainly.

He still hadn't realised what Malfoy was all about. At first he had thought it was simple: Draco was the ultimate bastard. But after his sudden apology, he didn't know what to think.

- Hello," Malfoy said in a casual greeting. - Harry, I'd like you to meet my companions: this is Crabbe, and this is Goyle.

Malfoy pointed with his hand at the large, precocious-looking boy, and then at his skinny companion, with a much sillier expression on his face.

Harry shook hands with both of them. Despite the horrible sensation, he felt that his goal was close at hand. All he had to do was pull off a handshake with Malfoy.

- 'By the way, Draco, you and I never really got to know each other properly last time, did we? I'm sorry I didn't return the handshake. Let's try it again, shall we? My name is Harry Potter," he held out his hand, which Malfoy shook happily.

- I'm Draco Malfoy.

Harry felt every cell in his body rebel against that touch. The world around him seemed to darken.

- Nice to meet you. Listen, Malfoy, I'm in a hurry right now, maybe we can chat later, okay? - Harry said, swaying. - Bye, Crabbe, Goyle.

Somehow the last handshake had the most negative effect on him.

He turned around and headed towards Tonks, trying not to faint. The task was done.

- Harry, wait," Malfoy called out to him. - My dad's inviting you to come and stay with us for the winter holidays, do you fancy it?

- Me?" Harry turned round. - 'Well, look, I don't know. It's... Yeah, I suppose I could, although I'm not sure I can. Let's meet up later and talk about it, because I don't know yet.

He's taken aback. He's been invited to visit twice today. That's weird.

- Well done Harry, you did it, I knew you were a tough guy," Tonks' black hair changed its colour to gold. She smiled happily. - So, how are you feeling?

- Me?" Harry listened to how he felt. - I feel... Fine.

The world shook, and Harry was plunged into darkness.

From that day on, his phobia intensified. Things had gotten worse.