Basilisk Eyes

Chapter 58: Billywig allergy

Harry sat quietly for a bit while the sighted people around him oohed and ahhed as the storm raged around them. He'd put his socks and shoes back on after Healer Jordan had healed his foot.

After a bit, he got up and asked to sit next to Aminah. It was too hard to try to engage Tony or Gemma in a conversation when they were constantly being distracted by the destruction caused by the storm. Healer Jordan had also told them that they were a common occurrence on Fernando Po.

Why didn't she warn us that this might happen, then?

Their magical hut was so secure against the storm that they couldn't feel or hear the wind as it rampaged outside.

"I guess it is quite the storm," he said to Aminah as he settled in next to her.

"Yeah," she said.

"Do you think the ship will be okay? What if the painting gets damaged? Then what? Are we stuck here? Or does here go away? And then if it goes away, where do we go?" Harry pondered, his heart racing a bit at the prospect.

"The painting is protected," explained Mr. Burbage.

"Oh, hi. I didn't realize you were there," Harry said, a bit embarrassed.

"Yep. Maybe Fitz and Lieutenant Holman would want to join us, too, since everyone else is so captivated by the visuals. It's like being at a movie that's all action and no dialog," Mr. Burbage complained.

"What's a movie?" asked Aminah.

"Oh, I guess you've not been around many muggles, then," chuckled Harry.

"It's a... " he turned to Mr. Burbage. "How do you explain movies to wixen?"

Harry was frustrated that he wasn't finding the words.

"I always tell them that they are like plays that have been captured so that they can be seen over and over again. And they are kind of like memories, but you only view them from one perspective ... the one that the director chose to show," explained Mr. Burbage, turning to Aminah.

"Have you seen a lot of movies?" Harry asked.

"I used to go to movies all the time with my pa when I was a kid, but I haven't seen a lot since my pa di... I lost my sight," Mr. Burbage got quiet for a little bit. "Some of them are okay, but most are so visual that you spend the whole time trying to figure out what is happening. My ma does a good job of describing the visuals, but she's pretty busy and we don't go very often... "

Godric stood up suddenly.

"I'll check in with Fitz and Lieutenant Holman—see if they want to come sit with us while we wait this out," Mr. Burbage said heavily as he moved away.

"Are there enough chairs here for them?" wondered Aminah.

"I dunno," mumbled Harry.

He was wondering why talking about movies made Mr. Burbage so sad.

How long we were going to be waiting the storm out? I wish we could just go back to our rooms. It must be nearly time for lunch, Harry thought as his stomach rumbled.

"If this is a memory, can't we just skip this part and move on to a nicer day?" Harry asked.

"I don't know how memories like this work, actually," Aminah said.

"Maybe it is like a movie, except its one where you can be bitten by the mosquitos, drenched by tropical storms, and feel the sand beneath your feet."

"That sounds like real life," said Aminah.

"Yeah. It does."

He looked up toward the noise of Mr. Burbage coming back with Fitz and Lieutenant Holman.