CHAPTER SIX

Dresden sat in the corner with his back against one of the many shelves, his arms crossed, pouting. Lily had snapped at him to sit still and stop touching everything, after he'd thrown a book at her by mistake. Well, how was he supposed to know the pictures were meant to move?

"I think I've found something," Hugo said, handing an open book to Dresden. "Is that it?"

Dresden peered at the page, bracing himself for the image to move. But it didn't. It was a cloaked, hunched figure crouching in a corner, cradling something in its hands. Every now and then, the figure would shudder, but that was all.

"Maybe. It's hard to tell without seeing it properly. What does it say about it?" Dresden was too grumpy to read the minute script which preceded the image.

"The Norlaxia," Hugo read, "is a bizarre mixture of a vampire and a dementor. This was created by pure accident, when a vampire tried to cast a spell on the dementor and its genetics were transferred. It is unclear how these beasts breed, and little is known about them as they are so rare, and live a very secluded life. They have, however, been cited as the cause of numerous unexplained deaths in isolated areas."

Dresden stuck his bottom lip out, thinking. "Yeah, that sounds about right. Norlaxia. Dementor. What the hell is a dementor?"

Luna and Lily shuddered.

"Oh, they're absolutely foul," Lily said. "I'll get you a book about one, they could explain it better. Plus, I... don't really feel like talking about them."

"There was something about them in here," Albus said, handing her the book he had been looking at.

"Right then, there we are," Lily said, handing Dresden a book. There was no picture in this one, and he could actually read what it said without squinting.

THE DEMENTOR

The Dementor is a detestable being which relishes on sucking happiness from humans, causing depression and despair. They suck the human's soul out, leaving them simply a body which is alive, but cannot live. They are Dark creatures, associated with Voldemort when they abandoned their posts as Azkaban guards to join his ranks.

Dresden stopped reading, confused by unfamiliar names.

"These Dementors sound thoroughly pleasant, don't they?" he said, shivering. He liked his soul. He didn't want to lose it.

"Well, Dresden, do you think that's what we're dealing with? Norlaxia?" Lily asked.

"I can't say for certain, but it seems likely. It's nothing any of us have seen before, and it said it lived in isolation, attacked in isolated places. Just like your home, really. I just don't understand why it's hunting you," he said.

"There will always be dark magic, dark wizards, and dark creatures. This Norlaxia is a dark creature, so in theory, it is likely that a dark wizard is behind him. Dark creatures tend to require guidance," Luna said.

"Makes sense," Dresden added. "Why else would it hunt people so directly, unless it had been made to."

"That doesn't tell us who this dark wizard is," Hugo said. "There aren't exactly many of them these days."

"Ah, but that does not mean they do not exist," Luna said softly. "Come. I'm staying in the Leaky Cauldron. I'll book another room for Dresden and the boys. Lily, you can share with me, so long as you don't mind sleeping on the couch."

"No, I don't mind," Lily said sweetly. Dresden shook his head. It was clear that Lily adored the batty Luna; he simply couldn't understand why.

Dresden was traipsing after the youthful trio and the bouncing Luna, wishing he could go home. This was all so unreal, so different, and he couldn't cope with it anymore. These British wizards had different wands, they had wizarding schools, and there was an enormous community of them. He was the only wizard in Chicago. The only wizard.

Brightly clothed witches and wizards were bounding in and out of shops, staring at him with the kind of curiosity that comes with unfamiliar faces. They carried bizarre purchases; owls in brass cages, toads in glass boxes, baskets full of vivid potions and lotions, thick books with leather covers...

"So that... that pub we walked through," Dresden said, "there's a hotel above it?"

"It's not really a hotel," Albus said. "More like an inn, I guess."

"It's not the Ritz," Lily added. Dresden was surprised she even knew what that was.

"Is it clean?" Dresden asked. "This inn?"

"Um..." Lily and Albus looked at each other.

"That'll be a no, then," he said, gulping.

"Well, it isn't outrageously filthy," Lily said.

"And it's decent enough really," Albus said.

"The sheets are clean," Hugo added.

"Okay, okay..." Dresden lifted his hands to shush them. "I just... I need something to drink and a lie down now."

"A drink? What type of drink? Butter beer?" Lily asked. They were nearing the wall that they had entered this strange street from now, and Luna was pulling out her wand.

"Butter... beer? What the hell is that?" Dresden asked. Hugo looked amused, and Lily shook her head.

"It's a drink. Never mind. Well, what do you drink?"

"Coke. Tell me you have Coke." Lily looked at him blankly. "Er... it's a brown drink... dark brown... with bubbles..."

"Take him out to a Muggle shop, won't you?" Luna said, as the bricks wrapped away from them. "I imagine it will be some Muggle drink."

"Muggle? I don't like the sound of that, what's a Muggle? Should I be insulted?"

"It's just our word for a non magic person. You know, someone who isn't a wizard," Albus said. "You're not a Muggle."

"But you just said that Coke was a Muggle drink. How come I've never heard of this word Muggle anyway?"

"Shut up, Dresden, and follow me," Lily said. "I hope you've got Muggle money."

"I'M NOT A MUGGLE!" Dresden shouted.

"What money do you have?" Albus whispered. Lily was almost out of the pub now, and Albus snuck after Dresden as he followed her with great reluctance.

"I don't have any money, I was in bed when I got dragged here!" he shouted. People turned and stared at him.

"Sh! Come on... check your pockets?" Albus said. Dresden did, and fished out three very crumpled dollar bills, and one five dollar bill. "What's that? Is that pounds?"

"Pounds? No, it's dollars... oh, right, I get it. Because Muggles use normal money, and you... don't, I assume," Dresden said. Albus raised his eyes at the word 'normal'.

"It's not... oh, never mind. I don't think they'll take your money... hold on... yes, I've got a few Muggle coins... how much do you suppose that is?" Albus handed him five coins. Three of them were silver, the other two copper.

"This looks like a twenty... pence, is it? And these are fifties, I think – you can tell by the funny shape," Dresden said. "And this is just a one and a two."

"Oh, yes, I think I remember now. Do you think it will be enough?" Albus asked. Lily was inspecting a shop window, and waved at them violently.

"Yes... maybe... I don't know," Dresden shrugged to himself, closing his hand around the coins.

"Is this what you mean?" Lily was pointing to a logo on the shop's window.

"Yes, yes – please stop pointing, the people in the shop are staring at you," Dresden said through gritted teeth.

"Well, hurry up and get the thing then. We'll wait out here," Lily said, shoving Dresden in the door. He looked around, feeling awkward, until he saw a display case embellished with the Coca Cola logo. He inspected the tiny printed numbers underneath the cans and bottles, hissing through his teeth.

"You o'rite, son?" an elderly man asked. The man lacked an interesting quantity of teeth, but had a soft, pleasant face.

"I'm not sure if I've got enough," Dresden confessed.

"Ah, an America are you? Well, give us a look at what you have," the man said. Dresden opened his fist, and the man nodded. "Aye, you have enough for a bottle this size," he said, tapping a 500ml bottle of Coke.

"Oh... thank you. That should do me fine," Dresden said, picking up a bottle in his other hand.

"Nae worries, son," the man said, returning to his shopping. Dresden took the bottle to the counter and handed over his money, pleasantly surprised to receive some change. He pocketed it for now, took up his bottle and exited.

"About time," Lily said, marching away without so much as a glance in his direction.

"I wasn't there for that long," Dresden said indignantly.

"She doesn't like being out in the open like this," Albus whispered, keeping pace with Dresden, if with some effort. "It's odd for her. We're so known and recognised amongst our own, that she's uncomfortable being a complete stranger, surrounded by strangers."

"Right..." Dresden said, rolling his eyes. "I'm really, really looking forward to going to bed."

"But it's only half past three," Albus exclaimed.

"It is to you. Plus, I need to be alone for a while."