I ended up spending more than three hours at Car’s new pce. She was brutally ho about her past and didn’t miny words around topics that adults usually sor in the presence of children, which I appreciated a lot. Some part of me was angry at her for destroying the picture-perfect image I had of my bio-dad in my head, but seeing her face when she narrated the story, I could tell that she was telling the truth. I had never even sidered why she was the way she was. I guess it was veo paint her as a demon in my mind and just be doh it. While I won’t be giving her any Mother of the Year awards, it felt wrong to sider her a piece of ‘furniture’.

  “I’m not saying this just to shift the bme,” she said in a serious toer narrating the story. “I’m equally, if not more atable than my wyer for filing that suit against your family and tarnishing your image. I know it sounds very bad, but I just wanted some money. It’s hard to get a job and maintain it in this ey when you have a legal record. My wyer asked me to sue for custody so that I get a higher settlement than I had inally po ask for.”

  “And how much had you wao ask for?” I asked curiously.

  “A huhousand,” she said after a pause. “Don’t worry. I know you won’t give me anything after the move I pulled, and I uand. I wouldher.”

  We sat there in unfortable silence for a couple more minutes, having run out of topics. While I may have fiven her somewhat, I had no iion to get to know her better. Whatever her reasons may have been, I didn’t want to get attached to her. She was as toxic as they came, and I wanted no piece of that. Had she asked something personal about my life, I wouldn’t have liked it either for the same reason. In a way, the silence was better.

  Finally, sensing the lull in our versatier said, “Troy, I think we’ve spent a lot of time here. If you don’t mind, I have to go home. My shift is near its end.”

  That was a code word of ours. I had coached him to say that whenever he thought that I wao get out of a situation but was too polite to say so. Celebs have to maintain their image, you know. In the rare sario where his judgment was wrong and I wao stay, I would have told him that I’d pay him overtime for the stay, otherwise…

  “You’re right, Roger. I lost track of time,” I said, standing up and turning to Car. “I hope that satisfied all ditions of our tract, Car?”

  Car frowned for a bit when I called her by her quickly schooled her features. “ I call you sometime? Just to talk?”

  “No,” I shook my head. “I’m sorry. But I ’t gh this again. I would advise you to move on and fet about me. Find new friends and family and start afresh. There’s too much history here for things to ever go back to normal.”

  I didn’t want to see her cry like I suspected she was about to, so I turer and nodded. He uood my silent message and escorted me back out of the building discreetly. Roger ro when it came to avoiding public attention, and given hoeople knew me at the moment, his presence was necessary to avoid a mobbing situation.

  “I’m sorry, Troy,” he said in a regretful tone when we were ba our car. “That must not have been easy.”

  “It wasn’t,” I agreed. “But I o talk to her. I wao look her in the eye and tell her how much I hated her, but now…” I trailed off, not knowing what else to say or do. She had left me fused more than anything. I didn’t know how to proceed forward. I didn’t want her in my life, I khat for sure. And while it may sound very easy, I also didn’t want to give her a lot of money because I know what she did st time with my father’s insurance money. At the same time, I knew how depressed she was, and I didn’t wao do somethireme because she was alone and desperate.

  “Hey,” Roger called out softly. “It’s not your responsibility. She brought it on herself. You’re doing the right thing by cutting her off.”

  Did he just read my mind? I stared at him in surprise from the backseat, but Roger ook his eyes off the road. I shook off that thought a back to thinking about my life and the future.

  Now that Car had withdrawn her custody suit against my family, things could somewhat go back to normal. I’m saying ‘somewhat’ because it would take time for people tet about all the allegations that were flowing against my family less than a week ago. It was lucky that I didn’t have any movies releasing this month, or I don’t think I could hahe media scrutiny in the press jus.

  That reminds me that I’ll have to go back to Los Angeles week for the Oscars. Normally, I would have preferred to avoid it, just like I did with the BAFTAs, but my hand was forced this time around. The CEO of Warner Bros., Barry Meyer, flew personally to London just two days ago.

  (Fshback)

  “You got yourself a nice pce here, Steve,” Barry ented idly as he took in our living room.

  “Thank you, Barry,” Dad nodded. “We just retly moved in here.”

  Dad had bought a new home for our family in Knightsbridge, the most expensive area in London, after receiving his generous pay for the first [Harry Potter] movie. It made seo buy one because it saved him a lot of taxes. We had moved in right after finishing the shoot of [A.I. Artificial Intelligence] in LA, and right before the shoot of [Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets] was to begin. It was a huge house, with lots of greenery outside, had five bedrooms, and six bathrooms, and boasted quite a steep price at ￡12.5m. It also had a swimming pool, a gym, a study-cum-library, and so many other rooms that seemed useless to me. But Dad had insisted that we would hem iure to host uests.

  Guests like Barry Meyer.

  “All thanks to [Harry Potter],” the Warner iled magnanimously. “And a little credit could go to Warner as well, I hope?”

  “Of course,” Dad agreed immediately. “We ’t be grateful enough to Warner Bros for everything they have done for our family. From [Sex Education] to [Harry Potter].”

  “I like to think it is a mutually beneficial retionship where both of us beed a lot, and I would like this partnership of ours to tinue for years to e.” Barry’s smile widened for a moment, if that was even possible, before settling bato a passive look as he lifted his gaze from Dad to look at Mum, and then me. “I won’t beat around the bush. I flew from Los Angeles because I need your help. Warner has ied a lot of resources in your two uping films, Troy, and because of this stunt pulled by that woman, they both be jeopardized. It’s time to do some damage trol.”

  By now, I had already giveerview that turhe media against Car, so I didn’t know what else damage trol I could do.

  “I thought that the interview Troy gave was damage trol enough?” Mum asked, voig my ihoughts.

  “It was to a point,” Barry grinned before turning to me. “That ‘interview,’ if you call it that, was watched by more than 20 million people in the US as well. I personally love the fact that you put down that vile woman so effitly. If I wasn’t already a fan of yours, I would definitely bee oer that.”

  I gri that. “Thanks, Barry.”

  “That said, it wasn’t enough,” he said in a serious tone. “We o do more. We o show that we have overe that little setback. And it all begins with the Oscars. Troy o be present at the ceremony and give out the award for Best Supp Actress.”

  I really didn’t want to. I didn’t even have a slim ce of winning this time because I already won st year. Moreover, I remember that Russell Crowe woom Hanks because Hanks had won twi 1994 and 1995. The same principle shall apply to me. At the same time, I uood Barry’s point of view. Attending the ceremony would be great publicity for [Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets] and [A.I. Artificial Intelligence].

  “The British will think that I’m giving more importao the Oscars over the BAFTAs,” I noted.

  “The Oscars are more important than the BAFTAs,” Barry tered heatedly. “Everyone around the world knows that. Even the British know that, although they may be a little relut to admit it. Don’t tell me you suddenly started to care what the people think of your as?”

  I didn’t say anything for a few moments, mulling over the idea of flying back to LA again. Ugh. I hated flying.

  “I’m not here just to get you back for the Oscars,” Barry tinued when I didn’t respond. “I wao let you know that I still believe in you, despite that stupid decision taken by the Board of Directors to halt the produ of the third Potter film. I saw a rough cut of [A.I. Artificial Intelligence] a few days ago, and I know it will be a major hit, just like [Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets], all because of your performance. You have done masterful work in both films, and I would appreciate it greatly if you could tinue w with us for more films. So here's my offer, if you attend the Oscars, I’ll agree to finance or distribute your non-Potter film, no questions asked, given its budget is up to 20 million. Even if the budget exceeds that amount, I'm sure we e to some agreement.”

  That was a very tempting offer. Ohat I couldn’t refuse easily. Didn’t mean I would do anything he said.

  “Okay,” I agreed relutly. “I’ll attend the Oscars, but I have a dition.”

  Barry ined his head for me to tinue.

  “I won’t give out any interviews. If aers ask me anything personal, I’ll ighem because I know what kind of questions they’ll ask me. Also, no press ju until either of my films is actually being released.”

  “Deal,” Barry grinned and shook my hand. “It shouldn’t cause any trouble, but if it does, I’ll personally make sure to mute aive news about you.” He paused as a thought came to his mind, “Although, you’ll have to give some interviews if you do win the Oscar.”

  I scoffed, “Oh please, I won by a fluke st time. Haven’t you heard? Lightning doesn’t strike the same pce twice.”

  Barry nodded in agreement, "True, but you ever tell with the Oscars."

  (Break)

  “You were seen by han seven Muggles!” An Ri, in his Sire, hissed menagly. “Do you have any idea how serious that is? You have risked the exposure of our world! Not to mention the damage you inflicted on the Whomping Willow that’s been on these grounds since before you were born.”

  His dialogue delivery is so unique and perfect that every sylble out of his mouth is enunciated clearly, and you want to hear more of it.

  Jamie and I were standing in front of him in his Potions b, while the actor who pyed Argus Filch stood behind us.

  “Holy, Professor Snape,” Jamie, as Ron, said with a trembling voice, “I think it did more damage to us.”

  I gently elbowed the taller boy at the same time as An yelled, “Silence!” He got up and moved around his desk as he said, “I assure you, were you in Slytherin and your fate rested with me, the both of you would be on your way home. Tonight. As it is–”

  “They are not,” Michael Gambon (Dumbledore) said calmly.

  “Cut!” Chris shouted out loud, halting us from tinuing the se. “Good job, everyone. But I’ll need another shot of the se. o adjust some cameras. Give me five, and then we’ll redo.”

  Getting nods of agreement from everyone around, Chris went back to the crew and started around which camera and light instruments to adjust.

  I got off the little stool I was standing on to shoot the se so that Jamie wouldn't look too much older thahat’s movie magic for you.

  “Little Harry,” Jamie remarked with a grin on his face. “When will you grow up?”

  I rolled my eyes at him in all my maturity. “You’re older than me. Of course, you’d be taller. Just wait for a few years, and I’ll be taller than everyone here.”

  “Ha!” He scoffed. “You wish.”

  Ign his antics, I turo An Ri and ged the topic. “Hey, An! How did I do?”

  He raised a single eyebrow perfectly. “But you didn’t have any dialogue in this se.”

  “Exactly,” I smiled. “The best ag is ohat doesn’t need any dialogues.”

  He gave me a sidering look for a moment before saying, “Whoever told you that, lied to you. The most important part of ag is dialogue delivery. People won’t remember your expressions after the movie is over, but they will remember your dialogues.”

  “He is correct,” Michael Gambon, who had walked up to us with Maggie Smith, pced a hand on my shoulder. “The most memorable character is oh the most memorable lines. So make sure not to piss off any writers or they’ll deliberately give you b lines. Especially if you’re pying a supp character.” David, who pyed Filch, and Maggie, both agreed with the se silently.

  Jamie was nodding along seriously, and I was sure that if we weren't in the middle of the shoot, he'd be noting down these words of wisdom somewhere.

  "Alright," Chris called out suddenly. "Let's do it one more time."

  I stood atop my stool once more as the se began again with An saying his lines, “You were seen by,” fart, “han seven Muggles!” fart “Do you have any idea how serious that is?” fart “You have risked the exposure of our asses!” fart.

  I couldn't hold baymore and burst into peals of ughter. Beside me, Jamie and An weren't faring aer.

  "Harry!" Jamie said in a sdalized voice between his ughter. "You shouldn’t ugh at Professor Snape! Hahaha! And you should definitely not fart in his presence!”

  “It wasn’t me!” I shot back with a mock sdalized face. “It was my stool. I swear.” I bent down and lifted the stool I was standing on to see that someone had slid a farting speaker u, which was still making farting sounds.

  Then I remembered how Michael Gambon had stood behind me when he was lecturing us about ag. He must have slid that speaker under my stool during that time. Well pyed, Sir Michael.

  As the reality of the situation dawned upon everyone o, most people started ughing at the absurdity of the prank. I hadn't realized it before, but I desperately hat. For the past few days, I had been a little stiff. While my familial situation was bader trol, that didn’t mean that the media circus hadn’t affected me. I was damn sure it would be visible in my performance when the film came out in November.

  “Now that that is out of the way,” Chris ented after the ughter had subsided. “ we tiroy has to leave tomorrow for the Oscars.”

  (Break)

  Car opehe front door of her home slightly, only to see a man in his early thirties, in a crisp bck suit standing with a messenger bag with him.

  “Yes?” she asked hesitantly.

  “I’m Keith Langford,” the man replied. “Troy Armitage’s wyer.”

  “Oh yes,” Car opehe door fully, nnizing the man. “You must be here to finalize the paperwork, right? e on in.”

  Keith her in thanks before following her inside.

  It didn’t take him long to take out a stack of papers that he slid across the small coffee table towards Car. Since she had fired her attorney, she settled on reading the tract herself. What she read surprised her in more ways than one.

  “Mr. Langford,” she looked up suddenly. “This ’t be right.”

  “It is,” Keith nodded. “On the ditions that you never sue Troy Armitage or his parents for anything legal at all, ry to approach him for a meeting, and alk to the media about Troy or his parents, you will be the sole beneficiary of a trust at of one million pounds. The full amount of the at will be ied in stock market index funds, and you withdraw only thirty thousand pounds this year, equally divided into twelve monthly installments. Every year, your drawing limit would increase with the inftion rate, as long as you are alive. Upon your death, if anything remains in the at, it shall be returo Troy. Troy has made a few additional ditions for your receiving this amount: that you shall never drink or do recreational drugs again, and that you should get a regur job, no matter what it earns. You will also tiherapy sessions for the foreseeable future. We will do random checks to ensure you ply with these ditions. I hope you fail the test because if you do, I will receive the full amount of your trust.”

  Car was feeling a little dizzy from everything.

  “Does Troy know about these ditions?” she asked hesitantly.

  “It was his idea to begin with,” Keith said didly. “His parents didn’t like it o. Holy, her do I. But I only follow his instrus. So, what do you say?”

  It didn’t take her long to sign off on the dot. She didn't like it, but she didn't have a choice.

  ___________________________

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