Harry Potter and the Curse of the Gypsy
Author's note-Hello, and thank you for reading my first fan fiction! I only recently found this site but have been writing fan fiction for as long as I can remember. This is a story that I started right after reading Goblet of Fire, and it has been really fun! I hope you enjoy reading it!
Disclaimer-I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters from these fine books. The only characters that I own are Cory Johnson and her managers. J.K. Rowling owns the others, and she has done a fine job with them, so I could never take her place as much as I would like to. The plot is mine, though. Got it? Good.
Chapter One
Harry sat at the window of the smallest bedroom in Number Four Privet Drive, his hand placed over his forehead. He watched through the window thoughtfully, though most of the world of was fuzzy and tinted orange by the outside streetlight. His old lightning bolt shaped scar tingled slightly under his touch-as it always did after a nightmare. He did not feel like rising to put his glasses on, or to check the time, even though the sun rising on the horizon indicated that it was morning, and he had likely been sitting still in that same spot for over two hours.
The dreams..they were always the same. Harry tried to recall the exact events, but they were all the same. Darkness and shadows, filled with the echoes of death, death beyond what was natural, and always that same high screeching laugh.
He shook his head, erasing the thoughts from his mind. Forcing himself to move, he turned, slipping on his glasses from the bedside table. His room came into focus, illuminated by the unearthly morning glow. On a battered old trunk, a cage stood open. Hedwig, a snowy owl with bright white feathers, sat on her perch, head buried cozily beneath her wing. Beside her, and all around the room, thick books on curses, potions, and various charms were strewn about, melded with any number of pieces of parchment and jars of brightly colored ink and quills of different shapes and sizes. Next to his bed, on top of the bedside table, was an essay written almost entirely in black. It was an essay on Memory Potions for his least favorite teacher, Professor Snape, which he had been working on the night before.
Next to the essay was a messy pile of read and re-read letters, bearing the scrawl of his best friend Ron, the neat writing of his other best friend Hermione, a couple from Hagrid, and quite a few that bore either the large, looping signature of his godfather Sirius Black, or a muddy pawprint. Harry sighed, remembering the dream of the night before. When they had started, a few weeks before, he had followed Sirius' advice and sent him notice whenever one came. But now that they were occurring every other night, he had given up and began keeping a tally, which he told to Sirius and Sirius alone, although he supposed the information might also be passed along to Dumbledore.
He picked up one he had received the night before, when he had been on the verge of going to sleep and was too tired to open it. It was from Ron.
Harry,
How are you? I hope the muggles aren't getting to you. The Dursleys have it coming to them if they think to pull anything, after what you've been through. I think even my mum would throttle them. Fred and George are wreaking havoc, as always. Some mysterious benefactor has given them a load of money, and they have designs on renting the Shrieking Shack and making it into a joke shop. Just a hint-if they send you anything, wait until you see them before you touch it. Just last week Ginny got turned into a parrot. Hermione just got back from visiting Vikkie in Bulgaria. She says he is going to move here for awhile, for some reason. I hope he isn't going to try and teach DADA or something. On the other hand he would be gone in a year. Just a thought.anyway, I was just wanting to tell you that we are still working on Dumbledore. He might just let you come soon. Mum is defiantly telling dad she wants you here now.she really must not like the muggles and I don't blame her. Hope to see you soon,
Ron
Although he was still reeling from his dream, the upbeat tone of the letter was enough to lift his spirits.
Stretching, he went to the closet and swung open the door. His face was unusually pale and his eyes were beginning to develop faint shadows beneath them. He grimaced. Although he was just a week shy of his fifteenth birthday, he looked like he was showing the stress of a full- grown ministry wizard. Harry sighed, pulling on an overlarge T-shirt and jeans he had gotten second-hand cousin Dudley, who was roughly the size of a ship. The clock flashed the time as half past six, and Harry thought grimly that it was just enough time to fix a nice breakfast without being disturbed by his aunt or uncle. He was wrong.
As he paced down the stairs, he came face to face with an unusual sight. Aunt Petunia was cleaning. No, not just cleaning-she was cleaning obsessively. The couch was overturned and she furiously scrubbed at stain left by Dudley from a bowl of chocolate ice cream he had spilt a week before. Uncle Vernon was at work rubbing at a window with a spray bottle of cleaner and a rag, though by the expression on his purple face Harry could tell that he was not happy with the arrangement.
Even Dudley, who in the summer commonly did not even wake until nine or ten, was hard at work. He was cleaning out the refrigerator in the kitchen-and just happened to be eating everything that was edible at the same time. Of course, the refrigerator was a lot fuller than it had been the previous summer, when Aunt Petunia had made a failed attempt at a diet. Rather than assume Dudley might have cheated on his diet when he came home thirty-three pounds larger than he had been before, she called the school nurse any number of nasty names and promptly bought Dudley anything that he liked at the corner store.
"What are you doing?" he finally asked, after watching them for a few long moments. Uncle Vernon didn't look at Harry when he spoke. "Cleaning. We'd make you help but everything has to be perfect-so just go along, why don't you"
"Why are you cleaning now?" Harry asked. Uncle Vernon turned an even more violent shade of plum. "Because we have company coming! Nothing that concerns you, boy. Now, GO!" He shouted at Harry, who shrugged and entered the kitchen. He briefly considered asking Dudley, who was currently munching on a week-old coconut cake, to move away from the refrigerator so he could get some breakfast, but decided at the last minute such a venture was too risky, and got a Pop-Tart( from the pantry instead.
It wasn't until a moment later, when Harry poured a glass of water, that Dudley saw him and jumped. "What are you doing here?"
"I live here.remember? During the summer, anyway. When I'm not at Hog."
"Don't say it!" His cousin covered his ears, dropping a large piece of icing to the floor. Scowling, he struggled to bend and pick it up. Harry smurked as he watched him strain. "Why are you all in such a fuss?" Harry asked finally, when Dudley stood panting against the counter, his face red from the effort.
"Moira.family.coming.today." he panted. "Mum says everything has to be perfect." Harry looked at Dudley in wide-eyed astonishment. "You mean that.girl.is coming today?" Harry grimaced, a mental image of a picture Dudley kept in his room on his mind. Harry was not pleased. He had only met her once, when he had returned a while before from King's Cross Station from Hogwarts.
She had been sitting with Dudley on the sofa, her face fixed in a look of admiration. When Harry had entered, she had looked at him, gross amusement on her features, and turned back to Dudley, the smile plastered on her face. She was like Dudley, only worse. If Harry's cousin was a ship, she was an entire fleet. She had a head full of curly blond spirals that she tied individually with tiny pink bows that Harry thought looked like the adornment on a French Poodle. Her watery blue eyes were wrinkled in her face, and mostly covered by the abundance of flesh on her head.
Harry had faced many dark things. He had witnessed the return of the dark lord Voldemort himself. But even he could not face the terror that was.Dudley's girlfriend.
"What is it?" Dudley asked cautiously. Harry realized that he had been standing in complete silence for a while. He jolted himself back and grinned. "Oh, nothing.I hope you enjoy your date.did you say her family was coming? I think I should like to meet them."
"No!" Dudley looked at Harry in horror. "You're.you're not going to do anything.I mean, Moira is my girl, and her family.her dad is the headmaster at Smeltings.he could expel me! What would dad think." Harry struggled to stifle laughter as Dudley stammered, his face pale. Of course, Harry had never planned to do anything to them. All pranks and jokes he would leave to the Weasley clan.
"Don't fidget, ickle Duddikins," Harry said presently, after watching his cousin stammer a bit. "I won't do anything to your girl."
"You most certainly will not." Aunt Petunia, who had obviously heard Harry's threats, entered, scowling. "Because YOU won't be here." She smiled triumphantly as Harry's jaw dropped.
"What? Why won't I be here?" He shook his head as he looked at his aunt. For a wild second he thought that perhaps the Weasleys would be coming to get him. He couldn't imagine that his aunt would have taken THAT news so happily. "We can't risk you doing anything here." Aunt Petunia looked down her nose at Harry. "THAT is why you will be spending the day working for Mrs. Figg. I heard her saying the other day that she had a few odd jobs around the house, and I volunteered you." She had a look in her eyes that made Harry cringe.
"You must be kidding." he said, frowning. He hadn't even seen Mrs. Figg since the first year he had left for Hogwarts. Since then there had been too many things going on.the Dursley's hiding him and saying he went to a school for criminals, the Dursley's hiding him and saying he went to a school for criminals, and then there was the Dursley's hiding him and saying he went to a school for criminals.
However, he distinctly remembered quite a few too many cats and the faint smell of cabbage that seemed to follow him wherever he went. Mrs. Figg herself was nice enough, he guessed.though she was a bit cat obsessed, and delighted in showing pictures of her babies to anybody who would pay attention for more than a few minutes.
"No, I most certainly am not." Aunt Petunia was shaking her head, glaring at Harry. "And I don't want you causing trouble, boy.none of that- nonsense-of yours."
"And what nonsense would that be?" Harry bit back, chafed. "Do you mean mag." He paused, a faint grin on his face when Aunt Petunia took a harsh step back. "Oh. Sorry about that." He muttered unconvincingly.
"Well." She sighed. "Well. All right.things are almost done here.go get a good pair of gloves and go on over, before she has to call me. I'll be watching." She added, her voice ominous.
"Of course. Aren't people always watching me?" He groaned as Aunt Petunia pointed her finger and retrieved a pair of gloves from the shed. He passed through the house, making sure to shake a little dirt from the garden out on the newly cleaned rug before he exited and paused at the street looking at Mrs. Figg's house.
It was brightly painted, Harry noticed, much more colorful than most muggle houses. He crossed the street and knocked at the door. Mrs. Figg answered, smiling.
"Why, hello, Harry. It has been a while, hasn't it?" He looked up at her, nodding faintly. Surprisingly, she didn't look quite as old as he had remembered-he guessed it was because, when he was eleven, she had seemed quite ancient indeed.
But now, as looked closer, he saw she couldn't have been older than the Transfiguration teacher, McGonagoll. Her hair, though silver, was still streaked with gold and her eyes twinkled, dark brown. Didn't she used to wear glasses? Harry thought to himself, slightly surprised.
However, he didn't stop to think about this too much. What with the dream and the morning confrontation with the Dursley's, he was in no mood to talk. He supposed that getting his hands busy might stave away the boredom.
"What do you need done, Mrs. Figg?" he asked, smiling at her.
"Oh, not much really. Why don't you come and have a cup of tea first, dear? I've just made some warm cookies." She grabbed him by the arm with her surprisingly strong grasp. "Well, come on, don't be shy." She sat him down and began bustling about, all the while chatting.
"Harry, I know I haven't seen you lately, but I must say that you are becoming quite the young man.handsome really. I am glad to see that the Dursley's over there haven't gotten you down.now don't get me wrong, I don't mind Petunia, but she does favor that son Douglas of hers."
Harry sipped at his tea and began glancing around the room. Though a few cats were running about the floor, he didn't see that many. He asked her about this.
"Oh, yes, my kitties. I love them all, you know, but they are a lot of word.and what with the fact that I just got a new job, and can't take them with me, well, I can't really leave them alone? I won't even be back until the summer, you understand." she began rambling once more and, despite himself, Harry began to chuckle softly. Deciding to cut her a break, he listened to her talk as he bit into a surprisingly good chocolate chip cookie.
"So, you understand, I didn't think that I should stay here any longer. Too many things going on, you see, and I can't really remain idle that long.oh, it isn't like I haven't been doing anything, at the library I've done a lot, but I think I could be more helpful.what with Voldemort and all." Harry smiled up at her. And froze. And stared. Finally, he stammered..
"Did you say Voldemort? He asked, his eyes open wide.
"Well, yes. I, like Albus, agree that not saying his name only makes him more frightening than he already is." Harry stared.
"You know about Voldemort." He stated in disbelief.
"Well, of course, why not? I am a witch, aren't I?" she chortled, putting more sweets on Harry's plate.
"You.you're.you're not a muggle?!" He stood, staring at her.
"Why, what made you think that?" After a moment she glanced at Harry. "But.I thought for sure, Albus did tell you didn't he? I've been here protecting you, you know.I am your guardian. Well, except for legally, the Dursleys, you know, and your godfather Sirius."
"You know about SIRIUS?!" He said loudly, looking at her. She grimaced and rubbed at her ears. "No need to shout, Harry." She stated. "I can hear you well enough." She smiled at him after a moment.
"I didn't mean to alarm you dear, I just thought that you would know about me.no wonder you seemed so unenthusiastic to see me at first.I thought you just didn't like me." She smiled as Harry opened his mouth to protest. "Don't, Harry. I think that it is time to introduce myself. My name is Bella." She smiled at him. "And I am, of course, a witch."
"Er.yes, of course." Harry frowned as the name struck a chord. "Bella.Bella." suddenly he smiled. "Arabella Figg? The old crowd?" She smiled at him.
"Yes, Harry. Although I don't know why Albus persists in calling us old. Why, I'm only eighty-eight, and Mundungus Fletcher only just had his nintieth birthday!" She preened. "Of course, Remus and Sirius are thirty- seven, but that is neither here nor there."
"Oh.yes." Harry bit into a piece of cookie and drank a sip of tea. Suddenly a thought occurred to him. "Mrs. Figg? You know the Weasleys?" She smiled at him.
"Of course, Arthur and Molly are the sweetest couple I know. Those twins are a handful, though." Harry grinned.for Fred and George, this was an understatement.
"Well.er.Dumbledore said that I could go to The Burrow as soon as it was safe.do.do you know when that might be?" He paused, looking hopefully her.
"Well, you'll just have to see, won't you?" Harry couldn't get much more of an answer than that. As promised, Mrs. Figg had work for him to do. In between packing up quite a few mysterious items from the attic and basement, which he recognized many to be magical items, and helping her look through dozens of hidden passages for things she had hidden and forgotten to look for, he talked to her, often about his parents.
"Lily and James were such a sweet young couple.Lily, Harry, was just about the most beautiful bride I think I ever saw. I used to babysit right after you were born, you know." She smiled at him. "And a handsome young lad you were, boy." Harry blushed, looking out the window and scowling as he saw a large black car pull up. Mrs. Figg glanced after him.
Moira clambered out, her large feet hitting the pavement. The car visibly rocked back into place as she ran forward to kiss Dudley on the cheek. Her father and mother smiled and shook hands with Harry's aunt and uncle. "My, what a horrid girl.do you see the way she is talking to your aunt and uncle?"
"I don't want to think about it-I might get sick." Harry blanched but Mrs. Figg said nothing. She appeared not to have noticed.
They went back to work. By three, he had done everything, but Mrs. Figg had invited him to stay since the Dursleys didn't expect him until five. As they sat talking, Harry felt a small gust of air at his neck. He turned to see two owls-one, stately and regal, poised with dignity, the other a small gray bundle of feathers that flitted about the room, hooting shrilly. Though tempted to take Ron's letter first, he saw the annoyance and took pity on the larger owl.
It was heavy. The owl nipped at his finger in thanks before it fluttered away. Harry saw the Hogwarts seal and frowned-it was much too early to be getting his school letter.
"What is it, dear?" she said. "Is that your school letter?"
"I dunno.I guess, but I never though that they sent them this early." He accepted the knife she handed him and slit it open. Something hard fell into his palm. He gaped at it in disbelief and slowly turned to the letter.
Mr. H. Potter,
We are glad to inform you that you have been accepted as one of two new prefects for Gryffindor house. Miss Hermione Granger has been accepted as the other, and we are pleased to have the two of you leading Gryffindor. Please report to Cabin 28 on the Hogwarts Express on September 1st for further instruction. I hope that you enjoy the rest of your summer, and will be pleased to see you for a wonderful new year. Enclosed is your badge. Wear it with pride! Professor M. McGonagoll Head, Gryffindor House Deputy Headmistress "I don't believe it." He muttered. And so saying he looked down into his palm at his new prefect badge. It shone brilliant silver, and the engraving of an incredible lion shone behind the words.
"Oh, Harry." Mrs. Figg smiled. "You're parents.if I am this proud, I can just imagine how they would feel." she wiped a tear from her eye. "But.I'm not the one to celebrate with.open your other letter."
He looked at her strangely and slit it open. He pulled out a piece of parchment on which was written, in Ron's untidy scrawl HOLD ON. He glanced at Mrs. Figg for a moment before feeling a pulling at his navel, and he was flying forward, forward, forward until.
Until he fell into somebody's arms. He looked up and grinned widely. "Professor Lupin!"
************************************************************************Hell o! I hope this isn't too short-I'm just getting the action started, and I had to set the mood. So you know, Remus will definitely be in this fanfic, as will many other characters that we all know and love. I hope you review! Criticism is okay, but please, don't be mean! Loves ya! *wink*
Megx
Author's note-Hello, and thank you for reading my first fan fiction! I only recently found this site but have been writing fan fiction for as long as I can remember. This is a story that I started right after reading Goblet of Fire, and it has been really fun! I hope you enjoy reading it!
Disclaimer-I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters from these fine books. The only characters that I own are Cory Johnson and her managers. J.K. Rowling owns the others, and she has done a fine job with them, so I could never take her place as much as I would like to. The plot is mine, though. Got it? Good.
Chapter One
Harry sat at the window of the smallest bedroom in Number Four Privet Drive, his hand placed over his forehead. He watched through the window thoughtfully, though most of the world of was fuzzy and tinted orange by the outside streetlight. His old lightning bolt shaped scar tingled slightly under his touch-as it always did after a nightmare. He did not feel like rising to put his glasses on, or to check the time, even though the sun rising on the horizon indicated that it was morning, and he had likely been sitting still in that same spot for over two hours.
The dreams..they were always the same. Harry tried to recall the exact events, but they were all the same. Darkness and shadows, filled with the echoes of death, death beyond what was natural, and always that same high screeching laugh.
He shook his head, erasing the thoughts from his mind. Forcing himself to move, he turned, slipping on his glasses from the bedside table. His room came into focus, illuminated by the unearthly morning glow. On a battered old trunk, a cage stood open. Hedwig, a snowy owl with bright white feathers, sat on her perch, head buried cozily beneath her wing. Beside her, and all around the room, thick books on curses, potions, and various charms were strewn about, melded with any number of pieces of parchment and jars of brightly colored ink and quills of different shapes and sizes. Next to his bed, on top of the bedside table, was an essay written almost entirely in black. It was an essay on Memory Potions for his least favorite teacher, Professor Snape, which he had been working on the night before.
Next to the essay was a messy pile of read and re-read letters, bearing the scrawl of his best friend Ron, the neat writing of his other best friend Hermione, a couple from Hagrid, and quite a few that bore either the large, looping signature of his godfather Sirius Black, or a muddy pawprint. Harry sighed, remembering the dream of the night before. When they had started, a few weeks before, he had followed Sirius' advice and sent him notice whenever one came. But now that they were occurring every other night, he had given up and began keeping a tally, which he told to Sirius and Sirius alone, although he supposed the information might also be passed along to Dumbledore.
He picked up one he had received the night before, when he had been on the verge of going to sleep and was too tired to open it. It was from Ron.
Harry,
How are you? I hope the muggles aren't getting to you. The Dursleys have it coming to them if they think to pull anything, after what you've been through. I think even my mum would throttle them. Fred and George are wreaking havoc, as always. Some mysterious benefactor has given them a load of money, and they have designs on renting the Shrieking Shack and making it into a joke shop. Just a hint-if they send you anything, wait until you see them before you touch it. Just last week Ginny got turned into a parrot. Hermione just got back from visiting Vikkie in Bulgaria. She says he is going to move here for awhile, for some reason. I hope he isn't going to try and teach DADA or something. On the other hand he would be gone in a year. Just a thought.anyway, I was just wanting to tell you that we are still working on Dumbledore. He might just let you come soon. Mum is defiantly telling dad she wants you here now.she really must not like the muggles and I don't blame her. Hope to see you soon,
Ron
Although he was still reeling from his dream, the upbeat tone of the letter was enough to lift his spirits.
Stretching, he went to the closet and swung open the door. His face was unusually pale and his eyes were beginning to develop faint shadows beneath them. He grimaced. Although he was just a week shy of his fifteenth birthday, he looked like he was showing the stress of a full- grown ministry wizard. Harry sighed, pulling on an overlarge T-shirt and jeans he had gotten second-hand cousin Dudley, who was roughly the size of a ship. The clock flashed the time as half past six, and Harry thought grimly that it was just enough time to fix a nice breakfast without being disturbed by his aunt or uncle. He was wrong.
As he paced down the stairs, he came face to face with an unusual sight. Aunt Petunia was cleaning. No, not just cleaning-she was cleaning obsessively. The couch was overturned and she furiously scrubbed at stain left by Dudley from a bowl of chocolate ice cream he had spilt a week before. Uncle Vernon was at work rubbing at a window with a spray bottle of cleaner and a rag, though by the expression on his purple face Harry could tell that he was not happy with the arrangement.
Even Dudley, who in the summer commonly did not even wake until nine or ten, was hard at work. He was cleaning out the refrigerator in the kitchen-and just happened to be eating everything that was edible at the same time. Of course, the refrigerator was a lot fuller than it had been the previous summer, when Aunt Petunia had made a failed attempt at a diet. Rather than assume Dudley might have cheated on his diet when he came home thirty-three pounds larger than he had been before, she called the school nurse any number of nasty names and promptly bought Dudley anything that he liked at the corner store.
"What are you doing?" he finally asked, after watching them for a few long moments. Uncle Vernon didn't look at Harry when he spoke. "Cleaning. We'd make you help but everything has to be perfect-so just go along, why don't you"
"Why are you cleaning now?" Harry asked. Uncle Vernon turned an even more violent shade of plum. "Because we have company coming! Nothing that concerns you, boy. Now, GO!" He shouted at Harry, who shrugged and entered the kitchen. He briefly considered asking Dudley, who was currently munching on a week-old coconut cake, to move away from the refrigerator so he could get some breakfast, but decided at the last minute such a venture was too risky, and got a Pop-Tart( from the pantry instead.
It wasn't until a moment later, when Harry poured a glass of water, that Dudley saw him and jumped. "What are you doing here?"
"I live here.remember? During the summer, anyway. When I'm not at Hog."
"Don't say it!" His cousin covered his ears, dropping a large piece of icing to the floor. Scowling, he struggled to bend and pick it up. Harry smurked as he watched him strain. "Why are you all in such a fuss?" Harry asked finally, when Dudley stood panting against the counter, his face red from the effort.
"Moira.family.coming.today." he panted. "Mum says everything has to be perfect." Harry looked at Dudley in wide-eyed astonishment. "You mean that.girl.is coming today?" Harry grimaced, a mental image of a picture Dudley kept in his room on his mind. Harry was not pleased. He had only met her once, when he had returned a while before from King's Cross Station from Hogwarts.
She had been sitting with Dudley on the sofa, her face fixed in a look of admiration. When Harry had entered, she had looked at him, gross amusement on her features, and turned back to Dudley, the smile plastered on her face. She was like Dudley, only worse. If Harry's cousin was a ship, she was an entire fleet. She had a head full of curly blond spirals that she tied individually with tiny pink bows that Harry thought looked like the adornment on a French Poodle. Her watery blue eyes were wrinkled in her face, and mostly covered by the abundance of flesh on her head.
Harry had faced many dark things. He had witnessed the return of the dark lord Voldemort himself. But even he could not face the terror that was.Dudley's girlfriend.
"What is it?" Dudley asked cautiously. Harry realized that he had been standing in complete silence for a while. He jolted himself back and grinned. "Oh, nothing.I hope you enjoy your date.did you say her family was coming? I think I should like to meet them."
"No!" Dudley looked at Harry in horror. "You're.you're not going to do anything.I mean, Moira is my girl, and her family.her dad is the headmaster at Smeltings.he could expel me! What would dad think." Harry struggled to stifle laughter as Dudley stammered, his face pale. Of course, Harry had never planned to do anything to them. All pranks and jokes he would leave to the Weasley clan.
"Don't fidget, ickle Duddikins," Harry said presently, after watching his cousin stammer a bit. "I won't do anything to your girl."
"You most certainly will not." Aunt Petunia, who had obviously heard Harry's threats, entered, scowling. "Because YOU won't be here." She smiled triumphantly as Harry's jaw dropped.
"What? Why won't I be here?" He shook his head as he looked at his aunt. For a wild second he thought that perhaps the Weasleys would be coming to get him. He couldn't imagine that his aunt would have taken THAT news so happily. "We can't risk you doing anything here." Aunt Petunia looked down her nose at Harry. "THAT is why you will be spending the day working for Mrs. Figg. I heard her saying the other day that she had a few odd jobs around the house, and I volunteered you." She had a look in her eyes that made Harry cringe.
"You must be kidding." he said, frowning. He hadn't even seen Mrs. Figg since the first year he had left for Hogwarts. Since then there had been too many things going on.the Dursley's hiding him and saying he went to a school for criminals, the Dursley's hiding him and saying he went to a school for criminals, and then there was the Dursley's hiding him and saying he went to a school for criminals.
However, he distinctly remembered quite a few too many cats and the faint smell of cabbage that seemed to follow him wherever he went. Mrs. Figg herself was nice enough, he guessed.though she was a bit cat obsessed, and delighted in showing pictures of her babies to anybody who would pay attention for more than a few minutes.
"No, I most certainly am not." Aunt Petunia was shaking her head, glaring at Harry. "And I don't want you causing trouble, boy.none of that- nonsense-of yours."
"And what nonsense would that be?" Harry bit back, chafed. "Do you mean mag." He paused, a faint grin on his face when Aunt Petunia took a harsh step back. "Oh. Sorry about that." He muttered unconvincingly.
"Well." She sighed. "Well. All right.things are almost done here.go get a good pair of gloves and go on over, before she has to call me. I'll be watching." She added, her voice ominous.
"Of course. Aren't people always watching me?" He groaned as Aunt Petunia pointed her finger and retrieved a pair of gloves from the shed. He passed through the house, making sure to shake a little dirt from the garden out on the newly cleaned rug before he exited and paused at the street looking at Mrs. Figg's house.
It was brightly painted, Harry noticed, much more colorful than most muggle houses. He crossed the street and knocked at the door. Mrs. Figg answered, smiling.
"Why, hello, Harry. It has been a while, hasn't it?" He looked up at her, nodding faintly. Surprisingly, she didn't look quite as old as he had remembered-he guessed it was because, when he was eleven, she had seemed quite ancient indeed.
But now, as looked closer, he saw she couldn't have been older than the Transfiguration teacher, McGonagoll. Her hair, though silver, was still streaked with gold and her eyes twinkled, dark brown. Didn't she used to wear glasses? Harry thought to himself, slightly surprised.
However, he didn't stop to think about this too much. What with the dream and the morning confrontation with the Dursley's, he was in no mood to talk. He supposed that getting his hands busy might stave away the boredom.
"What do you need done, Mrs. Figg?" he asked, smiling at her.
"Oh, not much really. Why don't you come and have a cup of tea first, dear? I've just made some warm cookies." She grabbed him by the arm with her surprisingly strong grasp. "Well, come on, don't be shy." She sat him down and began bustling about, all the while chatting.
"Harry, I know I haven't seen you lately, but I must say that you are becoming quite the young man.handsome really. I am glad to see that the Dursley's over there haven't gotten you down.now don't get me wrong, I don't mind Petunia, but she does favor that son Douglas of hers."
Harry sipped at his tea and began glancing around the room. Though a few cats were running about the floor, he didn't see that many. He asked her about this.
"Oh, yes, my kitties. I love them all, you know, but they are a lot of word.and what with the fact that I just got a new job, and can't take them with me, well, I can't really leave them alone? I won't even be back until the summer, you understand." she began rambling once more and, despite himself, Harry began to chuckle softly. Deciding to cut her a break, he listened to her talk as he bit into a surprisingly good chocolate chip cookie.
"So, you understand, I didn't think that I should stay here any longer. Too many things going on, you see, and I can't really remain idle that long.oh, it isn't like I haven't been doing anything, at the library I've done a lot, but I think I could be more helpful.what with Voldemort and all." Harry smiled up at her. And froze. And stared. Finally, he stammered..
"Did you say Voldemort? He asked, his eyes open wide.
"Well, yes. I, like Albus, agree that not saying his name only makes him more frightening than he already is." Harry stared.
"You know about Voldemort." He stated in disbelief.
"Well, of course, why not? I am a witch, aren't I?" she chortled, putting more sweets on Harry's plate.
"You.you're.you're not a muggle?!" He stood, staring at her.
"Why, what made you think that?" After a moment she glanced at Harry. "But.I thought for sure, Albus did tell you didn't he? I've been here protecting you, you know.I am your guardian. Well, except for legally, the Dursleys, you know, and your godfather Sirius."
"You know about SIRIUS?!" He said loudly, looking at her. She grimaced and rubbed at her ears. "No need to shout, Harry." She stated. "I can hear you well enough." She smiled at him after a moment.
"I didn't mean to alarm you dear, I just thought that you would know about me.no wonder you seemed so unenthusiastic to see me at first.I thought you just didn't like me." She smiled as Harry opened his mouth to protest. "Don't, Harry. I think that it is time to introduce myself. My name is Bella." She smiled at him. "And I am, of course, a witch."
"Er.yes, of course." Harry frowned as the name struck a chord. "Bella.Bella." suddenly he smiled. "Arabella Figg? The old crowd?" She smiled at him.
"Yes, Harry. Although I don't know why Albus persists in calling us old. Why, I'm only eighty-eight, and Mundungus Fletcher only just had his nintieth birthday!" She preened. "Of course, Remus and Sirius are thirty- seven, but that is neither here nor there."
"Oh.yes." Harry bit into a piece of cookie and drank a sip of tea. Suddenly a thought occurred to him. "Mrs. Figg? You know the Weasleys?" She smiled at him.
"Of course, Arthur and Molly are the sweetest couple I know. Those twins are a handful, though." Harry grinned.for Fred and George, this was an understatement.
"Well.er.Dumbledore said that I could go to The Burrow as soon as it was safe.do.do you know when that might be?" He paused, looking hopefully her.
"Well, you'll just have to see, won't you?" Harry couldn't get much more of an answer than that. As promised, Mrs. Figg had work for him to do. In between packing up quite a few mysterious items from the attic and basement, which he recognized many to be magical items, and helping her look through dozens of hidden passages for things she had hidden and forgotten to look for, he talked to her, often about his parents.
"Lily and James were such a sweet young couple.Lily, Harry, was just about the most beautiful bride I think I ever saw. I used to babysit right after you were born, you know." She smiled at him. "And a handsome young lad you were, boy." Harry blushed, looking out the window and scowling as he saw a large black car pull up. Mrs. Figg glanced after him.
Moira clambered out, her large feet hitting the pavement. The car visibly rocked back into place as she ran forward to kiss Dudley on the cheek. Her father and mother smiled and shook hands with Harry's aunt and uncle. "My, what a horrid girl.do you see the way she is talking to your aunt and uncle?"
"I don't want to think about it-I might get sick." Harry blanched but Mrs. Figg said nothing. She appeared not to have noticed.
They went back to work. By three, he had done everything, but Mrs. Figg had invited him to stay since the Dursleys didn't expect him until five. As they sat talking, Harry felt a small gust of air at his neck. He turned to see two owls-one, stately and regal, poised with dignity, the other a small gray bundle of feathers that flitted about the room, hooting shrilly. Though tempted to take Ron's letter first, he saw the annoyance and took pity on the larger owl.
It was heavy. The owl nipped at his finger in thanks before it fluttered away. Harry saw the Hogwarts seal and frowned-it was much too early to be getting his school letter.
"What is it, dear?" she said. "Is that your school letter?"
"I dunno.I guess, but I never though that they sent them this early." He accepted the knife she handed him and slit it open. Something hard fell into his palm. He gaped at it in disbelief and slowly turned to the letter.
Mr. H. Potter,
We are glad to inform you that you have been accepted as one of two new prefects for Gryffindor house. Miss Hermione Granger has been accepted as the other, and we are pleased to have the two of you leading Gryffindor. Please report to Cabin 28 on the Hogwarts Express on September 1st for further instruction. I hope that you enjoy the rest of your summer, and will be pleased to see you for a wonderful new year. Enclosed is your badge. Wear it with pride! Professor M. McGonagoll Head, Gryffindor House Deputy Headmistress "I don't believe it." He muttered. And so saying he looked down into his palm at his new prefect badge. It shone brilliant silver, and the engraving of an incredible lion shone behind the words.
"Oh, Harry." Mrs. Figg smiled. "You're parents.if I am this proud, I can just imagine how they would feel." she wiped a tear from her eye. "But.I'm not the one to celebrate with.open your other letter."
He looked at her strangely and slit it open. He pulled out a piece of parchment on which was written, in Ron's untidy scrawl HOLD ON. He glanced at Mrs. Figg for a moment before feeling a pulling at his navel, and he was flying forward, forward, forward until.
Until he fell into somebody's arms. He looked up and grinned widely. "Professor Lupin!"
************************************************************************Hell o! I hope this isn't too short-I'm just getting the action started, and I had to set the mood. So you know, Remus will definitely be in this fanfic, as will many other characters that we all know and love. I hope you review! Criticism is okay, but please, don't be mean! Loves ya! *wink*
Megx