Piper and Dumbledore watched Harry as he chatted with the waitress at the cafe just opposite them.
"Is he OK? I mean after everything that's happened-" Piper asked Dumbledore, sounding concerned
"Harry has been through alot, even before your time as a witch he was fighting off attempts on his life, however never in his living memory has he lost someone as precious to him, as Sirius" Dumbledore replied softly
Harry appeared to Dumbledore's left and said "I don't suppose you're here for a coffee?"
"I wish sweetie, but Dumbledore has plans"
"Where's Phoebe and Paige?"
"Phoebe's on a date and Paige is 'working'" Piper replied saying the final word extremely sarcastically
"Shall we be off?" Dumbledore asked, raising both arms
Harry noticed Dumbledore's right hand was blackened and he winced slightly when Piper took hold of it. Piper looked at Harry and simply shook her head as if to say: "Don't ask"
The horrendous sensation of apparition came over Piper and Harry as the dank train station disappeared and was replaced by a village main street
Harry stumbled backwards as they landed
"Did I just apparate"
"You get used to it...eventually" Piper said, glaring at Dumbledore who turned to Harry and explained that Piper had vomited after her first time apparating. Piper 'hmphed' and began to walk down the street shouting over her back:
"Ya coming?"
Dumbledore and Harry glanced at each other and laughed slightly as they followed her
Piper heard Dumbledore explain to Harry that they were here to recruit an old Potions Master who had retired. He said that his services were required and that he needed Harry to be present so as to 'coerce' him back to Hogwarts
"OK...but Piper why are you here?"
"Protection. We think that The Callers are trying to recruit him" Piper explained
"Callers?" Harry asked, confused
"Oh, it's what the Demons and Death Eaters call themselves now" Piper said, she sounded like the name was the most ridiculous thing she'd ever heard
"But what are they calling?"
Piper sniggered as Dumbledore said "A new era where Pure-Bloods and Dark Magic go hand in hand"
"Sounds too corny to me" Piper sniggered
They'd reached a large, plain brick house right at the end of the street
"This the place?" Piper asked Dumbledore
"Yes...but it would appear that someone's beaten us here..."
The front door to the house had been smashed down and nothing but darkness lay beyond. Dumbledore and Harry pulled out their wands and muttered "Lumos" and the tips of their wands illuminated
"Pfft, showoffs" Piper muttered
They entered the dark house to find everything trashed. Sofas overturned, bookcases on their sides, pictures smashed. But more ominously blood dripped down from the ceiling onto the floor in front of a pink armchair that remained untouched. Dumbledore approached it and prodded it with his lit wand.
"Ouch!" It yelped and suddenly, it wasn't an armchair
Before them stood Horace Slughorn.