A/N Hi all readers of this note. This is my first attempt at fan fiction, so I apologise if it isn't very good. Please review and I'll try and update regularly. Thanks xxx
Disclaimer- I own nothing that's JK Rowling's. I own everything else (in this fanfic!)
It was a gloomy day on Wisteria Walk, Little Whinging. Drizzle fell, not really rain, but enough to make the comfort-seeking occupants of suburbia stay inside their double-glazed houses. The only person outside was a boy, sheltering under the canopy of a tree. His clothing, a large black overcoat that brushed his ankles as he walked, made him look rather mysterious and suspicious. This impression was quickly ruined when you got nearer and saw the glasses held together with spello-tape, the mop of unruly black hair and the wiry frame, completely swamped by the coat
Harry Potter was enjoying being outside, despite the cold trickle down the back of his neck. He knew he should go back to Number 4 Privet Drive, knew he would probably get pneumonia if he stayed out here much longer, but right now he didn't care. Wrapped inside his cousin Dudley's coat, which explained the size of it, he felt insulated and at peace. He had been feeling this all summer, ever since his talk with Luna 'Loony' Lovegood at the very end of term. Before that he had been filled with grief and remorse about his godfathers death, constantly blaming himself for what had happened, and thinking of the ways he could have prevented it. Luna had shown him that it wasn't his fault, and persuaded him, quite simply, that Sirius wasn't gone forever and that he would see him again.
Harry had enjoyed this summer far more than any other one, perverse as that may have seemed under the circumstances. Unlike after his first and second years he had all his equipment and books in his room with him. Unlike after his third year he hadn't had any excursions into Voldemort's head, and unlike his fourth year his friends and acquaintances were answering his letters properly.
Even with the comfort of the letters, and there were lots of them hand delivered nightly by an order member, Harry still missed his friends and the magical world to which they belonged. Every time he saw his spello-taped glasses, accidentally broken by Hedwig, he missed being able to perform the simple 'Reparo' charm that would have fixed them, second nature during term time. Every time he received a letter from Ron or Hermione he felt a tiny spark of jealousy, instantly quelled, that they were together and at 12 Grimmauld Place, now, since Sirius' death his house, while he was all alone. He comforted himself with the fact that this year; finally, he knew Dumbledore's motives for abandoning him in the isolation of lawn sprinklers, posh cars and semi-detached houses that made up Little Whinging: As long as Harry could call his relatives house home, Voldemort couldn't touch him while he was there. Unfortunately for Harry this meant spending a large proportion of each summer holiday stuck in Little Whinging with his Uncle, Aunt and Cousin. The whole Dursley family hated magic and would have tried to beat it out of Harry weeks ago, if it hadn't been for their fear that,
"That unnatural crowd would turn up on our doorstep. Bowler hats, wooden legs, tatty clothing, cloaks and that AWFUL pink hair! I mean really. Not brown, not black, not blond, no it had to be pink. Really Vernon, what would the neighbours say?"
Thinking of his reception at Kings Cross earlier that summer put a smile on Harry's rain soaked face. However it also reminded him of the Dursley's and, glancing at his watch and noticing it was dark he started to head for number 4 Privet Drive, his home for the summer. He let himself into the pristine hall using the key Vernon Dursley had grudgingly given him earlier that summer, one of his first demands. Hoping to get upstairs without being seen he was disappointed when he came face to face with his Aunt Petunia on the first floor landing. While she gave him the now familiar lecture on water, mud and how the didn't and shouldn't mix with the cream carpets Harry tilted his head to the side and thought how much she looked like a giraffe. His mind then wandered to the rest of her family. He suppressed a snigger at how much Dudley resembled a pig, 'a pig in a wig', as Harry had once put it. But what about Uncle Vernon? A buffalo perhaps or maybe a walrus...
Judging his Aunts lecture to be over Harry walked across the landing, still imagining Uncle Vernon's face on ever more ugly animals, and entered his bedroom. He noticed his already messy bedroom was a lot messier than when he had left. Either a mini whirlwind had hit it or Tonks had delivered his mail this evening. Thinking the latter more likely he cracked a small grin at the thought of the ever-clumsy young auror, and regretted the fact he had stayed out for so long and missed her. He would have liked a chat and at the very least she could have mended his glasses for him!
Thinking he would start his next letter to Luna, though how much longer he could feign an interest in Crumple- Horned Snorkack's he didn't know, Harry pulled a piece of parchment and a quill towards him and lay on his bed. He had written 'Dear Luna…' when a loud bang came from outside, like someone had just let of a Dr Filibuster firework. Harry fell of his bed in fright, bounced back as if the floor was a trampoline (oh the uses of accidental magic…) and hurried over to the window. There was nothing unusual out there, and thinking the noise must have just been a car backfiring Harry left the rain-streaked window and went back to his letter. He had managed to write, 'Thank you for your last letter…' when a sharp rap on the front door again interrupted his thoughts. He heard Uncle Vernon answer the door and slid off his chair to see who the visitor was. Standing at the top of the stairs he saw a couple of door to door salespeople.
"Wotcha!" said the first, a short, plump blonde woman, speaking very fast as though afraid she would be cut off. "We're from the firm Drills 4 U. We sell high quality drills for all your drilling needs!"
"And," cut in her partner, a balding man wearing a shabby suit, but with brilliant almost scarily white teeth, "we offer discounts and deals for orders of over a hundred!"
" Well" said Vernon Dursley, once he'd got over the shock of being addressed 'Wotcha!' " I work for the firm Grunnings, which manufact…"
" You work for Grunnings?" interrupted the women, sounding highly excited, although Harry thought he detected a hint of sarcasm. " That must be such an interesting important job," she was definitely being sarcastic now, and Harry thought he had a fair idea who she and the man might be, " Would you care to share with us some of the expertise you must have gained?"
"Well…" said Mr Dursley gruffly, obviously flattered, " I mean of course, if you would like to follow me." He led the way into the kitchen and Harry slipped back across the landing into his bedroom.
Not even bothering to restart his letter Harry lay on his bed and waited. It didn't take long. Within a minute he heard the light tread on the stairs that came from being caught out of bed too many times by Argus Filch.
"Hey Professor Lupin," he said, as the greying head of the drill salesmen, aka Professor Lupin, his all time favourite teacher at Hogwarts poked his head round the door.
"Damn, you knew it was me!" said Lupin, spitting out his false teeth, and then "Hey Harry, how are you?"
"Fine" said Harry, "well, I'm bored out of my mind being stuck here, but yeah I'm fine. Where's Tonks?"
"You knew it was her too?" asked Lupin, sounding half joking, half slightly exasperated.
"What other drill saleswomen greets people with Wotcha!'" enquired Harry drily. "In fact what other human greets people with 'Wotcha!'" Lupin laughed,
"She'll be up in a minute. Just having some fun with your uncle… While we're waiting let's pack your stuff."
"What?" said Harry, perplexed,
"Oh yes I forgot to say, we're here to take you to Sirius's hou, I mean 12 Grimmauld Place." Lupin stopped, trying to see how his accidental reference to Sirius had affected Harry. When there was no reaction he continued, "Dumbledore's decided it would benefit you more to have company and to know properly what's going on, rather than having the protection offered by your relatives home."
At the mention of Dumbledore Harry's stomach briefly tightened, and then relaxed again. During his weeks of solitude he had come to the conclusion that Dumbledore was no more to blame for Sirius's death than he was, but the name still filled him with a sudden and short lived pang of anger and regret.
"Harry?" said Lupin
"Oh, sorry Professor, think I was in another world," joked Harry, with a weak smile.
" Quite all right," smiled Lupin, "And please Harry, call me Remus or just Lupin, I haven't been your Professor for over two years now after all."
"Okay Remy!" grinned Harry
"Now that is not okay! Nobody can call me that…" He was cut off by a sing song voice drifting up the stairs, "Hey Remy… Were are you?"
" As I was saying, no-one can call me that with the exception of Nymphadora Tonks."
" And that's only 'cause he knows he can't stop me and he'll look stupid if he tries!" said Tonks brightly, bouncing into the room, falling over her feet and landing in Harry's lap.
"Wotcha Harry!" She said, then a wicked grin lit up her face and she leaned in and gave him a rather Molly Weaslyish kiss. Pretending not to notice the red blush of embarrassment creeping down from his ears she continued, "Great to see you again."
" Oh come on Tonks, stop embarrassing the poor boy!" said Remus much to Harry's relief, pulling Tonks out of his lap. Tonks made a sad puppy dog face before attempting the same packing spell she had used the year before. She had evidently improved as this time his books and clothes formed vague piles instead of being a large tangled bunch.
" Better." Commented Harry, "You know it took me a whole week to get my stuff untangled last time, "I had to wear the same boxers for seven days running!"
"Too much information!" groaned Lupin, while Tonks shrugged wickedly. "Right then Harry," he continued, "We're flying again so strap on your trunk and mount your broom,"
"Shouldn't take so long this time with Mad-eye safely back at headquarters!" cut in Tonks,
"Tonks! You're supposed to be an Auror!" reprimanded Lupin, but his eyes sparkled.
"Shut up Remy," said Tonks cheerfully, winking at Harry from behind Lupin's back,
"Wand still in place? Buttocks still attached?" she joked, "Okay then let's go."