Harry Potter: Welcome To The Machine
|
Harry followed his massive uncle into the living room. He was holding an envelope and tapping it impatiently against the palm of his other hand. Uncle Vernon's face was only a bit purpler than usual, and that big blood vessel in his neck wasn't pulsating at all. Harry had certainly seen worse. And there was a gleam of triumph in Uncle Vernon's eyes. "Sit down, boy." he commanded. Harry sat. "I have received a letter from the headmaster of that school you go to," he said. "It has confirmed my worst suspicions. I've always suspected you'd never amount to anything, not even at that -- that place you go to. And" -- he paused for dramatic effect -- "it seems I was right." Harry was confused. It had only been two weeks since the end of his fourth year, and at that time no one had given him any warnings at all about his performance. In fact, his bravery in the face of Lord Voldemort had been commended at the end-of-year banquet. It didn't make sense. "I have here a letter from a Professor Albus Dumbledore which I think you need to hear," Uncle Vernon continued, clearly savoring the moment.
Harry's presence is required at a summer session for Hogwarts students beginning Monday, July 17 and lasting until the start of the fall term. The session provides additional assistance to students requiring remedial coursework or customized training in the magical arts, for whom the regular curriculum has not been satisfactory. We apologise for any inconvenience to your family. Please have Harry be ready to leave on Sunday night, two hours after sunset, in his bedroom. He will be transported by Hogwarts personnel in a manner undetectable by you or your neighbors.
Kind regards,
Albus Dumbledore
Harry schooled his face into what he hoped would look like embarassment. He found it nearly impossible to contain his happiness. He'd be going back to Hogwarts, six weeks early! "And don't think you can avoid it either," his uncle said smugly. **************** None of the Dursleys had shown the slightest interest in being present in Harry's room two hours after sunset on Sunday night. Harry sat on his bed next to Hedwig's cage, his trunk at his feet, peering out the window at the night sky. A whole summer at Hogwarts was more than he could have possibly hoped for. He wondered what had happened in the wizarding world in the past two weeks. What had Voldemort been up to? He'd been back in power for only a few weeks now. Suddenly Hagrid's grinning face appeared at the second-floor window. "Harry! Wonderful ter see yeh!" Hagrid bellowed happily as Harry threw open the window. "Hand me that trunk of yours, would yeh?" Harry peered outside and saw that Hagrid was kneeling on something that looked like a large floppy picnic blanket. Behind him were Ron and Hermione, sitting snugly in little hollows of carpet fabric, with their trunks at the rear. "Magic carpet!" Hagrid exclaimed, tossing Harry's trunk nimbly to the back, where it fell with a soft thump. "Courtesy of Mr. Weasley at the Ministry, if you want to know." Harry handed Hedwig's cage to Hermione, who was standing unsteadily with her hand on Ron's shoulder to take it from him. "Wow. How'd he get it?" "Ali Bashir made him an offer he couldn't refuse," Ron added as Harry settled into a soft fold of the carpet, feeling the carpet shape itself around him. "He's been trying to get Dad to approve magic carpets in Britain for years. Finally he donated a few magic carpets to Dad and some others at the Ministry, as a goodwill gesture. Dad's been having a blast." "Gave a few to Hogwarts too," Hagrid added. "You all settled, Harry? Just grab a handful of carpet if you want to hang on. Not that you'll need to -- this is their top-of-the-line model, the Djinnmaster 5000. 'S got Safety Charms all over the place. Course I've been makin' a few special modifications meself." "Ready when you are," Harry said. Hagrid waved his wand and they were off, gliding smoothly through the air, over the tops of the trees lining Privet Drive. It was a beautiful clear night, with a quarter-moon high in the sky. Harry could feel the carpet holding him securely as they banked into a slow turn. "Yeee-hah!" Ron yelled, his arms outstretched, then laughed as the carpet came out of the turn and climbed higher into the sky. Hermione sat forward, gripping a fold of carpet, grinning as the wind blew her hair away from her face. "Isn't this exciting?" Hermione yelled to Harry after a while. Harry could just barely hear her over the rush of air. "What?" Harry yelled back. "Newtsbridge! I can't believe we're going for the whole summer!" "I thought we were going to Hogwarts." "Can't," Hagrid roared back at them. "Place is closed for repairs. Got to have new security wards set up before the school year. Dumbledore's overseeing the whole thing. You lot are going to Newtsbridge for your summer work." "What's in Newtsbridge?" Harry asked. Hermione looked exasperated. "You don't know?" "Don't tell me," Ron said flatly, "It's all in Hogwarts, A History, and you can't believe we haven't read all about it like you have." "Now why would it be in there? We learned about it last year in Professor Binns' class, don't you remember? Newtsbridge is the home of Newtsbridge University, which is famous for having the largest and most complete library in the wizarding world. Wizards come from all around to study there. Imagine!" Hermione's eyes looked a bit glazed. "Oh, and that's why I'm frothing at the mouth with excitement right now," Ron replied, rolling his eyes. "You'll like it, Harry," Hagrid called out from the front of the carpet. "The town's got its own Quidditch field and all, and three Quidditch teams. Yeh might even get to play for one of 'em while you're there." The carpet was soaring over hilly countryside now, with little towns and fields nestled in the valleys. As they flew over the next ridge, a long, narrow town came into view. In the center was a long sliver of grey stone buildings, slightly higher than the buildings around them. "That's the University," Hagrid said, pointing his wand at the sliver of buildings. "It's bewitched; muggles don't even know it's there. They walk through the gate on one side and come out the other. They think it's the Department of Motor Vehicles. And down there's the Quidditch field." Hagrid pointed directly below them, where Harry could make out a flat field in an adjacent valley, with its familiar goal hoops on either side. Hagrid slowed the carpet and began circling the town, looking for a place to stop. Harry saw two large quadrangles in the center of the University, with several smaller irregular courtyards and lanes on either side. Aside from the quadrangles, the rest of the university had a pleasantly jumbled appearance, rather like a maze. Harry hoped he would be as safe here as he would have been at Hogwarts. He remembered something Voldemort had said, about how Harry had been protected by a powerful spell as long as he was staying with the Dursleys, because they were his relatives. And of course at Hogwarts, there was Dumbledore, probably the most powerful wizard in the world, watching over him. He didn't think Dumbledore would send him anywhere that was unsafe, but he felt a twinge of worry all the same. They'd stopped in the center of a large grassy courtyard surrounded by rows of three-story houses. The carpet hovered a few feet off the ground as Hagrid leapt off and helped Harry, Ron and Hermione climb off. Hagrid led the way to one of the houses and knocked. The door opened to reveal a gruff-looking athletic man with a shaved head, a goatee and a gold earring, wearing a navy-blue tank top and baggy pants. He smiled broadly as the three friends caught up with Hagrid. "Bruce!" Hagrid exclaimed. "Heh heh heh! Good to see yeh buddy!" "Come in, folks, and make yourselves at home," Bruce said, holding the door open with a grand welcoming sweep of his arm. Harry walked into the bright, cozy sitting room. There, getting up off the sofa and coming over to greet them, was Remus Lupin. "Harry! What a pleasure!" Lupin said, striding over to Harry and shaking his hand warmly. "Ron, Hermione, wonderful to see you too. You'll be our guests here for the summer. You lot will have the whole third floor to yourselves." Hermione glanced at Lupin and then back to Bruce again. Then she looked at Harry and raised her eyebrows significantly. "Bruce has been so looking forward to seeing you again," Lupin said as he walked over and closed the front door. Bruce was looking at Harry with an odd smile on his face. "Harry," he said softly, "You'll never have to go back again. Welcome to your new home." Harry felt a bit uneasy. "Oh, I'm sorry," Bruce said as he pulled a pendant from around his neck, and hung it on a hook by the front door. "I keep forgetting." And Bruce's features grew hazy and indistinct. His body grew slimmer and taller, and long black hair seemed to condense onto his head from out of nowhere. And then all of a sudden, he seemed to come sharply into focus. There, smiling warmly at Harry and holding out his arms for a hug, stood Sirius Black.
|