Harry Potter and the Secret of Gryffindor
Once again Harry Potter had woken up from a dream. It had involved Cedric Diggory. He had been back in the maze that was the third task of the Triwizard Tournament that took place the year before. Cedric had asked him to take the Triwizard Cup and Harry had refused. It was Harry that had thought up the plan to take the cup together. It was Harry that had gotten Cedric killed.
Harry Potter was not an ordinary boy. He did not have ordinary friends. And Harry did not have an ordinary reputation. Harry was a wizard who was about to start his fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, which was among the best schools for training young witches and wizards in Europe. The reason Harry didn't live in the magical community is that when Harry turned one year old, the greatest dark wizard of the time had come to his house. His name was Lord Voldemort, and wizards across England still fear to speak his name. Voldemort had come in the middle of the night after Peter Pettigrew, his servant, had tricked the Potters into being their Secret-Keeper. He went to Lord Voldemort and told him the whereabouts of the Potters. Voldemort went to them, and killed James Potter, Harry's father, first. Then turning to Lily Potter, James' wife and Harry's Muggle-born witch mother, he demanded that she give Harry to her, and he wouldn't have to kill her. She refused him, and stepped in front of his wand. Voldemort performed the Forbidden Curse Avada Kedavra, which took the life now of both Harry's mother and father.
What Voldemort didn't know at the time is that Lily Potter had performed an ancient counter curse. With her giving her life like that, Voldemort couldn't touch Harry, and therefore, couldn't kill him. With a burst of his wand, the curse had reflected upon himself, and nearly killed him. But it did strip him of his powers and left him weak and helpless while Harry had come out of the fight with nothing but a scar in the shape of a lightening bolt across his forehead. With Lord Voldemort gone, Harry had become instantly famous. But Albus Dumbledore, who would control important events that would come into play in Harry's future, thought it best to leave him in possession of his aunt and uncle, Mrs. Petunia Dursley, and Mr. Vernon Dursley, who had a "small" child also at the age of one, named Dudley. He decided that was best instead of giving him to Harry's godfather, Sirius Black, who was later convicted of the treacherous act of giving Lord Voldemort the location of James and Lily Potter, when everyone at the time -- including Albus Dumbledore -- believed him to be their Secret-Keeper.
And after ten years of living with the Dursleys, Harry had gotten his letter of acceptance to Hogwarts. This came as rather of a shock to every one in the Dursley household. Harry had had no idea that he was a wizard, and even less of an idea that he had caused the Darkest wizard in a century to disappear. He had found out about his gift on his eleventh birthday, when the gamekeeper at Hogwarts, Rubeus Hagrid, had come to take him to get his school supplies. Hagrid had explained to him about how his parents had died, how he was famous in the wizarding world, and how he would be going to the best school of magic in the fall. After that, Harry's life had changed. At the end of his first year, Harry had met Voldemort again, and had stopped him from getting the Sorcerer's Stone, which would have returned him to full strength and power. By using the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Quirrell, he had almost succeeded. In Harry's second year, he had met a past image of Voldemort by means of a diary kept by a sixteen year old Tom Riddle, who was the same person as Lord Voldemort is now, and again defeated him and a Basilisk, which was kept in the Chamber of Secrets. Tom had framed Hagrid of being the Heir of Slytherin more than fifty years ago. Being cleared of that name, Hagrid also took up the duties as Care of Magical Creatures teacher.
Harry Potter had only learned of Sirius Black in his third year. Sirius had escaped from the wizard prison Azkaban and made his way towards Hogwarts. Everyone had thought he had come to kill Harry, but had instead come to kill Peter Pettigrew whom every one had thought was dead already. But Harry learned that while at Hogwarts, James Potter, Sirius Black, Peter Pettigrew and Remus Lupin, who had been Harry's Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher his third year, had all gone to become illegal Animagi. James was a stag, Sirius was a dog, and Peter was a rat. Remus was the reason they had become Animagi -- he was a werewolf, and they were the first real friends he had ever had.
After being sent to Azkaban, Sirius had escaped as a dog, and swam to shore. He traveled across England to Hogwarts and showed the truth to Harry. He turned Pettigrew back into a human, who had been acting as Harry's friend Ron's rat for the past twelve years. Pettigrew had escaped though, when Lupin at transformed on the way back to the castle. Then in Harry's fourth year, life had begun to change, even more dramatically than the last three years. The Triwizard Tournament, which was a tournament that lasted throughout the year, and the three largest schools of magic in Europe competed in, which were Durmstrang, Beauxbatons, and Hogwarts. There was supposed to be a Champion from each school, and when they were chosen, Harry Potter was chosen as the fourth Champion, even though each school was only supposed to one Champion, and he or she was supposed to be at least seventeen years of age. When Harry was chosen as the fourth Champion, most people were furious, and Harry himself was confused. But, after getting through the first two tasks, Harry was in the maze which was the third task when he found himself in a race to win against Cedric. But after helping each other a numerous amount of times throughout the year, each one wanted the other to win.
And it was Harry had come up with the plan that for both of them to take the cup at the same time, and it would still be a Hogwarts victory. But, when they touched the cup, they were transported to Lord Voldemort, who had Peter kill Cedric without hesitation. Harry had been devastated ever since, feeling it was all his fault. Then what Voldemort did next was even worse. Voldemort had been resurrected and the curse that his mother gave her life to give was useless. He could touch him all he liked. He had untied Harry, and gave him his wand back. Harry had dueled Lord Voldemort, and when they did spells against each other, their wands connected because they shared the same core, and the shadows of everybody Voldemort killed, including Harry's parents emerged from the wand as ghostly figures of their former selves. They held off Voldemort long enough for Harry to run back to the Cup and take Cedric's body back to his parents.
Ever since the end of term last year, Harry had been having nightmares like the one he just had. He felt guilty for Cedric's death and needed to be told, no, proven to him that it wasn't his fault. But most of all, Harry wanted to talk to his friends from school, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. Ron belonged to an old wizard family. He had five older brothers and a younger sister. Two of his brothers, George and Fred, who were twins and in their seventh year at Hogwarts and two of the worst troublemakers the school had ever seen. His younger sister was just entering her fourth year at Hogwarts. Hermione, on the other hand, was a Muggle-born witch and the smartest in their year. Right now he wanted to talk to them. He missed them even though it was only the second week of summer holiday. Almost every summer since their second year, Harry was invited to the Weasley's Burrow for the remainder of the summer. Ron's mother had asked Professor Dumbledore if Harry could go straight to the burrow after the end of term last year, but he seemed to want Harry to go to the Dursleys' first. Harry hated it there. Dudley got everything he wanted during the summer -- that is, everything he wanted with the possible exception of sweets. Dudley had gone on a diet the last summer after the school nurse had said they didn't carry knickers his size.
His diet had been reduced to lettuce and carrots, and to keep up his motivation, Aunt Petunia had put the whole family on the new diet. Harry had been forced to call upon his friends for food. He had hoped he didn't need to do that again this summer. He was grateful when his first morning back Dudley got grapefruit and the rest of the family got steak.
Harry got out of bed, and got dressed in his jeans and shirt. He glanced at the clock. Despite the fact that it read five-thirty, Harry felt wide awake. He went to the door and opened it slowly, making sure not to wake anyone. Thinking he would get a head start on the morning chores, Harry started making breakfast for everyone. Eggs, bacon, and toast for Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon and himself. Harry got a bowl of grapes out of the refrigerator and set them on one side of the table. Harry sat down and listened to the bacon sizzle and thought about life away from the Dursley's. He thought about what might be happening in the wizarding world. Whether Voldemort had struck again. Whether Hagrid and Madame Maxime were negotiating peace between wizards and giants with their connections -- after all, they were both part-giant.
Harry wondered what Dumbledore was doing to persuade the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, who still doubted that Voldemort had come into power again, to take action.
The smoke awoke him from his daze as the toast started to burn. Throwing the pieces into the trash, he popped in new slices right on cue. Uncle Vernon waltzed into the kitchen and sat down holding the morning paper, not even admitting that Harry was there. Harry handed him a mug of coffee. Uncle Vernon grunted in acceptance and took the cup. Dudley came in the kitchen and sat down in the seat farthest from the wall because he was so large that when he sat down, he already took up the whole side of the table, but he would get stuck between the table and the wall. Growling loudly as he snatched up his grape bowl and nearly downed it all at once. Handing Uncle Vernon his plate of food, he put another in the seat next to him. Vernon, glancing up for the first time this morning, he said in a deep voice that Petunia wasn't going to eat breakfast this morning. She had been feeling sick and he had feared that she had a bout of the flu. Dudley started to grab ferociously at the plate of greasy food, but before he could reach it, Vernon said that Harry could have it. Harry, who usually got nothing but oatmeal, took this liberty with pride. His eyes were laughing as Dudley sat there like he was immobilized with disbelief. Harry felt rather pleased with himself and realized that since his aunt was sick in bed she couldn't give him a list of chores to do. Harry laughed as he went to his room to do a bit of his Divination homework. This got Harry's mood down a little because he remembered Ron and himself making up their homework as Hermione sat behind them tisking at them.
Getting out a quill and a piece of parchment he sat down and started the start gazing review, thinking up nasty things to cause his own death. Professor Trelawney had marked him for death his third year at Hogwarts. Harry wasn't worried because none of the students she had predicted to die had actually passed on yet. But knowing she liked the predictions of death and destruction, he had started writing down terrible acts. Thinking back to the end of his third year, while taking his exams for Divination, Professor Trelawney had had a real prediction. She had gone slack and rolled her eyes back into her head and started talking in a deep voice. She said that before the night was over, Lord Voldemort's servant would return to him. Harry would never forget that.
Hedwig, his beautiful snowy owl, had just landed in front of him. She nipped his finger affectionately to get his attention. He untied a parcel from around her leg, and noticed it was heavier and way too early for the book list. He unfolded it and saw a new letter. It said:
HOGWARTS SCHOOL
of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear Mr. Potter,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been chosen to be a prefect this year at Hogwarts. You have been chosen on the grounds of grades, merit, and duties to the school. Please enjoy the rest of your summer holiday and I expect to see you at school September 1. Also, your prefect's badge is included in this parcel.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress
Finishing the letter, Harry tipped the package over and saw a shiny new prefect's badge fall out. It looked exactly like the one Percy, Ron's older brother who now worked in the Ministry, had on during Harry's first ride to Hogwarts on the Hogwarts Express. Thinking that he would inform Ron and Hermione as well as Sirius, he picked up his quill and started writing a letter to Ron. He told him that he had been made a prefect for this year. He also asked if anything was new in the wizarding world, and if Voldemort had struck again. Something told him that more people were suffering. Putting that thought aside, Harry told them how his summer was going and asked how his was.
Sealing the letter, he set it aside and started writing to Hermione. He wrote basically the same letter, except that in this letter he asked whether Hermione had also become a prefect, even though he knew she must have. Hermione was the smartest witch he knew. Next he wrote to Sirius. Harry hadn't heard from Sirius yet, and it started to worry him. He knew that Sirius was smart, but Dumbledore had sent him to get some of his parent's old friends. Remus Lupin, Arabella Figg, and Mundungus Fletcher. Thinking that Sirius could be anywhere gave him the chills. But restating the names of the people his godfather was supposed to fetch, he thought about Arabella Figg. The name was the same as his old baby-sitter, who still lived across the street. He realized that Mrs. Figg could be Arabella Figg, the witch that was supposed to help defeat Voldemort! Combing his hair, although it didn't help much, he went downstairs and set off across the street. It being about 8:00 in the morning, Harry wasn't sure whether Mrs. Figg would be awake, or if she would even be home. He got up to the door, and rang the bell. Harry waited a few minutes and started to walk away, but stopped again when he heard the door creak open.
Mrs. Figg, who looked to be in her late fifties, slowly stuck her head out of the door. Harry walked back up to the porch and stared at her. Mrs. Figg looked at Harry back and said, "Who are you? What do you want?" Harry thinking of what to say decided just to answer her questions first. "My name is Harry Potter. I live across the street from you" Taking a breath Harry asked, "Mrs. Figg, your first name wouldn't happen to be Arabella, would it?"
Mrs. Figg's eye's lit up at the sound of the name. She gasped and beckoned him inside. Now it was Harry's turn for his eyes to light up. He walked in, and it looked remarkably like Ron's home. The pictures on the wall were moving, just like at Hogwarts castle. She had candles all over her den and they were all lit. She had tea sets in all the corners, and a crystal ball on the center table. Her living room looked a lot like Professor Trelawney's class room in the North Tower of school. Mrs. Figg told him to take a seat on the couch. Harry walked over to the seat and looked around, still amazed at this all. Mrs. Figg sat across from him and looked right at him.
The she said, "Harry Potter. Harry Potter. In my house, once again. I knew that this day would come one day." She then asked, "Harry, do you remember me?"
Harry responded, "Yes, I do Mrs. Figg. Are you a, ummmmm, a witch?"
"Harry, yes I am. And you are the youngest and most famous wizard this century."
Relief swept over Harry and he started to blush. Taking his foot out of his mouth, he asked whether Sirius had come to fetch her yet.
She then said, "Sirius? Sirius Black? That murderer! Is he coming here? How do you know? When is he coming? I have to notify the Ministry!"
"NO!" Harry shouted. "You can't tell them. He is innocent!"
He then explained about what went on his third year, and how he had found out about Sirius' innocence.
After that Arabella said," Well, if that is good enough for Dumbledore, then it is good enough for me." Just then, her fireplace erupted and out stepped Sirius Black.
Once again Harry Potter had woken up from a dream. It had involved Cedric Diggory. He had been back in the maze that was the third task of the Triwizard Tournament that took place the year before. Cedric had asked him to take the Triwizard Cup and Harry had refused. It was Harry that had thought up the plan to take the cup together. It was Harry that had gotten Cedric killed.
Harry Potter was not an ordinary boy. He did not have ordinary friends. And Harry did not have an ordinary reputation. Harry was a wizard who was about to start his fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, which was among the best schools for training young witches and wizards in Europe. The reason Harry didn't live in the magical community is that when Harry turned one year old, the greatest dark wizard of the time had come to his house. His name was Lord Voldemort, and wizards across England still fear to speak his name. Voldemort had come in the middle of the night after Peter Pettigrew, his servant, had tricked the Potters into being their Secret-Keeper. He went to Lord Voldemort and told him the whereabouts of the Potters. Voldemort went to them, and killed James Potter, Harry's father, first. Then turning to Lily Potter, James' wife and Harry's Muggle-born witch mother, he demanded that she give Harry to her, and he wouldn't have to kill her. She refused him, and stepped in front of his wand. Voldemort performed the Forbidden Curse Avada Kedavra, which took the life now of both Harry's mother and father.
What Voldemort didn't know at the time is that Lily Potter had performed an ancient counter curse. With her giving her life like that, Voldemort couldn't touch Harry, and therefore, couldn't kill him. With a burst of his wand, the curse had reflected upon himself, and nearly killed him. But it did strip him of his powers and left him weak and helpless while Harry had come out of the fight with nothing but a scar in the shape of a lightening bolt across his forehead. With Lord Voldemort gone, Harry had become instantly famous. But Albus Dumbledore, who would control important events that would come into play in Harry's future, thought it best to leave him in possession of his aunt and uncle, Mrs. Petunia Dursley, and Mr. Vernon Dursley, who had a "small" child also at the age of one, named Dudley. He decided that was best instead of giving him to Harry's godfather, Sirius Black, who was later convicted of the treacherous act of giving Lord Voldemort the location of James and Lily Potter, when everyone at the time -- including Albus Dumbledore -- believed him to be their Secret-Keeper.
And after ten years of living with the Dursleys, Harry had gotten his letter of acceptance to Hogwarts. This came as rather of a shock to every one in the Dursley household. Harry had had no idea that he was a wizard, and even less of an idea that he had caused the Darkest wizard in a century to disappear. He had found out about his gift on his eleventh birthday, when the gamekeeper at Hogwarts, Rubeus Hagrid, had come to take him to get his school supplies. Hagrid had explained to him about how his parents had died, how he was famous in the wizarding world, and how he would be going to the best school of magic in the fall. After that, Harry's life had changed. At the end of his first year, Harry had met Voldemort again, and had stopped him from getting the Sorcerer's Stone, which would have returned him to full strength and power. By using the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Quirrell, he had almost succeeded. In Harry's second year, he had met a past image of Voldemort by means of a diary kept by a sixteen year old Tom Riddle, who was the same person as Lord Voldemort is now, and again defeated him and a Basilisk, which was kept in the Chamber of Secrets. Tom had framed Hagrid of being the Heir of Slytherin more than fifty years ago. Being cleared of that name, Hagrid also took up the duties as Care of Magical Creatures teacher.
Harry Potter had only learned of Sirius Black in his third year. Sirius had escaped from the wizard prison Azkaban and made his way towards Hogwarts. Everyone had thought he had come to kill Harry, but had instead come to kill Peter Pettigrew whom every one had thought was dead already. But Harry learned that while at Hogwarts, James Potter, Sirius Black, Peter Pettigrew and Remus Lupin, who had been Harry's Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher his third year, had all gone to become illegal Animagi. James was a stag, Sirius was a dog, and Peter was a rat. Remus was the reason they had become Animagi -- he was a werewolf, and they were the first real friends he had ever had.
After being sent to Azkaban, Sirius had escaped as a dog, and swam to shore. He traveled across England to Hogwarts and showed the truth to Harry. He turned Pettigrew back into a human, who had been acting as Harry's friend Ron's rat for the past twelve years. Pettigrew had escaped though, when Lupin at transformed on the way back to the castle. Then in Harry's fourth year, life had begun to change, even more dramatically than the last three years. The Triwizard Tournament, which was a tournament that lasted throughout the year, and the three largest schools of magic in Europe competed in, which were Durmstrang, Beauxbatons, and Hogwarts. There was supposed to be a Champion from each school, and when they were chosen, Harry Potter was chosen as the fourth Champion, even though each school was only supposed to one Champion, and he or she was supposed to be at least seventeen years of age. When Harry was chosen as the fourth Champion, most people were furious, and Harry himself was confused. But, after getting through the first two tasks, Harry was in the maze which was the third task when he found himself in a race to win against Cedric. But after helping each other a numerous amount of times throughout the year, each one wanted the other to win.
And it was Harry had come up with the plan that for both of them to take the cup at the same time, and it would still be a Hogwarts victory. But, when they touched the cup, they were transported to Lord Voldemort, who had Peter kill Cedric without hesitation. Harry had been devastated ever since, feeling it was all his fault. Then what Voldemort did next was even worse. Voldemort had been resurrected and the curse that his mother gave her life to give was useless. He could touch him all he liked. He had untied Harry, and gave him his wand back. Harry had dueled Lord Voldemort, and when they did spells against each other, their wands connected because they shared the same core, and the shadows of everybody Voldemort killed, including Harry's parents emerged from the wand as ghostly figures of their former selves. They held off Voldemort long enough for Harry to run back to the Cup and take Cedric's body back to his parents.
Ever since the end of term last year, Harry had been having nightmares like the one he just had. He felt guilty for Cedric's death and needed to be told, no, proven to him that it wasn't his fault. But most of all, Harry wanted to talk to his friends from school, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. Ron belonged to an old wizard family. He had five older brothers and a younger sister. Two of his brothers, George and Fred, who were twins and in their seventh year at Hogwarts and two of the worst troublemakers the school had ever seen. His younger sister was just entering her fourth year at Hogwarts. Hermione, on the other hand, was a Muggle-born witch and the smartest in their year. Right now he wanted to talk to them. He missed them even though it was only the second week of summer holiday. Almost every summer since their second year, Harry was invited to the Weasley's Burrow for the remainder of the summer. Ron's mother had asked Professor Dumbledore if Harry could go straight to the burrow after the end of term last year, but he seemed to want Harry to go to the Dursleys' first. Harry hated it there. Dudley got everything he wanted during the summer -- that is, everything he wanted with the possible exception of sweets. Dudley had gone on a diet the last summer after the school nurse had said they didn't carry knickers his size.
His diet had been reduced to lettuce and carrots, and to keep up his motivation, Aunt Petunia had put the whole family on the new diet. Harry had been forced to call upon his friends for food. He had hoped he didn't need to do that again this summer. He was grateful when his first morning back Dudley got grapefruit and the rest of the family got steak.
Harry got out of bed, and got dressed in his jeans and shirt. He glanced at the clock. Despite the fact that it read five-thirty, Harry felt wide awake. He went to the door and opened it slowly, making sure not to wake anyone. Thinking he would get a head start on the morning chores, Harry started making breakfast for everyone. Eggs, bacon, and toast for Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon and himself. Harry got a bowl of grapes out of the refrigerator and set them on one side of the table. Harry sat down and listened to the bacon sizzle and thought about life away from the Dursley's. He thought about what might be happening in the wizarding world. Whether Voldemort had struck again. Whether Hagrid and Madame Maxime were negotiating peace between wizards and giants with their connections -- after all, they were both part-giant.
Harry wondered what Dumbledore was doing to persuade the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, who still doubted that Voldemort had come into power again, to take action.
The smoke awoke him from his daze as the toast started to burn. Throwing the pieces into the trash, he popped in new slices right on cue. Uncle Vernon waltzed into the kitchen and sat down holding the morning paper, not even admitting that Harry was there. Harry handed him a mug of coffee. Uncle Vernon grunted in acceptance and took the cup. Dudley came in the kitchen and sat down in the seat farthest from the wall because he was so large that when he sat down, he already took up the whole side of the table, but he would get stuck between the table and the wall. Growling loudly as he snatched up his grape bowl and nearly downed it all at once. Handing Uncle Vernon his plate of food, he put another in the seat next to him. Vernon, glancing up for the first time this morning, he said in a deep voice that Petunia wasn't going to eat breakfast this morning. She had been feeling sick and he had feared that she had a bout of the flu. Dudley started to grab ferociously at the plate of greasy food, but before he could reach it, Vernon said that Harry could have it. Harry, who usually got nothing but oatmeal, took this liberty with pride. His eyes were laughing as Dudley sat there like he was immobilized with disbelief. Harry felt rather pleased with himself and realized that since his aunt was sick in bed she couldn't give him a list of chores to do. Harry laughed as he went to his room to do a bit of his Divination homework. This got Harry's mood down a little because he remembered Ron and himself making up their homework as Hermione sat behind them tisking at them.
Getting out a quill and a piece of parchment he sat down and started the start gazing review, thinking up nasty things to cause his own death. Professor Trelawney had marked him for death his third year at Hogwarts. Harry wasn't worried because none of the students she had predicted to die had actually passed on yet. But knowing she liked the predictions of death and destruction, he had started writing down terrible acts. Thinking back to the end of his third year, while taking his exams for Divination, Professor Trelawney had had a real prediction. She had gone slack and rolled her eyes back into her head and started talking in a deep voice. She said that before the night was over, Lord Voldemort's servant would return to him. Harry would never forget that.
Hedwig, his beautiful snowy owl, had just landed in front of him. She nipped his finger affectionately to get his attention. He untied a parcel from around her leg, and noticed it was heavier and way too early for the book list. He unfolded it and saw a new letter. It said:
HOGWARTS SCHOOL
of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear Mr. Potter,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been chosen to be a prefect this year at Hogwarts. You have been chosen on the grounds of grades, merit, and duties to the school. Please enjoy the rest of your summer holiday and I expect to see you at school September 1. Also, your prefect's badge is included in this parcel.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress
Finishing the letter, Harry tipped the package over and saw a shiny new prefect's badge fall out. It looked exactly like the one Percy, Ron's older brother who now worked in the Ministry, had on during Harry's first ride to Hogwarts on the Hogwarts Express. Thinking that he would inform Ron and Hermione as well as Sirius, he picked up his quill and started writing a letter to Ron. He told him that he had been made a prefect for this year. He also asked if anything was new in the wizarding world, and if Voldemort had struck again. Something told him that more people were suffering. Putting that thought aside, Harry told them how his summer was going and asked how his was.
Sealing the letter, he set it aside and started writing to Hermione. He wrote basically the same letter, except that in this letter he asked whether Hermione had also become a prefect, even though he knew she must have. Hermione was the smartest witch he knew. Next he wrote to Sirius. Harry hadn't heard from Sirius yet, and it started to worry him. He knew that Sirius was smart, but Dumbledore had sent him to get some of his parent's old friends. Remus Lupin, Arabella Figg, and Mundungus Fletcher. Thinking that Sirius could be anywhere gave him the chills. But restating the names of the people his godfather was supposed to fetch, he thought about Arabella Figg. The name was the same as his old baby-sitter, who still lived across the street. He realized that Mrs. Figg could be Arabella Figg, the witch that was supposed to help defeat Voldemort! Combing his hair, although it didn't help much, he went downstairs and set off across the street. It being about 8:00 in the morning, Harry wasn't sure whether Mrs. Figg would be awake, or if she would even be home. He got up to the door, and rang the bell. Harry waited a few minutes and started to walk away, but stopped again when he heard the door creak open.
Mrs. Figg, who looked to be in her late fifties, slowly stuck her head out of the door. Harry walked back up to the porch and stared at her. Mrs. Figg looked at Harry back and said, "Who are you? What do you want?" Harry thinking of what to say decided just to answer her questions first. "My name is Harry Potter. I live across the street from you" Taking a breath Harry asked, "Mrs. Figg, your first name wouldn't happen to be Arabella, would it?"
Mrs. Figg's eye's lit up at the sound of the name. She gasped and beckoned him inside. Now it was Harry's turn for his eyes to light up. He walked in, and it looked remarkably like Ron's home. The pictures on the wall were moving, just like at Hogwarts castle. She had candles all over her den and they were all lit. She had tea sets in all the corners, and a crystal ball on the center table. Her living room looked a lot like Professor Trelawney's class room in the North Tower of school. Mrs. Figg told him to take a seat on the couch. Harry walked over to the seat and looked around, still amazed at this all. Mrs. Figg sat across from him and looked right at him.
The she said, "Harry Potter. Harry Potter. In my house, once again. I knew that this day would come one day." She then asked, "Harry, do you remember me?"
Harry responded, "Yes, I do Mrs. Figg. Are you a, ummmmm, a witch?"
"Harry, yes I am. And you are the youngest and most famous wizard this century."
Relief swept over Harry and he started to blush. Taking his foot out of his mouth, he asked whether Sirius had come to fetch her yet.
She then said, "Sirius? Sirius Black? That murderer! Is he coming here? How do you know? When is he coming? I have to notify the Ministry!"
"NO!" Harry shouted. "You can't tell them. He is innocent!"
He then explained about what went on his third year, and how he had found out about Sirius' innocence.
After that Arabella said," Well, if that is good enough for Dumbledore, then it is good enough for me." Just then, her fireplace erupted and out stepped Sirius Black.