The Very Long Night Of Harry James Potter
When, in years to come, Harry would look back and almost thank the Dursleys for what they did to him.
Harry had returned from Hogwarts after the death of his beloved Godfather, Sirius Black, during what the wizarding press had called The Battle of the Ministry. When he had arrived back at the Dursley residence, he fully expected to go back to the old ways of verbal and physical abuse. He was, however, surprised to find them all quite happy about something. Assuming that his Uncle Vernon had gained either a large deal or a promotion, Harry got his things and took them to the smallest bedroom in the house – his room.
"BOY!" Vernon shouted from downstairs, "COME DOWN HERE THIS INSTANT!" and Harry sighed and rolled his eyes.
"I knew this wouldn't last" he muttered, tucking his wand into his pocket – visible for his relatives to see plainly. "You called?" he asked as he came off the stairs to see his Uncle and Aunt with big, manic grins plastered over their faces.
"Sit down, boy. We have something important to discuss" Petunia motioned him to the least comfortable chair in the sitting room.
"Before you came back, we discussed what to do with you" Vernon began. "After a couple of days of hard thinking," something Harry snorted at, "We've decided to throw you out of our home. We can not stand you freakishness anymore, or those of your friends, so we're kicking you out onto the streets. Let's see how your great Headmaster will like you now" he added with a roar of laughter.
"But why?" Harry asked. Things were happening so quickly he was trying hard to keep an up to date track of everything.
"We don't want you any more" Petunia said in reply. "We're throwing you out like the freakish animal you truly are" she added.
"So…" Harry's mind slowly kicked into gear, "You're throwing me out at this time of night?" the clock indicated it was half past eight.
"Slow, ain't ya, boy?" Vernon said. "We want nothing more to do with you" and Harry mulled that over in his mind before nodding in simple acceptance.
"You've made it clear you hate magical kind, but I'll tell you something that, I think, you should know. The person who killed my mother and father is back on the loose, and he will hunt down any way of getting to me. You deserve to know this because Aunt Petunia is my mother sister. He will try to get you and trace me through the blood link we share"
"We'll tell him we have nothing to do with you, and he'll leave us alone"
"You don't get it – Voldemort loves to torture people like you – people who do not have any way of defending themselves. Think of Hitler and the Nazis times by a factor of a hundred and you will get the general idea. If there is any way that you can move out of here, then I suggest that you do so now – it might be too late otherwise" Harry said, getting up and walking out of the room. "Don't. Even. Think. Of. It" he said as Dudley came out him with a huge metal bar. "Now I don't have a home, I can use magic to defend and protect my wellbeing. Under aged magic rules do not apply" he added – remembering something that Hermione had once told him about cases were underage magic was excused. He rushed up to the bedroom, closed the door and placed the chair against it so the Dursley couldn't come in. "I am in trouble" he muttered as he sat on the bed. "What am I going to do…?" and Harry sat on the bed deep in thought.
# # # # #
An hour later, and Harry had decided what he was going to do with himself. With all of his things still packed, he simply left the Dursley house after punching Dudley right in the nose – something he had been waiting to do for over a decade. Once outside, he put out his wand hand to summon the Knight Bus – asking for them to take him to Gringotts. Once he arrived in Diagon Alley, he entered the bank with his trunks and went to the only position still open at that time of night.
"Can I help you, Boy?" the Goblin sneered at him.
"I'd like to see Griphook if possible" Harry said, thinking of the only Goblin he knew by name. He had seen a few others, but not actually been told their names at all.
"Griphook is not on duty" the Goblin said. "I will deal with what… business you have with the bank" he added with additional sneering.
"Tell Griphook that I wish to see him now" Harry said, idly scratching the part of his head where the scar was. The Goblin went wide eyed before hurrying off through a door – coming back a few minutes later with a hurriedly dressed Griphook.
"Could you not have waited until the morning?" he asked. "I was dreaming of large profits"
"And I was dreaming of a place to live" Harry said. "I have been thrown out of my relatives' home, and I require another place to live. I would live in the Leaky Cauldron, but I have no money for magical businesses. As you are the only Goblin I trust, I would like to go down to my vault and take some money out, please"
"I wish that I could, Mr Potter. The terms of your trust vault state that you may only enter it for the obtaining of funds needed for obtaining items for your school year" Griphook said. "If you would like, you may wait in my office until I am able to have Professor Dumbledore come to get you" but Harry shook his head.
"We are not on speaking terms" said the boy. "Can you tell me what I have in my trust vault at the moment?" he asked.
"Certainly" said Griphook, cheering up now he had a bit of work to do. "That information will be in your account book. You can sit in my office whilst I go and get it" and he led Harry and his trunks to his office. As he waited, Harry could not help but think that he had forgotten something back at the Dursleys' house, but it was impossible to put his finger on it.
#
Hedwig was getting seriously ticked off. When he had left, the Owl fully expected Harry to return to collect her – but he had failed to do so. She really needed to go and hunt, but she couldn't pick the lock on her cage. When she saw Harry, she was going to have serious words with him. Her wizard, unlike others she knew, seemed to actually understand what she was saying. It was at that point she saw the engraved etching on the bottom of the cage – tapping it with a talon.
#
Now he knew!
"Sorry, girl" he apologised to the Owl, "But the Dursleys kicked me out and I wasn't really thinking straight. I'll see what I can do about letting you out later" and Hedwig felt sorry after he had poured out the entire tale to her.
"Twits"
"Mmm… I think they are all twits" Harry agreed as the door to the office opened and Griphook put his head around the door.
"Perhaps it would be best if you came along with me, Mr Potter" he said. "Your Owl and other things will be quite safe here" and Harry followed the Goblin out of the office. "I have looked at the actual wording of the rules that your parents made when they created the trust account. Once it was refilled, you were not to take any thing out unless it was needed for schooling needs. Your stay a few years ago was before that date, so you may go into again. I must warn you, however, that you will not be able to come in again after tomorrow unless it is to buy more objects for Hogwarts" and the pair stepped into a cart where Griphook told it to go to vault 631.
"How much do I actually have, Griphook?" Harry called over the whistling wind that was created by the cart's rushing.
"100 Galleons, 15 Sickles and four Knuts" the Goblin replied. "It was due to be refilled at midnight, so you are very lucky to be able to get inside it at all" he added.
"I better be taking the entire lot" Harry said. "I hope I can get a room all summer" he added.
"Oh" Griphook said as the cart slowed, "I am afraid that you will not be able to get a room at the Leaky Cauldron for the entire school holiday. With so many people dealing with the attacks by You-Know-Who, rooms are very hard to come by" but Harry simply shrugged.
"Something will turn up" he reasoned. "If it is not too much bother, could I please come and see you in the morning? I am sure that a Goblin, like yourself, might be able to come up with a solution to my problem" Harry slipped the only wizarding coin he had in his pocket into Griphook's hand. It was only a Sickle, but the Goblin knew that there would be more from where that came from…
# # # # #
"HARRY!" the call of his name caused him to look behind – just in time to brace himself for the blur of Hermione Granger to wrap him in a huge hug. "I'm glad you're here" she said.
"Why?" asked Harry. "How did you know I have been thrown out by the Dursleys?" and saw the surprise flash over his friend's face.
"You as well?" she squeaked. "My parents kicked me out the moment we got home. They let me pack all my stuff together before showing me the front door"
"But why?" Harry asked, sitting down by Hermione's trunk in the darkened main room of the wizarding pub.
"They're Catholics" Hermione said. "They think that Witchcraft is the work of Satan himself, and that to purify their house they had to kick me out. I didn't know what to do, so I came here with the last of my wizarding money to get a room for a couple of nights. The barman is just sorting it out now"
"I was coming for the same" said Harry. While they waited for the barman to come back down, they swapped tales of being thrown out. "Griphook said that rooms are going to be hard to find. I don't really fancy spending the holidays at Hogwarts" Harry said.
"Professor Dumbledore will know what to do for you" Hermione said. "But", she added after seeing Harry's expression darken slightly, "We could hold off for that until a little bit later" and the barman came down the stairs – surprised to find another person sat with Hermione.
"Harry Potter, isn't it?" and Harry nodded. "What are you doing here? Should you not be with your family?"
"Harry is…" Hermione couldn't finish it.
"I'm in the same situation as Hermione is in" said Harry. "Would it be possible to spend the night, or maybe two, with her?" he asked hopefully.
"Normally" Tom started, "I would say no. However" he went on, "I know you to be trustworthy and an honourable person. I don't think anything will happen between the pair of you"
"Goodness no" Harry smiled, "I'm worried about my virtue enough as it is"
"I'll show you to your room" Tom said. "If you leave your animals here, I will take them to the pet quarters"
#
"We have a big problem, Hermione" Harry said.
"We can change in the bathroom" Hermione said.
"It… it isn't that" Harry said. "The problem is much bigger"
"Oh!" Hermione went scarlet as she looked at Harry's trousers and back up.
"NOT THAT!" Harry said in a loud whisper. "I meant which side of the bed do you want? Look, you take the bed, Hermione, and I will sleep on the floor tonight. There are plenty of blankets spare I could lie on, so I am not going to be too uncomfortable. I asked Griphook to help me find something less expensive the hiring rooms here all summer. Perhaps he could do something for you too" and the two teens, tired from all the travelling they had been doing, changed into pyjamas and went to a well deserved sleep.
#
"I wonder…" Griphook went back to the records department and got a copy of the list of places for sale and rent. Harry had asked for accommodation to live in over the summer holiday, and that it didn't matter what it really was – just that it gave him a roof over his head. The Goblin wondered why he did not simply stay with the Weasleys, but it would be worth a small sum to him, so…
