Chapter 1:Cats, Camp and Harry Potter, Part 2
Instincts made Harry snatch his wand from his back pocket (although he had been warned two years prior to break the habit by Professor Moody, if he liked his buttocks). Dudley was still screaming on the other side of the door, perhaps a magical being had attacked him? Harry grabbed the keys and turned, then stopped, what if this was one of Dudley's tricks to get him back for the ice cream, Harry thought, but he had the one thing Dudley was scared of right here in his palm: his wand. Harry turned the last key and flew the door open, expecting to see something much worse than a basilisk, but alas, it was only one of Mrs. Figg's cats, and Hedwig. As Harry opened the door to let Hedwig and Mrs. Figg into his room, he kicked the cat off Dudley, and glanced at the locked window. Hedwig must have been forced to come in the front with Mrs. Figg when she came in, but then what was Mrs. Figg doing here?
"Alright Harry, I've come as quick as Snowy would allow, what do you need?" The old woman was sweating from every possible place as she pulled up as stool from the corner of Harry's room as easily as a nineteen year old.
"So-orry Mrs.Figg, but I don't know why you're here." Said Harry, utterly confused with everything that was going on.
"She wasn't invited," yelled Dudley, panting from the doorway, he had scratches all down his cheeks from Snowy. "As I will be soon inheriting this house, I am the man of the house, and I command you to make this old bat get out of here!" he said in a voice that would have made Uncle Vernon proud. Then he caught sight of the eleven inches of holly and phoenix feather that was in Harry's right hand, and squealed like the pig in a wig he is, you could hear him clamouring all the way down the hall.
"Sorry about him," Harry excused his cousin to Mrs. Figg, "He's just a bit.well, anyways, what's going on, not to be rude, but why is it exactly that you're here?"
Mrs. Figg who was still appalled by Dudley's behaviour turned her head slowly from the doorway to Harry. "Yes.well.anyway, I having a terrible time getting Snowy to put her leash on outside when I was clobbered by your owl,"
"Sorry," Harry muttered under his breath.
"Not to worry dear, not to worry, anyways, so, Hebid, or whatever it's called, almost knocked me off my feet and then when I told her to shoo, she became obsessed with bringing me to your house. As I followed her and opened the door, she flew right past me, I still don't know what it is she wants."
Harry glanced at Hedwig and for the first time since her arrival he noticed a small piece of parchment tied to her leg. His note back from Lupin.
"Sorry Mrs. Figg, but I think she just wanted to get inside, you see my window was locked an-"
"Well, best be keeping it unlocked then boy," and she left al in a tizzy.
Harry did not hesitate in unfolding the letter from Lupin.
Dear Harry, How are you keeping, I'm fine, and thank you for updating me on what is going on with your Aunt and Uncle. Glad to see they're treating you well. Not much has been going on at Headquarters, but I'm sure it will be a lot less once school resumes, we've had the entire Order down here quite a lot-
The entire Order? Why, wasn't Harry part of the Order? After all he did fight Voldemort four times. And if the entire Order was down there, then why wasn't he invited, he was quite prepared to put the letter in the trash when instinct told him to read on.
Minerva, or Professor McGonagall as I know you refer to her, has been a wonderful help, as well as the Weasleys- by the way Molly was wondering whether or not you might like to join us for the last day before school- either way, we'll see you Monday, for I will be at the station seeing you off. I hope this gets here before Sunday, as we would really like to see you, so I have made Hedwig send this rush order, or as fast as she can deliver it.
Waiting for your response, R.J. Lupin
Harry folded up the letter and did a silent praise. Soon he would be at the House of Black. Which reminded him of Sirius, but as he tucked the letter into his desk drawer, he couldn't help wondering if there was a portrait of Sirius somewhere in that house.
*
At eight o'clock Saturday morning Harry got a letter back from Professor Lupin saying that they would be arriving at number four around ten that same morning, and to have his trunk packed. He was ready twenty minutes later. Harry couldn't wait to get to Headquarters, and time seemed to be going by much slower than usual. He went downstairs to have some breakfast and the moment he saw Dudley devouring his piece of toast (which he had been forced to cook himself, as Aunt Petunia was not around) he realized that he had not told the Dursleys that he would be leaving early, or that his escorts wouldn't be acceptable in Privet Drive. He decided that the Dursleys would be best off not knowing, plus, Aunt Petunia and uncle Vernon wouldn't be back for another six or so hours; and by then he would be long gone.
He passed his morning by repeatedly threatening Dudley by casually mentioning how short a time it was before he was allowed to use magic again, and by triple checking that everything to do with Hogwarts or the Wizarding world was packed. And so by ten o'clock, or scrawny sixteen-year- old was sitting on the front room sofa waiting for his escorts. But ten o'clock came and went, five past ten, ten past ten (maybe they got held up), quarter past ten (how where they getting here anyway?), and (half past ten), if they weren't here soon, then Dudley would be back from "Piers". Harry gave up and stood up to go into the kitchen and make himself something to eat with the remaining food (Dudley had eaten everything that he didn't have to bake). Maybe it was a trick, maybe Death Eaters would come be coming for him instead, maybe this had all been set up by Voldemort. Harry sat down at the kitchen table, very well aware that his ham and cheese sandwich could be his last when.
"Oh bloody hell, I told you to wait Arthur, very well at least their grate is open this time." the stern voice of Mrs. Weasley filled the front room. But instinct told Harry that it could be a trap, maybe a supporter took a polyjuice potion, no, Harry told himself, you're being paranoid. And with his best smile put on he stood up and entered the front room.
"There he is Arthur! Harry, dear, oh how are you. I'm so sorry we were late, but we spent so much time debating over whether or not to use floo powder after what happened."
Harry could see the love in Mrs. Weasleys eyes and decided that it really was her.
"Don't worry about it, listen not to be rude, but we really must hurry, you see the Dursleys could be back any minute and-"
"They're not here are they?" asked Mr. Weasley ominously.
"Er.no." Harry thought that he had explained that point rather well.
"I wanted to have a word with them, been treating you all right have they?"
"Er.well, yeah I guess, better than usual."
"Right well, I guess we'll have to have a conversation another time then." He looked around as if expecting Mr. Dursley to be hiding behind the armchair.
He picked up Harry's trunk and Mrs. Weasley picked up Harry's owl. "All set th-" Mrs. Weasley was about to ask when a scream erupted from the front hall.
When the trio looked round the archway, they found a terrified Dudley running up the stairs clutching his backside. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley both had their wands out and their faces were stern, as if they expected it to be Voldemort himself.
Shaken, Mrs. And Mr. Weasley popped back into normality and picked up Harry's things and quickly left. Mrs. Weasley walked straight into the grate and dropped some floo powder. Mr. Weasley waited for Harry to do the same and then left himself, soon, they were spinning, and the familiar hook came up Harry's nose.
Instincts made Harry snatch his wand from his back pocket (although he had been warned two years prior to break the habit by Professor Moody, if he liked his buttocks). Dudley was still screaming on the other side of the door, perhaps a magical being had attacked him? Harry grabbed the keys and turned, then stopped, what if this was one of Dudley's tricks to get him back for the ice cream, Harry thought, but he had the one thing Dudley was scared of right here in his palm: his wand. Harry turned the last key and flew the door open, expecting to see something much worse than a basilisk, but alas, it was only one of Mrs. Figg's cats, and Hedwig. As Harry opened the door to let Hedwig and Mrs. Figg into his room, he kicked the cat off Dudley, and glanced at the locked window. Hedwig must have been forced to come in the front with Mrs. Figg when she came in, but then what was Mrs. Figg doing here?
"Alright Harry, I've come as quick as Snowy would allow, what do you need?" The old woman was sweating from every possible place as she pulled up as stool from the corner of Harry's room as easily as a nineteen year old.
"So-orry Mrs.Figg, but I don't know why you're here." Said Harry, utterly confused with everything that was going on.
"She wasn't invited," yelled Dudley, panting from the doorway, he had scratches all down his cheeks from Snowy. "As I will be soon inheriting this house, I am the man of the house, and I command you to make this old bat get out of here!" he said in a voice that would have made Uncle Vernon proud. Then he caught sight of the eleven inches of holly and phoenix feather that was in Harry's right hand, and squealed like the pig in a wig he is, you could hear him clamouring all the way down the hall.
"Sorry about him," Harry excused his cousin to Mrs. Figg, "He's just a bit.well, anyways, what's going on, not to be rude, but why is it exactly that you're here?"
Mrs. Figg who was still appalled by Dudley's behaviour turned her head slowly from the doorway to Harry. "Yes.well.anyway, I having a terrible time getting Snowy to put her leash on outside when I was clobbered by your owl,"
"Sorry," Harry muttered under his breath.
"Not to worry dear, not to worry, anyways, so, Hebid, or whatever it's called, almost knocked me off my feet and then when I told her to shoo, she became obsessed with bringing me to your house. As I followed her and opened the door, she flew right past me, I still don't know what it is she wants."
Harry glanced at Hedwig and for the first time since her arrival he noticed a small piece of parchment tied to her leg. His note back from Lupin.
"Sorry Mrs. Figg, but I think she just wanted to get inside, you see my window was locked an-"
"Well, best be keeping it unlocked then boy," and she left al in a tizzy.
Harry did not hesitate in unfolding the letter from Lupin.
Dear Harry, How are you keeping, I'm fine, and thank you for updating me on what is going on with your Aunt and Uncle. Glad to see they're treating you well. Not much has been going on at Headquarters, but I'm sure it will be a lot less once school resumes, we've had the entire Order down here quite a lot-
The entire Order? Why, wasn't Harry part of the Order? After all he did fight Voldemort four times. And if the entire Order was down there, then why wasn't he invited, he was quite prepared to put the letter in the trash when instinct told him to read on.
Minerva, or Professor McGonagall as I know you refer to her, has been a wonderful help, as well as the Weasleys- by the way Molly was wondering whether or not you might like to join us for the last day before school- either way, we'll see you Monday, for I will be at the station seeing you off. I hope this gets here before Sunday, as we would really like to see you, so I have made Hedwig send this rush order, or as fast as she can deliver it.
Waiting for your response, R.J. Lupin
Harry folded up the letter and did a silent praise. Soon he would be at the House of Black. Which reminded him of Sirius, but as he tucked the letter into his desk drawer, he couldn't help wondering if there was a portrait of Sirius somewhere in that house.
*
At eight o'clock Saturday morning Harry got a letter back from Professor Lupin saying that they would be arriving at number four around ten that same morning, and to have his trunk packed. He was ready twenty minutes later. Harry couldn't wait to get to Headquarters, and time seemed to be going by much slower than usual. He went downstairs to have some breakfast and the moment he saw Dudley devouring his piece of toast (which he had been forced to cook himself, as Aunt Petunia was not around) he realized that he had not told the Dursleys that he would be leaving early, or that his escorts wouldn't be acceptable in Privet Drive. He decided that the Dursleys would be best off not knowing, plus, Aunt Petunia and uncle Vernon wouldn't be back for another six or so hours; and by then he would be long gone.
He passed his morning by repeatedly threatening Dudley by casually mentioning how short a time it was before he was allowed to use magic again, and by triple checking that everything to do with Hogwarts or the Wizarding world was packed. And so by ten o'clock, or scrawny sixteen-year- old was sitting on the front room sofa waiting for his escorts. But ten o'clock came and went, five past ten, ten past ten (maybe they got held up), quarter past ten (how where they getting here anyway?), and (half past ten), if they weren't here soon, then Dudley would be back from "Piers". Harry gave up and stood up to go into the kitchen and make himself something to eat with the remaining food (Dudley had eaten everything that he didn't have to bake). Maybe it was a trick, maybe Death Eaters would come be coming for him instead, maybe this had all been set up by Voldemort. Harry sat down at the kitchen table, very well aware that his ham and cheese sandwich could be his last when.
"Oh bloody hell, I told you to wait Arthur, very well at least their grate is open this time." the stern voice of Mrs. Weasley filled the front room. But instinct told Harry that it could be a trap, maybe a supporter took a polyjuice potion, no, Harry told himself, you're being paranoid. And with his best smile put on he stood up and entered the front room.
"There he is Arthur! Harry, dear, oh how are you. I'm so sorry we were late, but we spent so much time debating over whether or not to use floo powder after what happened."
Harry could see the love in Mrs. Weasleys eyes and decided that it really was her.
"Don't worry about it, listen not to be rude, but we really must hurry, you see the Dursleys could be back any minute and-"
"They're not here are they?" asked Mr. Weasley ominously.
"Er.no." Harry thought that he had explained that point rather well.
"I wanted to have a word with them, been treating you all right have they?"
"Er.well, yeah I guess, better than usual."
"Right well, I guess we'll have to have a conversation another time then." He looked around as if expecting Mr. Dursley to be hiding behind the armchair.
He picked up Harry's trunk and Mrs. Weasley picked up Harry's owl. "All set th-" Mrs. Weasley was about to ask when a scream erupted from the front hall.
When the trio looked round the archway, they found a terrified Dudley running up the stairs clutching his backside. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley both had their wands out and their faces were stern, as if they expected it to be Voldemort himself.
Shaken, Mrs. And Mr. Weasley popped back into normality and picked up Harry's things and quickly left. Mrs. Weasley walked straight into the grate and dropped some floo powder. Mr. Weasley waited for Harry to do the same and then left himself, soon, they were spinning, and the familiar hook came up Harry's nose.