I don't own Harry Potter nor any event that ever happened in canon. Golf I'm telling you, golf.
Harry Potter sat on the swings of the local park attempting to reason why he had still not received any letters from his so-called friends, or his godfather. He would say security except at this point he was fairly sure he was being watched by some one, and being that he had not as of yet been attacked he figured that those watching him were at least moderately friendly. He couldn't be absolutely sure he was being watched but there were definite times when he turned around expecting some one only to find nothing there.
"Hey Potter, what you doing here?" Harry groaned to himself hearing the approach and calls of Dudley and his gang. This was assuredly not going to be a good day.
"Hey Potter, why don't ya talk? Are you to stupid to talk?" Piers Polkiss taunted Harry. Harry decided he was being especially brave as it was only five against one at the moment.
"Potter, you freak are you deaf?" Dudley now, but after years of taunts and comments Harry had learned to block it out. "Are you missing Cedric?" Most of it that is. Harry's head swung toward Dudley and gave a glare that promised pain should this line of taunts continue.
"I heard you calling out for him last night, 'Cedric no, run Cedric,' then you screamed like a girl." Dudley wasn't going to be cowed, when it was five verses one, especially since Harry without the use of magic had no way to defend himself.
"Shut up Dudders" Harry used one of Petunia's pet names for a reason, it would distract Dudley from his current line of thought, but there was a problem with taking this particular route. Now he had to run.
"Don't call me that! I think it's time for a bit of Harry Hunting boys, get 'em!" Even before Dudley managed to comprehend Harry's previous statement, Harry was off and had a ten meter lead before any of Dudley's lackies reacted. Harry knew neither Dudley nor Polkiss was the problem at this point, he could easily outrun both. No, now the problem was John Stevens, the only real athlete among Dudley's thugs. John was easily 6 inches taller than Harry and nearly as thin which is saying something considering Harry's malnutrition. If it weren't for Dudley and Piers' strength John would probably lead the gang.
Four of the five gang members quickly fell well behind from the race chasing Harry, they were depending on John to catch him.
"Come on Potter, you know you aren't faster than me, just give up" Harry took a quick look back at Stevens who was gaining slowly but surely. He knew he couldn't flat outrun the athlete, and so he made a quick turn into the yard at Number 7. In a sprint he'd lose but across country it was possible that he might escape.
A quick jump over the wood fence behind the house and he was off again, another quick look back told him that the turn and jump had bought him a few more seconds he just needed to use them. Up ahead a grove of trees signaled the beginning of Woking, if he could evade long enough he would disappear in the wood.
Another sharp turn through the yard of a farmhouse on the left, and over the rickety fence on the North side bought more time.
"Potter I'll catch you sooner or later I'm gonna catch you" Stevens had just vaulted over the fence which was easier for him to do but because he had momentarily lost sight of of Harry he was now a good twenty meters behind. Harry was fast approaching the trees, which prompted John to put on a burst of speed sprinting to catch Harry before he made sanctuary in the maze of trees ahead.
Harry looked back more and more alarmed each time, twenty meters became fifteen, and fifteen became ten. At five meters Harry finally hit the trees, and he immediately took more notice of his footing. Harry's low center of gravity would greatly benefit him in here, where he could make sharp turns, he just had to take care not to fall. Slowly the distance between the two opened up from five to ten, ten to fifteen, and fifteen to more. Eventually Stevens lost sight of Harry and he didn't reappear.
"You might have gotten away for now Potter, but we'll be waiting. You have to come back sometime." Stevens took one last shot before turning around and walking back toward Little Whinging. He didn't know that Harry had stopped and was watching him around a tree not to far away.
After waiting several minutes for Stevens to get well out of hearing range, Harry continued North toward Woking. Harry knew one thing above the others if he showed up on Privet Drive anytime soon the consequences would not be pleasant. Dudley and Piers would be especially angry at missing the chance to soften up their favorite punching bag. So Harry walked. When he hit Westfield Road he continued North into town.
Approaching a small row of shops and feeling rather hungry after his run, Harry decided to spend most of what little money he had on a bit of food. Heading into an Inn on the side of the road he was immediately assaulted, but in a good way. The smell of fresh food was quite potent within the restaurant section.
"Hey, just one?" the waitress immediately questioned.
"Yeah just me."
"Alright then I'll seat you right over here." She led him to a table at the corner a window on the west side." Harry was immediately grateful for this table out, both out of the way and in a place no one could approach without first being seen by himself. After handing him a menu and taking his drink order, a Coke since they didn't serve pumpkin juice, Harry settled in and relaxed for what seemed like the first time in months.
His relaxation however was going to be disturbed and probably not in a way he would have hoped for.
". . .'m telling you it's him. I'd know him anywhere." Harry turned his head at the muffled voice but couldn't place its source. His head dropped to the table in a groan. What were the odds of walking into a random restaurant several miles from his home where he had never actually seen a witch or wizard, excluding of course those who'd arrived at his door, and being recognized. That thought perked him up a bit figuring that just maybe, today he might have enough luck that whoever it was did not mean him.
"I'm not that lucky, at least where my life isn't on the line" he grumbled to himself.
To Harry's delight, no one approached except the waitress who arrived with his drink and took his order. Another few minutes went by, and while Harry caught several random bits from the conversations around him he heard nothing that he thought necessarily applied to him. Though it was true there was a rather rude couple two tables away that were speaking about the grubby misguided youth of the day. He figured that was probably about him.
Then he saw it. Approaching at his ten o'clock was a girl who appeared to be about his age based on height and . . . development, she had reddish brown hair pushed back in a plait, and was wearing dark clothing what appeared to be denim jeans but it was hard to tell due to obstructions and the dimness of the light due to the inn relying mostly on light from the windows which were at Harry's side and made it difficult for his eyes to adjust. Next to the girl however was a taller and older woman, though she looked to be younger than McGonagall, this woman carried herself stiffly and and walked with purpose which made Harry think of a noble woman of times long over. Great that meant magicals, and that meant they were headed over toward him for more than just the empty table in front of him.
"Hi Harry, what are you doing here?" Now that she had approached Harry recognized her as Susan Bones a Hufflepuff from his class.
"Uh. . . Hi Susan. Eating?" Harry promptly concluded in the privacy of his own mind that he was an idiot.
"I gathered that Harry, but I've never seen you here before." Susan giggled while replying.
Thirty seconds into the conversation and Harry had concluded that not only was he an idiot, but he was also Fate's court jester.
"I . . . Er haven't been here before, I was running from my cousin and ended up here." Great now he wasn't just an idiot, he was a coward too. At this point the older woman on Susan's left decided to save Harry anymore embarrassment, or she just wanted Harry to know who he was making a fool out of himself in front of, in either case she prompted Susan by coughing.
"Oh, I'm sorry Harry this is my Aunty Amelia Bones." Susan introduced the lady who was currently scrutinizing Harry's dress for the day.
"Uh . . . Hi Lady Bones." Harry offered his greeting to Amelia. Harry's opinion of himself only got worse when his offered greeting roused a chuckle from its intended recipient.
"Lady Bones? That's a new one, don't worry Harry you aren't being judged yet. Call me Amelia."
Now most men would relax a bit after hearing a woman say they weren't being judged; however, after being judged his whole life and many times judged before even being introduced, Harry was understandably slightly frightened by this reply. His look must have signaled this as once again Amelia laughed.
Now it is important to interject that men do not innately possess the ability to understand women. Cars, TV's, sports, and even the occasional VCR are things which the average man does possess an innate ability to understand to at least a working level. Women does not and probably will not ever appear on that list. Keeping that knowledge at the front of the mind it is possible to forgive Harry for the fact that now several minutes into the conversation the women in question were still standing at the side of the table.
"May we sit down Harry?" prompted Susan after looking at Harry with a bit of meaning. Harry's mind once again made a decision, in addition to being an idiot and a coward, he was now inconsiderate as well.
"Oh! Yes, of course. I'm sorry!" Harry immediately tried to recover to the immense enjoyment of the two women now sitting opposite him. After seeing this reaction, Harry's head quickly and rather solidly me the table, and it did not rise. Several seconds passed in which the ladies thought he might have fainted before he finally spoke, with his head still on the table, "Susan, I know we don't know each other too well, but can you just put me out of my misery right now."
That was the statement that finally cracked the facade that both women had been struggling, rather unsuccessfully to hold, and both cracked up in laughter. Seeing the Chosen One stumble all over himself was rather amusing to both.
"Relax Harry this isn't the Spanish Inquisition. I promise Aunty won't put you in the stocks." Susan still openly laughing at Harry's misfortune.
"Thanks Susan" Harry returned half-heartedly if even that.
"So Harry you said your cousin chased you here." Amelia was curious about that. The exact facts of Harry Potter's living arrangements were not known to the general public, nor were they generally know in the Ministry. Only those who Dumbledore absolutely needed to tell knew, and those were sworn to secrecy. According to Dumbledore it was for Harry's own protection, but Amelia was not so sure of that.
"Uh . . . Not really my cousin actually a member of his gang chased me. Dudley just decided that it would be a good day for Harry Hunting I suppose." Harry wasn't exactly sure why he was saying all this even Ron and Hermione didn't know much about his home life other than the Dursley's didn't treat him with the best of care. For some odd reason he trusted the women in front of him.
"Harry Hunting?" The question was put forth by Susan who couldn't really picture someone wanting to bully the Boy-Who-Lived, other than Draco Malfoy of course.
"His favorite game, invented it way back when we might have been six or seven, maybe even before that." Harry was a bit more unsure at that and didn't really want to give too much information away.
Amelia and Susan saw Harry start to choose his words a bit more careful and decided not to push immediately. They hoped they might get him to open up a bit more later. It was at this time that the waitress returned with Harry's order and after asking if Susan and Amelia were joining him, and whether or not they were having the usual, returned to the kitchen.
"So, Harry how has your summer been going otherwise?" Susan was the first to break from silence and try to restart the conversation.
"Not bad, I've actually got most of my homework done this year, so I guess Hermione won't be lecturing me on the evils of waiting till the night before." Harry chuckled at the thought because he was sure that Hermione would be lecturing some one.
"Oh really I'm almost done too, everything except Transfiguration. Can you believe were supposed to come up with our own theory of why you can't transfigure something to gold. We aren't all Ravenclaws." Susan seemed rather frustrated, but still managed to make a joke so Harry figured she wasn't having as much trouble as she wanted it to appear. There was also the small smile on Madam Bones's face to consider.
"I think McGonagall is trying to get us to consider the various theories, because of the way they seem to contradict each other at various points." Harry acted like he had done the assignment that McGonagall had requested, not sure he wanted to tell his theory in case they laughed at him again.
"I think so to, but like you said they contradict each other a lot. Argh. I don't know." After seeing Susan's huff, Harry couldn't help but laugh. He also noticed Amelia hiding here mouth behind her hand. This was obviously some continuing rant from earlier.
"Well what did you put down Harry?" He was sure had a mirror been handy he would have seen the color drain from his face.
"Er . . . Uh . . . I" Harry could only stutter trying to think of a way out of answering Susan's question.
"Oh, come on Harry I'm not going to steal your answer." Susan looked pretty put off by Harry's reaction.
"No it isn't that Susan, it's . . ." Harry trailed off again, still unsure.
"Well what?" A determined look now graced the face of the petite Hufflepuff.
"I wrote that you coulfn" Harry tried to hedge by coughing on the last word, but seeing an unamused look plastered on the Hufflepuff's face he continued, "I wrote that you could."
Both women's jaws made great progress toward the floor of the establishment.
"You wrote that you could?" This response was from Amelia who if possible was now looking at Harry as if he might have lost his mind at some point.
"Er, kinda. I wrote that I believed it was possible." Harry struggled to find a way to tell the Pure-blooded witches, that he suspected had never heard of Protons or Electrons, the reasons he thought it was possible. "I think that it is possible to transfigure wood into metal, then why wouldn't it be possible to transfigure metal into another kind of metal?"
"Harry it's . . ." Susan trailed off, searching for a way to explain that it isn't possible.
". . . never been done before. Yeah, I know, but every object is made up of some very small parts, which are the same no matter what the object is made out of." Now both of the witches were really looking at him like he was crazy, though in fairness he had just said that two objects that aren't made out of the same substance are made out of the same substance. "Look. Susan, Amelia I can't really explain it, I just think it's possible."
"Harry, around a hundred years ago there was a team of Unspeakables which was attempting to bypass Gamp's last exception, a group of ten individuals, five of them died in the attempt." Amelia informed Harry with a very grave expression. "Whether you think it might be possible or not, please do not try it Harry."
As delighted as the Bones were to talk with Harry during lunch, his absence from Privet Drive was not taken so well by other members of the magical community. In a hidden manor residing between numbers 11 and 13 a lively discussion was taken place as to the whereabouts and condition of one Harry Potter.
"I was on guard duty at the park, Potter was sitting on the swings not forty feet from me." Mundungus Fletcher, one of the more unusual members of the Order, carefully tried to explain exactly how he lost the Chosen One.
"We know that Fletcher, where did he go after the swing set? He didn't just disappear into thin air!" Every head snapped to speaker because, like Albus Dumbledore, when Alastor Moody spoke you listened.
"Well yeh see, I had ta get to a place and meet a guy." Fletcher had at this point dropped the respectable citizen act and slid into slightly more unsavory waters.
"Are you telling me that you abandoned guard duty? Why? Why would you do that? We have been attempting to protect Harry Potter all summer and you abandon your post in the middle of the day!" It was easy to see and most could hear, including those not expressly allowed, that Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody was pissed. In fact he was well past pissed and had passed into livid.
"Well what do we do? We don't have the manpower on duty to go searching for him." Attempting to calm the room so that a logical decision could be reached was Remus Lupin.
"Remus, what else can we do? We can't wait for Harry to go back to Privet Drive, he might be kidnapped by You-Know-Who." Molly Weasley was near frantic at the thought of one of her children unprotected with You-Know-Who on the loose.
"Molly it makes no sense for us to attempt to find him, Voldemort doesn't know where Harry lives during the summer. Albus has seen to his location's secrecy. If we go down there in force to search for Harry it will bring unwanted attention. People will wonder exactly what we're looking for." Remus's argument was at this point both the most logical and the most aggravating, after all he wanted to wait.
"I agree let the kid have some time away from his relatives. He's been cooped up with them for close to two months now and he's got to be getting bloody close to wire-happy." Sirius spoke with logic, something very odd for him. Remus was wondering whether or not they should call one of the Order's Healers to take a look at him.
"There are no wizarding homes for miles around Surrey, which is part of the reason the location was a good place for Harry to live."
Unnoticed by all but one person in the room, a man who rarely got anywhere without being swarmed had slipped into the room. He was watching the conversation and taking in each opinion as they came because as soon as he made his presence known the freedom of replies would stop and all would look to him. Such was the burden of authority.
"I'm sure Harry is fine and when he returns we will impress upon him the need to stay within the wards and not to run off when he decides he wants to get away." The calming tones of Albus Dumbledore swept around the room.
"So we wait?" Minerva McGonagall always practical and thorough.
"We will wait around Number 4 for Harry's return." With that the discussion was over and the few witches and wizards currently at headquarters left for Little Whinging. Unfortunately for them, they would be waiting a fair amount of time before Harry Potter returned.
Harry was happy, which was a very odd occurrence during the summer and away from Hogwarts. There were several reasons why he was happy the most important of which was Harry Potter was for the second time that summer not within a two mile radius of the Dursley's. Talking to Amelia and Susan Bones was nice too.
". . . Harry, Harry. Harry!" The yelling witch snapped Harry from his reverie. His mind added rude to his mental list for the day.
"Er. . . Sorry I faded off there for a moment." He tried to apologize to his company for lunch and did so with a decently guilty look.
"That's okay Harry, Susan and I were going to go shopping and wondered if you'd like to join us for awhile?" Harry was conflicted to say the least. On one hand, he still did not want to go back to the Dursley's and have a good chance of getting knocked around by Dudley and his gang for awhile. On the other hand there are certain places it is just bred into a man to be afraid of and shopping is definitely one of them.
"I wouldn't want to bother you, and I probably should be headed back to my relatives here pretty soon." Neither witch really seemed to eager to let him go just yet, and those feelings were quite obvious when eyes narrowed at Harry's response.
"Nonsense Harry, we invited you so you wouldn't be a bother."
That was how Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived and apparently public enemy number two according to the Daily Prophet anyway, came to be in Diagon Alley on that day in July.
The scene back at the place that couldn't be found by those not told, was a bit more frantic. It had been nearly two hours since any confirmed contact with Harry Potter, and that was cause for great concern. Most of the order had returned after an hour at Privet Drive figuring that only a few were needed and the rest could be alerted when Harry decided to arrive back at his home. An elderly witch approached the meeting room door able to hear conversation some conversation from the other side.
"He's probably just having a relaxing day outside, it isn't like anyone could find him anyway."
"That isn't the point, it is dangerous for him to be out and about right now."
"With You-Know-Who laying low it isn't anymore dangerous than it . . ."
"Albus, Harry Potter has just turned up in Diagon Alley." A rather rumpled Minerva McGonagall had stormed into the meeting room and with her statement effectively stopped all manner of conversation.
The leader of Light also known as Albus Dumbledore was more than a little surprised that Harry had made it to Diagon Alley, the boy had never left his home for the wizarding world apart from his third year accidental magic. Since he was sure there had been no accidental magic anywhere in the vicinity of Privet Drive, with the current political climate accidental or not there would be harsh consequences, Harry must be there for some other reason.
"Minerva, Remus, and myself will apparate to Diagon Alley and then escort him back to Privet Drive." With that said the three left the place unknown for places known.
Two witches and a wizard had been having an enjoyable day so far. They had made a quick stop at Gringotts and were know trying to decide exactly where to start. Harry was hoping that the answer wasn't Madam Malkin's because, well just because.
"Harry do you want to start at a specific shop, go to the apothecary and get your ingredients, or do you want to go to the bookstore and pick up your school books." Harry wasn't sure exactly how to answer that because no one had every really asked him for his opinion in these matters, he had almost always just been directed to such places as he needed to go.
"I . . . Er . . don't really have my book list so I can't pick up my school books, and the same goes for the potions ingredients I'll need. So I can just follow you and you can choose."
"What do you mean you don't have your book list or ingredients they were mailed weeks ago, do you not remember what they are because I'm sure Susan's list is very similar." The response got him thinking about his peculiar absence of mail again. He idly wondered whether Dumbledore had enlisted Dobby to block his mail again.
"I haven't gotten it yet, actually I haven't really gotten any mail this summer." His response must not have been the right one because there was a large frown on the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement's face.
"You haven't gotten any mail? Well then we'll simply get the books we can based on Susan's list." With that said the three headed for Flourish and Blott's.
Had the three stayed in that spot several moments longer they would have caught sight of three people, two rather distinguished and the other a bit on the shabby side, arriving at Diagon Alley looking for Harry Potter.
"Well where do we start looking? Doge told me he had entered Gringotts, so he's surely done there now."
"I should think that Harry will be in either Quality Quidditch Supplies or Magical Menagerie, why don't you two search there and I shall search the Alley in-case Harry leaves some other shop." In truth he knew Harry was not in either shop. He had seen a glimpse of the infamous Potter hair headed towards Flourish and Blott's. However he decided it would be better if Harry did not feel cornered by those around him. Albus Dumbledore knew Harry Potter, if nothing else that can be said.
With the departure of McGonagall and Lupin to the stores they were to search, Albus Dumbledore made his way to the book store to have what was assuredly not going to be a pleasant conversation.
"Harry, you're going to need Defensive Magical Theory and The Standard Book of Spells Grade 5, is there anything else you would like to pick up while we are here?" Amelia Bones was nothing if not efficient.
"Um, I'd like a more advanced book on Transfiguration theory." A hard stare from Amelia was Harry's reward for that response.
"Very well, I should think The Theory of Change by Selena Lovegood should suffice. A witch who while not attempting to transfigure gold did have several interesting theories similar to what you have described." Harry was sure he had heard the name before, but could not place where. Still he was thankful that Madam Bones had helped find a book that might be useful, since he had no idea where to start.
The three spent a bit more time looking and when all was thought to be done headed for the counter to pay for their purchase. The headmaster arrived at the shop just in time to see Harry finish paying for his three books.
"Ah, Harry my boy, I see you are finishing up here and that is good as I think it is about time for you to return to your relatives." The usual twinkle shown brightly in the Headmaster's eye.
"No." That was an unexpected reply, as usually Harry acquiesced to most any request made by Dumbledore.
"Harry, it is dangerous for you to be in public now that Voldemort is back" the reply from the Headmaster was direct and to the point. Though after being ignored by everyone he knew for two months Harry was in a less than agreeable mood when confronted with said witches and wizards.
"According to Amelia there have been no confirmed sightings of Voldemort or any Death Eaters since the end of school, I think it is safe to say that Voldemort is laying low for the time being." Actually Harry knew Voldemort was laying low as he had already seen it in a dream he was sure wasn't a dream.
"I see, but Harry there are still other dangers and you being in public may give Tom the perfect chance, and you really shouldn't run away from your home in the first place." This was a move well known to most anyone who knew Harry, due to his upbringing it had become rather easy to chastise the boy as he invariably took any thing to be his fault.
"Now, Albus I don't think he would take the chance as it is very likely that Harry would escape an encounter in the alley and Voldemort would be outed long before he wished to be, and besides Harry did not run away. If I remember correctly, and I assure you I do, he was chased away" interjected Madam Bones.
"Ah, Amelia forgive me I did not see you there" replied Dumbledore, again the grandfatherly twinkle made itself known.
"Albus do stop that absurd twinkle I knew you before you grew that obscene beard, now you can run back to your Order and inform them that Harry is safe and is at present accompanying myself and Susan around the Alley." With that she ushered the stated teens out the door and on to the next store. Albus Dumbledore was, perhaps for the first time in years, speechless. It had been a very long time since anyone had brushed him off. Deciding that he would not win a second encounter in this instance and that a tactical retreat was the best option, the former Head of the Wizengamot left to retrieve his subordinates.
Harry on the other hand was feeling rather dumbfounded as no one had ever really defended him like that against anyone. That was not to say it wasn't a good feeling. For the rest of the afternoon Harry accompanied the Bones's around the alley and when it was time to go back to Privet Drive, Amelia decided to escort him. Now Amelia Bones was raised to be prim and proper as a Lady of a Noble house, her reaction to the Dursley's was not the most pleasant of experiences. Harry however, thought that encounter was hilarious.
"Boy, get in the house and make dinner!" The bellow came from a rather red faced Vernon Dursley, "And leave your freak friends by the street!" Amelia Bones was not happy. That can be said without hesitation after all who would be happy after being called a freak. Harry immediately had a vision of Vernon being turned into a rather pudgy donkey. That is another story in itself.
With a quick, "Wait here Harry," Amelia was off to give the whale of a man a stern talking to. It was not McGonagall stern, it was more screaming pissed off female stern which makes bully's quiver. Harry lazily thought that his mother might have done about the same thing, at least the way some people described her temper, and his.
Catching only parts of the conversation, the occasional "Why I never!", "You should be ashamed!" and any number of other things some of which really weren't completely proper, Harry decided that he should invite Amelia over again as his uncle was now a nice shade of puce.
Eventually Amelia's momentum dropped and she stopped her reaming of Harry's uncle, who was now a vibrant shade of off-white probably due to the rather graphic description of things she could do as the Head of the DMLE. After confirming that Vernon was well and cowed, Amelia returned to Harry to offer him a polite goodbye. After doing so she apparated away and Harry made his way to the house.
"Good evening Uncle Vernon" stated Harry as he walked right by his still stationary uncle. He continued up the stairs and into his room closing the door quietly and laying down to read.
AN:I'm guessing this Author's Note is going to be a bit long, but I have a few things to cover to rectify what might be misconceptions from the story. I will do them in order.
First, obviously I've taken out the Dementor scene. I did this because it always seemed to be a rather stupid move by Umbridge. I think that because given any number of possible ways Harry could prove that they were there, Veritaserum anyone? Then after confirming that the Dementors were in fact in Privet Drive and that would easily trace back to the Ministry. Umbridge will still be the DADA teacher as I demonstrated with the book, she just won't be quite as stupid.
Second, this is a long and boring chapter where nothing really happens. Trust me, I know. I wrote it. In my defense I had to. Simply put both of the Bones will be fairly important later in the story I'll get to that in a bit. Seeing as how Amelia only had one real part in canon and after that is only mentioned in passing, I had to write her into the story somehow and give the audience some background for her character otherwise it's gonna be a bit odd when she shows up later. Susan on the other hand is mentioned several times and even interacts with Harry; however, canon leaves her as very much a blank slate so I can mold the character a bit.
My Reasons for the characters
Amelia: Included because she has influence and is not under Dumbledore's thumb so to speak. Simply put almost everyone who is explored in canon is either Dumbledore's or helps Voldemort directly or indirectly. See Fudge and Scrimgoer. Amelia is a third party who isn't evil and isn't Dumbledore's. She isn't just going to accept Dumbledore's answer of Harry is safe at the Dursley's.
Susan: Don't start thinking this is gonna be HarrySusan, I still haven't made a decision on the pairing if any, and in any event that is a bit ways down the road because Harry is still wholly uncomfortable around girls. Though I will say that she is one of the options I have listed. The current plan is that Susan will be a kind of neutral friend somebody who Harry can bounce ideas off of who will give an honest opinion and is his intellectual equal. Hermione can't do it because she only considers what is and not what might be. She puts too much stock in books. Luna, yes obviously Luna will appear in the story, can't do it because she's too out there and Harry wouldn't understand what she was talking about. Ron can't do it because he's Ron. Finally Ginny can't do it . . . well because I really just don't see that happening.
So that's why I did this chapter the way I did. Yes, there will be a chapter much like it to introduce Professor Vector since all we have of her is a name and a subject. For that matter canon doesn't even give a first name.