Disclaimer: Anything that you recognize is of course not mine and belongs only to the most exquisite J.K. Rowling.
Chapter 2: The World of Witchcraft and Wizardry
"Look there is a list." Dorinda noted as four pairs of eyes scanned the list, their eyes getting bigger as they continued down.
"Well that ends it, we definitely need money that we don't have." Harry sighed, as much as he wanted to leave, he couldn't risk putting his family in danger for an unlikely situation.
"But the Dursleys do." Rose's voice lowered to no louder than a whisper, Julian slowly smiled at her. Harry and Dorinda however looked surprised that she would suggest stealing, she just wasn't that kind of person. "I mean we could just borrow it and pay them back when we have a chance."
"So we can get the money, it still doesn't matter. We haven't a clue as to where to get the supplies we need to attend a magical school," Dorinda said but Julian had a solution for that problem as well.
"It says owl us back with your acceptance or something, Rose didn't you see a few owls hanging around outside earlier while tending to the begonias?" Julian smiled as Rose slowly nodded in memory.
"That still doesn't answer my question Julian." Dorinda sighed.
"Sure it does, all we have to do is owl them back asking for directions." Julian whispered in exasperation. Dorinda furrowed her eyebrows obviously thinking hard for a problem within their already existing problem, she couldn't find one. Harry was oddly silent.
"What if there isn't an owl out there?" Dorinda finally spit out but her voice wasn't as strong or as confident as it was before.
"What if there is?" Julian bit back, Dorinda nodded in acceptance.
"I say we give it a try." Harry accepted, they all turned toward Rose who still looked a little hesitant. "Come on Rose, I promise if we can't find it, the owl or the place, we'll remain here."
"Promise?" Rose repeated.
"Promise." The other three agreed in unison, Rose smiled.
"Now we just have to wait until the Dursleys go to bed, then we'll take a peek outside for the owl and if we find it, we'll send word back to these people for directions." Dorinda repeated their plan for then tenth time but this time they were going to carry it out. It had been an hour since the Dursleys had trudged upstairs and they all had been impatiently waiting.
"Alright you three stay here, I'll be back in a moment." Julian muttered. He opened the small door and tiptoed out of sight. The three of them sat there, scared for their brother, anxiously waiting for him to return. Five minutes later and he still hadn't come back.
"That's it, I'm going after him." Harry declared, Dorinda grabbed his arm and pulled him back onto the bed. They started bickering but it didn't matter, they both shut up a moment later when hurried footsteps reached their ears.
"Its done, I found one." Julian smiled grandly as he joined them back on the bed. "It took it right from my hand, and flew off." Disbelief crossed Dorinda's dirt marred face, could this really be magic?
"So what now?" Rose murmured after a few minutes of silence, everyone was in overload. All thinking about what to do, their thoughts however kept turning back to magic and all the possibilities that now being presented to them.
"We leave." It was Harry who said it, but they had all been thinking the exact same thing. Silently, they all got up and slipped on their torn trainers, ignoring the ever present spiders. They were leaving. Finally.
And they did. Stole a few pounds, from the jar on the kitchen counter for bus fare and left. With hope of something better, hope for the chance to practice magic, hope for the chance to learn of their parents and perhaps maybe even their other relatives. So they walked, bickered and laughed. Never did they whine, for anything or anyone was better than the Dursleys. It was cold, they held each other and laid together as if they were at home with the Dursleys in their small cot, and they waited.
"Do you think the owl is ever going to come?" Rose asked, the cool night air fluttering her hair lightly. They were at the bus stop, all sitting on the bench. Entangled in a ball of warmth and love.
"It will come, it has to." Harry answered determinedly, his mouth set in a straight line. He squeezed the already sleeping Dorinda tighter, her hair tickling his nose lightly. Julian hugged Rose reassuringly and murmured for her to take a short nap. She nodded and fell asleep moments later, as did the boys.
Julian was slowly waking up, he was still tired but something was telling his body that he needed to be awake. He opened his bleary eyes and blinked away the last traces of sleep before gently lifting his arm out from beneath Rose. Light was just beginning to come through the night clouds and the stars were beginning to fade into the darkness.
Julian cleared his throat as softly as he could, he didn't want to wake anyone up. He shook his long, shaggy hair out of his eyes and stared off. He wasn't looking at anything in particular, not at first at least.
A few minutes later, just in the distance, he could see a shadow in the sky, its form lightly being revealed by the new light. A bird of some sort, he could tell that much by the flapping of wings, he squinted. It couldn't be! Yet, a minute went by and it kept coming, becoming more distinct until he knew, he just knew it was an owl!
"Harry." Julian whispered shaking his brother's shoulder. "Harry!" He said a little louder, a bit more excited as every moment passed.
"Go back to sleep Julian." Harry's voice was groggy and his glasses askew.
"Harry, it's the owl!" Julian exclaimed which quickly got his tired brother awake. Harry's eyes flew open and his hand came up to reposition his glasses. "Look just there, its coming right at us."
"Rose!" Harry shook her awake, she didn't protest. "Rose look, it came back! The owl came back!"
"I don't believe it." Dorinda whispered, she must've woken up after all the commotion. "It can't be."
"It is!" Rose squealed, Julian smiled happily. They watched as it came and landed on the bench and all stared amazed at the dark brown creature. It was then they noticed another letter tied to the owl's right leg.
"Should I untie it?" Julian questioned but his hands were already working the knot out. He held the letter in his hands a moment later and the owl once again took flight into the sky.
"Read it." Dorinda's voice was full of impatience. Julian took in a deep breath and slit open the letter and read it aloud.
"Mister's and Miss's Potter we are pleased to hear of your acceptance. We have enclosed directions to the Leaky Cauldron and keys to your trust vaults at Gringotts. Ask Tom, the bartender, for access to Diagon Alley. We look forward to having you at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Signed, Minerva McGonagall. Deputy Headmistress."
"Give me the directions." Dorinda demanded at once, Julian obliged quickly. He was no good at interpreting them. Their minds were swirling with jumbled thoughts and their body's felt numb in anticipation. They watched as Dorinda nodded to herself while her eyes went back and forth reading over the directions. "Alright, so we have to get to London."
They had to wait for a few hours at the bus stop before the bus finally came. None of them had a watch, couldn't afford one, but they all thought it had been quite a few hours since they had left the Dursleys and yet still couldn't believe the words, they were magical! It was a dream but surely.
The bus fare wasn't too much but it took up all the few pounds they had taken from the Dursley's. Their state of dress and general dirty appearances caught them quite a few degrading stares. On the bus they took the very back seats as to try to avoid the looks from others, Rose with Harry and Dorinda with Julian. It was an hour of silence, none of them decided to talk but soon the bus driver was calling out "London!" And they got off.
"Where to now?" Julian asked running a hand through his shaggy hair, it fell just below his ears. Dorinda shushed him with a glare, her eyes moving a mile a minute over the old parchment.
"This way." And Dorinda walked off, they took up a steady speed after her. She walked rather fast, not like Rose, who was trying to take in all the scenery around that she had never before set eyes upon. Rose found herself more often then not, hurrying to catch up before she lost herself to the crowd.
They got lost once or twice and the other three would watch as Dorinda muttered to herself before taking off in the opposite direction. Hand in hand they weaved their way through the crowds of other walking people, until they got to a part of town where it was a lot less busy.
"Here." Dorinda smiled triumphantly, she had stopped in front of an old, trudged down building. Rose looked around, nobody was glancing over at the building, in fact everyone else seemed not to even notice it.
"Are you sure we're not lost again?" Harry asked skeptically, Dorinda glared. "It just looks a bit, dodgy that's all."
"I am sure of it." She declared before taking off towards the door of the building, she opened it up and held it confidently. "Well, come on!" Harry sent Rose a doubtful look but nodded, she took his hand a bit unsurely but followed him and Julian inside.
Noise entered their ears, chatting and conversations were bustling along, drinks and booze were being served plentiful around. Laughter could be heard and stools scratching the floor back and forth musically. Yet, their eyes and ears ignored this, they were focused on the floating bottles that were being caught absent-mindedly by persons.
"Magic." They all whispered in awe. None of them hadn't noticed the bar go silent, the laughter die down or the lively conversation cease.
"It can't be!" A man uttered in astonishment, emerald eyes swerved to meet the speaker. He was behind the counter, was this that bartender, Tom? "The Potters?"
They had been caught.
That man knew their name and as they looked around in horror, it seemed that the rest of the occupants of the bar were also coming to some realization like Tom. Awe, surprise, happiness, it crossed the faces of these people that were suddenly staring at them in a new light. Had the Dursley's called the police on them? Perhaps now they were to be criminals, like everyone believe them to already be.
"Excuse me?" Dorinda said confusedly, she didn't understand what was going on. These people, magical people were looking at them, in what could only be described as amazement. But why were they in awe of them, dirty little children? Ten almost eleven, there was nothing amazing about them.
"It is them!" One in the crowd spoke loudly, Dorinda furrowed her eyebrows. Julian waved stupidly for a moment before an embarrassed Harry swatted his arm down.
"Come with me dear children." It was the bartender, he led the Potter's over to an empty table. It wasn't easy though, people were surrounding them, none of them could understand their babble but it sounded like they were introducing themselves. Their hands were grabbed at least fifty different times but surely it was even more.
"What's wrong with them?" Rose asked, a bit nervous about all the people still staring at them. Tom too stared at them as four bottles of some golden liquid came floating above their heads.
"Have a drink." Dorinda slowly lifted her hand above her head and plucked the bottle out of the air, it was warm. Julian took a sip first, his face alighted, so everyone else took a chance and tipped the bottle down towards their mouths. Warmth filled their throats and bodies, all sighed contently and drank some more. "I'm Tom by the way." They all politely offered their names as well but it wasn't necessary he already knew them.
"Can you explain what all that was about?" Harry pointed toward the now loud again crowd, conversations however had changed. Everyone was now speaking unashamedly about the new arrivals.
"I'm not sure I'm the one that should be doing that." Tom smiled sadly at the children. "I will however show you the way to Diagon Alley where you can buy your school supplies."
"Really?" Rose exclaimed happily, her cheeks were pink with excitement. Tom grinned a toothless smile and nodded.
"Finish off those drinks and we'll go see it." And the liquid disappeared out of the drinks in mere seconds. They trotted after Tom as he led them towards the back and out by a brick wall, he took out a polished wooden stick and did an intricate pattern by tapping on the bricks lightly. All four pairs of emerald eyes watched intensely.
Then right before their very eyes, the wall slowly melted away and a whole scenery of shops was laid out before them. Shops with people going in and out merrily, bags hanging from their arms and children with dripping ice creams running around laughing. It was a joyous sight to behold.
"Well you lot best be off, smart kids such as yourselves should be able to find everything you children need on that list. I recommend you keep to yourselves for the time being and don't go down Knockturn Alley." Tom warned and left back through the door.
"Knockturn Alley?" Julian questioned, Dorinda shrugged and took out the neatly folded list.
"We haven't much time, lets go to the bookstore first." Nobody protested so within a few minutes we found ourselves outside of Flourish and Blott's, the bookstore for all magical knowledge.
It was when they finally found the bookstore, that they had forgotten that they hadn't any money. Dorinda had then took out the letter and reread it, Gringotts. She handed the keys that she had conveniently pocketed to each sibling, keeping the one with a DP in scripture for herself. There was a key for each of them, it had come in the letter and each had one of their initials on it. Dorinda supposed it was to get into a savings account perhaps.
They found Gringotts quite easily since it was very large and very white. Inside however was bustling with short, green skinned creatures. Dorinda overhead a woman call them, goblins. They had gawked for a few minutes before smiling in astonishment at the creatures.
"Welcome to Gringotts, how may Fritgook help you this afternoon?" The goblins voice was dull as if he had said this line many times today, but then again he probably had.
"Well sir we were given these keys." Dorinda said on her tiptoes, the desk coming to her chin, she set the keys on the desk and stepped back to see the goblin.
"Very well, Griphook!" The goblin didn't give any recognition at the sight of them, so was it just the booze at the Leaky Cauldron? A short, leathery skinned goblin came scurrying over and gestured for them to follow him. Dorinda grabbed the key's back and shoved them back into the small pocket in her frayed dress and caught up to the goblin.
"Do you speak another language?" Dorinda started her rampage of questions, she was interested and when she got interested, she had to know everything.
"Key please?" They had come to a stop on the whizzing cart, all of them with smiles lighting up their faces. They all looked around, which key? "All of them please."
Griphook took their offered keys, each with their scripted initials on the golden object. He touched the large steel looking door, a cursive P in dark red was beaming against the silver steel. Five key holes appeared, Griphook took the four and one by one put them in and gave them a little turn. The four were in a square and in the middle was the last keyhole, it stayed emptied. With the last key turned, Griphook tapped the P and the door creaked up. It let out a little poof as it slowly swung ajar, their mouths simultaneously dropped.
"Is this all ours?" Rose whispered and pointed. The large vault was split into four sections, gold, silver and bronze coins in mountains littering the floors.
"Yes." Griphook stepped back, Julian went in first. He didn't even pay attention to the front two sections, he went straight to the back right. It just felt like it was his. The other three followed, Dorinda in the far left corner, Rose in the front left and Harry in the front right.
They took the offered bags from Griphook and stuffed them full with all three types of coins. Griphook closed the vault and as we made are way back up to Gringotts, (as they were far below in tunnels) Griphook explained the magical currency.
"So back to the bookstore?" Harry suggested, their agreement was expressed by loud laughter.
Dorinda collected all of their books and many extra's for a bit of light reading. Then they got suited for their robes and under clothes, whether it be sweaters and skirts or sweaters and pants. Then they split into pairs, Julian and Dorinda headed to the Magical Menagerie and Harry and Rose headed over to the Owl Emporium.
"Look at him, he's gorgeous." Dorinda purred at the kitten of white, its blue eyes shining up at her curiously. "Aren't you?"
"Disgusting." Julian wrinkled his nose and brought his arm up to show off his chosen pet. A snake. "Now look at this beauty."
"No."
"What, why?" Julian spluttered lowering his arm.
"It says right here that you can only have a cat or toad or owl." Dorinda pointed out on the list of required objects. Julian shrugged it off.
"And your point would be what exactly?" Julian asked, non-abashed. Dorinda glared at him. "Calm down, its not like anyone ever follows the rules in the first place."
"I follow the rules." Dorinda stuffed the list back in her frayed dress and picked the small kitten up.
"Its all codswallop, rules are more like guidelines anyways." Julian blew off as they went up to the counter.
"You sure your parents are going to allow this kid?" The man asked glancing over Julian and his too large clothes. "Its expensive."
"Of course." He lied, the Dursleys would be furious if they found out. "That cat thing as well." The man shrugged and Julian paid for the two animals and they left.
Harry smiled at the bird in the cage, she was beautiful. Her white speckled plumage and her pensive amber colored eyes. He wanted her and he could have her. Owls were allowed at Hogwarts and he now also had the money to buy her. It was beyond exciting.
"She's gorgeous." Rose's soft voice reached his ears, he smiled at her behind his taped up glasses. "I chose this girl." She looked at the black colored owl, it was large and had jade green eyes. "She came right up to me."
"She must like you, Rose." Harry ruffled his sister's auburn locks as they went up and paid for their owls and cages, then left the store. They met up with Dorinda and Julian outside of an ice cream shop. "Where's your pet, Julian?" Said boy showed Harry his upper arm.
"You can't!" Rose whispered pulling his overly large sleeve down on the sleeping animal.
"Dumb humans." Four eyes went large and looked around, did the snake, no it couldn't have, could it? "Foolish and stupid, mother told me not to get caught but I never did listened."
"Um, did you three hear that?" Dorinda asked looking at the snake in disbelief. Three slow nods.
"But it wasn't the snake was it?" Rose furrowed her eyebrows worriedly, were they hearing things again?
"Humans that can speak the noble tongue?" The snake hissed, poking his head out from underneath Julian's sleeve.
"How come we can hear him?" A few heads turned toward them, they smiled innocently.
"Shush humans, we shall talk later." And no more was said and the looks went away. Did they really have the magic to speak to snakes? Had Harry and Rose actually been right about the snake at the zoo?
"We better go." Dorinda muttered.
"We can't we still have to pick up our wands and a few other required objects." Rose reminded her. "They're on the list."
"Then lets hurry." Harry said urgently heading to Ollivander's, quality wand maker since 325 B.C.
The bell chimed as the four walked in, the shop was dusty and filled with many shelves with skinny long boxes covering them. The keeper nowhere in sight.
"Hello." Rose called, before she suddenly turned around and jumped. "Ah!" Rose squeaked.
"I was wondering when I would be seeing you four." It was a spooky little man with round eyes that looked like a pair of full moons and a eerie smile on his wrinkled face, he was leering over them joyfully.
"Mr. Ollivander?" Dorinda questioned, unsure. He nodded and scurried back behind the counter.
"Here at my wand shop, we use the finest woods and match them up with three types of magical cores. Phoenix tail-feathers, dragon heartstrings and unicorn hairs. No wand is the same. I remember as if it was yesterday when your mother and father were in here buying their first wands." Ollivander's moon-like eyes glistened. "You're mother had a wand made from willow, 10 ¼ inches, great for Charm work. Your father however, favored a mahogany wand, a little more power and perfect for Transfiguration. It's the wand that chooses the wizard or witch though of course." Here the man gave a little laugh, it was a bit creepy. "Well who's first?"
Looks went around the group of siblings, nobody wanted to go first. Dorinda nudged Julian who then nudged Rose, who then nudged Harry who sighed.
"Good, now Harry isn't?" Harry glanced back at the group with an astonished look before nodding. "Thought so, hold out your wand arm." Another round of confused glances.
"Well I'm right handed." Measuring tapes were flying in the air measuring all parts of his body, he went cross-eyed when one measured the distance between his eyes.
"That's good." Ollivander was apparently talking to the magical object which promptly vanished, they all gasped. "Now try this one…"
Harry was getting tired of waving wands that wood destroy the dozens of vases in Ollivander's shop. However, when his eyes landed on the last wand Ollivander had picked out for him to try, he knew it was the one.
"Holly and a Phoenix feather, 11 inches nice and supple." Harry grasped and flicked the wand gently, he felt heat flow through his body and his hair ruffled in the unexpected wind, sparks of gold and red flew out from the tip of his wand.
"Bravo, yes indeed, very good. Well, well, well…how curious, how very curious…" The man muttered as he took the wand back and wrapped it up in brown paper before putting back in the box.
"I'm sorry but what's curious?" Harry asked, they were all wondering the same thing.
"I remember every wand that I have ever sold, Mr. Potter. The phoenix who gave me that tail feather that now resides in your wand, gave one other feather. Just one other. It is very curious that you are destined for this wand when its brother gave you that scar." Ollivander pointed to his scar. "I had high assumptions that one of you would receive the wand." He gave them all a look over. "We can expect great things from you, from all of you I suspect. After all the owner of your brother wand, yew, thirteen and a half inches, did great things, terrible but great. Oh yes." Ollivander stopped as if in memory before putting his orb like eyes onto Dorinda. "Dorinda Potter, you're next."
"Left hand, sir." Ollivander gave her a calculating look before nodding and she herself got measured. The process started all over again, it took a bit less time than it did for Harry, to find a matching wand.
"Mahogany, a phoenix feather from a particularly proud phoenix, 13 inches. Excellent for Transfiguration." She grasped it and flicked it expertly, a shower of blue and bronze sparks, that seemed to be almost flinching, came pouring out. She shivered from the warmth she had felt moments before.
"Much like your father you are." Ollivander smiled tightly. Dorinda bowed her head arrogantly and stood back, holding her wand box tightly. "Rose Potter." Said girl stopped forward timidly.
"Right hand, sir." Again the process went, she was measured then handed many wands. However, Ollivander was lessening the time by each Potter he went through, this time it was but fifteen minutes until they found a match.
"Willow, ten and three quarter inches, with a unicorn hair from a handsome male unicorn. Quite flexible and good for Charms." Yellow and black sparks, warmth filled her entire body and her face glowed with a smile. "Yes, nice wand indeed. Lastly, Julian Potter."
"Left hand." Another calculating look, first at Julian then at Dorinda then at Harry and Rose. He shook his head as if ruling a possibility of some kind out and the measuring tape went wild once more.
"Yew, twelve and a half inches. A dragon heartstring, Norwegian Ridgeback. Very rare. Powerful and in the wrong hands, destructive." Ollivander looked at Julian for what seemed like hours before he slowly handed over the wand.
Julian felt the warmth, the power course through his body and watched the dark green and silver sparks cascade out with glazed eyes. He smiled, this was his wand. Ollivander took it back, wrapped it up and handed the box back over to a greedy looking Julian. The total came to 37 galleons. They paid and left quickly.
As a group they finished picking up their cauldrons, telescopes, scales and potion ingredients before heading back to the Leaky Cauldron, laden down with many bags. Walking back into the pub, one man caught all of their eyes. He was old, with vibrant purple robes with sparkling silver stars stitched on. His blue eyes seemed to twinkle at them behind half-moon glasses that sat on a crooked nose, it looked to have been broken a few good times before, he had many wrinkles but a kind smile. He stood up at the sight of them, all their feet were rooted to the ground, somehow they knew that they had been caught.
"The Potters, I presume?" Four slow nods. "I'm Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." He offered his hand, they each shook it. "Why don't we sit and have a drink, must have been quite a long day." They followed him to a particularly secluded table and they all took a seat. "Got all of your school supplies?"
"Yes, sir." They all murmured, sipping their butter beers quietly.
"Are we in trouble, sir?" Rose asked.
"No, unless you have committed a crime of which I am not aware Miss Potter?" The Headmaster smiled.
"Then why are you here?" Julian asked, it came out ruder then he wanted. He got a smack to his knee, courtesy of Dorinda, but he kept his expectant face on. Dumbledore's smile faltered.
"To discuss your relatives." Julian didn't hold back his groan, another smack. "May I assume that you four will be heading back there for the rest of the summer?"
"No." Dorinda murmured. Dumbledore raised an eyebrow. "They are simply awful, we sleep in a cupboard! All four of us."
"I was informed earlier today that you now resided in the upstairs room." They exchanged glances, this man had been over at the Dursleys today.
"They treat us like scum." Julian put in. "They hate us."
"I'm sure there is a great exaggeration in those words, Mr. Potter. Now, this discussion is closed it is a must that you go back to your relatives every summer." Dumbledore looked stern, his eyes staring at them, they felt like whining children. "Now, lets be off you have to make it back before dark. I will escort you to make sure you get there safely."
Dumbledore got up, they left their unfinished drinks on the table and went to grab their bags but before they got to them, their newly bought items floated into the air. Dumbledore was magically lifting them, they were at least grateful for that and followed him.
They traveled by bus in silence, Dumbledore never looking but straight ahead at seemingly nothing as he suckled cheerfully on some unknown sweet. They each kept giving another glances, wondering what the Dursleys were going to do to them and how they were going to be punished.
But before they could fret much longer they were back at the bus stop not but a mile away from their house. Their floating bags looked a bit obvious but Dumbledore kept the magic going and the annoying all-knowing smile on his face as they walked to number four. A knock to the door was hastily answered and Uncle Vernon looked furious.
"Go to your room." Was all he spit out, they all murmured their goodbyes to the still cheerful headmaster and walked toward the cupboard beneath the stairs. "Upstairs." They stopped, their backs toward Uncle Vernon and turned back incredulously. They had a room? An actual room! "Hurry now."
So they trudged up the stairs and into the second bedroom, the smallest bedroom. It had a single bed and a rickety old desk. It was then they noticed their flying objects, which were no longer flying, sitting comfortably on the floor by the foot of the bed.
"Maybe he lost his sight?" Julian said hopefully going for his stuff. He looked at it happily.
"Doubt it." Dorinda went and collected her own items and took a seat at the desk surrounded by books, her cat on her lap. A few minutes later they heard thundering steps coming up the stairs, they quickly hurried to hide their stuff. They didn't wish for it to be taken away so quickly.
"You are grounded to this room. You are not allowed out and get those ruddy animals back in their cages." And with that he left, his face red and his breathing heavy. Both the owls had been let out and were currently perched on the right arms of Harry and Rose.
"Are we alone young ones?" The snake peaked his small green head out from beneath the long sleeve of Julian's shirt.
"Yes. How come we can speak to you?" Julian asked anxiously.
"A gift which only the descendents of the noble Salazar Slytherin possess, humans refer to it as Parseltongue."
"Who is Salazar Slytherin?" Dorinda asked, obviously intrigued by such an unusual name.
"One of the four founders of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the school you shall be attending this year."
"Can we meet this Slytherin guy? He must be a relative or something-" Julian rambled. Dorinda sighed arrogantly.
"Think Julian, the school obviously wasn't built yesterday. The founders are probably deceased by now." Dorinda rolled her eyes at Julian who just shrugged.
"Stop bickering." Rose joined in. Loud steps came up the stairs and sounded like they were headed directly for their room. "Hide him."
"You are to go to bed. You will not leave this room until you leave for that ruddy school." And he walked out, red faced and breathing quite heavily, again. He looked too angry to realize there were owls and a kitten peering at him curiously or to comprehend that he had already told them this now twice. Idiot.
"Great, it will just give us more time to study up on all our books." Dorinda said happily, getting underneath the heavier blanket. Three groans met her statement as they too got in under the covers, Harry shutting off the light. "It is a must after all."
"Never!" Julian whispered loudly. A few small chuckles and a smack vibrated the thin walls, before content sighs were heard.
"Goodnight." Silence ensued as they all succumbed to the darkness that is sleep.
The cupboard was gone.
