CHAPTER 3 – Putting Things In Place

Whenever the Malfoys had special guests the house-elves would serve dinner rather than slaves. But this time instead of announcing the dessert, the Head house-elf ran into the dinning room bowing and panting at the same time:

"Master, Master!"

A shadow of anger passed across Lucius's face. "What is it, you idiot?" he snapped.

"Your library… It's on fire!"

"Then why don't you do something about it?"

"But only Master can open the door!" The elf cried pitifully.

Lucius jumped from his chair. "Pardon me."

He ruthlessly kicked the elf at the neck and stormed to the door, bumping into his son Draco.

"HOW DARE YOU TAKE MY FIREBOLT! IF YOU THINK IT'S GOING TO STOP ME FROM PLAYING QUIDDICH, YOU ARE WRONG! I'LL PLAY ON A SCHOOL BROOMSTICK IF I HAVE TO!"

"How did you break into and set my library on fire?" Lucius hissed through clenched teeth.

"What?!"

"Get out of my way!" He pushed his son aside and rushed down the hall.

Narcissa ran to her son and shook him by the shoulders. "What have you done? Do you know what's in there?"

"I haven't done anything! It wasn't me! I don't even know how to open the bloody door!"

"I better go help your father now."

sss

"Exstinguere!" Luciuswas putting out the fire. Seconds later Narcissa and the others joined him and soon the fire was extinguished.

"What's that?" Slughorn asked pointing at a symbol shaped like a lightening bolt on the opposite wall.

Everybody stared at the wall. They've seen nothing like that before.

Only Lucius didn't show any interest in the symbol. "My collection is gone! My books, everything ruined!"

"Is your most precious item safe?" Narcissa said anxiously.

"I don't know. Only he can open the door."

"Then you'll have to report this yourself, before someone else does." she gave the guests a sharp look.

Lucius did his best not to show his terror. Even after so many years of serving Voldemort, he was still frightened of him.

He turned to the guests. "We will investigate this in the morning. Right now I have some pressing matters to attend to."

Bellatrix gave him a smug look.

"The Dark Lord won't be pleased when he hears about this. He won't be pleased at all."

She didn't even know how right she was.

sss

On the other side of the wall, a serpent grinned in the dark.

"Well, well. Who would say…well done Harry, well done."

sss

Harry had to admit. Draco's Firebolt was a great broomstick. He couldn't resist making some moves such as the Wronski Feint. Then he remembered that Athena told him to head south and eventually he should see the lights of London. After that he'd be on his own.

The feeling of triumph was soon replaced by a tightening in his chest as he thought of his sister, his parents and what was ahead of him. He squeezed the Firebolt harder and bowed his head as he flew at full speed.

sss

Mr. and Mrs. Kline were peacefully sleeping in their new house. They bought it from their friends, a pair of dentists that moved with their teenage daughter to East London.

It was long after midnight when the silhouette slipped into their bedroom. Harry remembered Hermione's room very well, but this wasn't her room anymore. Stepping towards the bed he bumped into the coffee table. A big vase loudly shattered on the floor.

Mr. Kline switched on the light. He and Harry stared at each other.

"Who are you!"

"Who are you, young man? Call the police Esther dear." He jumped from his bed and grabbed Harry, who stood there like petrified.

Mr. Kline was a man with a strong build and had no problem holding Harry.

"But… but you don't understand. I must have missed the house."

"Oh yes, you've picked the wrong house all right. You can explain everything to the Police when they arrive."

Harry tried to pull himself together and think. He couldn't use his wand, and he stood no chance escaping from Mr. Kline's grip.

Unfortunately for Harry the police patrol was just around the corner and they arrived before he remembered that he could turn into a snake.

While sitting in the backseat he was thinking that the Grangers must have moved elsewhere. The only way to find them was to call Hermione on the phone, once they let him make a call.

He was thinking how it would be to call Aunt Petunia instead…

"Hello, Aunt Petunia, this is Harry."

"Harry who?"

"Harry Potter, your nephew. Lily's son."

"Who's Lily?"

"She's your sister, remember?"

"I have never had a sister named Lily! Never call this residence again, or I'll call the Police!"

"I'm already with the Police. I thought you could bail me out."

Click.

If this was what would happen if he talked to Aunt Petunia, Harry would hate to think of what would happen if Uncle Vernon answered the phone.

He had to think of a cover story for the police. Fortunately he had shrunk the broomstick and the other items he took from Lucius's library and concealed them in his robes. No Muggle would be able to find them. Yet another one of the useful tricks he learnt from Fred and George.

sss

The phone rang in the Grangers flat.

"Hello." Hermione answered the phone from her room. It was unusual for the phone to ring so early.

"Hermione, it's me, Harry."

"Who?" Hermione went pale and her hands started shaking.

"What do you mean who? It's Harry."

"Is this some kind of joke? Cause it's not funny."

"What's wrong with you? Don't you remember me? I'm in the police station and I have my hearing today at 3:30 PM in the court."

"What court?"

"The hell I know. For minors or something. You've got to help me. They think I'm a burglar. I've been looking for you at your old place."

"This is ridiculous! What do you want from me?"

"To get me out. I can't tell you over the phone, but there are some important things about Voldemort that I have to talk to you about."

"Yeah right." Hermione hung up furiously.

There were angry tears in her eyes. "How could she do this to me? And I trusted her!"

sss

A brown haired teenage girl stormed into Dr Andersen's office.

"How could you do this to me?"

Dr Andersen looked up from her notes. "I beg your pardon?"

"Nobody knew those names except you. Nobody else heard about Harry and Voldemort!"

"What are you talking about? And please calm down."

"Don't you calm me! I trusted you."

"What happened?"

"Somebody phoned me saying he was Harry. He had to tell me something about Voldemort."

"I am certain that nobody called you this morning on my behalf. And if it's correct that you told nobody else, the only conclusion is that there was no such a call."

"Of course I didn't tell… What are you trying to say?"

"Well, it is too early for this, but since we started. You have a desperate need to have friends and an exiting life. I believe that you created that world to fill the void. You have to face the facts and learn to distinguish fantasy from reality." Dr Andersen's voice was calm but firm.

"It's not a fantasy!"

"This is enough. In that case show me some of that magic of yours."

"I don't have my wand."

"Oh, but there must be some magic that you can do without a wand." She said mockingly.

Hermione was livid. "YOU THINK YOU KNOW EVERYTHING! YOU AND YOUR ENORMUS EGO! SOMEBODY SHOULD PUT YOU IN YOUR PLACE!"

Suddenly Dr Andersen felt very strange. It seemed like someone pulled her table and she couldn't reach it anymore. Her feet were off the floor and everything in the room was becoming bigger and bigger. She looked down in panic and realized that she was high above the carpet on some sort of platform that she recognized as her chair. She crawled backwards screaming.

Hermione looked at her in shock.

"Oh God! Accidental Magic!" She let the cry out.

Dr Andersen plugged her ears. It was obvious that Hermione's voice was like a thunderstorm to her. That instant she fainted and remained lying on the office chair.

"I have to find Harry." Hermione whispered to herself. "He must have a wand."

In all previous weeks she was refusing to admit herself that life in Hogwarts was real, no matter the fact that she could remember every detail. She was brought up by her parents to believe in science and facts. She tried to find a logical, or should we say "Muggle" explanation for all her memories. Eventually she reached for professional help in desperate attempt to find some sense in everything. Now when magic happened in front of her eyes she was relieved. All the time she wished with all her heart that Hogwarts, Harry and Ron were real.

Hermione looked at her watch. "It's 3:20 already. I'm running out of time."

She grabbed the phonebook and started calling every youth court until she had gotten the one that had a hearing for Harry Potter. She knew the address very well.

"But it's on the opposite side of the city!" She started panicking. "What should I do now?"

"HAVE YOU GONE MAD?" Ron's words rang in her ears. "ARE YOU A WITCH OR NOT?"

"OF COURSE I AM!" Hermione said with determination in her voice.

And then, after carefully picking up Dr Andersen, she disappeared with a POP.

sss

Meanwhile Harry was getting anxious. The hearing before him was about to finish and he had no idea what to say and how to get out of the situation.

"Where is Hermione? I can't believe she doesn't believe me. She's got to come."

CRACK!

The bushy-haired girl appeared in the doorway like she was about to step in.

"Smart move." Harry smiled in relief.

He was right. Every Muggle in the room thought that she simply walked in loudly.

Their heads turned back towards the judge.

Hermione walked down to the seat behind Harry's. When he turned back to look at her she mouthed "Hold on." and took his arm.

POP.