Another day, another chapter, hopefully. I can't think of anything dramatic that would happen when they visit Arabella, so it looks as if it might be another filler. I wrote another story which must have been all filler, as it attracted only one review, from among the 37 hits it has received.
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A sincere thank you to you all. You're why I have bought a new quill.
Chapter 14: Figgy's Felines.
As Draco was favourably impressed by Miss Martin and a few other teachers she contacted to meet the new and improved Harry, they were sufficient counter-balance for the Dreadful Dursleys. However, Harry decided to keep to his plan of introducing him to Mrs Figg. (Yes, I checked with Bloomsbury's Stone: she's definitely Mrs without any. (I tried to surround that full stop with 'less than' and 'more than' mathematical signs, but won't allow it.) I notice some writers put Miss. or Mrs. So-and-so, but not JKR.) What's good enough for her is quite good enough for me, thank you all the same.
So the next morning, as they approached Magnolia Drive, they encountered Tufty.
"This is one of Mrs Figg's cats," Harry said.
"That's no cat," replied Draco, "it's a Kneasel. It wouldn't live with a muggle, so she must be a witch."
"All her cats are big, like that one," said Harry. "I thought she must have used some special cat food for them."
When Arabella welcomed them inside, Harry headed for the hearth.
"This is floo powder, Mrs Figg," he said; "I assumed it was your husband's ashes, so I never said anything."
"Dumbledore told me not to say anything about it to you, but you've found me out: I'm a Squib."
She looked at the Malfoy heir, expecting a supercilious reaction, but Draco told her that he knew that not all squibs were like Argus Filch; and added that Artaxerces Zabini had brought them to Privet Drive.
"I know a lot of us look down on squibs, but my father and Zabini grew up together as close friends, until one was invited to Hogwarts and the other to Newlife."
"I'm sorry I suspected you would be prejudiced against us. You must get quite a lot of people thinking you're worse than you are."
"It's only since I met Harry that my family have changed for the better."
"Your first strike against Voldemort already, Harry" she giggled.
"Somehow, I don't think it will be the last," he replied; if he's out there still, I'll be one of his first targets, I think."
"He's certainly out there; and when he gets his strength back, you'll be at the top of his hit list. He's one of those who never learn from their mistakes."
So they said goodbye, and Harry added that he would visit her more often and more happily in future.
Artaxerces took them back to the Manor after an uneventful New Year's 'celebration': watching fireworks on the television, and they filled the Malfoys in on Mrs Figg's prognostications.
"We don't know when he'll get his strength back," reflected Narcissa, "so you'd better teach some of your friends wandless magic. Filius will be happy to help, I'm sure."
"If you could lend us Dobby as well, he could teach us in Milly's universe, so that he needn't be more than a second away from here," added Harry.
After explaining Milly's universe, they discussed who to include in the 'Groupotter', as Draco suggested they call it.
A/N: I'd prefer to make this a short chapter, rather than try to fill it with stuff that will get us nowhere. What I need to do soon is to give Justin a bigger role. That was part of the original idea but has rather petered out.