Chapter 26
The Second War Begins
Note from Emma Lily Potter- War doesn't determined who is right, only who is left.
HE WHO NOT BE NAMED TETURNS
'In a brief statement on Friday night, Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge confirmed that He Who Must Not Be Named has returned to this country and is once more active.'
"It is my greatest regret that I must confirm that the wizard styling himself as Lord- well, you know who I mean- is alive and among us again" said Fudge, looking tired and flustered as he addressed the reporters. "It is with almost equal regret that we report the mass revolt of the Dementors of Azkaban, who have shown themselves averse to continuing in the Ministry's employ. We believe the Dementors are currently taking direction from Lord- Thingy.
"We urge the magical population to remain vigilant. The Ministry is currently publishing guides to elementary home and personal defence which will be delivered free to all Wizarding homes within the coming month."
'The Ministry's statement was met with dismay and alarm from the Wizarding community, which as recently as last Wednesday was receiving Ministry assurances that there was "no truth whatsoever in these persistent rumours that You- Know- Who is operating amongst us once more".
'Details of the events that led to the Ministry turnaround are still hazy, though it is believed that He Who Must Not Be Named and a select band of followers (Known as Death Eaters) gained entry to the Ministry of Magic itself on Thursday evening.
Albus Dumbledore, newly reinstated Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, has so far been unavailable for comment. He insisted over the past year that You- Know- Who is not dead, as was widely hoped and believed, but is recruiting followers once more for a fresh attempt to seize power. Meanwhile, the "Boy and Girl Who Lived"-
"There you are, you two. I knew they'd drag you into it somehow" said Hermione, looking over the top of the paper at them.
They were in the hospital wing. Harry was sitting at the end of Ron's bed and they were both listening to Hermione read the front page of the Sunday Prophet. Emma was floating cross legged in the air between the two beds and taking in every that she said but not really processing the meaning very well and looking into the future at random out of sheer boredom.. Ginny, whose ankle had been checked over by Madam Pomfrey, was curled up at the foot of Hermione's bed. Neville, whose nose had been returned to its normal shape and size, was in a chair between the two beds in front of Emma; and Luna, who had dropping in to visit, clutching the latest edition of The Quibbler, was reading the magazine upside-down and apparently not taking a word Hermione was saying.
"Harry's the "Boy Who Lived" again now, though, isn't her?" said Ron darkly. "Not such a deluded show-off any more, eh? And now Emma's just as famous as him. The "Girl Who Lived"?"
"Not my fault" Emma mumbled for the hundredth time today. "I much rather be locked up in Dumbledore's office. That way I can keep away from all those love-sick puppies out there."
Everyone laughed at her name she had given to half the boy population in the school.
"Yes, they're very complimentary about you two now" said Hermione, scanning down the article. "Lon voices of truth... perceived as unbalanced, yet never wavered in their story... forced to bear ridicule and slander... Hmmm" she said, frowning "I notice they don't mention the fact that it was the Ministry and them that were doing all the ridiculing and slandering..."
She winced slightly and put a hand on her ribs. She had been hit by a pretty nasty curse, though it would have been more effective if her opponent hold said the incantation aloud, had never the less caused, in Madam Pomfrey's words, "quite enough damage to be going on with". Hermione had to take ten different types of potions every day, was improving greatly and was already bored with the hospital wing.
"You-Know-Who's last Attempt to Take Over, pages two to four. What the Ministry should Have Told Us, page five. Why Nobody Listened to Dumbledore, pages six to eight. Exclusive Interview with Harry and Emma Potter, page nine to ten."
"Well" said Emma, as Hermione folded up the newspaper and throwing it aside "we have certainly given them lots to write about. But that interview with us isn't exclusive, though. It's the one that was in The Quibbler months ago..."
"Daddy sold it to them" said Luna vaguely, turning a page of The Quibbler. "He got a very good prince for it, too. See, we're going to go on an expedition to Sweden this summer to see if we can catch a Crumple- Horned Snorkack."
Hermione seemed to struggle with herself for a moment, and then said "That sounds lovely."
The rest of them had a hard time keeping a straight face at her words.
"So, anyway" said Hermione, sitting up a little straighter and wincing again "what is going on in school?"
"Well, Flitwick's got rid of Fred and George's swamp" said Ginny. "He did it in about three seconds, but he left a tiny patch under the window and he's roped it off..."
"Why?" said Hermione, looking startled.
"Oh, he just says it was a really good bit of magic" said Ginny, shrugging.
"I think he left it as a monument to Fred and George" Emma said, taping her head knowingly.
"Ah, but we know our Emmy doesn't need a monument of young George" Ron teased her "seen as she had a picture of him that she carried around everywhere."
"Shut up!" Emma hissed, blushing ten shades of red and almost falling out of the air.
"They sent me all these, you know" Ron told Harry through a mouthful of chocolate, pointing at a small mountain of Frogs beside him. "Must be doing all right out of that joke shop, eh?"
Hermione looked rather disapproving and asked "So has all the trouble stopped now Dumbledore's back? Is everything back to normal?"
"Yes" said Neville. "Everything has settled right back to normal."
"Yeah" Emma nodded and added sarcastically as Ron propped a Chocolate Frog featuring Dumbledore against his water jug "and Flinch is over the moon about it."
"He's really, really miserable" Ginny nodded. She lowered her voice to a whisper. "He keeps saying Umbridge was the best thing that has ever happened to Hogwarts..."
All seven of them looked around. Professor Umbridge was lying in a bed opposite them, gazing up at the ceiling. Nobody really knew what was wrong with her. Her usually neat mousy hair was very untidy and there were still bits of twigs and leaves in it, but otherwise she seemed to be quite unscathed. Well, apart from the fact that she had barely uttered a word ever since she got back from the Forest.
"Madam Pomfrey says she's just in shock" whispered Hermione.
"Sulking more like" said Ginny and Emma together.
"Yeah, she shows signs of life if you do this" said Ron, and with his tongue he made soft clip-clopping noises. Umbridge sat bolt upright, looking around wildly.
"Anything wrong, Professor Umbridge?" called Madam Pomfrey, poking her head around her office door.
"No...No..." said Umbridge, sinking back into her pillows. "No, I must have been dreaming..."
Hermione, Ginny and Emma had to muffle their laughter.
"Speaking of centaurs" said Hermione, when they had recovered a little "who is Divination teacher now? Is Firenze staying?"
"He's got to" said Harry "the centaurs won't take him back, will they?"
"It looks like both he and Trelawney are going to have to teach together" said Ginny.
"They are" Emma nodded. "They are going to have to share the job."
"Bet Dumbledore wishes he could've got rid of Trelawney for good" said Ron, now munching on his fourteenth Frog. "Mind you, the whole subject is useless if you ask me. Firenze isn't a lot better..."
"How can you say that when we know that there are such things as prophecies?" Hermione asked him.
Harry's heart began to race and Emma looked slightly uncomfortable in the air. He and Emma both agreed that they weren't going to tell Ron and Hermione yet. After all, they weren't ready to see their expression when they told them that they must be either a murderer or a victim. There was no other way...
"Where are you two going?" Ron asked, looking both surprised and disappointed as Harry stood up and Emma places her feet gracefully back on the ground.
"Err- Hagrid's" said Harry.
"You know he just got back" Emma added "and we promised we'd go down and see him and tell him how you two are and our side of the story of what had happened at the Ministry."
"Oh all right ten" Ron grumbled, looking out of the window at the patch of bright blue sky beyond. "Wish we could come."
"Say hello to him for us!" called Hermione, as Harry and Emma proceeded down the ward. "And ask what's happening about... about his little friend!"
Emma gave a wave of her hand to show they had heard and understood what she had said as they left the ward.
The castle seemed very quiet even for a Sunday. Everybody was clearly out in the sunny grounds, enjoying the end of their exams and the prospect of a last few days of term unhampered by revision or homework. Harry and Emma walked slowly together along the deserted corridor, peering out of windows as they went; they could see people messing around in the air over the Quidditch pitch and a couple of students swimming in the lake, accompanied by a giant squid.
They thought that they might really go and visit Hagrid, though, as they had not talked to him properly since he'd returned and it was something they could do. They really needed to talk to someone who understood how they were feeling.
Harry and Emma had just descended the last marble steps into the Entrance Hall when Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle emerged from a door on the tight that they both knew led down to the Slytherin common room. Harry and Emma stopped dead; so did Malfoy and the others. The only sounds were the shouts, laughter and splashes drifting into the Hall from the grounds through the open front doors.
Malfoy glanced around- obviously checking for signs of teachers- then looked back at them and said in a low voice "You're dead, Potters."
Harry raised his eyebrows and shared a look with Emma.
"Funny" Emma replied, looking back at Malfoy with an amused expression "you'd think we'd have stopped walking around, wouldn't you, Harry?"
Harry looked angrier than Harry or Emma had ever seen him; they felt a kind of detached satisfaction at the sight of his pale, pointed face contorted with rage.
"You two are going to pay" said Malfoy, in a voice barely louder than w whisper. "I'm going to make you two pay for what you have done to my father..."
"Well, I'm terrified now" said Emma sarcastically while Harry rolled his eyes. "I suppose Lord Voldemort's just a warm-up act compared to you three- what's the matter?" she added, for Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle had all looked stricken at the sound of the name. "He's a mate of your dads, isn't he? Not scared of him, are you?"
"You think you are such a big girl, Potter" said Malfoy, advancing now, Crabbe and Goyle flanking him. "You wait. I will have you both. You two can't just land my father in prison..."
"I think we just did" said Harry.
"The Dementors have left Azkaban" said Malfoy quietly. "Dad and the others will be out in no time..."
"Yeah, I expect they will" said Emma. "Still, at least everyone knows what scumbags they are now..."
Malfoy's hand flew towards his wand, but Harry was too quick for him; he had drawn his own wand before Malfoy's fingers had even entered the pocket of his robes. It was sometimes Emma had always admired about her brother.
"Potter!"
The voice rang across the Entrance Hall. Snape had emerged from the staircase leading down to his office and at the sight of him Harry felt a great rush of hatred beyond anything he felt towards Malfoy... whatever Dumbledore and Emma said, he would never forgive Snape... never...
"What are you doing, Potter?" said Snape, as coldly as ever, as he strode to the four of them.
"I'm trying to decide what curse to sue on Malfoy, sir" said Harry fiercely.
"Not a good move Harry" Emma breathed so quietly that Harry had to strain to hear her words.
Snape stared at them.
"Malfoy was about to attack me and Harry was about to use his wand to protect me" Emma said simply. "Call it brotherly love and protectiveness."
"Put that wand away at once" he said curtly, ignoring Emma completely. "Ten points from Gryff..."
Snape looked towards the giant hour-glasses on the walls and gave a sneering smile.
"Ah. I see there are no longer any points left in the Gryffindor hour-glass to take away. In that case, Potter, we will simply have to..."
"Add some more?"
Professor McGonagall had just stumped up the stone steps in the castle; she was carrying a tartan carpetbag in one hand and leaning heavily on a walking stick with her other, but otherwise looked quite well. Emma had to congratulate her silently on her epic timing.
"Professor McGonagall!" said Snape, striding forwards. "Out of St Mungo's, I see!"
"Yes, Professor Snape" said Professor McGonagall, shrugging off her travelling cloak "I'm quite as good as new. You two- Crabbe- Goyle..."
She beckoned them forwards imperiously and they came, shuffling their large feet and looking awkward. Emma had to turn away, smirking.
"Here" said Professor McGonagall, thrusting her carpetbag into Crabbe's chest and her cloak into Goyle's "take these up to my office for me."
They turned and stumped away up the marble staircase.
"Right then" said Professor McGonagall, looking up at the hourglasses on the wall. "Well, I think Potters and their friends ought to have fifty apiece for alerting the word to the return of You-Know-Who! What do you say, Professor Snape?"
"What?" snapped Snape, though Harry and Emma knew he had heard perfectly well. "Oh- well- I suppose..."
"So that's fifty each for the Potters, the two Weasleys, Longbottom and Miss Granger" sad Professor McGonagall, and a shower of rubies fell down into the bottom bulb of Gryffindor's hourglass as she spoke. "Oh- and fifty for Miss Lovegood, I suppose" she added, and a number of sapphires fell into Ravenclaw's glass. "Now, you wanted to take ten from Mr Potter, I think, Professor Snape- so there we are..."
A few rubies retreated into the upper bulb, leaving a respectable amount below nevertheless.
"Well, Mr and Miss Potter, Mr Malfoy, I think you ought to be outside on a glorious day like this" Professor McGonagall continued briskly.
Harry and Emma did not need telling twice; they headed straight for the front doors without another glance at Snape and Malfoy while Harry stuffed his wand back inside his robes.
The hot sun hit them with a blast as they walked across the lawns towards Hagrid's cabin. Students lying around on the grass sunbathing, talking, reading the Sunday Prophet and eating sweets looked up at them as they passed; some called to them, or else waved, clearly eager to show that they, like the Prophet, had decided they were something like hero's. Neither of them said anything to any of them. They had no idea how much they knew of what had happened three days ago, but they had so far avoided being questioned and preferred to keep it that way.
They thought at first when they knocked on Hagrid's cabin door that he was out, but the fang came charging around the corner and almost bowled Emma over- dew to her height- with the enthusiasm of his welcome. Hagrid, it was transpired, was pocking runner beans in his back garden.
"All righ', you two" he said, beaming, when Harry and Emma approached the fence. "Come in, come in, we'll have a cup o' dandelion juice...
"How's things?" Hagrid asked them, as they settled down at his wooden table with a glass of iced juice. "You two- err- feelin' all righ', are yeh?"
Harry and Emma knew from the look of concern on Hagrid's face that he was not referring to their physical well-being.
"We're fine" Harry said quickly, because he could not bear to discuss the thing that he knew was in Hagrid's mind.
"Well, at least we will be" Emma added and changed the subject for Harry's sake. "So, where've you been?"
"Bin hidin' out in the mountains" said Hagrid, taking the hint.
"You- you look better" said Harry, who was determined to keep the conversation staying clear of Sirius.
"Wha'?" said Hagrid, raising a massive hand and feeling his face. "Oh- oh yeah. Well, Grawpy's loads better now, loads. Seemed right pleased ter see me when I got back, ter tell yeh the truth. He's a good lad, really. So, how's George? I swear I've bin spendin' half me life tryin' ter keep him an' Fred outta that Forest."
Out of the corner of her eyes, Emma saw Harry quickly drinking his juice and knew he wanted to get out of there quickly.
"Fine" she smiled sadly. "I miss him a lot, but their joke shop their running is doing pretty well."
There were a couple of minutes of silence which was broken by Hagrid saying "Everyone knows you two've bin tellin' the truth now, Harry. Tha's gotta be something, hasn' it?"
Harry shrugged.
"Look..." Hagrid leaned towards them across the table "I knew Sirius longer than yeh did... he died in battle, an' tha's the way he'd have wanted ter go..."
"He didn't want to go at all!" said Harry angrily.
Hagrid bowed his great shaggy head.
"Nah, I don' reckon he did" he said really quietly and sadly. "But still, Harry... he was never one ter sit aroun' at home an' let other people do the fightin'. He couldn' have lived with himself if he hadn' gone ter help..."
Harry leaped up abruptly, making Emma jump ever so slightly.
"We've got to go and visit Ron and Hermione in the hospital wing" he said mechanically.
"Oh" sad Hagrid, looking rather upset. "Oh... all righ' then, you two... take care o' yourselves then, an' drop back in yeh've got a mo..."
"We will" Emma nodded and, after shooting Hagrid an apologetic look, followed Harry outside.
Once again, people called out to them as they passed. Emma closed her eyes for a few moments, wishing they would all vanish, that she could open her eyes and find themselves alone in the grounds; for her brother's sake...
Harry and Emma found a quiet spot down by the take out of the view of prying eyes.
"I know how you are feeling" Emma whispered, looking up at Harry through her eyelashes. She wouldn't like to admit it, but her brother scared her; a lot.
"No, you don't" Harry replied stiffly.
"Yes, I do" she insisted. "A few days ago, before your exams had finished and before you had seen the vision Voldemort had planted in your mind, you would have given almost anything for the Wizarding world to know we had been telling the truth, for them to believe that Voldemort was back, and to know that we were neither liars nor mad. Now, however, is a different story.
"I believe the reason you want to be alone all the time was because you have felt so isolated from everybody since the talk with Dumbledore and me. An invisible barrier separated you from the rest of the word. You are- and always have been- a marked man; and I am a marked woman. It's just that you have never really understood what that meant...
"And yet, sitting here on the edge of this lake, with the terrible weight of grief dragging at you, with the loss of Sirius so raw inside you, you cannot muster any greater sense of fear. It is sunny, and the grounds around you are full of laughing people, and even though you feel as distant from them as though you feel as distant from them as though you belong to a different race, it is still very hard to believe as you sit here that your life must include, or end in, murder..."
She trailed of, looking wearily at harry and wondering whether or not Harry was going to throw a fit on her or not.
But he just sat there for a long time, staring out at the water, trying not to think about his godfather or to remember that it was directly across from here, on the opposite bank, that Sirius had once collapsed trying to fend off a hundred Dementors...
"Thank you" he said finally, turning his head to face Emma. "Thank you for understanding, for trying to help and breaking through the wall I never realised I had created."
He took her hand and squeezed it gently.
"Hey, that's what little sisters are for" she whispered and rested her head on his shoulder.
The sun had long set before Emma and Harry realised Harry was cold. She helped him up and guided him back to the castle, wiping away her tears as she went.
The journey home on the Hogwarts Express four days later was eventful in several ways. Firstly, Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle, who had clearly been waiting all week for the opportunity to strike without teacher witnesses, attempted to ambush Harry and Emma halfway down the twin. The attack might have succeeded had it not been for the fact that they chose unwittingly to stage the attack right outside a compartment full of DA members, who saw what was happening through the glass and rose as once to their aid. But the time Ernie, Hannah, Susan, Justin, Anthony, Terry, Emma and Harry had finished using a wide variety of hexes and jinxes Harry and Emma had taught them, Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle resembled nothing so much as three gigantic slugs squeezed into Hogwarts uniform as Harry, Ernie and Justin hoisted them into the luggage rack and left them there to ooze.
"I must say, I'm looking forward to seeing Malfoy's mother's face when he gets off the train" said Ernie, with some satisfaction, as he watched Malfoy squirm above him. Ernie had never quite got over the indignity of Malfoy docking points from Hufflepuff during his brief spell as a member of the Inquisitorial Squad.
"Goyle's mum will be really pleased, though" said Ron, who had come to investigate the source of the commotion. "He's loads better-looking now... anyway, Harry, Emma, the food trolley's just stopped if you want anything...
Harry and Emma thanked the others and accompanied Ron back to their compartment, where Emma brought five boxes of Bertie Bott's Every Flavoured Beans and Harry brought a large pile of cauldron cakes and pumpkin pasties. Hermione was reading the Daily Prophet again, Ginny started to do a quiz in The Quibbler on Emma and Neville was stroking his Mimbulus mimbletonia, which had grown a great deal over the year and now made odd crooning noises when touched.
Harry and Ron whiled away most of the journey playing wizard chess while Hermione read out snippets from the Prophet while Emma and Ginny tested each other. The Prophet was now full of articles about how to repel Dementors, attempts by the Ministry to track down Death Eaters and hysterical letters claiming that the writer had seen Lord Voldemort walking past their house that very morning...
"It hasn't really started yet" sighed Emma sadly, while Ginny was looking for other tests. "But it won't be long now..."
"Hey, Harry" said Ron softly, nodding towards the glass window on to the corridor.
Harry looked around. Cho was passing, accompanied by Marietta Edgecambe, who was wearing balaclava. His and Cho's eyes met for a moment. Cho blushed and kept walking. Harry looked back down at the chessboard just in time to see one of his pawns chased off its square by Ron's knight.
"What's- err- going on with you and her, anyway?" Ron asked quietly.
"Nothing" said Harry truthfully.
"I- err- heard she's going out with someone else now" said Hermione tentatively.
Harry was surprised to find that this information did not hurt at all. Wanting to impress Cho seemed to belong to a past that was no longer quite connected with him; so much of what he had wanted before Sirius's death felt that way these days... the week that had elapsed since he had last seen Sirius seemed to have lasted much, much longer; it stretched across two universes, the one with Sirius in, and the one without.
"You're well out of it" said Emma forcefully; looking up from a book she had started to read. "I mean, she's quite good-looking and all that, but you want someone a bit more cheerful."
"So now you control who I go out with" Harry muttered. Emma rolled her eyes.
"No. It's just that I care about you" she said simply. "And anyway, I've seen who you end up with and I can assure you it is NOT Cho."
"Who's she with now, anyway?" Ron asked Hermione, but it was Ginny who answered.
"Michael Corner" she said.
"Michael- but..." said Ron, craning around in his seat to stare at her. "But you were going out with him!"
"Not any more" said Ginny resolutely. "He didn't like Gryffindor beating Ravenclaw at Quidditch, and got really sulky, so I ditched him and he ran off to comfort Cho instead." She scratched her nose absently with the end of her quill, turned The Quibbler upside-down and began marking Emma answers. Ron looked highly delighted.
"Well, I always thought he was a bit of an idiot" he said, prodding his queen towards Harry's quivering castle. "Good for you. Just choose someone- better- next time."
He cast Harry an oddly furtive look as he said it.
"Well, I've chosen Dean Thomas, would you say he's better?" asked Ginny vaguely.
"WHAT?" shouted Ron, upending the chessboard: Crookshaks went plunging after the pieces, Hedwig and Pigwidgeon twittered and hooted angrily from overhead and Emma burst into a fit of giggles.
As the train slowed down in the approach to King's Cross, Harry thought he had never wanted to leave it less. He even wondered fleetingly what would happen if he simply refused to get off, but remained stubbornly sitting there until the first of September, when it would take him back to Hogwarts. He knew, though, that would Emma would drag him off the bus, using spells if she had to. When it finally puffed to a standstill he lifted Hedwig's cage and prepared to drag his trunk from the train.
When the ticket inspector signalled to Harry, Ron, Hermione and Emma that it was safe to walk through the magical barrier between platforms nine and ten, however, they found a surprise awaiting them on the other side: a group of people standing there to greet them who they had not expected at all.
There was Mad-Eye Moody, looking quite sinister with his bowler hat pulled low over his magical eye as he would have done without it, his gnarled hands clutching a long staff, his body wrapped in a voluminous travelling cloak. Tonks stood just behind him, her bright bubble-gum-pink hair gleaming in the sunlight filtering through the dirty glass of the station ceiling, wearing heavily patched jeans and a bright purple T-shirt bearing the legend The Weird Sisters. Next to Tonks was Lupin, his face pale, his hair greying, a long and threadbare overcoat covering a shabby jumper and trousers. At the front of the group stood Mr and Mrs Weasley, dressed in their Muggle best, and Fred and George. Fred was wearing a brand-new jacket in some lurid green, scaly material.
"George!" Emma gasped, leaping into his arms with a bright smile on his face.
"Hey sweetheart" he whispered in her hear and she giggled.
"Ron, Ginny!" called Mrs Weasley, hurrying forwards and hugging her children tightly. "Oh, and Harry dear- how are you?"
"Fine" lied Harry, as she pulled him into a tight embrace. Over her shoulder he saw Ron goggling at Fred's new jacket.
"What is that supposed to be?" he asked, pointing at the jacket.
"Finest dragonskin, little bro" said Ron, giving his zip a little tweak. "Business is booming and I thought I'd treat myself."
"Hello, Harry" said Lupin, as Mrs Weasley let go of Harry and turned to greet Hermione.
"Hi" said Harry. "We didn't expect... what are you all doing here?"
"We thought it might be a good idea to have a little chat with our aunt and uncle before letting them take you home" Emma said with a slight smile over George's shoulder.
"I dunno if that's a good idea" said Harry at once.
"Oh, I think it is" growled Moody, who had lumped a little closer. "That will be them, will it, Potter?"
He pointed with his thumb over his shoulder; his magical eye was evidently peering through the back if her head and his bowler hat. Harry leaned an inch or so to the left to see where Mad-Eye was pointing and there, sure enough, were the three Dursleys, who looked positively appalled to see Harry's reception committee.
"Ah, Harry" said Mr Weasley, turning from Hermione's parents. "Well- shall we do it, then?"
"Yeah, I reckon so, Arthur" said Moody.
He, Mr Weasley and Emma took the lead across the station towards the Dursleys, who were apparently rooted to the floor.
"Good afternoon" said Mr Weasley pleasantly to Uncle Vernon as he came to a halt right in front of him. "You might remember me, my name's Arthur Weasley. We thought we'd just have a few words with you about Harry."
Uncle Vernon's moustache seemed to bristle with indignation. Possibly because the bowler hat gave him the entirely mistaken impression that he was dealing with a kindred spirit, he addressed himself to Emma. Maybe because she seemed less threatening than anyone else around him. Big mistake.
"I am not aware that it is any of your business what goes on in my house..."
"I expect what you're not aware of would fill several books, Uncle. Like the fact that I'm Harry's sister" Emma said calmly, taking a step forwards.
Dursleys faces held similar expressions of shock.
"Anyway, that's not the point" interjected Tonks quickly, who's pink seemed to offend Aunt Petunia more than all the rest put together, for she closed her eyes rather than look at her. "The point is, if we find out you've been horrible to Harry..."
"...And make no mistake, we'll hear about it" added Lupin pleasantly.
"Yes" said Mr Weasley "even if you won't let Harry use the telephone..."
"...Yeah, if we get any hint that Harry's been mistreated in any way, you'll have us to answer to" said Emma, drawing herself up to her full height; which, I might add, wasn't very tall.
Uncle Vernon swelled ominously. His sense of outrage seemed to outweigh even his fear of this bunch of oddballs.
"Are you threatening me, girl?" he said, so loudly that passers-by actually turn to stare.
"Yes, I am" said Emma, still just as calmly.
"And do I look like the kind of man who can be intimidated?" barked Uncle Vernon.
"Well..." said Emma, baring her teeth at him to reveal her now growing fangs. Uncle Vernon leapt backwards in horror and collided painfully with a luggage trolley. "Yes, I'd have to say you do, Vernon."
She turned away from Uncle Vernon to survey Harry.
"So, Harry... give us a shout if you need us. If one of us doesn't hear from you for three days in a row, we'll send someone along..."
Aunt Petunia whimpered piteously. It could not have been plainer that she was thinking of what the neighbours would say if they caught sight of these people marching up the garden path.
"Bye, hen, Potter" said Moody, grasping Harry's shoulder for a moment with a gnarled hand.
"Harry, we'll have you away from there as soon as we can" Mrs Weasley whispered, hugging him again.
"We'll see you soon, mate" said Ron anxiously, shaking Harry's hand.
"Really soon, Harry" said Hermione earnestly. "We promise."
"Yeah" Emma said with a wink and reaching up on her tip-toes and kissing him on the cheek. "And if I can't get you out of there, I'll blast down the door and drag you out there myself."
Harry nodded. He somehow could not find words to tell them what it meant to him, to see them all ranged there, on his side. Instead, he smiled, raised a hand in farewell, turned around and led the way out of the station towards the sunlit street, with Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia and Dudley hurrying along in his wake.
Emma smiled as she watched his brother go. He didn't understand, and probably never will, how much it meant to her that he accepted her for who she was and what she was. That he didn't hate her for not telling him everything before; and for him being there for her- even if he didn't know it- when Sirius died. And it still hurt to think about him. But, like Hagrid said, they would feet better eventually.