chapter three

chapter three

Bad News, Good News

Harry woke early the next morning eager to find out the full truth about Mrs. Figg and her niece. He dressed quickly and headed down the stairs. He began snooping around in the living room, checking each and every nick-knack for any sign of magic. He even went so far as to look through the pictures of the cats again hoping to find a wizard photograph, but to no avail. All the cats were frozen. Everything was entirely and perfectly muggle, just as it should be.

"Think, Harry. Where would you hide your magical items if you had to convince the world you were a muggle?" Harry spoke aloud to himself. He eyed the closet in the corner and decided he might find something in there. He had just begun rummaging through it when he heard a voice from behind.

"What are you looking for?"

Harry jumped. "Daphne! Er…nothing. Just…just…" And then he caught sight of something familiar. A broomstick was tucked away in the back corner. "Just THIS!" He grabbed it and held it out with a triumphant flourish.

Daphne was puzzled. "Are you going to sweep the floor?"

"It's a broomstick!" Harry turned it around to get a better look at it.

"Yeah, so?" Daphne shrugged and walked into the kitchen.

Upon further inspection of the broomstick, Harry realized that it was just a plain, ordinary muggle broomstick. No wonder she looked at him as if he'd gone mad.

And so the day went . Every time Harry thought he had found something special to prove who they were, he was soon thwarted by a muggle reality. He even tried to bring the conversation around to magic a few times, but something would always happen to stop him from continuing, like the phone ringing, or a cat causing havoc to the curtains. Then, finally, his opportunity came to him right out of the sky.

Hedwig tapped at the window during tea. Harry's day-long frown was immediately converted into a smile at the sight of her! "Hedwig!" He rushed to the door to let her in. She swooped through the room, around Mrs. Figg's head and landed on the arm of the sofa, dropping two letters on the way.

"What the devil?" Mrs. Figg shrieked and began shoo-ing the bird away. "Get out of here you crazy thing!"

"No! No!" Harry spread out his arms in front of the owl to protect her from Mrs. Figg's flaying arms. "Hedwig is my pet owl!"

"Your pet?!" She seemed honestly shocked and alarmed at this announcement.

"That animal is a danger to my home…and my cats."

"Nonsense. She's perfectly tame!" Harry argued.

"Tame?" Mrs. Figg placed her hands over her heart again. "Did you see how she came in here?"

"Yeah, she flew. That's what owls do." Harry wanted to say something about the owl she herself dealt with last night, but something made him hold his tongue.

"Harry, she seems to have dropped something!" Daphne reached down and picked up the items. "They're letters!" Again, her reaction seemed genuine, but Harry knew it was all just an act.

"Of course they're letters! How else do you expect me to get my mail?" Harry took the letters from Daphne and turned to the owl. "Come on girl. Let's go upstairs and get you a treat." Hedwig took position on Harry's arm and stayed there until he placed her in her cage and gave her some left over cake he had stashed in his trunk.

Turning his attention to his letters, he flopped down on the bed and began to open them. The first was from Hermione.

Dear Harry,

It was nice to hear from a friend. Ron has been acting like a total git since I told him I was being made a prefect. He's also still upset about the visit I got from Viktor last month. Honestly, I just don't know what to make of it all! Maybe you could talk to him and smooth things over. I know he's had a rough summer.

Sorry to hear about you and the cat lady, but it's got to be better than staying with the Dursleys. I hope to see you soon. Mum and dad are taking me this weekend to get my things for next year. Maybe we'll meet up there!

Hermione.

"Oh bother!" Harry rolled his eyes and picked up Ron's letter.

Harry,

Boy do I wish you were here! Things just couldn't be worse! Dad has been sneaking around the Ministry doing who knows what for Dumbledore. At the same time, Percy has been running errands for Fudge insisting that it isn't right to go against the Ministry! I tell you, for someone as smart as Percy, he sure is dumb! We haven't heard from Bill and Charlie in over a month, now, and mum is really starting to worry. And on top of everything else, Hermione writes to tell me she's being made a prefect! Now we won't be able to tell her anything with out her going straight to McGonagall. I tell ya Harry, I think I've got you beat this time for having the worst summer.

I hope things are better for you and that Mrs. Figg isn't as bad as she sounds. We'll be shopping for school things over the weekend, and you're welcome to catch up with us there!

Ron

"Geez!" Harry threw his arms up in air. He looked at Hedwig and exclaimed, "What is going on!?" He began pacing around in his room. "Why can't I have just one thing go right. That's all I ask…one thing!"

"Harry?" Daphne stood in the doorway looking concerned. "Is something wrong?"

"YES!" Harry was very frustrated and didn't mean to take it out on Daphne, but that's what he did. "My family, who's supposed to protect me, has deserted me with two total strangers who don't seem to want to tell me something. Meanwhile, there's a very dangerous person running around, ruining good people's lives, destroying families and making my life a total misery. And to ice the cake…my two best friends are fighting…AGAIN!!"

There was a long silence while Harry stared at Daphne and she stared right back.

"I'm sorry." Daphne said quietly. "I don't know what…"

Harry cut her off. "Just forget it. You wouldn't know anything about it, anyway." Harry said sarcastically, sitting back down on the bed.

Daphne swallowed hard. "Aunt Arabella wanted me to remind you that dinner is just about ready. And she left. Harry just sighed deeply and shook his head.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Dinner had been fairly quiet. Harry didn't feel much like talking and he was thankful that neither Mrs. Figg nor Daphne pressed the issue. Now back upstairs in his room, Harry was trying to take his mind off of things by reading Quidditch Through the Ages. He had just finished reading about the history of the golden snitch when there was a knock on the door. "Come in."

Daphne peeked around the corner and said tentatively, "Er…I'm returning home tomorrow, so we've got to drive to London. If you want to come, we're leaving early. I mean…I'd like you to come."

It was the ray of light Harry had been hoping for! "Yes! I need to go to London to pick up some school things."

She smiled that pretty smile that Harry remembered from their first meeting. "Wonderful! I'll see you in the morning then!"

Tomorrow would be better. He couldn't wait to see what new things were in stock at Quality Quidditch Supplies. His mouth watered at the thought of eating Chocolate Frogs and Cauldron Cakes. But most importantly, he'd get to chat with Ron and Hermione about the summer over mugs of butterbeer. Yes, tomorrow would be better. And with that thought, Harry went to sleep.

**Daphne Affigo is an Alphie creation. Harry Potter and all other characters are property of J.K.Rowling and Warner Brothers.