Chapter 4
Harry woke up at his desk late the next morning. He had spent all night recopying his homework. Papers lay across the surface of the desk and books were scattered all over the floor. He stretched. He hit his hand on the bookshelf. "Ouch!" he said. "That reminds me..." He looked around the room and began to gather his books. He put them on the empty shelf above the bookcase.
He looked at the rest of the books. Mrs. Figg's books looked ancient and some of the titles reminded him of something he would find in the Hogwarts library. "So You Want to Be an Auror, A Thousand and One Uses for Unicorn Hair, An Encyclopedia of Magical Creatures, Curses and Countercurses," he read and the list went on. What was Mrs. Figg doing with these books? She wouldn't have them unless...Harry had a dim memory from earlier this summer. What was it that Dumbledore had said? Sirus, I need you to set off at once. You are to alert Remus Lupin- "Arabella Figg!" Harry gasped aloud.
Mrs. Figg was a witch? The same Mrs. Figg whom the Dursleys had left him with time after time? Mrs. Figg, with her dozens of cats, was a certifiable, broomstick-riding, cauldron-stirring witch? He ran downstairs. He found Mrs. Figg in the dining room with Cassandra. "Hello, Harry. Sleep well?" Mrs. Figg asked.
"You're a witch!" Harry said accusingly. Cassandra looked at him.
"Nice to see you too, dear," she said, sipping her tea.
"Well?" he inquired impatiently.
"Well, what?" she asked calmly.
"Are you or are you not a witch?"
"I am."
"All these years-"
"Yes, all these years your great big git of an uncle and his nosy, horse-faced wife have been leaving you with me and they hadn't the slightest idea that I was a witch," Mrs. Figg said. Cassandra stifled a laugh. Harry was too stunned to even think of laughing.
"Did you know that I-"
"Did I know you were a wizard?" She finished. Harry nodded. "Yes, I knew." Harry glanced at Cassandra. "No, Cassandra is not a witch."
"You have a visitor upstairs," Cassandra announced mildly.
"I was just up there," Harry replied.
"He's only just arrived. A dog of some sort, I think," she said.
At those words Harry dashed back up the steps and threw open the door to his room. There was indeed a dog waiting for him, a large, shaggy black dog. "Sirius!" cried Harry. The dog transformed into his godfather. Harry noticed his face was fuller and just a bit more tan then it had been last time they met. He had exchanged his tattered gray Azkaban robe for a new black one. His hair was washed and trimmed neatly. "Hello, Harry. How have you been?"
"I've been having the best summer of my life!" Harry exclaimed. He started to go into detail.
"But, wait a minute. What are you doing here?" he asked suddenly.
"Orders from Dumbledore," Sirius said hastily. He smiled. "But go on, tell me about your summer." Harry told him about the movies, the zoo, and Cassandra. He frowned.
"Something wrong?" Sirius asked.
"Well- it's just that Cassandra has been acting a little odd."
"Odd how?" Sirius inquired, his face becoming serious.
"Well, the other day, I wouldn't let her help me carry my books. She insisted I was going to have an accident at the corner of Walsingham and Birch. I told her she was being silly and I did. It was a disaster! My homework was ruined! I spent all of last night recopying it. And today, she knew you were here."
"How?"
"I don't know!" Harry said. Sirius looked thoughtful for a moment. His face broke into a fresh smile.
"I don't think that's anything we need to worry about that right now," he said.
Harry took Sirius downstairs. Cassandra didn't seem very surprised to see a grown man appear practically out of nowhere. In fact, she had a rather resigned look upon her face as if it was just one more thing she had to bear. Sirius cast an interested look at her before turning to Mrs. Figg. She rose and looked him over slowly. "I didn't do it, Arabella, I swear," Sirius said. She nodded.
"I know, Sirius. I know."
"It was Peter. He did it. He turned them in."
"I know, Sirius," she repeated.
"I almost had him, but he's escaped, Arabella, and the Dark Lord has risen once again."
"I know," she said once more.
"How could you possibly-"
"I have my ways," Mrs. Figg replied quietly.
Harry felt as bewildered as Sirius looked. He already knew that Lord Voldemort had risen again. In fact, he had had front row seats for the re-birthing ceremony. It still gave him chills to think about it. He also knew that Sirius had not been the one to betray his parents to Lord Voldemort. He had been there to hear Peter Pettigrew's confession. What he didn't understand was how Mrs. Figg knew, unless Professor Dumbledore had sent an owl to her. Sirius seemed to be thinking along similar lines.
"Dumbledore has filled you in, then?" Sirius inquired.
"No. I assume that's why you're here," she replied.
"Well, yes, but if you know already, then there's no real point to my being here is there?" Sirius said.
"Don't be ridiculous. I want you here, and I'm sure Harry wants you here. In fact, I refuse to let you leave. Besides, I don't know everything. I'm sure there are details you can fill me in on." Sirius paused for a moment in thought.
"I don't seem to have much of a choice, do I?" he asked with a grin. "Very well, I'll stay."
Harry woke up at his desk late the next morning. He had spent all night recopying his homework. Papers lay across the surface of the desk and books were scattered all over the floor. He stretched. He hit his hand on the bookshelf. "Ouch!" he said. "That reminds me..." He looked around the room and began to gather his books. He put them on the empty shelf above the bookcase.
He looked at the rest of the books. Mrs. Figg's books looked ancient and some of the titles reminded him of something he would find in the Hogwarts library. "So You Want to Be an Auror, A Thousand and One Uses for Unicorn Hair, An Encyclopedia of Magical Creatures, Curses and Countercurses," he read and the list went on. What was Mrs. Figg doing with these books? She wouldn't have them unless...Harry had a dim memory from earlier this summer. What was it that Dumbledore had said? Sirus, I need you to set off at once. You are to alert Remus Lupin- "Arabella Figg!" Harry gasped aloud.
Mrs. Figg was a witch? The same Mrs. Figg whom the Dursleys had left him with time after time? Mrs. Figg, with her dozens of cats, was a certifiable, broomstick-riding, cauldron-stirring witch? He ran downstairs. He found Mrs. Figg in the dining room with Cassandra. "Hello, Harry. Sleep well?" Mrs. Figg asked.
"You're a witch!" Harry said accusingly. Cassandra looked at him.
"Nice to see you too, dear," she said, sipping her tea.
"Well?" he inquired impatiently.
"Well, what?" she asked calmly.
"Are you or are you not a witch?"
"I am."
"All these years-"
"Yes, all these years your great big git of an uncle and his nosy, horse-faced wife have been leaving you with me and they hadn't the slightest idea that I was a witch," Mrs. Figg said. Cassandra stifled a laugh. Harry was too stunned to even think of laughing.
"Did you know that I-"
"Did I know you were a wizard?" She finished. Harry nodded. "Yes, I knew." Harry glanced at Cassandra. "No, Cassandra is not a witch."
"You have a visitor upstairs," Cassandra announced mildly.
"I was just up there," Harry replied.
"He's only just arrived. A dog of some sort, I think," she said.
At those words Harry dashed back up the steps and threw open the door to his room. There was indeed a dog waiting for him, a large, shaggy black dog. "Sirius!" cried Harry. The dog transformed into his godfather. Harry noticed his face was fuller and just a bit more tan then it had been last time they met. He had exchanged his tattered gray Azkaban robe for a new black one. His hair was washed and trimmed neatly. "Hello, Harry. How have you been?"
"I've been having the best summer of my life!" Harry exclaimed. He started to go into detail.
"But, wait a minute. What are you doing here?" he asked suddenly.
"Orders from Dumbledore," Sirius said hastily. He smiled. "But go on, tell me about your summer." Harry told him about the movies, the zoo, and Cassandra. He frowned.
"Something wrong?" Sirius asked.
"Well- it's just that Cassandra has been acting a little odd."
"Odd how?" Sirius inquired, his face becoming serious.
"Well, the other day, I wouldn't let her help me carry my books. She insisted I was going to have an accident at the corner of Walsingham and Birch. I told her she was being silly and I did. It was a disaster! My homework was ruined! I spent all of last night recopying it. And today, she knew you were here."
"How?"
"I don't know!" Harry said. Sirius looked thoughtful for a moment. His face broke into a fresh smile.
"I don't think that's anything we need to worry about that right now," he said.
Harry took Sirius downstairs. Cassandra didn't seem very surprised to see a grown man appear practically out of nowhere. In fact, she had a rather resigned look upon her face as if it was just one more thing she had to bear. Sirius cast an interested look at her before turning to Mrs. Figg. She rose and looked him over slowly. "I didn't do it, Arabella, I swear," Sirius said. She nodded.
"I know, Sirius. I know."
"It was Peter. He did it. He turned them in."
"I know, Sirius," she repeated.
"I almost had him, but he's escaped, Arabella, and the Dark Lord has risen once again."
"I know," she said once more.
"How could you possibly-"
"I have my ways," Mrs. Figg replied quietly.
Harry felt as bewildered as Sirius looked. He already knew that Lord Voldemort had risen again. In fact, he had had front row seats for the re-birthing ceremony. It still gave him chills to think about it. He also knew that Sirius had not been the one to betray his parents to Lord Voldemort. He had been there to hear Peter Pettigrew's confession. What he didn't understand was how Mrs. Figg knew, unless Professor Dumbledore had sent an owl to her. Sirius seemed to be thinking along similar lines.
"Dumbledore has filled you in, then?" Sirius inquired.
"No. I assume that's why you're here," she replied.
"Well, yes, but if you know already, then there's no real point to my being here is there?" Sirius said.
"Don't be ridiculous. I want you here, and I'm sure Harry wants you here. In fact, I refuse to let you leave. Besides, I don't know everything. I'm sure there are details you can fill me in on." Sirius paused for a moment in thought.
"I don't seem to have much of a choice, do I?" he asked with a grin. "Very well, I'll stay."