Meanwhile, Back At Privet Drive III
"Get that bloody bird off of my table!" Vernon screamed.
"Duddykins, do as daddy says." Petunia implored.
Dudley simply screamed in fear. The owl had landed in his breakfast a few seconds ago.
Vernon stood up carefully and grabbed the bird by the claws. "Freak pet! That boy will get it bad when he gets back here! Damn bird!"
Petunia whispered, "There's something attached to its leg."
Vernon growled and ripped the roll of paper off of the bird's leg. He then tossed the owl out of the kitchen window. An undignified hoot was the only audible protest from the bird as he fell to the ground outside. "What the hell?"
He unrolled the paper and began to read. "Mr. Dursley, I am sorry to impose, however due to recent events, I must speak with you. I will be arriving at 7 o'clock sharp on Wednesday morning. Albus Dumbledore." His eyes drifted to the clock above the stove. 7 o'clock on the dot. He looked at the calendar on the back door. Wednesday. "Bugger me."
A loud sputtering came from the living room. Petunia looked up in shock. "What was that?"
An older man stepped into the kitchen. His long flowing white beard was nearly black with soot. "You should really clean that chimney, Mr. Dursley."
Vernon's mouth opened but no sound came out.
"Albus Dumbledore. Hello." He held his hand out in the Muggle way but took it back when it became clear that Vernon wasn't noticing. "I came through the network because I thought it would be less of a shock."
Petunia stared at the man.
"Ah, Mrs. Dursley. So good to see you. I have wonderful news for you!"
Vernon suddenly found his voice. "You are NOT bringing THAT boy back here. You took him away and now you're keeping him!"
"No doubt." Albus frowned. "I've brought someone with me to let you know the change of Harry's living arrangements." He waved toward the living room. "After you."
Petunia stood up slowly and walked briskly around the wizard. She looked up as she entered the living room. "Agh!"
"Nice to see you, too." Lily grimaced. "It's been too long, really."
"More like not bloody long enough." Sirius replied.
Petunia's jaw fell open, and she started to wobble in place. "Bu… bu…"
"I'm not dead." Lily answered cheerfully. "And what good news for you. You won't have to take care of THAT boy anymore." She glared at Vernon as he entered the room. "Wouldn't want to impose on your wonderful family, Vernon."
The man stared at his formerly dead sister-in-law.
"Harry will be with me from now on. I thought I'd at least inform you so you wouldn't worry, but…" she looked over the couple. "I can see THAT was never a problem for you."
Sirius smirked. "We'll just take what little Harry left here. You know, his books and parchments." He went to the stairs and climbed them slowly, watching the Dursleys the whole time.
Lily smiled at Albus, "Oh, and Pet…" she turned her smile to Petunia. "Cissa's dead. Just thought you might like to know."
Vernon exploded, "No! Bloody no! We are NOT taking another one of those freaks into this house! That damn boy can die for I care!"
Lily stepped forward and slapped the fat man. "Don't you ever speak of my nephew like that again, Vernon!"
Albus watched the scene and began to wonder what could have possibly done this damage to this family.
Lily glared at the two people before her. "You were always jealous, Pet. Now, look at what it's done to you. I hope one day you can learn to forgive Cissa and I. Maybe even Mum and Daddy. But that might be asking for too much." She turned to the stairway. "Sirius! Come on!"
The black haired man trudged down the stairs. "There's nothing there." He looked at Vernon. "Where is it?"
Vernon smiled, "We burned it all. Before that boy came here to get him."
Lily gasped, "Let's go."
She grabbed hold of Sirius' arm and pushed him toward the fireplace. Albus followed them.
Sirius protested, "But what about his things?"
"Draco will forgive me if I borrow some of Cissa's money. Let's go now."
The three adults quickly left through the Floo network back to Hogwarts.
"Get that bloody bird off of my table!" Vernon screamed.
"Duddykins, do as daddy says." Petunia implored.
Dudley simply screamed in fear. The owl had landed in his breakfast a few seconds ago.
Vernon stood up carefully and grabbed the bird by the claws. "Freak pet! That boy will get it bad when he gets back here! Damn bird!"
Petunia whispered, "There's something attached to its leg."
Vernon growled and ripped the roll of paper off of the bird's leg. He then tossed the owl out of the kitchen window. An undignified hoot was the only audible protest from the bird as he fell to the ground outside. "What the hell?"
He unrolled the paper and began to read. "Mr. Dursley, I am sorry to impose, however due to recent events, I must speak with you. I will be arriving at 7 o'clock sharp on Wednesday morning. Albus Dumbledore." His eyes drifted to the clock above the stove. 7 o'clock on the dot. He looked at the calendar on the back door. Wednesday. "Bugger me."
A loud sputtering came from the living room. Petunia looked up in shock. "What was that?"
An older man stepped into the kitchen. His long flowing white beard was nearly black with soot. "You should really clean that chimney, Mr. Dursley."
Vernon's mouth opened but no sound came out.
"Albus Dumbledore. Hello." He held his hand out in the Muggle way but took it back when it became clear that Vernon wasn't noticing. "I came through the network because I thought it would be less of a shock."
Petunia stared at the man.
"Ah, Mrs. Dursley. So good to see you. I have wonderful news for you!"
Vernon suddenly found his voice. "You are NOT bringing THAT boy back here. You took him away and now you're keeping him!"
"No doubt." Albus frowned. "I've brought someone with me to let you know the change of Harry's living arrangements." He waved toward the living room. "After you."
Petunia stood up slowly and walked briskly around the wizard. She looked up as she entered the living room. "Agh!"
"Nice to see you, too." Lily grimaced. "It's been too long, really."
"More like not bloody long enough." Sirius replied.
Petunia's jaw fell open, and she started to wobble in place. "Bu… bu…"
"I'm not dead." Lily answered cheerfully. "And what good news for you. You won't have to take care of THAT boy anymore." She glared at Vernon as he entered the room. "Wouldn't want to impose on your wonderful family, Vernon."
The man stared at his formerly dead sister-in-law.
"Harry will be with me from now on. I thought I'd at least inform you so you wouldn't worry, but…" she looked over the couple. "I can see THAT was never a problem for you."
Sirius smirked. "We'll just take what little Harry left here. You know, his books and parchments." He went to the stairs and climbed them slowly, watching the Dursleys the whole time.
Lily smiled at Albus, "Oh, and Pet…" she turned her smile to Petunia. "Cissa's dead. Just thought you might like to know."
Vernon exploded, "No! Bloody no! We are NOT taking another one of those freaks into this house! That damn boy can die for I care!"
Lily stepped forward and slapped the fat man. "Don't you ever speak of my nephew like that again, Vernon!"
Albus watched the scene and began to wonder what could have possibly done this damage to this family.
Lily glared at the two people before her. "You were always jealous, Pet. Now, look at what it's done to you. I hope one day you can learn to forgive Cissa and I. Maybe even Mum and Daddy. But that might be asking for too much." She turned to the stairway. "Sirius! Come on!"
The black haired man trudged down the stairs. "There's nothing there." He looked at Vernon. "Where is it?"
Vernon smiled, "We burned it all. Before that boy came here to get him."
Lily gasped, "Let's go."
She grabbed hold of Sirius' arm and pushed him toward the fireplace. Albus followed them.
Sirius protested, "But what about his things?"
"Draco will forgive me if I borrow some of Cissa's money. Let's go now."
The three adults quickly left through the Floo network back to Hogwarts.
