Chapter 2
The week abmbled on with harry feeling conflicting emotions of guilt and anticipation as he reflected on his last summer, the Tri-Wizard tournament and also his coming stay at the Weasley's. He hoped that once at the burrow his guilt from not saving Cedric would be eased, or he would at least be distracted from it. Harry's nights were punctuated with images of Cedrics death, the revolting, sickening creature that had entered the Cauldron, and his battle with a new, more powerful Voldemort. Harry's days were filled with backbreaking labor in the service of the dursleys, who seemed to have decided that harry would have to do his extra 2 weeks work in the remaining time he had with them. For once Harry welcomed them however, as they gave a little help in distracting him from the events of the previous summer. Even frequent letters from Ron couldn't shake from him the question that all survivors ask. Why me?
* * *
Harry awoke in the auburn pre-dawn light in his now routine sheen of sweat, and as he wiped his brow he ticked off the last day on his mental checklist. The thought momentarily excited him, but he realised he still had the morning's chore's to complete, grinning at the brief respite from facing his friends, he continued to prepare for the day, checking that all his packing was done. He then headed downstairs for his last encounter with Vernon Dursley for another year.
"Comb your hair" Vernon growled by way of a morning greeting, before glaring over the paper to actually look at Harry
"We have company at 11, so you'd better be gone by then boy, or your not going at all"
Harry's heart momentarily jumped at the thought of not being able to go to the Burrow, the thought of the distraction that Hermione and Ron would bring was all that had kept him going all week. The worry passed as he had been assured that someone would arrive in a ministry car at 10:00am. Harry breathed deeply before sitting down and eating his grapefruit quarter although, harry mused, the diet isnt really working, seeing as Dudley is still bigger than a baby killer whale, and well on the way to beating an adult. As Harry started on the second half of his grapefruit Dudley punched him and grabbed it, mashing it in his mouth in one motion, piggy eyes glinting. Harry sighed and got up to wash the dishes, Petunia screeched advice and abuse at him while he scrubbed the plates clean. Harry moved to go upstairs but Petunia ordered him out to remanure the roses one more time before he left, Harry groaned but got the shovel and the manure and went out to the front garden.
* * *
Harry was halfway through the rather smelly job of manuring roses when a black car with tinted windows pulled into Privet Drive. Harry looked up, surprised at the car's appearance, as it was only 9:30. Harry broke into a sweat and reached for where his wand should have been if it wasn't already packed and was about to run inside when the window wound down and Percy Weasley's head stuck out.
"Hello Harry, Good Morning, I hope we aren't too ear. . ."
Percy Trailed off, noticing Harry's overalls and then, his smell.
"Harry what ARE you doing?"
Harry grinned at the distasteful expression on Percy's face.
"good to see you too Percy, how are you doing, im just manuring this garden while I waited for you, ill just run inside and get my stuff"
Harry cut off any remark Percy might have made about his appearance by running inside, and calling
"I'm leaving"
before dragging his trunk downstairs, to see a rather proper looking young man in a suit waiting on the landing
"'Ello I'm Phillip, let me get that for you, Ah'm Percy' s assistant, it's a pleasure to meet you sah, such a pleasure"
He said, in an extremely strong Cockney accent. Harry was momentarily taken aback, for one thing why did Percy have an assistant, and why was he in a suit, not robes? Shrugging Harry handed his trunk to Phillip and ran back upstairs to get Hedwig and his Broomstick, he glanced once more around the room and grinned, and kept grinning all the way downstairs till he heard Aunt Petunia shriek and drop some china.
"WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY LIVING ROOM"
Phillip began stuttering
"Ma. Mar. Mar. Marm, I am only here to pick up Mister Potter and his g. ge. gear, im sorry if I have intruded"
Harry burst into the room as Aunt Petunia's face hardened at the mention of her nephew
"I suppose you are one of Them then are you?"
"I'm not entirely sure what you mean marm, I just 'oist the bags and drive the cab, that's all"
"well you'll just have to wait a minute, he has not yet finished his chores"
Petunia's mouth set into a thin smile
"Its no problem Marm, you show me whats to be done and ill do it"
as Phillip drew his wand Aunt Petunia's surprised smile soon turned into an O of horror
"YOU ARE ONE OF THEM, GET OUT OF MY HOUSE, VERNON"
and before Phillip could stammer an apology he was out the front door in a tangle with Harry, Harry's broom, and Hedwig.
"AND STAY OUT" yelled Vernon
"Ah, well done Robert" said Percy pompously, put that in the trunk and then take us home"
"Its Phillip sir" mumbled Phillip.
Harry laughed as he remembered Barty Crouch getting Percy's name wrong. Harry's smile vanished as he remembered that that Crouch had died because of Voldemort, and the other Crouch, who was synonymous in Harry's mind with Cedric's death. With a subdued mood settling over him he climbed into the car and was bombarded with a lecture about international magic from Percy and he was sitting silently in his own world until he heard Percy say
"… they will be staying at Hogwarts, its all organised, excited Harry?"
Harry was suddenly wide awake as he wondered who was going to stay at Hogwarts.
"Sorry Percy, I missed who was staying at Hogwarts"
"well Durmstrang of course, with their Headmaster gone all the teachers have just gone back to normal jobs, so the students will be at Hogwarts this year, but we have been lucky enough to bring over their Defense Against The Dark Arts Teacher, umm what was it.. it will come back to me. Went to the school until last Year. Anyway, you will have nearly 150 extra students this year, so it should be very exciting, lots of organising to be done…"
Percy got a very wistful expression on his face, no doubt wishing he was still a prefect with power over those people. Then Harry remembered that he still hadn't asked Percy why he had an assistant.
"Well Harry, when you become the youngest ever head of a department in the ministry of magic, you need an assistant to keep track of things for you"
"How did you get the job?" Wondered harry.
"Well as I was ALREADY doing all of Mr. Crouch's work anyway, it was only a matter of changing my pay packet, and title."
Harry, embarrased that he spoken his thought aloud, looked out the window and spent the rest of the trip in silence, pondering the arrival of Durmstrang at Hogwarts.