The next morning Harry was awakened by a thundering so loud he jumped out
of bed. Just Dudley, he thought to himself, no need to get so jumpy. But
he had good reason to be on edge, Voldemort was back. Harry had been
witness to Voldemort's rebirth only a few months ago, and he waited
impatiently for news between owls from his friends. It seems as if
everything was fine so far. Not a single bad thing had happened between
the end of the school year and now, but Harry knew something was coming.
It was only a matter of time.
Oh well, it was like Hagrid said; you just have to wait for what will come.
Now fully awake Harry decided he might as well get up. Going over to his dresser he pulled out one of Dudley's old sweatshirts, rolled up the sleeves, and headed downstairs. Harry could still hear Aunt Petunia in Dudley's room, it seemed as if Dudley was being particularly stubborn this morning.
Smiling to himself in the kitchen as he buttered a piece of toast, Harry watched the picture on the wall swing ominously. A few days after Harry had arrived home the Dursleys received an owl from Sirius. In no uncertain terms he had demanded that they treat his Godson nicely, and if he had reason to believe they were not. well, Sirius had not mentioned anything specific, but the hints were bad enough.
The Dursleys had agreed to let Harry off of Dudley's diet, provided that Harry would not eat in front of Dudley. This had been good for both Harry and his Aunt and Uncle, as both parties felt the less time spent together the better.
It was starting to get rather lonely now though. HE didn't mind not seeing the Dursleys he did mind not seeing anyone at all. The days blended together with every other day, and the summer inched its way forward. At least once every week he would send an owl to Ron asking if he could come stay with him the rest of the summer. And at least once a week Ron would send back an owl that his father promised Harry could come soon.
Finally Harry heard Aunt Petunia and Dudley start out the front door. Dudley was already breathing hard from the fight he had put up. To Harry's dismay the door to the kitchen opened.
"Morning" Uncle Vernon grunted, or something like it anyway.
"Good morning Uncle Vernon," Harry replied as he started picking up what was left of his breakfast hastily. He could see the look in Vernon's eyes, and he knew it would be dangerous to stick around. "Well, see you then." Harry added as he grabbed his food and made quickly for the door.
"Wait." Vernon grunted again. Harry stopped, collected himself, and turned around.
Vernon was looking at Harry as if he was something a very bad dog had left behind.
"You will have to pack today" Uncle Vernon stated.
"Pack!" Harry exclaimed "Why should I pack, where are we going!" This was NOT going to be good, there was no place he could think of going with the Dursleys that would be any fun.
"WE are not going anywhere," Vernon growled distastefully. "I am taking Petunia and Dudley on my business trip to the south of France. YOU, are staying with Mrs. Figg." Vernon watched with a malicious glint in his eye, knowing very well what Harry's reaction would be.
"What!" Harry exclaimed in spite of himself. "For how long!"
Vernon was outright smirking now, seeing the astonishment on Harry's face. "At least a month." He relished. "Now, get up to your room before Dudley comes back or you'll be eating carrots for dinner, boy."
Harry fled the kitchen and slammed the door to his room just as Dudley came wheezing in the front door. He couldn't believe it. He wouldn't miss the Dursleys, but he definitely could not imagine lasting a whole month with Mrs. Figg, the old lady down the street with all the cats. Mrs. Figg was nice to Harry, but her house smelled funny, and she made Harry look through albums full of pictures of her cats. A whole month Harry thought, his head spinning. He had to write Ron, Mr. Weasley HAD to let Harry stay with them, he couldn't take an entire month.
Harry quickly scrawled out a letter to Ron explaining the situation, begging for Ron to let him come. He went over to Hedwig's cage, where she was sleeping. "Common girl" he cooed, stroking her gently. "Wake up, this is important." Hedwig opened her eyes and ruffled her feathers. She held out her leg to Harry and let him attach the letter. "Bring back an answer as soon as you can, if I'm not here I'll be at Mrs. Figg's house, but I don't know how you will be able to get me a letter there." Harry said, the panic he felt showing in his voice.
Hedwig gave him a reassuring nip on his finger and flew silently out the window.
Resigned, Harry began to pack up the few items he owned. It didn't take long before he lay on his bed in his empty room, dreaming longingly of the days he had spent with the Weasleys at the Burrow. If only they would let him come stay with them. But Voldemort was back now. Harry was pondering how he could be safer with Mrs. Figg than with the Weasleys when he fell into a restless sleep.
***
Mrs. Figg sat watching her television. She had never quite understood what it was muggles found so interesting about these moving pictures, but at the present she had little else to do. Just as she was starting to get into the show (a very funny one, she had to admit, there was a peculiar man doing silly walks) she felt a tug at her leg.
"Yes Trouble?" she said to the black and white blotched cat looking up at her.
"Merow" the cat answered, and Mrs. Figg raised her eye brows unbelievingly.
"An owl, here?" She asked suspiciously. The cat glared back and stalked out of the room, its tail flicking.
Mrs. Figg followed Trouble into her small dining room where there was, indeed, a harassed looking owl with a letter tied to it's leg, and five cats sitting around it.
"Enough all of you" She reprimanded them, and they scattered hastily. Nevertheless, the second the letter had come off its leg the owl took off into the night.
Mrs. Figg trembled as she opened the letter, she had not gotten an owl for 11 years. Upon reading it she collapsed into one of the chairs and sobbed into the table. A pure white cat flew gingerly onto the table and nipped Mrs. Figg.
"Oh!" Mrs. Figg looked up, and to the cats seeming surprise she had a smile from ear to ear. "Scorn, it's wonderful" She stroked the cat reassuringly "My daughter is finally coming home!"
***
Harry sat up with a start.
Harry had not been asleep for long, but he had been troubled with images of red eyes. The nightmare was fading fast, however he could remember a lake, and the moon, and then there was a loud scream. It seemed very important that he get closer to the lake, but his feet had been stuck to the ground. Somehow he had to get to the lake.
Shaking himself Harry got up. It wasn't like him to be so lazy, but today he just slumped around his room. He moved from the bed, to the floor, and back to the bed again, his mind moving desperately through ways to escape from Mrs. Figg.
Oh well, it was like Hagrid said; you just have to wait for what will come.
Now fully awake Harry decided he might as well get up. Going over to his dresser he pulled out one of Dudley's old sweatshirts, rolled up the sleeves, and headed downstairs. Harry could still hear Aunt Petunia in Dudley's room, it seemed as if Dudley was being particularly stubborn this morning.
Smiling to himself in the kitchen as he buttered a piece of toast, Harry watched the picture on the wall swing ominously. A few days after Harry had arrived home the Dursleys received an owl from Sirius. In no uncertain terms he had demanded that they treat his Godson nicely, and if he had reason to believe they were not. well, Sirius had not mentioned anything specific, but the hints were bad enough.
The Dursleys had agreed to let Harry off of Dudley's diet, provided that Harry would not eat in front of Dudley. This had been good for both Harry and his Aunt and Uncle, as both parties felt the less time spent together the better.
It was starting to get rather lonely now though. HE didn't mind not seeing the Dursleys he did mind not seeing anyone at all. The days blended together with every other day, and the summer inched its way forward. At least once every week he would send an owl to Ron asking if he could come stay with him the rest of the summer. And at least once a week Ron would send back an owl that his father promised Harry could come soon.
Finally Harry heard Aunt Petunia and Dudley start out the front door. Dudley was already breathing hard from the fight he had put up. To Harry's dismay the door to the kitchen opened.
"Morning" Uncle Vernon grunted, or something like it anyway.
"Good morning Uncle Vernon," Harry replied as he started picking up what was left of his breakfast hastily. He could see the look in Vernon's eyes, and he knew it would be dangerous to stick around. "Well, see you then." Harry added as he grabbed his food and made quickly for the door.
"Wait." Vernon grunted again. Harry stopped, collected himself, and turned around.
Vernon was looking at Harry as if he was something a very bad dog had left behind.
"You will have to pack today" Uncle Vernon stated.
"Pack!" Harry exclaimed "Why should I pack, where are we going!" This was NOT going to be good, there was no place he could think of going with the Dursleys that would be any fun.
"WE are not going anywhere," Vernon growled distastefully. "I am taking Petunia and Dudley on my business trip to the south of France. YOU, are staying with Mrs. Figg." Vernon watched with a malicious glint in his eye, knowing very well what Harry's reaction would be.
"What!" Harry exclaimed in spite of himself. "For how long!"
Vernon was outright smirking now, seeing the astonishment on Harry's face. "At least a month." He relished. "Now, get up to your room before Dudley comes back or you'll be eating carrots for dinner, boy."
Harry fled the kitchen and slammed the door to his room just as Dudley came wheezing in the front door. He couldn't believe it. He wouldn't miss the Dursleys, but he definitely could not imagine lasting a whole month with Mrs. Figg, the old lady down the street with all the cats. Mrs. Figg was nice to Harry, but her house smelled funny, and she made Harry look through albums full of pictures of her cats. A whole month Harry thought, his head spinning. He had to write Ron, Mr. Weasley HAD to let Harry stay with them, he couldn't take an entire month.
Harry quickly scrawled out a letter to Ron explaining the situation, begging for Ron to let him come. He went over to Hedwig's cage, where she was sleeping. "Common girl" he cooed, stroking her gently. "Wake up, this is important." Hedwig opened her eyes and ruffled her feathers. She held out her leg to Harry and let him attach the letter. "Bring back an answer as soon as you can, if I'm not here I'll be at Mrs. Figg's house, but I don't know how you will be able to get me a letter there." Harry said, the panic he felt showing in his voice.
Hedwig gave him a reassuring nip on his finger and flew silently out the window.
Resigned, Harry began to pack up the few items he owned. It didn't take long before he lay on his bed in his empty room, dreaming longingly of the days he had spent with the Weasleys at the Burrow. If only they would let him come stay with them. But Voldemort was back now. Harry was pondering how he could be safer with Mrs. Figg than with the Weasleys when he fell into a restless sleep.
***
Mrs. Figg sat watching her television. She had never quite understood what it was muggles found so interesting about these moving pictures, but at the present she had little else to do. Just as she was starting to get into the show (a very funny one, she had to admit, there was a peculiar man doing silly walks) she felt a tug at her leg.
"Yes Trouble?" she said to the black and white blotched cat looking up at her.
"Merow" the cat answered, and Mrs. Figg raised her eye brows unbelievingly.
"An owl, here?" She asked suspiciously. The cat glared back and stalked out of the room, its tail flicking.
Mrs. Figg followed Trouble into her small dining room where there was, indeed, a harassed looking owl with a letter tied to it's leg, and five cats sitting around it.
"Enough all of you" She reprimanded them, and they scattered hastily. Nevertheless, the second the letter had come off its leg the owl took off into the night.
Mrs. Figg trembled as she opened the letter, she had not gotten an owl for 11 years. Upon reading it she collapsed into one of the chairs and sobbed into the table. A pure white cat flew gingerly onto the table and nipped Mrs. Figg.
"Oh!" Mrs. Figg looked up, and to the cats seeming surprise she had a smile from ear to ear. "Scorn, it's wonderful" She stroked the cat reassuringly "My daughter is finally coming home!"
***
Harry sat up with a start.
Harry had not been asleep for long, but he had been troubled with images of red eyes. The nightmare was fading fast, however he could remember a lake, and the moon, and then there was a loud scream. It seemed very important that he get closer to the lake, but his feet had been stuck to the ground. Somehow he had to get to the lake.
Shaking himself Harry got up. It wasn't like him to be so lazy, but today he just slumped around his room. He moved from the bed, to the floor, and back to the bed again, his mind moving desperately through ways to escape from Mrs. Figg.