The next morning Harry stood in front of the Mrs. Figg's door. The
Dursleys were already gone. They had only waited long enough for Harry to
get out of the house before they locked the door, hopped in the car and
left. No one looked back or waved goodbye, and Harry was left to haul the
trunk by himself. It heavy, but even worse was the sense of dread filling
him. This promised to be one of the worst months ever.
The door to Mrs. Figg's house opened, and there standing in the doorway was Mrs. Figg.
She looked different though, younger, if that was possible. There was a sparkle in her eye Harry hadn't seen before. Mrs. Figg smiled at Harry and helped him into the house, which smelled like bleach, not at all like cat.
Harry looked around the room. The windows were opened, and it every surface was sparkling. Harry looked around the room in shock, until his roaming eye focused on one object. Sitting on one of the coffee tables was a wand.
Mrs. Figg saw what Harry was looking at. "We have a lot to talk about dear." She said. "But first, there is someone in the Kitchen I would like you to meet. As well as some lovely chocolate cake."
Harry let himself be shuffled into the kitchen. There was a chocolate cake already cut and sitting on the table. As well as a steaming mug of tea, and a person. She was short, only about 5'4" and had short dark brown hair with matching eyes. Her hair and eyes were both so dark they were almost black.
"Harry, this is my daughter, Arabella!" Mrs. Figg was beaming proudly at her daughter, who was also beaming at her mother.
"Hello Harry." Arabella moved over to him, trying to wipe her hands covered in chocolate on her robes and giving him a hearty handshake. "It's very nice to meet you at last, I've heard some wonderful things about you from Sirius and Remus."
"Are they okay! Did you see them?" Harry exclaimed excitedly not even noticing the sticky chocolate on his hand.
"Relax Harry!" Arabella pleaded laughing. "They are fine, everything is fine. I talked with them before coming here, if all goes well they should be able to visit very soon!"
"Now," Mrs. Figg interrupted Harry before he could start to speak again. "No more talking until you try this cake! It will be better than usual as Arabella made it, not me."
Harry smiled and sat down at the table along with Arabella and Mrs. Figg and began to eat the cake. She was right, it was very good.
***
The next few days were wonderful. Harry was waited on hand and foot by Mrs. Figg, and Arabella turned out to be a brilliant cook.
Harry slowly got most of his questions answered, but some things Arabella and Mrs. Figg seemed rather vague about. He found out that Mrs. Figg had moved to Privet drive a few years before he was born, although she wouldn't say why, and that she had spent the last 11 years cut off from the entire wizarding world, including her daughter.
Mrs. Figg obviously had missed her daughter, she was constantly bragging about her and telling Harry stories from Arabella's childhood. "Her teachers complained that she was too quiet until the day she lost her temper and turned her transfiguration teacher into a footstool." or "I remember I got an owl after the first day of school, she thought she would have no friends, poor dear."
Arabella tried desperately to stop her mother, but ended up laughing with them. It was evident to Harry that Arabella had missed her mom too, but she didn't show it in such an obvious way.
The strangest thing about Mrs. Figg was her cats. The first day Harry had seen no evidence that Mrs. Figg still had any cats, but since that day he had noticed cats coming and going at random times. Sometimes they had notes for Mrs. Figg, sometimes not. Mrs. Figg would exchange a few words with the cats, Harry supposed she must be able to understand them, and then the cats would leave again. When Harry asked Mrs. Figg what the cats where doing she changed the subject abruptly and Harry decided not to ask again.
Everyday Harry waited for news about his friends and Sirius and Remus. Arabella told him that owls could not be sent here because they would attract too much attention, however she seemed to be getting information another way. Finally one day she gave Harry the message he had been waiting for.
"Harry" Arabella came over to him smiling "I have good news, Sirius and Remus will be coming tomorrow."
"Really!" Harry jumped up from the couch. "I'm so glad! I miss them so much, thank you Arabella!"
Harry thought he saw a fleeting emotion pass over Arabella's face, but she controlled her self and smiled back at him. Maybe not so controlled. Looking into Arabella's eyes Harry saw pain, well disguised and buried deep down, but still there nevertheless. Arabella looked at Harry curiously and looked away, as if she knew what he had seen.
"What do you think they would like for lunch tomorrow?" She asked "I want to have a big meal prepared, Sirius and Remus looked very thin when I saw them last." She turned back to Harry, perhaps he had imagined that look. "I think that Remus was cooking for himself and Sirius, which means that they have probably been eating toast and sandwiches the whole summer."
Harry laughed. "I'm sure anything you make would be an improvement"
Arabella looked at him thoughtfully. "I remember your mom gave me a recipe for chili. A recipe from her mother I believe. Would you like that Harry?"
"From my mum? You knew my mum?" Harry asked excitedly. "How come you didn't tell me?"
"I didn't know her very well Harry. We went to school together, but I didn't get to know her until after we graduated."
Harry was anxious to ask questions, but he could tell from Arabella's tone of voice that it was not something she was ready to talk about.
"Chili would be great. Maybe you can make some of that cake for desert too."
"I'll make you a cake tonight." Arabella shaking her head at him, amused. "I have a surprise for dessert tomorrow."
Harry grinned and watched as Arabella went into the kitchen. Later, while Harry was trying to teach Mrs. Figg to play chess Arabella brought sandwiches and cake out on trays.
"Sorry guys" she said apologetically "It's not much, but it's a war zone in there, and I need to starve you enough so that you will be able to eat a lot tomorrow. Did I mention I'm cooking for twelve?"
With that she turned on her heel and went back into the kitchen. Harry caught a glimpse of the kitchen as she opened the door, she hadn't been kidding when she had called it a war zone. The walls and floor were covered with food, and the table and counter was overflowing with dishes. Twelve? He thought confused. Were there more people coming? Sirius, Remus, Mrs. Figg, Arabella and himself made five.
"It's okay dear, whenever she throws a big party she adds an extra person on to her group and then cooks twice of what she needs." Mrs. Figg said as if she had read Harry's mind. "Checkmate" She relished.
Harry's mind was jerked back to the game, there was no way.
"No Mrs. Figg," Harry said, barely able to choke back the laughs. "You can't move the knight diagonal, and you are trying to capture the KING, not the Queen."
"Sexist game." Mrs. Figg mumbled. "Oh well, I'm completely hopeless I expect. How about we eat some cake and skip the sandwiches."
Harry couldn't hold back his laughter anymore.
The door to Mrs. Figg's house opened, and there standing in the doorway was Mrs. Figg.
She looked different though, younger, if that was possible. There was a sparkle in her eye Harry hadn't seen before. Mrs. Figg smiled at Harry and helped him into the house, which smelled like bleach, not at all like cat.
Harry looked around the room. The windows were opened, and it every surface was sparkling. Harry looked around the room in shock, until his roaming eye focused on one object. Sitting on one of the coffee tables was a wand.
Mrs. Figg saw what Harry was looking at. "We have a lot to talk about dear." She said. "But first, there is someone in the Kitchen I would like you to meet. As well as some lovely chocolate cake."
Harry let himself be shuffled into the kitchen. There was a chocolate cake already cut and sitting on the table. As well as a steaming mug of tea, and a person. She was short, only about 5'4" and had short dark brown hair with matching eyes. Her hair and eyes were both so dark they were almost black.
"Harry, this is my daughter, Arabella!" Mrs. Figg was beaming proudly at her daughter, who was also beaming at her mother.
"Hello Harry." Arabella moved over to him, trying to wipe her hands covered in chocolate on her robes and giving him a hearty handshake. "It's very nice to meet you at last, I've heard some wonderful things about you from Sirius and Remus."
"Are they okay! Did you see them?" Harry exclaimed excitedly not even noticing the sticky chocolate on his hand.
"Relax Harry!" Arabella pleaded laughing. "They are fine, everything is fine. I talked with them before coming here, if all goes well they should be able to visit very soon!"
"Now," Mrs. Figg interrupted Harry before he could start to speak again. "No more talking until you try this cake! It will be better than usual as Arabella made it, not me."
Harry smiled and sat down at the table along with Arabella and Mrs. Figg and began to eat the cake. She was right, it was very good.
***
The next few days were wonderful. Harry was waited on hand and foot by Mrs. Figg, and Arabella turned out to be a brilliant cook.
Harry slowly got most of his questions answered, but some things Arabella and Mrs. Figg seemed rather vague about. He found out that Mrs. Figg had moved to Privet drive a few years before he was born, although she wouldn't say why, and that she had spent the last 11 years cut off from the entire wizarding world, including her daughter.
Mrs. Figg obviously had missed her daughter, she was constantly bragging about her and telling Harry stories from Arabella's childhood. "Her teachers complained that she was too quiet until the day she lost her temper and turned her transfiguration teacher into a footstool." or "I remember I got an owl after the first day of school, she thought she would have no friends, poor dear."
Arabella tried desperately to stop her mother, but ended up laughing with them. It was evident to Harry that Arabella had missed her mom too, but she didn't show it in such an obvious way.
The strangest thing about Mrs. Figg was her cats. The first day Harry had seen no evidence that Mrs. Figg still had any cats, but since that day he had noticed cats coming and going at random times. Sometimes they had notes for Mrs. Figg, sometimes not. Mrs. Figg would exchange a few words with the cats, Harry supposed she must be able to understand them, and then the cats would leave again. When Harry asked Mrs. Figg what the cats where doing she changed the subject abruptly and Harry decided not to ask again.
Everyday Harry waited for news about his friends and Sirius and Remus. Arabella told him that owls could not be sent here because they would attract too much attention, however she seemed to be getting information another way. Finally one day she gave Harry the message he had been waiting for.
"Harry" Arabella came over to him smiling "I have good news, Sirius and Remus will be coming tomorrow."
"Really!" Harry jumped up from the couch. "I'm so glad! I miss them so much, thank you Arabella!"
Harry thought he saw a fleeting emotion pass over Arabella's face, but she controlled her self and smiled back at him. Maybe not so controlled. Looking into Arabella's eyes Harry saw pain, well disguised and buried deep down, but still there nevertheless. Arabella looked at Harry curiously and looked away, as if she knew what he had seen.
"What do you think they would like for lunch tomorrow?" She asked "I want to have a big meal prepared, Sirius and Remus looked very thin when I saw them last." She turned back to Harry, perhaps he had imagined that look. "I think that Remus was cooking for himself and Sirius, which means that they have probably been eating toast and sandwiches the whole summer."
Harry laughed. "I'm sure anything you make would be an improvement"
Arabella looked at him thoughtfully. "I remember your mom gave me a recipe for chili. A recipe from her mother I believe. Would you like that Harry?"
"From my mum? You knew my mum?" Harry asked excitedly. "How come you didn't tell me?"
"I didn't know her very well Harry. We went to school together, but I didn't get to know her until after we graduated."
Harry was anxious to ask questions, but he could tell from Arabella's tone of voice that it was not something she was ready to talk about.
"Chili would be great. Maybe you can make some of that cake for desert too."
"I'll make you a cake tonight." Arabella shaking her head at him, amused. "I have a surprise for dessert tomorrow."
Harry grinned and watched as Arabella went into the kitchen. Later, while Harry was trying to teach Mrs. Figg to play chess Arabella brought sandwiches and cake out on trays.
"Sorry guys" she said apologetically "It's not much, but it's a war zone in there, and I need to starve you enough so that you will be able to eat a lot tomorrow. Did I mention I'm cooking for twelve?"
With that she turned on her heel and went back into the kitchen. Harry caught a glimpse of the kitchen as she opened the door, she hadn't been kidding when she had called it a war zone. The walls and floor were covered with food, and the table and counter was overflowing with dishes. Twelve? He thought confused. Were there more people coming? Sirius, Remus, Mrs. Figg, Arabella and himself made five.
"It's okay dear, whenever she throws a big party she adds an extra person on to her group and then cooks twice of what she needs." Mrs. Figg said as if she had read Harry's mind. "Checkmate" She relished.
Harry's mind was jerked back to the game, there was no way.
"No Mrs. Figg," Harry said, barely able to choke back the laughs. "You can't move the knight diagonal, and you are trying to capture the KING, not the Queen."
"Sexist game." Mrs. Figg mumbled. "Oh well, I'm completely hopeless I expect. How about we eat some cake and skip the sandwiches."
Harry couldn't hold back his laughter anymore.