Disclaimer: Just about everything you recognize belongs to Ms Rowling and her publishers. Just about the rest is mine.
And now, without further ado, let me present:
CHAPTER TWO
DECISIONS AND SHOCKING REVELATIONS
After what seemed like an eternity in the Weasleys' sitting room, accompanied, as usual, by Mr. Weasley's enquiries on common Muggle practices, Fred and George's concerns over Dudley's health, Ginny just looking at Harry without really seeing him, and Mrs. Weasley fussing over him and just mothering him, Harry was glad when finally she exclaimed, "Why, look at the time! How time passes when you are enjoying yourself!"
With that, everyone decided that it was time to call it a night, and started trooping up the stairs, headed for their respective bedrooms. Harry was glad that finally he could seek Hermione's advice over the mysterious letter.
He called her aside. "Hermione, don't go to bed yet. I've got something really important to show you, and...just follow me, come to Ron's room...it's in my trunk. You'll see."
She was puzzled, but her curiosity had been piqued. There was little to do but to follow him. "Just run along and go to bed first, Ginny, I'm sure I'll be back in no time at all," she promised.
* * *
In the room, Harry shut the door after him quietly. He strode over to the cot, where his trunk lay, and drew an envelope out of one of the side-compartments. He held it out to Hermione.
She scanned the letter quickly, and passed it to Ron. Both faces looked mystified, to varying degrees. Ron's, however, carried traces of disgust.
"I'm not sure what to make of it, Harry. The handwriting seems familiar, yet I can't quite place it...the letterhead, though, is unique, and I might be able to find something about it in the school library when school reopens, but that would be rather late, wouldn't it? I mean, you're supposed to meet on the 15th... do you plan to meet the writer of this letter? I mean..."
Suddenly, Ron burst out, "It sounds like Malfoy! Yes! I mean, think about it, who else would call you 'Potter'? And it's just like him too, to show off with the fancy paper and whatnot..."
Hermione cut in, "While many people would address Harry by his last name, including practically the whole of Slytherin, yes...I see how you might be right... Malfoy might be the most likely candidate. The coldness and brevity of the letter seems characteristic of his callous nature, and he's certainly rich enough to have such kinds of personalized stationery, and, yes, to 'show off' as well, as you have just pointed out - amazing insight on your part, Ron...and the handwriting...yes...that's probably his, I might have seen it in Arithmancy...oh! Look at the symbol, at the hilt of the dagger! Do you see it? You can just make out an 'M'..."
She turned excitedly to Harry. "Yes, it must be him! Malfoy! Ron, you've just proven that you can be absolutely brilliant! Now if you'd just work harder in your lessons..."
Ron turned beet red at this unexpected praise.
Harry looked perplexed. "So...we've just about determined that the letter is from Malfoy. But then...what am I supposed to do? Should I meet him? And...what if it isn't him? Why would he even send me a letter anyway?"
Hermione, ever sensible, responded, "Evidently, he requires help of some kind...Harry, I think you'd better go, I mean, the fact is...he must have worked up considerable gut to ask you, his archenemy, for help."
"Yeah, provided he's actually asking for help. Harry, what if you go and he kidnaps you or challenges you to a duel or something? And obviously he was too cowardly to even sign off his name."
Harry was silent for a moment. Both his friends had put up some very valid arguments, of course. Yet...what if Malfoy (if it were indeed him) truly needed help? He couldn't very well just...leave him in the lurch, could he? Well, sure, Malfoy had done some pretty nasty things to them in the past. Would probably continue doing so, in fact. But he was a git and couldn't help it. Harry wasn't like him, and wasn't about to sink to his level. Besides, there was the possibility that it wasn't him at all. Harry made up his mind. "I'll go," he told them, and was rewarded with a pleasing smile from Hermione, and a look of utter horror and disgust from Ron.
* * *
While Ron may have disapproved of his decision to meet the enigmatic writer, this did nothing to affect their holiday mood in the days leading towards the fifteenth. Every day was spent with fun and games, food and quidditch, warm conversations around the hearth, and with teasing Ginny, who still hadn't quite gotten over blushing whenever Harry 'condescended' to speak with her.
At last, the night of the 14th arrived, warm and clear, creating a perfect setting for an outdoor picnic dinner. From mid-afternoon, the whole house was abuzz with excitement from the preparation for the picnic.
Percival Weasley, considering himself too important to be involved with the actual work itself, proceeded to instruct various members of the family on what he felt was the best way to set about doing whatever it was they happened to be doing at the moment, and generally made a large nuisance out of himself.
Mr. Weasley was occupied with the task of setting the tables up, and dragged a protesting Percy out of the house to assist him, much to the gratitude of everyone.
The rest of the children were busy in the kitchen, helping Mrs. Weasley with the food. That is to say, Ginny was helping with the preparation of it, Harry and Ron were occupied with the consumption of it, Fred and George were trying to halt any progress there was to be made, and Hermione was ensuring that nobody would turn into something...unnatural...by eating any of the food. Unfortunately for the younger boys, the plate they were attacking had not been certified clean by Hermione. They had to spend part of the afternoon in the form of canaries, much to their dismay and to the twins' amusement.
Finally, the picnic was ready. Mr. Weasley, who had spent most of the last few days at the Ministry, attending long meetings and seldom returning before the children had all retired to their bedrooms, had news impart to them near the end of the meal. And shocking news it was,too.
"Did you know," he remarked casually, "that just this morning, the Board of Ministers decided that Sirius Black was to be pronounced a free man?"
A collective gasp arose from the startled lips of the picnic-goers.
"WHAT?"
-TO BE CONTINUED-
A/N: yeah, well...so how was that? I sure hope it was better than the original. Do you think the sentences are too long? Too draggy, perhaps? And, as always, eternal gratitude towards VyingQuill.
And now, without further ado, let me present:
After what seemed like an eternity in the Weasleys' sitting room, accompanied, as usual, by Mr. Weasley's enquiries on common Muggle practices, Fred and George's concerns over Dudley's health, Ginny just looking at Harry without really seeing him, and Mrs. Weasley fussing over him and just mothering him, Harry was glad when finally she exclaimed, "Why, look at the time! How time passes when you are enjoying yourself!"
With that, everyone decided that it was time to call it a night, and started trooping up the stairs, headed for their respective bedrooms. Harry was glad that finally he could seek Hermione's advice over the mysterious letter.
He called her aside. "Hermione, don't go to bed yet. I've got something really important to show you, and...just follow me, come to Ron's room...it's in my trunk. You'll see."
She was puzzled, but her curiosity had been piqued. There was little to do but to follow him. "Just run along and go to bed first, Ginny, I'm sure I'll be back in no time at all," she promised.
In the room, Harry shut the door after him quietly. He strode over to the cot, where his trunk lay, and drew an envelope out of one of the side-compartments. He held it out to Hermione.
She scanned the letter quickly, and passed it to Ron. Both faces looked mystified, to varying degrees. Ron's, however, carried traces of disgust.
"I'm not sure what to make of it, Harry. The handwriting seems familiar, yet I can't quite place it...the letterhead, though, is unique, and I might be able to find something about it in the school library when school reopens, but that would be rather late, wouldn't it? I mean, you're supposed to meet on the 15th... do you plan to meet the writer of this letter? I mean..."
Suddenly, Ron burst out, "It sounds like Malfoy! Yes! I mean, think about it, who else would call you 'Potter'? And it's just like him too, to show off with the fancy paper and whatnot..."
Hermione cut in, "While many people would address Harry by his last name, including practically the whole of Slytherin, yes...I see how you might be right... Malfoy might be the most likely candidate. The coldness and brevity of the letter seems characteristic of his callous nature, and he's certainly rich enough to have such kinds of personalized stationery, and, yes, to 'show off' as well, as you have just pointed out - amazing insight on your part, Ron...and the handwriting...yes...that's probably his, I might have seen it in Arithmancy...oh! Look at the symbol, at the hilt of the dagger! Do you see it? You can just make out an 'M'..."
She turned excitedly to Harry. "Yes, it must be him! Malfoy! Ron, you've just proven that you can be absolutely brilliant! Now if you'd just work harder in your lessons..."
Ron turned beet red at this unexpected praise.
Harry looked perplexed. "So...we've just about determined that the letter is from Malfoy. But then...what am I supposed to do? Should I meet him? And...what if it isn't him? Why would he even send me a letter anyway?"
Hermione, ever sensible, responded, "Evidently, he requires help of some kind...Harry, I think you'd better go, I mean, the fact is...he must have worked up considerable gut to ask you, his archenemy, for help."
"Yeah, provided he's actually asking for help. Harry, what if you go and he kidnaps you or challenges you to a duel or something? And obviously he was too cowardly to even sign off his name."
Harry was silent for a moment. Both his friends had put up some very valid arguments, of course. Yet...what if Malfoy (if it were indeed him) truly needed help? He couldn't very well just...leave him in the lurch, could he? Well, sure, Malfoy had done some pretty nasty things to them in the past. Would probably continue doing so, in fact. But he was a git and couldn't help it. Harry wasn't like him, and wasn't about to sink to his level. Besides, there was the possibility that it wasn't him at all. Harry made up his mind. "I'll go," he told them, and was rewarded with a pleasing smile from Hermione, and a look of utter horror and disgust from Ron.
While Ron may have disapproved of his decision to meet the enigmatic writer, this did nothing to affect their holiday mood in the days leading towards the fifteenth. Every day was spent with fun and games, food and quidditch, warm conversations around the hearth, and with teasing Ginny, who still hadn't quite gotten over blushing whenever Harry 'condescended' to speak with her.
At last, the night of the 14th arrived, warm and clear, creating a perfect setting for an outdoor picnic dinner. From mid-afternoon, the whole house was abuzz with excitement from the preparation for the picnic.
Percival Weasley, considering himself too important to be involved with the actual work itself, proceeded to instruct various members of the family on what he felt was the best way to set about doing whatever it was they happened to be doing at the moment, and generally made a large nuisance out of himself.
Mr. Weasley was occupied with the task of setting the tables up, and dragged a protesting Percy out of the house to assist him, much to the gratitude of everyone.
The rest of the children were busy in the kitchen, helping Mrs. Weasley with the food. That is to say, Ginny was helping with the preparation of it, Harry and Ron were occupied with the consumption of it, Fred and George were trying to halt any progress there was to be made, and Hermione was ensuring that nobody would turn into something...unnatural...by eating any of the food. Unfortunately for the younger boys, the plate they were attacking had not been certified clean by Hermione. They had to spend part of the afternoon in the form of canaries, much to their dismay and to the twins' amusement.
Finally, the picnic was ready. Mr. Weasley, who had spent most of the last few days at the Ministry, attending long meetings and seldom returning before the children had all retired to their bedrooms, had news impart to them near the end of the meal. And shocking news it was,too.
"Did you know," he remarked casually, "that just this morning, the Board of Ministers decided that Sirius Black was to be pronounced a free man?"
A collective gasp arose from the startled lips of the picnic-goers.
"WHAT?"
A/N: yeah, well...so how was that? I sure hope it was better than the original. Do you think the sentences are too long? Too draggy, perhaps? And, as always, eternal gratitude towards VyingQuill.