Chapter Six

The Long Wait

            Knowing he was at Hogwarts, Harry awoke expecting to see Ron in the bed next to him. When he sat up and found all of the beds empty, the events of the following day flooded back. As they did, he began to wonder, What am I going to do until term starts?

            Out of nowhere, Dobby, the house elf, appeared with a plate of food for breakfast.

            "Hello, Harry Potter! Dobby heard you was here, so I is bringing you food," Dobby said.

            "Well...ah...thanks Dobby," said a startled Harry.

            "You is welcome Harry Potter. Dobby must leave now," and he left.

Harry decided that since he didn't have anything else to do, he should start on his homework. He hadn't done any of it over the summer because the Dursleys had locked all of his school things in the cupboard under the stairs at the start of the summer. As he went down to the common room, still in his pajamas, he saw an owl flutter past him and drop a letter. He picked it up and read:

            Harry-

Can you believe we have to go back to Hogwarts twelve days earlier! It's not fair! There must be some MAJOR Dark stuff going on or why else would they want us to go back early? Well, I best not make this letter to long. Pig can't carry large things.

See you soon,

Ron

Harry got a piece of parchment, his quill, and a bottle of ink and wrote a reply:

            Ron-

            I'm already at Hogwarts. I had to come back on the tenth because they thought I would be safer here. I can't wait until you and Hermione get back. I've got loads to tell you.

Well, see you on the twentieth,

            Harry folded up the letter and sent Ron's owl back. His spirits were higher with the prospect of meeting his friends earlier.

            After sending his owl, Harry proceeded with his original task of doing his homework. He decided to do his Transfiguration homework first, as it was easily the hardest. He had to transfigure a cup into a mouse, and back again. He also had to have verification from an adult. So, he went back upstairs and got dressed. He practiced a few times on his cup from breakfast. Then he went to see if Professor McGonagall was in her classroom.

            When he got there he saw that she was in her room. Harry knocked on the door and said, "Excuse me Professor."

            "Come in Potter," she replied.

            "Um...," Harry started, "the Dursleys wouldn't let me do my homework over the summer, so I was wondering if--"

            "If I'd verify that you could turn a cup into a mouse and back again. Yes Mr. Potter, I will," said McGonagall.

            So she gave Harry a cup. He concentrated hard as he preformed the spell. All of a sudden there was a mouse where the cup had once been. Then the cup was back.

            "Very good Potter," remarked McGonagall. "By the way, Dobby will be bringing you your lunch."

            "Thank you Professor," said Harry as he left the classroom.

            As he reached Gryffindor Tower he realized, I wonder if Sirius is okay. I sent him and owl a while ago. I hope he is okay. Just as if his mind had been read, Hedwig met him inside the common room. He gave her a treat and sent her off to the owlery. He picked up the letter anxiously and read:

            Harry-

            How are things? Right now I am  at Professor Lupin's house. As you remember at the end of last term Dumbledore sent me here. I am sure you are well protected or I wouldn't have left you.

            I expect that you have already met Arabella Figg. She was your mother's closest friend. That's why she is your secret keeper.

            Now Harry, Dumbledore, Remus, and I have been in constant correspondence over the summer. We have come to the conclusion that when Voldemort took some of your blood and put it into himself, he put a little bit of human into him, which I am sure he didn't want to do. Now he is beatable if we find him in time.

            Well, that is all for now. We both will be at Hogwarts soon to meet with Dumbledore. Please try to stay out of trouble

Sirius

            Harry folded up the letter and thought to himself, If they're coming to meet with Dumbledore, then they must have some special mission. Harry somehow felt that if Sirius were caught it would be his fault. Nevertheless, he was tired. So he made his was up to the boys' dormitories. Before he laid down, he marked another day off of his calendar. The last thought he had before he fell asleep was, only eight more days until I see Ron and Hermione again. And eight days wasn't that long of a wait.