Disclaimer: I don't own anything Harry Potter related, it's all J.K.
Rowling's insanely genius creation.
A/N: Just so you know, Katie Bell is still at Hogwarts, but this is her last year. My proof is in p. 575 of the American Scholastic version in The Order of the Phoenix. So my info is accurate, hehe.
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Chapter 2- Back to Grimmauld Place
Harry felt rather stupid to have been worried about his O.W.L. results just weeks ago when he was to go Sirius's funeral in a few days. But he had only let himself think about matters such as O.W.L.s before, anything other than Sirius's death.
Harry hadn't received bad grades, as it turned out on a horribly humid morning. An official looking owl swooped in through the window of his bedroom, abandoning the letter upon the bed and zooming off at once. Harry picked up the slightly bulging letter in no real anticipation, opening the envelope slowly and removing four parchments. The first parchment was of the usual start-of-term notice for Hogwarts, and the second of required books for the sixth year. Harry turned to the third parchment and ran his eyes down quickly. It read:
The Wizarding Examinations Authority is pleased to present you, Harry James Potter, the results of your Ordinary Wizarding levels examinations.
Transfiguration: Exceeds Expectations
Defense Against the Dark Arts: Outstanding
Charms: Exceeds Expectations
Potions: Exceeds Expectations
Herbology: Exceeds Expectations
History of Magic: Acceptable
Astronomy: Exceeds Expectations
Care of Magical Creatures: Exceeds Expectations
Divination: Acceptable
We hope to see you again during your N.E.W.T.s. Have a nice summer!
Everything seemed quite acceptable, all except, Harry thought with a pang of despair, for his Potions result. According to Professor McGonagall one must receive an Outstanding in Potions in order to attend the N.E.W.T. level lessons, which was vital for an Auror to take. As much as Harry loved the thought of not having to endure his least favorite Hogwarts teacher ever again, his dreams of becoming an Auror evaporated, leaving him feeling even more miserable.
He was cheered up slightly, however, as he remembered there was one more parchment remaining. A small smile spread across his face as he read the contents of it:
Dear Mr. Potter
I'm pleased to welcome you back into your Seeker position for the Gryffindor Quidditch Team, and hope you accept. Ginny Weasley, who was only a replacement, has graciously stepped down and is looking to try out for another position next term. Your broomstick can be picked up in my office.
As Katie Bell is the oldest remaining team-member with much experience, she has been appointed the new Captain. Have a good summer.
Professor McGonagall
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Two days later Harry found himself pacing his half empty bedroom, as all his possessions were now stuffed inside his trunk. A disgruntled looking Hedwig perched inside her locked cage, turning her head back-and-forth at Harry's pacing, her eyes following him.
August first had arrived a little too fast for Harry's liking, and he felt disgusted with himself for wanting to spend the remaining summer with the Dursleys rather than stay with those who he actually liked. Don't be selfish, he kept telling himself, it's only right to pay your respects and come to terms with the situation.
But he couldn't come to terms with Sirius's death, as a large part of him still did not want o accept it. Those dreams of the moment Sirius died still haunted Harry at night...the faint laughter in his face...the widened eyes in a shocked expression...the graceful fall through the ragged veil...
A large pounding noise from the front door downstairs brought Harry back from his terrible reverie. Checking his watch, he realized it was precisely noon. He gave a grim sigh, and taking a hold of his trunk and Hedwig's cage, descended the stairs and made his way to the front door.
The Dursleys had gone to a theme park for the day, as they had no intention of being seen with freaks. They thought it better that Harry left quickly and quietly, without them having to associate with Harry's kind of people. Harry thought it was best as well.
He opened the door and tried his best to give a small smile as he saw the familiar faces of Mad-Eye Moody, Nymphadora Tonks, and Remus Lupin. Both Lupin and Tonks smiled back, but Moody looked rather angry.
"What were you thinking boy, opening the door without making sure who's on the other side," he growled, lifting his bowler hat slightly so that both his magical and normal eye were visible, glaring down at Harry. "You could've been jinxed, cursed, or killed!"
"Come down Mad-Eye," said Tonks with a grin. "He knew we were arriving at this time, anyway."
It looked as though Moody was about to say something else but Lupin interrupted quickly, "Well, best be off then. You should go say goodbye to your aunt and uncle."
"They've been gone for the whole day, but they know I'm leaving, so it's alright." Harry said quickly, locking the door behind him while Lupin took hold of his trunk and Tonks picked up Hedwig's cage.
"Bloody morons, those Muggles, leaving you at it all alone..." grunted Moody, taking a sharp hold of Harry's shoulder and leading him toward the driveway, where a familiar battered old car puffed out exceptional amount of smoke. Mundungus Fletcher waved at him from the driver's seat.
The drive was long and very slow, but Tonks and Lupin, who were sitting in the back with Harry, came up with good conversations.
"...so I was at the Weird Sisters concert the other day-" said Tonks animatedly after a half an hour of Quidditch talk.
"-and she insisted on taking me along-" said Lupin with a small smile.
"well all you do is stay in the house...speaking of house, I want to tell you something, Harry. Well, erm, before Sirius died, long before... we had a little talk," Tonks said, looking rather uncomfortable. She gave a small sigh and looked at Harry in a determined fashion, and continued, "he said if something were to happen to him, that Number Twelve Grimmauld Place should still be used for the Order. Also, as much as he wanted to give the house to you after your graduation from Hogwarts, he didn't think you'd want it if he weren't there. So he said that if anything were to happen to him, the place would be left in Lupin and my possession. I hope you understand."
Harry was not at all expecting this, and tried to recover from his shock by saying, "That's fine, I don't mind."
But the rest of the ride was spent in silence between the three. Only Moody and Mundungus spoke in the front, unaware of what had happened in the back.
Sirius had wanted Harry to stay with him after Harry's seventh year at Hogwarts, only now that would never happen because there was no more Sirius...
They arrived at Grimmauld Place about an hour later, and Harry was glad to get out of the car as quickly as possible. Tonks led the way to a deserted spot between Number 11 and 10, and an ancient house became visible slowly. It looked as though Tonks was about to ring the doorbell, but Lupin stepped between her and the door just in time, and rapped on the door softly instead.
Harry stepped onto the porch and gave a deep sigh, not at all anticipating his stay at Number Twelve Grimmauld Place.
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A/N: I have finished this chapter, finally...I was stuck on the O.W.L. results part, but I've recovered. Just hung on the new DADA teacher, please make suggestion if you can think of someone. Remember to review, thanks!
A/N: Just so you know, Katie Bell is still at Hogwarts, but this is her last year. My proof is in p. 575 of the American Scholastic version in The Order of the Phoenix. So my info is accurate, hehe.
`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
Chapter 2- Back to Grimmauld Place
Harry felt rather stupid to have been worried about his O.W.L. results just weeks ago when he was to go Sirius's funeral in a few days. But he had only let himself think about matters such as O.W.L.s before, anything other than Sirius's death.
Harry hadn't received bad grades, as it turned out on a horribly humid morning. An official looking owl swooped in through the window of his bedroom, abandoning the letter upon the bed and zooming off at once. Harry picked up the slightly bulging letter in no real anticipation, opening the envelope slowly and removing four parchments. The first parchment was of the usual start-of-term notice for Hogwarts, and the second of required books for the sixth year. Harry turned to the third parchment and ran his eyes down quickly. It read:
The Wizarding Examinations Authority is pleased to present you, Harry James Potter, the results of your Ordinary Wizarding levels examinations.
Transfiguration: Exceeds Expectations
Defense Against the Dark Arts: Outstanding
Charms: Exceeds Expectations
Potions: Exceeds Expectations
Herbology: Exceeds Expectations
History of Magic: Acceptable
Astronomy: Exceeds Expectations
Care of Magical Creatures: Exceeds Expectations
Divination: Acceptable
We hope to see you again during your N.E.W.T.s. Have a nice summer!
Everything seemed quite acceptable, all except, Harry thought with a pang of despair, for his Potions result. According to Professor McGonagall one must receive an Outstanding in Potions in order to attend the N.E.W.T. level lessons, which was vital for an Auror to take. As much as Harry loved the thought of not having to endure his least favorite Hogwarts teacher ever again, his dreams of becoming an Auror evaporated, leaving him feeling even more miserable.
He was cheered up slightly, however, as he remembered there was one more parchment remaining. A small smile spread across his face as he read the contents of it:
Dear Mr. Potter
I'm pleased to welcome you back into your Seeker position for the Gryffindor Quidditch Team, and hope you accept. Ginny Weasley, who was only a replacement, has graciously stepped down and is looking to try out for another position next term. Your broomstick can be picked up in my office.
As Katie Bell is the oldest remaining team-member with much experience, she has been appointed the new Captain. Have a good summer.
Professor McGonagall
``````````````````````````
Two days later Harry found himself pacing his half empty bedroom, as all his possessions were now stuffed inside his trunk. A disgruntled looking Hedwig perched inside her locked cage, turning her head back-and-forth at Harry's pacing, her eyes following him.
August first had arrived a little too fast for Harry's liking, and he felt disgusted with himself for wanting to spend the remaining summer with the Dursleys rather than stay with those who he actually liked. Don't be selfish, he kept telling himself, it's only right to pay your respects and come to terms with the situation.
But he couldn't come to terms with Sirius's death, as a large part of him still did not want o accept it. Those dreams of the moment Sirius died still haunted Harry at night...the faint laughter in his face...the widened eyes in a shocked expression...the graceful fall through the ragged veil...
A large pounding noise from the front door downstairs brought Harry back from his terrible reverie. Checking his watch, he realized it was precisely noon. He gave a grim sigh, and taking a hold of his trunk and Hedwig's cage, descended the stairs and made his way to the front door.
The Dursleys had gone to a theme park for the day, as they had no intention of being seen with freaks. They thought it better that Harry left quickly and quietly, without them having to associate with Harry's kind of people. Harry thought it was best as well.
He opened the door and tried his best to give a small smile as he saw the familiar faces of Mad-Eye Moody, Nymphadora Tonks, and Remus Lupin. Both Lupin and Tonks smiled back, but Moody looked rather angry.
"What were you thinking boy, opening the door without making sure who's on the other side," he growled, lifting his bowler hat slightly so that both his magical and normal eye were visible, glaring down at Harry. "You could've been jinxed, cursed, or killed!"
"Come down Mad-Eye," said Tonks with a grin. "He knew we were arriving at this time, anyway."
It looked as though Moody was about to say something else but Lupin interrupted quickly, "Well, best be off then. You should go say goodbye to your aunt and uncle."
"They've been gone for the whole day, but they know I'm leaving, so it's alright." Harry said quickly, locking the door behind him while Lupin took hold of his trunk and Tonks picked up Hedwig's cage.
"Bloody morons, those Muggles, leaving you at it all alone..." grunted Moody, taking a sharp hold of Harry's shoulder and leading him toward the driveway, where a familiar battered old car puffed out exceptional amount of smoke. Mundungus Fletcher waved at him from the driver's seat.
The drive was long and very slow, but Tonks and Lupin, who were sitting in the back with Harry, came up with good conversations.
"...so I was at the Weird Sisters concert the other day-" said Tonks animatedly after a half an hour of Quidditch talk.
"-and she insisted on taking me along-" said Lupin with a small smile.
"well all you do is stay in the house...speaking of house, I want to tell you something, Harry. Well, erm, before Sirius died, long before... we had a little talk," Tonks said, looking rather uncomfortable. She gave a small sigh and looked at Harry in a determined fashion, and continued, "he said if something were to happen to him, that Number Twelve Grimmauld Place should still be used for the Order. Also, as much as he wanted to give the house to you after your graduation from Hogwarts, he didn't think you'd want it if he weren't there. So he said that if anything were to happen to him, the place would be left in Lupin and my possession. I hope you understand."
Harry was not at all expecting this, and tried to recover from his shock by saying, "That's fine, I don't mind."
But the rest of the ride was spent in silence between the three. Only Moody and Mundungus spoke in the front, unaware of what had happened in the back.
Sirius had wanted Harry to stay with him after Harry's seventh year at Hogwarts, only now that would never happen because there was no more Sirius...
They arrived at Grimmauld Place about an hour later, and Harry was glad to get out of the car as quickly as possible. Tonks led the way to a deserted spot between Number 11 and 10, and an ancient house became visible slowly. It looked as though Tonks was about to ring the doorbell, but Lupin stepped between her and the door just in time, and rapped on the door softly instead.
Harry stepped onto the porch and gave a deep sigh, not at all anticipating his stay at Number Twelve Grimmauld Place.
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A/N: I have finished this chapter, finally...I was stuck on the O.W.L. results part, but I've recovered. Just hung on the new DADA teacher, please make suggestion if you can think of someone. Remember to review, thanks!