Harry was sprawled on his bed when he heard the doorbell ring. His black hair was even more messy than usual, as he hadn't even attempted to brush it for days now. He had been back at number 4 Privet Drive for just over 3 weeks. So far it hadn't been too bad. Moody and Lupin's warnings to the Dursley's seemed to have improved things, for now at least. Ok, so they weren't being nice to him but they weren't being too horrible either.
Harry ignored the doorbell and looked back at his photograph album, staring at the picture of Sirius waving back to him. His green eyes filled up and a tear ran down his cheek. He could hear voices from downstairs but ignored them, it wasn't like anyone would be coming to see him. Even if they did, he didn't expect anyone he knew to ring the doorbell.
Vernon Dursley hauled himself out of his armchair to answer the door, he was already annoyed that who ever it was had disturbed him from watching his favourite TV program. It had better not be some idiot collecting for some pointless charity. On opening the door he found an attractive, smartly dressed woman standing staring at him.
"Mr Dursley" she said "I need to speak to you about your nephew. May I come in?"
"What has he done this time?" He demanded
"I would prefer if we could discuss it inside, unless of course you'd prefer your neighbours to hear what I have to say"
Vernon showed the woman into the living room and thundered up the stairs to Harry's room.
Harry heard footsteps on the stairs and immediately he had closed the photo album and pushed it under the pillow. He had just brushed the tear from his face when his Uncle came crashing through the door.
"Get downstairs now!" Uncle Vernon bellowed "I don't care what those freaks warned me. If you've been up to something…" Harry racked his brain to try and figure out what he might have done. He couldn't think of anything, he'd hardly left the house since he got back. Harry followed Uncle Vernon down to the living room. He studied the woman standing there. She was wearing smart black trousers and a white T-shirt. Her ling dark hair was tied back and her hazel eyes lit up when she saw Harry.
"So tell us then, what has he's been up to?" Uncle Vernon demandded
"Maybe I should introduce myself first." The woman replied "I'm Talitha McKenzie, Albus Dumbledore sent me."
"Dumbledore sent you?" Harry interrupted
"You're a … You're…one of them. But you don't look like one" stuttered Uncle Vernon, astonished that a witch had knocked on his door and had not entered his house through the fire or the window or appeared out of no where.
"But you look like…" He continued
"A muggle? Yes I know. It's a bit easier to blend in" she replied laughing "We aren't all as barmy as Arthur Weasley and Alastor Moody you know"
"Why did Dumbledore send you?" Harry asked keenly.
"Something's come up Harry. I've come to take you somewhere. Can't tell you where I'm afraid. Dumbledore told me to get you there straight away" Uncle Vernon was silent, still in shock that he'd met one of those 'freaks', as he liked to call them, who looked normal "Is you're wife here Mr Dursley?"
"No, she and my son are out for the day"
"I'm afraid we haven't got time to stay and wait for her to come back. There's a note here explaining everything. I'll leave it with you" She turned to Harry "Well you'd best pack your things as quick as possible, we have to get going"
Harry raced up to his room. He was getting away from the Dursley's! However as he reached his room, a thought hit him. How did he know who she was? She could be anybody. She could even be a Death Eater.
"I've come to help you pack Harry" a voice said behind him. He turned and looked at her. She didn't look like a Death Eater but that didn't mean anything.
"How do I know Dumbledore sent you? Why didn't he send an Owl first so I knew someone was coming? Why didn't someone who I knew come for me?" Harry asked quickly not stopping between questions to allow her to answer.
"You've a quick brain Harry. That's good, you're right you should never trust anyone. Constant Vigilance as Moody would say. Now let me think, how can I prove to you that Dumbledore sent me?" She stood thinking for a moment "I told them this would happen" She said to herself "I knew Remus should have come"
"Remus?" Harry asked "as in Lupin"
"Yeah, it was his job to fetch you when Dumbledore told us it was necessary but as always, things didn't go to plan" She replied. Harry looked puzzled
"Full moon" she explain
"Ok, I'm starting to believe you now but…" Harry was stopped short by a car horn outside in the street. Talitha glanced out of the window.
"Well I think that will convince you, our transport has arrived" she beckoned Harry to look out of the window. "I believe you know Dung"
Harry looked down and saw Mundungus Fletcher sitting in beaten up old car waving up at him.
A few minutes later an astounded Vernon Dudley watched Harry's levitating trunk float down the stairs.
"I'll just get Dung to come and fetch it" Talitha said "we don't want the muggles seeing your trunk like this now do we"
"It's ok, I can manage" said Harry, quickly. Uncle Vernon had just possibly been convinced that not all magical people were insane, meeting Mundungus Fletcher was not going to reinforce this at all.
"Best get going then" Talitha stated
"Bye then Uncle Vernon" Uncle Vernon grunted and returned to his armchair.
Once the trunk and its three passengers were safely in the car, they set off.
"Why are we going by car?" Harry asked
"It's the only way really" Talitha answered "we can't really fly in day light and there wasn't enough time to arrange a port key or to link the Dursleys up to the floo network"
"Why was all this arranged in such a rush?"
"I'll explain when we get there."
"When we get where?"
"You'll see, it's not too far I don't think." Talitha told him "Dung, you do know the way don't you?"
Harry ignored the doorbell and looked back at his photograph album, staring at the picture of Sirius waving back to him. His green eyes filled up and a tear ran down his cheek. He could hear voices from downstairs but ignored them, it wasn't like anyone would be coming to see him. Even if they did, he didn't expect anyone he knew to ring the doorbell.
Vernon Dursley hauled himself out of his armchair to answer the door, he was already annoyed that who ever it was had disturbed him from watching his favourite TV program. It had better not be some idiot collecting for some pointless charity. On opening the door he found an attractive, smartly dressed woman standing staring at him.
"Mr Dursley" she said "I need to speak to you about your nephew. May I come in?"
"What has he done this time?" He demanded
"I would prefer if we could discuss it inside, unless of course you'd prefer your neighbours to hear what I have to say"
Vernon showed the woman into the living room and thundered up the stairs to Harry's room.
Harry heard footsteps on the stairs and immediately he had closed the photo album and pushed it under the pillow. He had just brushed the tear from his face when his Uncle came crashing through the door.
"Get downstairs now!" Uncle Vernon bellowed "I don't care what those freaks warned me. If you've been up to something…" Harry racked his brain to try and figure out what he might have done. He couldn't think of anything, he'd hardly left the house since he got back. Harry followed Uncle Vernon down to the living room. He studied the woman standing there. She was wearing smart black trousers and a white T-shirt. Her ling dark hair was tied back and her hazel eyes lit up when she saw Harry.
"So tell us then, what has he's been up to?" Uncle Vernon demandded
"Maybe I should introduce myself first." The woman replied "I'm Talitha McKenzie, Albus Dumbledore sent me."
"Dumbledore sent you?" Harry interrupted
"You're a … You're…one of them. But you don't look like one" stuttered Uncle Vernon, astonished that a witch had knocked on his door and had not entered his house through the fire or the window or appeared out of no where.
"But you look like…" He continued
"A muggle? Yes I know. It's a bit easier to blend in" she replied laughing "We aren't all as barmy as Arthur Weasley and Alastor Moody you know"
"Why did Dumbledore send you?" Harry asked keenly.
"Something's come up Harry. I've come to take you somewhere. Can't tell you where I'm afraid. Dumbledore told me to get you there straight away" Uncle Vernon was silent, still in shock that he'd met one of those 'freaks', as he liked to call them, who looked normal "Is you're wife here Mr Dursley?"
"No, she and my son are out for the day"
"I'm afraid we haven't got time to stay and wait for her to come back. There's a note here explaining everything. I'll leave it with you" She turned to Harry "Well you'd best pack your things as quick as possible, we have to get going"
Harry raced up to his room. He was getting away from the Dursley's! However as he reached his room, a thought hit him. How did he know who she was? She could be anybody. She could even be a Death Eater.
"I've come to help you pack Harry" a voice said behind him. He turned and looked at her. She didn't look like a Death Eater but that didn't mean anything.
"How do I know Dumbledore sent you? Why didn't he send an Owl first so I knew someone was coming? Why didn't someone who I knew come for me?" Harry asked quickly not stopping between questions to allow her to answer.
"You've a quick brain Harry. That's good, you're right you should never trust anyone. Constant Vigilance as Moody would say. Now let me think, how can I prove to you that Dumbledore sent me?" She stood thinking for a moment "I told them this would happen" She said to herself "I knew Remus should have come"
"Remus?" Harry asked "as in Lupin"
"Yeah, it was his job to fetch you when Dumbledore told us it was necessary but as always, things didn't go to plan" She replied. Harry looked puzzled
"Full moon" she explain
"Ok, I'm starting to believe you now but…" Harry was stopped short by a car horn outside in the street. Talitha glanced out of the window.
"Well I think that will convince you, our transport has arrived" she beckoned Harry to look out of the window. "I believe you know Dung"
Harry looked down and saw Mundungus Fletcher sitting in beaten up old car waving up at him.
A few minutes later an astounded Vernon Dudley watched Harry's levitating trunk float down the stairs.
"I'll just get Dung to come and fetch it" Talitha said "we don't want the muggles seeing your trunk like this now do we"
"It's ok, I can manage" said Harry, quickly. Uncle Vernon had just possibly been convinced that not all magical people were insane, meeting Mundungus Fletcher was not going to reinforce this at all.
"Best get going then" Talitha stated
"Bye then Uncle Vernon" Uncle Vernon grunted and returned to his armchair.
Once the trunk and its three passengers were safely in the car, they set off.
"Why are we going by car?" Harry asked
"It's the only way really" Talitha answered "we can't really fly in day light and there wasn't enough time to arrange a port key or to link the Dursleys up to the floo network"
"Why was all this arranged in such a rush?"
"I'll explain when we get there."
"When we get where?"
"You'll see, it's not too far I don't think." Talitha told him "Dung, you do know the way don't you?"