DISCLAIMER: Harry Potter names, characters, and related indicia (what does
that word even mean??) belong to the oh-so-talented Joanne K. Rowling. And
what do I own? Diddly squat.
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CHAPTER 2: MYLZAYA AND ARABELLA
Harry's head snapped up to look at his uncle. "What?"
"You heard me," Vernon said through gritted teeth. "Get out of this house. I've dealt with your ruddy abnormality long enough. Get out of my house."
Harry gave a look of false sadness. "Darn. I was really hoping I'd get to live with you all a while longer. But I guess not. Too bad."
As Harry pocketed his wand and headed up to his room to get his belongings, he could hear his aunt telling Vernon off.
"Vernon, we are supposed to take care of him!" she hissed. "He's at great risk if he's not with us or at his school."
"So?" Vernon barked. "I could care less about the boy. And I thought you were the same. Don't tell me you're growing fond of him?"
"No, of course not," Petunia said, and Harry was shocked, and even pleased, to hear a hint of untruthfullness in his aunt's voice. "But you know what Dumbledore said would happen to us if anything were to happen to Harry!"
"I don't care," Vernon said. "I'm sick of it all."
Harry opened his door, and went into his room. He was relieved to see Hedwig sitting in her cage. He didn't want to leave without her.
"Come on, Hedwig, old girl. We're leaving this place," Harry told her, stroking her head. "For good."
The snowy owl gave what sounded like a hoot of pleasure, followed by a less cheerful hoot.
"Well, I don't know where'll we'll go," Harry admitted, sitting on his bed. "I can't go to Ron's. You know what Dumbledore said." Harry reached into his pocket and pulled out the crumpled note that he had received a week after the start of summer holiday. The note that ruined his holiday. Harry gave a heavy sigh. If he couldn't go to Ron's, where could he go? He could go and stay at the Leaky Cauldron, but would Voldemort find him there?
"I told you to get out!" bellowed Uncle Vernon's voice from downstairs.
"He really means it," Harry muttered to Hedwig. He reached under his bed and pulled out his trunk, which already contained most of his Hogwarts things. He took his books and threw them into his trunk, as he folded his cloak and placed it in his trunk, another thought came to him. He couldn't reveal himself. Harry dug into his trunk and pulled out his Invisibility cloak. It should be big enough to cover him, his trunk, and Hedwig's cage. He put that aside and finished packing. As he reached for the scrap of paper off his corkboard that was counting down the days till the start of term, a high-pitched scream came from downstairs.
"SNAKE!"
Harry froze. A snake? Here? Harry's immediate thought was Nagini, Voldemort's pet serpernt. Harry threw his makeshift calendar into his trunk and grabbed Hedwig's cage. Dragging his trunk behind him, he bolted down the stairs.
Petunia was standing on the couch, her face flushed. Vernon was on all fours, looking under the couch. Dudley was nowhere to be seen, but Harry could hear whimpering coming from the cupboard under the stairs.
"It's not under there, Vernon! It's over there!" Petunia shrieked, pointing at the bookshelf.
Harry looked over, and was relieved that it wasn't a massive beast, but merely a small, black snake. Harry had learned in school that although they were poisonous, the venom wasn't strong enough to kill a human, just knock them out.
Uncle Vernon got up off the floor and hurried toward the snake.
"Look out!" Harry yelled to the snake.
However, it wasn't English that came out of his mouth. It was a low hiss, the language of Parseltongue. It was a very uncommon gift, and Harry had it, thanks to Voldemort.
The snake looked at Harry, and slithered towards him, just as Vernon pounced on the spot the snake had just been. The house shook slightly.
All the Dursleys stared at Harry as he bent down to pick up the snake.
"Massssster, you saved me from that large human," the snake hissed. "That was very kind of you."
"Yeah," Harry said to the snake. "You would have been squashed."
The snake gave Harry what looked like a fanged smile, and it slid from his hands and down to the floor. Harry watched as it made it's way over to the window and disappeared outside.
"Y-You can talk to snakes?" Dudley whispered. crawling out of the cupboard.
"Yeah," Harry nodded. "I can. So I could have set it on you if I wanted to."
Dudley gasped and scampered back into his hiding place.
"Are you planning on leaving anytime soon?" Vernon demanded.
"Yeah," Harry said. "Right now." He pulled out his wand, aimed it at his trunk, and muttered a charm that would make it seem lighter. He nodded at his relatives, threw on his Invisibility cloak, grabbed his belongings, and said Ta-ta, Muggles," as he hurried out the door.
As Harry began to walk down Privet Drive, he continued to think of where to stay. He couldn't stay at the Burrow. The Leaky Cauldron may be too obvious. Harry looked around at the nearby houses. Someone who lived not too far would be nice. But who was that? Then it hit him. Mrs. Figg.
Harry hurried to the end of the the street and turned the corner, glad no one could see him. Here he was, in a normal Muggle neighborhood, carrying an owl in a cage, and dragging a trunk. Oh well. The neighbors thought he was weird anyway.
"Sssslow down! Wait for me!"
Harry stopped dead in his tracks. He looked around, wondering where the voice was coming, and they knew he was there. He saw no one. Puzzled, he continued on his way.
"No! Down here!"
Harry once again stopped, and looked down at his feet. It was the black snake. It slithered his way up to Harry's shoulder.
"Hi," Harry hissed. "What are you doing?"
"I want to thank you, for sssssaving me," the snake said.
"No problem," Harry said."But how do you know I'm here?"
"Invisssssibility cloaks have no effect on ussssssssssnakes," it explained, its words blending together slightly. "We sssssee everything."
"Okay," Harry nodded. "Wait a second. That voice - you're a girl snake."
"Of course," she nodded. "Silly humans. They can't tell the difference between males and females."
"Sorry," Harry said. "Listen, do you want to stick around with me?"
"I'd love to," the snake nodded, and slithered up Harry's leg, up his torso, and settled on his shoulder.
"I'd have to give you a name," Harry said, as he started walking. He thought a moment. "How about Mylzaya?"
"That's such a pretty name," the snake said. "I like it."
Within minutes Harry was standing outside Mrs. Figgs house. He hadn't been inside for several years.
I hope she's home, and not at the Order of the Phoenix Headquarters, Harry thought desperately as he went up the walkway. But he could see a light in the front window. He set down his trunk and raised his hand to the doorbell when he thought of something.
"Um...maybe you should hide, so you don't scare her," Harry hissed quietly to Mylzaya.
"Okay," the snake whispered, and slid down inside Harry's shirt. He shivered; it tickled. He pressed the doorbell firmly.
Harry heard the clatter of china from inside, and a voice called, "One minute!" And, exactly one minute later, the door opened.
"Hello? Who's there?" she looked around, seeing no one.
"Mrs. Figg, it's me, Harry."
"Harry? What on earth are you doing here?" Mrs. Figg looked at the air with surprise, and worry.
"My uncle kicked me out," Harry whispered. "My first thought was to come here."
"Of course, Harry, come right in," she nodded, and held the door for Harry as he dragged his stuff inside. Mrs. Figg picked up a tea tray from off the table and carried it into the kitchen as Harry threw off his Invisibility cloak and opened the window. He released his owl from her cage and, after giving her master an affection nip on the ear, flew out.
"Harry, would like some tea?" Mrs. Figg asked as Harry moved the empty cage onto the floor.
"Sure," he nodded. Mrs. Figg went into the kitchen, but returned shortly with a tray with a kettle, a tea cup and saucer, and a plate of crumpets. As Harry reached for his cup, he trembled slightly. Mylzaya had rubbed against the back of his neck.
"Are you all right?" Mrs. Figg asked. "Are you cold?"
"No, I'm fine," Harry assured, taking a gulp of tea. "Why did you have a tea tray with three cups out when I got here?"
"Oh, I had some company," Mrs. Figg said. Harry looked at her suspiciously. "Muggles, Harry! I can't draw attention by keeping to myself!" She gave a small smile, which faded. "So, Harry, the Dursleys kicked you out?"
"Well, my uncle did. Aunt Petunia tried to persuade him that he wasn't supposed to, and that Dumbledore wouldn't be happy, but he was dead set on me leaving," Harry explained.
"Why did he want you to leave?" Mrs. Figg seemed almost afraid to ask.
"Well, I kind of threatened them," Harry muttered with guilt. He found himself unable to look at her, so he busied himself with putting his cloak in his trunk.
"Harry, you know you're not supposed to do magic away from school!" she scolded. "You'll be expelled! Haven't you learned your lesson before?"
"But I'm of age!" Harry argued, setting down his cup with so much force that it nearly shattered. "Why is it that no one seems to realize that today is my seventeenth birthday? I can legally do magic outside of school now!"
Mrs. Figg stared. "I'm sorry, Harry. I completely forgot. I was going to stop by and wish you a happy birthday, but it slipped my mind-"
"It's okay, Mrs. Figg," Harry said glumly.
"Please, call me Arabella," she said. "Now, other than tonight, how has your summer been?"
Harry wanted to lie and say that it was perfectly fine, but that note in his pocket forced him to tell the truth.
"Horrible," he admitted. "I want to talk to Ron and Hermione so badly."
Mrs. Figg seemed to know all about it, because she didn't ask any questions. "Harry, it's for the best. You don't want to put their lives in danger, do you?"
"Why is everything for the best?" Harry asked bitterly. "Everything miserable that I have to deal with is 'for the best.' Why am I the one who has to suffer all the time?"
"This is hard for Ron and Hermione as well," Mrs. Figg said.
"And how would you know?" Harry glared. "It's not like you've talked to them."
"I would know, Harry," she gave a small smile. "because they've been staying with me."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CHAPTER 2: MYLZAYA AND ARABELLA
Harry's head snapped up to look at his uncle. "What?"
"You heard me," Vernon said through gritted teeth. "Get out of this house. I've dealt with your ruddy abnormality long enough. Get out of my house."
Harry gave a look of false sadness. "Darn. I was really hoping I'd get to live with you all a while longer. But I guess not. Too bad."
As Harry pocketed his wand and headed up to his room to get his belongings, he could hear his aunt telling Vernon off.
"Vernon, we are supposed to take care of him!" she hissed. "He's at great risk if he's not with us or at his school."
"So?" Vernon barked. "I could care less about the boy. And I thought you were the same. Don't tell me you're growing fond of him?"
"No, of course not," Petunia said, and Harry was shocked, and even pleased, to hear a hint of untruthfullness in his aunt's voice. "But you know what Dumbledore said would happen to us if anything were to happen to Harry!"
"I don't care," Vernon said. "I'm sick of it all."
Harry opened his door, and went into his room. He was relieved to see Hedwig sitting in her cage. He didn't want to leave without her.
"Come on, Hedwig, old girl. We're leaving this place," Harry told her, stroking her head. "For good."
The snowy owl gave what sounded like a hoot of pleasure, followed by a less cheerful hoot.
"Well, I don't know where'll we'll go," Harry admitted, sitting on his bed. "I can't go to Ron's. You know what Dumbledore said." Harry reached into his pocket and pulled out the crumpled note that he had received a week after the start of summer holiday. The note that ruined his holiday. Harry gave a heavy sigh. If he couldn't go to Ron's, where could he go? He could go and stay at the Leaky Cauldron, but would Voldemort find him there?
"I told you to get out!" bellowed Uncle Vernon's voice from downstairs.
"He really means it," Harry muttered to Hedwig. He reached under his bed and pulled out his trunk, which already contained most of his Hogwarts things. He took his books and threw them into his trunk, as he folded his cloak and placed it in his trunk, another thought came to him. He couldn't reveal himself. Harry dug into his trunk and pulled out his Invisibility cloak. It should be big enough to cover him, his trunk, and Hedwig's cage. He put that aside and finished packing. As he reached for the scrap of paper off his corkboard that was counting down the days till the start of term, a high-pitched scream came from downstairs.
"SNAKE!"
Harry froze. A snake? Here? Harry's immediate thought was Nagini, Voldemort's pet serpernt. Harry threw his makeshift calendar into his trunk and grabbed Hedwig's cage. Dragging his trunk behind him, he bolted down the stairs.
Petunia was standing on the couch, her face flushed. Vernon was on all fours, looking under the couch. Dudley was nowhere to be seen, but Harry could hear whimpering coming from the cupboard under the stairs.
"It's not under there, Vernon! It's over there!" Petunia shrieked, pointing at the bookshelf.
Harry looked over, and was relieved that it wasn't a massive beast, but merely a small, black snake. Harry had learned in school that although they were poisonous, the venom wasn't strong enough to kill a human, just knock them out.
Uncle Vernon got up off the floor and hurried toward the snake.
"Look out!" Harry yelled to the snake.
However, it wasn't English that came out of his mouth. It was a low hiss, the language of Parseltongue. It was a very uncommon gift, and Harry had it, thanks to Voldemort.
The snake looked at Harry, and slithered towards him, just as Vernon pounced on the spot the snake had just been. The house shook slightly.
All the Dursleys stared at Harry as he bent down to pick up the snake.
"Massssster, you saved me from that large human," the snake hissed. "That was very kind of you."
"Yeah," Harry said to the snake. "You would have been squashed."
The snake gave Harry what looked like a fanged smile, and it slid from his hands and down to the floor. Harry watched as it made it's way over to the window and disappeared outside.
"Y-You can talk to snakes?" Dudley whispered. crawling out of the cupboard.
"Yeah," Harry nodded. "I can. So I could have set it on you if I wanted to."
Dudley gasped and scampered back into his hiding place.
"Are you planning on leaving anytime soon?" Vernon demanded.
"Yeah," Harry said. "Right now." He pulled out his wand, aimed it at his trunk, and muttered a charm that would make it seem lighter. He nodded at his relatives, threw on his Invisibility cloak, grabbed his belongings, and said Ta-ta, Muggles," as he hurried out the door.
As Harry began to walk down Privet Drive, he continued to think of where to stay. He couldn't stay at the Burrow. The Leaky Cauldron may be too obvious. Harry looked around at the nearby houses. Someone who lived not too far would be nice. But who was that? Then it hit him. Mrs. Figg.
Harry hurried to the end of the the street and turned the corner, glad no one could see him. Here he was, in a normal Muggle neighborhood, carrying an owl in a cage, and dragging a trunk. Oh well. The neighbors thought he was weird anyway.
"Sssslow down! Wait for me!"
Harry stopped dead in his tracks. He looked around, wondering where the voice was coming, and they knew he was there. He saw no one. Puzzled, he continued on his way.
"No! Down here!"
Harry once again stopped, and looked down at his feet. It was the black snake. It slithered his way up to Harry's shoulder.
"Hi," Harry hissed. "What are you doing?"
"I want to thank you, for sssssaving me," the snake said.
"No problem," Harry said."But how do you know I'm here?"
"Invisssssibility cloaks have no effect on ussssssssssnakes," it explained, its words blending together slightly. "We sssssee everything."
"Okay," Harry nodded. "Wait a second. That voice - you're a girl snake."
"Of course," she nodded. "Silly humans. They can't tell the difference between males and females."
"Sorry," Harry said. "Listen, do you want to stick around with me?"
"I'd love to," the snake nodded, and slithered up Harry's leg, up his torso, and settled on his shoulder.
"I'd have to give you a name," Harry said, as he started walking. He thought a moment. "How about Mylzaya?"
"That's such a pretty name," the snake said. "I like it."
Within minutes Harry was standing outside Mrs. Figgs house. He hadn't been inside for several years.
I hope she's home, and not at the Order of the Phoenix Headquarters, Harry thought desperately as he went up the walkway. But he could see a light in the front window. He set down his trunk and raised his hand to the doorbell when he thought of something.
"Um...maybe you should hide, so you don't scare her," Harry hissed quietly to Mylzaya.
"Okay," the snake whispered, and slid down inside Harry's shirt. He shivered; it tickled. He pressed the doorbell firmly.
Harry heard the clatter of china from inside, and a voice called, "One minute!" And, exactly one minute later, the door opened.
"Hello? Who's there?" she looked around, seeing no one.
"Mrs. Figg, it's me, Harry."
"Harry? What on earth are you doing here?" Mrs. Figg looked at the air with surprise, and worry.
"My uncle kicked me out," Harry whispered. "My first thought was to come here."
"Of course, Harry, come right in," she nodded, and held the door for Harry as he dragged his stuff inside. Mrs. Figg picked up a tea tray from off the table and carried it into the kitchen as Harry threw off his Invisibility cloak and opened the window. He released his owl from her cage and, after giving her master an affection nip on the ear, flew out.
"Harry, would like some tea?" Mrs. Figg asked as Harry moved the empty cage onto the floor.
"Sure," he nodded. Mrs. Figg went into the kitchen, but returned shortly with a tray with a kettle, a tea cup and saucer, and a plate of crumpets. As Harry reached for his cup, he trembled slightly. Mylzaya had rubbed against the back of his neck.
"Are you all right?" Mrs. Figg asked. "Are you cold?"
"No, I'm fine," Harry assured, taking a gulp of tea. "Why did you have a tea tray with three cups out when I got here?"
"Oh, I had some company," Mrs. Figg said. Harry looked at her suspiciously. "Muggles, Harry! I can't draw attention by keeping to myself!" She gave a small smile, which faded. "So, Harry, the Dursleys kicked you out?"
"Well, my uncle did. Aunt Petunia tried to persuade him that he wasn't supposed to, and that Dumbledore wouldn't be happy, but he was dead set on me leaving," Harry explained.
"Why did he want you to leave?" Mrs. Figg seemed almost afraid to ask.
"Well, I kind of threatened them," Harry muttered with guilt. He found himself unable to look at her, so he busied himself with putting his cloak in his trunk.
"Harry, you know you're not supposed to do magic away from school!" she scolded. "You'll be expelled! Haven't you learned your lesson before?"
"But I'm of age!" Harry argued, setting down his cup with so much force that it nearly shattered. "Why is it that no one seems to realize that today is my seventeenth birthday? I can legally do magic outside of school now!"
Mrs. Figg stared. "I'm sorry, Harry. I completely forgot. I was going to stop by and wish you a happy birthday, but it slipped my mind-"
"It's okay, Mrs. Figg," Harry said glumly.
"Please, call me Arabella," she said. "Now, other than tonight, how has your summer been?"
Harry wanted to lie and say that it was perfectly fine, but that note in his pocket forced him to tell the truth.
"Horrible," he admitted. "I want to talk to Ron and Hermione so badly."
Mrs. Figg seemed to know all about it, because she didn't ask any questions. "Harry, it's for the best. You don't want to put their lives in danger, do you?"
"Why is everything for the best?" Harry asked bitterly. "Everything miserable that I have to deal with is 'for the best.' Why am I the one who has to suffer all the time?"
"This is hard for Ron and Hermione as well," Mrs. Figg said.
"And how would you know?" Harry glared. "It's not like you've talked to them."
"I would know, Harry," she gave a small smile. "because they've been staying with me."