Harry's green eyes fluttered open to the rays of brilliant sunshine that
strayed into his window. With a slightly groggy feeling, he turned over in
his bed to view the alarm clock that had been there before he had moved it.
Miraculously, Dudley hadn't destroyed it when this room had been his
playroom. He let out a soft groan as the digital time came into view. It
was only 7 o' clock in the morning. As hard as he tightened his eyes shut
his mind could not rest again.
" Might as well.." He mumbled into his pillow while he lifted himself off the bed and strode towards the dresser to get some clothes. For a moment while changing into his work shirt he had forgotten all that had gone on last night. How he had witnessed such oddness coming from Mrs. Figg's house, the mysterious stranger, and his sudden deep sleep. He knew he would have a long day of garden and yard work to do, so he might as well beat Uncle Vernon to the garden to escape his yelling.
As quietly as possible Harry opened the door to his room and crept down the stairs. Every day he did the same thing in the garden; his schedule only varied when Aunt Petunia came home with a new array of potted plants to be smothered in the ground. Without really noticing what he was doing, Harry grabbed the hoe that sat in the front cupboard and only paused to look at the cramped space. He couldn't believe that that used to be his room. With a large sigh he turned to exit the door.
The ground outside was extremely damp. It must have rained last night after he had fallen to sleep. His shoes sloshed through the grass as he made his way back to the garden in the backyard. He lowered himself to the ground only to ruin the old workpants more as the grass and mud sunk into them. His hands slowly worked around the flowers in the garden while the early sunshine beat down on his back. Mid-July was not a good time to be outdoors all day, but if he wanted to keep the Dursleys happy, he needed to.
His eyes shifted towards the house across from number 4 to see Mrs Figg exit her house and look around at the morning view of the neighborhood. Within seconds, Harry had leapt up and started to run across the road.
Mrs Figg spotted him quickly with her squinty grey eyes. With a deep breath, she turned and started to walk back inside. But before she entered she called out to Harry with a sly grin on her face.
" Harry..take a few minutes off from Dursley Work. I sure they won't mind you gone for a bit."
His eyes lit up at the mention of getting out of the hot sun and into her house, even if it smelled like cabbage. Everything was still the same; the pale yellow carpet that lined the ground and the many cats scurrying around. But as Harry turned the corner to the kitchen he spotted something unfamiliar to his eyes. Another wand. He knew from being here again and again that Mrs Figg never kept her wand in sight in fear that muggles would see. What was it doing out?
" Mrs Figg...um.." He lowered his tone of voice slightly," why is your wand sitting out?" A glance showed him Mrs Figg was scampering about the kitchen in search for her cakes she and Harry always had. She shook her head and smiled.
" Why dear? It's right here with me...'
" No.its not. It's here.."
Harry could have sworn that she was about to hit him when she turned around. Her expression was one he had never seen on her gentle face before, a stern look. With a swift movement Mrs Figg was beside him, gazing at the wand, and before he knew it she was shouting about in German.
"Wie sich trauen, verlässt sie das dort! Sie weiß, dass ich in Schwierigkeiten dafür kommen konnte! Gott, dieses Mädchen!"
Harry stood there wide-eyed, staring from Mrs Figg to the wand and back. The older lady continued to rant about in the foreign language. With a roll of his eyes, the soon to be sixteen year old slumped down in a chair and started to question the lady.
" Um..if its not yours.whose is it?'
Her normally kind, gentle eyes fluttered with a dangerous look as she looked back at Harry. He could tell something was wrong; he wished he could take back that question. Mrs Figg took some small steps towards him, then stopped, and stared him right in the eye.
" A lady by the name of Venna." Figg answered with a rather disgruntled look. She obviously wasn't happy with this Venna. The look continued to grow on her face as she picked the wand up and stuffed it in her pocket. " I'll have to give it back to her."
Harry didn't think before asking his next question; a stupid act he would regret.
" Is that the person you were arguing with last night?"
The interesting expression on Figg's face dropped along with the color in her face until it was pale. He knew that that defiantly wasn't the right question. He tried to stammer in an apology, but Figg beat him to it.
" You were watching that? My God, Harry you need to remove your nose from where it doesn't belong!" With seeing Harry's new reaction she added softly. " I'm sorry Harry. It's just.. you really shouldn't be getting into this."
Mentally he was wondering what exactly he was getting into. Did it have anything to do with the Order? He hadn't heard anything about it or from it since his last letter from Lupin, and the ex-professor had sent that letter at the beginning of the summer. He had had a growing curiosity about the Order; maybe Figg would have some answers.
His train of thought was broken by the stare that Figg was giving him. It seemed that she was just as curious about what he was thinking as he was with her. The awkward stare lasted for a few moments before Harry decided to leave.
" I'll talk to you later Mrs Figg."
Harry found Dudley lounging out on the front porch on his way back. Though it seemed that the Dursleys had softened up to Harry, he still didn't want to poke fun at Dudley. Lupin had warned him in his last letter that although he had been excused from his expulsion with the incident of the dementor, poking magical fun at his cousin was hardly any reason for them to excuse him again.
He decided to take Lupin's advice and steer clear of Dudley in everyway. Harry crept past the obtuse figure carefully while aiming for the doorway in. But in the action, Harry's foot got caught under a piece of porch furniture. He fell backwards, landing smack on top of Dudley.
His cousin gave a startled snort before jumping up, sending Harry flying the other way. Dudley's squinty blue eyes warned Harry that trouble was ahead, but Harry saw no way to escape it. The large boy was blocking the doorway, and Harry could see his stupid little gang bunching up at the end of the drive. They always appeared when this happened; Harry was beginning to think this was their version of an action movie.
" Wanna fight Harry?" Dudley was just itching to hit him.Harry could feel it. Instead of answering he just gave a roll of his eyes and tried to get around the larger figure. He failed at it miserably. What he would give for his wand at the moment. He'd have to do some quick thinking.
His cousin grew closer to him, causing Harry to back off the porch. In that instant Harry slipped past the monster and into the door. Dudley did his best to chase after him, but the door was quicker.
Harry grabbed the doorknob and slammed the door in Dudley's face. At that moment the door decided to blow up infront of Harry. The noise was deafening; Harry held his hands up to his ears in order to keep his hearing.
Once his heart rate went back to normal, he gazed at the empty doorway where the door used to be. The door had literally been knocked off its hinges and charged itself at Dudley. Harry had most defiantly not done that.
Fear in his cousins eyes grew rapidly as he attempted to get up from the wreckage of the doorway. Harry's mind worked quicker than his cousin's body. His eyes darted to the driveway where Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia were driving back from Vernon's business meeting. The boy took off running, but as he did, he could have sworn he heard a lady's distant laugh from the top of the roof. Maybe it was just him..
" Might as well.." He mumbled into his pillow while he lifted himself off the bed and strode towards the dresser to get some clothes. For a moment while changing into his work shirt he had forgotten all that had gone on last night. How he had witnessed such oddness coming from Mrs. Figg's house, the mysterious stranger, and his sudden deep sleep. He knew he would have a long day of garden and yard work to do, so he might as well beat Uncle Vernon to the garden to escape his yelling.
As quietly as possible Harry opened the door to his room and crept down the stairs. Every day he did the same thing in the garden; his schedule only varied when Aunt Petunia came home with a new array of potted plants to be smothered in the ground. Without really noticing what he was doing, Harry grabbed the hoe that sat in the front cupboard and only paused to look at the cramped space. He couldn't believe that that used to be his room. With a large sigh he turned to exit the door.
The ground outside was extremely damp. It must have rained last night after he had fallen to sleep. His shoes sloshed through the grass as he made his way back to the garden in the backyard. He lowered himself to the ground only to ruin the old workpants more as the grass and mud sunk into them. His hands slowly worked around the flowers in the garden while the early sunshine beat down on his back. Mid-July was not a good time to be outdoors all day, but if he wanted to keep the Dursleys happy, he needed to.
His eyes shifted towards the house across from number 4 to see Mrs Figg exit her house and look around at the morning view of the neighborhood. Within seconds, Harry had leapt up and started to run across the road.
Mrs Figg spotted him quickly with her squinty grey eyes. With a deep breath, she turned and started to walk back inside. But before she entered she called out to Harry with a sly grin on her face.
" Harry..take a few minutes off from Dursley Work. I sure they won't mind you gone for a bit."
His eyes lit up at the mention of getting out of the hot sun and into her house, even if it smelled like cabbage. Everything was still the same; the pale yellow carpet that lined the ground and the many cats scurrying around. But as Harry turned the corner to the kitchen he spotted something unfamiliar to his eyes. Another wand. He knew from being here again and again that Mrs Figg never kept her wand in sight in fear that muggles would see. What was it doing out?
" Mrs Figg...um.." He lowered his tone of voice slightly," why is your wand sitting out?" A glance showed him Mrs Figg was scampering about the kitchen in search for her cakes she and Harry always had. She shook her head and smiled.
" Why dear? It's right here with me...'
" No.its not. It's here.."
Harry could have sworn that she was about to hit him when she turned around. Her expression was one he had never seen on her gentle face before, a stern look. With a swift movement Mrs Figg was beside him, gazing at the wand, and before he knew it she was shouting about in German.
"Wie sich trauen, verlässt sie das dort! Sie weiß, dass ich in Schwierigkeiten dafür kommen konnte! Gott, dieses Mädchen!"
Harry stood there wide-eyed, staring from Mrs Figg to the wand and back. The older lady continued to rant about in the foreign language. With a roll of his eyes, the soon to be sixteen year old slumped down in a chair and started to question the lady.
" Um..if its not yours.whose is it?'
Her normally kind, gentle eyes fluttered with a dangerous look as she looked back at Harry. He could tell something was wrong; he wished he could take back that question. Mrs Figg took some small steps towards him, then stopped, and stared him right in the eye.
" A lady by the name of Venna." Figg answered with a rather disgruntled look. She obviously wasn't happy with this Venna. The look continued to grow on her face as she picked the wand up and stuffed it in her pocket. " I'll have to give it back to her."
Harry didn't think before asking his next question; a stupid act he would regret.
" Is that the person you were arguing with last night?"
The interesting expression on Figg's face dropped along with the color in her face until it was pale. He knew that that defiantly wasn't the right question. He tried to stammer in an apology, but Figg beat him to it.
" You were watching that? My God, Harry you need to remove your nose from where it doesn't belong!" With seeing Harry's new reaction she added softly. " I'm sorry Harry. It's just.. you really shouldn't be getting into this."
Mentally he was wondering what exactly he was getting into. Did it have anything to do with the Order? He hadn't heard anything about it or from it since his last letter from Lupin, and the ex-professor had sent that letter at the beginning of the summer. He had had a growing curiosity about the Order; maybe Figg would have some answers.
His train of thought was broken by the stare that Figg was giving him. It seemed that she was just as curious about what he was thinking as he was with her. The awkward stare lasted for a few moments before Harry decided to leave.
" I'll talk to you later Mrs Figg."
Harry found Dudley lounging out on the front porch on his way back. Though it seemed that the Dursleys had softened up to Harry, he still didn't want to poke fun at Dudley. Lupin had warned him in his last letter that although he had been excused from his expulsion with the incident of the dementor, poking magical fun at his cousin was hardly any reason for them to excuse him again.
He decided to take Lupin's advice and steer clear of Dudley in everyway. Harry crept past the obtuse figure carefully while aiming for the doorway in. But in the action, Harry's foot got caught under a piece of porch furniture. He fell backwards, landing smack on top of Dudley.
His cousin gave a startled snort before jumping up, sending Harry flying the other way. Dudley's squinty blue eyes warned Harry that trouble was ahead, but Harry saw no way to escape it. The large boy was blocking the doorway, and Harry could see his stupid little gang bunching up at the end of the drive. They always appeared when this happened; Harry was beginning to think this was their version of an action movie.
" Wanna fight Harry?" Dudley was just itching to hit him.Harry could feel it. Instead of answering he just gave a roll of his eyes and tried to get around the larger figure. He failed at it miserably. What he would give for his wand at the moment. He'd have to do some quick thinking.
His cousin grew closer to him, causing Harry to back off the porch. In that instant Harry slipped past the monster and into the door. Dudley did his best to chase after him, but the door was quicker.
Harry grabbed the doorknob and slammed the door in Dudley's face. At that moment the door decided to blow up infront of Harry. The noise was deafening; Harry held his hands up to his ears in order to keep his hearing.
Once his heart rate went back to normal, he gazed at the empty doorway where the door used to be. The door had literally been knocked off its hinges and charged itself at Dudley. Harry had most defiantly not done that.
Fear in his cousins eyes grew rapidly as he attempted to get up from the wreckage of the doorway. Harry's mind worked quicker than his cousin's body. His eyes darted to the driveway where Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia were driving back from Vernon's business meeting. The boy took off running, but as he did, he could have sworn he heard a lady's distant laugh from the top of the roof. Maybe it was just him..
