Chapter 34- Formerly Petunia Dursley
"I could be playing Quidditch right now, but what am I doing? I'm on my way to *class*," Harry muttered to himself in exasperation. Professor Lyipin had scheduled his class for Saturday, *all day*. Harry had wanted badly to protest when the DADA teacher sought him out a few days before.
He peered out the window as he passed, and cursed silently. The sky was a crystal blue, with enough clouds that the sun was not intensely blinding. Without clouds it would have been, reflecting off the pristine snow. It was a perfect Quidditch day, and while it was quite cold, it was warm for December.
Daydreaming of being up in the air on his Firebolt, he passed Lyipin's office without realizing it. Sighing, muttering, he retraced his steps and entered the correct room.
"Oh, hello, Aunt Petunia," Harry said, surprised. He had not known he would see her there.
"Penny, please, Harry. Penny was my nickname. I like it better than 'Petunia', anyway."
"Okay, Aunt Penny." Harry himself liked it better. "Professor, what am I doing today?"
"Ah, yes. Your assignment, Harry, is to accompany your aunt to Diagon Alley, where she will be shopping for a wand. Instructions from Dumbledore himself. 'Go first to Gringotts, exchange Muggle money. Then to Ollivander's for Ms. Evan's wand. You will be picked up in front of the Leaky Cauldron at three o'clock in the afternoon. If you do not recognize the wizard who says they are there for you, *do not go with them*.' And that's it. So, go to it, Harry."
Harry cleared his throat. Now they were using his classes to make him into a personal escort. "Um…how are we supposed to get there?"
"Any way you can, Harry," Professor Lyipin shrugged.
"Um…ok…" He walked to the fireplace. It seemed the safest way. "Have you ever used Floo powder, Aunt Penny?"
"Well, yes, but it was a long, long time ago."
"Well, just make sure your eyes and mouth are closed tightly, otherwise you'll be coughing for a month. Keep your elbows tucked to your sides, and speak very clearly. Watch me." Taking a deep breath, Harry took a handful of Floo powder and stepped into the professor's empty fireplace. "Diagon Alley!" he declared, and threw down the green dust.
At once he experienced a whirling, spinning, falling sensation. Ashes flew up his nose- at least, he hoped it was nothing worse. He emerged coughing and sputtering, but at least this time he had managed to get the location right.
It had occurred to him only seconds ago that he had never seen Diagon Alley by winter. Awnings and sidewalks were trimmed in snow, and many of the stores had put up cheerful Christmas decorations. *I wonder when Hermione and Dra- Malfoy are going to do the decorations at Hogwarts.*
Diagon Alley by winter was, to put it in a word, wonderful. He felt refreshed just standing in the middle of the street.
Aunt Penny came behind him, and in another minute they were on their way to Gringotts. Harry made the exchange for her, being more acquainted with the workings of wizard money, and its keepers.
"Now we've got to go to Ollivander's. Oh, I remember my first wand. I can't believe I'm finally going to have another!! This is so exciting." She sounded much like a first year getting her *first* wand.
The tiny, rusty bell rang as they entered the wand shop. It was silent, as usual, dusty, and apparently empty. Apparently, until Mr. Ollivander emerged from the back room. He stopped short upon seeing them.
"Evans? Petunia Evans, is that you?"
Aunt Penny smiled. "Yes, sir. I'm here for a wand. Dumbledore sent me."
He smiled. "I never expected to see you in here again. I hear you have been living as a Muggle, one of those magic-hating ones."
"It was all a façade, Mr. Ollivander. I'm a witch at heart, still. Always."
"Of course, of course. And Harry Potter. I suppose you haven't lost *your* wand as well."
"Of course not, sir." Harry was almost insulted at the suggestion that he would lose his wand, but he kept his voice smooth.
"Right. Very good. Well then, Ms. Evans, come this way, and I'll take your measurements. I remember…twelve and a quarter inches, poplar, water sprite hair. Delicate and temperamental." He tapped his chin as the magic tape measures stretched themselves along her arms.
Disappearing among the shelves, he returned with a stack of boxes. Harry thought there were about fifty. *This is going to be a long day.*
They had gone through the entire stack and still had not found her match. Harry grew steadily hungrier and more restless.
"Patience, Mister Potter. Remember how long it took to find *your* wand," Ollivander said briskly. Harry fidgeted less after this, noting every wand his aunt tried before letting it slip from his mind.
Approximately two hours later, Penny had her wand. Dryad hair and apple wood, ten inches. They left the store, Harry relieved and his aunt ecstatic.
"It's almost three now," Harry said, having checked some clock or other. "We should get going."
Three steps later, they were halted by a familiar voice. "Penny Evans!" Turning, Harry found that Amos Diggory was striding purposefully toward them…or rather toward his aunt. He did not even seem to notice Harry.
"Amos?" Penny breathed incredulously. "Oh my god!"
"Penny, is that really you? I can hardly believe it! It's been ages since…Potter," he said, finally noticing Penny's younger companion.
"Mr. Diggory," Harry said politely.
"Oh, you two know each other?" Penny asked innocently. At that moment, Harry hated the fact that she did not know what had been going on in the wizarding world.
"Yes, sort of," he said awkwardly.
"Amos was a year ahead of me in school. He kept asking me to go out with him, but I wasn't ready to date then. By the time I was…ahem. We really should go, you're right. It was nice to see you again, Amos. Keep in touch."
"I will," he replied, smiling.
Out of earshot, Penny leaned toward Harry. "What was that about?"
"I'll tell you later." Harry shook his head. He was not about to go into the story of Cedric's death in the middle of Diagon Alley. "It's a long story."
"My, my," Penny murmured. They had just entered the Leaky Cauldron through the back. "Amos Diggory. It's been so long…since I saw these people. So long. I wish…but that won't do any good. Do they have any strong drinks here?"
"Not now, Aunt Penny. You can drink heavily some other time. We have to *go*."
Harry took his aunt by the arm and dragged her out of the pub. He saw no one he recognized outside, so they leaned against the wall to wait.
"Harry!" A woman's voice called out. She waved.
*Who is that?* he wondered. He did not think he had ever seen her before. Remembering Dumbledore's warning, he prepared to go back to the Leaky Cauldron…but he took a closer look to be sure.
The woman approaching him had shoulder length hair, which was a shade of blue approaching green- an odd color for hair, he thought. She had a small, straight nose, a heart shaped mouth, and ocean-blue eyes. She did not look familiar, but…
"Tonks?" Harry said cautiously.
"Yeah, who did you think it was, Harry? A Death Eater?"
He smiled embarrassedly as she gave him quick hug. "I don't know. It's hard to know what to expect these days…you know about…everything, right?"
Tonks glanced to Penny. "Yes, I was informed. Come on, you two. I've got to get you back to Hogwarts."
"Tonks…where are we going? How are we getting back?" Harry asked as he followed her around the corner.
"Ever heard of a Portkey, Harry?" she teased. From an inside coat pocket she produced an oversized earring. "Ready?" Harry and Aunt Penny touched the earring, and within seconds Harry felt the familiar tugging behind his navel as they were transported back to the school he called home.
The room was empty from where Harry stood. They were in Professor Lyipin's office, facing the door. "Well done, Harry!"
He jumped, then turned to face the teacher sheepishly. "What do you mean? It wasn't a difficult assignment. It was actually rather enjoyable."
"Harry, all you did was watch me buy a wand. It took three hours. I don't think you *really* found it enjoyable. After all, I did witness you almost falling asleep."
Harry found Professor Lyipin's cough to be suspicious. "Your true test today, Harry, was to recognize a friend in disguise."
Harry's head whirled to face Tonks, who smiled and gave him a small wave. "I've got to be going now. Good to see you, Harry." She walked out the door.
"You mean that whole day was just to see if I could recognize Tonks?"
"Well, mostly. But we did need someone to escort Penny to Diagon Alley, and you were the only one who was not busy."
"Not busy? It had to be *this* Saturday? I had a Quidditch practice scheduled, and *I*, the captain, missed it. I'll have to give myself an hour-long lecture now for missing practice. That's wonderful."
"Harry, please. You're not having any classes until the middle of January, I think you shouldn't be complaining."
"I'm not having any practices, either."
"Listen to your teacher, Harry." He turned to face his aunt. "You may be of age, but you are still a student."
"Aunt Penny? I know it's probably none of my business, but why, after all this time…?"
She smiled broadly. "I'm starting my old life again. My new old life as Penny Evans." As Harry learned within the next few minutes, that meant learning the entire curriculum for four years of school over the course of one month.
"When are you going to have time to eat?"
"The house-elves will bring meals to my room. Oh, one of those would have been very useful all those years when I was cooking Herculean meals for Dudley."
"I wanted to ask you about that, Aunt Penny. You just left your son there, and you're never going to see him again?"
"I suppose not," she sighed. "It is all for the best, I suppose. His ideas on magic are the same as Vernon's, and he would have been leaving home in a year or so for university. It's better that I just cut myself off from the Muggle world, living here for a while until I can learn enough to make a living in the magical world."
Harry gave an acquiescent nod. "Sounds fair."
End Chapter 34
Well that's done with now. Ah, once again I have little to say to you in my author's note. I would like to thank you muchlies for the reviews. Very nice.
Review for blue bordering on green confetti!
"I could be playing Quidditch right now, but what am I doing? I'm on my way to *class*," Harry muttered to himself in exasperation. Professor Lyipin had scheduled his class for Saturday, *all day*. Harry had wanted badly to protest when the DADA teacher sought him out a few days before.
He peered out the window as he passed, and cursed silently. The sky was a crystal blue, with enough clouds that the sun was not intensely blinding. Without clouds it would have been, reflecting off the pristine snow. It was a perfect Quidditch day, and while it was quite cold, it was warm for December.
Daydreaming of being up in the air on his Firebolt, he passed Lyipin's office without realizing it. Sighing, muttering, he retraced his steps and entered the correct room.
"Oh, hello, Aunt Petunia," Harry said, surprised. He had not known he would see her there.
"Penny, please, Harry. Penny was my nickname. I like it better than 'Petunia', anyway."
"Okay, Aunt Penny." Harry himself liked it better. "Professor, what am I doing today?"
"Ah, yes. Your assignment, Harry, is to accompany your aunt to Diagon Alley, where she will be shopping for a wand. Instructions from Dumbledore himself. 'Go first to Gringotts, exchange Muggle money. Then to Ollivander's for Ms. Evan's wand. You will be picked up in front of the Leaky Cauldron at three o'clock in the afternoon. If you do not recognize the wizard who says they are there for you, *do not go with them*.' And that's it. So, go to it, Harry."
Harry cleared his throat. Now they were using his classes to make him into a personal escort. "Um…how are we supposed to get there?"
"Any way you can, Harry," Professor Lyipin shrugged.
"Um…ok…" He walked to the fireplace. It seemed the safest way. "Have you ever used Floo powder, Aunt Penny?"
"Well, yes, but it was a long, long time ago."
"Well, just make sure your eyes and mouth are closed tightly, otherwise you'll be coughing for a month. Keep your elbows tucked to your sides, and speak very clearly. Watch me." Taking a deep breath, Harry took a handful of Floo powder and stepped into the professor's empty fireplace. "Diagon Alley!" he declared, and threw down the green dust.
At once he experienced a whirling, spinning, falling sensation. Ashes flew up his nose- at least, he hoped it was nothing worse. He emerged coughing and sputtering, but at least this time he had managed to get the location right.
It had occurred to him only seconds ago that he had never seen Diagon Alley by winter. Awnings and sidewalks were trimmed in snow, and many of the stores had put up cheerful Christmas decorations. *I wonder when Hermione and Dra- Malfoy are going to do the decorations at Hogwarts.*
Diagon Alley by winter was, to put it in a word, wonderful. He felt refreshed just standing in the middle of the street.
Aunt Penny came behind him, and in another minute they were on their way to Gringotts. Harry made the exchange for her, being more acquainted with the workings of wizard money, and its keepers.
"Now we've got to go to Ollivander's. Oh, I remember my first wand. I can't believe I'm finally going to have another!! This is so exciting." She sounded much like a first year getting her *first* wand.
The tiny, rusty bell rang as they entered the wand shop. It was silent, as usual, dusty, and apparently empty. Apparently, until Mr. Ollivander emerged from the back room. He stopped short upon seeing them.
"Evans? Petunia Evans, is that you?"
Aunt Penny smiled. "Yes, sir. I'm here for a wand. Dumbledore sent me."
He smiled. "I never expected to see you in here again. I hear you have been living as a Muggle, one of those magic-hating ones."
"It was all a façade, Mr. Ollivander. I'm a witch at heart, still. Always."
"Of course, of course. And Harry Potter. I suppose you haven't lost *your* wand as well."
"Of course not, sir." Harry was almost insulted at the suggestion that he would lose his wand, but he kept his voice smooth.
"Right. Very good. Well then, Ms. Evans, come this way, and I'll take your measurements. I remember…twelve and a quarter inches, poplar, water sprite hair. Delicate and temperamental." He tapped his chin as the magic tape measures stretched themselves along her arms.
Disappearing among the shelves, he returned with a stack of boxes. Harry thought there were about fifty. *This is going to be a long day.*
They had gone through the entire stack and still had not found her match. Harry grew steadily hungrier and more restless.
"Patience, Mister Potter. Remember how long it took to find *your* wand," Ollivander said briskly. Harry fidgeted less after this, noting every wand his aunt tried before letting it slip from his mind.
Approximately two hours later, Penny had her wand. Dryad hair and apple wood, ten inches. They left the store, Harry relieved and his aunt ecstatic.
"It's almost three now," Harry said, having checked some clock or other. "We should get going."
Three steps later, they were halted by a familiar voice. "Penny Evans!" Turning, Harry found that Amos Diggory was striding purposefully toward them…or rather toward his aunt. He did not even seem to notice Harry.
"Amos?" Penny breathed incredulously. "Oh my god!"
"Penny, is that really you? I can hardly believe it! It's been ages since…Potter," he said, finally noticing Penny's younger companion.
"Mr. Diggory," Harry said politely.
"Oh, you two know each other?" Penny asked innocently. At that moment, Harry hated the fact that she did not know what had been going on in the wizarding world.
"Yes, sort of," he said awkwardly.
"Amos was a year ahead of me in school. He kept asking me to go out with him, but I wasn't ready to date then. By the time I was…ahem. We really should go, you're right. It was nice to see you again, Amos. Keep in touch."
"I will," he replied, smiling.
Out of earshot, Penny leaned toward Harry. "What was that about?"
"I'll tell you later." Harry shook his head. He was not about to go into the story of Cedric's death in the middle of Diagon Alley. "It's a long story."
"My, my," Penny murmured. They had just entered the Leaky Cauldron through the back. "Amos Diggory. It's been so long…since I saw these people. So long. I wish…but that won't do any good. Do they have any strong drinks here?"
"Not now, Aunt Penny. You can drink heavily some other time. We have to *go*."
Harry took his aunt by the arm and dragged her out of the pub. He saw no one he recognized outside, so they leaned against the wall to wait.
"Harry!" A woman's voice called out. She waved.
*Who is that?* he wondered. He did not think he had ever seen her before. Remembering Dumbledore's warning, he prepared to go back to the Leaky Cauldron…but he took a closer look to be sure.
The woman approaching him had shoulder length hair, which was a shade of blue approaching green- an odd color for hair, he thought. She had a small, straight nose, a heart shaped mouth, and ocean-blue eyes. She did not look familiar, but…
"Tonks?" Harry said cautiously.
"Yeah, who did you think it was, Harry? A Death Eater?"
He smiled embarrassedly as she gave him quick hug. "I don't know. It's hard to know what to expect these days…you know about…everything, right?"
Tonks glanced to Penny. "Yes, I was informed. Come on, you two. I've got to get you back to Hogwarts."
"Tonks…where are we going? How are we getting back?" Harry asked as he followed her around the corner.
"Ever heard of a Portkey, Harry?" she teased. From an inside coat pocket she produced an oversized earring. "Ready?" Harry and Aunt Penny touched the earring, and within seconds Harry felt the familiar tugging behind his navel as they were transported back to the school he called home.
The room was empty from where Harry stood. They were in Professor Lyipin's office, facing the door. "Well done, Harry!"
He jumped, then turned to face the teacher sheepishly. "What do you mean? It wasn't a difficult assignment. It was actually rather enjoyable."
"Harry, all you did was watch me buy a wand. It took three hours. I don't think you *really* found it enjoyable. After all, I did witness you almost falling asleep."
Harry found Professor Lyipin's cough to be suspicious. "Your true test today, Harry, was to recognize a friend in disguise."
Harry's head whirled to face Tonks, who smiled and gave him a small wave. "I've got to be going now. Good to see you, Harry." She walked out the door.
"You mean that whole day was just to see if I could recognize Tonks?"
"Well, mostly. But we did need someone to escort Penny to Diagon Alley, and you were the only one who was not busy."
"Not busy? It had to be *this* Saturday? I had a Quidditch practice scheduled, and *I*, the captain, missed it. I'll have to give myself an hour-long lecture now for missing practice. That's wonderful."
"Harry, please. You're not having any classes until the middle of January, I think you shouldn't be complaining."
"I'm not having any practices, either."
"Listen to your teacher, Harry." He turned to face his aunt. "You may be of age, but you are still a student."
"Aunt Penny? I know it's probably none of my business, but why, after all this time…?"
She smiled broadly. "I'm starting my old life again. My new old life as Penny Evans." As Harry learned within the next few minutes, that meant learning the entire curriculum for four years of school over the course of one month.
"When are you going to have time to eat?"
"The house-elves will bring meals to my room. Oh, one of those would have been very useful all those years when I was cooking Herculean meals for Dudley."
"I wanted to ask you about that, Aunt Penny. You just left your son there, and you're never going to see him again?"
"I suppose not," she sighed. "It is all for the best, I suppose. His ideas on magic are the same as Vernon's, and he would have been leaving home in a year or so for university. It's better that I just cut myself off from the Muggle world, living here for a while until I can learn enough to make a living in the magical world."
Harry gave an acquiescent nod. "Sounds fair."
End Chapter 34
Well that's done with now. Ah, once again I have little to say to you in my author's note. I would like to thank you muchlies for the reviews. Very nice.
Review for blue bordering on green confetti!