Chapter Five:
"You wanted to see me, Ms. Figg?" Harry stood at the door of Arabella's house in a pair
of baggy jeans and green tee shirt.
"Yes, well, rather someone else did," She stepped aside and let Harry in, shutting the door
from the summer heat.
"Hi, Remus," a small grin formed on Harry's face.
Remus hugged Harry. "Here, let's sit down," he motioned Harry to join him on a tattered
pink couch. Arabella announced she would be in the kitchen if needed and left the two to talk
amongst themselves. Harry sat down, nearly sitting on a fat tabby who hissed at its sudden loss of
personal space. The two wizards sat in silence for a moment before Remus cleared his throat.
"Well, isn't this awkward?"
Harry shrugged.
"Listen Harry, there's something we should talk about."
"I know what you're going to say, Remus. This is about what happened yesterday with
Tonks, isn't it?" Harry felt a flicker of anger rise inside of him.
Ugh, not at Remus. Don't you dare snap at Remus.
"He was my best friend. And frankly, it hasn't been an easy time for me either. I have an
idea of how you feel. And before you say anything I just want you to know that I can help you."
Remus looked directly at the carpet while saying all this, choking back tears at the thought of his
deceased friend.
"Remus, I- wow," Harry sighed. "Yea, of course it's about Sirius. Ok, I'm not going to
yell now even though I want to. Look, I don't want to hurt anyone. I don't know why I stormed
away from Tonks like that yesterday. I guess I just want some space. You know, away from
everyone. Just for a while."
"Space?" Remus asked.
"Yea, I- Look Remus, I really need some time to myself to think about stuff. And that's
really hard to do with the Order breathing down my neck and watching me like a little kid. I'm
not a kid. I'm nearly 16. How am I supposed to prove that to everyone?"
"We know you're not a child, Harry."
"Right, especially Dumbledore. If he's so convinced I'm responsible why doesn't he trust
me?" Harry raised his voice as the tabby sitting next to him twitched its ears.
"Dumbledore does trust you. But if you haven't noticed there's a deadly dark wizard after
your blood. Dumbledore is doing all he can to insure you stay alive at least until you are of age!"
Now Remus was yelling to much disklike of the tabby who left the room in search of a calm
atmosphere. Arabella began to hum as she bustled around the kitchen trying her hardest to ignore
the shouting in the next room.
"Oh, so now I'm ungrateful, am I?"
"Harry, I didn't say that. I'm just trying to get you to understand why you-"
"I understand completely, Remus! I understand that you need to keep me alive so I can
fight Voldemort to keep this whole damned world in one piece. I understand that I have to
sacrifice a normal life, the only kind of life I want, so I can defeat him because everyone else is to
cowardly. But I'm not you're fucking slave, and I won't stand for it any longer! I'm sick of it.
Get it? I'm sick of it and I'm through with being Harry Potter!"
While shouting Harry noticed a bag of Floo Powder sitting on the mantle of the fireplace.
The instant he stopped yelling, Harry ran to the fireplace, and grabbed a handful of Floo Powder.
"The Burrow!" Ash and dust began to swirl around Harry as Mrs. Figg's living room
disappeared from his view.
"You wanted to see me, Ms. Figg?" Harry stood at the door of Arabella's house in a pair
of baggy jeans and green tee shirt.
"Yes, well, rather someone else did," She stepped aside and let Harry in, shutting the door
from the summer heat.
"Hi, Remus," a small grin formed on Harry's face.
Remus hugged Harry. "Here, let's sit down," he motioned Harry to join him on a tattered
pink couch. Arabella announced she would be in the kitchen if needed and left the two to talk
amongst themselves. Harry sat down, nearly sitting on a fat tabby who hissed at its sudden loss of
personal space. The two wizards sat in silence for a moment before Remus cleared his throat.
"Well, isn't this awkward?"
Harry shrugged.
"Listen Harry, there's something we should talk about."
"I know what you're going to say, Remus. This is about what happened yesterday with
Tonks, isn't it?" Harry felt a flicker of anger rise inside of him.
Ugh, not at Remus. Don't you dare snap at Remus.
"He was my best friend. And frankly, it hasn't been an easy time for me either. I have an
idea of how you feel. And before you say anything I just want you to know that I can help you."
Remus looked directly at the carpet while saying all this, choking back tears at the thought of his
deceased friend.
"Remus, I- wow," Harry sighed. "Yea, of course it's about Sirius. Ok, I'm not going to
yell now even though I want to. Look, I don't want to hurt anyone. I don't know why I stormed
away from Tonks like that yesterday. I guess I just want some space. You know, away from
everyone. Just for a while."
"Space?" Remus asked.
"Yea, I- Look Remus, I really need some time to myself to think about stuff. And that's
really hard to do with the Order breathing down my neck and watching me like a little kid. I'm
not a kid. I'm nearly 16. How am I supposed to prove that to everyone?"
"We know you're not a child, Harry."
"Right, especially Dumbledore. If he's so convinced I'm responsible why doesn't he trust
me?" Harry raised his voice as the tabby sitting next to him twitched its ears.
"Dumbledore does trust you. But if you haven't noticed there's a deadly dark wizard after
your blood. Dumbledore is doing all he can to insure you stay alive at least until you are of age!"
Now Remus was yelling to much disklike of the tabby who left the room in search of a calm
atmosphere. Arabella began to hum as she bustled around the kitchen trying her hardest to ignore
the shouting in the next room.
"Oh, so now I'm ungrateful, am I?"
"Harry, I didn't say that. I'm just trying to get you to understand why you-"
"I understand completely, Remus! I understand that you need to keep me alive so I can
fight Voldemort to keep this whole damned world in one piece. I understand that I have to
sacrifice a normal life, the only kind of life I want, so I can defeat him because everyone else is to
cowardly. But I'm not you're fucking slave, and I won't stand for it any longer! I'm sick of it.
Get it? I'm sick of it and I'm through with being Harry Potter!"
While shouting Harry noticed a bag of Floo Powder sitting on the mantle of the fireplace.
The instant he stopped yelling, Harry ran to the fireplace, and grabbed a handful of Floo Powder.
"The Burrow!" Ash and dust began to swirl around Harry as Mrs. Figg's living room
disappeared from his view.