- - -
Harry dragged his heavy trunk out of his closet, and rescued his treasures from beneath the loose floorboard. Once everything had been gathered and (more or less) neatly packed, Harry turned to the door. To his surprise, a minimal breakfast, consisting of a piece of buttered toast, most likely left over from Dudley's breakfast, had been pushed through the flap in his door. Harry, who was famished, demolished it. Apparently his aunt and uncle were ready to let him out of his bedroom.
He attempted to open the previously-locked door. It opened with a click. Lugging his things out into the hallway and down the stairs would not be easy with his heavy trunk.
By the time Harry had reached the staircase, Uncle Vernon was yelling, "What's all that racket up there!?"
Harry sighed impatiently and said, "I'm leaving, I'm going to stay with my friends and then heading to school with them."
Uncle Vernon's face turned red, and he yelled, "You're out of your mind, boy! Your school won't start for two more weeks, and I will not allow any of..." he paused, "your kind to set foot in my house!"
Harry, thoroughly annoyed, replied, "None of my kind will be coming along to pick me up. I'm taking the bus. Now excuse me." He tried to brush past Uncle Vernon, but he moved to block Harry's path.
"You're absolutely mad," Aunt Petunia whispered, "Do you think that we would let you go on a bus with that?" Her bony fingers indicated Harry's trunk and Hedwig's cage.
Harry stopped trying to dodge around bulky Uncle Vernon, and stopped to fix Aunt Petunia with his piercing green eyes. "I'm not going on a muggle bus," he said impatiently, "I'm going on a bus for my kind. You know, wiz-" Uncle Vernon made a panicked sound, not wanting any mention of wizards in a 'normal' house. "Besides," Harry continued, "If you don't let me leave, Sirius will hear about it."
Uncle Vernon's flabby face darkened, but he stepped aside. The Dursleys were scared stiff of Harry's godfather. Harry wasn't sure why he hadn't told his aunt and uncle about Sirius' death, but perhaps this was the reason.
"Have a good school year," Aunt Petunia said, sounding like she wanted nothing more than for Harry to have a dreadful time at Hogwarts. Having won his way, Harry beamed at the lot of them, especially Dudley, who he passed in the hall on the way to the door. Dudley cowered against the wall as Harry went by. Harry then exited number 4 Privet Drive.
- - -
Hauling his belongings onto the edge of the curb, Harry reached out his wand arm and flagged down the bus. BANG. The large, purple bus came into view, and Stan Shunpike, the director of the Knight Bus, hopped out to help him with his trunk.
"Blimey, itchoo 'arry! Well, 'arry, where would choo like to go?"
"Diagon Alley," Harry said, lifting Hedwig's cage and climbing onto the bus.
"Righ' choo are, 'arry!" Stan cried, as Ernie, the bus driver, started the bus.
BANG. The Knight Bus gave a violent jolt, and Hedwig screeched. Harry nearly toppled off his chair. He had nearly forgotten how much he disliked riding on this contraption. It was dizzying to watch the scenery whiz by, so Harry closed his eyes.
After a minute, Stan tapped Harry on his shoulder. "'Scuse me Mister 'arry, but there's a man 'oo wantssa talk witchoo."
A man? Harry glanced back to where Stan was pointing. Sitting there, looking thin, as always, but smiling pleasantly nonetheless, was Remus Lupin.
- - -
"Why, hello Harry!" Lupin said.
"P-professor Lupin? What are you doing here?"
Remus laughed quietly. "Did you really think," he asked, "that I would want you riding the Knight Bus by yourself? Tonks told me that the last time you rode this thing, Stan Shunpike nearly yelled your name to the entire bus...Not that I don't think you can take care of yourself."
It was a lengthy answer to a simple question, and it seemed to Harry, the underlying message was that he, Remus Lupin, was lonely too. Harry smiled back, but just then the Knight Bus gave another stomach-turning jolt, and Harry nearly lost his balance.
"Diagon Alley," grunted Ernie.
Remus stood up. "Well, this is our stop," he said, rummaging through the pockets of his worn robes. Harry hurriedly took out his pouch and withdrew double the amount of sickles needed to pay his fare. Harry thrust the money towards Stan before Lupin could draw a knut from his pockets.
"Here, I'm paying for both of us," Harry insisted. "Please, Professor," he said, before Remus could protest, "I want to repay you for letting me leave the Dursleys early." Lupin smiled gratefully. It was hard for him to get by, as no one wanted to employ a werewolf.
Climbing off the bus, Lupin steered Harry through the crowd, a firm hand on his shoulder. As throngs of eccentric looking witches and wizards bustled through Diagon Alley, Harry wondered what Isabella would be like.
Remus interrupted Harry's thoughts by saying, "I talked to Tom, the owner of The Leaky Cauldron. He'll have a room set up for you when we get there."
Sure enough, once they made it to the inn, the bald, toothless bartender escorted the two up to the room reserved for Harry. Tom smiled, exposing bare gums and explained that he had prepared a kettle of tea for them. He then hobbled away, back to the front desk of the inn.
- - -
Remus took off his patched cloak and hung it over the back of a chair. He poured two cups of tea while Harry organized his things and his trunk. As Harry sat down across from Remus, he held the letter he had received the previous night.
"So tell me again, " Remus said, stretching, "You say someone who went to school sent you a letter?"
Harry glanced down at the letter. Now that he saw it in better light, he noticed that the parchment was wrinkled beside the signature from a single teardrop. "Er...yeah, someone named Isabella Fowlie," Harry said, frowning at the parchment.
Remus leaned back in his chair, thinking. "I remember her," Lupin recalled, "She was a pretty one, but none of us really knew her. She was in Ravenclaw."
Harry leaned forward, puzzled, "Well, it seems she...she fancied Sirius."
Lupin looked thoroughly amused. Grinning, Remus rubbed his chin. "She did, eh?" she asked with a slight chuckle, "it's really too bad Sirius never knew about that..."
Harry took a sip of his tea. As he set the teacup back on his saucer, he murmured, "Isabella wrote in her letter that he saved her life. Did you know that?"
Lupin closed his eyes, trying to pull a memory out of his mind. Not recalling any mention of this, Remus shook his head. The two fell into silence, reminiscing of the fallen Sirius Black. His passing had left both of them very alone. The only sound for minutes was the clink of china as the pair drained their cups.
Finally, Lupin sighed, and stood up. "Well Harry, I'll see you in the morning," he said quietly.
Harry nodded once, staring at the table. He was gripping the handle of his teacup so tightly, his knuckles were white. Lupin exited Harry's room, swinging the door shut behind him. It was hard for both of them; Harry had lost the closest thing he'd ever had to a parent, and Lupin had lost his only remaining friend from childhood.
Harry sat there all night, poring over his memories of Sirius-the good and the bad. Surprisingly, Harry was not tired, despite not getting any sleep. His recollections of his godfather had kept his occupied.
There was a knock on the door. When Harry opened it, he found that Tom had left breakfast outside his room. He hurriedly ate it and gave Hedwig an Owl Treat before going to meet Remus.
- - -
Harry dragged his heavy trunk out of his closet, and rescued his treasures from beneath the loose floorboard. Once everything had been gathered and (more or less) neatly packed, Harry turned to the door. To his surprise, a minimal breakfast, consisting of a piece of buttered toast, most likely left over from Dudley's breakfast, had been pushed through the flap in his door. Harry, who was famished, demolished it. Apparently his aunt and uncle were ready to let him out of his bedroom.
He attempted to open the previously-locked door. It opened with a click. Lugging his things out into the hallway and down the stairs would not be easy with his heavy trunk.
By the time Harry had reached the staircase, Uncle Vernon was yelling, "What's all that racket up there!?"
Harry sighed impatiently and said, "I'm leaving, I'm going to stay with my friends and then heading to school with them."
Uncle Vernon's face turned red, and he yelled, "You're out of your mind, boy! Your school won't start for two more weeks, and I will not allow any of..." he paused, "your kind to set foot in my house!"
Harry, thoroughly annoyed, replied, "None of my kind will be coming along to pick me up. I'm taking the bus. Now excuse me." He tried to brush past Uncle Vernon, but he moved to block Harry's path.
"You're absolutely mad," Aunt Petunia whispered, "Do you think that we would let you go on a bus with that?" Her bony fingers indicated Harry's trunk and Hedwig's cage.
Harry stopped trying to dodge around bulky Uncle Vernon, and stopped to fix Aunt Petunia with his piercing green eyes. "I'm not going on a muggle bus," he said impatiently, "I'm going on a bus for my kind. You know, wiz-" Uncle Vernon made a panicked sound, not wanting any mention of wizards in a 'normal' house. "Besides," Harry continued, "If you don't let me leave, Sirius will hear about it."
Uncle Vernon's flabby face darkened, but he stepped aside. The Dursleys were scared stiff of Harry's godfather. Harry wasn't sure why he hadn't told his aunt and uncle about Sirius' death, but perhaps this was the reason.
"Have a good school year," Aunt Petunia said, sounding like she wanted nothing more than for Harry to have a dreadful time at Hogwarts. Having won his way, Harry beamed at the lot of them, especially Dudley, who he passed in the hall on the way to the door. Dudley cowered against the wall as Harry went by. Harry then exited number 4 Privet Drive.
- - -
Hauling his belongings onto the edge of the curb, Harry reached out his wand arm and flagged down the bus. BANG. The large, purple bus came into view, and Stan Shunpike, the director of the Knight Bus, hopped out to help him with his trunk.
"Blimey, itchoo 'arry! Well, 'arry, where would choo like to go?"
"Diagon Alley," Harry said, lifting Hedwig's cage and climbing onto the bus.
"Righ' choo are, 'arry!" Stan cried, as Ernie, the bus driver, started the bus.
BANG. The Knight Bus gave a violent jolt, and Hedwig screeched. Harry nearly toppled off his chair. He had nearly forgotten how much he disliked riding on this contraption. It was dizzying to watch the scenery whiz by, so Harry closed his eyes.
After a minute, Stan tapped Harry on his shoulder. "'Scuse me Mister 'arry, but there's a man 'oo wantssa talk witchoo."
A man? Harry glanced back to where Stan was pointing. Sitting there, looking thin, as always, but smiling pleasantly nonetheless, was Remus Lupin.
- - -
"Why, hello Harry!" Lupin said.
"P-professor Lupin? What are you doing here?"
Remus laughed quietly. "Did you really think," he asked, "that I would want you riding the Knight Bus by yourself? Tonks told me that the last time you rode this thing, Stan Shunpike nearly yelled your name to the entire bus...Not that I don't think you can take care of yourself."
It was a lengthy answer to a simple question, and it seemed to Harry, the underlying message was that he, Remus Lupin, was lonely too. Harry smiled back, but just then the Knight Bus gave another stomach-turning jolt, and Harry nearly lost his balance.
"Diagon Alley," grunted Ernie.
Remus stood up. "Well, this is our stop," he said, rummaging through the pockets of his worn robes. Harry hurriedly took out his pouch and withdrew double the amount of sickles needed to pay his fare. Harry thrust the money towards Stan before Lupin could draw a knut from his pockets.
"Here, I'm paying for both of us," Harry insisted. "Please, Professor," he said, before Remus could protest, "I want to repay you for letting me leave the Dursleys early." Lupin smiled gratefully. It was hard for him to get by, as no one wanted to employ a werewolf.
Climbing off the bus, Lupin steered Harry through the crowd, a firm hand on his shoulder. As throngs of eccentric looking witches and wizards bustled through Diagon Alley, Harry wondered what Isabella would be like.
Remus interrupted Harry's thoughts by saying, "I talked to Tom, the owner of The Leaky Cauldron. He'll have a room set up for you when we get there."
Sure enough, once they made it to the inn, the bald, toothless bartender escorted the two up to the room reserved for Harry. Tom smiled, exposing bare gums and explained that he had prepared a kettle of tea for them. He then hobbled away, back to the front desk of the inn.
- - -
Remus took off his patched cloak and hung it over the back of a chair. He poured two cups of tea while Harry organized his things and his trunk. As Harry sat down across from Remus, he held the letter he had received the previous night.
"So tell me again, " Remus said, stretching, "You say someone who went to school sent you a letter?"
Harry glanced down at the letter. Now that he saw it in better light, he noticed that the parchment was wrinkled beside the signature from a single teardrop. "Er...yeah, someone named Isabella Fowlie," Harry said, frowning at the parchment.
Remus leaned back in his chair, thinking. "I remember her," Lupin recalled, "She was a pretty one, but none of us really knew her. She was in Ravenclaw."
Harry leaned forward, puzzled, "Well, it seems she...she fancied Sirius."
Lupin looked thoroughly amused. Grinning, Remus rubbed his chin. "She did, eh?" she asked with a slight chuckle, "it's really too bad Sirius never knew about that..."
Harry took a sip of his tea. As he set the teacup back on his saucer, he murmured, "Isabella wrote in her letter that he saved her life. Did you know that?"
Lupin closed his eyes, trying to pull a memory out of his mind. Not recalling any mention of this, Remus shook his head. The two fell into silence, reminiscing of the fallen Sirius Black. His passing had left both of them very alone. The only sound for minutes was the clink of china as the pair drained their cups.
Finally, Lupin sighed, and stood up. "Well Harry, I'll see you in the morning," he said quietly.
Harry nodded once, staring at the table. He was gripping the handle of his teacup so tightly, his knuckles were white. Lupin exited Harry's room, swinging the door shut behind him. It was hard for both of them; Harry had lost the closest thing he'd ever had to a parent, and Lupin had lost his only remaining friend from childhood.
Harry sat there all night, poring over his memories of Sirius-the good and the bad. Surprisingly, Harry was not tired, despite not getting any sleep. His recollections of his godfather had kept his occupied.
There was a knock on the door. When Harry opened it, he found that Tom had left breakfast outside his room. He hurriedly ate it and gave Hedwig an Owl Treat before going to meet Remus.
- - -