Uncle Vernon read the letter silently. His eyes widened when he got to the
part about practicing magic year round. He handed the letter to Petunia,
half-afraid, mostly-angry. Exerting a great deal of energy, he managed to
stand and before retiring into the living room said, in a barely audible
voice, "congratulations." Petunia glanced at Harry and then rushed into the
living room after Vernon. Dudley didn't move, his sandwich wasn't nearly
finished.
Harry smiled and turned to go back to his room. He paused, turned back to Dudley, pointed his wand at his bubble-shaped cousin and whispered "accio". The sandwich floated swiftly across the room directly into Harry's opened hand.
"Hey!" Shouted Dudley "You can't do that!"
Harry motioned with his eyes at the letter, sitting slightly crumpled on the dinner table.
"That felt so good." Harry said aloud when he get back to his room. He had forgotten about the heat in the moment of elation. Finally Harry could perform magic as he liked. He could practice his favorite and most difficult charms, he could ride his broom, he could do his summer homework, all without the Durselys interfering at all or having to worry about breaking the Decree for the Restriction of Underage Wizardry, of which he seemed always to be testing the boundaries. "Temperamenos" Harry raised his wand overheard and in a swirling motion cast his charm. Silvery-blue dust shot from his wand and stuck to the walls of his small bedroom. Instantly, he felt the temperature drop, nullifying the effects of the strangely-sweltering summer. Headwig shivered, shocked by the sudden drop in temperature. Harry collapsed on his bed, eyes closed with an enormous grin on this face.
Before long, he heard a knock at his bedroom door. Uncle Vernon opened the door cautiously, expecting some sort of booby trap like you'd find at number 12 Grimmald place.
"There's someone at the door for you." He said plainly. Harry jumped up and rushed to see who it was, Uncle Vernon jumped aside to avoid his nephew, a feat considering his size. Harry jumped down the stairs three at a time to find Remus Lupin standing in the Dursleys' front hall, examining photos on the wall.
"Professor Lupin!" Harry bounded the final 6 steps and landed squarely on the hardwood. "What are you doing here?" He asked in a panic of happiness.
"I came to congratulate you on passing all your OWLs. Its not an easy task to get high marks in everything and pass all the exams." Lupin said in his fake professor tone
"I thought I was done for sure in potions" Harry replied in an equally fake tone. Lupin smiled and looked back at some of the photos.
"From the look of these photos, you'd never know you lived here." Lupin proclaimed. Without a word, Harry flicked his wand at the way and all the photos flipped themselves around, the back facing out, down the line in perfect sequence. "You're having fun, aren't you"
"You have no idea, professor."
"You don't have to call me professor anymore, Harry. I haven't been a professor of any kind for two years."
"Just an old habit, I suppose."
"Yes, old habits die hard." Lupin said as he approached Harry, now more serious. "Harry, you are requested in person at the headquarters of the Order. I had to come and tell you in person, couldn't risk any owls being intercepted. Things are still rather unpredictable."
"That's fine with me, anything to get me out of here for a while." Harry said, still joyous. He looked at Lupin's face and absorbed some of his gravity. "Do I need anything?"
"We'll send someone for your things, you may not be back here for some time." Lupin continued. Harry nodded and poked his head up the staircase and spoke to his aunt and uncle who had of course been listening in.
"I'm leaving for a while." Harry said smugly. "Don't wait up." He pointed his wand defiantly at Uncle Vernon and with his other hand ran his fingers against the grain through his already-sloppy hair, a final rebellious gesture to Aunt Petunia. Before leaving, Harry peaked into the living room where Dudley had made himself another sandwich and was about to take the first bite. Harry raised his wand and the sandwich vanished. Even Lupin laughed when Dudley bit both of his thumbs out of muscle memory.
Harry and Lupin headed for the door, the Knight Bus stood parked, unseen in the setting sun of Privet Drive.
Harry smiled and turned to go back to his room. He paused, turned back to Dudley, pointed his wand at his bubble-shaped cousin and whispered "accio". The sandwich floated swiftly across the room directly into Harry's opened hand.
"Hey!" Shouted Dudley "You can't do that!"
Harry motioned with his eyes at the letter, sitting slightly crumpled on the dinner table.
"That felt so good." Harry said aloud when he get back to his room. He had forgotten about the heat in the moment of elation. Finally Harry could perform magic as he liked. He could practice his favorite and most difficult charms, he could ride his broom, he could do his summer homework, all without the Durselys interfering at all or having to worry about breaking the Decree for the Restriction of Underage Wizardry, of which he seemed always to be testing the boundaries. "Temperamenos" Harry raised his wand overheard and in a swirling motion cast his charm. Silvery-blue dust shot from his wand and stuck to the walls of his small bedroom. Instantly, he felt the temperature drop, nullifying the effects of the strangely-sweltering summer. Headwig shivered, shocked by the sudden drop in temperature. Harry collapsed on his bed, eyes closed with an enormous grin on this face.
Before long, he heard a knock at his bedroom door. Uncle Vernon opened the door cautiously, expecting some sort of booby trap like you'd find at number 12 Grimmald place.
"There's someone at the door for you." He said plainly. Harry jumped up and rushed to see who it was, Uncle Vernon jumped aside to avoid his nephew, a feat considering his size. Harry jumped down the stairs three at a time to find Remus Lupin standing in the Dursleys' front hall, examining photos on the wall.
"Professor Lupin!" Harry bounded the final 6 steps and landed squarely on the hardwood. "What are you doing here?" He asked in a panic of happiness.
"I came to congratulate you on passing all your OWLs. Its not an easy task to get high marks in everything and pass all the exams." Lupin said in his fake professor tone
"I thought I was done for sure in potions" Harry replied in an equally fake tone. Lupin smiled and looked back at some of the photos.
"From the look of these photos, you'd never know you lived here." Lupin proclaimed. Without a word, Harry flicked his wand at the way and all the photos flipped themselves around, the back facing out, down the line in perfect sequence. "You're having fun, aren't you"
"You have no idea, professor."
"You don't have to call me professor anymore, Harry. I haven't been a professor of any kind for two years."
"Just an old habit, I suppose."
"Yes, old habits die hard." Lupin said as he approached Harry, now more serious. "Harry, you are requested in person at the headquarters of the Order. I had to come and tell you in person, couldn't risk any owls being intercepted. Things are still rather unpredictable."
"That's fine with me, anything to get me out of here for a while." Harry said, still joyous. He looked at Lupin's face and absorbed some of his gravity. "Do I need anything?"
"We'll send someone for your things, you may not be back here for some time." Lupin continued. Harry nodded and poked his head up the staircase and spoke to his aunt and uncle who had of course been listening in.
"I'm leaving for a while." Harry said smugly. "Don't wait up." He pointed his wand defiantly at Uncle Vernon and with his other hand ran his fingers against the grain through his already-sloppy hair, a final rebellious gesture to Aunt Petunia. Before leaving, Harry peaked into the living room where Dudley had made himself another sandwich and was about to take the first bite. Harry raised his wand and the sandwich vanished. Even Lupin laughed when Dudley bit both of his thumbs out of muscle memory.
Harry and Lupin headed for the door, the Knight Bus stood parked, unseen in the setting sun of Privet Drive.