Chapter 6 - The Rat In The Garden

"Well, if everything is settled," Mr Weasley said, "I'll find two or three members of the Order who are off duty at the moment, and we can accompany Harry back home.

Harry sighed. "Do I really have to return there? Isn't there anything I can do here to help you? Some papers that need sorting, at least?"

Mr Weasley looked at him with pity. "I'm really sorry, Harry, but it's extremely important for you to stay in your relatives' house."

Harry said nothing - he knew Mr Weasley was right. He didn't get up to leave the room, however; he remained in his chair, staring at the table in front of him. A part of him couldn't help feeling he was being rejected, although he understood the reasons it was necessary for him to go home.

"There is another possibility," Dumbledore said. He was speaking slowly and cautiously, as if aware that his words might upset Harry. "You could also go to the house at Grimmauld Place - it is yours now, and you're perfectly safe there too. It's just that we thought you might not want to stay there."

Harry tried to imagine himself staying in the large, gloomy house, full of Dark magical objects, talking portraits and - worst of all - memories of Sirius.

He shook his head.

"No, you're right. I don't want to stay there."

Dumbledore said: "You see, Harry, there are only three places in this country where you are, without any doubt, completely safe from Voldemort. One is your relatives' home, where your mother's protection over you is stronger than anything he will ever be able to try. Sirius's house is another safe place. It's protected by the Fidelius charm, and as long as I don't speak about it - which I won't - Voldemort will never know about it."

Harry could already guess what Dumbledore was going to say next.

"The third place is Hogwarts, isn't it?" he asked. He was looking at Dumbledore intently, so he didn't notice that the group of Order members who had been discussing something around a table at the other end of the room had gone quiet and was now listening to their conversation.

"That's right, Harry. Voldemort himself will never be able to enter Hogwarts. But, I'm afraid, his Death Eaters can - at least two of them had done so in the past."

Harry knew Dumbledore was talking about Bartemius Crouch and Peter Pettigrew, who had both entered Hogwarts - Pettigrew in his Animagus form as a rat, Crouch disguised as another person with the help of Polyjuice Potion.

Dumbledore continued: "It means that I can't be absolutely sure that you'd be safe at Hogwarts, not if I'm not there myself to protect you. And I think you wouldn't like to spend your summers at Hogwarts anyway, not with no one else but Argus Filch and Mrs Norris to keep you company."

Harry shook his head. That would, indeed, be worse than living with his relatives.

Suddenly a voice Harry knew very well spoke from somewhere behind him: "After you've finished discussing Mr Potter's summer plans, Headmaster, I would like to have a word with you about my latest report."

Harry turned around and saw that three members of the Order had approached them, including Professor Snape who gave him a short, contemptuous look before turning once again to Dumbledore. Harry felt furious, although he tried not to let it show. He wouldn't have complained about having to return home had he known Snape was there, listening to him. How typical of Snape to make him look like a spoiled brat who cared more about his plans for the holidays than about the fight against Voldemort!

"I'll be with you in a minute, Severus," Dumbledore said.

Mr Weasley, who had been watching Harry with concern, asked: "I wonder if it would be all right for Harry to spend a couple of days at the Burrow, Professor Dumbledore? After all, we've placed all those additional protection spells all around it, and we didn't have any trouble so far."

"I'd love to come!" Harry said and looked at Dumbledore with expectation.

The old wizard looked at Harry thoughtfully through his half-moon glasses. After a while he said: "Yes, I do believe it would be all right. It's still a risk, of course, but so was bringing you here. We can't force you to stay in complete safety all the time."

Harry felt a sudden rush of happiness that almost completely shook off the heavy feeling the visit to the Ministry had given him. He was going to stay with the Weasleys - in the world he belonged to, among people he liked!

He was feeling so happy that as he was leaving the Headquarters with Mr Weasley soon afterwards he even greeted Snape cheerfully, leaving him speechless with surprise. In the lift, on their way to the atrium, Mr Weasley told him about the new spells protecting the Burrow. As he explained, places important to the Order of the Phoenix all around Britain were being protected by series of complicated charms. The Burrow, being the home of four members of the Order, was one of these places. It would be extremely difficult for any enemy to attack the house.

As they approached the fireplaces in the atrium, Arthur Weasley said: "I'm just going to talk to Molly and tell her you'll be joining us for supper. Then we'll go to your aunt and uncle's house for you to pack your things."

Harry nodded and waited patiently while Mr Weasley knelt in front of one of the fireplaces talking to his wife. There weren't as many people in the atrium as when they were arriving, and most of them seemed to be going home. Harry smiled. He felt as if he was, at last, going home too.

---

It happened one afternoon when I awoke after what I thought was a nap - but was probably the effect of a Memory Charm - after one of our lovers' meetings. He would usually already have left the house when I'd wake up, but this time I could hear him moving around in the next room.

Happy that my beloved was still with me, I got up and walked to the door between the rooms, which was left ajar. I wasn't trying to be quiet but, luckily, I was: the floor of the bedroom was covered with a thick carpet, so my bare feet made no sound. I looked through the door and ... there was this horrible, pale creature, holding a small vial in its hand. The fingers clutching the vial were long and ghostly pale, and the face - the face was monstrous, only half-human, with red eyes. Terrified and afraid to move, I watched the creature drink from the vial. The ghastly face contorted in pain for a moment, and then the whole body began to change, assuming once again the form of my lover.

I knew at once whose face it was that I'd seen. It was the Dark Lord, looking exactly how I'd imagined him from the descriptions I'd heard, only even less human. And I had held him in my arms only fifteen minutes earlier! I thought I was going to be sick. But at the same time I felt something even more important than repulsion: fear. Now that I'd found about his secret, I was going to die.

I was still frozen to the spot, and had he looked at the door he would have seen me. Fortunately, he never looked. Very slowly, I crept to where my cloak was hanging and took my wand.

I was searching my mind desperately for a way to stay alive. I was sure I couldn't fight him - he was known as one of the most powerful wizards alive. Disapparating was an option, but I was too nervous to attempt it. I had only learned how to Disapparate two years before, and was only able to do it if I was concentrating very hard. Simply running away would never have worked. He would have found me, and it was nearly impossible anyway - the house was on a cliff, almost impossible to approach by foot.

All these thoughts were running through my head in seconds. What about staying and pretending I hadn't noticed anything? That wouldn't have worked at all, I knew, because he was able to see my thoughts. Suddenly I saw a possible solution. He wouldn't be able to see my thoughts if, at the moment he saw me, I was thinking nothing.

I lay on the bed, face down, grasping my wand firmly and hiding it under my body. I didn't know how to make myself fall asleep by magic, but I did know the Stunning Spell. That would have to do - it was the only solution I saw. I pointed the tip of the wand towards my chest and whispered the incantation.

When I woke up I was alone in the house. It had worked. He'd obviously left without coming close enough to me to notice that I'd been unconscious and not sleeping. I began to cry - out of disillusionment, fear or relief, I'm not sure.

When I managed to calm down, I Apparated to my home. I knew I wasn't safe. I 'd probably never be safe again. I would have to spend my life in hiding, and I had no idea how.

---

Conversation was very lively during supper at the Lovegoods' home. All sorts of topics were mentioned: the secret crimes of Cornelius Fudge, the recent Quibbler article about Merlin having been seen alive, and, of course, crop circles. Balthasar Cook was eager to talk about his groundbreaking theory, and the others were eager to listen.

Luna, however, didn't participate in the conversation with the enthusiasm she would usually have shown for these subjects. She seemed somewhat distant and thoughtful. Her father kept looking at her with concern. He'd noticed that she often behaved like that since she first read the letter her mother had left for her.

After supper Balthasar Cook offered to take them outside and show them how, in his opinion, Muggles made crop circles. It was already getting dark, but Cook said it was even better that way: Muggles usually worked on it during the night too, so this way it would be more authentic.

Theodosius Lovegood took advantage of a moment when Cook and the elf were searching for some rope and a wooden stick - things Cook said he'd need - to say to his daughter:

"You should try and stop thinking about that letter, Luna. It was important that you learn the facts, but they don't have to affect your life."

Luna nodded. "I know, Dad. It's just... It's just so difficult."

Her father sighed. "Yes, I know it is. Maybe it would be easier for you if you threw the letter away."

Luna looked at him, her eyes wide with surprise. "But Mum wrote it! How could I throw it away?"

"We have plenty of things to remind of her - letters, books, photographs. You wouldn't be betraying her memory by letting go of the letter. You don't have to do it straight away, but just consider it. Please?"

"I will, Dad," Luna said, knowing he was right. She knew her mother wrote the letter to inform her of the things she had to know, not to cause her pain. If her mother could talk to her now she would give her the same advice her father did.

She was going to stop reading the letter and throw it away. She was just not entirely ready for it yet. Promising to herself she'd do it soon, she followed her father outside.

"Hey, not there, Cook! That's my vegetable garden!" her father shouted and they all laughed. Cook chose another spot for his demonstration, a clearing covered in tall grass, and began his speech:

"So, let us imagine this is a field, not a meadow. I'm not sure if it will work so well on grass, but we'll have to try. Now I think Muggles begin by taking a wooden stick and inserting it into the ground..."

---

Harry and Mr Weasley travelled back to Mrs Figg's house using the Floo Network, avoided her invitations to stay for supper and walked quickly to the Dursleys' home.

Aunt Petunia opened the door when they rang the bell and moved aside to let Harry in, saying nothing.

"Er... Aunt Petunia, I'm going to spend some time at the Weasleys' home. I just came back to get my things," Harry said and noticed a slight frown appearing on his aunt's face. Surely she wasn't going to try and stop him from going out of pure spite? It would make no sense - the Dursleys liked it when he wasn't home.

Aunt Petunia looked as if she was struggling with herself, then she said through gritted teeth: "He said you shouldn't leave this house. That Headmaster of yours."

"It's all right, Mrs Dursley," Mr Weasley said. "Professor Dumbledore said it was all right for Harry to go."

"Fine, then," Aunt Petunia said and Harry quickly walked past her. He hurried upstairs, hoping that Uncle Vernon and Dudley were watching TV and wouldn't notice him.

Hedwig was waiting for him in her cage. It was as if she knew she was about to travel and had prepared herself. Harry quickly packed some clothes and ran downstairs with his suitcase and Hedwig's cage. Mr Weasley had been trying to humour Aunt Petunia by telling her how fascinated he was by their doorbell and asking her how it worked. "Yes, yes, electricity. I've heard about it before," he was saying when Harry pulled him away, hastily saying goodbye to his aunt.

Petunia watched them walk down the street, as if she was trying to make sure they'd go away. As she was about to go inside and close the door, she thought she heard a noise from the garden. She looked in the direction of the noise and saw something thin and long disappear behind the fence.

She was puzzled. What she saw looked very much like a rat's tail. But that was impossible - there were never any rats anywhere near her impeccably clean home. Thinking she'd probably imagined it, Petunia went inside and closed her door.