Hope of the Pheonix (2/?)
Rating: PG 13
Pairing: eventually, Remus/Petunia; for now, none
Disclaimer: It all belongs to J.K. Rowling; I claim nothing!
A/N: Not much happens in this chapter. (Shrug). The purpose of this chapter is pretty much to get Harry and Petunia to Grimmauld Place. Hopefully the action should pick up soon. Anyhow, on with the show!
Chapter 2: The Return to Grimmauld Place
Harry grabbed his Aunt's bony shoulder, and dragged her away from Dudley's body. She struggled at first, but then suddenly fell limp. She had stopped her cries, and was silent once more, only this time there were tears pouring down her face, black streams of mascara.
"Aunt Petunia, we have to leave now" Harry spoke at last, the first words he had spoken since school had ended. His aunt didn't answer; she seemed to be in shock. Harry held her hand, and led her carefully out of the house, checking to be sure that they weren't seen. The streets were still empty and abandoned. He decided to take her to Mrs. Figg's, maybe he could use her fireplace to call Professor Dumbledore.
Harry and Aunt Petunia crept through the deserted suburban streets. Harry hid them as well as he could behind the trees and bushes, cursing the bright afternoon sun, and hoping that the Death Eaters had really left after killing two Muggles, and would not wait to find him. His stomach was still knotted with fear when he reached Mrs. Figg's – only to find her house too, was empty. Mr. Tibbles meowed indignantly at the intruders, but there was no sign of Mrs. Figg. The half-empty cup of tea still sitting beside the chair in the cabbage-smelling living room told Harry that she had had to leave quite suddenly. Had she fled the Death Eaters too? They hated Squibs just as much as they hated Muggles; and if Mrs. Figg were working for the Order, then she'd be a prime target.
Whatever the reason, she was gone now, and it was up to Harry to get himself and Aunt Petunia out of Surrey, and – where? Where could he take Aunt Petunia? Harry's chin set in resolve. He would have to take her to Grimmauld Place. It was the only place where they would be safe, since the Death Eaters had gotten past Dumbledore's protections on Number Four.
Leading Aunt Petunia, who was still clearly out of it, Harry went to the edge of the street, and, sticking out his wand arm, summoned the Knight Bus to them. Soon enough, the purple bus came roaring down the street, the trees and post boxes jumping out of its way.
Soon, the owlish gaze of Ernie and Stan's pimply grin greeted Harry, as he led Aunt Petunia onto the bus. Now Harry knew that Aunt Petunia was out of it – as a Muggle, she couldn't see the Bus, but here she was, following him docilely onto something that, in her eyes, wasn't even there.
"Look, Ern, its 'Arry Potter! Where can we take you today, eh 'Arry?" Stan, at least, seemed pleased to see him again.
"London, Grimmauld Place, please." Harry paid their fares, and shuffled Aunt Petunia onto one of the beds before Stan and Ernie could ask too many questions.
Perhaps Stan was remembering all the reports about Harry being insane, or perhaps he had somehow acquired manners since Harry had last been on the bus, but he didn't attempt to engage Harry in conversation as the bus lurched out of Little Whinging and appeared in Glasgow. Aunt Petunia was still sitting, catatonic, on the edge of the bed. Harry simply stared out the window, watching as the countryside whipped by, and wondering what would happen when they got to London. Would Aunt Petunia be able to enter Grimmauld Place, how would it be, back there without Sirius?
Harry was suddenly overcome with grief, as the memory of Sirius crashed down on him once more. He barely noticed as trees became beaches became crowded streets, thinking only of his godfather. Remembering Sirius' grin when they were all there together, remembering his joy at finding out he had a godfather, his joy back in the Shrieking shack, remembering, remembering...
"'Ere we are, 'Arry," Stan burst into Harry's thoughts, and he realized that the bus had stopped in the slummy suburb of London where the Order Headquarters was hidden. Harry pushed his grief back on the back burner, he had his Aunt to look after now. He thanked Stan, and led Aunt Petunia out into the street. Once he was sure that the Knight Bus was gone, he headed for the empty place between number 11 and number 13. As he approached, number 12 suddenly appeared, and Harry knocked on the door. Again, there was no reaction from Aunt Petunia to his interacting with something that she couldn't see.
The unexpected pressure soon crushed his thoughts out of him though, as Mrs. Weasley opened the door and embraced him. Then, he and Aunt Petunia were led into the house, and the door was shut.
A/N: Not much happens in this chapter. (Shrug). The purpose of this chapter is pretty much to get Harry and Petunia to Grimmauld Place. Hopefully the action should pick up soon. Anyhow, on with the show!
Chapter 2: The Return to Grimmauld Place
Harry grabbed his Aunt's bony shoulder, and dragged her away from Dudley's body. She struggled at first, but then suddenly fell limp. She had stopped her cries, and was silent once more, only this time there were tears pouring down her face, black streams of mascara.
"Aunt Petunia, we have to leave now" Harry spoke at last, the first words he had spoken since school had ended. His aunt didn't answer; she seemed to be in shock. Harry held her hand, and led her carefully out of the house, checking to be sure that they weren't seen. The streets were still empty and abandoned. He decided to take her to Mrs. Figg's, maybe he could use her fireplace to call Professor Dumbledore.
Harry and Aunt Petunia crept through the deserted suburban streets. Harry hid them as well as he could behind the trees and bushes, cursing the bright afternoon sun, and hoping that the Death Eaters had really left after killing two Muggles, and would not wait to find him. His stomach was still knotted with fear when he reached Mrs. Figg's – only to find her house too, was empty. Mr. Tibbles meowed indignantly at the intruders, but there was no sign of Mrs. Figg. The half-empty cup of tea still sitting beside the chair in the cabbage-smelling living room told Harry that she had had to leave quite suddenly. Had she fled the Death Eaters too? They hated Squibs just as much as they hated Muggles; and if Mrs. Figg were working for the Order, then she'd be a prime target.
Whatever the reason, she was gone now, and it was up to Harry to get himself and Aunt Petunia out of Surrey, and – where? Where could he take Aunt Petunia? Harry's chin set in resolve. He would have to take her to Grimmauld Place. It was the only place where they would be safe, since the Death Eaters had gotten past Dumbledore's protections on Number Four.
Leading Aunt Petunia, who was still clearly out of it, Harry went to the edge of the street, and, sticking out his wand arm, summoned the Knight Bus to them. Soon enough, the purple bus came roaring down the street, the trees and post boxes jumping out of its way.
Soon, the owlish gaze of Ernie and Stan's pimply grin greeted Harry, as he led Aunt Petunia onto the bus. Now Harry knew that Aunt Petunia was out of it – as a Muggle, she couldn't see the Bus, but here she was, following him docilely onto something that, in her eyes, wasn't even there.
"Look, Ern, its 'Arry Potter! Where can we take you today, eh 'Arry?" Stan, at least, seemed pleased to see him again.
"London, Grimmauld Place, please." Harry paid their fares, and shuffled Aunt Petunia onto one of the beds before Stan and Ernie could ask too many questions.
Perhaps Stan was remembering all the reports about Harry being insane, or perhaps he had somehow acquired manners since Harry had last been on the bus, but he didn't attempt to engage Harry in conversation as the bus lurched out of Little Whinging and appeared in Glasgow. Aunt Petunia was still sitting, catatonic, on the edge of the bed. Harry simply stared out the window, watching as the countryside whipped by, and wondering what would happen when they got to London. Would Aunt Petunia be able to enter Grimmauld Place, how would it be, back there without Sirius?
Harry was suddenly overcome with grief, as the memory of Sirius crashed down on him once more. He barely noticed as trees became beaches became crowded streets, thinking only of his godfather. Remembering Sirius' grin when they were all there together, remembering his joy at finding out he had a godfather, his joy back in the Shrieking shack, remembering, remembering...
"'Ere we are, 'Arry," Stan burst into Harry's thoughts, and he realized that the bus had stopped in the slummy suburb of London where the Order Headquarters was hidden. Harry pushed his grief back on the back burner, he had his Aunt to look after now. He thanked Stan, and led Aunt Petunia out into the street. Once he was sure that the Knight Bus was gone, he headed for the empty place between number 11 and number 13. As he approached, number 12 suddenly appeared, and Harry knocked on the door. Again, there was no reaction from Aunt Petunia to his interacting with something that she couldn't see.
The unexpected pressure soon crushed his thoughts out of him though, as Mrs. Weasley opened the door and embraced him. Then, he and Aunt Petunia were led into the house, and the door was shut.