CHAPTER 5
Harry Potter had been staying in the hotel for 3 days, but it seemed like longer; he was going stir crazy. Things were happening in the world and here he was roped off from them all. There was only so much homework he could do, television he could watch, and games he could play before he went positively mad.
Mrs. Weasly had been part of the shift that came after Tonks and Kingsley. She had fussed over Harry and assured him that he'd be out of there soon and that they'd have a proper birthday celebration for him. Mrs. Weasly's sentiments were with the twins: as far as she was considered Harry was practically one of her own sons, and she didn't fail to treat him as one.
So far there had been sign of Dumbledore.
At noon Harry was just starting lunch when the guard changed. Remus Lupin appeared and Moody disappeared.
"Hello, Professor."
"Hello, Harry. How are you today?"
"Fine. I want out. Why hasn't Dumbledore been in contact with me?" He'd asked this of every single person who'd come in.
"He hasn't had time. Things have been crazy." This was the same answer everyone else had given him. Lupin must of seen the depressed look on Harry's face, "Just between you and me, I know for a fact that you'll be seeing him soon."
"Well it better be soon otherwise I'll be back at Hogwarts by the time I see him!"
"Take it easy. Brought you a surprise." He raised his voice, "Severus! Let them in, Severus!"
The door swung open and Harry saw his two best friends in the entire world standing there, side by side.
"Harry!" squealed Hermione. She raced toward him and suffocated him with a tight hug. "How've you been? We missed you! Sorry we couldn't get here any sooner, they wouldn't let us come before."
"Hermione, let go of him." Harry thought he heard a little more edge in Ron's voice than should have been there, but he couldn't be sure. At any rate Ron smiled at him when he added, "You're probably killing him."
"I've missed you guys," Harry returned. Hermione let go of him.
Ron plopped down on Harry's bed, "I can't believe you've been stuck here with Snape." Severus Snape had gone to Hogwarts with Professor Lupin, Sirius Black, and Harry's father. Harry's father had tormented Snape for no apparent reason other than the fact that he could and Sirius had been the same way. Snape was the potions master and Head of Slytherin House now, and he and Harry despised each other.
"He hasn't come inside here once. This is his third time on guard duty and each time he's stayed outside the door."
"Weird."
They were silent. Ron said, "I'm sorry we couldn't get here sooner. They don't tell us anything hardly."
"Where's the new Headquarters?"
"We don't know. I was at the Burrow until the yesterday. I went to visit Hermione yesterday, that way we'd be nearer to here today. It was Mum's idea."
"Or maybe Dumbledore's," pointed out Harry.
Ron sighed. "It's like we said, they don't tell us anything." He scratched his chin, "We do know one thing though."
"What's that?"
Hermione kept her voice low, after a quick glance to see if Lupin was distracted; he was. "Dumbledore's meeting with you tonight. Why else would he send us today? Honestly, besides that there were little snippets of conversations we heard that hint that he's coming today." She raised her voice and said in the nagging tone she often used with them about schoolwork, "Have you finished it yet? Your work for the summer holidays?"
"Yeah. Tonks helped me with some of the harder stuff. She made it into all those N.E.W.T. classes so that she could become an Auror after all."
Hermione looked slightly miffed; often Harry and Ron didn't do their homework until it was almost too late, and the fact was she wasn't use to anybody but herself helping them with that homework.
Harry and his friends spent an enjoyable afternoon. Finally Hermione said, "Is it five already?"
"Yeah. So?" asked Harry.
"We promised to be back by 5:30. We've got to go."
"Don't!" he said, piteously. "Please?"
"We've got to. But we already spoke with somebody and they said we can see you tomorrow. I promise."
"Fine."
"Don't pout like that, Harry."
He ignored her. "'Bye, Ron."
"Bye, Harry."
Dumbledore never arrived that night.
Just before Harry fell asleep he yawned and asked Lupin, "I thought you said he was coming?"
"He is. Go to sleep."
* * *
Harry woke to find a man with half moon glasses sitting beside his bed, reading the Daily Prophet. "Ah! Good morning, Harry. I see you're awake. There's much to do today. Go get dressed while I pack your things."
Harry went and got dressed in the bathroom and when he came out everything was apparently packed neatly in his now locked trunk with Hedwig (in her cage) on top. His wand was sitting beside the cage.
"Don't rush, Harry. I thought we might have a little chat first." The Headmaster of Hogwarts smiled pleasantly.
"Good morning, sir."
"Good morning. Now I am aware that Alastor, I mean, Mr. Moody confiscated your wand, because he thought you might possibly behave in such a way that could get you expelled or even your wand broken in half. He left it in my power to deem when it should be returned to you. I decided on this morning. I take it you had a nice visit with Mister Weasly and Miss Granger yesterday?"
"Yes."
"Good. Now I'm sure you've been wondering why I've kept you here these past days after so abruptly removing you from the Dursleys."
"Yeah. I was glad to leave those idiots behind but why not bring me straight to Headquarters?"
"We felt the Dursleys' residence was no longer safe for you for the time being. You will of course be sent there next summer but at the moment there are safer places for you to be. There were some legal matters concerning the Headquarters and the rest that needed to be taken care of, the last of which you and I shall take care of this morning."
Harry was curious in spite of himself. "What would make the Dursleys unsafe? You said it yourself that because of my mum's sacrifice and her blood in my veins and my aunt's that was the safest place for me."
"An assassination attempt on the life of Petunia Dursley," he said simply.
"Why would somebody want to kill her?"
"Several reasons, the most important being that if she and her son were destroyed then the ancient magic protecting you would be destroyed and you left vulnerable indeed."
"So what are you going to do about them?"
"Alastor and some others have placed spells around and in her home. If anyone Apperates or performs a spell within a 10 mile radius of her residence we will know of it immediately. There are other spells now functioning at number 4 as well, but I'm not going to bore you with the details. We've much to accomplish this morning." Dumbledore stood and raised his voice, "Minerva! Take care of his things and bring them to Headquarters for me."
Professor Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts and the Transfiguration teacher, came in.
Harry grabbed his wand.
"Yes, yes, Harry. I said you could have it back. I'll see you later, Minerva."
She nodded at Dumbledore and Harry, put her hand on the trunk, and Harry's things vanished along with her.
"Come along now, Harry. Diagon Alley isn't too far away. A walk will do us good." It wasn't 'til after they left the hotel that Harry noticed that Dumbledore was in Muggle clothes. Soon they reached the Leaky Cauldron, squashed in between a bookstore and a record shop it was invisible to anyone who didn't know it was there.
They entered and the few patrons within greeted the pair of them with smiles and hellos. Dumbledore turned down the drinks they were offered and continued with Harry to the little back yard of the inn that contained nothing more than a brick wall, meager weeds, and some trashcans. But by tapping the right bricks with his wand, Dumbledore brought them through the wall and into Diagon Alley.
Harry Potter had been staying in the hotel for 3 days, but it seemed like longer; he was going stir crazy. Things were happening in the world and here he was roped off from them all. There was only so much homework he could do, television he could watch, and games he could play before he went positively mad.
Mrs. Weasly had been part of the shift that came after Tonks and Kingsley. She had fussed over Harry and assured him that he'd be out of there soon and that they'd have a proper birthday celebration for him. Mrs. Weasly's sentiments were with the twins: as far as she was considered Harry was practically one of her own sons, and she didn't fail to treat him as one.
So far there had been sign of Dumbledore.
At noon Harry was just starting lunch when the guard changed. Remus Lupin appeared and Moody disappeared.
"Hello, Professor."
"Hello, Harry. How are you today?"
"Fine. I want out. Why hasn't Dumbledore been in contact with me?" He'd asked this of every single person who'd come in.
"He hasn't had time. Things have been crazy." This was the same answer everyone else had given him. Lupin must of seen the depressed look on Harry's face, "Just between you and me, I know for a fact that you'll be seeing him soon."
"Well it better be soon otherwise I'll be back at Hogwarts by the time I see him!"
"Take it easy. Brought you a surprise." He raised his voice, "Severus! Let them in, Severus!"
The door swung open and Harry saw his two best friends in the entire world standing there, side by side.
"Harry!" squealed Hermione. She raced toward him and suffocated him with a tight hug. "How've you been? We missed you! Sorry we couldn't get here any sooner, they wouldn't let us come before."
"Hermione, let go of him." Harry thought he heard a little more edge in Ron's voice than should have been there, but he couldn't be sure. At any rate Ron smiled at him when he added, "You're probably killing him."
"I've missed you guys," Harry returned. Hermione let go of him.
Ron plopped down on Harry's bed, "I can't believe you've been stuck here with Snape." Severus Snape had gone to Hogwarts with Professor Lupin, Sirius Black, and Harry's father. Harry's father had tormented Snape for no apparent reason other than the fact that he could and Sirius had been the same way. Snape was the potions master and Head of Slytherin House now, and he and Harry despised each other.
"He hasn't come inside here once. This is his third time on guard duty and each time he's stayed outside the door."
"Weird."
They were silent. Ron said, "I'm sorry we couldn't get here sooner. They don't tell us anything hardly."
"Where's the new Headquarters?"
"We don't know. I was at the Burrow until the yesterday. I went to visit Hermione yesterday, that way we'd be nearer to here today. It was Mum's idea."
"Or maybe Dumbledore's," pointed out Harry.
Ron sighed. "It's like we said, they don't tell us anything." He scratched his chin, "We do know one thing though."
"What's that?"
Hermione kept her voice low, after a quick glance to see if Lupin was distracted; he was. "Dumbledore's meeting with you tonight. Why else would he send us today? Honestly, besides that there were little snippets of conversations we heard that hint that he's coming today." She raised her voice and said in the nagging tone she often used with them about schoolwork, "Have you finished it yet? Your work for the summer holidays?"
"Yeah. Tonks helped me with some of the harder stuff. She made it into all those N.E.W.T. classes so that she could become an Auror after all."
Hermione looked slightly miffed; often Harry and Ron didn't do their homework until it was almost too late, and the fact was she wasn't use to anybody but herself helping them with that homework.
Harry and his friends spent an enjoyable afternoon. Finally Hermione said, "Is it five already?"
"Yeah. So?" asked Harry.
"We promised to be back by 5:30. We've got to go."
"Don't!" he said, piteously. "Please?"
"We've got to. But we already spoke with somebody and they said we can see you tomorrow. I promise."
"Fine."
"Don't pout like that, Harry."
He ignored her. "'Bye, Ron."
"Bye, Harry."
Dumbledore never arrived that night.
Just before Harry fell asleep he yawned and asked Lupin, "I thought you said he was coming?"
"He is. Go to sleep."
* * *
Harry woke to find a man with half moon glasses sitting beside his bed, reading the Daily Prophet. "Ah! Good morning, Harry. I see you're awake. There's much to do today. Go get dressed while I pack your things."
Harry went and got dressed in the bathroom and when he came out everything was apparently packed neatly in his now locked trunk with Hedwig (in her cage) on top. His wand was sitting beside the cage.
"Don't rush, Harry. I thought we might have a little chat first." The Headmaster of Hogwarts smiled pleasantly.
"Good morning, sir."
"Good morning. Now I am aware that Alastor, I mean, Mr. Moody confiscated your wand, because he thought you might possibly behave in such a way that could get you expelled or even your wand broken in half. He left it in my power to deem when it should be returned to you. I decided on this morning. I take it you had a nice visit with Mister Weasly and Miss Granger yesterday?"
"Yes."
"Good. Now I'm sure you've been wondering why I've kept you here these past days after so abruptly removing you from the Dursleys."
"Yeah. I was glad to leave those idiots behind but why not bring me straight to Headquarters?"
"We felt the Dursleys' residence was no longer safe for you for the time being. You will of course be sent there next summer but at the moment there are safer places for you to be. There were some legal matters concerning the Headquarters and the rest that needed to be taken care of, the last of which you and I shall take care of this morning."
Harry was curious in spite of himself. "What would make the Dursleys unsafe? You said it yourself that because of my mum's sacrifice and her blood in my veins and my aunt's that was the safest place for me."
"An assassination attempt on the life of Petunia Dursley," he said simply.
"Why would somebody want to kill her?"
"Several reasons, the most important being that if she and her son were destroyed then the ancient magic protecting you would be destroyed and you left vulnerable indeed."
"So what are you going to do about them?"
"Alastor and some others have placed spells around and in her home. If anyone Apperates or performs a spell within a 10 mile radius of her residence we will know of it immediately. There are other spells now functioning at number 4 as well, but I'm not going to bore you with the details. We've much to accomplish this morning." Dumbledore stood and raised his voice, "Minerva! Take care of his things and bring them to Headquarters for me."
Professor Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts and the Transfiguration teacher, came in.
Harry grabbed his wand.
"Yes, yes, Harry. I said you could have it back. I'll see you later, Minerva."
She nodded at Dumbledore and Harry, put her hand on the trunk, and Harry's things vanished along with her.
"Come along now, Harry. Diagon Alley isn't too far away. A walk will do us good." It wasn't 'til after they left the hotel that Harry noticed that Dumbledore was in Muggle clothes. Soon they reached the Leaky Cauldron, squashed in between a bookstore and a record shop it was invisible to anyone who didn't know it was there.
They entered and the few patrons within greeted the pair of them with smiles and hellos. Dumbledore turned down the drinks they were offered and continued with Harry to the little back yard of the inn that contained nothing more than a brick wall, meager weeds, and some trashcans. But by tapping the right bricks with his wand, Dumbledore brought them through the wall and into Diagon Alley.