A/N: Sorry about the delay, I've had a fairly hectic past few weeks. Been involved in an accident, been to a wedding, had insects come back to life on me, you know, usual stuff..... :-) Anyhoo, here's Chapter 4, read, review and enjoy. Hopefully, the next chapter will be up quicker than this chapter was. More of my rambling can be found at the end of the chapter. And do I need to remind you?? Review, Please!!! 5 reviews and i'll update!!
Behind the Façade
By Ammarine
Chapter 4 - With Some Reluctance
For the second time in as many weeks, Harry was grateful for the his fellow DA members. Whilst he didn't want to think about the last time, it's painful memories were still fresh in his memory and at times the guilt, anger and helplessness over-whelmed him, he knew this time wouldn't fade from his memory anytime soon, either.
He'd excused himself from the not-so-lively conversation taking place amongst the others in his compartment to freshen himself up. As he was nearing his compartment on his return, Draco Malfoy and his cronies appeared, beside themselves with a sadistic glee that they had finally caught Potter without his 'fan club' traipsing along.
It was only rotten luck that they confronted him outside a compartment filled with DA members, for as soon as the saw what was happening, Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle were hexed to the point that they now looked like they had evolved into slugs. Harry had to admit, they had evolved from pond scum, a step up the evolutionary ladder. But, to be honest with himself, Harry would have preferred facing the 'Green Team' on his own. The animosity was really just between him and Malfoy, but the chance that Crabbe and Goyle would be out of way was very slim.
Once the squirming slug-like Slytherins had been unceremoniously hoisted onto the luggage racks, Harry and his DA friends were enjoying themselves immensely, at the Slytherins' expense, of course.
"Goyle's mum'll be really pleased, though," said Ron after Ernie Macmillan made a crack at Malfoy's mother. Of course Ron's attention quickly reverted back to food. "He's loads better looking now ..... Anyway, , Harry, the food trolley's just stopped if you want anything."
Once back in his compartment with Hermione, Ron, Neville, Ginny, Luna and an armful of cauldron cakes and pumpkin pasties, the group quickly quietened down and reverted to spending the last few hours with each as comfortable and relaxed as possible. Of course, as had been the norm of the past week or so, the group's conversations quickly turned to that of Voldemort and his Death Eaters. Harry, who was engrossed in a game of Wizard's Chess with Ron merely shrugged and grunted occasionally, not really paying attention to Hermione and the Daily Prophet in her hands. When Cho passed by their compartment a short while later, accompanied by a balaclava-wearing Marietta Edgecombe, Harry found himself rather unconcerned by their presence. He had a massive crush on Cho earlier in the year, but wanting to impress Cho seemed like ancient history, just like everything else did before Sirius' death.
As the train slowed down in the approach to King's Cross, Harry thought he had never wanted to leave it less. He even wondered fleetingly what would happen if he simply refused to get off, but remained stubbornly sitting there until the first of September, when it would take him back to Hogwarts. When it finally puffed to a standstill, however, he lifted down Hedwig's cage and prepared to drag his trunk from the train as usual.
When the ticket inspector signalled to Harry, Ron and Hermione that it was safe to walk through the barrier between Platforms 9 and 10, however, he found a surprise waiting for him on the other side: a group of people standing there to meet him who he had not expected at all.
There was Moody, Tonks and Lupin, who were waiting with Mr and Mrs Weasley. The twins were there too, sporting lurid green dragonskin jackets, no doubt from their profits. To one side, Hermione's rather nervous-looking parents waited and behind the lot of them, Harry couldn't believe it. Behind his welcoming committee were none other than the Dursleys. His shock must have been evident on his face.
"That'll be them, will it, Potter?" Moody asked, limping towards Harry, his voluminous traveling cloak wrapped around himself and hiding his clawed leg. Harry checked to make sure it wasn't an illusion. Seeing the three of them still there, he hastily checked his glasses and rubbed his eyes.
"Yeah, that's them. Dunno what they're doing here though."
"They're here to pick you up, boy," Moody said simply. Dropping his voice to a growl that even Harry could barely hear, he continued. "Don't worry, Potter, It's just a façade, they're really members," he explained, seeing Harry's slightly confused expression.
"Well – shall we do it then?" Mr Weasley asked Moody, after greeting Mr and Mrs Granger.
"Yeah, I reckon so, Arthur," said Moody. He and Mr Weasley took the lead across the station towards the Dursleys, who were apparently rooted to the floor.
"Good afternoon," Mr Weasley began pleasantly. It seemed as though that was the best part of the conversation. Harry would have really enjoyed the sight of Uncle Vernon being threatened by Moody, if it were only the real Vernon Dursley standing in front of him. But he realised that it had to be done, for appearances sake. All too quickly, though, Harry found himself leading the 'Dursleys' out of the station.
"Potter!" He heard a voice bark out behind him, bringing him back to the present. He'd been standing at the entrance to the carpark, gazing off into space.
"Potter, we need your trunk," 'Aunt Petunia' was saying. Harry reached over the trolley and removed Hedwig's cage that was perched on top of it. 'Uncle Vernon' came up alongside Harry and started pushing the trolley towards a slightly shadowed alley, and after staring at his 'Uncle in disbelief momentarily, raced after them.
"Hey, what do you think you're doing?" Harry demanded angrily.
"What do you think we're doing, Harry," 'Vernon' replied, unintentionally throwing Harry by calling him by his given name. "We're shrinking your things so we can carry them easier."
Realization smacked Harry upside the head as he remembered the 'Dursleys' weren't really the Dursleys. "Oh, that's right. Sorry, I kinda forgot," the raven-haired boy mumbled, his cheeks flushing slightly. 'Vernon' mumbled something incoherent and went back to helping Petunia with the shrinking, with 'Dudley' standing watch.
In no time at all, Harry was scurrying along after the 'Dursleys', his miniaturised luggage in his pocket with his wand, and no clue whatsoever where he was. He managed a quick look around before being shepherded into 'Nana Jean's Tea Parlor'. It was a quiet street, with only handful of people scattered around that Harry could see. He had a feeling they there because of him, but he couldn't see any of them well enough to recognise them.
Once inside the tearoom, Harry looked at his surroundings. It was a large, somewhat dilapidated room painted a pale pink, and each of the dozen or so tables sported frilly lace tablecloths, a small vase of flowers and 3-4 chairs.
"We have a reservation for 'Squibley'," 'Vernon' said, trying to be inconspicuous, to the lady at the counter, a squat middle-aged looking lady with frizzy grey hair. The dumpy looking lady frowned in thought for a moment, then looked back at "Mr Dursley' in her most hospitable (and, in Harry's opinion, gruesome) smile plastered on her face. "Right this way, Mr Squibley," she insisted in a sickly sweet voice.
The 'Dursleys' followed the lady through the tea shop, with Harry, very reluctantly making up the rear. He knew they weren't really the Dursleys, but imitated them so well that it was hard to remember they were really in Majorca. He'd already forgotten once so far, after all.
The dumpy lady, who reminded Harry of Umbridge but had dubbed 'Nana Jean', opened an inconspicuous door next to a couple of plastic palm trees. Entering the room after the 'Dursleys', Harry was greeted with a smaller, and no less horrifying, version of the main tea room, the only difference being that only one table was present.
"A pot of Earl Grey, with 5 cups. And when our guest arrives, just point out the room, there's no need to escort him," Harry heard 'Aunt Petunia" say curtly to 'Nana Jean'. Her voice faintly reminded him of the one that he had heard countless times coming out of Professor McGonagall's mouth. The pudgy lady opened her mouth to speak, but seeing the looks on her customers' faces, obviously thought better of the idea and closed the door quietly behind her as she left the room.
A tense couple of minutes passed between the group before their tea arrived. After the hostess departed a second time, 'Uncle Vernon' pulled out his wand, and with a couple of deft flicks of his wrist, he erected a privacy ward and a silencing charm on the door.
This was too much for Harry. After being exposed to a severely anti-magic muggle Uncle Vernon, this magic wielding version was so bizarre that he couldn't not burst into helpless fits of laughter.
"What, boy? What's so funny?" 'Vernon' asked Harry, starting to get a little angry.
"I'm – so-rry," Harry gasped between laughs. "It's just so strange seeing Uncle Vernon do magic, even if it's not the real Uncle Vernon."
"Be that as it may, Potter, we are not safe yet, so be vigilant. I, for one, hope that we don't have any particular guests" 'Aunt Petunia' said as she poured 2 cups of tea. On one of the cups, she placed a warming charm, no doubt for Snape when he eventually arrived, and the other had a refilling charm placed on it, which 'Petunia' gave to Harry. She then emptied the teapot with an evanesco, and filled it with a murky brown liquid. Harry had only seen the substance once before, but could recognise it immediately. It was person-free Polyjuice. The Polyjuice Potion was poured into the three remaining cups and the three Dursleys added the hairs and drank.
"Bletch," Dudley moaned, "I've never liked this stuff, and we don't even know how long we'll have to drink this for."
"There, there Dudley, my boy, he won't be long in coming. If he is, I'll bring it up at the next meeting myself." 'Vernon' replied.
"Well, what do we do now? I mean it sounds like we're going to be here for some time. And, why are we here, of all places? That toad out there reminds me of Umbridge." Harry complained. In his opinion, this was not how he was planning on starting his vacation, though, truth be told, he wasn't planning on spending it with Snape either. All he knew was that this was going to be one long summer.
After several hours, the handful of chocolate frog cards, that Harry found in his pocket, were doing little to alleviate his oppressing boredom. His 'Aunt and Uncle' were sitting to one side, chatting idly, but glancing both at the door and their watches rather frequently. 'Dudley' was playing his role to perfection, being sprawled out on a small loveseat, snoring away. It was enough to make Harry want to fall asleep too, but he didn't want to give Snape anything more to harass him about than he already had. That alone was what kept Harry awake. By late afternoon, Harry, was struggling to keep his eyes open, but he still refused to let Snape find him asleep when the git eventually arrived.
It nearing sunset when they heard a simpering voice outside the door, causing the occupants to still their movements and try and listen to what was happening, and 'Dudley' to awake with a soft snort.
"Here you are, sir, just through this- oh. Sorry, sir, your friends are, erm, were waiting through a door that should have been here, but isn't." Harry couldn't stop the corners of his mouth quirking up slightly into a smile.
"I assure you, madam, if there was meant to be a door present, I very seriously doubt it would vanish into thin air, particularly if it is meant to be occupied," a came a voice, dripping with disdain. The look that was imagined by the disappearing room's occupants to be on Snape's face as he glared down at the toady-faced lady was close to what it looked like in reality. It was quite a sight to see the Professor glaring down at the lady with his lip curled, exposing his crooked, yellowing teeth, and a look of utter contempt written across his features. This toad here really is too much like that imbecile Umbridge, to even tolerate, Severus Snape perceived. Intolerable muggle. The question that faced him now was how to get rid of her to allow him entry to the room that had apparently disappeared? From what he observed since his entrance into the shop, he was the only customer, apart from the 'Dursleys' and Potter, and there was no way he could get rid of her. There was one way, but Professor Snape did not want to travel down that avenue, it would embarrass him in front of the room's occupants, and that was definitely something he didn't want them hearing. He needed Potter to be scared of or angry with him for as long as possible, it would make the summer pass marginally less painful. However, he knew he wouldn't be able to stay by the wall for very long, with the lady standing here, so it was looking like being his only plan of action. Bugger.
"Madam," he said in hushed tones, "would you permit me to use your facilities to freshen up? I have traveled a fair distance today, and would prefer to feel slightly more human than I do currently." At least I can look human, he added mentally, biting back a smirk. You, on the contrary, are incapable of looking anything other than amphibious.
"J-just through the door t-to your left, sir," she answered hurriedly, her eyes flicking across to the distasteful pink door.
"You are most welcoming," he murmured, bowing slightly. "I shall allow you to continue on with your duties." At that, he turned and pushed the door open, pretending to enter. In his peripheral vision, he saw the squat lady waddle off, most probably hoping he would experience the same fate as the door and disappear. He discreetly closed the door, returned to the seemingly blank wall and muttered softly, "I know you're here, now take down the bloody wards before she comes back." In response, a door shimmered into existence slightly to his left and he grasped the handle and opened the door.
The sight Severus Snape was greeted with as he crossed the threshold was unsettling, to say the least. The moment the door closed, 'Vernon Dursley' flicked his wand and the wards were reset. Severus was aware that the real Dursleys despised magic of any kind, particularly Potter, yet here they were, armed with wands and, from what he could understand, actually getting along with the idiot boy.
"Up, Potter," he growled, slightly unsettled at the sight that lay before him. "I wish to depart before the trouble that follows you around chooses to make its inevitable return." Receiving a quick, insolent glare from the boy, he watched as the pentagonal-shaped chocolate frog cards were gathered up from the space of floor in front of Harry and placed in a pocket, before the wand was picked up and fitted up his sleeve.
"I trust you have a way to depart from this pitiful excuse of an establishment," the Professor drawled and quickly grimaced at 'Petunia Dursley's' response; a teddy bear. "Very well, I suggest you take the spells off before you depart. Potter, if you have all your belongings, I suggest you take hold of this." He pulled out a muggle ball-point pen. Harry stood, taking his time. He was trying to prevent the inevitable, by wasting time, and it was likely just to make Snape worse than usual towards him, if that were possible. So, with some reluctance, Harry approached the Potions Professor and took hold of the pen
At hearing Snape say the word "gumdrops", Harry felt the now-familiar pull of a portkey behind his navel, his Potions Professor holding onto the other end. Moments later, as his feet hit solid ground, Harry stumbled to stay upright, a feat which he barely managed before Snape opened a door and stepped inside. Prior to entering, Harry looked up at the building in front of him. It was, in comparison to both the Dursley's and Hogwarts, a rather small looking cottage, with a front yard that was clearly neglected. He thought it would be good to get a look at the place he was going to be imprisoned in for the next few months, as he didn't believe he'd be allowed to go outside for a long time to come.
"Hurry up, Potter. I have other business to attend to than holding a door open," snarled an irritated Snape, snapping Harry out of his reverie.
"Is this yours, sir? Or the Orders?" Harry asked as he entered the house. It didn't seemed to have suffered the same fate as the garden. There was no dust, the windows were clean and there was no stuffy odour. It didn't feel as forboding as Order Headquarters, either.
"This is my home, and as such, I expect you to act accordingly. I have no house elves, there is no need when it is so rarely used. You will assist in housework, and if is not as dismal as your Potions grades, will cook dinner, occasionally. I suspect you want to settle in; your room is along the hallway, second door on the left. Pull out your belongings, I will unshrink them for you. I will be back in 30 minutes, do not leave this house or answer the door under any circumstances. Am I understood?" he finished with a glare, making sure that Harry got the message. The boy nodded in response. "Stay out of trouble, Potter. Recostitua," Snape said as means of goodbye, a trace of weariness in his voice, before he turned and left Harry alone in the cottage.
Recostitua – return to normal/unshrink. The shrinking spell that the 'Vernon' and 'Petunia' would have used at the station, in this fic, would have been Ridursa. A large majority of my spells will come from my now rather rusty Italian, which was one of my majors at school, as I know I have more chance of getting it right in Italian than I do in Latin.
A/N: Firstly, some parts of this chapter were taken from OotP, ie, the train trip and what happened at King's Cross. If anyone has serious issues, please remember that I am not JK, so I feel very graified to use her work. If it really bothers you, though, I will rewrite those parts.
Secondly, like I said at the beginning of the chapter, sorry for the huge delay, I've had weeks away, and weddings (well, only one) and assessments galore since my last update, and have had to squeeze my writing time in whenever possible, which hasn't been all that often. There was also the problem of a number of rather persistent plot bunnies for other stories, which I think frightened my rabbit into cowering in the corner of her cage, poor baby. I also got part way through the chapter and realised that I didn't like the way it was sounding, it was all over the place and not really going anywhere. But fear not, the next chapter is on its way, and will arrive shortly.
If anyone finds any grievous mistakes, please feel free to mention it in a review (Do I see a hint?? I think I do!!), but even if you don't find any, please review anyway. It gives me the motivation to write, 'cos I then know that people are actually reading my work. But back to the mistakes, any that are found are mine, as I am beta-less. If you feel a desperate desire to beta me and make my work a better place for all mankind (oops, sorry...I'll get off the tangent...), yes, if you want to beta me, feel free to ask. I won't bite, I'm domesticated!