Harry, Dumbledore's given us permission to have you spend the last 3 weeks of summer holidays with us this year. On 11 August my parents have a conference to attend in Surrey so they can come pick you up first and take you to our hotel room. Then while they're at the conference we can go for lunch. The conference will be over at 3:00pm and we can go back to my house for the rest of the summer.
I really hope you can come, I know you're bored from being cut off from the wizarding world, but hang in there and soon you won't ever have to go back to the Dursley's at all.
Best wishes,
Hermione Granger
A grin spread across Harry's face as he read the latest letter from his friend Hermione for the third time since he had received it.
'Come here Headwig.' He called. The snowy owl flew across the room, landing lightly on his shoulder. Harry tied his reply to Hermione, explaining his gratefulness, to Headwig's leg. 'Take this to Hermione. She's at Order of the Phoenix headquarters right now.' He said. He held his hand to the owl and she stepped onto it. He carried her over to the window and she took off into the pink sky of sunset.
Harry turned at a knock at the door. He wondered who it was; it wasn't like the Dursley's to knock before entering his room. He crossed the room and opened the door.
'Harry,' said a breathless Remus Lupin. 'You have to come to headquarters, immediately.'
'What? Why, what's happened?'
'No time to explain now, get your trunk.' Harry just gaped, open mouthed, at him. His robes were torn and bloody, his hair caked with mud and his cheek torn open, gushing blood. 'Harry, can't you see we haven't got time? Hurry up '
Harry looked wide eyed at him for a moment longer before turning around and shoving his things into his trunk. He closed and locked it and quickly grabbed Headwig's cage before hurrying out the door and down the stairs, dragging his things, after Lupin.
As Harry ran out through the open door, his jaw dropped. In front of him, on his aunt and uncles front step, was a flying carpet. Half the neighbors were out on their front steps watching, and Harry's Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon, and cousin Dudley were sitting on the rug, which was floating about 2 feet off the ground. 'Remus, they're illegal!' Harry spluttered.
'Hurry up Harry, we haven't got time.' said Remus.
'Lovely evening isn't it?' Vernon Dursley called out to his neighbors.
Harry climbed onto the carpet, dragging his trunk and cage after him and shaking his head at his uncle's behavior. He noticed that the carpet seemed to have grown now that he was on it. Remus jumped on and it took off toward London.
About 2 hours later, now in black night, the carpet touched down, it's 5 riders stumbling to the ground around it. Lupin pulled his wand from his pocket and whispered 'mouvmenté.' The carpet disappeared. He then moved on to perform the same spell on Harry's trunk and cage.
'Harry, as your aunt, uncle, and cousin are muggles, they can't get into the headquarters on their own. We have to take them in one by one.'
Harry nodded, and moved to take Dudley's left arm as Remus took his right. Harry noticed that Remus looked ill and weak. He thought to himself, 'number 12, Grimmauld Place' and the house appeared in front of his eyes. He glanced back at his aunt and uncle, who didn't seem to have noticed the building which had just appeared out of nowhere in front of them. Harry walked forward toward the door. He stopped as Remus reached forward to open the door. Lupin threw the door open and began walking forward again when Dudley squirmed and whispered 'Stop. What are you doing?'
'Don't stop Harry, he wont be able to see it 'till he gets inside,' said Remus. 'To him it looks like he's headed straight for a brick wall.' It was clear in his voice that he was getting extremely weak and tired.
'Harry! Oh Harry, I'm so glad to see you! Remus, what happened??' Molly Weasley came running down the sparkling clean hallway.
'Get the others,' Remus gasped before promptly passing out and falling to the floor.
