A Mystery)
"How did you do that?" asked Harry of Arabella Figg.
"How'd I do what?" asked Arabella of Harry.
"How'd you talk in my head? I-I heard your voice in my head while I was trying to get away from the tornado. And-and I don't think that my spell worked-on your house that is, I tried but I was too tired. The storm, it's coming straight for us."
"Calm down Harry, my house does not need a spell to protect it. Dumbledore charmed my house a long while ago in order to keep it safe from invaders and storms and other things of the like. Let someone try to break into my house, they'll instantly be turned into a toad. I've actually seen a coupla' toads jumping around here, no telling who they were. I'd think one was Mundungus if I hadn't seen him afterwards, sketchy fool. But what you need is a warm cup of water to calm your nerves after such an ordeal."
"A warm cup of water? I don't think I follow."
"Yes Harry, a cup of warm water. I give it to my cats all of the time when their feathers, or shall I say furs, are ruffled. Works like a charm."
Arabella flitted into the kitchen to fetch the drink, while Harry sat on the lumpy, yet comfortable sofa, catching his breath. A myriad of thoughts were racing though Harry's mind. He was very confused about the voice in his head. Voldemort's voice was commonplace in his head, but Arabella Figg's, that was just strange. The connection between him and Arabella was the most befuddling to him. His scar was beginning to cause a dull pain in Harry's forehead.
Arabella returned to the den and set the water down on the end table near Harry. Harry picked up the glass and began to drink the beverage. The liquid warmed his throat as it went down, but that was about it. Harry did not feel any calmer than he was before.
"Any calmer?" asked Arabella
"Sure," answered Harry.
"So what happened today?"
"My Aunt and Uncle locked me out of the house during the storm. I was trapped outside with the tornado, when finally I heard a voice in my head that told me to run and seek shelter. The voice was yours, which is very confusing to me. After I heard you, I ran to your house as fast as possible."
"I'm happy that you thought to come here, but I have no idea about my voice being the one you heard. I'm nothing but a squib, I can't send voices to others. I wish that I could, then I would send little nasty messages to those who need to clean up their act, like one of your watch guards Mundungus. Maybe you thought that you were hearing voices, I mean you were under a lot of stress."
While the two were talking, the doorbell rang. Tonks was standing outside on the porch, drenched with rain. Arabella ran to the door, and opened it wide, revealing Tonks and her long, dark green, wet hair. Tonks squeezed out her hair unto the rug just inside Arabella's door. She then changed her hair to dry, cascading, flaming red curls.
"Hi Bella, you wouldn't happened to have seen Harry eh?" asked Tonks.
"Hey Tonks," said Harry after coming to the door.
"Harry, where did you go? I was on your guard and I was trying to reach you and help you escape the storm. I saw you look for something on the road, and then you just started running," asked Tonks.
"Oh yea, I had dropped my glasses, and I had to find them nearly blind. After I found them, I decided to run here since the tornado was coming straight for me." Harry decided not to tell Tonks about hearing Arabella in his head since he was not sure about what happened. He wasn't even sure if he should have told Arabella; she probably thought that he was experiencing some sort of shock or was turning crazy. They all walked to the den and sat down on the couch.
"I mean, I thought that you were part of a track team or something because you were fast as lightning. I started to worry since I couldn't find you; eventually I gave up and decided to come here to Bella's house. I was going to contact the order and set up a search team for you, but it looks like that isn't necessary. Hey, why weren't you at home anyway?" asked Tonks.
"My guardians locked me out of the house. My Uncle, he tried to kill me. Sad isn't it. As I get older, he hates me even more than he used to. I mean, what did I ever do to him?" replied Harry.
"Ignoramus if you ask me," said Tonks. "I never quite understood why you have to live there. I'm sure that the order could have found a more suitable place for you to live," said Tonks. Harry slightly cringed at Tonks' last statement. He felt that he did not need an order to find a place for him to live. Thoughts of independence and making his own way were always saturating his mind.
"I don't know why, people keep thinking that they need to dictate my every move. I think that I'm quite capable of taking care of myself. I've proved it haven't I?" asked Harry with a slightly sour tone. Immediately after speaking, he felt bad for snapping at Tonks. After all, he felt that it was not her fault that he was so heavily guarded and underestimated. "I'm sorry if I sounded mad. I'm just ready to get out on my own without a million eyes and wands pointed at me," explained Harry.
"We just have your best interests in mind, especially since we know that you are one of the dark lord's prime interests. But I understand Harry, I was a teenager once, not too long ago as a matter of fact," said Tonks, her dark brown eyes searching Harry.
"Yeah I know," replied Harry. Harry knew that he had become moodier ever since Sirius died. He had to constantly remind himself of who he should take the blame out on. Harry was no longer afraid of Voldemort. In fact, he welcomed any confrontation with him. After his godfather was killed, he vowed that he would be the one to take out the foul creature, Voldemort.
"So what do you think of my hair Harry?" asked Tonks with a flashing smile, her red curls bobbing with excitement.
"I think they're nice," replied Harry, shifting uncomfortably on the couch. He actually really admired Tonks' new look, secretly happy about her ability to change hairstyles at a mere thought.
"Arabella, you wouldn't happen to have a cup of warm water that I could drink, do you. I'm a little thirsty and could use a stress reliever. Things with the order have really been congested and busy."
After Arabella disappeared in the kitchen once more, Harry turned to Tonks.
"Not you too? Don't tell me that you really believe that heated water is actually doing something but warming your throat," exclaimed Harry, now laughing. The pain on his forehead was dimming.
"Ha, well I was like you when I first heard that, but after about six offers, the water did indeed start to make me feel better. It's probably some type of placebo effect, smart squib that Bella."
"Here Tonks," said Arabella after returning from the kitchen.
"So what's been going on with the order?" asked Arabella.
"About everything that you can imagine. We're still trying to de-possess two of the kids from Hogwarts. We got six of the kids back to normal, however he-who-must-not-be-named still has a reign over two Slytherin students. They probably don't want to be free of him, especially since one of the students' parents are suspected death eaters. But we're doing everything that we can. The rest of the order's affairs are top-secret, but you can believe me that they're stressful. Speaking of stress where's that water at?" asked Tonks eyeing Harry with a mischievous smile.
Harry tried to suppress a laugh as he watched Tonks drink down the placebo water. He vowed at that moment to never let himself be fooled into thinking magical remedies lie in plain ole' water. As he let his thoughts wander he suddenly realized that he was in dire straits.
"Tonks, what am I going to do about Hogwarts. I used magic and I am surely going to be expelled now. Fudge is definitely going to have my neck on this one," exclaimed Harry. He was now starting to feel queasy at the thought of going back to his Aunt and Uncle's, never to leave since he wouldn't be finishing school now.
"What did you use magic for Harry?" asked Tonks
"He used a spell on his Aunt and Uncle's house in order to protect it from an oncoming tornado. If you ask me, Harry shouldn't be punished since the spell was meant to protect him and his family's lives," volunteered Arabella.
"Well, I have a history of using magic for self-defense over the summer, you remember don't you Ms. Figg? It was my fifth year, and the ministry was good and ready to ban me if it wasn't for Dumbledore. My life is officially over, I'm going to be chucked out of school for sure," remarked Harry.
"You might not Harry, I'll talk to Dumbledore and see what he can do for you," assured Tonks. She threw her head to one side, jumped up from her chaise and walked to the front door. "I must hurry if I want to contact Dumbledore before you're officially expelled." Tonks briskly went outside in the rain and apparated to Grimmauld Place.
"Why does it seem that every year, I have to go through the Ministry of Magic in order to return to school? Why am I constantly put in some type of position where I use magic against the underage decree? I think I'm jinxed Ms. Figg," said Harry. His fingers were starting to shake at the thought of being expelled. Harry would rather be face to face with Voldemort than return to Privet Drive, condemned to a life of irritation and uncaring family members.
"After this year, you won't have to worry about the underage rule because you won't be considered underage anymore. That'll be nice won't it Harry," asked Arabella.
"It'll be nicer if I avoid expulsion," solemnly replied Harry. Harry sat on the couch, with his head between his legs. He was forcefully trying to hold back tears. Thoughts of his friends getting into trouble at school without him were too much for him to bear. He missed his godfather more than ever now. He felt that if Sirius had still been around, he would at least be mollified a bit with the thought of residing with him. After Sirius died, Harry was never quite the same. He continued to partake of his studies his sixth year of school; however he was not as cheerful as he used to be. Hermione, Ron, Luna, Neville, and the rest of his friends stuck by him regardless of his new somber self. He loved his friends, and the thought of not seeing them in the fall made him want to keel over and die. He couldn't lose his godfather and them no matter what.
"Ms. Figg, do you think that I could maybe hit the sack. I'm sorry if I've ruined your day," said Harry with a sullen face.
"Listen to me Harry, you may be going through a rough time in your life now, but things will get better eventually, I promise. As for punching the hay, I've already laid down fresh sheets for you in the same guest bed that you used when you were younger. I remember those days, I don't think that you used to like being over here much really. But good night Harry," replied Arabella. She then turned and shuffled to her room, her hair rollers bouncing and flouncing with every step.
Harry began to trudge to the guest room. As a matter of fact, Arabella was right that Harry did not like his visits to her house. But Harry doubted that things would get better in time. He was not sure of his future too much but he did know that Voldemort would not be a part of it as long as breath and blood flowed throughout his body.
Inside of the guest room resided lots of dust-laden furniture and a squeaky bed. After peeling his clothes, save his boxers, Harry slid into the bed, pulled the covers over his head, and stared at the cotton surrounding him. Although he was beat from earlier that day, he could not find the serenity to allow himself to fall asleep. He was still in deep thought about expulsion and Voldemort and the Ministry of Magic and Hermione and Ron, and he finally began to drift off to sleep, when he suddenly heard a loud rapping on the two-paneled window in his room.
Harry jumped out of bed, grabbed his wand and began to cautiously walk over to the window. He saw two gray owls and a white owl coming in from the sky. He sighed relief and opened up the window allowing them to come in. The two gray owls dropped their letters at his feet and returned to the skies without even a second glance at Harry. The white owl flew in the window, void of a letter and perched himself atop Harry's shoulders.
"Hedwig, I missed you," sighed Harry as he reached down and picked up the two letters. He already knew what one of them said, but he wasn't too sure about the other one. After reading the first letter, he found out that he had breeched the underage decree of underage wizardry and that he would have to have his wand destroyed soon. The second letter was quite different:
Mr. Harry Potter,
You have breeched the underage decree one time too many, however your wand will not be destroyed nor will you be expelled from school. Please disregard the first letter regarding the destruction of your wand.
Sincerely,
The Ministry of Magic
After reading the second letter, Harry just stood still in awe and suspicion. What in earthquakes just happened, he wondered. Never had he been let off the hook that easily besides during his earlier years of school. He knew that the Ministry of Magic, specifically Cornelius Fudge, had something against him since his fifth year of school. They all believed that he was a mischievous troublemaker and that he had to eventually be stopped in some way or the other. So why would they just dismiss his illegal magic usage as if it was no big deal. He decided to not think about it too hard, instead he would just hear what Dumbledore had to say tomorrow.
Harry walked back over to bed after placing the letters on the very dusty and creaky desk.
"Hedwig, I hope that you don't mind sleeping on the floor or on a piece of furniture, I didn't happen to bring your cage over here, sorry," Harry apologized to his owl. Hedwig simply nipped at his hand, perched herself upon the dresser in the room, and closed her bright eyes.
After retreating to bed once more, Harry heard another noise at his window. This time, he grabbed his wand even faster and ran to the window at top speed in order to close it.
What he saw was a startling surprise.
"How did you do that?" asked Harry of Arabella Figg.
"How'd I do what?" asked Arabella of Harry.
"How'd you talk in my head? I-I heard your voice in my head while I was trying to get away from the tornado. And-and I don't think that my spell worked-on your house that is, I tried but I was too tired. The storm, it's coming straight for us."
"Calm down Harry, my house does not need a spell to protect it. Dumbledore charmed my house a long while ago in order to keep it safe from invaders and storms and other things of the like. Let someone try to break into my house, they'll instantly be turned into a toad. I've actually seen a coupla' toads jumping around here, no telling who they were. I'd think one was Mundungus if I hadn't seen him afterwards, sketchy fool. But what you need is a warm cup of water to calm your nerves after such an ordeal."
"A warm cup of water? I don't think I follow."
"Yes Harry, a cup of warm water. I give it to my cats all of the time when their feathers, or shall I say furs, are ruffled. Works like a charm."
Arabella flitted into the kitchen to fetch the drink, while Harry sat on the lumpy, yet comfortable sofa, catching his breath. A myriad of thoughts were racing though Harry's mind. He was very confused about the voice in his head. Voldemort's voice was commonplace in his head, but Arabella Figg's, that was just strange. The connection between him and Arabella was the most befuddling to him. His scar was beginning to cause a dull pain in Harry's forehead.
Arabella returned to the den and set the water down on the end table near Harry. Harry picked up the glass and began to drink the beverage. The liquid warmed his throat as it went down, but that was about it. Harry did not feel any calmer than he was before.
"Any calmer?" asked Arabella
"Sure," answered Harry.
"So what happened today?"
"My Aunt and Uncle locked me out of the house during the storm. I was trapped outside with the tornado, when finally I heard a voice in my head that told me to run and seek shelter. The voice was yours, which is very confusing to me. After I heard you, I ran to your house as fast as possible."
"I'm happy that you thought to come here, but I have no idea about my voice being the one you heard. I'm nothing but a squib, I can't send voices to others. I wish that I could, then I would send little nasty messages to those who need to clean up their act, like one of your watch guards Mundungus. Maybe you thought that you were hearing voices, I mean you were under a lot of stress."
While the two were talking, the doorbell rang. Tonks was standing outside on the porch, drenched with rain. Arabella ran to the door, and opened it wide, revealing Tonks and her long, dark green, wet hair. Tonks squeezed out her hair unto the rug just inside Arabella's door. She then changed her hair to dry, cascading, flaming red curls.
"Hi Bella, you wouldn't happened to have seen Harry eh?" asked Tonks.
"Hey Tonks," said Harry after coming to the door.
"Harry, where did you go? I was on your guard and I was trying to reach you and help you escape the storm. I saw you look for something on the road, and then you just started running," asked Tonks.
"Oh yea, I had dropped my glasses, and I had to find them nearly blind. After I found them, I decided to run here since the tornado was coming straight for me." Harry decided not to tell Tonks about hearing Arabella in his head since he was not sure about what happened. He wasn't even sure if he should have told Arabella; she probably thought that he was experiencing some sort of shock or was turning crazy. They all walked to the den and sat down on the couch.
"I mean, I thought that you were part of a track team or something because you were fast as lightning. I started to worry since I couldn't find you; eventually I gave up and decided to come here to Bella's house. I was going to contact the order and set up a search team for you, but it looks like that isn't necessary. Hey, why weren't you at home anyway?" asked Tonks.
"My guardians locked me out of the house. My Uncle, he tried to kill me. Sad isn't it. As I get older, he hates me even more than he used to. I mean, what did I ever do to him?" replied Harry.
"Ignoramus if you ask me," said Tonks. "I never quite understood why you have to live there. I'm sure that the order could have found a more suitable place for you to live," said Tonks. Harry slightly cringed at Tonks' last statement. He felt that he did not need an order to find a place for him to live. Thoughts of independence and making his own way were always saturating his mind.
"I don't know why, people keep thinking that they need to dictate my every move. I think that I'm quite capable of taking care of myself. I've proved it haven't I?" asked Harry with a slightly sour tone. Immediately after speaking, he felt bad for snapping at Tonks. After all, he felt that it was not her fault that he was so heavily guarded and underestimated. "I'm sorry if I sounded mad. I'm just ready to get out on my own without a million eyes and wands pointed at me," explained Harry.
"We just have your best interests in mind, especially since we know that you are one of the dark lord's prime interests. But I understand Harry, I was a teenager once, not too long ago as a matter of fact," said Tonks, her dark brown eyes searching Harry.
"Yeah I know," replied Harry. Harry knew that he had become moodier ever since Sirius died. He had to constantly remind himself of who he should take the blame out on. Harry was no longer afraid of Voldemort. In fact, he welcomed any confrontation with him. After his godfather was killed, he vowed that he would be the one to take out the foul creature, Voldemort.
"So what do you think of my hair Harry?" asked Tonks with a flashing smile, her red curls bobbing with excitement.
"I think they're nice," replied Harry, shifting uncomfortably on the couch. He actually really admired Tonks' new look, secretly happy about her ability to change hairstyles at a mere thought.
"Arabella, you wouldn't happen to have a cup of warm water that I could drink, do you. I'm a little thirsty and could use a stress reliever. Things with the order have really been congested and busy."
After Arabella disappeared in the kitchen once more, Harry turned to Tonks.
"Not you too? Don't tell me that you really believe that heated water is actually doing something but warming your throat," exclaimed Harry, now laughing. The pain on his forehead was dimming.
"Ha, well I was like you when I first heard that, but after about six offers, the water did indeed start to make me feel better. It's probably some type of placebo effect, smart squib that Bella."
"Here Tonks," said Arabella after returning from the kitchen.
"So what's been going on with the order?" asked Arabella.
"About everything that you can imagine. We're still trying to de-possess two of the kids from Hogwarts. We got six of the kids back to normal, however he-who-must-not-be-named still has a reign over two Slytherin students. They probably don't want to be free of him, especially since one of the students' parents are suspected death eaters. But we're doing everything that we can. The rest of the order's affairs are top-secret, but you can believe me that they're stressful. Speaking of stress where's that water at?" asked Tonks eyeing Harry with a mischievous smile.
Harry tried to suppress a laugh as he watched Tonks drink down the placebo water. He vowed at that moment to never let himself be fooled into thinking magical remedies lie in plain ole' water. As he let his thoughts wander he suddenly realized that he was in dire straits.
"Tonks, what am I going to do about Hogwarts. I used magic and I am surely going to be expelled now. Fudge is definitely going to have my neck on this one," exclaimed Harry. He was now starting to feel queasy at the thought of going back to his Aunt and Uncle's, never to leave since he wouldn't be finishing school now.
"What did you use magic for Harry?" asked Tonks
"He used a spell on his Aunt and Uncle's house in order to protect it from an oncoming tornado. If you ask me, Harry shouldn't be punished since the spell was meant to protect him and his family's lives," volunteered Arabella.
"Well, I have a history of using magic for self-defense over the summer, you remember don't you Ms. Figg? It was my fifth year, and the ministry was good and ready to ban me if it wasn't for Dumbledore. My life is officially over, I'm going to be chucked out of school for sure," remarked Harry.
"You might not Harry, I'll talk to Dumbledore and see what he can do for you," assured Tonks. She threw her head to one side, jumped up from her chaise and walked to the front door. "I must hurry if I want to contact Dumbledore before you're officially expelled." Tonks briskly went outside in the rain and apparated to Grimmauld Place.
"Why does it seem that every year, I have to go through the Ministry of Magic in order to return to school? Why am I constantly put in some type of position where I use magic against the underage decree? I think I'm jinxed Ms. Figg," said Harry. His fingers were starting to shake at the thought of being expelled. Harry would rather be face to face with Voldemort than return to Privet Drive, condemned to a life of irritation and uncaring family members.
"After this year, you won't have to worry about the underage rule because you won't be considered underage anymore. That'll be nice won't it Harry," asked Arabella.
"It'll be nicer if I avoid expulsion," solemnly replied Harry. Harry sat on the couch, with his head between his legs. He was forcefully trying to hold back tears. Thoughts of his friends getting into trouble at school without him were too much for him to bear. He missed his godfather more than ever now. He felt that if Sirius had still been around, he would at least be mollified a bit with the thought of residing with him. After Sirius died, Harry was never quite the same. He continued to partake of his studies his sixth year of school; however he was not as cheerful as he used to be. Hermione, Ron, Luna, Neville, and the rest of his friends stuck by him regardless of his new somber self. He loved his friends, and the thought of not seeing them in the fall made him want to keel over and die. He couldn't lose his godfather and them no matter what.
"Ms. Figg, do you think that I could maybe hit the sack. I'm sorry if I've ruined your day," said Harry with a sullen face.
"Listen to me Harry, you may be going through a rough time in your life now, but things will get better eventually, I promise. As for punching the hay, I've already laid down fresh sheets for you in the same guest bed that you used when you were younger. I remember those days, I don't think that you used to like being over here much really. But good night Harry," replied Arabella. She then turned and shuffled to her room, her hair rollers bouncing and flouncing with every step.
Harry began to trudge to the guest room. As a matter of fact, Arabella was right that Harry did not like his visits to her house. But Harry doubted that things would get better in time. He was not sure of his future too much but he did know that Voldemort would not be a part of it as long as breath and blood flowed throughout his body.
Inside of the guest room resided lots of dust-laden furniture and a squeaky bed. After peeling his clothes, save his boxers, Harry slid into the bed, pulled the covers over his head, and stared at the cotton surrounding him. Although he was beat from earlier that day, he could not find the serenity to allow himself to fall asleep. He was still in deep thought about expulsion and Voldemort and the Ministry of Magic and Hermione and Ron, and he finally began to drift off to sleep, when he suddenly heard a loud rapping on the two-paneled window in his room.
Harry jumped out of bed, grabbed his wand and began to cautiously walk over to the window. He saw two gray owls and a white owl coming in from the sky. He sighed relief and opened up the window allowing them to come in. The two gray owls dropped their letters at his feet and returned to the skies without even a second glance at Harry. The white owl flew in the window, void of a letter and perched himself atop Harry's shoulders.
"Hedwig, I missed you," sighed Harry as he reached down and picked up the two letters. He already knew what one of them said, but he wasn't too sure about the other one. After reading the first letter, he found out that he had breeched the underage decree of underage wizardry and that he would have to have his wand destroyed soon. The second letter was quite different:
Mr. Harry Potter,
You have breeched the underage decree one time too many, however your wand will not be destroyed nor will you be expelled from school. Please disregard the first letter regarding the destruction of your wand.
Sincerely,
The Ministry of Magic
After reading the second letter, Harry just stood still in awe and suspicion. What in earthquakes just happened, he wondered. Never had he been let off the hook that easily besides during his earlier years of school. He knew that the Ministry of Magic, specifically Cornelius Fudge, had something against him since his fifth year of school. They all believed that he was a mischievous troublemaker and that he had to eventually be stopped in some way or the other. So why would they just dismiss his illegal magic usage as if it was no big deal. He decided to not think about it too hard, instead he would just hear what Dumbledore had to say tomorrow.
Harry walked back over to bed after placing the letters on the very dusty and creaky desk.
"Hedwig, I hope that you don't mind sleeping on the floor or on a piece of furniture, I didn't happen to bring your cage over here, sorry," Harry apologized to his owl. Hedwig simply nipped at his hand, perched herself upon the dresser in the room, and closed her bright eyes.
After retreating to bed once more, Harry heard another noise at his window. This time, he grabbed his wand even faster and ran to the window at top speed in order to close it.
What he saw was a startling surprise.
