As Harry Potter got out of the car, he looked around and realized what the Dursley's had done. They had moved, moved from Privet Drive to two blocks over, in Wisteria Walk. Did they know what this meant? After hearing what Dumbledore had to say after Harry got back from the Ministry of Magic and after seeing Sirius die, Harry knew that Lord Voldemort could not touch Harry as long as he still called Privet Drive his home. But look what they have done. They have moved and left all of the spells and enchantments Dumbledore had put on Privet Drive behind. Lord Voldemort could pretty much walk right up their new garden path and murder Harry like that.
"Why did you move?" Harry asked.
"Because" replied Uncle Vernon tonelessly.
"Because why?" asked Harry.
"Don't ask questions" answered Aunt Petunia mutinously.
"Don't you realize that you have put yourselves at risk, moving here?" said Harry.
"Don't be ridiculous. Now go upstairs and unpack and don't come down for dinner until we call you."
It was no use. The Dursley's were out to lunch, as usual, when it came to anything to do with magic. Harry decided that it was probably ok for now, that he stay here. After all, the Dursley's had only just moved, and Voldemort probably didn't even know...yet. So he would send an owl to Dumbledore, informing him of the Dursley's sudden need to act Dursleyish, and hope for the best.
After fifteen minutes of trying to get what he wanted to say into the shortest note possible, Harry tied the scrap of parchment to Hedwig's leg, and watched her fly of into the night.
Dumbledore's reply took only an hour, but did not come by owl. There was a flash of fire, and a single phoenix feather floated slowly to the floor. With it dropped a small piece of parchment. It read:
Dear Harry,
Please do not go anywhere until someone form the Order has come to get you. It may be an imposter, so ask them what form your patronus takes, and if they do not know the answer, then it is not a true member of the Order. Be careful, and do not inform your Aunt and Uncle of this letter.
Albus Dumbledore
Harry read the letter over once more, and thought that he had got the main points. Something troubled him though. What if it was an imposter who tried to come and get him, and they don't know the answer to his question, what is he supposed to do, say, "No thanks, I don't think I'll come, because you are an imposter"? He would be killed or captured for sure. What did Dumbledore expect him to do?
Just then, there was a knock at his bedroom door. Harry got up to answer it, and saw it was Dudley. "What do you want?" asked Harry.
"Mum told me to tell you that dinner is ready."
"Tell her I'm not hungry."
"Fine." said Dudley, and he shuffled out of his room and down the stairs out of sight.
Harry closed his door, turned around and started, and had to strangle a yell. There, standing in his room, was a man. He looked rather like an old lion. There were streaks of grey in his mane of tawny hair and his bushy eyebrows; he had keen yellowish eyes behind a pair of wire-rimmed spectacles.
"Ah Harry there you are" came the man's rough voice.
"Who are you." Harry manged to get out.
"My name is Leon Doon, and I am a friend of Dumbledore's." The man held out his hand for Harry to shake, and Harry did. Before he could stop himself, he asked, "What form does my patronus take?"
"Well that would be a stag wouldn't it? I believe that was the form that your father took when he transformed?" and seeing the look of astonisment on Harry's face, he said, "Yes I knew your father. He was a great man, and a great wizard. So was your mother. A great witch, I mean. You look just like him, but of course, you have your mother's eyes. I expect that you have heard that countless times before."
"Y-yes, I have. Sorry, but how do you know Professor Dumbledore?" At this the man named Leon Doon walked towards Harry's bed. He had a certain rangy, loping grace, even though he walked with a slight limp. He motioned for Harry to sit next to him, and Harry did so.
"Dumbledore and I went to school together and have been the best of friends ever since. Unfortunately, I have been out of the country for the last fifteen years. I left the night that you survived. I was on a mission. I cannot tell you where I went, because you are not in the Order, and it would be foolish to tell you things that you won't understand."
"Try me." said Harry.
"I'm afraid I can't Harry, as it has to do with probably the most top-secret mission that the Order, and I for that matter, have ever been involved with. Anyways, I have only just recently come back to Britain, and of course I have been keeping in touch with Dumbledore, so I know of everything that has happened since the night I left."
"So you are a member of the Order then?"
"Yes. And I was asked by Dumbledore to come and retrieve you, because your aunt and uncle have decided to move without your knowledge. I am going to take you to Headquarters, where you will most likely remain for the rest of the summer." Doon looked at his pocket watch which had no numbers at all, but tiny little planets and several hands. Harry recognized it as Dumbledore's watch. Seeing that Harry was looking, Doon said, "Dumbledore and I purchased our watches together at the age of twelve. We have never owned a different one since. Ahh yes, we should be going, and since you haven't unpacked, it means we don't have to pack, so brilliant. Let's go."
"Umm how?" asked Harry.
"A portkey. Ready? One, two, three!"
Harry grabbed hold of the old newpaper in Doon's hand, and instantly felt a tug somewhere around his navel, as his bedroom disappeared in a whirl of colour and sound.