Chapter seven.

But the very next day, before they could put any marvelous plans into effect, Nell and Harry came home from school to find a letter waiting.

Nell looked at the return address and paled. It was from Child Protective Services and looked ominously official. She ripped it open and began to read.

Dear Miss Nell Burton,

We have received your petition for the guardianship of Harry Potter. As this petition is uncontested by the current guardians, temporary guardianship is hereby awarded. Permanent custody will be considered following interviews of both you and Mr. Potter and a home visit by a social worker. If necessary, family counselling may be required before permanent arrangements may be made.

Please call Mary Wilkens at (0)20 7631 6801 to schedule your interviews. A social worker will visit your home; a formal observation will also take place at that time. Additionally, a surprise visit may be made.

Thank you,

Euan Childress Associate Director of Child Protective Services

Nell sat back, a bit frustrated. Where were their home visits and family counselling when Harry had been locked in his cupboard? But now that he had found a loving environment…she sighed. She supposed it was good that they were taking an interest at all. Better late than never.

For a moment, she thought it strange that she was so upset at the prospect of being examined by the hypothetical social worker. But she dismissed the logic of the thought and soon forgot it completely.

She called the scheduling secretary and lined up an appointment for the following Thursday afternoon, after school had ended for both of them. She called Emma almost immediately in a panic.

"Do you think they'll take him back to the Dursleys?" she asked worriedly.

Emma laughed. "Please, Nell. They'd have to drag him kicking and screaming. Besides, you're loads better than the Dreadful Dursleys. They can't help but see that Harry adores you."

"You really think so?" Nell clutched the phone desperately as if the receiver itself would comfort her.

"I know so. You're being ridiculous, really. You need something to take your mind off things, I think. How would you and Harry like to go to the London Zoo tomorrow after school?" Emma offered.

Nell grinned. Now that was her Emma – have fun now, and let trouble come when it may. "Sure!" she said, allowing herself to be distracted from her worrying for a few minutes while they planned.

But as soon as Emma rang off, Nell's imagination was off and running once more.

When Nell came to pick Harry up from school that afternoon, he was sporting a black eye and his glasses were more cellotaped than usual. She raised an eyebrow at him, and he muttered, "Dudley's gang."

She made to turn the car around, but Harry stopped her. "No, the headmistress stopped them, it's okay." She scowled but continued to drive to Emma's flat.

He asked, "Where are we going? This isn't the way home, is it?" He looked puzzled.

Nell realised that she'd not actually told Harry about his upcoming treat. "We're going to go pick up Emma, and then the three of us are going to the London Zoo. Sound fun?" She glanced over at him to see him nearly glowing with joy. She was surprised he managed to refrain from bouncing out of the car with excitement.

"Harry?" she said. "Would you mind changing schools? You could stay at yours if you like, but it's not the closest to me." Harry immediately shook his head, growing, if possible, even happier. He only wilted a little bit when she said, "Well, it would be best if you finished the term where you are; it's only few more weeks. But for the fall term, I'll get you set up somewhere else." Harry grinned.

Just then, they arrived at Emma's flat. Nell sent Harry up to fetch her, and he trotted off, walking quite importantly and smoothing his hair. She didn't bother to hide her grin. "Won't help, Harry," she said softly to herself.

When they arrived at the zoo, Harry looked around, but didn't know what to do first. "First things first," said Emma firmly. She marched over to an ice cream vendor and bought him a large chocolate treat, and treats for her and Nell as well.

Nell was happy watching Harry being so happy, Harry was engrossed in his sweet, and so it was Emma who led the way around the zoo. Harry didn't seem to have favourites, excited at each new sight.

Harry particularly liked the lions, and as they watched them, he and Nell roared at each other for several minutes while Emma stood slightly to the side, teasingly calling out that she didn't know them.

The next exhibit on the path was the reptile display. Emma shuddered and declined to go in. "I'll stay out here, thanks all the same."

"You don't know what you're missing," said Nell teasingly, and she accompanied an eager Harry into the darkened house.

He made a beeline for the cage of the largest snake, a boa constrictor. Before he could get there, a teenager had taken the central place in front of the tank, and was pounding on the glass. Harry stood politely off to the side until the other boy got bored with the motionless snake, then he moved, and Nell's vision of the snake was obscured.

She could hear Harry hissing at the snake, though, and was amused. Just like the lions, hmm?

Suddenly, the teenager who had been pounding on the glass a moment before rushed back to look in at the snake again, pushing Harry to the ground. Nell moved forward to help him up, and so she saw his eyes narrow – and then the glass front of the cage vanished. The snake took the opportunity immediately and slithered free, but not before hissing at Harry as it passed.

Nell would have screamed, if she had had any breath. As it was, she could only stare after the snake, already out of the herpetology house, in mute shock. The surrounding crowd was doing quite enough screaming, anyway, she thought dazedly. She finally shook herself and went to comfort Harry.

Harry, however, did not need comforting. "Did you see that?" he asked excitedly. "That was wizard! He said he's going to Brazil – he's never been there, you know." Nell blinked in utter astonishment at Harry's imagination.

"He – er – told you that he'd never been to Brazil?" she asked weakly.

Harry nodded as if it was the most obvious thing ever and pointed to the small plaque she's seen him reading earlier. "See? Bred in captivity. That means he was born in the zoo," he said importantly.

"Oh," said Nell weakly. "Well, I think that's probably all we can see for today. Why don't we find Emma and head out?"

Harry assented, but continued to chatter about how enthralling he had found the snake until Emma was in view.

She was standing a bit away from the building, stark white. As soon as she saw the two of them, she ran over. "They said – they said there was an accident with a snake! I was so worried – are you okay? Did you see it?"

Nell patted her shoulder. "We're fine, Emma. We didn't see anything particularly odd, did we, Harry?"

He cast her a slightly puzzled look, but shook his head. He was rather quieter than usual on the way back to the car, but Emma more than made up for it with a rant on zoo safety.

"Honestly, what do they think the cages are for, anyway—" and "Ruddy fools—" and "People playing at – silly buggers –"

And she continued until they had dropped her off at her flat. Harry had stayed silent for the ride, and he continued rather quiet until bedtime.