Disclaimer: I forgot it last time. Harry Potter and all related characters as well as the Wizarding World in general belong to JK Rowling. The idea of Dawn andsome of themajor plot turnsbelong to Joss Whedon.
Review Responses
dave-gerecke: Thanks for the review. I'm glad the first chapter was confusing, it was supposed to be. The mystery of Dawn won't be explained for a little while yet, there's a few other things I am going to do first, but you'll find out eventually. I actually have about a third of the story done, so it's a matter of editing and posting what I've already done. And of course continuing on. That said, here's Chapter 2.
Harry froze when he saw the black cloak. His heart beat loudly as he realized what that meant. "Death Eaters," he whispered to Dawn. "Stay here." Harry took a few more gingerly steps until he was at the very top of the stairs. He heard Petunia whimper and listened again as the Death Eater demanded to see Harry. His ears strained as a hint of recognition came to him. He knew the voice, but whose was it.
Harry's mind raced trying to match the voice to Voldemort's men. Rodolphus Lestrange? No, he's in Azkaban. The voice isn't slick enough to be Malfoy. Nott? Macnair? No it wasn't them. But Harry couldn't shake the feeling that this person was familiar.
Harry kept himself tense, ready to act if he had to, but he wouldn't be the one to make the first move. He'd already been disciplined for using magic and he had another year to go before he was legal. Harry decided to try and get a closer look. He moved onto the first step, silently thanking Petunia for the extra thick carpeting that muffled his step. He went down a couple more, treading softly, until he reached the fourth stair, the one that squeaks. He'd have to skip the squeaky stair and go for the one below it. It would be tough to do it quietly, but Harry needed to see the unwelcome visitor. He looked back at Dawn and prepared himself for an extra large stride. She looked strangely calm for the situation. Harry looked down at the intruder. One more step and he could see the man's face. Harry looked at the stair and imagined himself making the step quietly, then moved his feet downward.
"Come on, Potter! I'm not waiting all day." Harry startled at the sound and looked at his visitor's face missing the stair completely. He overbalanced and tumbled to the bottom of the stairs. Dawn giggled madly at Harry's less than spectacular entrance and ran down the stairs past Harry, smiling the whole way.
"Hi Moody," Dawn greeted the visitor. "Never mind the spaz. He thought you were a Death Eater." She found this extremely funny.
"Hello, Dawn. And Harry, I see you've been learning stealth from Nymphadora, here."
"It's Tonks, you old coot. And put your hat back on you're scaring Mrs. Dursley, prude that she is." Tonks pushed between Moody and the doorway. "Wotcher, Harry. You all right?"
"Yeah," he replied grinning awkwardly. He felt a tinge of a blush on his face. Standing up he levied a stern look at Moody. "You should have told me you were coming. I saw your black cloak and assumed the worst."
"Constant vigilance, my boy." Mad-Eye beamed at Harry. "My message finally gets through. Go, get your stuff, we're leaving."
"Really!" Dawn perked up at the news and ran off hastily to pack.
"Can you get mine, too," Harry asked. "I'm already packed."
Dawn groaned, but nodded her assent as she disappeared up the stairs. "So, when did you first know I was there," he asked Moody, eager to hear how stealthy he had been.
"Had my eye on you the whole time." Moody's pale blue eye settled on Harry and pierced him with the gaze. "Your feet gave you away. You should have checked who I was first. Knelt down and scope out the situation. Also, I would recommend dark shoes in the future." Harry looked down at his white sneakers. They were scuffed and frayed, but the pale color would be quite visible in the shadows.
Just then Dawn called out from upstairs. "Harry I can't carry this. Come up here and help me." Harry went up and saw her struggling with Hedwig's cage. Dawn had only a small bag full of books and a suitcase of clothes. "Our trunks are under the stairs."
"Right." The two made their way down the stairs, Dawn heading the door and Harry walking over by Petunia. She was still cowering in the corner near the stairs. "Our trunks are in there, you'll have to move. God, Moody, what did you do to her?"
"He didn't even touch the old prude," Tonks broke in before walking across the room to help with Petunia and the trunks.
Dawn was left alone with Moody in the doorway and found the ex-Auror staring at her unsettlingly with his magic eye. Dawn was nervously darting her eyes and she had begun to blush. She would give anything to be away from him and started to walk towards Harry and Tonks when Moody's gnarled hand darted out and caught her by the forearm.
"Something's not right," Moody said, still staring intently at the younger Potter; his grip tightening on the girl's skin. He continued rambling, his voice gaining in intensity. "Something's out of place. What are you doing here!" Moody nearly shouted the last part.
"Alastor Moody! Not everyone is out to kill you," Tonks admonished the old man. "Get their trunks. Now!" She could be quite frightening when she was riled up. Moody snapped out of his daze and turned his malice toward Petunia Dursley as he went off to get the Potter's trunks.
"What was that about?" Dawn whispered nervously. She was somewhat shaken by Mad-Eye's treatment. Harry gave her a confused look that clearly said he didn't understand either.
"He's old," said Tonks as if that explained everything. "He's seen a lot of things." She put her finger to her lips as Moody walked back toward them.
"Where's Aunt Petunia," asked Harry. He hadn't seen her leave the room. Dawn and Tonks looked around as well.
"She's fine. We need to go," said Moody and walked out the door. As he did Harry caught him glance toward the cupboard, then he understood completely. He smiled at Moody who bent down to whisper into Harry's ear. "Permanent sticking charm on the door. They'll have to cut through the stairs to get at her." Harry looked at the old man and let out a big laugh as they walked out the door.
Tonks led them to a large black Cadillac sedan which was parked on the street. "Where are we going," asked Dawn as they loaded their things. "Back to Grimmauld Place?"
"Not just yet," Moody answered. "There are still some things we need to work out now that Sirius..." He trailed off. He had noticed Harry flinch at the mention of his godfather. Tonks noticed, as well.
"You all right, Harry," she asked him gingerly.
"Yeah. It's just still a bit fresh. Sorry."
"No need to apologize. I know it hurts. I miss my cousin, too." Tonks looked at him with sympathy. Harry felt his old anger begin to well up. He didn't want sympathy. He just wanted to be left alone. He closed the trunk hastily and took his seat in the back. Dawn sat next to him, while Moody and Tonks took the front seat. Moody was driving.
Dawn saw the look on Harry's face and sensed her brother's mood. She deftly changed the subject. "Where are we going then?"
Moody started the car and turned onto the drive. "The Burrow," he answered in his gruff voice. Tonks turned to the backseat.
"Molly and Arthur Weasley insisted. Molly said the two of you are practically her children, anyways," she continued. Dawn grinned widely at that.
"We'll get to see Ginny, then," she said.
Harry gave her a knowing grin. "And Ronnie-kins," he teased making his sister go red. He knew she liked Ron. It wasn't a secret really, and Harry liked to tease her about it.
"Oh, please. I'm so over him. And besides, he likes Hermione." Dawn glared at her older brother, but he went on badgering her anyway.
"If you're so over him, why did you blush? But I don't disagree with you on the Hermione part." Harry softened his voice on the last part. He didn't want his sister to hurt too badly. He remembered what it felt like to watch someone you like with someone else. He had watched Cho dance with Cedric at the Yule Ball, after all.
"I didn't blush…" Dawn looked imploringly at Harry, then changed tactics. "All right, all right, I did. But it was only because you tease me about him. I'm over him, really. I've got my eye on someone new."
"Really? Who?" Harry switched to his protective older brother voice. "It isn't Malfoy is it?"
Dawn looked at Harry and teased, "Maybe it is, maybe it isn't," before bursting into hysterical laughter. Harry reached over the seat and tickled her making her laugh even harder.
A thick sheet of glass appeared separating the back seat from the front. The Potter siblings didn't even notice. Tonks turned to Moody. "Thanks for that," she said grateful for the barrier that muffled the sounds from two hyper teenagers. She caught a small wink from Moody's normal eye before he turned it back to the road.