Moonlight-blossom: Let's see, I got off of school last Thursday afternoon and I'm just posting now. How pathetic is that? Actually I have a very VERY good excuse for it: you see, there's this thing that I do like every week and is the reason for my existence: SHOPPING! Anyways, I'm sorry for not updating sooner and I hope to get at least two more chapters posted before I go back to school.
Disclaimer: see chapter 1 (I don't have time for this)
Synopsis: Takes place right after Order of the Phoenix. Harry Potter had not had an easy school year and things were going to get even worse at Number Four Privet Drive.
Just to recap: Harry dragged the trunk out into the living room, under the curious star of that strange, insufferable guy. To hell with him! Who cares if that moron saw what was happening? The Dursleys would explain him away as an insane criminal anyway.
Harry wasn't waiting for the Dursleys to come back and find him, though. He was going to get out of here, and leave before Ron and the others could come. Who cares if Voldemort was waiting outside the door to kill him? At least then he would be with Sirius.
"I'm leaving," Harry told the boy, "don't tell Vernon and Petunia that I've gone."
"Aren't your friends coming to get you?"
"I'm not going with them," replied Harry shortly.
He turned around and headed for the door, dragging his trunk behind him. As he reached for the doorknob, there was a loud CRACK! behind him. Fearing the worst, Harry turned around and to his dismay, standing there, were Fred, George, Mr. Weasely, Lupin, Tonks, and Mad-Eye.
Harry sank to the ground, too overcome with disappointment to stay up any longer. It was too late, they had come.
On with the story!
Summer Heat: Chapter 10
"Harry, my boy, good to see you," cried Mr. Weasely jovially, "I hope your summer hasn't been too bad, sorry we couldn't get you out of here sooner."
"It's all right, Mr. Weasely, I've been fine," Harry insisted.
"You sure? You don't look so good mate," said George doubtfully.
"Mum's gonna be fussing all over you again. She was so worried when she didn't hear from you after three days," inputted Fred.
Harry grinned weakly, "I'm fine, really, you didn't have to worry."
He turned around to face the others and felt a small stab of annoyance at the sympathetic look they all had in their eyes. He wasn't a baby for Merlin's sake! Harry bit his tongue and held back the remarks the threatened to burst out of his mouth; he would not lose control, no matter how much he wanted to tell them to fuck off and leave him alone.
It might have been the angry look that he couldn't keep out of his eyes, or the way that he had remained so silent, when last year he had been bursting with questions, but the others kept their distance and refused to meet his eyes. Even Moody couldn't seem to bring himself to look at Harry directly; both his magical and non-magical eyes were looking around, anywhere but at Harry.
They all stood around awkwardly in the silence, until Lupin finally cleared his throat, "Uh, Harry it seems you're all packed so we'll just have to wait for the signal and we can go."
It seemed like Harry was going to have to go after all, sighing in resignation he looked up at Lupin and asked, "Are we going to the headquarters? How are we getting there?"
"Shh, not so loud," growled Moody, "especially in broad daylight, you never know who might be listening."
Harry started, he had completely forgotten about the boy in the corner. He had been so dismayed about the arrival of the members of the Order that he had completely forgotten about Dudley's friend. Had he heard everything? Harry turned around sharply, and glanced frantically around the living room but the boy had disappeared.
"What is it boy?" demanded Mad-Eye, "was someone there?"
"I-its nothing," Harry stammered, "I just thought- nevermind..." he trailed off pathetically. He couldn't understand why he had lied, shouldn't he say something? Get the boy's memory modified? Something?
Truthfully, though, Harry thought he had gone quite mad, being locked up in a cupboard for so long. He was beginning to question his sanity and if what happened actually happened. He was beginning to think that it had all been a dream, after all it was much to strange to be real, wasn't it?
But then, why was the coffee table broken? Why was the glass shattered? Why were there drops of blood all over the carpet? And why was there a cut on his cheek?
All these questions spun about in Harry's head, confusing him, and making him feel quite unsettled.
It seemed though, that Harry's answer was not enough to satisfy Mad-Eye Moody, he grabbed Harry's shoulders and for the first time that visit looked straight into his eyes, "Answer me boy," he growled in his low, gruff voice, "was anybody listening?"
This time, Harry shook his head and said defiantly, "No."
Moody seemed to visibly relax, but still darted his eyes around suspiciously, then leant in and whispered in Harry's ear, "We're doing the same as last year."
Harry nodded in understanding and went over to his trunk to pull out his Firebolt. As he turned around, he caught a glimpse of Moody's magical eye spinning around in his eye socket and remembered with dread, that it could see through the walls of the house. He'd know that Harry had been lying, and he mentally prepared himself for a lecture. But it never came.
Somehow, for some strange, unfathomable reason, Moody hadn't seen a trace of Drake, there were no signs of him ever being there, no extra clothes, bags, luggage... nothing. It was as if Drake had never existed.
Hour after hour passed, and still the signal had not been given, Harry soon grew impatient of waiting and demanded to know why they still weren't going. Moody explained to him irritably they had to wait for night because someone might see them during the day.
At this point, Tonks exploded, "Well why the hell did we come so early then? What was the bloody point?"
To this, all she received was an angry glare as Mad-Eye barked the words: "Constant vigilance!"
Tonks threw her arms up in exasperation and flopped down on the sofa, pouting.
The sun set and the sky grew darker. The Dursleys still hadn't come home, and the signal still hadn't been given. Finally, in frustration, Mad-Eye disapparated back to headquarters to see what was taking so long, warning them all to be ready to leave at any moment.
They all looked at each other and shrugged, getting up and picking up their broomsticks. Lupin muttered a quick spell under his breath and the living room was returned to its usual spotless state. They all traipsed outside and waited.
"You got everything Harry?" asked Arthur Weasely.
At the last moment, Harry remembered that he had left his wand in the cupboard and rushed had to rush back inside to retrieve it. He found it lying the corner of the cupboard under the stairs, covered in dust and spider webs. It had been lying there for so long that Harry almost didn't see it.
Just before walking out of the house, Harry turned around and ran upstairs, glancing around to make sure nothing was forgotten. To his surprise, there was someone sitting on his windowsill. It was hard to tell in the dark, but upon closer inspection Harry realized that it had been the boy from before.
"Didn't you say you were going to leave several hours ago? Why are you still here?" he asked, smirking.
Harry stared, how had he gotten out and away from Moody's eye? It was impossible, and it unsettled him.
"Wh-wh..." Harry's voice caught in his throat, nothing made sense anymore.
Again the stranger smirked, "If you have nothing to say, I'm outta here," he said, jumping out of the window.
Harry didn't know what overcame him but he found himself calling out to the boy, "Wait!"
The strange boy turned around and looked back up at Harry.
"Take me with you," the words came tumbling out of Harry's mouth. What was he doing?
The boy arched his eyebrow and shrugged, "Do what you like."
Harry stowed his wand in his pocket and leapt out of the window, landing softly beside the boy.
"Are you sure?" he said, somewhat amused.
"Just get me out of here."
As the two boys took off into the night, red sparks shot up into the sky.
Moonlight-blossom: Okay that was one hell of a confusing chapter. Sorry about that. I haven't really written in a while (what else is new) and I can't really organize my thoughts. Anyway, since I've kept you waiting for long enough, I owe you an explanation, or well, part of an explanation as to what's going on. That will be coming up in the next chapter, which if I'm lucky, I'll be able to get up the day after tomorrow, or tomorrow (if I have the time). Hope you liked it and as always, review!