Disclaimer: Everything belongs to J.K. Rowling, only Celina Pryce is mine and the first part of this chapter – no, actually it's the whole chapter – was written under Tomigol's bad influence. Yes, I mean you, Tomigol. If you ever read this, which isn't very probably, we have to talk.
If you don't like how I've written Chapter 3, I can give you Tomigol's e-mail address. Just flame him, he can stand it, believe me.
And I'm very sorry for letting you wait so long for the new chapter ... 2 Months ... shame on me ... I reckon the next one will be posted in 2 or 3 weeks ... hopefully ...
Important! Wizards are of age when they turn 17. In OotP Fred and George Apparated in the holidays, so I reckon they were allowed to use magic as well. If not, tell me, but I think I'll use this system. It will be essential in some future chapters...
Thanks to my beta-readers Sheen Rox and ERMonkey, Queen of Insanity and Caff-BreakDancist!
And thanks to everybody who reviewed:
Daintress: Thank you for telling me, it's nice to hear that you don't go over my story without paying attention. Of course I'll try to improve.
ferokeroberos: Dudley is looking scared because it doesn't happen every day that you find three people in wizarding robes standing in your kitchen. Remember, he's a Dursley...
Armageddon1: Thank you, I hope you like the new chapter!
Nosilla: Sorry, I won't spoil my own story, but you'll find out at the end of this chapter.
ERMonkey, Queen of Insanity: Thank you, and I hope you liked Chapter 3, as you've already read it... And once again, I'm very sorry that it took me soooo long...
chocoliciouz: Oh, lazy, aren't we??? grins Hope you got my e-mail. And BTW, I think it's better this way as I'm sure you don't want to get an e-mail everytime I'm posting a new chapter of my German story...
oysteinsevag: Wüüürzburg is cool ... with many many üüü ... haha, I can type the dots onto the u's ... haha!!! --- Sorry, I don't feel sane at the moment ... my head feels so airy ... so many reviews ... Anyway, if you could hear me talking in English you probably wouldn't understand a single word ... Austrian accent is even worse than German accent (although it is the same language ...)
Mrs.ProfessorLupin: Oh, I wanted to know some Chinese names because of ... you'll learn in this chapter, I won't spoil my story, sorry. But I've done some research and now it isn't important any more ... Nevertheless, if you know some, please tell me!!!
Crystal: Did you get my e-mail??? Because you didn't respond...
Kaitee: Thanks, and please keep reading and reviewing!!!
Hi Im Crazy: Hi, I'm crazy too, and thanks for reviewing, here's the update!
Alex: You'll learn in this chapter, I promise!!!
Katie: Thanks anyway, there are some people who say the opposite, but they have to cope with it. Keep reading and reviewing!!!
Sheen Rox: Thank you so much, you're the best!!! gives you some cookies
HoshiHikari4ever: I totally agree, Snape can read minds (at least Harry's...)
Lizzabeth Turner: Harry really talks more about his family than usually, but a) I just thought that it was necessary and b) from now on there will be more action. Too many thoughts can ruin the story. Sometimes. However. Keep reading and reviewing!!!
lurid-eyes: Well, but I'm sure you won't go mad. BTW, this chapter ends again with a cliffy ... sorry! Kinda habit ...
PIRO the unforgiven one: Thank you, and I don't care if you sounded cheesy or not, just keep reading my story.
Little Eirtae: I'm everything but not British, but I'm used to spell things like that because of school ... Hey, it's not my fault that my teachers seem to like B.E. better than A.E.
OMG, OMG, OMG! So many reviews! I hope I didn't forget someone... Cookies for everyone!
I'm done. And now on with the story. Enjoy!
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Letters to Him
Chapter 3
Magical Insurance Agents
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Harry nearly forgot to breathe. In the corridor of Number 4, Private Drive, the most different people eyed each other in a very strange way:
On the one end stood Harry's nasty and fat cousin with his pesky girlfriend, both with surprised and scared looks on their faces.
On the other end, two of Harry's former teachers, Lupin and Moody, as well as his Potions master, Professor Snape, were thinking desperately about whether to draw out their wands or not.
Harry quickly thought of an excuse. "Well, the three insurance agents were about to go, right, Gentlemen?" he said and tried to appear relaxed.
Lupin bent down to Harry. "Harry, who's that girl?"
"This is Dudley's girlfriend," he whispered. "She's a Muggle."
"She could be a Death Eater," Moody whispered.
"I don't think so," Harry said. "Today it was the first time she entered the house."
In the meantime Dudley had stepped in front of Celina so that she couldn't see either the wizards or his expression. Harry could tell that Dudley was frightened to death. He had met wizards before, but he had never been alone in a house full of magical people. He was helpless like a beetle lying on the back.
"Could you please disappear from this place?" Dudley said with shaky voice.
Now Snape joined in. "Potter, better be careful with strangers in your house." Harry nodded. Eventually the wizards turned to the door and disappeared.
"Bye, Harry." Lupin waved and closed the door. Then Dudley started screaming.
"Damn, damn, damn!" he shouted. He took a deep breath and brought his voice back under control. "Celina, please wait here. I'm back in a few seconds."
The girl nodded with dreamy eyes. Dudley grabbed Harry's wrist and pulled him into the kitchen. He closed the door.
"Harry, what were they DOING here? If Dad knew..."
"They haven't done anything," Harry said with the utmost caution. Under no circumstances he wanted to provoke Dudley.
"I WILL TELL DAD EVERYTHING AND THAT CELINA HAS SEEN THEM! YOU'RE IN FOR IT NOW!" he roared.
"Really? I thought it was you who went out and came home with a girl!" Harry began to become angry. Dudley should have been glad that the wizards hadn't cursed him. After all, Moody, Snape and Lupin were allowed to use magic whenever they wanted to.
Dudley grinned maliciously. "Nobody must ever know about it, hmm? I have been at home the whole afternoon and you have never got visits from any ... madmen, have you, Harry?"
Whoa, Harry thought, Dudley really has a brain and knows how to use it. But he had no choice. Even if Dudley did squeal on him, in the end everything would have been Harry's fault. He had to agree.
"Okay, no word to anybody." The two boys eyed each other, then Dudley left the kitchen and went back to Celina.
Harry passed them to go to the staircase and up into his room.
"Celina, please don't ask, but you have to go now. It has nothing to do with you, and I'm very sorry," Dudley said surprisingly gentle.
The girl nodded and quickly turned to Harry. "Harry, who were those guys?"
Harry winced and stopped. "Oh ... um ... they were only ... some insurance agents. Yes, insurance agents. I've brushed them off."
"They didn't look like insurance agents at all. You knew them, didn't you?" she asked. Harry wanted to run into his room as fast as possible, because Dudley's face already turned red in anger – or because of jealousy.
"No, I didn't know them. Bye!" With these words he went upstairs and didn't look back.
"Bye, Harry, see you soon!" the girl shouted. Nevertheless, Harry looked back. Celina looked at him with those pesky, dreamy eyes.
Five minutes later Dudley burst in, very red in the face, Harry almost sniggered at the resemblance he held to Uncle Vernon.
"Harry, why do you wanna steal my girlfriend?" he said.
"I ... what?" Harry asked flabbergasted. He closed the book he had been reading in.
"You permanently flirt with her!" Dudley complained.
"Oh..." Harry understood now. Dudley was jealous. Of him. Harry was enjoying this feeling.
"Dudley, let her decide what she wants and with who she wants to be with" he advised. His cousin lost his temper, rushed to him and threw him to the ground. Then he started hitting him.
Harry winced, when he felt the pain coming from Dudley's fist that crashed into his stomach. As he hit him for the second time, Harry saw some stars dancing in front of his eyes.
Harry became really angry and clenched his fists. Unfortunately he couldn't reach his wand because Dudley succeeded in holding his hands down. Considering his hopeless position, Harry became more and more furious. Dudley's fist collided with him for the third time. Harry gave a scream, which was so loud and powerful, that Dudley was hurled across the room and out of the door. Eventually he crashed to the floor.
Both boys stood up with some difficulty and looked at each other furiously. Harry held his hurting stomach and Dudley had a scary flash in his eyes. Now Harry really feared his cousin and told himself to exhibit some self-control. Suddenly the door slammed and the key turned itself in the lock. Harry caught the key, before falling back onto his bed and fainting.
When Harry woke up, he could still feel a pulsating pain in his stomach. He stood up and tried not to fall down again. Slowly he went into the bathroom and was shocked, as he saw his mirror image. His face was like alabaster.
He drank some cold water and went back into his room. He laid down, thinking of everything.
Dudley was jealous of him, had beaten him up and then Harry had done magic without a wand. His thoughts were spinning around, but he was exhausted and soon fell asleep.
But he didn't find rest. Again he dreamt the dream of Cedric's death and Voldemort's return. He woke with a start. Since he has been back at Privet Drive, he hadn't had any nightmares at all.
As it was rather late, he prepared supper. Thankfully, Dudley was nowhere in sight. Eventually Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia came home, Dudley followed them. He stormed up into his room; he must have been in the garden.
"Aunt Petunia, how's your back?" Harry asked exhaustedly.
"Oh, a lot better," she said. "I'm not allowed to work hard, but I don't have to lie around the whole day anymore."
Neither Harry nor Dudley talked much that evening. When Harry finally got back into his room, he sat down and took parchment and quill to write to Ron and Hermione.
Hey Ron/Hermione,
I urgently need your advice. What would you do if your furious cousin were jealous of you because of a girl you don't like? How can I get rid of her? And what would you do if you had recently done some accidental wandless magic?
Harry
He wrote this letter to each of them and put them aside, waiting for Hedwig to return with a letter from Ron. He worried a lot about Dudley and what he could do in his fury.
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Cho was in the sitting room in her family's flat. She was alone and cried, because she couldn't take it any longer.
It all had started at the beginning of the summer holidays. Her uncle had come on a visit and told some stories about his adventures as Auror. This was when she learned about Sirius Black's mysterious death. She hadn't thought much about it, she was still about to hate Harry for his childish behaviour.
Some days later, when her parents hadn't been at home, she'd had some creepy visitors.
Flashback
Cho had been at home alone. Her father was still at work (he was an editor at the Daily Prophet) and her mother was shopping with Cho's little sister Gwen. Suddenly the doorbell rang.
"Is it you, Uncle Simon? I thought you had a key," she shouted. Nobody answered, and when she opened the door, she knew why. It wasn't Simon Chang, who stood on the other side of the door, but two strange men in wizard's robes, with hidden faces and drawn wands.
"What..." Cho began and made a step back. Unfortunately, she didn't have her wand with her.
"Keep cool, girl," the smaller one said. "We won't do anything to you."
"Really?" Cho asked with a shaky voice. The men laughed.
"Well, we want you to do something," the taller one said smirking. "You're Harry Potter's girlfriend, aren't you?"
"Well..." Cho didn't know what to say.
"However, you will write him some letters. He trusts you. At least you have been a couple," the taller one said. He seemed to be further up on the order of precedence.
"How do you know about Harry and me?" she asked with strong voice. She sounded braver than she felt.
"We don't talk about our sources."
"Why?" she asked.
"Why what?" This question seemed to confuse the men.
"Why do you want me to do this? You can't force me to do it!" Her voice was still confident, but her heart was beating fast in her chest.
"Oh yes, girl, we can. We receive our instructions directly from the Dark Lord." As she heard his name, she winced. "And we won't consider what we will do if you won't obey" they continued threateningly.
"No!" Cho shouted. "I don't believe you! Everybody can tell this..."
Cho stopped talking abruptly because the faceless men pulled up their sleeves so that she could see the skulls of the Dark Mark on their left forearms.
She began screaming. She screamed until there was no more air in her lungs, then she hurriedly took a deep breath and continued screaming.
The Death Eaters were paralysed with fear. They were in a Muggle flat and surely the screaming would have alerted the neighbours. One of the men closed the door quickly and spoke a Silencing Charm, while the other one spirited Cho's voice away and tied her up.
"Be quiet now, silly brat," the taller one said to her. She tried to scream, but not a single sound escaped her mouth. Meanwhile Cho's throat hurt, but she could do nothing, dumb and tied up as she was.
"Well now, you'll write some letters to Potter. It doesn't matter what you are writing, but don't mention us to anybody. Not to Potter, not to your parents, not to your uncle, to nobody. Win back his trust in you. Did you understand?"
Now tears ran over Cho's cheeks, but she nodded obediently.
"Good. If you don't do as we say you'll have to cope with the consequences. Take the Silencing Charm off her." The taller man said to the other.
The smaller one gave back her voice, but Cho had the good sense to keep quiet.
"Any questions?"
"W-will you do something to me or m-my family?" She had to sniff.
The Death Eater laughed. "Only if you don't obey. Do what we are telling you to do and we'll leave you in peace. We'll come back next week."
The Death Eaters removed her shackles and vanished through the door. Cho collapsed on the floor and made a decision.
I'd never do anything that could help Voldemort.
Flashback End
One week later the two Death Eaters returned. Cho couldn't tell them any result, therefore the men swore that she had to pay for it. If she wouldn't begin getting in touch with Harry, they would let her suffer even more.
When they were gone, Cho laughed about them, but on the next morning she heard that her grandfather had been murdered brutally. He had been Muggle.
That day Cho started writing a letter to Harry.
But under no circumstances was she going to write whom the letter was from. She didn't want to endanger herself. That she was endangering Harry didn't matter to her at all at that moment.
Cho was lost in thought when the doorbell rang. She took her wand and tiptoed to the front door. I'll let them think that nobody's at home, she thought. But she could hear the word "Alohomora!" and the door went open.
Cho hid behind a wardrobe. When she heard a step, she stepped forth and shouted, "Impedimenta!"
The smaller one of the two Death Eaters froze, but the taller one reacted quickly and disarmed her with "Expelliarmus!"
Cho lost her wand and was thrown against the wall. She was dazed and didn't dare to move. In the meantime, the Death Eater had lifted the curse of his fellow and went to Cho. She got back on her feet. The other Death Eater threatened her with his wand.
"Miss Chang, this was not a proper welcome," the smaller one said, smirking slightly, but she could see the anger in his eyes.
"Shut up," the other one blew his companion up. Then he asked Cho, "Did you get in touch with Potter?" She nodded. "Did he respond to your letter?" She nodded again. "What did he write?"
"He ... he doesn't trust me," Cho whispered.
"See to it that he learns to trust you. And remember, no word to anybody. We'll return soon." Then the Death Eater threw her against the wall again. She slipped down and watched them leave the flat and Disparate in front of the door that was still open.
Cho began crying. She cried out all her frustration of the last few days. She had been such a fool. She should have fought against those Death Eaters from the beginning instead of behaving like a little girl. After all she had some experience in duelling, as she had been member of the DA.
The DA. Harry. He had broken her heart on their first real date, as he had started talking about Hermione Granger. She had been so lucky. Admittedly, she would have imagined so many things different, but until their Hogsmede visit, everything had been fine.
And now this. Death Eaters wanted her to win back Harry's trust. They needed her only for hurting Harry. They needed her for their dark machinations, and she couldn't do anything. She didn't know who to ask for help. She didn't know whom she could trust and whom she couldn't, who took her serious and who didn't. But now she knew for sure that the Dark Lord must have come back. Maybe Harry...
Suddenly somebody knocked at the window and Cho winced. But when she turned, she recognized Marron, her owl that had finally returned.
She wiped away her tears and opened the window to let her in. First she stroked Marron's head ( she started feeling better immediately), then she took Harry's letter. And she had to cry again. What was she doing to him?
She opened the letter and read it a few times. She couldn't bring herself to answer him now. Finally she responded on the next morning, after she slept on it.
Hey Harry,
Yes, you do know me, and I'd say that you know me pretty well. But I'd rather not write my name into a letter, for this I'd had too much Auror education. (My uncle likes to tell his adventures, and you never know who could read owl mail ... Talking by fireplace is much more safer, but you are not connected to the Floo network ... I tried it but as a result I banged my head on something … ouch!)
I'm sorry to say so, but you don't have to trust me. You can tell me everything and I won't tell it anybody. It feels just good to write to somebody. Above all, if you haven't got to do much ... But holidays are great!
Bye.
P.S. Give Marron (my owl) some rest, she's always so exhausted!
She succeeded in not mentioning the Death Eaters and sent Marron away to deliver the letter. She prayed that nothing happened to Harry, but she didn't have another choice.
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A/N: Well, what do you think now?
Next Chapter: Harry talks to Celina and to a still furious Dudley.