Disclaimer: Nothing in Harry Potter's world belongs to me, everything belongs to JK Rowling.
A/N: I wanted to post this last week, but the site was having problems. So here it is!!!
Chapter 2 – Conversations in the Car
"What – what's going on?" Harry asked confusedly as the cupboard door was opened and he was pulled out by the wrists.
"You're leaving," his aunt said shortly. "I'm taking you back."
"Back? Back to Hog-"
"Enough of that nonsense, you're going back to St. Brutus'. Hurry up now, I'll send your things along later …"
She led him out of the house by the arm and hurried him into the back of the family car. No one talked as Aunt Petunia pulled out of the driveway and through town to the highway. They were about five minutes into their journey when Harry regained his power of speech.
"Why to St. Brutus'?"
She seemed surprised that he had spoken. "Where else? Would you rather I dump you on a street corner somewhere in London? Because I could do that too …"
"I mean – why not to my friends' houses? Hermione lives in London, you could take me there-"
"WHO lives in London?"
"Hermione Granger. Her family's normal and everything."
"I'm not going to stick someone else with a problem like you," she snapped. "Might as well give you to the people we pay to put up with you."
"You pay? I've paid for HOGWARTS out of my parents' money! You've never paid for anything –"
"Would you like to see the bills, Your Highness?" Aunt Petunia snapped. "We've been paying for St. Brutus', the least you could do is appreciate it. You don't have any money, and neither did your parents!"
"That's not-"
"What, did you think a witch came along, waved a magic wand, and gave them a fortune? Whatever they had – whish wasn't much – was left to us to look after you. Most of it's gone into food," she added.
"You're a liar!"
Aunt Petunia swerved dangerously around a car. Harry had never seen her so angry before. "The street corner offer still stands."
Harry shut up.
Forty-five minutes later they pulled up in front of a large brick building. Aunt Petunia parked the car, then pulled Harry out of his seat, across the parking lot, and up the stone front steps.
They entered the building. It had long, white corridors and no windows, but Harry had the strangest feeling that he'd been in that building before.
She dragged him over to a receptionist window and rang the bell impatiently. The woman took an exceptionally long time getting to them.
"Who ar ya lookin' fer?" she asked offhandedly.
"We're looking for a doctor," Aunt Petunia said. "A psychologyst? A psychiatrist? … someone to deal with mentals – like him!"
"I am not mental," Harry insisted.
The recpetionist looked down kindly at him. "'Course ya aren't. I've seen ya around, Harry. Would ye like a lolly?"She picked up a can of lollipops and held them under his nose. Harry wrinkled his face.
"No thanks …"
The receptionist turned her attention back to Aunt Petunia. "Two flights up, third door on yer right," she said hurriedly. "Good luck." And with that she went back into her office.
"Where …?"
"This way," Harry said, leading his aunt around the corner to a flight of stairs. He couldn't have said how he knew it was there. Instinct, he supposed.
She marched quickly up the stairs, leaving Harry to trail behind. He considered running out; there was no one to stop him. He could leave … but how? He had no wizarding money, no wand, no Apparation license, and no broom.
And even if he had had a means of transportation, where would he go? He couldn't bear to see any red-haired freckle faces, not after what had happened in June. He wasn't even sure Mrs. Weasley would want to take him back – after all, she held no unconditional love for him, like a real parent. Hogwarts was out of the question as well; he would have a hard enough time returning for the new school year, there was no way he would subject himself to an extra month at the castle. Lupin's house – Remus's house – was destroyed, as was it's owner.
Too many dead, too many gone.
Harry hurried up the stairs after his aunt. She was waiting impatiently at the top of the staircase. "Hurry up," she snapped. "I've found the door, right through here. I'll go in and speak to the nice man first and he'll talk to you afterword. You sit here like a good boy and wait."
There she goes again, Harry thought. Treating me like a little kid.
There was something like pity in Aunt Petunia's eyes.
"Sit," she ordered gently, pointing to a row of plastic chairs. Harry sat. His aunt disappoeared behind a white door.
He didn't much like this building – St. Brutus'. It was too white and sterile for his tastes, not a thing like Hogwarts castle.
Though maybe that's a good thing, Harry mused, remembering all the years of heartbreak he and so many others had gone through within those ancient stone walls.
His aunt came back a few minutes later and ushered him into the room, which he could now see was an office. She gave him a brief and awkward embrace that was quickly broken.
"I'll send his things along tomorrow," she said to someone over Harry's shoulder before turning on her heel and waltzing out.
"Good morning, Harry," came a familiar voice.
Harry spun around. Across the room with one leg crossed casually over the other sat Albus Dumbledore.
A/N: read, enjoy, review!!
