Chapter 2
The Cloaked Stranger
The pimple faced teen explained to us that Harry had summoned the night bus by drawing his wand arm. Harry and I looked at each other and agreed that getting to Diagon Alley would be a good idea.
"Can you take us to the Leaky Cauldron?" Harry asked, getting on the bus.
"Sure," the teen said "OI! Ernie! Two for The Leaky Cauldron!" he barked, turning to the front of the bus and ordering the tiny driver.
Harry put some money into the teen's (who's name turned out to be Stan Shunpike) hand and got onto the bus with his trunk, me, my trunk and June in tow.
I sat down on one of the beds that were on the bus and looked at Harry, yet again wanting to go to sleep "Harry, I'm gonna take a nap." I said, lying down on the bed as the bus sped off, nearly ramming my head into the headboard.
"At the rate we're going, sis, you won't get ten minutes of sleep." Harry said "So I'd wait."
I sat up and rolled my eyes "Fine." I growled "But if I don't sleep soon, I'll kill you." I threatened, looking over to our other bus mates.
There was only one. A figure in a black cloak, the hood drawn all the way up, staring at me and making me feel…very uncomfortable.
"Take a picture, it'll last longer, buddy!" I snapped at the person.
The person didn't say anything, but returned to the Daily Prophet. I read the headline:
SIRIUS BLACK ESCAPES FROM AZKABAN
"Hey, Stan?" I asked, pointing at the headline "Who's Sirius Black?"
"You don't know who Sirius Black is?" Stan asked me, unbelieving.
I shook my head.
"Oh Lord! You should know then. Sirius Black is an infamous supporter of You-Know-Who! He killed twelve Muggles and one wizard with one curse, that's why he was in Azkaban. Now get off!" he barked "It's your stop…and someone's waiting for you."
I grabbed my trunk and June and got off the bus, the cloaked figure following with a trunk just like mine.
I went into the pub and saw Harry with some portly guy with a lime green bowler hat.
"Hannah!" the man said, beaming at me "It's so good to meet you, I am Cornelius Fudge, Minister for Magic. Please, have a seat."
Fudge said all of this like an uncle would greet his favourite niece. I sat down next to Harry and took a cup of tea.
Fudge talked about how wrong it was to leave the Dursleys, with Sirius Black is on the run and all. It turned into a tiring lecture and I nearly nodded off when Harry finally spoke.
"Mr Fudge, are we being expelled for blowing up our Aunt Marge?" Harry asked.
Fudge shook his head "No, Harry, my dear boy. We don't expel people for an uncontrollable burst of magic out of anger! It was an accident."
"So, sir, will you sign my permission slip to go to Hogsmeade this term?" Harry asked hopefully.
Fudge shook his head "No, Harry. I am not your guardian! And I am not yours, either, Hannah, my dear girl. So neither of you can go to Hogsmeade."
"Actually, sir." I said, putting my tea down "I already have my slip signed."
"WHAT!" Harry said, gaping at me "Uncle Vernon said no!"
"But Aunt Petunia didn't. She signed the slip." I said, yawning "May I go to bed, sir?"
"Of course, my dear girl. You and Harry will stay here for the rest of your vacation. Tom will show you your rooms."
Then a toothless old man lead Harry and I up to two separate rooms. I was getting very grumpy. All I wanted to do was go to sleep! What was wrong with that?
I walked into my room and plopped myself on the bed.
"FINALLY!" I shouted before…
The door slammed shut…again
I shot up and stared at the door. The cloaked figure from the bus was standing in the threshold, blocking my way out.
I screamed. "HARRY!"
"Hannah, calm down!" the cloaked figure, who I recognized as a female's voice said, taking off her hood.
It was Ivy Duff…my best friend.
I sighed in relief "Don't do that to me, Ivy!" I shouted, placing a hand over my heart, noting it was racing.
"Sorry. I wanted to talk to you on the bus, but I don't think that you'd want people to know." Ivy said, sitting in one of the chairs in the room.
"What?" I asked, getting up off the bed and sitting in a chair next to her.
"Know who you are of course-" Ivy started, cutting herself off with a scream when she saw June "Oh my gosh, June!" she said, rushing up to her owl and unlocking the cage.
"What happened to her?" I asked as Ivy petting the owl "She came to me on Privite Drive like this." I explained, tugging at the zipper on my jacket.
"I don't know. I sent her with a present for you, but she never came back, so I got worried." Ivy explained, checking June's wing as the owl walked up her arm "I'll take her to the Owl Emporium tomorrow to see if her wing's broken."
"I never got a present." I explained, opening Gwen's cage in case Ivy wanted to put June back in "She came to me without a letter."
"That's odd." Ivy said, putting June on the desk as she shrugged out of her cloak "How many letters did you get from me?"
I shrugged "Around three, why?"
"Because I sent you around fifteen!" Ivy exclaimed, picking June up again and resuming petting her "Dobby's not taking my letters again, is he?"
I shook my head "I don't think so, Harry set him free from the Malfoys at the end of last term." I explained.
"Good on Harry." Ivy said, still petting June.
I looked at Ivy suspiciously. Why was she in Muggle London anyways? Shouldn't she be at home?
"Why are you here?" I asked, cocking my head to the side "Shouldn't you be at home?"
Ivy nodded "Yeah, but I was spending two weeks with my…um…aunt. And I ran away."
"Why?" I asked, scratching my neck.
"She was a bitch and did this to me." Ivy growled, tugging the collar of her t-shirt down and showing a large array of bruises.
"Wow…" I said, awestruck "Wait a sec…if I have your owl…WHERE'S GWEN!" I yelled, panicking.
At that moment, Gwendolyn flew right into the room and onto my arm.
"There, apparently." Ivy said, smirking.
I sighed in relief and began to pet her "Where have you been!" I demanded "I was worried sick!"
Gwen hooted with her mouth full of mouse and swallowed it before flying over to June.
Ivy and I watched as Gwen nudged June. They acted like they were getting along.
"They like each other!" I whispered excitedly.
"Yeah, I bet they're gonna be really good friends." Ivy said, smiling as Gwen nudged under June's good wing and flew with her to the cage. They both fell asleep.
"Lucky. Getting to sleep when they want." I grumbled, plopping myself back down onto the bed.
"I'm gonna let you sleep. I'll see you tomorrow. You can come with me to the Owl shop if you want." Ivy said, standing up.
"Sounds like a plan. Meet me in here tomorrow." I said before I nodded off.
