Ch. 2 - Eavesdroppers

She walked briskly up the path, and was rather winded by the time she reached the large wooden doors, so she paused to catch her breath. When she went inside, she called her house-elf to her, and asked for her trunk and cloak to be taken up to her room, and that the bedroom down the hall be dusted for a guest. She then asked that lunch be prepared for two, seeing as she would arrive with Harry around lunchtime.

She smiled at Rougey, who positively wriggled with glee to have her master and a guest staying in the house over the holidays.

Walking over to a portrait of her family, she smiled and waved at them before wrenching it open (to their protests) and opened the small safe. She kept small bags of the gold galleons, silver sickles, and bronze knuts just in case she needed anything. As an added security bonus, the Portrait wouldn't open to anyone except her. Even though it wasn't the safest place to keep the gold, she wasn't about to apparate to Diagon Alley every time she needed a few galleons.

She grabbed a small bag of sickles and shut the safe, which caused the portrait to swing back into place. Once again she apparated with a small whip like crack, only to appear again on Privet Drive. Looking around, there were no muggles to be seen from her spot behind a small tree at Number Two, so she quickly transformed to her animagus form, that of a small tabby cat with unusual markings around her eyes. She stretched, not having used her animagus form in awhile.

She heard a loud bang, and looked next door in alarm. A very agitated Harry had slammed the door, and ducked down into a particularly large hydrangea bush underneath a windowsill. Running over into their driveway, she thought she'd have a look at Harry and wait until he calmed down to announce her presence. A very loud and gruff voice changed that.

"Hey you, shoo!" It was Vernon Dursley. Minerva turned to look at him in what she hoped was a reproving manner. She did not like being "shooed" by the likes of him. Harry had stood up, and what he saw instantly put a wide grin on his face.

"Hi, Professor," he said. Mr. Dursley looked appalled at first, then angry, as if it was some April fool's Day joke.

"How can a cat be your professor?" He hissed, keeping his voice down in case any neighbors would overhear.

Minerva bounded over to the glass door and pawed it, waiting for Harry to open it. When he did, she ran inside, followed by a red faced Mr. Dursley. When Harry entered, he saw that she had changed back, and heard Aunt Petunia shriek and drop whatever teacup she was holding.

It was as if someone dropped a bomb. Petunia was still screaming, while a now puce colored Vernon Dursley picked up a broom, as if he was going to "shoo" her out the door, even though she was back to her normal self. A boy whimpered in the corner, his eyes almost popping out of his head. Dudley Dursley, she guessed.

"Now see here!" Vernon Dursley yelled, waving the broom around. He was paid no mind.

"Mr. Potter, may I speak to you in private?" She inquired, voice as calm as ever.

"Would my room do, Professor?"

"Of course, lead the way please," she said, indicating for him to show her where he slept.

When they reached his bedroom, she frowned for a moment. "It seems extremely small to me," she said.

"Well, it's better than where I used to sleep," he muttered as he sat on the bed. He looked angry with himself for a moment, as if he said something he shouldn't.

"Where did you sleep before?" She had to ask.

"Never mind, Professor, it's nothing." He mumbled, flushing with embarrassment.

"Tell me," she said sternly, moving so he had to look at her.

"I used to sleep in that cupboard under the stairs until I got my Hogwarts letter," he said sheepishly. He seemed to be really interested in his sneakers. Minerva, however, was almost livid. So they had mistreated him as a child! She tried to calm herself, and counted to ten before she spoke. Now was not the time to be angry with the muggles. She had to wait until she got downstairs to do that.

Then she remembered her original purpose for being in this small muggle house. Now wasn't the time to inspect Harry's cleanliness or even to yell at those horrid people. It was the time to ask Harry a question she'd been holding back since he first came to Hogwarts.

Harry seemed to sense how nervous she was. "Is everything alright Professor?" She then noticed she was shaking slightly.

"I'm fine, but I wanted to ask you a question." He seemed to hang on her every word, as if he was expecting something much more important than what she was about to ask. She cleared her throat. "Would you like to go live at the second safe house for the Order?"

He looked like Christmas was cancelled. Not exactly the question he was hoping to hear.

"What about the Burrow?" He asked. She cringed at this question. This was something she did not want to answer. He seemed to notice her reaction, and looked at her, almost pleadingly for her to answer.

"Well, as you probably were aware, The Weasley's home was common knowledge at the Ministry, especially since Arthur faced an inquiry after you and Mr. Weasley drove that car to school almost four years ago." She saw, to her satisfaction, that he shivered at the thought of it. The two had nearly cost Arthur his job, after all.

"I didn't think about that Professor," he said, clearly crestfallen.

"Of course you didn't," she said. "Since anyone could have found out about The Burrow's whereabouts, it is unwise to go there after…" She couldn't finish. Albus would say his name, surely, but she just couldn't.

"You mean after Voldemort was forced out in the open?" Harry asked softly.

She cringed slightly at the name. "Yes, Harry," she said quietly. He seemed shocked that she used his first name. She had never used his first name, at least, not when she was speaking with him. "We also thought that Grimmauld Place would be an unwise place-

"We?" Harry cut in. Minerva sighed. She almost expected this to happen, and cursed herself for not being more careful.

"A-Professor Dumbledore and I agreed Grimmauld Place wouldn't be the best place for you," she said. "He also felt that you would be safer here for a little while longer, but I saw to that." She nearly kicked herself.

"Oh, so Dumbledore wanted me to sit here and rot?" He caught his breath. "He wants me to sit here like a good little boy without any freedom at all because it would mean going to Sirius's, Sirius's…" He couldn't finish, because unwilling tears had sprung into his eyes, and his voice had cracked. As if he could pretend it would all go away after a few moments, or maybe not wanting to show such emotion in front of his stern head of house, he turned away from her, putting his head in his hands.

Minerva didn't deter so easily. She placed a hand on his shoulder. "You didn't ask where the second safe house was."

He shifted, as though uncomfortable that her hand was on his shoulder. "Oh yeah?" a hoarse voice asked behind his hands. "Where is it?"

"My Manor," she said simply. She realized she was holding her breath, and exhaled, just as Harry voiced his reply.

"WHAT!"

She was about to reply, when she heard it again. There was a barely audible creak of floorboards, just outside Harry's bedroom. Could someone have snuck in past the muggles? Could He have found out where Harry resided and forced muggles nearby to spy? The possibilities were endless. She didn't know the extensions on Albus's spells, either. She then noticed Harry was looking at her curiously. Putting a finger to her mouth to keep Harry silent, she crept over to the door quietly. With her wand at the ready, she pulled the door open in one brisk movement, surprising the eavesdropper.

It was Dudley Dursley. The great lump fell backward with a loud thump, and whimpered, apparently frightened out of his wits because of her wand. "Explain yourself this instant!" She demanded, wand still pointed at him. It was clear her wand frightened him, so maybe he had come in contact with other wizards. She decided to use that to her advantage. No harm in a little threat.

She waved her wand over him, muttering a few nonsense words. He looked like he was about to wet himself. "If you mention this to anyone, ever again, that spell will let me know, and I won't be very merciful about it," she said. "I will come here myself and turn you into a fruit bat if you mention the slightest bit of conversation you heard ever again." She could have sworn his eyes were about to pop out of his head. "Now go," she said, shaking her finger at him.

He scrambled down the stairs as fast as his chubby legs would carry him. She turned back to Harry, trying very hard not to laugh. Harry looked as though he was going to die smothering a snigger. He stood up, and very straight-faced, asked, "A fruit bat, Professor?"

"Never you mind that," she said. "Now, are you going to start packing, or what?"

A/N: Minerva's house elf, Rougey, I made up that name because of the French word "Rouge," which means Red. I was going to have her have red eyes, but I decided against it at the last minute. But it's better than having a house elf named Smeagle. .

Thanks for all of those great reviews! I didn't expect to get so many… I'll try to hurry it up with the next few chapters so no one will be reduced to blackmailing me... O.O