Part 8

As soon as the front and car doors slammed, Harry breathed a sigh of relief. The whole house seemed to relax with the Dursleys gone. Quickly, Harry changed the channel to the Muggle news. He wanted to see if Lord Voldemort had been up to anything. The regular morning news was on. Nothing unusual seemed to be going on, so Harry went back to his breakfast. He had almost finished when his attention was caught by the name, "Malfoy." Harry looked back at the television quickly and turned up the volume. The newscaster was reading off his paper, "Recently, the well-respected Lucius Malfoy has gone missing and his manor been closed down. The police are currently searching for him but have found no trace of him or his family as of yet." The newscaster then went on to a different story about a mass murder in Peru. Harry turned the volume back down and sat back in his chair, stunned. Could Voldemort have turned on his loyal supporters? After all, it was thanks to Draco Malfoy that Voldemort had accomplished his plans at all and managed to kill Dumbledore.

With nothing else to do, Harry went upstairs to write Ron of the news of the Malfoy family.

"Dear Ron,

I was just watching the Muggle news and heard that the Malfoys are missing! Is it true? Do you think that Voldemort has done something to them? I know that I shouldn't be worried, especially not about a worm like Malfoy, but…I don't know, its hard not to worry, even though I hate Malfoy. I mean, if Voldemort would do that to some of his most loyal supporters, what would he do to us? Not that I don't know already, but…never mind.

How are things there? When is Hermione going to arrive? I haven't managed to ask the Dursleys about coming to Bill's wedding yet, but I'll get to it. They haven't been in the best mood lately, and they're out till this afternoon. Hedwig's not back yet. Now that I think about it, I wonder where she could be. I guess she's enjoying her freedom. After all, she knows that when she gets back, she'll have to go back into her cage. And its not as if I could send her to you in broad day light now could I? I should get a smaller, more common bird, like a sparrow, then I would be able to send messages to you whenever I like. Not that I would get rid of Hedwig of course, but it would be nice not to have to worry about her being seen.

Anyway, hope you are well.

I'll send this with Hedwig when she gets back.

See you soon, (hopefully),

Harry"

Harry set down his quill then and stared blankly out his bedroom window. There was no sign of white against the bright blue sky. Harry sighed sadly. The empty house seemed very lonely without another living being inside it. If only there was someone else he could write to, for wisdom, for company, anything! Harry knew that he couldn't do that though. If he asked Hedwig to try to find Lupin or Moody, or anyone else of the order, it would just lead Voldemort right to their hiding spot.

Harry sighed and rested his head in his hands before getting up again. His eyes lit on the little leather bound book on his bedside table, and Harry smiled. Of course! He could read his mother's diary.

Settling down on his bed, Harry adjusted his glasses on his nose and picked up the book carefully. Opening it, he read the second entry.

"Dear Diary,

So I'm back from Diagon Alley. It was the most amazing place I had ever been! The bartender at the Leaky Cauldron told us how to get into Diagon Alley. Mother was allowed in, and we were both amazed when the brick wall just opened like that. It revealed the most amazing world. It was so colorful, so vibrant! There were people everywhere and they all looked so different. One woman was trying to sell potions. Her hair was grey and frizzy, but she had a pleasant face, like someone's grandmother. I didn't really see anyone who looked like the witches in my story books. None of them were really very ugly, and were it not for knowing that they were magical beings, I would have thought them regular people. I have learned so far that non-magical people are called Muggles. I'm not sure I quite understand how Mother and Father and Petunia are Muggles while I am not but I suppose I should be grateful. I am grateful! I got to meet several other children going to Hogwarts while we were there. One girl, Maude Moonstone was especially nice. I agreed to sit with her on the train. Mother is pleased that I made friends so quickly. So far, I have several new spellbooks, wizard's robes, a potions kit, astrology kit along with telescope and best of all, a wand! It was like…well magic of course. Holding that wand for the first time…it was amazing! It is willow and 10 1/4". As soon I held it, I knew that it was for me. It felt warm and alive in my hand. It shot off some golden sparks and the wand maker, Mr. Ollivander, smiled in satisfaction. He was a bit of a creepy man; tall, ice blue eyes and crazy white-grey hair. He seemed nice enough, but to tell the truth I was glad to leave the shop.

After we got my wand, we got to go to Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour. Mr. Fortescue was a very kind man. After seeing how much money Mother and I were carrying around, Mr. Fortescue advised us to go to Gringotts, the wizard bank. So far, we had managed to buy my supplies because the people in the shops had been so understanding and changed our money for us. Mr. Fortescue was actually the only one who advised us to go to Gringotts.

Anyway, after ice cream, Mother took me to the bank. It was amazing! It was so large and, going inside, we saw it was entirely made of marble! The doors were huge and it took four goblins just to open them! It was the first time that I had seen goblins before. They looked very sly, but Mr. Fortescue had told us that Gringotts was the safest place to keep money in the world. We were helped by a small, especially sly looking goblin. He changed my money into things called Knuts, Sickles and Galleons. The Knuts were bronze coins, the Sickles silver and the Galleons were gold.

Once we had exchanged my money, the goblin gave me a key to my vault. It was tiny and golden, easy to lose. Mom gave me a little golden chain so I could hang the key around my neck. Then, the goblin took us down to my vault. We went in a speeding cart. It was so fast and the track kept twisting and turning. I didn't much like it but Mother, who was never one for fast rides, grew positively green. Finally, we arrived down at my vault and I unlocked it with my key. The goblin then helped me put my money inside while Mother gathered some up for me for spending. We left not long afterwards and now I'm home. Papa and Petunia were glad to see me, but…there was a change. After the initial hug, Petunia grew so cold towards me. It hurt a lot, but Mother took my mind off of it by helping me to unpack. It's so good to be home, and yet I can't wait to leave!"

Harry lay down the diary with a happy sigh. He felt that he was really seeing what his mother had been like. When she had written in the diary, she was younger than Harry was now!

Reading his mother's diary had cheered Harry up considerably. Now he felt that he could face anything.

Checking his clock, Harry saw that he still had a few hours before the Dursleys got home. Now he had nothing else to do, Harry got up to see what there was to do around the rest of the house. In the room next door to his was Dudley's collection of broken toys. Harry went to see, but everything was too broken and run-down to even think of using. With a sigh, Harry went and leaned on the windowsill looking out at the world that he could not walk in freely.

Harry's thoughts were broken when his elderly neighbor, Mrs. Figg came walking out of her house followed by her usual number of cats. With a jump, Harry remembered that Mrs. Figg was a squib assigned to watch over and protect him.

"Mrs. Figg!" Harry hissed.

Mrs. Figg looked up at the window. "Harry?" she called, adjusting her spectacles. "Is everything all right?" she asked.

"Yes, yes fine. Just, please wait there. I'll be right down," Harry said, thundering down the stairs and out the front door.

Mrs. Figg was waiting on the corner by Harry's house when he came out, looking anxiously about. "What are you up to Harry?" she asked.

Harry shook his head. "Nothing Mrs. Figg. I-I was just…bored," Harry answered, shuffling his feet, ashamed of how babyish he sounded.

Mrs. Figg rolled her eyes. "Well that's something that every teenager must face Harry. I should be going back in now."

"Wait! Mrs. Figg!" Harry cried, grabbing the frail old woman's arm.

She stopped and turned back.
"Please, I want—I want to know what's going on in the wizarding world. I have been out of everything!"

Mrs. Figg rolled her eyes again, but didn't go inside. "Don't you get the Daily Prophet, boy?"

Harry nodded. "Of course I do! But there's nothing in there that I didn't already know! I mean, now that everyone believes that Voldemort is back, there are supposed sightings and killings all over the country. I can't trust any of them. Of course I suppose that some of them might be true, but I can't tell the truth from the fiction. Please Mrs. Figg, please tell me what's going on!"

Mrs. Figg sighed and looked around the street warily. "All right Harry, but let's at least go inside then."

After they were inside, and Mrs. Figg was comfortably settled in an armchair, she began. "Well, what do you want to know?" she asked.

"Everything!" Harry replied eagerly, leaning forward in his own chair.

"Well it will be a little hard to tell you everything in the world, now won't it?" she laughed.

Harry nodded and then thought for a moment. "All right, well, what has the Order been up to?"

Mrs. Figg sighed and stroked the cat that had joined them in the house. "You should know better Harry than to ask me to tell you what the Order has planned. There could be spies anywhere!" she said, looking furtively around.

"Sorry," Harry mumbled, "I forgot. Okay then, if you can't tell me anything about the order…are you going to Bill and Fleur's wedding in August?"

Mrs. Figg nodded proudly. "I got the invitation right off. Are you going too then, Harry?"

Harry shrugged. "I hope so. If the Dursleys will let me go anyway."

Mrs. Figg placed her hand kindly on Harry's shoulder. "Well, I'm sure that they'll let you go, don't you worry. I'll have one of the cats here watching you at all times. If you need me, just send one of them over. Maybe you would like one to stay with you?" Mrs. Figg offered.

Harry thought for a moment, then nodded. "I'd like that. At least until Hedwig gets back," he added.

Mrs. Figg smiled. "All right then. Whiskers, you'll stay with Harry, now won't you?"

The cat yowled its assent and climbed into Harry's lap.

The cat's weight there felt familiar, and Harry scratched behind the tabby's ears, remembering the feel of Crookshanks in his lap not three days before.

"If you need me for anything, just send Whiskers over, all right, Harry?" Mrs. Figg said, getting up.

Harry got up too, still holding the cat in his arms. "Thanks for coming over Mrs. Figg.

Mrs. Figg waved Harry's thanks away. "No trouble Harry, no trouble at all. Just be sure that you stay out of trouble, y'hear?" she warned him, glaring over her glasses at the boy.

Harry nodded. "Don't worry Mrs. Figg, I never go looking for trouble, it seems to find me."

"That's what I'm afraid of."