"Term begins on September 1st. Until then my daughter will be staying with me, in London."
M nodded, slowly. "Is there any particular reason?"
"Her Mother thinks it will be better for her to stay closer to the school. The train, after all, leaves from King Cross."
"From Platform 9 ¾."
"Yes."
"That you still have not seen."
"Hermione keeps coming out on her own." James said. "What I was told is that you walk in between the barriers between platform 9 and 10… and that takes you into platform 9 ¾."
She was looking at him as if he was insane. And in a way, he was. He could hardly believe what he was saying either.
"Has anything come up regarding the Harry Potter investigation?"
M grimaced. "Nothing." She said. "Dursley has a poor reputation among his colleagues… As you said, he seems to only respect those he considers his social equals… but there is very information to be gleaned from official sources."
"That leaves unofficial sources." Bond said. "How about I pay the family a visit and ask around their neighborhood?"
"We haven't any other leads." M said. "Be discreet, 007."
…
"Father."
Bond looked up from his newspaper to see an anxious looking Hermione.
"Yes?"
"Harry hasn't been answering our letters." She said. "It's been weeks… he should have written back by now."
"Sometimes boys don't get back to you right away." Bond said.
"Mother says you didn't get back to her at all."
"That isn't true." Bond said. "I came back when you were born."
Hermione groaned and rolled her eyes and Bond laughed.
"I'm worried about him as well, to tell you the truth." Bond said. "I didn't like the look of that Dursley fellow."
"You thought so as well?" Hermione asked him, eyes wide. "I couldn't bear it… seeing Harry go off with him."
Despite their vast differences, and the issues they had in their personal lives, it was moments like this that Bond really felt proud of his daughter.
"Tell you what." Bond said. "You have his address?"
"Number four, Privet Drive, Surrey."
"Why don't we take a trip there tomorrow?"
She stared at him, open mouthed. "You would do that?"
"I don't see why not." Bond said.
…
The very next day, Hermione was sitting beside him in his Ashton Martin, fiddling around with the radio.
"You can listen to whatever you like." Bond said. "But if the Beatles come on hand me my earmuffs."
"They're not that bad." Hermione said crossly.
It was not that long of a drive, perhaps half an hour. Bond, feeling more than comfortable going over the speed limit, could have made it in half the time if necessary. But as he had a child in the car he had no choice but to actually follow the law. This time.
They pulled onto Privet Drive and cruised, Hermione peering out of the window sheepishly.
"Oh, I do hope that they won't mind us dropping in like this."
"Nonsense." Bond said briskly. "You're Harry's friend."
"There it is." Hermione said. "I-"
She stopped. Her lip grew tight. Bond came to a stop and looked.
He saw Vernon Dursley standing in his yard, shouting angrily at a man placing thick, metal bars on the second story window.
"I don't want a thing leaving that room, do you understand me?" He shouted.
Bond's lip grew tight. Hermione gave him a horrified look as he gunned the accelerator, spinning the car around in the street to face number four. Vernon Dursley jumped. Apparently he had not noticed the car sitting on the street.
"What are you playing at!" He shouted angrily at the car. Bond revved the accelerator again, and Hermione winced. Doubtless she thought that Bond was about to ram the house. So, apparently, did Dursley. He fell back with a cry, as the car stayed completely in place.
"Stay here." Bond said to Hermione, who hid her face behind her hands as Bond opened the car door and slammed it behind him as he approached the house. Vernon, red and blustering got to his feet.
"You maniac!" He was screaming. "My family is in there!"
"Up there, too?" Bond asked, pointed up to the bedroom window. He could clearly see the outline of a blackhaired boy watching the proceedings from behind the bars, and his rage grew.
Vernon was at a loss for words.
"I'll have you know, sir, that it is no business of yours what I do with my house!" He snapped.
"It looks very much like you're trying to imprison someone up there." James said. "I daresay the police would be very interested in hearing about this."
Vernon went pale. He stared at Bond, ashen faced.
"You…" He said slowly. "We met… at King's Cross…"
"Yes." James said. "My daughter goes to school with your nephew. And I happen to know quite a bit about what goes on in your home, Dursley."
The color in his face drained even further.
"Let the boy out." Bond says. "He can stay with us for the summer."
"But-"
"No excuses."
Within fifteen minutes young Harry Potter was dragging a rather large trunk with everything he owned in it to the Aston Martin. A large, snowy owl was peering at him through a gilded change.
'I haven't been able to let her out for ages." Harry explained to Hermione. "I haven't the key…"
Bond shot Vernon a look, who reluctantly handed him the key to the cage. The instant it opened, the owl bolted out with a hoot onto the street.
"Will she be back?" James asked him.
"Of course." Harry told him, smiling.
It was quite a struggle to fit the trunk into the car, and unfortunately Bond had not anticipated the fact that he would be having another passenger… the aston martin only had the passenger seat. Harry and Hermione had to share it as he pulled out of Privet Drive.
"Say goodbye to your Aunt and Uncle, Harry." Bond said cheerfully. Harry laughed. Bond, who had only known the boy through surveillance photos and his own observations, found the sight surprisingly heart warming.
…
"You abducted the child?"
"No, he's simply spending the summer with Hermione." Bond said airily. He could see M's red face even from the other end of the telephone line. "Dursley was putting bars on his window. I had to step in."
"There is a procedure to follow when it comes to child abuse situations, 007…."
"And I'm filing the proper paperwork tonight." Bond said. "The boy isn't living with us permanently… but I believe we need to get to the bottom of this abuse case."
"If anyone could have led us closer to what Dumbledore is up to, it was that family." M said. She was clearly enraged. "You very may well have set back the entire investigation. I hope your whimsy pays off, 007."
Bond hung up the phone and turned to the children, who were smiling brightly and chattering.
"What's for dinner, Father?"
"That depends on what our guest wants."
Harry looked taken aback. "Me?"
It took him a while to decide. In a brief moment they were enjoying their spaghetti and meatballs.
"I must say, Father." Hermione said, as they ate. "I'm surprised you acted so rashly. I can't help but worry that Harry's aunt and uncle will come after you."
Bond winked at her.
"I doubt that very much." He said cheerfully. "The law is on our side, I would think…. Besides, the two of you will be going back to school in the next few weeks regardless."
"Are you a wizard, Mr. Bond?" Harry asked him.
"I am not." Bond said. "Hermione is the first witch in the family."
"And hopefully not the last." Hermione said. "I hope that my children get to go to Hogwarts."
Bond frowned at her.
"You're a bit young to be thinking about children, Hermione."
She went pink.
"My parents went." Harry said. "I was told that they wanted me to go too… before they died."
Bond gave him an intense look.
"They died?" He asked sharply. "How?"
Before Harry could answer, Hermione cut him off.
"Don't be insensitive, Father." She said. "He doesn't like talking about it. Isn't that right, Harry?"
"No, I don't mind." Harry said quickly, shaking his head. "It's just… I've never had to explain it to someone else before. Everyone already… just knows."
"Everyone?" Bond repeated.
"Everyone at school." Hermione clarified. "Everyone in the wizarding world."
Bond frowned at her.
"You've never mentioned this to me."
Hermione again turned pink.
"You… didn't need to know."
Bond gave her a look.
"You shouldn't keep things from me, Hermione." He said. He turned back to Harry.
"Harry, if I'm going to help you… I need to know everything about your background." He said. "Tell me everything."
And so, Harry Potter began to relay to him the strangest and most unusual story he had ever heard.
…
When the children had finally fallen asleep, 007 found himself in MI6 headquarters. M gave him an exasperated look.
"This story is becoming even more convoluted, 007." She said. "We have been looking into Harry Potter's background for months, and we have never even heard of this… Lord Voldemort fellow."
"If you recall correctly, there was no sign that his mother was even murdered." Bond said. "And if she's not actually dead… where is she?"
"Your daughter believes this story?"
"She says that everyone at school believes it. Although Harry himself was not aware of it until just recently. His aunt and uncle never told him."
Her eyes flashed.
"It's the cult's work, 007. It has to be."
"Harry says his aunt and uncle hate the school, and everyone involved in it. But they knew about the murder of his parents, and kept it from him."
"Hmm." M said. She did not appear to be convinced. "This situation is spiraling rapidly out of hand, 007… and unfortunately you have become too personally involved in it. I don't like it. I'm concerned for your daughter… and for you."
…
Harry and Hermione sat up late the next night, talking amongst themselves.
"So the House elf was stopping the letters…" Hermione breathed. "I had thought it was your uncle… but Harry… what does this mean?"
"I don't know." Harry said. His voice grim. "But someone doesn't want me to go back to Hogwarts this year."
Hermione sighed.
"Father has been telling me the same thing." She said gloomily. "He thinks it may be dangerous… he doesn't understand magic, you see. He'll be taking us to Diagon Alley though… I daresay he'll come around eventually."
"He's been saying that?" Harry asked, surprised. "But he's been so kind to me."
Hermione smiled at him sadly.
…
Bond awoke the next day to find, to his annoyance, that Hermione was playing a CD recording of the Beatles for Harry. She seemed to have it turned up extra loud, just to annoy him. He got out of bed, got dressed, and then went to go see them.
"After breakfast we're going right to Diagon Alley." He told him. "I do hope you remember where you're going, Hermione."
"It's not far from here." Hermione told him earnestly. "Really."
"Hmm." He shut the music off and prepared breakfast. Harry and Hermione seemed to be excited about the upcoming trip. It seemed they had both gotten their letters detailing their required reading for the year, and they were comparing notes.
"Will your friend be shopping today as well?"
"Most likely." Hermione said. "Harry and I got our letters at the same time, so I daresay he did as well."
"I imagine Arthur Weasley would like us to sit down and chat." Bond said, rubbing his chin. "There wasn't much time to do so last time we met."
"Ron says he would like that very much." Hermione told him.
Harry was smiling softly as he watched the two talk about the plans for the day. Despite Hermione's claims to the contrary, it was obvious to him that she and her Father were very close. He could only wish that he could have these kinds of moments with his parents.
…
A/N
Wow, four chapters in three days. I don't know what came over me. I've been binging Bond movies (And Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, which was made by the same people) so I suppose that was a major reason for it. Don't expect me to keep up this pace, because I really have other things I need to be doing, but I am very surprised with how into writing this I've become. I'm uploading so fast that as of this writing there have been NO reviews for chapter 3… so yeah, I think I should scale things back a bit.
Your enthusiasm has been infectious, and I am fully prepared to make this the most successful James Bond fanfiction EVER. Please continue reading and reviewing, as you have been, and I hope that I can deliver chapter 5 to you all presently.