Chapter 3:
(Bella P.O.V.)
As Harry and I walked down Privet Drive hand-in-hand, he recounted the previous events (focusing particularly on the look on Dudley's face) and I just enjoyed having him by my side. I was smiling like I hadn't smiled in ages, since I last saw him to be exact.
As we walked, I kept stealing glances at him. I couldn't help but notice how much he had changed in these few months. His hair was still as messy as ever, but I noticed his jawline had become a more prominent feature of his face. He had grown a couple of inches, and his shoulders seemed broader. Harry had always been cute to me, but now I couldn't keep my eyes off him for more than a few seconds. He had really grown into himself, and I definitely liked it.
I released his hand, and instead hooked my arm through his so that we walked closer. "So how were things in America?" He said the last word like it tasted bad in his mouth, but he was smiling.
I laughed, "I'm sorry about the tea, alright? Geez, you British people can hold some grudges can't you?" he rolled his eyes playfully. "You know how we are about our tea! That was a low blow!" Now it was my turn to roll my eyes. "And to answer your question, the orphanage was horrible, as usual. You'd think that living with over a hundred other kids might be fun, but it's not really when you're the freak." No one had really said more than five words to me since entering the orphanage at the end of the term. Everybody pretty much steered clear of me. Didn't want their hair to catch fire, I suppose.
I sighed, "But I got to do a lot of reading." Harry scrunched up his face in an attempt to look disgusted, but it was really just adorable. "Wow your summer might have been even worse than mine. Congrats!" I elbowed him in the ribs.
I pulled him to a stop at the light post at the end of the street. This is where Dumbledore had instructed me to meet him, but he was nowhere in sight. I looked down at my watch. "That's strange," I said, "I didn't take Dumbledore as the type to be late."
"I'm not, most of the time," a voice made us both jump out of our skin. We turned to find Albus Dumbledore in all his glory, looking very out of place in such a bland neighborhood. "Sorry I'm late! It was for good reason, but I'm afraid I can't explain at this time." always so cryptic.
"Ah Harry!" His eyes seemed to light up at the sight of him. It was no secret Harry was Dumbledore's favorite, no matter how many times he denied it. "My dear boy! How you've grown since the last time a saw you! Turning into a fine young man!"
"Thank you Sir," Harry said looking a little embarrassed, "You're looking well!"
"Always so kind! Now, I hate to rush our reunion, but I'm afraid that we are already running behind schedule. If you will both take a hold of each of my arms. There that's the ticket." We had both grabbed on reluctantly. It was no secret we both hated traveling by apparition. It always made me feel like I was going to vomit.
I glimpsed down at the arm I was holding, and realized with shock that it was charcoal black and it felt very cold to the touch. "Sir! What happened to your-"
"Ah! Now that is quite the riveting tale, however, some other time."
Without further warning there was a loud crack and then the familiar twisting feeling took over my body. I closed my eyes, trying to pretend I was just on a broom stick, but it didn't bring much comfort.
We were back on solid ground in a few seconds, but it had felt like hours. I breathed heavily in and out through my nose, attempting not to lose my lunch. Harry looked about as good as I felt, his face drained of all cover.
"Ah now! Here we are! Shall we- why, are you two alright?" He took in the sight of Harry and I, he himself seemed fit as a fiddle.
"Peachy," Harry said releasing Dumbledore's arm, wavering slightly without the support. "Oh good! We best be off! Follow me, follow me!"
Dumbledore took off down a well-lit neighborhood. Harry and I followed, walking slightly zig-zagged. The houses surrounded us were very nice, but extremely ordinary. What on earth were we doing here? Shopping for a summer home?
Harry voiced my question, "Sir? May I ask why we are taking a stroll down a muggle neighborhood?"
"Visiting an old friend, Harry." I thought he was going to elaborate more, but of course he didn't so I decided to press a little more. "Professor, you seemed to make it very clear to me that it was very important that Harry and I come with you on this visit. Why?"
"Well you see, Ms. Riddle, my intentions are not all that innocent." He scanned the houses as we walked, looking as if he were looking through the numbers for a specific one. "As per usual, there is an open teaching positon at Hogwarts, and I would very much like this old friend to take the job. However, he seems to need a bit of an extra push. That, my dear, is where you two come in."
I looked at Harry to see if this made any sense to him, but he looked as confused as I felt. "And how are we supposed to help, Sir?"
Dumbledore seemed to have entered his own world, not hearing us. "Ah! Here we are. Now, stay behind me both of you. Can't be too cautious." I didn't think I could get any more confused. Cautious? Cautious about what?
Harry also looked confused, but put his arm out in front of me so that he stood in front of me. Always the gentleman walking into danger first.
"Well, Dumbledore hasn't changed one bit." I whispered, grabbing onto the back of Harry's shirt to stay close behind him. "That's for sure." Harry agreed.
Dumbledore pointed his wand at the door knob of a house that seemed just as ordinary as the rest, and then pushed it open silently. He didn't turn back to gesture for us to follow, but, after shrugging at each other, we did anyway. What we stumbled upon was a disaster.
Someone had raided the place. Glass was everywhere, and all the furniture had been turned over. A painting on the wall had been slit through, and there was blood. So much blood. My hands gripped the back of Harry's shirt tighter. He had his wand already out, pointed in front of him in a defense. "Professor," He whispered, "What in the world happened-"Dumbledore put up his hand to silence him. He was looking around, analyzing everything. The look on his face did not match what I felt. He looked almost amused.
A drop of blood had fallen from the ceiling, directly landing on Dumbledore's cheek. Instead of being startled, he simply gently whipped it off with his index finger, holding it closely to his face so that he could examine it closer. To my absolute horror, he held it up to his nose and took a big whiff. His eyes lit up, obviously excited. I had always defended Dumbledore when someone called him crazy, but this all did seem a bit mad.
He glanced around the room again, his eyes falling on a seemingly ordinary armchair, with a pink decorative pillow resting on it. I hadn't noticed before, but it was the only piece of furniture still standing up right.
Professor Dumbledore approached it, giving the back a good pat. "I'm afraid the jig is up, Slughorn, old friend. You can come out now." Okay now I'm not one to judge, but talking to furniture definitely seemed like something people did in asylums.
To my complete shock the chair began to start convulsing, and changing shape. Growing taller, and even wider. I took a few steps back, dragging harry along with me.
The chair no longer resembled a chair, but instead a rather stout, round man whom had a very jolly face. He would have almost resembled Santa if his brown hair had been white, and he had grown a very long beard. His outfit was the same pattern as the chair had been, and he had on a pink hat the exact same shad as the pillow.
"Dumbledore, you sly dog," He said, clapping him back on the back, "I thought the disguise was rather good. What gave it away?" Dumbledore simply pointed up to the ceiling from which the blood had come from, "Dragons blood. Nice touch though. Really added to the dramatics of the thing. But might I ask where did you come to find this place, and why were you posing as an armchair?" Dumbledore asked. But the familiar look on his face told me he already had the answer.
"Well the muggles that own this place are on vacation for the next two weeks, so I didn't think they'd be missing it if I looked after it while they were away." Oh year. Trashing their house. They were sure to be so thankful when they returned. Dumbledore clapped his hands, "Well then maybe we should pick it up for them, don't you think?" Slughorn waved his hand as if to say, 'sure, sure.' Dumbledore waved his hand as well, but with it everything in the room began to move quickly, back into a state of organization. With a couple of blinks, the room had returned to what I assumed was its original state, looking strangely like the Dursely's home, ordinary, and very unmagical.
"I know it may seem like a bit drastic, but I would just rather be left alone and un-bothered by… by well… everyone. It would seem I'm rather popular these days and I would rather keep a low profile. And I know exactly why you have come here, Professor, and I have not changed my-"His eyes had finally seemed to set on Harry and I for the first time. I shifted awkwardly and released my grip on Harry's shirt.
"Well, now…" He said and then trailed off. His eyes moving from myself to Harry. To my surprise he didn't look at me with a look of disgust like most people did when they observed my remarkable resemblance to Bellatrix. He looked at me the same way he looked at Harry, like an old friend.
"Do forgive my rudeness. This is Mr. Harry Potter and Ms. Isabella Riddle. I believe you were around to teach all of their parents. The resemblance is quit-""remarkable… yes…" He cut him off and continued walking closer to us.
"Well we just popped in. Were in the neighborhood, you know. Would you mind if I used the lavatory before leaving?" Neighborhood my butt. I do not usually apparate somewhere when I'm 'in the neighborhood.' "Of course, just around the corner there."
Without Dumbledore, everything had become very awkward. Slughorn was still staring at us both. You'd think you'd get used to the staring, but it always made me uncomfortable.
"Harry my boy. You are the spitting image of your father, I'm sure you know. But you have your-""My mother's eyes." He finished for him, obviously having been told this countless of times. His eyes had now turned to me, "And my dear, you resemble your mother in every form. You look exactly as she did during school. Exactly. Although, I do see a hint of your fathers features as well. Strong jaw and dimples in your checks. Just as he had." My hands instinctively flew to my face. I looked like my father? I suppose he looked very different now, and that everyone knew him by that face. But this man had known him before. Known them both before.
Harry looking uncomfortable walked towards a shelf with various pictures and things on it, trying to escape the looks from Slughorn. Not seeming to sense how uncomfortable I was, he continued. "I know they may not seem it now, but when I knew your parents they were both remarkable. Great students, Head boy and Girl. Always granting so many house points for Slytherin. I suppose you must be in-"now it was my turn to cut him off, "Gryffindor. I'm in Gryffindor actually." He looked a little disappointed.
"Ah well, and I suppose Mr. Potter is as well. Only fitting, only fitting." Instead of responding to the conversation, Harry stood with a picture in his hands, staring at it intently.
We both walked over to join him. "I keep all my favorite students on this shelf, Mr. Potter. And your mother was one of my very favorites." I looked down to see a pair of familiar eyes staring back at me. I'd never seen a photo of Harry's mother before, but she was absolutely beautiful. She looked un-commonly kind, just like Harry. "One of the best of her year. And muggle born." Harry flinched, "Sir, my best friend is the best in our year and she is muggle born I-"he interrupted quickly, "No, no my boy! You misunderstand. I did not mean to offend. I just meant that she proved everyone wrong. Always amazed everyone, Lilly Potter." His eyes flickered over to me, "Your parents are up here as well, of course." He reached up and grabbed a photograph from the top shelf and handed it to me.
It was odd seeing a picture of my mother at my age. It was like looking in a mirror. She was laughing in the picture, much like I look when I'm laughing, not the cackle she uses today. Her eyes were not yet dark and cruel. They looked light and happy. The only difference noticeable was the lack of dimples and freckles on her pale checks, but they could be seen on the person sitting next to her making her laugh. The boys was very handsome. Messy dark hair, and nice face and eyes. There was nothing alike between him and the man I had seen months ago. A shiver went up my spine, and I placed the picture back where it had been.
Harry was looking at me concerned, but before he (or Slughorn for that matter) could say anything, Dumbledore re-entered. "Yes, well I'm very sorry to have barged in on you Slughorn. I suppose a part of me had still hoped that you had changed your mind, but I see that you are quite content in your retirement. Running all the time, constantly relocating. I can see how relaxing that must be. It was good to see you! If you change your mind, my offer stands." With a shake of his hand he continued to walk his way towards the door. "Nice to meet you." Harry and I said at the same time, before turning quickly to follow Dumbledore out.
Harry ran up to him when we got outside, and I followed. "Professor, shouldn't we have pushed a little harder or something. I mean if we came all the way out here it must have been important to-""If I'm correct, Harry, I believe we did just enough." I looked at him confused, but right as he finished the door burst open. A very distraught Slughorn emerged.
"Alright. Alright. You win, Dumbledore. I'll come back. But you best give me a big raise for this. A big raise, you hear." Dumbledore looked absolutely beside himself. "Oh of course, Slughorn. Just so glad to have you back. You are the best you know. I'll see you back at the school tomorrow to have your things sorted and everything in order! I'm sure once you're there you will just be so excited to be back!"
Slughorn, however, did not look very excited. With a wave and a lot of muttering under his breathe about being 'overworked' and 'tired' and 'left-alone', then he went back inside, shutting the door behind him.
"Good work, to you both. You must have been quit convincing in there." Harry and I both exchanged looks. "Professor why did you bring us with you? What help were we?" I asked trying to understand.
"You see, Slughorn, takes a very a lot of pride in his work, and a lot of pride in his students accomplishments. You can see how getting to work with the children of some of his very favorite, students would be a big incentive to come back to work."
"But professor, why is it so important that Slughorn come back to teach at Hogwarts." Dumbledore held up his arms, a clear signal for us to grab on. Oh great, as if my head wasn't spinning enough already.
"Apart from the fact that Slughorn is a wonderful professor, I also believe that he holds a very important key to what happens in the future. He likes to collect successful students, as I'm sure you saw on that shelf. It's obvious that he will want to collect the two of you as well, being who you are and how much talent you both hold." Right then the world starting spinning again, making my head pulse, but before we completely left the ground he added, "And I want you to let him."
So this chapter was very long, and goes along pretty close with the original storyline, but I hope you guys still enjoyed it! Harry and Bella back together! Huzzah! I would also just like to add that none of these characters or the original storyline belong to me, that all belongs to JK Rowling and her glorious mind. As always let me know what you think and follow if you want to be notified when i update! Love you guys! I'll get the next chapter up as soon as i possibly can! can't wait for everyone to reunite and have more adventures! Until next time, Stay Magical!
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