Chapter Two

Oww, My Spleen

"Face it, Susan. You're lost," the blonde haired girl said to herself as she traipsed, alone, through the streets of Muggle London in search of the entrance to the Leaky Caldron. "I know it was around here somewhere."

It had only been two days since the murder of her Aunt Amelia at the hands of Lord Voldemort as she watched, hidden in their cupboard under the stairs at her Aunt's insistence. The visual kept running through her mind of her Aunt tortured for the whereabouts of the Auror spy in the Death Eater midst. However it was to no avail, because Aunt Amelia gave him no name, betraying no confidences unto her last breath.

The memory of hearing her aunt screaming once more in the throes of the Cruciatus Curse became unbearable and halted Susan on the sidewalk where she leaned against a dirty brick wall to compose herself.

"Susan?"

Her eyes snapped open and she jumped back from nothing. She looked around in a panic seeing nothing out of the ordinary. "Merlin, now I'm hearing voices."

"Susan," a disembodied voice said. "It's Harry Potter. I'm under an invisibility cloak."

Her eyes widened and her mouth snapped shut.

"Come on over here so we can talk without being seen," Harry offered.

Her eyes darted around once again. "Over where? I can't see you."

"The alley in front of you."

She heard footsteps and followed them around the corner behind a large trash bin taking up most of the space in the alley. She arrived in enough time to see a shimmering cloak being lifted from a familiar face, a friendly face.

Harry noticed her body language: relief, exhaustion, and general panic all at once before she jumped into his arms.

"Erm…."

He felt her arms squeeze vise-like and her shuttering gasps of breath as he heard low whisperings. "Thank you, thank you, thank you."

Harry returned her mutterings. "It's okay. Nobody's gonna hurt you."

Her arms constricted even more at his platitude, but then she released him, feeling herself coming under control. She stepped back and looked from side to side before chancing a look at the Boy-Who-Lived.

"Sorry," she said meekly.

Harry looked her up and down, noticing her general state, which was quite messy.

"Susan, are you okay? You look like…"

Her face screwed up in sadness. "My Aunt Amelia's dead. Vol… Vol … He killed her."

Harry's wand came out and he was looking down the alley, preparing himself.

"Wednesday, Harry, at my home," Susan clarified. "I've been on the run since. I didn't know who I could trust, and I didn't have my owl, and I spent the night in a filthy alleyway, and my home is a wreck, and I haven't eaten, and I'm a mess, and Auntie Amelia …"

He returned his wand to the sleeve of his sweatshirt and grabbed the invisibility cloak. "Look, there's a place I'm staying … I can't tell you where; it's under a Fidelius Charm. You'd be safe there."

She didn't even bat an eye. "Oh, Harry, please!"

He nodded. "Right then, um … here, I'm gonna put you under this and we'll grab a cabbie. You look like you're about to fall over."

She looked down as he draped the cloak over her head. "Stay right behind me, alright?"

"I'm here."

"Okay … um, okay, come on."

They stepped out of the alley way and Harry spotted a cab about half a block away. "There's one down there. I'll hold the door open for you, right?"

"I'm right behind you, Harry."

It only took a few moments before Harry did just that. Susan scooted in quickly and he jumped in placing a bag at his feet. "Grimmauld Square."

"'s only three blocks away, Guv'ner. Why don't t'ya hoof it?"

Harry smacked a ten-pound note on the plastic divider separating the cabbie from him. "I'm lazy and this is yours if you shut your gob and get going."

The cabbie smiled. "Right t'are, Guv'ner. Grimmauld Square it is."

On the way over Harry withdrew a sheet of parchment from his bag and reached into his back pocket for a pen. He scribbled a note on the paper and folded it neatly when he noticed the cab come to a stop.

"Grimmauld Square," the cabbie announced.

Harry passed the cabbie the ten and jumped out, holding the door open a bit longer than necessary to allow Susan to exit the cab. He waited until the cab reentered traffic before saying anything.

"Still with me?"

"Uh huh."

Harry surveyed the area and headed what he knew Susan was seeing was an empty lot between Numbers Eleven and Thirteen. "Stay right here and don't move. I'll be right back."

"Harry," he heard her say almost in a panic.

"Don't worry. I have to get the secret keeper. He's the only one who can let you enter the house."

He waited for her to say something else only to hear a whispered, "Oh."

Harry looked around one more time before disappearing into seeming nothingness in front of Susan's eyes. In actuality he was opening the door to Number Twelve Grimmauld Place.

"Dobby!" he called out.

A soft pop emitted when the house-elf came to his master's call. "Harry Potter, Sir!"

Cutting Dobby off before he started his normal tirade, Harry pushed the folded parchment to him. "Get this to Dumbledore, Dobby. It's an emergency."

"Dobby will deliver …"

"Now, Dobby," Harry stressed then turned to hurry back out to the front of the house.

"Susan?"

"I'm here, Harry."

He looked back and forth then gestured to a large tree nearby. "Over there. It won't be long." He crossed his arms and kept a look out.

"Thanks for this," he heard to his immediate right.

Harry smiled slightly before he heard a crack.

His fingers itched to withdraw his wand, but he held back knowing who was nearby.

"Harry, Miss Bones," came the disembodied voice of Albus Dumbledore.

"Professor, I'm sure you've heard," Harry started.

"Indeed."

"I'm offering Susan …"

Dumbledore interrupted, "Say no more, Harry. Miss Bones if you would read this and commit it to memory."

A small sheaf of parchment appeared briefly and disappeared as quickly as Susan's hand slipped out from underneath the cloak. A few seconds later Harry heard a gasp to his right.

He started to head back inside, but Dumbledore stopped him. "A moment if you would, Harry."

A few moments later Dumbledore gave them leave to enter the house.

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

"Food or bath?"

"Hmm?"

Harry smiled slightly as he watched Susan take in her surroundings. "Which would you like first? Food or Bath?"

"Harry," Dumbledore intervened. "It might be best if we review…"

Harry's smile vanished. "Having been in her situation somewhat recently I think I'm in a position to know exactly what Susan needs."

"Bath."

Harry pointed to the stairs. "Second landing, all the way down. I'll have Dobby bring you some clean clothes."

A soft pop sounded in front of the trio. "Dobby would be most honored to provide misses with something more comfortable."

Harry retrieved a small pouch from his pocket and handed it over to the house-elf. "She'll be here for a while, Dobby."

"Understood, Harry Potter, Sir!"

With another pop the house-elf was gone.

Susan looked on with a small amount of amusement and relief.

"Go ahead. We'll be in the downstairs kitchen," Harry gestured to the right. "Take your time. I'll have something hot for you to eat when you're ready."

As she smiled once more preceded up the staircase Harry and Dumbledore watched until the door to the bath was closed.

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

"Something to drink, Professor?" Harry offered.

Dumbledore sat himself at the long table and leaned back slightly. "Tea, if you have it, would be nice, thank you.

Minutes ticked by in silence as Harry prepared a pot of water and a pair of cups. Holding the teabag steady he poured the hot water and sat the cups on the table. Dumbledore added a dollop of cream and gingerly sipped as he peered over his half-moon spectacles at his charge. Harry was uncharacteristically calm considering the situation. The headmaster watched and waited for him to breech the silence to talk about what weighed on his mind. Thankfully he didn't have to wait too much longer.

"I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't badger her for details."

The headmaster gently set his cup aside and sighed lightly. "Harry, it is not my intention to traumatize Miss Bones any further than the situation has already affected her." He paused for only a short moment before continuing. "Be that as it may, you should know that there were no witnesses to what occurred at the Bones Estate and there is only so much information that one may glean from …"

Harry sat his cup down a little harder than was necessary sloshing tea over the side and onto the saucer below. "Then consider this a personal favor to me," he strongly suggested.

Dumbledore leaned slightly forward and tilted his head down in regret. "I'm sorry, Harry."

"Then I'll have to ask you to leave."

"Harry?"

The Headmaster's eyes slipped to Harry's hands, noticing that he had a firm grip on his wand.

"We don't have to do this, Professor."

Dumbledore leaned back setting a little more space between the two. "Are you sure this is a wise move, Harry, considering your level of training?"

Harry's eyes flashed. "Yet, you expect me to hold my own and more against Voldemort?"

They sat for a few moments before a soft pop sounded behind Dumbldore signaling Dobby's return. Harry's eyes shifted briefly to the house-elf and then back to Dumbledore's where in that ever so short span of time the Headmaster had armed himself with his own wand.

Dobby flung his hand out at Dumbledore. "You is NOT harming Harry Potter!"

The two wizards watched as Dumbledore's wand was stingingly slapped from his hand by Dobby's magic. "Bad Headmaster!"

The elder of the three turned in his seat and raised his eyebrow at the house-elf as he rubbed the back of his hand.

"Dobby is not afraid and he knows Headmaster can punish Dobby without his wand," stressed Dobby in anger. "Harry Potter is a great wizard and knows what is best for his friends. Harry Potter say not to badger and Headmaster will listen when he is in Harry Potter's home!"

Harry watched as Dobby's eyes turned briefly to the door and he saw Dumbledore noticed as well.

"I see freedom has agreed with you, Dobby," Dumbledore quipped. He turned back to his charge. "I had hoped we could come to some arrangement, Harry."

Leaning back in his chair Harry's grim face spoke volumes. "Get used to disappointment, I know I have."

"What's going on?" a hesitant female voice sounded from the kitchen door.

"Professor Dumbledore was just leaving," Harry replied flatly.

"Indeed," replied the Headmaster as he held out his hand and summoned his wand from the floor. He stood and straightened out his robes

"Miss Bones you have my most sincere condolences. Amelia was a long trusted friend and her confidences will be sorely missed." At that, Dumbledore turned to Harry. "Another time?"

Harry didn't miss a beat. "Thank you for coming so quickly."

Dumbledore nodded at Susan as he opened the door. "It was enlightening, Harry."

Susan looked bewildered at the Headmaster as the door closed and a loud crack sounded at his departure.

"Dobby, " asked Harry. "Could you see if he's really gone?"

The house-elf vanished with a nod.

"Harry?"

"Nothing to worry about," he tried to play off.

An eyebrow rose slightly and a questioning look crossed her face. "Which is why Headmaster Dumbledore, arguably the most powerful wizard in the world, looked like he was about to face off against an angry house-elf and The-Boy-Who-Lived."

Harry cringed at the title and ran his hand over his face in slight frustration. "He wanted to interrogate you … I said no."

"Oh."

Seeing an uncomfortable then relieved look on her face Harry rose and turned to the icebox. "Fancy something to eat?"