We actually stepped back and watched the new Dark Lord attack the ice cream parlor. The Aurors, although late as usual, arrived in time to engage the Deatheaters, cough, cough. The great fight lasted about two seconds as the Aurors arrived the so called Deatheaters 'apperated' away.
"Harry, they seem to be drawn to food, why don't we set up a free food stand next weekend in Hogsmeade Village." Susan suggested.
"Yea, it's a Hogwarts weekend and we could even put it in the paper" Hannah enthusiastically added.
"And the DMLE can lay in wait…"Hermione started when Tracy added, "And when the Deatheaters attack we can have all the students bunched up so the Deatheaters can't miss the students!"
"Ok, good idea and a bad finish, what else is there with food that we can lure them in with and have the DMLE capture them?" I mused.
"Actually Susan's idea is good it just needs a little adjustment or two." Hermione suggested.
"Like what" Susan asked.
"Well like a new food store or warehouse all by itself and away from most people and use Hannah's idea with advertisements in the paper."
And so it began, a warehouse was purchased on the outskirts of Hogsmeade Village and the advertisements began. Amelia had her troops were hidden but readily available. My biggest mistake I think was having me and the girls seen there and we were seen!
The Aurors never saw anything that was not normally seen around a food warehouses, a Rat. The many trips it must have made, the unshrinking of the explosives and the setting of the timers or trigger device. I never knew what hit us as the warehouse and all of us died in the explosion. We had been outsmarted by an idiot.
/Scene Break/
I was lying on the marble floor, I looked around the place that seemed familiar. It all came crashing back as I was startled by, "You are becoming more trouble that you are worth, I should send you off to Death and let him have you." Roared a very impressive figure, "Theia keeps reminding me of my problems and how we are linked. I was about to tell her to go cry on Lucifer's shoulder when the "Fates" stopped in for a chat. I Zeus am no fool so let me tell you what is to happen. You are going to be mind wiped and you my young pain are going to start all over again. I only had you stop by to let you know we will attempt another approach."
My brain just started to understand what he said which brought a thousand more questions. I tried to flame but was unable to do anything magical. Then my mind flooded with what happened to my girls when they turned off the lights and I knew no more.
"Theia are you and the 'Fates' positive about this mortal?"
"Zeus, as long as he lives we are safe and need not worry. Should he cease to exist we are in it over our heads. Voldemort will win and then he will come after you with our world"s enemies and by then most of the underworld. The Fates are letting us handle it for now but everyone is worried."
/Scene Break/
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners i.e. J.K. Rawlings, etc. The original characters and plot are the property of the author i.e. J.K. Rawlings, etc. This work is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. Not for sale or profit but hopefully the enjoyment of anyone reading. No Slash.
~ represent non verbal mind speaking
I'm cold; the dirty thin blanket is of little help. The Dursley's are in their nice warm kitchen with the door closed so none of the warmth leaks out. Soon they will move to the living room and close the door and turn on the electric oven in the fireplace. If I could get out of this boot cupboard under the stairs I could move to keep warm or even wash some of my things but that is not allowed. I won't be allowed to clean the kitchen for a while yet but that will be little warmer. I know they have already turned off the heating in the kitchen, no use wasting good money on this Freak.
There is a change in the routine, the door bell is ringing. Vernon is grumbling and as I look though the slat in the cupboard door I see a young woman somewhere in her twenties. She is arguing with Vernon but as he turns around I see something that is not common, Vernon is smiling. He rips open the cupboard door and yanks me out. He drags me to the young woman and says, "Take the Freak and don't bring him back."
She kneels down to my level and says, "Hi, I'm Jean and how would you like to live with my family?" I am only six but I am not stupid, anyplace is better than here, so I just nod.
Great she says as she removes her coat and pulls it around my body. I don't know why but as she pulls off the coat my eyes are captivated by a funny charm dangling from her neck. It's a round metal circle with another golden circle inside. What is funny is there is a tiny hourglass being held by the inner circle. All this is suspended around her neck by a long golden chain. She stands and offers her hand which I take and she leads me to a car outside. The coat is warm and so is the inside of the car and she lets me ride up front, I never get to ride up front. It different than scrunched up in the back with Dudley. I can see where we are going and there on the bonnet is a metal animal of some sort, kind of like a cat.
"So what do you like to be called?" She asks.
"I am called Boy or Freak." I reply.
She shakes her head and says, "You are Harry…" She stops but I could see she wanted to say more.
We drive for awhile when she pulls into a deserted parking lot of an empty mall and starts explaining things that I really don't understand. She is nice and hasn't yelled at me or hit me like the Dursley's always do so I listen as she proceeds. "So Harry there are a lot of not nice people like the Dursley's in this world so I have come to take you someplace where the nasty people can't find you. Now the first thing that I want you to do is drink this soda, all of it, OK?"
As I nod she takes out a thing of glass with a liquid inside. She pours the liquid into the soda and gives it to me to drink. It's great, I never had soda before. When the soda is done she takes out a long skinny piece of wood and explains it's a wand like I should already know that fact. She says I will get one soon but she is going to wave it around me and that it will not hurt. I nod and she waves and when I look at my hand its glowing bright white and I feel really warm.
"I thought so", she says and smile at me. She starts the car and we are off again. After a while I fell asleep.
/Scene Break/
The next morning I awake in a soft heaven. I open my eyes to a large room and a soft bed and I have pajamas on, just like Dudley gets to wear. When I get out of the bed I see a chair with clothes neatly laid out and an open door to a bathroom. Well I was not going to pass up a good thing, I entered the bathroom and there was all kinds of things all new in there wrappers and a note on the mirror. I hoped it said to use all this nice stuff which I did. I had my own toothbrush and not that wore out thing they gave me at the Dursley's. I almost didn't leave the shower but then I remembered Vernon yell about wasting hot water when I did the dishes, so I reluctantly got out. The clothes fit and I was happy.
Opening the door and going down the hall I found the steps leading downstairs. The smell of food directed my feet to the kitchen. Usually with Vernon it was my being yanked out of the cupboard and thrown into the kitchen with orders. Then I would be dragged out and pushed or thrown and yelled at about what I must accomplish. This was great, I was free! Well I hoped it was going to last.
Jean was there in the kitchen and introduced me to Dan and Emma Granger and their daughter Hermione. The breakfast was already made and they had me sit down and eat, I love this place. When everyone was done they made me sit and not clean the dishes while Emma did the cleaning. Later we all went into the living room. Jean then started talking and I was confused, I looked at Hermione and she was listening intently but seemed lost also.
"Harry we are going to ask you to do a few things. Can you do some things for us if we ask?" Jean asked.
"Yes Miss."
"Ok, you are now Harry Granger, and you never heard of the Dursley's. You must never ever talk to anyone about the Dursley's to anyone unless we ask you to, can you do that?"
"Yes Miss."
"Good, now we are going to take you shopping to buy new clothes and get a picture taken. Then we will go the General Register's Office and Her Majesty's Passport Office and get you a passport. That should be a full day." Jean stated.
It was a full day, Jean, Hermione and I were in the back seat and did a lot of talking. Hermione was just as confused as I was but we were having fun we were going to new places. I was never allowed to go anywhere except my cubboard. I noticed when we went to the Government offices that Jean was using her stick again, but did not let the workers in the offices see her stick. Three weeks later I had a passport in the name of Harry Jimmy Granger.
"Harry this document is from the English Government and I have charmed it to upgrade your picture and stay valid. You are not registered with the Government as a Granger I only obtained you a document. I you ever have to deal with the English Government you will have to use your real name which I will give you later. Do you understand the difference?"
"Yes Miss."
/Scene Break/
In the opulent Headmaster's office at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry a silver device that sat over the fireplace let out a puff of smoke and quit spinning. No living soul was in the office so it went unnoticed for a few months. The office resident was busy at the Wizengamot followed by an ICW meeting.
/Scene Break/
Jean never stayed around very long and sometimes was gone for weeks. She always seemed in charge because Dan and Emma always listened to her. They might argue sometimes but Jean always seems to win. Hermione and I were close and got along well. She was a bit bossy but I could always convince her. Jean had a lot of things that she made us swear that we would never talk about unless we were in the house. One such thing was the books she brought us. They were a little odd but Jean quizzed us on what the charms book said or how to mix strange sounding items like lacewing fly and dragons blood. On our trip to France which was fantastic we got sticks, Jean called them wands. The wands came with more promises of when and where we could use them. France was no problems and we got to do some stuff out of the odd books. In England we could only use the wand when Jean took us to a special place which she did on weekends.
We were now in school in England. France was warm and sunny, England was cold and wet. The French seemed to have a good time, the English did not seem happy. The kids in primary school were just mean to Hermione but left us alone after I got in a couple of fights over their being mean to Hermione. Jean had made us promised never to do magic at school or bring our wands. Hermione was very smart and I was very dumb but she forced me to read and study so I didn't do too badly.
/Scene Break/
"Professors, please, the students will be here next month so we need to discuss…" A silver instrument in the office screeched loudly before it exploded into tiny pieces."
"Albus what in the devil was that?" Professor McGonagall asked
"Sorry Minerva that was the wards falling at Privet drive, Severus we need to get there quickly." Albus Dumbledore stated.
"Yes I'm sure, just to see what the brat has done now." Snape sneered.
"Floe'ing' to the Leakey Cauldron, they then 'apperated' to Privet Dr. only to find that Vernon had seen their approch and met them with a shotgun.
"Get away you freaks, he's gone and isn't coming back."
"Mr. Dursley surely…" BOOM!
"Albus Dumbledore and Severus Snape 'Apperated' before the police could arrive."
Arriving at the Leakey Cauldron, "I take that as a no." Snape sneered.
"I'm afraid you are correct Severus. Please activate a recall of the Order of the Phoenix."
/Scene Break/
"I'm glad you could all make this meeting. Harry Potter "The Boy Who Lived" has disappeared from his residency at #4 Privet drive."
"We must find him, who is doing what?" Mrs. Weasley screeched.
"I'm afraid that we are unable to get close to the house as Vernon Dursley is armed with a shotgun and want nothing to do with us." Albus 'Twinkle eyes' Dumbledore stated.
"We must do something." Remus Lupin growled.
"All I ask of you is to be on the look out for the boy and report back if you sight him." Albus instructed.
After everyone had left Snape and Dumbledore exchanged words, "Do you thing that hint was enough?" Snape asked.
"Oh yes at least one will go and retrieve the information we need, so all we have to do is wait." Dumbledore smiled and hummed a little tune.
Someone did go to #4 Privet Drive and disarmed Vernon. When he received no information except a constant verbal attack. He lifted Vernon over his head that hurled him into a wall at #4 Privet Drive. Remus Lupin an old family friend of the Potter's and a werewolf was exceptionally strong and with the moon rising that night was extremely short tempered. A broken Vernon finally told what he knew, it didn't help much in finding Harry Potter.
/Scene Break/
"I can't wait Hermione, were off to France tomorrow and I can't wait to see what Jean has come up with."
"You mean what we have to swear we will never talk about, we are nine and she treats us like children." Hermione huffed but broke into giggles at Harry's antics.
Harry was on his knees bowing to Hermione's wisdom.
Arriving at France's airport they were met by Jean who drove them to their sea-side villa. She then attempted to ruin the entire summer and prove Hermione wrong about being children.
"You two are getting old enough to be told a few things. You know you are magical and that's why all the secrecy, but that is not the only reasons. You know that at the age of eleven Hermione will get a letter and then on September the 1st you both will go to Hogwarts. That's when the problems will start for both of you. Everyone will think Harry is your brother and you two will not contradict them from believing that you two are indeed siblings. Harry will be the first problem however he is not the reason for all the troubles you will having in Hogwarts. I will explain all these things to you both the August before you go to school. Right now its Harry's turn to do things which I hope will change many things before you go to Hogwarts. This is not a game nor can you run and hide all you two can do is stand and face what the fates have dealt you, I only hope to change a few things. Are you both totally confused?"
We both nod and Jean continues, "Harry I have talked with the Goblins of France who will deal with the English Goblins. You will take a small test to prove who you are…"
Hermione interrupted, "Let us guess that it is all secret?"
"Very secret! All of this will make it self clear once we are finished here today with the Goblins. We will then buy a couple of books for Hermione to read and to show Harry how people will think of him. Now here come the hard part Harry, once the testing is done we need to get rid of that scar on you forehead. The Goblins can do that in a flash after they give you one large headache. Now no one likes pain and there will be some but please trust me when I say if you do not do this now you will be dead by twenty years old."
I was in shock and Hermione knew it as she grabbed me and hugged me tight and whispered in my ear. It was comforting and as my shock faded, my brain kicked in. "Jean how can I not trust you? You pulled me out of that hell hole and gave me a life. Now you tell me to keep that life I need to trust you, when do we go to the Goblins?"
"Tomorrow morning, dress robes with muggle clothing underneath."
"Will I be able to stay with Harry while they do all this?" Hermione asked with a pleading look, she had not let loose of Harry.
"Yes, the Goblins say we can if we do not interrupt what they do or how they do the procedure."