A Peck of Owls

"HIM?" Arthur shouted, remembering that name, not just from Dumbledore back in June, like Mrs Figg, but also from Benjamin Merlon, David's father the summer before his second year at school. "Where'd he go?"

"He left!" Mrs Figg said, wringing her hands. "Left to see someone about a batch of cauldrons that fell off the back of a broom! I told him I'd flay him alive if he went, and now look! Dementors! It's just lucky I put Mr Tibbles on the case! But we haven't got time to stand around! Hurry, now, we've got to get you back! Oh, the trouble this is going to cause! I will kill him!"

Arthur was thinking about Mrs Figg and how she fit into the wizarding world. She couldn't be a Muggle, because she very much knows Dumbledore. She couldn't be a witch, they stand out very much in a Muggle neighbourhood, so there was only one explanation.

"You're a Squib, aren't you?" He asked, referring to someone being born into a magical family, yet they don't have any magical powers.

"I am, as Mundungus knows full well, so how on earth was I supposed to help you fight off Dementors? He left you completely without cover when I'd warned him -"

"Then he was the one who Disapparated earlier!" Arthur said, now becoming furious at Mundungus for leaving Arthur to use magic outside of school. Arthur's gonna be in trouble because of that git.

"Yes, yes, yes, but luckily I'd stationed Mr TIbbles under a car just in case, and Mr Tibbless came and warned me, but by the time I got to your house, you'd gone, and now, oh, what's Dumbledore going to say? You!" She then shrieked at Deacon, who was still on the alley floor. "Get your bottom off the ground, quick!"

"Hey, he nearly got kissed by a Dementor!" Arthur snapped at her. "He isn't gonna get up without help!"

He knelt down and seized one of Deacon's arms, hanging it over his shoulders and lifted a weak Deacon onto his feet. He was thankful that his cousin wasn't a big boy, as he'd have been heavier.

"Keep your wand out." Mrs Figg told Arthur as they walked out to Wisteria Walk. "Never mind the Statute of Secrecy now, there's going to be hell to pay anyway, we might as well be hanged for a dragon as an egg. Talk about the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery… this was exactly what Dumbledore was afraid of. What's that at the end of the street? Oh, it's just Mr Prentice."

It was easier than expected to hold a wand while carrying Deacon, who seemed to have lost any desire for independent movement. He just slumped over Arthur as his feet dragged along the ground.

"How come you never mentioned you were a Squib?" Arthur asked. "After I first went to Hogwarts, you never said. Why?"

"Dumbledore's orders. I was to keep an eye on you but not say anything, you were too young." Mrs Figg said, wringing her hands again. "When Dumbledore hears about this… how could Mundungus have left, he was supposed to be on duty until midnight… where is he? How am I going to tell Dumbledore what's happened? I can't Apparate."

"You can borrow my owl." Arthur suggested.

"Arthur, you don't understand! Dumbledore will need to act as quickly as possible, the Ministry have their own ways of detecting underage magic, they'll know already, you mark my words."

"But I had no choice. How else could I fend off the Dementors? And shouldn't the Ministry be more worried that Dementors were in Little Whinging?"

"Oh, my dear, I wish it were so, but I'm afraid - MUNDUNGUS FLETCHER, I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!"

There was a loud crack and a really strong smell of alcohol with stale tobacco filling the air as a squat and unshaven man in a tattered overcoat showed up right in front of them. He had short, bandy legs, long straggly ginger hair and bloodshot, baggy eyes, making him resemble a basset hound. He also clutched a silvery bundle that Arthur knew was an Invisibility Cloak.

"'S'up, Figgy?" He said, staring from her to Arthur and Deacon. "What 'appened to staying undercover?"

"I'll give you undercover!" Mrs Figg cried. "Dementors, you useless, skiving sneak thief!"

"Dementors?" Mundungus repeated, looking aghast. "Dementors, 'ere?"

"Yes, here, you worthless pile of bat droppings, here!" Mrs Figg shrieked. "Dementors attacking the boy on your watch!"

"Blimey." Mundungus said weakly, looking from Mrs Figg to Arthur, who was glaring at him, and back again. "Blimey, I -"

"And you off buying stolen cauldrons! Didn't I tell you not to go? Didn't I?"

"I - well. I -" Mundungus looked deeply uncomfortable. "It - it was a very good business opportunity, see -"

Mrs Figg now raised her arm that had her string bag dangling from it and whacked Mundungus in the face and neck with it, and based on the clanking noise, it must be full of cat food.

"Ouch - gerroff - gerroff, you mad old bat! Someone's gotta tell Dumbledore!"

"Yes - they - have!" Mrs Figg yelled, swinging the bag of cat food at every bit of Mundungus that she could reach. "And - it - had - better - be - you - and - you - can - tell - him - why - you - weren't - there - to - help!"

"Keep your 'airnet on!" Mundungus said, his arms over his head, cowering. "I'm going, I'm going!"

And then with another loud crack, he disappeared.

"I hope Dumbledore murders him" Mrs Figg said furiously, something Arthur agreed with as he continued on, carrying Deacon.

"I'll take you to the door." Mrs Figg said once they've reached Privet Drive. "Just in case there are more of them around… oh my word, what a catastrophe… and you had to fight them off yourself… and Dumbledore said we were to keep you from doing magic at all costs… well, it's no good crying over spilt potion, I suppose… but the cat's among the pixies now."

"I knew Dumbledore's had me followed." Arthur hissed bitterly.

"Of course he has." Mrs Figg said impatiently. "Did you expect him to let you wander around on your own after what happened in June? Good Lord, boy, they told me you were intelligent… right… get inside and stay there." She said when they've finally reached Number Four. "I expect someone will be in touch with you soon enough."

"And what are you going to do?" Arthur asked.

"I'm going straight home." Mrs Figg said, staring around the dark street, shuddering. "I'll need to wait for more instructions. Just stay in the house. Goodnight."

She then set off at a trot, carpet slippers flopping, string bag clanking and being swallowed by the darkness.

Arthur readjusted Deacon on his shoulder and made his way up the garden path.

The hall light was on and Arthur stuck his wand back in the waistband of his jeans before ringing the bell, watching Aunt Patty's outline grow bigger, being distorted by the rippling glass in the front door.

"About time!" She said. "I was getting wo - DEACON! What happened?"

Arthur eased Deacon into Aunt Patty's arms, allowing him to see that his face was pale green before he vomited all over the doormat.

"NICK!" Aunt Patty screeched and Uncle Nicholas came from the living room, rushing to his wife's side and helped out a weak kneed Deacon over the threshold while avoiding the pool of sick. They then led Deacon into the kitchen, Arthur following them and locking the door.

"What happened?" He asked his son as he helped him sit on a stool while Aunt Patty went to get things to help Deacon out. "Why are you covered in dirt?"

"Arthur, what happened?" He then asked Arthur, seeing that Deacon was too weak to speak at the moment.

Arthur was about to speak when a screech owl swooped in through the kitchen window. It soared across the kitchen and dropped a large parchment envelope that it carried in its beak at Arthur's feet, turned gracefully and zoomed back out through the window.

Arthur ripped the envelope open and pulled out the letter.

Upon reading the letter, his heart and every other organ in his body felt like they were erased from existence.

Dear Mr Pendergast,

We have received intelligence that you performed the Patronus Charm at twenty three minutes past nine this evening in a Muggle inhabited area and in the presence of a Muggle.

The severity of this breach of the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery has resulted in your expulsion from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Ministry representatives will be calling at your place of residence shortly to destroy your wand.

As you have already received an official warning for a previous offence under Section 13 of the International Confederation of Warlocks' Statute of Secrecy, we regret to inform you that your presence is required at a disciplinary hearing at the Ministry of Magic at 9 a.m. on the twelfth of August.

Hoping you are well,

Yours Sincerely,

Mafalda Hopkirk

Improper Use of Magic Office

Ministry of Magic

Arthur read it through twice. He was aware that his aunt and uncle were talking, but he just felt numb and broken.

He was expelled from Hogwarts. It was over. He'd never go back.

Arthur looked up at the Dentleys. Uncle Nicholas was trying to talk to Arthur for answers while Aunt Patty was wrapping Deacon up in a blanket as he was retching over a silver mixing bowl.

He was thinking about the fact that his wand would be destroyed. The thought scared him so much that he was physically shaking.

"ARTHUR!" Nicholas shouted at the top of his lungs. "What is with the letter?"

"I've… I've just been expelled." Arthur struggled through his constricting throat.

This left the Dentleys speechless with this revelation.

And then that silence was broken when a dazed and ruffled barn owl flew in with a roll of parchment tied to its leg. Arthur took the letter and the owl flew back out.

Arthur unfurled the second message, seeing it was written very hastily and blotchily in black ink.

Arthur -

Dumbledore's just arrived at the Ministry and he's trying to sort it all out. DO NOT LEAVE YOUR AUNT AND UNCLE'S HOUSE. DO NOT DO ANY MORE MAGIC. DO NOT SURRENDER YOUR WAND.

Benjamin Merlon

Arthur was now feeling some hope… despite feeling bitter towards Dumbledore, Arthur knew that he could fix all this. He is powerful in more ways than one, after all. He just might have a chance to explain what happened and how he really had no choice but to use magic to fend off the Dementors.

"What's with that letter?" Nicholas asked.

"It's from my best friend's dad." Arthur replied calmly, trying to hold his emotions steady. "He says that Dumbledore's sorting things out at the Ministry of Magic I might not get expelled."

"But why were they trying to expel you from Hogwarts?" Patty asked this time.

"Because I did some magic to defend myself and Deacon." He said.

"What happened?" Nicholas asked, resulting in Deacon groaning, looking like he was trying to say something.

"It went dark." He said hoarsely, shuddering. "My head… I h-heard… things… inside m-my head."

Both his parents looked at each other in horror.

"What did you hear, dear?" Aunt Patty asked, very white faced, holding back tears.

Deacon was struggling to talk as he shuddered again, shaking his head.

Arthur was concerned for his cousin, Dementors make people relive their worst memories and he never knew what could be haunting Deacon this much.

"Why do you have dirt on you?" Uncle Nicholas asked.

"I t-tripped." Deacon replied shakily. "And then - Horrible… cold… so cold."

"Then what?" Aunt Patty asked.

"Felt… like… like…."

"Like you would never feel happy ever again." Arthur finished for him, Deacon nodding.

"What did this to my son, Arthur?" Uncle Nicholas asked gravely.

"Dementors. Two of them. I fought them off." Arthur replied.

"And what are they?"

"They guard the wizard prison, Azkaban." Aunt Patty answered, much to everyone's shock, especially Arthur's.

He never mentioned the Dementors to the Dentleys at all and yet here was his aunt mentioning them.

"How the hell do you know that?" He asked, astonished.

"I heard from that foul boy telling your mother about them before she went off to Hogwarts." She answered him.

Arthur was stunned, his aunt rarely talks about his mother, still suffering the loss over thirteen years ago. And he was wondering who this 'foul boy' was. She never said such things about anyone, so for her to say that meant this boy must've been questionable in every way.

After a tense silence that lasted for several minutes, yet another owl flew in through the still open kitchen window. It landed on the dining table and Arthur tore off a second official looking envelope from its beak, ripping it open as it flew back out.

"How many more owls will there be?" Uncle Nicholas said.

Dear Mr Pendergast,

Further to our letter of approximately twenty two minutes ago, the Ministry of Magic has revised its decision to destroy your wand forthwith. You may retain your wand until your disciplinary hearing on the twelfth of August, at which time an official decision will be taken.

Following discussions with the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the Ministry has agreed that the question of your expulsion will be decided at that time. You should therefore consider yourself suspended from school pending further enquiries.

With best wishes,

Yours sincerely,

Mafalda Hopkirk

Improper Use of Magic Office

Ministry of Magic

Arthur read this letter quickly twice, now truly feeling relief seeing that he isn't truly expelled anymore, despite feeling the fear that it could still happen.

"What is it this time?" Uncle Nicholas asked.

"I've got to go to a hearing on the twelve." Arthur said.

"Where you'll be determined if you should be expelled?"

"Yes."

"Then let's hope you don't get expelled. You did what was right and they're trying to punish you for it."

Arthur then explained in detail about what happened with the Dementors, leaving Aunt Patty to scream when learning that one of the Dementos was close to sucking out her son's soul.

After he finished with talking about his Patronus, a fourth owl entered from the fireplace in the living room.

Arthur pulled a roll of parchment from its leg before it went back up the chimney.

This one was from Sirius.

Ben's just told us about what happened. Do as he says and don't leave the house. Some help is coming.

Arthur found it to be such an inadequate response to what had happened that he scrunched it up in annoyance.

This ended up sparking his temper. No one, except for the Dentleys, were telling him 'well done' for fighting off the Dementors on his own, saving himself and his cousin. Both Ben and Sirius acted like he misbehaved and saved their tellings off until they could be sure of the damage.

"Do you think the Dementors were sent by Voldemort?" Aunt Patty asked, sounding fearful.

"I don't know. Probably. He did say they'll join his side." Arthur replied emotionlessly.

He then walked out of the kitchen and headed up to his room.

Face it, if you were in Arthur's position where no one's telling him anything, you'd be bitter and resentful.