The Second War Begins

HE WHO MUST NOT BE NAMED RETURNS

In a brief statement on Friday night, Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge, confirmed that He Who Must Not Be Named has returned to this country and is once more active.

"It is with great regret that I must confirm that the wizard styling himself Lord - well, you know who I mean - is alive and among us, again." said Fudge, looking tired and flustered as he addressed reporters. "It is with almost equal regret that we report the mass revolt of the Dementors of Azkaban, who have shown themselves averse to continuing in the Ministry's employ. We believe the Dementors are currently taking direction from Lord - Thingy. We urge the magical population to remain vigilant. The Ministry is currently publishing guides to elementary home and personal defence which will be delivered free to all wizarding homes within the coming month."

The Minister's statement was met with dismay and alarm from the wizarding community, which was recently as last Wednesday was receiving Ministry assurances that there was 'no truth whatsoever in these persistent rumours that You Know Who is operating amongst us once more'.

Details of the events that led to the Ministry turnaround are still hazy, though it is believed that He Who Must Not Be Named and a select band of followers (known as Death Eaters) gained entry to the Ministry of Magic on Thursday evening.

Albus Dumbledore, newly reinstated Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, reinstated member of the International Confederation of Wizards and reinstated Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, has so far been unavailable for comment. He has insisted over the past year that You Know Who is not dead, as was widely hoped and believed, but is recruiting followers once more for a fresh attempt to seize power. Meanwhile, the 'Boy Who Lived' -

"Here you are, Arthur. I just knew they'd drag you into this somehow." Chrys said, looking over the top of her paper at him.

They were all in the hospital wing.

Arthur sat on the end of David's bed and they all listened to Chrys read the front page of the Sunday Prophet. Mike sat with him, holding hands as they told Neville and Luna that they're together.

Mary, whose ankle had been mended in a trice by Madam Pomfrey, was curled up at the foot of Chrys' bed; Neville, whose nose had been fixed, was in a chair between David and Chrys' beds; and Luna, who dropped in to visit, clutched the latest edition of The Quibbler, read the magazine upside down and didn't seem to take in a word of what Chrys was saying.

"So he's now the 'Boy Who Lived' again?" David asked darkly. "Not some deluded show off, is he?"

David had his arms healing and Mike helped him with unwrapping his Chocolate Frog.

"They're now very complimentary towards you now, Arthur." Chrys said, scanning the article. "'A lone voice of truth… perceived as unbalanced, yet never wavered in his story… forced to bear ridicule and slander….' Twats." She frowned. "They're not saying that they were the ones doing all the ridicule and slandering in the Prophet…."

She winched a bit and put a hand to her ribs. It turned out she was hit by a curse that bruised a couple of ribs.

"'You Know Who's Last Attempt to Take Over, pages two to four, What the Ministry Should Have Told Us, page five, Why Nobody Listened to Albus Dumbledore, pages six to eight, Exclusive Interview with Arthur Pendergast, page nine….' Well…" She said, folding the newspaper up and throwing it aside. "...it's given them loads to write about. And that interview with Arthur isn't exclusive, it's the one that was in The Quibbler months ago."

"Daddy sold it to them." Luna said vaguely, turning to a page of The Quibbler. "He got a very good price for it, too, so we're going to go on an expedition to Sweden this summer to see if we can catch a Crumple Horned Snorkack.

"Does anyone know what's going on in school?" Chrys asked, sitting up a little straighter, wincing.

"Flitwick got rid of Jack and Kevin's swamp." Mary said. "He did it in three seconds. Though he did leave a tiny patch under the window and roped it off."

"How come?" Chrys asked curiously.

"He said it was a really good bit of magic." Mary shrugged.

"Clearly a monument to them." Mike said as he shared a Chocolate Frog with Arthur.

"Yeah, they even sent all these." David pointed at the small mountain of Frogs beside the two. "They must be doing well with that joke shop of theirs."

"Has all the trouble stopped now that Dumbledore's back?" Chrys then asked.

"Yes." Neville said. "Everything's settled right back to normal."

"Filch must be miserable." David said as he propped up a Chocolate Frog Card that featured Dumbledore against his water jug.

"In every way." Mary said before lowering her voice to a whisper. "He keeps saying that Umbridge was the best thing to happen to Hogwarts."

All seven of them looked around.

Umbridge laid in a bed opposite them, gazing up at the ceiling.

Dumbledore strode into the Forest on his own and rescued her from the centaurs. How he did so without a scratch on his was just unbelievable. And Umbridge wasn't saying a thing. Ever since returning to the castle, she hadn't uttered a single word. No one knew what was wrong with her, either. Her usually mousy hair was now very untidy and there were still twigs and leaves in it, but other than that, she was unscathed.

"Madam Pomfrey said she's in shock." Chrys whispered.

"More like sulking now that she doesn't have power over Hogwarts anymore." Mike spat.

"She does show signs of life if you do this, though." David said, making soft clip-clopping noises with his tongue. This made Umbridge sit bolt upright, looking around wildly.

"Anything wrong, Professor?" Madam Pomfrey asked, poking her head around her office door.

"No… no…." She said, sinking back into her pillows. "No, I must have been dreaming…."

Both Chrys and Mary muffled their laughter in the bedclothes.

"Speaking of centaurs…" Chrys said after recovering a little. "...will Firenze stay and be the Divination teacher with Trelawney?"

"He'll have to." Arthur said. "All the other centaurs won't take him back."

He was yet to tell anyone about what the prophecy foretold, other than that he just smashed it when the Order first came.

"It's a pity that the prophecy broke, you know." Chrys said as she shook her head.

"Maybe, but at least Voldemort won't ever know what it said - where are you going?" Mike said, surprised and concerned when Arthur stood.

"I'm going to Hagrid's." Arthur said. "He's just got back and I promised to go down and see him and tell him how you guys are."

"Okay." Mike, David and Chrys said.

The castle was very quiet, even for a Sunday. Everyone was clearly out in the sunny grounds, enjoying the end of their exams and the chance to spend the last few days of term without any revision or homework sounded enticing.

Arthur walked very slowly along the deserted corridor, peering out of windows as he went; seeing people messing around in the air over the Quidditch pitch and a couple of students swimming in the lake, accompanied by the giant squid.

He didn't know whether he wanted to be with people or not, even his own boyfriend; he felt a desire to just get away from any company and yet when he was ever alone, he desired company.

He wanted to talk to Hagrid since he hadn't talked to him properly since he returned.

Arthur had just descended the last marble step into the Entrance Hall when Draco, Crabbe and Goyle emerged from a door on the right that led to the Slytherin common room.

Arthur stopped dead; as did Draco and the others. The only sounds were the shouts, laughter and splashes that drifted into the Hall from the grounds through the open front doors.

Draco glanced around, clearly checking for any teachers, before looking back at Arthur before saying in a low voice "You're dead, Pendergast."

"And yet I'm still breathing." Arthur coolly replied.

Draco looked angrier than Arthur had ever seen him; he actually felt nothing but satisfaction to see his pale, pointed face contorted with rage.

"You're going to pay." Draco said in a voice that was barely louder than a whisper. "I'm going to make you pay for what you've done to my father…."

"You and your troll bodyguards don't scare me." Arthur spat in contempt. "You and your dads are nothing compared to when I faced Voldemort, who is mad at them all for failing the mission." He enjoyed seeing how the Slytherin trio were all stricken by the mention of Voldemort's name.

"You think you're such a big man, Pendergast." Draco said, advancing with Crabbe and Goyle flanking him. "You wait. I'll have you. You can't land my father in prison -"

"I just did, you moron." Arthur growled.

"The Dementors have left Azkaban." Draco said quietly. "Dad and the others'll be out in no time…."

"Maybe, but at least everyone now knows they're nothing but pond scum -"

Draco's hand flew towards his wand and pulled it out.

"Do it! I dare you! You don't have the guts!" Arthur roared at his face.

"Pendergast!"

A voice rang across the Entrance Hall. Snape emerged from the staircase that led to his office and Arthur felt nothing but utter hatred beyond Draco and Umbridge. He'll never forgive Snape for goading Sirius on and he'll never forget the fact that he called his mother a Mudblood.

"What is going on?" Snape said as coldly as ever, striding over to the four of them.

"Draco decided to try and curse me." Arthur said, staring at him.

"Well, you clearly goaded him on to do so. And since there are no longer any points left in the Gryffindor hourglass to take away, we will simply have to -"

"Add some more?"

McGonagall stumped up the stone steps into the castle; she carried a tartan carpetbag in one hand and leaned heavily on a walking stick with the other, looking quite well.

"Professor McGongall?" Snape said as he strode forwards. "Out of St Mungo's, I see!"

"Yes, Professor Snape." McGonagall shrugged off her travelling cloak. "I'm quite as good as new. You two - Crabbe - Goyle -"

She beckoned them forwards imperiously and they came, shuffling their large feet and looked awkward.

"Here." She said, thrusting her carpetbag into Crabbe's chest and her cloak into Goyle's. "Take these up to my office for me."

They turned and stumped up the marble staircase.

"Right then." McGonagall then said, looking up at the hourglasses on the wall. "Well, I think Pendergast and his friends ought to have fifty points apiece for alerting the world to the return of You Know Who! What say you, Professor Snape?"

"What?" Snape snapped, though Arthur knew he heard perfectly well. "Oh.. well, I suppose…."

"So that's fifty each for Pendergast, my son, the two Merlons, Longbottom and Miss Ranger." McGonagall said and a shower of rubies fell down into the bottom bulb of Gryffindor's hourglass as she spoke. "Oh, and fifty for Mis Lovegood, I suppose." She added, a number of sapphires falling into Ravenclaw's glass. "Now, you wanted to take ten from Mr Pendergast, well, Professor Snape, from how I see it, Mr Malfoy decided to attack Mr Pendergast for no reason, so I believe Slytherin should have some points taken from them."

A large number of emeralds retreated into the upper bulb, leaving Slytherin among the bottom of the four houses.

"Well, Pendergast, Malfoy, I think you ought to be outside on a glorious day like this. But first, Pendergast, a private word with you."

Snape and Draco both walked off begrudgingly, leaving Arthur with his Head of house.

"My son had recently informed me that you're both in a relationship. While I do hope you both are happy together, I'm warning you, if you break my son's heart, I will make your life difficult." She whispered before patting his shoulder as he walked past her with a scared look on her face.

The hot sun hit him with a blast as he walked across the lawns to Hagrid's cabin. Students lay around on the grass sunbathing, talking, reading the Sunday Prophet and eating sweets.

Some looked up at him as he passed; some called out to him, or else waved, clearly eager to show that they now see him as a hero.

Arthur didn't say anything to them. He didn't know how much they knew of what happened three days ago, but he just avoided being questioned and preferred keeping it that way.

He first thought that Hagrid was out when he knocked on his cabin door, but Fang came charging around the corner and almost bowled him over with enthusiasm for his welcome. Hagrid, it seemed, picked runner beans in his back garden.

"Alrigh', Arthur!" He said, beaming, when Arthur approached the fence. "Come in, come in, we'll have a cup o' dandelion juice…. How's things?" He then asked as they settled down at his wooden table with a glass apiece of iced juice. "Yeh - er - feelin' alrigh', are yeh?"

Arthur knew from the look of concern on his face that he wasn't referring to his physical well being.

"I don't know." Arthur said, being honest. "Where have you been after you ran for it?"

"Bin hidin' out in the mountains." Hagrid replied. "Up in a cave, like Sirius did when he -"

He broke off, clearing his throat gruffly, looking at Arthur, and taking a long draught of juice.

"Anyway, back now." He said feebly.

"You… you look better." Arthur said, his eyes watering and wanting to not talk about Sirius.

"Wha'?" Hagrid said, raising a massive hand and felt his face. "Oh - oh yeah. Wel, Grawpy's loads better behaved now, loads. Seemed right pleased ter see me when I got back, ter tell yeh the truth. He's a good lad, really… I've bin thinkin' abou' tryin' ter find him a lady friend, actually…."

Arthur would normally try to persuade Hagrid from doing something like this; the idea of a second giant residing in the Forest wasn't a fun idea, especially if they're more wild and brutal compared to Grawp. Yet Arthur didn't have the energy to argue. He now started wishing he was alone, which made him take several large gulps of his dandelion juice, half emptying his glass.

"Ev'ryone knows yeh've bin tellin' the truth now, Arthur." Hagrid said softly and unexpectedly. "Tha's gotta be better, hasn' it?"

Arthur shrugged.

"Look…" Hagrid leaned towards him. "I knew Sirius longer 'n yeh did… he died in battle, an' tha's the way he'd've wanted ter go -"

"He didn't want to go at all!" Arthur snapped at him angrily.

Hagrid bowed his shaggy head.

"Nah, I don' reckon he did." He said quietly. "But still, Arthur… he was never one ter sit aroun' at home an' let other people do the fightin'. He couldn've lived with himself if he hadn' gone ter help -"

Arthur leapt to his feet.

"I've got to go visit the others in the hospital wing." He said mechanically.

"Oh." Hagrid said, looking upset. "Oh… alrigh' then, Arthur… take care o' yerself then, an' drop back in if yeh've got a mo…."

"Right…."

Arthur crossed to the door as fast as he could and pulled it open; he was now out in the sunshine once more before Hagrid could say goodbye, and walked across the lawn.

Once more, people called out to him as he passed. For a few moments, he closed his eyes, wishing they would just vanish, that he could open his eyes and see that he was alone in the grounds….

A few days ago, before his exams finished and saw the vision that Voldemort planted in his mind, he would've given almost anything to make the wizarding world see that he was telling the truth, to see that Voldemort was back, and see that he and Dumbledore weren't liars. Now, however….

He walked around the lake and sat on its bank, sheltered from the gaze of any passers by behind a tangle of shrubs, staring out over the gleaming water as he was thinking.

He realised that the reason for him wanting to be alone was because he felt so isolated from everyone ever since that talk with Dumbledore. LIke some invisible barrier separated him from the rest of the world. That he was, and always has been, a marked man. He just never understood what it meant until that talk.

Sitting on the edge of the lake, with the weight of grief weighing him down, the loss of Sirius so raw and fresh inside, he couldn't muster any sense of fear, if anything, he felt more rage.

It was sunny, and the grounds around him was full of laughing people, and despite feeling as distant from them as though he belonged to another race of beings, it was still hard to believe as he sat there that his life would lead to the murder of the person who is responsible for putting him in such a fate.

He sat there for a long time, gazing out at the lake. Whenever he thought of Sirius, he'd just break down and shed tears, and what made his think of his late godfather was the fact that on the opposite bank was where Sirius once collapsed trying to fend off a hundred Dementors….

The sun had set before he realised that it was cold. He got up and walked back up to the castle.

David and Chrys left the hospital wing completely cured three days before the end of term.

The two tried talking to Arthur about Sirius, but Mike would keep telling them to shut up.

Arthur was still unsure if he felt ready to talk about his godfather yet, it would all depend on his mood.

But he did know that despite feeling unhappy right now, he'd greatly miss Hogwarts in a few days' time when he'd go back to Number Four, Privet Drive.

Umbridge left Hogwarts on the day before the end of term. She seemed to have crept out of the hospital wing during dinnertime, hoping to depart undetected, however, she had met Peeves on the way, who seized his last chance to do as Jack told him, and gleefully chased her from the premises as he whacked her alternately with a walking stick and sock full of chalk. Many students ran out into the Entrance Hall to watch her run away down the path and the Heads of houses tried half heartedly to restrain them. In fact, McGonagall sank back into her chair at the staff table after a few feeble remonstrances and expressed regret that she couldn't run cheering after Umbridge herself, since Peeves borrowed her walking stick.

Their last evening at school arrived; most people finished packing and were already heading to the end of term Leaving Feast, Arthur didn't even start.

"You can do it tomorrow." David said, waiting by the door of their dormitory. "Come on."

"I won't be long… just go ahead."

"Arthur… I'm not going to the feast without you." Mike said, trying to get his boyfriend to come with him.

"Just go… I'm not hungry." Arthur said mechanically, leaving Mike to leave with a sigh of defeat.

When the door closed behind him and David, Arthur didn't even speed up his packing. He truly didn't want to go to the Leaving Feast, scared that Dumbledore would reference him in his speech.

Arthur pulled some crumpled robes out of the very bottom of his trunk to make way for some folded ones, but as he did, he noticed a badly wrapped package lying in a corner of it.

He remembered that it was something that Sirius gave to him on the day he got back to Hogwarts when the Christmas holiday ended.

He grabbed it and sank down onto his bed, unwrapping it. Out came a small, square mirror. It looked old; it was definitely dirty. Arthur held it up to his face and saw his own reflection looking back at him.

He turned it over and on the reverse side was a scribbled note from Sirius.

This is a two way mirror. I've got the other one of the pair. If you need to speak to me, just say my name into it; you'll appear in my mirror and I'll be able to talk in yours. John and I used to use them during the summer holidays before I bunked with your dad.

Arthur stared at the mirror, now feeling absolutely stupid. Why didn't he use this before? He could've used this instead of the fire in Umbridge's office.

He became so furious at himself for overlooking this mirror that he hurled it back into the trunk and it shattered.

He then started breaking down, crying so much that he curled up on his bed, finally accepting the fact that his godfather was gone and wasn't coming back.

He stayed there for a while before he sniffled and wiped his face. He looked around the empty dormitory and now wished to be with Mike, hoping that his boyfriend could comfort him.

So he got up and made his way out of the common room.

When he walked out the portrait hole, though, he was surprised to see Luna fastening a note to a board on the wall.

"Hello." She greeted him vaguely.

"Why aren't you at the feast?" Arthur asked.

"Well, I've lost most of my possessions." She said serenely. "People take them and hide them, you know. But as it's the last night, I really do need them back, so I've been putting up signs."

She gestured to the noticeboard and there was a list of all her missing books and clothes, with a plea for their return.

Among Arthur's grief for Sirius, he felt so sorry for Luna.

"Why would people do such a thing?" He asked with a frown.

"Oh… well…" She shrugged. "I think they think I'm a bit odd, you know. Some people call me 'Loony' Lovegood, actually."

Now he felt so much pity that it pained him.

"That shouldn't excuse them for doing this." He said. "Do you need help finding them?"

"Oh, no." She said with a smile. "They'll come back, they always do in the end. It was just that I wanted to pack tonight. Anyway… why aren't you at the feast?"

"I just… I felt like I wanted to be alone… and now I don't."

"I see." Luna said as she observed him with her oddly misty, protuberant eyes. "That man the Death Eaters killed was your godfather wasn't he? Mary told me."

Arthur nodded, somehow not minding that Luna talked about Sirius, which made him remember that she can see Thestrals as well.

"Who did you see die?" He asked.

"My mother. She was a quite extraordinary witch, you know, but she did like to experiment and one of her spells went rather badly wrong one day. I was nine."

"I'm so sorry." Arthur said.

"Yes, it was rather horrible." Luna said conversationally. "I still very sad about it sometimes. But I've still got dad. And anyway, it's not as though I'll ever see mum again, is it?"

"Isn't it?" Arthur asked in confusion.

She shook her head in disbelief.

"Oh, come on. You heard them, just behind the veil, didn't you?"

"You mean…."

"In that room with the archway. They were just lurking out of sight, that's all. You heard them."

The two looked at each other. Luna still smiled slightly. Arthur didn't really know what to say, or to think, for that matter. She believed so many things… and he knew he heard those voices behind the veil.

"Are you sure you don't want help to look for your stuff?" He asked.

"Oh, no." Luna said. "No, I think I'll just go down and have some pudding and wait for it all to turn up… it always does in the end… well, have a nice holiday, Arthur."

"Yeah… you too."

She walked away from him and he ended up feeling the terrible weight lifting slightly.

The journey back home on the Hogwarts Express the next day was eventful in different ways.

Firstly, the Slytherin trio, who waited all week for the opportunity to strike Arthur without any teachers witnessing, attempted to ambush him halfway down the train as he made his way back from the toilet.

It would have succeeded if it weren't for the fact that they unwittingly chose to stage the attack right outside a compartment that was full of DA members, who saw what was happening through the glass and rose as one to rush to Arthur's aid.

By the time that Ernie Macmillan, Hannah Abbott, Susan Bones, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Anthony Goldenstein and Terry Boot finished using a wide variety of the hexes and jinxes that Arthur taught them, the Slytherin trio resembled three gigantic slugs that were squeezed into Hogwarts uniforms. Arthur, Ernie and Justin all hoisted them into the luggage rack and left them there to ooze.

"I must say, I'm looking forward to seeing Malfoy's mother's face when he gets off the train." Ernie said with satisfaction as he watched Draco squirm above him. Ernie still didn't get over Draco docking points from Hufflepuff during his brief time in the Inquisitorial Squad.

Arthur thanked them all and accompanied Mike to their compartment where the others were. David had a large pile of cauldron cakes and pumpkin pasties.

Chrys was reading the Daily Prophet, Mary was doing a quiz in The Quibbler and Neville stroked his Mimbulus mimbletonia, which grew a great deal over the school year and made odd crooning noises when touched.

Arthur and Mike cuddled against each other, sharing the occasional kiss while Chrys read out snippets from the Prophet. It was now full of articles about how to repel against Dementors, attempts by the Ministry to track down Death Eaters and hysterical letters that claim that the writer had seen Voldemort walking past their house that very morning.

"It hasn't started yet but it won't be long now…." She sighed grimly, folding up the newspaper.

Arthur noticed movement in the corner of his eye and saw Cho passing by, accompanied by Marietta Edgecombe, who was wearing a balaclava. He and Cho made eye contact for a moment before Cho just kept walking.

"Do you think she'll ever realise how much her friend messed up, especially with how things are now?" David asked Arthur, who was now resting his head on Mike's shoulder.

"I don't know. She may never understand, but I don't care anymore." Arthur replied.

"Well, at least she'll have Michael Corner since they're together." Mary revealed, shocking David in particular.

"What? I thought you were going out with him?" He asked, flabbergasted.

"Not anymore." Mart said resolutely. "He was so bummed out that Gryffindor won against Ravenclaw that I just let him go. He then ran off to be with Cho."

"Well… I did think he was a bit of a dumbbell." David said. "Have you started dating anyone after him?"

"Well, I've started dating Dean Thomas." Mary revealed.

David sighed, clearly not thrilled about that, but he wasn't going to make a scene.

As the train slowed down on the approach to King's Cross, Arthur felt the most resistance to the idea of stepping off the train. He wondered what would happen if he just refused to get off, to stubbornly sit there until the first of September when he'd go back to Hogwarts.

But then when it puffed to a standstill, he lifted down Athena's cage and prepared to drag his trunk from the train as usual.

"Hey, Arthur." Mike said. "I'll send you a letter with a photo of me, just so you can get through the summer easier."

"Thanks." Arthur said gratefully before the two kissed.

When the ticket inspector signalled to Arthur, Mike, David and Chrys that it was safe to walk through the magical barrier between platforms nine and ten, Arthur was surprised by what awaited him on the other side: a group of people stood to greet him that he didn't expect.

There was Moody, looking as sinister as ever with his bowler hat pulled low over his magical eye, his gnarled hands clutching a long staff, his body wrapped in a voluminous travelling cloak. Tonks stood just behind him, her bright bubblegum pink hair gleaming in the sunlight filtering through the dirty glass of the station ceiling, wearing heavily patched jeans and a bright purple t-shirt that bore an image of The Weird Sisters. Next to her was Lupin, his face pale and his hair greying, a long and threadbare overcoat covering a shabby jumper and trousers.

At the front of the group was Ben and Martha Merlon who looked so much Muggles they could easily blend in, Sam in his best suit and Jack and Kevin, who wore brand new jackets in a lurid green, scaly material.

"David, Mary!" Martha said, hurrying forwards and hugging her children tightly. "Arthur… how are you?"

"I'm fine." Arthur said, even though he still hadn't reached that point yet. She pulled him into a tight embrace, as well as Mike.

"When did you get the new clothes?" David asked the twins.

"When business started booming. They're the finest dragonskin Thought we'd treat ourselves."

"Hello, Arthur." Lupin said as Martha moved on to embrace Mike and then Chrys.

"Hi." Arthur greeted back. "I didn't expect you lot to be here."

"Well…" Lupin said with a slight smile. "...we thought we might have a little chat with your aunt and uncle before letting them take you home."

"What is there to talk about? They won't abuse me." Arthur frowned.

"It's still worth talking to them, regardless." Moody growled, limping a little closer. "That'll be them, Pendergast?"

He pointed his thumb over his shoulder, his magical eye peering through the back of his head and his bowler hat.

Arthur looked past him and saw where he was pointing to see the Dentleys standing there, waiting for him.

Both Ben and Moody took the lead across the station towards the Dentleys, who looked taken aback to see them approaching.

"Good afternoon. I'm Benjamin Merlon." Ben greeted Uncle Nicholas pleasantly.

The two men shook their hands.

"We just wanted to talk about Arthur." Ben continued.

"Yeah." Moody growled. "About how he's treated when he's at your place."

Uncle Nicholas looked at him in offence.

"If you think me and my family are mistreating Arthur, you're clearly stupid." He said bravely, not even phased by Moody's appearance.

"Well, we're just here to let you know that we'll hear if Arthur's upset or anything like that. We just want to make sure that Arthur's alright throughout the summer." Ben said, speaking for everyone, who nodded.

Moody turned to Arthur.

"So, Pendergast… give us a shout if you need us. If we don't hear from you for three days in a row, we'll send someone along…."

Arthur shook his head slightly, thinking they're all being overprotective.

"Bye, then, Pendergast." Moody said, grasping Arthur's shoulder for a moment with a gnarled hand.

"Take care, Arthur." Lupin said quietly. "Keep in touch."

"Arthur, we'll have you come to our home at some point during the summer." Martha whispered as she hugged him again.

"We'll see you soon." David said, shaking Arthur's hand.

"We promise." Chrys said earnestly.

"And I'll be there." Mike said, sharing a quick kiss, which left the Dentleys surprised.

Arthur nodded as he couldn't find the words to tell them all what it meant to him.

So he just smiled, waved farewell and left with the Dentleys out of the station to the sunlit street.

Finally done with Order of the Phoenix. I'm extremely looking forward to writing Half-Blood Prince, because it's my favourite book in the series, though the film is easily my least favourite in terms of how it adapted the book.

Side note: I finished HBO's The Last of Us last night, and if still haven't watched it, do so. If Firefly didn't exist, it would be my favourite show of all time, it's that fantastic.