|
||||||||
|
||||||||
Author: Sorting Hat Story: Between a Rock and a Hard Place Rating: Young Teens Setting: Pre-OotP Status: Completed Reviews: 1 Words: 30,061
The next day, Harry woke considerably later then usual. At first, he wasn't sure what had disturbed him, but in a moment he registered the sounds of breakfast, and conversation. Though he could clearly hear the voices of Hermione and her father, he couldn't understand what they were saying until after he was dressed and had wandered into the kitchen. "-think Harry would let us borrow her?" Mr. Granger was saying. "Yes, I think s...morning, Harry! Do you think I could borrow Hedwig? I don't have a post owl of my own, you know. Just Crookshanks," Hermione said. She was lucky Harry wasn't fully awake yet, or he might have been suspicious. As it was, he simply nodded and wandered over to the teapot to make a fresh cup, and then nodded a greeting to Mr. Granger. "How are you feeling this morning, Harry?" he asked. "Fine thanks. Overslept a bit, but otherwise, all right," "Ok, Harry. We saved you some breakfast." said Mr. Granger just before he walked out of the kitchen. Harry ate in silence, thinking over what had transpired the previous night. Hermione sat opposite him, writing out a letter to Ron at the Burrow. It wasn't a long one; she was still upset for his having told her she was not to go to Bulgaria. That's what Hermione told him, anyway but, somehow, Harry didn't believe her. He knew Hermione loved Ron, and he her. Hermione was just too stubborn to make the first move and, in Ron's case, he was to dense to even see it. Even so, Harry was sure it wouldn't be long before they figured each other out. He ate a few last bites of egg, stood and deposited his plate in the sink, where he rinsed, washed, and dried it, before placing it back with the others. By this time, Hermione was finished with her letter. She left the kitchen to give it to Hedwig, who immediately took off for her destination. "Harry, my parents and I had planned on going to London today. Want to come with us?" Hermione asked. "Yes, I'd like that. When were we going to leave?" "In about an hour or so, I think. Although, since you are up and ready, we might leave sooner. We had also planned on stopping in Diagon Alley." "Oh,all right. I can change my money while I'm there. I've not got any Muggle money at the moment," Harry grinned sheepishly. After returning to his room and fetching his sack of wizard money, Harry returned to the kitchen to find Hermione and her parents bustling about. "Are we ready to go then? Good. Let's have a move on, shall we?" said Mrs. Granger as she lead the way to Mr. Granger's BMW. A few moments later, the Granger family, and one Harry Potter, were on their way to London. Elsewhere, in the headmaster's office in Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Professor Dumbledore was reading a note he had received from one Mark Granger, several moments ago. The further he read, the deeper his frown became. Once finished, he placed it in his pocket, glanced at the place where Hedwig had perched, and set out to find Sirius Black. Black's reaction upon reading the letter was predictable. By the time he was finished with the letter he was trembling and nearly blind with fury. Without a word, he turned and was ready to head across the grounds when Dumbledore placed a hand on his shoulder. "I think, it would be wise for us to return to my office. I am afraid I cannot allow you to intervene on Harry's behalf. If you were seen, even in Muggle London, the consequences would be disastrous." said Dumbledore. "Professor!" Black began, stopping when the older wizard raised a hand. "Harry needs you, Sirius. To place yourself in a situation where you could fall into the hands of Ministry officials would be unfair to him, as well as you. I do believe the Dementors would Kiss you, and ask questions later," Dumbledore said gently, looking over his spectacles at Black. Having finished their shopping in Diagon Alley, Hermione and Harry were hurrying to the Leaky Cauldron to meet up with Mr. and Mrs. Granger again. Harry had purchased several items for himself that he felt would make next year easier, as well as a new wizard chess set for Ron, a copy of The Dark Arts: Then and Now for Hermione, and, on a whim, a small silver necklace which had reminded him of Ginny, Ron's little sister. Hermione had raised an eyebrow and smiled at this, but said nothing. She and Harry then caught up to her parents, and left Diagon Alley for Muggle London. A short while later found Professor Dumbledore walking toward Number 4 Private Drive. It had taken Albus almost no time to find the Portkey and, if truth were told, he was just as eager to set Vernon Dursley in his place as Sirius was. Shortly after his use of the Portkey, Dumbledore arrived at Private Drive. He gripped his wand in his right hand, and knocked loudly on the door with his left. The door was opened almost immediately to reveal the face of Vernon Dursley. He took a look at the man standing before him, noting his wizard robes, and promptly slammed the door in Albus's face. Albus had been expecting this. Leveling his wand at the door, he said simply "Reducto!" and the door smashed to bits, leaving a very surprised looking trio of Dursleys staring in shock. If anyone had been passing by at that time they might have heard a muttered incantation, and a bloodcurdling scream. Petunia Dursley had screamed, having seen the angry professor transfigure her son Dudley into a pig, which was now running around the room squealing at the top of his lungs. Vernon's face was purple, and he was currently sputtering incoherently. Petunia screamed again as Dudley was unable to stop running quickly enough and slammed into a wall. Albus thrust the letter at Vernon so roughly that he nearly knocked the great oaf off of his feet. "Read that." he said in a voice of deadly calm. With a look of sheer terror, Vernon began to read. Professor Albus Dumbledore, As you know, my family and I recently agreed to take Harry into our home for a portion of the summer. Last night, as we were preparing to go to sleep, a yell from Hermione got our attention and caused us to immediately go to her, so as to find out what was wrong. Professor, in all my days I never thought I would see something so terrible as what I saw last night. I had heard of course that Harry's home life was unpleasant for him, but I never expected this. Looking upon the boy, I was shocked to find evidence that he had been neglected, was malnourished, and might even have been beaten. When I asked him about it, he explained to me that the Dursleys consider him to be abnormal because of his wizarding talents. When asked if he felt someone should see him, Harry grew distant, and assured us he was fine. I asked him again this morning, but he seemed ashamed of his appearance and again insisted he was fine. Professor, this boy is NOT fine. I get the sense that he has had a strong sense of unworthiness instilled into him by his guardians. As a father, I have to question Harry's safety at the Dursley residence. I feel that he would be better off just about anywhere else. I know that his friends, the Weasleys, have opened their doors to him, and you may rest assured that ours is open to him as well. If at any time Harry needs a place to stay, he is welcome here. Hermione assures me that the best person we could contact would be you, and she suggested you try to get in contact with someone named Snuffles. If anything comes up, please let us know. Thank you, Mark Granger "So, that little good for nothing--" One look at Albus's face convinced Vernon he had said the wrong thing. Petunia took one look at Dumbledore, screamed one last time, and fainted. At that point, the professor narrowed his eyes at Vernon. Moving so he was almost nose to nose with the large man, Albus said softly, "I have seen evidence that you have been mistreating a student under my care. I do not tolerate such actions, and am very interested in the welfare of my students." Vernon merely sputtered. The sight of his wife out cold on the floor, and his son running around as a pig (who now smashed into a table, causing a vase to crash to the floor and shatter), coupled with the sheer force of the man's anger, had completely unnerved him. Albus had grown tired of waiting for Vernon to form a coherent response. "If I ever find that you have so much as laid a finger on Mr. Potter in a matter I deem to be inappropriate at any time in the future, you may expect me to call upon you again. You will not enjoy the results of such a visit." Professor Dumbledore took a slow breath, then continued, even more softly then before, "Make no mistake about this Vernon. If I am forced to intercede on Harry's behalf, you will regret it for the rest of your life." This was more than Vernon could handle. He wet himself and, like his wife before him, fainted dead away. Next, Albus pointed his wand at the pig and said. "Finite Incantantem!" where the pig had been, now stood a very frightened looking Dudley. In the next instant though, he too was on the floor after having received a stunning spell in the chest from the professor's wand. Dumbledore then removed all traces of his presence, but allowed Vernon Dursley to remember his warning. Satisfied, the old professor turned and began to walk away. Meanwhile, back at the Granger residence, Harry and Hermione were comparing purchases. For Ron, Hermione had a copy of So it's Time for the OWLS and You Don't Want to Study, and for Harry she had a copy of The OWLS, The NEWTS, It's All the Same to You almost Everything you could ever want to learn, and a lot your probably don't, about your Nastily Exhausting Wizard Tests. Books which, given Hermione's studious nature, didn't surprise Harry a bit. When Harry handed the dark arts book to Hermione, she squealed with delight and caught him in a hug again. He winced, but hugged her back, anyway. He then took on a serious expression and asked her "Hermione, how well do you know Ginny?" "Well, I know her fairly well I suppose. Why do you ask?" "Well, I got this necklace for her in Diagon Alley, and d'you think she'll like it?" he asked. "Yes, Harry, I think she will." at this, Hermione smiled an all-knowing smile, causing Harry to turn a vibrant shade of red. Hermione just smiled again, and left to help her mother prepare dinner. Obviously, Hermione had read more into his question then he intended. "After all," Harry thought, "she's just Ron's little sister." No sooner had that thought finished then another, smaller voice inside his mind asked him, "Oh, really. Seems to me that if all you felt was that Ginny was Ron's ickle sister, why did you blush so?" Shrugging mentally at himself, Harry started toward the kitchen with the intent to see if there was anything he could do. Before he could get there though, the fire flared green and from it he could hear Mr. Weasley's voice, calling for him. "Hello, Mr. Weasley. What brings you here?" asked Harry. "Hello, Harry. How's your holiday going? Listen, could I trouble you to get Mr. Granger for me?" asked Arthur. "Er, my holiday has gone well. Certainly, I'll get him for you. Just a moment please." With that, Harry left the fire and went to get Mr. Granger in his study. "Sorry to interrupt, sir, but Mr. Weasley is asking to speak with you." said Harry. "Oh? Oh! Yes of course. Thank you, Harry. I'll just go take that shall I?" was the answer. Hermione must have filled her father in on fireplace communication, as Mr. Granger went straight to the fireplace, instead of the telephone. Not wanting to pry, Harry set out again toward the kitchen. Dinner that night was tense, although Harry wasn't sure why. Mr. Granger had come from his conversation at the fireplace looking very nervous. All attempts to find out why were met with polite refusals, and the often-repeated phrase, "I was asked not to tell you, Harry. You will have to ask Arthur Weasley." After that, Harry decided it would be best to wait, as he didn't want to upset Mr. Granger. However, Harry wasn't to be kept waiting long. Suddenly, the fire in the lounge suddenly flared green again, (though they rather heard then saw this) and the voice of Professor Dumbledore filled the house, calling for Mr. Granger in an urgent voice. *** "Ugh. This is a nightmare! Honestly!" said an exasperated Hermione the next morning as she and Harry tried frantically to pack in time for the noon deadline Dumbledore had set for the two teenagers to get to the Burrow. "Oy, Hermione! Have you seen that bag of sugar quills I got for Ron?" asked Harry. "Yes, Harry, Check your trunk. I put them there for you last night!" she replied. "Thanks Hermione!" yelled Harry from his room, checking and seeing that they were indeed in his trunk. At noon exactly, Harry and Hermione, along with their trunks and various school things, were lined up in front of the fireplace, each clutching a handful of Floo powder. This, of course, was much to Harry's chagrin. "Guess I can't get away from the Floo Network after all" Harry sighed. "I guess you can't have everything," was his last thought before he flung his powder into the fireplace while saying "The Burrow!" and in a flash of green flame, Harry was gone. A moment later, he found himself face to face with the floor of the Burrow, before being hauled up by the hands of Fred and George Weasley. Once on his feet, Mrs. Weasley met him and began to dust off his clothes, fussing about while the twins moved his trunk. Scarcely a half-minute later, Hermione appeared, also face down on the floor. This time it was Ron who helped her up, while Harry and Fred moved her trunk. "Oy mates! Good to see you both," said Ron, while Mrs. Weasley was helping Hermione to remove the worst of the soot from her clothes. "Let's go on up to my room shall we Harry? Hermione, you're to stay in Ginny's room." Ron finished. Having not noticed at first, Harry now looked to see Ginny hovering about the back of the room. She caught his eye and flushed, before mumbling something and leading Hermione up the stairs. Ron's room hadn't changed a bit. Harry could still see all his Chudley Cannons posters, along with the faded orange sheets adorning his bed. Harry's camp bed was already there, having been set up and made by Mrs. Weasley the night before. With Ron's help, Harry unpacked the things he would need during his stay at the Burrow, including those gifts he had got for Ron and Ginny (though he was careful not to let Ron see Ginny's gift). "Oy, Harry, any idea why Dumbledore wanted you to come here so early? I mean, weren't you supposed to spend more time with the Grangers? Not that I'm complaining!" Ron asked. "I don't know Ron. It was sudden. Your dad asked to talk to Mr. Granger, and then Dumbledore told us to pack up and get here. I don't really know why. Mr. Granger kept telling me to ask your dad, so maybe I can get an answer from him." said Harry. "Maybe so Harry. Bit odd though, if you ask me. Let's go play a bit of Quidditch?" Ron asked. "Right. Let me just get my Firebolt, ok?" replied Harry. With that, Ron left the room to get his own bedroom. Ten minutes later, the two friends were battling one another while the twins acted as keepers and Hermione and Ginny sat below, Hermione reading her Dark Arts History book, while Ginny tried unsuccessfully to hide the fact that she was staring at Harry. Several hours later, the night was shattered by a yell from Mrs. Weasley calling the children in for supper. If Harry had thought supper was tense last night, it was nothing compared to today. He could barely taste the mashed potatoes or the chicken, or anything else he ate that night. Looking around the table, he could see that the rest of his friends were just as clueless as he was. Mrs. Weasley looked worried, and Mr. Weasley looked as nervous as Harry had ever seen him. "Mr. Weasley? Why did Hermione and I have to come so much earlier in the summer then we had planned on?" Harry asked, "Not that I am complaining." Before Arthur had a chance to answer, there was a sharp knock on the door of the Burrow. Molly left, and then, to Harry's surprise, returned with Dumbledore. Standing next to him was a very large black dog, which Harry, Ron, and Hermione instantly recognized as Sirius. The twins, Percy, and Ginny just stared curiously. Greetings were exchanged and everyone waited for a few moments, while Dumbledore sipped a cup of tea Molly offered him. After finishing it, he addressed the group of people surrounding the table. "I am sure you are all wondering why Mr. Potter and Miss Granger were asked to come to the Burrow sooner then expected. I regret that I can only assure you my reasons are valid." He glanced at Mr. Weasley before continuing. .I hope all of you will continue to enjoy your summer holiday, but I must remind you that with Voldemort's return, we will soon face dark times indeed. Be on your guard. Also, as of tonight, the Improper Use of Magic Office no longer monitors the Burrow. I suggest you all make use of this time to prepare for the worst. Practice dueling and defense. May I have a word with you outside please, Harry?" Dumbledore asked. With that, Harry and the professor, accompanied by the dog, left the kitchen, and walked out to the stream behind the house. The dog then became Sirius Black, before grabbing Harry in a tight embrace. "Hello, Sirius! I didn't expect to see you here!" Harry whispered. Sirius smiled at him, "I can't stay, Harry, but I wanted to take this opportunity to see you while I could. I wont be around much this summer. There are things I have to take care of," said Sirius, taking Harry into another embrace. "If all goes well, Harry, Sirius may yet be a free man before very long. Please ask Miss Granger to come here, there is something I need to discuss with her. It may be wise for you to accompany her as well. I have no doubt she will need the support of you and Ron Weasley before the night is out," Dumbledore said. So, Harry and Sirius (now Snuffles again) walked toward the Burrow in silence. It wasn't until he and Snuffles were almost there that Harry noticed he was crying. Hurriedly, he tried to hide his tears, ashamed of crying in front of his godfather. It was no use, though. Snuffles had seen. He once again became Sirius, who stopped and held Harry by the shoulders. Looking straight into Harry's eyes, Sirius said, "Harry, I know it must have been a disappointment, two years ago, when you weren't able to come home with me instead of those awful relatives of yours. I am sorry about that, Harry. Nothing would make me happier then to be able to take you in. Someday, Wormtail will be caught, and when the Ministry declares me innocent, I promise you that you will be able to move in with me that very day. Assuming you want to, of course." Harry was too choked up to say anything. He nodded mutely before Sirius hugged him once more, changed, and bounded away from the Burrow, toward whatever hiding place he was using now. It was with a heavy heart that Harry led Hermione out to Dumbledore, and she knew better than to ask why. Dumbledore stood with his shoulders slumped, and for a moment, he looked older then Harry had ever seen him. Hermione, Harry noticed, was beginning to look slightly apprehensive. "I am sure the two of you are curious as to why you had to come to the Burrow so suddenly," said the professor without preamble. He turned to Hermione, "We received an indication that you might be Voldemort's next target. Several wards were placed around your residence in response to your parent's refusal to leave. Late this evening, a group of Death Eaters attacked the Granger house," He sighed, sadly, "We were unable to locate any survivors." The stream was far enough away from the Burrow that no one inside heard Dumbledore's pronouncement. Even so, Hermione's sobs were clear.
|