HP&SB: The Order of the Phoenix

Chapter 1/The Escape

"We're going out. You are not to leave this room." Vernon Dursley said as he and his family got ready to leave. It had been two days since the Dementor attack on Private drive, and I hadn't been let out of my room once, if you overlook the occasional visit to the bathroom. Otherwise, I was in here.

The Dursley's had gone from treating me horribly to trying to pretend I wasn't there at all. I didn't mind the lack of communication I got from them, but being locked in my room was starting to drive me a bit mad.

Since this summer, with Voldemort returning, things had gotten much worse, much more on edge, like waiting for a truck to hit you. The tension and curiosity was maddening, and no one would tell me anything.

I watched from my window as the car pulled out of the driveway, leaving me with my owl and my thoughts. Not to mention the letters I had gotten. They were no help, all telling me to 'stay put and stay calm', like I really had any choice in leaving. The door was locked. The only had advice that had been of some use, for entertainment at least if not anything else, had been Siri's.

Her advice had been to, "Hex the prats and leave", and as fun as that had sounded, doing so would dig me into an even deeper hole than the one I was already in. So I remained here. Stuck. That was the best way to describe it. Stuck. 

I was about to fall asleep- Not much else to do- when I heard a loud thump from downstairs. Instinctively, I reached for my wand, sitting up on the bed. There was a loud crash, and more heavy footsteps. Someone, or someones were downstairs. Not good.

I approached the door carefully, wand gripped tightly in my hand when there was a soft 'click and the door flew open.

A shape of a man formed in front of me, and I realized my wand was pointed into the face of one Remus John Lupin.

"Professor Lupin!" I managed, startled as I put my wand down. Lupin smiled kindly, nodding once in greeting as he stepped into the room.

"It's not professor anymore, Harry. It's good to see you, though." Lupin said, pulling me into a light hug. I hugged him back tightly. I missed him. He was the closest thing to a father figure I had, besides Sirius.

"What are you doing here, anyway?" I asked as I pulled back, looking around as three more wizards appeared, filing into the hallway.

"Take a guess."

I felt my face light up for the first time in weeks, joy flooding my body. They were getting me out of here- Away from the Dursleys, away from this horrid room.

"Let's go, Harry. We haven't much time."  Lupin spoke quietly, ushering me out of the room, and I nodded as the two of us walked into the kitchen, followed by the other three.

"Oh, Harry, this is Alastor Moody." Lupin moved to gesture  to the large man that walked beside us, and I realized I was in the room with the man who spent nine months of his life in a trunk, while a mad man escaped from Azkaban taught at Hogwarts disguised as him. I had not seen him after he had been brought out of the trunk, as he had left Hogwarts rather quickly. I couldn't blame him.

"I know him already." I said, looking over to Lupin, but Moody snorted, causing me to turn back and look at him.

"Don't confuse me with that ass who posed as me, Potter." He grumbled, sending me a disapproving look. I grimaced, turning back just as Lupin was giving instructions to a witch with spiky bob-length hair that was a startling shade of hot pink. Lupin turned to me, smiling.

"Harry, this is Nymphadora, Nymphadora Tonks." 

Nymphadora glared at Lupin, and something subtly changed in her eyes. "Lupin, you're asking for it."