PHANTOM FIGURES | harry potter

SUMMER OF '93

     "Sadly, Ass-Pen," sighed Micah over the telephone, "I am not a wizard. And I cannot go to Hogwarts." he paused for dramatic effect. "But worry not! I am enrolled in a progressive school where we can eat candy all day if we want!" he lowered his voice and started whispering, "I think Jas is a bit jealous."

     "Oh, definitely," agreed Aspen, "that sounds much more exciting than fighting a ginormous snake." Jasmine told Micah everything they had endured the past two years and made sure he was caught up in all the drama.

     "Debatable," murmured Micah.

     "Easy for you to say, turd,"

     "Don't call me a turd!"

     "But you are!" Jasmine's voice yelled in the background.

     Aspen could sense Micah's eye roll. "Liars. You know, it's not good to lie, it's quite rude and disturbing and gross actually. Maybe I'll just contact that insufferable rat again." he threatened his sister.

     "Micah! I will turn the power off and make you suffer!"

     "Your mere presence is torture itself."

     There was the sound of struggle over the phone and then Jasmine's voice entered through the device as she spoke over Micah's grunts. "Lovely chatting with you, Aspen, but we really must get going now. Micah's call time is up. We have important business to attend to: me beating up my idiot brother. Have a marvellous day!" and then the line went dead.

     The first time Aspen called the number Harry had given her she was greeted with Vernon Dursley demanding who she was.

     "Aspen Shaw," she answered, slightly nervous. The man sounded very angry and spoke loudly.

     "How did you get this number?" he said harshly.

     "Erm," she hesitated in answering. She knew how the Dursleys were and how they would probably get upset that Harry gave out their telephone number.

     The man growled and grew more angrier at her silence, yelling, "Stupid children making their stupid calls. Don't ever contact this number again!"

     "But-" Aspen tried to say something, yet the rude man hung up before she could.

     The second attempt went a lot more smoothly.

     Aspen was surprised when the call was answered, yet this time she was greeted with silence.

     "Hello?" she asked anxiously.

     "Aspen?" Harry's voice said.

     "Hi, Harry!" Aspen laughed, "what are you doing right now?"

     "Erm, talking to you,"

     "Obviously," smiled Aspen, glad to speak to him. "How has your summer been?"

     "Terrible," Harry groaned. "You know, you're lucky. You called at a good time, the Dursleys are out of the house, but not for long, and I took a chance by answering this call, I'm not supposed to." then he changed the subject. "How has your holiday been treating you?"

     "It's been well. Margaret joined a new office, she's an accountant. I enjoy sleeping later than usual," she said. "Oh! Hermione also came over to my house and re-organised my room with me. Jasmine has been trying to teach me the art of a messy but not messy bun-"

     Harry Potter, for the first time that summer, felt relaxed as he listened to Aspen's voice over the telephone. He smiled as she rambled on about her friends and how excited she was to have electives for third year. He was grateful she called, for she was the first of their group of friends, and it was able to give him a distraction from Petunia's salmon and peach colored walls or her pristine garden.

     "-anyway, I can't wait to see you again. I know how much you hate it - there. Just try to find something to keep yourself busy, like, get a Daily Prophet subscription or something."

     "Yeah," sighed Harry, then his voice became tense, "I gotta go, I can hear the Dursley's car pulling up. Thanks for the call, Aspen, I really appreciate it."

     "Bye, Harry. See you soon."

     "Bye."

     Hey Aspen, my family and I went to Australia for holiday, kangaroos are slightly scary, I'm very glad I didn't see any giant spiders, though. We went ziplining! I hope you've been enjoying your break. I included a postcard from Canberra if you want to see it.

– Sue Li :)

     Hi Aspen,

     I think I'm doing this whole fellytone thing wrong, I called the number Harry gave us, and his uncle on the other end was not kind, at all. Maybe I did it wrong? I thought I was speaking quite clearly actually. I think I might've gotten Harry in trouble, I guess we shouldn't call him again.

     But some good news, Egypt! Dad won the annual Daily Prophet Grand Prize Galleon Draw, so we're going to spend our summer holiday there. There's going to be loads of old stuff like tombs and mummies, Ginny wants to see the pyramids and some sphinx thing with a missing nose. Can't wait to show you pictures!

Ron

  

     "Aspen!" Margaret's voice rang throughout the house. "I need you to see this!"

     Aspen walked out of her bedroom and into the sitting area, surprised to see a Muggle news report across the television screen.

     "What's this about?" she asked, sitting on the sofa next to her aunt.

     "There's an escaped prisoner, they say he's extremely dangerous and armed," Margaret explained, "I just want you to know. Be careful whenever you go outside alone, I know you can't do magic outside of school. A special hot line has been set up, and any sighting of him, Sirius Black is his name, should be reported immediately."

     Aspen stared silently at the television, Sirius Black's haunting eyes looked back at her through his deep, dark sockets. He might have been a corpse. His waxy skin was stretched so tightly over the bones of his face, it looked like a skull. He was painfully pale, a noticeable contrast to the mass of dark, filthy, matted hair that fell to his elbows.

     "Where did he escape from?" Aspen asked once she realised they never specified.

     "They never said..." her aunt trailed off, confused.

     Aspen furrowed her eyebrows thoughtfully, the only reason the Muggle news reporters wouldn't - or couldn't - say where the escapee had came from, had to have been because the Muggle population would have no clue where or what it is.