THE TRUTH UNTOLD | Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

𝗶𝘃 | 𝗰𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸𝘀

Gwen dropped her books on the dressing table, then went to knock on Harry's door. He looked quite shaken when he faced her, and Gwen immediately asked him what was wrong.

'That dog on the cover of the death omens book,' he said, shutting the door behind her as she stepped in. 'I've seen it before.'

'When?'

He shook his head. 'When I left the Dursley's. On Magnolia Crescent.'

Gwen looked at him. 'Is that a Muggle street?'

Harry nodded.

'I doubt it was a death omen, Harry. It was probably a stray dog.'

He nodded again, but didn't look convinced. Gwen reached out to squeeze his hand. 'Don't think about it,' she said. 'Death omens present themselves much more obviously. My grandmother said she saw one years ago, she was convinced she was going to die. She's still here.' She paused. 'Just about.'

That seemed to put Harry's mind to rest a little. He even managed a small laugh at her morbid joke. He squeezed her hand back and turned to the mirror, attempting to flatten his hair down. It was always messy and untameable.

His mirror spoke then, in a wheezy voice. 'You're fighting a losing battle there, dear.'

• • •

As the days slipped by, Gwen and Harry spent most of their time at Florean Fortescue's. They spent their time eating ice cream sundaes and awaiting the respective arrivals of Ron and Hermione. They'd seen plenty of other Hogwarts students with the start of term so near. They'd met Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas, fellow Gryffindors, in Quality Quidditch Supplies, who were also ogling the Firebolt. Lavender Brown, another Gryffindor girl, had said a cheerful hello to them when they'd seen her near Gringotts, and they'd passed Parvati and Padma Patil, twins who had been leaving Madam Malkins.

Outside Flourish and Blotts, they'd met Nevill Longbottom. He was a sweet, forgetful boy who, unsurprisingly, had misplaced his booklist and was being told off by his ever-formidable grandmother. After Gwen had given Neville her booklist, feeling quite intimidated under his grandmother's gaze, Harry checked they were out of earshot and mentioned, quietly, that he hoped that she never found out he had pretended to be Neville when he had been on the run from the Ministry. Gwen tried to suppress a giggle.

They'd also seen Theodore Nott, who was happy enough to greet Gwen with his charming smile. She'd never seen him or Harry interact before, but she guessed, from the tense atmosphere, that there was some sort of rivalry. Probably due to the fact that Theo was friends with Draco Malfoy. Both Harry and Gwen were glad they hadn't seen him.

It was on the last day of the holidays, when Gwen and Harry were deciding where they were going for lunch, that someone yelled their names from behind.

'Harry! Gwen!'

There they were, both of them, sitting outside Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour -- Ron looked incredibly freckly and Hermione very tanned, both waving at them.

'Finally!' said Ron as Harry and Gwen joined them, sharing hugs and greetings. 'We went to the Leaky Cauldron but they said you'd both left, then Flourish and Blotts and Madam Malkin's--'

'We got all our school stuff last week,' Harry said. 'How did you know we're staying at the Leaky Cauldron?'

'Dad,' said Ron simply. Makes sense, Gwen thought. Mr Weasley worked at the Ministry of Magic, and would, of course, had heard Harry's story with his aunt.

'Did you really blow up your aunt, Harry?' Hermione said seriously.

'I didn't mean to,' said Harry, while Ron howled with laughter and Gwen found herself laughing again. 'I just-- lost control.'