CHAPTER SIXTY FIVE
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-: fourth year :-
── IN WHICH PRIVET DRIVE
IS LEFT BEHIND
. . .
Someone had lit their wand, and Harry was now staring at a rather strange assortment of people. Professor Lupin, Mad-Eye Moody and a group of witches and wizards he didn't recognise at all, one with violently violet hair, another one bald.
He had been baraged with compliments - or comments - that he looked exactly like his father, and faced with a roar from Moody, who he hadn't properly met until now, about keeping his wand in the back pocket of his jeans. And now, he was stood in the kitchen of Privet Drive, stood in from of Lupin after he asked the form of his Patronus- Moody was suspicious that he was a Death Eater, which he quite clearly wasn't.
"A stag." Harry confirmed, eyes glancing around the group. "It's a stag."
A look of relief spread over Lupin's face and he stepped forward, hugging Harry. "It's good to see you." He smiled, stepping back. "I've heard from Sirius that you've had quite the interesting summer."
"You've spoken to Sirius?" Harry asked, still unable to believe that there was a group of wizards in the Dursleys' kitchen. "And you know about-"
"Jane." Lupin grinned. "Of course you and Edward's daughter found each other. I don't know how they didn't expect it at all, Florence should've know it would have happened at some point."
"Edward... Flora? What?" Harry blinked, confusion growing. "What - what's going on? Is she okay? She's not hurt is she? And you're really lucky the Dursleys' aren't in by the way."
"All in due time." Remus patted Harry on the arm before stepping back, revealling the purple-haired witch as she laughed.
"Lucky, ha!" The violet-haired woman laughed. "It was me thatlured them out of the way. Sent a letter by Muggle post tellingthem they'd been short-listed for the All-England Best-KeptSuburban Lawn Competition. They're heading off to the prize giving right now.. Or they think they are."
Harry smiled at the image forming in his mind of the Dursleys realising that there wasn't any award at all. "But Jane - she is okay, isn't she? She's alright, right? Not hurt or - or-"
"No Harry, she's alright." There was a pop beside him and he jumped out of his skin to see Flora stood between him and Moody. "I've told her everything, and I suspect she'll eventually tell you to."
The Potter boy had not felt this relieved in a long time, and let out a sigh, settling against the fridge. His hand loosened around his wand and Flora smiled, glad to see the reaction. "I trust some of you have heard about my daughter?"
"Couldn't quite believe it when I heard." Another one of the wizards in the group chimed in. "But then you turned up on my brother's doorstep with Harry Potter and Jane Everleigh - after everything that happened - with the proclamation of her being your daughter... it was a surprise."
"Well, it was a change." Harry felt as thoughh he was watching a tennis game, head bouncing back and forth between conversations. Flora noticed the confusion. "Harry, this is Elphias, the brother of Orson."
"Hi.." Harry greeted him, watching as the man leaned forward to shake his hand thoroughly. "We're leaving now, aren't we?"
"Almost at once." Lupin replied. "we're just waiting for the all-clear." "
Where are we going? The Burrow?" Harry askedhopefully.
"Not the Burrow, no." Remus replied. "It's too risky. We've set up headquarters somewhere undetectable. It's taken a while..." Mad-Eye Moody was now sitting at the kitchen table swigging from a hip flask, his magical eye spinning in all directions, taking in the Dursleys' many muggle appliances. "This is Alastor Moody, Harry," Lupin continued, pointing towards Moody.
"Yeah, I know" Harry nodded. He felt strange, to think that he thought he had known him for a year.
"And this is Nymphadora-"
Harry watched in wonder as the woman protested against being called that, instead preferring just 'Tonks' - her hair had turned red as she said it. Then, he was introduced to Dedalus Diggle, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Hestia Jones, Sturgis Podmore and Emmeline Vance, and found out that there had been a large amount who had offered to come and rescue him.
Unaware of what exactly they were waiting for, Harry listened as the conversation turned towards the muggles he lived with, then how Moody's false eye wasn't functioning properly after Barty Crouch Jr. wore it for a year - and Harry had to get him a glass of water for him to soak it in. Then, he was instructed to go and pack, and to make sure his brought his Firebolt with him, as they would be using brooms to get to wherever they were going.
Tonks had joined him, following him up the stair and commenting on the neatness of the Muggle home. She much preferred his room, which was far too messy for Harry's own liking, and it made a little harder to find everything he needed.
Quick conversation let him know that she had changed her hair colour because she was a Metamorphagus, and - a fact which impressed him greatly - she was an Auror. "Bet you wouldn't mind hiding that scar sometimes, eh?" She asked, watching as Harry's hand absentmindedly reached up towards it.
There was a tingle behind the mark. "I don't know, really. I actually quite like it for now. Ask me in a month or two and I might change my mind." Harry shrugged, reaching for his school jumper, which was screwed up in the corner.
"Well, you'll have to learn the hard way, I'm afraid," saidTonks. "Metamorphmagi are really rare, they're born, not made. Most wizards need to use a wand or potions to change their appearance.... But we've got to get going, Harry, we're supposed to be packing," she added guiltily, looking around at all the mess on the floor. Harry nodded, quickly reaching to get another jumper, which Tonks proceeded to knock out of his hands. "Don't be stupid, it'll be much quicker if I pack!" She announced, waving her wand in a long, sweeping movement overthe floor.
Books, clothes, telescope, and scales all soared into the airand flew all jumbled into the trunk. This was all his school stuff, and carefully he picked up a few bits that didn't fall into that category - namedly the birthday presents he'd recieved, tucking the bag carefully into a corner. Tonks had been wittering on about how mum was better at the spell then she was, but suddenly fell silent when she saw him do so.
"That's from your girlfriend, right?" Tonks raised her eyebrows, crouching down to peer in it. "She's the Squib one, right? I think I met her mum once - I was visiting the Ministry with my dad. Jane, isn't it."
"Yeah." Harry wasn't particularly in the mood to elaborate on the contents, the good memory seeming so far away. Now that he had confirmation that Jane was alright, he didn't even care that much he was leaving Privet Drive. He just wanted to return to their usual days together, where he didn't have to worry about anything but when he was going to tell Jane he was a wizard. And now she had been told, in the most awful way he could imagine.
"She sounds nice. I've known Flora all my life as well.. she wasn't really the type for kids, but I found out that she had taken Jane out of the home in the end of the June and I supposed I couldn't imagine anyone horrible with her. Dumbledore was talking about it and everything. Suppose you'll find out more soon." Tonks continued on, reaching for Hedwig's cage and pointing her wand at it, making sure it was clean.
"Dumbledore knows about Jane?" Harry was getting more and more confused by her situation as the seconds went by.
"Well of course. Dumbledore and Florence are the only ones who did." Tonks didn't go any further, even though she saw Harry's expression as he reached for the handle of his broom. "Oooh - is that a Firebolt? No way.. and I'm still on a Comet Two-Sixty."
Harry flushed as her eyes widened as they fell on the broomstick in Harry'sright hand. It was his pride and joy, a gift from Sirius, an international standard broomstick. "Ah well..." Tonks let out a sigh. "Right... wand still in your jeans? Both buttocks still on? Okay, let's go. Locomotor Trunk."
Harry's trunk rose a few inches into the air. Holding her wand like a conductor's baton, Tonks made it hover across the room and out of the door ahead of them, Hedwig's cage in her left hand and Harry followed her down the stairs whilst carrying his broomstick.
Back in the kitchen, Moody had replaced his eye, which was spinning so fast after its cleaning it made him feel sick. Kingsley Shacklebolt and Sturgis Podmore were examining them icrowave and Hestia Jones was laughing at a potato peeler she had come across while rummaging in the drawers.
Remus was sealing a letter addressed to the Dursleys, Flora muttering something to him as she read over his shoulder. Seeing him come in, Florence tapped his shoulder and they straightened up. It looked oddly like McGonagall and Lupin sat next to each other in the Great Hall in third year, and Harry blinked suddenly, the picture reverting back.
"Excellent." Lupin looked up with Flora's nudge. "We've got about a minute, I think. We should probably get out into the garden so we're ready. Harry, I've left a letter telling your aunt and uncle not to worry-"
"They won't," said Harry.
"That you're safe -" Remus tried.
"That'll just depress them." Harry wasn't helping him out at all.
"- and you'll see them next summer."
"Do I have to?"
Lupin smiled but made no answer. Harry only partially meant that - of course he wanted to come back, but now that Jane knew, maybe he could stay in the manor as opposed to the Dursley house. Or, he could only hope.
"Come here, boy." Moody commanded gruffly, beckoning Harry towards him with his wand. "I need to Disillusion you."
Minutes later, after the charm had been cast and Harry was now a human chameleon, they made their way outside, and Flora came to a stop beside him. She had been examining his expression every now and then, saw the worry in his eyes.
Glancing at the group, she pulled him away from them for a moment, still clutching his broom. "Flora!" Mad-Eye called after her. "We need to go, now."
"Just a minute, Alastor." Florence waved him away, before turning to Harry and placed her hands on his shoulders. "Harry, don't worry about Jane, okay? I've explained everything to her, nothing bad will come to her."
"Florence!"
"Shut it, Mad-Eye. Harry, have you got that? Don't worry about it."
Wide-eyed behind his glasses, Harry nodded and swallowed. "I've got it.. I - I wanted to explain everything to her." He hurried out.
"Go, get on your broom. She'll understand and you know it." Florence continued to reassure him.
"Florence." Mad-Eye growled, and Flora rolled her eyes at the man, prying the broom from Harry's hands and flipping it so that it was in the right position for him to get on.
"I left something for her at our old meeting place." Harry quickly said, taking the hint and climbing onto the Firebolt, feeling right at home on the broom and wishing he could've brought Jane on it.
"I'll make sure she gets it." Florence confirmed, standing back and listening as Moody explained the plan to Harry, and when they finally kicked off up into the clear night sky, he glanced back and saw her waving them off in the garden of Number 4 Privet Drive.
Harry only regretted that she was alone.
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END OF ACT ONE