Chapter 496: Hermione Arrives at Privet Drive
Chapter 496: Hermione Arrives at Privet Drive
Meanwhile, at Number 4, Privet Drive.
“So, that guy, he got himself a job?” Uncle Vernon asked, his eyes wide with disbelief.
“Yeah,” Harry said listlessly. He thought it was a good thing that Sirius was working at the Ministry of Magic, considering that, to Harry's knowledge, Sirius had never had a proper job before, except for a few months as an assistant teacher at a Muggle school.
In Harry's imagination, his godfather would have a regular job like Mr. Weasley, with set hours and a steady routine. But he had overlooked one crucial point: things were different now, completely different. He hadn't seen Sirius in days.
In the first few days of the holidays, Sirius had been happy to sit down with Harry and mock how he had pranked Headmistress Amelia (though it wasn't right), and how he had outwitted her in their verbal sparring. It was clear that Sirius took this rivalry very seriously, treating it like a boxing match where the opponents went back and forth.
But soon, almost visibly, the time Sirius spent with Harry drastically decreased.
One day, Harry stayed at Sirius's apartment until eleven at night and still didn't see Sirius return. This made Harry extremely anxious. Had something gone wrong? His heart twisted with worry, and all sorts of terrible thoughts flooded his mind. Harry tried hard to convince himself that Sirius had been detained by some urgent matter. It took a lot of self-control not to act on impulse. Instead, he returned to the Dursleys' house, tossing and turning all night. At the first light of dawn, he jumped out of bed, skipped breakfast, and rushed to Sirius's apartment, winded and breathless.
No one was there.
Harry was so panicked that he wanted to Apparate to The Burrow or Diagon Alley... He even pulled out his wand, but then he saw a hastily scribbled note on the table. It was quite noticeable, Harry later realized, but his anxiety had clouded his judgment. Thankfully, he didn't act rashly and cause more trouble.
The note reassured Harry. Sirius had returned very late last night and had hoped to rest longer the next day, but he was called away before dawn. Sirius had left the note to explain the situation.
After that, Harry kept trying to find a chance to get Sirius to take the Two-way Mirror with him, so they could stay in touch. But every time he saw his godfather's exhausted face, he couldn't bring himself to mention it.
For the next week, Harry saw Sirius only twice, and each time, Sirius returned very late. Sirius's eyes were puffy, and he would start dozing off after a few words. When Harry offered him some chips, Sirius absentmindedly tried to stuff them up his nose.
...
“What kind of job does he have now?” Uncle Vernon asked at the dinner table.
“Not much,” Harry said, trying to sound calm, “he's an assistant to the Minister of Magic.”
The Dursleys looked puzzled.
“It's like being a secretary to the Muggle Prime Minister,” Harry explained, satisfied to see their surprised expressions. He tried not to let his pride show too much, “It's not a big deal. His last job was as a Teaching Assistant at a school. Dudley should know all about it, right?”
Dudley immediately choked on his dry salad and started coughing.
“Boy, what did you do!” Uncle Vernon glared at Harry, while Aunt Petunia patted Dudley's back, cooing, “Diddykins, what's wrong? Did you choke on your food?” Dudley's face turned red, and he used his meaty arm to push Aunt Petunia's thin arm away, his shoulders heaving.
Though tempted to watch for a bit longer, Uncle Vernon's face had turned a deep purple, as if he were the one choking on the salad. His fingers curled and uncurled, as if he were about to lunge across the table and strangle Harry.
“I didn't do anything,” Harry said quickly, “I guess he just misses the Teaching Assistant who taught him for half a year.” He met Uncle Vernon's beady eyes, “Yeah, Sirius's last job was teaching at a place called Mestin School.”
“It's Smeltings!” Uncle Vernon roared. It was his alma mater, and he was very proud that Dudley attended it.
Dinner turned into a chaotic mess. Uncle Vernon's reaction to Sirius being at his and Dudley's alma mater was far more intense than Harry had expected. He seemed to think that the Wizards (whom he called freaks) were finally targeting his precious son, “They're going to monitor us in every way possible?”
Aunt Petunia also started screeching and began to berate Harry. It was strange how she could cry and speak such venomous words so clearly.
“It was just a coincidence,” Harry explained, “Sirius took the job at the Muggle school to gain experience. He's planning to teach at Hogwarts next year. And he's already quit.”
“That hippie could be a professor?” Uncle Vernon said with a sneer. By this time, Dudley had stopped coughing and was now hiccuping occasionally. Uncle Vernon grumbled in dissatisfaction, “Look at you people! You have schools and a government—how many of you are there?” He asked, turning on the television.
"Probably a few tens of thousands", Harry said dryly.
"No wonder", Uncle Vernon exclaimed, as if all his previous questions had finally found an answer. He seemed to want to say more, but the evening news on the television caught his attention. "Citizens have nothing to worry about! The slowdown in economic growth and the rise in unemployment are temporary. Things will improve soon..." The man on TV was speaking with a strained voice.
"Only an idiot would believe him!" Uncle Vernon’s attention was fully on the television. "This prime minister is terrible..."
Harry glanced at the screen and was immediately drawn to the person standing next to the prime minister. A tall, dark-skinned man in a dark suit, exuding a sense of stability and authority. Harry looked again, and yes, it was Kingsley Shacklebolt.
What was going on? Harry couldn’t believe his eyes. He stared at the screen, but the camera remained fixed on the prime minister’s face for the next few seconds, not showing the man beside him. Harry grew increasingly anxious, fidgeting with frustration.
When the prime minister finished his rambling speech, wiped his bald forehead with a handkerchief, and prepared to leave, the camera finally panned to the person next to him. Harry held his breath and confirmed it again and again. He hadn’t been mistaken.
"Still watching the news?" Uncle Vernon snapped at Harry, his voice full of disdain. "Damn it, why would our news have anything to do with your kind—"
"Quite a shame", Harry said calmly, pointing at the TV. "I just saw someone I know." He shrugged at Uncle Vernon’s stunned expression. "Yes, it seems Wizards and Muggles are more connected than you think..."
Before Uncle Vernon could explode again, Harry hurried back to his room. He lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling. Sirius should still be at work, but he could check in an hour... The challenge was how to pass the time. Harry picked up a small purple booklet from beside his pillow. The cover bore bold text:
The War Survival Guide — Authorized by the Ministry of Magic: Protecting Your Home and Family from Dark Magic
Harry flipped to the first page, which contained a table of contents:
The Wizarding world is currently under threat from a group calling themselves Death Eaters. Following these simple safety guidelines will help protect you, your family, and your home from attack.
1. Do not leave home alone.
2. Be extra cautious at night. Try to return before dark if you go out.
3. Check the security around your home and ensure everyone in the family knows emergency measures, such as using the Shield Charm, Disillusionment Charm, etc. Unaccompanied minors should learn Side-Along Apparition.
4. Agree on a safety code with friends and family to identify Death Eaters using Polyjuice Potion (see page 2).
5. If possible, learn the Light Fiendfyre spell to counter dark magic.
...
At some point, a tapping sound came from the window.
Harry sat up abruptly, not even noticing the booklet fall to the floor. He looked towards the source of the sound and saw a flattened, ginger head pressed against the glass. He nearly fell off the bed in surprise.
"Crookshanks?" he exclaimed, rushing to the window and opening it. The ginger cat jumped onto the windowsill and meowed at him.
"Crookshanks, how did you get here? Did Hermione send you a message? But that’s such a long way..." Harry said, feeling a bit lost.
Crookshanks licked his paw and pointed outside.
Harry turned his head mechanically and looked out the window. His eyes widened in shock.
Hermione was standing by the flower bed of Number 4 Privet Drive, holding a suitcase in one hand and waving frantically with the other.
Harry rushed downstairs, Crookshanks following behind, ignoring the calls of Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia. He burst out the door and ran to Hermione.
"Y-You, how did you—?" Harry panted.
"I wrote to the professor to ask where I could cast spells without any concerns", Hermione said, smoothing her hair, looking happy.
"But I can’t—cast—here either", Harry panted, swallowing hard. "Sirius isn’t home during the day."
"I know, the place the professor mentioned isn’t here", Hermione said.
"Then, um, are you here to say goodbye?" Harry asked, a bit disappointed. He had hoped for some company.
"Didn’t anyone tell you?" Hermione asked, surprised. "We’re leaving together."
(End of Chapter)
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