The Dark Phoenix

Next morning Harry was awakened by Hedwig landing on his bed. Sleepily he put out a finger and Hedwig affectionately nipped back. "Ow! Hedwig!.... Oh, it's not your fault. I er, hurt my hands yesterday." Harry noticed something was tied to Hedwig's leg. Harry quickly reached for his glasses. Hedwig had two letters. He pulled off his bandages and his hands looked much better, but still sore, and gingerly opened Ron's letter first.

Harry,

Took the liberty of borrowing Hedwig she has been delivering mail between me and Hermione. That's why she's been gone several days. We've been working out a way to get you to the Burrow and spend a couple of weeks. That way you can spend your birthday here. Maybe you could spend the rest of the summer. Hermione says she can pick you up this Sunday if all works out. Hedwig should have Hermione's letter too, with the details.

Your Best Friend,

Ron

'Yeah, that sounded great!' He quickly opened Hermione's letter.

Harry,

Hope this letter finds you well. Ron has extended you an invitation to stay at the Burrow. He told me about the last time he and his family came to get you by Floo. Sounds like it was a disaster. My parents and I can pick you up Sunday, by car. You can then go to Ron's from our house. Let me know as soon as you can, by Hedwig or phone.

Love,

Hermione

'How am I going to get to Ron's house, from Hermione's?' It didn't matter. He was sure Hermione had it all worked out. He figured he would ask about going to Ron's at breakfast.

Before Harry got downstairs he could here his uncle blustering, "Got a large order from John Dashel two weeks ago and then he calls up yesterday and cancels. Now I've got stock laying around, all those drill bits are nothing but dead weight. It's cost me money, it has. I tell you, I don't think he ever intended to make good on that order. He as much as lied to me. Probably in cahoots with one of my competitors." swore, and said "I surely wish I could tell when someone was lying to me."

"Dear, I'm sorry it upsets you so much. You told me all about it last night before bed." As Harry came into the kitchen Petunia said in her usual sternness toward Harry, "It's about time you got up. Let's see those hands." Harry turned his hands up. "Better than yesterday. Now go pour some more coffee."

As Harry poured coffee, "I was wondering if I could spend the next two weeks at the Weasley's, starting Sunday?"

As Harry expected, this started things.

suddenly put his hands over his mouth, and then over his large rear end. He went sporadically back and forth finally settling for one hand over his mouth and the other on his rear. He was undoubtedly remembering the Ton-Tongue Toffee candy the twins had baited him with that made his tongue grow over a foot long and the time Hagrid had given him a pig's tail.

spouted, "Balderdash! Those people are not coming into this house!" Petunia chimed in, "After what happened to they are most certainly not welcome here." Talking almost at the same time and carrying on with a few other things and about how he would not be seen taking Harry anywhere near where such people lived before Vernon ended it with "So, just how do you expect to get to the Weasels?"

"Er, that's Weasley's. And, um, the Granger's would pick me up." Quickly adding, "By car."

"I'll not tolerate strange looking people coming up to this house" stated flatly. "Nor through the fireplace!"

"The Granger's are dentists. You know, regular dentists. Their daughter, Hermione is in the same House, er, class. And then I would go to the Weasley's from their house. So it wouldn't look strange or anything."

"Let me see that I understand this," said breathing heavily after his outburst. "The Granger's are dentists, and their daughter is a, uh, the strange one." Harry nodded, but didn't like Hermione being called strange. "Well, they've got my sympathy. Just two weeks? Aunt Marge is coming to stay a week in August. It would be a shame if you were around, especially after what happened the last time she was here."

Harry remembered. At the time it was quite grim. Aunt Marge — more correctly, was Dudley's aunt since Marge was 's sister — Harry had some how blown her up like a big balloon floating over the dining room table. The things she had said about his parents had made him so angry. The ministry of magic had smoothed the whole thing over with the Dursley's. It was almost funny now. Well, almost. "Certainly, I could spend the rest of the summer at the Weasley's or the Granger's." The last thing he said, about staying at the Granger's, he wasn't sure how he felt that might work out. He knew he was most welcome at the Weasley's. Maybe it was just the desperation of staying away from aunt Marge. "I'll just call the Granger's, by phone, and let them know."

Harry called Hermione's number and a woman's voice answered, "Granger's, this is Katherine"

"Oh, ah, hello Mrs. Granger this is Harry, Harry Potter. And I was calling to say that it would be all right to pick me up on Sunday."

"Harry, so glad you called. David and Hermione can pick you up at ten o'clock on Sunday. If the time works?"

"Sure, that's fine"

"Good, I'm looking forward to meeting you. That's number four, , correct?"

"Yes, that's right"

"We'll see you Sunday then. Bye"

"Bye, Mrs. Granger."

Harry went back to the dining room. "All set, ten o'clock Sunday"

gave an affirmative grunt in response. "By the way we're taking to get some new clothes on Saturday. Reward for losing twenty pounds this summer." Harry was incredulous. If had lost twenty pounds, what did he look like before the summer? "If you would like to come along, Petunia thought we might buy you a shirt or something since you've done a little work around the house this summer."

'What?' Harry always got Dudley's hand me downs, but had gotten so large that anything Harry got fit rather loose indeed. As for buying him something. Well, he probably saved over a hundred pounds getting that stump out, not to mention painting the house. But, they might want a say in what they got him, and he was well aware of the Dursley's tastes. "If it's all right, I could buy my own."

They all looked at him in surprise. piped up, "Where would you get any money?"

"It's what I've been buying my school supplies with for the past four years."

"We thought your school had some sort of charity program, or that overgrown hairy excuse for a human being was giving you money. He thought so much of your parents and all," said sarcastically and laced with suspicion. All three of the Dursleys were looking a little unnerved.

Hmmm, 'Hairy and overgrown' must be referring to Hagrid which was sort of true, but the 'excuse for a human being' was stretching thin. In Harry's mind Hagrid was more human than the Dursleys. He made a mental note to send Hagrid an owl, but he wasn't sure whether Hagrid could send one back. He and Madame Olympe had left on a secretive trip for Dumbledore over the summer and he wondered if Hagrid would make it back for the school year to teach Care of Magical Creatures.

"All I would need is to be dropped off on the street in front of the Leaky . . ., I can show you where. It shouldn't take more than twenty minutes."

Saturday morning came and the Dursley's parked and let Harry disappear down the walk, quite literally to the Dursley's perspective. One second he was there and the next, he was gone. No one else on the sidewalk seemed to notice. Quickly through the Leaky Cauldron and into Diagon Alley. Tom, the bartender of the Leaky Cauldron barely had chance to say hello before he was gone. Straight to Gringotts, to his vault and back. He got part of his wizard money changed to muggle money. The Goblin changing his money seemed suspicious but Goblins were always suspicious. He knew twenty minutes didn't give him much time but didn't want to try his aunt and uncle's patience. Just before he was about to exit Diagon Alley he heard a raspy old voice on a side street.

"Yes, it's a discerning pen, looks just like a muggle fountain pen. Can tell when someone 's lying, it can."

Harry stopped and looked. Some wizard was selling charmed muggle items, probably illegal. The old codger looked as though he would rather feel how much was in your money bag as look at you. His potential customer shook his head no, and walked away. Harry didn't really have time, still.

Walking up to the merchant, Harry asked, "How does it work?" The fella eyed Harry like a tasty morsel.

"Here ya ar', m' young wizard. Take 'is 'ere piece of parchment an' ta pen. Na' say somethin' that ya know ta be true while ya write or scrawl.

Harry spelled out the words as he said them, "I like to play Quidditch". Nice rich black ink came out, but nothing unusual.

"Na' say somethin' ya know to be a lie," said the merchant.

Harry stroked some lines as he said, "My name is Mary Poppins". The ink was turning red as it came out of the pen. "Interesting," said Harry.

"A' two Galleons i' wo' b' robbery on yer part"

"So, two Galleons is a fair price?" looking him in the eye but still moving the pen.

"Withow a doubt" said the merchant with a slight grin.

"Would fifteen Sickles be a fairer price?" asked Harry again looking down where he was scribbling.

"Wha'!" losing his grin and suddenly realizing what Harry was doing.

"Fifteen sickles it is," said Harry with a little triumph, and handed the wizard his money. The old codger quickly took the money with disgust.

Now he was most certainly late and rushed through the Leaky Cauldron, " 'lo Tom," as he went by. Tom just waved.

Back at the car, "You're late" grunted Vernon.

"Sorry," said Harry.

"Harry, do you have a lot of money?" asked Dudley. Evidently it was the question that was on all their minds because Petunia and Vernon were looking at him as well.

"Only a little" said Harry grimacing. He didn't think it quite the thing to do. To tell them he had more wizarding money in his vault than he could count in several days. But his response seemed to satisfy his aunt and uncle who could hardly believe he had anything at all.

Shopping went well. He got some decent clothes for a change. He was really looking forward to seeing Hermione and Ron on Sunday.

That evening Harry waited until Petunia and Dudley had gone to bed and uncle Vernon was in the living room reading his business magazine. "Say uncle Vernon I bought you a pen," and handed the pen to him.

"A fountain pen? A ballpoint or felt tip would be more useful and it looks a little used."

Harry handed him a pad, "Give it a try, it writes better than it looks." Vernon started putting down some lines and circles. It did write rather well. "It's called a discerning pen. Now, if someone were to tell you a lie. For example, 'My name is Mary Poppins'. The color changes to red."

looked at the ink coming out of the pen as it changed from black to red at Harry's lie. Then he froze, looked at the pen, then at Harry. The color drained from his face and looked at the pen as though it were a poisonous snake. He dropped it on the floor in front of him and tried to scoot his oversized body back into the normal sized chair. "Good God, boy! Get that thing away from me. And of all things, you handed it to me! You know I will not tolerate anything to do with that sort of stuff, your sort of stuff. What on earth do you think you're doing?"

Harry ignored his uncle's outburst. It was what he expected. He knew his uncle detested anything to do with magic. He couldn't even bring himself to say the word magic. It was bad enough for him that Harry had to be under his roof for part of the summer, Harry being a wizard. Nonchalantly Harry walked over and picked up the pen off the floor. "Oh well, I thought maybe you'd like to know when someone was lying to you. Might've saved you from another bogus order, you know, all that money tied up in stock that isn't moving." Harry was walking away while saying all this.

"Ah, Ah, Harry. Wait just a minute." Harry turned barely managing to keep a straight face as was having a struggle of monumental proportions going on in his head. His left eyebrow was twitching as his large mustache was puffed out more than usual. And with the look on his face you'd have thought he was trying to pass a kidney stone.

"Is everything all right , dear?" Aunt Petunia and Dudley were on the stairs. They evidently heard uncle 's outburst and were wondering what Harry had done now. In fact, was sitting on some steps, his plump and pudgy face was looking through a couple spindles of the banister hoping this was true.

was regaining his composure, "Nothing, nothing, just stubbed my toe against the chair." He reached down and rubbed a foot.

"Do be careful, and come to bed. It's getting late." Petunia and a disappointed went back upstairs.

watched and listened. He waited until they were both upstairs and out of earshot before he continued. But looked at the curtain drawn windows and said in a voice as though he were afraid a neighbor might have their ear against the screen "You say it can tell if someone is lying?" Then, as though he were in great pain, he said through gritted teeth "Bring it here, let's have another look at it." Uncle Vernon reached out and took the pen as if it would certainly do him in at the slightest touch. He timidly started scratching on the pad again. "My name is Vernon Dursley. I hate to make money." He paused and then said with a little more confidence, "John Dashel is a scoundrel. I like losing money," gave a small chuckle. He looked up at Harry with a very grave look and spoke each word distinctly, "You won't tell anyone about this pen. That it's mm . . mm . .". He couldn't bring himself to say the word 'magic'. "That it's unusual. Right?"

"No sir, I will not"

"Wait a sec, say that again" as he started scribbling.

"I swear I will not say there is anything unusual about that pen"

looked down at the pad and grunted, satisfied, that the ink was black. Harry headed upstairs, back to his room, he could hear behind him stating something truthful followed by making up a lie and then chuckling as he scribbled on his pad. "Your welcome" Harry said softly.