Chapter 2- Not Again
"Lupin?" Harry said weakly, as a wave of relief washed over him. His heart was beating madly from the excitement and a smile was slowly spreading over his face as he looked up into the age-worn face of his dad's friend- his friend. "What are you doing here?"
Lupin beamed back at Harry before answering, "We just came to retrieve you. Dumbledore thought that you might have had enough of the Dursley's to last you this year, although I reckon you've had enough to last you your whole life. Well, I'm glad to see that you're on your guard, although it really wasn't necessary to knock Arthur out."
"That was Mr. Weasley?" Harry asked, his face flushing. "I-I-I didn't know-I mean- I never meant to-"
"It's alright Harry," Lupin said. "As I said, at least you're on your guard. It could have been worse. Mind you, we didn't mean to land upstairs like that. I suppose that it gave you quite a nervous fright to hear us landing up there."
"Yeah, it did a bit," Harry admitted.
"Well, I'm just going to get Arthur up here and then we'll accompany you to get your things," replied Lupin. Harry was grateful of the change of subject. "Ennervate!" said Lupin as he helped Mr. Weasley up off the ground.
"Sorry about that Mr. Weasley," Harry said as soon as he was standing again. "I couldn't recognize you in the dark."
"Oh, that's quite alright Harry, don't worry about it. Though I must say, you seem to have mastered that spell," said Mr. Weasley as he smiled kindly down at Harry.
A few minutes later they were walking up to the Dursley's house, at which point Harry hesitated.
"They won't be happy to see you," Harry explained. "Perhaps you should just stay out here. I'll be right back down."
"Oh, that's quite alright Harry," Lupin replied. "They won't do anything- not for lack of trying. Uh, Arthur, why don't you stay out here?" he added as an afterthought. With a quick glance between Mr. Weasley and Lupin that Harry just managed to catch Mr. Weasley nodded and Lupin and Harry continued up the path to the front door. Harry took a deep breath as he imagined what would happen when the Dursley's saw Lupin with him, smiled to himself, and led Lupin through the door.
Shutting the door behind them, Harry turned and walked down the hall to the kitchen where the Dursleys were sitting, watching the television and eating.
As he entered the kitchen his very large, temperamental uncle greeted him with a harsh, "There you are, boy. Decided to take your time coming back to the house tonight, did you? Well, unfortunately for you you've just missed dinner. Where were you anyway? Vandalizing the street signs or some rubbish, I suppose?"
Harry, who was quite used to his uncle's accusations, calmly replied, "No, I was at Mrs. Figgs'. It's Friday." And then he added quickly, so that it all came out as one mumbled word, "OhandI'mleaving."
"What was that you said?" Uncle Vernon asked as he turned his beady eyes towards Harry. "Speak up boy."
Remembering that Lupin was standing right out in the hallway behind him, Harry repeated more confidently, "I'm leaving."
At these words Dudley, who had been poking at his salad while eyeing his father's pudding, looked up at Harry in interest. Aunt Petunia also decided to look up from the show she was watching to look at Harry, a quizzical look on her face.
"What do you mean, you're leaving?" she asked.
But before Harry could reply, he heard a voice from behind him answer, "He means, he is leaving. His stay is up."
Lupin stepped into the kitchen and put a hand on Harry's shoulder.
"Who the bloody hell are you?" Uncle Vernon demanded. He was clearly quite upset that a strange man was standing in his kitchen.
"My name is Remus Lupin, and I'm a friend of Harry's who is here to bring him back to the wizarding world. Of course, you don't mind, do you?"
At these words Aunt Petunia piped up, "But the time is not yet right."
Harry looked at her, puzzled by this unexpected statement. Surely she didn't know… the prophecy… how could she?
"Dumbledore has agreed that now is a good time," said Lupin calmly, as if his wizard-hating Aunt's response was nothing out-of-the-ordinary.
Uncle Vernon, always hating being kept out of the loop angrily shouted, "What is going on here? Who are you to just come in and take him, eh? And who is this Dumleebore person?"
Surprising Harry even more, Aunt Petunia spoke up again. "Let him go."
Harry goggled at his aunt. What was she doing standing up for him? Then, just as he thought he saw a bit of his mother in her sister, she continued. "It's an excuse to get rid of him early after all."
That was more like it. Harry could tell that Uncle Vernon saw her point and agreed fully, and that it was tormenting him that Harry got to do something he wanted at the same time.
"Oh alright," he finally spat, "Go on and leave. It's one less mouth to feed."
Harry didn't even stick around long enough to say thank you; he was down the hall and up the stairs into his room in a matter of seconds. Harry grabbed his books and clothes and shoved them in his trunk, before turning and letting Hedwig out of her cage.
"We're out of here girl," he told her as he stroked her back with his finger. "Just meet us at the Order Headquarters, alright?"
She hooted softly to show her compliance and took off through the open window with a flutter of wings. Harry watched her for a few seconds, flying away into the sunset. He wished he could do just that so many times, just fly away on his broom with his best friend by his side….
He snapped out of his dream and went to latch the window shut just when he caught sight of Mr. Weasley below. But what he saw made him do a double-take. Mr. Weasley wasn't alone- there were three tall, dark, hooded figures hovering over him, and Mr. Weasley was on the ground cowering in their shadow. One of the Dementors bent down over him as it lowered its hood with clammy, scabbed, rotting hands and went to administer the Kiss. Harry didn't even have time to think- he whipped his wand out of his pocket and summoned up the image of Hermione and Ron waving and smiling at him and shouted into the still night, "Expecto Patronum!" pointing his wand at the Dementors as a silver stag erupted from the end and charged at the Dementors, knocking them back. The three figures glided off into the night, leaving Mr. Weasley whimpering on the ground behind them. Harry sprinted out of his room, bounding down the stairs and yelling to Lupin, who was now sitting in the living room, conversing quietly with Aunt Petunia. Harry only had a second to notice how odd this was before the thought was pushed aside by more pressing matters.
"Lupin!" he yelled, panting. "It's Mr. Weasley! He's been attacked- Dementors…"
Lupin looked up with alarm at Harry and quickly stood up, following Harry through the door into the front yard. Yet, someone else had reached him before they did; a tall, thin man with brown hair and blue eyes was kneeling next to Mr. Weasley, feeding him a piece of chocolate and helping him onto his feet.
Harry wondered who the man was and where he came from, but before he could ask Lupin swiftly spoke.
"Selbbit, did you see where they came from?"
The man helped support Mr. Weasley as he answered, "No, I did not. All I know is that I felt the chill, and I knew what that meant. Unfortunately, I didn't get here in time to help Arthur. Fortunately, Harry here did."
Lupin turned abruptly to Harry, asking, "Did you fight off the Dementors, Harry?"
Harry answered, "Yes, I did. I saw them through my window surrounding Mr. Weasley and so of course I reacted."
Lupin heaved a deep sigh and ran his hands through his hair, which caught Harry completely off guard. Sure, he hadn't been expecting a party or anything, but he thought that they would have at least been happy he had saved Mr. Weasley's life.
Trying to voice his confusion, Harry asked, "What's wrong? They were about to administer their Kiss, I had to do something!" his voice slowly rising.
Looking over at Mr. Weasley, Lupin said, "Perhaps we should get inside. Selbbit, you're welcome to come in, of course. I'll explain everything inside, Harry," he added, sensing that Harry was about to start asking questions again, as Harry obediently snapped his jaw back up again. Selbbit nodded and helped Mr. Weasley in, followed closely by Lupin and Harry. After they sat down in the living room, Aunt Petunia came into the room, with a worried look covering her stark-white face. Lupin turned to her and said, "Send a message to Dumbledore. Inform him that three Dementors were present upon our arrival and that we will be arriving at headquarters soon by means of floo powder instead of flying."
Harry stared, his jaw wide open as his aunt simply nodded and exited the room as if Lupin had simply asked her to shut the door behind her, not contact Dumbledore. Something weird was going on, he was sure of it.