Unofficial Portkey Archive

A/N: What should've happened way before book 7.

Chapter V: The Talk

Dudley and his gang were still reeling from the Dementors' visit. Harry and Remus ascertained that they would recover without lasting effects, beyond the momentary shock of the experience, and headed back to #4 Privet Drive for the aforementioned world with Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia.

Remus looked at Harry as they drew up to the front door. "Have they changed at all?"

"No," Harry shook his head. "Expect the usual."

Remus sighed -this was not going to be pleasant. Uncle Vernon opened the door.

"You," the venom dripped from the monosyllabic word. "Who have you brought with you now?"

If looks could kill, Remus would have been stricken dead right there and then.

"This is Remus Lupin, uncle Vernon," Harry kept his composure, hardened from years of experience. "He was one of my teachers at school."

"And Harry is a very good student, if I say so myself," Remus made his own vain attempt to break the ice sheet between himself and Harry's uncle.

The tense exchange was interrupted by Dudley shakily walking up the driveway, Pierce and another of his gang in tow.

"Dudley!" Vernon immediately abandoned Harry and Remus and proceeded to nearly waddle over them in order to check on the stricken younger image of himself. `What did they do to you, Dudley!"

"C-c-cold," Dudley stammered, visibly shivering. "D-d-dark, cold, h-h-hopeless," he was making no intelligible sense.

"What did you do to my son!" Uncle Vernon positively roared in Harry's direction.

Remus inwardly admired Harry's strong will. "Nothing," he shrugged, "but if you'll let me explain, I'll tell you what happened."

By this time, aunt Petunia had bustled out of the house, her yellow latex gloves still on her hands, to check on what all the commotion was about.

"Oh, my, Dudley!" she ran in her son's direction and joined Uncle Vernon at his side, almost trying to muscle him out of the way to assume Dudley all to herself.

Her eyes sighted Dudley's two friends. Piece was standing, scrawny, hunched, slightly mistrusting, but scared, while his other friend retained the shocked, blank looked on his face of not being able to comprehend what had just transpired.

"What have you done to my son and his friends?" Aunt Petunia's voice was trembling, not unexpected of her maternal instinct, looking to protect, but Harry still felt irritated at how obtuse his relatives could be to pretend he and his life did not exist, or affect them at all.

It was these rude awakenings he wanted to avoid as much as he could, but sadly the magical world did not work to his beat, and he had to put up with it inevitably.

"Dementors, aunt Petunia," his well-trained patience kicked in to fill the details, "you know what they are."

"What nonsense are you telling your good aunt!" Uncle Vernon snarled, but Harry only spared him a disdainful look.

"They suck away your happiness and good memories to feed off it. Prisoners in Azkaban can be sentenced to a Dementor's Kiss. It drives you mad." He knew none of this would register with Uncle Vernon, but he felt no compulsion to expand what he meant.

"Harry saved your son and his friends," Remus stated simply, cutting off a double-round of retort from Petunia and Vernon.

"Look at him!" Uncle Vernon trembled again, trying to keep his composure. "What do you call that!"

"He will recover," Remus said once more, "he has had a bad fright, but he will recover. The alternative would be complete madness."

Dudley raised a shaking hand at Harry. "He...white light...freak...f-f-flying freaks..."

Pierce's legs had given out and he was sitting on the cool front steps, trying to stop shaking himself. Dudley's other friend continued his vacant stare in space.

"What flying freaks, Duddycums?" Aunt Petunia nearly cooed to her beloved son.

Despite the stress of the situation, Harry could not help but find the situation a little comical, and the corners of his mouth curved in the barest noticeable of smiles. He tried to maintain overall seriousness, though.

By now Remus had accustomed himself to the air of the situation. "I know a way your son, Dudley, will no longer be exposed to this risk."

"How!" from comforting her son, aunt Petunia turned like a cobra, focusing on Remus with a hawk-like stare.

"Harry leaves," Remus said simply, "and doesn't ever come back to your house."

"We can do that?" Vernon positively beamed. "Why couldn't we do it before!"

"Yes, you can do that," Remus said stiffly, affected by Uncle Vernon's second question.

"Great, pack up your trash, boy!" he instinctively went to grab Harry by the scruff of his neck, but Remus' wand jabbed against his swollen gut.

"You'll be a bit more civil to your nephew," he said quietly, but in no uncertain terms.

Uncle Vernon, for his callousness, seemed to appreciate the input.

"Go," he waved Harry off, "and hurry up."

"That's better."

Harry looked at Remus. "I won't be long."

"Good idea, Harry."

He could have jumped and sang all the way back to his room, and repelled all the world's Dementors at that moment.

There was not much to pack. His books and clothes were already packed from Hogwarts and he did not bother to take them out while he was at Privet Drive. Only the few t-shirts and the sentinel pair of jeans he wore in the summers. They were getting short, however, because he had grown considerably over the last year.

He wondered where he might go for the rest of the summer. There was nearly all of it still left to - enjoy! That thought was new, as he put the last shirt in the trunk.

"Hear that, girl?" he turned to Hedwig. "We're outta here!"

If owls could talk, then the response was definitely an enthusiastic hoot.

Trunk, owl and teenage wizard eventually all found their way down. Harry didn't know how to feel about the impromptu goodbye, but elation was a definite ingredient of the mix.

"Aunt Petunia," he acknowledged her with a nod. "Thank you for everything."

"Take care, Harry."

In those three words, Harry felt more feeling from his aunt than any time previously that he had heard her addressing him. Dare he think, it had a shade of genuine concern and care.

"I will."

Dudley had regained some measure of self-control at this point. "T-thanks. Take care."

That was as close as Dudley might ever come to being human, Harry thought to himself. "You too, Dud."

That left Uncle Vernon. He harrumphed something unintelligible. "Goodbye, Uncle Vernon."

There was a noticeable finality in those words that everyone felt. It was a qualitative end -a conclusion, a chapter of Harry's life forever closed.

"Yeah, yeah," Uncle Vernon waved him off, "just go away." And with that, he shuffled back into the house.

He gave Aunt Petunia and Dudley one last look. Despite her attempts to look stone-cold and unfeeling, he could see her eyes glisten just a little bit.

At least she had some humanity left in her.

Harry opened the cage, and Hedwig flew out. She landed on Harry's shoulder, the brilliant white bird that she was. Remus shrunk the cage and the trunk and gave them to Harry.

"So, where are we going now?"

"I've got some chores to finish before I see you again, Harry," Remus told him, "but you'll be going to Hermione's for the time being. It's far away enough to not draw attention, and not the Burrow, with the Weasleys generally being so high profile a family.

"Are her parents fine with that?" Harry asked. "I mean, I don't want to be imposing."

"Nonsense, Harry, they were enthusiastic to take you," Remus assured him.

"What did Hermione say?"

Remus smiled knowingly. "She was ecstatic."

"Was?"

"Is, I mean."

"Are we going to spend some time together before you leave me with her?"

"Unfortunately, I can't Harry," Remus shook his head. "I will fill you in when the time is right, but right now, it matters that you be safe and lay low. With Voldemort back, it has changed a lot of things for a lot of people."

Harry was dejected that, yet again, he was left to be coddled while others did the fighting for him. "At least, keep me posted on what happens."

"That, I will do as much as I can, Harry. Maybe one of us can pay you the occasional visit -the whole idea is for you to stay down low, at least until you get back to school. Then we can definitely integrate you closer, because you'll be in a much better relative position."

"But - "

"No emotions, here, Harry, just pragmatism," Remus cut him off. "Now hang on to this portkey."

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