Harry Potter and the Orb of Power

            Chapter 5: Padfoot's Arrival

    "Why was that...that...beast...attacking your owl?" Petunia asked shakily, staring at the stunned bat. Harry shrugged. This was something quite unexpected; he never suspected Hedwig being attacked. He approached Hedwig's cage warily and inspected the stunned creature. On its left wing was a small black mark, a skull with a snake protruding from its mouth. Harry suddenly understood; the bat was an agent of Voldemort. Probably under some sort of Imperius curse, the bat was meant to intercept Harry's letters to Sirius. Harry shuddered; Voldemort had managed to mount some sort of attack on Harry at the Dursleys. Harry looked at his aunt.

    "We're not safe here," Harry said.

    "Well obviously! We can't be safe if bats are swooping in and trying to bite us!" Petunia said. Harry looked at the bat again, which lay motionless. Hedwig clucked her beak impatiently, waiting for Harry to open his letter. Harry snuck another glance at the bat and took the letter from his bed. He opened it up hastily and read the message.

    Harry,

        Thank you for writing about your dream. I understand that you don't want me to worry that much, but it's very important that you keep me informed. It sounds like Voldemort's ready to start regaining power. If your dream is real we have to be extra careful. I can't enclose all of the plans to get to Diagon Alley in case Hedwig is intercepted (Harry smiled grimly when reading this, trying to anticipate Sirius's expression when he will have heard that it almost happened.), but I think it's safe to say that in two I'll be ready when the comet reaches the Dog Star.

                                    Snuffles

P.S. I worked out a plan with Dumbledore so that you can stay with the family. I'll tell you the plans once we're headed to Diagon Alley.

    Harry looked confused at the directions, and then realized Sirius was talking about his watch. So in two days at twelve, Harry thought. He also grew happy at the prospect at staying with the Burrow for a little bit. He couldn't wait to see the Weasleys, and he was burning to tell Ron about what had happened. However, to be safe, he wasn't sending Hedwig out with anymore letters. He looked at the cage once more, and saw that the bat was still lying motionless. Harry felt that the bat shouldn't remained stunned forever; it was rather cruel. He pointed his wand at the bat and muttered, "Ennervate!" The bat suddenly sprang to life and clanged heavily against the cage. It opened its blood red eyes and gazed evilly at Harry. It snapped its jaws on one of the bars on Hedwig's cage. Petunia shrieked and ran out of the room, unable to take the flying menace anymore. Harry looked the bat right in the eyes. It stopped snarling, staring back at Harry. Interesting creature, Harry thought. Suddenly the Dark Mark on the bat glowed green, and the bat shrieked as if it were in pain. In a sudden whisp of smoke the bat disappeared. Harry jumped back, wondering what exactly had just happened. He turned and looked at his Foe-Glass, which remained swirling but still gray. A sickening idea then popped into Harry's head, who ran to look out his window. He scanned the street and, maybe the light was tricking him, but he thought he saw a rat scampering down the street, one of his paws glinting in the moonlight.

*****

    The next two days were particularly harrowing for Harry and Petunia. Vernon and Dudley performed their daily planning exercises against "Them" as Vernon often called them. Petunia closed the curtains to every window in the odd case that a vampire bat swooped through. Harry, however, was more worried that Wormtail seemed to have been on Privet Drive. Clearly, if it was Wormtail, the Dursley house was not protected by the Fidelius Charm. If it was, then the secret keeper gave up the information, which didn't seem plausible in Harry's mind. Then again, Voldemort had said Privet Drive was protected by ancient magic, perhaps the Fidelius Charm was a relatively new spell. Harry's head swirled with many worries; thinking clearly was nearly an impossibility. In any case, Harry managed to preoccupy himself, mostly reading his Animagus book. He was reading tips on how to become an Animagus, but most of the terms and skills necessary Harry didn't totally recognize. However, many textbooks overcomplicated simple tasks, so perhaps Harry would be able to learn. Harry used to be able to regrow hair overnight, which seemed to Harry like a sign that he could become an Animagus. He tried some of the exercises, but there were no visible successes. Harry put the book down, looked at his watch, and realized Sirius should be showing up in about an hour. Harry took a quick shower, retrieved his wand from upstairs (couldn't be too careful) and sat in the living room. It was quarter to twelve when Harry wondered how Sirius would be arriving. Since he was staying at Lupin's, he might be travelling by Floo powder. Harry unblocked the fireplace just in the possibility that Sirius would enter through the fireplace. As the minutes passed, Harry felt more and more uneasy about the trip. What if Sirius was caught? Harry didn't want his godfather to be sent to Azkaban for some potion ingredients. Harry knew that only he, Hermione, Ron, and Dumbledore had the knowledge that Sirius was an unregistered Animagus, but he didn't want to take any chances. Harry shook himself and told himself to stop worrying. To busy himself, Harry recalled many of the spells and curses that he learned before the third task in the Triwizard Tournament, including the Impediment Curse, the Shield Charm, and the Stunning Curse. He paused to look and see if Petunia would be around, but she was out in the lawn eavesdropping on the neighbors, and it seemed to Harry that she had used her limited magic to enhance her hearing. Harry started running through the spells one more time when suddenly there was a loud noise from the fireplace. A green fire roared up and Sirius stepped out of the fireplace. Upon recognizing his godfather, Harry started grinning.

    "Sirius!" Harry ran up to his godfather. Sirius looked down at him.

    "I don't care how hold you are, give me a hug," Sirius said laughing, patting Harry on the back.

    "It's good to see that you're ok," Harry said. Sirius was smiling widely. Harry noticed that he was looking healthier now that he was with Lupin. Sirius looked younger than Harry ever saw him, which meant that Sirius wasn't under the pressure of hiding from everyone.

    "And I see you're growing too. I reckon this time next year you'll be as tall as I am!" Sirius laughed a hearty chuckle. "And how are the muggles?"

    "Well...erm...things have been complicated around here," Harry said, struggling to find the right way to explain everything. He started telling his godfather about his aunt and her recent magical powers, and then told him about the bat attack two nights ago. Sirius lost his smile instantly when he heard about the bat.

    "And it just disappeared?" Sirius asked.

    "Yeah, and that's not the weirdest part. I think I saw Wormtail on Privet Drive after it disappeared. My Foe-Glass went all gray, and I thought it was just foggy, but when I looked outside, I saw a rat running down the street." Sirius didn't look pleased at all. He ran his hand through his shortened hair, and looked at Harry.

    "Maybe we shouldn't go to Diagon Alley. Voldemort knows you're here, he'll be waiting for a way to get you out of the house. Diagon Alley would be the perfect opportunity to catch you off your guard." Harry thought this as well, but he didn't want to let Voldemort mess with his head.

    "Sirius, we can't let him just have his way. If we think this way, I'll never get to Hogwarts!"

    "Harry, things are getting more dangerous than even you know. Perhaps someone else should get your school things."

    "No, we can't let him bully me around."

    "Harry, Voldemort isn't just a school bully. He'll kill you if he has the chance."

    "Sirius, you'll be there with me. There will be other witches and wizards there! I'll be perfectly fine!"

    "Harry, listen, I know you're trying to be brave about all this, but you won't be that protected. I'll only be able to go in Animagus form, you know that. And who else is going to be able to fight Voldemort if he shows up at Diagon Alley? You? You're still only in school. I don't care how many times you duel Voldemort and get away, your luck will run out!" Harry realized Sirius sounded harsher than he intended, but that wasn't going stop Harry. He looked down at his watch and saw that it agreed with Sirius with a green glow.

    "I see you set up the Lie Detector on your watch. Be careful with it, it has to recharge if you ask it too many questions."

    "Don't change the subject, Sirius. We should go to Diagon Alley," Harry said pointedly.

    "Harry, I feel that..." Sirius started to say, but Harry cut him off.

    "Great. Fine. Let me just sit around here and do nothing," Harry said. Despite his annoyance at Sirius, Harry angrily accepted the fact that he was going to run out of luck sooner or later. Sirius looked at his godson with a look of sadness on his face.

    "We'll make it quick," Sirius said. Harry looked up at him and raced upstairs to get his money sack and his wand. When he came back down, however, Sirius had sat down on the couch and stared at the blank TV.

    "Erm...Sirius...are we going?" Harry asked reluctantly. Sirius was staring distractedly at the blank screen.

    "Um...yeah Harry. Just...wondering how these muggles enjoy something so boring," he said, tearing himself away from the screen. Harry smiled and walked to the fireplace. However, Sirius did not follow.

    "We aren't going by Floo Powder?" Harry asked, confused.

    "No, Dumbledore hooked up this house to the Floo Network for one trip, to prevent anyone else from trying. Technically, no one is supposed to use Floo Powder to get to your house."

    This didn't sound right to Harry, who had four of the Weasley's nearly ruin the living room when they used the Floo Network last summer.

    "But the Weasley's used the Floo Network last year," Harry told Sirius.

    "Well, they had to get Dumbledore's permission first. Even if the Ministry gave them access, Dumbledore's protection on the house prevents anyone from accessing the house by Floo Powder. And for good reason."

    "And what would that be?" Harry asked, curious.

    "I'd rather not explain it right now. It might be better that you not know," Sirius said, smiling mischievously. Harry shook his head. Despite the hardships, Sirius was still Padfoot, member of the Marauders.

    "Ok, keep your secrets," Harry said. "So how are we getting there?"

    "Knight Bus. Remember, I'm Snuffles if anyone asks." Harry nodded. Sirius turned into the bear sized dog and escorted Harry out the front door. As Sirius bounded out, Petunia saw the dog and gave a shriek. The loud noise, piercing to normal voices, was extra loud and piercing to Petunia's magically enhanced hearing. She grasped her ears and fell to the ground. Harry chuckled, but quickly stopped and helped his aunt.

    "Aunt Petunia, are you all right?" Harry asked. He looked back at Sirius with a look of amusement. Sirius tilted his head comically, which made Harry laugh more.

    "What?" Petunia yelled. "My ears are ringing! What did you say?"

    "I asked if you were all right!" Harry yelled louder. Aunt Petunia looked like she still didn't understand, but she nodded anyways. "I'm going to get my school things! I'll be back later!" Petunia smiled, shook her head, and then went inside, muttering about calling someone for help. Harry shrugged and walked a few steps down the street. Harry remembered the last time he used the Knight Bus, when he thought he was on the run for inflating his aunt Marge. Of course, he also saw Sirius for the first time that night, but Harry hadn't known it was his godfather then. Memories flooded Harry's head until Sirius pawed Harry to get going. Harry shook his head and held out his wand hand. Suddenly, with a loud bang, the Knight Bus pulled up to the side. Harry was about to say hi to Stan Shunpike when he realized it was someone else. The driver was an old witch, who smiled crookedly at Harry with only a few yellow teeth populating her mouth. Harry smiled nervously.

    "Where to deary?" the old hag cackled. Harry shuddered.

    "Diagon Alley...m'am."

    "Righty-o. Just take yer seat and we'll be on our way. Should only take a few minutes. Go on now, take a seat. And makes sure you take care of yer mutt, I don't want him ter make a mess," the old woman said, eyeing Sirius with suspicion. Sirius growled at the driver, but Harry ushered him forward into the bus. Harry took a seat on the first floor of the bus, and Sirius jumped onto the seat next to him. The bus hadn't started to move yet, and Harry looked outside of the bus. He saw Privet Drive, and realized that it wasn't as loathesome as Harry once thought it was. For the first time in Harry's life, he actually looked at Privet Drive as welcome, almost comfortable. While it was no means his home, Harry actually felt like he could make his home here. Maybe it was because Vernon and Dudley weren't around as much. Perhaps it was because Petunia, in her recent magical discovery, had understood Harry and left him alone. Harry felt independent, almost as if number four Privet Drive was his vacation home until he went back to Hogwarts. Harry smiled at the thought, and then wondered why the bus wasn't moving yet. He looked up at the front of the bus and realized that the old hag was talking to someone at the front. Harry couldn't see the woman the hag was talking to, probably because she was standing in the staircase at the front. He barely picked up the conversation.

    "...things don't work this way, ma'am...I don't think I'm supposed ter let you put magic on the bus..." Harry strained to hear the reply, but could barely make out the voice.

    "I understand the irregularity, but it is most necessary," the unidentified person spoke. Harry couldn't hear the voice well enough to determine if it was a man or a woman.

    "All the same, deary, I don't think that I'm allowed ter let you do this. I'd have ter check with me boss..." the hag was about to say, when the other person cut her off.

    "I'm afraid there is no time. The spell will fade in effect once you reach Diagon Alley."

    "How could you know where we was going? Yer a tricky one, deary, but yer nice enough. As long as the spell will fade." There was a quick flash of light, and the person was starting the spell. Harry peered out of the window to catch a glimpse of the mysterious spell caster, but oddly didn't catch a glimpse of anyone, much less a wizard or witch. Harry went to the front of the bus, to find out when they were leaving.

    "Excuse me ma'am, but when are we leaving?" The witch game him an appraising look.

    "Not meaning ter be rude, young sir, but you didn't tell me you was Harry Potter," the witch said, smiling a toothless grin.

    "Um...sorry," Harry said, not sure what to say.

    "That's ok, young sir, I didn't mean to make you feel guilty. But we'll be delayed fer a few minutes, to allow this young lady ter fix us up proper with some spells," the old witch said in response. Harry smiled, thanked the witch, and walked back to Sirius, who looked up confused.

    "Someone's putting spells on the Knight Bus, and she told the driver that I was on the bus. Reckon we should get off?" Harry asked. While he didn't want to sound worried, he realized that things looked weird. Sirius however, yawned widely, which convinced Harry to stay on the bus. Harry heard vaguely someone muttering incantations, but he couldn't hear properly. Sirius seemed to not be paying any attention, which didn't make Harry feel any better about the situation. He glanced around nervously, trying to get a look at the mysterious spell caster. He couldn't see her, and Harry suddenly remembered always seeing the witch out of the corner of his eyes but never truly seeing her. Harry decided to do a little test.

    "The witch performing the spell is the same witch I keep seeing out of the corner of my eye," Harry said. His watch didn't respond, which Harry felt upset about. He then remembered what Sirius said about his Lie Detector. Apparently, the watch glowed for every statement. Harry took off his watch and played with the knobs. He set up his watch so that Harry had to ask a direct question in order to get an answer from his watch. He put his watch back on and heard the hag at the front of the bus that the trip would begin. Harry looked one last time out on Privet Drive and saw a witch standing on the front lawn of the Dursleys. Harry blinked, and the witch was gone.