Stranger

“I don’t understand,” began a very befuddled Harry. “How did you know about the attack?”

“Dumbledore sent me here to keep an eye on you, boy,” she explained, trying to keep her fragile legs in pace of my brother as he dragged Dudley’s weak body down Privet Drive. I walked slowly behind them, rubbing my hands on my forearms and listening carefully, trying to remain silent.

“Dumbledore? As in Albus Dumbledore? He sent you here, you know him?”

She let out a small laugh. “My dear Harry, I’m a Squib, sadly. I was born to wizard parents, I know about the magic world, but I do not possess magical abilities.”

“Kinda like Filch,” I said to myself.

“After You-Know-Who’s return, and what happened to the poor Diggory boy last year, did you honestly expect him to let you go off wandering on your own with no security? Oh Merlin, they told me you were intelligent.”

He took a moment to run things over in his head, leaving an awkward silence. The only noises were our steady footsteps on the road and the sound of our cousin’s insane mumbles.

“I’m sorry, I’m just confused. I mean those dementors, and you knowing - I just -”

“We don’t have time to talk right now, Harry boy. I expect someone will be in touch with you soon. Now, whatever happens, don’t leave the house. Neither of you.”

With a small smile in both of our directions, she headed off back to her house.

I stared blankly at my brother, trying to ignore the loopy Dudley slung on his shoulder. “What was that all about?”

He shook his head, a bead of sweat dripping down his forehead. His face still looked ghastly and pale from the recent events, and I could tell mine most likely was as well.

“I dunno, but we need to get him inside.”

I nodded, slowly walking behind the raven-haired boy as he opened the door to 4 Privet Drive, feeling nothing but a pang of refreshment. The air conditioning worked, but compared to the heat outside, it was still unbearable.

A slight fan could be heard blowing from the living room. The TV was on, yet another weather forecast on the dreadful heat wave happening in Little Whinging.

I peeked into the living room, walking in slowly to see my aunt Petunia slouched on the couch, fanning herself. She wore a floral dress that could easily pass as a bath suit flouncy bath suit from its length. She seemed absolutely done with the hot air and temperatures, but somehow remained relaxed and at ease.

“Duddykins, is that you there,” she asked in a tired tone, turning her head. When she saw me, her face turned into a scowl, but in less than a second her eyes had widened and her expression was full of fear. I turned around to realize Harry had walked in, followed by their completely dippy son. I still had no idea if his soul had been completely sucked out, or if it was just a side effect of almost losing it. Remus’s words about chocolate popped up in my mind, but I decided against mentioning it.

“Vernon! Vernon, come quickly!”

In a matter of rushed seconds my oversized uncle was walking in from the kitchen, a tub of ice cream in his hands. When he saw his witless son, his eyes, too, enlarged. He walked over to him, only to have the tub snatched from his hands and into the loopy boy’s own. He drooled over it, eyes crossing and head slightly turning.

“We have to take him to a hospital, he’s ill, Vernon.”

He inspected the witless Dudley carefully. “Who did this to you?”

With two hands outstretching limply, they pointed at my direction and my brother’s, causing a snarl to form on the woman’s painted lips and a furious expression from the overweight uncle. It was at that moment I remembered of something - Muggles can’t see dementors at all, or even feel their presence.

“Are you two proud,” he sneered. “You’ve finally done it, aye! You’ve finally driven him loopy and cursed him!”

Petunia whispered something to him, probably a comment I didn’t feel like hearing at the minute.

“I’ve reached my limit with you, boy. And you, girl, worse! This is the last I will have of you and your magical nonsense!”

“I can explain,” I began with my teeth clenched, only to be interrupted by an owl swooping in from the open window. It dropped a letter onto the cushions before flying back off into the night.

I expected my uncle’s reaction, recalling to how much he hated owls, or so my brother had claimed. His eye seemed to twitched as he mumbled under his breath.

Harry was about to reach for the envelope when suddenly it began shaking. When it floated into the air right in front of our faces and the Ministry of Magic seal was visible, my breathing hitched.

The seal flapped open, forming a face-like crease in the letter. It began to speak.

“Dear Mr. Potter,

The Ministry has received intelligence that at 6:23 this evening, you performed a Patronus charm in the presence of a Muggle. As a clear violation of the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Magic, you are hereby expelled from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Your wand will be confiscated and destroyed by Ministry officials coming to you soon. Hoping you are well.

Mafalda Hopkirk.”

Vernon let out a snicker and an evil smile as his eyes squinted tightly. Petunia sat in the back, frightened as she clutched onto Dudley. “Justice! And to make your lives even more miserable,” he snapped, beginning his explanation of plan. “I’m quite ready to throw you two no-good monsters out of my house!”

“I didn’t hex your son,” Harry exclaimed. “I tried to protect him, there were dementors! Mugg- you guys can’t see them! That’s why he thinks it was me, I -”

Petunia blinked, almost as if she was remembering something. Did she have knowledge of them?

Soon yet another owl was gliding inside the house, dropping off a note onto the table. I half expected this one to burst open as well but it didn’t. This one was a letter from the Ministry as well. I reached over to grab it, letting my numb fingertips rip off the seal. I pulled out the parchment and began scanning through it.

“The Ministry of Magic was convinced my Dumbledore to hold a hearing for you, Harry. It says they’ve postponed the expulsion and that it’s just suspension. The hearing is on August 12.”

Vernon scoffed. “Ministry of Magic? People like you in government? Oh, this explains everything, everything, no wonder the country's going to the dogs -”

“This mean’s there’s still a chance I can stay,” he breathed out in relief, completely interrupting my uncle’s rant.

“Stay in your little magic world, perhaps,” he sneered, “but there’s no way you’re staying under my bloody roof, you two! Preposterous, not normal magic freaks, and you nearly killed our son! I’ve been waiting since the day I got you to throw your miserable arse out.”

“We didn’t do anything to your bloody son,” I spat. “Aunt Petunia, smack some sense into your lunatic of a husband! You surely have knowledge of them and their abilities! A-And your sister, my mum-”

“We shall not speak of your mother in this house,” she immediately spoke, her grip furiously tightening on her son. “And I have no idea what you’re talking about. I’ve never heard of those dementors, and I second my ‘lunatic husband’ and his -”

The third owl of the night flew in, dropping a Howler. Me and Harry flinched, surely hoping it wouldn’t be a loud yelling like the one Ron had received three years ago from Molly. But this one merely said in a still rather menacing tone, “Remember my last, Petunia,” before bursting into flames.

I had no idea what it meant, or who it was from.

“Vernon, I think we should just let Potter stay, in their rooms,” she urged suddenly, her eyes full of mixed fear and worry.

Her husband looked shocked and confused, but decided against questioning her and, in also fear, gave into her coaxing.

“Go into your bloody rooms right now, I better not see your damn faces one more time what’s left of this summer until it’s time for you to leave!”

I groaned before Harry could complain and grabbed his wrist, giving it a slight yank. It didn’t do anything but startle him, and he simply followed.

When we entered the room and I locked the door behind us, he slammed his hand on the wardrobe, leaning his head against it. It scared Addie and Hedwig, and made me slightly jump as well. He let out a frustrated grumble as he ran his hands through his hair.

“Calm down, Harry,” I mumbled, walking over to him as I hugged him. “Please.”

He pulled his body from my embrace. “Don’t try to comfort me! Rose, you haven’t even talked to me all summer, how would you care now?”

My eyes widened, and I didn’t know how to react. “Oh.”

His eyes softened when he realized what he said. “Rosalie, I didn’t mean it like that - bloody hell, that came out wrong, I’m so sorry.”

I just nodded weakly, sitting on my bed. “No, no. You’re right. Just - we should sleep.”

He frowned but didn’t argue, curling up onto his bed before removing his glasses and closing his eyes, drifting off into a deep slumber.

I could hear my uncle and aunt’s car rolling out of the driveway and onto the streets. The headlights illuminated the dark room a bit, but once the car disappeared, that light soon disappeared as well.

I tried to not think about the dark circles or bloodshot red eyes. I pecked at my mind when it thought about sleep, I didn’t want to go back.

But no matter how hard I fought, I surely enough ended up falling into the world of dark memories and despair.