Nov 05, 2006 15:06
Harry Potter fanfic
The Knight Bus clattered loudly to a halt.
"Privet Drive" said Stan Shunpike.
Harry Potter was not happy that he had had to use this uncomfortable mode of transport again. He stood up and picked up his trunk. Hardly noticing as he bumped into a plump, sleeping witch as he made his way off the bus.
Ron Weasley followed Harry off the bus, dragging his battered old trunk behind him. Hermione Granger managed to get her trunk off the bus with ease.
"Never again," muttered Ron, looking particularly peaky.
They all watched the Knight Bus shoot off to its next destination. Then they were left in the silence of a quiet housing estate at 11 o'clock at night.
Harry stood staring down the street at a house he hoped never to return to after tonight. Number Four, Privet Drive did not hold happy memories for Harry.
"Shall we go then?" said Hermione sensitively.
* * *
Standing on the doorstep where he had been left 15years ago, Harry knew this is what he had to do. He didn't know how long it was necessary for him to stay with his aunt and uncle in order for his mother's spell to continue but he planned on staying one night before leaving.
Having rung the doorbell and hearing the neat chime from inside, they still couldn't hear anyone awakening and coming to answer the door.
Then came the plodding footsteps of Vernon Dursley as he lumbered down the stairs, grumbling and muttering to himself.
As Harry heard him fumbling with the various latches and locks on the door, it occured to him that he had no idea what he was goin to say. How could he possibly explain that being here gave him protection?
The front door finally opened to reveal an angry-faced Uncle Vernon in an ancient brown dressing gown which struggled to cover his enormous stomach.
"You?" exclaimed Vernon Dursley. He certainly wasn't expecting his nephew to be standing in front of him.
He looked anxiously at Ron and Hermione who stood behind Harry.
"Why are you here? I thought we'd seen the back of you. Aren't you supposed to be spending summer with that crackpot family of........your kind?" said Uncle Vernon.
"Just let us in and I'll explain everything," said Harry, and without another word he walked past Uncle Vernon into the sitting room. Ron followed Harry inside and Hermione was left looking apologetically at Uncle Vernon before she too went in and sat down.
"Well then, why are you back?" demanded Uncle Vernon as he tried to look as though he was in control of the situation.
This is where Harry was stuck. He was here because Dumbledore said he needed to return one more time, but how does he explain that to Uncle Vernon? Where on earth does he start?
"Well?"
"We need to stay here for the night, just one night, you see-"
"Why? Why can't you go to his house?" he said, pointing, rather rudely, at Ron.
"Look it's not that we don't have a place to stay, it's just that I need to be in this house for a while," said Harry, knowing he was making a mess of this.
"You're not making any sense. Are you on the run again? Is it those......Dementoids? Are they after you-"
"Who knows?" Harry said. He had no way of knowing that sort of thing, for all he knew, they could be. It was strange that a question from Uncle Vernon, of all people, should unnerve him like this. He sat there wringing his hands together.
He glanced at Ron and Hermione who were trying to give him looks of encouragement.
Harry tried to pull himself together and gave it one more try.
"Just listen, I need to start from when my parents were murdered."
Uncle Vernon looked surprised and also didn't look particularly pleased that he had to listen to this.
"Go on then..."