Wednesday 11th august
Harry and Hermione had their summer homework spread out over the floor in the Grangers' living room. After Harry's discussion with Mrs. Granger the week before, Harry had decided he needed to redo all his summer homework from scratch, something Hermione was way to ecstatic about. While he felt that his professors would have accepted the work he had produced so far, Harry felt that he could no longer really accept it himself, not after what Mrs. Granger had pointed out to him.
Right now they were working on his potions essay for Snape. Even though they knew he would not mark it fairly Harry could no longer use that as an excuse to slapdash it. Even if Snape was going to mark him down Harry was going to make it so that the greasy git had to really look for things to drop him marks on.
Hermione was all too willing to help, she held a grudge against Snape ever since the start of school. She'd constantly get grades of "E" or "A", even when her potion was identical to Malfoy's, who always achieved an "O".
Harry was just finishing a paragraph on the use of diluted Boobo Tuber puss in healing potions, when a news report on the television caught his attention.
Maximum security prisoner escapes.
A prisoner from one of Britain's maximum security prisons is tonight on the loose.
Bellatrix LeStrange formally Black was convicted in November of 81' on
multiple counts of murder and the torture of a police officer and his wife.
It is unknown where Lestrange is headed but she grew up in the central London area and settled in Yorkshire with her husband,
who was convicted with her. LeStrange is to be considered armed and dangerous.
If you see her do not attempt to approach her.
Please call the number on screen if your screen if have any information as to her whereabouts.
Harry was a little taken aback by the news, not by what it said but by the video clip of LeStrange.
"Hey 'Mione? That news article just now. Did you see it?", Hermione frowned at him, "What about it Harry?",
"Is it me or did LeStrange look a lot like Malfoy's mother?", Hermione considered this, "I don't know Harry I haven't really looked at her before, I've only seen her once in passing dropping Draco off for the express. But if she is related to his mother wouldn't that make her magical? Why would she be on the muggle news?" Harry thought about it. It really didn't make sense. He raised another point, "consider the date of her conviction though. November of 1981, that was just after...", he hesitated for a second, "...after my parents died. What if she was one of his followers?"
Hermione frowned again. The dates did matchup, but it did harry no good to dwell on his parent's demise, it always twisted him in knots the last thing he needed was to think that one of the people that followed the murderer of his parents was free.
"Harry it's probably got nothing to do with, He-Whose-Name-Must-Be-Hyphenated", that got a dry chuckle out of Harry, and Hermione counted it as a win. "Chances are she is just some crazy muggle who needs to spend a lot of time behind bars. Maybe with a therapist or three. Besides, if one of his followers had escaped prison Dumbledore would have sent you a letter or something, telling you to stay safe."
That got Harry to calm down. Yes, if there was an escaped Death Eater running loose Dumbledore would have warned him with a letter.
"Harry, you may want to check this paragraph on diluted boobo tuber puss I don't think it is used in draughts for upset stomachs." harry pulled his essay back to him. If Hermione was right (and she almost always was) then he would have to rewrite that section. And without magic to vanish the ink off the page, that would mean rewriting the whole essay. He pulled his copy of 1001 magical herbs and fungi towards him and started leafing through, looking for the entry on boobo tubers, praying that for once Hermione was wrong. He didn't think his wrist could take another round like that today.
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Saturday 14th august
Harry sat in his room at the Grangers, spending some quality time with Hedwig. Her feathers were back now and she was flying again. It was taking time for her to rebuild her wing muscles, after being unable to fly for a week, but her love of flying was pushing her and it wouldn't be long before his girl was back to full strength.
Harry was just considering changing the paper underneath her perch when a rather large barn owl came swooping in Harry's open window. The owl landed on Harry's bed and waited for him to untie its burden. With the owl freed it flew over to Hedwig and joined her on her perch. Hedwig shifted to the one side to make room for the owl. While Harry didn't recognise the owl he had a feeling that Hedwig did. So when Hedwig decided not to make a fuss over sharing her water bowl with the owl, like she usually did, Harry left them to it. Instead turning his attention to the package in his arms.
The delivery consisted of a letter and parcel. The parcel was shaking slightly and seemed to be trying to move. Harry decided against opening it for now, and opted to open the safe option of the letter first;
Dear Harry,
Sorry, its late but Happy Birthday! Think you might find this useful for next year.
Won't say no more here. Tell you when I see you.
Had to wait for your present to be delivered before I could send it on to you.
I heard that you run from the muggles you were living with.
Well, they weren't very nice. I can see why you don't want to be around them much.
I hope you're fine and that the Grangers are good to you.
All the best,
Hagrid
Harry picked up the parcel that was wrapped in brown paper. Written directly on the paper in Hagrid's untidy scrawl were the words "happy birthday Harry". Harry started to unwrap the present from his first and oldest friend. As he removed the multiple layers of paper he could feel the package start to vibrate a little more as he started removing the last layer of paper, he saw what looked like green leather. However, before he could finish unwrapping it the package tried to bite him.
Harry wouldn't call himself a coward. Oh the contrary, he had a tendency to walk into dangerous situations full and well knowing that they could get him killed. Trolls, a three-headed dog named Fluffy, a dark wizard, giant spiders, Basilisks, another dark wizard. He had had many a dangerous venture in his first two years at Hogwarts. The keyword was knowing. When Harry knew something dangerous was coming, he was fine. But if Harry wasn't getting ready for a fight, and he was, say, opening a birthday present from one of his oldest and most trusted friends, and when that same present tried to bite him, Harry screamed. Harry screamed in such a way that a few more years and puberty would probably render him incapable of doing.
Harry threw the package across the room, where it landed next to the wardrobe with a growl. Free of Harry the package shook off the last of the brown paper, revealing it as a book. Harry was just able to make out the title; "The Monster Book of Monsters", before the book started doing an impression of a crab and trying to make its way under the wardrobe, wreaking havoc on Harry's unguarded essay on the floor.
Harry jumped across the room trying to grab the book before he had to resort to moving the Grangers furniture, to retrieve it. Of course, that's when Hermione opened the door to his room. Drawn by Harry's less than manly shriek of terror, his girlfriend, who happened to have a lot of experience with Harry in dangerous situations burst into the room to find harry rolling on the floor wrestling with a book.
A little embarrassed by the situation, Harry tried for nonchalant "Hey Hermione. Nice weather we are having at the moment..." Hermione was baffled by the sight on the ground in front of her. Here she was, watching her boyfriend have a fight with a book while he tried to talk to her about the weather. Oh, and it looked like the book was winning. "Harry...do you need any help with that?", Harry continued his struggle with the book, before finally managing to fight it closed and wrap his arms around it to keep it that way. "If..", Harry muttered, he was seriously out of breath, "...If you could get me the old belt… from my trunk, it would be… a big help."
Hermione opened Harry's trunk and found the dusty belt that was way to long for Harry. She then wrapped the belt a few times around the book and fastened the belt closed.
"Harry, why do you have a biting book?", Harry turned the cover of the book so she could read the title. Her eyes danced over the title and one of Hermione's more curious expressions crossed her face. She understood something but was now confused about something else. Guessing that she wondered where he got the book from he handed her Hagrid's letter. Hermione took the letter and began reading, as Hermione's eyes danced over the text she grew incredibly pale. She dropped the letter and ran out of the room. Harry, worried about Hermione, threw the book onto the bed, where it landed with a growl and followed her "Hermione? What's wrong? Are you okay?".
He found her in her room, she was reaching under her bed looking for something. Honestly, if Harry hadn't been so worried about her reaction to the letter he might have found the sight rather appealing. For now, though, his thoughts were focused on making sure Hermione was alright.
Hermione pulled a small polished mahogany chest, about the size of a biscuit tin, from under her bed. She stood up and looked at Harry on the verge of tears.
"Harry I'm so sorry. I completely forgot. Well not completely but then I did and now it's been so long I'm so, so sorry Harry." He put his hands on her shoulders to stop her babbling, "Hermione it's okay. Whatever it is, it's okay."
She held out the chest to Harry, "I got you this for your birthday. Only I couldn't get to the post office in Diagon Alley to send it to you. I planned to go the day after your birthday. But then you were here and you and Hedwig were hurt and Director Bones was here, then i was taking Hedwig to Diagon Ally and you were telling us about your relatives then there was shopping and and our results, I'm really sorry Harry I just completely forgot to give it to you, and I tried so hard to find a gift that you would like but, that would come from me."
Harry set the box down on the bed next to them and pulled Hermione into a hug, her run-on sentence was one of the things she did when she was genuinely upset over something. "I love it.", Hermione snorted against his chest, "You haven't even opened it yet. You don't even know what it is."
Harry nodded, "That's right. It's from you. It doesn't matter if it's the perfect gift or a signed photo of the Dursleys. It's from you so I love it.", Hermione took a minute to put together what he meant, before gasping and trying to pull away. Harry held her in the hug, loving the feeling of them touching, before pulling himself away.
Harry picked up the box and examined it. The mahogany was polished smooth, almost to a mirror shine, but that was it. There were no hints at what might be inside the chest. He flipped the brass clasp open and pulled the lid up off the chest.
At first, Harry wasn't entirely sure what it was. There were random assortments of items; well, random items presented in a really nice case. He pulled out the book that was on top of the pile in there and read the title.
Broomstick Servicing Kit
Self-servicing guide
The guide to keeping your broom sharp and clean.
complete with diagrams, handy tips and information from professional Quidditch players!
By Evangeline Swift
Harry then realised the purpose of the items within the chest; it was a complete broomstick servicing kit. As he looked through the pots, jars and tubes he noticed items that he'd seen his Gryffindor teammates using on their own brooms. There was a tub of high-grade, non-slip wood polish, a set of clippers to trim damaged tail twigs, there was even a compass for long flights so that you wouldn't get lost, along with around twelve other items that all had a part to play in maintaining a broom.
Harry set the kit back on the bed. While he had been examining his present he hadn't noticed that Hermione was standing still, watching him nervously. Harry absolutely loved his present and he had to show her how much he appreciated it. He considered what he should say but all the words rang hollow in his head, so instead he just wrapped his arms around her and leaned in to kiss her. Hermione also leaned in and responded happily to his affection.
While this wasn't their first kiss, there was something special about this one, more so than the one that had happened in the hospital wing not long before Hermione had returned to classes with cat ears. It was the first time Harry had instigated such a kiss. Sure he had given Hermione a few pecks on the cheek and even one or two on the lips, but real kisses like this, up until now they had always been started by Hermione. Harry wanted, no needed, in that moment to show her how much he loved his gift, his gratitude that the Grangers' let him stay, how much he appreciated everything she had done for him this summer and just how much he felt for her even if he couldn't say it yet. He wanted to show her most of all, how much love he held for her, his girlfriend