𝐉𝐈𝐆𝐒𝐀𝐖

Chapter 12

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Chapter Twelve:

The Prisoners of Azkaban

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Hogwarts was going to start in just a couple days. Harry wondered how much different this year would be. He stared forlornly at his appearance. He still had the same bright green eyes and permanently tousled black hair, but his face was so ordinary. He was tall, but too thin, though he had filled out a bit this past month--mostly due to Contessa's and Mrs. Weasley's cooking. Then he realized he was wondering what Draco thought of his looks and stepped away from the mirror. He trudged downstairs, wondering what was for breakfast. To his surprise, he found Contessa standing by the door getting ready to leave, not in the kitchen making breakfast.

Contessa was wearing a simple black dress and modest black make-up. By her standards, she looked like she was dressing for church. Harry wondered what the occasion was.

Draco was standing by the door as well. His hair had been painstakingly combed and styled. He was wearing a button-down white school shirt that looked like it had been inherited from Harry and thusly Dudley. He had on a green tie and green trousers that were definitely pieced together from one of Dudley's old school uniforms and colored to suit his purposes. Harry wondered how Mrs. Weasley had managed to find so many old and discarded clothing items that belonged to Harry.

"Where are you two going?" Harry asked, absently trying to smooth his ruffled hair while staring at Draco's knees, since that seemed like a nice, neutral sort of place to stare. Contessa was pulling on her black gloves.

"We're going to Azkaban. We have to take a Portkey since they have Anti-Apparition and Anti-Disapparition wards for a mile around the entire island," Lupin said gloomily, walking down the stairs to join Draco and Contessa. He was wearing a long, brown London Fog coat that looked like it had been in the family for six generations. He had on a shabby blue vest over a white shirt and faded, patched brown trousers. It was one of the nicest outfits Harry had ever seen him, which wasn't saying much.

Harry stared at him. "Why? And why are you all wearing Muggle clothing?"

Draco scowled and Contessa frowned. Lupin looked at Harry in mild surprise. "So Draco can visit his parents, why else? And we have to walk through Muggle areas to get to the Portkey, so we have to dress in Muggle clothing," he answered.

"Your parents? You want to visit your parents?" Harry asked Draco incredulously.

Draco's gray eyes were narrowed. "They want me to visit them, half-blood," he hissed.

Harry ignored the insult, for once, mostly because he didn't consider it an insult. "I thought your parents would have disowned you," he said instead.

"You shouldn't think too much, Potter. Gryffindors have a history of being very bad at it."

"Never mind. We need to leave. We have a Portkey to find," Contessa said, cutting Harry off before he could retort.

"Why are you going?" Harry demanded of her, confused.

"To accompany Draco," Contessa said smoothly.

Harry spun on Lupin. "And you?" he asked.

"They can't leave this house without a guard. I'm supposed to keep them alive and make sure Contessa doesn't escape," Lupin said, shrugging.

"Can we go now?" Contessa asked Lupin.

"So you were just going to leave me alone and not tell me?" Harry asked, feeling very cross. He was being abandoned, even if it was only for a day.