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ღ chapter forty nine ( in the dark)
"RECKON HE'S ANGRY?"
Ron posed the question, draped across the top of the twin bed in the room he was going to share with Harry when the last member of their quartet finally arrived tonight, in the most Harry of circumstances. Casting a patronus in the presence of a muggle because two dementors just happened to show up in Surrey? It had the Dark Lord written all over it.
"I would be," Jules said quietly, her knees curled into her chest as she rocked back and forth. Hermione bit her lip in agreement. They'd all only been here for a fortnight, Jules and her family for a month, but Harry's arranged arrival by Dumbledore was only set for August. He was turning up nearly a month early now. "Dad's furious with Dumbledore. So is mum. They wanted Harry with us the whole summer since they're his godparents."
"I suppose Dumbledore has his reasons," Hermione said rather quietly. "I trust him."
"I don't," Jules replied flatly. "Not fully. I can't trust anybody who trusts slimy ol' Snape."
The serpent shaped doorknob turned very suddenly and Hermione sprung to her feet shrieking. Before Jules could even say anything, Harry found himself on the receiving end of a hug from Hermione that nearly knocked him flat to the floor, as Ron's owl Pigwidgeon zoomed excitedly round and round their heads.
"Harry! Ron, Jules, he's here, Harry's here! We didn't hear you arrive! Oh, how are you? Are you all right? Have you been furious with us? I bet you have, I know our letters were useless — but we couldn't tell you anything, Dumbledore made us swear we wouldn't, oh, we've got so much to tell you, and you've got to tell us — the dementors! When we heard — and that Ministry hearing — it's just outrageous, I've looked it all up, they can't expel you, they just can't, there's provision in the Decree for the Restriction of Underage Sorcery for the use of magic in life-threatening situations —"
"Let him breathe, Hermione," Jules interrupted gently, closing the doorbehind Harry. "Hey," she smiled, hugging him tightly before stepping back to let Ron embrace him. He looked skinnier. More defeated. Sleepless nights seemed to be afflicting him as well.
There was a soft whooshing sound and something white soared from the top of a dark wardrobe and landed gently on Harry's shoulder.
"Hedwig!"
The snowy owl clicked her beak and nibbled his ear affectionately as Harry stroked her feathers.
"She's been in a right state," Ron sighed. "Pecked us half to death when she brought your last letters, look at this —" He showed Harry the index finger of his right hand, which sported a half-healed but clearly deep cut. Jules and Hermione had similar nips all of their hands, Jules particularly with a nasty one on her thumb.
"Oh yeah," Harry replied dryly. "Sorry about that, but I wanted answers, you know. . . ."
"We wanted to give them to you, mate," Ron continued. "Hermione was going spare, she kept saying you'd do something stupid if you were stuck all on your own without news, but Dumbledore made us —"
