Lucinda Dursley: Alternate Version

Professor Slughorn

Lucinda's POV

So the summer holidays have been pretty boring so far. I haven't really seen any of my friends. Remus and I have been in hiding all summer. So we weren't allowed to send letters often. I haven't heard from Draco all summer. I hope he's ok, because he's dad is in Azkaban and I heard that Voldemort is using Malfoy manor as his HQ.

But tonight I'll be going to the Burrow with Harry for the rest of the summer. "What will you be doing?" I ask Remus as we have dinner. I was all packed.

"I'll be meeting up with Tonks and Moody" he states. "Remember minimum mail" he tells me.

"I know, no letters unless it's important" I state.

"Good" he says. Soon we hear someone apparate outside. We both draw our wands. "Wait here" he tells me and heads for the door. I hear him talk to someone briefly before he returns with Professor Dumbledore.

"Professor Dumbledore, good evening" I say.

"Good evening Miss Prewett, what is your patronus?" he asks me.

"A lioness" I say proudly and he smiles.

"We had best go, we have to collect Harry" he tells me. I nod my head and hug Remus.

"I'll send your stuff to the Burrow, stay with Harry or Dumbledore at all times" he tells me. I nod my head. Before going outside with Dumbledore. I hold his arm and he apparates us away to a subway tunnel.

"Where's Harry?" I ask him confused. He nods to the opposite side of the tracks. I follow his nod to see Harry in a diner. I frown, how can Harry be so reckless to be out alone at night? Harry spots us and joins us.

"You've been reckless this summer, Harry" Dumbledore states and I nod my head in agreement.

"I like riding the underground trains. Takes my mind off things" Harry tells us. He looks at Dumbledore's hand shocked. I look to see Dumbledore's right hand turning black.

"Oh, unpleasant to behold, isnt't it?" he asks us. "The tale is thrilling, if I say so myself, but now is not the time to tell it. Take my arms" he tells us. I take his left and Harry his right. He then apparates again.

"I have just apparated, didn't I?" Harry asks.

"Indeed. Quite successfully, too, I might add. Most people vomit the first time" Dumbledore tells him.

"Can't imagine why" Harry says sarcastically.

"Welcome to the charming village of Budleigh Babberton. Harry, Lucinda, I assume, right about now, you must be wondering, why I brought you here, am I right?" he asks.

"Actually when it comes to you sir, I learned just to go with the flow" I tell him. Harry nods his head in agreement. He tells us to take our wands out and we do so. That's when I noticed the house in front of us door was open and it looked trashed inside.

We enter the house wands lit. To the left, another door stood open. Holding his illuminated wand aloft, Dumbledore walked into the sitting room with us right behind him. A scene of total devastation met our eyes. A grandfather clock lay splintered at their feet, its face cracked, its pendulum lying a little farther away like a dropped sword. A piano was on its side, its keys strewn across the floor. The wreckage of a fallen chandelier flittered nearby. Cushions lay deflated, feathers oozing from slashes in their sides; fragments of glass and china lay like powder over everything.

Dumbledore raised his wand even higher, so that its light was thrown upon the walls. Where something darkly red and glutinous was spattered over the wallpaper. It looked like blood. Harry's small intake of breath made us look around."Not pretty, is it?" Dumbledore asks us. "Yes, something horrible has happened here" he states moving carefully into the middle of the room, scrutinizing the wreckage at his feet.