Lucinda Dursley: Alternate Version

Rita's Secret

(Dumbledore's office) Lucinda's POV

I'd been called to Dumbledore's office the final day of the year. So I go and smile when I see Remus with Sirius. I ran and hugged them both tightly. "Lucinda, we have been talking with Narcissa" Dumbledore states as I sit down.

"About?" I ask confused.

"With Voldemort's return, it is to dangerous for you to go to Malfoy Manor this summer. She agrees, so you'll be going into hiding with Sirius this summer" he explains.

"What about Uncle Moony?" I ask.

"I have an important mission this summer and will hardly be home. As Sirius is your godfather also, you'll stay with him" Remus explains.

"We'll be staying at my house" Sirius states handing me a piece of paper.

12 Grimmauld Place

Dumbledore takes it once I memorized it and burned it. "Sirius will be at the station to collect you with another order member. You must not tell anyone where you're staying. Not even Harry" Dumbledore tells me.

"But he's my cousin" I remind him.

"Even so, for his safety and your own. You also cannot tell him of the order" Dumbledore states.

"What order?" I ask.

"You'll find out more when we reach my house, it's not safe to talk about it here" Sirius tells me. I nod my head.

"Run along now" Remus tells me. I nod my head and hug him wishing him luck. I hug Sirius saying I'd see him at the station. I then wave to Dumbledore and leave. I head to go outside and see Draco. He links our arms and takes me to the astronomy tower.

"Mum wrote, told me what's going on. I'm sorry we won't be able to see each other this summer" he tells me.

"Same, but it's for the best with Voldemort back" I tell him.

"Yes, kind of wish I could go with you. But it'd be suspicious" he states. "Write to me when you can, but don't mention where you are, who you're staying with or what you're doing. I'll do the same and use a false name" he tells me.

"Ok, if I don't see you before we leave. Take care and keep your head down" I tell him. He smiles and hugs me. We then both go our separate ways.

(Hogwarts Express)

The weather could not have been more different on the journey back to King's Cross than it had been on their way to Hogwarts the previous September. There wasn't a single cloud in the sky. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and I had managed to get a compartment to ourselves. Pigwidgeon was once again hidden under Ron's dress robes to stop him from hooting continually; Hedwig was dozing, her head under her wing, and Crookshanks was curled up in a spare seat like a large, furry ginger cushion. Sandy curled up on my lap sleeping peacefully.

When Hermione returned from the trolley and put her money back into her schoolbag. She dislodged a copy of the Daily Prophet that she had been carrying in there. "There's nothing in there. You can look for yourself, but there's nothing at all. I've been checking every day. Just a small piece the day after the third task saying you won the tournament. They didn't even mention Cedric. Nothing about any of it. If you ask me. Fudge is forcing them to keep quiet" Hermione tells us.

"He won't be able to keep Rita Skeeter quiet" I tell her.

"Not on a story like this" Harry says agreeing with me.

"Oh, Rita hasn't written anything at all since the third task" Hermione tells us. I frown and think back and realize she's right. "As a matter of fact, Rita Skeeter isn't going to be writing anything at all for a while. Not unless she wants me to spill the beans on her" she states.