Had just saved Harry from a burning building.

"Are we going or not?" roared Uncle Vernon, reappearing yet again at the living

room door. "I thought we were on a tight schedule!"

"Yes –yes, we are," said Dedalus Diggle, who had been watching these exchanged

with an air of bemusement and now seemed to pull himself together. "We really must be

off. Harry –"

He tripped forward and wrung Harry's hand with both of his own.

"—good luck. I hope we meet again. The hopes of the Wizarding world rest upon

your shoulders."

"Oh," said Harry, "right. Thanks."

"Farwell, Harry," said Hestia also clasping his hand. "Our thoughts go with you."

"I hope everything's okay," said Harry with a glance toward Aunt Petunia and

Dudley.

"Oh I'm sure we shall end up the best of chums," said Diggle slightly, waving his

Hat as he left the room. Hestia followed him.

Dudley gently released himself from his mother's clutches and walked toward

Harry who had to repress an urge to threaten him with magic. Then Dudley held out his

Large, pink hand.

"Blimey, Dudley," said Harry over Aunt Petunia's renewed sobs, "did the

dementors blow a different personality into you?"

"Dunno," muttered Dudley, "See you, Harry."

"Yea …" said Harry, raking Dudley's hand and shaking it. "Maybe. Take care,

Big D."

Dudley nearly smiled. They lumbered from the room. Harry heard his heavy

Footfalls on the graveled drive, and then a car door slammed.

Aunt Petunia whose face had been buried in her handkerchief looked around at

The sound. She did not seem to have expected to find herself alone with Harry. Hastily

stowing her wet handkerchief into her pocket, she said, "Well – good-bye" and marched

Towards the door without looking at him.

"Good-bye" said Harry.

She stopped and looked back. For a moment Harry had the strangest feeling that

She wanted to say something to him; She gave him an odd, tremulous look and seemed to

Teeter on the edge of speech, but then, with a little of her head, she hustled out of the

Room after he husband and son.

The Seven Potters

Harry ran back upstairs to his bedroom, arriving at the window just in time to see

the Dursleys' car swinging out of the drive and off up the road. Dedalus’s top hat was

Visible between Aunt Petunia and Dudley in the backseat. The car turned right at the end

Of Privet Drive, its windows burned scarlet for a moment in the now setting sun, and then

It was gone.

Harry picked up Hedwig’s cage, his Firebolt, and his rucksack, gave his

Unnaturally tidy bedroom one last sweeping look, and then made his ungainly way back

Downstairs to the hall, where he deposited cage, broomstick, and bag near the foot of the

Stairs. The light was fading rapidly, the hall full of shadows in the evening light. It felt

Most strange to stand here in the silence and know that he was about to leave the house

For the last time. Long ago, when he had been left alone while the Dursleys went out to

Date: 2015-12-11; view: 706