Harry Potter and the Fortunate Queen

Chapter 157: Harry's Arrival



"SO YOU HAVEN'T BEEN IN THE MEETINGS, BIG DEAL! YOU'VE STILL BEEN HERE, HAVEN'T YOU? YOU'VE STILL BEEN TOGETHER! ME, I'VE BEEN STUCK AT THE DURSLEYS' FOR A MONTH! AND I'VE HANDLED MORE THAN YOU TWO'VE EVER MANAGED AND DUMBLEDORE KNOWS IT — WHO SAVED THE SORCERER'S STONE?"

Chris was coming downstairs after sometime when she heard those familiar voice. Chris stopped dead on her way, hearing the shouts clearly.

"WHO HAD TO GET PAST DRAGONS AND SPHINXES AND EVERY OTHER FOUL THING LAST YEAR? WHO SAVED CHRIS IN THAT MAZE? WHO SAW HIM COME BACK? WHO HAD TO ESCAPE FROM HIM? ME!"

Harry had arrived.

"BUT WHY SHOULD I KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON? WHY SHOULD ANYONE BOTHER TO TELL ME WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING?"

Chris sighed and walked straight to her room, which was empty as expected. Ginny and Hermione was in next door with Harry.

"CAN'T'VE WANTED TO THAT MUCH, CAN YOU, OR YOU'D HAVE SENT ME AN OWL, BUT DUMBLEDORE MADE YOU SWEAR —"

Chris grabbed a random book, flopped down a chair and started reading... at least she tried to.

'Azkaban has existed since the fifteenth century and was not originally a prison at all. The island in the North Sea upon which the first fortress was built never appeared on any map, Muggle or wizarding, and is believed to have been created, or enlarged, by magical means.'

"FOUR WEEKS I'VE BEEN STUCK IN PRIVET DRIVE, NICKING PAPERS OUT OF BINS TO TRY AND FIND OUT WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON —"

'The fortress upon it was originally home to a little-known sorcerer who called himself Ekrizdis. Evidently extremely powerful, but of unknown nationality, Ekrizdis, who is believed to have been insane, was a practitioner of the worst kinds of Dark Arts. Alone in the middle of the ocean, he lured, tortured and killed Muggle sailors, apparently for pleasure, and only when he died, and the concealment charms he had cast faded away, did the Ministry of Magic realise that either island or building existed.'

"I SUPPOSE YOU'VE BEEN HAVING A REAL LAUGH, HAVEN'T YOU, ALL HOLED UP HERE TOGETHER —"

'Those who entered to investigate refused afterwards to talk of what they had found inside, but the least frightening part of it was that the place was infested with Dementors.'

"WHAT'S THIS PLACE ANYWAY?" 

'Many in authority thought Azkaban an evil place that was best destroyed. Others were afraid of what might happen to the Dementors infesting the building if they deprived them of their home. The creatures were already strong and impossible to kill; many feared a horrible revenge if they took away a habitat where they appeared to thrive.'

Chris sighed again as the shouting next door finally stopped. Now there was whispering sounds, meaning they were talking in a normal voice range.

Chris just realized what she was reading, it was the "Origin of Azkaban", she grab from the Black library yesterday. She turned to the next page and started reading, this time taking in every word.

Almost half an hour later, Ginny entered the room.

"You're here?" Ginny said, looking surprised. "I thought you were upstairs."

"Yeah. I was." Chris replied, still eyes locked in the book. "How's Harry? I heard him shouting."

"Hmm.." Ginny sighed. "He's really angry, specially at you."

"Me?" Chris closed the book and looked at Ginny. "Why? We're equally responsible for not telling him anything, then how come he's specially angry at me?"

"He have asked about you twice till now. Also all of us where there to meet him, except you." Ginny said. "Well, Mom called you for dinner, I...."

CRASH

Before Ginny could finish, the familiar screeching sound interrupted the entrance.

"Filth! Scum! By-products of dirt and vileness! Half-breeds, mutants, freaks, begone from this place! How dare you befoul the house of my fathers —"

"Tonks." Chris and Ginny said together, laughing they made their way to kitchen. 

Chris saw Sirius had already pulled the curtains over his mother's potrait and was leading Harry towards the kitchen. 

Chris and Ginny entered the kitchen after everyone.

"Sit down, Harry," said Sirius. "You've met Mundungus, haven't you?"

"Some'n say m' name?" Mundungus mumbled sleepily. "I 'gree with Sirius . . ."

He raised a very grubby hand in the air as though voting, his droopy, bloodshot eyes unfocused. Ginny giggled.

"The meeting's over, Dung," said Sirius, but then suddenly, he looked a little annoyed as he spoke the next words. "And this is Harry, Aurelia Cromwell."

Chris followed Sirius and Harry's gaze and saw a witch talking to Remus. The witch wore square glasses, had long bright golden hair, perfect nose and lips. Chris had an impression that she could be a Veela but she realized she was wrong as there was no Veela aura around her. 

As soon as Sirius addressed her, she stood up and came in front of Harry.

"Harry!" She smiled warmly at him and hold her hand out. "There was no need to introduction, Black. I can recognize this glasses and untidy hair anywhere... and those green eyes too."

"Yes. I know." Sirius replied stiffly. "Let's sit down."

"Sure." Aurelia Cromwell replied and sat down beside Remus.

"If you want dinner before midnight I'll need a hand," Mrs. Weasley said to the room at large. "No, you can stay where you are, Harry dear, you've had a long journey —"

Chris and Ginny hurried towards Mrs. Weasley when Harry noticed Chris.

"Chris!" He abruptly got up from her chair.

"Hey Harry." Chris replied casually.

"I..." Harry noticed everyone in the room was staring at him so he sat back on his chair. "Hi."

Ginny gave Chris a will-you-try-not-to-sound-to-casual look and started helping Mrs. Weasley.

"Well, Harry, I think you don't know but Aurelia is Lily's friend." Remus said to Harry.

"Right." Aurelia replied. "We were best friends in school, also roommates. Do you know Harry, when te first time I saw you, you were only few months old. Lily was so happy..."

Sirius snorted. Aurelia coldly looked at him.

"Do you have anything to say, Black?" she asked.

Sirius opened his mouth to reply but couldn't.

"Sirius?" said Mundungus, who did not appear to have paid any attention to this conversation, but had been minutely examining an empty goblet. "This solid silver, mate?"

"Yes," said Sirius, surveying it with distaste. "Finest fifteenth-century goblin-wrought silver, embossed with the Black family crest."

Sirius was still glaring at Aurelia, who had an equal cold gaze.

"It looks wonderful, Molly," said Lupin, ladling stew onto a plate for her and handing it across the table.

For a few minutes there was silence but for the chink of plates and cutlery and the scraping of chairs as everyone settled down to their food. Unfortunately Chris got the seat beside Harry, Ginny chuckled as Chris shoot her a glare.

"Hi." Chris said sitting beside Harry.

"Hi." Harry said. Chris noticed he really was looking a little angry but he was very distracted by his godfather's behavior.


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