Undistinguished (H.P.)

Chapter 33: Summer 1

oOo

Harry, 

I'm doing okay, thanks for asking, I miss you too. Sorry, it took me so long to reply to your letter last week, my dad wasn't too pleased with me after our goodbye at Kings Cross. It's been quite tense at home recently, my mother is questioning whether I should even go back to Hogwarts for out Sixth Year. I don't think she trusts Dumbledore as much as me and my dad and is worried about my safety. It took us ages to convince her to let me go back, that's what the majority of the week was spent doing. 

I'm sorry to hear that you're not enjoying your summer, you know the Weasleys are happy to have you over, I don't want you to have to suffer in silence. If you need to talk to someone I'm always here for you. I wish I could see you soon, it's so boring at home recently. I'm going to the Burrow tomorrow morning, Hermione mailed me saying she got there last night. Any idea when you can come round??

Anyways, I have to finish packing my trunk and I can hear my dad coming up the stairs. He might not appreciate me writing to you this late at night. 

Talk soon, 

Veronica xx 

oOo

Rereading over the most recent letter from Veronica, Harry was lounging on his small springy single bed in the cramped bedroom at the Dursleys. He sighed wistfully, missing the Hufflepuff in ways he didn't realise he would. 

His eyes drag over the various parchment scattered over his desk, drafts of letters he never sent her, his nerves appearing out of nowhere as he's never struggled to talk to Veronica before, his words usually flow quite naturally around the girl, but now that he had to write his feelings into a letter, he didn't know what to say. 

It could also be due to the newfound press that the Battle had brought him. The newspapers were constantly talking about the boy, giving him the embarrassing new name of 'The Chosen One'. 

Harry was now the Golden Boy of the Wizarding World, labelled as a hero for sticking to his truth even when the rest of the world didn't believe him, his face splashed on the front page of multiple newspapers and magazines. 

Something that had made things between him and Veronica awkward was the fact that their public display of affection when they departed from each other at Kings Cross had made it's way to the press and now the whole of the Wizarding World was questioning their relationship, rumours spreading about how they've been boyfriend and girlfriend for a few months. 

The two had never even privately confirmed their relationship, never making it 'official' as the tabloids called it, and now he felt as if there was pressure on the two of them to be together - even though they were more than comfortable the way they were. 

He never asked Veronica how she felt about the attention, deciding it would be better to discuss it face to face rather than over pre-written messages, but until then, he found it difficult to let go of those thoughts and just write to her the way he normally would. 

A commotion downstairs brought him out of his thoughts, making him open his bedroom door and peak out looking down at the landing. Dumbledore stood there in the entrance way of the house, inviting himself in despite Vernon's protests. 

The headmaster was being as polite as he could be to the Dursleys and yet they treated him with caution and disrespect. The Hogwarts Headmaster ignored their dismay, making himself comfortable on their sofa. 

Harry was shocked that Dumbledore was picking him up so early into the summer holidays, confused even though the old man had written to him to let him know earlier that week. 

After getting over the strangeness of the situation, Harry started to pay attention to the words Dumbledore had started to speak and the news of Sirius' will was announced in the Dursley household. 

Sirius had left Harry all of his possessions; Grimmauld Place, Buckbeak and everything in his bank account. The boy had successfully managed to keep his mind off of his Godfather for a little while, making sure he didn't spend his whole summer in a deep depressive mourning state. 

To make sure the house had truly been given to Harry and not passed to the next remaining Black, who happened to be Bellatrix, Dumbledore made the boy summon Sirius' house-elf, Kreacher. 

All the while this was happening the Dursleys sat silently on the sofa, stiff backs and beady eyes watching every move as if Harry and Dumbledore were planning on turning their magic onto the family themselves. As much as the boy wished he could, he gained enough satisfaction from the fear in his aunt and uncle's eyes alone. 

Dumbledore soon stood back up and headed back towards the front door, ordering Harry to retrieve his trunk and follow along behind him. 

The boy's luggage disappeared, the man telling him that it has been sent to the Burrow in advance of their arrival, due to the fact they have other business to attend to first, being mysteriously secretive over what he had planned. 

Without glancing back at the house they were just inside, they apparated away with a loud pop, Harry holding tightly onto Dumbledore's arm, carefully avoiding his wrinkled blackened hand. 

oOo

Slughorn was an interesting fellow that was for sure. 

Soon after meeting the retired professor, Harry realised why Dumbledore had brought him that night. 

As he continued looking over the pictures Slughorn carried around while the two older men discussed Hogwarts business, a familiar looking face caught his eye, sitting next to his mother in the small group of students. 

He looked closer at the picture, picking it up to get a better look. The woman standing next to Lily was almost a spitting image of the girl he couldn't get off of his mind. 

"Ah yes, Miss Evans and Miss Newman, my two finest students," Slughorn's voice appeared from just behind Harry. Dumbledore's curious face also popped up next to the teen boy, glancing at the photograph he still held in his hand. 

"They were very close, those two. Always at their best when they worked together, surprising talent considering their shared blood status", the old Potion's Master explained, mentioning Lily's Muggle-born status again, despite Harry's angry outburst the last time it was brought up. 

Dumbledore seemed to know exactly what Harry was thinking about and decided to intervene, changing the subject slightly. "It appears Harry had developed a certain fondness for Miss Newton's daughter, Horace. Just like their mothers, they're rarely seen apart," the wise man stated, looking at Slughorn with a knowing look in his eyes. 

This intrigued the man more than he cared to admit, and even though he refused the job at first, as Harry and Dumbledore were walking away he chased after them, accepting Dumbledore's offer, pretending it had nothing to do with this newfound information. 

oOo