Chapter 8- Hogwarts(part 2)

Mrs. Figg hadn't known what to make of it. The circumstances were highly irregular. Vernon Dursley usually stopped by the train station on his way home from work, collected Harry, and came straight home. Always before, Harry had been safely sequestered behind the wards and protective spells surrounding #4 Privet Drive before suppertime. He should have been home by now. Why wasn't he? Belle had considered the clock again before moving to the fireplace. The situation was unusual, but Harry didn't seem to be in any immediate danger. His clock hand was pointing to "Traveling" not "Mortal Peril," or "Hospital," or "Prison." All that meant was he had not reached his final destination for the evening. It was possible that he and the Dursleys had been detained.

Arabella frowned lightly as she listened to Dumbledore field a question about Rita Skeeter's "Disturbed and Dangerous" article. If the reporter had been present, she would have cheerfully strangled her. Minister Fudge, too. Albus was right. They needed to band together quickly, and rally as much support as possible before Voldemort gained a strong toe hold. Lack of Ministry support would make the task more difficult, but they'd have to manage, somehow. The alternative, Voldemort regaining full power, was just too terrible to contemplate.

Mrs. Figg found her attention wandering again, as Dumbledore was interrupted by yet another question. Obviously, some of the people here were hearing the story for the first time.

Discreetly, she peeked at the last sheet of parchment in the stack in front of her. Before she had flooed to Hogwarts from Surrey, she had cast a quick spell that would notify her when Harry's hand moved, and where it moved to. The information was supposed to appear on that sheet of parchment, but so far there had been nothing.

Arabella frowned lightly. It was ridiculously late, now. Something should have happened. Perhaps she had made a mistake with the spell in her haste to leave.

"...and those are the events before, during, and immediately following the last task of the TriWizard Tournament. If there are no further questions, we'll take a short break, then we can re-convene and discuss our options." Albus Dumbledore paused, and looked around the meeting table. His blue eyes twinkled with amusement as he watched Arabella Figg practically leap from her seat, and make a beeline for the fireplace. "Are you leaving us, Arabella?"

The witch turned to face him, her hand already full of floo powder. "I just need to check something, Albus. Won't be a moment." She threw the glittering powder into the fireplace, and was gone in a flash.

Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, and Arthur Weasley traded glances. "What's she on about?" Sirius wondered aloud, as the three men moved closer to the fireplace.

Remus shrugged. "I don't know, but I think something may be up," he said with a concerned frown. Arabella had been unusually tense during the first part of the meeting. It showed in her body language, and her scent.

Sirius felt his anxiety rise up a notch. He had a healthy respect for Remus Lupin's werewolf senses. Several minutes ticked by in silence, as the three wizards waited for Belle to return. When the meeting attendees began wandering back to their seats at the table, Dumbledore strode over to the fireplace.

"Arabella Figg!" he called, throwing a handful of floo powder in the fireplace.

Mrs. Figg's head appeared in the fireplace almost immediately, but her attention seemed focused on the far wall. "Albus," she said tensely, "I think we may have a problem."

She spoke quietly, but Sirius caught what she said. Remus and Arthur had their ears pricked up as well.

"Harry hasn't arrived at his aunt and uncle's house yet," Arabella reported. "He's never been this late coming back from Kings Cross station."

Dumbledore frowned, then turned to Arthur Weasley. "Did Molly tell you when Harry's uncle arrived?"

"No, Headmaster." the red-haired wizard responded. "She just mentioned that he was over an hour late, and if he hadn't showed up when he did, she would have taken Harry home with her."

Albus nodded absently. "Arabella, do you know where Harry is now?"

The witch shook her head. "Not precisely. The clock still says 'Traveling.'" Before anyone could respond, she bristled defensively. "I know it doesn't appear to be a cause for alarm, but he's never been this late before, and I don't like it!"

Dumbledore held up a pacifying hand. "No one is accusing you of being alarmist, Belle. I am merely trying to gather all available facts."

"I apologize, Albus, I just feel a little edgy-wait! It's moving!" Arabella watched expectantly as Harry's clock hand rotated until it was resting on "4 Privet Drive." She turned back to the fireplace, beaming. "He's there. He's safe."

Her words broke the tension that had begun to build. Sirius released the breath he hadn't realized he was holding, and traded relieved grins with Albus, Remus and Arthur.

"Headmaster? Are we ready to continue?" Severus Snape, the Hogwarts Potion Master asked, as he approached the group by the fireplace. He jumped back when the fire blazed, and Arabella Figg tumbled out.

"Of course, Severus," Dumbledore said, leading the way back to the conference table. "Mrs. Figg was concerned because Mr. Potter had not been taken back to his relatives' home. He only arrived just now."

"I fail to see the cause for alarm," Snape sneered dismissively. He stopped when he noticed Arabella and Sirius glaring at him. "I merely meant, Potter's family probably took him out to the muggle cinema, or some other inane distraction to distract him from his recent misfortune," he clarified. When the others stared at him like he'd grown another head, the potion master grew irritated. "Albus wrote the boy's family did he not?" he demanded, as he and the others followed Dumbledore back to the meeting table.

"Harry's aunt and uncle don't usually take him out," Belle growled softly as they reached their destination, her hand itching to slap the superior smirk off the other wizard's face.

"I apologize for the delay," Dumbledore said as they rejoined the others at the table. "Severus has some information for us, then we will entertain suggestions on the best way to proceed."

Snape stood up at his place, and scowled at the others around the table. "I have been successful in contacting Voldemort, and am working on getting back into his inner circle. He does not trust me yet, so I do not know his plans, but he has tasked me to make a strong memory potion..."

As Arabella listened to Snape's report, she relaxed. As much as she hated to admit it, he was probably right. Since it as the weekend, Vernon could have brought his entire family to London for the day. After collecting Harry at the station, they could have had plans before returning home. While it wasn't a usual circumstance, the Dursleys had been known to take young Potter out on occasion, especially when she wasn't available to look after him. They'd taken him along on their outing to the zoo a few years ago, after all.

At any rate, Harry was safely back at Privet Drive, and as soon as she completed one more mission she would be back in Surrey as well. I'll check on him as soon as I get back, she promised herself, as she picked up her wand and quietly canceled the notifying charm. I'll invite him to tea, or ask Petunia if he can run an errand for me. Mollified for now, she put her wand away, and returned her attention to the meeting.

Unnoticed, in her little house in Little Whinging, Surrey, the locator clock hand marked "Harry Potter" moved to "Wisteria Walk," then "Traveling," before finally coming to rest on "Unknown".

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