Whispers in the Dark

Chapter 4

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"Minister Fudge." I nod curtly as I look across the table at the short, slightly pudgy man in a pinstripe suit.

"Miss Potter," The Minter of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, grins back at me, then looks to my left, at my brother. "Mister Potter." He waves Tom over and requests a pot of tea and some crumpets as he sits down. "Well then, where shall we start?"

"Aunt Marge?" Harry suggests uncertainly.

Fudge nods as he pours three cups of tea out. "Eat, you two, you look about dead on your feet. Anyhow, we have dealt with the situation with your Aunt. A few People from the Accidental Magic Reversal Squad were dispatched to Privet Drive and were about to locate and deflate Miss Dursley, leaving no memory of the incident."

Harry seems to be speechless, just gaping across the table, so I pick up his slack. "Accidental Magic, sir?"

"Ah, yes. Have you heard of it, Miss Potter?"

"Slightly," I admit, "but only in books, really."

He nods. "That's to be expected from someone of your upbringing. Accidental magic, Allison, is common in young children or even in mature adults in times of extreme emotion. It is essentially raw magic bursting out subconsciously, and the effects are usually harmless."

I sip my tea as I consider this. "So we're not going to get in trouble for this?"

"Oh, heavens no! We can't throw someone in jail every single time they have an accident! Plus, I doubt this is the first time you two have done something of this nature, given your parents' power," he reminds us.

I'm suddenly reminded of all the times Harry and I had done 'freakish' stuff before we turned eleven. Harry turning his teacher's hair blue, me making a rubber ball bounce without assistance, Harry's hair growing back, hideous haircut after hideous haircut; then more recently – Harry vanishing the glass at the zoo, the time just before we started first year when I kicked Dudley from across the room...

I share a glance with Harry. None of it was our fault!

My anger at the Dursleys' spikes as I turn back to the Minister. "Right. So you found Aunt Marge, the magic wasn't our fault...anything else, sir?"

"You both threw up a big fuss, running like that! Especially under these...circumstances..."

"You mean Black," Harry supplies bluntly.

Fudge nods. "Yes. With an escaped convict on the loose, you two could have been injured."

I don't mention that we could have been injured had we stayed put as well, given the nasty shade of purple Uncle Vernon's face was when we walked out. "We understand, Minister, and we apologize, but we couldn't stay there, not with what was happening."

"Yes, well, I explained the circumstances to them, and they're willing to take you both back next summer if you agree to stay at school for the spring and winter holidays."

"We do that anyways," I r=tell him, just as Harry informs him "We don't ever want to go back."

Fudge grins at us, much like a favorite uncle would.

(He was not my uncle, and I was slightly creeped out by this.)

"Oh, I'm sure you'll change your mind once your anger has a chance to settle. So if that's all, I will say my goodbyes. I do have business to attend to, after all."

We both shake hands with the Minister before he walks out of the room, leaving Harry and I alone.

"So," I grin at my twin. "Now that we're not getting arrested or expelled, whatever shall we do with weeks of precious freedom?"