The Lion, The Wolf and The Phoenix ~ Harry Potter

Chapter Two | Expulsion

Ariana never had the opportunity to process the immense shock of a Dementor in Little Whinging and her new patronus, because she spotted something over Harry's shoulder that made her wave her wand and make the wolf disappear, stuffing her wand back inside her waistband as fast as possible. She widened her eyes at her friend, telling him to do the same; someone was standing at the end of the tunnel, watching them. They both shot to their feet, praying they hadn't just been caught using magic.

Dudley was spread-eagled on the floor, whimpering and panting. A thin layer of cold sweat was covering his body. Ariana was familiar with the after effects of a dementor attack, so she knew how Dudley felt to a certain extent; he was a Muggle, he had no idea what dementors were, nevermind being used to the threat of attack.

A small woman with grizzled grey hair popping out from under her hair net stood in the tunnel, clutching a shopping bag. "Don't put them away!' she shrieked. "What if there are more of them around? Oh, I'm going to kill Mundungus Fletcher!"

Ariana looked over at Harry and furrowed her eyebrows in question.

"Mrs. Figg? What?" Harry asked her blankly.

"He left!" said Mrs Figg, wringing her hands. "Left to see someone about a batch of cauldrons that fell off the back of a broom! I told him I'd flay him alive if he went, and now look! Dementors! It's just lucky I put Mr. Tibbies on the case! But we haven't got time to stand around! Hurry, now, we've got to get you back! Oh, the trouble this is going to cause! I will kill him!"

Ariana had no idea what she was talking about. Someone had been watching them? Was this woman a witch? Her hand was on her wand, pulling out and holding it at her side as a precaution.

"But -" Harry began, clearly in a state of shock. "You're - you're a witch?"

"I'm a Squib, as Mundungus knows full well, so how on earth was I supposed to help you both fight off Dementors? He left you completely without cover when I'd warned him -"

"This Mundungus has been following me? Hang on - it was him! He Disapparated from the front of my house!" Harry said, relevation washing over him.

"Someone Disapparated in front of your house?" Ariana questioned, shocked that someone would teleport themselves in a Muggle street. Harry nodded.

"Yes, yes, yes, but luckily I'd stationed Mr. Tibbies under a car just in case, and Mr. Tibbies came and warned me, but by the time I got to your house you'd gone - and now - oh, what's Dumbledore going to say? You!" she shrieked at Dudley, still supine on the alley floor. "Get your fat bottom off the ground, quick!"

"You know Dumbledore?" said Harry, staring at her.

'"Of course I know Dumbledore, who doesn't know Dumbledore? But come on - I'll be no help if they come back, I've never so much as Transfigured a teabag." She stooped down, seized one of Dudley's massive arms in her wizened hands and tugged. "Get up, you useless lump, get up!"

Dudley did not move, Ariana suspected he couldn't even if he wanted to. He remained on the ground, trembling and ashen-faced, his mouth shut very tight.

"I'll do it," Harry said.

"We'll do it," Ariana stated, correcting Harry.

Together the pair of them hauled Dudley to his feet with massive effort, huffing and panting. Dudley's eyes were rolling in their sockets and he swayed dangerously on his feet when he wasn't being propped up, so Ariana and Harry took a shoulder each and strained under his weight.

"Hurry up!" said Mrs Figg hysterically.

Ariana resisted the urge to grumble to herself. If she was trying to drag Dudley down the road, she wouldn't be able to "hurry up" either. She and Harry sagged under his weight, gritting their teeth as they pulled Dudley along.