Fear of a Name

Chapter Eighty-Two: The Last Time

"Oh, cheer up, you two!" said Hermione sadly.
"I'm okay," said Harry quickly. "Just thinking about the holidays."
"Yeah, I've been thinking about them too," said Ron. "Harry, you've got to come and stay with us. I'll fix it up with Mum and Dad, then I'll call you. I know how to use a fellytone now—"
"A telephone, Ron," said Hermione. "Honestly, you should take Muggle Studies next year..."
Ron ignored her.

"It's the Quidditch World Cup this summer! How about it, Harry? Come and stay, and we'll go and see it! Dad can usually get tickets from work."
This proposal had the effect of cheering Harry up a great deal.
"Yeah... I bet the Dursleys'd be pleased to let me come... especially after what I did to Aunt Marge..."
Looking considerably more cheerful, Harry joined Ron and Hermione in several games of Exploding Snap. They all seemed ignorant to what was going on in my mind, and to be honest, I hoped it would stay that way. The last thing I wanted to do was spoil the beginning of their holidays because I couldn't hide my thoughts from them.

It was late in the afternoon when something that made me a little happier turned up.
"Harry," said Hermione suddenly, peering over his shoulder. "What's that thing outside your window?"
I turned to look outside. Something very small and grey was bobbing in and out of sight beyond the glass. We all stood up for a better look, and I saw that it was a tiny owl, carrying a letter that was much too big for it. The owl was so small, in fact, that it kept tumbling over in the air, buffeted this way and that in the train's slipstream. Harry quickly pulled down the window, stretched out his arm, caught it, then brought it carefully inside.

The owl dropped its letter onto Harry's seat and began zooming around our compartment, apparently very pleased with itself for accomplishing its task. Hedwig clicked her beak with a sort of dignified disapproval. Crookshanks sat up in his seat, following the owl with his great yellow eyes. Ron, noticing this, snatched the owl safely out of harm's way.
Harry picked up the letter. It was addressed to him. He ripped open the letter, and shouted, "It's from Sirius!"
"What?" Ron, Hermione, and I said excitedly. "Read it aloud!"

"Dear Harry,
I hope this finds you before you reach your aunt and uncle. I don't know whether they're used to owl post.
Buckbeak and I are in hiding. I won't tell you where, in case this owl falls into the wrong hands. I have some doubt about his reliability, but he is the best I could find, and he did seem eager for the job.
I believe the Dementors are still searching for me, but they haven't a hope of finding me here. I am planning to allow some muggles to glimpse me soon, a long way from Hogwarts, so that the security on the castle will be lifted.
There is something I never got around to telling you during our brief meeting. It was I who sent you the Firebolt—"

"Ha!" said Hermione triumphantly. "See! I told you it was from him!"
"Yes, but he hadn't jinxed it, had he?" said Ron. "Ouch!" The tiny owl, now hooting happily in his hand, had nibbled one of his fingers in what it seemed to think was an affectionate way.

"Crookshanks took the order to the Owl Office for me. I used your name, but told them to take the gold from my own Gringotts vault. Please consider it as thirteen birthdays' worth of presents from your godfather.
I would also like to apologize for the fright I think I gave you that night last year when you left your uncle's house. I had only hoped to get a glimpse of you before starting my journey north, but I think the sight of me alarmed you.
I am enclosing something else for you, which I think will make your next year at Hogwarts more enjoyable.
If ever you need me, send word. Your owl will find me.
I'll write again soon.
Sirius."

Harry looked eagerly inside the envelope. There was another piece of parchment in there.

"I, Sirius Black, Harry Potter's godfather, hereby give him permission to visit Hogsmeade on weekends. That'll be good enough for Dumbledore!" said Harry happily. He looked back at Sirius's letter. "Hang on, there's a P.S...

"I thought your friend Ron might like to keep this owl, as it's my fault he no longer has a rat."

Ron's eyes widened. The minute owl was still hooting excitedly. "Keep him?" he said uncertainly. He looked closely at the owl for a moment; then, to my great surprise, he held him out for Crookshanks to sniff.
"What do you reckon?" Ron asked the cat. "Definitely an owl?"
Crookshanks purred.
"That's good enough for me," said Ron happily. "He's mine."

As we neared King's Cross station, a twisting feeling settled in my stomach. This was it. This was the last time I'd ever see my friends... the last time I'd ever see anyone from the "outside world", as I'd called it when I was younger...
The train started to slow, then finally stopped at the platform. I looked at Harry, Ron and Hermione, my face chalk-white.
"Ivory, you don't have to go back..." Hermione said quietly.
"I-I do," I mumbled. "They'd find me if I tried to run from them."
An uneasy silence settled, broken only by Ron's new owl hooting happily.

"We should get off, or the train might go back to Hogwarts with us on it..." I said eventually, hoping my voice didn't shake at all.
"Yeah..."
Harry, Ron, and Hermione each grabbed their trunks and respective pets, then we all got off the train. I looked anxiously around for my mother, but she wasn't there.
"Can any of you see—" I started to say, but I was cut off by a flash of light.

When I was done with being temporarily blinded, I looked down to see a note at my feet, written in Mother's distinct handwriting.
"Merlin, why does she always have to be so dramatic?" I muttered, picking it up and reading the two sentences on it.
Coming in fifteen minutes. Don't you dare leave.
"Fifteen more minutes of freedom..." I said quietly, looking up at the others. "Come on, I'll go with you through the barrier."
"But won't you be leaving then?" Ron said, reading the note upside-down.
"Not really," I said thoughtfully. "Anyway, I should be back through here again way before she comes..."
"Sure?"
"Sure," I confirmed, nodding my head once.

With that, Harry, Ron, Hermione and I stepped back through the barrier of platform nine and three-quarters.

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A/n: so far I've got 100% of people saying they want all the chapters today (and by 100%, I mean 2 people 😂), so that's what I'm going to be doing... unless, of course, more people have said they want 2 chapters today and 1 tomorrow before I publish the final chapter later. Does that make sense? I'm not sure if that makes sense. Oh well 😂

~ Charlie 🖤