Secrets, Lies and the Daily Prophet (Alt. Fifth Year Fic)

Chapter Six: Nadine Henderson - The Neighbourhood Pest

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

As Arabella and Sirius walked the six-block perimeter surrounding the Dursley's Privet Drive home she pointed out the hidden monitoring devices and showed him how to verify if they were fully operational. Some were as small and as inconspicuous as a paperclip attached to a telephone poll. Others were as large as birdhouses and attached to tree limbs. Some were monitors for magical activity and while others had enchantments attached to them to prevent Apparation within the zone. There were seventy-two devices in all. Arabella then took Sirius down Privet Drive to show him the infamous Number 4 Privet Drive, Harry's childhood home.

"This street is Unplottable for wizards. They simply cannot find it even with a map. Unless, I specifically lift the enchantments and allow their entry," explained Arabella.

"I tried to catch a glimpse of Harry after I escaped from Azkaban. I wondered why I couldn't find his house. I knew the address because his fame reached into the confines of the prison and many of the captured Death Eaters spoke of how they wanted to go to Number 4 Privet Drive if they were ever released and finish the job that their master couldn't finish," Sirius said darkly.

"Yes, it was hard to keep Harry's whereabouts a secret from the Daily Prophet. Later we had quite a tourist trade of witches and wizards coming to Little Whinging in the hopes of catching a glimpse of The Boy Who Lived. None were able to find his house though. I did see quite a few people coming through this neighbourhood - at least outside on the perimeter. Thankfully, no one ever realized who I was."

She then pointed out the street lamps to Sirius and told him to look closely at the bulbs. They emitted an eerie orange glow even during the daylight hours. "Dumbledore put an enchantment on these lamps the night that Harry was left on the Dursley's doorstep. That's the source of the Unplottable nature for wizards. Unfortunately, it doesn't work for other magical beings. I had a great fright the summer after Harry's first year. A house-elf had repeatedly Apparated within the Zone and was intercepting his owl posts. Then this elf threatened Harry and performed a Hover Charm and it set off the outdated magic detector that Dumbledore allowed the Ministry to install on their roof. They couldn't tell the difference between elfin magic and human magic."

"But yours could?" he asked.

"Well, there is so much magic around from other magical beings. Fairies, gremlins, ghosts, poltergeists, elves...that I had those brands of magic calibrated out because it was causing too much background noise. I honestly never thought that it would be a problem because I didn't think any of those creatures would ever be a threat to his security. I've since changed it and had to bring more sentries on board to come and investigate all instances of magic. The night when the elf performed magic in the Dursley's household, the damned Ministry automatically sent an owl warning Harry that he could be expelled if he cast another charm outside school and then..." her tone became bitter.

"What happened then?"

"The Dursleys responded by locking him away in his room. It looked like they were planning on holding him prisoner there until he was an adult. I became frantic and started thinking up all kinds of desperate schemes to get him out of there, when the answer to my prayers literally fell out of the sky."

Sirius hadn't heard this story before and was very intrigued. "Go on."

"Ron Weasley and his twin brothers Fred and George had decided to check on Harry since none of Ron's letters were answered. Their father had bewitched a Ford Anglia convertible and they were flying it to rescue Harry. When it came onto my radar screen it took me a few moments to lift the veil to allow them to find Harry's house. They had to take bars off of his bedroom window to get him out. They took him back to the their house for the rest of the summer."