Dark Pasts { A Harry Potter Story }

Chapter 58 - Family Disputes

The sun shone brightly through the open window above my bed, illuminating the pages of the book I was currently reading. I had just finished another chapter when I heard the chirp of an owl coming from the sitting room below. Springing to my feet, I closed my book and ran down the stairs. My dad was sitting comfortably on his favourite chair, going through the pile of mail that has just arrived. ...our barn owl was perched on the window sill.

"Did I get any mail?" I asked, breathing heavily.

"Yes," my dad said as he passed me two envelopes, not even tearing his eyes from his newspaper.

I squealed as I quickly tore the letters from his grip, but frowned as I saw that only Hermione and Ron had written to me. I sat down on the sofa and ripped opened the first letter. Ron's was full of his usual rants about Fred and George pranking him and his mum not giving him a break, which made me chuckle. Hermione, on the other hand, was writing to ask if I had gotten my O.W.L results even though she knew they wouldn't be arriving before another week or so. She also said she would be here tomorrow, which made me smile.

I could not, however, forget about the absence of Harry's letter. I had written to him, as promised, the moment I got home, yet he had still not written back. Perhaps my letter had gotten lost somehow? Very unlikely, I thought, since all my other letters seemed to have been delivered safely. It was probably those Dursleys he lived with... yes, most likely, I thought. They were probably keeping him from reading his mail. If so, I only had to write to him again: he was bound to get his hands on at least one of them without them knowing.

I stood up and grabbed a quill and parchment and began to write a new letter to Harry.

"Who are you writing to?" My dad asked.

"Harry," I said without looking at him.

"Haven't you already written to him?" He asked in an annoyed tone, making me frown slightly.

"Well, yeah," I said, "but he didn't reply... thought maybe he didn't get it, so—"

"I don't think you should waste your time, Elizabeth," he said.

"What d'you mean?"

"Well, if he doesn't even have the decency to reply to your letters he can hardly be worth your attention, no?"

I scoffed loudly as I stood up. "He didn't get it! It's the only explanation!"

I glared at him angrily before storming out of the room. I shut my bedroom door and threw myself on the bed. The truth was that it was hard for me to believe that he would not have received my letters because his uncle had not stopped him from getting mail last summer, so why would he be doing it now?

***

When I woke the next morning, I heard the sound of an owl coming into the house again. With a little less enthusiasm, I ran down the stairs but grunted in annoyance when I saw that only the Daily Prophet had been delivered. I sat down at the kitchen table and poured myself a bowl of Pixie Puffs. I glanced at the first newspaper headline reading Harry Potter: The Chosen One? and felt a tug at my heart as I read his name. The other bore the headline Scrimgeour Succeeds Fudge. I frowned as I read this last article saying that Fudge has resigned, but I could not say I was surprised. After all, who would trust him after he spent months denying He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's return?

There was a sudden knock on the door, and I frowned as I stood to open the door.

"Why d'you have to knock?" I asked my dad who was returning from his overnight shift at the Auror office.

"You're supposed to ask me the security question!" He said.

I sighed in annoyance. "Dad, you got past the Fidelius Charm, I know it's you!"