pretty girl diggory- R.Weasley

5:2

Celeste, Hermione, and the Weasleys had been at Grimmauld place for weeks before Harry arrived. Though it wasn't under the best circumstance, Celeste was glad that the one person she truly wanted to talk to in person was there. She and Ron were playing wizard chess when Hermione told them Harry arrived.

"HARRY! Ron, Celeste, he's here, Harry's here! We didn't hear you arrive! Oh, how are you? Are you all right? Have you been furious with us? I bet you have, I know me and Ron's letters were useless — but we couldn't tell you anything, Dumbledore made us swear we wouldn't, oh, we've got so much to tell you, and you've got to tell us, Celeste just told us you've been writing every day, but anyway — the dementors! When we heard — and that Ministry hearing — it's just outrageous, I've looked it all up, they can't expel you, they just can't, there's a provision in the Decree for the Restriction of Underage Sorcery for the use of magic in life-threatening situations —"

"Let him breathe, Hermione," Ron said, grinning, closing the door behind Harry.

Hermione, still beaming, let go of Harry.

Celeste stepped up and hugged Harry as well.

"How are you," Harry murmured into Celeste's shoulder.

"Well," Celeste said, but before she could say another word there was a soft whooshing sound and something white soared from the top of a dark wardrobe and landed gently on Harry's shoulder.

"Hedwig!"

The snowy owl clicked her beak and nibbled his ear affectionately as Harry stroked her feathers.

"She's been in a right state," Ron said. "Pecked Hermione and I half to death when she brought your last letters, look at this —"

He showed Harry the index finger of his right hand, which sported a half-healed but deep cut.

"Oh yeah," Harry said. "Sorry about that, but I wanted answers, you know, and Celeste's letters were the only ones that didn't seem so rushed. ..."

"We wanted to give them to you, mate," Ron said. "Hermione was going spare, she kept saying you'd do something stupid if you were stuck all on your own without news, but Dumbledore made us —"

"— swear not to tell me," Harry said. "Yeah, Hermione's already said."

There was a strained silence in which Harry stroked Hedwig automatically, not looking at either of the others.

"He seemed to think it was best," Hermione said rather breathlessly. "Dumbledore, I mean."

"Right," Harry said.

"I think he thought you were safest with the Muggles —" Ron began.

"Yeah?" Harry said, raising his eyebrows. "Have any of you been attacked by dementors this summer?"

"Well, no — but I did think Voldemort was a cashier at a muggle restaurant for a moment," Celeste said, causing Hermione and Ron to wince at the name.

"But that's why he's had people from the Order of the Phoenix tailing you all the time —"

"Didn't work that well, though, did it?" Harry said, doing his utmost to keep his voice even. "Had to look after myself after all, didn't I?"

"He was so angry," Hermione said in an almost awestruck voice. "Dumbledore. We saw him. When he found out Mundungus had left before his shift had ended. He was scary."

"Well, I'm glad he left," Harry said coldly. "If he hadn't, I wouldn't have done magic and Dumbledore would probably have left me at Privet Drive all summer."