Chapter 19: CHAPTER 19: THE DURSLEYS

*

To Tell, or Not to Tell

*

The Andrews, Ed and Hermione arrived at The Dursleys home, 4 Privet Drive, Surrey. The four stood in front of the house, ‘This is the house Harry ‘grew up’ in’ Ed thought.

“I suddenly regretted coming here.” Said Ed.

“It was your idea Ed.” Roger said while frowning.

“Well, yeah, but Hermione here-”

“Don’t bring me into this Ed.” Hermione glared at him.

“Fine, it’s my fault.” Ed grumbled, and the rest just chuckled. “Now, Roger, Anna, Hermione, I might snap at the family, so could you please hold me down if I did?” What Ed said was true, even reading the books he hated the Dursleys.

“Well, don’t ask me, I might jinx them myself.” Hermione said a bit angry.

“Well, don’t make a mess, or the police will trouble you.” Roger answered sarcastically.

“Don’t encourage the kids dear.” Said Anna sharply.

Roger just coughed softly, and said, “Well, we’ll go first.”

The two old couples walked towards the door and rang the bell. While waiting, Ed whispered to Hermione.

“Hermione, there might be a house elf inside, so we will ask to go to Harry’s room as soon as he opens the door.” Whispered Ed.

Hermione just nodded, eyeing at a window upstairs.

The door then opened, revealing a chubby boy with a suit and a butterfly tie.

The boy then smiled, and said, “Good evening Mr. and Mrs. Andrews, may I take you coats?”

Roger looked at the boy strangely, “Oh, we didn’t wear any coats.” He spoke. The surroundings instantly became awkward. Ed just wants to burst out laughing while Hermione was holding Ed’s sleeve so tightly, he looked at her and saw her holding her laughter too.

“O-Oh, then come in.” the boy stuttered, and guided them awkwardly.

There they were led to the living room, Ed saw the dining table was full of food, and he saw an obese man smiling at them, this man is of course Vernon Dursley.

“Good evening Mr. and Mrs. Andrews.” He greeted them enthusiastically, but when he saw Ed and Hermione, his smile froze.

“Good evening Mr. Dursley.” Ed said to him with a smirk on his face. “Don’t mind us, can you point me to Harry’s room please? I hear it’s his birthday today.” Ed continued, showing the presents he brought.

Vernon’s face was instantly pale mixed with the colour purple. Before he could say anything Roger said coldly,

“Hello Vernon, I’ve heard a lot about you from my son and his friend.”, Roger then looked at the cupboard under the stairs, and Vernon tensed.

“Quite small is it? Not suitable for a child’s bedroom.” He continued while pointing at the cupboard.

Vernon gulped; he had cold sweat on his forehead. “Y-Yes, it is.” He stuttered.

“Well, why don’t you show my son where his friend is, Harry is it?” Roger continued. “While we ‘adults’ talk about things.” Roger was showing his cold face all the time, different when he was at home. The same was true for my mother.

“I-It’s upstairs, second door on the right.” Dudley stuttered, his voice becoming weaker at every word he spoke. Then a banging voice sounded upstairs.

At the sound of this, Anna and Roger frowned, while the Dursleys paled.

“Thank you Dudley” said a grinning Ed while walking towards the stairs with a giggling Hermione.

The two then climbed up the stairs, and when Hermione saw the door she approached it, leaving Ed behind.

“Harry, Harry are you in there?” Whispered Hermione to the door.

“Hermione? Is that you?” a muffled sound came from inside the room.

“I’m coming in, Harry.” Said Hermione, while Ed just stood behind her.

“Wait! No- “

But before he could stop it, Hermione already opened the door. Revealing a house elf, punishing himself, by head butting himself to the drawer.

When Hermione saw this she tried to stop the house elf, “What is he doing!” she shrieked while pulling him from the drawer.

“Dobby, stop!” Harry shouted. And the house elf stopped, albeit hesitantly. “What are you doing Dobby?”

The elf sat down on the floor, rubbing his forehead, and said, “Dobby had to punish himself sir! Dobby had spoken ill of his family sir!”

“Your family?” Harry asked curiously.

“Dobby is a house elf; Dobby must serve the wizard family Dobby is bound to forever.”

“Well, did they know you’re here?” asked Hermione.

“They’re not.” Said Ed, who was silent all this time.

“Ed? You’re here also?” Harry questioned, surprised by Ed being here.

“Yeah, I mean, who do you think your uncle invited to dinner? my foster parents. And Hermione was staying at my house, so she came with us.” Ed answered, making Hermione blushed a little bit because of the mention of her staying at Ed’s house.

Before could Harry say anything, Ed addressed the elf,

“So, Dobby, what are you doing here?” questioned Ed, even though he knows what Dobby is doing at Harry’s place, the others didn’t know it yet.

“Ah! Sir, Dobby has come to protect Harry Potter sir! To warn him that Harry Potter must not go back to Hogwarts!”

“W-What!” Harry stuttered, “But I need to go back, the semester will start soon, if I stay here they’d kill me!”

“NO!” Dobby shrieked, “Harry Potter must stay here where it is safe, Harry Potter is too good to die, if Harry Potter goes back to Hogwarts, he will die!”

“But why?” questioned Harry, his face looking a bit worried.

“There’s a plot towards Hogwarts! A plot to release the most terrible thing at Hogwarts.” Said Dobby while trembling. “Harry Potter must not go back! It is not safe!”

“Who’s plotting towards Hogwarts?” asked Hermione while frowning.

“Is it Vol- sorry, I mean You-Know-Who?” continued Harry.

“No, not He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, sir-” but before he could say it, his eyes widened, signalling that it is forbidden to do so.

“Ah, I see Dobby.” Said Ed while getting closer. Everyone looked at him with curiosity. “It’s Lucius isn’t it?”

Dobby’s eyes suddenly widened even more and slammed his head to the floor, making a lot of noise. “Bad Dobby! Bad Dobby!”

“Okay-okay! Stop, Dobby!” commanded Ed, the elf stopped much to the elf and Ed’s surprise.

“Huh, so I’m still considered your master eh Dobby?” commented Ed, ‘Interesting, I guess being Narcissa’s nephew was still considered family.’ Ed thought.

“Oh! Master, forgive Dobby for betraying the family!” the elf said while slamming his head harder.

“Stop, Dobby!” commanded Ed once again. The elf stops, cowering in fear. “Now can you answer our questions truthfully now?”

“Yes master, Dobby will answer master and his friend’s questions!”

“Okay, did you intercept Harry’s letters?” Ed questioned.

The elf just nodded, and he walked to a pillowcase and pulled some letters, “Yes master, Dobby had them he-”

“You’ve been stopping my letters?” Harry asked, a bit angry, “I thought no one has send any letters!”

“Harry Potter must not be angry sir, Dobby hoped if Harry Potter thought his friends had forgotten him, he would not go back to Hogwarts.” Said the elf softly.

Harry then grabbed the letters from the elf’s arms and read it one by one.

“Well Hermione, it seems now you know why Harry never replied to your letters.” Said Ed to Hermione, which she just nodded. She has been quiet when Dobby talks about a plot to ruin Hogwarts, she looked at Ed intensely, which probably suggests that they will have a talk later.

“Now Dobby, is Lucius the one behind your so-called plot?” Ed asked once again, his face looked serious.

Dobby just howled, he cannot betray his master, and Ed sighed, he whispered to himself, “Well, I’ve warned his family, I cannot say that I didn’t give them a chance.”

“Who’s Lucius?” Harry asked.

“It’s… complicated.” Said Ed hesitantly, “You don’t have to worry about anything Harry, you just have to have faith in yourself.”

Harry looked at Ed suspiciously, but before he could say anything, Ed said to the elf.

“Dobby, I forbid you to harm Harry Potter, but you need to watch him at all times, but also rest when you’re tired okay? Don’t worry, I won’t tell anything to your family, you have my word.”

“But Master! Harry Potter will not be safe at Hogwarts sir! Dobby must make Harry Potter stay away from Hogwarts!”

“No Dobby, the ‘danger’ is not as dangerous as you think, he can handle it, right Harry?”

“W-What danger?” questioned Harry.

“Well, you’ll see when you go to school.” Said Ed vaguely. “Now remember Dobby, just protect Harry from any danger, understood?”

“Yes master! Dobby understands!” Dobby nodded vigorously.

“Okay Dobby, I’m not your master, I’m your mistress’s nephew, so technically I’m not in the family, but I don’t know why you obeyed me, just call me Ed.”

You are reading story Ordeal of the Hopebringer: A Harry Potter Fanfiction at novel35.com

“Dobby understands Master Ed.”

Ed just sighed, “Now go, before your family notices you’re missing.”

Dobby nodded and a sound of ‘pop’ can be heard, and Dobby is gone.

“Well,” said Ed looking at the two of the trio, “That went well.”

Hermione looked annoyed, she crossed her arms and tapped the ground with her foot, “Mind explaining what just happened?” said Hermione while glaring at Ed. Harry just nodded in support of Hermione.

“Well…” said Ed hesitantly, “I can’t really tell you anything.”

Hermione’s frown deepened, looking at Ed, and Harry frowned a bit too.

“Why won’t you tell us?” said Harry.

“It’s- Ugh, okay it’s quite hard to explain, and there are also quite a lot of reasons I can’t and won’t tell you, but in short…” Ed looked at Harry intently, “You need to grow Harry.”

“Grow?” questioned Harry, looking even more confused.

“Your path won’t be easy, so you need to solve your own trials by yourself, to make yourself grow as a person and as a capable wizard, now I will interfere if I think things will go bad, but other than that, it’s your own journey Harry, I won’t help you this year, I will just ‘take care’ of the troublemaker afterwards.” Said Ed with a soft tone. Then Ed looked at Hermione who looked like she was about to jinx Ed at any second, and he hurriedly said,

“I-If you want to hear it, I-I have a prophecy about this year, it’s not too well made, but you have to bear with it.”

“Prophecy?” Harry questioned; his face looked like he’s about to pass out from confusion.

“His family is quite good at divination.” She said with a little bit of venom laced in the words, because she knows that’s a lie, she knows that he knew everything that will happen this year.

Ed, seeing this was sweating profusely, then he cleared his throat and said the ‘prophecy’.

“

A wizard's best companion will protect the-boy-who-lived the wrong way...

A deceiver will enter the school and the inheritance of the founder will haunt the school once more...

the fingers of the ignorant will point at the-boy-who-lived, and it is up to him to solve the mystery...

He will be the chosen of his house, and rid the inheritance of the founder once and for all…

”

The room went silent for a minute, the other two were trying to digest all the information. Harry showed strange looks, while Hermione still glared at Ed.

“I-Is that all true?” asked Harry timidly.

Hermione narrowed her eyes even more to Ed and answered Harry, “I think it’s true, he made a prophecy last year too, and that prophecy was true.”

“You made a prophecy last year? Why didn’t you tell me?” asked Harry, a bit angry.

Ed just shrugged and said, “I made it in the morning when Voldemort tried to steal the stone, so I can’t really tell you, and I told Hermione that morning.” Hermione flinched when Ed said Voldemort.

Harry then changed his target of staring to Hermione. “Why didn’t you tell me Hermione?”

“W-Well I didn’t believe it at first, so I didn’t tell you.” Refuted Hermione.

Harry just eyed Hermione suspiciously before Ed interrupted.

“Oh, right, here Harry, Happy birthday.” Said Ed while giving the presents.

“Oh, Thanks!” Harry instantly forgot about all the commotion and took the presents, he tried to open it, but Ed stopped him.

“Don’t open it in front of us Harry, it was wrapped up for a reason.”

Harry looked at Ed hesitantly before nodding. Then Ed said to Hermione, “Hermione, do you have any more things to say? I hope Roger and Anna can still hold it.”

“You’re leaving? Can you take me with you?” said Harry with a hopeful expression.

Hermione’s face changed when Harry said this, and she hesitantly said, “I-I’m sorry Harry, we can’t take you…”

Harry’s expression changed into an expression of disappointment, “Why?”

“Yeah, why Hermione?” Ed questioned, he was smirking in his mind and genuinely wondered why Hermione would Decline Harry’s plea.

Hermione blushed a bit when the two asked this, but no one noticed, “W-Well, Ron! Yes, Ron! He said he will pick you up because you never answered your letter, so he got worried, and he planned to get you out of here with Fred and George.”

“Really?” asked Harry, hopeful once again.

“Yes, really, he will pick you up around this week and the next.” Said Hermione hurriedly.

“Well, okay then…” said Harry, a bit disappointed but he can’t really be picky, “I guess I’ll see you two at Hogwarts.”

Hermione nodded, “Well, maybe we’ll meet again in Diagon alley, but yeah, see you at Hogwarts Harry.”

“I’m not going to Hogwarts this semester, so I’ll see you next year if we don't meet at Diagon Alley.” Said Ed, “And let me give you some advice Harry, don’t jump into conclusions so easily, and don’t be blinded by hatred, it will only hurt those around you.” Continued Ed vaguely while walking away from the room with Hermione.

Hermione went out of Harry’s room with a gloomy look, “I forgot you won’t be in Hogwarts this year…”

“Well, you still got Harry and Ron right? There’s Richard and Daphne as well.” Comforted Ed.

But the mention of Daphne’s name, Hermione’s face contorted even more, and she climbed down the stairs faster than Ed, leaving him behind.

Ed then walked to where his foster parents are talking to the Dursleys,

“Ah! Here you are, did you finish talking to your friend?” said Roger with a smile on his face.

“Yes, we gave him the presents and talked a bit.”

“What’s that noise from before? kind of like a banging noise.”

“Just some… magical creature that tries to stop Harry from going to Hogwarts.”

Roger frowned and asked, “Why would it want to stop him?”

“It’s complicated, you don’t want to know.” Ed shook his head. “Enough about Harry, what about the deal?”

Roger pondered a while before explaining the situation to Ed, “What do you think Ed? I want to see your thoughts on this stuff, you’ll succeed in the company after all.”

“Hm… the deal is quite good in my opinion, even more beneficial to us than them, but…” said Ed, and Vernon just sweated profusely.

Ed looked at Vernon and used passive Legilimency at him, he saw his thoughts, ‘I can believe my company’s future lies on a twelve-year-old freak!’, ‘that Potter boy must’ve told something to his friends, I’ll deal with him later.’.

Ed sighed, “Mr. Dursley, I may be a twelve-year-old freak, but I’m still a successor of the company, so I got the rights to be in this negotiation.” Ed said coldly.

Hearing this, Vernon paled, ‘He can read minds?’ Ed heard him think. “Yes I can read minds Mr. Vernon, I am what you called a freak after all. So, let’s get on with the negotiation and stop the insults shall we?”

Roger looked at the scene and frowned with anger on Vernon, but before he could say anything, Ed continued.

“Well, Mr. Dursley, your offer is indeed quite tempting, but the question is, why should we trust you and your company?”

Vernon gulped, “W-Well…”

“You locked an eleven-year-old boy under the stairs, abused him, this place is essentially a prison for him…” Ed said with a cold face.

“Not to mention, you insulted me, so I ask again, why should we trust you? How can a man that can’t even take care of his own nephew, can be trusted on running a big deal like this?”

Vernon just sat down quietly, not muttering a word. He was sweating, his face pale, and not only him, Petunia as well, while Dudley was just sitting in the corner scared.

Ed sighed heavily, “Roger, do we have another choice beside him?”

Roger shook his head, “So far only his company has made an offer this good.”

Ed thought for a while, and said, “Fine, we’ll accept.”

Everyone looked shocked because of Ed’s decision, but before anyone could say anything Ed continued.

“But!” Ed said sternly, “If I hear just a speck of abuse and mistreatment from Harry, we will instantly cancel it, Roger, add it to the contract that we can cancel the deal whenever we can and won’t get any penalty for it.”

Roger smiled at Ed’s decisiveness, he added the requirement to the contract and gave it to Vernon.

“It’s up to you to sign it, if you don’t like the contract then that’s fine, you could just throw it away, but if you want to accept it, sign it and bring it to the office for further administration.” Said Ed, “Let’s leave, it’s quite tiring today. Good evening, Dursleys.”

All of them then left the house, leaving the shocked Dursleys in the living room. Ed saw Harry waving at them on his window, and Ed waved back. After that they went home with the car, and Ed arrived in front of his room, looking tired and sleepy, but a peculiar bushy-haired girl was standing beside him with a smile on her face, hiding her excitement.

“What are you doing?” said Ed.

“Aren’t we going to go to the suitcase?” Hermione questioned,

“I’m tired Hermione…”

Hermione’s face fell, she looked dissatisfied and was about to leave him.

“But” Ed continued, making Hermione freeze her steps, “Fine, I don’t care what my parents and yours thought of you not coming out of the room anymore, I’ll sleep in the living room, while you could just do your thing.”

Hermione instantly beamed with happiness with a slight blush on her face and hugged Ed, “Thank you!” she said, while pulling him to the suitcase. He spoke the password and the suitcase opened. The two climbed down the ladder, Ed called Gilligan to train Hermione while he lay on one of the sofas.

‘What a tiring day.’ He thought, while drifting to sleep.

You can find story with these keywords: Ordeal of the Hopebringer: A Harry Potter Fanfiction, Read Ordeal of the Hopebringer: A Harry Potter Fanfiction, Ordeal of the Hopebringer: A Harry Potter Fanfiction novel, Ordeal of the Hopebringer: A Harry Potter Fanfiction book, Ordeal of the Hopebringer: A Harry Potter Fanfiction story, Ordeal of the Hopebringer: A Harry Potter Fanfiction full, Ordeal of the Hopebringer: A Harry Potter Fanfiction Latest Chapter