by the HISglory at TDA D-I dont own Harry Potter, yet I do own a copy of the books.
Chapter two: A new home
“Wow!” She did that! ” How did you do that?” I am so scared that I am shaking.
“Well, I know this might seem odd right now to you, but this is a day to day thing for me.” So she just goes around to people’s homes and scares them by setting their paper on fire? “I don’t mean the fire part, but I can do magic and I do it every day. And if you go to the school,” she is talking about the school letter, Hogwarts I think, “they will teach you to do many things like that and this.” She points her stick at the chair and it starts to fly into the air.
“Can I learn to do that?” It would be so cool to do it to Josh, and he would freak out so much.
“Yes, and lots of other thing too.” She gives me a big smile; I like her. She put her hand into her bag and pulls out a box and hands it to me. I just look at the box; it’s bigger thanher bag is, as it’s about as big as a shoe box, but the bag's like as big as a loaf of bread. “Open it please.” I take it from her,put it on the table and start to open it.
“It’s so cute, thank-you.” I am not quite sure what it is, but it’s like this fluffy little ball but it’s an animal, and it's purple of all colours. What kind of animal is purple? I just smile at Ginny, so she thinks I like whatever this thing is.
“It’s called a Pygmy Puff. They are great little pets; they hum when they are happy and don’t need anything, and this one will eat anything you give it,” she said, a laugh in her voice. “Go on touch it, it will not bite.”
I really don’t know if I should believe her or not, but she hasn’t said or done anything to hurt me so far. We play with it for a bit, then (Mrs)Miss Figg ( I had forgotten that she was in the room) put some tea and cake in front of the Pygmy Puff. We had some, and so did the Pygmy Puff. It’s odd to see a it drinking my tea.
XXX
Harry’s POV
“What do you mean you don’t want her?” I look at the man that Dudley has become; he is just the same as his father has always been.
“I can’t have a FREAK in my house. She will bring the cold things and will just be like you.” I am sure he is talking about Dementors. “She will go to an orphanage if you don’t want her.”
“What about your wife, what does she have to say about this? Did you even let her have a say in this? Or even your son?”
“I will not have them endanger because of a FREAK like you. Penny knows the story and she knows that we can’t have one in our HOUSE.”
“IMOGEN IS NOT A FREAK, DUDLEYKINS. She is a witch.” I am sure that Dudley could give Vernon a run for his money, with the colour purple his face was turning.
“Just remember that my parents took you in.” Yes, they had taken me in, but did they love me like I was family, did they care about me, or even treat me like I was family? I can’t let them do this to Imogen, she is just a little girl, she doesn’t need to be treated that way; no one does.
“You know what, I will let her come live with me and my family, and we will love her unlike you did me.”
He laughed at that and turned to look at number 4 that sat across the road. “How did you think they would be able to love her, and how do you think they will act toward me if I do. I can’t have a FREAK in my house.”
XXX
Imogen’s POV
Harry came to the door, not looking happy at all, “Have you got a name for her at all?” How is it that I had not even thought of it, or even if the Puff thingy needed to get a name, or if is a girl or boy.
“Mmm, no I have not.” What kind of name do you give the Puff thing?
“Well you will think of one. Just don’t call it Arnold, it’s a weird name for one of them.”
“Hey I liked that name and you said you did too.” So Ginny had or has got one. It’s odd to see two adults so care free that they can be themselves in front of me, a stranger.
“I am Harry Potter, your cousin, by the way and you must be Imogen. You look like so much like my mum and our daughter Lily, she is 3 years younger than you.” Do I have more family? I thought it was just the six of us - Mum, Dad, Grandad, Grandma, Josh and I, and Mums parents, but they don’t live in England so I don’t really see them - now they are telling me I have 3 more. “Ginny, can I talk to you out in the hallway with Dudley?” When do I get to go home? I watch Ginny follow her husband out the door to the next room.
Mrs Figg moved and sat next to me. And started Talking about my pygmy puff and her cats. I was not really paying attention to her.
“Do you know what’s happening? When can I go home?”
“I don’t know what is happening out there.” It was like she didn’t want to answer the second question. “Harry is one of the best men I have even met; he will look out for you anytime you need it. When he was your age I would baby-sit him for your grandparents. He would look after my cats and help me with them.”
“He lived with my grandparents?”
“Yes he did, and even when your dad and him were not friends he saved his life.”
“How come I never knew about him till today?”
“I don’t know.” We then just sat there in silence and I played with my Puff.
XXX
Ginny’s POV
That poor girl has been told all this in one day. And she walked into the next room, to talk to that pig Dudley. She laughed at the thought of him with the tail that Harry had told her Hagrid had once given him.
“The big D here doesn’t want her going to Hogwarts, if she stays with him.”
“Well, then if you don’t want that lovely girl then she can come live with us. Imogen will be loved, not told she is a freak every day.” If Dudley doesn’t say something in the next few seconds I will give him a tail myself.
“It’s not that we don’t want her, but we will to be able to let her go there.” Dudley looked like he wasshockedat what he was saying.
“Well, if she is going to come live with us, then I will come around and get her stuff from her room so she can have the stuff she wants. I also want to see my beloved aunt.” Harry was not at all happy but she could tell that he wanted to give her a better home than the Dursley’s gave him.
“Do you want to tell her yourself? Or will you chicken out, to tell your own daughter that you don’t want her anymore!” Ginny could now feel her temper rising. One more thing and he gets a tail.
“I have no DAUGHTER, only a son.” That’s how Dudley Dursley got his pig tail for the second time.
“Ginny, I know you are mad, but this is not going to get us anywhere.” As Harry got rid of the tail, he is a lot calmer than he was in the car but he did say this would happen. How did he know? “Let’s go to your house and get her things, Dudley, and Ginny, maybe you could ask Imogen if she was to come and stay with us?” I just nod at the two of them; how does someone tell a little girl that her life is going to change even more than the amount of times her's has today, and that her core family has abandoned her? What about Penny and Josh, did they have a say in this?
XXX
Josh’s POV
Grandad had made me go up to my room and Grandma had taken mum up to hers. I am sitting at the window trying to see if I can see Imogen. I had seen dad take her into the house across from Grandparent's house, and then I had seen a car pull into the drive way. A man had gotten out along with a woman, and they had gone in too.
After awhile the man that had come out of the car came out of the house, followed by my father. They walked up to the front door. I ran to my door and opened it just so I could see out but no one would think I could, and I heard them come through the door.
“What are you doing here? We told you to stay away from us and never come back.” Grandad said to what I can only guess was the man.
“Vernon? Why hello to you too. Do you think that I can back to talk to you?” I didn’t know this voice so I can only just assume it was the man from the car. “Now, where is my aunt, I need to have a couple of words with her?”
“She doesn’t have anything to say to you, or the other Freak”
“So I see you just do what you want and control the ones around you. I will speak to her NOW.”
“Dad, where is mum?” I hear my father addressing my grandad. I don’t know how they go to the knowledge that she was up in mum and dad's room. I saw my father walk past my door, followed by the man. I could swear that he winked at me. When was Imogen coming back?
I walked out of my room and in to my parent’s room. The man was talking to my grandma, my mum and to dad. But I didn’t hear a word they said. “Where is Imogen?” They all looked at me, mum kept crying, dad looked shocked, as did grandma. But the man answered my question.
“She is at Miss Figg’s. I am Harry, by the way. You must be Josh.” He didn’t look at my father the whole timeI had been in the room, but now he looked from me to him. I know what he was thinking; I looked just like him but younger.
“When is she coming back?”
Harry again answered, “She is not going to be coming back. She will be staying with my family. I am sorry.” And he really did look sorry.
My mum cried even harder at these words, and for the first time today I did too. I was not going to have my best friend and sister in the room next to me. Who would climb the tree out the back with me now? My mother came to me and hugged me for a long time.
After we had both calmed down, we went to Imogen’s room, and I put her favourite things into a bag that mum had given me. Mum put her clothes in another one. The man walked in the room after we had been in there for a good while. “Please don’t think less of me, but I have to let her go, said mum to the man. I cannot lose Josh as well. I know you will look after her, but if I did go they would have Josh. You could imagine what would happen to him. I know the story of you; the real one, the way they treated you to the way you saved his life. Dudley once told me when he was drunk. I am so sorry for the way they treated you, but could you please look after my baby for me?”
Harry walked over to my mum and hugged her. “Penny, I will always look after her, as if she was my own, and there is no need to say sorry for what they did. Now, Josh, can you do me one thing?” I nod. “Could you find me some photos that Imogen can have, so she will always know your family?” I am pretty sure the reason they got me to leave was so they could talk about stuff they didn’t want me to here.
I walked in to my room and got my best photo of me and Imogen; it was of us last Easter. It was one of the best days I can remember. I got a couple more photos and put them in my favourite book. If I was not going to see Imogen anymore I was going to give her my book, the one we always had a fight over when we were young, the one she had let me keep just so I would not call her a ’Ranga’ for the week. Even though it was mine in the first place.
XXX
Imogen’s POV
This is how I came to be in the back of Harry’s and Ginny’s car. I have not really said two words since Ginny told me that I was going to live with them. Not with Josh and Mum any more. She really did tell me in the nicest way I think one could without blaming my Dad, but I had a hard time thinking what he has said. Those words are still going over in my head. “I don’t have a DAUGHTER, only a son”.
Ginny had told me she had two sons as well as Lily, and that she knows they could never take the place of my real family, but she would hope that I will let them love me and that someday I will love them back.
“Imogen, I am sorry that all this happened on your birthday, but I know kind of what you are going through,” said Harry. “I used to live with your Grandad and Grandma when I was a kid. And they did not want me after they found out that I got into Hogwarts.”
“When we get home, I will help you set up your room, and you can meet James, Albus and Lily. James is your age so he will be going to school with you.” Ginny was now trying to cheer me up and I don’t think it’s going to help. “When we get home can you owl Ron and Hermione and let them know that we can’t go over for dinner tonight? Maybe they could come over tomorrow.”
“It’s a good idea that she meets the family bit by bit. God only knows there are more than just 30 of us at the last birthday dinner. I know how overwhelming it can be to meet your family in one go. And there were less of them back then.”
I don’t really remember the rest of the car ride home. I just watch out the window. All I can hope is that when I get to their house, they don’t ask me lots of question. And I hope they get some lunch for me, as I am so hungry now.
We pull in to this house in the country, well, that’s where I think I am. There are other houses around but they are not as close as they were in Little Whinging. The house is two stories with a garden out front, but I notice that you can see 3 hoops on poles out in the back. It was like basketball rings on their sides.
“I will help you with that, Imogen.” And Ginny helps me with Frankie and my bags. Harry tells us he will put my other bag up in my room. Frankie is the name I gave my Pygmy Puff, with Ginny's help.
I follow her to the door and she opens it. I look around and I see a lot of pictures on the walls but they are moving. “How are they doing that?” I look more closely at one with four kids in it; they have just made a snow man and they are smiling and waving up at me. There were two boys with black hair,a younger-looking girl in it with red hair, and another older-looking boy, whose hair was blue, hang on, now it was black just like the other two boys'. How odd. The one thing I knew was they all look so happy playing in the snow.
“Well, wizard’s photos move you see, so magic.” She notices me looking at this one the most.“Those are our kids,” she points at the older boy, “Teddy, he is 17,” then at the next boy, “that one is James, same age as you. That is Albus, he is ten, and Lily, she is 8.”
“They look really happy.” I hope they will like me. Then she showed me around the house. The whole time I stopped to look at the different things I have never seen and she would tell me about them. By the time we come to going upstairs, I think it was a good half an hour later. Why do people like stairs?
BANG!
Damn it, I was thinking again. I’ve got to stop it.
“Are you alright, Imogen?” And she helped me get back up.
“Yes, I am ok. It always happens if I am thinking, when I go up the stairs.”
“I know what you mean, that used to happen to me.” She gives me a smile. I think she is the happiest person I have ever met. I like her. “This will be your room, this one right here, next to Lily’s and across from James. Albus is the one there, and that’s my room, bathroom is there.” I walked in to a room that is all white and is pretty much empty, but for a bed, some drawers and a book shelf.
“I just put Teddy’s things down in the other spare room. He will understand, but first things first, what’s your favourite colour?” Harry just walked in with some books and my bag. I wonder, will Teddy get mad that I took his room? I hope he doesn’t, I would hate him to not like me.
“It's purple and green.” The next thing I know is that he has his stick out, but I guess they call them wands. He changes the colours of the walls to light purple and one with the window to a light green. “I love it, thank-you but you didn’t have to repaint a room for me.”
“Don’t worry, I had to now as each room is the favour colour of the kid that sleeps in them. I couldn’t have you left out.” Harry walks over to the window. “I want you to come see out the window.” I do as I am asked, and I am gobsmacked. How did I not see this before? The view is amazing. I can see a town not too far away.
“That is Hogsmeade; it’s a great little town and only like 10 minutes walk, and on the other side of that forest is Hogwarts, the best school I have ever known.” He looks down at me. “You are going to be alright here, I will look out for you, and as much as I do, for my own, and I will love you just the same.” I then notice something I haven’t seen a man do before; I see tears roll down his face.
Did I say or do something I don’t know of, and if so what should I not do? I’d do it anyway said Harry. I put my arms around him and he does the same. “I want you to be happy here, safe and feeling loved.”
He lets go of me. I stand there shell shocked, after my own Mum and Dad not wanting me anymore and these two do! And do they know I broke those pictures on the wall back at number 6? Well, I’m not going to call it home anymore, after them doing what they did. “You'd love me even if I broke all the pictures on the wall?”
“Yes, of course we do, and when you did it was just accidental magic. It shows us that you will be able to do magic. They are the first signs that you are a witch.” He puts his hand out for me and I take it. "Let's go down and she if Ginny’s made lunch for us.”
Hey, I didn’t even see her leave, but I was happy she did; I’m starving now.
XXX
We had lunch of toasted sandwiches and this really nice drink that I have now learned is called butterbeer. I really like it. After that Harry goes to get his kids, and Ginny helped me put my stuff out, and she got me a desk from some other room. I’m not sure which one. We put Frankie on it with a potted plant we got from the garden. I put a photo of me and Josh on the desk from Easter.
We talk about the things I like, drawing and playing games with people, and that I am good at, like running a long way and swimming. She tells me that she likes to play a game that is played up in the sky. It’s called Quidditch and I like the sound of it.
“Mum, where are you?”
“Up here, James,” Ginny answers the boy's question. I hope he likes me. I am going to have to go to school with him and everything. Well not to mention a house and a bathroom. I just hope we get along. “Just so you know, Teddy only stays here on the weekends and sometimes in the week.”
I can hear footsteps getting closer “She better be good at flying, then we can have a 2 versus 2 aside teams even when Teddy’s not here.”
“James, she will need to learn first.”
“Shut up, Al.”
“Daddy, I am so happy, I always wanted a big sister. Now I don’t have to put up with being the only girl anymore.”
“You guys will love her.” That was Harry voice I know it. “And don’t forget to say, happy birthday.”
That’s when I see them; three of the kids form the photo, and they are still just as happy as they were the day it was taken. I think I will become just as happy if I stay here long.
“HAPPY BIRTHDAY,” they all say at once. Then Lily comes up to me and hugs me, and I hug her back. They all hand me a present.
“Thank-you.”
“Open it,” Lily says, reminding me of Josh this morning. I opened it with the first laugh I have had since being here. They got me a broom, so now I get to learn how to fly.
“I know you rooms looks good, but we want you to have this.” Albus hands me a poster, and I unroll it. It says ’Holyhead Harpies’ and going at me was Ginny on a broom.
“How come you're on here?” I ask Ginny. I just look from her to the poster.
“Well, I used to play for them, now they use me in photos like that.”
“We’ll have to have another bet with Uncle Ron this year.” Harry and Ginny just laugh at Lily’s words. “If he ever asks who you go for just say Harpies.” But Harry knew this to be true as Ron tried to get all the kids to go for the Cannons. Lily handed me one more package and I opened it and I found pjs, a hair brush, etc and a purple teddy bear. I think this is going to be different living with her.
“Come on, Imogen, let’s go play exploding snap before dinner,”
said James, as Harry walked down the hallway.
Hang on, did he say exploding snap? Yer I had heard him right. I found that exploding snap was just like normal snap, but if you were not quick then the cards would explode and re-heal themselves.
A-Thank you all that have helped
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