Shape of Magic Chapter 20: House of Hera

<<<Harriet Potter>>>

Life with the Dursleys wasn’t the best, but it certainly wasn’t the worst.

Yeah, Dudley is a pain in the arse, same with Uncle Vernon really, but Aunt Petunia… sometimes they got along like how Harriet believed a niece and aunt should get along. And other times it was like she couldn’t even stand to be in the same room with her. Harriet didn’t really understand why, though after learning about her parents and the stories Sirus told her?

She had a vague idea why Aunt Petunia was so wishy-washy with her.

Still, whatever Chuck said to Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia had certainly changed things for the better. She was given that room where Dudley threw all his broken or unused toys and, while she still had to do chores, she didn’t do everything by herself anymore. The tantrum Dudley threw when Vernon and Petunia told him he had to help with the chores would always bring a smile to her face.

So things were pretty much better honestly, she didn’t feel like slave labor. She still cooked, but that was mainly because Aunt Petunia couldn’t cook every single night. And she got her fair share of the food, that was good too; particularly since she’d not been sent to bed without dinner since she’d gotten back.

Still the highlight of the summer was when Sirius visited and took her to different places or just took her flying on his bike. A few days ago they went to watch a game of Quidditch between some local teams.

Harriet had never had so much fun before! Well, before Amy and Taylor bullied their way into her life. Something that she would never regret happening, even if Taylor honestly scared her at times.

She knew they had a pretty decent life in an orphanage, but she wondered about that at times. Amy (and Taylor as well she imagined) would get this far away look, like she was remembering something. Harriet never questioned it, it certainly wasn’t her business… though she had to stop Hermoine from being too nosy and asking more than a few times.

Ron, who was rapidly becoming her best mate, often helped distract Hermoine when she got that determined look on her face.

“Thinking about something?” Sirius asked as he handed her an ice cream cone. Diagon Alley was still as wonderful as it had been since she’d first gone, but he managed to make it… almost more interesting, explaining bits and pieces about what he and her father used to do around the area.

“Just about how much life’s changed,” Harriet said, “I have good friends now, I’m learning magic, I’ve got a godfather, and the Durley’s treat me as an unwanted roommate instead of an indentured servant. It’s a lot to take in, honestly,” She admitted as she licked her ice cream cone.

Vanilla with a chocolate frog hidden inside somewhere. It was, as could be imagined, quite good.

“Well I’m glad I’m on the list of ‘good things’ then,” He replied with a smirk, “We’ve been invited to visit with Taylor and Amy’s family for something that they call Midsummer’s Eve on the twenty-third, but Chuck advised that we should… do a heavy amount of reading before going, if you want to go that is.”

“Why wouldn’t I?” Harriet asked, “Though reading? Why?” Not that she was upset but she really thought she wouldn’t have to do any studying until she returned to Hogwarts, excepting homework of course.

“Fairies, apparently.” He didn’t seem to believe the words he’d uttered aloud, but considering what she knew of her friend’s adopted mother… “The book he sent was quite thick as well and he said that none of them would be offended if we didn’t.”

It did sound like a pain.

“But in easier news, we’ve also been invited down to the Burrow, that’s where Ron and his family live, for… several birthdays, really. They have the parties all at once because otherwise they’d need to make a lot of cakes over the summer.” Sirius explained with a smirk. “Not that I think anyone except the cook would complain of course…”

“Well, that makes sense,” Harriet said, “But I couldn’t go to both of them could I?”

“Oh no, they’re on different days,” He corrected, “The Weasley’s thing is next month. I just thought I’d give you a heads up now so you can think of what presents to bring.”

Harriet nodded. “Sounds fun,” She said, “Though… what could I get for Amy and Taylor?”

Come to think of it, she didn’t know when their birthdays were. She knew Ron’s was the first of March and Hermione’s was in September… Neither Amy or Taylor had said when theirs was. Maybe they didn’t know either, but that wouldn’t fit with what they said before…

“Have I shown you the Puppet Palace yet?” Sirius asked, knocking her out of her musings.

“No, I don’t believe so,” Harriet said after a few seconds of thought, “What is it?”

He smirked and explained, “A magical puppet show, it’s kind of like a haunted house but for comedy.”

“Sounds fun,” Harriet said with a smile.

“Just follow me then,~” He replied before starting to slink away, “Try to keep up!”

He didn’t exactly try to run very fast.

Harriet just rolled her eyes as she followed her godfather, all the while enjoying her cone.

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“You have fun, pup?” Sirius asked as he pulled up to the Dursley’s house.

His answer came in the form of a hug from Harriet, “Yes!” She said with a smile on her face, “I can’t wait until I can live with you full time.”

Sirius just chuckled, “Well by next summer hopefully you can move in.” He said before he looked at the Dursley’s, who were peeking out the window, “You sure you’re safe with them?”

“Yes, it’s fine,” Harriet said, “Whatever Chuck said to them stopped them from being nasty.”

“And probably that they don’t know you can’t use magic outside of school…” He smirked and… well, Hagrid had said something similar. “Just remember to do your homework.”

“Sure Padfoot, and you don’t forget to take a flea bath,” Harreit started before she gave him another hug.

“Hah ha,” His voice was as dry as a desert, “I can see why they called you Hera, smart aleck.” Sirius’s eyes shone with humor as he hugged her back, “Don’t do anything I would do.”

“That’ll be easy enough,” Harriet said equally as dry.

Still, they had to separate at some point,

“See you in a few days?” Harriet asked.

“I’ll have to check my very busy schedule…” Sirius drawled with a laugh, “See you later, pup.” He added before she started his motorcycle back up.

As Harriet walked to the house, Sirius drove down the street before engaging the invisibility and flying away.

They didn’t say anything to her as she went in, but she didn’t expect them to either. It was fine, it wasn’t like she enjoyed talking to them anyway. More importantly… the pile of letters Hedwig had gathered on her bed. The owl looked very proud that she’d come back with the large load.

Harriet smiled and gave Hedwig plenty of pets and a treat before turning to the pile of letters and dug into them.

Some of it were things she knew already, getting invited to the two parties (though Amy had revealed that there were only a few rules from the giant tome Chuck had sent they’d need to follow), some advice for her homework from Hermione, and a few well wishes from others.

She wrote replies for most of them, it would be really rude not to, but she wouldn’t send Hedwig out until she’d recovered from the flight.

“I’d love to visit and we’ll, Sirius and I, keep in mind those rules. Why are there so many? It seems really paranoid, but you’d know more than me.” She wrote to Amy before, after considering things for a moment, adding in, “And when are your birthdays anyway? Sorry if you mentioned it before, I just can’t remember.

-From, Hera”

She nodded before folding it up and pushing it into a spare envelope after the ink dried. The worst they could say was that they didn’t want to tell her which would hurt a little, but there would probably be a good reason for it.

“Maybe they just don’t celebrate it?” Which would be pretty sad, but Harriet vaguely understood. It wasn’t like she had for the longest time.

A few hours remained before dinner and… she still had to do homework, joy of joys. “I don’t know why they want us to do work during summer vacation,” She said to her faithful owl who, by dint of being an owl, didn’t deign to reply; instead demanding more attentive petting.

“Life must be so simple for an owl, isn’t it girl?” Harriet asked with a smile. “And so hard, getting all this love and attention, mm?” Hedwig just nipped her finger affectionately before flying to her cage for a nap.

It made her smile in spite of the work she had to do, the owl was just too cute to not do so.

‘Right… which chapter was about the witch trials…’ She thought to herself, cracking open her History of Magic textbook and beginning the tedious grind.

Then she paused and, with a smirk, took out the letter she’d written to Amy to add to it.

“PS. If Taylor ever figures out how to teach her bug trick, tell me. Homework would be so much easier to do with it!”

Snickering to herself Harriet went back to her reading.

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