Chapter - 2 : Fate Part - 2

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Two Dementors, monstrous, wraith like beings that fed on the happy memories of people and sucked out their souls had swooped down upon Harry and Dudley, attacking them. Harry had utilised the only effective method of repelling a Dementor, the patronus charm, in order to send the two terrifying abominations fleeing, saving not only his own life but the life of his cousin as well.

Following that event, several things had happened one after another. First Mrs Figg, a batty old neighbour, had arrived on the scene. She had revealed herself to be a Squib (a person born to a magical family but had no magic themselves) and then informed Harry that Dumbledore's people had been keeping an eye on him all summer, following his every move.

Fat lot of good they were if the best that could be provided in a crisis was a Squib.

Dudley was far from being alright after his encounter with the Dementors. Once Harry had gone through the immense effort of dragging the fat tub of lard back home, his relatives were far from grateful. Utterly convinced that he had done something to harm their precious son, Harry's Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia had been all for throwing him out on the street. It was testament to how deep his loathing of his family ran that Harry actually found this to be a highly tempting offer.

Then, for the first time in a month, word from the magical world came. It was a letter, delivered by an owl from the Ministry of Magic, informing him that he was now expelled from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. This just gave his relatives more encouragement to throw him out onto the streets. With the Ministry also threatening to snap his wand, Harry had been all for making a run for it right there and then. At that moment, however, a flurry of letters from his friend Ron's Dad, from Harry's Godfather and from the Ministry had turned that plan on its head. Though the three letters had barely contained thirty words between them, the gist of their message had been that Harry was not expelled yet, but would have to attend a disciplinary hearing that the Ministry on the twelfth of August.

And that was where he was heading right now.

In the days that had passed since the Dementor attack, Harry had heard nothing from anyone. He had long since given up hope of receiving any friendly correspondence from anyone, but was it too much to ask that someone, either from the Ministry or from Dumbledore's lot would have made contact in order to make arrangements for him to get to the Ministry of Magic building, especially given how he had never been to the place in his life?

Evidently it was too much to ask, as no one had bothered to get in contact with him to offer up any such information and, without Hedwig, Harry had been unable to send a letter containing his questions.

It was just as well that, before his third year at Hogwarts, Harry had discovered the convenient, if stomach-churning service provided by the Knight Bus (as they had sure as hell never mentioned it at school!) Several hours before his hearing at the Ministry, Harry had left the home of his relatives and flagged down the Knight Bus. There had been a few people already on board before he got on, but he was assured that he would arrive at the Ministry of Magic in plenty of time.

With another lurch the Knight Bus came to a stop, this time to pick up someone, and then it sped off again.

After having a word with first the new passenger, and then with Ernie Prang, the driver of the bus, Stan the conductor made his way along the aisle between the rows of seats to Harry.

"A'right 'Arry?" he asked "We just got an passenger on board 'oo needs to get to da Leaky Cauldron 'sumfink fast, so we is gonna change our course an' drop her off an' den you."

Harry nodded in acceptance "That's fine."

To be honest, although he was dreading the upcoming hearing, he could hardly wait to get off the Knight Bus. Had he eaten anything more than a single slice of dry, slightly stale bread for his breakfast that morning, then he was reasonably certain that violent jostling of the Knight Bus would have caused him to throw it up by now.

The bus made the drop off outside the Leaky Cauldron and then sped off once more. Then, all of a sudden they were stopped again with Stan loudly announcing "Ministry o' Magic, Visitor's Entrance."

Harry got to his feet and got off the bus. He was surprised to find himself facing, not some kind of grandiose door that marked the entry point to the Ministry of Magic building like he had expected, but rather a red telephone box.

Harry turned back towards the Knight Bus and saw that Stan was watching him.

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50+Advanced Chapters there.

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