Escape From Privet Drive

Disclaimer: This story's characters and background all belong to JKR. I created the characters of Tanya and Raphael.

The rating is for later chapters.

The pairing, although it will seem at first like HP/OC, it is really to be a SS/OC pairing.

PART ONE

Chapter One

Escape from Privet Drive

Harry stood gazing out his bedroom window, thinking. The holiday break had started out so promising. He had come home with the Dursleys, knowing he had to. Also knowing that his friends were all working on getting him over to the Burrow, where they knew he'd be happier and better treated. The Dursleys walked on eggshells for a time, dreading what would happen if Harry got word out that they were bullying him.

But Harry, not wanting to bother the others, knowing they were busy with the Order, allowed some minor things to slip by. Dudley soon found that he could give Harry dirty looks with no repercussions; Uncle Vernon learned that he could snap at Harry and Harry would take no notice. Even Aunt Petunia discovered that Harry was still inclined to do a lot of the household chores that she couldn't get Dudley to help with, and he didn't do a bad job at them.

But soon, Dudley's sneering looks gave way to smart remarks, and he was once again pushing Harry around with impunity. Uncle Vernon began to threaten Harry with imprisonment (meaning bars on his bedroom window and the door constantly locked) and Aunt Petunia had plans to empty out the attic and repaint it. It didn't take O.W.L. intelligence to figure out who would be doing that.

Still, Harry resisted the temptation to cry foul to his friends. He swore he'd tough it out, that these were such minor trivialities compared to what he'd already been through. He knew that the Dursleys, at their worst, couldn't hold a candle to what folks like the Malfoys, LeStrange, Snape, Umbridge, and especially Voldemort could do. And he was surviving all of them. He was still going strong. He reminded himself of this every time he was tempted to leave and flag down the Knight bus, or send an owl to the Burrow, or to pull out his wand and actually use it. He made sure his letters were light and carefree, even when he didn't feel quite that way.

He really didn't expect anything to be done about getting him out of here before the end of July. Apparently, he had to spend a minimum of time here at "home" in order for the blood ties that bound him, however unwanted, to his Aunt Petunia to keep strong enough to protect him from Voldemort. He'd only been here at Privet Drive for two weeks; surely not enough time to justify a rescue mission.

But he found himself lately growing hotter under the collar than he'd care to admit. He was soon to be sixteen years old; far too old to let his temper get the better of him. It was an uphill battle. He'd heard of teenagers being overly dramatic and hard to understand. Now he could see it from a teenager's point-of-view, and it made perfect sense. There were too many times lately that he'd felt his emotions were controlling him, instead of the other way around. He supposed he could blame the hormones bouncing around, trying to keep up with his growing. He didn't mind the extra height, and the interesting appearance of light traces of downy fuzz on his upper lip was comforting, but he could do without the troublesome roller coaster ride he was stuck on. And at odd times, when his mind was supposed to be busy on other things, he felt a rushing need to see Cho. At these times, he missed her pretty face, and the funny little belly-flip he felt when he saw her. Then he shook his head and reminded himself of her overwhelming emotional outbursts when they were together. He'd learned that no matter what was going on, or what he said, she'd burst into tears. Who needed that? The last he'd heard, she was taking up with someone else, and more power to him. If Harry needed to stress out about something, he could no doubt come up with something more important than a goofy crush.

Hedwig nearly bashed into the window by the time Harry noticed that she was flying toward him, parchment rolled up in her beak. He quickly let her in, lavishly praising her for her work. She puffed up importantly, lovingly nipped his finger, and flew to her cage on his bureau to drink the water he'd just put in there fresh.

His vigil had paid off. No, it wasn't an enchanted car to pick him up, but he was almost as happy to hear from anyone from the wizarding world. It had been a long two weeks. As he unrolled the parchment with trembling fingers, he recognized Professor Dumbledore's handwriting.

Oh, this was good news indeed! He'd have much more time to spend on holiday with the people he considered his real family, and he'd get out of here before he could give in to temptation and get himself expelled from Hogwarts!

Glancing at his bedside clock, he saw that he had about two minutes to pack all his things. What to grab first? There was no point worrying about the Dursleys being upset about this impending visit; they'd gone out for the evening to see the once-bloated Aunt Marge. They wouldn't be back until the middle of the night. He gathered up his schoolbooks from the bureau, next to Hedwig's cage. He hadn't needed to hide them this year, but still, he hadn't cracked open a single one yet.

Before he could even get his trunk opened, he heard commotion from downstairs. He wheeled around, throwing open his door, and raced down the steps. As he ran down the hallway, he could see through the kitchen door when someone turned on a light. He entered the room, looking around to see who would be escorting him to the Burrow. Instead of the Weasleys, he saw Mad-Eye Moody, Professor Lupin, Tonks, and two more people he'd never seen before.

The first, a young man, blond, tall, his face turned away from Harry, was playing with the light switch, turning it on and off, on and off. Moody rolled his normal eye impatiently. "Blast it all, keep it on! This isn't your first trip into the Muggle world, lad!" The man stopped instantly, turning a rueful smile to the rest of the group. Moody caught sight of Harry. "Harry, all right? Ready to go? You got Dumbledore's letter by now?"

"Yes, I got it about two minutes ago. I'm not quite packed yet. Hi Tonks, Professor Lupin."

"Forget the 'Professor', Harry," said Lupin. "I'm not teaching anymore, remember? Well, not officially, anyway. You can call me Remus."

Harry took in the ragged clothing and the tired, wan look of Lupin's face. He wished he could ask what Lupin was doing nowadays, but didn't want to embarrass him in case he hadn't been able to find other work yet. Wizards weren't so quick to hire werewolves.

Tonks came around the counter to wrap her arms around Harry. "It's been a while, hasn't it? Good to see you again!" Harry returned her hug and complimented her on her shocking dayglo-green hair, which stood out all around her head in spikes. Tonks looked different every time one set eyes on her, even several times within an hour. "It's good to see all of you," he said with feeling.

"Well, you wouldn't have met Raphael yet," Mad-Eye said. "He's just been taken on by the Order. Comes straight out of India, where his parents were teaching at the wizard school there. Couldn't keep a job there; times are too hard. So he tagged along with his folks when they transferred back out here. He's hoping to land a teaching job himself at Hogwarts, but he hasn't worn down Dumbledore just yet."

"Nice to meet you," Harry said. "Likewise," Raphael answered. "Dumbledore has some pretty high standards. I'm not likely to get a job there, but I thought I should at least try, to appease my folks. I doubt that even they could get work there. Rahabid, where I went to school, was always desperate for reliable teachers. Anyone could get work there. Hogwarts is different."

"So how come you couldn't find work at Rahabid, then?" Tonks asked bluntly.

"They're closing it down. No one left to teach. Everyone's leaving in droves. That's why Mum and Dad have transferred back here. Dad will end up in a Muggle university, no doubt. He's a whiz at math. He won't mind. But my Mum is afraid to teach Muggles. She thinks they're smarter than she is, so she might not try it."

Harry only heard half of the conversation. His eyes were drawn to the other person there, one of the most beautiful girls he'd ever clapped eyes on. Her hair was black as night, long and loose around her face, and her eyes were almost as dark. They were a soft brown, not coldly black, and when she looked his way and smiled charmingly, he was hooked.

"And this'll be our Tanya, then," Moody continued. "She's Dumbledore's discovery, you might say. Tanya is to be the first gypsy to be accepted at Hogwarts."

Tanya took a few steps and extended her hand to Harry. "I've heard a lot about you, Harry. It's good to finally meet you." A strong bit of an Irish brogue, but with something else in it that Harry couldn't place.

He took her hand, willing himself to speak. It wasn't easy. He suddenly understood why Ginny had run away from him the first time they'd met. Other than wishing he could sink through the floor into oblivion, his mind was totally blank. He tried for a smile, but couldn't help thinking it probably looked more like a grimace.

She didn't seem to mind, as her expression didn't change. She held eye contact for another moment or two, or as far as Harry could tell, another month or two, then looked at Moody, allowing Harry to recover his senses.

Moody cleared his throat. "Well, let's get you ready to go, then, Harry. How much help do you need packing?"

"I'll help," volunteered Tanya. "You can give Raphael a thrill and show him how the light in the refrigerator works."

She headed for the door Harry had come through moments before, then turned at the threshold, waiting for Harry to catch up and lead the way. Harry floated past her, down the hallway and up the stairs, racking his brain for something witty and charming to say to her.

As they entered his room, he still hadn't thought of anything, but Tanya didn't seem to mind. She saw Hedwig in her cage and headed over to her. "What a beautiful owl," she said. "She's truly elegant, isn't she?" Hedwig preened, apparently realizing she was being flattered. But then, to Harry's surprise, Hedwig came out of her cage and onto Tanya's arm, nipping her finger and pulling her beak down through the long strands of Tanya's hair. Just what Harry longed to do himself.

"That's odd," Harry said. "Usually she's standoffish with strangers."

"Aye, but she has good taste, hasn't she?" She turned to him and smiled. "You'll not insult me by denying it, will you?" Her smile invited him to smile with her, and he did, already feeling more comfortable around her.

Tanya gave a slight lift of her arm and sent Hedwig back to her cage. She turned around and with a flick of her wrist, magically opened Harry's trunk. Harry was astounded to see no wand in her hand. "Are those all the books that are going?" she asked.

"Yes," he replied. "How do you do that? I mean, with no wand?"

"Well," she said thoughtfully, "I haven't learned to use a wand all that well yet, have I? I mean I've almost no wizarding education so far. This will be my first year. I've been doing magic since I was on my grandfather's knee without a wand. I never knew they were used until recently."

"You mean gypsies don't need wands?"

"I guess not. I've never heard of one using a wand."

"How old are you?" As soon as he asked, he wondered if it was too personal a question to ask a girl he'd just met.

"I'll be sixteen at the end of the year," she replied easily.

"Then will you be starting your sixth year, or will you be with the first years?"

"Professor Dumbledore wants me to spend the summer at Hogwarts, getting personal instruction from the teachers in the basics. Then, just before the fall term starts, he'll decide which year to put me in."

"So, depending on how much you can learn this summer, you might not have to start out in first year?" Harry knew that she wouldn't be able to cram five years of wizarding education into the ten weeks left of the summer. It dashed his hopes that they'd have any classes in common.

"Possibly not," she replied indifferently. "It all depends on how quickly I can pick up what you lot have already learned. Professor Dumbledore doesn't seem worried about it. And your Ministry said they'd administer the O.W.L.s at any time Dumbledore decided I was ready."

Harry still had misgivings about 'his' ministry. He couldn't quite forgive Cornelius Fudge for waffling so long about Voldemort's return to power.

"So," Harry said, "have you started your classes yet?"

"Just a little bit of coaching from Professors Lupin and Snape, whenever we've had the time."

"Even Defense Against the Dark Arts?"

"Especially Defense Against the Dark Arts. And they didn't make me try to use the wand. I was given a free hand to handle things the way I wanted. I'm sure that's the only reason I was able to do anything. That wand is going to take a bit of getting used to."

Harry looked more closely at her. She didn't seem aware of the scrutiny; she was concentrating on piling things he didn't plan to take into the trunk. He removed them as he studied her. What had her life been like that she could do so well in defense without having studied what the rest of them had studied, had experienced? He was just about to ask when he heard footsteps coming up the stairs.

Tonks poked her head in the door and grimaced. "Aw, Harry, you're getting as neat as your persnickety aunt! How come you cleaned your room?"

"I was bored, I guess." Harry grinned. Tonks used her wand to heft his now-closed trunk and Tanya closed Hedwig into her cage before picking it up. "Have we forgotten anything?" she asked.

"No, I think that's everything."

Back in the kitchen, Moody went over the travel plans while Lupin wrote a note to leave the Dursleys. "Okay, same as before. Harry, you keep to the middle of the pack while I fly up front, Lupin to the rear. Tonks, Raphael, and Tanya will be circling around you Harry, so keep your head down. I've seen Tonks fly and it's no better than she walks."

Tonks made a face behind his back, knowing he'd see it with his wonky eye. He chose to ignore it, saying instead, "And Tanya, you keep to your path. No flying off like you're a pup fresh off a leash, now."

Tanya frowned good-naturedly at him. "Now, won't you be giving me credit for a smidgen of self-discipline? I know why I'm here."

Moody turned to Harry. "Tanya only learned how to fly a broomstick yesterday, specially for this trip. She's like a kid with a new toy, so if she does fly off, don't follow her. Leave her to me. She can't be tamed, but she might come quietly if handled right."

Tanya made a rude noise at his parting back, then picked up Hedwig's cage again. Raphael quickly moved to her side and took the cage from her, smiling widely. Tanya relinquished her hold on the cage and smiled back at him. Harry inwardly groaned. Just his luck that someone had already staked a claim on her. She was too pretty to be lonely. And he couldn't compete with Raphael's charm and Adonis looks. He sighed to himself and followed the rest out to the back garden.

As usual, as soon as he kicked off on his broomstick, most of his cares went flying away as well. There was just no room up here in the sky for worldly troubles. As he felt the wind blowing through his hair and the stars rushing to meet him, he felt he could face anything, good or bad, as long as he could fly.

It was an uneventful trip; all too soon, the lights of London showed through their cloud cover, and Moody began a descent that the rest followed. Tanya hovered over the rest as they touched down, as if to watch how it was done. Harry suspected that although she seemed to enjoy flying, she probably didn't care much for landing. And he was right. She landed hard, throwing herself off her broom. He rushed forward to see if she was all right, but he wasn't quick enough. Raphael was already helping her to her feet.

"It must be the way I lean forward, isn't it?" she asked no one in particular. "Maybe a lighter touch . . ." She didn't seem any worse for the wear, and they began walking away from the empty field they'd landed in. As they walked down the street, Harry looked around. There seemed to be no one in sight. It must be after midnight by now, and by the looks of this neighborhood, one would think that's when the activity started. But the area looked tired and worn, and Moody stopped in front of two decrepit buildings, waiting for the rest to catch up.

"Remember how to get in, Harry?" he asked.

Harry nodded. He concentrated on the address, 12 Grummauld Place, and it appeared between the two other tenement buildings, pushing them aside. The house looked sad and forlorn, empty of the presence a home should have. Harry wondered that they came here instead of the Burrow, but was too taken up with flying and with Tanya's presence to ask. Now that his godfather was dead, he had no real desire to be here.

As they entered the house, and Tonks knocked over the umbrella stand that seemed to be waiting for just such an accident, the portrait of Mrs. Black began screaming about half-bloods and trash in her house. But now there was something new. Her fury seemed to be directed at gypsies, and Harry was surprised. Did Mrs. Black feel gypsies were worse than her much-hated mudbloods?

As Moody and Lupin wrenched the curtains over the portrait to encourage Mrs. Black to quiet down, Mrs. Weasley scurried down the hallway from the basement stairway. She ushered them all to follow her down to the kitchen, where they could talk without having to endure the tongue-lashing from long-dead bigots.

After accepting and then squirming out of Mrs. Weasley's hug, Harry assured her that, yes he was fine, yes he was hungry, and yes they'd had a good flight. She already had food cooking on the stove, and Ginny and Ron had set the table. Tanya had gone into the pantry, lugging back a sack of potatoes and a couple cans of some kind of vegetables. She set to work, peeling the potatoes and adding them to the cauldron she'd taken from the fire. For some reason, Harry felt it was odd that she'd be doing that by hand with all the magic she could do. Maybe she wasn't allowed; what underage wizard was?

"Harry, there you are." Lupin had come into the room and sat down opposite Harry at the table. "There are some things you should know right off. First of all, this is now your house. There is still some red tape to clear up, but Sirius left this property to you. So, even though you can't take possession of it just yet, no one is going to contest Sirius' will, so it's just a matter of time. Since you'll be sixteen in a few weeks, you'll probably be able to take possession of it before you get back to school.

"Therefore, if there's something about it you'd like to change, just let us know. You can't use magic here, of course, not while you're still fifteen, but there are things you can do. If you'd like a wall knocked down, we can do it for you, or if you'd like to redecorate, et cetera, well, it's yours now."

"Sirius left me his house?" Harry swallowed the sudden lump in his throat. "Does that mean I never have to go home to Privet Drive again?"

"Well, if I were you, I'd chat with Professor Dumbledore about that. He'll probably tell you that he can't stop you from staying here, but I'm also sure that he'll tell you to keep your home at Privet Drive as long as you can. You'll be of legal age in a few weeks, but you still aren't quite equipped to support yourself while you're still in school. This is part of the Muggle world, after all, and being on your own is harder than it sounds."

It was too much to think about right now. Harry's eyes kept straying to Tanya's hands working with the knife, moving so quickly that she might have been peeling potatoes every day of her life, and looking so comfortable with a knife in her hand that it might have been part of her. Then Raphael sat down next to her, and Harry couldn't see her unless he were to lean over; he was really beginning to resent Raphael.

"As such, you are the new owner of Kreetcher, the pleasant little house-elf hereabouts," Lupin continued sardonically. "He's rather shifty, and my own knee-jerk reaction would be to give him his freedom immediately. However, as I'm sure you realize, he could do serious damage to the Order if he's free. As your property, though, he's obliged to keep your secrets. Just be very careful not to give him clothing. But I'm sure you know all that."

"Sure, I remember," Harry answered. "How's he taking it? I mean, is he aware this is my house now? Does he resent it?"

"He resents it, I'm sure. But he has no choice but to serve you. He knows that. Just don't turn your back on him."

Tanya stood up to put the cauldron back on the fire. As Harry watched the rear view of her, stunning in faded blue jeans, he heard the door open and turned to see Snape entering the kitchen. His stomach suddenly felt like he'd swallowed a lead ball. Did he have the right to order Snape from his house? Of course he couldn't, he reasoned. Snape, like it or not, was a member of the Order, and where else would the Order meet? His hands were tied, and he began to feel that Sirius didn't do him any favors leaving his possessions to him.

Snape ignored Harry and Ron, nodded curtly to Moody and Tonks, sneered at Lupin and glanced at Mrs. Weasley, who was standing at the stove glaring at Tanya. What was that all about, Harry wondered. Perhaps Mrs. Weasley didn't like anyone interfering with her cooking?

Tanya turned and saw Snape. "Top of the evening to you," she said to him. "Or should I say, morning? What brings you out here this late?"

"I have news from Dumbledore. He wants to make sure Potter arrived safely, and obviously doesn't trust any of you lot to do this. Also, he's coming tomorrow to talk to all of us. And Tanya," he added, leveling a look at her that seemed to say more than his words. "He wants a word with you especially."

"Well, whatever it is, I didn't do it," she replied saucily. "Yet," she added with an impish smile.

To Harry's surprise, Snape actually smiled. "No doubt you will," he told her. "That's probably why he wants to speak to you. I'd love to be a fly on the wall for that conversation."

There was something different about Snape, but Harry couldn't place it. Other than the smile, that is, something which Harry had never seen Snape do before. He looked more closely, but looked away when Snape turned to him. "I trust I can tell Dumbledore that his precious Potter is none the worse for the trip out?"

Harry's face burned. Couldn't the snake stop from insulting him even when people were around? Tanya spoke up. "Depends on who you're asking. Whatever Mad-Eye says, he's lying. I didn't put a foot wrong."

"Quit your bellyaching," Moody said, smiling. "I wouldn't dream of making any disparaging remarks about you. I'm afraid I'd wake up a frog or something similar." His eye, his good eye, that is, was twinkling. Apparently, teasing Tanya was something of a sport with this group. Harry was even more intrigued. She seemed to dish out as good as she got. But what was Mrs. Weasley's problem with Tanya? Harry was now sure that he wasn't imagining the dirty looks Mrs. Weasley kept sending Tanya's way. He'd have to ask Ron about that when he got the chance.

"Severus, will you be joining us for a late supper?" Lupin looked as though he didn't want to ask, but felt he had to, for propriety's sake.

"Actually, I'd love to." Snape was full of surprises tonight, Harry thought. "If you have enough to go around, that is," he added, looking hopefully at Mrs. Weasley.

"Of course," she replied. "There's plenty. I never got out of the habit of cooking for nine. Arthur won't be along until tomorrow, Charlie and Bill are out of town, Percy's still refusing to come to his senses, and the twins have set up house of their own now. I'm feeling the empty nest syndrome."

"Well, take dubious comfort in the fact that your youngest son here will probably be with you quite a while longer," Snape said waspishly. "If his grades in Potions are anything to go by, he'll not land a decent job soon."

Ron was crestfallen. "Does that mean I didn't get an O.W.L. in Potions?"

"You'll know your scores soon enough. But I'm curious . . . did you really expect an O.W.L. in Potions?"

"Actually, I'll be surprised if I get any O.W.L.s," Ron admitted morosely. "I kind of fell apart under the pressure of the exams. I was hoping it was my imagination, though."

Snape turned to Harry. "And you, Potter, how do you think you did?"

Harry refused to rise to his bait. "I haven't given it a thought since the last exam. I'll cross that bridge when I come to it." Snape merely cocked an eyebrow and turned away. He handed Lupin a large, stoppered bottle. "That should last for another couple of months," he said.

"Thank you, Severus," Lupin replied. "Don't know what I'd do without you."

"I live to serve," Snape lied acidly. The Potions master had evidently whipped up another batch of the potion that enabled Lupin to lead as normal a life as it is possible for a werewolf to live.

"The dreaded O.W.L.s," mused Tanya. "I wonder how long it will take for me to be ready for them?"

"Remarkably a lot sooner than you'd think," Snape said. "We're all astounded at how quickly you've picked up on things like History, Divination, Charms, and Potions. I know that wasn't part of your education thus far."

Tanya looked at Snape thoughtfully. "Aye, maybe, but surely it will take a couple of years before I'm ready for the O.W.L.s?"

"We'll just leave all that to the headmaster, shall we?" Snape walked over to where Tanya stood near the sink. "I personally think we've been pushing you too hard. There's no point in forcing all that into your brain when you really need to catch up on your sleep. You shouldn't have to worry about schoolwork on top of Order business."

"Worried is a strong word," she answered. "But it will mean the difference between starting off in first year or not. I'm not sure I'd be comfortable being in classes with students four and five years younger than I."

"I thought Professor Dumbledore already told you that you'd be in sixth year?" Lupin asked. "He wouldn't have done so if there was any chance it wasn't true."

"No matter," Tanya said. "I'm enrolled; that's the important thing."

As they began eating supper, conversation lulled, giving Harry time to think. Now he was anxious about his O.W.L.s, and he hoped that Tanya would be in sixth year. It would be nice to share some classes with her. Classes that Raphael wouldn't take part in, having already completed his schooling.

"Is Hermione coming here this summer?" Harry asked Ron.

"Not until later next month. She went on holiday with her parents, I think she said the States. She should be here in time for your birthday, though."

"You have a birthday coming up, do you?" Tanya asked.

Harry nodded. "The end of next month."

She nodded thoughtfully, and looked back down at the food she was mostly just stirring around. Harry wasn't the only one to notice this.

"Aren't you hungry, Tanya?" Snape asked kindly. Another first from Snape, Harry thought. What was different about him, he asked himself for the tenth time.

"More tired than hungry, I have to admit."

Both Snape and Lupin looked up in interest. "You haven't been . . ." Lupin began.

"Oh, leave off, will you?" Tanya bristled. "I don't need to be reminded of things I didn't want to hear in the first place, and neither am I a baby to be molly-coddled."

"Touché," Snape answered with a smile, leaving Harry to wonder what was going on here that he didn't understand. He glanced at Ron, who seemed as bewildered as Harry at the exchange.

As everyone finished up, Mrs. Weasley began clearing the table. "Shoo! Off to bed with you lot, before you'll need carrying up. Tanya, you can help with the clearing up."

Harry was amazed. Tanya was the only one at the table who truly looked like she was tired, yet she was the one Mrs. Wesley put to work. But Tanya stood up obediently and waved her hands to send the dirty dishes to the sink.

"Tanya!" Mrs. Wesley hollered. "No underage magic here!"

"Just file a grievance with Dumbledore and stop ordering me about," she said listlessly, as if it were a running argument she was tired of having. "And be grateful you're not doing it alone. Besides, I have to practice, don't I?"

Ron steered Harry out of the kitchen and up the stairs. "What's going on between those two?"

"Well, I'm not really sure, except that Mum hates gypsies. She thinks they're trashy and filthy, you know . . . trampy. She doesn't understand why Dumbledore admitted her into the school. Gypsies aren't wizards or witches, but you know Dumbledore. He always knows things we don't."

"I've never known your mum to be prejudiced against anyone. What's this thing she has against gypsies? Tanya doesn't seem trashy."

"I don't think so either," Ron said. "But who knows where people get their ideas? Maybe her folks hated them, too. So many people do, wizards and Muggles alike. I think Tanya's used to being hated."

"That's horrible," complained Harry. "Did she ever say anything or do anything to your Mum?"

"What you heard just now was the worst I've ever heard. And I think she was only being impertinent because she's tired. They really are working her hard."

By now they were in the room on the second floor that they'd shared last summer. Harry continued his probing. "And why was Snape and Lupin so interested in why she was tired? What did they think she was doing that she's so tired? It is late, after all. Why shouldn't she be tired?"

"Some of the magic she can do is like nothing a wizard can do," Ron explained. "It's magic of a different kind; gypsy magic. It takes a lot of mental energy or something, and she gets tired afterward. Tired enough to pass out, actually. Or so I've heard. And I think they're afraid she'll use the magic in a way they don't want her to. I guess they have no real control over her; not the way the Ministry has over us."

"What else have you heard?" Harry wondered if George and Fred had bequeathed Ron a pair of extendable ears.

"Only that You-Know-Who has supposedly been spotted in London; I guess he's looking for you. Did you know that the Dementors have left Azkaban? Everyone's afraid that the Dark Wizards will escape again, Mr. Malfoy included."

Harry hadn't thought about any of that, his thoughts having been taken up with Tanya. "Have they?"

"Not yet," Ron said grimly. "But it's probably just a matter of time. Why do you think you came here under the guard patrol?"

"Come to think of it," Harry thoughtfully murmured, "why was Tanya part of that group? She's a student at Hogwarts. None of the rest of us would have been sent. Is she actually a member of the Order?"

"Yeah, she is. The only underage member, as a matter of fact. When I protested that if she could be in, then I could, and you and Hermione as well, Dumbledore said that if we could do what she could do, he would consider it. But he wouldn't say exactly what she could do. Something invaluable to the Order, obviously. But he was very insistent that she be one of your escorts."

Harry lay down on his pillow to digest this information, wanting to know so much more. He tried to imagine what sort of magic she had that no one else in this wizarding world had, and drifted off to sleep to the sound of Ron's voice going on and on about what he'd do if he got all the O.W.L.s he hoped for.

Tanya Raphael Snape