https://youtu.be/2BUJTy_n2wA

The hottest day that summer was coming to a close. A lazy, heavy silence hovered about the houses of Privet Drive. Once gleaming cars lay dusty in their driveways, the green laws were turning yellow because of the water restrictions due to a drought. Megan was sitting on a swing she had sometimes played on as a child. She heard a child laughing. Glancing around, she saw a mother and her daughter walking towards the exit, together, smiling at each other. It sent a pang of pain through her chest. She would never be able to have those kinds of moments with her mother, who had died when she was a baby, along with her father. They had been murdered.

Megan watched the mother and child go and let out a longing sigh. Her long hair stuck to her neck and she was covered in sweat. Megan was lonely, it was true, but at least she didn't have people sending her to the grocery store for more ice four times a day, or shooting nasty questions at her, or prying about her sentimental life, which had taken a definite upturn since the previous winter.

A smile touched her lips as she thought of Cedric Diggory, Hufflepuff seventh year, and her boyfriend for the past six months. But she was a little frustrated. The Daily Prophet provided little news of the terrifying events that had occurred at the beginning of the summer, and her friends were always evasive. And of course, phoning didn't work. But examination of their letters made her think they were at the same place. And this was the worse. They were all having fun (she assumed at the Burrow) and she was stuck with the Durslseys! What were they so busy with? Why didn't they think she could be of any use? She had almost lost Cedric, and her own life in that graveyard!

Stop thinking about it, she sermonised herself.

It was bad enough she relived the scene over and over in her nightmares, she didn't need to think about it when she was awake... but she felt so useless and cut off, and it was unpleasant. Every one of her friends was busy with something, and no one seemed to care about her. No, she chided herself. She knew it wasn't true, but then why the secrecy?! Why had they gotten together but left her out? It was so infuriating! She was the only reason they knew of Voldemort's return! And all she got was to be stuck in Privet Drive for a month, completely cut off from the Magical Community! And then, as soon as the fury rose, it vanished, replaced by confusion, and a little fear. Megan never got so angry, especially with her friends! Even when her uncle's sister Marge had come to stay two years ago, she had been as angry as she could get, and it was nowhere near the anger she felt sometimes boiling up in her, lately. And it terrified her. Which was why she wanted to know what was going on. But she had thought wiser to not say too much on a letter.

At the end of last year, Megan had taken part (unwillingly) and witnessed the return of Lord Voldemort, the most feared Dark wizard in latest history. He had returned, had almost murdered Cedric and had come close to doing the same to Megan. And with the Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge refusing to accept the fact that Voldemort was back with the firm intent of killing Megan and anyone who opposed him, she was pretty sure Voldemort wasn't sitting on his fanny doing nothing. But so far, no catastrophes in the Prophet... she sighed. Just then, she heard giggling as Nathalie came over, laughing and talking loudly on her phone.

"Yeah. I know, I told you that she would do that!" she was saying. "Yeah. Call me tomorrow. Okay. Bye."

She passed near Megan.

"Oh, you're there."

"Yeah. Why?"

"Mum told me to bring you home if I found you."

Megan shrugged and got to her feet.

"Never cared before," Megan said. "What's the matter, scared of the sun?"

"You're one to talk, at least I'm not moaning into my pillow every night!"

Megan clenched her fist.

"Mum, help, he's going to kill me! He killed Cedric and now he'll kill me!"

Megan said nothing, shaking with anger.

"Don't push it, Nat," she warned coolly. "I'm really not in the mood for that."

"Who's Cedric?" Nathalie asked, ignoring her. "Your boyfriend?"

"... And if he is?"

"Too bad he's a freak like you, he's handsome."

She'd seen him briefly the day she had come back to London.

"Yeah?" Megan said. "Well, he's taken."

"Oh, don't worry, Mum and Dad wouldn't let me near him. But he didn't look very dead to me."

"I thought he was. Fortunately, you're right, he's not. Now shut up about –"

Just then, a cold wind swept over them. Megan looked around. The sky went a dark grey as thick clouds covered it. Megan felt the cold and emptiness inside her and instantly realised what it was.

"Oh, no..." she whispered.

"Wh... what are you d-doing?" Nathalie asked.

"It's not me... run!"

She caught her cousin by the wrist and pulled her away from the direction the wind was coming from. They ran down the path until they reached a pedestrian tunnel under a level crossing leading to the nearby station. They stopped, as the cold air kept coming, their panting rising in puffs of steam. The lights covered in ice.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"It's not me, now hush," Megan hissed.

"I'll tell Dad–"

"Shut up!"

Just then, she saw a black hooded figure speed towards them. Megan only just had time to push Nathalie aside as it caught her by the neck and pushed her against the wall, pressing against her airline. The cold was numbing, and if she didn't act soon, There would be two empty shells on the floor in mere moments...

"... Nathalie... run!" she gasped.

Nathalie was looking bewilderedly at her. Megan reached for her wand, concentrated on how happy she had felt when she had found Cedric again, and raised the wand into the Dementor's hood.

"Expecto Patronum!" she shouted.

A bright silver light shot out and the Dementor let her go. Then, she saw a second one attacking Natalie, who, probably having passed out in fear, lay unconscious on the ground. Concentrating, Megan shouted:

"Expecto Patronum!"

A large silver phoenix shot out of her wand and knocked the Dementor away from Nathalie. Then, she heard something behind her. The first Dementor was coming back. She wheeled around, and in one fluid movement, sent the phoenix charging at it. The Dementors both fled. Megan stood panting a few seconds. Then, she crouched down by Nathalie.

"Nathalie? Can you hear me?"

She heard a faint moan, and let out a sigh of relief. Just then, she heard footsteps. She glanced around, and saw the elderly Mrs Figg, who the Dursleys had often dumped her on when she was small. She made to quickly shove her wand back into her pocket...

"Don't put away your wand, Megan," she said. "There might be more. Come on... Oh, I will have you, Mundungus Fletcher!"

Megan stared at her.

"... What...?"

"Hurry, now, we mustn't stay here..."

Megan, still utterly bewildered, quickly heaved Nathalie to her feet and helped her walk out.

"What d'you mean...?" Megan asked as they walked away. "How did you... know where we were? Who's Mundungus Fletcher?"

"The idiot who left to see someone about some cauldrons! Fell off the back of a broom, I expect... Thank heaven I had Mr Tibbles on watch just in case! Dementors! Come on, we have to get you back."

Megan was astounded that old Mrs Figg knew about Dementors.

"... You're... a witch?" she asked.

"I'm a Squib, which Fletcher knows full well! How in the world was I supposed to help you with those monsters?! Now, come, I'll be no help if they come back. Oh, Mundungus Fletcher, just you wait till I tell Dumbledore!..."

"... You know Dumbledore?"

"Of course I know Dumbledore, who doesn't?"

Everyone in the Muggle world, or so Megan thought. She was thankful that Nathalie was so thin, because even though she had regained consciousness, she wasn't making much effort to move, dragging her feet, her face pale and sweaty.

"Why did you never tell me?" Megan asked. "I spent hours in your house!"

"Dumbledore's orders. I had to keep an eye on you without anyone noticing. And you were too young anyway. Sorry it wasn't much fun, but if the Dursleys had thought you were enjoying being with me, they'd have never let you come. But when Dumbledore hears about this! Oh, but how am I going to tell him, I can't Apparate..."

"You can borrow my owl," Megan said, breathlessly, getting a little tired of dragging Nathalie along.

"Megan, you misunderstand: he'll need to act very fast, the Ministry will already know what happened."

"But I was defending myself!" Megan said. "How was I supposed to do it without magic? And besides, surely the fact that Dementors were around here will be more important to them than me using magic?"

"I wish it was, but I'm afraid... MUNDUNGUS!"

The smell of alcohol and stale tobacco filled Megan's nose as a small, man in a tattered overcoat came into view. He had short hair, a small hat on his head and the look of people who didn't hesitate to play dirty to get their way.

"S'up?" he asked.

"You're asking?!" Figg asked in outrage. "The girl you were supposed to be watching for the next five hours was almost rendered soul-less by Dementors! Dementors, Fletcher!"

"... Dementors...?" he asked aghast. "But... here?"

"Yes! Here, you dirty, rotten thief!" she shouted. "And you run off to buy stolen cauldrons! I told you not to leave! Didn't I?!"

"Well, I... I mean..." Fletcher shuffled his feet. "It was great opportunity..."

A loud clank filled the air as Mrs Figg swung her bag (which sounded full of cat food) at Mundungus, hitting him in the face.

"Great opportunity?! Two teenagers were almost worse than dead! How would we have kept that from the Muggles, eh? Their bodies fine yet unconscious? Good grief, man! You better go straight to Dumbledore and tell him exactly why you weren't here when it happened!"

He looked very unhappy about it.

"All right, fine... I'm going."

And he vanished.

"Come on," Mrs Figg urged Megan. "I'll walk you to your door. Oh, to think you had to fend them off yourself...! And Dumbledore told us to keep you from using magic at all costs... well, it's no use complaining about it now... cat's out of the bag."

Megan wasn't sure she understood.

"Dumbledore's been having people watch me...?"

"Yes, of course he has. After what happened in June, you didn't expect him to just leave you on your own, did you? Come on, now, inside and stay there."

"What about you?"

"I'm going home to wait further instructions. Goodnight."

"Wait...!"

But she was already striding out of sight. Megan sighed. She had finally had a chance to find out more about what had been going on... she turned and pushed the door open.

"Nattie, what's the matter?" Petunia squeaked when she saw them.

Megan glanced at Nathalie, caught a bucket they used for coal and swung it under Nathalie's mouth just as she threw up in it. Then, trying not to pay attention to the smell, she sat her down in an armchair while Petunia was screaming for her husband.

"What happened, darling? Oh, you're covered in dirt... you weren't mugged, were you?"

"No, she wasn't mugged." Megan said. "It wa –"

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY DAUGHTER?!" Vernon roared.

"Nothing! If anything, I saved her life!"' she shouted back furiously.

She was sick and tired of always being treated like a criminal. It wasn't fair.

"We were attacked and I got them off us!" she went on.

Just then, a screech owl swooped in from the window bearing a letter. Megan bit her lip. Here it was. Again, the letter split into a face and said:

Miss Potter

We have received intelligence that the Patronus Charm has been performed by your person at twenty three minutes past nine this evening in presence of a Muggle in a Muggle residential area.

As this is a severe breach of the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Wizardry, you are hereby expelled from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Ministry representatives will shortly be calling at your residence to destroy your wand.

As you have received a previous warning, we regret to inform you that your presence will be required for a disciplinary hearing at the Ministry of Magic on August the twelfth at 9am.

Hoping you are well,

Mafalda Hopkirk

Improper Use of Magic Office

Ministry of Magic.