One unexpected letter came from Hagrid. The restless package seemed to be struggling the entire time. As soon as Orli tore open a corner of the wrapping, a massive book with a green, furry cover leapt out. It opened a wide mouth and began howling, then sprang onto the coffee table, standing upright and scuttling along the edge like some bizarre, crab-like creature.
Orli barely managed to catch a glimpse of the title on the cover, The Monster Book of Monsters, before it dashed off, running and shrieking wildly around the room. Thankfully, Dobby was there. With a snap of his fingers, the book quieted down before it could sink its teeth into the curtains.
The last letter was from Hogwarts. Orli noticed it was thicker than the ones from previous years. Along with the usual term notice and booklist, this year's parchment included an extra sheet that read:
"On certain weekends, third-year students and above are permitted to visit Hogsmeade. Please have this permission form signed by your parent or guardian."
Orli stared at the form, lost in thought. Even Harry, at least, had a slim chance of getting his aunt and uncle to sign it. But what about her? Was she supposed to ask Dobby to sign it?
Dobby came over and peeked at the form in her hand. His large ears drooped with a touch of melancholy.
# Dobby: "Miss Orli has no guardian. Miss Orli cannot go to Hogsmeade."
## Orli: "It's okay, Dobby. I can always use the secret passages."
She tried to comfort him. She remembered that the passage beneath the Whomping Willow led to the Shrieking Shack, and the statue of the one-eyed witch connected to Honeydukes. She was certain Fred and George would be more than willing to show her the way.
# Dobby: "Using secret passages is unsafe and improper for Miss Orli!"
Dobby made a move to bang his head against the wall but stopped reluctantly, recalling Orli's repeated warnings.
# Dobby: "If this were three centuries ago, a 13-year-old witch could marry, and then Miss Orli's husband could be her guardian."
Orli's cheeks turned crimson in an instant. She snapped at Dobby, her voice tinged with irritation:
## Orli: "You're suggesting I get married just to visit Hogsmeade?!"
Her voice was so loud it startled Dobby. Mumbling an apology, Orli turned and fled upstairs, burying her face in her pillow out of sheer embarrassment.
She absolutely refused to admit that when Dobby mentioned a guardian, a dark silhouette had inexplicably popped into her mind. If orphans could choose a professor from Hogwarts to be their guardian, her choice would undoubtedly be just one person. Yet the little figure in her mind kept crossing out the word "professor" after his name and replacing it with "husband."
Orli felt her cheeks burning so hot they might explode. She decided to take a nap and forget all about Hogsmeade, 13-year-old marriages, and guardians.
She was eventually woken by Dobby's shrill voice:
# Dobby: "Miss Orli! Wake up, Harry Potter is here to visit!"
Harry?!
Rubbing her eyes groggily, Orli quickly snapped awake.
She rushed downstairs and threw open the door, only to find Harry standing at her doorstep with his trunk and Hedwig's cage. He looked a bit disheveled, sweating profusely, with one leg of his jeans torn.
The sky outside was pitch black, and a chilly wind blew past. Even in summer, the cold made them both shiver.
## Orli: "Come in, quickly."
Orli ushered Harry into the house, and Dobby handed him a cup of warm honey tea.
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
"8 amazing fanfics available on my Patreon.
Support for 250+ advance chapters:
patreon.com/DarkGolds"