Chapter 1

Remus opened the book and James, Sirius, Harry and Lily all settled down to listen.

Harry was lying in the Dursley's flowerbed trying to listen to the Muggle news.

"Why?" asked Sirius, surprised.

"The Daily Prophet wasn't bothering to report Voldemort's return and I thought that some disappearance or death would give me a hint as to what was going on" Harry replied.

A loud, echoing crack alerted Harry's presence to the Dursleys.

"Damn" groaned James.

"What was that?" asked Sirius.

"It could just be a car" Lily shrugged.

The Dursleys confront Harry who denies making the cracking sound and says he was trying to listen to the news.

Vernon and Petunia point out that the owls would be bringing him news. Harry says they aren't and leaves in a temper.

"Didn't your friends write to you?" asked Lily.

"They did and so did Sirius but nobody would tell me anything that was going on" Harry muttered.

"They must have had a reason" James said soothingly.

Harry wonders if the cracking noise was caused by someone aparating or disaparating. He thinks perhaps Dobby except he doesn't think Dobby can make himself invisible.

"House elves can make themselves invisible" Sirius commented.

"But why would Dobby hide from Harry?" asked James.

Sirius understood Harry's frustration and advised him to keep his head down and not do anything rash.

"Let's hope Harry will listen" sighed Lily.

Harry sits in the park watching Dudley. Despite his frustration he did listen to Sirius.

"Thanks Pup" Sirius smiled.

Harry knows the Dursleys don't like him arriving home after Dudley so he joins Dudley as he leaves the park. Dudley taunts Harry about mentioning Cedric's murder in his sleep.

"Idiot" hissed James, Remus and Sirius. "He's almost as bad as Malfoy."

The sky turns dark and two dementors arrive.

"What the hell are they doing here?" asked Sirius.

"Thank God I taught Harry the Patronus Charm" muttered Remus.

"But wouldn't Harry get into trouble for doing magic outside school?" asked a worried Lily.

James waved her off. "He's allowed to in a life threatening situation".

Just as a dementor is about to kiss Dudley Harry manages to conjure a stag Patronus that scares the dementors away.

"Thank God" The three boys and Lily sighed in relief.

Mrs Figg arrives. Harry tries to hide his wand but she screams at him not to in case there are more dementors around.

The marauders, Lily and Harry looked stunned.

"How did she know?" asked James.

Mrs Figg tells Harry that she is a squib.

"Oh" said James.

"That's a surprise" added Sirius.

Mrs Figg mutters about Mundungus Fletcher deserting Harry for some stolen cauldrons.

"Isn't that the guy Dumbledore keeps bailing out?" asked Sirius.

"Dumbledore is having Harry followed?" asked Lily, her eyes narrowed.

"It's for his own safety" James and Remus cut in.

"He should still have told him" Lily snapped and Harry nodded in agreement.

Mrs Figg and Harry drag Dudley home.

"I wonder what Dudley heard when the dementor was there" James mused.

"I wondered that too. He never told me" Harry replied.

Vernon blames Harry for the state Dudley is in but Harry snaps that Dudley was nearly attacked by Dementors and Harry saved him.

Vernon asks what Dementors are and Petunia says they guard the wizard prison Azkaban.

Sirius's jaw dropped. "How did she know that?"

Lily looked thoughtful. "Severus told me about the dementors. Maybe Petunia overheard" she shrugged.

A ministry owl arrives telling Harry he is expelled from Hogwarts.

"Damn" shouted the three boys.

"They can't" muttered Lily.

An owl arrives from Arthur Weasley saying that Dumbledore has arrived at the ministry and is trying to sort everything out.

Harry, Lily and the Marauders sighed in relief.

An owl arrives from Sirius too asking Harry not to leave the house.

"Very useful" James muttered.

"Sorry" Sirius mumbled.

"Sirius is right" Lily defended. "Harry is safer inside the house."

Another Ministry owl is delivered. They have decided not to expel Harry just yet. Instead Harry is to attend an official hearing and he can keep his wand until then.

"I'm glad Dumbledore made the Ministry see sense" James muttered.

Vernon thinks that since the dementors guard a prison Harry is on the run from the law.

Harry denies it, suggesting that they could have joined Lord Voldemort.

"That is possible" James agreed.

Vernon orders harry to leave if some madman is out to kill him but a howler arrives for Petunia and she says Harry must stay.

"Thank God" Lily sighed.

"But who sent the howler?" asked Sirius.

James shrugs.

"Chapters over by the way" said Remus.