pdf - dance with me harry - Sahits

CHAPTER 5 The Vicarage
Mae Strowbridge came running out of the house shortly after Cyrus turned the corner around the
house. "Harry! What a pleasure to welcome you to our home," she gushed wrapping him in a huge
hug.
Now that he was meeting her standing up, he realized she was almost his height, which was now
about five-foot seven, and beginning to show a slight plumpness. She was now wearing jeans and a
madras plaid blouse, and her hair was still tied back into a loose ponytail.
"Harry, Tony has told me so much about you. How sweet and brave you are. But I didn't notice how
thin you are," she said, grabbing his arm in an appraising grip. "Well, we'll do something about that
this summer, won't we," she said, turning to Tony with a twinkle in her eye, meeting his grin.
The church and the vicarage were in the old section of Little Whinging. The vicarage was a large,
three-story stone affair. Mae led Harry in through the front door. Once through the entryway, he
turned and beheld a very large drawing room, dominated by a large stone fireplace. Harry chuckled
to himself. 'This would put the one in the Leaky Cauldron to shame,' he thought.
"A little overwhelming, isn't it," Mae chuckled. "It was designed for parish gatherings and
meetings. It will easily seat 24 if we bring out the folding chairs. And the formal dining room serves
20 if we put all the leaves in the table. Fortunately, there's a nice intimate little table in the kitchen
that seats four, and that's where we usually take our meals. And Tony keeps all his gadgets in a
sitting room off the drawing room. That's where we keep the real tele. We have another one in the
study, if there's something special you want to watch. But don't let Tony catch you looking any of
those risqué shows. He doesn't approve," she said with a laugh. "He can be such a stick at times,"
she said smiling i a conspiratorial whisper.
Harry nodded, a little goggle eyed. "This is as nice as the Geddes' house. But it seems more...like a
home."
Mae beamed.
Suddenly, Harry started. "Oh, my luggage. And Hedwig!"
Mae's eyes widened. "Who's Hedwig?"
Harry looked down. "She's my owl. But don't worry. She's very clean. My aunt wouldn't have her if
she wasn't."
Mae was a little nonplussed. "You have an owl?" she said with a puzzled smile.
Harry nodded shyly. "I told the Reverend...ahhh...Tony. She's kind of magical. Well, she's very
magical. She's probably the only magical thing you'll notice. I don't do anything different from
anyone else. Really. Except that I send messages to my friends by owl. And they use their owls to
send me messages. But they're all well behaved. They never bother anyone. Well, except maybe my
friend Ron's owl, Pig..."
Suddenly, Harry's face fell. He remembered that Ron didn't respond to his last message confessing
his feelings for Hermione. Maybe Ron wouldn't be sending any owls this summer. Or ever again.
"Harry?" Mae asked quietly. "What's the matter?"
Harry looked down at his feet. "Nothing," he muttered.
"Don't tell me nothing, Harry," she said firmly. "I can tell you're upset about something. Who is
Ron? And what's the problem with him?"
46