Chapter 1 - SURPRISE GUEST
Harry's pale green eyes glared intensely into the rusty mirror sitting in front of him, craving for a change in its reflection. If only he had used this damn thing when he needed to...
It was almost midnight, and the distracting screeching had nearly stopped, which seemed to be coming from Hedwig. She looked a brilliant silhouette of white snow against the black, starless sky. A fresh pine smell was present in the room, which had obviously come from outside his bedroom window. It had rained earlier in the morning, but still it had been as exuberantly hot as ever. Harry glanced at his owl, forcing a slight smile as Hedwig made chirping noises. He didn't care if his uncle took all his hair out; he just wanted to get him furious. His owl appeared to be the only light in his dreadful vacation at the Dursley's....
The mirror caught Harry's attention again, and staring at it reproachfully, memories floated into him. They just couldn't be ignored. The place where had first caught a glimpse of Sirius as a big, black dog entered his mind. He remembered how frightening it had been to be all alone that night, seeing a bad 'omen', as Professor Trewlaney had described it. If only he and Sirius had eloped to the Deep Forests of Albania or into the blazing desserts of Egypt, Harry'd still be happy.
Hedwig suddenly started to scratch her miniature paws next to the bedroom window, making a huge racket of noise. Harry had thought the chirping was delightful, but this racket would surely infuriate Uncle Vernon.
"Stop it, Hedwig, before you wake up-" He didn't get to finish what he was going to say, because the door to his right flew open, revealing a furious Uncle Vernon, showing uttermost despise and annoyance towards Harry. His eyes went from the window, to Harry's owl, and then on to Harry himself.
"You control that owl," Uncle Vernon said calmly, almost that it seemed like a mere whisper, "or I'll have it locked in that cage as long as you live!" With one last loathing look, Uncle Vernon banged the door shut, causing the ground to shake. Harry smirked. His uncle was only keeping up appearances. Like Uncle Vernon would actually do that after Mr.Weasley, Mad-Eye Moody, Lupin, and Tonks had threatened them to treat him right, or else...
Harry caught Hedwig's droopy eyes that were staring at him, and then back out the open window. He curiously got up, and looked out. A couple of streetlights were still shining white, portraying a bit of light around Number 4 Privet Drive. Harry swooped his eyes around, and they rested at the immense forest-wood colored bushes near Dudley's new bike. For a second, he thought he had seen a black oval shadow sneak in the bushes, but there was nothing there now. That's strange, Harry thought. He pondered if that was the cause of Hedwig's noise.
Wondering, he lay back on his small bed, noticing a picture of his mom and dad hanging on the wall. They were both graciously smiling back at him, high spirited and happy. It was funny how much Harry looked like his father...
Harry sighed heavily, and he knew he couldn't stand another day at Number 4 Privet Drive. He had spent four miserable days so far, barely saying two words through the course. It was depressing to think that Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon, and Dudley were his only family left. He would give anything to leave this house, always feeling like a trapped prisoner with no soul purpose. But, going back to Hogwarts meant dealing with people he didn't want to deal with, like Dumbledore, Ron and Hermione, or Voldemort...
"WAKE UP!" A squeaky, annoyed voice entered Harry's head. He was being nudged to the point that he almost fell off his bed. Harry's foot fell down the bed, and he opened his eyes. Aunt Petunia was in front of him, blurry and disfigured.
"What time is it?" Harry asked her as he put his glasses on.
Ignoring the question, Aunt petunia said out of horror, "There's someone...downstairs.... GET UP!!!" By the tone of her voice, it certainly was someone non-muggle. Aunt-Petunia looked worried like she was about to get shot.
As soon as Harry was downstairs, Lupin's young face was smiling back at him. There seemed to be a glint in his eyes, revealing a glow on his clean, and shaven face. He was wearing a lavender shirt, with green dress pants. HE DID NOT MATCH AT ALL. Harry tried to resist himself from laughing, but at the element of surprise, his mouth blew open to a laugh.
"Lupin, what are you doing here?? And why are you wearing that?" He asked.
"Well, I was just asking you dear uncle on how you are, and you seem fine. Just wearing this because it's my day off." He smiled. "I'm here to take you back to Gri-Headquarters." Harry realized that Lupin was going to say Grimmuald's place, but for some reason he didn't. His aunt, uncle, and cousin were staring at him and Lupin back and forth, as if he was going to attack them any second. The terror on their faces was amusing. Dudley was sitting on the sofa bed, curled up like a ball. Aunt Petunia was mostly glaring viciously at Harry, but avoiding Lupin's eyes, showing shame.
"Harry, could you please pack up your things?" He nodded and trotted back up the stairs like a dog.
"What headquarters?" He heard Uncle Vernon ask, as if he even cares, Harry thought.
As they were chatting, Harry got his books, clothes, and other things together, along with the old mirror. This was a total surprise to him, because he had expected someone to take him away after he had went through the agony of staying at this house. In a way, he was glad, but to face everyone after he had heard that prophecy...
With a clutch of Hedwig's case, Harry was ready to go, and he went downstairs.
"...Fine." Uncle Vernon spat out. Apparently Lupin and his uncle had been chatting, as he had heard their voices traveling upstairs. Lupin smiled sweetly at Uncle Vernon, turning his head to look at Dudley, but Harry's cousin looked away. Finally, Lupin's eyes rested on Petunia and he quietly said, "Good bye, Petunia. I'll be seeing you soon." Harry was astonished. What did Lupin mean, 'I'll be seeing you soon." He surely wasn't coming back here 'soon'?
"Let's go, Harry."
Harry took a fleeting look at his cousin, aunt, and uncle, and then stepped out of the house. Lupin looked at Harry, then took out his wand, and said, "Accio Portkey!"
A little brown branch appeared on the ground. Then he said, "I would've used it inside, but I got the feeling that your uncle and aunt don't like magic." He smirked, trying to cheer Harry up. The early morning was beautiful, a swirl of birds were flying up in the sky, almost concealing the scorching sun, burning with energy. His curiosity returned when Harry looked back at the house.
"What did you mean, when you said 'I'll be seeing you soon?" He asked suspiciously, not looking straight at Lupin.
"I'll tell you in a moment. Let's go." Both of them lightly touched the portkey, sending them through whirls and colors of light. For some reason, Harry suddenly felt sick, and his scar twitched slightly.
In an instant, they were there. Even in the dawn of the morning, the street they were on looked dead. The battered houses that Harry had witnessed at night last year, looked worse in the day. A pile of trash was sitting near a pale blue house, giving off a pungent smell. Harry looked forward and two houses stood at him, numbered 11 and 13. Harry expected a slimy black door to pop out as it had, but it didn't. Wondering, he looked at Lupin.
"Butterbeer." He said in a soft whisper. A long, narrow split opened next to the evergreen tree in front of them. It was like a cut on somebody's arm, but transparent and about 7 ft long.
"Go in." Lupin commanded. Harry stepped forward. He couldn't believe he was almost in this dreadful, weary, despicable old house again. Harry knew that the moment he would look around, everything would remind him of Sirius...
Harry's pale green eyes glared intensely into the rusty mirror sitting in front of him, craving for a change in its reflection. If only he had used this damn thing when he needed to...
It was almost midnight, and the distracting screeching had nearly stopped, which seemed to be coming from Hedwig. She looked a brilliant silhouette of white snow against the black, starless sky. A fresh pine smell was present in the room, which had obviously come from outside his bedroom window. It had rained earlier in the morning, but still it had been as exuberantly hot as ever. Harry glanced at his owl, forcing a slight smile as Hedwig made chirping noises. He didn't care if his uncle took all his hair out; he just wanted to get him furious. His owl appeared to be the only light in his dreadful vacation at the Dursley's....
The mirror caught Harry's attention again, and staring at it reproachfully, memories floated into him. They just couldn't be ignored. The place where had first caught a glimpse of Sirius as a big, black dog entered his mind. He remembered how frightening it had been to be all alone that night, seeing a bad 'omen', as Professor Trewlaney had described it. If only he and Sirius had eloped to the Deep Forests of Albania or into the blazing desserts of Egypt, Harry'd still be happy.
Hedwig suddenly started to scratch her miniature paws next to the bedroom window, making a huge racket of noise. Harry had thought the chirping was delightful, but this racket would surely infuriate Uncle Vernon.
"Stop it, Hedwig, before you wake up-" He didn't get to finish what he was going to say, because the door to his right flew open, revealing a furious Uncle Vernon, showing uttermost despise and annoyance towards Harry. His eyes went from the window, to Harry's owl, and then on to Harry himself.
"You control that owl," Uncle Vernon said calmly, almost that it seemed like a mere whisper, "or I'll have it locked in that cage as long as you live!" With one last loathing look, Uncle Vernon banged the door shut, causing the ground to shake. Harry smirked. His uncle was only keeping up appearances. Like Uncle Vernon would actually do that after Mr.Weasley, Mad-Eye Moody, Lupin, and Tonks had threatened them to treat him right, or else...
Harry caught Hedwig's droopy eyes that were staring at him, and then back out the open window. He curiously got up, and looked out. A couple of streetlights were still shining white, portraying a bit of light around Number 4 Privet Drive. Harry swooped his eyes around, and they rested at the immense forest-wood colored bushes near Dudley's new bike. For a second, he thought he had seen a black oval shadow sneak in the bushes, but there was nothing there now. That's strange, Harry thought. He pondered if that was the cause of Hedwig's noise.
Wondering, he lay back on his small bed, noticing a picture of his mom and dad hanging on the wall. They were both graciously smiling back at him, high spirited and happy. It was funny how much Harry looked like his father...
Harry sighed heavily, and he knew he couldn't stand another day at Number 4 Privet Drive. He had spent four miserable days so far, barely saying two words through the course. It was depressing to think that Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon, and Dudley were his only family left. He would give anything to leave this house, always feeling like a trapped prisoner with no soul purpose. But, going back to Hogwarts meant dealing with people he didn't want to deal with, like Dumbledore, Ron and Hermione, or Voldemort...
"WAKE UP!" A squeaky, annoyed voice entered Harry's head. He was being nudged to the point that he almost fell off his bed. Harry's foot fell down the bed, and he opened his eyes. Aunt Petunia was in front of him, blurry and disfigured.
"What time is it?" Harry asked her as he put his glasses on.
Ignoring the question, Aunt petunia said out of horror, "There's someone...downstairs.... GET UP!!!" By the tone of her voice, it certainly was someone non-muggle. Aunt-Petunia looked worried like she was about to get shot.
As soon as Harry was downstairs, Lupin's young face was smiling back at him. There seemed to be a glint in his eyes, revealing a glow on his clean, and shaven face. He was wearing a lavender shirt, with green dress pants. HE DID NOT MATCH AT ALL. Harry tried to resist himself from laughing, but at the element of surprise, his mouth blew open to a laugh.
"Lupin, what are you doing here?? And why are you wearing that?" He asked.
"Well, I was just asking you dear uncle on how you are, and you seem fine. Just wearing this because it's my day off." He smiled. "I'm here to take you back to Gri-Headquarters." Harry realized that Lupin was going to say Grimmuald's place, but for some reason he didn't. His aunt, uncle, and cousin were staring at him and Lupin back and forth, as if he was going to attack them any second. The terror on their faces was amusing. Dudley was sitting on the sofa bed, curled up like a ball. Aunt Petunia was mostly glaring viciously at Harry, but avoiding Lupin's eyes, showing shame.
"Harry, could you please pack up your things?" He nodded and trotted back up the stairs like a dog.
"What headquarters?" He heard Uncle Vernon ask, as if he even cares, Harry thought.
As they were chatting, Harry got his books, clothes, and other things together, along with the old mirror. This was a total surprise to him, because he had expected someone to take him away after he had went through the agony of staying at this house. In a way, he was glad, but to face everyone after he had heard that prophecy...
With a clutch of Hedwig's case, Harry was ready to go, and he went downstairs.
"...Fine." Uncle Vernon spat out. Apparently Lupin and his uncle had been chatting, as he had heard their voices traveling upstairs. Lupin smiled sweetly at Uncle Vernon, turning his head to look at Dudley, but Harry's cousin looked away. Finally, Lupin's eyes rested on Petunia and he quietly said, "Good bye, Petunia. I'll be seeing you soon." Harry was astonished. What did Lupin mean, 'I'll be seeing you soon." He surely wasn't coming back here 'soon'?
"Let's go, Harry."
Harry took a fleeting look at his cousin, aunt, and uncle, and then stepped out of the house. Lupin looked at Harry, then took out his wand, and said, "Accio Portkey!"
A little brown branch appeared on the ground. Then he said, "I would've used it inside, but I got the feeling that your uncle and aunt don't like magic." He smirked, trying to cheer Harry up. The early morning was beautiful, a swirl of birds were flying up in the sky, almost concealing the scorching sun, burning with energy. His curiosity returned when Harry looked back at the house.
"What did you mean, when you said 'I'll be seeing you soon?" He asked suspiciously, not looking straight at Lupin.
"I'll tell you in a moment. Let's go." Both of them lightly touched the portkey, sending them through whirls and colors of light. For some reason, Harry suddenly felt sick, and his scar twitched slightly.
In an instant, they were there. Even in the dawn of the morning, the street they were on looked dead. The battered houses that Harry had witnessed at night last year, looked worse in the day. A pile of trash was sitting near a pale blue house, giving off a pungent smell. Harry looked forward and two houses stood at him, numbered 11 and 13. Harry expected a slimy black door to pop out as it had, but it didn't. Wondering, he looked at Lupin.
"Butterbeer." He said in a soft whisper. A long, narrow split opened next to the evergreen tree in front of them. It was like a cut on somebody's arm, but transparent and about 7 ft long.
"Go in." Lupin commanded. Harry stepped forward. He couldn't believe he was almost in this dreadful, weary, despicable old house again. Harry knew that the moment he would look around, everything would remind him of Sirius...