Harry Potter and the Four Lights
Chapter 1: Opposites Begin
A/N: Order of the Phoenix spoilers. HP/CC, HP/OC, DM/OC, DM/PP, DM/HG, RW/HG
~~~~~~
Life at Privet Drive was almost the opposite of what it was in the previous year.
Last year, the sun had been burning hot for weeks - leaving most of Privet Drive scorched and dried out with the residents left to sort out the matters themselves. However, this year it was raining hard, and had been doing so for several days and the weatherman had predicted it would be doing so for several more days.and the weather wasn't the only thing to change, either.
For you see, in house number four, Privet Drive - some major changes had taken place, all of them involving a certain black-haired young man, who was sitting on the front steps of the porch and watching the rain fall down.
His name was Harry Potter, and his clothes were one of the changes. The year before they had been scruffy and ill-looking, and the reason for many of the giggles amongst the neighborhood but now they were stylish and new, even featuring some American-brand name trainers..and Harry knew the reason for this.
The year before, his Uncle and Aunt who took care of him, had been expressively warned that if he was not treated right than there would be some 'visits' to be paid to them, and by some very unwelcome company too.
So in response to that, Harry was now being spoiled quite properly although he still saw the look of hatred and disgust in his Aunt and Uncle's eyes, and the fear in his cousin, Dudley's - he was pretty much living the good life now - And he couldn't have hated it more.
He suddenly realized how Dudley had turned out so awful - with those two fussing over them all the time, how could you not be? It was driving him up the wall.their fake smiles, their cheerful exterior, Uncle Vernon trying to 'pal' with him, and generally being a complete and utter bore.
However, what he did enjoy, was the constant communication he now had with the wizarding world - at times he even forgot he was staying with non- magical folks. Hermione now called him regularly on the telephone, he sent and received new letters weekly, and was learning a lot about the wizarding world in general thanks to the - newly non censored - issues of the Daily Prophet.
But despite the newfound feeling of belonging, every now and then, he found himself falling into a depression at the memories from last year when he had.had.lost someone dear to him. Which is exactly what he was thinking about as he stared into the rain silently - an equally torrential feeling pouring inside of him.
It still felt as raw as it did when it first happened, when he began to think of it - and he found himself having nightmares about it regularly.as well as.other nightmares. Nightmares because the visions had not stopped when his 'special classes' from the year before did - in fact, they had become even worse, but now.now it seemed the norm.
He was quite used to the pain in his scar, he was quite used to seeing his godfather falling into death itself, he was quite used to hearing a cold laughter in his mind and he was quite fed up with it - to tell the truth.
His mind drifted at that moment from thoughts of Sirus, to thoughts of Dumbledore - who had promised to teach him in Occlumency this August, when Harry would be returning to the Order of the Phoenix's headquarters, and he was looking forward to going there.even though being at that house would be.painful, it was better then her-
"Here's the almost-birthday boy!" A gruff voice said cheerfully, and Harry turned his eye up slowly to peer through his glasses at his forcibly cheerful Uncle stood hovering above him, one of his work friends standing beside him staring at Harry. Uncle Vernon pasted on a smile that looked rather.wrong on his pudgy face, "Getting excited boy?"
"No." Harry said shortly, looking up to see his uncle's response - besides his smile becoming a little more forced (if it was even possible), all Uncle Vernon did was clap his hand on his shoulder.
"Ah, teens today.huh Marv? We weren't like that - were we, polite and reasonable we were."
Harry knew that at that moment it would be the perfect time to mention that Michael Herrin's father had come over earlier that afternoon to complain that Dudley was bullying their son, but he thought the better of it - and instead he stared down 'Marv', and succeeded in making him shift uncomfortably and mutter a hushed; "Where's Dudley?"
Uncle Vernon's smile faltered, but then it was back on. "Out with some friends."
Harry could barely hide a smug smile, as of recently Dudley had discovered a new interest other then beating children up, and that was girls. Every night it seemed he was out cavorting with some new huge busted broad, one that Aunt Petunia wrinkled her nose up at and complained about as soon as the doors closed. Yet either way, she couldn't do anything to stop it from happening - not without hurting Duddykin's feelings.
Marv nodded understandably; "Anyway, let's go now."
Uncle Vernon put up a hand, and stopped Marv. His eyes suddenly going back to their old hard look as he glared Harry up and down, "Boy.I mean.Harry, you've written that." He saw Marv looking curiously, and his tone changed as well as his expression - becoming slightly more panicked, "List.haven't you?"
His eyes however, had the message clear in them - 'Have you written to those freak-friend of yours so they won't come here?!'
Harry could have laughed out loud at that, it was the only real worry that had come out of Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon's mouth these days. 'Have you written yet?' 'When are you going to write?' 'Don't forget to mail that letter.' 'Have you any mail this morning, Harry?' It was all the same - they were so terrified of Harry's friends, it was almost laughable.
Of course he had remembered to write to them all, he could remember it now. He had been commenting on some disappearances he had seen on the Muggle news last Sunday night, he had wanted to know if there were any connections but as he found in the letter he got back on Tuesday, they were nothing but ordinary Muggle-disappearances.
He blinked slowly, his mind working out the details; Tuesday. Wednesday. Thursday. Friday. Saturday. Sunday. Monday.Monday, today was Monday.
More then a week after his last letter.
His mouth formed a little nervous 'O' shape of surprise, as he suddenly got a vision of Mad-Eye Moody pacing back and forth in the den on the spot, his wooden leg clunking as he went along. Tonks would be nervously rattling her foot and forcing it to change shape in her nervousness, and Mrs. Weasley - oh she'd worry.they would all worry.
As if watching in some video camera, he recalled late last year - when Mad- Eye Moddy had turned from Uncle Vernon back to Harry, his eye had been straight on - not twitching at all..
'Potter, give us a shout if you need us. If we don't hear from you in three days in a row, we'll send someone along.'
Three days in a row.
Send someone along.
Three days in a row.
Send someone along.
Harry swallowed deeply to himself, and whispered - ever so softly - "Bloody Hell."
Chapter 1: Opposites Begin
A/N: Order of the Phoenix spoilers. HP/CC, HP/OC, DM/OC, DM/PP, DM/HG, RW/HG
~~~~~~
Life at Privet Drive was almost the opposite of what it was in the previous year.
Last year, the sun had been burning hot for weeks - leaving most of Privet Drive scorched and dried out with the residents left to sort out the matters themselves. However, this year it was raining hard, and had been doing so for several days and the weatherman had predicted it would be doing so for several more days.and the weather wasn't the only thing to change, either.
For you see, in house number four, Privet Drive - some major changes had taken place, all of them involving a certain black-haired young man, who was sitting on the front steps of the porch and watching the rain fall down.
His name was Harry Potter, and his clothes were one of the changes. The year before they had been scruffy and ill-looking, and the reason for many of the giggles amongst the neighborhood but now they were stylish and new, even featuring some American-brand name trainers..and Harry knew the reason for this.
The year before, his Uncle and Aunt who took care of him, had been expressively warned that if he was not treated right than there would be some 'visits' to be paid to them, and by some very unwelcome company too.
So in response to that, Harry was now being spoiled quite properly although he still saw the look of hatred and disgust in his Aunt and Uncle's eyes, and the fear in his cousin, Dudley's - he was pretty much living the good life now - And he couldn't have hated it more.
He suddenly realized how Dudley had turned out so awful - with those two fussing over them all the time, how could you not be? It was driving him up the wall.their fake smiles, their cheerful exterior, Uncle Vernon trying to 'pal' with him, and generally being a complete and utter bore.
However, what he did enjoy, was the constant communication he now had with the wizarding world - at times he even forgot he was staying with non- magical folks. Hermione now called him regularly on the telephone, he sent and received new letters weekly, and was learning a lot about the wizarding world in general thanks to the - newly non censored - issues of the Daily Prophet.
But despite the newfound feeling of belonging, every now and then, he found himself falling into a depression at the memories from last year when he had.had.lost someone dear to him. Which is exactly what he was thinking about as he stared into the rain silently - an equally torrential feeling pouring inside of him.
It still felt as raw as it did when it first happened, when he began to think of it - and he found himself having nightmares about it regularly.as well as.other nightmares. Nightmares because the visions had not stopped when his 'special classes' from the year before did - in fact, they had become even worse, but now.now it seemed the norm.
He was quite used to the pain in his scar, he was quite used to seeing his godfather falling into death itself, he was quite used to hearing a cold laughter in his mind and he was quite fed up with it - to tell the truth.
His mind drifted at that moment from thoughts of Sirus, to thoughts of Dumbledore - who had promised to teach him in Occlumency this August, when Harry would be returning to the Order of the Phoenix's headquarters, and he was looking forward to going there.even though being at that house would be.painful, it was better then her-
"Here's the almost-birthday boy!" A gruff voice said cheerfully, and Harry turned his eye up slowly to peer through his glasses at his forcibly cheerful Uncle stood hovering above him, one of his work friends standing beside him staring at Harry. Uncle Vernon pasted on a smile that looked rather.wrong on his pudgy face, "Getting excited boy?"
"No." Harry said shortly, looking up to see his uncle's response - besides his smile becoming a little more forced (if it was even possible), all Uncle Vernon did was clap his hand on his shoulder.
"Ah, teens today.huh Marv? We weren't like that - were we, polite and reasonable we were."
Harry knew that at that moment it would be the perfect time to mention that Michael Herrin's father had come over earlier that afternoon to complain that Dudley was bullying their son, but he thought the better of it - and instead he stared down 'Marv', and succeeded in making him shift uncomfortably and mutter a hushed; "Where's Dudley?"
Uncle Vernon's smile faltered, but then it was back on. "Out with some friends."
Harry could barely hide a smug smile, as of recently Dudley had discovered a new interest other then beating children up, and that was girls. Every night it seemed he was out cavorting with some new huge busted broad, one that Aunt Petunia wrinkled her nose up at and complained about as soon as the doors closed. Yet either way, she couldn't do anything to stop it from happening - not without hurting Duddykin's feelings.
Marv nodded understandably; "Anyway, let's go now."
Uncle Vernon put up a hand, and stopped Marv. His eyes suddenly going back to their old hard look as he glared Harry up and down, "Boy.I mean.Harry, you've written that." He saw Marv looking curiously, and his tone changed as well as his expression - becoming slightly more panicked, "List.haven't you?"
His eyes however, had the message clear in them - 'Have you written to those freak-friend of yours so they won't come here?!'
Harry could have laughed out loud at that, it was the only real worry that had come out of Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon's mouth these days. 'Have you written yet?' 'When are you going to write?' 'Don't forget to mail that letter.' 'Have you any mail this morning, Harry?' It was all the same - they were so terrified of Harry's friends, it was almost laughable.
Of course he had remembered to write to them all, he could remember it now. He had been commenting on some disappearances he had seen on the Muggle news last Sunday night, he had wanted to know if there were any connections but as he found in the letter he got back on Tuesday, they were nothing but ordinary Muggle-disappearances.
He blinked slowly, his mind working out the details; Tuesday. Wednesday. Thursday. Friday. Saturday. Sunday. Monday.Monday, today was Monday.
More then a week after his last letter.
His mouth formed a little nervous 'O' shape of surprise, as he suddenly got a vision of Mad-Eye Moody pacing back and forth in the den on the spot, his wooden leg clunking as he went along. Tonks would be nervously rattling her foot and forcing it to change shape in her nervousness, and Mrs. Weasley - oh she'd worry.they would all worry.
As if watching in some video camera, he recalled late last year - when Mad- Eye Moddy had turned from Uncle Vernon back to Harry, his eye had been straight on - not twitching at all..
'Potter, give us a shout if you need us. If we don't hear from you in three days in a row, we'll send someone along.'
Three days in a row.
Send someone along.
Three days in a row.
Send someone along.
Harry swallowed deeply to himself, and whispered - ever so softly - "Bloody Hell."