Chapter 1
Harry Potter sat on his bed, doing his summer homework. He now only had his Potions essay to do, but as Potions was his least favorite subject, this was hardly and encouraging thought. He sighed, pulled a new roll of parchment towards him, dipped his quill in his ink, and wrote:
Dear Ron,
He paused, realized what he had done, crumpled the parchment in his fist, and chucked it to the trash basket. It landed beside the basket with all of the other crumpled bits of parchment that had missed as well.
He looked at the eagle feather quill that had been a gift from Hermione Granger. She and Ron were Harry's best friends in the world, including the Muggle world.
Harry was a wizard. An extraordinary and famous wizard who was treated like owl droppings during the summer holidays at his Aunt and Uncle's house.
Harry thought of actually doing his essay and looked at the page his textbook was opened to, trying to find a way to start it that wouldn't earn him a D. He moaned and slammed the book shut, thinking that he would just do it later. Just then there was a soft tap on the window. Harry automatically slid off the bed and opened it so his snowy owl, Hedwig, could come in from hunting all night.
"Hey, Hedwig," he said. "Did you have a good hunt--?" Harry trailed off, realizing that Hedwig was not alone.
Ron's owl, Pigwidion, was there too. He fluttered inside and, twittering like mad, held out his leg so Harry could take off the letter tied to it. Pigwidion then began zooming around the room, as he usually did when was excited.
Hedwig was also accompanied by a large brown owl and--
Harry's legs seemed to have turned to jelly. Hermes.
Harry rushed to detach the letter on Hermes' leg. Hermes immediately took flight out of the window again, but Harry hardly noticed. He was staring at the address on the envelope, written in Percy's handwriting. He couldn't believe it. Percy was writing to him. Maybe it was an apology for helping make Harry look like an insane delinquent. It had to be, what else would it be?
But, thought Harry. What if it's not? What if he still thinks-
"OUCH!"
Hedwig had pecked him hard on the arm to get his attention. She was still holding out her letter on her leg and the barn owl was looking at him in a frustrated sort of way. Harry detached the parcel and letter that Hedwig had and also the parcel and letter that the barn owl had. The brown owl left as well, but Hedwig settled into her cage, staring at Pigwidion in a very annoyed sort of way, as he was now flying around the inside of her cage.
"Will you shut up?" Harry snapped at Pigwidion. But he just hooted louder and louder at this. He dipped his beak into Hedwig's water dish and finally took flight.
Harry looked back at Percy's letter, unsure if he wanted to open it. He laid it down on the bed and opened instead Hedwig's letter.
Dear Harry,
Happy Birthday! I hope you like your gift. Ron was stupid enough to send his gift to you with Pigwidion. I really hope it got there. Any chance of seeing you before September 1st? Maybe the three of us can meet in Diagon Alley? Please let me know! See you soon!
Love from Hermione
Harry smiled at Hermione's comment about Ron. They were always picking on each other. He opened the parcel that Hermione had sent, which turned out to be a magical knife just like the one Sirius had given him, but with a different handle. The note inside the parcel said:
I know you lost your knife last year, and thought you might think it useful to have one.
"Well that's great, Hermione," Harry said bitterly. He did appreciate the gift, but it made him miss his godfather even more. Harry thought he might take the blade from Hermione's knife and attach it to the handle of Sirius's knife (which was all that remained of it) that was still in the bottom of his trunk.
Harry turned to Ron's letter now.
Hey Harry,
I sent this with Pig because I haven't got any other owl to send it with. Let me know if it doesn't get there.
You want to know something weird? Percy wrote to us. ("You, too, huh?" Harry said.) He is SUCH A STUPID GIT!
Anyway, Hermione was going to ask you if we could all three meet in Diagon Alley. But she probably started going on about some stupid book she read and forgot to mention it, so I'll ask too. Write back soon to let me know! Happy Birthday!
Ron
Harry laughed as he put down the letter.
Pig hadn't come with a parcel, but the barn owl had. Harry saw Ron's handwriting on the front and thought that the barn owl had had to help Pig with his load. Harry opened it.
"What the-?" Ron had given Harry a plain white quill and a bottle of black ink.
Feeling baffled, Harry read Ron's note.
Okay, this has got to be the coolest present you've ever gotten. ("...Why?" Harry muttered.) Try this. Look at the ink bottle and say any color you want. Then look at the quill and say any color or type of quill you want. They will change to whatever you tell them to! So you can have any type of ink and any type of quill whenever you want! Cool, huh?
Ron
"No way!" cried Harry excitedly. He looked at the ink bottle and said, "Green." The ink immediately turned green.
"Wow, Ron! This is great!" said Harry. He turned to the quill and said, "Blue." The feather turned to a brilliant shade of blue.
Still marveling at this gift, Harry turned to the letter the brown owl had brought. It was his Hogwarts letter, but it was much thicker that usual. Harry moaned. His O.W.L results. He didn't want to read those just yet, and decided instead to read Percy's letter.
He slowly opened it and read:
Potter:
I was just writing to let you know that I believe what you said about He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named coming back. Of course you realize that there was no proof and we had no reason to believe your far-fetched story. Now that the Minister himself has seen You-Know-Who in the Ministry of Magic, we have no choice but to believe you. Of course, we still question your sanity, as you have made up stories about Dementors, House-Elves, Animagi, and innocent convicts to get yourself out of trouble. If you have real proof that these stories you have come up with are real, then by all means do not hesitate to come to the Ministry and let us know. We are happy to accept proof of matters such as these and will give you a fair hearing. Now, I must get back to work, I'm quite busy, you know.
Percy
Harry ripped the letter in half, disgusted. He threw the two pieces of the letter onto his bed and glared at them, as if hoping they would catch fire. He stopped before the parchment actually did ignite, for he had just seen something at the bottom of the letter. He held the bottom half very close to his eyes and saw miniscule writing at the bottom. He was very curious as to what the writing said, but e could not make out the words. He decided to just keep the letter. As soon as he got to the Hogwarts Express, he would enlarge the parchment and read the writing at the bottom. But for now, he turned to his Hogwarts letter, and his O.W.L. results.
Harry Potter sat on his bed, doing his summer homework. He now only had his Potions essay to do, but as Potions was his least favorite subject, this was hardly and encouraging thought. He sighed, pulled a new roll of parchment towards him, dipped his quill in his ink, and wrote:
Dear Ron,
He paused, realized what he had done, crumpled the parchment in his fist, and chucked it to the trash basket. It landed beside the basket with all of the other crumpled bits of parchment that had missed as well.
He looked at the eagle feather quill that had been a gift from Hermione Granger. She and Ron were Harry's best friends in the world, including the Muggle world.
Harry was a wizard. An extraordinary and famous wizard who was treated like owl droppings during the summer holidays at his Aunt and Uncle's house.
Harry thought of actually doing his essay and looked at the page his textbook was opened to, trying to find a way to start it that wouldn't earn him a D. He moaned and slammed the book shut, thinking that he would just do it later. Just then there was a soft tap on the window. Harry automatically slid off the bed and opened it so his snowy owl, Hedwig, could come in from hunting all night.
"Hey, Hedwig," he said. "Did you have a good hunt--?" Harry trailed off, realizing that Hedwig was not alone.
Ron's owl, Pigwidion, was there too. He fluttered inside and, twittering like mad, held out his leg so Harry could take off the letter tied to it. Pigwidion then began zooming around the room, as he usually did when was excited.
Hedwig was also accompanied by a large brown owl and--
Harry's legs seemed to have turned to jelly. Hermes.
Harry rushed to detach the letter on Hermes' leg. Hermes immediately took flight out of the window again, but Harry hardly noticed. He was staring at the address on the envelope, written in Percy's handwriting. He couldn't believe it. Percy was writing to him. Maybe it was an apology for helping make Harry look like an insane delinquent. It had to be, what else would it be?
But, thought Harry. What if it's not? What if he still thinks-
"OUCH!"
Hedwig had pecked him hard on the arm to get his attention. She was still holding out her letter on her leg and the barn owl was looking at him in a frustrated sort of way. Harry detached the parcel and letter that Hedwig had and also the parcel and letter that the barn owl had. The brown owl left as well, but Hedwig settled into her cage, staring at Pigwidion in a very annoyed sort of way, as he was now flying around the inside of her cage.
"Will you shut up?" Harry snapped at Pigwidion. But he just hooted louder and louder at this. He dipped his beak into Hedwig's water dish and finally took flight.
Harry looked back at Percy's letter, unsure if he wanted to open it. He laid it down on the bed and opened instead Hedwig's letter.
Dear Harry,
Happy Birthday! I hope you like your gift. Ron was stupid enough to send his gift to you with Pigwidion. I really hope it got there. Any chance of seeing you before September 1st? Maybe the three of us can meet in Diagon Alley? Please let me know! See you soon!
Love from Hermione
Harry smiled at Hermione's comment about Ron. They were always picking on each other. He opened the parcel that Hermione had sent, which turned out to be a magical knife just like the one Sirius had given him, but with a different handle. The note inside the parcel said:
I know you lost your knife last year, and thought you might think it useful to have one.
"Well that's great, Hermione," Harry said bitterly. He did appreciate the gift, but it made him miss his godfather even more. Harry thought he might take the blade from Hermione's knife and attach it to the handle of Sirius's knife (which was all that remained of it) that was still in the bottom of his trunk.
Harry turned to Ron's letter now.
Hey Harry,
I sent this with Pig because I haven't got any other owl to send it with. Let me know if it doesn't get there.
You want to know something weird? Percy wrote to us. ("You, too, huh?" Harry said.) He is SUCH A STUPID GIT!
Anyway, Hermione was going to ask you if we could all three meet in Diagon Alley. But she probably started going on about some stupid book she read and forgot to mention it, so I'll ask too. Write back soon to let me know! Happy Birthday!
Ron
Harry laughed as he put down the letter.
Pig hadn't come with a parcel, but the barn owl had. Harry saw Ron's handwriting on the front and thought that the barn owl had had to help Pig with his load. Harry opened it.
"What the-?" Ron had given Harry a plain white quill and a bottle of black ink.
Feeling baffled, Harry read Ron's note.
Okay, this has got to be the coolest present you've ever gotten. ("...Why?" Harry muttered.) Try this. Look at the ink bottle and say any color you want. Then look at the quill and say any color or type of quill you want. They will change to whatever you tell them to! So you can have any type of ink and any type of quill whenever you want! Cool, huh?
Ron
"No way!" cried Harry excitedly. He looked at the ink bottle and said, "Green." The ink immediately turned green.
"Wow, Ron! This is great!" said Harry. He turned to the quill and said, "Blue." The feather turned to a brilliant shade of blue.
Still marveling at this gift, Harry turned to the letter the brown owl had brought. It was his Hogwarts letter, but it was much thicker that usual. Harry moaned. His O.W.L results. He didn't want to read those just yet, and decided instead to read Percy's letter.
He slowly opened it and read:
Potter:
I was just writing to let you know that I believe what you said about He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named coming back. Of course you realize that there was no proof and we had no reason to believe your far-fetched story. Now that the Minister himself has seen You-Know-Who in the Ministry of Magic, we have no choice but to believe you. Of course, we still question your sanity, as you have made up stories about Dementors, House-Elves, Animagi, and innocent convicts to get yourself out of trouble. If you have real proof that these stories you have come up with are real, then by all means do not hesitate to come to the Ministry and let us know. We are happy to accept proof of matters such as these and will give you a fair hearing. Now, I must get back to work, I'm quite busy, you know.
Percy
Harry ripped the letter in half, disgusted. He threw the two pieces of the letter onto his bed and glared at them, as if hoping they would catch fire. He stopped before the parchment actually did ignite, for he had just seen something at the bottom of the letter. He held the bottom half very close to his eyes and saw miniscule writing at the bottom. He was very curious as to what the writing said, but e could not make out the words. He decided to just keep the letter. As soon as he got to the Hogwarts Express, he would enlarge the parchment and read the writing at the bottom. But for now, he turned to his Hogwarts letter, and his O.W.L. results.