Harry James Potter returned to Number 4 Privet Drive, the summer between his third and fourth years at Hogwarts, a school of Witchcraft and Wizardry, to (quite unwillingly) stay with his Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia and Cousin Dudley Dursley. He was going to turn 14 in a matter of weeks when the 'big' news hit the Dursley home.
"Vernon! Look!" Petunia said in a worried voice. She was pointing out of the window, and had to move so her big husband could peer through the curtains.
"What the devil…?" Vernon muttered, and Harry quietly slipped to the front hallway, looking through one of those windows. There, across the street, was a huge moving truck, and a couple of burly men were hauling boxes and furniture into the house directly across from Number 4. "Get away from the window, boy!" Vernon hissed, grabbing Harry by his collar and yanking him back into the dining room. "If you dare contact them in any way…" He threatened, shoving his finger in Harry's face. Harry just rolled his eyes and said coldly,
"As if I would anyways."
With that parting shot he stalked out of the kitchen and upstairs to the smallest bedroom. He looked at Hedwig sadly and said regretfully, "New neighbors, Hedwig. Guess what that means?" Hedwig looked downtrodden, and Harry knew why. His non-magical relatives hated and feared magic, having proclaimed themselves as perfectly normal. They would want to keep up appearances for the new people on the block and would refuse to let Harry out, or Hedwig for that matter.
"My Sirius threat probably won't even work this time." Harry said sadly. Just the past year at Hogwarts he had discovered that he had a godfather, his father's best friend, one that was being hunted by the Ministry because he broke out of Azkaban, the wizard prison. Sirius was convicted of being a mass murderer, but those murders had actually been committed by a childhood friend of both Sirius and James, Peter Pettigrew. Peter had told Lord Voldemort, the worst Dark wizard in the history of magic, where the Potters (James and Lily, Harry's parents) lived, and Voldemort murdered them in his attempt to murder Harry. Since Lily died for her son, her love had been the protection that saved Harry from the Killing Curse, and gave him the lightning bolt scar on his forehead.
Hedwig hooted mournfully, and Harry resigned himself to sit at the window and stare at the moving truck that spelled his complete boredom for the next few weeks.
He couldn't have been more wrong.
The next day Harry was sitting at his desk, trying to finish his Transfiguration homework, and failing. The sunlight was bright, and the sky was blue. He wanted out of the prison he called his room. With a resolute face he got up and walked outside, surprisingly not meeting any opposition from any of the Dursleys.
With a rare smile on his face he walked down the sidewalk, and made his way to the park, sitting on the swings and staring off into space. Suddenly, a faint voice could be heard, singing. He almost felt like he was back at Hogwarts, listening to Hagrid singing, but this voice was sweet and gorgeous.
A tall brunette was dancing her way down the walkway, wearing black leggings, a short jean skirt and a sparkly pink shirt. She was singing, "I am unwritten, can't read my mind, I'm undefined, I'm just beginning, the pen's in my hand, ending unplanned, staring at the blank page before you, open up the dirty window, let the sun illuminate the words that you cannot find, reaching for something in the distance, so close you can almost tasted it, release your inhibitions feel the rain on your skin, no one else can feel it for you, only you can let it in, no one else, no one else can speak the words on your lips, drench yourself in words unspoken, live your life with arms wide open, today is where you book begins, the rest is still unwritten,"
He only had time for a fleeting thought that she looked very beautiful before she caught sight of him and froze, her mouth open.
She immediately snapped her mouth shut and folded her hands behind her back, walking normally and determinedly past the park. Harry wanted to tell her that she didn't have to stop singing just because he was there, but he couldn't find his voice.
Harry waited a few days before returning to the park, half afraid and half hoping he would meet the girl again. His fears/hopes came true, as she was again skipping down the path, wearing instead a pair of jeans and a tank top. She wasn't singing, but she had white wires coming from her ears, which he knew meant she was listening to her iPod.
The girl stopped at the entrance to the park, and Harry smiled tentatively at her. She took a few steps towards him and asked hesitantly, "Don't you live at Number 4 Privet Drive?"
"Yeah. Don't you live at Number 8?" He asked in reply, and she nodded, a smile breaking across her face. She sat down in the swing next to him and pulled out her earbuds.
"Sorry about running away the other day. Normally I don't let people hear me sing." She apologized, brushing her wavy hair behind her ear.
"You should." He said before he could think, and then wanted to take the words back. She blushed furiously and shrugged.
"I'm Lea Montana," She introduced herself, holding out her hand.
"Harry Potter." He replied, taking her hand and shaking it.
"Do you go to the high school here?" She asked hopefully, and her face fell when he shook his head.
"Crap. I was hoping I would know someone when I started school. I'm 13, starting 9th grade, just moved here from the United States."
"So that's where your accent is from," Harry said, nodding.
"Yeah. If you don't mind me asking, where do you go to school then?"
"Um, St. Brutus's for Boys," He muttered, not wanting to tell her the full name of the school that Uncle Vernon told everyone he attended. It was a reform school for criminally unmanageable boys.
"Ooh, sounds like fun," She said, rolling her eyes, and she started laughing. Harry joined in, as her laughter was infectious. They sat there for the longest time, laughing like fools and not caring about what other people might have thought of them.
Over the next few weeks, Harry and Lea met at the park and sat there, talking. They told each other their favorite and least favorite things. Sometimes it was as simple as their favorite color, or a food they hated. Sometimes the conversation strayed into deeper territory, such as their friends and school. Very rarely did they venture into the family subject, obviously a touchy one for Harry, and he began to realize it was a sensitive subject for Lea as well.
It had been three weeks since they had first met when Lea came up to the swings sporting a shocking black eye. Harry slowly rose to his feet and simply asked, "Who?"
"Harry, it's nothing," Lea insisted, but Harry just looked at her. "All right, fine, it was, it was my dad, but he, he's just stressed, he didn't really mean it, my mum's been in London for a few days and she keeps him grounded…"
"That's no excuse." Harry said flatly, and Lea caught the cold fury in his eyes.
"Just, just sit on the merry-go-round with me, please," She pleaded, and he obeyed her request. They sat there for a few awkward moments before he finally spoke,
"As far as I know, my aunt, uncle and cousin are my only family. My aunt is my mum's sister."
Lea scooted over next to Harry and covered his hand with her own. Before he knew it, he was pouring out the whole story. "My parents were murdered by a very dangerous criminal when I was 1. He tried to kill me too, but somehow he failed and that's how I got my scar. I got sent here, to this living hell, and here I am." His voice was bitter, and he knew it. Lea pressed her forehead against Harry's shoulder and said softly,
"I'm very sorry for your loss," Harry's throat closed up and he just nodded. "My grandma died a few months ago, so I know a fraction of what you're feeling. Not the same thing, but I'm trying to tell you, well, I'm babbling I know, but…you can talk to me. I'm a good listener." Lea squeezed his hand, and Harry smiled, suddenly overcome with the urge to lean down and kiss Lea.
"Uh, I gotta get back, Lea. I'll see you tomorrow?" He got to his feet quickly, and she stayed sitting.
"I'll be here." Lea replied and watched as Harry jogged away.
That night Harry wrote to Sirius, telling him, "Sirius, I met this girl, Lea Montana, she moved in across the street from me. She's technically in the same grade as me; just a few months younger than I. We've been talking a lot lately, and I really like her. I told her about Mum and Dad today, and it was like she knew exactly what to say to me," He paused for a moment and then added, "I even wanted to kiss her, but I chickened out." Harry added some inquiries as to how Buckbeak and Sirius were doing, and then sealed it, tying it to Hedwig's outstretched leg. He stroked her head and she nipped his fingers affectionately before soaring into the night.
