Chapter 1:
The News
Seventeen years ago the most powerful Dark force for a century was defeated by a tiny, one year old child. The young boy was hailed as a hero in the hidden magical world, but Harry Potter knew nothing of witches or wizards until he was eleven years old. He was then told the amazing story of his young life, which the whole rotten Dursley family had hidden from him.
Lord Voldemort had murdered Lily and James Potter using the Avada Kadavra curse. The curse hit Harry, who, by some miracle, survived. The killing curse mirrored off Harry and hit the Dark Lord instead. Harry escaped with a lightening bolt scar on his forehead, while Voldemort fled, barely alive.
At first the whispers and gawking that followed Harry when he came to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry unnerved him, but he was used to it by now. On September first he would start his seventh year Hogwarts. He couldn't wait to get back to school, but before the summer's end he hoped he could go to his best friend, Ron Weasley's, house.
It was a bright, sunny, Tuesday morning. The weather was beckoning everyone outside, and Harry Potter was in his bedroom, doing his Potions homework. He was really mad at Professor Snape for giving them so much when they were supposed to be on vacation. He looked out the window longingly, and saw something small and feathery flapping in his direction at top speed. Harry ducked as it flew over his head and landed on his bed with a small "plop."
"Pig!" Harry exclaimed, recognizing Ron's owl. Hedwig, Harry's snowy owl, gave a very loud and disapproving hoot from her cage on his desk. Harry ran to the tiny owl, untied the envelope from his leg, ripped open the envelope, and read;
Dear Harry,
Something awful has happened! It's Ron, he's gone! No one has seen him for days! Everything is just horrible around here, and I'm not any better than anyone else. Do you think it's You-Know-who? Sorry, but you can't come stay this summer, and with Ron gone, why would you? I'm really scared! ~Ginny~
Harry read this, and all the happiness he had felt upon seeing Pig leaked out of him. Sure, he couldn't leave number four, but so what? Ron disappearing was a thousand times worse. He sat on his bed, in numb almost numb state. Ron, gone? That was impossible! He felt a pang of sadness when he thought about what the Weasleys must be going through. He thought that must be especially hard on Ginny, who Ron had grown quite close to.
Harry went back to his desk and stared miserably at this homework. What if Ron wasn't back in time for school? (Ron was also in Gryffindor and the seventh and final year at Hogwarts.) What if…?
"You!" Aunt Petunia screeched from downstairs. "Boy, get down here this instant!!!"
"What've I done now?" Harry mumbled under his breath. He trudged downstairs and saw his Aunt (who had a very sour look on her face, indeed) holding an envelope at arm's length. She thrust it in his direction.
"Here!" she screamed, as though the envelope would explode at any second, "Here! It's yours!" She threw it at him and scurried into the kitchen.
"A letter for me?" Harry thought aloud. Who did he know that sent letters by the Muggle postman and did it properly. He had a ghost of a smile as he remembered the letter Mrs. Weasley had sent his aunt and uncle three years ago. Then he picked up the letter and glanced at the return address.
It was from Hermione! Of course! She was Muggle born and didn't own an owl. He took it upstairs and opened it, hoping it didn't contain more bad news.
Dear Harry,
Hi! Did Ginny send you a letter about Ron? Isn't that terrible? I can't stop thinking about Ron. I feel so bad for the Weasleys. Anyway, I know you can't stand your Muggle relatives, so would you like to come meet mine? I was going to invite Ron too, but…I don't want to think about it. We'll pick you up around on Wednesday around 4:00, okay? See you then!
*Hermione*
P. S. My report on ancient Greek wizardry was five rolls of parchment than Professor Binns asked for. Do you think that will count against me?
"Well, at least I get to leave the Dursleys." Harry murmured. Normally he would've been overjoyed at the prospect of going to the Granger's, (he'd never been their before) but he, like Hermione, couldn't get Ron out of his mind. He went into the kitchen for breakfast.
"Comb your hair!" barked Uncle Vernon. Harry ignored him and started eating his breakfast. "Aren't you leaving?" growled Uncle Vernon. Harry looked up startled.
"What do you mean?"
"Every summer you run off to that ruddy Wesler family, so when are leaving?"
Harry felt that the Dursley's were being very insensitive. Even though this was perfectly normal. Of course, they didn't know about Ron, but Harry didn't care.
"No, I'm not going to the Weasley's house." Harry said coldly, emphasizing the correct pronunciation of Ron's name. "I'm going to Hermione Granger's house. She is picking me up tomorrow."
"Tomorrow!?!?" Uncle Vernon roared.
"Yes," Harry said in a cold voice, looking his uncle straight in the eye. "She's picking me up around 4:00."
"If they don't come on time…" Aunt Petunia said in a threatening voice, but she didn't say anything else. Harry had never mentioned that Hermione was Muggle born, and Dudley looked terrified. There was no surprise to this, Dudley had had bad experiences with wizards. Once he had emerged from an encounter with a wizard with a curly pigs tail, another time, a four feet long tongue.
Harry wolfed down breakfast to get away from the Dursleys. Harry was giving him "if looks could kill" stares. Harry was glad they couldn't, otherwise he would've been dead yesterday.
The News
Seventeen years ago the most powerful Dark force for a century was defeated by a tiny, one year old child. The young boy was hailed as a hero in the hidden magical world, but Harry Potter knew nothing of witches or wizards until he was eleven years old. He was then told the amazing story of his young life, which the whole rotten Dursley family had hidden from him.
Lord Voldemort had murdered Lily and James Potter using the Avada Kadavra curse. The curse hit Harry, who, by some miracle, survived. The killing curse mirrored off Harry and hit the Dark Lord instead. Harry escaped with a lightening bolt scar on his forehead, while Voldemort fled, barely alive.
At first the whispers and gawking that followed Harry when he came to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry unnerved him, but he was used to it by now. On September first he would start his seventh year Hogwarts. He couldn't wait to get back to school, but before the summer's end he hoped he could go to his best friend, Ron Weasley's, house.
It was a bright, sunny, Tuesday morning. The weather was beckoning everyone outside, and Harry Potter was in his bedroom, doing his Potions homework. He was really mad at Professor Snape for giving them so much when they were supposed to be on vacation. He looked out the window longingly, and saw something small and feathery flapping in his direction at top speed. Harry ducked as it flew over his head and landed on his bed with a small "plop."
"Pig!" Harry exclaimed, recognizing Ron's owl. Hedwig, Harry's snowy owl, gave a very loud and disapproving hoot from her cage on his desk. Harry ran to the tiny owl, untied the envelope from his leg, ripped open the envelope, and read;
Dear Harry,
Something awful has happened! It's Ron, he's gone! No one has seen him for days! Everything is just horrible around here, and I'm not any better than anyone else. Do you think it's You-Know-who? Sorry, but you can't come stay this summer, and with Ron gone, why would you? I'm really scared! ~Ginny~
Harry read this, and all the happiness he had felt upon seeing Pig leaked out of him. Sure, he couldn't leave number four, but so what? Ron disappearing was a thousand times worse. He sat on his bed, in numb almost numb state. Ron, gone? That was impossible! He felt a pang of sadness when he thought about what the Weasleys must be going through. He thought that must be especially hard on Ginny, who Ron had grown quite close to.
Harry went back to his desk and stared miserably at this homework. What if Ron wasn't back in time for school? (Ron was also in Gryffindor and the seventh and final year at Hogwarts.) What if…?
"You!" Aunt Petunia screeched from downstairs. "Boy, get down here this instant!!!"
"What've I done now?" Harry mumbled under his breath. He trudged downstairs and saw his Aunt (who had a very sour look on her face, indeed) holding an envelope at arm's length. She thrust it in his direction.
"Here!" she screamed, as though the envelope would explode at any second, "Here! It's yours!" She threw it at him and scurried into the kitchen.
"A letter for me?" Harry thought aloud. Who did he know that sent letters by the Muggle postman and did it properly. He had a ghost of a smile as he remembered the letter Mrs. Weasley had sent his aunt and uncle three years ago. Then he picked up the letter and glanced at the return address.
It was from Hermione! Of course! She was Muggle born and didn't own an owl. He took it upstairs and opened it, hoping it didn't contain more bad news.
Dear Harry,
Hi! Did Ginny send you a letter about Ron? Isn't that terrible? I can't stop thinking about Ron. I feel so bad for the Weasleys. Anyway, I know you can't stand your Muggle relatives, so would you like to come meet mine? I was going to invite Ron too, but…I don't want to think about it. We'll pick you up around on Wednesday around 4:00, okay? See you then!
*Hermione*
P. S. My report on ancient Greek wizardry was five rolls of parchment than Professor Binns asked for. Do you think that will count against me?
"Well, at least I get to leave the Dursleys." Harry murmured. Normally he would've been overjoyed at the prospect of going to the Granger's, (he'd never been their before) but he, like Hermione, couldn't get Ron out of his mind. He went into the kitchen for breakfast.
"Comb your hair!" barked Uncle Vernon. Harry ignored him and started eating his breakfast. "Aren't you leaving?" growled Uncle Vernon. Harry looked up startled.
"What do you mean?"
"Every summer you run off to that ruddy Wesler family, so when are leaving?"
Harry felt that the Dursley's were being very insensitive. Even though this was perfectly normal. Of course, they didn't know about Ron, but Harry didn't care.
"No, I'm not going to the Weasley's house." Harry said coldly, emphasizing the correct pronunciation of Ron's name. "I'm going to Hermione Granger's house. She is picking me up tomorrow."
"Tomorrow!?!?" Uncle Vernon roared.
"Yes," Harry said in a cold voice, looking his uncle straight in the eye. "She's picking me up around 4:00."
"If they don't come on time…" Aunt Petunia said in a threatening voice, but she didn't say anything else. Harry had never mentioned that Hermione was Muggle born, and Dudley looked terrified. There was no surprise to this, Dudley had had bad experiences with wizards. Once he had emerged from an encounter with a wizard with a curly pigs tail, another time, a four feet long tongue.
Harry wolfed down breakfast to get away from the Dursleys. Harry was giving him "if looks could kill" stares. Harry was glad they couldn't, otherwise he would've been dead yesterday.