Harry sat on the steps staring into the empty street across toward
the moving van that unloaded what seemed to be an endless number of boxes.
Aunt Petunia had often voiced her disapproval of the new neighbors. "Never
home when someone calls, always unpacking enough boxes to fill a warehouse,
why, they're probably criminals stowing away their stolen goods in our
quiet little neighborhood. Not that Harry gave any credit to his aunt's
gossip. He had spent the last few days enveloped in thought. New neighbors
was not nearly as important a subject as his upcoming arrival for his sixth
year at Hogwarts.
"Lumos! You idiot! Get off your lazy bum and help!" Harry jumped at the spell spoken aloud. The voice had come from the house he had been observing the past hour.
"It's no use Anna just let the girl go annoy the mug- neighbors, she's no use to us underage. Sides I hear the Dursleys got two boys her age." Said a gruff female voice that seemed to penetrate Harry right to the bone. He was walking across the street before he knew what was happening, the Dursley's had been slightly more bearable with his life at steak but to have a wizarding family moving in across the street...
"hi" Harry turned to see two bright purple eyes watching him from the shadows of a tree. The girl who emerged had shimmering golden hair and a smoothing curving complexion. She smiled slightly, but it was a sad smile.
"ummm... hi I'm-"Harry said, the girl gasped as Harry brushed back his unkempt locks from his forehead in an attempt to make a good impression.
"Harry Potter!" her eyes unfocused as she stared at the scar on his forehead, frowning at some inner thought. "oh, I'm sorry. You probably get that a lot... My name's Ellen Kelskey" Harry didn't know what to think of Ellen. She seemed very sad and reserved, but Harry wondered where she went to school. Certainly not Hogwarts, Harry thought. He had never heard of anyone starting as anything other than a first-year.
"So, where do you go to school?" Harry blurted out. Ellen giggled and smiled what seemed to be her first true smile.
"I'll be going to Hogwarts starting this year, special circumstances." Ellen frowned and seemed about to say more when the source of that penetrating voice arrived.
"Stupid girl! I thought I told you to keep your mouth shut about the mug-"She stopped at the sight of Harry's scar. "Oh... well, b-be careful children." The woman had dark aqua hair; she was in an all black dress that looked barely used. Harry noticed her otherwise young face, pressed with stress wrinkles, and her piercingly dark brown eyes.
"uhhhh... this is my aunt Pariet, and my aunt Anna is over there." Ellen said, gesturing to the big moving van. She looked nervously about as if she expected to see some horrible creature appear out of nowhere.
"want to go where we can talk without having to worry about... normal-" Ellen said the word a little awkwardly. "people?" Harry nodded in agreement and she ushered him to a window on the side of her house. "my aunt Anna put this in, Pariet doesn't know yet." Ellen stepped through the window, disappearing on the other side. Harry hesitantly followed.
"Lumos! You idiot! Get off your lazy bum and help!" Harry jumped at the spell spoken aloud. The voice had come from the house he had been observing the past hour.
"It's no use Anna just let the girl go annoy the mug- neighbors, she's no use to us underage. Sides I hear the Dursleys got two boys her age." Said a gruff female voice that seemed to penetrate Harry right to the bone. He was walking across the street before he knew what was happening, the Dursley's had been slightly more bearable with his life at steak but to have a wizarding family moving in across the street...
"hi" Harry turned to see two bright purple eyes watching him from the shadows of a tree. The girl who emerged had shimmering golden hair and a smoothing curving complexion. She smiled slightly, but it was a sad smile.
"ummm... hi I'm-"Harry said, the girl gasped as Harry brushed back his unkempt locks from his forehead in an attempt to make a good impression.
"Harry Potter!" her eyes unfocused as she stared at the scar on his forehead, frowning at some inner thought. "oh, I'm sorry. You probably get that a lot... My name's Ellen Kelskey" Harry didn't know what to think of Ellen. She seemed very sad and reserved, but Harry wondered where she went to school. Certainly not Hogwarts, Harry thought. He had never heard of anyone starting as anything other than a first-year.
"So, where do you go to school?" Harry blurted out. Ellen giggled and smiled what seemed to be her first true smile.
"I'll be going to Hogwarts starting this year, special circumstances." Ellen frowned and seemed about to say more when the source of that penetrating voice arrived.
"Stupid girl! I thought I told you to keep your mouth shut about the mug-"She stopped at the sight of Harry's scar. "Oh... well, b-be careful children." The woman had dark aqua hair; she was in an all black dress that looked barely used. Harry noticed her otherwise young face, pressed with stress wrinkles, and her piercingly dark brown eyes.
"uhhhh... this is my aunt Pariet, and my aunt Anna is over there." Ellen said, gesturing to the big moving van. She looked nervously about as if she expected to see some horrible creature appear out of nowhere.
"want to go where we can talk without having to worry about... normal-" Ellen said the word a little awkwardly. "people?" Harry nodded in agreement and she ushered him to a window on the side of her house. "my aunt Anna put this in, Pariet doesn't know yet." Ellen stepped through the window, disappearing on the other side. Harry hesitantly followed.