Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters, although I wish I did.
As usual any and all reviews are welcome including flames: these must be accompanied with or a reason or they will be ignored!!
Sirius is alive! And Harry knows about the Order of the Phoenix, I've mixed a few of the books together to create my own version, although no infringement intended!
Happy reading and please let me know what you all think!
And thanks to my beta michelle-08-XX-XXwhose continual support and encouragement has enabled me to finish this story.
Nicky xx
It was the second week of the summer holidays and Harry still had no word from his friends, not that he expected any he rarely got mail. Hegwig was still at Hogwarts safe and sound, he didn't want anything to happen to the snowy owl that Hagrid had bought him for his eleventh birthday. He could never see how his uncle could actually hurt her but it was safer for all if she stayed at the castle. Harry still ached from the last beaten and didn't want a repeat so soon. He just knew that this summer was going to be the same as all of the rest, full of apprehension and chores.
With a soft sigh Harry slowly got out of bed careful not to aggravate his already aching head 'one day I'll be free from here and actually have a family that cares!' he thought as he prayed that he wasn't getting sick.
Once Harry was changed, he sat on his bed waiting patiently, like a good little boy, for his Aunt or Uncle to unlock the bedroom door so he could get on with his many chores that were always waiting for him every morning. Today however he decided to check his Transfiguration homework, although it was the smallest essay required by Professor McGonagall the longest he'd ever done was still to be started for Professor Snape and that worried him as he rechecked the essay. If he didn't start on Snape's soon he wouldn't get it finished in time, even the thought of potions made his head ache even more.
As usual his Aunt's sharp tongue pierced his thoughts like a knife through butter; "GET UP YOU LAZY BOY AND MAKE BREAKFAST!" she bellowed through the door, alarmingly he grabbed every piece of parchment and shoved them under the floor board under his bed as the door creaked open. His Aunt glared at him as she continued to mumble about freaks and his parents, which just made him angry, no one had the right to talk about his parents like that, Harry could feel the anger swelling in him his fists clenching he took a few seconds to calm himself down otherwise he would face the consequences – another lashing.
With a small cough he headed towards the kitchen praying that he wasn't getting sick, as he made breakfast he was handed his list of chores, which seemed to get bigger and bigger.
'At least they repeat them' he mused as he gathered the dishes and finished cleaning them. His Uncle had told him to have the chores done by 8 p.m which would be impossible, he quickly scanned the list:-
Trim hedges
Gut grass/mow the lawn
Wash windows including the conservatory
Sand and paint the garage door
Clean the garage
Wash the kitchen floor
Clean the bathroom
Clean the living room
Clean the attic
Clean Dudley's bedroom
With a small sigh and a groan he read the p.s if these chores are not done by the time I get home you will have no food for a week and that week will be spent in your cupboard!
It was already 7 a.m. only thirteen hours to do everything.
Harry started with the garage, choking and sneezing constantly due to the dust. Finally he managed to get the garage sorted and the door sanded and painted within two hours he ticked them off his list:-
Trim hedges
Gut grass/mow the lawn
Wash windows including the conservatory
Sand and paint the garage door
Clean the garage
Wash the Kitchen floor
Clean the bathroom
Clean the living room
Clean the attic
Clean Dudley's bedroom
'Only another eight chores to do and eleven hours to do them in' he mused as he headed towards the garden, it didn't help that it was raining cats and dogs outside, he still had to mow the lawn and trim the hedges "why bother!" he mumbled as he got out the lawn mower and the hedge trimmers, getting soaked as he finished the garden. Once he was satisfied with the work he had done he took what little shelter there was in the shed, while he was putting the equipment away, his small cough started to worsen along with the achy head and the constant dizzy spells, he scowled the perfect imitation of his dreaded Potions master as he ticked off the latest chores that took him three hours:
Trim hedges
Gut grass/mow the lawn
Wash windows including the conservatory
Sand and paint the garage door
Clean the garage
Wash the kitchen floor
Clean the bathroom
Clean the living room
Clean the attic
Clean Dudley's bedroom
'Only six more to go and eight hours to do them' he kept the mantra going as he spent the next two hours cleaning the windows. Feeling incredibly sick he hurried to do the last window pane of the conservatory before he lost what little dinner he had eaten the night before, he had just rung out the cloth when his luck ran out his stomach rebelled and as fast as he could he flung himself over the garbage bin gagging and retching, finally stopping after a few painful minutes 'PERFECT!' he grumbled as he cleaned his mouth on his sleeve.
Finally finishing the outside after five hours he ticked it off his list:
Trim hedges
Gut grass/mow the lawn
Wash windows including the conservatory
Sand and paint the garage door
Clean the garage
Wash the kitchen floor
Clean the bathroom
Clean the living room
Clean the attic
Clean Dudley's bedroom
Harry headed inside and upstairs to the attic, Merlin he felt horrible everything hurt including his head, throat even his limbs ached. The dizziness was getting worst causing his vision to become even more blared which exasperated the problem of his constant feeling of wanting to throw up.
"Just what I don't need right now is to get sick!" he said miserably. Knowing that his uncle would be home soon he checked his list only to discover another five things to do and just three short hours left 'fudge!' he groaned.
Harry decided to clean the kitchen floor then work around Dudley in the living room before tiredly climbing the stairs to Dudley's bedroom. The attic was next, leaving the bathroom to very end suspecting he would be in their longest, he ticked off the list:-
Trim hedges
Gut grass/mow the lawn
Wash windows including the conservatory
Sand and paint the garage door
Clean the garage
Wash the kitchen floor
Clean the bathroom
Clean the living room
Clean the attic
Clean Dudley's bedroom
Three chores left and two hours to go before he got the worst lashing yet. If he didn't get the chores finished, there would be hell to pay. The attic was easy; he had to stifle his laughter causing it to come out as a harsh cough, obviously his 'relatives' hadn't been up here recently, the attic was immaculate from the other day when he cleaned it. "Scratch that" he said hoarsely taking out his list:-
Trim hedges
Gut grass/mow the lawn
Wash windows including the conservatory
Sand and paint the garage door
Clean the garage
Wash the kitchen floor
Clean the bathroom
Clean the living room
Clean the attic
Clean Dudley's bedroom
'Two to do and two hours to do it' he mused rubbing his temples, he knew that Dudley's room never looked tidy, but still headed their anyway. Quickly looking round the mess he lifted a couple of pieces of laundry and stuck them in the wash basket along with a few other pieces. He spruced up the bed and flipped the mattress.
"there that will do he" he said as the bile started to rise, he bolted for the bathroom praying no one was in there and dropped in front of the toilet, throwing up whatever was left in his aching stomach, moaning as each wave of nausea washed over. The eternity he spent greeting 'uncle Hughie' caused him to lose track of time.
After a few painstaking minutes he finally flushed the toilet and leant heavily onto the sink what little energy he had was going fast. He took a few steadying breaths, and as quickly as he could, he spruced up the bathroom and ticked it off his chore list:-
Trim hedges
Gut grass/mow the lawn
Wash windows including the conservatory
Sand and paint the garage door
Clean the garage
Wash the kitchen floors
Clean the bathroom
Clean the living room
Clean the attic
Clean Dudley's bedroom
"Finally!" he mumbled and headed towards his Aunt to give her the list just as the front door opened revealing his uncle.
His Aunt scanned the list quickly 'thank God the boy finished on time' she thought. As much as she loathed the boy she hated what Vernon did to him as punishment, she was certain that Lily was turning in her grave.
Uncle Vernon was actually in a good mood for once, he was smiling and humming a tune as he walked past him and straight into the kitchen.
'Wonder what happened to him' Harry thought then grinned 'Sirius!" he smirked maybe someone from the Order had come for him, but that was asking too much. The fleeting moment was gone, he knew his Godfather was in hiding and couldn't risk coming to see him. Dudley ran past him to the kitchen shoving him hard into the wall making every piece of him ache even more, for the first time he actually wished for the confines of his room. Aunt Petunia followed casually behind her son pulling Harry behind her, 'the boy looks awful' she mused as she waited for her husband to say something.
Vernon smiled at his wife and son, not once looking at his nephew "I have the perfect holiday for us!" he declared happily
"I've won a trip of a life time for us although it is a business meeting but we are going to Paris for three hole weeks without him!" smirked Vernon finally looking Harry, who started backing into the wall.
"How wonderful!" screeched Petunia as she hugged her son and husband, "What are we going to do about Him?" she feared the reply for some odd reason. Vernon had an evil glint in his eye "He will be staying with Mrs Figg for the next three weeks; hopefully his freaky friends will pick him up there!"
"Get packing boy, she will be here at nine a.m so you'd you better be ready or else". A dark cloud formed over Vernon's features at the threat.
Harry gulped "Yes Uncle Vernon" he mumbled hoarsely heading rather stiffly for his room.
'Three weeks with the creepy cat lady, blinking terrific! At least I can do my homework without too many chores", he began to chuckle but it turned into a harsh chesty cough as he struggled for breath.