Chapter One – The Dream
"I just got an owl back from mother. Sirius delivered her fine, she's safe and sound. Mother says not to send Harry for another month or so, she's worried the Dark Lord will realize what's going on."
Harry woke with a start. He shook his head, which was now throbbing from where he hit it on the bedside table when he fell out of bed. He thought over what he had just heard. It had been his mother's voice, speaking about someone, a girl, being delivered by Sirius to his grandmother.
Harry's first thought was to write to Sirius. He delivered this girl, so he would obviously know who she was. He started reaching across the floor to grab a quill that was laying there when reality hit him. He couldn't write to Sirius, he wouldn't write back. A fresh wave of sadness washed over Harry. For nearly four weeks Harry had kept his mind from wandering to his godfather. He tried to hide the tears that were slowly starting to stream down his face. It had been such a short time ago that Harry had last seen Sirius, the night Sirius died. He had died protecting Harry, just as he had tried to do ever since Harry had been born.
Harry had not known about Sirius until two years earlier, and in Harry's opinion two years was far too short of a time to get to know your godfather. Harry had at first believed that Sirius had broken out of Azkaban, the wizard prison, with the intention of killing him. Instead it was Peter Pettigrew, whom everyone had thought Sirius had killed 13 years before, whom Sirius wanted to kill. Pettigrew had betrayed Harry's parents by telling Lord Voldemort where the Potters were hiding.
Where they were hiding...except for this one girl, whom Sirius had taken into hiding with Harry's grandparents. Harry didn't know what to make of this new revelation, who was this girl? Was she related to him? Questions buzzed through Harry's mind until it was time to go downstairs to breakfast. He quickly made sure it didn't look like he had been crying before he went downstairs. He didn't want to hear Dudley's reaction if he realized that Harry had been crying.
Harry walked into the kitchen expecting Uncle Vernon to be reading the paper, Aunt Petunia to be fussing over Dudley, and Dudley stuffing his face. Instead they were all staring straight at the grey blob that was lying on the kitchen floor, which had apparently fallen through the open window.
"Errol!"
Harry recognized the blob immediately as Errol, his best friend Ron Weasly's elderly owl. He ripped the letter Errol was still holding in his mouth open and read it quickly. Ron had obviously written it in a hurry as it was barely legible.
"Harry, Sorry I didn't send this with pig, but he's off delivering a letter to Charlie. You're coming to the Burrow, no ifs, ands, or buts about it, Dumbledore's orders. Tonks and Kingsley are coming to pick you up on Monday the 30th. Be ready, they'll meet you on the Knight Bus at 6:00pm. Mum says if the muggles give you any trouble just leave anyways. See you later mate.
Ron"
Harry stole a glance up at the calendar, Monday the 30th that was today! Harry looked toward uncle Vernon, who was turning beet red and was about to explode.
"WHAT THE HELL DID THE RUDDY LETTER SAY?!?!?!"
"I'm leaving," Harry replied calmly. "At 6:00, I'm going to my friend Ron's house."
"Well, good riddance, no more ruddy owls then..."
Harry turned out of the kitchen without even eating anything and marched back up to his room. He was overjoyed about going to Ron's, but a feeling of foreboding hung around his mind like an eagle circling overhead. If he was going to Ron's, that almost put a sort of finality on the fact that Sirius wouldn't be coming back. Harry would have loved to return to 12 Grimmauld Place and hear Sirius shouting at his mother's painting to shut up. Now Harry knew for sure that wouldn't be happening. It seeming – either permanently or temporarily – 12 Grimmauld Place was not being used as the Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix.
Harry looked around his room and realized he had better start packing. It was already 11:00 and various magical objects were scattered all over his room. Harry picked up a book and placed it in his trunk, 7 long hours until he was on his way to the Burrow.
"I just got an owl back from mother. Sirius delivered her fine, she's safe and sound. Mother says not to send Harry for another month or so, she's worried the Dark Lord will realize what's going on."
Harry woke with a start. He shook his head, which was now throbbing from where he hit it on the bedside table when he fell out of bed. He thought over what he had just heard. It had been his mother's voice, speaking about someone, a girl, being delivered by Sirius to his grandmother.
Harry's first thought was to write to Sirius. He delivered this girl, so he would obviously know who she was. He started reaching across the floor to grab a quill that was laying there when reality hit him. He couldn't write to Sirius, he wouldn't write back. A fresh wave of sadness washed over Harry. For nearly four weeks Harry had kept his mind from wandering to his godfather. He tried to hide the tears that were slowly starting to stream down his face. It had been such a short time ago that Harry had last seen Sirius, the night Sirius died. He had died protecting Harry, just as he had tried to do ever since Harry had been born.
Harry had not known about Sirius until two years earlier, and in Harry's opinion two years was far too short of a time to get to know your godfather. Harry had at first believed that Sirius had broken out of Azkaban, the wizard prison, with the intention of killing him. Instead it was Peter Pettigrew, whom everyone had thought Sirius had killed 13 years before, whom Sirius wanted to kill. Pettigrew had betrayed Harry's parents by telling Lord Voldemort where the Potters were hiding.
Where they were hiding...except for this one girl, whom Sirius had taken into hiding with Harry's grandparents. Harry didn't know what to make of this new revelation, who was this girl? Was she related to him? Questions buzzed through Harry's mind until it was time to go downstairs to breakfast. He quickly made sure it didn't look like he had been crying before he went downstairs. He didn't want to hear Dudley's reaction if he realized that Harry had been crying.
Harry walked into the kitchen expecting Uncle Vernon to be reading the paper, Aunt Petunia to be fussing over Dudley, and Dudley stuffing his face. Instead they were all staring straight at the grey blob that was lying on the kitchen floor, which had apparently fallen through the open window.
"Errol!"
Harry recognized the blob immediately as Errol, his best friend Ron Weasly's elderly owl. He ripped the letter Errol was still holding in his mouth open and read it quickly. Ron had obviously written it in a hurry as it was barely legible.
"Harry, Sorry I didn't send this with pig, but he's off delivering a letter to Charlie. You're coming to the Burrow, no ifs, ands, or buts about it, Dumbledore's orders. Tonks and Kingsley are coming to pick you up on Monday the 30th. Be ready, they'll meet you on the Knight Bus at 6:00pm. Mum says if the muggles give you any trouble just leave anyways. See you later mate.
Ron"
Harry stole a glance up at the calendar, Monday the 30th that was today! Harry looked toward uncle Vernon, who was turning beet red and was about to explode.
"WHAT THE HELL DID THE RUDDY LETTER SAY?!?!?!"
"I'm leaving," Harry replied calmly. "At 6:00, I'm going to my friend Ron's house."
"Well, good riddance, no more ruddy owls then..."
Harry turned out of the kitchen without even eating anything and marched back up to his room. He was overjoyed about going to Ron's, but a feeling of foreboding hung around his mind like an eagle circling overhead. If he was going to Ron's, that almost put a sort of finality on the fact that Sirius wouldn't be coming back. Harry would have loved to return to 12 Grimmauld Place and hear Sirius shouting at his mother's painting to shut up. Now Harry knew for sure that wouldn't be happening. It seeming – either permanently or temporarily – 12 Grimmauld Place was not being used as the Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix.
Harry looked around his room and realized he had better start packing. It was already 11:00 and various magical objects were scattered all over his room. Harry picked up a book and placed it in his trunk, 7 long hours until he was on his way to the Burrow.