Chapter 1: The Unsigned Letter
It was summertime in Britain, in a pristine neighborhood where everything was the same all the time. The children were outside playing, the adults relaxed at their poolside while others swam. People were out mowing their lawns and enjoying the sunshine. It was a beautiful day, and everyone was outside. Well, almost everyone, anyway…
Harry Potter sat on his bed, in his small, cramped little room, in an old house on an old street. He had been there for the past two weeks, leaving his bedroomonly to shower and use the bathroom. The Dursleys didn't mind, though. Any time without Harry was time well spent to them. They didn't care that he was alone in the world, that he had no one, that nothing mattered to him anymore. He had been on his bed, writing to Sirius. Of course, it was one way to deal with his pain. He kept a notebook of letters that he had written to Sirius and to Dumbledore, and it always made him feel better to read them He even wrote some to his mum and dad.
Hedwig has been out hunting for 2 days now. Harry wished she would return. He needed someone to talk to. He picked up his quill and began another letter to Sirius.
Dear Sirius,
How was your day? I haven't been doing too well, because I'm holed up with the Dursleys again. Dudley has a girlfriend (though I bet she's with him because of blackmail, because he threatened to beat her up, he paid her, or she's desperate) and my aunt dyed her hair platinum blonde. She looks really scary, but if I say a word about it, Uncle Vernon will throw me headfirst into the wall.
Anyway, I will be of age tomorrow, so I'm really excited about that, and as soon as I learn to Apparate, I'll come and visit you…
Harry dropped the quill and started crying. He missed Sirius and everyone else so much, and he hasn't gotten a letter from anyone for about two weeks. He felt nervous. Did they forget him? What was going on? He mulled over his thoughts again as he stared out the window. He looked to the sunset and thought to himself, 'When am I going to get another letter?'
Oh well, he thought, and Harry proceeded to walk away from the window when he heard a rapping noise. He turned around sharply and looked out the window. A golden owl stood out there with a letter attached to its foot. Harry opened the window and let the bird in. He detached the letter off of the bird's foot and it hooted gratefully. The owl then flew to Hedwig's cage and sipped water. The letter was written in purple ink and on some very old parchment. It read:
Dear Mr. Potter,
I have some very urgent news for you. I cannot discuss it in the letter, in case it is intercepted. Please respond as soon as possible. Use the gold owl.
Harry reread the letter twice. There was no signature. He placed it on the end table and sat back down on his bed. He then decided to peruse Quidditch Through The Ages for the umpteenth time when he heard someone's voice outside.
"Dudley, relax! I'm just going to use the bathroom!" It was a female voice, totally unfamiliar. It's probably Dud's new girlfriend, thought Harry. He layed down on his bed and starting counting the squares on the ceiling. His bedroom door creaked and opened, and in the doorway stood a young girl.
She was about 16 years old, with brunette hair and blue eyes. She had dark red lips and long fingernails. Harry stared and she smiled.
"Hi, Harry!" she said.
"Huh?"
"I said hi, Harry!" she laughed. He continued to stare and she looked around.
"May I come in?" she asked
"Sure, whatever." said Harry. She walked into his room and sat on his bed. She looked up at him and said, "I don't think we've been properly introduced."
"O.K." he said.
"I am Alexis. Alexis Bones. I know who you are of course. I heard so much about you."
Harry stared at her in surprise, and then he spoke.
"From who? Dudley? If so, that's a first." He said. She laughed again
"No, I heard about you from my Mum. I'm a witch." She said. Just as she did, Dudley burst into the room and yelled, "Leave my girlfriend alone, Harry! You touch her and I'll kill you."
"You say that so often, it's lost all meaning. Anyway, we weren't doing anything. She just came to the door and I let her in." Harry said calmly. Dudley balled his fists and prepared to hit Harry. Alexis raised her hand and caught his fist.
"Look, Dudley. We didn't do anything. If I find out you hurt him, we are through! I mean it!" she yelled. Dudley's fists dropped to his sides and into his pockets. He threw Harry a very dirty look and stalked out of the room. Alexis sat back down on the bed.
"You mean you went out with him because you like him? I thought he blackmailed you or something." said Harry.
"He did." said Alexis grimly. "He was going to hurt my friend Robert."
"Why didn't Robert just fight back? Why did he submit to Dudley? Why didn't you use your wand?" asked Harry.
"One, because Robert doesn't believe in fighting. Two, because he was so much smaller than Dudley. Three, because I can't use my wand in the presence of a Muggle. That's why."
"Oh, o.k. Well, you better be going now. I've got loads of homework that I need to finish." He said, trying to cut her off.
"Oh, but Harry," she said, leaning closer to him. "I need to talk to you." Harry's heart rose to his neck as she leaned in even closer. Her nose was about one inch away from his nose. She wrapped her arms around his neck and she started to speak again.
"I wanted to tell you that," she put her lips to his ear, "someone wants to meet you. 10:00, tonight, the park, and don't be late." She whispered. She kissed him softly on the lips and got off the bed. She then proceeded to walk towards the door.
"See you at school, Harry." She said softly, and smiled. She exited the room, leaving Harry speechless. He sat on his bed and thought. He was thinking of Alexis, and who she was. Or what she was. It was all very confusing.
He then remembered the anonymous letter he got and decided he should respond. He walked over to his end table and wrote back:
Yes, I need to know what you want or need. Please respond as soon as possible.
Harry Potter
He tied the letter to the owl's leg and sent it off. Then he looked at the clock on his wall. It was 9:46, and he decided to get dressed. He then went down the stairs, and he grabbed his jacket when his uncle barked over the Evening Times, "Where are you going?"
"Out." said Harry shortly. He walked out of the house and down the street towards the play park.
The stars were bright, and the outside was dark. There was a slight wind in the trees, and a few birds flew overhead. He slowly walked to the park. It was only down the street from number four, but thoughts of that couldn't make up for the uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. He had the eerie feeling that he was being watched…
He finally reached the play park. It looked so abandoned in the dark. He walked over to the bench and sat. He waited a few minutes, and a few more, and a few more. No one came. He decided that he would leave when all of a sudden he heard a deep voice say, "Harry Potter?"
Harry spun around and saw a tall, shadowy figure walking towards him.
A/N This was the first chapter. I hope you liked it as much as I did. Please review.