Hi everyone! I've already written the first 8 chapters of this story and
will be releasing them every other day so that I have a chance to write
some more and it won't leave ya'll hanging too long. Now that I've said
that, let's discuss reviews. I'd appreciate it if you review, but I'm not
going to force ya with idle threats because I hate it when other people do
that in their stories. Flames are ok as long as they are genuine critiques
and not "your story is stupid you stupid person" things.
And lastly.I do not own Harry Potter, although I sure wish I did.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Chapter 1
It had been a long summer for one particular 14 year old boy locked in a small bedroom at number four, Privet Drive. And the worst part was that it was only half over.
Harry sat at his desk.careful not to hit the table's front leg on the left side.it was very loose and in danger of being knocked over. "That's all I need," Harry Potter thought, "for the desk to fall over and crash." Then the Dursley's would come running and notice not only that he had woken everyone in the house up with the noise, but he had his school books and homework parchments laying all over. This would be disastrous to Harry. The Dursley's did not like the idea at all that Harry was a wizard and would stop at absolutely nothing to prevent him from having anything to do with magic while he was staying at their house.
It had been bad enough at the beginning of the summer when he got back to Privet Drive. But then Professor Dumbledore had sent an owl to Vernon Dursley in attempt to explain to him all that had happened during the last task of the Tri-Wizard Tournament. His uncle had been so mad. He crumpled up the letter in front of Harry and tossed it into the fire. He then stormed over to Harry and looked him straight in the eye, not even an inch from his face. "Why couldn't you die like a normal person. All you are is a freak. Go to the bedroom we are so graciously providing you"
Two days after that, Harry had been locked in his room again with the windows gated and the door bolted receiving his food through a slot cut in the door, much of like after Dobby the House Elf had dumped the desert on a business client of Mr. Dursley's and they had blamed it on Harry. Harry would not have minded this treatment at all.he did not mind not having contact with his extended family except for the once a day he was allowed out to use the privy. He only wished that they had remembered to give him meals more than once every two to three days. And at that, to give him more than day old porridge or moldy bread. He had been noticing in his closet mirror that lately his cousin, Dudley's castoffs were hanging off his already thin frame a lot more that usual. His mirror also revealed his deeply inset eyes bordered by dark black circles. His once twinkling emerald eyes were now only a dull green. Getting back to his beloved Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was one of the top things keeping him going.
Harry looked over at his bedside clock as it blinked "1:00" with the date at "7/25." He looked back down at his books..his mind barley able to focus. He had not been able to sleep as of late reliving the events of Voldemort's return every time he closed his eyes. Professor Dumbledore had given him a supply of Dreamless Sleep potion before he left for the summer, but his uncle had seen him use it once and ripped it from his hands. Harry had not been able to sufficiently come up with a story to satisfy his uncle on what it was, so he threw the potion at Harry, the bottle breaking on impact. The good news was he was able to block his face with his arms..the last thing he needed is another scar there. The bad news was that it broke on his arms and he was barley able to stop the bleeding. He was at least glad that it stayed cool where he lived so that he could cover up the wounds with a long sleeve shirt and when he got back to school, the inevitable scars would be covered by his school robes. The incident had also led to a complete search of Harry's room for any wizard contraband.none other was found though because it was safely tucked either in his trunk in the cupboard downstairs or under the loose floorboard in his room
As his mind wondered away from his History of Magic essay in front of him, he picked up an envelope that Hermione had sent to him the night before the bars on his windows went up. He had read the newspaper clipping and the enclosed letter more times than years he had been alive since receiving it. First, he carefully pulled out the article and read:
He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named Returns
It seems as though the Ministry of Magic has its work cut out for it
Rita Skeeter, Special Correspondent writes. Reports have been
circulating of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's return. According to first
hand accounts from this reporter, the Dark Lord was returned to his
body when no other than Peter Pettigrew made the potion to revive him.
Pettigrew's parents were not able to be reached for comment. Harry
Potter, the young man who defeated He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named 13 years
ago, was also a witness to the dark ceremony. With the Tri-Wizard's
cup being turned into a portkey, he was transported to the site with
another student after touching it at the conclusion of the third task.
The second student was killed immediately after arriving by Pettigrew.
After the rebirth ceremony, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named tortured the young
Potter before forcing him to duel. Potter lived up to his reputation
and held his own against the dark lord. He was able to break free and
avoid many curses being thrown at him by many death eaters as he ran to
grab the arm of the second student then grabbed the handle of the cup
which transported him back to Hogwarts.
Some details and names of this event are not being revealed do to
security reasons. The Ministry of Magic has yet to comment.
Harry reread the article a couple of times before turning to Hermione's letter. He had felt so alone with him being the only one to tell about the event. And then only a few people really believed him. But she had actually seen it with him. He wondered if she had the same nightmares. He shook the thoughts out of his head, picked up the letter and started reading.
Dearest Harry,
Ok.first of all..please please please don't be mad at me. I know that
when you read the article you are going to be furious that your name
was mentioned, but Professor Dumbledore felt it best. He read through
it before he allowed anything to be published. He said that it gives
people hope. It makes them feel like there is someone out there that
cares about them. And I know you don't like it, Harry, but you are
the People's Champion.
Now.second.how Rita Skeeter saw what she did. She was inside of the
Tri-Wizard's cup Harry but didn't get transported until you and Cedric
touched it because of what she is. She heard and saw it all. She
wanted to be in there to get the "very first reactions from the
winner." I found this out as soon as I got to London and let her out.
I think whatever she saw.and you saw changed her. When she was up in
the Hospital Wing that day that I captured her, she was about to
transform from her beetle form and let everyone know that she could
back up your story. Well.I didn't know.I wouldn't have.but that's the
past. As soon as I let her out and she told me her story, and I knew
I had to have her tell Professor Dumbledore. He immediately came to
my parents house and listened intently to her story. The Professor
said that her account was too close to what you had revealed for her
not to have been there as well. He asked if she would write one last
article.he understands the unbelievable power of the press. He wrote
your aunt and uncle right away asking them permission if he could
print your name.
"That explained a lot," Harry thought. "Now I understand why the Dursley's were so anxious to keep me in this one room. They probably thought a muggle would get a hold of The Daily Prophet, see my name, put two and two together and tell the world about how they were harboring a wizard."
When the Professor did not hear back from them, he turned to Sirius.
It was he that gave permission for your name to be printed. And
you'll never guess Harry.after the article was printed, Cornelius
Fudge at the Ministry of Magic suddenly made a statement stating that
Lord Voldemort (they even used his name!) was back and gaining
strength. They also made one more announcement that day. Sirius is
free Harry.free! Cornelius Fudge said that new evidence had been
found that cleared his name. Fudge then muttered something about
offering him their "deepest apologies" for accusing him of killing
Wormtail. Only thing is, nobody knows where he is. My theory is that
he is still in hiding, waiting for the right time to reappear.
But anyways.the Ministry of Magic has taken Rita Skeeter in for more
questioning. I don't know why they are trusting her word over yours
after all that she wrote last year. I think they are going to fine
her pretty heavily for being an unregistered animagus, but that's not
half of what they could do. I think they have their plate too full
right now to mess with anything else.and Professor Dumbledore might
have had a word or two with them also.
Well, I've rambled on for long enough now. Please stay safe.
Love,
Hermione
Harry smiled. He did so every time he read her letter. Sirius was free. The Ministry had accepted that Lord Voldemort had returned. As grim as things seemed, at least there was a glimmer of hope in the air. He carefully folded the letter and the article back along its original creases and slid the two items into the envelope. Harry picked up his quill and again started reading his History of Magic book again, but as it always seemed when he approached that topic, his eyes involuntarily closed and his head lay resting on the desk.
**********************
The new morning seemed like any other. The birds were twirping right outside the bared windows where the sunlight was just starting to shine through. Harry had accidentally fallen asleep on his books while studying from the night before.
A violent twinge went through the scar on the young man's forehead as he jerked awake. He had been dreaming again about his parent's death that Halloween night so many years ago, so he was thankful to be awake. But as his head cleared from suddenly being awaken from his slumber, he soon realized that the pain in his scar was not the only reason he woke up. Downstairs, he heard a loud roar. Then another. Harry suddenly heard the sounds of screaming. He could recognize his Uncle's yells with a mix of his Aunt's screams and his cousin's sobs along with other voices that he did not recognize.
"He is ours.we are sick of your kind and he is staying here where we can control him and his actions. Leave now you freaks of nature!" Vernon Dursley yelled.
"He is coming with us.and nothing you can do will stop us from doing what we need to do. The Dark Lord wants him dead and we must take him," said the rumbling voice. It almost sounded familiar, but Harry had only heard one other voice so dark.
Then the stomping of feet to what sounded like the first stair or two of the staircase. "That boy is not fit to live in anyone's world. The only thing a hellion like him is good for is work and punishment," came from Harry's Uncle.
"Move aside," was yelled from another gruff voice.
Then the undeniable sound of someone being thrown up against a wall. A scream. Then silence.
The next sound that Harry heard was the pounding of footsteps up the stairs. Each step seemed to vibrate the house more and more. Someone was coming upstairs and they were coming for him. Harry suddenly remembered the reverberations of the footsteps of when Lord Voldemort walked up the stairs that fateful night towards himself and his mother from his constant nightmares. This was not going to happen again
Despite the fact that his tired frame was weak from the summer's events and that his scar was pounding so hard that his vision was blurry even through his glasses, Harry said out loud, nearly screaming, "I am going to stand this time and defend myself. He is not going to take away what my mother and father fought so hard to protect!"
With that, Harry forced himself out of his desk char, grabbed his wand (which thankfully he had left on the table from polishing it the night before) and stood at attention in front of the door, his had outstretched ready to act. The footsteps kept pounding until they stopped directly in front of his door. A voice outside of his room muttered something to low for Harry to hear what they were saying, but all of the locks on the door clicked open at once. Harry stared at the door handle as it slowly started to turn.then as the door started to open.
"Stupefy" was the only thing that Harry thought of to yell hoping it would be enough to save him from what was on the other side. Right as the words left his mouth, the door opened enough to see who was on the other side. Horror came across Harry's face as he yelled at his intended target.
"Sirius.noooo!!!"
The next thing that Harry saw was the door to his room slamming shut just as the curse hit it. The door was shattered like it had been cut apart by a thousand knives. On the other side was his godfather, kneeling down with his face looking towards the outer wall trying to protect himself from the flying debris. Harry kneeled down and looked towards Sirius, weaker then ever before from the strength of the charm that he had just cast. The fact that his scar was pounding unbelievably harder was not helping either. His eyes were constantly going in and out of focus as he strained to see if his godfather was alright.
"Sirius.please be alright.I'm so sorry," Harry pleaded as a single tear ran down his cheek.
A sense of relief went through him as he saw Sirius stand up and look at him. But there was a look in his godfather's eyes that immediately scared him. Sirius quickly walked over to where Harry was, his godfather's skin scratched, torn and slightly bleeding from the flying fragments of the door. He helped Harry to his feet and held him close.
"Thank Merlin we got here in time. If I had lost you too I would not have been able to live with myself any longer. And thank goodness for quick reflexes. What did you think you were doing throwing something like that at the door?"
"I.I thought you were him.the footsteps up the stairs.I was so scared." Harry looked up in his godfather's worried eyes. "Wait.what do you mean get here in time?"
Sirius's mood sobered very fast. "Harry, Voldemort knows where you are.someone in the Ministry tipped him off.he is outside Surrey."
At this, all the blood rushed from Harry's face. This explained why his forehead had been pounding. Sirius had to catch him and hold tight so he would not fall back to his knees.
"He has tripped the warning charms that were placed outside of town. We need to get you out Harry.NOW. He is coming fast."
"But what about the Dursley's? If he is coming here, they will be in danger as well. I will not have anyone else hurt." Harry closed his eyes and cringed, ".or die on my account."
"Dumbledore has powerful friends in the Ministry too. He got the Dursley fireplace hooked up to the Floo network almost immediately after he found out and is getting them out using it in downstairs fireplace. He placed a temporary memory charm on them so that they would not let their closed mindedness hamper themselves from getting to safety."
Harry could hardly believe his ears. His worst nightmares were coming true. If Voldemort could find him at number four, Privet Drive, he could be found anywhere. Harry quickly had a burst of adrenaline run through his system when he heard the news. He quickly began surveying his room grabbing only his most prized possessions: the photo album that Hagrid had given him at the end of his first year, his father's invisibility cloak and his Firebolt. "Thank goodness that Hedwig is at Ron's at the moment," Harry thought. Sirius was quickly gathering Harry's books off the desk. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion now for Harry as they started down the staircase. When the two had reached the bottom, Harry saw Albus Dumbledore throwing Floo Powder into the fireplace and yelling "Shrieking Shack" as he pushed the last Dursley, Dudley, through the roaring fire that appeared.
Harry looked at Professor Dumbledore as he finished this task. He seemed like he had aged 10 years since school ended. The circles around his eyes and new wrinkles on his face told the story that he had probably had as much rest as Harry this summer. The twinkle in his eyes were no longer there.instead they were dull and lifeless, much like he was running on automatic pilot. Harry did, though, hear an audible sigh as the Professor met his gaze.
"Thank Merlin," the Professor muttered in Harry's direction. He quickly went over to the Harry's side and pushed on his back, leading his towards the fireplace. As Harry let Professor Dumbledore lead him to the fireplace, he clutched the items in his possession very closely for Harry did not like traveling by Floo Powder at all. If it were not such a dire situation, he would have probably petitioned the two elders there to go on the Knight Bus or portkey or by some other method. But Harry knew this was the only way to get out safe at this point.
"Where is your trunk," yelled Sirius. Harry pointed towards the cupboard. His godfather immediately went towards the cupboard door and kicked it down. The last thing Harry saw as he was being pushed into the fireplace is Sirius dragging out his trunk and kicking it open. He then heard, "Shrieking Shack" yelled from Professor Dumbledore and the world started to whiz by in front of him.
And lastly.I do not own Harry Potter, although I sure wish I did.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Chapter 1
It had been a long summer for one particular 14 year old boy locked in a small bedroom at number four, Privet Drive. And the worst part was that it was only half over.
Harry sat at his desk.careful not to hit the table's front leg on the left side.it was very loose and in danger of being knocked over. "That's all I need," Harry Potter thought, "for the desk to fall over and crash." Then the Dursley's would come running and notice not only that he had woken everyone in the house up with the noise, but he had his school books and homework parchments laying all over. This would be disastrous to Harry. The Dursley's did not like the idea at all that Harry was a wizard and would stop at absolutely nothing to prevent him from having anything to do with magic while he was staying at their house.
It had been bad enough at the beginning of the summer when he got back to Privet Drive. But then Professor Dumbledore had sent an owl to Vernon Dursley in attempt to explain to him all that had happened during the last task of the Tri-Wizard Tournament. His uncle had been so mad. He crumpled up the letter in front of Harry and tossed it into the fire. He then stormed over to Harry and looked him straight in the eye, not even an inch from his face. "Why couldn't you die like a normal person. All you are is a freak. Go to the bedroom we are so graciously providing you"
Two days after that, Harry had been locked in his room again with the windows gated and the door bolted receiving his food through a slot cut in the door, much of like after Dobby the House Elf had dumped the desert on a business client of Mr. Dursley's and they had blamed it on Harry. Harry would not have minded this treatment at all.he did not mind not having contact with his extended family except for the once a day he was allowed out to use the privy. He only wished that they had remembered to give him meals more than once every two to three days. And at that, to give him more than day old porridge or moldy bread. He had been noticing in his closet mirror that lately his cousin, Dudley's castoffs were hanging off his already thin frame a lot more that usual. His mirror also revealed his deeply inset eyes bordered by dark black circles. His once twinkling emerald eyes were now only a dull green. Getting back to his beloved Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was one of the top things keeping him going.
Harry looked over at his bedside clock as it blinked "1:00" with the date at "7/25." He looked back down at his books..his mind barley able to focus. He had not been able to sleep as of late reliving the events of Voldemort's return every time he closed his eyes. Professor Dumbledore had given him a supply of Dreamless Sleep potion before he left for the summer, but his uncle had seen him use it once and ripped it from his hands. Harry had not been able to sufficiently come up with a story to satisfy his uncle on what it was, so he threw the potion at Harry, the bottle breaking on impact. The good news was he was able to block his face with his arms..the last thing he needed is another scar there. The bad news was that it broke on his arms and he was barley able to stop the bleeding. He was at least glad that it stayed cool where he lived so that he could cover up the wounds with a long sleeve shirt and when he got back to school, the inevitable scars would be covered by his school robes. The incident had also led to a complete search of Harry's room for any wizard contraband.none other was found though because it was safely tucked either in his trunk in the cupboard downstairs or under the loose floorboard in his room
As his mind wondered away from his History of Magic essay in front of him, he picked up an envelope that Hermione had sent to him the night before the bars on his windows went up. He had read the newspaper clipping and the enclosed letter more times than years he had been alive since receiving it. First, he carefully pulled out the article and read:
He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named Returns
It seems as though the Ministry of Magic has its work cut out for it
Rita Skeeter, Special Correspondent writes. Reports have been
circulating of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's return. According to first
hand accounts from this reporter, the Dark Lord was returned to his
body when no other than Peter Pettigrew made the potion to revive him.
Pettigrew's parents were not able to be reached for comment. Harry
Potter, the young man who defeated He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named 13 years
ago, was also a witness to the dark ceremony. With the Tri-Wizard's
cup being turned into a portkey, he was transported to the site with
another student after touching it at the conclusion of the third task.
The second student was killed immediately after arriving by Pettigrew.
After the rebirth ceremony, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named tortured the young
Potter before forcing him to duel. Potter lived up to his reputation
and held his own against the dark lord. He was able to break free and
avoid many curses being thrown at him by many death eaters as he ran to
grab the arm of the second student then grabbed the handle of the cup
which transported him back to Hogwarts.
Some details and names of this event are not being revealed do to
security reasons. The Ministry of Magic has yet to comment.
Harry reread the article a couple of times before turning to Hermione's letter. He had felt so alone with him being the only one to tell about the event. And then only a few people really believed him. But she had actually seen it with him. He wondered if she had the same nightmares. He shook the thoughts out of his head, picked up the letter and started reading.
Dearest Harry,
Ok.first of all..please please please don't be mad at me. I know that
when you read the article you are going to be furious that your name
was mentioned, but Professor Dumbledore felt it best. He read through
it before he allowed anything to be published. He said that it gives
people hope. It makes them feel like there is someone out there that
cares about them. And I know you don't like it, Harry, but you are
the People's Champion.
Now.second.how Rita Skeeter saw what she did. She was inside of the
Tri-Wizard's cup Harry but didn't get transported until you and Cedric
touched it because of what she is. She heard and saw it all. She
wanted to be in there to get the "very first reactions from the
winner." I found this out as soon as I got to London and let her out.
I think whatever she saw.and you saw changed her. When she was up in
the Hospital Wing that day that I captured her, she was about to
transform from her beetle form and let everyone know that she could
back up your story. Well.I didn't know.I wouldn't have.but that's the
past. As soon as I let her out and she told me her story, and I knew
I had to have her tell Professor Dumbledore. He immediately came to
my parents house and listened intently to her story. The Professor
said that her account was too close to what you had revealed for her
not to have been there as well. He asked if she would write one last
article.he understands the unbelievable power of the press. He wrote
your aunt and uncle right away asking them permission if he could
print your name.
"That explained a lot," Harry thought. "Now I understand why the Dursley's were so anxious to keep me in this one room. They probably thought a muggle would get a hold of The Daily Prophet, see my name, put two and two together and tell the world about how they were harboring a wizard."
When the Professor did not hear back from them, he turned to Sirius.
It was he that gave permission for your name to be printed. And
you'll never guess Harry.after the article was printed, Cornelius
Fudge at the Ministry of Magic suddenly made a statement stating that
Lord Voldemort (they even used his name!) was back and gaining
strength. They also made one more announcement that day. Sirius is
free Harry.free! Cornelius Fudge said that new evidence had been
found that cleared his name. Fudge then muttered something about
offering him their "deepest apologies" for accusing him of killing
Wormtail. Only thing is, nobody knows where he is. My theory is that
he is still in hiding, waiting for the right time to reappear.
But anyways.the Ministry of Magic has taken Rita Skeeter in for more
questioning. I don't know why they are trusting her word over yours
after all that she wrote last year. I think they are going to fine
her pretty heavily for being an unregistered animagus, but that's not
half of what they could do. I think they have their plate too full
right now to mess with anything else.and Professor Dumbledore might
have had a word or two with them also.
Well, I've rambled on for long enough now. Please stay safe.
Love,
Hermione
Harry smiled. He did so every time he read her letter. Sirius was free. The Ministry had accepted that Lord Voldemort had returned. As grim as things seemed, at least there was a glimmer of hope in the air. He carefully folded the letter and the article back along its original creases and slid the two items into the envelope. Harry picked up his quill and again started reading his History of Magic book again, but as it always seemed when he approached that topic, his eyes involuntarily closed and his head lay resting on the desk.
**********************
The new morning seemed like any other. The birds were twirping right outside the bared windows where the sunlight was just starting to shine through. Harry had accidentally fallen asleep on his books while studying from the night before.
A violent twinge went through the scar on the young man's forehead as he jerked awake. He had been dreaming again about his parent's death that Halloween night so many years ago, so he was thankful to be awake. But as his head cleared from suddenly being awaken from his slumber, he soon realized that the pain in his scar was not the only reason he woke up. Downstairs, he heard a loud roar. Then another. Harry suddenly heard the sounds of screaming. He could recognize his Uncle's yells with a mix of his Aunt's screams and his cousin's sobs along with other voices that he did not recognize.
"He is ours.we are sick of your kind and he is staying here where we can control him and his actions. Leave now you freaks of nature!" Vernon Dursley yelled.
"He is coming with us.and nothing you can do will stop us from doing what we need to do. The Dark Lord wants him dead and we must take him," said the rumbling voice. It almost sounded familiar, but Harry had only heard one other voice so dark.
Then the stomping of feet to what sounded like the first stair or two of the staircase. "That boy is not fit to live in anyone's world. The only thing a hellion like him is good for is work and punishment," came from Harry's Uncle.
"Move aside," was yelled from another gruff voice.
Then the undeniable sound of someone being thrown up against a wall. A scream. Then silence.
The next sound that Harry heard was the pounding of footsteps up the stairs. Each step seemed to vibrate the house more and more. Someone was coming upstairs and they were coming for him. Harry suddenly remembered the reverberations of the footsteps of when Lord Voldemort walked up the stairs that fateful night towards himself and his mother from his constant nightmares. This was not going to happen again
Despite the fact that his tired frame was weak from the summer's events and that his scar was pounding so hard that his vision was blurry even through his glasses, Harry said out loud, nearly screaming, "I am going to stand this time and defend myself. He is not going to take away what my mother and father fought so hard to protect!"
With that, Harry forced himself out of his desk char, grabbed his wand (which thankfully he had left on the table from polishing it the night before) and stood at attention in front of the door, his had outstretched ready to act. The footsteps kept pounding until they stopped directly in front of his door. A voice outside of his room muttered something to low for Harry to hear what they were saying, but all of the locks on the door clicked open at once. Harry stared at the door handle as it slowly started to turn.then as the door started to open.
"Stupefy" was the only thing that Harry thought of to yell hoping it would be enough to save him from what was on the other side. Right as the words left his mouth, the door opened enough to see who was on the other side. Horror came across Harry's face as he yelled at his intended target.
"Sirius.noooo!!!"
The next thing that Harry saw was the door to his room slamming shut just as the curse hit it. The door was shattered like it had been cut apart by a thousand knives. On the other side was his godfather, kneeling down with his face looking towards the outer wall trying to protect himself from the flying debris. Harry kneeled down and looked towards Sirius, weaker then ever before from the strength of the charm that he had just cast. The fact that his scar was pounding unbelievably harder was not helping either. His eyes were constantly going in and out of focus as he strained to see if his godfather was alright.
"Sirius.please be alright.I'm so sorry," Harry pleaded as a single tear ran down his cheek.
A sense of relief went through him as he saw Sirius stand up and look at him. But there was a look in his godfather's eyes that immediately scared him. Sirius quickly walked over to where Harry was, his godfather's skin scratched, torn and slightly bleeding from the flying fragments of the door. He helped Harry to his feet and held him close.
"Thank Merlin we got here in time. If I had lost you too I would not have been able to live with myself any longer. And thank goodness for quick reflexes. What did you think you were doing throwing something like that at the door?"
"I.I thought you were him.the footsteps up the stairs.I was so scared." Harry looked up in his godfather's worried eyes. "Wait.what do you mean get here in time?"
Sirius's mood sobered very fast. "Harry, Voldemort knows where you are.someone in the Ministry tipped him off.he is outside Surrey."
At this, all the blood rushed from Harry's face. This explained why his forehead had been pounding. Sirius had to catch him and hold tight so he would not fall back to his knees.
"He has tripped the warning charms that were placed outside of town. We need to get you out Harry.NOW. He is coming fast."
"But what about the Dursley's? If he is coming here, they will be in danger as well. I will not have anyone else hurt." Harry closed his eyes and cringed, ".or die on my account."
"Dumbledore has powerful friends in the Ministry too. He got the Dursley fireplace hooked up to the Floo network almost immediately after he found out and is getting them out using it in downstairs fireplace. He placed a temporary memory charm on them so that they would not let their closed mindedness hamper themselves from getting to safety."
Harry could hardly believe his ears. His worst nightmares were coming true. If Voldemort could find him at number four, Privet Drive, he could be found anywhere. Harry quickly had a burst of adrenaline run through his system when he heard the news. He quickly began surveying his room grabbing only his most prized possessions: the photo album that Hagrid had given him at the end of his first year, his father's invisibility cloak and his Firebolt. "Thank goodness that Hedwig is at Ron's at the moment," Harry thought. Sirius was quickly gathering Harry's books off the desk. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion now for Harry as they started down the staircase. When the two had reached the bottom, Harry saw Albus Dumbledore throwing Floo Powder into the fireplace and yelling "Shrieking Shack" as he pushed the last Dursley, Dudley, through the roaring fire that appeared.
Harry looked at Professor Dumbledore as he finished this task. He seemed like he had aged 10 years since school ended. The circles around his eyes and new wrinkles on his face told the story that he had probably had as much rest as Harry this summer. The twinkle in his eyes were no longer there.instead they were dull and lifeless, much like he was running on automatic pilot. Harry did, though, hear an audible sigh as the Professor met his gaze.
"Thank Merlin," the Professor muttered in Harry's direction. He quickly went over to the Harry's side and pushed on his back, leading his towards the fireplace. As Harry let Professor Dumbledore lead him to the fireplace, he clutched the items in his possession very closely for Harry did not like traveling by Floo Powder at all. If it were not such a dire situation, he would have probably petitioned the two elders there to go on the Knight Bus or portkey or by some other method. But Harry knew this was the only way to get out safe at this point.
"Where is your trunk," yelled Sirius. Harry pointed towards the cupboard. His godfather immediately went towards the cupboard door and kicked it down. The last thing Harry saw as he was being pushed into the fireplace is Sirius dragging out his trunk and kicking it open. He then heard, "Shrieking Shack" yelled from Professor Dumbledore and the world started to whiz by in front of him.