Chapter One: Back at the Dursleys

Harry Potter couldn't sleep. Harry had a feeling. He didn't know what it was, but he sure had one and Hedwig was hooting. He had had a dream about Voldemort. He had seen that familiar flash of light, but then he had heard a voice, a voice he had never heard before. It was a baby girl's voice, but he had no idea who it was. Maybe it was just his mother. But why had it been a baby girl's voice? He was a baby then, but not a girl. Oh well, he thought. It was just a dream. So he went back to sleep.

Harry woke up to Mrs. Dursley cackling, "Get up Harry, eat breakfast, and get to work on that garden." Oh, how he hated that garden! It was a new experiment for the Dursleys. Let's just say they treated Harry like a slave. Everyday Harry had to work in the sun weeding, harvesting, and trimming that stupid garden. It took up half the back yard. Harry was very lucky he snuck that can of "Henry's Be-Gon-Sun Block." It took off any sunburn. Every night, Harry came in looking like a strawberry, and, after taking a shower, came out looking as white as ever.

"But it's my birthday!" Harry complained.

"I was going to give you two hours off, but now I'll give you one! And it won't be now, so hurry out!" Mrs. Dursley yelled irritably. "Sometimes I wish I had that angel instead of you..."

"I'm headed out!" Harry called. When he got out, he saw four dots in the distance.

Harry thought he'd start on the tomatoes. When he was halfway through, he gazed up to see Hedwig, two owls, and the owl Sirius gave to Ron, Pig. He took them all and read them:

Dear Harry,
How are you? Thanks for the letter. Buckbeak's doing good. I've got great news. Dumbledore has finally proved to the Minister my innocence and I can finally live my life without hiding! What a great man, Dumbledore! I want you to move in with me, so invite Ron and Hermione to come over next summer. Happy Birthday! I've enclosed a Quidditch Tips book.

-Sirius

Good old Sirius! Harry thought. He opened up Hermione's next:

Dearest Harry,
Happy birthday! I'm on vacation in France. You've got a surprise waiting for you this year... I can't wait for you to discover just what it is. I hear you're working in a garden, so I've got you a bottle of Be-Gon-Sun block!
Love from,
Hermione

That witch! He opened Ron's:

Hey Harry,
Happy birthday! Percy (that ponce!) has finally done us all a big favor and is now head of the Misuse of Wands. Can you imagine? So now he gives half of his money to pay for things (Mum's ecstatic after last year, you know. She keeps crying, "My boy! My wonderful boy!" every time the money comes), so I got you a great present this year: a chocolate chair that won't melt! Bye,
RON

A chocolate chair? The last letter to open was Hagrid's:

Dear Harry,
Happy birthday!
I got you a jar of pheonix's tears!
All the best,
Hagrid

Harry smiled, showed the owls to his room, and got back to work on the garden.