Chapter 1 – A Surprise Result.

The sun shone down on the cracked ground of Privet Drive. For forty-nine days (according to the weather reporter on the television) no rain had touched the ground in this area of England and people were starting to wonder if it was ever going to rain again.

Since this drought had started water usage had been limited although everyone on Privet Drive managed to water their lawns every couple of days. They did it at night thinking no-one would see or hear them but when you have Petunia Dursley as a next door neighbour little passes by without her either seeing or hearing what happens (thanks to her unusually long neck).

Number four Privet Drive was always the cleanest house, always the most normal house always the most quietest house even with four people and an owl living in it. The reason that the house was so quiet recently was because Vernon, Petunia and Dudley (the three Dursley's) had all become extremely frightened of the fourth member of the house, the strangest member of the house (and the entire street), the untidiest member of the house as well, also he was one of the youngest in the house, Harry Potter, the boy who lived.

Harry Potter was a tragic little hero who had lost his parents at such a young age and was orphaned out of the world he belonged in by Albus Dumbledore for unknown reasons and although for the past year he and Dumbledore have been called liars and become the butt of all jokes by all stuck to their story that the dark lord had returned and although they had been ridiculed unfortunately they had been true, well that is according to the Daily Prophet, the daily newspaper that held all news that wizards and witches needed or wanted to know.

Yes that is correct wizards and witches for Harry Potter is not a normal boy, he is a wizard, and a very famous one too. He is one of the most famous wizards alive today and that is because his mother and father (Lily and James Potter) were killed by the most evil wizard alive nowadays almost fifteen years ago. That is not the only thing, after they were killed the wizard who many fear to name (his true name being Voldemort) turned on young one year old Harry and attempted to kill him with the killing curse which none have managed to ever survive including Harry's parents but for some reason the spell bounced of Harry and struck its conjuror leaving Harry with his famous lightning bolt shaped scar on his forehead.

Harry lay on his back on his bed looking up at his bedroom's ceiling, he wondered how his best friends, Ron and Hermione were doing, they had written to him every couple of days in the holidays, as they had promised they had done. He was also thinking about Remus Lupin and how he was handling things, he had been Sirius' best friend after all.

"No" spoke Harry defiantly.

He stopped thinking about Sirius. He had been the closest thing to a father to him not knowing his real father, but Sirius had done, he had been his closest friend, they had done everything together, and when the Potter's had been murdered by Voldemort Sirius had been wrongly convicted.

Sirius had been sentenced to life in Azkaban prison for his suspected assistance in the death of two much loved magical people along with the murder of thirteen people (also wrongly convicted). But Sirius became the first person to ever escape from Azkaban prison when Harry was thirteen, it had been thought that he wanted to kill Harry because he was the reason Voldemort was killed but it later turned out he wanted to kill Peter Pettigrew who Sirius had been convicted of killing as well (also incorrect) but when Harry and his friends had tried to explain this to Cornelius Fudge (the Minister for Magic) it was a very hard to believe story considering Peter had managed to escape and so Sirius had to go on the run.

Sirius had managed to keep his nose out of trouble for two years after he had escaped from the grasps of the Dementors (guards from Azkaban prison) until he and several other wizards and witches all part of a secret society called the Order of the Phoenix attempted to help Harry and his friends: Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville and Luna. All of whom believed that they were rescuing Sirius from Lord Voldemort.

Sirius had passed through a veil in the middle of a strange stone courtroom on that night having a duel with Bellatrix Lestrange who happened to be a relative of Sirius.

It was Harry's fault that Sirius had gone and it was his fault that he wouldn't be coming back.

"No" cried Harry, "No, it wasn't my fault, he didn't have to come, he shouldn't of come, but...but" Harry knew that if he hadn't of been at the ministry of magic if he hadn't of fallen for Voldemort's trick then Sirius would still be alive.

"NO" shouted Harry, at this his door swung open and in it stood the round figure of Vernon Dursley, Harry's uncle.

"What's wrong boy?" spluttered Vernon, since the confrontation at Kings Cross station last year with a few members of the Order the Dursley's had been rather nice to Harry. Although they had also ignored him, which suited him perfectly fine.

"None of your business" answered Harry, he hadn't told the Dursley's that Sirius had gone away, he didn't want to.

"Of course it's my business boy, if your going to shout in my house I think it's my business to know why" retorted Uncle Vernon, Harry could tell he was close to snapping at Harry but he was too scared to do anything in case a bunch of wizards came marching up the path and blew the house away.

"Look it doesn't matter ok?" snapped Harry.

"Look boy, the sooner you leave to go to that freaky school of yours the better, can't you go and live with your freaky little friends for the rest of the summer?" snarled Uncle Vernon through gritted teeth.

"They are not freaky and neither is my school, just get out of my room ok?" Harry could see this was amusing his uncle but he didn't care he wanted to be alone right now, he wanted to think about what had happened over the past year, first Cederic and now Sirius, who next? Ron? Hermione? Harry shuddered at the though of losing his two best friends, he closed his eyes and opened them again to see that his uncle had left, thankfully.

Harry closed his eyes again, he really wanted to leave here, a couple of years ago he would of give anything for peace and quiet but now, he wanted to stay busy, to not keep thinking about his godfather but the Dursley's would leave him all alone all day apart from meals where they ate in silence watching the television but the rest of the day would be spent thinking.

Suddenly Harry opened his eyes, he could hear a noise at his window, he looked up to see three owls all-jostling for position on his window ledge, he opened the window and in they flew, the first one in was Pig, Ron's owl, Harry ripped the letter open and read it, it was definitely from Ron, he could tell by his writing.

Harry,

I think you might be able to come and stay with us soon, I over heard Mum and Dad talking, I'm not too sure though, keep you fingers crossed, Hermione's already here, obviously I can't tell you where here is.

Ron

Harry's insides flipped, he might be going to live with the Weasley's and Hermione for the remainder of the summer that should keep him busy.

The second Owl gave him a sharp peck to bring him back to his senses it was an owl Harry hadn't seen before, he guessed from the writing on the front that it was something formal.

Mr. Harry James Potter

4 Privit Drive

Smallest Bedroom

Little Whinging

England

On the back of the envelope (which was very heavy) was a seal on it, it was not the Hogwarts seal but on it was the fountain that Harry had seen in the Atrium of the Ministry of Magic, Harry opened it and out fell two pieces of parchment. The first one was a letter:

Mr H. Potter,

We at the examination board are pleased to announce that you shall find your results of your Ordinary Wizarding Levels (OWLs), which you sat at the end of your fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraf and Wizardry, enclosed in this letter.

We wish you the best of luck in your results and wish that they are what you wanted/needed for your future plans. We wish that you do well in your NEWTs in your seventh year, if you decide to stay. Best of luck,

Miranda Golwina

OWL inspector

Harry's hand was trembling when a forth owl appeared at his window, it flew in and landed on the top of Harry's wardrobe where the third owl was still waiting, he noticed that the forth owl was Hedwig, he decided to read his other mail first before seeing his results.

He had butterflies in his stomach when he opened his third letter, it was from Hermione, it was:

Harry,

I got Outstanding and Excellent in EVERYTHING!!!!!!! What about you? What did you get? Write back as soon as possible, Ron didn't do too bad either he did really good in his Defence Against the Dark Arts, thanks to you .

Speak to you soon love,

Hermione

Harry really wished he hadn't opened this one just yet, he wanted to look at his results now but knew that he wanted to look at the fourth letter first.

He noticed it at once to be the untidy scrawl of Rebues Hagrid, Care of Magical Creatures teach at Hogwarts and Games Keeper. He was the one who took Harry into the wizarding world and helped him get to Hogwarts, its all thanks to him that Harry only sees the Dursley's at Summer.

Harry,

I herd you got ye results today, wot did you get? Hurry up im dyin!

Hagrid

Harry looked at the floor and saw the folded piece of parchment, he picked it up his hands shaking, he unfolded it and looked at the piece of parchment in front of him, he looked down the list at all his lessons and his scores, he felt a great weight lift of his shoulders.

He checked through the list again, he felt his stomach do a back flip, he had done better than he had expected himself to do.

Astronomy A

Care of Magical Creatures O

Charms E

Defence Against the Dark Arts O

Divination P

Herbology A

History of Magic D

Potions E

Transfiguration E

He had only failed on two lessons, Divination and History of Magic, he hadn't sat the entire History of Magic exam so he wasn't that bothered about it. Harry was really surprised that he had managed an A on his Astronomy exam having not finished it due to the attack on Hagrid and on professor McGonagall.

The result Harry was amazed at was his Potions score, he had managed to achieve an E which stands for Exceeds Expectations. Harry felt something like a stone hit him in his stomach, professor McGonagall had told him last year in his careers advice professor Snape, Harry's most disliked teacher at Hogwarts, only allowed students who achieved O's (Outstanding). Harry wondered now if he would be able to become an Auror without a NEWT in Potions.

Harry grabbed a piece of Parchment of his desk and wrote two letters exactly the same except for the start, they said:

Dear Hermione (the other said Hagrid)

I've just received my results, I did quite well I think, I got O's in Care of Magical Creatures and Defence Against the Dark Arts and I got E's in Charms, Transfiguration and POTIONS!!!

I passed Herbology and Astronomy but failed History of Magic and Divination.

Speak to you soon,

Harry

After he had finished both letters he read them through and then called over Pig and Hedwig, he tied the letters to each owl and then watched as Pig flew out of the window towards its correct destination.

Harry then began to write the letter a third time but this one was for Lupin. He called over Hedwig for the second time and attached this letter to her other leg, he then stroked her, gave her some food and watched her out of his window until she could no longer be seen.

Harry then fell back onto his bed and closed his eyes, not opening them again until midday the next day.

Chapter 2