Hedwig flapped impatiently, her wings stirring the stale air of Harry's little attic room. He hated the summer break more than any of his classmates, seeing Hogwarts as his haven, his oasis. He'd received a few posts from Hagrid and Sirius Black (his escaped felonious godfather who was in fact innocent though he'd not admit it to the Dursleys) but for the most part, his summer break teetered between boring and uneventful. Even his aunt and uncle gave him a wide berth (excluding their prohibiting the use of that 'horrid wicked curse you carry about'). Even Dudley ignored or avoided him more. At times it was a pleasant change, but he still found himself homesick. And Hogswarts, with Ron, Hermione and Professor Dumbledore, was home.
He'd been banished to his attic room shortly after he returned from Hogwarts after an unfortunate owl mistakenly dropped a letter to him in Dudley's morning oatmeal. It wasn't so much that the letter landed in the oatmeal. It was how upset Dudley was that the little breakfast he had was now coating a letter for Harry. Dudley swatted at the bird, screaming, 'He did it on purpose! Harry did that on purpose!' Nevermind that he wasn't allowed to use magic of any form outside of school, nevermind that he spoke parseltongue, not avida (standard bird) and nevermind that he'd not seen another owl, save for Hedwig, in months. Off he went to the attic, his meals shoved through the small slot in the door.
That was a month ago, and he found himself spending another birthday in the stifling heat of his room. At least he'd been allowed his books this time. Or rather he'd hidden his books in the slat under his bed, and thrown a large sheet over another stack and set Hedwig's cage on top. No one seemed to want to disturb his owl, much to his relief.
He opened the cage for her, knowing he'd get an earful if he let her out into the yard in broad daylight. She snapped and flapped at him and hopped over to his lamp, clicking her beak with indignation.
"I'm sorry, but you know what it's like. Hermione said you could stay with her this summer..." He grinned at her shocked flapping. "Thank you for not abandoning me, Hedwig. I know it's been difficult." She clicked her beak again then flew back to her cage.
Harry flopped back on his little bed and picked up the maurader's map. Hagrid was in the field, doing heaven knows what; Filch moved quickly across the main floor, Mrs. Norris following closely behind. And from Professor Dumbledore's office, a matched set of 'Zzzzs' came from the headmaster and Fawlkes, his phoenix. Sighing again, he thought about writing to Ron in the hopes of getting to visit with them for the rest of the summer, but stopped himself when he remembered they were visiting Ron's oldest brother, chasing dragons about the continent. He thought briefly about Norbert and then closed his eyes attempting to sleep through the worst of the heat.
He started at the opening of the front door. His Uncle Vernon's voice carried up the stairs:
"Harry Potter, what do you want with him... From the what?" A few moments passed before he heard quick heavy steps up the staircase. His door whipped open and his uncle looked white as a sheet. "You. I don't know what you've done now, but get your things. And that stupid bird. Now."
Behind his uncle appeared three quite menacing looking figures in dark suits and glasses. He didn't know who they were but at the look on his uncle's face, he got up and began gathering his things. His uncle turned to the men and stammered, "I don't know what the boy told you, but he's a notorious liar. Escaped from St. Brutis..."
"Of course, we know about Mr. Potter. We'll sort all of this out at the bureau and send word to you," the tallest one stated. "Hurry up Mr. Potter, we haven't all day."
The other two men entered his room and started loading things into the battered trunk at the foot of Harry's bed. They looked somehow familiar to him, but he couldn't remember where from. Then the shorter of them glanced at his uncle's turned back, then turned back to Harry and winked. Harry's eyes widened but he said nothing. Taking Hedwig's cage, he followed the two men down the stairs.
"Oh yes, Mr. Dudly--"
"That's Dursley..."
"Sign this."
"What is it?"
"Just. Sign. It."
Harry watched his Uncle scribble frantically on the small clipboard.
"Thank you very much, Drusly, and one more thing."
"What's that?"
'Obliviate'
Harry clapped a hand over his mouth as Uncle Vernon's expression turned blank from the memory charm. The trunk and cage were already loaded into a nondescript black sedan as the third man came trotting own the steps. Ushering Harry into the car, the third man smiled. Harry turned to the driver and started to laugh whole-heartedly. "Hello Charlie, how was Romania?"
Charlie Weasley, the dragon-chasing older brother of his best friend Ron, smiled back. "Boring right now, most of the beasts are staying away. How are you holding up?"
"Better now," Harry answered, now recognizing the other men as Charlie's friends who transported Norbert to Europe for them. "Where's Ron?"
"Diagon's Alley. We're meeting him and your friend Hermione there. You have some shopping to do."
"Shopping? But we haven't gotten our lists from school yet."
"Yes you have..." and reached back and handed Harry two letters. The first one was rather thick and had the Hogwarts' seal on it. He opened it first:
Greetings Mr. Potter:
It is my pleasure to inform you that you have been selected to participate in the student exchange program between Hogwarts' School of Great Britain and Crosswinds Academy of North America. Enclosed are your supply lists and permission slip. Please ask your parent or guardian to sign the enclosed form.
He unfolded the other piece of paper and smiled at the bold scrawl of his godfather, Sirius Black. No doubt Professor Dumbledore sent his slip to Sirius first. Attached to it was the paper his Uncle Vernon nervously signed on the doorstep. Turning his attention back to the letter:
Please be ready to leave from Platform 9 3/4 by noon Saturday. Congratulations again.
Sincerely
Professor Jonathan Bright Bow
Headmaster, Crosswinds Academy of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Harry folded the first letter quickly and asked "Ron's going too?"
Charlie nodded. "Ron, Hermione and your other friend Lavender. Two instructors and four 5th-year students from each hall are chosen each year to go. I've been there before. It was fabulous."
"We all went. Great fun that trip was."
Harry nodded and quickly opened his second letter:
Harry,
I can't tell you how proud I am of your being selected to go to Crosswinds. Naturally I've signed your slip, but you may want to tell your Uncle and Aunt as well. I'm sure they'd be worried if you just up and disappeared on them. Be good and make a great impression. I'll write as soon as I can.
Got to go now, Buckbeak is trying to eat one of the cats.
Your Godfather,
Sirius
Harry started to laugh. It was his birthday and this turned out to be one of the best days he'd had.
He'd been banished to his attic room shortly after he returned from Hogwarts after an unfortunate owl mistakenly dropped a letter to him in Dudley's morning oatmeal. It wasn't so much that the letter landed in the oatmeal. It was how upset Dudley was that the little breakfast he had was now coating a letter for Harry. Dudley swatted at the bird, screaming, 'He did it on purpose! Harry did that on purpose!' Nevermind that he wasn't allowed to use magic of any form outside of school, nevermind that he spoke parseltongue, not avida (standard bird) and nevermind that he'd not seen another owl, save for Hedwig, in months. Off he went to the attic, his meals shoved through the small slot in the door.
That was a month ago, and he found himself spending another birthday in the stifling heat of his room. At least he'd been allowed his books this time. Or rather he'd hidden his books in the slat under his bed, and thrown a large sheet over another stack and set Hedwig's cage on top. No one seemed to want to disturb his owl, much to his relief.
He opened the cage for her, knowing he'd get an earful if he let her out into the yard in broad daylight. She snapped and flapped at him and hopped over to his lamp, clicking her beak with indignation.
"I'm sorry, but you know what it's like. Hermione said you could stay with her this summer..." He grinned at her shocked flapping. "Thank you for not abandoning me, Hedwig. I know it's been difficult." She clicked her beak again then flew back to her cage.
Harry flopped back on his little bed and picked up the maurader's map. Hagrid was in the field, doing heaven knows what; Filch moved quickly across the main floor, Mrs. Norris following closely behind. And from Professor Dumbledore's office, a matched set of 'Zzzzs' came from the headmaster and Fawlkes, his phoenix. Sighing again, he thought about writing to Ron in the hopes of getting to visit with them for the rest of the summer, but stopped himself when he remembered they were visiting Ron's oldest brother, chasing dragons about the continent. He thought briefly about Norbert and then closed his eyes attempting to sleep through the worst of the heat.
He started at the opening of the front door. His Uncle Vernon's voice carried up the stairs:
"Harry Potter, what do you want with him... From the what?" A few moments passed before he heard quick heavy steps up the staircase. His door whipped open and his uncle looked white as a sheet. "You. I don't know what you've done now, but get your things. And that stupid bird. Now."
Behind his uncle appeared three quite menacing looking figures in dark suits and glasses. He didn't know who they were but at the look on his uncle's face, he got up and began gathering his things. His uncle turned to the men and stammered, "I don't know what the boy told you, but he's a notorious liar. Escaped from St. Brutis..."
"Of course, we know about Mr. Potter. We'll sort all of this out at the bureau and send word to you," the tallest one stated. "Hurry up Mr. Potter, we haven't all day."
The other two men entered his room and started loading things into the battered trunk at the foot of Harry's bed. They looked somehow familiar to him, but he couldn't remember where from. Then the shorter of them glanced at his uncle's turned back, then turned back to Harry and winked. Harry's eyes widened but he said nothing. Taking Hedwig's cage, he followed the two men down the stairs.
"Oh yes, Mr. Dudly--"
"That's Dursley..."
"Sign this."
"What is it?"
"Just. Sign. It."
Harry watched his Uncle scribble frantically on the small clipboard.
"Thank you very much, Drusly, and one more thing."
"What's that?"
'Obliviate'
Harry clapped a hand over his mouth as Uncle Vernon's expression turned blank from the memory charm. The trunk and cage were already loaded into a nondescript black sedan as the third man came trotting own the steps. Ushering Harry into the car, the third man smiled. Harry turned to the driver and started to laugh whole-heartedly. "Hello Charlie, how was Romania?"
Charlie Weasley, the dragon-chasing older brother of his best friend Ron, smiled back. "Boring right now, most of the beasts are staying away. How are you holding up?"
"Better now," Harry answered, now recognizing the other men as Charlie's friends who transported Norbert to Europe for them. "Where's Ron?"
"Diagon's Alley. We're meeting him and your friend Hermione there. You have some shopping to do."
"Shopping? But we haven't gotten our lists from school yet."
"Yes you have..." and reached back and handed Harry two letters. The first one was rather thick and had the Hogwarts' seal on it. He opened it first:
Greetings Mr. Potter:
It is my pleasure to inform you that you have been selected to participate in the student exchange program between Hogwarts' School of Great Britain and Crosswinds Academy of North America. Enclosed are your supply lists and permission slip. Please ask your parent or guardian to sign the enclosed form.
He unfolded the other piece of paper and smiled at the bold scrawl of his godfather, Sirius Black. No doubt Professor Dumbledore sent his slip to Sirius first. Attached to it was the paper his Uncle Vernon nervously signed on the doorstep. Turning his attention back to the letter:
Please be ready to leave from Platform 9 3/4 by noon Saturday. Congratulations again.
Sincerely
Professor Jonathan Bright Bow
Headmaster, Crosswinds Academy of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Harry folded the first letter quickly and asked "Ron's going too?"
Charlie nodded. "Ron, Hermione and your other friend Lavender. Two instructors and four 5th-year students from each hall are chosen each year to go. I've been there before. It was fabulous."
"We all went. Great fun that trip was."
Harry nodded and quickly opened his second letter:
Harry,
I can't tell you how proud I am of your being selected to go to Crosswinds. Naturally I've signed your slip, but you may want to tell your Uncle and Aunt as well. I'm sure they'd be worried if you just up and disappeared on them. Be good and make a great impression. I'll write as soon as I can.
Got to go now, Buckbeak is trying to eat one of the cats.
Your Godfather,
Sirius
Harry started to laugh. It was his birthday and this turned out to be one of the best days he'd had.