Part 1
All in all it had been a fairly dull summer for the Boy Who Lived. Harry Potter had, once again, been forced to return to the Durlsey's perfectly normal house at Number 4 Privet Drive in Little Whinging, Surrey following his fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Although his time 'home' this year was far less traumatic than the previous four years had been, Harry was anxiously awaiting the arrival of his best friend Ron Weasley and family.
The young wizard marked another day off the chart he had made to count down to his departure from his Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia's home. Harry realized, with a start, that he had just crossed off July 30th. At midnight he would finally be 16 years old. He wasn't sure how the day had just sneaked up on him but was glad of the occasion all the same. It meant, simply, that he was only one summer away from freedom from the Dursleys for the rest of his life. No more hiding from visiting guests. No more being blamed for household mishaps that could not possibly be his fault. No more Dudley. No more cupboard under the bloody stairs! Yes, Harry was quite certain he would never miss *anything* about this house and its residents.
Lost in his musings, Harry didn't notice the flutter of tiny wings outside his window until he heard the hyperactive owl tapping madly on the glass.
"Pig!" Harry greeted Ron's owl as it flew wildy around his head before dropping a parcel on the bed and dashing into Hedwig's cage much to the snowy owl's obvious horror. Harry's owl gave an indignant hoot at the smaller bird and puffed her feathers up in an attempt to discourage Pig from staying perched in the cage.
"Now Hedwig." Harry scolded gently, "be nice to Pig! He's flown quite far and just wants to rest a bit." The teenager laughed when his owl seemed to heave a great sigh and inched over to allow room for the other owl.
Shifting his eyes back over to the bed, Harry smiled. Every summer since he'd met his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, Harry had received gifts just moments after midnight on his birthday. It made him happy to know that he had people who cared about him so much after spending so many years suffering the Dursleys' idea that it was just another day and refusing to acknowledge it in any way.
Excitedly, Harry jumped onto his bed and tore open the package. Inside he found and small tin and a letter.
Harry,
Dad's been called away on official Ministry business and says we won't be able to come get you tomorrow. Have no fear, though! Dumbledore said you can just floo over by yourself. He even got permission from the Ministry to allow you to magically shrink your trunk since you wouldn't be able to travel easily with it. Just have Hedwig fly back with Pig and shrink his cage down too.
Enclosed is a tin of floo powder. Should be more than enough to get you here.
Hermione's already here and sends her love and insists that I tell you your birthday presents will be here waiting for you.
Mom says you can floo in anytime tomorrow.
See you soon! Ron
Harry smiled brightly and leapt off the bed. He'd been worried when he read the first line of Ron's letter and thought he was condemned to finishing out the summer with the Dursleys. Luckily, the Headmaster had stepped in and made it possible for Harry to leave. Sometimes he wondered if the old wizard knew what his life was like at his uncle's house. Times like this, Harry was certain Dumbledore knew.
Leaning over his poor excuse for a desk, Harry scratched out a quick note in reply.
Ron,
Will floo in for breakfast!
See ya! Harry
Attaching the note to Hedwig's leg, he reassured the owl. "Go ahead and wait at the Burrow for me. I'll be along in the morning."
Both owls quickly took their leave and Harry quietly rushed down the stairs to pull his trunk from the cupboard that had once been his bedroom. He slid the lock back as easily as he could and opened the door. Sighing with relief that his trunk was still there and appeared to be intact, the teenage wizard pulled his wand from his pocket. He normally didn't carry it around the house since the Dursleys were adamantly against all things magical so he proceeded to charm the trunk as quietly as he could so as not to alert them of his actions.
Slipping the tiny trunk in his pocket, Harry made his way back upstairs to finish his task of preparing to leave for the year. He resized his trunk to pack away the books he'd hidden in the loose floorboard under his bed and shrunk Hedwig's cage before adding it to his belongings. After donning his wizarding robes and reshrinking his trunk, Harry decided to read for a bit while waiting for the sun to rise.
*******
Harry made his way downstairs once he was sure all the Dursleys were in the kitchen having their breakfast. He stepped into the kitchen and immediately met the glare of his uncle. 'Perhaps it would have been better to wait to put on my robes,' Harry thought.
"Why the bloody hell are you wearing that *thing* in my house you little freak?!" Vernon was furious that the boy had dared to put on anything other than the perfectly normal clothes that had been handed down to him from Dudley.
"Er. Sorry Uncle Vernon," Harry knew by the increasing redness of the man's face that he needed to get out of there as quickly as possible. "I'll be leaving for the rest of the summer now instead of waiting for Ron's dad to come for me. Just thought I'd come in to say g'bye."
Before Vernon had a chance to say anything futher, Harry shot a smirk at his cowardly cousin and left the kitchen.
After casting a charm to light the fireplace, the teenager pulled the tin of floo powder from his pocket and tossed a pinch into the flames. He stepped into the harmeless fire but just as he was about to call out his destination to transport him to the Burrow, he was hit squarely in the chest by an old boot Vernon had thown at him while yelling that he was not to return to their home next year or ever again.
Having the wind knocked from his lungs, Harry tried to catch his breath and choked on the ash that he'd breathed in instead. He tried to gasp out 'The Burrow' but feared, as he began his ascent into the floo network, that he would not reach the Weasley's home as intended.
It didn't take Harry very long to realize that he had been right. He knew, from experience, how long it took to reach the Burrow from the house on Privet Drive. And this. this was taking entirely too long and with no signs of slowing anytime soon. As he wound his way through the network, Harry wondered where he would end up and just hoped that where ever it was that he would not be met with trouble. But knowing his luck as he did, the young wizard guessed his chances for that probably weren't very good.
TBC
All in all it had been a fairly dull summer for the Boy Who Lived. Harry Potter had, once again, been forced to return to the Durlsey's perfectly normal house at Number 4 Privet Drive in Little Whinging, Surrey following his fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Although his time 'home' this year was far less traumatic than the previous four years had been, Harry was anxiously awaiting the arrival of his best friend Ron Weasley and family.
The young wizard marked another day off the chart he had made to count down to his departure from his Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia's home. Harry realized, with a start, that he had just crossed off July 30th. At midnight he would finally be 16 years old. He wasn't sure how the day had just sneaked up on him but was glad of the occasion all the same. It meant, simply, that he was only one summer away from freedom from the Dursleys for the rest of his life. No more hiding from visiting guests. No more being blamed for household mishaps that could not possibly be his fault. No more Dudley. No more cupboard under the bloody stairs! Yes, Harry was quite certain he would never miss *anything* about this house and its residents.
Lost in his musings, Harry didn't notice the flutter of tiny wings outside his window until he heard the hyperactive owl tapping madly on the glass.
"Pig!" Harry greeted Ron's owl as it flew wildy around his head before dropping a parcel on the bed and dashing into Hedwig's cage much to the snowy owl's obvious horror. Harry's owl gave an indignant hoot at the smaller bird and puffed her feathers up in an attempt to discourage Pig from staying perched in the cage.
"Now Hedwig." Harry scolded gently, "be nice to Pig! He's flown quite far and just wants to rest a bit." The teenager laughed when his owl seemed to heave a great sigh and inched over to allow room for the other owl.
Shifting his eyes back over to the bed, Harry smiled. Every summer since he'd met his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, Harry had received gifts just moments after midnight on his birthday. It made him happy to know that he had people who cared about him so much after spending so many years suffering the Dursleys' idea that it was just another day and refusing to acknowledge it in any way.
Excitedly, Harry jumped onto his bed and tore open the package. Inside he found and small tin and a letter.
Harry,
Dad's been called away on official Ministry business and says we won't be able to come get you tomorrow. Have no fear, though! Dumbledore said you can just floo over by yourself. He even got permission from the Ministry to allow you to magically shrink your trunk since you wouldn't be able to travel easily with it. Just have Hedwig fly back with Pig and shrink his cage down too.
Enclosed is a tin of floo powder. Should be more than enough to get you here.
Hermione's already here and sends her love and insists that I tell you your birthday presents will be here waiting for you.
Mom says you can floo in anytime tomorrow.
See you soon! Ron
Harry smiled brightly and leapt off the bed. He'd been worried when he read the first line of Ron's letter and thought he was condemned to finishing out the summer with the Dursleys. Luckily, the Headmaster had stepped in and made it possible for Harry to leave. Sometimes he wondered if the old wizard knew what his life was like at his uncle's house. Times like this, Harry was certain Dumbledore knew.
Leaning over his poor excuse for a desk, Harry scratched out a quick note in reply.
Ron,
Will floo in for breakfast!
See ya! Harry
Attaching the note to Hedwig's leg, he reassured the owl. "Go ahead and wait at the Burrow for me. I'll be along in the morning."
Both owls quickly took their leave and Harry quietly rushed down the stairs to pull his trunk from the cupboard that had once been his bedroom. He slid the lock back as easily as he could and opened the door. Sighing with relief that his trunk was still there and appeared to be intact, the teenage wizard pulled his wand from his pocket. He normally didn't carry it around the house since the Dursleys were adamantly against all things magical so he proceeded to charm the trunk as quietly as he could so as not to alert them of his actions.
Slipping the tiny trunk in his pocket, Harry made his way back upstairs to finish his task of preparing to leave for the year. He resized his trunk to pack away the books he'd hidden in the loose floorboard under his bed and shrunk Hedwig's cage before adding it to his belongings. After donning his wizarding robes and reshrinking his trunk, Harry decided to read for a bit while waiting for the sun to rise.
*******
Harry made his way downstairs once he was sure all the Dursleys were in the kitchen having their breakfast. He stepped into the kitchen and immediately met the glare of his uncle. 'Perhaps it would have been better to wait to put on my robes,' Harry thought.
"Why the bloody hell are you wearing that *thing* in my house you little freak?!" Vernon was furious that the boy had dared to put on anything other than the perfectly normal clothes that had been handed down to him from Dudley.
"Er. Sorry Uncle Vernon," Harry knew by the increasing redness of the man's face that he needed to get out of there as quickly as possible. "I'll be leaving for the rest of the summer now instead of waiting for Ron's dad to come for me. Just thought I'd come in to say g'bye."
Before Vernon had a chance to say anything futher, Harry shot a smirk at his cowardly cousin and left the kitchen.
After casting a charm to light the fireplace, the teenager pulled the tin of floo powder from his pocket and tossed a pinch into the flames. He stepped into the harmeless fire but just as he was about to call out his destination to transport him to the Burrow, he was hit squarely in the chest by an old boot Vernon had thown at him while yelling that he was not to return to their home next year or ever again.
Having the wind knocked from his lungs, Harry tried to catch his breath and choked on the ash that he'd breathed in instead. He tried to gasp out 'The Burrow' but feared, as he began his ascent into the floo network, that he would not reach the Weasley's home as intended.
It didn't take Harry very long to realize that he had been right. He knew, from experience, how long it took to reach the Burrow from the house on Privet Drive. And this. this was taking entirely too long and with no signs of slowing anytime soon. As he wound his way through the network, Harry wondered where he would end up and just hoped that where ever it was that he would not be met with trouble. But knowing his luck as he did, the young wizard guessed his chances for that probably weren't very good.
TBC