Harry Potter and the Curse of Walpurgis

Chapter 1

That Time Again

Harry Potter was sitting alone in his room with Hedwig the owl as his only companion. The raised voices of his aunt and uncle could be heard from downstairs. Dudley has done it this time. He got expelled from his school for fighting with the 6"2 Rugby team captain. Aunt Petunia can't understand how her precious got expelled for defending himself against that big bully. Uncle Vernon argues that he doesn't want a chicken as a son who can't stand up for himself and that he was right to hit the boy back. They've been going like this for hours, and Harry knows the best thing he can do is to stay well out of the way. Dudley on the other hand can't escape. He's in the living room in the middle of all of this, and Harry loves it. For once it isn't his fault.

Harry got on with his homework, but unlike normal adults, and the Dursleys were unlike normal adults, they didn't like Harry doing homework. They thought that he was being taught evil things by evil teacher in a evil school and when he becomes powerful enough he would turn on them.

Harry had to admit though, some of that was true. Some of his teachers had indeed turned out to be evil and, given the chance, Harry would turn on them, only if he didn't have his wand snapped for doing it.

So Harry had to sit very quietly in his room and finish his twelve foot long essay on the twelve uses of Abyssinian Shrivelfig and which potions it is a vital ingredient, while Hedwig sat quietly in her cage. Harry was forced to teach Hedwig the art of silence or uncle Vernon had threatened to have her for Sunday lunch. Harry didn't doubt his uncles' threat, that man would eat anything (and did!). Hedwig had always been there for him when no-one else was and he loved her for it.

Also on Harry's desk was a pile of parchment letters from his best friends Ron and Hermione. He had a letter already written and sealed for Hermione in which he has taken great care in writing, as she always complains about his handwriting. Harry was also writing a letter to Ron. He wanted to know about the status of the Quidditch Cup in which Ron's favourite team were at the top of the league with one game in hand last time Harry had news from Ron about it.

The argument downstairs was reaching its intensity. Harry was use to this routine. Dudley would do something, Aunt Petunia would be worried about his safety, and Uncle Vernon would be all for it. They would be like this for hours.

But soon he hears the one thing to send Harry running for the bolt on his bedroom door.

"If it wasn't for Harry, Dudley wouldn't have turned out so bad," he heard Aunt Petunia voice shriek.

"I totally agree with you dear. He's been a bad example towards our Dudley and he will be punished for this one," his uncle's booming voice announced.

Harry couldn't believe it. He had done nothing to deserve being blamed for Dudley's bad behaviour. He heard his uncles' heavy footsteps on the stairs, coming closer to his bedroom door. Even Hedwig, his snowy owl, was quiet.

"HARRY! For what you've done Dudley, corrupting his mind, you won't get food for a week!" he shouted through the door, and then stormed off back down stairs and it was quiet again.

Harry was use to not getting food for things he hadn't done. Harry was not an ordinary boy. Five years ago, Harry learned about his parents and that he is a wizard. For the last four years, he has been attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Unlike ordinary boys his age, Harry loves school.

Harry walked over to Hedwig's' cage and opened it. "I'm sorry, but you're going to have to go away for a week. You heard uncle Vernon; I won't get food for a week, and neither will you, so it's best if you go to either Ron's or Hermione's so you can get fed." He felt really sad watching his beloved owl fly off into the night knowing he wouldn't see her for a week, and he'll have no-one to keep him company in the Hell hole he was forced to call home. Harry got into bed and slipped into a dreamless sleep

Harry was sitting in his room putting the finishing touches to his potions essay. It needed to be perfect with no crossings out as professor Snape would not accept it.

"Pity I don't know the magical equivalent to tip-ex," Harry thought. He hated potions homework because no matter how well written it was he was going to get a low mark as soon as he added Harry Potter to the top of it. Sometimes he felt like just not putting any effort into it but he would swear he could hear Hermione telling him that he needs to know this stuff, regardless what mark Snape gives him. She did have a point (like always) but there was something he would prefer to be reading.

At the end of last year, Professor Dumbledore had sent him a copy of "Protection Spells and When to use to them" guide by Midas Graves. Harry had already read it five times but he wanted to make sure that he knows all the spells, just in case he comes up against Voldermort again. But this time, he would be able to defend himself. Harry couldn't help but think back to his third year when the best Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Lupin, showed the class spells to help them protect themselves. He started to wonder who they were getting this year since Mad Eye Moody wasn't Mad Eye Moody. Every other teacher (apart from Lupin) had turned bad. What new evil was going to take over the position? Maybe Snape will finally get his dream job, and therefore he would not need to do his essay for potions, Harry concluded and rolled up his essay.

Harry got off his bed and lifted up the loose floorboard under his bed. He had already stored some biscuits and chocolate bars for when, not if but when, he was locked in his room without food. There was still some food from Hogwarts in there too. Berty Botts Every Flavour Beans and several other types of sweets were hidden down there and they should be able to sustain him for a week.

This form of punishment Harry quite liked, apart from the whole no food part. He could sit in his room, write his letters (although not send them), finish off his homework essays and read his numerous magical books that he had acquired over the last few years, in relative peace. Dudley didn't bother him and Uncle Vernon couldn't see him reading his evil books.. It was a peaceful week for Harry.

A couple of days later, Harry was busy reading "Quidditch Tactic for Complete Domination on the Field" when he was aroused by a tapping at his window. For a minute, he thought Hedwig had returned, but it was an unknown owl. He opened the window and in flew the Little Owl, with a roll of parchment attached to its feet. He untied the parchment, and the owl flew into Hedwig's empty cage to rest. Harry recognised the handwriting instantly, it was from is godfather, Sirius Black.

Hey Harry!

It's your birthday coming up and was wondering if you are doing anything. I was hoping we could meet up for your birthday somewhere. You name the place and when and send your reply back with Archie. Can't wait to here from you.

Love Sirius

P.S. Better not tell the Dursleys, don't think they would approve.

Harry couldn't believe his eyes. He would be doing something for his birthday. He would see his godfather again. It had been a long time since Harry last saw his godfather. Last time they met, Harry had just been attack by Lord Voldermort for the fifth time in his life. The memory of the rebirth of Voldermort was still causing to wake up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat.

Harry hurriedly got hold of a scrap piece of parchment and scribbled a reply back to Sirius.

Sirius,

I would love to meet up with you for my birthday. It would probably be best if we met up at the corner of the Privet Drive at nine o clock and we can plan our day from there. I have so much to tell you.

Can't wait

Love

Harry

Harry did have so much to tell him. He had heard continually from his two best friends at Hogwarts – Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. For the last few years, Harry had been able to stay with Ron at The Burrow, but Mrs. Weasley wasn't in the best of moods at the moment. Fred and George – Ron's brothers - hadn't done as well as she thought in their OWLs (Ordinary Wizard Levels) last year and Mr Weasley was having a hard time at work and Ron thought it was best if Harry didn't come this year.. But this year, he was staying with Hermione before he starts school.

It was the day before Harry's meeting with Sirius and he was so excited that even Dudley couldn't bring him down. But he hadn't told the Dursleys that he was going out tomorrow and he wasn't sure how he was going to. He was mulling over what he should say when he was shaken by his uncle. "Are you listening to me? Didn't think so, never did have a good attention span. I said, Me, Dudley, and Petunia hace been invited to a day out at Hyde Park for a company picnic, but after what happened the last time you met a work colleague, I don't want you there to ruin things for me, yet again. However, Petunia and I don't trust you here in the house all by yourself: who knows that freaky friends you'll bring back here." Harry saw his opportunity.

"I was hoping to meet up with one of my friends far away from here tomorrow. If I leave before you leave and come home after you have returned then I am essentially locked out of the house and can't do it any damage," Harry explained.

"And you won't be up to things?" Uncle Vernon asked.

"No. I'll be sitting in McDonalds talking to my non-magical friend."

"More like non-existent friend," Dudley butted in. Harry could see in his uncles' chubby face that he was contemplating his proposal and could almost see the smoke coming out of his ears from the struggle his two brain cells were having at thinking. .

"Well, this way you are out of my hair and I don't have to feed or bother with you," Uncle Vernon finally said. "I'll agree to your little proposition, but if I hear of any funny business, you'll be permanently locked out of this house. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal," Harry answered and he went straight up stairs so he couldn't do anything to make uncle Vernon change his mind. He was so excited that night that he just couldn't sleep. In a few hours, Harry would meet up with his Godfather.