The Hidden Clues

Chapter 1 – Return To Privet Drive

It was a stormy night and rain pounded on the head of an 18 year old boy as he stood at the door of 4 Privet Drive yet again. It had been two years since Harry Potter was last here, the house he was raised in but had despised since he could remember. The all too familiar feeling of being unwelcome crept through Harry as he stared at the faded brassiness of the number '4' sign. For all of his life the residents of this house resented Harry, for Harry was special. The Dursleys, Petunia, Harry's mother's sister, her husband, Vernon and their son Dudley were as normal as you could find in the quiet suburban town of Little Whinging. What the neighbours didn't know was that the Dursleys had a secret. A secret they tried so hard to keep out of their lives. A secret that eventually came back to haunt them.

Harry stood, recalling the last time he was here. It was his 17th birthday; Harry had finally come of age, a moment he had been anticipating ever since he discovered it meant he could leave the Dursleys. It also meant that the protective curse at the Dursleys, set by his mothers sacrifice, was over. Harry was as safe in Private Drive as anywhere. Knowing this, he set off at exactly midnight on the 31st of July. He didn't know where he was going, for his only real home held no comfort for him since the death of Dumbledore. Having found out that Hogwarts will be remaining open, he was sure his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger would be returning to the castle.

That was when it hit him that the only other place he ever felt loved was The Burrow, the home of the Weasleys. So off he went, case packed, Hedwig safely packed in her cage, under his arm. He called upon the Knight Bus and went straight to The Burrow. It was there that he learnt that Ron and Hermione had not intended to return to Hogwarts but help him on his quest to defeat Voldemort, the greatest and darkest wizard of the last century. Apart from Dumbledore, of course. On that sad thought Harry stopped reminiscing and finally plucked up the courage and knocked on the wooden door. It was a while before Harry heard a deep, slow thudding of footsteps and saw a blurred image of a large man through the frosted glass on the door. The door opened only a few inches, stopped by the chain as though to protect the Dursleys from unwanted visitors.

Before Harry had the chance to see the beetroot face of his uncle there was a bellow from behind the door. "Who do you think you are disturbing us at this time of night! I demand you go away before I ring the police!" There was an element of deep fear to his voice. Harry waited, not knowing what to say. The pause provoked Uncle Vernon to poke one of his bulging eyes to peer through the crack at Harry. Vernon paused for a moment as though not believing what he saw.

"YOU!" He cried with the sincerest loathing Harry had heard from any of the Dursleys in the 16 years of living with them. It was understandable. For Harry was not here for just a random visit. He was here to apologise to Vernon, and to Dudley, for the first time in his life. If it wasn't for Harry, Aunt Petunia would be sitting in the front room knitting a hat for their 6 month-old granddaughter while Vernon and Dudley complained at regular intervals during the 10 o'clock news. If it wasn't for Harry, Voldemort wouldn't have returned from his doomed life 4 years ago.

If it wasn't for Harry, Voldemort wouldn't have came looking for Harry that night, a year ago, only to find Harry had gone. In his wrath Voldemort had killed Petunia, who was alone in the house. Vernon had taken Dudley to see Vicky, Dudley's girlfriend, and her parents. The Dursleys had just discovered that Dudley and Vicky were planning to run away together after finding out they were having a baby.

Vernon had come home alone after a night of arguing to find Petunia's body lying, looking horror-struck on the kitchen floor. Harry had only found out this news a month ago when he had, again, reduced Voldemort to a shadow of himself. Harry knew his mission was to destroy all of Voldemort's horcruxes, pieces of his soul, scattered in various places. He thought he had found them all, only to realise that one remained. It won't be until that last one is destroyed that Voldemort can finally be killed. That's what Harry set out to do after his trip back to Privet Drive was over.

"W-we need to talk" Harry stammered through the door.

"GO AWAY! You have caused enough damage to this family! GO AWAY OR I'LL… I'LL PHONE THE POLICE" Screamed Vernon with new found courage.

Harry tried pushing the door, already having decided that using his wand would be a very bad idea. It was no use.

"I'm not going to harm you or Dudley; I just want to say I'm sorry."

This seemed to touch a nerve with Vernon as he slammed the door shut and shouted "NEVER COME NEAR HERE AGAIN! DO YOU HEAR!" Harry gave up. He will have to come back another time, when his uncle had calmed down. He set off down Privet Drive to an area sheltered from the nearest houses by trees. "Lumos" he whispered. A light shone from the tip of his wand. Just at that moment he heard a rustle in the bush ahead. Had a muggle witnessed him performing magic? Harry would surely be in trouble for this. But then he smelt the distinct scent of… well cats. Mrs Figg, the batty old lady from round the corner appeared from behind the bush, carrying what looked like a very shaken stray cat.

"Ah! Potter. Never thought I'd see you again round this neighbourhood since… well, you know" she looked consolingly towards Harry but looked away almost instantly as though she had decided such interaction was wrong. "Um… hi Mrs. Figg…" Harry mumbled uncomfortably. "Arabella, son. Just call me Arabella, there's a good kid." she said sympathetically. "I'm sorry Mrs… uh, Arabella, I'm in a hurry, I have to go…" Harry said hurriedly and turned to leave.

As soon as he was around the corner Harry stopped, looked around for any muggles and apparated back home, to The Burrow.