Response to the challenge made by Nataleia. I love you, girl.
Summary: After all those years, Sirius Black was the first to know. HarryxGinny and a little HarryxCho (I'm sorry.)
Disclaimer: I never have and never will own Harry Potter.
NOTE: Even though Harry didn't know about Sirius until fourth year, he scratch out 'dear journal' and wrote 'dear Sirius' for all the letters he wrote during first, second and third years.
Just clearing that up.
It was that time of year again. Harry Potter was being confined to the attic on order to sort out 'his junk'. According to the missus, he had acquired too much of it along the years. His response to that insult had always been that after twenty five years of marriage with Ginny Weasley, things like that tend to happen. This usually got him either a one way trip to the couch for the night, or less of a dinner then is healthy.
So, in order for Harry to skip punishment altogether, he just decided to comply with what his wife had to say. It didn't matter much anyway, he only did about five boxes every year yet it made Ginny be quiet for another three hundred and sixty five days. As long as Harry came back with at least one box of junk each year, she was happy.
But what Harry had neglected to tell her was that most of the time it was her stuff in the box.
This year Harry had decided to tackle the upper left corner of his attic. He was well prepared to spend most of his day up there, so he brought along a snack and a nice old rocking chair that his brother- in- law Ron made for him quite some years ago.
The first box he brought up was very unfamiliar. Frowning, he brushed off the dust on the top and opened it. A melancholy smile was brought to his lips as he gazed down at the crumpled up letters in his hands. They were yellowed with age, with some holes missing here and there, but for the most part they were intact.
From his very first year at Hogwarts Harry had always written to the uncle he always wished he had. He had written letters to this invisible uncle up to the end of third year, of which he started addressing his letters to Sirius. Even after his godfather had died he wanted to keep up the tradition of sending his godfather letters to let him know what he was up to. It was really his delight when after rummaging through Sirius things during the beginning of his seventh year when he found the letters.
Harry had been so excited to have a godfather that he scratched out the person to whom he was addressing during the summer between third and fourth year and added the name 'Sirius' to all his letters from first, second and third year. So even though he didn't know about him until he was thirteen, it always seemed as though he was writing to Sirius.
He relaxed into his chair and prepared himself to be bombarded by memories.
Dear Journal, Dear Sirius,
My aunt and uncle are hiding something from me. I could always tell when they were being extra sneaky. But now they won't even let me read a letter addressed to me! I have never received one letter in my entire existence and they want to take it away from me. It's simply unfair. It's like they go out of their way to make me unhappy.
Bugger they annoy me. I know I'm different! What boy can change his teacher's hair to blue and not be? It would just be nice to have a birthday present, or even hear a thank you every once and a while.
I wish I had someone to talk to. It gets really lonely in a cupboard under some stairs. You know you're a loony when you begin to name the spiders that live in your bedroom. I just wish that I could get away from all of this and go someplace where I belong. A place where everyone has lighting shaped scars on their heads and can turn their teacher's hair blue.
I just really want to know what's in that envelope.
Harry.
Dear Journal, Dear Sirius,
I thought I was insane for a moment but it turns out that Hagrid is actually real! Uncle Vernon was really scared of what was in that letter so he took us far away, then this giant named Hagrid followed us! He gave me what was in the letter and told me I was a wizard! That certainly explains a lot. He kept on talking to me like I was important or something.
Then the next day he took me to this magical place called Diagon Alley where I can buy all this neat wizard equipment for Hogwarts, the magic school. I swear to you, I'm not crazy! It's all real. I promise that someday I'll wake up in the cupboard with Dudley banging on my ceiling, but for now I'm perfectly happy to live this life until I wake up.
He tells me that my parents were killed by a dark wizard named Voldemort. He was feared all across the country because he killed loads of people, but after he killed my parents for some reason he couldn't kill me. So the curse rebounded onto himself and destroyed him. Most of the wizard world likes to think that he's gone for good but Hagrid seems to think that he's still out there somewhere.
This gets me really on edge. What if he comes back to look for me? How will I defend myself?
Hagrid says that I am to go on a train to the school tomorrow, honestly I can't wait!
Harry.
Dear journal, Dear Sirius,
I'm in Gryffindor! That's where the brave dwell, or something. I hear it's the best House to be in. The hat wanted me to be in Slytherin but I said no. That toad Malfoy is in Slytherin and I don't think I could stand that brute for seven years.
I made a friend. His name is Ron Weasley and he doesn't seem too intimidated about my newfound celebrity status anymore. After we started talking we seem to have a lot in common. I can't believe I actually made a friend the first day of term. Ron has five other brothers and one sister. His twin brothers are really funny, and his older brother Percy is a tad annoying. I also met his sister Ginny briefly, and she seemed nice enough if not a little shell shocked.
My teachers for the most part are all right, but there's this Snape character that's absolutely horrid. I swear he's out to get me. And there's this girl called Hermione Granger, and she's worse than twelve teachers in one room.
I hear that flying practice should be fun, Ron says he's really good at it.
Harry.
Dear Journal, Dear Sirius,
So much has happened since I last wrote. I'm on the Quidditch team now as a seeker. My dad was a seeker too! And during Halloween I battled a mountain troll. They're really stupid but aggressive. We were trying to save that Hermione Granger. We're friends now. She actually tends to come in handy when you don't have your homework done on time, sometimes she sneaks Ron and I notes underneath the table. Snape almost caught her a couple of times.
And we also saw a three headed dog! Snape looks like he's seen it too, the way he was limping after Halloween. I swear he let the troll in. He's been really dodgy lately and I'd like to know why. Another thing I'd like to know is why he hates me so much!
There must be a reason. I can't be that unlikeable.
Oh bugger now I sound like Malfoy.
Anyway, Christmas was delightful. I actually got presents this year from Ron's mum and from Professor Dumbledore! He's such a nice man. It was an invisibility cloak that I can use to sneak around the castle at night! Speaking of which, while I was trying to find out more information on an alchemist called Nicolas Flamel, I found an interesting mirror. It showed me my parents. I stopped going to it only when Dumbledore warned me not to get too attached to dreams because it can distract from reality. I wish it weren't true. I did like looking at my family.
Harry.
Dear Journal, Dear Sirius,
What an adventure! I'm not entirely sure if that's a good thing or not… well, Hermione, Ron and I decided to find out for ourselves what was behind that trap door that the three headed dog, Fluffy, was guarding. As it turns out it led to a bunch of tests to prove your worth and move on. It was intended for a very dark wizard, a dark wizard that I was sure was Snape.
But after it all, it turns out that it was Professor Quirrell. He let Voldemort attach himself to his soul and they tried to use me get to the stone. That's all they wanted, and tried to get me to join them by tempting me with my parents. I knew right then that he was truly evil because he killed them, and there was no way he could make them return.
When I touched Quirrell he crumpled up into ashes and Voldemort was gone. I know he'll be back, but for now I'd hate to think I killed someone. I'm only eleven! Dumbledore says it was because he couldn't stand the love that runs through my veins or something.
Ron and Hermione were so brave. I can't believe that my first year at Hogwarts is already almost over. I've had so many adventures, made so many new friends, learned so much.
I only can hope that the rest of my years at Hogwarts will be just as amazing, without running into any more crazy psychopathic dark wizards set out to kill me.
The worst part is that I know that he'll be back. Voldemort. He'll be back, and wanting revenge. Let's hope I can learn more to protect myself in these next few years. And I'll always have Dumbledore and my friends at my side.
I can honestly say I can't wait to get back to Privet Drive. Then I can pretend to practice my new spells on Dudley.
Harry.
Harry leaned back in his rocking chair, slowly thinking to himself. He remembered a time when he was not such a cynic, such a martyr. He remembered when his hair was jet black and smooth, when his scar hurt on a daily basis and when he was scrawny and could see his ribs. He remembered a time before Voldemort was everything, and his fists clenched at all the lives that that bloody bastard ruined.
"Harry, dear are you hungry?" Harry rolled his eyes. Just this morning Ginny was mad because he hadn't done any chores all day and now that he was she was an angel. He turned around to see his slowly aging wife climb up the steps. "You know, in another fifteen years we won't even be able to climb those steps," she remarked sadly.
"You won't, but I certainly will," Harry teased softly. "And I took a sandwich up with me."
Ginny raised an eyebrow. "You can cook?"
Harry pretended to be indignant. "Can I ever. This is a deluxe peanut butter and jam sandwich."
Ginny smiled and made her way over to him. "What are you reading?"
"My old school letters that I wrote to Sirius," he held up the stack that said 'year one' on them.
Ginny's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "You didn't know Sirius in year one of Hogwarts."
Harry shook his head. "No I didn't but I added his name in once I did." He got up from his chair and offered it to Ginny, who sat, and pulled up a chair next to her. "Can you spare a few minutes?"
"I suppose I can," she sighed. "You know I used to keep a diary?"
"Yes I know," Harry winked at her.
She rolled her eyes. "Not that one!"
Harry winked at her and motioned for the stack that said 'year two' on it. Ginny picked it up and opened the first letter.