Why

Why? The ultimate question. Why this, why that? It's enough to make the cleverest of people seem as thick as a plank of wood.

That's exactly the question a boy with black hair, emerald green eyes, round glasses and a lightning bolt scar on his forehead asked himself one sticky summer night.

"Why me?" he grumbled silently, tossing and turning on the hard-but-not-too-uncomfortable bed his aunt and uncle provided him with. It had once been his cousin Dudley's but due to Dudley's size (that of a very fat gorilla, but not as tall) he had had to have a double one which even that sank under the weight of the heavily over weight boy.

Harry on the other hand was short and skinny, although he had grown a fair bit over the past few years. He had started to fill out as well. You could no longer play the xylophone on his ribs. He had hit puberty and had started to notice a few changes. His voice as beginning to become deeper although at times he sounded like a mouse which had just breathed in a great amount of helium. Unfortunately, the acne had also started. At his school, there were instant treatments for even the most stubborn forms of acne but here in the muggle house of his soundly sleeping aunt, uncle and cousin, there was none. Just daily washing and praying. One thing, which did lighten Harry's spirits, was the fact that Dudley had hit acne even harder than Harry had, his face resembling a red spotty planet. Despite Aunt Petunia's vigorous washing's every two hours that seemed to make it worse.

Anyway, back to the ultimate question. Why? Many questions ran through Harry's mind. Why was he the one Voldemort wanted? There were plenty of other people in the world but no, Harry was the only one. Why did Voldemort want to kill him? He hadn't done anything. Why did his parents die? Why didn't he die? Questions flowed like butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks through his mind.

Harry looked over to the small travel alarm clock on his desk. It's illuminated hands showed the time was 1:00 am. Aggravated, Harry turned over, trying to find a cool spot on his pillow. He heard a tapping and desperately wanting sleep pulled the covers over his ears. The tapping continued and annoyed, Harry got up, pulled the curtains open and saw a small, grey owl fluttering at his window illuminated by the street lamps below. Smiling, Harry yanked the window open, allowing the cool breeze to come through the window. The owl, which Harry knew as Pig, his best friend Ron's owl flew in and dropped the letter it had been carrying onto Harry's bed. It then began to fly around and around the lampshade, hooting happily. A grunt from the neighbouring room however soon shut it up and it landed softly on Harry's pillow.

Reaching for the letter, Harry ripped open the envelope. Four sheets of parchment fell out. Harry picked up the first one and began to read.

Dear Harry,

Hi! Hope you had a good birthday. Did you get our presents OK?

Anyway, Mum and Dad want to know if you can come over these holidays. Dumbledore's given us the go ahead and all we need to do now is to pick you up. We'll come by floo powder on Friday at 12:00. Have everything ready!

Hermione also enclosed a letter, I sent Pig to her to pick one up. So have Fred and George and Dad, explaining about the pick up arrangements.

Percy's enjoying work. He moved to a new department and Dad literally has to drag him home!

See you on Friday! (We're coming whether those muggles think it's OK or not!)

Ron.

His mood much better, Harry picked up another letter, this time from Fred and George.

Harry,

Thanks for the money. Mum found out though and is practically forcing us to give it you back! We don't mind though. Look, you shouldn't have given us that money. It is yours and you should be able to spend it on you. (Although we wouldn't say no to a spree at Zonkos!) Anyway, see you Friday,

Fred and George.

Mr Weasley also enclosed a letter, however it was addressed to Mr and Mrs Dursley. The final letter came from Hermione.

Hi Harry!

Hope you had a good birthday! Did you get my present?

Harry glanced over to Hermione's present, a photo album that showed the past 4 years of Harry's life. He had to admit it was a brilliant present.

Hope you liked it. It took me ages to find all those photos.

I'm very busy with homework. Well, actually, it's all done now. Snape sure can set long essays.

I didn't go and visit Viktor, Dad said no.

See you at Ron's then!

Love Hermione –x-

Harry grinned, feeling considerably brighter. He put Pig in Hedwig's cage (She was off giving Sirius a letter) and waves of sleep washed over him. Feeling very sleepy, as it was 1:30 in the morning, he fell into bed and instantly was carried off to sleep where the question 'Why?' was pushed out of his mind.