Muggle Post

Chapter 1

Harry looked out of the window. He was once again in his cell at the Dursley's. He was watching for a letter or a brief glimpse of the world he loved, the world he was shut off from. He sat up straighter when he saw a pigeon take flight from a hidden windowsill thinking it was an owl, but he was wrong. He rested his elbows back on his own windowsill and looked listlessly out the window.

"Get down here, boy!" he heard his uncle yell just loud enough for Harry to hear but low enough that his voice didn't carry beyond the walls of Number 4 Pivot Drive.

Harry slid his chair back slowly and walked over to his door. He had been falling into moods since Sirius's death, becoming angry, relaxed, a mood that was common only around his friends and the members of the order, or lazy, his current mood.

"Now, boy!" his uncle yelled as Harry's hand grasped the door knob. He refused to hurry and took his time walking down the steps. He heard his uncle grumbling and followed the noise into the living room.

He saw his uncle sitting in his favorite armchair while his aunt sat knitting on a couch across the room. A small portion of Dudley's body was hidden by a large cardboard box.

Harry stopped and stared at the box, unsure of what was happening and why he was there.

"Your friends sent you this," he said maliciously and Harry took his attention from the box and looked at his uncle, who held a piece of parchment in his trembling hands. Harry was unsure if his uncle was scared or angry so he quickly grabbed the box and walked hurriedly to his room with Dudley throwing a temper tantrum over the box.

Harry set the box on his desk and locked the door with one of Fred and George's magical locks, a present they had sent him that they weren't yet selling in their shop. He pulled Sirius knife from one of the desk drawers and pulled the blade out. He held his hand posed over the box and a split second before he cut into the tape, he pulled his hand back.

What would Sirius do? he asked himself silently. "Open the box without thinking," he said quietly before raising his hand over the box once more.

"Not if the darkest wizard of our time and his minions were out to murder him," he argued with himself.

"Right," he agreed with himself before examining every side of the box along with the postage stamps bearing teeth and toothbrushes, from Hermione's parents no doubt, and the meticulously perfect letters drawn by Hermione with a muggle marker.

"But why muggle post?" he asked quietly before he examined the box again and on the third try he noticed very tiny markings in a crease of the box. He rummaged through a few drawers of the desk looking for something until he pulled from a drawer a broke magnifying glass, which once belonged to Dudley, who had thrown it across the room when he hadn't been able to burn a bug.

Harry held the glass up to the markings and saw the emblem for Fred and George's joke shop. He smiled before pulling his wand from the waistband of his jeans. He tapped the emblem as he said, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

A few scribbled lines appeared and Harry read them quickly.

Glad you figured it out mate! We hoped you'd remember this little trick and that Wormtail didn't know it. Hermione's letter is better; we just wanted you to know that the box was safe.

Fred&George

Harry cut the tape and opened the flaps of the box. A piece of parchment lay on top of another box, though this one was bound in dragonskin and looked rather expensive.

He lifted the piece of parchment up and noticed that it wasn't just one piece, but three. He read the top on first.

Harry,

Ron's family was cleaning out Sirius' room, and found these two boxes and letters written by Sirius. We would have sent them by owl post, but the box was so large and we didn't want to get you into any trouble. Sorry our letters have been so few and far between, I don't have my own owl, and I've just now arrived in London for a few days with my parents. Ron won't admit it but we know he misses you, as do Ginny and I. We hope that you are feeling okay and that living with the Dursleys' isn't too bad.

Hermione

No, not too bad, Harry said sarcastically to himself. Of course his friends didn't understand what it was like being cut off from the wizarding world. He knew he shouldn't be so bitter about it, it wasn't their fault, and he should be used to it by now, but he wasn't.

He pushed his bitterness aside and read the next piece of parchment.

Harry,

Happy Birthday! All this time alone had given me plenty of time to organize everything and get ready for everything. Well, mate, hope you enjoy your gift!

Snuffles

Harry smiled at his godfather. Of course he had plenty of time, but who would think he would plan his godson's birthday presents? Harry was happy to have at least the smallest about of contact with his godfather, even though he was gone forever. That hadn't stopped Harry from sending Hedwig out with a few letters, which Mr. Weasley had written about saying Hedwig had been trying to get in to the Department of Mysteries. Harry was sure she was trying to take his letters into the room with the archway, but had been unsuccessful.

He moved onto the last piece of parchment which also held his godfather's unmistakable handwriting.

Harry,

Again, I've had plenty of time to get things in order. I guess I won't beat around the bush, if you're reading this that means I've met my demise. Yes, I feel rather stupid writing this, the only possible way I could meet my demise is if Kreacher goes so insane he forgets I'm his master. If that is indeed what has happened, you'd better be careful, because you're his master now. Yes, if I have indeed died, I have left you my house. I've left you quite a few other things as well. The small box the Black families crest is yours, as well as all the gold in my vault a Gringotts. There are a few more things, but I think that you will find them on your own.

I know that my passing will have been hard on you, but I want you to remember that you're parents loved you, as do I.

Love,

Sirius

A tear escaped Harry's eye. He didn't think Sirius would give him his house or gold. He hadn't expected anything, he had thought that he would never again know hear from Sirius, but he had just received two letters from him. He wished he could thank the Weasley's and Hermione, but he didn't know how.

He set the letters aside and pulled the box wrapped in dragonskin from the cardboard box. He set the dragonskin box on his bed and looked once again into the cardboard box. He saw another box though, this one was smaller and gleaming a blood red dragonskin. He could see the Black family crest shining brightly as he lifted the box out. He set the blood red box next to the plain dragonskin box.

He was unsure which to open first. He opened the large box which he had expected was for his birthday. On top, laid three boxes, each different in size. He picked up one of the boxes at random and lifted the lid from the top. Inside were three wristwatches. The watches were all alike and each held a picture of Harry, Hermione, and Ron on their hands. They were exactly like the Weasley's grandfather clock. Harry glanced back down at the box and saw another small piece of parchment. He picked it up and read it as he had the last piece.

I had plenty of time to make these; Mrs. Weasley can tell you how to add another person or persons.

Harry put the lid back on the box and set them aside. He picked up another one of the boxes that lay with the larger box. He took the lid off the box and within it was an old pocket watch, which held the correct time.

He picked up the piece of parchment that had been under it.

This was your Grandfather Potter's.

He put the lid on the box and picked up the last box. He lifted the lid and inside was a chunk of emerald green wax and a seal. He picked up the piece of parchment that was under it.

This was a wedding gift from Professor Dumbledore to your parents.

An expensive set of robes lay on top and he pulled them out gently. As he held them up in the light he noticed that not only did they look expensive, they looked old. He found a small piece of parchment attached to the robes.

These were your fathers dress robes.

Harry folded the robes neatly and placed them back inside the box. He put the pocket watch and wax and seal on top of the robes. He strapped one of the watches to his arm and put the other two back into the box, promising to send them to Ron and Hermione later. He closed the lid softly and sat on his bed before opening the next box.

He lifted the lid slowly and inside set a key and another box. He looked at the key, which he suspected was to Grimmauld place and set it back into the box before picking up the small box. He opened the lid and inside lay another key. He picked the key up and examined it more closely than he had the first key. He held the key in his hand for over a minute when he felt the pull behind his bellybutton that signaled he was touching a portkey.

He felt his knees give out as he landed. He looked around and he was standing on the top of a building. He noticed a small letter and picked it up. He opened the letter and inside was Fred and George's writing.

Sirius made us secret keepers; we each only know half of the address.

Number 24 Diagon Alley

Harry noticed that though Fred and Georges hand writing was almost exactly the same, George wrote bigger than Fred, and as he looked up an apartment appeared around him.

He walked through the house and found yet another letter.

You're above Fred and George's Joke Shop. I owned the building and sold them the bottom half and saved this top half for when you got out of Hogwarts. I wanted you to have a place of your own if you wanted it. It was where I lived after I got out of Hogwarts.

The Key is a portkey; it works every half an hour. To get back to where you were, just tell the key the place. Be sure to be very detailed.

Harry walked around the apartment, which was filled with comfortable and dusty furniture. The apartment was large and Harry was amazed Sirius hadn't come here, but a whole house is nicer than an apartment. Yet, Harry thought he'd rather be stuck in this cozy apartment than in the gloomy house of Black.

Harry walked to the front door and before he opened it he put the key back into the box. He pocketed the box and walked downstairs. He opened a door which he thought opened into the street but found himself in Fred and George's joke shop. He could hear noises and started to walk towards them. He found himself in front of a door marked "Experiments In Progress". He knocked.

"We're busy, Ginny!" he heard George yell.

Harry's heart did a somersault in his chest at the mention of Ginny's name. She's here, he thought before looking around quickly. He couldn't see anything, except more shelves full of fireworks.

"It's Harry," he said after calming himself and looking back at the door.

Seconds later the door swung open and Fred and George pulled Harry into the room. He looked around the room which was full of different bottles and marked boxes. It looked as though they were running a potion store in their back room.

"Why don't you experiment in the basement?" he asked oddly, unsure why he cared.

"This is the basement mate," Fred said causing Harry to look around. He noticed that there were no windows and the door seemed to be at the same level, "Bit of magic," Fred added with a smirk.

He watched as George grabbed a piece of parchment and a quill and scribbled something on it before handing it to Fred. Fred did the same and handed it to Harry. He saw again the address of his secret apartment.

"Professor Dumbledore says you can come to Diagon Alley for a few hours, but you have to go back to Privot Drive," Fred said with a smile. They knew how much he and Sirius had wanted freedom. "But only during the day, and you can tell Ron and Hermione," he paused, "if you want."

Harry smiled at them, "See you later then," he said before starting for the door.

"There's some Ton Tongue candies, if you want some for your cousin," George yelled, "the back door of the apartment leads to directly to the street," he added before Harry walked back into the store.

Harry walked through the store looking for Ginny. He was unsure why he had felt his heart do a somersault when he had heard her name, he had never felt that what about her before. She had always been Ron's little sister, the girl with the crush on him.

He found her easily enough; she was rearranging a few Skiving Snack Boxes so that she could add another set.

"Hi," he said from behind her, making her jump and drop one of the boxes she held.

A/N: You've taken the time to read... so please review!