AN:
Sorry for those who read TSW; TSW, I couldn't complete it! Enjoy this instead.
Disclaimer: I never owned HP. ;(
The pale colours of the wall were darkened as the shadows of the night loomed over them. In one word, if many were asked to describe the room, it was small. The desk, the wardrobe, even the bed was barely big enough to fit a healthy preteen at most.
Or a malnourished 15-year-old. Harry Potter proved that fact perfectly. He had messy, raven- black hair that stuck up stubbornly and haunted emerald- green eyes. Scrawny and abused, he wore his cousin's 10-year-old clothing. Since he began attending Hogwarts, his relatives -in shock- had been feeding him better than his younger years but they didn't account for the fact that the boy didn't want to eat.
He grimaced and clutched a hand to his stomach. 'Would you want to eat, to laugh, to live if you had as good as killed your godfather?' he thought wryly as Aunt Petunia took away yet another full tray of food, glancing curiously between the food and the wizard.
XXXXXX
It was the night of his sixteenth birthday. Dumbledore had let slip that he would be lifting the charm that prevented any mail entering for one hour from midnight to one o'clock. When questioned, the elderly headmaster just chuckled merrily and stated:
"Don't you think many have tried to send the saviour of the Wizarding World fan mail? Or revenge- hungry Death Eaters trying to rid of you, Harry. Now begone Harry, I must attend to clean the mess you have made which, I must state, I completely understand and hold no malice towards you - for I would've done the same. If not worse!" He had twinkled his eyes and Harry remembered that pang of guilt that struck his heart.
The Boy- Who- Lived glanced at the only electronic thing in his room: the digital alarm clock. It had long since stopped giving out alarms but had faithfully kept the correct time. Its red, blocky numbers gave a feeling of relief to Harry.
11:45
His attention turned to his third year- specifically the hippogriff ride with Sirius and Hermione. If he was really honest with himself, he never knew when his feelings for Hermione began to blossom. Yes, she was really beautiful, and the night of the Yule Ball proved that. But ever since he asked Cho to the Ball, he knew he wanted someone that liked Harry for Harry and not for the 'Chosen One', as he had read in the Daily Prophet before coming to the Dursleys. Hermione fitted that role perfectly. He had time at the Dursleys to reflect on that.
His relatives. Scoffing, he laughed at the fact that he almost left them. At the fact that he was going to live with Sirius.
11:55
Sirius. His death was painful to remember. How he taunted his cousin, Bellatrix Lestrange. How he called Harry James. How he stumbled back, heart clutched right into the clutches of the veil.
11:58
How Harry chased after the evil specimen that Sirius called a cousin. How he shouted the Unforgivable Curse, anger and hate directed at her. It wasn't enough though.
11:59
How he was possessed, the devil himself holding on to his brain. The pain was so bad, worse than HELL. He closed his eyes, not wanting to remember that night anymore.
Harry forced himself to turn to the loud squawk that was coming from the window. It was now 12:00. Errol, holding 3 letters. A formal, posh owl holding an unknown letter. A Hogwarts owl holding two letters. And finally, the headmaster's Fawkes, which was holding Dumbledore's familiar handwriting. He wondered why Fawkes didn't just teleport in, but ignored it and opened his, he glanced excitedly, OWLS.
PASS: FAIL:
OUTSTANDING (O) POOR (P)
EXCEEDS EXPECTATIONS (E) DREADFUL (D)
ACCEPTABLE (A) TROLL (T)
HARRY JAMES POTTER HAS ACHIEVED:
Astronomy: A
Care of Magical Creatures: E
Charms: E
Defence Against the Dark Arts: O
Divination: P
Herbology: E
History of Magic: D
Potions: E
Transfiguration: E
Professor Griselda Marchbanks
He smiled. Hermione would be proud- and he wanted Hermione to be proud, he remembered. Thoughts of the beautiful witch in his mind, he turned to the letter with that elegant yet clear writing of Hermione.
Harry,
How are you! The scar across my body is fading- you must not worry about me. I am related to the BunnyHops, says Luna! See you!
Your trustworthy friend, Hermione.
Short, and he understood nothing. BunnyHops? What was Hermione on about? Shaking his head, he continued to read Ron's and Ginny's- How are you?'s and Hope you can come to the Burrow!'s was read by Harry, but it wasn't too important.
His school letter was unimportant, but he needed to get a few more books at Diagon Alley later. Dumbledore's familiar scrawl came next, and he noticed that Fawkes was the only bird who was still there.
Harry,
I have been alerted to a piece of unwanted mail from Fringotts. They pretend to be Gringotts, talking about irregularities in your account. PLEASE DO NOT OPEN AND ACCEPT. They will take your gold! I will come at 5 in the afternoon to dispose off it and take you with me. Please, pack your bags.
Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore
He frowned, glancing between the two letters. He turned the last letter upside down, and sure enough, it had the, apparently 'fake' Gringotts seal on it. He looked up at Fawkes, and said:
"You may go, I will not open the letter."
Fawkes trilled and disappeared. What was in the letter? And what did Hermione mean?
AN:
Dun Dun Dun! what will happen next. Please review on how to improve and whether you like it or not!
~momolols