Sun - Sleeping at Last
"To the well-organised mind, death is but the next great adventure." - J.K. Rowling
It was the evening of the 24th June 1995, when Harry Potter was seated in the headmaster's office, describing the events that had taken place earlier that evening. His godfather, innocent mass-murderer Sirius Black, was listening silently, but he could feel his throat swell and his eyes blur with tears.
Harry stopped talking. A heavy silence followed.
"I will say it again," Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, said. A phoenix - Fawkes - rose into the air and settled itself upon a perch beside the door; its work done. "You have shown bravery beyond anything I could have expected of you tonight Harry. You have shown bravery equal to those who died fighting Voldemort at the height of his powers. You have shouldered a grown wizard's burden and found yourself equal to it. But no spell can reawaken the dead."
Harry felt his eyes close with tears. He'd seen them. No, he'd spoken to them. His parents!
But they were echoes.
Dumbledore's words repeated in his head, over and over until the headache became unbearable, as if they had burned themselves into the corners of his brain. No spell can reawaken the dead.
No spell can reawaken the dead.
Godric's Hollow was sitting in a peaceful serenity. It was undisturbed; unlike Hogwarts, who's occupants had been traumatised with the death of a student, and another's cries of the Dark Lord returning. Nothing appeared to be occurring in the tiny village of the eve of the 24th June.
In just one cottage was anything particularly unusual happening. One, which to the muggles - the non-magic folk - was completely invisible. In fact, it had remained that way for almost 14 years; since November 1981.
To the wizards, the cottage was a monument. One side had been blown apart; the remains of a historical event that had occurred within. Wooden beams climbed up the dull, white paint, and they interconnected, forming a frame around the cottage. It was surrounded entirely by an overgrown hedge, and a creaking gate at the front was open, left off its hinges. A lone sign stood outside, proclaiming the damaged cottage as the home of the Potters.
Within, everything was still. A thin layer of dust coated everything in sight. Photo frames, wooden furniture, a small soft toy on the floor. It was completely calm, eerily so, for a place that had experienced violence beyond words, and the fall of the Dark Lord himself.
Just two things lay out of place.
Two bodies - one of a man, one of a woman - that had not been there previously, were laying still. The man was on the floor of the hallway; his left arm stretched out to his side, the other by his side. His glasses, roundish and black-rimmed, were placed oddly on his head; the glass of the right lens shattered. His eyes were closed, but his lips were parted slightly, as if there was something he wanted to say. But no sound came out.
Upstairs, the woman was laying on her front, one arms stretched out above her head. Her long, dark red hair fanned out over her back, and her green eyes were wide open, looking scared. But she too, said no words.
Then there was a soft beat. Faint. Too soft to hear by an average human - wizard of not.
It was followed by another. Then another.
A soft sigh was let out by the man downstairs. He was waking up, but not pleasantly.
Back in the headmaster's office in Hogwarts, Harry was listening to Dumbledore. "You have shouldered a grown wizard's burden and found yourself equal to it. But no spell-"
Gasp! The man took a deep breath in.
"-can reawaken the dead."
James Potter's eyes shot open.
So, this is the start to the story. This chapter wasn't very long, I do apologise, but it's more of a prologue than anything. Usually chapters will be much longer, but for this, it felt right to end it where I did. If you know me from my other story, 'Our Dancing Days' (a Wolfblood fanfic), you will know that for each chapter, the title is the song that inspired/I listened to while writing that particular chapter. Feel free to go listen to that song while reading.
In this fanfic, you'll notice slight changes. I know the whole story revolves around one massive change, and therefore some of the plot will change, but there are small background things that are different as well. For example, in this chapter alone, Dumbledore's speech that he gives to Harry is slightly different. Also, Harry's a more gifted wizard than he is portrayed as in the books. I mean, guaranteed, Harry though out the series achieves spells and such that are way beyond his years, and he is powerful - that has not changed - but things like his grades are generally better, and he is more like Hermione, achieving high marks. Or rather, should be. As you know, Harry hates attention, so he almost purposely doesn't try his best in classes, so while his grades look like they are in the book, he can achieve higher.
I'm sorry if this is all very confusing; it will become clearer as the story continues. Now don't get me wrong, Hermione still beats him in most areas, eg. Potions, and is still smarter than Harry, it's only that Harry should be easily getting Outstandings in his OWLs (which he has not yet taken, however). And he still sucks at Divination.
Reasons for these changes are personal and also for the purpose of the story. I won't say anything now, but I will when the time comes.
Please don't be upset by these changes, they're only minor!
Thank you, for taking your time to read this fanfic, it means so much, and I hope you enjoy it as much I will. And I hope you will support me through the process. I'm new to the Harry Potter fandom, so please feel free to correct me if I'm ever wrong. Constructive criticism is welcome, but please no horrible language.
Finally, disclaimer: J.K. Rowling is the owner of this wonderful world, and she owns all the characters. All I own is the plot of the fanfiction.
THANK YOU :) xxx
