Maylie Rees: I understand that all Harry Potter characters are owned by JK Rowling except for my own that I made up.
MR: Enough about rules, Enjoy my story!
Harry Potter and the Bewitched Princess
Chapter 1:
A Long Awaited Departure
Have fun and stay safe,
Harry
A boy with jet black hair of 17 looked over his letter to his friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger before placing his quill down. Harry softly nudged his snowy white owl, Hedwig, so as not to wake his temperamental aunt, uncle, and cousin. Hedwig cooed softly as Harry tied the letter to her leg, almost as if she knew what he was going through.
It was hard for anyone not to know, at least in the wizarding world. After watching Dumbledore be murdered by Snape, it felt like he had nothing to live for anymore. Not without his mentor and teacher. The Daily Prophet had been all over him as he was boarding the Hogwarts Express, asking him to give them the full story; every time, no. Harry knew better than to tell the public and get them into a bigger panic that only he and two other seventeen year old know how to truly get rid of Voldemort.
"Take this to Ron and Hermione," Harry said affectionately, "Go ahead and stay there. I'll be there by to meet them all tomorrow."
Hedwig gently nibbled his finger, telling him good luck and then set off into the dark, star sprinkled sky. As soon as Harry could no longer see the whiteness of his bird, he checked his clock. 2:30. It was no longer a surprise to be up that late, considering that he was plotting his revenge, scrounging through every book that he could get his hand on (which weren't that many) to finally understand how to defeat the Dark Lord and finally avenge his parents' death.
Harry woke the next morning to the constant sound of pitter-patter from the rain, splashing across his window. His clock now read 9:45. He cursed himself, telling himself that he could have started packing and done more research.
As soon as he was dressed, he heard a peck at his window. He turned away from his door to see a tired looking, little chestnut owl and attached to its legs was that day's edition of the Daily Prophet. Harry carefully opened his window, so as not to get any rain inside, but it was no use. The owl plunged headfirst onto his desk, drenching his books and parchment. It carefully picked its nimble body up and nipped his arm; not softly I might add.
Harry quickly untied the paper and replaced it with 2 knuts and 5 sickles. He once again opened his window and sent the petite owl out into the rain.
He quickly muttered an enchantment, thankful that he could now freely use magic that dried all that had been soaked. Harry looked over the front page of the Prophet which read:
Deputy Headmistress Minerva
McGonagall Takes a Step Up
The search for Headmaster, which
never began, was ended yesterday when
Professor Minerva McGonagall was
instated by the Minister of Magic, Rufus
Scrimgeour, as the new Headmistress of
Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and
Wizardry.
Harry stared at the magical picture of McGonagall which only showed her as she normally is, an uptight (including her hair) woman in a traditional witch hat with a look on her face that told you that you did not want to mess with her.
Suddenly, another title caught his eye.
Snape Out, Werewolf In
The murderer of Professor Albus
Dumbledore (Professor Severus Snape)
is still being hunted and tracked down
by a group of highly trained Aurors.
However, Hogwarts has to once again
replace the Defense Against the Dark
Arts teacher (which has always said to
be cursed).
To everyone's surprise and disapproval,
newly instated headmistress Minerva
McGonagall has selected Remus J.
Lupin, who previously taught the same
class four years ago until word let out
that he was a werewolf.
Harry folded up the Prophet and set it down on his desk. He wondered why Lupin finally decided to accept the Dark Arts job again. Probably, McGonagall wanted as many Order members at the school now so they could be on full alert at Hogwarts.
Harry thought about Hogwarts and more of his trip as he trudged down the stairs. He walked into the kitchen that he'd known and grown to hate the sixteen years with the people who made him wish that he could just walk out the front door and never return. Of course, the only reason that made him stay was Dumbledore. His skinny aunt was washing the breakfast dishes over the sink, sighing as her nephew entered the room. His pudgy uncle and cousin who were sitting at the kitchen table, both lost in the newspaper. Of course, Dudley was entranced by the "Funnies" section.
Harry caught a glimpse of a stray piece of bacon, located in the center of the table. But of course, as soon as he was at the edge of the table and reached towards it, his pudgy peer cousin stole it and shoved it in his greedy mouth.
"There are some muffins in the pantry," Petunia said , no turning away from her dishes.
"What did you say?" asked, not being quite sure what he heard.
"I said, there are some blueberry muffins left in the pantry if you are hungry."
His aunt was one of the last people in the world that he would expect to get a statement like that from. She never offered him anything his whole life and here she is, asking if he's hungry. Most of the food that he had had was brought into his possession by either serious hunting or stealing. Come to think of it, she probably wouldn't even take food from him, being too afraid that he may have poisoned it. Of course though, much to his surprise as soon as he opened the cherry finished pantry doors, there, right on the shelf, were two left behind blueberry muffins.
Still shocked that his aunt was courteous towards him, Harry grabbed a muffin and strolled over and then sat down at the table. He slowly savored his breakfast, waiting a while each time to take another bite, unlike his cousin. Speaking of Dudley,
"I'm still hungry," Dudley spat, shoving his empty bacon plate in Harry's face. He hadn't made breakfast for his family for several years now, but he knew what this blonde headed pig wanted. He was trying to take advantage of his cousin's free use of magic.
Harry stared dumbfounded at Dudley, thinking to himself that this pig had probably already scarffed down 20 pieces of crispy fat. He was about to speak his comeback, the same, 'Why don't you pick your fat butt up and get your own,' but somebody beat him to it.
"Dudelykins," Petunia said as she was now drying and putting the dishes away, "you've had enough to eat this morning. Just leave Harry be."
WOAH! Rewind!
Had his aunt, Aunt Petunia Dursely, just defended him? Of all people? The person who made him cook breakfast every morning? The person who wouldn't take him to a barber for a decent haircut? The person who gave him a broom cupboard for a bedroom for eleven years!
This statement even got the attention from the rest of her family. Vernon stared at her and was about to say something but thought better of it. Dudley looked at her, trying to decide if he was in the right house.
Harry wanted this unsettling tension to end, so, he picked up his remaining piece of his muffin and threw it in the garbage as he left the kitchen.
This time, on his way upstairs, he wondered why his aunt Petunia would defend him from her son. Normally she encouraged that kind of behavior. Most importantly though, he was leaving, right now.
As soon as he reached his room, Harry pulled out his trunk and started filling it with his clothes, old uniform, books, and the rest of his necessities, When he finished packing, he made sure he had his broomstick, Hedwig's cage, and most importantly, his wand in his right pocket.
Harry was about to trudge out of the room, but a thought struck him. He had known this place for 16 years. He had done a lot of thinking in this house, always plotting his escape. But he thought, what if I can't survive in the wizarding world, will I be able to come back? He shook the thought from his mind, what was he thinking? The Weaselys would always have their door open for him.
The Weaselys, yes, the Weaselys. That's where he was going to have a good time and laugh at Fred, George, and Ron, be serious with Mr. Weasley, and get unlimited love from Mrs. Weasley. He looked forward to having a good time before he had to leave with his best friends to finally destroy Voldemort.
But Ginny, what about Ginny? He'll expect that she will try to avoid him, to not bring the subject up of why he left her. Harry knew that she knew why, he just wasn't sure if she understands. He told himself that he doesn't care about that right now. He needs to look forward to something really special, if, he comes back from defeating Voldemort. The best would be to hold her in his arms and know that she, and the rest of the world is safe.
Harry took one last look at his room and then turned around, dragging his trunk through the doorway. He followed past, invisible footprints of his as he walked through the hallway and down the stairs. Looking out the Durselys' living room window, and he could see that it was still gloomy and raining outside, the perfect time to apparate in a muggle town.
As soon as he touched the front door knob, someone cleared their throat behind him. It was his aunt. What could she want?
"Harry?"
Oh great, she sounds worried.
"What?" Harry spat back at her. "Do you want to pry into my life even more, just so you can find out where I'm going?"
"I know where you're going."
He just stared at her. He couldn't even hear a hint of anger in her voice.
"You have come of age in your world. I always know that you would leave here, the first moment you got. All because of us, and they way we have treated you. And for that, I apologize."
Apologize? Had his aunt just apologized to him, of all people, for how she and the rest of his family was treating him?
"I don't believe it," Harry spat back once again.
"I know that this is hard for you to take in but its true. The thing is," she paused, "I was doing this because, because of your mother."
"What has my mother got to do with this?"
Petunia waited a minute, trying to gather what she was going to say. "When Lily got her letter, I couldn't help but be disappointed. Why was she the one that got to be the witch in the family? Because of that, I wanted to bully her as much as possible. Of course, once she graduated, she married a handsome wizard. That pushed my button, why did she get to get everything that was perfect? The perfect powers, the perfect husband, and then, the perfect son. When you were dumped on our doorstep, I just couldn't help to take out the rest of my anger on you. I hope that you can forgive me."
As soon as she finished, Dudley and Vernon walked into the hallway to see Harry standing in the doorway, holding his trunk.
"You're finally leaving aren't you?" Dudley asked with a huge grin on his face.
"Good ridens," Vernon happily stated.
Harry wasn't paying attention though to his uncle and cousin. All of his thoughts were focused on his aunt. When Dudley started to sing a gleeful song, Harry continued to stare, wondering when he was going to come back to reality.
He finally did, right when the thunder boomed and the wind howled from outside. Harry turned around and opened the door that led him into the outside world. He dragged his trunk out to the threshold until she questioned him again.
"Harry," Petunia said with a bit of nervousness in her voice.
Harry turned around to face his aunt for probably the last time. He could even see his uncle and cousin doing a jig to silent music that only they heard.
With a stiffened voice and a little gleam of forgiveness in his eyes, he said, "We'll see."
And with that, Harry disappeared with a loud crack.
Petunia was left staring at the rain.
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