HARRY POTTER
AND THE TIME OF NEW BEGINNINGS
CHAPTER 1
SUMMER DEMENTED
THE SUMMER WAS DRAWING TO A CLOSE, AND YET LITTLE KNOWLEDGE OF WHAT WAS HAPPENING ELSE WHERE NEVER REACHED THE EARS OF THE INHABITANTS OF PRIVET DRIVE. LAWNS WERE FRESHLY MOWN AND SPARKLING FROM THE EARLY MORNING DEW. THE ONLY UNUSUAL THING IN THE DAYS THIS SUMMER WHICH CAUSED TALK FROM THE NEIGHBORS WAS THE ODD AMOUNT OF OWLS FLYING TO AND FROM NUMBER 4 PRIVET DRIVE. THE BEST THING THIS SUMMER HOWEVER, WAS THAT VERNON DURSLEY AND HIS SON DUDLEY, HARRY'S UNCLE AND COUSIN, WENT AWAY AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SUMMER BREAK TO STAY WITH VERNON'S SISTER, MARGE. ALL THREE OF WHICH WERE VERY LARGE WITH LITTLE TO NO NECK.
HARRY POTTER, A SKINNY, BLACK HAIRED, BESPECTACLED BOY, WAS SITTING IN HIS ROOM, STILL NOT SURE HOW TO SPEND HIS TIME. HE WAS SITTING ON HIS BED, WEARING FADED BLUE JEANS WITH A HOLE IN ONE KNEE AND A BLACK SHIRT, APPARENTLY TOO LARGE FOR HIS SMALL FIGURE. HE WAS VERY PALE THIS SUMMER, AFTER NOT HAVING ANY SUN, LARGELY IN PART FROM SITTING IN THE HOUSE SULKING ALL SUMMER. HIS FACE WAS TORMENTED FROM HIS DREAMS AND THOUGHTS FROM THE PAST TWO YEARS. HE HAD HIS WAND IN A HOLSTER UNDER HIS SLEEVE AND WAS ALWAYS PREPARED TO USE IT. HARRY POTTER IS IN FACT, NOT LIKE NORMAL PEOPLE. HE IS A WIZARD TO BE ATTENDING HIS SIXTH YEAR AT HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY.
THIS SUMMER, HOWEVER, HE FINALLY HAD NEWS FROM THE WIZARDING COMMUNITY, BUT HE NEVER LIKED ANY OF IT. THE DAILY PROPHET, THE WIZARDING NEWSPAPER, REPORTED SIGHTINGS OF DEATH EATERS AND THE DARK MARK, A GREEN SMOKE SILHOUETTE OF A SKULL WITH A SNAKE PROTRUDING FROM THE MOUTH, ALL AROUND LONDON, BUT NO DEATH OR MISSING PEOPLE HAVE COME UP MISSING, YET.
"HARRY, COME DOWN HERE." AUNT PETUNIA SPOKE UP THE STAIRS. PETUNIA DURSLEY, HARRY'S ONLY LIVING BLOOD RELATIVE, WAS A BONY WOMAN, WITH MORE NECK THAN SHE SHOULD HAVE. PETUNIA DURSLEY HATED MAGIC OF ALL KINDS, EVEN WHEN IT CAME TO HER SISTER, LILY POTTER, HARRY'S MOTHER, SO SHE DISLIKED HARRY VERY MUCH. HARRY STARTED DOWN THE STAIRS, TAKING HIS TIME SO HE WOULDN'T HAVE TO TALK MUCH TO ANYONE, ESPECIALLY HIS AUNT PETUNIA, SINCE THEY HAD GOTTEN HALF WAY THROUGH THE SUMMER WITHOUT SAYING MUCH OF ANYTHING TO EACH OTHER.
HE FOUND HIS AUNT IN THE SITTING ROOM, BUT SHE WASN'T ALONE. SITTING ACROSS FROM HIS AUNT WAS ONE OF THE PRETTIEST GIRLS HE HAD EVER SEEN. SHE HAD A SOFT LOOK ABOUT HER, AND INNOCENT LOOK. SHE HAD LONG BROWN HAIR, FLOWING AS THOUGH IN A SOFT BREEZE, AND HAZEL EYES, ALMOST LIKE LOOKING INTO THE DEEPEST PARTS OF THE OCEAN.
"HARRY," AUNT PETUNIA SAID, ALMOST IN A FAR OFF VOICE, STARTLING HARRY OUT OF HIS DAZE. "THIS IS TARA, TARA ROSE. SHE'LL BE STAYING WITH US UNTIL SCHOOL STARTS UP, SO HELP HER FEEL AT HOME. I HAVE TO GO OUT FOR AWHILE, DON'T TOUCH ANYTHING WHILE I'M AWAY." AND WITH THAT AUNT PETUNIA GOT OFF THE SOFA LEAVING HARRY AND TARA IN UNCOMFORTABLE SILENCE. SEVERAL MINUTES PASSED, BUT THEY SEEMED LIKE HOURS IN THE DEAD SILENCE.
"ERM...HI." TARA SAID STRANGELY, AS THOUGH TOO SHY TO SAY ANYTHING. HER VOICE WAS SOFT, ALMOST AS QUIET AS A SOFT WIND RUSTLING THE LEAVES ON TREES IN THE AUTUMN. SEVERAL MORE MINUTES PASSED BEFORE EITHER OF THE TWO SPOKE NEXT. "WELL," TARA STARTED AGAIN. "I WILL BE STAYING HERE FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS, SO WE MIND AS WELL GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER, YOU KNOW, GET ALONG."
"WELL, I GUESS YOUR RIGHT." HARRY SAID AFTER ANOTHER MOMENT OF SILENCE. "MY NAME'S HARRY"
"I KNOW WHO YOU ARE." TARA INTERRUPTED. "YOU'RE HARRY POTTER, SON OF JAMES AND LILY POTTER, AND YOU ARE A WIZARD AT HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY, HEADED BY THE GREATEST HEADMASTER THAT SCHOOL HAS EVER SEEN, ALBUS DUMBLEDORE."
AND THE TIME OF NEW BEGINNINGS
CHAPTER 1
SUMMER DEMENTED
THE SUMMER WAS DRAWING TO A CLOSE, AND YET LITTLE KNOWLEDGE OF WHAT WAS HAPPENING ELSE WHERE NEVER REACHED THE EARS OF THE INHABITANTS OF PRIVET DRIVE. LAWNS WERE FRESHLY MOWN AND SPARKLING FROM THE EARLY MORNING DEW. THE ONLY UNUSUAL THING IN THE DAYS THIS SUMMER WHICH CAUSED TALK FROM THE NEIGHBORS WAS THE ODD AMOUNT OF OWLS FLYING TO AND FROM NUMBER 4 PRIVET DRIVE. THE BEST THING THIS SUMMER HOWEVER, WAS THAT VERNON DURSLEY AND HIS SON DUDLEY, HARRY'S UNCLE AND COUSIN, WENT AWAY AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SUMMER BREAK TO STAY WITH VERNON'S SISTER, MARGE. ALL THREE OF WHICH WERE VERY LARGE WITH LITTLE TO NO NECK.
HARRY POTTER, A SKINNY, BLACK HAIRED, BESPECTACLED BOY, WAS SITTING IN HIS ROOM, STILL NOT SURE HOW TO SPEND HIS TIME. HE WAS SITTING ON HIS BED, WEARING FADED BLUE JEANS WITH A HOLE IN ONE KNEE AND A BLACK SHIRT, APPARENTLY TOO LARGE FOR HIS SMALL FIGURE. HE WAS VERY PALE THIS SUMMER, AFTER NOT HAVING ANY SUN, LARGELY IN PART FROM SITTING IN THE HOUSE SULKING ALL SUMMER. HIS FACE WAS TORMENTED FROM HIS DREAMS AND THOUGHTS FROM THE PAST TWO YEARS. HE HAD HIS WAND IN A HOLSTER UNDER HIS SLEEVE AND WAS ALWAYS PREPARED TO USE IT. HARRY POTTER IS IN FACT, NOT LIKE NORMAL PEOPLE. HE IS A WIZARD TO BE ATTENDING HIS SIXTH YEAR AT HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY.
THIS SUMMER, HOWEVER, HE FINALLY HAD NEWS FROM THE WIZARDING COMMUNITY, BUT HE NEVER LIKED ANY OF IT. THE DAILY PROPHET, THE WIZARDING NEWSPAPER, REPORTED SIGHTINGS OF DEATH EATERS AND THE DARK MARK, A GREEN SMOKE SILHOUETTE OF A SKULL WITH A SNAKE PROTRUDING FROM THE MOUTH, ALL AROUND LONDON, BUT NO DEATH OR MISSING PEOPLE HAVE COME UP MISSING, YET.
"HARRY, COME DOWN HERE." AUNT PETUNIA SPOKE UP THE STAIRS. PETUNIA DURSLEY, HARRY'S ONLY LIVING BLOOD RELATIVE, WAS A BONY WOMAN, WITH MORE NECK THAN SHE SHOULD HAVE. PETUNIA DURSLEY HATED MAGIC OF ALL KINDS, EVEN WHEN IT CAME TO HER SISTER, LILY POTTER, HARRY'S MOTHER, SO SHE DISLIKED HARRY VERY MUCH. HARRY STARTED DOWN THE STAIRS, TAKING HIS TIME SO HE WOULDN'T HAVE TO TALK MUCH TO ANYONE, ESPECIALLY HIS AUNT PETUNIA, SINCE THEY HAD GOTTEN HALF WAY THROUGH THE SUMMER WITHOUT SAYING MUCH OF ANYTHING TO EACH OTHER.
HE FOUND HIS AUNT IN THE SITTING ROOM, BUT SHE WASN'T ALONE. SITTING ACROSS FROM HIS AUNT WAS ONE OF THE PRETTIEST GIRLS HE HAD EVER SEEN. SHE HAD A SOFT LOOK ABOUT HER, AND INNOCENT LOOK. SHE HAD LONG BROWN HAIR, FLOWING AS THOUGH IN A SOFT BREEZE, AND HAZEL EYES, ALMOST LIKE LOOKING INTO THE DEEPEST PARTS OF THE OCEAN.
"HARRY," AUNT PETUNIA SAID, ALMOST IN A FAR OFF VOICE, STARTLING HARRY OUT OF HIS DAZE. "THIS IS TARA, TARA ROSE. SHE'LL BE STAYING WITH US UNTIL SCHOOL STARTS UP, SO HELP HER FEEL AT HOME. I HAVE TO GO OUT FOR AWHILE, DON'T TOUCH ANYTHING WHILE I'M AWAY." AND WITH THAT AUNT PETUNIA GOT OFF THE SOFA LEAVING HARRY AND TARA IN UNCOMFORTABLE SILENCE. SEVERAL MINUTES PASSED, BUT THEY SEEMED LIKE HOURS IN THE DEAD SILENCE.
"ERM...HI." TARA SAID STRANGELY, AS THOUGH TOO SHY TO SAY ANYTHING. HER VOICE WAS SOFT, ALMOST AS QUIET AS A SOFT WIND RUSTLING THE LEAVES ON TREES IN THE AUTUMN. SEVERAL MORE MINUTES PASSED BEFORE EITHER OF THE TWO SPOKE NEXT. "WELL," TARA STARTED AGAIN. "I WILL BE STAYING HERE FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS, SO WE MIND AS WELL GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER, YOU KNOW, GET ALONG."
"WELL, I GUESS YOUR RIGHT." HARRY SAID AFTER ANOTHER MOMENT OF SILENCE. "MY NAME'S HARRY"
"I KNOW WHO YOU ARE." TARA INTERRUPTED. "YOU'RE HARRY POTTER, SON OF JAMES AND LILY POTTER, AND YOU ARE A WIZARD AT HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY, HEADED BY THE GREATEST HEADMASTER THAT SCHOOL HAS EVER SEEN, ALBUS DUMBLEDORE."