Chapter 2: Best Friends-The Letter
'Tap' 'Tap' 'Tap.' Harry smiled as he heard the signature noise of his friend. It has been a week since the fateful night he and Isabella met face to face. Harry opened his door quietly and made his way to the living room to meet Isabella or "Izzy" as he liked to call her. He found her sitting Indian style on the rug.
Tonight she was wearing a dark green long sleeved shirt, black jeans, and black flats with green jewels on the front. She turned to him and said, "Good evening Harry." "Good evening Izzy," he said in return. "Is it all right if we have a slight change of scenery this time around?" Izzy asked.
"Sure, as long as we don't wake my uncle," Harry replied quietly. Izzy took his hand in hers and in less than a moment they were in the Dursley's backyard. "It's a nice night so I thought you could do with some fresh air since you've been cooped up in that stuffy old house for a long time," she explained when Harry gave her a weird look. They sat down on a patch of grass and started to talk about anything that came to mind as they did every night.
"Harry, I will be gone for the next few days," she said carefully. "What? Where are you going?" Harry asked in a slight panic.
"Don't worry, I'm only visiting a family friend," Izzy said trying to calm him. "Okay but hurry back soon, I don't think I could have put up with my "family" if you weren't here to help," Harry said after a bit of hesitation. Isabella looked at him with saddened silver eyes.
"Harry, I vow that I will never leave you forever, I will always be here when you need me," Izzy said as she looked at him with determined eyes. Harry blushed at her statement, for he had never had anyone who would try to protect him with such passion.
A few streaks of light blue and pink scattered across the sky. "The sun is about to make his daily appearance," she stated while looking toward the horizon. "I better get inside before my uncle finds me gone," Harry said with fear evident in his voice.
"I will transport you back to that horrid place you call a "bedroom"," Izzy said with anger. "Goodbye Harry, I will see you soon," Izzy said. Before he could blink, Harry found himself lying under his blanket under the staircase. Knowing that he was safe for another morning, the ten year old boy shut his emerald eyes to get in another hour of sleep before the Dursley family woke up.
*********One Week Later***********
Harry's POV
It's been seven days since I last spoke with Izzy. Two days after she left I received a very strange letter.
I discovered it when I was retrieving the mail for Vernon. There was no return address only my name was written on the front. I tried to sneak it away so I could read it but I was caught by my bloated cousin Dudley.
He told Vernon that I had a letter and watched as his father forcibly took it from my hands. Vernon pushed me down, hurting my knee in the process. Vernon ripped it up in front of me stating that I didn't deserve to get mail from anyone.
The next day something strange happened. Outside the Dursley residence there were owls. Not just one or two there were about twenty. They were all of different colors and sizes. Some were small and brown with white spots while others were large and purely white.
I recognized one as Izzy's owl. She had brought him one night to meet me. Her Owl was pure black with gold eyes and was of a medium size. I believe his name was Caspian. I jumped when I heard Aunt Petunia gasp in surprise from inside kitchen.
Something strange happened when she was breaking eggs into a bowl for breakfast. As it would seem, what came out of the eggs weren't egg yolks but pieces of parchment. They were duplicates of the letter that was sent to me the day before. 'How can tha-.' I cut my thought short.
"Magic," I whispered unconsciously. I wish I hadn't said it out loud because Uncle Vernon heard me say it and locked me in my corner for the rest of the day with no breakfast or lunch.
Two days after the "egg" incident, the Dursley family was sitting in the living room enjoying the afternoon while I served them their tea and cookies. "Today is such a wonderful day," Vernon stated with a smile. "Do you know what day is today?" he asked me. "Sunday sir," I responded.
"Yes it is and more importantly there is no mail on Sundays," he said with a smug smile. Before Vernon could take a sip of his tea there was a loud rattling noise coming from the front door. As we all looked around see what was happening, letters upon letters came spewing from the fireplace.
'Is this Izzy's doing?' Harry thought as letters came through the wooden block uncle Vernon nailed across the mail slot. As Vernon grabbed a hold of me before I could read any letters, he yelled, "That's it! We are going far away! So far that no one can find us!"
***********Present Time***********
Normal POV
The Dursleys left to a leaky old house in the middle of the sea. Vernon and Petunia were sleeping in a large bed on the second floor.
Dudley was sleeping on the couch downstairs while Harry was forced to sleep on the ground next to him. Harry had just finished drawing a birthday cake with eleven candles on the ground. "Happy Birthday Harry," he said to himself right before he blew out the candles.
'THUMP' 'THUMP' 'THUMP.' A pounding came from behind the front door. It was loud enough to awaken Dudley, Vernon and Petunia. Harry went to the farthest wall away from the door while Dudley hid under the table. Vernon came down and stayed at the center of the staircase while Petunia arrived behind him.
'THUMP' 'THUMP' 'THUMP.' The door came down with a 'BANG!'When the dust cleared Harry saw a very large and tall man with long shaggy black hair and beard. "Oops, sorry 'bout that," the giant said with a thick accent. He was wearing a long brown coat, a dark green almost black shirt, dark brown pants held up by a belt and dark brown shoes.
The man shook out his umbrella and motioned to someone behind. "Get in 'ere 'fore ya' catch a cold," he said. Harry saw that the person the man was talking to was, "Izzy!" Harry exclaimed. Izzy turned towards Harry and ran to give him a hug. She was wearing her ever present black cloak, a black knee length skirt, a red 1 inch strap shirt and black flats with red bows on the sides.
"Harry it's so good to see you again," she said with happiness. "Harry, this is Rubeus Hargid," Izzy said gesturing to the tall man behind her. "Just call me 'agrid 'Arry," Hagrid said as he put the door back where it belongs. "Oh and 'fore I forget," he said while pulling out a box, "'Appy Birthday 'Arry!" Harry took the box and opened it. It was a birthday cake that said 'Happy Birthday' in red icing.
"Harry this is the family friend I told you I was visiting for the last couple of days. I told him that I had received my letter to Hogwarts and that you were going to get your letter as well. Hagrid agreed to help us gather our school supplies for our first year," Izzy concluded with happy smile. Harry hesitated, "Excuse me, but what is Hogwarts?" Harry asked with a confused expression. "Didn't ya' receive yer le'er?" Hagrid asked. "I took it away before he could read it," said an annoyed Vernon.
After standing there listening to the conversation in stillness, he finally decided to but in when the topic of the School of Outlandish Magic Tricks came up. "I will not pay for this boy to go to a school run by a crackpot magician," Vernon stated in anger.
Izzy looked between Hagrid and Vernon with slightly frightened eyes. "Uh oh, Harry stand next to me and stay clear of Hagrid please," she said with a worried voice. Surprisingly, Hagrid only glared at Vernon and turned his back to face Isabella and Harry.
"Let's go you two. We must be getting to Diagon Alley to get yer supplies," the large man stated. Harry took his bag that held all of the things he brought with him and put it on his shoulder. Before Hagrid opened the door he saw Dudley pigging out on the cake he baked for Harry. "Porstarsom Curl," Hagrid muttered while pointing his wand toward Dudley's arse.
A pig's tail appeared on Dudley's rump and caused the overweight boy and his parents to run around in a panic. Harry and Izzy both laughed at the sight while being led out of the house by Hagrid.
*************The Next Day***********
Isabella's POV
After a night's sleep on the train, Hagrid, Harry and I arrived at The Leaky Cauldron. "Izzy, what is this place?" Harry asked me.
I smiled as I answered, "This is The Leaky Cauldron. It is a place where magical beings can relax and be provided with food and drinks. It's also the place where you can get to Diagon Alley without using floo powder."
Harry gave me a strange look when I said floo powder but I just shook my head while telling him that I would explain it all later. Hagrid spoke a few words to the man behind the counter while Harry and I tried to ignore all of the stares we were receiving from the other occupants in the room. "Let's go you two," Hagrid said as he led us to an alley behind The Leaky Cauldron leading to a brick wall.
"Hagrid, this is a dead end. How can we get to Diagon Alley through here?" Harry asked. "Nothing is always as it seems Harry," I said as we observed Hagrid tapping against the bricks with his umbrella in a specific pattern. Harry's expression of amazement was priceless. The bustling streets of Diagon Alley stood before us. It is the one and only place to get any kind of supplies for the wizarding world
Normal POV
"I 'ave some errands to take care of so Bella why don't you and Harry get yer supplies," Hagrid suggested as he gave her two small bags of money. "Okay Hagrid," she agreed as she pocketed her bag and handed Harry's to him. "Come on Harry, the first things we need to get are our wands," she said as she took Harry's hand and led him to Ollivander's Wand Shop.
Hagrid shook his head and said, "Kids these days," as he watched the two of them run off.
Harry and Izzy arrived at a shop with the name Ollivander's Wand Shop in scripted gold letters above the doorway. This time it was Harry who pulled Izzy into the shop, eager to get his wand. They walked up to the front desk and saw shelves upon shelves of boxes.
'Are these all wands?' Harry thought. He was taken away from his thoughts when Izzy rang the silver bell that was on the desk. Its ring was loud when compared to the silence that surrounded them. In less than a moment, an elderly man with old and dusty looking robes, slid into view on a ladder with wheels.
"Ah Mr. Potter and Miss. Alaverti," the man said in greeting. "Here to get your first wands I presume," he said with a grin. Izzy and Harry both nodded their heads yes but kept their mouths closed. This man looked crazy in their opinion. Especially since his white hair looked as if it could defy gravity.
"Let's start with you Mr. Potter," the man, that was presumed to be Mr. Ollivander, said. He pulled out about ten boxes and put them on the desk. He opened the first one and handed it to Harry. "Mahogany, 12 inches with a Unicorn hair core," Mr. Ollivander stated.
Harry held the wand in his right hand wondering what he should do now. He looked to Izzy on what he should do but she just shrugged her shoulders with an expression stating that she was just as confused as he is. "Well don't just stand there. Give it a wave," the old man said with impatience.
Harry jumped at Mr. Ollivander's voice and waved the wand. A vase exploded spilling water, soil and plant parts all over. Both Harry and Izzy jumped in fear at the event. Harry carefully and hurriedly put the wand on the desk with both of his hands. He kept his eyes down. "No, that one is not it," Ollivander stated.
The process repeated with Harry making things explode, burst into flames or being knocked off shelves until there were no more wands on the desk. Harry looked dejected and sad that he couldn't find the right wand. "It's okay Harry we'll find you the perfect wand," Izzy encouraged with a sincere smile.
Harry responded with a small smile. Mr. Ollivander came back with one particularly old looking box. "I wonder," he muttered. He took out a dark colored wand from the well worn bx. The shopkeeper handed it to Harry. Harry took it into his right hand and felt a warm breeze pass over him once the wand touched his skin.
Harry looked up when Ollivander muttered something along the lines of 'curious.' Instead of explaining his mutterings, the shopkeeper turned to Izzy trying to think of what wand would fit her perfectly. He went to the back to get the different possibilities. Meanwhile Harry and Izzy began to speak in hushed tones.
"What did he mean by 'curious'?" Harry asked her. "I don't know Harry but maybe he will explain when I get my wand," she stated to the dark haired boy. He nodded his head just as the old man came back and placed five boxes in front of the two. He took out a black wand from the first box and handed it to Izzy.
"Sycamore, 11 inches with a Serpent scale core," he said. Izzy gave the wand a wave and ended up blowing a hole in the roof. She practically threw the wand back on the desk as if it burned her. "Not that one," the old shopkeeper said. Like Harry, Isabella went through all of the wands Ollivander put on the desk and nothing but destruction followed.
"I have one more wand that may be the one for you Miss. Alaverti," the white haired male stated while going towards the back of the store.
"I think we are just having bad luck today Harry," Izzy said with a miserable groan. Harry only had enough time to pat her on the shoulder before Ollivander came back with one box. He opened it to reveal a wand that was as white as the snow. He handed it to the young girl.
"Ivory, 12 inches with a Dragon fang core," the man stated. Once the wand touched Izzy's hand, warmth surrounded her body and she seemed to glow with a silvery light. "Curiouser and curiouser," they heard the old man mumble. "Okay! What is curious about the wands that you gave us?" the young girl asked annoyed with all the muttering. The shopkeeper then told them about the stories behind the wands that the two children held in their hands.
