Well don't ask me how but I manged to type this entire chapter in one day.I hope you enjoy it.And also want to thank my reviewers.
Mcgowang:Thanks for my very first reveiw!
Streaming Radiant Fire:Thanks for all the great advice!
It really helped!
And now on with the story.
Disclaimer:I don't own it.
Chapter 1 The Worst Birthday
Not for the first time,an argument had broken out over brekfast at number four,Privet Drive.Mr.Vernon Dusley
"Wait a minute,Remus." Lily interupted. "But did you say Vernon Dursley?"
"Yes,why?"
"Because thats the name of my sisters fiance'."
"Really?" James asked."I wounder what he's doing in the book."
"Keep going Remus," lily said.
had been woken in the early hours of the morning by a loud,hooting noise from his nephew Harry's room. "Third time this week!" he roared across the table. "If you can't control that owl,it'll have to go!'' Harry tried,yet again,to explain. "She's bored," he said. "She's used to flying around outside.If I could just let her out at night ---"
"Why can't he?" Jame asked.
"Let me read and maybe you'll find out." Remus said.
"Do I look stupid?" snarled Uncle Vernon,a bit of fried egg dangling from his bushy mustache.
"From that description I'd have to say,yes,you look very stupid." Sirius said.
"I know what'll happen if that owl's let out." He exchanged dark looks with his wife,Petunia.
"Petunia!!??'' Lily screeched.
"Ow! easy on the ears lily," Sirius said rubbing both of his ears.
"But thats the name of sister!
"Really?" Remus asked a little shocked.
"Yes!"
"Then how about we keep reading and find out why your sister and her fiance' are in a book." James said.
''Good Idea,James," Remus agreed.
"Its the only kind I have." he replied smirking.
"Just let me read."
Harry tried to argue back but his words were drowned by a long,loud belch from the Dursleys' son,Duldley. "I want more bacon."
"Charming," Sirius muttered.
"I can't beleive they had a kid." Lily said shaking her head.
"There's more in the frying pan,sweetums," said Aunt Petunia,turning misty eyes on her massive son. "We must build you up while we've got the chance...I don't like the sound of that school food..."
''Nonesense,Petunia,I never went hungry when I went to Smeltings," said Uncle Vernon heartily. "Dudley gets enough,don't you,son?" Dudley,who was so large his bottom drooped over either side of the kitchen chair,grinned and turned to Harry. "Pass the frying pan."
"Get it yourself.James said.
"You've forgooten the magic word," said Harry irritably.The effect of this simple sentence on the rest of the family was incredalbe:Dudley gasped and fell off his chair with a crash that shook the whole kitchen;Mrs.Dursley gave a small scream and clapped her hands to her mouth;Mr.Dursley jumped to his feet,veins throbbing in his temples.
"What did say?'' Sirius asked.
"I meant please
"WHAT HAVE I TOLD YOU,'' thundered his uncle,spraying spit over the table
Gross!
"ABOUT SAYING THE 'M' WORD IN OUR HOUSE?''
"He doesn't mean 'magic' does he?" asked James increduasly.
"He must," Remus answered equally confused.
"But I ----"
''HOW DARE YOU THREATEN DUDLEY!" roared Uncle Vernon,pounding the table with his fist.
"I just ---- ''
"I WARNED YOU!I WILL NOT TOLERATR MENTION OF ABNORMALITY UNDER THIS ROOF!"
Harry stared from his purple-faced uncle to his plae aunt,who was trying to heave Dudley to his feet."All right,'' said Harry, ''all right ..."
Unccle Vernon sat back down,breathing like a winded rhinoceros
"And probably looking like one too." muttered Sirius.
and watching Harry closely out of the corners of his small,sharp eyes.Ever sonce Harry had come home for the summer holidays,Uncle Vernon had been treating him like a time bomb that might go off at any moment,because Harry Potter wasn't a normal boy.As a matter of fact,he was not normal as it is possible to be.Harry Potter was a wizard
"But that is normal," Sirius protested.
"Not to muggles," Remus explained.
"Oh."
-- a wizard fresh from his first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.And if the Dursleys were unhappy to have him back for the holidays,it was nothing to how he felt.
"After what we've read so far, I can imagine." Remus sympathized.
He misssed Hogwarts so much it was like having a constant stomachache.He missed the castle,eith its secret passageways and ghosts,his classes (though perhaps not Snape,the potions master),
"Snape a teacher?! What is the world coming to?" Sirius asked shaking his head.
the mail arriving by owl,eating banquets in the Great Hall,sleeping in his four-poster bed in the tower dormitory,visting the gamekeeper,Hagrid,in his cabin next to the forbidden forest on the grounds,and,especially Quidditch,the most popular sport in the wizarding world
"Definatly James's son," Lily,Remus,and Sirius said at the same time.James just shot them all mock glares.
(six tall goal posts,four flying balls,and fourteen players on broomsticks).All Harry's spellbooks,his wand,robes,cauldron,and top-of-the line Nimbus Two Thousand broomstick had been locked in a cuboard under the stairs by Uncle Vernon the instant Harry had come home.What did the Dursleys care if Harry lost his place on the House Quidditch team because he hadn't practiced all summer?
"Hang on," James interuppted, "Harry said he just finshed his first year."
"So"? Sirius asked.
"So.How would he get kicked of the Qudditch team,first years aren't allowd." James answered.
"Good,point." Remus said. "Do you think they changed the rules?"
"I doubt it." Sirius replied.
"Then,I wounder how he's on the team?" James mused.
"Maybe if youlet me keep reading we'll find out."Remus said.
"Good point,Moony.Go ahead."
What was it to the Dursleys if Harry went back to school without any of his homework done?The Dursleys were what wizards called Muggles (not a drop of magical blood in their veins),and as far as they were concerned,having a wizard in the family was a matter of depest shame.Uncle Vernon had even padlocked Harry's owl,Hedwig,inside her cage,to stop her from carrying messages to anyone in the wizarding world.Harry looked nothing like the rest of his family.Unlce Vernon was large and neckless,with an enormous black mustaacge;Aunt Petunia was horse-faced and bony;
"Thats my sister!" Lily exclaimed.
Are you sure Lily," asked James.
"Positive it sounds just like her." Lily paused for a minute,then said. "If thats my sister then that means..." She looked over at James,who looked confused for a minute but then realised what she meant.His eyes widened,his mouth dropped open,and he stared at his future wife for a seconds before a smile started to slowly creep across his face. "We're married in the future". he wispered finshing her sentence.She nodded.
"YES!!!" James cried.He picked Lily up and spun her aorund the room.
"James! James put me down!" Sirius and Remus were trying to hold back their laughter.James stopped spinning her and set her back on her feet. "Sorry", he apologized.He sat back down pulling her into his lap again. ''Keep reading Remus."
"hatever you say Prongs." Remus replied still trying very hard to hold back his laughter.
Dudley was blond,pink,and porky.Harry,on the other hand,was small and skinny,with brilliant green eyes and jet-black hair that was always untidy.
"Poor kidd," muttered a hand through his own unruley hair.Lily giggled."I think its cute," she said running her own hand through his hair.Sirius and Remus exchanged an amused glance knowing that less than a year ago when James would run his hand through his hair,Lily would roll her eyes and tell to stop being an arogant jerk.
He wore round glasses,and on his forehead was a thin,lighting-shaped scar.
"I wounder how he got that," Sirius mused.
It was this scar that made Harry so particulary unusual,even for a wizard.This scar was the only hint of Harry's mysterious past,of the reason he had been left on the Dursleys' doorstep eleven years before.At the age of one year old,Harry had somehow survived a curse from the greatest dark socerer of all time,Lord Voldermort,whose name most witches and wizards feared to speak.
"But how?",Lily asked sounding slightly tearful.
"And why would Voldemort want to curse Harry?" James asked.
"I don't know maybe if we keep reading we'll find out." Remus suggested.
Harry's parrents had died in Voldemorts attack,
Everyone froze.Remus looked up at the otheris with an expression of horror on his face. "You...you die?",Sirius asked.
"I guess so," James answered,before wrapping his arms around Lily,who had started to cry on his shoulder,and let a few of his own tears slide down his face.
"But...'' Sirius started.He couldn't beleive his best freind was going to die.How could this happen?
"We won't let it happen," Remus wispered. "What?" James asked,looking up. "We won't let it happen," Remus said a little louder. "We'll stop it.We'll finsh the book and find out what happens then we can stop it from happening.We can stop you from dying.
"But Remus,that would mean changing the future and awful things happen to wizards who meddle with time." Lily said trying to hold back more tears. "I know.But this book was sent to us for a reason and maybe that reason was to change the future." Remus stated.
"I agree with Moony." Sirius said. "I don't want to loes you guys."
"Lets finsh the book and then we'll decide how to change things." Remus said.James and Lily nodded.
but Harry had escaped with a lightnig scar,and somehow --- nobody understood why --- Voldemort's powers hd been destoryed the instant he failed to kill Harry.
"Wow," James wishpered.
So Harry had been brought up by his dead mother's sister and her husband.He had spent ten years with the Dursleys,never understanding why he gept making odd things happen without meaning to,believing the Dursleys' story that he had got his scar in the car crash that had killed his parents.
What?! the four freinds screamed.
"She never even told him that he was a wizard!" Remus said increduasly.
"Or how we died!" James exclaimed.
"Like you guys would die in a car crash," Sirius added.
"that does it!," Lily said.Petunia is sooo going to get it when I get home.
And then,exactly a year ago,Hogwarts had written to Harry and the whole story had come out.Harry had taken up hos place at wizard school,where he and his scar were famous...but now the school year was over,and he was back with the Dursleys for the summer,back to being treated like a dog that had rolled in something smelly.The Dursleys hadn't even remembered that today happened to be Harry's twelfth birthday.Of course his hopes hadn't been high;they'd never given him a real present,let alone a cake ---- but to ignore it complerely...
"Sirius,'' Lily interupted, ''can I ask you a favor?
"What is it?" he asked hesitantly not liking the look on her face.
"Can you make me a list of pranks to get Petunia with?''
Sirius looked at her a little shocked at first but then he smiled. "Of course,Mrs Prongs." he said ginving her a salute.
"Thank you,Sirius.Please continue reading,Remus."
Remus shook his head but continued reading.
At that moment,Uncle Vernon cleared his throat importantly and said, "Now,as we know,today is a very important day.
"What?Are they really talking about Harry's birthday?" Sirius asked.
"Probably not." Remus answered.
"Harry looked up hardly daring to beleive it. "This could well be the day I make the biggest deal of my carrer," said Uncle Vernon.
"Figures," Lily muttered.
Harry went back to his toast.Of course,he thought bitterly,Uncle Vernon was talking about the stupid dinner party.He'd been talking of nothing else for two weeks.Some rich builder and his wife were coming to dinner and Uncle Vernon was hoping to get a huge order from him (Uncle Vernon's compony made drills). "I think we should run through the schedule one more time," said Uncle Vernon. "We should all be in poistion at eight o' clock.Petunia,you will be ----?
"In the lounge," said Aunt Petunia promptly, "waiting to welcome them graciously to our home." "Good,good.And Dudley?"
"I'll be waiting to open the door." Dudley put on a foul,simpering smile. "May I take your coats,Mr. and Mrs. Mason?"
"They'll love him! cried Aunt Petunia rapturously.
"I doubt that," Sirius said.
"Excellent,Dudley," said Uncle Vernon.Then he rounded on Harry. "And you?" "I'll be in my bedroom,making no noise and pretending I'm not there," said Harry tonelessly. "Exactly," said Uncle Vernon nastily.
"Unbelievable!" James exclaimed. "They could at least treat him like a human being!
''I will lead them into the lounge,introduce you,Petunia,and pour them drinks.At eight-fifteen ---"
"I'll announce dinner," said Aunt Petunia. "And Dudley,you'll say ----"
"May I take you through to the dining room,Mrs.Mason?" said Dudley,offering his fat arm to an invisible woman. "My perfect little gentlemen!" sniffed Aunt Petunia. "And you? said Uncle Vernon viciously to Harry. "I'll be in my room,making no noise and pretending I'm not there," said Harry dully. "Precisely.Now,we should aim to get in a few good compliments at dinner.Petunia,any ideas?" "Vernon tells me you're a wounderful golfer Mr.Mason...Do tell me where you got that dress,Mrs.Mason..." "Perfect...Dudley?'' "How about ---- 'We had to write an essay about our hero at school,Mr.Mason,and I wrote about you.' "
The four friends couldn't help but laugh. "Thats so pathetic." Sirius said in between laughs.
This was too much for both Aunt Petunia and Harry.Aunt Petunia burst into tears and hugged her son,while Harry ducked under the table so they wouldn't see him laughing. "And you,boy?"
Harry fought to keep his face straight as he emerged. "I'll be in my room,making no noise and pretending I'm not there,'' he said. ''Too right,you will,'' said Uncle Vernon forcefully, "The Masons don't know anything about you and it's going to stay that way.When dinner's over,you take Mrs.Mason back to the lounge for coffee,Petunia,and I'll bring the subject around to drills..With any luck,I'll have the deal signed and sealed before the news at ten.
"Wonderful," James muttered.
We'll be shopping fo a vacation home in Majorca tomarrow." Harry couldn't feel too excited abou this.He didn't think the Dursleys would like him any better in Majorca than they did on Privet Drive. ''Right --- I'm off into town to pick up the dinner jackets for Dudley and me.And you," he snarled at Harry. "You stay out of your Aunt's way while she's cleaning." Harry left through the back door.It was brilliant,sunny day.He crossed the lawn,slumped down on the garden bench,and sang under his breath: "Happy Bithday to me...happy birthday...'' No cards,no presents,and he would be spending the evening pretending not to exist.
The three Mauraders frelt miserable for Harry and were wishing there was something they could do to make him feel even a little bit better.And Lily was trying very hard to hold back the tears that were threating to escape.
He gazed miserably into the hedge.He had never felt do lonley.More than anything else at Hogwarts,more even than playing Qudditich,Harry missed his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger.They.however,didn't seem to be missing him at all.Neither of them had written to him all summer,even though Ron had said he was going to ask Harry to come and times,Harry had been on the point of unlocking Hedwig's cage by magic and sending her to Ron and Hermione with a letter,
"No,Harry don't do that!" cried Lily. "You'll be expeled!"
"Um,Lily you know that he can't hear you,right? James asked.
"Of course I do." she said blushing a little.
but it wasn't worth the risk.Underage wizards weren't allowed to use magic outside os school.Harry hadn't told the Dursleys this:he knew it was only their terror that he might turn them all into dung beetles that stopped them from locking him in the cuboard under the stairs with his wand and broomstick.
"If they lock him in there I will find away to come back from the dead and haunt them if I have to," James said forcibly.
For the first couple of weeks back,Harry had enjoyed muttering non-sense words under his breath and watching Dudley tearing out of the room as fast as his fat legs would carry him.But the long silence from Ron and Hermione had made Harry feel so cut off from the magical wrold that even taunting Dudley had lost its appeal --- and now Ron and Hermione had forgotten his birthday.
"I wonder why his freinds aren't writing to him.Do you think they really forgot him?" Sirius asked.
"I doubt it,"James said frowning. "Maybe the letters got lost.
What wouldn't he give now for a message from Hogwarts.From any witch or Wizard?He'd almost be glad of a sight of his arch-enemy,Draco Malfoy?
"Malfoy? You don't think could that he could be related to that idiot,Lucious Malfoy,Do you? James asked.
"Most likely he is," Remus answered.
Not that his whole year at Hogwarts had been fun.
"Why not?," Sirius asked." I always have lots of fun at Hogwarts.Except when we get caught by Filtch.Or when we have detention.Or when we're getting a lecture from MaGonagall." Lily rolled her eyes. "Remus please keep reading before he comes up with more reasons."
At the very end of las term,Harry come face-to face with Voldemort himself.Voldemort might be a ruin of his former self,but he was still terrifying,still cunning,still determined to regain power.Harry had slipped through Voldemorts clutches for a second time,but it had been a narrow escape,and even now,weeks later,Harry kept waking in the night,drenched in cold sweat,woundering where Voldemort was now,remembering his livid face,hise wide,
mad eyes -----
"Oh,poor Harry!," Lily cried.
Harry suddenly sat bolt upright on the garden bench.He had been staring absent-midedly into the hedge --- and the hedge was staring back.
"Huh?" Sirius said.
"How can a bush be staring back at you?" asked James.
"Um,James I think someone is hiding in the bush watching Harry." said Remus. "Oh'',James said sheepishly.Lily giggles,causing James to send her a mock glare.She just grinned innocently and ruffled his hair before turning back towards Remus who had started reading again.
Two enormous green eyes had appeared among the leaves.Harry jumped to his feet just a jeering voice floated across the lawn. "I know what day it is,'' said Dudley waddling toward him.
"So what?'' James asked.
"Thats probably quite an acomplishment for Dudley though," Sirius pointed out.
"True," James agreed.
The huge eyes blinked and vanished.
"What?" said Harry,not taking his eyes off the spot where they had been. "I know what day it is," Dudley right up to him. "Well done," said Harry. "So you've finally learned the days of the week."
Remus had to stop reading so that he,like the others could laugh.
"That was a good one.' choked out James.
"Today's your birthday,'' sneered Dudley. ''How come you haven't got any cards? Haven't you got freinds at that freak place?"
"Of course he has freinds and its not a freak school!" Yelled Lily.
"Better not let your mum hear you talking about my school." said Harry coolly.Dudley hitched up his trousers,which were slipping down his fat bottom.
"Why're you staring at the hedge?" he said suspiciously. "I'm trying to decide what would be the best spell to set it on fire," said Harry.Dudley stumbled backward at once,a look of panic on his fat face. "You c-can't -- Dad told you're not to do m-magic -- he said he'll chuck you out of the house --- and you haven't got any-where else to go --- you haven't got any freinds to take oyu ---" "Jiggery pokery!" said Harry in a fierce voice. "Hocus pocus --- squiggly wiggly ---"
"MUUUUUUM!" howled Dudley,tripping ove his feet as he dashed back toward the house. "MUUUUM! He's doing you know what!"
"Dudley is so stupid!" Sirius exclaimed.
"I have to agree with Sirius on this one," Remus said. "Who would beleive that nonsense is magic?"
"Apparently Dudley," James remarked.
"And Petunia,"Lily added. " I used to do that when she started to get on my nerves.
Harry paid dearly for his moment of fun.As neither Dudley nor the hedge was in any way hurt,Aunt Petunia knew he hadn't really done magic,but he still had to duck as she aimed a heavy blow at his head with a soapy frying pan.
"She what?!!" Lily screeched. ''Just wait till get I home,Petunia,you won't know what hit you!
Then she gave him work to do,with the promise he would't eat again until he'd finshed.While Dudley lolled around watching and eating ice cream,Harry cleaned the windows,washed th car,mowed the lawn,trimmed the flowerbeds,pruned and watered the roses,and repainted the garden bench.
James had started muttering something that sounded like slave labour.Lily on the other hand was muttering death threats to her sister.
The sun blazed overhead,burning the back of his neck.Harry knew he shouldn't have risen to Dudley's bait,but Dudley had said the very thing Harry had been thinking himself...maybe he didn't have any friends at Hogwarts...
Wish they could see the famous Harry Potter now,he thought savagley as he spread manure on the flower bedshis back aching,sweat running down his face.It was half past seven in the evening when at last,exhausted,he heard Aunt Petunia calling him.
"Lily I really hate your sister." James said through clenched teeth.
"Me too,James." said Lily clearly just as angry.
"Get in here!And walk on the newspaper!"
Harry moved gladly into the shade of the gleaming kitchen.On top of the fridge stood tonight's pudding:a huge mound of whipped cream and sugared violets.A loin of roast pork was sizzling in the oven. "Eat quickly! The Masons will be here soon! snapped Aunt Petunia,pointing to two slices of bread and a lump of cheese on the kitchen table.
"She's practiclly starving him," James yelled.He looked over at Lily and was surprized to see her looking quite calm. "Sirius,'' she said calmly.
"Yes?'' he said hesitantly. "Whatever you're putting on that list make sure that it includes blue and orange hair with spikes."
"Yes Ma'am,'' he said saluting her again.
She was already wearing a salmon-pink cocktail dress.Harry washed his hands and bolted down his pitiful supper.The moment he had finshed,Aunt Petunia whisked away his plate. "Upstairs! Hurry!"
As he passed the door to the living room,Harry caught a glimpse of Uncle Vernon and Dudley in bow ties and dinner jackets.He had only just reached the upstairs landing when the door-bell rang and Uncle Vernon's furious face appeared at the foot of the stairs.
"He didn't even do any thing." Lily exclaimed.
"Remember boy --- one sound---"
Harry crossed to his bedroom on tiptoe,slipped inside,closed the door,and turned to collapse on his bed.The trouble was,there was already someone sitting on it.
"Why'd you stop reading?" Sirius asked.
"Because it the end of the chapter." Remus answered.
"Oh."
"Alright,who wants to read next?" asked Remus.
"I will." Sirius offered.
Remus raised his eyebrows and opened his mouth.
"I know I know,'' Sirius interupted, "You never thought you'd live to see the day when Sirius Black would offer to read a book.You lived.You saw.Now give me the book."
Remus smiled and tossed the book to Sirius who opened the book to chapter two and started to read.
Man,that was alot to type!Please review and tell me what you think.Any mistakes or tips are always appreciated.It'll probably be a day or two before I update again.It took me all day to type this chapter so I need a break.But I hope you like the chapter:)