-1The Second Star to the Right

"…when the first baby laughed for the first time, its laugh broke into a thousand pieces, and they all went skipping about, and that was the beginning of fairies." J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens and Peter and Wendy, Oxford Press, 1999, page 32

Chapter One: The Letter

15 years later- 11:50pm- July 30th - Privet Drive

Harry tended his most recent bruises with some lotion he'd swiped from the upstairs bathroom. It was just a small tube that had been there for months, according to the sell-by date, and was full, so his aunt must have forgotten she had it. He'd been at Privet Drive since his parents had been killed by the Dark Lord Voldemort, when he was a year old. He almost wished he could have been killed with them. He hated it here at Privet Drive. He hated the way his life was going. Here he was a nothing more than a punching bag and slave to the other inhabitants. To his school and to the rest of the wizarding world, he was an insane, attention-seeking, self-centered, hero. He never asked to be a hero, he never asked for the fame. He had only told them the truth when Lord Voldemort had been revived. But only a select few believed him without hardened proof. All the last year he was belittled and beaten for continuing to state the truth, to warn people about the threat of Voldemort. And what had it gotten him? Nothing but heartache, that's what. He'd had to watch his godfather die. Die because of him.

In desperate need for some sign of hope, he reached over to pick up his photo album. He looked at his mother's kind face, smiling up at him. It gave him a comfort to know that even though she was gone, she was still looking down on him, with that same smile. As much as he loved his father, and missed him, his pictures didn't give him that same comfort for some reason. Maybe it was just a mother-thing. A tear dripped down his face.

Just as he was wiping it away, the clock downstairs chimed the midnight hour. It was now July 31st, his sixteenth birthday. And as usual, as if on cue, several owls came fluttering through the window. The usual gifts from his friends and Hagrid's rock cakes, brought a pleased grin to his countenance. The school owl of course bore his letter of requirements and his OWL scores. But there was one gift that struck him as odd. It was delivered by an owl he had never seen before. It was a small, rectangular object, and when he held it felt soft, it wasn't a solid box shape. More like the shape of something folded, like clothing. Maybe it was from Mrs. Weasley, maybe. Although it was doubtful.

He opened the package carefully, not wishing to tear whatever it might be. He gasped as his fingers touched a soft fabric that he only remembered clutching once before, as an infant. "My baby blanket." he said incredulously. "I thought this was destroyed in the attack." Yes, he remembered the blanket. He also vaguely remembered a young boy's face looking down upon him as he wrapped him in it. "Where did I get this anyway?" he asked himself. He allowed his fingers to trace the faint embroidery of a large island with a rainbow cascading over it and the words "The Second Star to the Right and Straight On 'Til Morning" that was just beneath the island picture. He came upon the small pocket stitched into the compass area of the island. And his eyes fell upon a rolled up parchment peeping out of it. "What is this?" He pulled it out and untied the red ribbon.

Harry,

If you are reading this, then it must mean you need my help. Or it could just mean that you finally found it and just need a friend. Well, whatever the reason, if you want my help, then just say "I Believe in Fairies", and I'll come. Your mom is afraid I'll forget you, but that's probably for a really good reason. But I could never forget her. Well, you know what to do. Hope to hear from you soon.

There was no signature of any kind. Harry bit his lip. Someone was actually offering to help him. Someone who knew his mother. Maybe that was reason enough to call whoever it was. "Okay," he said to himself, "I believe in fairies."

A sudden twinkle erupted from his small closet, followed by a squeal. The twinkle-light flew, tiny and quick, around his head and out the small open window.

Harry had seen many magical things in his time. He was a wizard after all. But he had never, never seen anything like that before. What was that?

AN: Chapter One is done and in the next chapter, well, you can guess which character will be appearing. In each chapter, I will include a discussion question. Please do NOT include the answer in a review. Mostly, these questions are rhetorical, just something to get your mental gears working. BUT if you want to include your answer, please email me, at

Discussion Question: What is your happy thought?