Chapter Two: The Surprise Visitor
Harry Potter lay awake on his bed as the clock changed to 00:00. It's my birthday, Harry thought to himself. "Well, Happy Birthday to me then. If only I could spend this day with my friends." Harry frowned to himself and as he listened to the sound of his uncle's snoring he drifted of to sleep. *-*-*-*
Harry woke up in the morning to the sound of an owl tapping on his window. "Alright, alright, I'm up." He got off his bed and opened the window for the owl. "So, what do we have here? My first birthday present?" Harry said as he took the letter from the brown owl. No, not a present. It's my letter from Hogwarts. Oh well, I could have hoped right? I'll read it later then. As he stuffed the letter into his drawer, he threw on a shirt and made his way down to breakfast.
In the kitchen, Petunia and Vernon Dursley sat eating their breakfast. And when Harry entered, they didn't take any notice of him. Harry was used to this treatment since he returned for the holidays, as he was treated like this everyday for the 15 years he lived with the Dursleys. Why should my birthday be any different? He thought to himself. Sitting down at the breakfast table, he buttered himself some toast and started eating it. When he was just about to finish his breakfast, the doorbell rang and his uncle got up to see who it was. "Oh hello there, Mrs Figg, what brings you to our humble home?" Harry heard from the living room. Arabella Figg? What was Arabella doing at my house? He got up and ran outside to the door.
"Hello, Ara-I mean Mrs Figg." Harry had to stop himself from giving away who she truly was to his uncle. "What are you doing here?"
"Where's your manners boy? You do not ask the poor woman what she's doing here! It makes it sound as though she's not welcome! Which you are Mrs Figg. Come in, come in. We were just finishing breakfast. Would you like a cup of tea?" Vernon Dursley asked the woman at his door.
"Oh no, Vernon, thank you. I'm actually here to see of o could borrow Harry today. I need to go up to London today and I would really appreciate some help from a young man like him." The aging woman said to Vernon.
"Oh of course you may borrow him! Take him for the whole for if you wish! He's not much use around here anyways." He said glaring at his nephew. "Well? What are you waiting for boy? Go get changed! You're going up to London today."
"Yes Uncle Vernon," Harry said as he dashed up the stairs to his room. Well it may not be a bad birthday after all. Arabella isn't such bad company afterall. And maybe we can stop by Diagon Alley while we're in London. Harry smiled.
As Harry came running back down the stairs, Vernon yelled to him, "Now don't you give Mrs Figg any problems! Behave yourself or you'll have to answer to me, you get that boy?"
"Yes, Uncle Vernon. I will behave myself."
And as Harry moved towards the door, Vernon grabbed him and whispered to him, "And no funny business, none of that M thing, you understand?" Harry nodded dumbly to his Uncle and ran out of the door before Vernon said anything else.
Harry found that Arabella was already in her car, ready to drive the minute Harry entered.
"Happy Birthday Harry! You didn't think we would let you spend your birthday with those awful Dursley right?" Arabella winked at him as his mouth fell open.
"You mean, I'm going to spend my birthday with my friends? Where? Who's coming? Ron? Hermione? What about Ginny? We've been writing to each other during the Holidays. I really hope she will be there!" Harry said in almost one breath.
"Clam down Harry. Yes they will all be there. And we are going to London. Just not Muggle London. We're going to Diagon Alley, the Caldron has been booked to celebrate your birthday. Sixteen is a very important age for any witch or wizard. It means that you are just 365 days away from being the legal age to do magic outside school." Arabella said smirking to herself.
"Very funny, Arabella, 365 days. Ha-ha." Harry said sarcastically.
And so this overly sarcastic conversation went on till they reached Diagon Alley.
Harry Potter lay awake on his bed as the clock changed to 00:00. It's my birthday, Harry thought to himself. "Well, Happy Birthday to me then. If only I could spend this day with my friends." Harry frowned to himself and as he listened to the sound of his uncle's snoring he drifted of to sleep. *-*-*-*
Harry woke up in the morning to the sound of an owl tapping on his window. "Alright, alright, I'm up." He got off his bed and opened the window for the owl. "So, what do we have here? My first birthday present?" Harry said as he took the letter from the brown owl. No, not a present. It's my letter from Hogwarts. Oh well, I could have hoped right? I'll read it later then. As he stuffed the letter into his drawer, he threw on a shirt and made his way down to breakfast.
In the kitchen, Petunia and Vernon Dursley sat eating their breakfast. And when Harry entered, they didn't take any notice of him. Harry was used to this treatment since he returned for the holidays, as he was treated like this everyday for the 15 years he lived with the Dursleys. Why should my birthday be any different? He thought to himself. Sitting down at the breakfast table, he buttered himself some toast and started eating it. When he was just about to finish his breakfast, the doorbell rang and his uncle got up to see who it was. "Oh hello there, Mrs Figg, what brings you to our humble home?" Harry heard from the living room. Arabella Figg? What was Arabella doing at my house? He got up and ran outside to the door.
"Hello, Ara-I mean Mrs Figg." Harry had to stop himself from giving away who she truly was to his uncle. "What are you doing here?"
"Where's your manners boy? You do not ask the poor woman what she's doing here! It makes it sound as though she's not welcome! Which you are Mrs Figg. Come in, come in. We were just finishing breakfast. Would you like a cup of tea?" Vernon Dursley asked the woman at his door.
"Oh no, Vernon, thank you. I'm actually here to see of o could borrow Harry today. I need to go up to London today and I would really appreciate some help from a young man like him." The aging woman said to Vernon.
"Oh of course you may borrow him! Take him for the whole for if you wish! He's not much use around here anyways." He said glaring at his nephew. "Well? What are you waiting for boy? Go get changed! You're going up to London today."
"Yes Uncle Vernon," Harry said as he dashed up the stairs to his room. Well it may not be a bad birthday after all. Arabella isn't such bad company afterall. And maybe we can stop by Diagon Alley while we're in London. Harry smiled.
As Harry came running back down the stairs, Vernon yelled to him, "Now don't you give Mrs Figg any problems! Behave yourself or you'll have to answer to me, you get that boy?"
"Yes, Uncle Vernon. I will behave myself."
And as Harry moved towards the door, Vernon grabbed him and whispered to him, "And no funny business, none of that M thing, you understand?" Harry nodded dumbly to his Uncle and ran out of the door before Vernon said anything else.
Harry found that Arabella was already in her car, ready to drive the minute Harry entered.
"Happy Birthday Harry! You didn't think we would let you spend your birthday with those awful Dursley right?" Arabella winked at him as his mouth fell open.
"You mean, I'm going to spend my birthday with my friends? Where? Who's coming? Ron? Hermione? What about Ginny? We've been writing to each other during the Holidays. I really hope she will be there!" Harry said in almost one breath.
"Clam down Harry. Yes they will all be there. And we are going to London. Just not Muggle London. We're going to Diagon Alley, the Caldron has been booked to celebrate your birthday. Sixteen is a very important age for any witch or wizard. It means that you are just 365 days away from being the legal age to do magic outside school." Arabella said smirking to herself.
"Very funny, Arabella, 365 days. Ha-ha." Harry said sarcastically.
And so this overly sarcastic conversation went on till they reached Diagon Alley.