Chapter 4: THE LETTERS FROM NO ONE

They decided they would read this chapter and two more then would stop for lunch. Ron grumbled until Molly passed around snacks for everyone. She smiled slightly, "Who would like to read?"

"I will," Remus said.

"The escape of the Brazilian boa constrictor earned Harry his longest-ever punishment."

Sirius and Remus growled, absolutely furious.

"…first time out on his racing bike, knocked down old Mrs. Figg as she crossed Privet Drive on her crutches."

"Pup when was Dudley's birthday," Sirius asked dangerously.

"Um… late May." The adults looked furious.

"… but as Dudley was the biggest and stupidest of the lot, he was the leader. The rest of them were all quite happy to join in Dudley's favorite sport: Harry Hunting."

"That would be like if Crabbe led our group?" Draco asked.

Harry nodded and Draco wrinkled his nose in disgust.

" Harry, on the other hand, was going to Stonewall High, the local public school."

"No you're not," the children said. Harry just looked at them with a raised an eyebrow.

"No, thanks," said Harry. "The poor toilet's never had anything as horrible as your head down it - it might be sick."

"Harrykins, where is this cheek," the twins asked.

"Some where you two can't corrupt it," Harry answered cheekily. The children and adults laughed while the twins pouted.

"Then he ran, before Dudley could work out what he'd said."

"You probably didn't have to run. I doubt he would have figured it." Coventina said.

"Alright that's it, why do you seem to understand so well what I went through?" Harry asked. She gave him a sad smile and seemed to be debating whether to tell them or not. She took a deep breath, "I too was placed with muggles. My parents died in the war though they were neutral. I was placed with my mother's older sister. However, my aunt had been disowned by grandfather due to her violence and lack of magic and her and my mother hated each other. They hadn't actually seen each other since my mother was twelve. I was placed there by Dumbledore instead of with my uncle who my mother loved and who would have been better equipped to handle a magical child. Anyways, my family was pretty abusive. I wasn't beaten as bad as you were but I had so many chores I was often up until midnight to finish it. I don't think I slept more than 4 hours a night until I turned eleven. I also had two older cousins, they were fraternal twins. My male cousin wasn't so bad but my female cousin was horrible. She was like a female version of Dudley. Fat, stupid, and her parents' little angel. I decided to go to Beaubatons instead of Hogwarts because of Dumbledore. There I met my four friends. The summer after my first year I found my uncle and he has raised me since then but I understand how you feel."

The revelation silenced the group. Charlie, Fred, and George looked furious at what they had heard. George gave in to the strange feelings he was having. He got up and went over to her, picked her up, and took her back to the couch he was sitting on and pulled her into his lab. She was stiff for a minute then relaxed and hid her face in his chest.

"She let Harry watch television and gave him a bit of chocolate cake that tasted as though she'd had it for several years."

Remus looked horrified at what she had done to the chocolate. Sirius and Harry just laughed at his expression.

" They also carried knobbly sticks, used for hitting each other while the teachers weren't looking. This was supposed to be good training for later life."

"That's terrible," McGonagall sniffed.

Coventina looked up and with a mischievous smile said, "How's that different from what we do. You give us wands then just let us go at it."

The children laughed at the offended expression on McGonagall's face. George looked at her with pride. She arched her brow at him and just smirked.

" Harry didn't trust himself to speak. He thought two of his ribs might already have cracked from trying not to laugh."

Nobody had any control this time. They all burst out laughing. George stopped laughing and smiled blindingly listening to Coventina's laugh. He looked at her, "We need to come up with a nickname for you. No offense but your name is a mouthful." She smiled at him, "Call me Tina like my friends do." The four boys nodded in agreement.

"The tub was full of what looked like dirty rags swimming in gray water."

All of the females wrinkled their noses in disgust.

"Oh," he said, "I didn't realize it had to be so wet."

"And there is Lily's cheek," Severus said, smiling slightly. Harry smiled at the clear olive branch.

"Harry seriously doubted this, but thought it best not to argue."

"What?" gasped Severus, "You actually know how to not argue?" Harry glared at him as the adults all laughed. Minerva especially, was happy to see this new side of Severus. She had been worried about him as he had gotten more and more depressed since Lily's death.

"...like he was wearing bits of old elephant skin, probably."

All of the pranksters burst out laughing.

"Get the mail, Dudley," said Uncle Vernon from behind his paper."

"WHAT?" the twins shouted. Then proceeded to pretend to faint.

"Get the mail, Harry."

"All better," the twins woke up.

"Poke him with your Smelting stick, Dudley."

Sirius and Remus growled.

"... A letter for Harry."

All the children cheered except for Tina, Diandre, Alger, Eamon, and Garron.

" No one, ever, in his whole life, had written to him. Who would?"

"Only over half of the Wizarding World," shouted the children.

Yet here it was, a letter, addressed so plainly there could be no mistake:

Mr. H. Potter

The Cupboard under the Stairs

4 Privet Drive

Little Whinging

Surrey

Harry turned to McGonagall. "How did you not notice the address on the envelope?"

McGonagall blushed and looked away. "The letters are addressed by a self-addressing quill. We do not look at them. We used to but when Dumbledore became headmaster he insisted that it was an invasion of privacy."

They all frowned in consternation and worry.

" The envelope was thick and heavy, made of yellowish parchment, and the address was written in emerald-green ink."

"Why is the ink green?" Ron asked.

"Aunt Minnie's favorite color is green," Harry said giggling at Ron's face.

"How do you know that Mr. Potter," McGonagall asked.

Harry laughed, "You always wear green robes and you always write in green on our papers. You also write on the boards in green."

They all laughed at her face. She looked shocked which then turned into a fond smile that she directed at Harry. She got up and pulled him into a hug. "I am so sorry I didn't fight him more. I figured I would find an alternative and then go to him as I know hard it is to change his mind. I have never forgiven him for leaving you there and after everything I have heard, I am not sure I can ever trust him again." Harry smiled and relaxed in her hold. "I never blamed you, I love you Aunt Minnie."

"I love you too little one."

Everyone was confused at the closeness they portrayed.

"Harry's grandmother was my best friend. I was godmother and aunt to James and that transferred to Harry." They nodded.

"...coat of arms; a lion..."

All of the present and past Gryffindors cheered.

"...an eagle..."

There was light clapping from everyone.

"...a badger..."

Tonks cheered.

"...and a snake..."

The Slytherins politely clapped.

"...surrounding a large letter H."

"HOGWARTS," everyone except for Tina, Diandre, Eamon, Alger, and Garron yelled.

" "What are you doing, checking for letter bombs?" He chuckled at his own joke."

The pranksters all sweat dropped at that. "Horrible joke," Sirius and Remus muttered looking disgusted.

"Dad!" said Dudley suddenly. "Dad, Harry's got something!"

"Oh no," Hermione moaned, "Why didn't you open it in the hall?"

"I was ten, Hermione, I didn't think it through." Harry retorted.

"...when it was jerked sharply out of his hand by Uncle Vernon."

Remus, Sirius and Severus all growled angrily. The rest looked furious. The receiving of a Hogwarts letter was a very big deal in a magical child's life and to see it taken away made them angry.

"That's mine!" said Harry, trying to snatch it back.

"Temper, temper, Harry," teased Sirius.

"P-P-Petunia!" he gasped.

"So dramatic," snorted the twins.

"Vernon! Oh my goodness - Vernon!"

"Drama Queen," Ginny, Hermione, and Tina muttered.

Harry didn't move.

"I WANT MY LETTER!" he shouted.

"And that ladies and gentleman is the temper from Lily Potter nee Evans passed on to her only heir. May Merlin have mercy on your souls," Severus said like an announcer. Everyone stared at him in shock before bursting out laughing. Fred fell on the floor he was laughing so hard.

"...scruffs of their necks and threw them into the hall..."

Bill, Draco, and Theo had, had it. They got up and walked over to Harry who was still in Sirius's lap. They each pulled him into a huge hug before allowing him to sit back down. At the same time, Fred, Charlie, and George all noticed that Tina had flinched. They knew she was remembering her own childhood. They pulled her into a big group cuddle and stayed that way.

"...Dudley won, so Harry, his glasses dangling from one ear, lay flat on his stomach to listen at the crack between door and floor."

"Of course he won," Harry muttered, "He is four times my size."

"Watching - spying - might be following us," muttered Uncle Vernon wildly.

"Now why would we want to do that?" Lucius sneered.

"...we'd stamp out that dangerous nonsense?"

At that the adults lost it. Harry looked at them really confused wondering why they were so worked up. Remus noticed the look. "Trying to stamp out magic is really dangerous. If you are lucky you retain your magic. If not you could lose control of it completely and become very dangerous. Otherwise you lose your magic. If you lost control you could have become very dangerous, killing your relatives or yourself. At best you would have lost your magic. Basically you cut yourself from your core and it usually kills you. We are lucky you are still alive." Harry turned pale at that and looked at Tina. They shared a look of understanding and disgust. Dumbledore.

"...he visited Harry in his cupboard."

"He fit?" Ron asked in wonder and a bit of horror.

"No, just his head," Harry answered.

"No one. It was addressed to you by mistake," said Uncle Vernon shortly. "I have burned it."

"No it wasn't, it had his cupboard on it," yelled Hermione. Harry sniggered and she glared at him.

"It was not a mistake," said Harry angrily, "it had my cupboard on it."

Hermione blushed understanding why he sniggered.

"SILENCE!" yelled Uncle Vernon, and a couple of spiders

Ron shuddered and the twins laughed at him.

"...we think it might be nice if you moved into Dudley's second bedroom."

"HE HAD A SECOND BEDROOM WHILE YOU WERE IN A CUPBOARD! HORRIBLE, NASTY, NO GOOD PEOPLE!" Molly and Sirius screamed.

"... I don't want him in there... I need that room... make him get out..."

"Horrible child," the women muttered looking absolutely disgusted.

Today he'd rather be back in his cupboard with that letter than up here without it.

Tina and Severus looked at him, understanding why he felt like that.

"There's another one! Mr. H. Potter, the Smallest Bedroom, 4 Privet Drive -'"

"Why would he do that if he wanted to read it?" Diandre and Eamon asked.

"Cause he is extremely stupid." Harry answered.

"...Harry had grabbed Uncle Vernon around the neck from behind."

"Practicing for the troll Harry," Ron sniggered. Harry just stuck his tongue out at him.

"Troll, what troll?" Sirius demanded. Harry blushed and looked away.

"You will see," was all he would say.

And this time he'd make sure they didn't fail. He had a plan.

"Oh no, not one of your plans," Hermione and Ron moaned as Harry glared at them.

"What's wrong with his plans?" Sirius asked.

"They never go the way they should. He is brilliant thinking on his feet but planning is not his forte." They answered.

Sirius sniggered, "It was the same with your father. His plans were the ones that always got us caught. It was Remus's plans that we got away with."

McGonagall gasped looking betrayed. "I thought you were the good one Mr. Lupin."

"Only compared to who I hung out with, compared to others, nope not really." Remus said smirking.

"Harry leapt into the air; he'd trodden on something big and squashy on the doormat - something alive!"

"Please let it be your uncle," all of the pranksters prayed.

" Lights clicked on upstairs and to his horror Harry realized that the big, squashy something had been his uncle's face."

Everyone cheered then sobered. How much trouble would Harry be in?

"Uncle Vernon didn't go to work that day. He stayed at home and nailed up the mail slot."

"Not going to work." The children said.

"Oh, these people's minds work in strange ways, Petunia, they're not like you and me," said Uncle Vernon,

"Thank Merlin for that." Draco mumbled.

"He hummed "Tiptoe through the Tulips" as he worked, and jumped at small noises."

"That's it, he's lost it." Yelled Alger and the twins in fear.

"Who on earth wants to talk to you this badly?" Dudley asked Harry in amazement."

"Only the entire Wizarding World." The children yelled. Harry looked really confused.

"Did people actually write to me?" He asked.

"Yeah," Ron answered.

"Then why did I never get any?" Harry asked.

Tina scowled, "My guess is Dumbledore put up a mail barrier to reroute your mail so you wouldn't get it. You should check at Gringotts after this is all over." Harry nodded then turned back to Remus.

"...but Harry leapt into the air trying to catch one."

Hermione laughed at him. He blushed, "Seeker instincts."

"Uncle Vernon seized Harry around the waist and threw him into the hall."

Sirius and Remus growled again.

"He looked so dangerous with half his mustache missing that no one dared argue."

"Why dangerous? I feel like it would be more ridiculous," Garron asked. Harry shrugged.

"Shake'em off... shake 'em off," he would mutter whenever he did this."

"Completely mental," Charlie muttered.

"They ate stale cornflakes and cold tinned tomatoes on toast for breakfast the next day."

"That's not breakfast," Molly yelled furiously.

"The woman stared."

"DO something," Hermione yelled.

"Daddy's gone mad, hasn't he?"

"Daddy has been mad for a long time," Tina snarked.

"...Tuesday, was Harry's eleventh birthday."

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" The children called. Harry just shook his head.

"...a coat hanger and a pair of Uncle Vernon's old socks."

Sirius and Remus exchanged a look. They were going to spoil him rotten on his birthday. Lots and lots of presents. Sirius pulled Harry even closer into himself.

"Perched on top of the rock was the most miserable little shack you could imagine. One thing was certain, there was no television in there."

"That doesn't sound safe at all," muttered McGonagall.

"Uncle Vernon's rations turned out to be a bag of chips each and four bananas."

"That is not food," Molly said horrified. She went and grabbed a cookie and passed it to Harry.

"Harry privately agreed, though the thought didn't cheer him up at all."

"So pessimistic," Theo teased.

"Harry was left to find the softest bit of floor he could and to curl up under the thinnest, most ragged blanket."

"That's it," Sirius said, "As soon as this is over we are going to St. Mungo's. You are going to get looked at and we are going to have a report written up and filed to get rid of your relatives."

Fudge cleared his throat, "Do that and go to Gringotts. I will ensure it is taken care of. If it turns out Dumbledore did more we may be able to get him as well as your relatives. If nothing else I will do my utmost to ensure you never have to go back. And seeing you with Mr. Black, I believe you that he is innocent. He obviously cares about you very much. Though I will have to wait till the third book and until we get out of here but I think if he agrees to see a healer, he should be able to gain custody."

Harry beamed at him in happiness while Sirius pulled him close.

"...wondering where the letter writer was now."

"I was in my office worrying about you." McGonagall said.

He hoped the roof wasn't going to fall in, although he might be warmer if it did.

"Not sure if that is pessimism or optimism," muttered Daric.

"...when they got back that he'd be able to steal one somehow."

"Nice idea," praised Severus.

"...maybe he'd wake Dudley up, just to annoy him..."

"Do it, do it," said the pranksters.

"BOOM."

Everyone jumped at how loud Remus was.

"The whole shack shivered and Harry sat bolt upright, staring at the door. Someone was outside, knocking to come in."

"And that is the end of that chapter." Remus said.

Molly nodded, "Two more chapters then we will have lunch."

McGonagall came over to Harry and gave him a hug. "You will never have to go back there if I have anything to say about it." Harry nodded and smiled at her.