Disclaimer: All characters, events, and references drawn from HP belong to J.K. Rowling, respectively, everything else is my own invention.

The Potter Timeline

Year 2 Episode 1 - Escape from the Dursleys

Three days.

Three miserable days.

That's how long Harry had been locked, no, imprisoned in his bedroom - check that - Dudley's second bedroom that his relatives, "out of the goodness of their heart" as Uncle Vernon continually reminded him, were kind enough to allow their freakish nephew to use during the summer holidays. What at first seemed a bright spot upon returning to 4 Privet Drive ultimately became...a nightmare.

And all because of a bloody House Elf!

As Harry sat on the floor, leaning against his bed, he stared at the cat flap Uncle Vernon had installed in the door to hand him food. The twelve-year-old's stomach was rumbling. He was hungry...again. He hoped against hope that his uncle or aunt would drop some breakfast for him through that flap earlier than they normally had the last few days. A growing boy needed food, and he needed it much sooner than midmorning after his relatives had long since finished their own breakfast. They would drop a cold, fried egg, a piece of toast, or even an over-ripened piece of fruit through the flap almost as an afterthought. While his relatives had always treated him like a freak, they had never stooped to this level before. It was shocking. Harry feared what might become of him if this continued unabated.

He glanced up at poor Hedwig. She had not been out of her cage for days and began shedding feathers, something that alarmed Harry more than his own condition. But there was nothing he could do. Uncle Vernon padlocked Hedwig's cage so Harry couldn't let her out and he also removed any metallic items from the room to prevent the boy from prying it open somehow. At the same time, his uncle refused to give Harry any food for Hedwig, complaining it was too expensive to have another mouth to feed when his relatives never agreed the boy could bring it to Privet Drive in the first place. So, Harry shared with Hedwig what little food they gave him. And they were aware of this, intentionally reducing his portions in turn.

To add to his distress, first term of his second year was to start in only three days. The boy had none of his school materials - he never received his second-year letter to begin with - and no way to either obtain them or find his way to King's Cross as his uncle swore Harry would not return to Hogwarts. In all likelihood, the twelve-year-old would not start his second term on time and might not even start it at all.

Tears came to Harry's eyes, and he felt desperate. What could he do?

No sooner had he returned to the Dursley's home, than Uncle Vernon showed him the cleaned-up bedroom for his use. Harry couldn't believe it and actually smiled at his uncle and told him "Thank you!". But there was a catch, of course. Instead of helping Harry haul his trunk, his book satchel, and his Nimbus 2000 to the upstairs bedroom, the man forced Harry to place anything having to do with the silly School of Witchcraft and Wizardry inside his former room: the cupboard under the stairs. He even considered putting Hedwig in there until Harry pleaded with the man. At least Uncle Vernon hadn't sunk that low - he allowed Harry to keep the bird in his room. But the large, neckless man placed not one, but two padlocks with different keys on the cupboard door to keep Harry out of it.

"There will be no reading, no talking about, not even a hint of doing your magic tricks in this house, boy, or you'll wish you'd never been born! Is that clear?"

The redness on Uncle Vernon's face when he threatened Harry with these words caused the boy to think the man might be having a stroke.

"Yes, Uncle Vernon, it's clear," he replied while swallowing hard. Harry dared not oppose him. But this was very disappointing.

Harry had planned to spend his summer reading back through all his books and practicing all his spellwork, performing the latter only in his mind as he was underage. He wanted to review his class materials for three particular reasons. One, because several of the professors had actually given the first-years homework to do over the summer to prepare them for second-year classes. Two, Harry was eager to improve his magical knowledge and abilities in light of what had occurred his first year. He wished to go back over everything, including material from first term, as a way to fight Voldemort - if only in his imagination. Third, and most important of all, Harry wanted to feel...at home. The twelve-year-old missed Hogwarts and his magical "family". But in particular, he missed his best friend. Of all that would occur those summer days leading up to the appearance of one Dobby the House Elf, his failure to hear from Hermione was the hardest to bear.

Only a day after arriving at the Dursley's, Harry wrote his first letter to the girl to let her know he was okay and what his plans were for the summer. He hoped to correspond with her regularly, something that would help him, like his schoolwork, feel at home while stuck in "exile". And at first, it surprised Harry that Aunt Petunia cheerily volunteered to take Harry's letters to the post office whenever she went shopping. He should have guessed something was wrong with that picture. Why didn't his uncle and aunt simply place his letters with theirs in the box for the postman? And why would his aunt go out of her way to visit the post office, just for him? After the third or fourth time of this, Harry suspected that his letters never made it to the post office. And he would never forget the near demonic look on Uncle Vernon's face when he dared ask if he could call Hermione over the phone. He would never ask that again.

But worse than this, he never heard once from his best friend. Nearly every day the boy would eagerly await the post and any chance he got to go through the letters, when he wasn't fighting Dudley over them or being scolded by his uncle to leave them be, he hoped to find one addressed from Hermione. But day after day, week after week, nothing. Nothing at all. And it especially stung when his birthday came and went with no word from the girl.

Clearly Hermione had not forgotten about him. But perhaps her parents forbid her writing to him for some reason. Maybe they didn't like the idea of some boy they'd never met embracing their daughter like that back at King's Cross. Maybe they didn't like their daughter kissing said boy right in front of them either. Or maybe his relatives were snatching up her letters before Harry could see them. He couldn't be sure. Whatever the case, he remained depressed about this until the day a small creature wearing a shoddy-looking pillowcase appeared in his room. And he held in his hands a large packet of at least a dozen letters from...Hermione!

Quite put out the elf had been intercepting the girl's letters, Harry tried to wrestle them away from him. But the elf was too quick and with a snap of his fingers simply disappeared out of Harry's grasp. Suddenly sitting on top of the wardrobe, the gangly, pale creature with large green eyes, a long-pointed nose, and floppy ears gazed at the boy with a sad look.

"Dobby is sorry to do this to Harry Potter, but it's for his own good! Harry Potter must not return to Hogwarts!"

Another snap of his fingers and the elf disappeared. Harry then heard a commotion downstairs. Pale-faced at what mischief the House Elf was causing, Harry flung open the door and bolted downstairs after him. By the time it was all over with, the boy stood gawking at his uncle, his aunt, his cousin, and their two dinner guests, all covered in meringue from the dessert Aunt Petunia had taken so much trouble to concoct. Dobby caused the colorful mound of pudding to float right over the dining room table and with a snap of his fingers, it exploded everywhere. Of course, his relatives never saw the elf - they only saw Harry standing there with his arms stretched out in an attempt to grab the dessert first. Once the dust had settled, and Uncle Vernon's guests departed in anger, the big, neckless man flew into a rage the likes of which Harry had not seen yet.

While his uncle never physically harmed the boy, he grabbed him by his collar and hauled him into the upstairs bedroom in a fury, going into a tirade of complaints and cursing that would make a sailor blush. Harry was punished by having to remain in that room "until further notice", his uncle informed him. The door was padlocked on the outside, the cat flap installed, and his relatives had a handyman install iron bars outside the window. With no wand, no flying owl, nor any way to reach the outside world, poor Harry became a prisoner at Privet Drive - indefinitely.

The boy gazed longingly at that flap again. He desperately needed food. After several more agonizing minutes, the flap finally opened and a small plate was dropped onto the carpet by Aunt Petunia, followed by a cup of water. Once her hand disappeared, Harry scrambled to it and knelt down, grabbing up the plate containing a single piece of toast with a bit of jam on one corner and a piece of moldy cheese. Harry tore off the bottom half of the toast and moved to Hedwig's cage, breaking it into bits and feeding the poor owl first. As Hedwig gobbled up her portion, Harry consumed the rest voraciously, cleaning the mold off the cheese before swallowing it whole. He poured some of the water in the bird's bowl and then sat back down to drink the rest, staring into nowhere. No question about it. He and his bird were going to die.

Even more desperate now, Harry wondered if he could alert someone a different way: by using wandless magic. He was still in awe of Professor Dumbledore's magical abilities without a wand and wondered if he could do the same. An incident that occurred prior to his incarceration actually gave him hope at the possibility.

He was at the community playground one day, pretending he and Hermione were in the Spellroom at Hogwarts. As he knew his uncle and aunt had Dudley keep an eye on him, Harry dared not engage in his pretend spellwork with even an ordinary stick or there would be hell to pay. Instead, while Dudley's gang was occupied with a football match, Harry stepped into a clearing and pointed his finger at one of the bushes surrounding it, pretending he was lighting the fire pit at the top of the Astronomy Tower.

"Incendio!" he uttered quietly so Dudley wouldn't hear.

To his astonishment, the boy saw a tiny ember glow briefly on one leaf and disappear just as quickly. He then noticed a single strand of smoke which evaporated so fast Harry wondered if he had simply imagined it. He ran to the bush and held the leaf in his hand. Gobsmacked and wide-eyed, the twelve-year-old saw a small burn mark on the leaf that rubbed off like ash.

"What? No way!" he uttered while gazing at his finger. He then backed up and attempted to replicate the act. But after several tries, nothing happened. This stumped him.

His stomach rumbling again as the breakfast his aunt gave him was quite paltry, Harry stared down at the carpet. He had to help Hedwig and himself. Despite the letter from the Improper Use of Magic Office after Dobby blew up his aunt's dessert, getting expelled from Hogwarts would be better than starving to death under the hand of his family prison wardens. Even if the Ministry of Magic sent him to Azkaban for the crime, Harry figured he'd eat better there than Privet Drive. However, as his supposed wandless magic at the playground did not draw a similar letter from the Improper Use office before Dobby's stunt, his magic might be so insignificant it couldn't even be detected. It might not even work.

But he had to try.

Pointing his finger at the carpet, Harry was about to utter the incantation when a sound in the driveway drew his attention. Getting up from the floor, Harry moved to the window and pulled back a curtain. Gazing down through the iron bars of his room, he saw an antique-looking, brown sedan pulled into the drive right next to Uncle Vernon's car. The doors on either side opened and a man stepped out of the driver's side while a woman stepped out of the passenger's. Harry's face scrunched up in puzzlement.

The man wore a dark grey, pin-striped suit with a bright red tie and...a bowler hat? This was odd. Normal people didn't wear bowler hats these days and it made the grey-suited driver seem like an anachronism. The woman was dressed equally strange with a brown jacket over her blouse and a matching dress that ran to her heels. She also wore a short, pointed hat the same color as her outfit, with a few feathers jutting out of it. And her hair was set in a bun. From his vantage point, Harry couldn't see their faces, so he had no idea who they were. But he watched them close the car doors and walk in the direction of the front door.

The doorbell rang.

Harry ran to his bedroom door and knelt down, opening the cat flap to listen.

"I'll get it, dear," Uncle Vernon told Aunt Petunia in exasperation.

The sound of the man's large feet clomping on the floor was followed by the front door opening.

"Yes? May I help you?" Harry's uncle asked.

"Mr. Vernon Dursley?" the man asked in return. Harry's eyes widened. He recognized that voice!

"Yes...that would be me!" the gruff response came back from Vernon. He always complained about salespeople coming to their house and perhaps assumed that's who he was dealing with.

"Good morning," the man said, "my name is Albert...Dumpling. And this is my colleague..."

"Miranda McGovern," the woman added. Harry recognized that voice too! The man continued.

"We're from the Department of Child Welfare Services. You have one...Harry James Potter residing with you, do you not?"

Harry could just imagine his uncle's face suddenly losing its color. He was astonished himself. Albert Dumpling? Miranda McGovern? Along with their voices, these names seemed too familiar, and the boy had a sneaking suspicion who they actually were.

"Um...er...yes, sir! That's my nephew!" Uncle Vernon stumbled to say, the gruffness instantly replaced by nervousness.

"Ah! Very good! We are at the right house, then," the man responded.

"We're here to check on the child's welfare, Mr. Dursley," the woman stated very firmly, "may we come in?"

There was a pause as no doubt Vernon was quite flustered.

"Why...of course! Please do!" Harry's uncle sounded very different now and...humble.

The two moved into the house. Harry listened closely.

"Petunia, dear? Would you mind putting a kettle on? We have some guests. Er...Mister Dumpling, Miss McGovern, would you like a cup of tea?"

"No, thank you, Mr. Dursley," the woman spoke, "we're here strictly on business."

"Yes, the department has given us quite a full schedule, I'm afraid," the man answered.

"Very well. So, what can I do for you?" Uncle Vernon asked as though feigning ignorance. There was a pause.

"As we just stated, Mr. Dursley, we're here to see about the child's welfare," the woman answered strongly.

"Ah! I see!" was the only thing Harry's uncle said in reply. There was another pause.

"Yes, and where is the lad?" the man asked.

"Oh! My nephew! Right! He's probably upstairs, playing in his room like any normal twelve-year-old," the large man answered with a chuckle.

"Well, please fetch him, sir! We're required to exam the boy!" the woman said.

"Oh, yes! Um...hold on just a moment..."

Harry heard his uncle's loud footsteps heading up the stairs and bounding down the short hall to his room. The boy quickly got up and sat on the bed. Uncle Vernon released the padlock on his door and opened it. His face was beet red, perhaps out of fear or perhaps out of anger, Harry couldn't tell which.

"Harry, we have some guests who'd like you meet you," Vernon spoke rather pleasantly with a smile, "would you come downstairs, please?"

Harry frowned at this insincere display. He already knew the man was going to play up their treatment of him as perfectly normal.

"Yes, sir," Harry answered rather nonchalantly. He joined his uncle and marched downstairs. As soon as Harry turned the corner and viewed Albert Dumpling and Miranda McGovern in the living room, he couldn't help but snicker and covered his mouth quickly to hide it.

It was indeed Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall, as he suspected. And while his transfiguration professor looked fairly the same in those old-fashioned muggle clothes, the headmaster had either trimmed his usually long white beard or magically shortened it for disguise. And instead of those half-moon spectacles the man wore, he sported old-fashioned rectangular ones. They both looked as though they had walked right out of the nineteenth century. Dumbledore threw Harry a smile and wink. Professor McGonagall, however, threw the boy a wide-eyed, very stern look that had "Don't dare reveal us!" written all over it. Harry gave her a single nod in acknowledgement, trying hard not to laugh.

But as soon as Harry's physical appearance registered with his professors, McGonagall's brow furrowed deeply, and her lips pursed into a frown. She threw an angry look at Dumbledore who returned her gaze with a disturbed one of his own. The woman now glared hard at Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia who had just arrived at her husband's side with a meek countenance as though she was about to get scolded. She wasn't wrong.

"Why, look at this boy!" McGonagall uttered, seething under the surface, "what is that he's wearing? Clothes fit for an elephant?"

Everyone stared at Harry's apparel. As usual, his relatives had given the twelve-year-old Dudley's hand-me-downs. His trousers barely hung onto his waist and would have completely fallen were it not for a double tightened belt. The trouser bottoms drooped over his feet, concealing his shoes and the boy had to continually pull up the cuffs of his sleeves as they fell past his hands otherwise. McGonagall continued.

"What's the meaning of this, Dursley? He looks like he hasn't eaten in a week! You are feeding him, aren't you?"

Harry never saw such fear in his aunt and uncle before.

"Well! We...er...um..." Uncle Vernon tried to get out before Dumbledore interrupted.

"Harry, my boy, how are you?" he said while moving forward to place a hand on the kid's shoulder.

Harry looked up at his uncle and aunt. They stared down at him as though he was a rabid dog ready to attack. And in that moment, Harry knew his relatives were at his mercy. He looked at Dumbledore.

"Not well, sir," he stated honestly.

Vernon chuckled and placed an arm around Harry's shoulders.

"Boys these days! Quite the vivid imagination, wouldn't you say?" the man uttered shakily.

McGonagall stared threateningly at Harry's uncle as though ready to transfigure the man into a stone and toss him in a deep lake. Dumbledore gently held out his arm to restrain her.

"Mr. Dursley," he began, "by the looks of this youngster, it appears you have been neglecting him. This is a most serious offense and must be reported to the Department."

Vernon and Petunia looked like they'd been hit by the body bind curse, both of them speechless. Harry was really trying to hold it together now. The headmaster continued.

"We must see his living conditions. Will you be so kind as to show us young Potter's room?"

This was less a request and more of a demand by the tone in Dumbledore's voice.

"Well...er...um...of course, sir!" Uncle Vernon fumbled while wringing his hands, "Harry, my dear boy, would you lead us upstairs please?"

Sweat beads had appeared on the man's brow and Harry noticed a wet spot on his pants that wasn't there moments ago. The look in his uncle's eyes communicated dread and rightfully so, Harry thought. He smiled at his uncle.

"I'd be glad to...sir," he uttered and promptly turned to head toward the stairs. Uncle Vernon and the professors followed while Aunt Petunia retreated back into the kitchen in abject fear.

As they marched to the first floor, Harry felt relief and...hope. His schoolteachers had come to rescue him! Once McGonagall and Dumbledore saw his room, there was no way they'd let him stay another day with the Dursleys!

When the boy reached the landing, Uncle Vernon hurried to walk beside him. When Harry went to turn left toward his room, his uncle took his shoulders and steered him to the right instead. Harry was mystified until they arrived inside Dudley's room. He glanced at Vernon only to receive a threatening glare this time, intimating the twelve-year-old had better shape up and play along. But Harry was determined. Something had to change.

When Dumbledore and McGonagall appeared in the room, they threw odd looks at Harry's relative.

"Well! Here we are!" Uncle Vernon uttered cheerfully, "I think you'll find everything in order!"

Harry tried to struggle out of his uncle's grasp but found it impossible. McGonagall stepped to a large portrait of Dudley hanging on the wall opposite the fat kid's twin bed.

"Is this not your son, Mr. Dursley?" she asked, clearly suspecting something was afoot. The big man chuckled.

"Of course! Harry here is quite fond of his cousin and wanted his portrait hung just as you see..."

"I did not!" Harry protested, "this is not my room!"

Albert Dumpling and Miranda McGovern rounded on Uncle Vernon whose face went from beet red to chalk white in a second.

"Please lead us to your room, my boy," Dumbledore stated very seriously while gazing directly at Vernon. The large man swallowed hard and let go of Harry. They went to the other side of the house.

Harry and Uncle Vernon remained outside the room while the professors entered. The wizard and witch were taken aback by the sight of a padlock on the door, the iron bars outside, the poor state of Hedwig behind her padlocked cage, the cat flap, and the small plate and cup on the floor. The headmaster threw a sad look at the white owl, reaching into the cage with his fingers to pet the thing while McGonagall examined the plate and cup. She immediately turned on Harry's uncle.

Whatever stern, severe, or otherwise strict expression Harry had ever seen on the woman before was totally eclipsed by what appeared on her face at this moment. To say she was furious and ready to blast Uncle Vernon to bits would be an understatement. Harry gulped at the sight.

"As we have seen no cat on the premises, Mr. Dursley, I gather you are feeding poor Harry here through that flap! You dare to lock this boy up like a caged animal?" she stated with rage under her breath. And once more, Professor Dumbledore stepped in to restrain her by placing a hand on her shoulder. The headmaster looked at Vernon.

"I'm afraid these conditions are unsatisfactory to say the least, Mr. Dursley. Child neglect and mistreatment are, as I stated previously, serious offenses and may be met with equally severe punishments..."

"Such as heavy fines...and imprisonment!" McGonagall added pointedly, still seething.

Harry saw Uncle Vernon's knees shaking.

"Well...sir...ma'am...I..."

Dumbledore stepped even closer to the man.

"Once we have made our report, you may be hauled in front of the ministry for questioning. The Board of Inquiry takes cases like these very seriously, Mr. Dursley. But in order to fulfill our obligations to the Board, the lad must be examined by them personally. We therefore will be taking young Potter with us."

Harry's face lit up. Uncle Vernon couldn't stop wringing his hands in agony.

"Yes, sir..." he managed to eke out. The headmaster continued.

"And we understand Harry here attends a school in the north of Britain?"

"Um...yes! It's called...Hogwarts..." Uncle Vernon muttered quickly.

"Very well. Once the lad has been examined, we'll see to it he is deposited at the school," Dumbledore stated with a kind smile at Harry.

"Harry, please gather your belongings, including your...bird," Miranda McGovern told him rather flatly.

"My belongings are locked in the cupboard under the stairs," he informed her. McGonagall and Dumbledore threw another hard glare at Vernon, who chuckled and shrugged his shoulders despite the sweat pouring from his forehead.

"I'll unlock it immediately, sir, madam!" Vernon spoke like a butler being scolded by his master. The man turned and hurried downstairs. Harry snickered while grabbing Hedwig's cage. But before he could move, Dumbledore motioned to him to hold still. This he did and was astonished when the old wizard pointed his finger at the padlock on Hedwig's cage, causing it to unlock and fall to the floor. Harry beamed at the man who then smiled back. The three went downstairs.

Once Vernon had unlocked the cupboard, McGonagall, with a death stare, insisted the man himself load Harry's belongings into the boot of the quaint-looking Mercedes the pair had arrived in. The man obeyed instantly. Harry was thoroughly amused as the professors in their ridiculous-looking muggle outfits scolded Uncle Vernon who was running back and forth between the cupboard and the car red-faced and sweating profusely. It was like a comedy show on the telly. When the man had finished, the group reentered the living room. Aunt Petunia who had tried to hide herself in the kitchen with busy work, now stood reluctantly by her husband again, with a look of fright.

"I believe that should do it for now, Dursley," the headmaster stated without bothering to use his title, "you will be hearing from us again, especially when young Harry here is to return next summer. The Board will discuss this case and render its verdict after."

At these words, Dumbledore smiled at Harry, who returned the same. The wizard continued.

"But before we depart, there's one more thing I wish to mention," the headmaster stated while moving slowly toward Harry's uncle and aunt, "although this isn't the official position of the Department, it is a personal conviction of mine that...the deepest circles of hell are reserved for those who abuse children."

The lights in the room suddenly flickered and dimmed. Harry and his relatives went wide-eyed. Dumbledore went on.

"And when they are held to account, and rest assured, every last one of them will be, well...let's just say...I tremble at the thought of being in their shoes."

The darkened brow of the old wizard and his steely gaze at the couple concealed a powerful fury that was on the verge of being unleashed but remained incredibly restrained. Harry swallowed hard, noting to himself to never ever make Professor Dumbledore this angry.

All Harry's aunt and uncle could do was nod their head vigorously, the threat coming through loud and clear. Then, just as suddenly, the lights in the room returned to normal, Albert Dumpling smiled and gazed at his colleague and Harry.

"Well then, shall we be off?" the headmaster said very cheerfully as though nothing had happened at all.

"Yes, Albert. We're ready," McGonagall replied with a final glare at Harry's relatives. The three exited the house and proceeded to the car.

Harry placed Hedwig in the back seat and moved in next to her. As soon as Dumbledore and McGonagall got in, this entire episode hit him, and Harry could hold back no longer. He burst out laughing uncontrollably until his sides hurt and he had tears in his eyes. Professor McGonagall turned around and gazed at the kid with a frown.

"Well, at least someone finds all this amusing!" she uttered as the kid fell over on the seat in laughter. She looked at Dumbledore who was carefully maneuvering the car out of the Dursley's driveway.

"If I ever have to set foot in that odious place again, Albert...Albus!, I'll reduce it to a heap of ruins!"

"Yes, Minerva, I understand," the headmaster replied while trying to concentrate.

"I told you eleven years ago those muggles were the worst sort, did I not?" she complained.

"You did indeed," the man replied as he slowly drove the car out of the cul-de-sac and through the maze of roads surrounding Privet Drive, "now which way was it again?..."

A horn blared out as Dumbledore had pulled onto the adjacent street while looking right and failed to see the oncoming car. He hit the brakes of the old Mercedes quickly, causing McGonagall and Harry to lurch forward.

"Mind the road, Albus!" the woman scolded him.

"Sorry, Minerva. It's been decades since I've driven a muggle automobile. Everything has changed."

McGonagall shook her head.

Harry had nearly recovered his senses before falling into laughter again. He felt like he was on a car ride with his kooky grandparents. The woman turned around again and frowned at the twelve-year-old.

"Thank Merlin we got to you in time, Harry! Who knows what might have happened if that elephant of a man had kept you locked up any longer!"

Harry got his breath back and sat up straight.

"How did you know I was in trouble?" he asked.

"You have your friend, Miss Granger, to thank for that."

"Hermione!" Harry uttered. His face lit up with a huge smile.

"Yes, Harry. The girl must have broken the wizarding world record for number of owls sent in a twenty-four-hour period. After the fifth one, I realized I'd better answer her, or I would get no sleep!" the woman complained.

Harry chuckled at this then looked out the window as the suburbs passed by. He couldn't wait to see his best friend again, tell her about his crazy summer, and...thank her for saving him this time.

"Harry, my boy," Dumbledore said while gazing at him in the rearview mirror, "I owe you a sincere apology."

"Rightly so, I dare say!" McGonagall uttered with disgust while glancing out the window herself. The headmaster smiled and continued.

"Had I known your relatives would treat you thus, I would never have placed you with them. I did so, believe it or not, for your protection."

"My protection?" Harry asked, greatly puzzled.

"Yes. A specific kind of protection that could save your life. I will discuss it with you in detail at another time. But let me just say that while protecting you was a promise I made your mother and father in the event something happened to them, if in the process you are deprived of material necessities or even a normal childhood, then such protection is undone in the end after all. And I see that such is perhaps the case. However, as it is important that the protection I speak of be maintained if at all possible, will you allow me something?"

"What's that, professor?"

"That you will stay with your relatives next summer..."

McGonagall threw a mean look at Dumbledore but said nothing. He continued.

"...and if they have not changed their treatment of you, even after being reprimanded by the Department of Child Welfare Services, I will see to it that you are placed in a better situation, perhaps even with a wizarding family of good repute. Will you agree to this, Harry?"

Harry looked out the window a moment. He then looked at Dumbledore's reflection in the mirror.

"Yes, sir. I will," he said, still not thrilled at the idea but realizing the headmaster was giving him an opportunity for something better. The thought of living with an actual wizarding family sounded exciting and the boy secretly hoped his relatives wouldn't shape up even after being threatened by Mr. Albert Dumpling himself.

"Excellent!" the old wizard said cheerily, "now, there is another matter we must discuss."

"What's that, sir?"

"I was informed by Miss Mafalda Hopkirk from the office of Improper Use of Magic that a charm was performed at Privet Drive only three days ago. Do you know what this is about?"

Harry frowned.

"Yes, sir. It was a House Elf named Dobby who showed up in my room. He told me that something terrible was going to happen at Hogwarts and was trying to get me in trouble to keep me from going back. He's the one who performed the hover charm that made Uncle Vernon angry enough to lock me up in that room."

McGonagall and Dumbledore exchanged concerned glances.

"Dobby, you say?" the headmaster asked.

"Yes, sir."

"Hmm," the man replied while gazing at the road just as the outskirts of London appeared, "House Elves are forbidden by law to interfere in either wizarding or muggle affairs. After we have dropped you off, Harry, Professor McGonagall and I have some business at the Ministry. While there I will check the registry to find out who owns this Dobby. They may be held liable for what's happened."

"Did the elf tell you what the terrible thing was that's to occur at Hogwarts?" McGonagall asked the boy.

"No ma'am. Just that it was bad enough he feared I'd be killed and claimed he was trying to protect me from it."

The professors exchanged concerned looks again.

"Very well, Harry," Dumbledore said, "we'll investigate this matter further and hopefully get to the bottom of it. House Elves aren't known to lie. Perhaps we can find out what this terrible thing is he referred to and prevent it. In the meantime, I wouldn't worry about it. You should focus on preparing for school, my boy."

At this, McGonagall handed Harry a letter.

"This is your official letter for second term, Harry. In it you'll find the list of all the books and materials you'll need for your classes."

Harry glanced over the list of books and his face scrunched up in puzzlement. All but one of the books were penned by some chap named Gilderoy Lockhart, most of them having to do with trolls, vampires, witches, and werewolves. McGonagall then handed him a cloth pouch full of what seemed to be money. Dumbledore looked at him in the mirror again.

"As joint custodian of your accounts at Gringott's, Harry, I took the liberty of withdrawing some funds that should be sufficient for your class materials as well as any incidentals."

"As you may have guessed, young man, we're taking you to Diagon Alley so you can obtain what you need," McGonagall told him, "you'll meet Miss Granger and her parents there this afternoon."

Harry smiled once more. The woman continued.

"We've also arranged for you to stay tonight at the Leaky Cauldron. Hermione's parents have agreed to pick you up there tomorrow morning and take the two of you to King's Cross to catch the Express."

The professor now turned almost completely around and frowned at the boy's appearance.

"But you certainly can't go looking like that! Hold still."

She retrieved her wand and pointed at him. With a flick, the wand threw out a brief white light. Dudley's enormous hand-me-downs suddenly refitted to Harry's size and the boy gazed at the clothes in wonder. McGonagall went on.

"That's better. Now, Harry, there's one final thing I absolutely insist you do once we arrive," she said.

"What's that?" Harry asked.

"Eat a proper meal!" she said very sternly.

Harry chuckled and nodded.

"Yes, ma'am."

The woman surprisingly gave him a smile before turning back around. The headmaster steered the old Mercedes through several side streets before arriving at the hidden exterior of the Leaky Cauldron.

Harry was grateful that his "family" had come through. He was on his way back to Hogwarts and couldn't wait to see what magical things this new year would bring...