Harry Potter hit the ground with a soft thud. He hid behind the bush
and made sure no one was looking when he stood up with his broomstick in
one hand and a silvery cloak clutched in the other. He slipped into the
dark house, careful not to wake the sleeping Dursleys upstairs. Silent as a
shadow, he crept up to his own room. He slipped the broomstick and the
cloak in the trunk at the end of his bed and put on his pajamas. The clock
on his nightstand read 12:08. His birthday had ended nine minutes ago but
it was the best one he had had in years. He had received cards, presents,
and cake from his friends and his godfather. Unbeknownst to his slumbering
relatives, he had just spent hours flying invisibly. He fell asleep with a
smile on his face.
The morning sun shined through the window in Harry's room as he woke. This house appeared to be as normal as any other house on the street, but it wasn't. It was far from normal; though Harry's room was the only strange sight in the house, it was incredibly odd. There was an owl cage on top of the wardrobe with a snowy owl in it; at the moment the owl was asleep, having been out hunting during the night. The desk over against one wall was covered with pieces of parchment, quills, and inkbottles. At the end of the bed there was a large trunk, which was opened to reveal: robes, socks, cloaks, books with strange titles, a broom with the word Firebolt on it, a cauldron, and a wand among other assorted items.
Now there was a very good reason that Harry's room looked the way it did. It's because Harry Potter was a wizard.
Harry Potter, orphaned since he was a year old, has been living with his abominable, yet unfortunately only, relatives, the Dursleys of number 4 Privet Drive. They hated and feared all things magic related and tried to keep Harry as downtrodden as possible in an effort to stamp out any magic or abnormality about him.
Unfortunately for them, this treatment did not keep Harry from discovering he was a wizard on his eleventh birthday or from spending most of the last five years at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry-though as far as neighbors and relatives knew, Harry was at St. Brutus' Center for Incurably Criminal Boys. On the first of September he would be starting his sixth year there.
Hogwarts was an interesting place, to say the least. There you were likely to acquire strange injuries (like the loss of all the bones in your arm), serve your detention by doing something like pickling toads for example, and for fun, you could end the day by flying around on broomsticks.
But Harry happened to be extraordinary, even by wizard standards. He had survived one of the most terrible curses in existence, a death curse that couldn't be blocked and couldn't be survived. But he had done it; though he wasn't sure how. No was really sure how such a small baby had survived against such a malevolent man. Voldemort, the most powerful evil wizard of the century had killed so many innocent people with it but when he tried to kill Harry the spell rebounded on him, destroying his body and leaving Harry with a mere lightning bolt shaped scar on his forehead as a token. Now, Voldemort wanted his revenge on the boy who had cost him everything.
Harry knew that the danger was ever present but that there were places he was safe. The only two places he was completely safe however were Hogwarts and number 4 Privet Drive. He was at number 4 right now and he didn't like it anymore than he usually did, which was to say he didn't like it at all.
Things were better however for Harry this summer, however. Letters from his godfather came much more frequently. Harry even had hopes that his godfather, Sirius Black, would be able to take him away from the Dursleys eventually. Sirius was a wizard and for fourteen years everyone in the wizarding world thought he had been responsible for murdering twelve Muggles and a wizard named Peter Pettigrew. Only just last year Sirius had been proven innocent, but because of rechecking evidence and all the legal procedures the Headmaster of Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore, had sent Harry home to the Dursleys, again. Though Harry expected he was sent here more for his safety than any reason with the courts.
So here Harry was, anxiously counting down the days until he could happily return to Hogwarts and see his friends once more. Ron Weasly, Hermione Granger, and Renata Delano were his best friends. He had known Ron and Hermione since his first year at Hogwarts and they'd been best friends ever since. He had met Renata last summer. Harry had spent a lot of yesterday writing letters to his friends in response to those he had received from them. The letters (which had come with cakes and presents) and his late night flight were the only celebration he had yesterday. It had been years since the Dursleys had acknowledged Harry's birthday, let alone celebrate it. He had stopped caring about it long ago. He went down to breakfast.
When he reached the tidy kitchen downstairs none of his relatives made any move to show that they recognized Harry's entrance. He sat and helped himself to some low-fat, whole-grain toast.
He didn't pay the slightest attention as his Uncle Vernon droned on about his drill making company called Grunnings and new business deals that were coming up. Vernon's wife and son were oblivious and didn't pay any attention either. Dudley's little piggy eyes were glued to the television screen as he crammed the horrible tasting food in his mouth. His mother, Harry's Aunt Petunia was watching out the window with her beady eyes, spying on her neighbors.
Harry finished eating and went back to the solitude of his room, the only place where he could get peace. He sighed. His teachers had given him a lot of homework to take care of over the summer holidays. Harry decided to start the day with an essay for History of Magic teacher, Professor Binns. He was the only ghost teacher at Hogwarts. Professor Binns had been teaching at Hogwarts for many years and the only difference his death made in his schedule was that he entered the classroom through the blackboard instead of the door. Some students thought he might not even know he was dead. The essay was dull to say the very least and full of the driest facts Harry had ever been forced to read. He spent nearly three hours to complete the essay, "Wizards Live Naturally Long Lives-Explain."
When he was done he ate part of one of his birthday cakes. He looked around the room for his owl, only to find that Hedwig was away from her cage.
"She'll be back soon." He wasn't worried. Hedwig often disappeared for days at time. With not much else to do Harry took out the cloak he had worn the night before and his broom. The cloak was an invisibility cloak Harry had inherited from his father, it was extremely rare and extremely valuable, but something Harry would never part with.
Harry knew the Dursleys would lock him in his room if they knew what he was doing. They'd done it before; padlocked him in the room, fitted the window with bars, and only let him out a few times a day to use the toilet. He didn't care, it was worth the risk; he wouldn't let them find out. Harry crept downstairs under the invisibility cloak; he made sure the Dursleys were unaware of his presence before he slipped out the door. When he was a little ways from the house, Harry shot in the air on his broom. It was hot under the cloak, but Harry was willing to endure it. Anything, to get out of the house and away from his bullying cousin and his friends.
Harry flew for a while and on his unhappy way back to Privet Drive he stopped at the home of Mrs. Figg.
He landed in her backyard. It was surrounded on all sides by a high fence and the perfect place to land and take off the cloak. After he cooled off a moment he knocked on the backdoor, his cloak in one hand and the broom in the other.
A few minutes later a middle-aged woman came to the door. "Yes? Hello, Harry. Stopping by on your way back home, I trust?"
"Yes, Mrs. Figg."
"One of these days your aunt and uncle will notice that you keep going missing. You're all hot and sweaty. Come in and have a glass of water." She led him in and sat him down at the kitchen table.
"They wouldn't care if I was missing. They'd be glad. You know they don't want me around anymore than I want to be around them."
"I know, Harry, but still you must be more careful."
"None of the neighbors notice the owls that come through my window. And I don't see how they can notice when I fly, if I am invisible."
"All the same, Harry."
"I know."
"Your aunt and uncle will take you to Diagon Alley before term starts, right?"
"I may be able to talk them into dropping me off outside the Leaky Cauldron." Harry said doubtfully. "But they wouldn't go into Diagon Alley with me to get my new Hogwarts books." He didn't want them to come anyway. Imagining their reaction to Diagon Alley was interesting though.
"Well, if you can't get them to take you, be sure to let me know."
"But you couldn't bring me. They don't know that you're a witch."
"No, but they may need to be called away suddenly and need an old neighbor to make sure you don't blow up the house." She smiled.
"Thanks, Mrs. Figg. I really should be going now."
"Goodbye, Harry."
"Goodbye." He left through the door he had entered by and put his cloak back on. He took off on his broom and finished the short flight home.
He landed a little ways from the Dursley's home. Still wearing the cloak and clutching the broom under it, he quietly went inside and up to his room only narrowly avoiding Dudley and his friends who had come in to the house only a few moments before.
He collapsed on the bed and found a visitor in his room. He went over to the owl that must have come into the room while he had been gone.
The little owl, gray and the size of a tennis ball, seemed thrilled to be there to deliver the letter. Harry caught the owl in his hands. "Settle down, Pig!" he laughed. The little owl was far from looking like a pig of any sort and he refused to settle down. Harry pulled the letter off the owl's leg and led the owl over to drink for the water in Hedwig's unoccupied cage.
Harry opened the letter. As he had guessed, the letter was from Ron.
How's your summer been? Things are great. I hope you can come visit us
again. I'll talk to mum about it. Fred and George managed to get a
deal to open their joke-shop. Mr. Zonko, the guy who runs the shop in
Hogsmeade started selling some of their products and is letting them
work there for the summer. At the end of the summer if they've done
well enough he said he'll loan them the rest of the they need to start
their own joke-shop and the only limit was that he would get fifteen
percent of what they made until they pay him back. So the twins won't
be around too much this summer. They leave early in the morning and
don't come back 'til after dinner.
Guess what? Percy purposed to his girlfriend! Penelope is going to be
my sister-in-law. I dunno when the wedding will be. Probably sometime
next summer. Ginny has been flying for weeks. It's surprising, but
she's not half bad. You're gonna have your work cut out for you this
year with almost an entirely new team to handle. You and Renata will
be the only ones who've been on the team before. Well, I hope we meet
at Diagon Alley. I gotta go now, but send Pig back pronto, I can't
wait to hear from you.
Ron
After reading the letter Harry sat down at his desk to write a response.
Ron-the summer hasn't been any worse than it usually is. It's been
a little better actually, but not by much. I found out that with my
cloak I can fly around at night. I don't know why I never thought
about doing it before. It's great; no one ever catches me flying.
This is good, because you know what the Dursleys are like.
The twins are getting up early? I thought that world wasn't in
their vocabulary. So when do you want to go to Diagon Alley? I
don't know when I'd be able to come but I'll talk the Dursleys into
something. Let me know when you're going. I'll be there. Talk to
you soon.
Harry
P.S. Tell Fred and George good luck.
Harry caught the owl again and tied the letter to his leg. Then he tossed him out the window, as if it was as regular as answering the phone.
A week later Harry received more letters. In a single day Hedwig returned (again), followed by Janus, and Pig. Harry opened Hedwig's letter first because unlike the other two he wasn't positive about who had sent it. Inside was a brief note.
Harry, I've got great news. I'm not going to tell you here but you'll
know in a week or two.
Sirius
Harry moved on to read the letter from Hermione. He took the letter off Janus's leg and then the owl joined Hedwig in getting a drink from the water bowl in Hedwig's cage.
Harry,
How has your summer been? I hope you're well. I'll be in Diagon
Alley sometime during the last week before term starts. Renata and
her mum will probably go there when I do. I hope to see you and Ron
there. Isn't it exciting about Percy? I do hope he and Penelope
have a long and healthy marriage. I'm glad for Fred and George,
too. I hope their joke-shop is successful, I trust they get a bit
more responsible than they have been. I'll see you on September
1st, if not sooner.
With Love,
Hermione
P.S. Please finish your homework.
Harry grinned. That was just like Hermione, thinking about grades and homework even in the middle of the summer! Harry folded up the letter and went to take the last letter from Pig. His real name was Pigwidgeon. Ron's sister Ginny had named the owl and afterwards he wouldn't answer to anything else so Ron shortened the owl's name to Pig.
He opened the letter.
Harry, if the Muggles say they won't take you to Diagon Alley I bet
we could pick you up and take you. We're going the last week before
school. I think that's when Hermione and Renata are going too.
Write me back soon. Let me know if the Muggles give you any
trouble. I reckon Fred and George might let me have a Canary Cream
or a bottle of Bug Bubbles to use against them. The bug bubbles are
new. Take one sip, burp, and for a few seconds you're a giant
beetle. I forgot to ask earlier this summer, how did that little
prank on Dudley go?
Ron
Harry couldn't help laughing out loud. When Harry had come home from Hogwarts for the summer holidays he had brought back a few sweets from the wizarding village near the castle, Hogsmeade. Harry had brought back an extra candy. A sherbet ball that makes the person sucking on it levitate a few inches off the ground. After scaring Dudley very bad by giving it to him to eat, Harry had been confined to his room for two weeks.
It had been worth it as far as Harry was concerned. Watching his fat cousin, as well as his aunt and uncle go into a panic attack had made Harry laugh a bit. But his victory had been short-lived he was lucky that he hadn't been confined longer.
Harry sighed and started the replies to his letters. He went to his desk and got some inkbottles, parchment, and a quill. He sat down to begin his answers.
Sirius,
I can't wait to find out whatever you were hinting at. I hope to
see you soon. Things have been fine here. I eagerly wait for my
return to Hogwarts, so I can get back in touch with the wizarding
world and away from the Dursleys. They're vile as always. I still
don't know how I'll get to Diagon Alley but I'll figure something
out.
Harry
Harry set the letter aside and began the next one.
Hermione, most of my homework is done. Ron and I will be in Diagon
Alley sometime in the last week of the holidays. I got some news.
Sirius has something he wants to tell me. I don't know what but I
hope its good news. I think it is. I'll see you soon.
Harry
Harry responded to the final letter.
Ron, Hermione and Renata will be in Diagon Alley on the last week
before term starts. Maybe we can all pick up our new school things
together. I hope so. I don't think the Dursleys will give me much
more trouble, after all the summer is more than half over. I can
always threaten them with Sirius or your brothers or something. I
got a letter from Sirius today. Says he's got a surprise. I'll see
you soon. By the way, that prank on Dudley went great but I was
locked in my room for a couple of weeks.
Harry
Harry took each letter and gave it to an owl, which flew out the open window. Harry sat, watching them fly off into the distance until he could no longer see them. He heard his aunt screech from downstairs.
"Dinner!" she screeched.
Harry put away his writing things and went downstairs.
His uncle was seated at the table and he glowered as he saw Harry come sit down.
Harry made no response other than to fill his plate.
Harry's Aunt Petunia gossiped happily to her husband, though he scarcely listened. Dudley shoveled food into his mouth. And so the meal passed without Harry saying a word. No notice was taken of him except for an occasional glare from his uncle.
Three days later Harry received another letter. This was an owl he had only seen a few times before but he recognized it all the same and eagerly opened the envelope and took out the letter to read.
Hey, Harry! Happy B-day, another year older, maybe another year
wiser; though I doubt the wiser part. What's up? FYI (for your
information) I'm going to be at Diagon Alley two days before we go
back to Hogwarts again. What day is that? Okay, so I'll be there on
the 30th of August. I think that's when Ron and Hermione are going
there too, isn't it? If you can, that's when you should come. We
can all shop together that way. Let me know if you'll be there or
not. I'll see you soon. If I don't see you at Diagon Alley I'll see
you at the station or on the train on September 1. Have a good rest
of the summer and write back.
Renata Delano
Harry folded the letter up, and then decided to go back for a second reading. And then a third as well. Afterwards he felt rather foolish and embarrassed to himself that he had done so. He took out a bottle of green ink and a fresh piece of parchment. As he wrote he looked at the ink realizing the green was the same shade as his eyes. He began to write.
He almost started writing. He put his quill to the paper and wasn't exactly sure what he wanted to say. He thought a moment, wrote something, crossed it out, wrote something else and crossed it out again. By the time he had finished it, the letter was looking messy.
Dear Renata, how's your summer going? Mine is fine. How have you
been doing? Is your homework finished yet? I think Snape's essay
was really hard. I've been practicing my flying and I hope you
have, too. We're going to be the only Gryffindors who have been on
the team before. We're going to end up with five rookies. I hope
our team still wins again. It will most definitely be a rebuilding
season. I'll try to come to Diagon Alley on the 30th.
Your friend,
Sincerely,
I hope to see you soon,
Harry
Harry looked disappointedly at the letter he had written. He wasn't extremely happy with it but it was the best he could do so he recopied it without all the crossed out words and mistakes. It would have to do. Harry went over to the owl that had delivered the letter. Harry tied the letter to its leg. The owl understood and flew off to deliver it to his owner. Harry watched as the owl soared away.
Harry spent the next few days eagerly awaiting letters from Sirius, Renata, Ron, and Hermione. Sirius had written that in a week he would have a surprise for Harry. Also Harry was anxious to hear from Renata. It was always good to hear from Ron and Hermione too, he missed them. These four were really his only link to the wizarding world when he wasn't in school. A week after Sirius's letter about the surprise had arrived Harry was eating breakfast with the Dursleys who, as usual, simply ignored. Harry was just starting up the stairs when there was a knock at the door. From the other room, Harry heard his uncle bark at him.
"Get the door, Harry!"
With a heavy sigh Harry trudged back down the stairs and opened the front door. Harry opened the door and gasped.
The morning sun shined through the window in Harry's room as he woke. This house appeared to be as normal as any other house on the street, but it wasn't. It was far from normal; though Harry's room was the only strange sight in the house, it was incredibly odd. There was an owl cage on top of the wardrobe with a snowy owl in it; at the moment the owl was asleep, having been out hunting during the night. The desk over against one wall was covered with pieces of parchment, quills, and inkbottles. At the end of the bed there was a large trunk, which was opened to reveal: robes, socks, cloaks, books with strange titles, a broom with the word Firebolt on it, a cauldron, and a wand among other assorted items.
Now there was a very good reason that Harry's room looked the way it did. It's because Harry Potter was a wizard.
Harry Potter, orphaned since he was a year old, has been living with his abominable, yet unfortunately only, relatives, the Dursleys of number 4 Privet Drive. They hated and feared all things magic related and tried to keep Harry as downtrodden as possible in an effort to stamp out any magic or abnormality about him.
Unfortunately for them, this treatment did not keep Harry from discovering he was a wizard on his eleventh birthday or from spending most of the last five years at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry-though as far as neighbors and relatives knew, Harry was at St. Brutus' Center for Incurably Criminal Boys. On the first of September he would be starting his sixth year there.
Hogwarts was an interesting place, to say the least. There you were likely to acquire strange injuries (like the loss of all the bones in your arm), serve your detention by doing something like pickling toads for example, and for fun, you could end the day by flying around on broomsticks.
But Harry happened to be extraordinary, even by wizard standards. He had survived one of the most terrible curses in existence, a death curse that couldn't be blocked and couldn't be survived. But he had done it; though he wasn't sure how. No was really sure how such a small baby had survived against such a malevolent man. Voldemort, the most powerful evil wizard of the century had killed so many innocent people with it but when he tried to kill Harry the spell rebounded on him, destroying his body and leaving Harry with a mere lightning bolt shaped scar on his forehead as a token. Now, Voldemort wanted his revenge on the boy who had cost him everything.
Harry knew that the danger was ever present but that there were places he was safe. The only two places he was completely safe however were Hogwarts and number 4 Privet Drive. He was at number 4 right now and he didn't like it anymore than he usually did, which was to say he didn't like it at all.
Things were better however for Harry this summer, however. Letters from his godfather came much more frequently. Harry even had hopes that his godfather, Sirius Black, would be able to take him away from the Dursleys eventually. Sirius was a wizard and for fourteen years everyone in the wizarding world thought he had been responsible for murdering twelve Muggles and a wizard named Peter Pettigrew. Only just last year Sirius had been proven innocent, but because of rechecking evidence and all the legal procedures the Headmaster of Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore, had sent Harry home to the Dursleys, again. Though Harry expected he was sent here more for his safety than any reason with the courts.
So here Harry was, anxiously counting down the days until he could happily return to Hogwarts and see his friends once more. Ron Weasly, Hermione Granger, and Renata Delano were his best friends. He had known Ron and Hermione since his first year at Hogwarts and they'd been best friends ever since. He had met Renata last summer. Harry had spent a lot of yesterday writing letters to his friends in response to those he had received from them. The letters (which had come with cakes and presents) and his late night flight were the only celebration he had yesterday. It had been years since the Dursleys had acknowledged Harry's birthday, let alone celebrate it. He had stopped caring about it long ago. He went down to breakfast.
When he reached the tidy kitchen downstairs none of his relatives made any move to show that they recognized Harry's entrance. He sat and helped himself to some low-fat, whole-grain toast.
He didn't pay the slightest attention as his Uncle Vernon droned on about his drill making company called Grunnings and new business deals that were coming up. Vernon's wife and son were oblivious and didn't pay any attention either. Dudley's little piggy eyes were glued to the television screen as he crammed the horrible tasting food in his mouth. His mother, Harry's Aunt Petunia was watching out the window with her beady eyes, spying on her neighbors.
Harry finished eating and went back to the solitude of his room, the only place where he could get peace. He sighed. His teachers had given him a lot of homework to take care of over the summer holidays. Harry decided to start the day with an essay for History of Magic teacher, Professor Binns. He was the only ghost teacher at Hogwarts. Professor Binns had been teaching at Hogwarts for many years and the only difference his death made in his schedule was that he entered the classroom through the blackboard instead of the door. Some students thought he might not even know he was dead. The essay was dull to say the very least and full of the driest facts Harry had ever been forced to read. He spent nearly three hours to complete the essay, "Wizards Live Naturally Long Lives-Explain."
When he was done he ate part of one of his birthday cakes. He looked around the room for his owl, only to find that Hedwig was away from her cage.
"She'll be back soon." He wasn't worried. Hedwig often disappeared for days at time. With not much else to do Harry took out the cloak he had worn the night before and his broom. The cloak was an invisibility cloak Harry had inherited from his father, it was extremely rare and extremely valuable, but something Harry would never part with.
Harry knew the Dursleys would lock him in his room if they knew what he was doing. They'd done it before; padlocked him in the room, fitted the window with bars, and only let him out a few times a day to use the toilet. He didn't care, it was worth the risk; he wouldn't let them find out. Harry crept downstairs under the invisibility cloak; he made sure the Dursleys were unaware of his presence before he slipped out the door. When he was a little ways from the house, Harry shot in the air on his broom. It was hot under the cloak, but Harry was willing to endure it. Anything, to get out of the house and away from his bullying cousin and his friends.
Harry flew for a while and on his unhappy way back to Privet Drive he stopped at the home of Mrs. Figg.
He landed in her backyard. It was surrounded on all sides by a high fence and the perfect place to land and take off the cloak. After he cooled off a moment he knocked on the backdoor, his cloak in one hand and the broom in the other.
A few minutes later a middle-aged woman came to the door. "Yes? Hello, Harry. Stopping by on your way back home, I trust?"
"Yes, Mrs. Figg."
"One of these days your aunt and uncle will notice that you keep going missing. You're all hot and sweaty. Come in and have a glass of water." She led him in and sat him down at the kitchen table.
"They wouldn't care if I was missing. They'd be glad. You know they don't want me around anymore than I want to be around them."
"I know, Harry, but still you must be more careful."
"None of the neighbors notice the owls that come through my window. And I don't see how they can notice when I fly, if I am invisible."
"All the same, Harry."
"I know."
"Your aunt and uncle will take you to Diagon Alley before term starts, right?"
"I may be able to talk them into dropping me off outside the Leaky Cauldron." Harry said doubtfully. "But they wouldn't go into Diagon Alley with me to get my new Hogwarts books." He didn't want them to come anyway. Imagining their reaction to Diagon Alley was interesting though.
"Well, if you can't get them to take you, be sure to let me know."
"But you couldn't bring me. They don't know that you're a witch."
"No, but they may need to be called away suddenly and need an old neighbor to make sure you don't blow up the house." She smiled.
"Thanks, Mrs. Figg. I really should be going now."
"Goodbye, Harry."
"Goodbye." He left through the door he had entered by and put his cloak back on. He took off on his broom and finished the short flight home.
He landed a little ways from the Dursley's home. Still wearing the cloak and clutching the broom under it, he quietly went inside and up to his room only narrowly avoiding Dudley and his friends who had come in to the house only a few moments before.
He collapsed on the bed and found a visitor in his room. He went over to the owl that must have come into the room while he had been gone.
The little owl, gray and the size of a tennis ball, seemed thrilled to be there to deliver the letter. Harry caught the owl in his hands. "Settle down, Pig!" he laughed. The little owl was far from looking like a pig of any sort and he refused to settle down. Harry pulled the letter off the owl's leg and led the owl over to drink for the water in Hedwig's unoccupied cage.
Harry opened the letter. As he had guessed, the letter was from Ron.
How's your summer been? Things are great. I hope you can come visit us
again. I'll talk to mum about it. Fred and George managed to get a
deal to open their joke-shop. Mr. Zonko, the guy who runs the shop in
Hogsmeade started selling some of their products and is letting them
work there for the summer. At the end of the summer if they've done
well enough he said he'll loan them the rest of the they need to start
their own joke-shop and the only limit was that he would get fifteen
percent of what they made until they pay him back. So the twins won't
be around too much this summer. They leave early in the morning and
don't come back 'til after dinner.
Guess what? Percy purposed to his girlfriend! Penelope is going to be
my sister-in-law. I dunno when the wedding will be. Probably sometime
next summer. Ginny has been flying for weeks. It's surprising, but
she's not half bad. You're gonna have your work cut out for you this
year with almost an entirely new team to handle. You and Renata will
be the only ones who've been on the team before. Well, I hope we meet
at Diagon Alley. I gotta go now, but send Pig back pronto, I can't
wait to hear from you.
Ron
After reading the letter Harry sat down at his desk to write a response.
Ron-the summer hasn't been any worse than it usually is. It's been
a little better actually, but not by much. I found out that with my
cloak I can fly around at night. I don't know why I never thought
about doing it before. It's great; no one ever catches me flying.
This is good, because you know what the Dursleys are like.
The twins are getting up early? I thought that world wasn't in
their vocabulary. So when do you want to go to Diagon Alley? I
don't know when I'd be able to come but I'll talk the Dursleys into
something. Let me know when you're going. I'll be there. Talk to
you soon.
Harry
P.S. Tell Fred and George good luck.
Harry caught the owl again and tied the letter to his leg. Then he tossed him out the window, as if it was as regular as answering the phone.
A week later Harry received more letters. In a single day Hedwig returned (again), followed by Janus, and Pig. Harry opened Hedwig's letter first because unlike the other two he wasn't positive about who had sent it. Inside was a brief note.
Harry, I've got great news. I'm not going to tell you here but you'll
know in a week or two.
Sirius
Harry moved on to read the letter from Hermione. He took the letter off Janus's leg and then the owl joined Hedwig in getting a drink from the water bowl in Hedwig's cage.
Harry,
How has your summer been? I hope you're well. I'll be in Diagon
Alley sometime during the last week before term starts. Renata and
her mum will probably go there when I do. I hope to see you and Ron
there. Isn't it exciting about Percy? I do hope he and Penelope
have a long and healthy marriage. I'm glad for Fred and George,
too. I hope their joke-shop is successful, I trust they get a bit
more responsible than they have been. I'll see you on September
1st, if not sooner.
With Love,
Hermione
P.S. Please finish your homework.
Harry grinned. That was just like Hermione, thinking about grades and homework even in the middle of the summer! Harry folded up the letter and went to take the last letter from Pig. His real name was Pigwidgeon. Ron's sister Ginny had named the owl and afterwards he wouldn't answer to anything else so Ron shortened the owl's name to Pig.
He opened the letter.
Harry, if the Muggles say they won't take you to Diagon Alley I bet
we could pick you up and take you. We're going the last week before
school. I think that's when Hermione and Renata are going too.
Write me back soon. Let me know if the Muggles give you any
trouble. I reckon Fred and George might let me have a Canary Cream
or a bottle of Bug Bubbles to use against them. The bug bubbles are
new. Take one sip, burp, and for a few seconds you're a giant
beetle. I forgot to ask earlier this summer, how did that little
prank on Dudley go?
Ron
Harry couldn't help laughing out loud. When Harry had come home from Hogwarts for the summer holidays he had brought back a few sweets from the wizarding village near the castle, Hogsmeade. Harry had brought back an extra candy. A sherbet ball that makes the person sucking on it levitate a few inches off the ground. After scaring Dudley very bad by giving it to him to eat, Harry had been confined to his room for two weeks.
It had been worth it as far as Harry was concerned. Watching his fat cousin, as well as his aunt and uncle go into a panic attack had made Harry laugh a bit. But his victory had been short-lived he was lucky that he hadn't been confined longer.
Harry sighed and started the replies to his letters. He went to his desk and got some inkbottles, parchment, and a quill. He sat down to begin his answers.
Sirius,
I can't wait to find out whatever you were hinting at. I hope to
see you soon. Things have been fine here. I eagerly wait for my
return to Hogwarts, so I can get back in touch with the wizarding
world and away from the Dursleys. They're vile as always. I still
don't know how I'll get to Diagon Alley but I'll figure something
out.
Harry
Harry set the letter aside and began the next one.
Hermione, most of my homework is done. Ron and I will be in Diagon
Alley sometime in the last week of the holidays. I got some news.
Sirius has something he wants to tell me. I don't know what but I
hope its good news. I think it is. I'll see you soon.
Harry
Harry responded to the final letter.
Ron, Hermione and Renata will be in Diagon Alley on the last week
before term starts. Maybe we can all pick up our new school things
together. I hope so. I don't think the Dursleys will give me much
more trouble, after all the summer is more than half over. I can
always threaten them with Sirius or your brothers or something. I
got a letter from Sirius today. Says he's got a surprise. I'll see
you soon. By the way, that prank on Dudley went great but I was
locked in my room for a couple of weeks.
Harry
Harry took each letter and gave it to an owl, which flew out the open window. Harry sat, watching them fly off into the distance until he could no longer see them. He heard his aunt screech from downstairs.
"Dinner!" she screeched.
Harry put away his writing things and went downstairs.
His uncle was seated at the table and he glowered as he saw Harry come sit down.
Harry made no response other than to fill his plate.
Harry's Aunt Petunia gossiped happily to her husband, though he scarcely listened. Dudley shoveled food into his mouth. And so the meal passed without Harry saying a word. No notice was taken of him except for an occasional glare from his uncle.
Three days later Harry received another letter. This was an owl he had only seen a few times before but he recognized it all the same and eagerly opened the envelope and took out the letter to read.
Hey, Harry! Happy B-day, another year older, maybe another year
wiser; though I doubt the wiser part. What's up? FYI (for your
information) I'm going to be at Diagon Alley two days before we go
back to Hogwarts again. What day is that? Okay, so I'll be there on
the 30th of August. I think that's when Ron and Hermione are going
there too, isn't it? If you can, that's when you should come. We
can all shop together that way. Let me know if you'll be there or
not. I'll see you soon. If I don't see you at Diagon Alley I'll see
you at the station or on the train on September 1. Have a good rest
of the summer and write back.
Renata Delano
Harry folded the letter up, and then decided to go back for a second reading. And then a third as well. Afterwards he felt rather foolish and embarrassed to himself that he had done so. He took out a bottle of green ink and a fresh piece of parchment. As he wrote he looked at the ink realizing the green was the same shade as his eyes. He began to write.
He almost started writing. He put his quill to the paper and wasn't exactly sure what he wanted to say. He thought a moment, wrote something, crossed it out, wrote something else and crossed it out again. By the time he had finished it, the letter was looking messy.
Dear Renata, how's your summer going? Mine is fine. How have you
been doing? Is your homework finished yet? I think Snape's essay
was really hard. I've been practicing my flying and I hope you
have, too. We're going to be the only Gryffindors who have been on
the team before. We're going to end up with five rookies. I hope
our team still wins again. It will most definitely be a rebuilding
season. I'll try to come to Diagon Alley on the 30th.
Your friend,
Sincerely,
I hope to see you soon,
Harry
Harry looked disappointedly at the letter he had written. He wasn't extremely happy with it but it was the best he could do so he recopied it without all the crossed out words and mistakes. It would have to do. Harry went over to the owl that had delivered the letter. Harry tied the letter to its leg. The owl understood and flew off to deliver it to his owner. Harry watched as the owl soared away.
Harry spent the next few days eagerly awaiting letters from Sirius, Renata, Ron, and Hermione. Sirius had written that in a week he would have a surprise for Harry. Also Harry was anxious to hear from Renata. It was always good to hear from Ron and Hermione too, he missed them. These four were really his only link to the wizarding world when he wasn't in school. A week after Sirius's letter about the surprise had arrived Harry was eating breakfast with the Dursleys who, as usual, simply ignored. Harry was just starting up the stairs when there was a knock at the door. From the other room, Harry heard his uncle bark at him.
"Get the door, Harry!"
With a heavy sigh Harry trudged back down the stairs and opened the front door. Harry opened the door and gasped.