CHAPTER 16: Nothing to be Afraid of

A/N: Hey guys, welcome back. In this chapter you're introduced to a new character that I created and learn how Harry's holidays have been going. Hope you enjoy it. Without further ado...

The moonlight creeping through the closed window was the only source of light in the room on the east corner of the first floor. But it was more than enough for a newly turned 12-year-old wizard, who had a small smile on his bespectacled face and a shine to his eyes as he kept staring at the moving picture, that was stuck to the page of an otherwise empty leather cover photo album he had widespread on his lap.

His finger traced the smiling faces of his parents staring back at him. It had become a nightly ritual for Harry to look at the picture at least once before he hit the bed. It wasn't something he planned to do, or forced himself to do, but over the course of the holidays has a become part of his routine, a necessity, his little refuge.

A scraping sound coming from the other side of the room made him tear his eyes from the picture and look to his left at the door. His gaze shifted to the floor where he saw a folded piece of paper sticking through the small gap between the door and the floor.

Harry closed the album before he leaned over to place it on the desk right next to his bed. He got up from the bed and walked over to the door before he crouched down and grabbed the paper and headed back to the bed.

He made himself comfortable as he leaned his back against the headboard and sat cross-legged before he unfolded the paper.

Thanks, with the back garden today, you know you didn't have to help. So, 12 huh? I hope you enjoyed the cake. It was your mother's favourite. We used to celebrate her birthday during the Christmas hols. We all lamented that we couldn't do it on the actual day since she was away at school at the time.

Since it fits the occasion, I'm going to tell you a funny story, funny to me anyway, of your mother that happened on her birthday. Well, not on the actual date but when we celebrated it during the holidays.

We used to celebrate her birthday the day after Christmas, one, because we believed she deserved a day just for herself, but mainly because she got presents on two separate days.

Anyway, the story I'm about to tell you occurred on her 17th birthday. We had just come back from the local zoo, your mother had a really soft spot for animals, to find a young boy standing on the driveway. I had never seen him before, so I knew he wasn't there for me, which meant he came to see your mother.

My assumption was proven correct when Lily hastily got of the car and stormed towards him. The expression on the boy's face turned from hopeful to fearful in a matter of seconds by the time she reached him.

What followed was a shouting match of the proportion I've never witnessed before or since. It started with Lily screaming at the top of her lungs but soon the boy followed after he came out of the shock of what was happening.

It took a little longer for mum and dad though, it wasn't until our next-door neighbour, Mrs. Robinson, came out and demanded what was going on, that they finally came out of their shock and realized what was happening.

I, on the other hand was simply enjoying watching Lily make a fool out of herself, something my teenage self would argue didn't happen enough, and did nothing to stop it.

Mum and Dad, being the spoil sport they were, quickly went over and separated the two, which was a real shame because I felt that Lily was about to get physical.

Mum dragged Lily inside by her arm, admonishing her on the way as Dad tried to calm Mrs. Robinson.

Taking the opportunity to find some more dirt on Lily, I went over to talk to the boy, who was sulkily standing with his head down.

But someone else got to him before I did, and by that I mean he was sent flying backwards by a full-on Rugby tackle by none other than your mum's best friend, Severus. Needless to say, that it led to a massive brawl that attracted the attention of nearly everyone on the street because of the loud shouting, mostly cursing and filthy words, as people came out of their houses to see what was happening.

It all ended when Lily came out and separated the two by doing some sort of spell with her wand. Naturally, everyone freaked out, but none more than Lily herself when she realized what she'd done. I remember the absolute look of horror on her face as she stammered that no one from the magical government would come and wipe the memories of everyone since she had turned of age and was legal to do magic.

She started yelling in hyperventilation that they had to contact the government so they could send their people, but before she could do that, Severus, and the other boy dashed forward and started wiping everyone's memory themselves.

At the time I didn't know what they were doing, and I guess neither did the people whose memory they were wiping as they stood on the spot looking a bit flummoxed and before they could realize what was happening, they were wondering why they were standing on their porch in the first place.

That was also the day I realized the true power of the magical folk and never in my life, before or since, have I wanted to be a part of their world.

Ten or so minutes later, we were all inside the house, including Severus and the other boy. Both of their faces were splattered in blood but I don't think either of them cared. Lily was sobbing messily on the couch with mum and dad sitting on either side of her with their arms around her and trying to comfort her.

I was holding my breath when she finally calmed down and it looked that she was about to explain everything, but I remembered feeling so disappointed when all she said was 'get out' to the boys. Dad told me to escort them out of the house and I was about to close the door behind them when Lily appeared beside me and called out to them.

They stopped and turned around before Lily said something that confused the hell out of me. 'I'll give you my answer when we get back.' They both smiled and left but it was the start of a sleepless winter for me. Not a single night went that I didn't lay awake wondering what she meant by that. I don't even need to mention that she never told me what it meant, no matter how much I begged her.

Anyway, I finally got the answer in a note delivered by an owl five months later. It only had three words written on it. 'I'm getting married'.

I'm sure by now you have figured out who the other boy was. Needless to say, Severus didn't show up to the wedding. Though she never once brought it up, I could tell by the forlorn look that would appear on her face at times during the day that Lily was really bothered by it.

So, that ends what I thought was pretty fascinating turn of events. Hope you enjoyed the story. I still recall it with fond memories whenever I miss my family, because to me it describes the 'Evans' perfectly in a nutshell.

Now moving on, did you get any letters from your friends or still nothing. Maybe they are away on holidays and don't have the means to send letters. By what you've told me about them they seem really nice so I wouldn't lose hope if I were you. Remember, it takes a lot of building blocks to build a solid friendship, but one misplaced block, and it could crumble in a heap. So, be wise and be patient. For once, act like your mother and not your father and I'm sure you'll be much better for it.

Good night.

Harry closed the letter before he leaned over and opened the top drawer of the desk lined with the bed. He took out a brown diary, that he had found when he first shifted to this room. It was unused but that changed during this summer.

He opened it and flipped the pages. Folded notes were strapped to the white blank pages with a tape. He stopped flipping when he reached an empty page. He folded the paper he'd read not a minute ago before taking out a roll of white transparent tape from the same drawer. He cut out a small piece of the tape before sticking it evenly on the unfolded paper and the diary page.

He put the diary back in the drawer, along with the tape before walking over to the table situated in the corner. He opened the notebook sitting on top of table and ripped out a clean page before taking a seat on the chair. He grabbed the pen sitting on the edge of the table and started writing.

The cake was lovely, thanks, as is the colour set. I know I already said thank you but I really appreciate it. You may not know this, but I got told the story of how dad proposed to mum, but it was nice to hear a different perspective of their relationship.

No, I didn't get any letters today as well, but I'm still keeping up hope that they haven't forgotten about me. I've been considering what you said about stop waiting and writing a letter myself but, I'm afraid. What if they haven't written because they don't want to, I don't want to make a fool out of myself.

I'll think about it.

Good night.

Harry folded the paper before walking over to Hedwig's cage. Hedwig hooted softly as he reached her.

"Hey girl" he opened the cage and stroked the owl's head affectionately. "Here" He placed the paper between her open mouth before Hedwig got out its cage and flew out the room when Harry opened the window.

Harry walked back to his bed before lying down. He let his mind wander and his thoughts took him back to the night he arrived from King's cross. That was the start of it all, as he liked to think of it.

He didn't speak a word to his aunt, or anyone for that matter when he arrived with his uncle from the station, but simply went up to his room and closed the door. He only went down for dinner, but even that passed away in silence. But that night, as he was lying awake thinking all sorts of thoughts about the events that occurred during his school year, a knock on the door made him sit up and turn his head in its direction.

He was halfway towards the door when a note being slipped under the door made him stop. He picked it up and read it. He knew it was from his aunt the instant he opened it. It was quite short, asking him about his trip and other inconsequential things but, it was the start of what had turned into a nightly routine for them.

They still never talked face to face, Harry didn't know when or if that will ever happen but, conversing through letters gave him something to look forward to in an otherwise boring day that he usually spent by staring out of his window or completing his holiday homework.

With his friends not writing to him like they promised, Harry didn't mind talking with his aunt, albeit through letters. Plus, she told him stories about his mum, which he was always ready for. He got to learn an entirely new side to her, a side he didn't know she had.

He found her to be quite laid back and sometimes funny. He found out she loved listening to old music, particularly the 60s, loved to knit and paint, wanted to be a writer, got her degree from Cambridge nonetheless, but for reasons she didn't disclose never followed through with it.

This new dynamic in their relationship also brought other changes around the house for Harry. He was never asked to do any chores, that meant no dishes, no laundry, no cleaning, no mowing, and best of all, no cooking.

That didn't mean he sat idle on his backside all day, he still cleaned his room every day and did his own dishes. The funny thing he was no one ever spoke to him about this. The morning after he arrived, he scrambled down the stairs after noticing he was late to cook breakfast but got the shock of his life when he arrived to find it already laid out on the table.

His aunt didn't even turnaround from where she stood near the stove, but simply pointed at the table and said "Tuck in." And just like that, other changes started to occur right before his eyes without him ever being notified.

He knew these recent changes really irked his uncle by the frown that was always on his face everytime they crossed paths. Harry could tell that he desperately wanted him to make any sort of mistake so he could set a harsh punishment for him. But so far so good and he had no intention of mucking things up as he much preferred his new living arrangements.

A loud yawn escaped his lips and his eyes started to feel heavy. He pulled the cover over his body and turned on to his side before sleep finally overtook him.

…...

Harry turned off the tap before drying the wet plate he held in his hand. He stacked it with the rest and headed towards the exit.

"Dudley, sweety, take Harry with you and introduce him to your friends." said Petunia, from where she sat on the sofa in the living room.

Harry stopped in his tracks, and he looked ahead to see Dudley slowly turn around with wide eyes and mouth open in shock as he stared at his mother.

Harry's expression weren't much different as he wondered what on earth came over her to suggest a thing like that.

"What?" gasped Dudley in disbelief.

Petunia stopped knitting the sweater before she faced him. "I said, take Harry with you to the playground." She didn't wait for his answer and went back to her knitting.

"But- but... I don't want to" he stammered out.

Petunia stopped her movements before sending an icy glare towards her son, that lasted for less than 5 seconds, before she went back to her knitting.

To say Harry was shocked would be an understatement. He had never seen his aunt glare at Dudley before. Infact it was his uncle who on rare occasions, and by rare he meant once a year, would admonish their 'precious' son for something far worse than anything Harry ever did, and even then, it would be nothing more than a small lecture but that never stopped Dudley from crying his eyes out and always ended with him getting a present of his choice before the end of the night.

"Okay mum" whimpered Dudley. Harry wasn't surprised by his answer seeing how scared he got, and not just him, he would be lying if he said he didn't feel a chill run up his spine from her frosty glare and it wasn't even pointed at him. Any thoughts he had of protesting against her went right out the window.

Dudley turned to him and they both stared at each other, neither moving an inch. "Well go on, get moving" came his aunt's voice that broke their stare down and got them moving towards the front door. "Oh, and Dudley sweety, make sure Harry's on your team, alright"

Dudley stopped with his hand on the doorknob. "Okay mum!" he yelled out, before yanking the door open and storming out. Harry let out a deep breath before he followed him.

They had been walking for more than 10 minutes as they turned another street corner and continued ahead. Harry a few paces behind his cousin. He could see a field up ahead that he had never been to before. It had a small playground to the side where a bunch of kids were enjoying themselves. A basketball court was right next to the playground, which was empty.

A football field stood right behind the court where a group of boys similar in age to him were standing in a semi-circle.

With his eyes focused on the field; he didn't notice Dudley slowing down until he was right next to him. "Look" he started, as they walked shoulder to shoulder. "This game is really important for us, so it's best if you sit out."

Harry chuckled inwardly, before finding out that he was a wizard, Dudley wouldn't have asked so nicely. It would've been a demand at best, and a punch to the face at worst.

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "Fine by me"

"So, you won't tell mum?"

"Why would I? It wasn't like I begged her for you take me along" they crossed the road and continued walking on the footpath.

Dudley quickened his pace and walked on ahead with Harry casually strolling behind him. By the time he reached the football field, Dudley was having a huge laugh with his friends before both teams separated after tossing the coin and each player took his spot on the field.

Harry stood on the boundary line, looking at the players of both teams. He recognized just about everyone on Dudley's team but not a single player from the other team. Since they were all similar in height, he figured they went to a different school.

And the way Dudley and the other team's captain were glaring at each other he figured this wasn't some friendly game played between friends. No, this was serious.

A boy, slightly older than everyone wearing an orange vest was refereeing the match. They all waited for him to blow the whistle, which he did after a few moments. And the match was off as the other team passed the ball around in their half since they had won the toss.

Even though he had never seen many football matches, Harry was aware of all the rules in the game. He even played some during the P.E. class.

After watching the match for ten or so minutes, during which nothing happened except both teams shouting and complaining about fouls and demanding penalties, Harry strolled toward the basketball court.

He picked up the basketball that was right beneath the board and looked around, seeing if the person who left it was around. He didn't want someone to get the wrong impression. After seeing no one around he stared down at the ball in his hands.

Unlike Football, he had never played or watched a basketball game before. Not just him but no one in his school ever talked about it. He figured that was because the school didn't have a basketball court, so there won't be any reason for kids to talk about it.

St. Grogory's wasn't known for being great in sports, the only competition they participated in was the interschool primary football championship (IPFC), and they did alright. Mostly finishing their season in the middle of the rankings.

So, kids weren't encouraged a whole lot to excel in sports, as opposed to academically.

After staring at the ball for twenty or so seconds, wondering how he was supposed to get it into that hoop that seemed so high, Harry pulled his hands down to his knees with his palms facing up and the ball sitting on top of them and bended his knees slightly to gain momentum before he jumped in the air and let the ball go with all his might.

"Argh!" He grunted as the ball left his hands and hit the bottom of the hoop. His eyes turned wide as the ball came down faster than when it left his hands and before he could even blink the ball smashed into his face and knocked him to the ground.

His head swirled in pain and the world around him seemed to be moving in circles. "Ouch" he groaned in pain, putting his hand on his head as he sat up.

The sound of muffled laughter coming from somewhere near made him forget about his pain as he whipped his head around in the direction of the noise. Standing at the halfway mark of the court was a girl who had both her hands over her mouth as her whole body shook with laughter.

A deep red blush came over Harry's cheeks and he hastily stood up before turning around and running back to the football field.

"WAIT, STOP!" Her scream made him halt in his tracks, but he didn't turn around. The sound of footsteps told him that she was walking towards him.

"I'm sorry for laughing" she apologized as she stopped in front of him. Harry looked up from staring at his shoes and at her face. He could tell from the sincerity in her eyes that she really was sorry, which made him relax a bit.

She was an inch shorter than him and had pale white skin with blonde hair, but what struck him the most were her eyes, they were the same colour as his, emerald green. Up until now, he had never come across another person with the same colour eyes as him.

"I really am...sorry. I didn't mean to laugh, but it was just so funny" she barely finished the sentence before another bout of laughter hit her. Harry watched as tears started gathering behind her eyes as she clutched her stomach.

Her laughter was so infectious that he couldn't stop the chuckle from leaving his mouth and before long, he was laughing his guts off with her.

"Oh," she gasped out after her laughter had subsided. "I don't remember laughing this hard in a long time"

"Me too" said Harry with a smile.

"I'm Olivia, by the way" she extended her hand out.

"Harry" he said, as he shook her hand. She gave him a toothy smile before her eyes went wide as she looked past his shoulder.

"MOMO! Stop" Harry turned around and looked at the small puppy clawing at the basketball with its tiny paws.

Olivia zoomed past him and picked up the basketball. "No Momo, how many times have I told you to stay away from my basketball. You have your own ball so go and play with that" She pointed at the tennis ball a few feet behind Momo.

"So, it's your ball," said Harry, as he walked over to her.

"Yeah, I took my little brother back to the house, he had to go to the loo and forgot about the ball"

"Oh, I only picked it up after seeing no one around. But I wasn't going to steal it" Harry hoped she didn't think of him as a thief.

Olivia gave him a reassuring smile before she replied. "Don't worry Harry, I know you weren't"

Not knowing what else to say, Harry looked around awkwardly as he scratched the back of his head.

"So, you know how to play?" he finally asked.

Olivia looked up at him from petting her dog before she stood up. "A little." she said before adding. "I could teach you if you'd like" she offered with a hopeful smile.

Harry looked over his shoulder at the football game still going on before facing her. Not wanting to hurt her feelings in any way since she seemed nice, and also being a little curious about the game, Harry replied "Yeah, sure"

"Cool" she smiled, before walking closer to the stand near the hoop. "So, in basketball, you can't carry the ball, you have to bounce it" she demonstrated by bouncing the ball with her right hand. "But only with one hand" she looked at him after catching the ball. Harry nodded his head in response.

"But we don't need to get into all that, the main thing is to get the ball through the hoop, but not from under it like you were trying to do"

A blush came over Harry's cheeks. "Yeah, sorry"

"No need. Now watch this" Harry watched closely as she gripped the ball with her right hand behind it and her left hand to its side. She then brought the ball over her right shoulder and jumped off the ground as she shot the ball in the air.

Harry watched the ball hit the backboard before dropping through the hoop. "Wow" he said in awe as she turned to him with a smile.

"Okay, now your turn" She picked up the ball and handed it to him. "Just hold the ball like I did and look at the top right corner of the square" She pointed at the square drawn on the board.

"Okay" Harry nodded his head. He tried to imitate her form and after feeling he got it right, he jumped in the air with his eyes locked at square and let the ball go. He watched the ball fly over the board and land on the other side. His shoulders sagged in disappointment.

"It's okay" Olivia patted him on the shoulder. "Believe me, I was much worse when I started"

"If you say so" He shrugged his shoulders, still feeling a little embarrassed with his effort.

She jogged over to pick the ball and threw it back to him. "C'mon, we're not leaving till you get it done." She clapped her hands in encouragement.

Harry gave her a small smile before focusing on his next shot.

An hour went by, and Harry still hadn't scored. "Maybe we should just stop" He said as Olivia went over to pick the ball for what felt like the thousandth time.

"No, we're not. C'mon you got this." she walked over to him before stopping in front of him. "You just have to believe in yourself. Trust me."

Harry gave her a tired look. "That's what you've been saying for the past hour" He said throwing his hands in the air. "Maybe I'm no good at this. In case you can't tell, I'm not good at sports. Not on the ground, anyway" He murmured the last part to himself.

"And you think I am" she arched her eyebrow in challenge.

"But you have coordination. I don't" he exclaimed.

"Urgh! Stop making excuses and just shoot the ball" She thrusted the ball in his hands before walking over to her previous spot.

Harry let out a tired sigh.

"Remember, you have to believe in yourself. Not just think it, but really believe. Like there is no other direction the ball could go except where you want it to"

He nodded before bouncing the ball twice and setting up his position when a voice halted him. "Harry! Let's go." He turned around to see Dudley walking over to him. His shirt was half covered in dirt as he trudged over to him with heavy steps.

Harry looked back at Olivia and gave her an apologetic smile. "Sorry, I have to go. Here" He walked over to her and gave her the ball.

"But we still have time. It's not dark yet" she said with a frown on her face.

"I'm sorry, but I can't stay any longer."

"Harry C'mon!" yelled Dudley.

Olivia glared at him before turning back to Harry. "Why not? Tell your brother he can go if he wants to" Harry was about to respond when she cut him. "If you're scared of walking alone, I can come with you"

"It's not that, and he's not my brother. Look..." He exhaled before looking over his shoulder at Dudley, who was picking at his nose. "I'm sure we'll see each other again" He gave her an encouraging smile even though he wasn't sure he would be allowed to leave the house again.

"But-"

"What's taking so long?" demanded Dudley in a frustrated voice.

Harry watched Olivia close her eyes briefly as she took a deep breath and turned to face Dudley. "Listen, you stupid troll. We're talking here so it would be great if you could shut your mouth for longer than five seconds and if you have problem following this simple instruction, you can leave!"

Harry's eyes turned wide in shock. He couldn't believe what he'd just heard. He kept staring at Olivia in disbelief as she took deep breaths before turning towards him.

"What did you call me, you little worm!" Dudley stomped his way towards her. Harry knew that Dudley wouldn't strike a girl, but that still didn't stop him from getting in front of her. It turned out his effort was futile as she walked around him and met Dudley halfway.

"You heard me. A stupid troll" She looked up at him as both teenagers glared at each other.

"You're lucky you're a girl" threatened Dudley.

"Oh really, why what were you going to do if I was a boy. Eat me. It seems the only thing you're capable of doing is open your mouth wide as mummy spoon feeds you" she harrumphed.

"That's it! Now you've done it-" Harry quickly dashed over to them for the fear that Dudley might do something stupid.

"It's okay Dudley, she didn't mean it. C'mon let's go" Harry tried to separate the two, but they wouldn't budge.

"I meant every word I said," said Olivia.

"Olivia please-" Harry's plea was cut off by Dudley.

"You know what, I don't have time for this. I'm leaving. Alone" He said the last part to Harry.

Dudley shot one last glare in Olivia's direction before he stomped away.

"Dudley, wait" yelled Harry.

"Don't come near me" shouted Dudley, glaring at him over his shoulder as he continued walking ahead.

Harry was about to go after him, but Olivia stopped him with her hand on his shoulder. "Let him leave. He won't be able to bother us anymore" she said.

Harry shrugged her hand off his shoulder. "What's wrong with you! I told you to not say anything" he yelled at her. "Maybe you should follow your own advice and listen to what other people are saying."

He didn't wait for her response and ran off in Dudley's direction.

Harry entered the house and dashed up the stairs. He closed the door to his room and leaned his head against the door, waiting for the shout. Any second now, but it never came.

He stayed like that for five minutes before walking over to his bed and dropping on it face down.

His mind was occupied with a single thought ever since he ran from the basketball court. 'Please don't make things go back to the way they were'

He had been repeating that sentence over and over again. He would take any punishment his aunt or uncle would set him for today, but he hoped that they wouldn't start treating him like before.

…...

Harry slowly opened his eyes as the knocking got louder. He turned his head towards the window and was shocked to find it was dark outside. 'I slept?' He looked at his clothes. They were the same as the ones he wore to the park.

He got up from the bed as the knocking continued and walked over to the door. He unlocked it before slowly opening it. His aunt was standing on the other side with a tray in her hand. She motioned him to let her in.

He stepped aside and watched her walk inside over to the bed. She set the tray on the desk before sitting on the bed. "I think it's time we have a talk"

Harry gulped, scared that his worst fear has come true. He closed the door and walked towards his bed. He stopped a few meters away from her and hung his head down.

"What are you doing?"

He looked up to see her looking at him with confusion. "Sit on your bed" She patted the mattress.

A small frown came over his face as he walked over to his bed before taking a seat on the opposite end from her with his feet touching the ground.

Harry's anxiety kept growing as she didn't speak for a while and kept twiddling with a loose thread of the bed sheet.

"What you did was wrong" she started, still looking down at the bed. "You should-"

"I'm sorry" he cut her off. She looked up to see him standing in front on her. "It won't happen again. I promise. I won't ever go outside. You can give me any punishment you want...just don't treat me like you used to do. I don't want things to go back the way they were" He said all this one breath.

A grave expression came over her face as he finished. Harry was nervously fidgeting with his hands behind his back. "It saddens me that you still think so low of me" she said. "But I fear I have no one else but myself to blame for it. You're not in any trouble, Harry. Come sit" She patted the spot next to her.

Harry sighed inwardly, feeling a lot more relaxed now knowing that he was safe. Without giving it much thought, he sat beside her.

"What I was going to say was, you should apologize to that girl first thing in the morning"

Harry furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "What? But how did you-"

"I was there"

A surprise look came over his face. "You were there?"

She nodded her head. "I came to check if you were alright. When I arrived, you were playing with her. I was happy that you made a friend so quick, so I stayed. But I'm really disappointed by what you did. You let your fear guide your actions, and in turn hurted the one person who made you smile during the entire time you've been back.

You have nothing to be afraid of, Harry. Whatever happens, no one is ever going to treat you like before. I want you to feel safe. You may not feel happy to be here and I hope as time goes on you do; I understand that will take time. But you have nothing to be afraid of. You don't need my permission or your uncle's to leave the house, sure you should let us know just in case but feel free to do as you wish"

She stood up and picked up the tray before placing it next to him on the bed. "I hope you think about what I said. It's great to have friends at school but you'll be spending a lot of time here as well. My only suggestion for when you do see her next would to be honest. Maybe not about everything. Remember, for you to trust someone, they also must trust you. Eat before it gets cold" She turned around and headed towards the door. She opened the door and was about to walk out when Harry called out to her.

"Aunt Petunia...Thanks" She didn't turn around but nodded her head before closing the door behind her.

…...

Harry picked up the basketball as it was rolling towards him. He looked up to see Olivia stop on her way as her eyes landed on him. He walked over to her before stopping a couple of feet Infront of her.

She had her hair in a ponytail and wiped the sweat from her head with the back of her hand as she too deep breaths to slow her breathing.

"Olivia, I'm so-" She stopped him by raising her hand.

"C'mon, we can't move on to the next drill till you haven't shot the ball through the hoop" She turned around and started walking towards the court.

A huge smile came over Harry's face as he had his eyes trained on her. 'Maybe this summer won't be so bad after all'

…...

Harry wiped the sweat from his forehead before he sat next to Olivia on the ground. "Whew, I'm tired"

"Me too. We really pushed ourselves today, didn't we" she said.

"Yup. But hey, all that matters is that we beat them" He shot her a grin.

"Oh, you mean how I did most of the work, while you simply stood under the board and waited for my pass" she smirked.

"I did not!" exclaimed Harry.

Olivia arched her eyebrow in response.

"Alright, maybe I did" chuckled Harry. "But you know I can't dribble to save my life, plus I'm almost as good as you in shooting"

"Oh, you wish" she scoffed.

"I think you're just jealous that I might get better than you" he said with a smirk.

"Harry?"

"Yes, Olivia?" he said patronizingly.

"Do you want to get punched in the face"

"I think I'm good thanks"

"Then shut up" she finished.

Harry stretched his arms over his shoulder as he watched the sunset.

"I can't believe we only have 2 weeks of holidays left before school starts" said Olivia before she let out a yawn.

"I know" Harry furrowed his eyebrows as he thought of how in the past 3 weeks he hadn't once thought about Hogwarts or his friends. "Time seems to fly" he murmured.

"It always does when you're having fun" she turned her head towards him and gave him a small smile.

"You're right" He smiled back.

"It must be really cool to go to a boarding school. I wished I went to one. Imagine spending all the time with your friends." she gave him a wistful smile.

"It is pretty cool" Harry nodded his head.

"You must get into all sorts of trouble, don't you?"

"Umm...not really. I'm not much of a rule breaker"

"Oh please, you can't fool me. I know a troublemaker when I see one, and you sir are one" she laughed.

"Guilty" Harry chuckled. "I'm afraid you caught me"

"I know" she gave him a smug look before turning her attention to the sun setting over the houses. "Tell me about it?"

Harry looked at her in confusion. "About what?"

"You know, your school, your friends. I mean I still don't understand why you go all the way to Scotland to study?"

"I already told you. My grandparents live there, and it's always been like this. I only visit my aunt on holidays."

"Yeah, yeah. Blah, blah, blah. Okay, tell me about your friends" She brought her knees up and faced him. The entire left side of her face glowed from the sunlight.

"My friends..." Harry whispered. He stared up at the sky that had an orange tint to it as he began to ponder what can he say about Ron and Hermione. "What do you want me to say...They are my friends" He shrugged his shoulders. "Ron's pretty tall, he's got ginger hair, is extremely funny. If you're feeling down, he can cheer you up in no time...and he's always got your back, no matter what"

"He seems pretty cool," said Olivia.

"He is" Harry nodded with a smile.

"Anyone else?" she inquired with a raised eyebrow.

Harry plucked a blade of grass from the ground. "Hermione"

"Hermione. That's a cool name"

Harry let out a chuckle. "Yeah, I suppose."

"What's she like?" She snatched the blade of grass from his fingers and tickled him on the ear. Harry started laughing and leaned back to get away from her.

"Stop it!" he heaved as his laughter died down, swatting her hand away.

"Fine" she chuckled and pulled her hand back. "Go on, tell me about her"

Harry took few deep breaths to calm his racing heart as he wept his hair away that had been constantly falling over his eyes once the wind picked up. "Umm...She's the smartest person I know. Of my age, I mean" He added.

"Duh Harry. That's self-explanatory. I don't think anyone would believe that a 12-year-old girl can be smarter than adults"

"Yeah, you're right" He chuckled and shook his head. "I don't know why I said that...Anyway, she's loyal, brave, kind...and I genuinely believe that no one could ever dislike her once they get to know her. Like, everyone has some bad qualities and sometime people don't like someone even after spending time with them...but not with her. I really believe that once you get to know her...spend some time with her, there's no way you cannot like her"

"That's a big statement"

"It is"

"Almost a challenge" Her lips curved into a smirk.

"Maybe" he smirked back.

"Well, I'll be the judge of that, thank you, when I meet her myself" she said in faux arrogance that elicited a laugh from both.

"I should get going" said Harry after a while.

"Yeah, you're really late" said Olivia, as she checked her watch.

"Late?" he said as a frown came over his face.

"Yeah, didn't you mention that you had to be home by 6 because some guests were arriving" She looked at him.

"Oh shit" He shot up to his feet in no time. "I'm in so much trouble. What's the time?" He bent down and turned her wrist to check the time on her watch. "6.20!" He exclaimed. He dropped her arm and brought his hands to his face. "I'm in so much trouble" He groaned.

"Oh, don't be so dramatic" She stood up and dusted of her shorts.

Harry gathered his jacket and hastily put it on. "I'll see you tomorrow"

"Okay" she smiled. "Bye"

"Bye" He yelled back as he was already halfway across the court.

Olivia chuckled and shook her head, before she picked up her basketball and headed in the opposite direction.

Harry took a few calming breaths as he reached the house. He walked over to the door and put his hand on the door handle and turned it down. But it didn't move. It was locked.

"Crap" he whispered.

He knew how important this meeting was for his uncle, his warning this morning conveyed that perfectly. He told him to stay in his room and not come down when the guests came. He didn't argue and he knew the reasons why, but it didn't matter to him. But now he had messed it up. He just hoped that it wasn't him who opened the door.

He rang the doorbell and waited with bated breath.

"And as I was saying that my plans for the company-" The ringing of the doorbell halted Vernon's speech and he turned to his wife. "Petunia darling were we expecting other guests" He asked politely, but Petunia could see the fire burning behind his eyes.

She looked at her guests who were both engrossed in their meal and turned back to her husband. "I'm sure it's just the neighbourhood boys. Probably came to get their ball" She turned to her guests "You know how kids are" She chuckled politely.

Mrs. Anderson gave her a polite smile in return. "You don't have to tell me, dear"

"I'll just be a minute" She was about to stand up when Vernon leaned towards her and whispered angrily. "And take care of that nephew of yours. Tell him to lock that owl or it won't end well for the pair of them" He leaned back and put on a beaming smile on his face. "Thank you darling"

Petunia nodded her head and stood up before heading out of the living room.

Fifteen seconds had gone by, and Harry was still waiting for the door to open. The sound of footsteps on the other side made his back tense in nervousness. He heard the clicking of the lock before the door opened to reveal his aunt.

He let out a relieved sigh as her eyes landed on him.

"Harry!" She exclaimed loudly before looking over her shoulder. "I thought you were in your room"

"Sorry, I lost track of time. Won't happen again" He apologized.

"It's okay. Quickly, hurry up" She ushered him inside before closing the door and locking it. Harry had only taken couple of steps up the stairs when she stopped him. "Harry"

He stopped and turned around.

"You have to lock your owl till the guests are here. It has been creating a lot of noise and your uncle is not happy about it"

A look of concern mixed with confusion came over Harry's face before he responded. "But I remember locking Hedwig's cage before leaving"

"Maybe she got out" Petunia shrugged her shoulders before adding. "Just make sure she stays quiet"

Harry nodded his head before she headed towards the kitchen. He was at the top of the stairs when he heard his uncle's voice.

"Who was it dear?"

"Oh, as I mentioned. Neighbourhood boys, They came to fetch their ball"

He walked the small hallway towards his bedroom. He opened the door and locked it behind him before turning around, and the sight that presented him, rocked him to the spot as a chill ran down his spine.

He felt air leave his body as he leaned back against the door.

"Who-who are you?"

A/N: So guys, what did you think of Olivia. Post your comments and let me know and I'll see you in the next chapter.