And When The Dawn Begins
Chapter Two - Discovery
Harry sat by the window, silent, moving only to turn a rubix cube in his hands, which the staff had given him to ' occupy his mind'. He stared blankly out at the setting sun, which, instead of the usual coral pinks and oranges, seemed to stain the sun blood red, making it feel like the skies were poking fun at him.
He looked back at the cube in his hands, twisting it a few more times.
"Damn cube," he shouted, releasing some of the built up anger, which had swelled up inside him ever since he realised why the Dursleys had been killed.
"Now I remember why it was the only toy Dudley ever let me play with".
Harry threw it across the room, completely unaware of the children around the room staring at him, and watched as it landed in the box on the other side of the room, which shut with a thud. Cringing, he realised that it was a result of magic, which the muggles had seen but none of the children seemed to think it anything out of the ordinary. Harry sighed.
"It won't matter anyway" he thought to himself, "I can't get expelled I'll probably never get back to
Hogwarts at all now. Never get back to my friends."
He stopped himself, and thought again.
"Yes. Yes, I will get back, someone will come and get me. Someone."
With that, he returned to looking out of the window quiet, still and alone.
**
Ron Weasley sat with his family at the kitchen table, laughing, with Ginny, as Fred and George explained the latest of their inventions, which were being sold in a shop in Hogsmeade, whilst being careful not to talk within ear shot of their mother.
"Arthur you're going to be late for your meeting with Albus at the school." Molly Weasley told her husband sternly.
"Alright dear I'll just finish this article fascinating really, fascinating," Mr Weasley replied, hastily turning to a new article in his muggle newspaper.
Fred and George continued talking animatedly.
"And so anyway, we gave the liquorice to the customer,"
"And he gave some to his wife."
"Soon, they were both rolling about,"
"Laughing so hard their heads could have fallen off."
"Luck for them, 'last laugh liquorice' only lasts for about an hour,"
"So they just left the shop giggling like schoolgirls.."
"That shop must be making a fortune, thanks to you two.." Ginny managed to say, whilst still laughing like a hyena.
Ron wiped his eyes, and took a deep breath to calm himself.
"Those things are selling like hotcakes" he said.
"OOOhhhhhh hotcakes," Fred said, a glint in his eye.
George grinned.
"Sounds like a good idea."
Great minds obviously think alike..
"WHAT are you two up to?" Mrs Weasley snapped.
George's ears flushed a sure sign of Weasley guilt.
"Nothing mum nothing, just"
"LOOK Ron," Fred interrupted, happy for the diversion, "Isn't that Harry's owl Hedwig?"
"It is God he must be really bored, I only just sent him a reply to his last letter he sad he wasn't sleeping much- probably sent it during the night."
"Why isn't he sleeping?" Ginny asked, concerned.
Ron frowned. "I don't know. He didn't say, but I think it's something to do with last year we never really found out what happened, he never spoke about it, must have been pretty bad though I've never seen Harry so miserable.."
"Never mind that Ron," his mother interrupted, trying to lighten the mood. " Read out his letter."
Ron gently removed the parchment from Hedwig's leg, and let her fly off. Except she didn't. She stayed, perched on the back o fan empty chair. Ron looked strangely at the owl, but shrugged and turned back to the letter, clearing his throat, and starting to read..
"Dear Harry, sorry to hear you've not been sleepin"
Ron's reading grew gradually slower, and quieter, until he stopped, scanning the rest of the letter quickly to himself.
"What it is it Ron?" Fred asked,
"Why'd'ya stop?" George puzzled.
"Because," Ron said, looking worried, " this isn't from Harry. It's to Harry. It's the letter I sent him yesterday."
He looked back at Hedwig.
"Why did you come back Hedwig?" he asked.
The bird flapped it's wings in an irritated manner, hooting, but offered no decipherable answer.
"I bet the Dursleys have just got him shut up again" Ginny said bitterly.
"Stupid muggles" Ron muttered.
"What did you say?" Arthur Weasley suddenly snapped, his eyes shooting towards his daughter.
"I said," Ginny repeated, slightly irritated, "that the muggles have probably got him locked up."
"Which muggles Ginny, quickly" Mr Weasley persisted, his tone urgent.
"Vernon, Petunia.." Ron started,
"and Dudley" the twins continued with matching evil grins.
"The Dursleys Harry's relatives remember?" Ginny concluded, thinking her father was going slightly loopy.
Ron watched as Mr Weasley stood up shakily looking at the newspaper in his hands.
"I have to get to that meeting quickly.."
"What is it Dad?" Ron asked, but it was too late.
Arthur Weasley ran towards the fireplace, threw floo powder in, jumped in after it and snapped 'Hogsmeade', without replying to a single of his family's questions.
**
"Ah good morning, Sirius, Remus, glad to see you managed to arrive in one piece."
"Thank you Albus, I think," Sirius laughed.
"Is there anyone else left to come?" Remus asked, slightly irritated that they were late in arriving for which he entirely blamed his companion.
"Yes," Snape replied curtly, as the three sat down, " Arthur Weasley, as ever, is last."
"Come, Severus, I'm sure there's a perfectly reasonable explanation as to why he is yet to arrive"
"Where's Arabella this morning Dumbledore?" a person sat at the far end of the extremely long tables asked.
"She has been at her sister's all week she broke her leg, and will insist on healing herself the muggle way.."
"And I'm sure we'd all love to hear about it," Snape said icily, "but since our resident muggle expert is yet to arrive we'll have to manage without.."
"Severus," Remus frowned, "We're in no rush."
"Maybe you should try spying on Voldemort," Snape replied calmly. "It would make you much more hasty in retreat from 'enemy' camps."
The room fell silent.
"Sorry, Severus, I forgot.."
It was at this point that Arthur Weasley sprinted through the doors.
"I think we have a problem." He panted, throwing a muggle newspaper onto the table.
**
David Granger flicked the paper open onto a new page and, taking a sip of coffee, started reading, vaguely aware as his daughter wandered downstairs, bleary eyed, and grabbed a glass filled with orange juice. Caroline Granger was stood by the oven, keeping an eye on the bacon, as it cooked slowly in the pan.
"Oh dear," Mr Granger started, "poor Vernon."
"Vernon who, David?" his wife questioned.
"remember Caroline, Vernon Dursley from Smeltings Yes?"
Hermione coughed into her Orange juice.
"you went to school with Vernon Dursley?" she laughed.
"Yes didn't keep in contact though to tell the truth, I couldn't stand the man."
"Doesn't surprise me much" Hermione muttered, remembering some of Harry's stories.
"Anyway, poor man's dead whole family killed the day before last.
Hermione gave a small scream and dropped her orange juice, unaware as the glass smashed on the floor. She started shaking, and sank down into a chair slowly.
"Who, Dadexactly w-who died?"
"Herm are you alright honey?" Mrs Granger asked tentatively, but received no reply.
Mr Granger looked back down at his paper, slightly puzzled.
"Well all of them Vernon, his wife, and his kid some freakish car accident why - do you know them?"
"Are you sure it's just them Dad no-one else?" Hermione cried, relief flooding through her.
"Certain why?"
Hermione's head sank into her hands, and she took deep breaths, calming herself.
"Harry" she said slowly. "They're Harry's relatives the ones he stays with."
Caroline Granger gasped. "Oh that poor boy no wonder you were worried"
"What relation?" Mr Granger interrupted.
"He's their nephew why, does it say something? She said quickly, wiping her eyes and snatching the paper from her father in a rush, quite different from her usual calm mannerisms, silencing her parents.
She read through it quickly, and stopped at one point.
The Dursley's nephew, who resided in their household, was later found at home, and has been placed in the local orphanage, St Walburga's
"Oh God he'll be stuck in their forever we'll never see him gain, Hogwarts what if he can't come back I wonder if Ron knows? Oh poor Harry first his parents now this.." Hermione said all of this very quickly, only stopping for air at the end.
Caroline Granger read over he daughter's shoulder.
"Calm down darling," she said, "We can go and visit him it's not too far I think.."
"Oh mum, really? Thank you"
**
Albus Dumbledore set down the paper with a sigh.
"What is it Albus? What's wrong?" Remus questioned.
"It's Harry," Arthur Weasley said slowly, glancing at Sirius.
"Oh no what's happened tell me NOW!" Sirius stood up and purposefully walked to the end of the table where Dumbledore was sat.
"He's in an orphanage, Sirius" the headmaster said sadly.
"But who what how why?" Sirius stuttered shakily, "WHY did I let you send him back there Albus? I should have brought him home with me you promised the Dursleys would offer protection you prom"
"I'm sorry, Sirius, but I didn't count on Voldemort killing the Dursleys." Dumbledore replied, somewhat sharply.
"V-Voldemort but how can you be certain?" Remus asked, worried.
"Read the article, Remus, it all makes sense."
"But we can get him out right?"
The whole room looked up to see who had spoken. They were extremely surprised to see Severus Snape, a genuinely concerned look on his face, which made a lot of people slightly scared themselves.
"Of course we will," Sirius replied, looking at Albus, a frown forming on his face as the headmaster remained silent. "Won't we Albus.?"
Dumbledore looked up sadly.
"It's a muggle orphanage, Sirius unless one of you has a paying muggle job, we have very little chance of even being allowed to visit him.
Silence. You could have heard a pin drop except nobody was listening, the were all to busy having exactly the same thoughts.
"But Voldemort, Albus how can we protect Harry whilst he's in there?" Remus asked, in a barely audible whisper.
"We can't," Sirius replied, realising it for the first time. "He'll have to rely on his own protections.."
Disclaimer – I own nothing, Jk Rowling owns everything