A/N: This one could get interesting, I'm may be basing this on 'The Matrix' in a virtual reality situation type way, so now I acknowledge it belongs to the Wachowski brothers, just in case. In my opinion 'The Matrix' is a brilliant film by the way, can you blame me if it is inspirational? Also please ignore my ballistic approach to punctuation in long sentences;,!?.
Chapter Two: The Lord of the Net
Harry stood in the garden awhile after Sirius had gone, so much was happening, was being organised by Dumbledore, should he have told Sirius about his assignment? It wasn't as dangerous as any of the Triwizard tasks that was for damn sure, however knowing his godfather's worrying, Harry would have bet that he could find a problem with it. Yeah, it was better Sirius didn't know, anyway, what harm could possibly come to him in his own town? Harry definitely remembered that Voldemort could never find him when he was with the Dursleys, he had told him at his father's grave the year before, why should he make Sirius worried, if anything, Harry should be worried about anyone catching up to Sirius, most of the wizarding world still thought he was responsible for the murder of 13 people, and involved in the deaths of Harry's parents.
Contemplating this Harry walked back into the kitchen, noticed everything was blotted out in the window, and he found his eggs on toast taking a one-way trip down the mouth of his gigantic cousin, 'Hey behemoth, having a good day?' this simple question caused Dudley to stop. Ever since Hagrid had given him a tail Dudley had been more wary of the wizarding world, and last year's event when his tongue had grown by four feet thanks to Fred and George Weasley AFTER they exploded out of his fireplace had helped no end. Before his cousin could reply Harry tapped a twig he had found outside on the doorframe with an innocent smile on his face, with a squeal of terror Dudley ran from the room, Harry's eggs spilled down his front, snapping the small twig in half Harry grabbed his toast and ran outside, diving back into the shed as a long-necked Aunt Petunia's head shot out of the window.
'Where are you boy? Get in here and clear this mess up?' Harry sniggered quietly as he downed his toast, 'If you ever do that again I will send you to your room for the rest of the summer…' Harry perked up his ears at this point. Soon enough he heard the voice of his uncle coming from the window in lesser tones than earlier. Sneaking out he heard the conversation that passed between his aunt and uncle, 'Why won't you let me deal with this Vernon.'
'I just can't let you, something has happened to the boy, at his school and it affects us as well.'
'What?' Harry definitely was more alert now, he'd never known the Dursleys to discuss Hogwarts before.
'Last year someone was killed at the school, a boy a year older than Harry, I think they were friends.'
'And what has this to do with us?'
'The…man who killed him…he killed your sister and her husband as well. He's after Harry now.'
'You mean, he could come here? Why?'
'According to the boy's headmaster this…man…is obsessed with killing Harry because Harry was responsible for his downfall. So look, we have to keep the boy close in case someone sees him and tells this man, the headmaster put some sort of…spell…on the house to protect us, but if they follow him here than it means nothing. Just keep him close, we can't afford to drive him off, for our own sake…as well as his.'
'Well if you insist Vernon.'
'I do. Just keep Dudley away from Harry and there should be no problems…I'm off to work now sweetheart, just…have a good day.'
'Bye dear…'
With this the conversation was over and Harry was left leaning against the wall with a tightened chest, Voldemort was after him again. From what he heard from Dumbledore before school ended Voldemort was lying low, after all Harry's story had been heard by everyone after a while, students told parents, co-workers swapped stories. One thing bothered Harry about the conversation though, if Voldemort couldn't find the house, how come Ron and his brothers had, and Mr. Weasley, what if Voldemort simply attached the Dursleys's house to the Floo network? Harry was so busy thinking he missed his aunt stepping outside to hang out the washing, but then Petunia Dursley was busy thinking as well, about her family, she didn't notice Harry and even dropped two shirts without picking them up before going back in, shutting the door behind her.
Bang!
The wind caught it and slammed the door which finally shook Harry out of his reverie, and eventually he rose and stepped inside once more, no one was in the kitchen. Harry walked out and paced up the stairs to his room, vaguely noticing that his aunt and cousin were now watching the television, then he gratefully flopped down on his lumpy bed. A hoot made him look up and he saw Hedwig perched on the window sill, wanting to go out and fly, 'Okay, but stay near the house, it isn't safe outside...' ruffling her feathers Hedwig hooted once more and took off, Harry watched jealously for a few minutes, like previous summers his broomstick had vanished into the cupboard under the stairs. However this year his trunk was up in his room, Uncle Vernon had figure the 'flying object' was the only 'dangerous thing', at least he didn't see my potion stuff Harry had thought at the time.
Sighing after watching the graceful flight of his owl, Harry left the window ajar and returned to the letter on his bed, then turned his attention to the list that was beneath it. Scanning it quickly Harry was surprised to find the names on it were all so…ordinary for email addresses:
wizardwonder32@btinternet.com
magicministerusa@aol.com
webwizard2000@hotmail.com
solavox_turrey@yahoo.com
296spells@fish.co.uk
Harry read about twenty in total before he reached the end of the list where he found a PS from Dumbledore.
The 'web address' of the person you are trying to contact is: LOTN@LordoftheNet.co.uk
Thanks to the Professor Mysis, the Professor of Muggle Studies I mentioned earlier – 'another new one then' – I have already been in contact with Stephen Wilkins over the 'web', and I have told him that I will be sending a boy his age to meet him, I have given him your name as Neville Longbottom in case the messages were intercepted, but I have described your scar to him. As I mentioned earlier, please make contact as soon as possible, I have to contact the wizards of other nations who will support us in our new fight against Voldemort. The last thing that I am writing is the message I wish you to send to all of the wizards…
Harry turned over the letter and found that the message was more like a memo with its shortness, but it had a good force behind it:
To whom it may concern:
This message is being sent to yourself and representatives of our world throughout the globe, as you also may or may not know, this is from Professor Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts Academy of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Last year Lord Voldemort rose again by kidnapping Harry Potter, the boy you know defeated him so many years ago, and with the help of a Death Eater who infiltrated our school. I can accept blame for this if you wish, but for now I ask for your help.
Minister of Magic for the United Kingdom, Cornelius Fudge, and myself have reached a parting of ways, he does not believe Voldemort is back and as such is taking no action against him. By the use of Veritaserum I have confirmed the Dark Lord's return and ask you now for help in opposing his expected return to power.
I have one simple message for now; be vigilant, watch out for any characteristics that mark his return, disappearances, unusual Muggle deaths, this particularly applies to those of you who, like myself, read their newspapers. Lord Voldemort may not yet be publicly announcing his return but soon it will come, and I for one fear it, we have defeated him once through a mother's undying love for her son, no one would ask for this sacrifice to be made again.
Yours faithfully, Professor Albus Dumbledore
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorcerer, Chief Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confederation of Wizards)
Harry finished reading, before he realised it a tear fell off his cheek and impacted on the parchment, his mother had saved him, he had known that, but for everyone to be saved, he felt both proud and sad, she had saved everyone, she had died for them all. Harry knew what his mother would have thought, that anyone would have done the same and that anyone should be prepared to do the same
Pulling himself together again Harry wiped the tears from his eyes and gathered all the things he would need for his trek around town, without thinking he pocketed his wand, then grabbed only an old baseball cap of Dudley's to cover his hair and scar before heading down to his old room, the cupboard under the stairs. With a deafening silence he picked the lock Uncle Vernon had installed, Fred and George had been right those three years ago; it was useful, and forgoing his broomstick, Harry found the telephone book, and looked for Wilkins, his mouth dropped when he found about two hundred entries in the book. Ignoring this small setback, Harry scanned for Wilkins, S. and was rewarded with a decrease to just thirty-two names, then he found the goldmine;
Wilkins, S. 01993 883651
97 Durham Road, Little Whinging, Surrey.
Checking again Harry found the only other Wilkins in Little Whinging lived at the same address, 'that's mum or dad then,' he muttered after turning to the local section of the phone book where he ripped out the map of Little Whinging. Closing and locking the cupboard silently after a longing look at his Firebolt, Harry quickly ran back up to his bedroom, where he leaned out the window and called Hedwig who was still flamboyantly looping around treetops.
Landing with a hoot, she turned her face towards Harry while her body remained facing the sunshine outside, shaking off a sensation of nausea Harry spoke to her; 'Now I'm going out for a little while, I'll leave the window open so you can fly in and out if you want too, just try not to attract their attention and it should go fine.' Hedwig ruffled her feathers and gave Harry a disapproving cluck at sneaking out, but then nibbled his finger before swooping off again, head swivelling back another one-hundred and eighty degrees.
This time sneaking down the stairs, Harry slowly made his way to the front door, nipping swiftly passed the lounge entrance where Dudley and Aunt Petunia were now entranced by a James Bond video, and as another secret lab blew up Harry snuck through the front door, closing it with a silent 'click'. Staying low as he moved to the front of Privet Drive, Harry glanced down the street to Mrs. Figg's house, almost made a move towards it before reaching for the map he had placed in his back pocket, quickly finding the vague direction of Wilkins's house, Harry looked to Mrs. Figg's, then with a small sigh walked out of privet drive and in the direction of Durham Road.
After walking for only fifteen minutes Harry was glad to find he was on Durham Road, he was even happier to discover that the house he was looking for was only five into the long row of identically boring houses. Having said that, Harry was amazed at the colour scheme that hit him on number 97, the rest of the terraced street was red brick, but this was pitcher black, it looked like an enormous vat of tar had been dumped over and dried on the house, even the window frames and roof were dark.
Swallowing Harry knocked on the door and in swift response it opened and a hand shot out, causing Harry's forehead extreme pain.
'Ow!' Harry rubbed his head and scar where the hand had dislodged the cap.
'Just checking,' the speaker was a shadow covered boy, he looked at Harry with a mixture of curiosity and doubt, 'so you're a wizard huh?' Harry nodded glumly as he further studied the boy, he had jet black hair with pale grey eyes, he was a few inches shorter than Harry but had the same stature of an athlete who lacked significant muscle apart from running. 'I'm Stephen Wilkins, it's a pleasure to meet you Neville Longbottom.'
'Good to meet you too, Lord of the Net…'
A/N: Here I go, here I go, here I go…I can see where I'm going, can you? Post guesses if you will, but don't forget to review! [Mad] Yoda. From what's happened in this preconditioning chapter, I guess you can ignore that Matrix bit…for now