The Calm Before
the Storm



Chapter One
Birthday Blues


A/N: Hey guys! This is my newest fic, hopefully it will be the best of them all. I don't own Harry Potter or any of the other characters. Please don't sue me, because all you'll get are my annoying parakeets. I do however own this story, so if you wish to use it on another site, please ask me first. Thank you very much for taking the time to read this and I hope you enjoy me story.

~Celia


Harry had been on pins and needles all summer. Rumors had been flying since the end of school. Some people were believing that Voldemort had indeed returned, and yet others flat out refused that such a thing could have happened. One of those people was Cornelius Fudge, the minister of magic. Harry knew for a fact that Voldemort had truly once again risen. But one fact kept this knowledge from being known. There had been no signs to show that he was once again romping around, creating havoc. On the contrary, the wizarding world was at an all time low of attacks and robberies. The only two things that backed up Harry's story was that number one, a well liked wizard had been killed at Hogwarts the previous year. This wizards name was Cedric Diggory.

Hogwarts had competed in something called, The Triwizard Tournament. Even though only one witch or wizard was supposed to be chosen from each school, both Harry and Cedric had been chosen. During the last challenge Harry and Cedric had been tricked into Voldemort's grasp. Only Harry had returned alive.

The other scrap of evidence was the dark mark reappearing on Severus Snape's arm, it had also appeared on the arm of every other death eater who had ever served they lord, Voldemort.

Somehow Fudge had brushed all this aside, and started a small war between Hogwarts School of Witch Craft and Wizardry and the Ministry of Magic. It seemed that Dumbledore; as impossible as it seemed, was in over his head.

Harry shook his head sadly as the cool breeze fluttered his wild black hair. He was laying on his stomach in his aunt and uncles backyard. The sun was slowly setting on his birthday. Sure this was one of the better ones he had had, he had gotten gifts from his closest friends, Ron, Hermione, and Hagrid. And even a new broom stick from his god father. A Lightning Bolt, the next up from a Fire Bolt. He was unsure how Sirius was getting the money, after all he was on the run, he was slightly afraid to think about it. But none the less, he was unhappy.

Two weeks after he had returned home, he had received a letter form his head master, Dumbledore.

Dear Harry,
I regret to inform you, that you will not be
permitted to visit the Weasley's as you have grown
accustomed to doing, before Hogwarts.
I do not believe it will safe for you to leave the care of your
aunt and uncle.
A car and escort will be sent to take you to Diagon Alley
to obtain your new school things, on the 21 of July.
Your sincerely
Professor Dumbledore


Harry sighed as he remember the letter. "The care of your aunt and uncle my ass." Harry mumbled. They had once again gone to ignoring him, but it was the worst it had ever been. They had started going out of their way to slam doors in his face. Not to cook him breakfast, or any other meal for that matter. It wasn't as if he wanted them to wait hand and foot on him, just acknowledge that he was alive; something he was sure they wished wasn't true.

He had already travel to and back from Diagon Alley. A stiff witch had been assigned to watching him as he shopped. She had only allowed him to buy what was on his list, all the while grumbling about wasting money. Even when he had tried to say hello to his friend Dean Thomas the woman pinched his arm so hard he had cried out, and quickly returned to the car, which had driven him back to this hell hole.

He rolled over onto his back looking up into the pale blue of the sky. It was a cool evening, and he had been trying to get some homework done, but he had been distracted by his unhappiness.

He still felt as if he had been responsible for Cedric's death, and he was sure he always would. Everyone told him that he it couldn't have been helped, but he would only say "Yeah" to get them to stop trying to ram it into his head. He had told him to take the cup with him, which had turned out to be a port key. At least Cedric hadn't suffered, one of the unforgivable curses had been used on him, Avada Kedavra an instant killing spell.

Once again Harry turned his gaze to his A Standard Book of Spells Grade 5, this book got into much deeper spells then he had every used. By deeper he didn't mean more dangerous, in fact many could be used for things such as remolding your house. These in Harry's eyes were way to boring to read up on, but he knew Hermione, would within a week have transformed the entire Gryffindor common room into something out of Witching Homes Today, and he would want to know how to change it back.

"Why can't this book tell me how to make a family learn to love you?" He asked himself. What he didn't realize was that he was being watched, but for once not by eyes that meant him any harm.

Aunt Petunia was leaning on the counter in the dark kitchen, looking out into the garden. Her shoulders were shaking slightly, as she watched her nephew laying there. She could just make out the his green eyes that so resembled her lost sister's. "Happy birthday Harry." She whispered under her breath.


A/N: How was it? Did you enjoy? Please r/r and let me know. I know it was a little short, but I'll keep working on it.