The Sorceress

The Sorceress.

A/N This actually isn't a story with Harry as the main character for the whole time. It may start that way, and it may finish that way (I'm not but it will change.

Disclaimers: Anything or anyone you don't recognise belongs to me, especially Eltala Riddle, and Lily Snape. Everything else belongs to J K Rowling. I haven't, and I won't make any money out of this!

The Meeting – Chapter One

Harry sighed as he got himself to his feet and walked over to the make-shift calendar he had drawn up for himself. Only 1 day to go before he had to go to Hogswarts, and still he had no way to get there. Mr Weasley, Harry knew could not drive him there. Ron's family had no car, they used Floo Powder. The last time they had picked Harry up by Floo Powder, had been a near disaster.

He had sent Hedwig out the night before, with a plea to Hermione for help, but he had no idea when the reply would arrive. Harry was considering sending a message to Hogwarts, requesting permission to fly his broomstick to the station. Just as he was drafting the letter to Professor Dumbledore, a loud knock on the front door downstairs interrupted his thoughts.

Petunia went and opened the door, and was surprised to find herself looking down at a smartly dressed teenage girl.

"May I help you?" Petunia asked sharply.

"Yes, I know there is a boy living in the house, not your son Dudley, but someone called Harry. Can I speak to him?"

"How do you know the boy? Not through school I suppose?"

"Hardly, I am changing schools this year, anyway. No, this is a kind of charity. I'm looking for volunteers; I saw his name on a list, so I thought I might ask him. It might get him out of the house a bit."

These last words appealed to Petunia, and at once she stopped pretending Harry didn't exist. She called Harry down. Harry came down the stairs slowly, a bit confused. He had heard voices, and wondered why this girl would want to talk with him, or why Petunia would let him. He and the girl went out into the street for privacy and began to talk.

"Harry, so you're a wizard. A wizard in distress from what I can imagine, living with that horse." The girl spoke with a strange accent, one he hadn't heard before, it was both like French and German, although she spoke with good English.

"You… how do you know?"

"I knew what to look for. Owls flying here and there. It's obvious! I have a port key to Hogsmeade. You could use it too. That's what you need, isn't it? Transport?"

This seemed all to perfect to Harry, but he wondered why this girl would want to help him. Did she go to Hogwarts? He didn't recognise her.

"Do you go to Hogwarts? And also why would you want to help me?"

"I'm moving this year to Hogwarts, but as for why I should help you… If only you knew… How much I owe you… You will find out soon enough. When do you want to go?"

Harry explained about having to meet Ron the next day, and the girl agreed. One thing he wanted to know first.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Eltala."

"Just Eltala?"

"Just Eltala." Eltala's voice sounded final, but Harry was curious.

"No last name?"

"I've come from an orphanage. I'm told that my last name was Riddle. Given what my father turned out to be, it can't really be a surprise that I don't like to use that name. I'm very sorry for what he did to you." Harry saw her glance up to the scar, that marked his forehead.

"Go ask that woman, your aunt, isn't she? Whether you can go tomorrow. Tell her that "my parents" will drop you at the station, so you won't be home until next summer. Tell her, you're doing a gardening run, all over London."

Harry turned and went back up the steps to the house. It was a very tidy, very normal looking house, the sort that wouldn't accommodate such conversations, very often. He was sure that his aunt would say yes. The idea of him being out of the house for more than a year, would appeal to Aunt Petunia, but although this was what he wanted, the fact that it made his aunt so happy that he would be gone so long, didn't do much to cheer him.

Eltala was very pretty. Jet black hair, olive skin, blue eyes. Harry had never seen anyone with blue eyes that were so dark. Her eyes sparkled, like the ocean, except more so.

Harry had gone through child-hood, very much unloved. Ever since Voldemort, had killed his parents, he had lived with the Dursley's, at 4 Privet Drive. Here he had been very much unwelcome - Vernon and Petunia already had a son.

Dudley Dursley, a very spoilt, very fat child. While Dudley had been given whatever he wanted and more, Harry had been practically starved, and forced to live in a cupboard, until the year before last. Then Harry had found out he had a Godfather, Sirius Black, who was a convicted murderer, (innocent) accused of betraying James and Lily Potter, as well as with the murder of 13 witches and wizards, plus Muggles, including Peter Pettigrew.

Peter had actually been the one guilty of these crimes, but as he was "dead" (not really) there was no proof, and Sirius was put in Azkaban. He then escaped, and proved his innocence, to a very small few, but was still in hiding.

Harry entered the room slowly to be greeted with a sharp bark of a question, from his aunt.

"Well?!?"

"Well what?"

"What was that all about?"

"Her charity group is running a Gardening Run, all across London. I'd be staying with her family, starting tomorrow, and she said that her parents could drop me at the station, on September the 1st. You wouldn't need to put up with me for about a year." Harry said those last words in mock regret, and it was those words that mainly caught her interest.

"Done. You can leave anytime tomorrow. Why don't you pack your things now." Petunia's voice lightened considerably, as she thought of a completely Harry free year. Harry felt the same about a Dursley free year.