Harry lay awake in bed waiting for 3:00 to arrive. He would be off to Hogwarts sooner than expected. He was delighted of course by this, but very curious indeed. Over and over he reread the letter Dumbledore had sent him the previous week. It read:
Harry,
I'm happy to say that you will be arriving to Hogwarts early this year. I will meet you in my office this coming Wednesday. The password is Lemonhead mind you. Hagrid will be at the Dursleys to fetch you around 3:00. I'm sorry to say that the reason you're coming to Hogwarts may not be what you expect. Good Luck with the Dursleys. I'm sure they'll have no problem sending you off to school early.
Albus Dumbledore
Harry didn't know what to expect. He'd never received an owl from Dumbledore telling him to arrive at Hogwarts sooner than expected. Harry had no complaints, he was thrilled. He sat up straight
nearly tumbling over in bed when his watch beeped 3:00. He grabbed his trunk of supplies and and hurried down the stairs. This was difficult with the trunk being heavy and all. Harry pushed the trunk toward the door, sat on it; and waited impatiently. If only Hagrid would hurry. Sooner than hoped for Dudley Dursley appeared from the living room.
"Hello Harry." he panted.
Harry looked at Dudley with a cold gleam that was rarely seen in his sparkling green eyes.
"Mum says your to go out the backdoor. She doesn't want anyone seeing you. You are an embarresment you know."
"Course I am Dudley."
"Don't mouth off to me or I'll punch you in the bloody head."
"You know," Harry said thoughtfully. "I can't do spells away from Hogwarts, but I can while I'm there. I can put a hex on you Dud while I'm at Hogwarts. You wait."
With that Dudley ran back into the living room screaming in horror.
A moment later Harry heard a thud. He opened the door to see Hagrid.
"Head to the back." Harry whisperd. "The Dursleys will go insane if I leave through the front door."
"Blimey Harry havn't they had enough with telling us Wizards what to do?" Then Hagrid pushed Harry out of the way grabbed his trunk and headed for the fire place.
"Floo Powder?" Harry asked.
"Course"
"But Hagrid." Harry stated. "The Dursley's have blocked it off."
"Aye. We'll just haft ter unblock it then won' we?"
Hagrid stepped into the living room and pulled his umbrella from beneath his arm.
"Oh no you don't." sneered Vernon Dursley. "I've done this for a reason. You won't go causing ruckus in my house again. Not this time."
Usually Hagrid would respond to Vernon but he thought better of it. He'd just finished removing the wood from the fireplace when Harry removed some floo powder from his trunk.
"Hogwarts!" Hagrid yelped and Harry did the same. Within moments the two arrived in Hogwarts.
"I'll take yer trunk to the dormitories and you can go on ahead to see Dumbledore." Hagrid motioned to the corridor on the left. "I imagine he's got important business for you."
Harry set off to see Dumbledore. As excited as he was, he couldn't help but feel a bit nervous and restless. The walls of Hogwarts looked extreamly different; and Harry couldn't help but feel that he'd never been here. Although he knew where he was going he felt lost. His heart began pounding and his palms filled with sweat. All of a sudden his scar burned.
"Arag!"
Harry screamed. He thrust his hand on his forhead and waited for the burning to stop. Then something unusual occured, something that Harry never experienced before, the burning began to feel sensational. His whole body felt as though he'd plunged into a warm bubble bath. Harry leaned against a wall, and pinched himself in the arm. A terrible thought ran through his head.
"A nevermind it Harry." he thought aloud. "Impossible."
Harry came to the gargoyle leading to Dumbledore's office. Something was different about the gargoyle though, he looked extreamly happy. His stone cold face was now a bright shade of pink and grinning.
"Odd." Harry said aloud. "Very odd."
"Lemonhead." Harry remarked to the gargoyle.
With that the gargolyes grinning face slowly turned very sour and he opened for Harry.
"Thanx."
Harry followed the stairs up to Dumbledores office and knocked on the large now Silver door. It had little stars and moons carved into it.
"Ah Harry, do come in." Dumbledore chimed. "I've been waiting to speak with you. Please sit down. I've got exciting news for you Harry and I wanted you to find out as soon as I heard, but we had to wait for the right moment."
"Alright then." Harry remarked. "Do tell."
"Ah yes indeed." Dumbledore's face was aglow. His eyes were twinkling now more then ever before. His long white beard seemed to twinkle and curl too! "He's been cleared Harry."
"Huh?" Harry asked. "Cleared? What? I'm sorry Professor, but I've the slightest idea what you're talking about."
All Dumbledore could do was laugh. He then clapped his hands and his cupboard door opned. There lay a puppy looking very lifeless. He was only asleep. Harry knew immediatly what was going on.
"Sirius!" Harry screeched.
With that the dog jumped to his feet and trasformed into a very lifelike form.
"But, how did you."
"Nevermind Harry." Sirius chortled. "It's a long story and we've a long day ahead."
Dumbledore motioned something to Sirius; the twinkling even brighter in his eye.
"Ah but of course. I almost forgot." Sirius then hugged Harry and said "You're moving in with me Harry."
Harry's face turned from a sourpuss look to an overexcited Oliver Wood.
"You're Kidding?" Harry gasped. But Sirius and Dumbledore were far from kidding.
"I've already noted the Dursleys and I've got the little thing you had. You'll move in at once." Dumbledore stated.
Harry then went to find Hagrid the good news. Sirius and Dumbledore were going to invite Hermione and Ron to visit with Harry in his knew home. Harry never had visitors before. Harry walked down the corridor and out into the Great Hall. He thought Hagrid might be there. But what Harry found wasn't at all what he expected. Lying lifeless on the floor was a great big man. A giant some would say, but a heart of gold. Rubeus Hagrid was dead.
Harry,
I'm happy to say that you will be arriving to Hogwarts early this year. I will meet you in my office this coming Wednesday. The password is Lemonhead mind you. Hagrid will be at the Dursleys to fetch you around 3:00. I'm sorry to say that the reason you're coming to Hogwarts may not be what you expect. Good Luck with the Dursleys. I'm sure they'll have no problem sending you off to school early.
Albus Dumbledore
Harry didn't know what to expect. He'd never received an owl from Dumbledore telling him to arrive at Hogwarts sooner than expected. Harry had no complaints, he was thrilled. He sat up straight
nearly tumbling over in bed when his watch beeped 3:00. He grabbed his trunk of supplies and and hurried down the stairs. This was difficult with the trunk being heavy and all. Harry pushed the trunk toward the door, sat on it; and waited impatiently. If only Hagrid would hurry. Sooner than hoped for Dudley Dursley appeared from the living room.
"Hello Harry." he panted.
Harry looked at Dudley with a cold gleam that was rarely seen in his sparkling green eyes.
"Mum says your to go out the backdoor. She doesn't want anyone seeing you. You are an embarresment you know."
"Course I am Dudley."
"Don't mouth off to me or I'll punch you in the bloody head."
"You know," Harry said thoughtfully. "I can't do spells away from Hogwarts, but I can while I'm there. I can put a hex on you Dud while I'm at Hogwarts. You wait."
With that Dudley ran back into the living room screaming in horror.
A moment later Harry heard a thud. He opened the door to see Hagrid.
"Head to the back." Harry whisperd. "The Dursleys will go insane if I leave through the front door."
"Blimey Harry havn't they had enough with telling us Wizards what to do?" Then Hagrid pushed Harry out of the way grabbed his trunk and headed for the fire place.
"Floo Powder?" Harry asked.
"Course"
"But Hagrid." Harry stated. "The Dursley's have blocked it off."
"Aye. We'll just haft ter unblock it then won' we?"
Hagrid stepped into the living room and pulled his umbrella from beneath his arm.
"Oh no you don't." sneered Vernon Dursley. "I've done this for a reason. You won't go causing ruckus in my house again. Not this time."
Usually Hagrid would respond to Vernon but he thought better of it. He'd just finished removing the wood from the fireplace when Harry removed some floo powder from his trunk.
"Hogwarts!" Hagrid yelped and Harry did the same. Within moments the two arrived in Hogwarts.
"I'll take yer trunk to the dormitories and you can go on ahead to see Dumbledore." Hagrid motioned to the corridor on the left. "I imagine he's got important business for you."
Harry set off to see Dumbledore. As excited as he was, he couldn't help but feel a bit nervous and restless. The walls of Hogwarts looked extreamly different; and Harry couldn't help but feel that he'd never been here. Although he knew where he was going he felt lost. His heart began pounding and his palms filled with sweat. All of a sudden his scar burned.
"Arag!"
Harry screamed. He thrust his hand on his forhead and waited for the burning to stop. Then something unusual occured, something that Harry never experienced before, the burning began to feel sensational. His whole body felt as though he'd plunged into a warm bubble bath. Harry leaned against a wall, and pinched himself in the arm. A terrible thought ran through his head.
"A nevermind it Harry." he thought aloud. "Impossible."
Harry came to the gargoyle leading to Dumbledore's office. Something was different about the gargoyle though, he looked extreamly happy. His stone cold face was now a bright shade of pink and grinning.
"Odd." Harry said aloud. "Very odd."
"Lemonhead." Harry remarked to the gargoyle.
With that the gargolyes grinning face slowly turned very sour and he opened for Harry.
"Thanx."
Harry followed the stairs up to Dumbledores office and knocked on the large now Silver door. It had little stars and moons carved into it.
"Ah Harry, do come in." Dumbledore chimed. "I've been waiting to speak with you. Please sit down. I've got exciting news for you Harry and I wanted you to find out as soon as I heard, but we had to wait for the right moment."
"Alright then." Harry remarked. "Do tell."
"Ah yes indeed." Dumbledore's face was aglow. His eyes were twinkling now more then ever before. His long white beard seemed to twinkle and curl too! "He's been cleared Harry."
"Huh?" Harry asked. "Cleared? What? I'm sorry Professor, but I've the slightest idea what you're talking about."
All Dumbledore could do was laugh. He then clapped his hands and his cupboard door opned. There lay a puppy looking very lifeless. He was only asleep. Harry knew immediatly what was going on.
"Sirius!" Harry screeched.
With that the dog jumped to his feet and trasformed into a very lifelike form.
"But, how did you."
"Nevermind Harry." Sirius chortled. "It's a long story and we've a long day ahead."
Dumbledore motioned something to Sirius; the twinkling even brighter in his eye.
"Ah but of course. I almost forgot." Sirius then hugged Harry and said "You're moving in with me Harry."
Harry's face turned from a sourpuss look to an overexcited Oliver Wood.
"You're Kidding?" Harry gasped. But Sirius and Dumbledore were far from kidding.
"I've already noted the Dursleys and I've got the little thing you had. You'll move in at once." Dumbledore stated.
Harry then went to find Hagrid the good news. Sirius and Dumbledore were going to invite Hermione and Ron to visit with Harry in his knew home. Harry never had visitors before. Harry walked down the corridor and out into the Great Hall. He thought Hagrid might be there. But what Harry found wasn't at all what he expected. Lying lifeless on the floor was a great big man. A giant some would say, but a heart of gold. Rubeus Hagrid was dead.