Harry Potter and the Return of the Forgotten

Chapter One: Dudley's Grand Mistake

Harry Potter lay awake, unable to sleep, like so many other nights after the end of last term at Hogwarts. His worst enemy, who everyone thought was dead, had returned, killing Cedric Diggory in the process. Harry still kept running through his mind what happened, he still thought it was his fault that Diggory was dead, because he said for them to take the Triwizard Cup together. Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, his best friends, kept telling him that it wasn't his fault, but he still refused to believe them. He didn't even realize it was his birthday, and he couldn't have cared less. Suddenly Hedwig flew into his room with a rather large package attached to her leg, she was also followed by Pigwidgeon, Ron's owl, and another snowy owl that Harry had never seen before.

"Hi girl," Harry said, rather sadly, "who's your friend?"

As if to answer the other snowy owl dropped a package on to Harry's lap. When he opened it you could see a very large smile across his face. He picked up the letter next to the book Lesser Known Quidditch Seeker Plays by Kennilworthy Whisp and read:

Dear Harry,

I know it must be rather surprising to hear from me, but I needed to tell you something. I will have to give you the full story. See, your friends Ron and Hermione sent me a letter saying that you've been beating yourself up about Cedric, and Ron reckons that it's because you think I blame you for it. Now, I didn't think my opinion mattered to you that much, but I wanted to tell you that I don't blame you! From what I heard there was nothing you could do to stop it, and I think you were very brave out there.

       Cho

P.S. Happy Birthday, I hope you like your present.

Harry immediately pulled out a piece of parchment and began writing a letter to Cho, trying to make every word look nice. He had gone through about five pieces of parchment before he got something he liked:

Dear Cho,

Thank you so much for the present. I guess Ron was right; I was sort of beating myself up because of what I thought you thought. Well, I guess I'll see you at Hogwarts then.

Feeling much happier he opened the presents from Ron and he guessed Hermione. Ron had given Harry a thing for his Sneakoscope that made it extra-sensitive and let you turn it off, and Hermione gave him a photo album full of pictures of the three of them at various places. There was even one from the Triwizard Cup, but that he didn't want to remember. The surprising thing about all of this was that Ron had written to say that Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had gotten Dumbledore to let Harry stay with them starting next week until the end of summer vacation. Now Harry was positively ecstatic. So much so that nothing could have ruined it, not even Voldemort showing up at Privet Drive. Unfortunately he didn't know just how wrong he was.  

When Harry went down to breakfast that morning he was greeted by a very strange sight. When he walked into the kitchen Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia and Dudley all screamed "Happy Birthday Harry!" Harry was very confused.

"What's going on? Is this some sort of stupid trick?" Aunt Petunia replied, "Whatever do you mean, my dear nephew? "

"See, that! 'My dear nephew' what the heck is that? It's like you've been put under the Imperius curse or something!"

Suddenly Harry heard a high, cold voice that sounded oddly familiar say, "You have guessed correct, Harry Potter."

His scar started exploding with pain. Now he knew who it was standing behind the kitchen door. It was the one who Harry had been dreading he would see since last year: Lord Voldemort.

"You!" Harry said. "Yes. I assume you didn't expect that I could get into your muggle Uncle and Aunt's house."

He started circling Harry like a vulture.

"I expect you thought that your dear protector had put unbreakable charms on your house."

Harry started to say something but was interrupted.

 "Yes, he did, but he forgot my potion. Stupid really, fifteen years wasted protecting you with all these spells when I'm just going to kill you right now."

By this time the Imperius curse had worn off and the Dursleys seemed to think that they had just woken up.

"What the bloody hill is going on here?" Said Uncle Vernon. "Is that another one of your school… friends?"

"Cool!" Said Dudley, as he looked at Voldemort's pale, snakelike face. "How'd you get it like that? It's a really awesome costume! Daddy, I want a costume like that!"

"Costume?" Voldemort replied, "Why you little idiot! Death comes to those who insult Lord Voldemort! Avada Kedavra!"

Harry watched in horror as his cousin fell to the ground dead.

"No!" Screeched Aunt Petunia, "My Duddy! Duddy, please wake up, please, please wake up! You can't be dead, you just can't!" Uncle Vernon put his hand over his son's heart.

"Petunia, I'm afraid it's not beating. He's dead." Why you! You'll pay for killing my son! I'll kill you with my fists if I have to!" "Foolish muggle! That won't be necessary. Crucio!"

Harry scar hurt like it had never before, even worse than last year. He could just barely see through his tearful eyes his Uncle and Aunt writhing on the floor next to him, emitting screams so loud they woke up the neighborhood.

Everyone was yelling, "What's happening?" Then Harry heard knocks on the door.

"I'll be back for you, Harry Potter." Then with a loud pop he dissapparated.

The neighbors finally broke the door down and looked in horror at Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, and Harry lying in pain, but most of all at the sight of Dudley dead by the kitchen table. It took quite a while for Harry and the remaining Dursleys to recover. "Vernon! What happened?" He couldn't answer.

Hundreds of miles away the man whom Voldemort most feared said "That was the last straw."