Chapter One: Leaving No. 4
Every summer for the last fourteen years of Harry's life were miserable - so why would this one be any different. He was raking the back yard in the sweltering sun, whilst the scar on his head seemed to thob profusively.
It had done so for the last few months since leaving Hogwarts. After the task Harry had felt rather numb from the experiences beyond the Port Key which turned out to be the cup in the middle of the maze during the third task. It had led him straight to Voldemort, Wormtail and his legions of Death Eaters which were clearly uprising towards an uncertain future. His scar had burnt on a few occasions but none so intensely as the night before.
Harry had awoken to a particularly vivid dream of Voldemort, this time he was killing a few wizards in an unknown location. One thing that had stung in his mind though were these words;
"All mudbloods, muggles and muggle lovers will die!!!" he said in a cold chilling voice. Wormtail sniggering behind him, his head hunched down as the Dark Mark was conjured into the night sky in a blaze of green light. The visions of wizards lying dead, eyes wide open and staring towards the night sky chilled Harry and each time his scar burnt profusively.
Fear was provoked, and each time Harry would think of those close to him - each a target in their own way. No one was safe, and for some reason he had the terrible feeling it was all his fault.
After all it was his fault Cedric died, wasn't it?
He couldn't tell the Dursley's of his dreams so he had to write to Sirius in which he had no reply. Harry would wait up all hours staring outside waiting for the sign of Hedwig flying back from a long journey. But none would ever come. Harry couldn't help but feel a deep sense of worry for his God-Father. All he knew was Dumbledore had sent him on a mission to collect 'the old folk' but he didn't know or understand exactly who and what that was. Dumbledore had also sent Harry back to this hell hole for some bizarre reason. All Harry knew from his time of knowing Dumbledore was Dumbledore knew best and Harry would find out in good time. He just hoped it would be sooner than later
Harry wiped the sweat from his forehead, and touched the tender scar on his head. It had gotten worse in a last few days, and each time he knew that Voldemort was killing someone else, or was nearby. He had begun to see these deaths in his sleep, the murders in the wizards world occuring night after night. Most of these wizards he didn't know, and all he knew was they were killed for liking Mudbloods and Muggles. Each time Harry felt the pain of the Crucio Curse and the killing Curse.
He had been raking and doing the garden for three hours until his Aunt finally called him in. "Finally" Harry muttered. "at least its better than working out here in the sun" Harry winced as he felt the sunburn on his back sting as he shrugged.
After a drink of water, and some lettuce for lunch. (Due to Dudley's strict diet) Harry was sent to his room with the job of being quiet again. Apparently Mrs Figg was coming over for afternoon tea and they didn't want Harry to ruin it. It was fine with Harry, he didn't want to hear about her many cats again and see those many photos. It wasn't exactly an exciting afternoon if it was spent with good old Mrs Figg.
Harry lay down on the bed and looked up at the ceiling. His scar began to burn again, and he closed his eyes and waited for it to pass. Just like every other time, the pain dulled down to a dull thump in his head. Nothing could stop these headaches. Even the muggle remedies downstairs in his Aunt and Uncles First-Aid basket couldn't help him. Harry wondered if anyone in the wizarding world knew how to stop his headaches? There had to be another way other than killing Voldemort to stop them, because they were getting increasingly worse.
Trying to ignore the dillema in his head, Harry snuck out his homework and began working on an Essay on "How to transfigure a mouse into a cat" and then set to work on his "Reflective Charms"
"At least these might come in handy" Harry said to himself looking at the Reflective Charm. Useful in reflecting low level spells. Harry knew something like that had to be handy if he was the enemy of the darklord.
Harry's train of thought was lost when he heard a sudden yell downstairs.
"Get out of my house woman!!" he heard Uncle Vernon's loud booming voice come from downstairs. He couldn't have been yelling at poor old Mrs Figg. She was just a lonely old lady with a love for cats. Even she didn't deserve Uncle Vernon's anger poured all over her like it happened to Harry so many times. Harry stood up and went to the door and opened it ever so slightly to see what was going on.
"I only want to see the boy," Mrs Figg said in her normal cooky voice. "it is of the upmost importance that I see to young Harry immediately" she added in a calm voice. Uncle Vernon stood absolutely fuming. Why would Mrs Figg want to see Harry? He had never been important to her in the past so why so important now. He peeked down to see the top of Mrs Figg's head, this made Harry jump back almost immediately.
She was wearing what appeared to be a long bright purple witches hat which seemed to hang limply towards the floor. It was matched with lavender stars which covered it and seemed to stick out ever so slightly. Her gray hair was tied back into a long pony tail, which was unusual for Mrs Figg, because she was always seen wearing it in a messy bun.
"We will not have this tom-foolery in this house!," Uncle Vernon yelled, Harry watched as Dudley seemed to cringe with his loud voice and Aunt Petunia looked at Mrs Figg with the most foulest face Harry had ever seen upon her bony features.
"Tom-foolery?" Mrs Figg said angrilly. "Dumbledore has personally assigned me on this mission and I will forfill my duties as Harry's secret keeper"
Harry's secret Keeper? Harry knew now that Mrs Figg was obviously no ordinary old woman and that she had been assigned as his Secret Keeper by Dumbledore all the years he had been leaving with the Dursley's. Harry immediately left his room and stood at the top of the landing. He cleared his throat loudly to get everybody's attention.
"I believe someone is here to see me?" Harry said with a smile. Mrs Figg immedately grinned widely at Harry. She had a most kindest face Harry had ever seen. She was like a female version of Dumbledore. Her eyes twinkled behind a very small pair of specs. She was wearing long purple robes, with lavender stars and moons scattered all over them. Around her feet were cats of all sorts, which seemed to follow her where ever she went.
"Harry my boy," she said with a gentle voice. "I am so glad to finally speak with you openly," she said opening her arms. Harry slowly walked downstairs ignoring the piercing stares of the Dursley's and stood face to face with Mrs Figg. "I was getting rather tired of the old crazy lady act" Mrs Figg said with annoyance looking momentarilly at the Dursley's.
"So you're my Secret Keeper?" Harry asked immediately. Mrs Figg smiled again as she nodded in reply. Uncle Vernon was getting increasingly annoyed and finally exploded;
"Get out of my home!" he yelled. "that goes for you to boy, if you want to speak with this thing you leave!!!" he pointed at Mrs Figg who immediately grew angered. The cats around her feet began to spit at Uncle Vernon, who looked nervously down at them. Mrs Figg looked at Harry and nodded. Harry immediately knew that he had to go with Mrs Figg and that was his home temporarilly. He immediately went upstairs and fetched his things and brought them down to Mrs Figg. He didn't have many things anyway, except for his prized Firebolt, and his owl Hedwig who was away at the moment anyway. The only reminder he had a pet owl was the empty cage he returned downstairs with.
Gathering Harry's things she turned to Harry and spoke to him gently;
"Everything will be explained in time Harry," she said with a reassuring smile. "just trust me on this one"
Harry nodded silently in response.
"I will apparate with your things back to my house," she explained slowly. "I know you are not allowed to do that, nor can you, so you know where my house, is, right?"
"Yes" Harry replied.
"Come down immediately, I have a room ready for you incase of such problems," she looked at Mr and Mrs Dursley once again with utter loathing. "I usually aggree with Dumbledore, but these people have to be the worse mistake he ever made" she said quietly to Harry couldn't help by smile at Mrs Figg's comment.
Harry watched as Mrs Figg apparated instantly and walked over to the front door with only a suitcase of his muggle possesions He turned and looked at the Dursley's and could only give a small smile. He couldn't hate them as much as he wanted to, but he said something that shocked Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia which would perhaps bother them for the rest of their lives.
"Thank you," he said quietly. "for being my family" With that Harry walked out the door and closed it behind him. He didn't realise as he left that the Durlsey's felt the upmost worse case of the guilts for treating Harry so poorly for the last fourteen years of his life. But all they knew now was their life would now be as normal as normal is.
Every summer for the last fourteen years of Harry's life were miserable - so why would this one be any different. He was raking the back yard in the sweltering sun, whilst the scar on his head seemed to thob profusively.
It had done so for the last few months since leaving Hogwarts. After the task Harry had felt rather numb from the experiences beyond the Port Key which turned out to be the cup in the middle of the maze during the third task. It had led him straight to Voldemort, Wormtail and his legions of Death Eaters which were clearly uprising towards an uncertain future. His scar had burnt on a few occasions but none so intensely as the night before.
Harry had awoken to a particularly vivid dream of Voldemort, this time he was killing a few wizards in an unknown location. One thing that had stung in his mind though were these words;
"All mudbloods, muggles and muggle lovers will die!!!" he said in a cold chilling voice. Wormtail sniggering behind him, his head hunched down as the Dark Mark was conjured into the night sky in a blaze of green light. The visions of wizards lying dead, eyes wide open and staring towards the night sky chilled Harry and each time his scar burnt profusively.
Fear was provoked, and each time Harry would think of those close to him - each a target in their own way. No one was safe, and for some reason he had the terrible feeling it was all his fault.
After all it was his fault Cedric died, wasn't it?
He couldn't tell the Dursley's of his dreams so he had to write to Sirius in which he had no reply. Harry would wait up all hours staring outside waiting for the sign of Hedwig flying back from a long journey. But none would ever come. Harry couldn't help but feel a deep sense of worry for his God-Father. All he knew was Dumbledore had sent him on a mission to collect 'the old folk' but he didn't know or understand exactly who and what that was. Dumbledore had also sent Harry back to this hell hole for some bizarre reason. All Harry knew from his time of knowing Dumbledore was Dumbledore knew best and Harry would find out in good time. He just hoped it would be sooner than later
Harry wiped the sweat from his forehead, and touched the tender scar on his head. It had gotten worse in a last few days, and each time he knew that Voldemort was killing someone else, or was nearby. He had begun to see these deaths in his sleep, the murders in the wizards world occuring night after night. Most of these wizards he didn't know, and all he knew was they were killed for liking Mudbloods and Muggles. Each time Harry felt the pain of the Crucio Curse and the killing Curse.
He had been raking and doing the garden for three hours until his Aunt finally called him in. "Finally" Harry muttered. "at least its better than working out here in the sun" Harry winced as he felt the sunburn on his back sting as he shrugged.
After a drink of water, and some lettuce for lunch. (Due to Dudley's strict diet) Harry was sent to his room with the job of being quiet again. Apparently Mrs Figg was coming over for afternoon tea and they didn't want Harry to ruin it. It was fine with Harry, he didn't want to hear about her many cats again and see those many photos. It wasn't exactly an exciting afternoon if it was spent with good old Mrs Figg.
Harry lay down on the bed and looked up at the ceiling. His scar began to burn again, and he closed his eyes and waited for it to pass. Just like every other time, the pain dulled down to a dull thump in his head. Nothing could stop these headaches. Even the muggle remedies downstairs in his Aunt and Uncles First-Aid basket couldn't help him. Harry wondered if anyone in the wizarding world knew how to stop his headaches? There had to be another way other than killing Voldemort to stop them, because they were getting increasingly worse.
Trying to ignore the dillema in his head, Harry snuck out his homework and began working on an Essay on "How to transfigure a mouse into a cat" and then set to work on his "Reflective Charms"
"At least these might come in handy" Harry said to himself looking at the Reflective Charm. Useful in reflecting low level spells. Harry knew something like that had to be handy if he was the enemy of the darklord.
Harry's train of thought was lost when he heard a sudden yell downstairs.
"Get out of my house woman!!" he heard Uncle Vernon's loud booming voice come from downstairs. He couldn't have been yelling at poor old Mrs Figg. She was just a lonely old lady with a love for cats. Even she didn't deserve Uncle Vernon's anger poured all over her like it happened to Harry so many times. Harry stood up and went to the door and opened it ever so slightly to see what was going on.
"I only want to see the boy," Mrs Figg said in her normal cooky voice. "it is of the upmost importance that I see to young Harry immediately" she added in a calm voice. Uncle Vernon stood absolutely fuming. Why would Mrs Figg want to see Harry? He had never been important to her in the past so why so important now. He peeked down to see the top of Mrs Figg's head, this made Harry jump back almost immediately.
She was wearing what appeared to be a long bright purple witches hat which seemed to hang limply towards the floor. It was matched with lavender stars which covered it and seemed to stick out ever so slightly. Her gray hair was tied back into a long pony tail, which was unusual for Mrs Figg, because she was always seen wearing it in a messy bun.
"We will not have this tom-foolery in this house!," Uncle Vernon yelled, Harry watched as Dudley seemed to cringe with his loud voice and Aunt Petunia looked at Mrs Figg with the most foulest face Harry had ever seen upon her bony features.
"Tom-foolery?" Mrs Figg said angrilly. "Dumbledore has personally assigned me on this mission and I will forfill my duties as Harry's secret keeper"
Harry's secret Keeper? Harry knew now that Mrs Figg was obviously no ordinary old woman and that she had been assigned as his Secret Keeper by Dumbledore all the years he had been leaving with the Dursley's. Harry immediately left his room and stood at the top of the landing. He cleared his throat loudly to get everybody's attention.
"I believe someone is here to see me?" Harry said with a smile. Mrs Figg immedately grinned widely at Harry. She had a most kindest face Harry had ever seen. She was like a female version of Dumbledore. Her eyes twinkled behind a very small pair of specs. She was wearing long purple robes, with lavender stars and moons scattered all over them. Around her feet were cats of all sorts, which seemed to follow her where ever she went.
"Harry my boy," she said with a gentle voice. "I am so glad to finally speak with you openly," she said opening her arms. Harry slowly walked downstairs ignoring the piercing stares of the Dursley's and stood face to face with Mrs Figg. "I was getting rather tired of the old crazy lady act" Mrs Figg said with annoyance looking momentarilly at the Dursley's.
"So you're my Secret Keeper?" Harry asked immediately. Mrs Figg smiled again as she nodded in reply. Uncle Vernon was getting increasingly annoyed and finally exploded;
"Get out of my home!" he yelled. "that goes for you to boy, if you want to speak with this thing you leave!!!" he pointed at Mrs Figg who immediately grew angered. The cats around her feet began to spit at Uncle Vernon, who looked nervously down at them. Mrs Figg looked at Harry and nodded. Harry immediately knew that he had to go with Mrs Figg and that was his home temporarilly. He immediately went upstairs and fetched his things and brought them down to Mrs Figg. He didn't have many things anyway, except for his prized Firebolt, and his owl Hedwig who was away at the moment anyway. The only reminder he had a pet owl was the empty cage he returned downstairs with.
Gathering Harry's things she turned to Harry and spoke to him gently;
"Everything will be explained in time Harry," she said with a reassuring smile. "just trust me on this one"
Harry nodded silently in response.
"I will apparate with your things back to my house," she explained slowly. "I know you are not allowed to do that, nor can you, so you know where my house, is, right?"
"Yes" Harry replied.
"Come down immediately, I have a room ready for you incase of such problems," she looked at Mr and Mrs Dursley once again with utter loathing. "I usually aggree with Dumbledore, but these people have to be the worse mistake he ever made" she said quietly to Harry couldn't help by smile at Mrs Figg's comment.
Harry watched as Mrs Figg apparated instantly and walked over to the front door with only a suitcase of his muggle possesions He turned and looked at the Dursley's and could only give a small smile. He couldn't hate them as much as he wanted to, but he said something that shocked Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia which would perhaps bother them for the rest of their lives.
"Thank you," he said quietly. "for being my family" With that Harry walked out the door and closed it behind him. He didn't realise as he left that the Durlsey's felt the upmost worse case of the guilts for treating Harry so poorly for the last fourteen years of his life. But all they knew now was their life would now be as normal as normal is.