Author's notes: Well, I managed to read the forth book (yay me!) and figured that since I'll have to wait a long time for the next one, I should turn to fanfiction. So here I am, with a new chapter! Thanks to the people who reviewed-Gablock the Hated, sam and Jess Scefing-, I really appreciate it.
IMPORTANT! Timeline note: The action in this fic begins during the summer before the forth year and will be written down chronologically. Draco's dream from last chapter takes place during the school year, so it'll be resumed a few chapters later.
Disclaimer: The characters and world of Harry Potter belong to J. K. Rowling. The idea is Severitus' and whatever remains is, I suppose, mine.
Changes-Chapter 2
[31st July]
Unlike the year before, Harry knew exactly the moment he turned 14, for more than one reason. First, he was watching the clock when its minute hand moved; secondly, two owls flew in through the window, each with a package; and last, but not least, an unknown force knocked the wind out of him.
Dizzily, Harry glanced around him to determine the cause, but he found nothing. The now-14-year-old boy took a moment to regain his normal breathing, then checked for any sign of injury; again, he found nothing. His scar didn't hurt, either, so Harry concluded that it had something to do with his turning 14 - maybe it was normal for a wizard, who knows?
~ ~ ~
During the next month, Harry grew more and more restless at the thought of returning to Hogwarts, wishing the time would pass faster. The Dursleys had ignored him the whole summer, other than giving him chores, and the boy suspected it was because of the enthusiastic portrait of Sirius Black he had made. Harry had also managed to finish his homework, something that had given him a lot of trouble, because he'd had to do it at night, under the cover of his bed.
The only thing that worried him was the strange feelings that he experienced every now and then. He couldn't make heads or tails out of it - they started with a terrible headache, then his hurt or some other part of his body started throbbing with pain and just when he thought he couldn't take it anymore - poof! it was gone.
~ ~ ~
Finally, the first of September arrived and by eleven in the morning, Harry found himself with his two best friends, seated in a carriage of the Hogwarts Express.
"You've both changed over the summer!" he exclaimed.
"And so have you," replied Ron grinning.
They all looked slightly older, and both Ron and Harry were taller than before. Ron's face was still childlike, but Harry's had become just a bit longer and more accented. The two were pulled out of their mutual contemplation by Hermione's question "I wonder who's going to be our Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher this year, because--"
"Yeah, so do I," Ron cut in. "Lupin was just great!"
"I don't think any other teacher could surpass him," Harry added sadly.
"Well, that remains to be seen. I heard that Sigfried Marsch is going to take the position and he is greatly appreciated for his previous work."
"Sigfried Marsch? The guy who defeated the two-headed hydra in the swamps of Ireland?"
At Hermione's nod, the redhead continued: "But he's supposed to be tougher than...than Snape!"
"Nonsense! He just calls for all of his students' attention. Besides, how could one learn if one wasn't attentive?"
Ron resigned himself to sighing and shaking his head. Nothing could change his avid-learning friend, he was sure of it.
"So how did he defeat that hydra?" Harry asked to distract them and his fire-haired friend immediately brightened up, starting to tell the story.
The story led to another, and another, while the Hogwarts Express was making its way to its destination, bringing Harry and his friends to a new year of all Hogwarts and destiny had to offer.
End Chapter 2
Please tell me what you think of my fic!
IMPORTANT! Timeline note: The action in this fic begins during the summer before the forth year and will be written down chronologically. Draco's dream from last chapter takes place during the school year, so it'll be resumed a few chapters later.
Disclaimer: The characters and world of Harry Potter belong to J. K. Rowling. The idea is Severitus' and whatever remains is, I suppose, mine.
Changes-Chapter 2
[31st July]
Unlike the year before, Harry knew exactly the moment he turned 14, for more than one reason. First, he was watching the clock when its minute hand moved; secondly, two owls flew in through the window, each with a package; and last, but not least, an unknown force knocked the wind out of him.
Dizzily, Harry glanced around him to determine the cause, but he found nothing. The now-14-year-old boy took a moment to regain his normal breathing, then checked for any sign of injury; again, he found nothing. His scar didn't hurt, either, so Harry concluded that it had something to do with his turning 14 - maybe it was normal for a wizard, who knows?
~ ~ ~
During the next month, Harry grew more and more restless at the thought of returning to Hogwarts, wishing the time would pass faster. The Dursleys had ignored him the whole summer, other than giving him chores, and the boy suspected it was because of the enthusiastic portrait of Sirius Black he had made. Harry had also managed to finish his homework, something that had given him a lot of trouble, because he'd had to do it at night, under the cover of his bed.
The only thing that worried him was the strange feelings that he experienced every now and then. He couldn't make heads or tails out of it - they started with a terrible headache, then his hurt or some other part of his body started throbbing with pain and just when he thought he couldn't take it anymore - poof! it was gone.
~ ~ ~
Finally, the first of September arrived and by eleven in the morning, Harry found himself with his two best friends, seated in a carriage of the Hogwarts Express.
"You've both changed over the summer!" he exclaimed.
"And so have you," replied Ron grinning.
They all looked slightly older, and both Ron and Harry were taller than before. Ron's face was still childlike, but Harry's had become just a bit longer and more accented. The two were pulled out of their mutual contemplation by Hermione's question "I wonder who's going to be our Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher this year, because--"
"Yeah, so do I," Ron cut in. "Lupin was just great!"
"I don't think any other teacher could surpass him," Harry added sadly.
"Well, that remains to be seen. I heard that Sigfried Marsch is going to take the position and he is greatly appreciated for his previous work."
"Sigfried Marsch? The guy who defeated the two-headed hydra in the swamps of Ireland?"
At Hermione's nod, the redhead continued: "But he's supposed to be tougher than...than Snape!"
"Nonsense! He just calls for all of his students' attention. Besides, how could one learn if one wasn't attentive?"
Ron resigned himself to sighing and shaking his head. Nothing could change his avid-learning friend, he was sure of it.
"So how did he defeat that hydra?" Harry asked to distract them and his fire-haired friend immediately brightened up, starting to tell the story.
The story led to another, and another, while the Hogwarts Express was making its way to its destination, bringing Harry and his friends to a new year of all Hogwarts and destiny had to offer.
End Chapter 2
Please tell me what you think of my fic!