CHAPTER ONE .
The Three Owls
Harry awoke with a start from his troubleless dream, to what sounded like the post arriving. The hands of his luminous alarm clock pointed to 7:30. Taking his time, he dressed and slowly made his way downstairs for breakfast. Dudley was parked in front of the wide screen television, his five chins wobbling as he munched continuously on carrot sticks, which there seemed to be an abundance of in the fridge. He seemed to have recovered from the shock he had received when his suitcase full of stolen chocolates had been discovered by his parents, and had now returned to his diet. Harry was just helping himself to a handful of chopped fruit and vegetables, when there was an impatient knocking on the door. 'Door' said Dudley, spraying Harry with bits of half-chewed carrot. Without complaining, Harry got up, taking his time so he could finish his carrots. He opened the door, and to his surprise, he found a very anxious Victor Krum on the doorstep. He looked very tired, as though he had been travelling for a long time. 'Ver is Hermioninny?' he questioned before Harry had a chance to display his astonishment. 'She is not at her home. Her parents said she vos here.' It took Harry a while to let this unexpected information to sink in. Although the holidays had been full of anxious expectancy, as far as Harry knew, nothing out of the ordinary had happened. 'Who's that?' said a voice from the stairs, jerking Harry back to his senses. 'Shh!' Harry whispered to Krum. 'She's not here, but I'll talk to you in a minute. Just hide around here somewhere. I'll be back.' And before Krum had time to answer, Harry saw Uncle Vernon's face appear at the foot of the stairs and slammed the door in Krum's face. 'Who was that?' demanded Uncle Vernon. Harry glared back defiantly, giving himself time to think of a good excuse. 'Answer me boy, now!' shouted Vernon. Harry wiped Vernon's spit calmly off his glasses, watching his eyes bulge with impatience. 'I don't know.' said Harry finally. 'I opened the door, and there was nobody there.' Uncle Vernon gave him a piercing stare. 'I expect it was someone messing round,' added Harry quickly, to decrease his suspicion. Uncle Vernon turned around, and left, still looking as though he wasn't convinced. Harry was about to open the door again, but Uncle Vernon turned back round sharply. 'I've finished my breakfast, thanks.' swallowed Harry, trying to think of a good excuse to leave. Uncle Vernon advanced onto Harry, his angry face blotchy and purple, and said in a loud booming voice; 'Oh no you don't, boy! Go back into the kitchen and wait for your aunt. Where are your manners?' Harry shrunk back into his seat. His concern for Hermione was making him weak and unable to resist. Harry sat for ages, gazing at the second hand snail around the grandfather clock, until Aunt Petunia's bony figure appeared in the doorway. 'There's no need to hang around when you're not wanted.' said Aunt Petunia stiffly in the direction of Harry. Thankfully, Harry leapt to his feet, and, trying to avoid Uncle Vernon's glare, made for the door. He waited for a couple of seconds until the Dursleys begun talking, and then opened the door silently. Krum was well hidden behind Aunt Petunia's perfectly trimmed box hedge, but as Harry opened the door, he looked up cautiously. 'Vell, have you seen Hermioninny?' He asked before Harry had a chance to say anything. His dark eyes looked full of concern. Harry sighed, and flopped down onto the grass next to Krum. 'I haven't heard from her all summer. I sent Hedwig to her, but Hedwig hasn't returned.' he replied, sadly. 'How did you get to England?' 'I came here to see her. She invited me at the end of last year. She wrote to me, and told me to meet her at her house.' A long silence followed. Finally Krum said 'Vill you help me to look for her?' 'Yes', said Harry, without any hesitation, 'But I can't go now. I'll...' 'Harry!' boomed Uncle Vernon's voice from the house, suddenly. A window squeaked open upstairs. Harry shrank back against the hedge. 'I have to go' Harry whispered hurriedly, and he stood up, brushing the dirt off his trousers. 'Who were you talking to?' asked a curious voice behind him. Harry turned around sharply to see Dudley looking delighted. With a feeling of dread, he turned around to look uneasily at Krum. But he was gone. Harry tried not to show the relief on his face. Instead he forced a laugh and swept past Dudley going back into the house. He went upstairs and flopped down on his bed. He felt it rather than heard it. A shiver ran down his spine, and he sat up sweating. The first thing he saw was that Hedwig was back. She hobbled onto the windowsill, and fell over, where she lay unconscious, lifeless. Her eyes were gently shut. Tied to her leg was a travel torn note, shredded and faded. 'Hedwig' Harry moaned, leaping towards his pet, running across the room. Her wing twitched disconcertingly. Harry untied the message quickly, loosening it from her leg. Someone had obviously been trying to remove it, as her leg was raw and rubbed. Putting the note to one side, Harry tenderly lifted Hedwig up and placed her in her cage. He made sure she could reach the water from where she lay, and carefully dripped a few solitary drops into her mouth. Blearily, Hedwig's eyes flickered open, and she gave an appreciative hoot. With a sigh of relief, Harry picked up the battered piece of parchment. He could just make out Hermione's neat, but hurried script on the yellowish parchment.
Harry, I have to talk to you. I can't say everything in a letter. I'll be at your house, tomorrow, Wednesday. Be in your room at 11.00. Bye, Hermione.
But today was Saturday. What could have happened? Harry looked back at Hedwig. She was pecking tentatively at some old vegetables. 'What happened, Hedwig?' asked Harry, stroking her head fondly. She pecked his finger affectionately and gave a soft hoot.
Sighing, he pulled out his battered potions book 101 Magical Herbs and Fungi. Snape had told them to learn all the properties Tentaguli Fungi, and write 5 inches about each over the summer. There were about 30 of them. So far, Harry had done 3. He flicked through to the Tentaguli section, and read:
Vermisum is a rare Fungi from the Tentaguli Family. Like most of the Tentaguli Fungi, it thrives in damp conditions, and it's most well known useages are in reptilian transformation potions, and black poisons (or Instant Poisons). If used correctly, it can also heal burns. Inficere Worms depend on this fungi throughout-
Just then, Harry was distracted by a rustling sound from the window, and another owl swept in. It was large, brown and unfamiliar to Harry. It perched on top of Hedwig's cage, and to Harry's surprise, instead of cowering, Hedwig gave her hoot of familiar recognition to the owl, as she always gave to Errol and Pig in the owlery. Harry approached it, searching for a scrap of parchment tied to its leg. However to his surprise, the owl flew forward as he approached it. Harry ducked, but the next second Hermione was standing in his bedroom, looking very flushed. 'Hermione' Harry gasped, 'you're an animagus!'
The Three Owls
Harry awoke with a start from his troubleless dream, to what sounded like the post arriving. The hands of his luminous alarm clock pointed to 7:30. Taking his time, he dressed and slowly made his way downstairs for breakfast. Dudley was parked in front of the wide screen television, his five chins wobbling as he munched continuously on carrot sticks, which there seemed to be an abundance of in the fridge. He seemed to have recovered from the shock he had received when his suitcase full of stolen chocolates had been discovered by his parents, and had now returned to his diet. Harry was just helping himself to a handful of chopped fruit and vegetables, when there was an impatient knocking on the door. 'Door' said Dudley, spraying Harry with bits of half-chewed carrot. Without complaining, Harry got up, taking his time so he could finish his carrots. He opened the door, and to his surprise, he found a very anxious Victor Krum on the doorstep. He looked very tired, as though he had been travelling for a long time. 'Ver is Hermioninny?' he questioned before Harry had a chance to display his astonishment. 'She is not at her home. Her parents said she vos here.' It took Harry a while to let this unexpected information to sink in. Although the holidays had been full of anxious expectancy, as far as Harry knew, nothing out of the ordinary had happened. 'Who's that?' said a voice from the stairs, jerking Harry back to his senses. 'Shh!' Harry whispered to Krum. 'She's not here, but I'll talk to you in a minute. Just hide around here somewhere. I'll be back.' And before Krum had time to answer, Harry saw Uncle Vernon's face appear at the foot of the stairs and slammed the door in Krum's face. 'Who was that?' demanded Uncle Vernon. Harry glared back defiantly, giving himself time to think of a good excuse. 'Answer me boy, now!' shouted Vernon. Harry wiped Vernon's spit calmly off his glasses, watching his eyes bulge with impatience. 'I don't know.' said Harry finally. 'I opened the door, and there was nobody there.' Uncle Vernon gave him a piercing stare. 'I expect it was someone messing round,' added Harry quickly, to decrease his suspicion. Uncle Vernon turned around, and left, still looking as though he wasn't convinced. Harry was about to open the door again, but Uncle Vernon turned back round sharply. 'I've finished my breakfast, thanks.' swallowed Harry, trying to think of a good excuse to leave. Uncle Vernon advanced onto Harry, his angry face blotchy and purple, and said in a loud booming voice; 'Oh no you don't, boy! Go back into the kitchen and wait for your aunt. Where are your manners?' Harry shrunk back into his seat. His concern for Hermione was making him weak and unable to resist. Harry sat for ages, gazing at the second hand snail around the grandfather clock, until Aunt Petunia's bony figure appeared in the doorway. 'There's no need to hang around when you're not wanted.' said Aunt Petunia stiffly in the direction of Harry. Thankfully, Harry leapt to his feet, and, trying to avoid Uncle Vernon's glare, made for the door. He waited for a couple of seconds until the Dursleys begun talking, and then opened the door silently. Krum was well hidden behind Aunt Petunia's perfectly trimmed box hedge, but as Harry opened the door, he looked up cautiously. 'Vell, have you seen Hermioninny?' He asked before Harry had a chance to say anything. His dark eyes looked full of concern. Harry sighed, and flopped down onto the grass next to Krum. 'I haven't heard from her all summer. I sent Hedwig to her, but Hedwig hasn't returned.' he replied, sadly. 'How did you get to England?' 'I came here to see her. She invited me at the end of last year. She wrote to me, and told me to meet her at her house.' A long silence followed. Finally Krum said 'Vill you help me to look for her?' 'Yes', said Harry, without any hesitation, 'But I can't go now. I'll...' 'Harry!' boomed Uncle Vernon's voice from the house, suddenly. A window squeaked open upstairs. Harry shrank back against the hedge. 'I have to go' Harry whispered hurriedly, and he stood up, brushing the dirt off his trousers. 'Who were you talking to?' asked a curious voice behind him. Harry turned around sharply to see Dudley looking delighted. With a feeling of dread, he turned around to look uneasily at Krum. But he was gone. Harry tried not to show the relief on his face. Instead he forced a laugh and swept past Dudley going back into the house. He went upstairs and flopped down on his bed. He felt it rather than heard it. A shiver ran down his spine, and he sat up sweating. The first thing he saw was that Hedwig was back. She hobbled onto the windowsill, and fell over, where she lay unconscious, lifeless. Her eyes were gently shut. Tied to her leg was a travel torn note, shredded and faded. 'Hedwig' Harry moaned, leaping towards his pet, running across the room. Her wing twitched disconcertingly. Harry untied the message quickly, loosening it from her leg. Someone had obviously been trying to remove it, as her leg was raw and rubbed. Putting the note to one side, Harry tenderly lifted Hedwig up and placed her in her cage. He made sure she could reach the water from where she lay, and carefully dripped a few solitary drops into her mouth. Blearily, Hedwig's eyes flickered open, and she gave an appreciative hoot. With a sigh of relief, Harry picked up the battered piece of parchment. He could just make out Hermione's neat, but hurried script on the yellowish parchment.
Harry, I have to talk to you. I can't say everything in a letter. I'll be at your house, tomorrow, Wednesday. Be in your room at 11.00. Bye, Hermione.
But today was Saturday. What could have happened? Harry looked back at Hedwig. She was pecking tentatively at some old vegetables. 'What happened, Hedwig?' asked Harry, stroking her head fondly. She pecked his finger affectionately and gave a soft hoot.
Sighing, he pulled out his battered potions book 101 Magical Herbs and Fungi. Snape had told them to learn all the properties Tentaguli Fungi, and write 5 inches about each over the summer. There were about 30 of them. So far, Harry had done 3. He flicked through to the Tentaguli section, and read:
Vermisum is a rare Fungi from the Tentaguli Family. Like most of the Tentaguli Fungi, it thrives in damp conditions, and it's most well known useages are in reptilian transformation potions, and black poisons (or Instant Poisons). If used correctly, it can also heal burns. Inficere Worms depend on this fungi throughout-
Just then, Harry was distracted by a rustling sound from the window, and another owl swept in. It was large, brown and unfamiliar to Harry. It perched on top of Hedwig's cage, and to Harry's surprise, instead of cowering, Hedwig gave her hoot of familiar recognition to the owl, as she always gave to Errol and Pig in the owlery. Harry approached it, searching for a scrap of parchment tied to its leg. However to his surprise, the owl flew forward as he approached it. Harry ducked, but the next second Hermione was standing in his bedroom, looking very flushed. 'Hermione' Harry gasped, 'you're an animagus!'