Chapter Two
Harry sat down at the kitchen table, eating the tiny slice of apple his Aunt Petunia had tossed in front of him, while kindly placing half an apple infront of her own son, Dudley. Dudley was still on his diet, and much to Harry's surprise it was actualy starting to have a positive effect. Of course, Dudley's last encounter with the Weasley twins, Fred and George, also played a part in it. The summer before they twins had "accidently" slipped a peice of bewitched candy to Dudley, which ended up making his tongue swell. Dudley hadn't touched a single peice of candy since that day. But Harry was managing to survive, only because his friends would sneak him food by way of the owl post. Aunt Petunia was just refilling Uncle Vernon's coffee when a sudden shattering noise exploded from the living room.
"I didn't do it," Harry exclaimed, out of reflex. He had a feeling he would be blamed anyways, he was always blamed for weird things happening around his house. Aunt Petunia came back, looking mistifyed.
"Nothing's broken, nothings even out of place," she said, stupified. But the noise came back, again and again even thought nothing was ever moved. Harry couldn't help but think of Peeves, the Hogwarts poltergheist. Usually he actually did break things, but sometimes he just made it sound like he had...without ever touching anything. It wasn't usual, but Harry wondered if perhaps a poltergheist had moved in. That would have explained the silvery object seen the night before. He'd write to Hermione, see what she thought.
He didn't have to wait long for her reply to come back. He knew that even though it would be easier to call, the shattering noise had become louder and louder. The leter read:
Harry,
It sounds like a poltergheist but they usually DO break things. I'll look into it though. Let me know if anything else starts to happen.
Hermione
He could have figured she'd resort to a book. But it was help none the less. Folding the letter, he set it down on the bedside table, sighing as the shattering became even louder. People outside might have suspected a fight, but luckily no one was walking passed their house. Harry decided he would go for a walk, he needed the fresh air after being kept inside for so long.
Outside the sun was shining on the brightly colored leaves. Autumn had set in, and in a few weeks his fifth year at Hogwarts would begin. Harry missed the castle and everything about it; like the secerate passageways and the changing stair cases. And he still had a whole three weeks before september first came.
As Harry rounded the corner he heard someone whisper ever so lightly. "Harry." He turned to see who had called his name, but save a single man watering his garden, back turned to Harry, no one was outside. A silvery image streaked out of the corner of his eye and Harry follwed quickly down the sidewalk. The light seemed to flow from a little girl who had suddenly appeared out of nowhere, and stopped now at an area where some srubs were growing wildly. "Harry..." she called again, moving into the dense greenery.
"Wait!" Harry cried, running after her. Everything after that was a shock to him. The sidewalk and the area around it where Harry had been standning had exploded, leaving nothing but a smoking crater. Knocked to the ground by the grass, Harry scrambled deeper into the bushes, waiting, looking at the smoking ground. He knew it was the work of a wizard; he could feel the excess magic in the air. Had it been the Avada Kedara curse? Either way, the Death Eaters were trying to get him, even in the muggle world. But then, they didn't really care about hurting muggles then, did they. And the mysterious girl, Harry noted, had vanished. Who ever she was though, she had just saved Harry's life.
Harry sat down at the kitchen table, eating the tiny slice of apple his Aunt Petunia had tossed in front of him, while kindly placing half an apple infront of her own son, Dudley. Dudley was still on his diet, and much to Harry's surprise it was actualy starting to have a positive effect. Of course, Dudley's last encounter with the Weasley twins, Fred and George, also played a part in it. The summer before they twins had "accidently" slipped a peice of bewitched candy to Dudley, which ended up making his tongue swell. Dudley hadn't touched a single peice of candy since that day. But Harry was managing to survive, only because his friends would sneak him food by way of the owl post. Aunt Petunia was just refilling Uncle Vernon's coffee when a sudden shattering noise exploded from the living room.
"I didn't do it," Harry exclaimed, out of reflex. He had a feeling he would be blamed anyways, he was always blamed for weird things happening around his house. Aunt Petunia came back, looking mistifyed.
"Nothing's broken, nothings even out of place," she said, stupified. But the noise came back, again and again even thought nothing was ever moved. Harry couldn't help but think of Peeves, the Hogwarts poltergheist. Usually he actually did break things, but sometimes he just made it sound like he had...without ever touching anything. It wasn't usual, but Harry wondered if perhaps a poltergheist had moved in. That would have explained the silvery object seen the night before. He'd write to Hermione, see what she thought.
He didn't have to wait long for her reply to come back. He knew that even though it would be easier to call, the shattering noise had become louder and louder. The leter read:
Harry,
It sounds like a poltergheist but they usually DO break things. I'll look into it though. Let me know if anything else starts to happen.
Hermione
He could have figured she'd resort to a book. But it was help none the less. Folding the letter, he set it down on the bedside table, sighing as the shattering became even louder. People outside might have suspected a fight, but luckily no one was walking passed their house. Harry decided he would go for a walk, he needed the fresh air after being kept inside for so long.
Outside the sun was shining on the brightly colored leaves. Autumn had set in, and in a few weeks his fifth year at Hogwarts would begin. Harry missed the castle and everything about it; like the secerate passageways and the changing stair cases. And he still had a whole three weeks before september first came.
As Harry rounded the corner he heard someone whisper ever so lightly. "Harry." He turned to see who had called his name, but save a single man watering his garden, back turned to Harry, no one was outside. A silvery image streaked out of the corner of his eye and Harry follwed quickly down the sidewalk. The light seemed to flow from a little girl who had suddenly appeared out of nowhere, and stopped now at an area where some srubs were growing wildly. "Harry..." she called again, moving into the dense greenery.
"Wait!" Harry cried, running after her. Everything after that was a shock to him. The sidewalk and the area around it where Harry had been standning had exploded, leaving nothing but a smoking crater. Knocked to the ground by the grass, Harry scrambled deeper into the bushes, waiting, looking at the smoking ground. He knew it was the work of a wizard; he could feel the excess magic in the air. Had it been the Avada Kedara curse? Either way, the Death Eaters were trying to get him, even in the muggle world. But then, they didn't really care about hurting muggles then, did they. And the mysterious girl, Harry noted, had vanished. Who ever she was though, she had just saved Harry's life.