Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this fic, but I do own the plot- just one question. Who started this trend of Disclaimers? No one that I know of is getting money off their fics...
The _______s are found dead (not the Dursleys!), and Harry is the prime suspect, with strong evidence against him. He would be found innocent- if only he could remember where he was when the crime took place. Self-doubt, suspicion, and terror reign as the world turns upside down- for more than just Harry Potter.
Chapter 1
The Discovery
A loud explosion in the early morning shattered the muggy silence that surrounded Privet Drive, a typically quiet street in Little Whinging, Surrey. The fog around the area was so thick that, even if a curious neighbor had looked out of their window to try to catch a glimpse of what was going on, it made it impossible to see even 5 centimeters in front of their nose. Thus, no one called the police to inform them of this disturbance of the peace. Had there been no fog, however, one little old lady would have been seen walking slowly up the street, take a long look at Number 2, then Number 4, Privet Drive, and then walk slowly back to her house nearby. As it turns out, no one even bothered about it until much later in the day, when the morning fog had cleared and they could see things a little clearer.
Harry moaned in his sleep as he fell off the broomstick he had been riding on, and started rolling over in his bed as the wand he had been carrying in his pocked at the time of flight started prodding him in the side. All of a sudden, the wand had a mouth, and it flew out of his pocket, still prodding, and started calling to him as well. Quietly, first, but it grew louder and louder.
"Harry… Harry, you must wake up. Come on, Harry, wake up." Harry sprung from his bed to a sitting position, still half asleep, hitting something hard in the head on his way. "Oh, honestly, Harry. Come on then." He reached out to his nightstand to grab his glasses, and was suddenly very wide awake. He had expected the Dursleys- but now that he thought about it, no, he hadn't. That voice had been too kind. Instead, he saw the last person he expected. It was Mrs. Figg, his neighbor, who was sitting on the edge of his bed, wearing witch's robes and a hat, and who had been trying to coax him out of sleep. She was now rubbing her head, which seemed to prove that the hard something Harry's head had hit was indeed another human. At first he was confused. And then it clicked.
"You're the Arabella Figg Dumbledore was talking about last year! I knew there was something familiar about that name!"
She chuckled, but had a very serious look in her eyes. "Professor Dumbledore, Harry. Nice to see you too, but now we have got to leave.
"But the Dursleys…"
"Come. I'll explain later. But you must follow me now. Here, grab onto my arm." Harry did so and suddenly felt himself being split into a trillion pieces- except it didn't hurt at all. It was quite an out-of-body experience; about one second later, he found himself in Mrs. Figg's familiar living room- but now Harry saw it from a new perspective.
"Ah, just one question, Mrs. Figg. What's with all the cats?"
"Actually, they're half Kneazle*. (A/N- I did not make Kneazles up- check bottom of page for description) They make very reliable pets. But aren't you more curious about why I dragged you from your bed?"
"Well, yes, but I wasn't sure if it was a good idea to ask. A lot of weird stuff has happened to me, and it's not always-"
"Harry, you must listen to me. Something bad has happened around here. Did you hear anything perchance this morning?"
"No… why, what happened?"
"Your neighbors, the Harrises-"
"Oh, is that their name? I never knew-"
"Honestly, Harry, can you let me speak without interrupting?"
"Sorry."
"Harry, your neighbors are dead. There was some sort of explosion this morning, and the police were called. They found them unmarked, but dead. The Ministry came in soon after and is currently modifying memories. Harry, they were killed by a wizard."
"What?!"
"The Ministry will probably be around soon to ask us questions- since we are the only wizards or witches in the area. However, that means my cover will be blown-"
"Cover?"
"Yes, Harry, cover! Why do you think I've been posing as a muggle? To protect you! But if there's anyone- unfriendly- watching, they'll know I'm here too."
"Wait- you've been here to protect me?"
"Honestly, Harry, use your head! You're not making this any easier!" Harry was a bit taken aback, but didn't say anything as the witch continued. "I brought you here to warn you. Now, I'll take you back, and just answer the Ministry as honestly as you can, all right?"
With that, she grabbed his arm and he found himself, again, in his room- she, however, left just as soon, and as Harry jumped into bed, he heard banging at his door. He tried to look sleepy but failed as three Ministry wizards entered the room.
"Mr. Potter, we'd like to ask you a few questions. This man here-" at this point they pushed Mr. Dursley into the room, with a glazed look in his eye as if he didn't know what was going on- "has just said that, this morning, he heard an explosion, and when he came to your room to tell you to keep it down, you were not in your bed, nor were you anywhere in the house. What do you say to this?"
*"The Kneazle was originally bred in Britain, though it is now exported worldwide. A small catlike creature with flecked, speckled, or spotted fur, outsize ears, and a tail like a lion's, the Kneazle is intelligent, independent, and occasionally aggressive, though if it takes a liking to a witch or wizard, it make an excellent pet. The Kneazle has an uncanny ability to detect unsavoury or suspicious characters and can be relied upon to guide its owner safely home if they are lost. Kneazles have up to eight kittens in a litter and can interbreed with cats. Licences are required for ownership as (like Crups and Fwoopers) Kneazles are sufficiently unusual in appearance to attract Muggle interest." P. 24-25 Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.*
(A/N- what do you think? It gets better- please review! Tell me if it's worth continuing….)
Sara Minks