Hoot. TAP.

Hoot. TAP.

Harry's eyes fluttered open the next morning to a series of odd sounds coming from outside his window. Curious, he threw off his blue sheets and walked over to the only window in the room to see what was going on. He grinned when he saw the snowy white owl outside his window, hooting and tapping the window with her beak. Harry hurriedly opened the window to let his owl Hedwig inside.

"Hey there girl," Harry said, as Hedwig glided gracefully into the room and landed on his shoulder. "How are things with Ron?"

Hedwig stuck out her leg to reveal not one, but two letters. Harry opened the one with Ron Weasley's handwriting first, tossing the other letter onto his desk. Hedwig lefty his shoulder and flew over to her cage, where she proceeded to finish off a dead mouse she had caught a few days earlier.

Harry eagerly read Ron's letter:

Harry-

At the Burrow. Things are fine here, although Mum's livid about Fred and George taking off before school let out.

A bit of news: Hermione wishes for us to visit her and her parents in London! Mum said I could go; Hermione will send word to you with the details.

Hope you did well on your O.W.L.s!

-Ron

Harry's grin widened as he set Ron's letter aside. Going to visit Hermione could be a real adventure for Ron, as the elder Grangers were Muggles, and Ron had never lived in a Muggle home before. The one time he has attempted the call Harry at the Dursley's using a real telephone he had nearly made Uncle Vernon deaf and almost got Harry killed, in a sense.

Harry had been thinking and had been quiet while doing so, and now he realized that he heard none of the usual morning sounds of the Dursley household. Dudley wasn't complaining about his low-fat breakfast, Uncle Vernon wasn't grumbling about taxes being raised, and Aunt Petunia couldn't be heard pacing in front of the mail slot waiting for her tabloids to arrive with the rest of the morning post. The lack of commotion seemed odd to Harry and he checked the digital clock on his nightstand to make sure he wasn't a lunatic for being up in the wee hours of the morning. But he wasn't, for the glowing red number told him it was already half past nine, and in the summer the Dursleys were usual up at nine or so, with the exception of Dudley if he had had too much. . . excitement the previous night. Harry also had not been screamed at to get out of bed and make breakfast, which was a typical summer morning tradition now at the Dursley household. Wondering what was going on, Harry quickly got dressed and went downstairs.

When he reached the living room he glanced out the window and saw the Dursleys across the street talking to three people who Harry assumed to be their new neighbors. He knew that was the reason why he had not been woken up - the Dursleys preferred to either keep Harry a complete secret from the neighbors or tell everyone he was a criminal and should be avoided at all costs. There was no doubt in Harry's mind that his aunt and uncle would find it easier to just not tell the newcomers about their "estranged" nephew and leave it at that. But if they did, Harry would never get to meet them, which he was anxious to do.

He noticed they had a daughter, who appeared to be about fifteen or sixteen. She had olive colored skin, long hair that seemed almost black, and dark brown eyes. She was obviously of a different nationality, although Harry couldn't put his finger on it. Looking at the other two new neighbors, he began to wonder if the girl was really their daughter, for the elders were both Caucasian and had blonde hair and blue eyes.

"Well," said Harry aloud, "I guess there's only one thing to do now."

And with that he walked to the back of the house and quietly went out the back door into the bright sunshine. It was a clear, hot July day, and Harry was glad he had a pair of shorts on rather than pants, especially since he was going to have to spy on the group across the street.

Crouching low behind the hedges in front of the Dursley's house, Harry went right until he ran into the white picket fence dividing the Dursley's lawn and the Hewett's lawn. Quietly emerging from the foliage, he was glad to see that everyone across the street had their backs turned to him. Running as fast and quietly as he could, Harry ran across the street to the front of number three Privit Drive, the house next to the new family's. He soon immersed himself in the bushes and made his way over to number five, not making a sound.

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TO THE REVIEWERS OF CHAPTER ONE:

harryschic: Thanks for being the first to review this fic! I hope it turns out like the others too!

IluvRupertG: You don't have to wait for another chapter anymore do you? :)