Disclaimers - All characters, settings, etc belong to the wonderful and
talented J.K Rowling *bow* and the only thing original to me is the plot ;)
Also, read no further unless you have read the Order of the Phoenix -
SPOILERS!
"UP, BOY, UP!!"
A shrill voice broke the peaceful silence that had hung over the meticulously neat home of the Dursley family. It was followed by loud rapping noises upon wood, and a low groan emitting from the smallest bedroom in the house. The bony, horse-faced woman named Petunia Dursley shrugged her shoulders exasperatedly and stood before the door, unsure of how to handle the situation. If she continued to press him like this he could contact those odd folk from the train station - maybe it would be better to leave him alone, rather than risk an encounter with the eerie man with the lowered hat and the woman with the pink hair. With one final bang on the door that shook the hinges she hissed, "Fine! Suit yourself!" before stomping off down the stairs to prepare some bacon and eggs for her 'Popkins.'
The boy inside the room rolled over on his bed and sighed, eyes shut and faced embedded in his flat pillow. The drapes around his window were pulled so tight that not a flicker of light could pass into the room despite the blazing sun outside; clothes were strewn across the floor and the shelves were covered in dust; a large empty wire cage was filled with droppings and was giving off a foul stench. His dark hair was greasy and extremely ruffled, his face dirty and puffy, his pyjamas sweaty and his whole appearance in general leaving him looking more like a tramp than someone who inhabited the spotless home. Harry Potter had long since became used to the rotten aroma that hung around the room and cared not for his shabby looks, though, for his bedroom had been in this state for over a week now.
He flipped himself over once more and, opening his eyes, he reached out onto his bedside cabinet and placed on his glasses. He stared at Hedwig's cage for some time, wondering why she had yet to return. Had it been idiotic of him to try to send a letter to Sirius? Lupin had said he was gone, but Harry couldn't help clinging onto the tiny bubble of hope inside his stomach. There was no body - there had been no funeral. Maybe he wasn't dead at all? Maybe he was somewhere inside the Ministry, inside the veiled platform that no-one seemed to know about?
Harry had barely moved from the spot where he now lay for a week. He only moved to go to the bathroom or to retrieve his daily platter of food from the cat-flap on his door, or to shove the empty plate back through. Everything seemed so pointless now, now that he was overwhelmed with grief....he was practically an orphan now, with no real family except the Dursleys, who, he thought bitterly, hardly counted at all. He missed his godfather so much, yet he couldn't come to terms with his death; it had been so sudden, so unexpected, and he hadn't even been able to say goodbye.....
Tears sprung to his eyes as he thought of Sirius' last months alive, spent alone with no more than an eccentric, evil rat of a house-elf for company, shut away from the outside world and forbidden from even stepping out of the front door. It must have been so frustating for the active man to have to watch everyone else participating in such risky, adrenaline-inducing plans, having people like Snape rubbing in his inability to help out... Harry scowled. Sirius' death had been everyone's fault but his own. Dumbledore for encasing him like some sort of wild beast; Snape for tormenting him in such a petty manner; Voldemort for luring him the the Department of Mysteries. He felt a sinking feeling in his heart, for most of all it had been he, Harry's fault, for not thinking things through and being so easily tempted into rushing off.
Harry rolled over again miserably and shoved his head underneath the pillow, feeling very much like he wanted the ground to swallow him up. He lay like that for a few minutes before there was a gentle thud as something landed beside his head with a swooshing of wings, and after a couple of seconds of being ignored the owl began to peck his head through the pillow.
"Alright....alright...." he grumbled, tossing the pillow to the other side of the room. He came face to face with his beautiful snowy owl, Hedwig, and he affectionately stroked her, feeling the corners of his mouth weaken. A reply? Eagerly he scrambled to untie the leather thong from her scaled leg and he joyfully unwravelled the parchment, eyes scanning the page. Feeling let down he allowed it to drop from his hand and turned to face Hedwig, a look of utmost depression on his face.
"You couldn't find him, then?" His eyes welled with tears at the sight of the letter he himself had sent Sirius. The ivory femme cocked her head to one side, picking up on Harry's despair. She hung her head, joining in on his sadness though she didn't quite know why, before giving a comforting maternal hoot and affectionately nibbling his finger. Shes never failed to deliver a letter before, thought Harry. Maybe he really is...
He couldn't even allow himself to think that awful phrase. Wishing that he had thought to keep the pillow beside him, Harry shut his eyes, ignoring the stinging of tears, and dropped of to a sleep tainted by dreams of veiled archways and jets of light, slightly reassured by the presence of his only friend in Number 4, Privet Drive, by his side.
*~*
Harry awoke some hours later to another rapping on his door, feeling worse than ever. His eyes were swollen and he knew some tears had fallen whilst he slept - his glasses had fallen from his face and Hedwig had returned to her cage, and was now snuffling contentedly with her head tucked underneath one of her large wings. He didn't even bother to rise from his bed, simply grunted, "Come in," and hoisted himself up slowly.
His Aunt Petunia walked in, dressed in a long green dress which only emphasised the jutting-out bones she posessed and made her look ghastly. She stalked over to the side of his bed, clutching a matching emerald hangbag, and stopped before him, tutting at the state of his chamber.
"We're going out for the evening."
Harry simply looked at her.
"Leave the T.V, computer and Dudley's things. I've left out some food for you in the kitchen."
He grunted.
Petunia looked down upon her nephew, thinking how odd it was how drastically his behaviour had changed since he had returned from that weirdo school of his. Harry noticed how she stared at him - was that pity he saw reflected in her pale eyes? - but after a few moments she turned and left the room, shutting the door behind her.
The Dursleys had been gone for what felt like an hour - but had really only been about 10 minutes - when Harry heard a door creaking open below him. He sat upright, not overly concerned, but reached for his wand just the same. Easing himself out of bed, (for his muscles ached due to lack of usage,) he opened his door gingerly and stood at the top of the stairs.
Harry was assuming that someone had come to take him to the Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix; the same thing had happened last summer, and unless he was much mistaken it was about to happen again. By the sounds of things only one person had come to rescue him this time around, which instantly struck him as odd. Moody had always been going on about the importance of Harry having a guard, so it seemed strange that someone would be sent alone to retrieve him...
A slim figure of a woman moved to the foot of the stairs and looked up towards him, her dark eyes twinkling in the hall light and her short, thick violet hair practically glittering. "Alright Harry?" she called in a friendly voice.
In spite of his dismal emotional status Harry forced a small smile onto his face and began to move down the stairs. "Tonks..." he said, wondering how to greet her.
She bustled bast the small table at the bottom of the stairs where the phone was kept, not even touching the large vase of lilys. Harry frowned. Seemed her usual dose of destructiveness wherever she went would be kept at bay during this visit.
He wondered whether Tonks would greet him with a hug but her lithe figure swept right past him, nudging him out of the way; she was practically running to get to his bedroom. He heard her hurrying about in his bedroom, opening cupboards and throwing things into his trunk, seemingly ignoring the minor hoots of complaint from Hedwig as her cage was moved. Scowling, Harry slowly began to retreat back to his room, wincing with each step.
"Hurry, Harry, we need to get out of here quickly," said Tonks, hastily darting back and forth from Harry's open trunk to his wardrobe, scruffily folding up his robes as she went. That was odd - Tonks never cared much for tidiness. Harry stood and watched her pack, cogs inside his head almost visibly churning as he considered the strangeness of his situation, and he only stopped when he noticed Tonks had frozen and was staring at him. "Whats up?"
Harry looked her up and down, and his eyes came to rest on her violet hair. She didn't like it violet, he thought. And why had she failed to knock anything down or break anything, even trip up on the stairs since she had arrived? Sure, Tonks was nice, but she was a total klutz.
"I thought you didn't like your hair violet."
Instantly Tonks' cheeks turned pink; she quickly recovered herself and returned to packing, nonchalantly saying, "I changed my mind."
He frowned. "I liked it better pink."
She sped up as she walked, trying to absent-mindedly say, "Nah, I prefer the violet."
Harry was quick and cutting with his answer. "Change it."
"No, I think I like this," she said, attempting a smile.
"Just lemme see what it looks like."
"We have to move!"
Harry slipped his hand into his back pocket and put a hand around his wand, now suspicious and concerned. "Go on."
Tonks was now angry, and rounded on him, drawing herself close. "No. I like it. Now LETS MOVE!"
She pulled out her wand and pointed it at the packed trunk and Hedwig's cage; "Wingardium Leviosa!" she muttered, and the two objects began to float above them. Grabbing him by the arm she began to steer him out of the room and into the hall, roughly handling him and prodding him forward. Harry stopped and turned to face her.
"Wheres the rest of the guard?"
"The what?" Tonks said, before blushing; Harry turned to the Hedwigs cage and opened it.
"Quickly, find Moody or Lupin or someone, GO!" The last word was louder, and instantly Hedwig began to flap frantically, nudging open Harry's slightly ajar bedroom window and dissappearing into the night. Quickly, Hedwig, quickly, he thought, before drawing his own wand and turning to face the woman.
He started; her own slender hand was grasping her wand, which was already pointed at him. Harry hoped he wouldn't have to resort to magic, for it would probably earn him the snapping of his wand - he had already come perilously close to that happening, and he wasn't in any rush to return to the Ministy of Magic for another hearing. "I said, wheres the guard?"
Tonks frowned and advanced upon him, pointing her wand directly to his heart. "Shut up, you idiot boy, and stop talking nonsense. Now hurry up and move it."
Harry stood his ground, pointing his own wand towards the spot behind her eyes. "So, what happened to the clumsiness? Or did you forget that your supposed to knock anything within 5 feet of you over?"
He could see her flustering, yet trying to keep her cool. "I've broken the habit, it wasn't -"
"And since when do you like having violet hair?" He cut across her, beginning to circle her form as best he could in the narrow hall.
"Since I decided it suits me."
"And when have you ever bothered with folding clothes? I thought your household spells were good enough?"
"Nothing wrong with a bit of neatness, is -?"
CRACK!! Harry spun around and came face to face with Mad-Eye Moody, Remus Lupin, Kingsley Shacklebolt and a pink-haired Nymphadora Tonks. In unision they all bellowed "STUPEFY!" and the violet-haired Tonks gasped, collapsing to the floor as her eyes snapped shut. Harry smiled slightly and turned to face the four wizards, (and witch,) who were all looking aghast. Tonks ran over, promptly making the small table at the side of the hall collapse, and pulled Harry into a spine-crushing hug.
"Harry, are you OK? When Hedwig came we thought - well, we thought you were ..." She seemed unable to finish her sentence and pulled away, watching him closely as though looking for an injury. Satisified, she turned to the three males behind her, and look to Moody for his advice.
"Polyjuice Potion, most likely," he muttered, bending down and gingerly opening one eyelid with his gnarled hand. "Out cold...."
He pointed his wand at the figure of the imposter and muttered something Harry couldn't hear; thick, strong-looking metal chains came out of his wand and ensnared the woman, binding her so tightly Harry felt sure they would cut of her circulation. He turned to Lupin and Kingsley, gave a brief nod, and instantly Lupin moved forward.
"We've gotta get you out of here. Is all your stuff packed?" Harry gave a sharp nod. "School books too?" Another nod. "Right. Get your Firebolt. "
Harry went into his room and heard his rescuers muttering between themselves; when he returned, broomstick slung over his shoulder, he found the other clutching their own newly-summoned brooms. Moody was struggling to attach the unconscious female to the end of his broom, whilst Kingsley was performing a spell to make Harry's trunk and Hedwig's cage weightless. He attached the items to the back of his and Lupin's brooms, before turning to Harry and saying, in his deep voice, "Grab a cloak."
Without hesitation Harry took the only remaining cloak from his closet and fastened it quickly, before returning to the hall. Tonks was folding a piece of parchment and she left her quill lying atop it - apparently it was a letter to Petunia and Vernon - and then she turned to Harry with a smile. "Lets go."
They all moved downstairs with their brooms and Moody magically opened the back door; luckily it was a dark, cloudy night, and therefore it was unlikely any of the five would be spotted. Moody quickly drew his wand and tapped everyone on the head, disillussioning them; Harry felt the familiar sensation of cold trickles running down his head and, looking down, saw that his body had blended in with the bushes and grass behind him. They all mounted their brooms and began to hover, whilst Moody barked out instructions. "Tonks, take the lead; I'll go behind, Lupin, you go on top, Kingsley, you go below."
Everyone nodded and switched into their positions; Harry saw Tonks' broom rising and began to follow her, rising higher and higher, jetting off towards the clouds....
A/N - First chapter all done :) Please R&R on what you think so far, and I'll have the second chapter up ASAP.
"UP, BOY, UP!!"
A shrill voice broke the peaceful silence that had hung over the meticulously neat home of the Dursley family. It was followed by loud rapping noises upon wood, and a low groan emitting from the smallest bedroom in the house. The bony, horse-faced woman named Petunia Dursley shrugged her shoulders exasperatedly and stood before the door, unsure of how to handle the situation. If she continued to press him like this he could contact those odd folk from the train station - maybe it would be better to leave him alone, rather than risk an encounter with the eerie man with the lowered hat and the woman with the pink hair. With one final bang on the door that shook the hinges she hissed, "Fine! Suit yourself!" before stomping off down the stairs to prepare some bacon and eggs for her 'Popkins.'
The boy inside the room rolled over on his bed and sighed, eyes shut and faced embedded in his flat pillow. The drapes around his window were pulled so tight that not a flicker of light could pass into the room despite the blazing sun outside; clothes were strewn across the floor and the shelves were covered in dust; a large empty wire cage was filled with droppings and was giving off a foul stench. His dark hair was greasy and extremely ruffled, his face dirty and puffy, his pyjamas sweaty and his whole appearance in general leaving him looking more like a tramp than someone who inhabited the spotless home. Harry Potter had long since became used to the rotten aroma that hung around the room and cared not for his shabby looks, though, for his bedroom had been in this state for over a week now.
He flipped himself over once more and, opening his eyes, he reached out onto his bedside cabinet and placed on his glasses. He stared at Hedwig's cage for some time, wondering why she had yet to return. Had it been idiotic of him to try to send a letter to Sirius? Lupin had said he was gone, but Harry couldn't help clinging onto the tiny bubble of hope inside his stomach. There was no body - there had been no funeral. Maybe he wasn't dead at all? Maybe he was somewhere inside the Ministry, inside the veiled platform that no-one seemed to know about?
Harry had barely moved from the spot where he now lay for a week. He only moved to go to the bathroom or to retrieve his daily platter of food from the cat-flap on his door, or to shove the empty plate back through. Everything seemed so pointless now, now that he was overwhelmed with grief....he was practically an orphan now, with no real family except the Dursleys, who, he thought bitterly, hardly counted at all. He missed his godfather so much, yet he couldn't come to terms with his death; it had been so sudden, so unexpected, and he hadn't even been able to say goodbye.....
Tears sprung to his eyes as he thought of Sirius' last months alive, spent alone with no more than an eccentric, evil rat of a house-elf for company, shut away from the outside world and forbidden from even stepping out of the front door. It must have been so frustating for the active man to have to watch everyone else participating in such risky, adrenaline-inducing plans, having people like Snape rubbing in his inability to help out... Harry scowled. Sirius' death had been everyone's fault but his own. Dumbledore for encasing him like some sort of wild beast; Snape for tormenting him in such a petty manner; Voldemort for luring him the the Department of Mysteries. He felt a sinking feeling in his heart, for most of all it had been he, Harry's fault, for not thinking things through and being so easily tempted into rushing off.
Harry rolled over again miserably and shoved his head underneath the pillow, feeling very much like he wanted the ground to swallow him up. He lay like that for a few minutes before there was a gentle thud as something landed beside his head with a swooshing of wings, and after a couple of seconds of being ignored the owl began to peck his head through the pillow.
"Alright....alright...." he grumbled, tossing the pillow to the other side of the room. He came face to face with his beautiful snowy owl, Hedwig, and he affectionately stroked her, feeling the corners of his mouth weaken. A reply? Eagerly he scrambled to untie the leather thong from her scaled leg and he joyfully unwravelled the parchment, eyes scanning the page. Feeling let down he allowed it to drop from his hand and turned to face Hedwig, a look of utmost depression on his face.
"You couldn't find him, then?" His eyes welled with tears at the sight of the letter he himself had sent Sirius. The ivory femme cocked her head to one side, picking up on Harry's despair. She hung her head, joining in on his sadness though she didn't quite know why, before giving a comforting maternal hoot and affectionately nibbling his finger. Shes never failed to deliver a letter before, thought Harry. Maybe he really is...
He couldn't even allow himself to think that awful phrase. Wishing that he had thought to keep the pillow beside him, Harry shut his eyes, ignoring the stinging of tears, and dropped of to a sleep tainted by dreams of veiled archways and jets of light, slightly reassured by the presence of his only friend in Number 4, Privet Drive, by his side.
*~*
Harry awoke some hours later to another rapping on his door, feeling worse than ever. His eyes were swollen and he knew some tears had fallen whilst he slept - his glasses had fallen from his face and Hedwig had returned to her cage, and was now snuffling contentedly with her head tucked underneath one of her large wings. He didn't even bother to rise from his bed, simply grunted, "Come in," and hoisted himself up slowly.
His Aunt Petunia walked in, dressed in a long green dress which only emphasised the jutting-out bones she posessed and made her look ghastly. She stalked over to the side of his bed, clutching a matching emerald hangbag, and stopped before him, tutting at the state of his chamber.
"We're going out for the evening."
Harry simply looked at her.
"Leave the T.V, computer and Dudley's things. I've left out some food for you in the kitchen."
He grunted.
Petunia looked down upon her nephew, thinking how odd it was how drastically his behaviour had changed since he had returned from that weirdo school of his. Harry noticed how she stared at him - was that pity he saw reflected in her pale eyes? - but after a few moments she turned and left the room, shutting the door behind her.
The Dursleys had been gone for what felt like an hour - but had really only been about 10 minutes - when Harry heard a door creaking open below him. He sat upright, not overly concerned, but reached for his wand just the same. Easing himself out of bed, (for his muscles ached due to lack of usage,) he opened his door gingerly and stood at the top of the stairs.
Harry was assuming that someone had come to take him to the Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix; the same thing had happened last summer, and unless he was much mistaken it was about to happen again. By the sounds of things only one person had come to rescue him this time around, which instantly struck him as odd. Moody had always been going on about the importance of Harry having a guard, so it seemed strange that someone would be sent alone to retrieve him...
A slim figure of a woman moved to the foot of the stairs and looked up towards him, her dark eyes twinkling in the hall light and her short, thick violet hair practically glittering. "Alright Harry?" she called in a friendly voice.
In spite of his dismal emotional status Harry forced a small smile onto his face and began to move down the stairs. "Tonks..." he said, wondering how to greet her.
She bustled bast the small table at the bottom of the stairs where the phone was kept, not even touching the large vase of lilys. Harry frowned. Seemed her usual dose of destructiveness wherever she went would be kept at bay during this visit.
He wondered whether Tonks would greet him with a hug but her lithe figure swept right past him, nudging him out of the way; she was practically running to get to his bedroom. He heard her hurrying about in his bedroom, opening cupboards and throwing things into his trunk, seemingly ignoring the minor hoots of complaint from Hedwig as her cage was moved. Scowling, Harry slowly began to retreat back to his room, wincing with each step.
"Hurry, Harry, we need to get out of here quickly," said Tonks, hastily darting back and forth from Harry's open trunk to his wardrobe, scruffily folding up his robes as she went. That was odd - Tonks never cared much for tidiness. Harry stood and watched her pack, cogs inside his head almost visibly churning as he considered the strangeness of his situation, and he only stopped when he noticed Tonks had frozen and was staring at him. "Whats up?"
Harry looked her up and down, and his eyes came to rest on her violet hair. She didn't like it violet, he thought. And why had she failed to knock anything down or break anything, even trip up on the stairs since she had arrived? Sure, Tonks was nice, but she was a total klutz.
"I thought you didn't like your hair violet."
Instantly Tonks' cheeks turned pink; she quickly recovered herself and returned to packing, nonchalantly saying, "I changed my mind."
He frowned. "I liked it better pink."
She sped up as she walked, trying to absent-mindedly say, "Nah, I prefer the violet."
Harry was quick and cutting with his answer. "Change it."
"No, I think I like this," she said, attempting a smile.
"Just lemme see what it looks like."
"We have to move!"
Harry slipped his hand into his back pocket and put a hand around his wand, now suspicious and concerned. "Go on."
Tonks was now angry, and rounded on him, drawing herself close. "No. I like it. Now LETS MOVE!"
She pulled out her wand and pointed it at the packed trunk and Hedwig's cage; "Wingardium Leviosa!" she muttered, and the two objects began to float above them. Grabbing him by the arm she began to steer him out of the room and into the hall, roughly handling him and prodding him forward. Harry stopped and turned to face her.
"Wheres the rest of the guard?"
"The what?" Tonks said, before blushing; Harry turned to the Hedwigs cage and opened it.
"Quickly, find Moody or Lupin or someone, GO!" The last word was louder, and instantly Hedwig began to flap frantically, nudging open Harry's slightly ajar bedroom window and dissappearing into the night. Quickly, Hedwig, quickly, he thought, before drawing his own wand and turning to face the woman.
He started; her own slender hand was grasping her wand, which was already pointed at him. Harry hoped he wouldn't have to resort to magic, for it would probably earn him the snapping of his wand - he had already come perilously close to that happening, and he wasn't in any rush to return to the Ministy of Magic for another hearing. "I said, wheres the guard?"
Tonks frowned and advanced upon him, pointing her wand directly to his heart. "Shut up, you idiot boy, and stop talking nonsense. Now hurry up and move it."
Harry stood his ground, pointing his own wand towards the spot behind her eyes. "So, what happened to the clumsiness? Or did you forget that your supposed to knock anything within 5 feet of you over?"
He could see her flustering, yet trying to keep her cool. "I've broken the habit, it wasn't -"
"And since when do you like having violet hair?" He cut across her, beginning to circle her form as best he could in the narrow hall.
"Since I decided it suits me."
"And when have you ever bothered with folding clothes? I thought your household spells were good enough?"
"Nothing wrong with a bit of neatness, is -?"
CRACK!! Harry spun around and came face to face with Mad-Eye Moody, Remus Lupin, Kingsley Shacklebolt and a pink-haired Nymphadora Tonks. In unision they all bellowed "STUPEFY!" and the violet-haired Tonks gasped, collapsing to the floor as her eyes snapped shut. Harry smiled slightly and turned to face the four wizards, (and witch,) who were all looking aghast. Tonks ran over, promptly making the small table at the side of the hall collapse, and pulled Harry into a spine-crushing hug.
"Harry, are you OK? When Hedwig came we thought - well, we thought you were ..." She seemed unable to finish her sentence and pulled away, watching him closely as though looking for an injury. Satisified, she turned to the three males behind her, and look to Moody for his advice.
"Polyjuice Potion, most likely," he muttered, bending down and gingerly opening one eyelid with his gnarled hand. "Out cold...."
He pointed his wand at the figure of the imposter and muttered something Harry couldn't hear; thick, strong-looking metal chains came out of his wand and ensnared the woman, binding her so tightly Harry felt sure they would cut of her circulation. He turned to Lupin and Kingsley, gave a brief nod, and instantly Lupin moved forward.
"We've gotta get you out of here. Is all your stuff packed?" Harry gave a sharp nod. "School books too?" Another nod. "Right. Get your Firebolt. "
Harry went into his room and heard his rescuers muttering between themselves; when he returned, broomstick slung over his shoulder, he found the other clutching their own newly-summoned brooms. Moody was struggling to attach the unconscious female to the end of his broom, whilst Kingsley was performing a spell to make Harry's trunk and Hedwig's cage weightless. He attached the items to the back of his and Lupin's brooms, before turning to Harry and saying, in his deep voice, "Grab a cloak."
Without hesitation Harry took the only remaining cloak from his closet and fastened it quickly, before returning to the hall. Tonks was folding a piece of parchment and she left her quill lying atop it - apparently it was a letter to Petunia and Vernon - and then she turned to Harry with a smile. "Lets go."
They all moved downstairs with their brooms and Moody magically opened the back door; luckily it was a dark, cloudy night, and therefore it was unlikely any of the five would be spotted. Moody quickly drew his wand and tapped everyone on the head, disillussioning them; Harry felt the familiar sensation of cold trickles running down his head and, looking down, saw that his body had blended in with the bushes and grass behind him. They all mounted their brooms and began to hover, whilst Moody barked out instructions. "Tonks, take the lead; I'll go behind, Lupin, you go on top, Kingsley, you go below."
Everyone nodded and switched into their positions; Harry saw Tonks' broom rising and began to follow her, rising higher and higher, jetting off towards the clouds....
A/N - First chapter all done :) Please R&R on what you think so far, and I'll have the second chapter up ASAP.
