Four
The Last Day
The next day at the Dursley's was like hell for Harry. Since he had been up all night, he was constantly falling asleep on his feet, causing Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon (back from his business trip at five AM) to slap him round the head every time (Dudley was more than happy to join in). Many times that day, Harry would have liked just to run away from the Dursley's, collapse on a street corner, and sleep until he was all slept out! But, this may cause him to miss Anne's arrival that evening.
'Maybe I'll take a walk,' Harry thought. He had never been out of the house before without Aunt Petunia hovering over him, and Aunt Petunia would never let him out of the house without permission and supervision. And, on the account that she was in a particularly bad mood that day, his aunt would be more than happy to have an excuse to send him to his room for the day. So, Harry resorted to telling his cousin that he was going out.
Harry found Dudley immersed in a video game. "Hey Dudley."
Dudley grunted (for he was not really listening.)
"Can you tell your mum that I'm going out walking?"
Grunt.
"Thank you."
Grunt.
So, the tired-eyed Harry quietly slipped out of the house and walked to the playground on Magnolia Crescent. He chose his favorite swing and sat down, unmoving. After a while, his mind began to drift. He was thinking about Anne. his parents. the man in the black cloak.
"Ouch!" Harry's scar suddenly began to throb. He clutched his forehead and fell to the earth. The ground before him began to blur.
* * *
He was standing in a forest. Blackened trees towered around him like knives in the sky. Harry tried to move but realized he could not. Suddenly, he heard a cowering voice in the distance.
"N-no! D-Don't! P-p-please!"
"But, think of all we can do together. We can rule the world as one, my friend."
Harry had never heard such a voice before. The sound of it caused ice to trickle down his spine and through the rest of his body. He could only think who the voice belonged to. And this poor man was going to be killed. or worse! 'If I could move..' he thought, 'I would save that man's life. If I couldn't be killed the first time.'
There was an earsplitting scream from the man an evil laugh from Voldemort, and a blinding flash of light. Harry tried to turn away but was rooted to the spot. His scar began to pulse with pain. There was another cry of anguish and Harry realized that it was his own.
* * *
Somebody was splashing water on his face. He was back on Magnolia Crescent, and a very old man he had never seen before was helping him.
"Harry, I'm glad you came round. I was beginning to think you were drifting into a state of unconsciousness!"
Harry looked at the man. He wore a matching robe and cap of a strong maroon and half-moon glasses. His long silver beard and hair glinted in the afternoon sun. "Thank you for saving me, but, who are you?" he asked out of curiosity.
"I am Albus Dumbledore, currently headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." He gave a warm smile and Harry realized that Anne had mentioned this man before.
At this moment, Piers Polkess, a friend of Dudley's and his mother walked by. Harry had the strange suspicion that they could not see him and Dumbledore; they did not even acknowledge the two as they passed.
Prying his eyes away from this strange sight, Harry asked, "Do you know Anne?"
Dumbledore smiled again. "Yes, Harry, I do. Miss Wiggins was an old pupil of mine, and now we are very good friends. When she found you at the Dursley's house, she was so surprised that she immediately called me up."
"Why you?"
"She knew that you had been sent to live with muggles. but she didn't know exactly which muggles. She had no idea that you were living with the Dursleys- who she describes as the most nosy and selfish people she has ever met-"
"Then why does she even bother to see them every now and then?"
"It was on my orders, Harry, that Anne keep in contact with your family. She has to keep in contact with me if anything peculiar happens on her visit."
"Yes," Harry persisted, "but why does she report to you?"
"You're really not going to like this, Harry. Are you sure you want to hear this?"
"Yes!" Harry was almost begging now. "please tell me."
Dumbledore took a deep breath, adjusted his glasses, and quietly spoke. "I was the one who sent you to the Dursley's."
There was deadly silence. Then. "WHAT! YOU!? WHY-"
"But I can tell you why," Dumbledore said with a note of urgency.
Harry was gasping for breath, his red cheeks almost burning with hate. With great effort, he managed to spit out "Ok. Why."
"The man who killed your parents, Harry, was named Lord Voldemort-"
"I know," Harry said dully.
"-And he really didn't want to kill your parents; he only wanted to kill you."
Harry looked mildly surprised at this statement. "Why-"
"There was a prophecy made that a child born in late July would cause the downfall of Lord Voldemort. This child's parents would have to have fought Voldemort three times. Only you and one other boy qualified. Voldemort thought that if he killed this child, he would be safe."
"Why didn't he try to kill the other one?"
"He chose you because he thought you would be more of a threat to him."
"Oh." Harry really did not know what to say to this, so he looked down at his shoes.
"Now, about that dream you just had."
Harry's head jerked upward. "How did you know-"
Dumbledore held up a hand. "I must ask you, Harry, what did you see?"
Harry told him about the man. about Lord Voldemort. about the screams. about his hurting scar. "But please, sir, what did it all mean." He was hoping that Dumbledore would smile and say, 'It was just a dream, Harry.'
But Dumbledore did not say that; he didn't even smile. He adjusted his wizard's cap, cleared his throat, and spoke. "This was no ordinary dream, Harry; it was a vision. I think what you just saw really happened."
"Really-"
"Happened, yes. A young man was really in a forest somewhere being tortured by Voldemort- or what's left of him."
"But why could I see this happening?"
"Because you have a very unique connection with Voldemort. When he gave you that scar," Dumbledore said, gesturing to Harry's forehead, "he must have left an imprint of some sort in you. Now you can see what is happening to him"
Harry was dumbstruck. "Why didn't I have these visions before?"
"Have you ever been outside of your home before without your family?"
Harry scratched his head, thinking. "Well there was this one time that I was walking in the garden. but then my aunt got mad that I left and made me go inside. And when I'm at school. but I think my second cousin in my mom's side goes there. I guess not."
"Ah. Well, that's your problem, harry. As long as you have another with your mother's blood near you, you can't be touched by Voldemort. Since now was your first time alone, Voldemort and you have a clear bond, and you can see what he is doing."
Harry shivered. "It was horrible, sir! I never want to have those visions again!"
"Oh, I'm afraid, Harry, that as long as you and your relatives are not together, you will continue to have these dreams as long as Voldemort lives."
"And if he dies?"
"Your visions will cease. But, Harry, you are the only one who can conquer Voldemort completely. The prophecy says so."
"I'm almost ten years old, for heaven's sake! I can't just run out and kill a dark wizard! You saw what he did to my parents! Who cares about that stupid prophecy! I just want to go home! I don't want to go to wizard school! I want to go home!"
And, sobbing, Harry ran towards Privet Drive, away from Dumbledore and the magic. Little did he know, he was running towards a new life.
The Last Day
The next day at the Dursley's was like hell for Harry. Since he had been up all night, he was constantly falling asleep on his feet, causing Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon (back from his business trip at five AM) to slap him round the head every time (Dudley was more than happy to join in). Many times that day, Harry would have liked just to run away from the Dursley's, collapse on a street corner, and sleep until he was all slept out! But, this may cause him to miss Anne's arrival that evening.
'Maybe I'll take a walk,' Harry thought. He had never been out of the house before without Aunt Petunia hovering over him, and Aunt Petunia would never let him out of the house without permission and supervision. And, on the account that she was in a particularly bad mood that day, his aunt would be more than happy to have an excuse to send him to his room for the day. So, Harry resorted to telling his cousin that he was going out.
Harry found Dudley immersed in a video game. "Hey Dudley."
Dudley grunted (for he was not really listening.)
"Can you tell your mum that I'm going out walking?"
Grunt.
"Thank you."
Grunt.
So, the tired-eyed Harry quietly slipped out of the house and walked to the playground on Magnolia Crescent. He chose his favorite swing and sat down, unmoving. After a while, his mind began to drift. He was thinking about Anne. his parents. the man in the black cloak.
"Ouch!" Harry's scar suddenly began to throb. He clutched his forehead and fell to the earth. The ground before him began to blur.
* * *
He was standing in a forest. Blackened trees towered around him like knives in the sky. Harry tried to move but realized he could not. Suddenly, he heard a cowering voice in the distance.
"N-no! D-Don't! P-p-please!"
"But, think of all we can do together. We can rule the world as one, my friend."
Harry had never heard such a voice before. The sound of it caused ice to trickle down his spine and through the rest of his body. He could only think who the voice belonged to. And this poor man was going to be killed. or worse! 'If I could move..' he thought, 'I would save that man's life. If I couldn't be killed the first time.'
There was an earsplitting scream from the man an evil laugh from Voldemort, and a blinding flash of light. Harry tried to turn away but was rooted to the spot. His scar began to pulse with pain. There was another cry of anguish and Harry realized that it was his own.
* * *
Somebody was splashing water on his face. He was back on Magnolia Crescent, and a very old man he had never seen before was helping him.
"Harry, I'm glad you came round. I was beginning to think you were drifting into a state of unconsciousness!"
Harry looked at the man. He wore a matching robe and cap of a strong maroon and half-moon glasses. His long silver beard and hair glinted in the afternoon sun. "Thank you for saving me, but, who are you?" he asked out of curiosity.
"I am Albus Dumbledore, currently headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." He gave a warm smile and Harry realized that Anne had mentioned this man before.
At this moment, Piers Polkess, a friend of Dudley's and his mother walked by. Harry had the strange suspicion that they could not see him and Dumbledore; they did not even acknowledge the two as they passed.
Prying his eyes away from this strange sight, Harry asked, "Do you know Anne?"
Dumbledore smiled again. "Yes, Harry, I do. Miss Wiggins was an old pupil of mine, and now we are very good friends. When she found you at the Dursley's house, she was so surprised that she immediately called me up."
"Why you?"
"She knew that you had been sent to live with muggles. but she didn't know exactly which muggles. She had no idea that you were living with the Dursleys- who she describes as the most nosy and selfish people she has ever met-"
"Then why does she even bother to see them every now and then?"
"It was on my orders, Harry, that Anne keep in contact with your family. She has to keep in contact with me if anything peculiar happens on her visit."
"Yes," Harry persisted, "but why does she report to you?"
"You're really not going to like this, Harry. Are you sure you want to hear this?"
"Yes!" Harry was almost begging now. "please tell me."
Dumbledore took a deep breath, adjusted his glasses, and quietly spoke. "I was the one who sent you to the Dursley's."
There was deadly silence. Then. "WHAT! YOU!? WHY-"
"But I can tell you why," Dumbledore said with a note of urgency.
Harry was gasping for breath, his red cheeks almost burning with hate. With great effort, he managed to spit out "Ok. Why."
"The man who killed your parents, Harry, was named Lord Voldemort-"
"I know," Harry said dully.
"-And he really didn't want to kill your parents; he only wanted to kill you."
Harry looked mildly surprised at this statement. "Why-"
"There was a prophecy made that a child born in late July would cause the downfall of Lord Voldemort. This child's parents would have to have fought Voldemort three times. Only you and one other boy qualified. Voldemort thought that if he killed this child, he would be safe."
"Why didn't he try to kill the other one?"
"He chose you because he thought you would be more of a threat to him."
"Oh." Harry really did not know what to say to this, so he looked down at his shoes.
"Now, about that dream you just had."
Harry's head jerked upward. "How did you know-"
Dumbledore held up a hand. "I must ask you, Harry, what did you see?"
Harry told him about the man. about Lord Voldemort. about the screams. about his hurting scar. "But please, sir, what did it all mean." He was hoping that Dumbledore would smile and say, 'It was just a dream, Harry.'
But Dumbledore did not say that; he didn't even smile. He adjusted his wizard's cap, cleared his throat, and spoke. "This was no ordinary dream, Harry; it was a vision. I think what you just saw really happened."
"Really-"
"Happened, yes. A young man was really in a forest somewhere being tortured by Voldemort- or what's left of him."
"But why could I see this happening?"
"Because you have a very unique connection with Voldemort. When he gave you that scar," Dumbledore said, gesturing to Harry's forehead, "he must have left an imprint of some sort in you. Now you can see what is happening to him"
Harry was dumbstruck. "Why didn't I have these visions before?"
"Have you ever been outside of your home before without your family?"
Harry scratched his head, thinking. "Well there was this one time that I was walking in the garden. but then my aunt got mad that I left and made me go inside. And when I'm at school. but I think my second cousin in my mom's side goes there. I guess not."
"Ah. Well, that's your problem, harry. As long as you have another with your mother's blood near you, you can't be touched by Voldemort. Since now was your first time alone, Voldemort and you have a clear bond, and you can see what he is doing."
Harry shivered. "It was horrible, sir! I never want to have those visions again!"
"Oh, I'm afraid, Harry, that as long as you and your relatives are not together, you will continue to have these dreams as long as Voldemort lives."
"And if he dies?"
"Your visions will cease. But, Harry, you are the only one who can conquer Voldemort completely. The prophecy says so."
"I'm almost ten years old, for heaven's sake! I can't just run out and kill a dark wizard! You saw what he did to my parents! Who cares about that stupid prophecy! I just want to go home! I don't want to go to wizard school! I want to go home!"
And, sobbing, Harry ran towards Privet Drive, away from Dumbledore and the magic. Little did he know, he was running towards a new life.
