Someone to Watch Over Me

Chapter 1: Dudley's Birthday

Disclaimer: The only character that I own is Etty (Etoile Cometebios). All other characters and places are the property of the literary genius known as JK Rowling.

**NOTE**

IF YOU HAVE NOT FINISHED ORDER OF THE PHOENIX, AND DO NOT WANT TO KNOW WHO DIES, THEN WAIT TO READ THIS. IT TAKES PLACE IN HARRY'S SIXTH YEAR, AFTER THE PERSON HAS DIED, AND USES INFORMATION THAT ID PRESENTED IN THE FIFTH BOOK.

Harry, Ron and the rest of the Gryffindor Quidditch team were on Firebolts and were beating the entire Slytherin Quidditch team 230-0. Ron had been making perfect saves as keeper, and the new, positive chorus of Weasley is Our King was now being sung loudly by the houses of Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff. It was drowning out the Slytherins boos and jeering. Harry spotted the snitch just above Lee Jordan's head in the announcer's booth. Harry shot after it, leaving Draco Malfoy in the dust. He caught it as Lee dove for cover. He triumphantly held the snitch above his head amidst cheers from the crowd. "Potter." someone yelled. "Potter!" The yelled it again even louder. "POTTER GET UP NOW!"

Harry woke up abruptly. His Uncle Vernon had just slammed the door after seeing he was awake. His Quidditch dream had been the happiest dream he had had in a long time. In fact he couldn't remember having a dream that didn't involve Voldemort in someway.

He grabbed his glasses and put them on. He yawned and got out of bed and walked over to Hedwig's cage. She was currently out on a hunting trip. Harry then walked over to his calendar. "Well if it's not my favorite day." He sighed. It was Dudley's birthday. Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon had stopped taking Dudley to the zoo or the amusement park for his birthday. They past few had consisted of the morning presentation of gifts, and then the Dursley's would give Dudley a large amount of paintballs, and enough money for him to go play at the local paintball field with his friends all day. (Of course usually, a day at paintball with Dudley consisted of Dudley's friends surrounding their great lug of a friend, and protecting him, as he targeted younger players.)

Harry wondered why he needed to be up for Dudley's birthday. Usually his aunt and uncle wanted him out of sight and out of mind for this "momentous occasion".

"Oh be carefully Dudders!" Aunt Petunia wailed.

"Mum, please." Dudley said, but it was easy to tell that he was greatly enjoying this attention.

"He'll do fine Petunia. He's got his Father's blood, and we all know what kind of driver I am." Uncle Vernon said as he walked Dudley out to the car.

"Of course, Dudley's 16; He can get his drivers license" Harry thought to himself. (NOTE: I live in the US. I have no clue what driving restrictions are like in Britain. Where I live it's license at 16) Harry feared for the drivers of Little Whinging.

Harry watched his cousin and his uncle back out of the drive way of number 4 Privet Drive, and drive off to the dmv (or whatever the British version is known as). Aunt Petunia looked lovingly at her sun, and then she turned to Harry. "You are going to help me get this house ready for Dudley's surprise party. If you mess one thing up, one little balloon, then you'll never leave this house. And don't even think about going off to write to that godfather of yours! Now then, I want you to clean this kitchen up and tidy up the back yard. Dudley's friends will be here in an hour. Dudley and Vernon will be back half an hour later. I expect you to be in this house, but no where near this kitchen and yard for Dudley's big day. Understood?" Aunt Petunia barked instructions at Harry as she grabbed her car keys. "I will be back in ten minutes. I just need to pick up Dudley's cake and the sandwiches. If you're not cleaning when I get back…" she said as she walked out to her mini out front.

As Aunt Petunia drove off to get the sandwiches, and Dudley attempted to pass his driving g test, Harry was left alone in the Dursley's house to prepare for a party that he wasn't going to be a part of. As he sprayed some cleaner on the kitchen table, he wished that he had come of age, and was able to use magic legally. Then he would have been done quickly, and would have been able to go up to his room and read the book that Hermione had sent him, So You Want to Be an Auror.

Aunt Petunia arrived home complete with a gigantic chocolate cake, four gallons of ice cream, three plates of sandwiches, and a bag filled to the brim with party decorations, including a large banner that read HAPPY 16th BIRTHDAY DUDLEY! In colorful letters. Aunt Petunia began to bark orders at Harry. "Hang the blue streamer here!" "Blow up this red balloon!" "Put this plate outside on that table!" Harry did them without objection. He had learned that to survive with the Dursley's you just needed to go with the flow and not be different so to speak.

About twenty to noon (the guests would be arriving at noon), and girl that was about 15 or sixteen and had auburn hair and green eyes appeared at the door. Aunt Petunia greeted her with surprise. "Hello, are you here for Dudley's party?" She asked.

"Yes I am Mrs. Dursley." She said politely. "Am I too early? O I'm sorry. I'm usually late, and so I decided that I would leave really early, so that I wouldn't ruin the surprise…"

"Just come inside." Aunt Petunia said. She ushered the girl inside and took her present and placed it out in the garden. The girl walked over to Harry.

"Hello." She said. "Were you early too?"

Harry looked at her uncomfortably. "Well… Uh… not exactly…" but just then Aunt Petunia gave him a CD player to plug in outside.

"Set these noise makers out there somewhere to Harry. And for Pete's sake HURRY UP!" Aunt Petunia barked at him.

"Let me help you. What can I do?" The girl asked anxiously. Harry was surprised. Usually the people that were friends with Dudley were snobby and stuck up. This girl was different. She was the first person that was friends with Dudley that had said something to Harry that didn't involve how weird Harry was.

"Well, ok you can help…. Err… What did you say your name was?"

"Elizabeth."

"Ok Elizabeth, tie these balloons to that tree over there."

Elizabeth did as she was told.

Around Noon, Dudley's guests began to arrive. His friend Pierce was the first to arrive, followed by a tall, heavy girl that reminded Harry of Millicent Bull strode, a Slytherin at Hogwarts. Her name was Yvette, and she was Dudley's girlfriend. The rest of Dudley's gang arrived, as well as a few girls who looked like female versions of Dudley's gang. No one seemed to greet Elizabeth or even talk to her. She just hung out on the outside, and didn't get in anyone's way.

Harry left to go up to his bedroom, to see if Hedwig was back. She was waiting for him on the top of his wardrobe, with a letter attached to her leg. She swooped down to greet him, and Harry removed the letter. It was from Hermione.

Dear Harry,

How has your summer been? Mine's been greet so far. Mum and Dad had an International Dentists Convention in New York City, in the US, so I've been here.

New York is wonderful! At night the city lights up. There is this place called Broadway, where there are various theatres. I've read up on them. There are about seven that muggles don't know about. When Mum and Dad were at their convention, I would go to see a show in a Wizard Theatre. It was amazing.

I love America. I was reading a pamphlet on the American Ministry of Magic, and it turns out that the enslavement of house elves is illegal and they all are paid. Maybe Dobby should move here! (Although I don't think he could have a more generous employer than Dumbledore.

See you this September or maybe sooner!

Hermione

P.S.

Have you read the paper lately? There have been some very interesting articles.

Harry placed Hermione's letter on his night stand, and grabbed the Daily Prophet that had arrived that morning. Knowing Hermione, the article that she wanted him to notice was either about a new method of studying for exams, or else about something extremely serious. As Harry unrolled the paper and looked at the front page, he immediately knew what Hermione had wanted him to read. A picture of a mysterious female's face looked up at Harry. She had jet black hair, pale skin, and two piercing blue-gray eyes that gave a stare as cold as ice. A Headline above her read Agrima Walks Among Us (story on page 2) Harry quickly turned to page two to read the story.

CELESTE AGRIMA

Celeste Agrima was You-know-who's strongest female supporter. Next her to You-Know-Who, she was credited with the most murders, during He-who-must-not-be-named's reign of terror. The downfall of her master sent her into ruin.

For Six years after Harry Potter caused the downfall of He-who-must-not-be-named, Celeste Agrima searched for her master. For six years she searched for a way to kill Harry Potter. For six years she avoided the muggle and wizard eye. But she was found on Halloween night six years after her master had been defeated. Ministry officials found her in a forest in northern Wales, nearly mad, and nearly dead. She was taken to St. Mungo's, and then to Azkaban where she has been for the past ten years.

The Ministry has just confirmed that Celeste Agrima has escaped from Azkaban. "We don't know how she did it, but we want the magical community to know that every effort is being made to recapture this extremely dangerous murderer" said Mackenzie Southwell, press secretary for the Minister of Magic.

Agrima is not as easy to spot as one may think. While you need to be on the lookout for the woman in the picture on the front page, Agrima will most likely not look like that. She is a metamorgus, and can change her appearance at will. She may even look like a blonde five year old with pigtails. If you witness any strange or mysterious behavior, contact the Ministry of Magical Law Enforcement ASAP. Muggles have been alerted to the presence of a female murderer on the loose, and are also on the watch for a mysterious woman.

Harry turned back to the front page and looked at Celeste Agrima. She had changed her eyes to hazel, and she had wavy brown hair and a few freckles on her nose. Then she became an old woman with silver hair, and a wrinkly face. Then she went back to her original state and stared at Harry.

Suddenly there was a knock on his door. He quickly shoved the Prophet under his pillow, and gave Hedwig a treat, so that she went back into her cage. He opened the door a crack and met Elizabeth.

"Er… can I help you?" Harry said, confused.

"Why aren't you down at the party?" she asked.

"I… um…well… Dudley and I uh… Well… we don't get along as well as one would have hoped…" Harry replied. He was confused. Harry was sure that Dudley had told all of his friends about this scrawny cousin of his that was fun to beat up on. She seemed completely oblivious to this fact.

"Well why don't you come on down, you know maybe patch things up with your cousin." she said. When she saw the look on Harry's face she added, "O Come on, what could it hurt?"

"More than you think." Harry thought to himself.

"Come on. You can be my guest."

"Fine, I'll come." Harry said. Elizabeth grabbed Harry's hand and led him down out to the garden. His Aunt and Uncle gave him a look, and Harry replied with a "but she really really wanted me to come down" look. Aunt Petunia followed him around with her eyes, keeping a steady eye on his left pocket, which was where Harry kept his wand.

"What is he doing here?" Pierce yelled as he saw Harry approach.

"He lives here you git." Elizabeth replied.

"Who are you anyway?" Yvette said.

"Friend of Dudley's." She replied. "I'm a neighbor. I live down the street." Her explanation didn't raise any alarm, so the conversation moved on.

"So Dudley, did you pass your driving test?" Yvette asked.

"'Course I did. Why wouldn't I have?" Dudley replied. "Mum and Dad even gave me my own car."

"Really? Let's see it then." Pierce replied.

"Alright then, come with me." Dudley led the group around to the front of his house, where there were three cars sitting in the driveway. Uncle Vernon's green car that he drove to work, the SUV that acted as the family car, and a shiny red car, that belonged to Dudley. Dudley opened the door of his car, and sat down in the drivers set.

"Anyone want to go for a ride?" He said. "It can only be a quick one though. I wanna get back to the foo… I mean party." Everyone in the group piled into the car, but there wasn't enough room for Harry and Elizabeth. They stood on the drive way and watched Dudley and his friends drive off around the block.

"Dudley doesn't seem to hate you that much." Elizabeth said.

"You just caught him on a good day."

"I'm sure."

"I've never seen you around here. Where exactly do you live?"

"I live over on Magnolia Crescent, and I've been on a student exchange program for the past year, and I go to a boarding school. I'm not around much, but Mrs. Dursley and my mum are pretty good friends."

"Oh."

All of a sudden, a great big snake slithered onto the Dursley's drive way. Harry recognized it immediately as Nagini, Voldemort's pet. Elizabeth and Harry both saw her.

"Oh no." Elizabeth muttered.

"Don't like snakes?" Harry asked.

"Not my favorite animal."

Nagini started to slither towards Harry, her fangs bared, and ready to strike. Suddenly, Elizabeth jumped between Nagini and Harry and pulled a wand out of her pocket. "Baniscasita!" She yelled as she aimed her wand at the snake. The snake was lifted from the ground and it went soaring away from 4 Privet Drive, just as Dudley pulled up with his gang of friends.

"Wicked. What was that?" Pierce said.

"Wow."

"How did you do that?"

"Terribly sorry to do this to you all." Elizabeth said as she cast a light memory charm on all those in the car. She turned to Harry, who had a stunned look on his face.

"Take care of yourself." She said. And without any further information, she apparated.