Another chapter....please read and review! :]
Disclaimer is in the prologue...read that!
Part I
The rain poured down in sheets. No, wait. That is an understatement. The entire Atlantic was thundering down. Harry sputtered. Pushing his sopping wet hair out of his eyes the teenager continued to stumble down the sidewalk. London hadn't seen this much rain for years. The lightning storms and flood warnings had prevented everyone from traveling. But it hadn't stopped Harry from leaving the Dursley's.
~~Flashback~~
"That bloody owl!!!" It seemed that Sirius was no longer a sufficient threat to make Vernon Dursley quail. It had been an hour before midnight before Hedwig quieted, Dudley stopped bawling, and Uncle Vernon's voice grew hoarse from roaring and shouting at Harry. Of course Harry was all too accustomed to this, but it was horrible just the same.
He slumped onto his bed as Hedwig hooted apologetically. Harry gave her a wry smile.
"It's all right; I know you didn't mean it." Harry heaved a groan as he sprawled out on the sheets. His room had become a lot cheerier. A Chudley Canons poster, which Ron had sent him, was tacked up on the wall. (The figures moved of course.) Harry had long since completed all of his summer assignments sitting in a pile on the desk. What else had he been supposed to do all summer shut up in his room? Dumbledore still wouldn't let him visit the Weasley's. Slowly, he drifted off to sleep.
There was a darkened mansion. The only light was the fireplace on the second floor. A short man stood nervously in the center of the room. As he crept closer firelight glinted off his silver hand.
Wormtail.
"I'm sorry my lord....m-my deepest apologies, I d-d-didn't intend to f-"
"Silence, fool." Wormtail's terrified whisper choked abruptly.
"You are beginning to sound like that idiot Quirrel." Wormtail swallowed.
"You will attack the house tonight. And this time, do not fail to bypass the shields."
"But... my lord, if Potter dies, than even Fudge will be forced to recognize the truth. I thought you wanted to wait until-"
"You dare to question me? Tonight, Wormtail. Tonight."
"Yes, my lord." Wormtail began to creep away.
"Oh, and Wormtail.....crucio!"
Harry shot up his scar pulsing. He gasped in several breathes before realizing he had screamed out loud. He could hear Vernon's shouts from down the hallway.
Tonight....it tolled in his head like a bell.
Harry felt a strange feeling of uncontrolled panic consuming him. Spinning around he ripped open Hedwig's cage. He already had his wand.
Tonight....
For a fleeting moment he considered grabbing his Invisibility Cloak out of his trunk.
Tonight...
Disregarding everything he dashed out into the hallway, barely missing an astonished Vernon. Down the stairs, out the door.....rain or no rain....
Tonight.
~~End Flashback~~
Harry continued down the street. All the shop light were turned off except for a dim yellow glow from an out of the way restaurant. Exhausted and curious he headed towards it. Suddenly he stiffened. Just inside the glass pane door a figure stood regarding him motionlessly. Then the person stepped out into the rain and laid a hand on his shoulder.
"Come in, young Harry."
"No...."
As he started to pull away, the hand gripped him tighter and guided him inside. Starting from the fingers digging into his flesh to fill his entire being, a feeling of calm settled. It was as if all his whirling emotions were being put on hold. Without thought, merely bemused puzzlement he glanced over a small bar, chairs, and tables. He was pushed into a chair and handed something warm in a mug. He had never tasted this before, whatever it was, but it went even farther in the process of calming him down. After a while he dared to speak.
"Voldemort....?"
"He can not find you here," he was answered. There was silence for a little while, then...
"I'm sorry to run away."
"Do not be. You saved the lives of the muggles you lived with as well as your own."
"I don't know how to fight him...'
"Then learn how." Harry looked up into eyes that held his gaze firmly.
"....Like what....would you teach me?"
"Well you see Harry, there is always a master, and an apprentice..." Golden pupils flickered at him mischievously.
Disclaimer is in the prologue...read that!
Part I
The rain poured down in sheets. No, wait. That is an understatement. The entire Atlantic was thundering down. Harry sputtered. Pushing his sopping wet hair out of his eyes the teenager continued to stumble down the sidewalk. London hadn't seen this much rain for years. The lightning storms and flood warnings had prevented everyone from traveling. But it hadn't stopped Harry from leaving the Dursley's.
~~Flashback~~
"That bloody owl!!!" It seemed that Sirius was no longer a sufficient threat to make Vernon Dursley quail. It had been an hour before midnight before Hedwig quieted, Dudley stopped bawling, and Uncle Vernon's voice grew hoarse from roaring and shouting at Harry. Of course Harry was all too accustomed to this, but it was horrible just the same.
He slumped onto his bed as Hedwig hooted apologetically. Harry gave her a wry smile.
"It's all right; I know you didn't mean it." Harry heaved a groan as he sprawled out on the sheets. His room had become a lot cheerier. A Chudley Canons poster, which Ron had sent him, was tacked up on the wall. (The figures moved of course.) Harry had long since completed all of his summer assignments sitting in a pile on the desk. What else had he been supposed to do all summer shut up in his room? Dumbledore still wouldn't let him visit the Weasley's. Slowly, he drifted off to sleep.
There was a darkened mansion. The only light was the fireplace on the second floor. A short man stood nervously in the center of the room. As he crept closer firelight glinted off his silver hand.
Wormtail.
"I'm sorry my lord....m-my deepest apologies, I d-d-didn't intend to f-"
"Silence, fool." Wormtail's terrified whisper choked abruptly.
"You are beginning to sound like that idiot Quirrel." Wormtail swallowed.
"You will attack the house tonight. And this time, do not fail to bypass the shields."
"But... my lord, if Potter dies, than even Fudge will be forced to recognize the truth. I thought you wanted to wait until-"
"You dare to question me? Tonight, Wormtail. Tonight."
"Yes, my lord." Wormtail began to creep away.
"Oh, and Wormtail.....crucio!"
Harry shot up his scar pulsing. He gasped in several breathes before realizing he had screamed out loud. He could hear Vernon's shouts from down the hallway.
Tonight....it tolled in his head like a bell.
Harry felt a strange feeling of uncontrolled panic consuming him. Spinning around he ripped open Hedwig's cage. He already had his wand.
Tonight....
For a fleeting moment he considered grabbing his Invisibility Cloak out of his trunk.
Tonight...
Disregarding everything he dashed out into the hallway, barely missing an astonished Vernon. Down the stairs, out the door.....rain or no rain....
Tonight.
~~End Flashback~~
Harry continued down the street. All the shop light were turned off except for a dim yellow glow from an out of the way restaurant. Exhausted and curious he headed towards it. Suddenly he stiffened. Just inside the glass pane door a figure stood regarding him motionlessly. Then the person stepped out into the rain and laid a hand on his shoulder.
"Come in, young Harry."
"No...."
As he started to pull away, the hand gripped him tighter and guided him inside. Starting from the fingers digging into his flesh to fill his entire being, a feeling of calm settled. It was as if all his whirling emotions were being put on hold. Without thought, merely bemused puzzlement he glanced over a small bar, chairs, and tables. He was pushed into a chair and handed something warm in a mug. He had never tasted this before, whatever it was, but it went even farther in the process of calming him down. After a while he dared to speak.
"Voldemort....?"
"He can not find you here," he was answered. There was silence for a little while, then...
"I'm sorry to run away."
"Do not be. You saved the lives of the muggles you lived with as well as your own."
"I don't know how to fight him...'
"Then learn how." Harry looked up into eyes that held his gaze firmly.
"....Like what....would you teach me?"
"Well you see Harry, there is always a master, and an apprentice..." Golden pupils flickered at him mischievously.
