Part 1. - The Unexpected Letter.
Harry lay on his bed in the smallest bedroom of number 4, Privet Drive, occasionally moving to stop his limbs seizing up. Although, he did not really care if they did. He felt he'd lost nearly everything in his so called "amazing" life. The boy who lived, who survived Lord Voldemort, the darkest wizard the world had ever seen. Thanks to him, what did Harry have left? He'd lost his parents, had to stay with the Dursleys who couldn't have made his life worse, if they had even tried. Now, only a few weeks ago, he'd lost the next thing he had to his parents. Sirius Black. His Godfather, the closest thing Harry had come to a Father in the past 15 years. He did of course have Albus Dumbledore but he still had not fully forgiven him for his actions of the previous term at Hogwarts.
Harry closed his eyes and imagined what it would be like to have a normal life, free from the death and pain that he'd suffered his life. What it would be like to be Seamus or Dean who did not seem to have any of the problems he had. He'd even have been Neville until he found out why he lived with his Grandmother. Then he thought that it would possibly be worse to be Neville. Sure, he didn't get the unwanted attention that Harry got, but at least his parents were dead and he did not have to see the suffering that they went through unlike Neville.
He rolled over off the bed to see if Hedwig was back, at least he had Hedwig in this stinking house. The only person Harry thought could even come close to understanding him when he was with the Dursleys. However, she still wasn't back from delivering a letter for Harry. He didn't want to write to Ron, Hermonie, Hagrid or even Dumbledore. He wanted to talk to the next person who could understand how he was feeling. Lupin. Best friend to Sirius, he must understand how Harry was feeling; he must be able to give him some words of comfort.
He considered going downstairs to the living room to watch some TV, (after Moody's word of warning to the Dursleys at the end of term, he was now allowed to watch it some of the time.) But this would have meant awkward questions from them and Harry in no way wanted to re-live for them the horrors he had faced in the Department of Mysteries. When he even past them in a room they looked at him like he was about to burst at any moment yet still wanted to press him about the goings on. Harry doubted this was out of interest, but more to see how far they would be able to push him before he broke. The only one of them that showed the slightest bit of sympathy was Aunt Petunia, but even that was limited to icy looks at her husband or Dudley when they had gone too far.
He decided against it and went over to his school trunk to retrieve the shattered remains of the mirror Sirius had given him. He wished now that he had not smashed it in anger, but it was too late for that and not even the repairo charm would work to fix it. He stared at it, still hoping that Sirius' face would appear in it, telling him everything was going to be alright. Lord Voldemort was not back, did not want Harry dead, was not the cause of Sirius' death. Lord Voldemort, Harry had many thoughts about him at the moment, all as unrealistic as the next that ended with equally gruesome things happening to him. Harry knew that these were false dreams and that it would have to be him that destroyed him, or got destroyed doing so. He didn't have much of his life left for him to ruin. The last remaining hopes in his life were the Weasley's, Hermonie, Dumbledore, Hagrid, and the Order. He felt warmth for people like Tonks and Lupin but they did not give him the same about of comfort he had when he was at the Burrow, or with Dumbledore or Hagrid. However much he was annoyed with Dumbledore, he still could not stop feeling that he was at least safe with him. He knew Dumbledore cared for him greatly but this as Harry had already experienced was not always the positive influence he needed or wanted.
Harry heard a tap at the window and hurried over to get Lupin's reply off Hedwig. Harry however, did not find Hedwig at the window. Instead it was Hermes. What on earth was Percy Weasley writing to Harry for? Hadn't he condemned him in his letter to Ron last year? Harry's heart sank, he only wanted to talk to Lupin. Grudgingly he took the letter from Hermes who flew off into the darkness.
Dear Harry,
I must certainly apologise for my behaviour last year, however, when I say my behaviour that isn't exactly true. The negative hospitality that you, Dumbledore, and even my family welcomed from me, was not in fact me. He who must not be named put me under the Imperius curse by one of his Death Eaters. The irony of it was that it was by the same person who I had helped nourish and treated with my utmost care. Peter Pettigrew.
Harry dropped the letter in shock when he read this. He had always assumed just like the rest that Percy was acting on his own accord. Even Dumbledore who had not guessed this. Harry could not believe it. Was this just a plan by the Ministry to get him to lower his guard? He carried on reading.
Once again, I must apologise. I hope that you accept this and will forgive me for "my" behaviour. Both of my parents have written to Dumbledore last night asking that you be allowed to stay with us for the rest of the summer holidays and we expect a reply any day now. We shall of course, keep you posted with what he says.
Yours truly,
Percy Weasley.
Harry did not have a clue what to do, he was shocked, he could not believe this. How had the Weasley's replied to this news? How was the curse lifted? He could only presume that Wormtail had been caught, or that now Voldemort was out from hiding that there was little point in controlling someone such as Percy Weasley.
End of Part 1.
Harry lay on his bed in the smallest bedroom of number 4, Privet Drive, occasionally moving to stop his limbs seizing up. Although, he did not really care if they did. He felt he'd lost nearly everything in his so called "amazing" life. The boy who lived, who survived Lord Voldemort, the darkest wizard the world had ever seen. Thanks to him, what did Harry have left? He'd lost his parents, had to stay with the Dursleys who couldn't have made his life worse, if they had even tried. Now, only a few weeks ago, he'd lost the next thing he had to his parents. Sirius Black. His Godfather, the closest thing Harry had come to a Father in the past 15 years. He did of course have Albus Dumbledore but he still had not fully forgiven him for his actions of the previous term at Hogwarts.
Harry closed his eyes and imagined what it would be like to have a normal life, free from the death and pain that he'd suffered his life. What it would be like to be Seamus or Dean who did not seem to have any of the problems he had. He'd even have been Neville until he found out why he lived with his Grandmother. Then he thought that it would possibly be worse to be Neville. Sure, he didn't get the unwanted attention that Harry got, but at least his parents were dead and he did not have to see the suffering that they went through unlike Neville.
He rolled over off the bed to see if Hedwig was back, at least he had Hedwig in this stinking house. The only person Harry thought could even come close to understanding him when he was with the Dursleys. However, she still wasn't back from delivering a letter for Harry. He didn't want to write to Ron, Hermonie, Hagrid or even Dumbledore. He wanted to talk to the next person who could understand how he was feeling. Lupin. Best friend to Sirius, he must understand how Harry was feeling; he must be able to give him some words of comfort.
He considered going downstairs to the living room to watch some TV, (after Moody's word of warning to the Dursleys at the end of term, he was now allowed to watch it some of the time.) But this would have meant awkward questions from them and Harry in no way wanted to re-live for them the horrors he had faced in the Department of Mysteries. When he even past them in a room they looked at him like he was about to burst at any moment yet still wanted to press him about the goings on. Harry doubted this was out of interest, but more to see how far they would be able to push him before he broke. The only one of them that showed the slightest bit of sympathy was Aunt Petunia, but even that was limited to icy looks at her husband or Dudley when they had gone too far.
He decided against it and went over to his school trunk to retrieve the shattered remains of the mirror Sirius had given him. He wished now that he had not smashed it in anger, but it was too late for that and not even the repairo charm would work to fix it. He stared at it, still hoping that Sirius' face would appear in it, telling him everything was going to be alright. Lord Voldemort was not back, did not want Harry dead, was not the cause of Sirius' death. Lord Voldemort, Harry had many thoughts about him at the moment, all as unrealistic as the next that ended with equally gruesome things happening to him. Harry knew that these were false dreams and that it would have to be him that destroyed him, or got destroyed doing so. He didn't have much of his life left for him to ruin. The last remaining hopes in his life were the Weasley's, Hermonie, Dumbledore, Hagrid, and the Order. He felt warmth for people like Tonks and Lupin but they did not give him the same about of comfort he had when he was at the Burrow, or with Dumbledore or Hagrid. However much he was annoyed with Dumbledore, he still could not stop feeling that he was at least safe with him. He knew Dumbledore cared for him greatly but this as Harry had already experienced was not always the positive influence he needed or wanted.
Harry heard a tap at the window and hurried over to get Lupin's reply off Hedwig. Harry however, did not find Hedwig at the window. Instead it was Hermes. What on earth was Percy Weasley writing to Harry for? Hadn't he condemned him in his letter to Ron last year? Harry's heart sank, he only wanted to talk to Lupin. Grudgingly he took the letter from Hermes who flew off into the darkness.
Dear Harry,
I must certainly apologise for my behaviour last year, however, when I say my behaviour that isn't exactly true. The negative hospitality that you, Dumbledore, and even my family welcomed from me, was not in fact me. He who must not be named put me under the Imperius curse by one of his Death Eaters. The irony of it was that it was by the same person who I had helped nourish and treated with my utmost care. Peter Pettigrew.
Harry dropped the letter in shock when he read this. He had always assumed just like the rest that Percy was acting on his own accord. Even Dumbledore who had not guessed this. Harry could not believe it. Was this just a plan by the Ministry to get him to lower his guard? He carried on reading.
Once again, I must apologise. I hope that you accept this and will forgive me for "my" behaviour. Both of my parents have written to Dumbledore last night asking that you be allowed to stay with us for the rest of the summer holidays and we expect a reply any day now. We shall of course, keep you posted with what he says.
Yours truly,
Percy Weasley.
Harry did not have a clue what to do, he was shocked, he could not believe this. How had the Weasley's replied to this news? How was the curse lifted? He could only presume that Wormtail had been caught, or that now Voldemort was out from hiding that there was little point in controlling someone such as Percy Weasley.
End of Part 1.
