On with Chapter 2..........

Disclaimers first page if u r looking 4 em-

And I hope you like the first two chapters, remember, R/R please and no flames. Tried to make this one a lil longer.


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It was late the next morning when Harry woke up, the sheets beneath him were smeared with blood, and he raised his hand to his lip, and ran his fingers over the crusted blood. Suddenly he snapped out of sleep, and looked at his watch, seeing 1st September flashing on the screen. He jumped out of bed, and hurriedly pulled on his clothes. It was late , he'd slept in too long, and if he wasn't careful he would miss the train to Hogwarts. Pulling on a baggy oversized jumper he leapt to the door and turned the handle, but he couldn't open the door. He pulled with all of his weight, but it was locked fast, and he couldn't get out. When he went to his window he realised they were barred again- it must have been done when he was asleep, and he was surprise he hadn't woken up.


He pounded on the door as hard as he could, until it flew open, and he was thrown across the room as the door made a huge dent in the wall. He stared up at his Uncle who was looking particulary murderous, his cheeks were red with anger and he was inhaling and exhaling fast. Harry crawled backwards, he had never ever seen his Uncle Vernon so angry in his life, including when he blew up his Aunt a couple of years back. He gulped.


"WHAT IN THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?" Vernon thundered, "MAKING ALL THAT RACKET, NOW SIT DOWN AND SHUT UP," he gestured toward the window, "OR IN CASE YOU DIDN'T NOTICE, BOY, YOU ARE NOT GOING -ANYWHERE- THIS YEAR. NO MORE OF THAT SCHOOL FOR FREAKS, IT'S MESSED THIS FAMILY UP QUITE ENOUGH- AND FOR ALL THE NOISE YOU MADE, NO FOOD FOR A WEEK," Harry winced as his Uncle stormed out and slammed the door shut, and bolted it up from the outside.

He looked at Hedwig sadly, she was in her cage with her head tucked beneath her wing, trembling. Speaking soflty, he coaxed her out of her cage and onto his arm, stroking her soft, snowy white feathers, to calm her, she was frightened.


"Sorry about that Hedwig," he murmered softly, rubbing under her chin, staring at her absently, "we're not going to Hogwarts this year," he sighed, and the Owl nibbled his finger affecionatly, and rubbed up against him like a cat. Harry put her on his bed, and dug under his bed. There was a small amount of birthday cake under the floorboard, and Hedwig had just come back from a hunt while he was asleep. He had run out of Owl food- anicipating that he would be back at school and she would be fed there, and he broke off a piece. It was just plain vanilla cake, and he offered her a lump of it, which she sniffed a little before gobbling it up.


"Sorry, that's all I have for a week," Harry smiled weakly, "I hope it won't make you sick, it's not your usual diet, but it's all we have, so it will have to do." The Owl hooted softly and flew back to her cage, taking a small drink of water from her dish.


"You'd better make that last too," he said again to the Owl, "Im not sure if we will have anything to drink either."


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Albus Dumbledore scanned the hall for Harry at the Start of Term feast, as he ate slowly. So far he could'nt see him in the crowd of Gryffindors. There was Ron and Hermione, but Harry was missing. He frowned slightly, wondering where he was, but he still had his duties as the School Headmaster and sighed frustratedly when he remembered he HAD to stay there. It would be unorthodox to leave

. When everyone had finished eating, he stood to deliver his usual speech.


"Welcome to all the new students who have just been sorted- I hope you enjoy your first year here, and I should hope the older students in your house shall help you out if you get lost. To all the other students, welcome back for another year, and enjoy yourselves," he smiled,

"Now Mr Filch has asked me to announce that the following items have been added to the list of unnacceptable items to have at school," and he rattled off a page of items, smiling as he reognized a few of them that had come from Fred and George's new joke shop.

"If anyone would like to see the full list, I believe Mr Filch does have it pinned on his door at the moment," Dumbledore contined, his eyes twinkling in amusement, "and as always, the Forbidden Forest is out of bounds," he paused.


"Now as some of you- most of you know, Professor Umbridge has left the position of Defence against the Dark Arts Teacher, mainly due to the ministry, so until I can find a replacement teacher, I have temporarily appointed Professor Snape as your replacement teacher, and I will be relieving him of most of his Potions classes for the time being."


Ron, and most of the crowd were stuck between two sides. Thier new Defence Against the Dark Arts Teacher was Snape- but thier new Potions teacher was Dumbledore. Hermione patted him on the back.


"Come on Ron, it could be worse," she said, looking at Neville, who looked like the same thought she had was dawning in on him, "At least you and Harry have a chance of passing Potions this year, and you two are better at Defence Against the Dark Arts than anything. You might get through the year yet."


"Yeah, right," Ron said gloomily. I wonder what Harry will say when he finds out? Or when he gets here, I wonder whats keeping him, though I supposed it's those Muggle relatives he has, horrible lot they are," he dropped his head in his hands.


"Don't worry about Harry," Hermione said, he probably missed the train. Now he knows to send Hedwig to Dumbledore and he will send someone," she said, "Now lets get going to bed," she said, noticing everyone getting up from the tables. Ron nodded and followed, yawning.


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That night Dumbledore sent out an Owl with a small not attatched to it's leg, addressed to Harry, hoping that he would get a reply soon.


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Late that night Harry heard a distinct tapping on his barred windows, and went to see if he could open the window just enough to get the message. He heard his Uncle outside, muttering darkly, but nothing gave him more of a fright than when he heard a shotgun go off and the Owl dropped dead to the ground. He gasped, and Vernon took the letter off of the Owls leg, slamming the door and stomping up the stairs, bursting into Harry's room. He tossed the letter at the boy, and stood over him.


"Read it out loud boy," he raised his voice, and Harry opened the seal and read it out.


"Dear Harry,

I heard you were not on the train this morning with the rest of the students, and you were obviously not at the Start of Term Feast, with Ron and Hermione. I am just sending this to see if you are okay.

If you need any assistance travelling you know that I am more than happy to send a member of the staff to pick you up and bring you here


Yours Sincerely

Albus Dumbledore."



"Now Boy," Vernon sneered a -sneer to rival Snape- Harry almost smiled, "You are going to send a letter back in the morning with that ruddy Owl and tell this....this Dumbledore that you have quit school- you passed those tests at the end of the year and are going to find a Muggle job for the time being. And you will tell them you are fine. You have all night to do it. I will read it and let the owl out in the morning."


He slammed the door. Harry was left with a piece of paper and a pen. He sat down and thought of what he was going to say.