Thanks to all who have reviewed!! Especially to Writer of Rohan and
Hershykissez!
If you have any ideas on where the story should go tell me! I have a pretty
good idea but I listen to all! Read and review please!
~~~~~
And on to Chapter 4.
~~~~~
Days had passed since Harry woke up to Aunt Petunia feeding him chicken noodle soup in his bed after the incident at the zoo.
Harry was currently reading on the couch. He was exhausted from a long day of football practice at the field by his grammar school. He had found his skills lacking today from the muggy weather. or because of the recent events.
His book, "Famous People in the History of Track & Field", was not capturing his attention, and his mind wondered.
Summer wasn't going as well as Harry had planned. It had warmed up enough to go swimming, but Harry rarely went to the pool. Dudley hated swimming, probably because he sank like a rock, and Harry refused to go alone. Moreover, most of Harry's friends were giving him questioning looks after Piers leaked to all the boys about Harry's episode with the snakes.
Aunt Petunia walked into the living room. "Harry! Feet off the upholstery! How's the book? Oh and your bedroom is a mess, young man! Do that before you take a rest!"
Harry groaned, sulking towards the stairs before his aunt could assign him any of the usual daily chores.
"Your bed still hasn't been made! Get the mail, it's been there since morning, and sweep the kitchen floor too, and then you'll be done for today, munchkin."
Harry moped towards the door, mumbling to himself, "I swept last time, it's Dudley's turn.". He picked up three letters, and proclaimed to Mrs. Dursley, "Mum, look there's a postcard from Auntie Margie!"
On careful examination, Harry noticed that there was also a letter for him. Slowly, he scrutinized envelope, which was creamy in color and felt rough, like a pound note. Harry noticed a red wax stamp and a seal on which Harry could make out an H. His stomach dropped with dread. Hiding the letter under his shirt, he handed the other two letters to Mrs. Dursley, who anxiously read the postcard from Marge, and scurried upstairs to his room.
Shutting his door carefully, he slowly sat on his bed. Gradually he pealed off the wax to open the envelope, like a student opening a college acceptance or rejection letter. The letter, like the envelope, was made of yellowing, textured paper. In swift pen strokes, was written:
HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
Harry's heart jumped. He took a deep breath and continued reading. He was feeling light-headed.
Head master: Albus Dumbledore (Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. Of Wizards)
Dear Mr. Potter,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all the necessary books and equipment.
Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall
(Deputy Headmistress)
Harry read the letter one more time. His hands were slightly shaking. He got up his bed, and suddenly feeling dizzy, he had to stand still for a moment to allow the thoughts swimming in his head to settle.
He walked to his desk. Looking around nervously, he removed a stationary set Petunia had given him before going to summer camp for a week. Harry knew what he should do. He had decided long ago that should this day ever come, this was the only way to handle the situation.
He paused with his pen above the paper, then wrote carefully after consulting the letter for the correct spelling:
Dear Ms. McGonagall,
I am writing to inform you that I will not be attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry this coming term.
Harry stopped writing then carefully changed the period at the end into a comma and wrote more so that the letter read:
Dear Ms. McGonagall,
I am writing to inform you that I will not be attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry this coming term, or ever.
Thank you.
Yours sincerely,
Harry Dursley
Harry thought about changing the "Harry Dursley" to "Harry Potter" as it was written in the letter but decided against it. He never called himself Harry "Potter".
Harry quietly slipped his letter into an envelope. He reread the letter from Hogwarts one last time before sliding it in his own envelope with his letter. It made perfect sense to Harry to send the letter back.
He licked the envelope, applied a stamp, and stood up. The letter had said to send his reply by owl. This made no sense whatsoever to Harry. However, since he had received the letter through the normal mail service, he would simply send it back that way.
Walking downstairs, his Aunt called to him, "Harry, I thought asked you to sweep! I didn't mean in an hour, I meant now! What are you doing?"
Clearing his voice, Harry replied, "Nothing mum" in a high, raspy sound. Harry swallowed and tried again. "I'll be right there," he said in a voice much closer to normal. He felt sorry for his Aunt, for having to deal with a magic ordeal when she was young.
Harry stepped outside, and heading towards the mailbox, he noticed a large, auburn owl perched on a fencepost. It flew to the mailbox and landed gracefully with a soft "hoot". Harry pondered the matter. The letter had mentioned something about "awaiting your owl".
Timidly, Harry reached out to open the mailbox. The owl wobbled over to Harry and pecked at his arm. Alarmed, Harry withdrew his hand before putting the letter in. The owl, which now seemed annoyed, lifted one leg in an irritated fashion. Harry noticed some sort of attachment on the owl's leg. Putting two and two together, Harry tied his letter to the owl's leg.
"Is that all?" Harry muttered after he was done. The owl, without a second glance flew off the mailbox and sailed into the wind.
Feeling relieved, Harry watched the owl. He could hear his headache slowly going away. When the owl was almost out of sight, Harry suddenly remembered a recurring dream of his in which he was flying a motorcycle. Before he had learned about his parents, Harry had often wished he could fly.
Putting that thought away, Harry headed into the house.
~~~~~~
Miles away and a few hours later, a deeply troubled woman rose from her desk after receiving the afternoon mail. She had to tell Albus about the letter she had just received.
'Harry Potter.not coming to Hogwarts.' It was a preposterous idea. His name had been down ever since he was born.
Albus would know what to do.
Ok- how is it? Do tell. I'm open to critique (and praise) hehe. Thank god exams are over!..
~~~~~
And on to Chapter 4.
~~~~~
Days had passed since Harry woke up to Aunt Petunia feeding him chicken noodle soup in his bed after the incident at the zoo.
Harry was currently reading on the couch. He was exhausted from a long day of football practice at the field by his grammar school. He had found his skills lacking today from the muggy weather. or because of the recent events.
His book, "Famous People in the History of Track & Field", was not capturing his attention, and his mind wondered.
Summer wasn't going as well as Harry had planned. It had warmed up enough to go swimming, but Harry rarely went to the pool. Dudley hated swimming, probably because he sank like a rock, and Harry refused to go alone. Moreover, most of Harry's friends were giving him questioning looks after Piers leaked to all the boys about Harry's episode with the snakes.
Aunt Petunia walked into the living room. "Harry! Feet off the upholstery! How's the book? Oh and your bedroom is a mess, young man! Do that before you take a rest!"
Harry groaned, sulking towards the stairs before his aunt could assign him any of the usual daily chores.
"Your bed still hasn't been made! Get the mail, it's been there since morning, and sweep the kitchen floor too, and then you'll be done for today, munchkin."
Harry moped towards the door, mumbling to himself, "I swept last time, it's Dudley's turn.". He picked up three letters, and proclaimed to Mrs. Dursley, "Mum, look there's a postcard from Auntie Margie!"
On careful examination, Harry noticed that there was also a letter for him. Slowly, he scrutinized envelope, which was creamy in color and felt rough, like a pound note. Harry noticed a red wax stamp and a seal on which Harry could make out an H. His stomach dropped with dread. Hiding the letter under his shirt, he handed the other two letters to Mrs. Dursley, who anxiously read the postcard from Marge, and scurried upstairs to his room.
Shutting his door carefully, he slowly sat on his bed. Gradually he pealed off the wax to open the envelope, like a student opening a college acceptance or rejection letter. The letter, like the envelope, was made of yellowing, textured paper. In swift pen strokes, was written:
HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
Harry's heart jumped. He took a deep breath and continued reading. He was feeling light-headed.
Head master: Albus Dumbledore (Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. Of Wizards)
Dear Mr. Potter,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all the necessary books and equipment.
Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall
(Deputy Headmistress)
Harry read the letter one more time. His hands were slightly shaking. He got up his bed, and suddenly feeling dizzy, he had to stand still for a moment to allow the thoughts swimming in his head to settle.
He walked to his desk. Looking around nervously, he removed a stationary set Petunia had given him before going to summer camp for a week. Harry knew what he should do. He had decided long ago that should this day ever come, this was the only way to handle the situation.
He paused with his pen above the paper, then wrote carefully after consulting the letter for the correct spelling:
Dear Ms. McGonagall,
I am writing to inform you that I will not be attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry this coming term.
Harry stopped writing then carefully changed the period at the end into a comma and wrote more so that the letter read:
Dear Ms. McGonagall,
I am writing to inform you that I will not be attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry this coming term, or ever.
Thank you.
Yours sincerely,
Harry Dursley
Harry thought about changing the "Harry Dursley" to "Harry Potter" as it was written in the letter but decided against it. He never called himself Harry "Potter".
Harry quietly slipped his letter into an envelope. He reread the letter from Hogwarts one last time before sliding it in his own envelope with his letter. It made perfect sense to Harry to send the letter back.
He licked the envelope, applied a stamp, and stood up. The letter had said to send his reply by owl. This made no sense whatsoever to Harry. However, since he had received the letter through the normal mail service, he would simply send it back that way.
Walking downstairs, his Aunt called to him, "Harry, I thought asked you to sweep! I didn't mean in an hour, I meant now! What are you doing?"
Clearing his voice, Harry replied, "Nothing mum" in a high, raspy sound. Harry swallowed and tried again. "I'll be right there," he said in a voice much closer to normal. He felt sorry for his Aunt, for having to deal with a magic ordeal when she was young.
Harry stepped outside, and heading towards the mailbox, he noticed a large, auburn owl perched on a fencepost. It flew to the mailbox and landed gracefully with a soft "hoot". Harry pondered the matter. The letter had mentioned something about "awaiting your owl".
Timidly, Harry reached out to open the mailbox. The owl wobbled over to Harry and pecked at his arm. Alarmed, Harry withdrew his hand before putting the letter in. The owl, which now seemed annoyed, lifted one leg in an irritated fashion. Harry noticed some sort of attachment on the owl's leg. Putting two and two together, Harry tied his letter to the owl's leg.
"Is that all?" Harry muttered after he was done. The owl, without a second glance flew off the mailbox and sailed into the wind.
Feeling relieved, Harry watched the owl. He could hear his headache slowly going away. When the owl was almost out of sight, Harry suddenly remembered a recurring dream of his in which he was flying a motorcycle. Before he had learned about his parents, Harry had often wished he could fly.
Putting that thought away, Harry headed into the house.
~~~~~~
Miles away and a few hours later, a deeply troubled woman rose from her desk after receiving the afternoon mail. She had to tell Albus about the letter she had just received.
'Harry Potter.not coming to Hogwarts.' It was a preposterous idea. His name had been down ever since he was born.
Albus would know what to do.
Ok- how is it? Do tell. I'm open to critique (and praise) hehe. Thank god exams are over!..