Disclaimer: I swear on all my life and all that is holy (not that I am
holy, because I am anything and everything but) that I do not own Harry
Potter or anything affiliated with the said subject. By the way. who IS
Harry Potter? ;-)
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"Alohomora," a voice whispered into the darkness, pointing a wand towards the doorknob of number 4 Privet Drive. The door swung open with a creak, making a small, rat-faced man shudder. His gaze flicked left and right, looking for any sign of movement. Reassured, the man stepped over the threshold and into the Muggle house as the door closed softly behind him.
Once he was inside, the clouds that had been covering the moon for much of the night began to disperse, flooding the foyer with light. Wormtail's gaze fell on the stairs, and he crept towards them cautiously, glancing around nervously as he went. He could hear snoring upstairs, and assumed correctly that it was Harry's Uncle Vernon. Wormtail snorted, knowing that he would wake up in the morning to discover that his nephew had disappeared during the night.
For that was why he was here. Wormtail was there to capture Harry Potter and take him to visit Lord Voldemort.
Up in his room, Harry slept fitfully, tossing and turning continuously. This particular night had been filled with disturbing visions and dreams - mostly about Lord Voldemort, which came as no shock. The nightmare he was in now showed a mousy, water-eyed man standing before the stairs of the Dursley's house, staring upwards. He, Harry, stood at the top, gazing down into Wormtail's eyes, which were filled with fear and a sort of desperation. As Harry moved towards the top step, Wormtail Disapparated with a pop.
A burning pain in his scar caused Harry to wake with a start. He was drenched in sweat. Harry pressed the palm of his hand to his forehead, willing the prickling feeling to disappear.
A muffled noise downstairs caught Harry's attention, and his head jerked up to stare at the door. He reached towards the nightstand for his wand, slowly rising from the bed at the same time. Harry made his way to the door silently, pressing his lips together in order to remain calm. He placed his hand on the knob and turned it, opening the door quietly. Harry stepped out into the hallway, closing the door softly behind him.
Several steps to the right brought him to the top of the stairs, from which Harry could see down into the foyer. He was startled to see the man from his dream standing at the bottom of the stairs, gazing up at Harry in the same way he had in his nightmare. Instead of stepping forward, as in his dream, Harry spoke softly to the man who had betrayed his parents fifteen years ago.
"What are you doing here, Wormtail?" he demanded quietly, holding the man's gaze. Wormtail averted his eyes, avoiding Harry's cold stare. He fumbled with his wand, staring at the floor, wondering what to do.
"You're not supposed to be awake. You're supposed to be sleeping. This was supposed to be an easy job. Attach us both to the Portkey and go back to see him," Wormtail muttered under his breath, shifting his eyes from Harry to the floor and back again.
"I'm afraid that's impossible, Wormtail," Harry responded icily. Before the man could react, Harry hexed him.
"Petrificus totalus!" Wormtail became motionless, and fell heavily to the floor with a thud. The sound was enough to wake Aunt Petunia, who rose from her bed and found Harry standing at the top of the stairs, pointing his wand at a man - clearly another wizard - who now lay still on the floor downstairs.
"Harry!" she exclaimed softly, looking down at her nephew. The glance he gave her silenced whatever reprimand Aunt Petunia had intended to bestow. Impulsively, she reached out and hugged Harry. It was the first time she had embraced him since the day he was born.
The gesture touched Harry, and he hugged her back. Hard. Tears came to his eyes, and he let them escape. The heaviness that had sat on his shoulders for the past two months lifted slightly as they stood there together in the moonlight.
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"Alohomora," a voice whispered into the darkness, pointing a wand towards the doorknob of number 4 Privet Drive. The door swung open with a creak, making a small, rat-faced man shudder. His gaze flicked left and right, looking for any sign of movement. Reassured, the man stepped over the threshold and into the Muggle house as the door closed softly behind him.
Once he was inside, the clouds that had been covering the moon for much of the night began to disperse, flooding the foyer with light. Wormtail's gaze fell on the stairs, and he crept towards them cautiously, glancing around nervously as he went. He could hear snoring upstairs, and assumed correctly that it was Harry's Uncle Vernon. Wormtail snorted, knowing that he would wake up in the morning to discover that his nephew had disappeared during the night.
For that was why he was here. Wormtail was there to capture Harry Potter and take him to visit Lord Voldemort.
Up in his room, Harry slept fitfully, tossing and turning continuously. This particular night had been filled with disturbing visions and dreams - mostly about Lord Voldemort, which came as no shock. The nightmare he was in now showed a mousy, water-eyed man standing before the stairs of the Dursley's house, staring upwards. He, Harry, stood at the top, gazing down into Wormtail's eyes, which were filled with fear and a sort of desperation. As Harry moved towards the top step, Wormtail Disapparated with a pop.
A burning pain in his scar caused Harry to wake with a start. He was drenched in sweat. Harry pressed the palm of his hand to his forehead, willing the prickling feeling to disappear.
A muffled noise downstairs caught Harry's attention, and his head jerked up to stare at the door. He reached towards the nightstand for his wand, slowly rising from the bed at the same time. Harry made his way to the door silently, pressing his lips together in order to remain calm. He placed his hand on the knob and turned it, opening the door quietly. Harry stepped out into the hallway, closing the door softly behind him.
Several steps to the right brought him to the top of the stairs, from which Harry could see down into the foyer. He was startled to see the man from his dream standing at the bottom of the stairs, gazing up at Harry in the same way he had in his nightmare. Instead of stepping forward, as in his dream, Harry spoke softly to the man who had betrayed his parents fifteen years ago.
"What are you doing here, Wormtail?" he demanded quietly, holding the man's gaze. Wormtail averted his eyes, avoiding Harry's cold stare. He fumbled with his wand, staring at the floor, wondering what to do.
"You're not supposed to be awake. You're supposed to be sleeping. This was supposed to be an easy job. Attach us both to the Portkey and go back to see him," Wormtail muttered under his breath, shifting his eyes from Harry to the floor and back again.
"I'm afraid that's impossible, Wormtail," Harry responded icily. Before the man could react, Harry hexed him.
"Petrificus totalus!" Wormtail became motionless, and fell heavily to the floor with a thud. The sound was enough to wake Aunt Petunia, who rose from her bed and found Harry standing at the top of the stairs, pointing his wand at a man - clearly another wizard - who now lay still on the floor downstairs.
"Harry!" she exclaimed softly, looking down at her nephew. The glance he gave her silenced whatever reprimand Aunt Petunia had intended to bestow. Impulsively, she reached out and hugged Harry. It was the first time she had embraced him since the day he was born.
The gesture touched Harry, and he hugged her back. Hard. Tears came to his eyes, and he let them escape. The heaviness that had sat on his shoulders for the past two months lifted slightly as they stood there together in the moonlight.