Chapter 1: The Owl
It was all happening in slow motion all over again. The red sparks flew out of Bellatrix's wand and gracefully spread shock waves through out the air. They narrowly missed him. It was silent. He spoke but no words came out. Harry knew that Sirius had said something when it had actually happened. Another red blast came echoing out of her wand. It went slowly but then smashed itself right into his chest. He fell over right into the archway from which he would never return. Then Harry heard himself scream which woke him up.
"SIRIUS!"
Harry had also woken his owl up, Hedwig, who was hooting madly in the corner of his room. He was dripping with sweat and his scar was burning with pain as it had when Voldemort had showed up on that night he had been dreaming about. "Why do I have to dream it over and over? Just like I had to do with Cedric...Why me?" droned in his head over and over again. Harry walked over to his window. He took out a chocolate frog from in his drawer. He chomped off the head of the frog and looked over to his clock. It was three in the morning. Two weeks 'til school, he thought. And tomorrow, wait a minute - he thought - today, Ron and the twins were coming to pick him up so he could spend the rest of the summer at The Burrow. At least he wouldn't have to spend any more time with the Dursleys until next summer - and who knows what would happen before then.
Harry went over to his owl and petted her. "I'm sorry, Hedwig. I didn't mean to wake you up too." She hooted appreciatively. Hedwig nipped Harry's finger lovingly. "Thanks," he whispered. Harry walked back over to his bed and sat down. His thoughts drifted to Cho and he wondered what she was doing right now. Harry laughed at himself. She's probably sleeping, he told himself. Harry laid back down and drifted to sleep.
When Harry woke back up it was seven and he decided it was useless to try and go back to sleep, so he got dressed and walked down the stairs. The Dursleys were already awake and sitting at the table. They had been considerably nicer to Harry since the warning at the train station from Mad- Eye. Mr. Dursley gave a fake cough and said, "Good morning." "You too," said Harry dryly. It had gone on like this from the first day of vacation, a routine that Harry found quite annoying. Uncle Vernon would greet Harry with, "Good morning" and "Good night," and Harry would always reply, "You too." If there was even the slightest tone of anger, disappointment, or resentment in Harry's voice (which was most of the time) Uncle Vernon would ask if everything was O.K. and Harry would always respond with, "Mmm-hmmm". Harry found himself seated at the table with a small bowl of cereal in front of him. Dudley had a half of a grapefruit in front of him and was eyeing Harry's cereal. Harry ate it fast so Dudley wouldn't get any ideas. Dudley was still on his diet but due to Uncle Vernon's unruliness, Aunt Petunia had not made everyone else stick to the diet. "Those, eh... friends of yours still coming?" asked Uncle Vernon. "As far as I know," Harry replied. "They're not coming the same way they did last time are they?" Uncle Vernon prodded. "I, uh, don't know." Harry had to suppress a laugh. The last time a Weasly stepped foot into number four, Privet Drive, half of the living room was blown up and Dudley had wound up with a three-foot tongue. "When are they coming again?" "Ten o'clock." Mr. Dursley grunted to show that he had heard. Harry finished his cereal and retreated back upstairs to his room. He started to pack all of his books into his trunk. He came across a pile of newspapers, named The Daily Profit, which is the wizarding world's newspaper. All of last year the newspaper had badgered Harry and called him a lying psychopath due the curse that he survived as a baby. Harry looked over to his clock and saw that it was eight. Good Harry thought only two more hours. Harry caught a small owl outside of his window. He opened his window and the tennis ball-like owl came zooming into his room. It landed on Harry's bed and Harry realized that it was Pig, Ron's owl.
It was all happening in slow motion all over again. The red sparks flew out of Bellatrix's wand and gracefully spread shock waves through out the air. They narrowly missed him. It was silent. He spoke but no words came out. Harry knew that Sirius had said something when it had actually happened. Another red blast came echoing out of her wand. It went slowly but then smashed itself right into his chest. He fell over right into the archway from which he would never return. Then Harry heard himself scream which woke him up.
"SIRIUS!"
Harry had also woken his owl up, Hedwig, who was hooting madly in the corner of his room. He was dripping with sweat and his scar was burning with pain as it had when Voldemort had showed up on that night he had been dreaming about. "Why do I have to dream it over and over? Just like I had to do with Cedric...Why me?" droned in his head over and over again. Harry walked over to his window. He took out a chocolate frog from in his drawer. He chomped off the head of the frog and looked over to his clock. It was three in the morning. Two weeks 'til school, he thought. And tomorrow, wait a minute - he thought - today, Ron and the twins were coming to pick him up so he could spend the rest of the summer at The Burrow. At least he wouldn't have to spend any more time with the Dursleys until next summer - and who knows what would happen before then.
Harry went over to his owl and petted her. "I'm sorry, Hedwig. I didn't mean to wake you up too." She hooted appreciatively. Hedwig nipped Harry's finger lovingly. "Thanks," he whispered. Harry walked back over to his bed and sat down. His thoughts drifted to Cho and he wondered what she was doing right now. Harry laughed at himself. She's probably sleeping, he told himself. Harry laid back down and drifted to sleep.
When Harry woke back up it was seven and he decided it was useless to try and go back to sleep, so he got dressed and walked down the stairs. The Dursleys were already awake and sitting at the table. They had been considerably nicer to Harry since the warning at the train station from Mad- Eye. Mr. Dursley gave a fake cough and said, "Good morning." "You too," said Harry dryly. It had gone on like this from the first day of vacation, a routine that Harry found quite annoying. Uncle Vernon would greet Harry with, "Good morning" and "Good night," and Harry would always reply, "You too." If there was even the slightest tone of anger, disappointment, or resentment in Harry's voice (which was most of the time) Uncle Vernon would ask if everything was O.K. and Harry would always respond with, "Mmm-hmmm". Harry found himself seated at the table with a small bowl of cereal in front of him. Dudley had a half of a grapefruit in front of him and was eyeing Harry's cereal. Harry ate it fast so Dudley wouldn't get any ideas. Dudley was still on his diet but due to Uncle Vernon's unruliness, Aunt Petunia had not made everyone else stick to the diet. "Those, eh... friends of yours still coming?" asked Uncle Vernon. "As far as I know," Harry replied. "They're not coming the same way they did last time are they?" Uncle Vernon prodded. "I, uh, don't know." Harry had to suppress a laugh. The last time a Weasly stepped foot into number four, Privet Drive, half of the living room was blown up and Dudley had wound up with a three-foot tongue. "When are they coming again?" "Ten o'clock." Mr. Dursley grunted to show that he had heard. Harry finished his cereal and retreated back upstairs to his room. He started to pack all of his books into his trunk. He came across a pile of newspapers, named The Daily Profit, which is the wizarding world's newspaper. All of last year the newspaper had badgered Harry and called him a lying psychopath due the curse that he survived as a baby. Harry looked over to his clock and saw that it was eight. Good Harry thought only two more hours. Harry caught a small owl outside of his window. He opened his window and the tennis ball-like owl came zooming into his room. It landed on Harry's bed and Harry realized that it was Pig, Ron's owl.