Dark Side of the Moon
Chapter Two – The Fire call
Author's Note:
I want to say thank you to my three reviewers: Demen Dragacona, SlytherinDamian, and SmacksKiller. You guys probably didn't think it was anything big, but I was like 'dang, they liked it.' Well, I'm not sure if you liked it D.D. but I'm gonna be optimistic. So here is chapter two. Sorry about the cliffy, hopefully this comes out fast enough for ya. This should be a longer chapter than the first. I'm not really aiming for a set amount of pages for each chapter, so they will all depend on how many things I can think of to put in them.
SlytherinDamian made some good points. Some of them are explained a little in this chapter and the rest I'll say now. I know Harry lets Hedwig out all the time, but in my story, I just needed him to get rid of her, so I went with that. Harry will be hooking up, but not till he gets to Hogwarts of course. I don't know if it still is, but I am ignoring the fact that the Dursley's fireplace is boarded up. Also, the explanation in this chap, so read on! P.S. – I forgot that Harry is supposed to owl the Order every 3 days, so let's just pretend he doesn't have to. LOL
"What happened?" Harry asked as he saw the headmaster's head in the fire. From his experience with the old man, whenever he came to talk to Harry, bad news usually flowed from his lips. Harry braced himself for a loss. The Weasleys, Hermione, Hagrid, Luin, any of them could have been attacked. So many thoughts went through his head. He had just lost a godfather that year; he didn't know if he could go on without another friend.
"Oh come now Harry. Is an old man not allowed to visit a student of his? A friend?" The old man's face in the fire smiled at the boy. The headmaster was only greeted with an intense stare. "Do not worry Harry, no one has been harmed. That is to say, the Order has not been harmed. Though as much as I wish it were not true, the same cannot be said for all of England. Voldemort officially announced his return at the ministry that night. Attacks and raids have occurred and lives have been lost.
Harry stared at the headmaster. The words that were just spoken to him hit hard. Harry always knew that Voldemort would start his attacks again, but Dumbledore just confirmed those fears and made them a reality. Harry just wished that Voldemort would somehow be stopped. Flashes of the conversation that he and the headmaster had had at the end of the previous school term came back to memory.
"Mr. Potter? Are you alright??" Dumbledore looked at the boy worriedly.
Harry continued to hold his gaze into the face in the flames. The face of the man that would one day send him out to fight the devil himself; the face that had kept so many secrets from him his entire life; the face that mad him stay with his horrible relatives for sixteen long years; the face that had just called him a friend. So many emotions raced through Harry's veins. Pain, anger, annoyance, sadness, relief, desperation, fear, joy, longing.
"Harr…"
"I'm fine. I just got lost in my thoughts for a minute" Harry explained through a clenched jaw. He saw the look on the man's face and his feelings of annoyance grew. "Before you say anything professor, I really am fine. I'm dealing with what happened at the ministry." Harry's throat tightened at the thought. Though he was dealing with his emotions, it was still hard to put in words. "All I need is a little time. It's what I told Ron…"
"Ahh, yes, Mr. Weasley. I have spoken with him lately." The Headmaster saw Harry's eyes shoot towards the ground, avoiding eye contact. He smiled knowingly. "He has informed me that you sent Hedwig to him and requested that he nor anyone else owl you for the rest of the summer. Also, Mrs. Weasley sent a very passionate letter demanding to know why I have forbade you to stay with them this summer. Now, I am an old man Harry, I make no excuse of it. Though for the life of me, I cannot recall saying that you were to stay with your relatives for the rest of the summer." Dumbledore smiled at Harry who now appeared five years younger, and as if he was caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
Harry found himself staring at the floor like a child. 'Why am I acting like this? I didn't do anything wrong?' Harry thought to himself. He lifted his head up to meet the Headmaster's eyes with a look and feeling of confidence. "Yes, I sent him an owl asking if he could take care of Hedwig for me; and also to ask that no one owl me for the rest of the summer. I did not say that you said I couldn't go to the Burrow this year, you'll have to talk to him about that."
Dumbledore was a bit taken aback by Harry. The words were nothing crude, but the voice that had spoken them was not Harry's. "Harry, I can understand your want to stay with your relatives this summer, but to shut yourself off completely from the people that care about you is not a wise decision. Also, you sent away Hedwig, your only contact with the wizarding world. That was a very unwise decision, even if your uncle was angered by her."
"Well maybe I jus didn't want to have to spend my entire summer hearing things like: 'How are you holding up?' 'I'm sorry about Sirius' 'Have you had any dreams lately?' or 'You need to stop blaming yourself.' And my uncle was getting mad over her, but not more than usual. Maybe I just needed some peace and quiet. Is that too much to ask for?" Harry said in a cold quiet hiss. Ever since Harry's experience with Voldemort at the ministry, Harry was a more cold and peevish person.
"There is nothing wrong with a need to escape, but you need to at least owl someone and inform them of your plans. Harry what if you needed to get a hold of an Order member? How would you accomplish that?" Dumbledore looked at the boy in front of him. Harry only looked back at him defiantly. "Harry, I understand what you are going through. I have lost more friends over the years than I'd like to recount. I understand that solitude can be extremely helpful, I do. But if you put yourself in danger while seeking that solitude, then the price is too high…."
The Headmaster went on with his lecture, but Harry stopped listening to him. "Maybe I don't care anymore if something happens to me" he thought to himself. When he had arrived at the Dursley's that summer he thought a lot about Sirius and his parents. He thought how all of his 'family' was dead. Harry remembered something Dumbledore had said to him before. He said, "One day Harry, you will meet your mother and father in the next life. You may spend some time here in this world without your parents, but a lifetime here seems like a second there. Cheer up my boy, your day will come." Harry had come to the conclusion that death wasn't something he should fear; rather, it was something he should embrace. It was freedom. He would be free from his worry; no more being constantly on guard or worried that Voldemort would show up at any given moment, and he would be able to be with his parents and Sirius again. Things would be perfect for him. While Harry was lost in his thoughts, the old man had continued his lecture, and had failed to notice his lack of an audience.
"… and that is why I stress the fact that you must send her with a note saying you are all right every three days Harry" Dumbledore finished.
Harry's eyes refocused on the face in the flames. "Did he just say she?" Harry wondered. He looked down and saw a pair of yellow eyes staring back at him. A brown barn owl was perched on the edge of the fireplace mantel.
"Do not worry, I will not inform the Weaselys of her presence. It can only bring your certain death if young Mr. Weasely knew you had an owl and chose not to write to him" Dumbledore joked. "We need you alive and well." The old man smiled at Harry.
Harry forced a smile on his face. "So was that all you came for Professor?" He tried not to let any of his annoyance or impatience carry into his voice. The old man, either for reasons of not detecting it, or jus chose to ignore it, kept on smiling.
"Of course not. We have dealt with the heavier topics, not let us move on to lighter ones. Since you have adopted a no owl policy this summer," the Headmaster choose to emphasize his smile here, "I decided to deliver your Hogwarts letter myself. Also, I bring some good news for you. You, from this moment on, are free to participate on the Gryffindor House Quidditch team." Upon hearing this, Harry gave his first genuine smile during the conversation. "You may pick-up your Firebolt when you return to school. I am sure you are happy about this news." Harry nodded at the professor with a smile on his face and said a quiet 'thank you.' "Also Harry, since you are going to have to buy your own school supplies alone this year, I thought that I would give you your birthday present early."
"Birthday present?" Harry asked.
"Of course, it wouldn't be much of a birthday without presents Harry." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled in the fire. "No matter what adults tell you, presents make birthdays what they are." He let out a light chuckle as his arm protruded from the fire and materialized in front of him. There was an envelope and a package in the Headmaster's hand. Harry reached forward and took the two items into his own hand. "That is your Hogwarts letter Harry. You will find that there are going to be additional books this year. A new class has been added, and I do believe that you will be quite happy about it. And also, it has a list of recommended classes that you take this year from Professor McGonagall All sixth years will have a meeting with their head of house to discuss this year's schedule. Since you will not be at the Weasely's this summer, I have arranged for a ministry car to pick you up the first of September. The car will be here at eight o'clock sharp Harry. Please be ready for him." Harry just stared back at the Headmaster.
"And how am I supposed to get to Diagon Alley to get all these supplies?" Harry asked.
"Ahh…and that brings us to your next bit of information and your present. I have taken the liberty of connecting the Dursley's fireplace to the Floo Network this Friday, which leaves you two days. It will be connected at 8 o'clock in the morning for only one minute. We do not want any unwelcome visitors stopping by accidentally or purposely. So you must be ready Harry, so as not to miss your window of time. The fireplace will be open again at eight in the evening for one minute again" Dumbledore finished.
"Ok, so I just need to find a fireplace then?" Harry asked. Dumbledore nodded his head. "So exactly why have you given me twelve hours to shop for school supplies?" Harry asked.
"Well Harry, this year things are a little different at Hogwarts. The dress code has been…changed." The Headmaster said. Harry looked gave him a look to continue. "It is my personal hope that wizards and witches find a way to get over their prejudices for muggles. The dress code is now muggle clothing, which is hardly different from normal wizarding casual wear. But of course, changing something that has been around for hundreds of years is not easy. It requires baby steps Harry. All the Hogwarts letters include a little note from me talking about the new dress code and the reason behind it. These are hard tomes now Harry, as you know all to well, and divided we cannot accomplish anything. We must stand together, for together we are the strongest."
"Yeah, I've heard the speech before Professor. So what does that have to do with my shopping for twelve hours?" Harry asked.
Dumbledore gave him a look that Harry had no interest in analyzing. "Well, it is not a secret that your current wardrobe is very limited to your Hogwart's uniform and the clothes you receive from your cousin. I thought you would like the chance to go shopping for some new clothes." Dumbledore said this all while looking hesitantly around the room, as if he was uncomfortable telling Harry he had bad clothes.
Harry laughed at the Headmaster's antics. "Don't worry Professor, I know I have some pretty rotten clothes. And some new ones would be nice."
"Well I'm glad you took no offense." Dumbledore now smiled again at Harry.
"So, ehh…what's the catch?" Harry asked, not returning the smile.
"Excuse me?" Dumbledore asked.
"Please, I've known you long enough to know that nothing is as it seems. There's some sort of catch with this. As much as I'd like to believe that you actually want me to have some fun on my own, that's not what's going on. Do you expect me to actually believe that you would let me wander around Diagon Alley and London on my own without some sort of bodyguard? I assume that you've arranged something of the sort to be with me when I'm there." Harry said accusingly. The Headmaster smiled and nodded his head. "And I'm also guessing that this would been either without me knowing it, or you've arranged for Prof. Lupin to be there and say he just missed me and wanted to spend the day together."
"Ahh…it seems that it is becoming difficult to fool you Mr. Potter. I'm ashamed to admit that that are the two ideas that I had. I contacted Remus, but he is currently unavailable. Yes Harry you were right, I was going to have an order member stationed at the fireplace entrance into Diagon Alley under an invisibility cloak." The Headmaster had held his smiled through the entire confession. "But I must say Harry, that you pleasantly surprised me. It takes a great mind to anticipate other's decisions and plans. Please, I am curious to know, how did you know what I had planned?" Dumbledore asked with an expression of an anxiously excited child.
"My uncle has the book, 'The Art of War' I've read it over the summer. It surprised me how many situations of ours was in it." Harry said.
"Well, you are not the only one who has read the book Mr. Potter. It is among my favorites." Dumbledore smiled. "Was that all?"
"No, it's also common sense. I'm 'The Boy Who Lived.' You would never let me go anywhere without some sort of protection. I'd be naïve to think that you would let me run free with no protection" Harry finished.
"Yes, they are hard but necessary precautions Harry. I'm sure you would do the same if our roles were reversed." Dumbledore looked at Harry for some type of response. Harry grudgingly nodded an affirmative. "You will be accompanied by an Order member Harry. I have already asked someone and they have agreed. You have the choice of having them being under an invisibility cloak or not."
"Under is fine. As long as the guy promises to stay out of the changing rooms." Harry said this with a sly smile. Dumbledore gave a hearty laugh.
"Oh, and thanks for the present. It'll probably be the only one that I'll get this year. So…thank you" Harry said.
"Oh! Dear me. The memory of an old man is not a good one. I forgot all about it. I've given it to you for several reasons Harry. The first of course being that it is your birthday present. The second is that it is a very handy thing to have. Why don't you open it?" the Headmaster suggested.
Harry looked down at the parcel wrapped in purple wrapping paper with broomsticks flying all over. There was a silver ribbon wrapped around it to complete the look. Harry carefully pulled the ribbon off and laughed at the paper and tore it off. What was found within the paper was a large black book. The title read 'How To Go Anywhere, And Not Be Recognized.' Harry looked at the book and flipped through the pages. He saw illustrations of a woman making her hair 10 feet long, and a man changing his eyes from brown to bright orange. It brought back memories of the Polyjuice Potion.
"I thought it would come in handy, I know how you detest being recognized in a crowd. Also, it would be helpful when you go shopping for your school supplies. There are some very good spells and charms in that book." Dumbledore said.
"Thanks, but how am I supposed to use it? I'm not allowed to use magic during summer holidays?" Harry asked.
"Oh, that." Dumbledore gave a slight chuckle. "Well, you did not hear this from me Harry, but that rule is not being enforced anymore. You see, there are countless spells and charms used to track underage magic use, but those spells and charms take a lot of time and power to keep up. Since Voldemort has come back, the ministry has redirected all of its magic tracking spells to dark magic. Now, any time a wizard or witch uses a dark spell, the ministry will know. I supposed since they believe that since everyone thinks that they can't do magic during the holidays, they wont."
"Oh, so I can use as much magic as I want, and they wont know the difference?" Harry asked eagerly.
"Yes, but I do expect you to use your magic responsibility. And do not think that I will not be monitoring your magic use." Dumbledore said. Harry's smile faded back to a frown.
"Leave it to Dumbledore to ruin all the fun" Harry thought. "Was that all Professor?" Harry asked, hoping that Dumbledore would leave him so he could practice some of his homework.
"Yes Harry, would you be so kind to please inform your uncle that I wish to speak to him? I need to inform him that you will need to go shopping for your school supplies on Friday" Dumbledore said calmly.
Harry laughed. "You expect my uncle to let me go just like that? Good luck." Harry turned around and went into the kitchen where he found his so called family sitting around the table quiet. His aunt looked scared to death, and his uncle looked furious enough to kill him. "Uhh…Uncle Vernon, Professor Dumbledore wants to talk to you." His uncle did not answer him verbally, just got up and walked stiffly towards their living room. Harry gave his cousin and aunt a knowing smirk then turned around and follwed his uncle. He stopped at the doorway connecting both the dining room and crossed his arms across his chest as he leaned on the doorframe.
"Ahh…Mr. Dursley, I wish to speak with you. I have just informed Harry that he is to leave for the day and go buy his school supplies on Friday. I hope this is not an inconvenience for you Mr. Dursley." Vernon Dursley did not object or agree. He just stood and stared at Dumbledore as though he had just blown up his house. Dumbledore continued, "Also, since Harry will not be staying with his friends this holiday, I have arranged for a car to pick him up the first of September so you do not have to worry about taking him to the train station. Do you have any problems with this Mr. Dursley?" Dumbledore asked. Vernon only shook slightly from anger, but nodded his head no. "Well, then I will see you in two months Harry. Happy Holiday!" Dumbledore said as the flames roared and he disappeared.
Harry only nodded his head when Dumbledore when he acknowledged him. After he left, Harry turned his attention to his shaking uncle. Vernon slowly turned and faced Harry with a death glare all over his face. His face was so red, Harry expected him to blow up at any moment.
"BOY!!!" Vernon yelled at the top of his lungs. Harry flinched at the volume of his uncle's voice, but did not cower away like he would have done before his conversation with Dumbledore. Harry now knew that he was able to use magic, and he would no hesitate for a second to use it on his uncle.
"HOW DARE YOU BRING YOUR FILTH INTO THIS HOUSE! I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT THING TALKED TO ME LIKE THAT! I HOPE YOU DON'T ACTUALLY EXPECT ME TO LET YOU GO AND BUY YOUR FREAK SUPPLIES. AND DON'T EVEN THINK TO ASK MONEY FOR THEM. NOW GET INTO THAT KITCHEN AND MAKE US SOME DINNER. UNLESS YOU EXPECT YOU POOR AUNT TO DO IT!" Vernon roared at Harry.
Harry rolled his eyes at his uncle and sighed. "Please, like I'm asking for your permission. I AM going to Diagon Alley to buy my supplies. I don't need your permission OR your money. I have plenty, more than you probably," Harry said as a small smirk spread across his lips.
Vernon let out an evil laugh. "Petunia! Did you know we had a rich boy here in our house all these years?" Petunia Dursley came out of the kitchen and stood next to her husband.
"Yeah, ever heard of an inheritance? What do you think happened to all of my parents' money? It just disappeared? No, I got it all. I have a vault full of stacks of gold coins" Harry spat at his uncle with a superior tone to his voice, ala Draco Malfoy.
Vernon and Petunia's eyes grew big. "WHAT! And you just decide now to tell us this? I hope your ready to fork over some of that money Boy" Vernon said to Harry.
"Yeah, right after we have a happy day together as a family" Harry said sarcastically as he crossed the room to the stairs.
"And where do you think you're going?" Vernon hissed at Harry.
Harry turned around slowly. "I think I am going to my room you insufferable git." Vernon looked angry and shocked at the same time. Petunia gasped and covered her mouth and looked at her husband worriedly. His faced turned red as he charged at Harry read to strangle him to death. His fists were clenched and eager to grasp the boy's throat. He was only three feet away from Harry when he suddenly stopped. His two beady eyes stared at the want tip in front of his eyes. "Take another step and you'll find yourself thinking you're a nine year-old girl for the next twenty years" Harry said in a cold and cruel voice. Vernon looked at Harry, frightened and furious.
"You're not allowed to use magic over the summer" Vernon whispered with hate. "You're bluffing."
"You wish. Apparently, the Ministry of Magic is no longer enforcing that rule. So I am free to hex you into next week whenever I want. So why don't I tell YOU what you're going to do" Harry said coldly. He smirked at his shaking uncle. "You're going to leave me alone. Your wife is going to go into the kitchen and cook dinner herself for once and you and your family is going to leave me alone for the rest of the summer. I hate being here as much as you hate me being here." Harry turned around and climbed the stairs until he got to the top. He turned around to face his uncle and aunt who had not moved. "Have a nice night Uncle" Harry said sarcastically. Harry walked down the hall and walked into his room and closed the door.
Harry crossed the room and collapsed on his bed. He could not believe his day. First he sent away Hedwig to Ron, and then he had Albus Dumbledore in his fireplace telling him that he was allowed to use magic.
Now he had a new owl, a shopping trip to London and Diagon Alley, and had just told off his uncle and aunt. "OWL!" Harry yelled as he jumped off his bed, he had completely forgotten about her when he had left the living room. He was about to run out of his room when he saw the brown owl perched in Hedwig's cage. "Must have flown up here when I wasn't looking, huh?" Harry said to the owl as he pet her feathers.
Harry looked at the door and couldn't believe what he had just said to his uncle. That had not been Harry Potter downstairs saying those nasty things to his family. That was someone else, someone strong and confident. They were someone Harry wished he were. But as much as it had frightened him, he enjoyed it. Harry had never felt so alive and free before. It was as if a part of him had been set free and he finally showed who he really was. His whole life he had apologized for himself and done what other's had told him to do. But in that moment, he just didn't care. He didn't care if he was being rude or an ass.
Harry was tired of holding in his thoughts and masking his emotions. He was tired of being yelled at and controlled. "Never again," Harry whispered to himself. He looked to his left and saw his birthday present lying next to him on the bed. He turned over and laid on his stomach as he flipped through the book.
He looked at the illustrations on the pages. There was a spell to change every part of his body within the old binding. He looked up from his bed and into the mirror. He saw his father staring back at him. He stood up from the bed and walked to stand in front of the full-length mirror. He studied his body. He looked the same he had his entire life. The only difference was that he no longer looked sickly thin. He turned around and picked up the book. "Where should I start?" Harry asked as he set it on the desk right next to the desk. Harry looked at his reflection once more. The eyes. It was obvious; it's what he noticed first about himself. He flipped through the book until he found the section about eye color. He studied his face and looked at the different spells that were there. Gray. He studied the spell and pronunciation provided in the book. He looked at the diagram of the wand motion and practiced the movement a couple times. Then he looked into the mirror, removed his glasses, and pointed his wand towards his eyes. He concentrated as the spell came from his lips, "Pingo oculus canens." A light beam erupted from the tip of the wand and connected with Harry's two eyes. He was blinded for a second.
He put his glasses back on and looked at his reflection. His eyes were no longer green, but gray. "Wicked" Harry murmured as he flipped through the pages. He flipped through the eye section eagerly looking for the spell that he hoped was in the book. "There!" Harry said excitedly as he read through the different types of vision spells. Harry had always wanted contacts, but he never dare asked his uncle for them.
There were three different variations of the spell in the book. The first was a temporary vision spell that lasted for one day, just like the coloring spell Harry chose for his eye. The second was a vision-improving spell, it did not make your eyesight perfect, but it improved it greatly, this was intended for older people who's vision was beginning to fail them. The third was a powerful spell that had permanent effects. The receiver would have perfect eyesight for the rest of their life, but it was not recommended for Quidditch or other sports players. There was a note that players needed a certified mediwizard to perform the spell on them, otherwise something could happen and the player could have super sensitive eyesight, and that was considered cheating.
Harry decided to use the first spell, but made a mental note to bring the book to Madame Pomfrey when he got back to Hogwarts. As he did with the eye color spell, he studied the spell and it's wand movements. He once again placed his glasses on the desk and pointed his wand towards his eyes again. He said the spell, "Diu raconcilio oculus." Harry's surroundings remained blurred for a couple of seconds. Gradually shapes sharpened and became more in focus until he could see perfectly.
Harry went through the whole book and an hour later, he looked completely different. He had changed his eyes to gray, got rid of his contacts, and lengthened his hair to cover up his scar (a concealing charm would not work on it). As Harry stood in front of the mirror, he couldn't help but admit that he no longer looked the son of James Potter, now he looked like a younger version of Sirius Black. Harry had lost his baby face and now had the chiseled features of a man, much like Sirius. "Must get it from mum," Harry mumbled, since he had seen pictures of his father and in them all, he had smooth curves making up his face. "This wont work for Diagon Alley, I wont go three feet before they lock me up in Azkaban thinking I'm Sirius.
Harry stood there admiring his new look with a sense of pride. He may not have been Sirius' son, but ever since the end of his third year, he had looked at the man as a father. Harry fell back onto his bed and went through the pages of the book looking at all the different spells. "These could really come in handy" Harry said to himself as he flipped through the pages.
After an hour, Harry put the book on his desk and headed towards the stairs. When he reached the bottom, he could see his cousin Dudley sitting on his fat ass and watching TV. "I never get to watch TV like that." Harry walked up to the doorway leading into the TV room and leaned his shoulder on it. "Hey Dudley, get out of here. I want to watch TV" Harry said in a confident voice. His cousin looked at him through squinting eyes.
"And who the bloody hell are you?" Dudley asked, honestly oblivious to the fact that it was Harry he was talking to. Harry let out a soft chuckle and shook his head.
"Someone who isn't going to be taking your shit anymore." With a simple Windguardium Leviosa, Dudley was sent from the couch to the floor. Dudley's eyes grew big at the sight of Harry's wand. When he was lifted from his seat on the couch he screamed like a little girl. As soon as he hit the ground, he ran from the living room calling out for his mother. Harry simply smiled and walked over to the couch. He positioned himself comfortably. He picked up the remote and began flipping through the channels as his cousin had been doing only a minute ago. He smiled to himself as he heard his aunt telling her son to be quiet and just leave Harry alone.
"The rest of the summer should be fun…" Harry thought to himself.
Next chapter:
Harry goes shopping and has some interesting encounters.
Hope you liked it. Please REVIEW!?
-gotta B writin
imjustryintokeepitreal@yahoo.com
Poll for the chapter:
1)Is Harry being too cruel? Is it not enough? Is it just right? Tell me what you think.
2)Also, I'm thinking of having Harry start to befriend Draco Malfoy, special circumstances are going to come up in the story later. What are your thoughts of a friendship between them?
3)How do you think Harry should act around Hermione and Ron? Should he still be cruel and mean? Or act nice around them?
Are there any special requests about someone Harry meets while shopping?
Thanks!
