Chapter 1 Gift from the Dursleys
Harry could feel the air flowing through his hair as he soared above the clouds. He loved the feeling of being free when he was flying. He had forgotten how much he had missed it since Umbridge had banished him from Quidditch for life and had taken his broom. At this moment even the thought of Umbridge didn't bother Harry; he just keep soaring in and out of the clouds as he chased a few birds. Suddenly, Harry spotted a shiny gold object fluttering below him, and he started into a dive after it. As Harry dove for the gold object he knew exactly what it was: the golden snitch. Harry longed to close his fingers around the snitch and feel it struggling in his grasp as it tried to escape. He was getting closer and closer. The dive seemed to take forever and just as Harry grabbed the snitch he realized that he was only a few feet from the ground. He didn't have time to pull out of the dive and just before he collided with the hard ground he sat bolt upright in bed.
The fan was blowing directly on Harry's face. It had been extremely hot the past few days and Harry had been using a fan to cool off at night. Ever since he had gotten his broom back Harry had longed to take his broom out and fly around the town. But he couldn't because of all the people around. In a way Harry envied Hedwig every time he saw her leave to go hunt or just to stretch her wings after a good nights sleep.
Thanks to Lupin and Mad-Eye, Harry's summer had been going quite well. The Dursley's actually let him watch television. Although he didn't really watch it much, he did make it a point to watch the news every night to see if anything new might have happened in the wizarding world. He was also allowed to use the telephone which he used quite frequently to talk to Hermione and Ron. Ron loved using the phone so much that he would call during the week with really nothing to talk about. Of course most of the conversations with Ron ended with Mr. Weasely grabbing the phone from Ron and constantly asking Harry about many of the other inventions of the muggle world. Hermione kept telling him that he should get the Daily Prophet so he could follow what was going on with the battle against Voldemort instead of listening to the muggle news for clues, but with all the problems that he had had with them, Harry had decided to stay as far away from anyone associated with it as possible. So of course Hermione would practically read the newspaper to Harry over the phone. Most of the stories now talked about how Harry had been right all along about Voldemort being back.
Harry still had dreams—nightmares really—of that night in the Ministry of Magic. The image of Sirius falling backwards through the Death Curtain while Belatrix Lestrange cackled hideously still bothered him. He had been practicing his Occlumancy and was actually starting to get better at it. He was starting to find it easier to clear his mind of everything. It had been several weeks since he had had any nightmares where he could see what Voldemort was doing.
That morning Harry woke up to the smell of bacon and eggs. He got out of bed and walked downstairs to the kitchen where Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon were. As Harry walked into the kitchen Aunt Petunia thrust a plate of food into his arms and through a forced smile said, "Good morning Harry."
"Good morning Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon," Harry said. Uncle Vernon just grunted from behind the newspaper. Then looking over at Dudley, Harry said, "Mornin`, Dudders." Dudley cringed as Harry said this, but squeaked out a "Morning, Harry." Dudley hated being nice to Harry, but it was better than the alternative. Harry sat down at the table and started to eat his breakfast.
"So . . . ummm . . . Harry," Uncle Vernon stuttered with a pained and flustered look on his face, "How would you like to go and get some new clothes?"
Uncle Vernon hated being nice to Harry, but ever since his "talk" with Lupin and Moody, he tried, albeit reluctantly, to treat Harry like he treated Dudley, for the most part.
"That sounds great Uncle Vernon," Harry said with a smile.
Harry hadn't been anywhere with the Dursleys since the little mishap with the snake at the zoo. He couldn't wait to go and get some new clothes. The only other clothes that he had besides his school robes were all the ratty hand-me-down clothes that he had gotten from Dudley.
After breakfast Harry ran upstairs to get dressed. As he threw on a pair of pants that were two sizes to big, Harry looked over at Hedwig's cage. She had been awakened by Harry's bustling around and looked rather disgruntled.
"Sorry, Hedwig, Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon are taking me to the store to get some new clothes." And with that Harry ran downstairs, out the door, and hoped into the back seat of the car with Dudley. Dudley was so surprised by Harry that he nearly jumped through the roof of the car.
"About time," Uncle Vernon grumbled.
"Sorry," Harry said. Since Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia were attempting to be nice to him, Harry felt that he might as well try to do the same.
When they got to the store Harry was surprised at how big it was. None of the stores in Diagon Alley were this big. He couldn't believe that a store this big could be dedicated just to clothes.
"Quit your gawking, boy," scolded Uncle Vernon, "just try to look normal and blend in."
"Harry, this is a department store," Aunt Petunia said like she was talking to a little kid.
"Yeah, I know," Harry replied, "I'm not stupid."
Inside the department store, Harry couldn't believe how many different styles and brands of clothes there were. Harry wandered amongst the racks of clothes. He couldn't decide what he wanted to try on first. So he just grabbed some pants and a couple shirts and raced to the dressing rooms. He was so excited to be getting new clothes that he didn't even hear Uncle Vernon yelling at him to hurry up.
All of a sudden Harry heard a crash of glass followed by and unmistakable muffled hoot. The owl came and flew right into the dressing room with Harry. In it's beak it had a letter which was addressed to Harry. Harry was puzzled but he took the letter from the owl's beak and opened it. What was in the letter confused Harry even more.
Harry, we need you now. Lupin,
Mad-Eye and Tonks will pick you
up tonight. Bring all of your things.
Ron
Harry could feel the air flowing through his hair as he soared above the clouds. He loved the feeling of being free when he was flying. He had forgotten how much he had missed it since Umbridge had banished him from Quidditch for life and had taken his broom. At this moment even the thought of Umbridge didn't bother Harry; he just keep soaring in and out of the clouds as he chased a few birds. Suddenly, Harry spotted a shiny gold object fluttering below him, and he started into a dive after it. As Harry dove for the gold object he knew exactly what it was: the golden snitch. Harry longed to close his fingers around the snitch and feel it struggling in his grasp as it tried to escape. He was getting closer and closer. The dive seemed to take forever and just as Harry grabbed the snitch he realized that he was only a few feet from the ground. He didn't have time to pull out of the dive and just before he collided with the hard ground he sat bolt upright in bed.
The fan was blowing directly on Harry's face. It had been extremely hot the past few days and Harry had been using a fan to cool off at night. Ever since he had gotten his broom back Harry had longed to take his broom out and fly around the town. But he couldn't because of all the people around. In a way Harry envied Hedwig every time he saw her leave to go hunt or just to stretch her wings after a good nights sleep.
Thanks to Lupin and Mad-Eye, Harry's summer had been going quite well. The Dursley's actually let him watch television. Although he didn't really watch it much, he did make it a point to watch the news every night to see if anything new might have happened in the wizarding world. He was also allowed to use the telephone which he used quite frequently to talk to Hermione and Ron. Ron loved using the phone so much that he would call during the week with really nothing to talk about. Of course most of the conversations with Ron ended with Mr. Weasely grabbing the phone from Ron and constantly asking Harry about many of the other inventions of the muggle world. Hermione kept telling him that he should get the Daily Prophet so he could follow what was going on with the battle against Voldemort instead of listening to the muggle news for clues, but with all the problems that he had had with them, Harry had decided to stay as far away from anyone associated with it as possible. So of course Hermione would practically read the newspaper to Harry over the phone. Most of the stories now talked about how Harry had been right all along about Voldemort being back.
Harry still had dreams—nightmares really—of that night in the Ministry of Magic. The image of Sirius falling backwards through the Death Curtain while Belatrix Lestrange cackled hideously still bothered him. He had been practicing his Occlumancy and was actually starting to get better at it. He was starting to find it easier to clear his mind of everything. It had been several weeks since he had had any nightmares where he could see what Voldemort was doing.
That morning Harry woke up to the smell of bacon and eggs. He got out of bed and walked downstairs to the kitchen where Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon were. As Harry walked into the kitchen Aunt Petunia thrust a plate of food into his arms and through a forced smile said, "Good morning Harry."
"Good morning Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon," Harry said. Uncle Vernon just grunted from behind the newspaper. Then looking over at Dudley, Harry said, "Mornin`, Dudders." Dudley cringed as Harry said this, but squeaked out a "Morning, Harry." Dudley hated being nice to Harry, but it was better than the alternative. Harry sat down at the table and started to eat his breakfast.
"So . . . ummm . . . Harry," Uncle Vernon stuttered with a pained and flustered look on his face, "How would you like to go and get some new clothes?"
Uncle Vernon hated being nice to Harry, but ever since his "talk" with Lupin and Moody, he tried, albeit reluctantly, to treat Harry like he treated Dudley, for the most part.
"That sounds great Uncle Vernon," Harry said with a smile.
Harry hadn't been anywhere with the Dursleys since the little mishap with the snake at the zoo. He couldn't wait to go and get some new clothes. The only other clothes that he had besides his school robes were all the ratty hand-me-down clothes that he had gotten from Dudley.
After breakfast Harry ran upstairs to get dressed. As he threw on a pair of pants that were two sizes to big, Harry looked over at Hedwig's cage. She had been awakened by Harry's bustling around and looked rather disgruntled.
"Sorry, Hedwig, Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon are taking me to the store to get some new clothes." And with that Harry ran downstairs, out the door, and hoped into the back seat of the car with Dudley. Dudley was so surprised by Harry that he nearly jumped through the roof of the car.
"About time," Uncle Vernon grumbled.
"Sorry," Harry said. Since Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia were attempting to be nice to him, Harry felt that he might as well try to do the same.
When they got to the store Harry was surprised at how big it was. None of the stores in Diagon Alley were this big. He couldn't believe that a store this big could be dedicated just to clothes.
"Quit your gawking, boy," scolded Uncle Vernon, "just try to look normal and blend in."
"Harry, this is a department store," Aunt Petunia said like she was talking to a little kid.
"Yeah, I know," Harry replied, "I'm not stupid."
Inside the department store, Harry couldn't believe how many different styles and brands of clothes there were. Harry wandered amongst the racks of clothes. He couldn't decide what he wanted to try on first. So he just grabbed some pants and a couple shirts and raced to the dressing rooms. He was so excited to be getting new clothes that he didn't even hear Uncle Vernon yelling at him to hurry up.
All of a sudden Harry heard a crash of glass followed by and unmistakable muffled hoot. The owl came and flew right into the dressing room with Harry. In it's beak it had a letter which was addressed to Harry. Harry was puzzled but he took the letter from the owl's beak and opened it. What was in the letter confused Harry even more.
Harry, we need you now. Lupin,
Mad-Eye and Tonks will pick you
up tonight. Bring all of your things.
Ron