Chapter 2 – The Unexpected Letter
Harry Potter of Number 4 Privet Drive awoke early on the 31st of July (his fifteenth birthday). He rubbed his eyes, trying to remember his dream; he knew it had been a good one. He yawned, stretched and looked up to see his snowy owl Hedwig sitting on the windowsill, staring at him with an intense yellow eye.
"Morning Hedwig," yawned Harry as she dropped several letters on his face. He sat up stretched and started to leaf through the letters. It was the usual list: Ron, Hermione and Hagrid. Then one other he did not normally receive, from Remus Lupin, the best teacher he had ever had and a good friend. Harry never usually got one from Lupin; he wondered what it could be about. As he was about to open it, his Aunt's voice shrieked up the stairs.
"Harry, get down here and make us breakfast!"
"Coming," answered Harry, reluctantly putting his letters down and going to make breakfast. Harry descended down the stairs as slowly as possible. As he entered the kitchen he saw his Aunt Petunia with her bony fingers lighting the gas on the stove. Harry's Uncle Vernon (who was about the size of a juvenile blue whale) was engrossed in the paper and snapped at Harry, "Do get a move on, boy!" Dudley, Harry's cousin, (who wasn't much smaller than Uncle Vernon) was watching him with his piggy eyes. He was starting to drool. Harry thought he looked as if he was imagining Harry to be a nice piece of bacon... Harry sauntered over to the fridge and took out some bacon, slapping it into the pan, causing the hot fat to splash and sizzle. He then popped four pieces of toast into the toaster and waited a few minutes. The toast jumped out of the toaster. Harry, who was prepared neatly caught it on a plate and put it on the table, leaving a piece on the side for himself. When the bacon was done he served it onto a plate and placed it on the table, he glanced up and noticed the paper's headline:
Sirius Black Sighted!
Harry stared in horror; he wondered how and why Sirius had been spotted. He usually never went out during the day, especially where he might be spotted, but this was not a wizard sighting but a Muggle one. As these thoughts chased around his head he excused himself and ran up the stairs, his piece of toast forgotten. As he entered his room he noticed there were two packages, one on his windowsill and one on the floor--birthday presents. He had no time for birthday presents at the moment. He snatched a piece of parchment off his desk and hurriedly wrote to Sirius,
Dear Sirius
I just saw the Muggle newspaper; it says you were seen, where? When? How?
Please reply soon, I will be at Ron's.
Harry
He hurriedly folded it and attached it to Hedwig's leg, after sending Hedwig off with the letter he turned to his presents. He grabbed the small, round one off the windowsill; it was from Dumbledore, the small note attached to it said 'Happy Birthday Harry, From Dumbledore.' Nothing else. He opened it, and out fell a small red velvet box, engraved on the back was; Warlock & Squire, Quality Crafters of Fine Jewellery. He popped it open and inside was a large, intricately detailed lion, and from the lion's mouth hung a silver chain with a pendant shaped like a lion. Harry extracted it from the lion's mouth and turned it in his hands examining it very closely; on the back of the lion was a motto 'Noli Timorem Timere' (Never Fear Fear). Harry attached it around his neck and felt a new heat flow through him; he felt as if nothing could ever frighten him. As he looked down at it, he could have sworn he saw it start to glow, but he thought nothing more of it. He looked back at the box and noticed a small bit of paper protruding from under the lion's foot. He wiggled it out from under it and unfolded it. It was a note written on a very old piece of parchment, Harry read it, and then had to re-read it several more times before he could grasp what it said.
To the person who has inherited my chain,
If you are wearing the chain with the lion pendant, know this, if you did not prior know, let you be told! You are my heir; the chain and pendant you have inherited are symbols of my bloodline. I created this pendant to arm myself against the greatest dark wizard of my time, Salazar Slytherin. This pendant will aid you in the battle between good and evil, use it wisely.
Sincerely,
Godric Gryffindor
Harry gaped at the letter for the fifth time, still not believing it. "I'm Gryffindor's heir?!" he closed his eyes and suddenly had a flash back to his second year when he had pulled Godric Gryffindor's sword out of the Sorting Hat and Dumbledore's words after, "Only a true Gryffindor could have pulled that out of the Hat." Dumbledore must have known when he had told Harry that. Harry smiled and tucked the note safely back under the lion's foot, reminding himself to tell Ron and Hermione. He closed the little red box and dropped it into his jeans' pocket.
He turned to the other present and picked it off the floor with difficulty. It was much heavier than he had expected; he looked at it. It had shiny green wrapping paper with a small note attached to it that read,
Dear Harry,
Happy Birthday, I hope you like it, your going to need this next year, sorry I cant be there, I am on a mission for Dumbledore. Olympe and I are off to get the giants' support for the upcoming war. Sorry I can't be there I will keep in touch!
Your pal,
Hagrid
He sat down on the corner of his bed and removed the wrapping paper and pulled out a heavy book. Engraved on the front was 'The Do's And Don'ts Of Beast Handling' by Grandis Belua.
Harry smiled and placed it on his windowsill. He looked at the letter again "...for the upcoming war," Harry thought aloud, "Sorry I can't be there. Great, now I get to spend Care of Magical Creatures with Slytherin and some stupid teacher, this is all I need."
He collapsed onto his bed and grabbed the first letter he saw. It was Ron's.
Hey Harry,
Happy Birthday! How are the Muggles treating you? My mum says you can come round ours for the rest of the summer, and we can go to Diagon Alley and meet Hermione about a week before school. Hermione will then come and stay with us until school. I have included a map so you can fly to our house. I hope it is ok!
See ya soon
Ron
P.S. Check your Hogwarts Letter
Harry checked Ron's map, it looked very basic, and it didn't look very accurate. Harry had another glance at the map before reading the last part of Ron's letter. He didn't remember seeing a Hogwarts letter, but when he checked again he saw an envelope made of yellowish parchment, the address written in emerald-green ink. He flipped the envelope over and saw the usual Hogwarts stamp, a purple wax seal with a lion, eagle, badger and snake surrounding a large letter H. He opened the envelope and out fell a shiny silver badge with a P on it. Harry stared at this badge with astonishment...he was a Prefect? "They must have sent it to the wrong person," he thought, but sure enough, when he checked the envelope it clearly stated in green ink, exactly what it had stated in his first year.
Mr. H. Potter The Smallest Bedroom 4 Privet Drive Little Whinging
Surrey
"Wow" thought Harry aloud. He took out the piece of parchment that came with the badge; it read,
Dear Mr. Potter, We are pleased to congratulate you on becoming a Prefect. Please meet at the top of the North tower in Professor Trelawney's Room for your Prefect Induction. Please see below for a list of the other Fifth Year Prefects.
Gryffindor
Ronald Weasley Hermione Granger Harry Potter Parvarti Patil
Hufflepuff
Justin Finch-Fletchly Ernie Macmillan Hannah Abbott Susan Bones
Ravenclaw
Mandy Brocklehurst Terry Boot Stewart Ackerley Padma Patil
Slytherin
Pansy Parkinson Millicent Bulstrode Malcolm Baddock Draco Malfoy
Harry looked at the last name upon the list, a burning hatred welled up inside him, Draco Malfoy was his sworn enemy and had been ever since their first year when they had met on the Hogwarts Express. Harry could still remember it like it was yesterday, Draco had entered his and Ron's compartment flanked by his bodyguard look-a-likes Crabbe and Goyle, "...and my name's Malfoy, Draco Malfoy." Ron had then sniggered. "Think my name's funny, do you? No need to ask who you are. My father told me all the Weasleys have red hair, freckles and more children than they can afford." He had then said to Harry "You'll soon find out some wizarding families are better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there."
Harry in his rage crumpled the parchment in his fist. Realizing what he had done, he carefully unfolded the parchment and smoothed it back out and put it back in the envelope, along with the Prefect badge.
Harry picked up the next letter; it was from Hermione
Dear Harry,
How are you? I haven't spoken to you in quite some time. Sorry about not replying to any of your letters, but I have been with Viktor. He has a huge house with a swimming pool and the lot! Don't worry, Harry, nothing has happened between us. I really miss you. Write to me when you get to Ron's and I will see you in Diagon Alley!
Hermione
Harry smiled at the thought of seeing Hermione again for the first time in three months. Her soft, caring brown eyes her soft bushy hair and her trim figure. Harry shook himself, what was he saying? Harry smiled again at the thought of Hermione and put her letter back into the envelope.
He grabbed Lupin's letter and tore off the envelope and tried to decipher the cursive lettering,
Dear Harry,
I hope all is well. Sorry I haven't written for a while but Snuffles and I have had some undercover work to do regarding Voldemort.
Harry remembered back to the end of last year when Voldemort had resurrected himself using some of Harry's blood. Dumbledore then sent Sirius to gather the 'old' crowd, Arabella Figg, Remus Lupin, Mundungus Fletcher.
I am writing to wish you a happy birthday and also to tell you to meet me in the Shrieking Shack on the first Hogsmeade trip. (I think it is about a month after the start of school) I am afraid that I have some bad news.
Moony
P.S. Congratulations on becoming a Prefect, Dumbledore gave me a list of the new Prefects, tell Ron and Hermione well done too.
Harry wondered what Lupin had meant by bad news...
Harry Potter of Number 4 Privet Drive awoke early on the 31st of July (his fifteenth birthday). He rubbed his eyes, trying to remember his dream; he knew it had been a good one. He yawned, stretched and looked up to see his snowy owl Hedwig sitting on the windowsill, staring at him with an intense yellow eye.
"Morning Hedwig," yawned Harry as she dropped several letters on his face. He sat up stretched and started to leaf through the letters. It was the usual list: Ron, Hermione and Hagrid. Then one other he did not normally receive, from Remus Lupin, the best teacher he had ever had and a good friend. Harry never usually got one from Lupin; he wondered what it could be about. As he was about to open it, his Aunt's voice shrieked up the stairs.
"Harry, get down here and make us breakfast!"
"Coming," answered Harry, reluctantly putting his letters down and going to make breakfast. Harry descended down the stairs as slowly as possible. As he entered the kitchen he saw his Aunt Petunia with her bony fingers lighting the gas on the stove. Harry's Uncle Vernon (who was about the size of a juvenile blue whale) was engrossed in the paper and snapped at Harry, "Do get a move on, boy!" Dudley, Harry's cousin, (who wasn't much smaller than Uncle Vernon) was watching him with his piggy eyes. He was starting to drool. Harry thought he looked as if he was imagining Harry to be a nice piece of bacon... Harry sauntered over to the fridge and took out some bacon, slapping it into the pan, causing the hot fat to splash and sizzle. He then popped four pieces of toast into the toaster and waited a few minutes. The toast jumped out of the toaster. Harry, who was prepared neatly caught it on a plate and put it on the table, leaving a piece on the side for himself. When the bacon was done he served it onto a plate and placed it on the table, he glanced up and noticed the paper's headline:
Sirius Black Sighted!
Harry stared in horror; he wondered how and why Sirius had been spotted. He usually never went out during the day, especially where he might be spotted, but this was not a wizard sighting but a Muggle one. As these thoughts chased around his head he excused himself and ran up the stairs, his piece of toast forgotten. As he entered his room he noticed there were two packages, one on his windowsill and one on the floor--birthday presents. He had no time for birthday presents at the moment. He snatched a piece of parchment off his desk and hurriedly wrote to Sirius,
Dear Sirius
I just saw the Muggle newspaper; it says you were seen, where? When? How?
Please reply soon, I will be at Ron's.
Harry
He hurriedly folded it and attached it to Hedwig's leg, after sending Hedwig off with the letter he turned to his presents. He grabbed the small, round one off the windowsill; it was from Dumbledore, the small note attached to it said 'Happy Birthday Harry, From Dumbledore.' Nothing else. He opened it, and out fell a small red velvet box, engraved on the back was; Warlock & Squire, Quality Crafters of Fine Jewellery. He popped it open and inside was a large, intricately detailed lion, and from the lion's mouth hung a silver chain with a pendant shaped like a lion. Harry extracted it from the lion's mouth and turned it in his hands examining it very closely; on the back of the lion was a motto 'Noli Timorem Timere' (Never Fear Fear). Harry attached it around his neck and felt a new heat flow through him; he felt as if nothing could ever frighten him. As he looked down at it, he could have sworn he saw it start to glow, but he thought nothing more of it. He looked back at the box and noticed a small bit of paper protruding from under the lion's foot. He wiggled it out from under it and unfolded it. It was a note written on a very old piece of parchment, Harry read it, and then had to re-read it several more times before he could grasp what it said.
To the person who has inherited my chain,
If you are wearing the chain with the lion pendant, know this, if you did not prior know, let you be told! You are my heir; the chain and pendant you have inherited are symbols of my bloodline. I created this pendant to arm myself against the greatest dark wizard of my time, Salazar Slytherin. This pendant will aid you in the battle between good and evil, use it wisely.
Sincerely,
Godric Gryffindor
Harry gaped at the letter for the fifth time, still not believing it. "I'm Gryffindor's heir?!" he closed his eyes and suddenly had a flash back to his second year when he had pulled Godric Gryffindor's sword out of the Sorting Hat and Dumbledore's words after, "Only a true Gryffindor could have pulled that out of the Hat." Dumbledore must have known when he had told Harry that. Harry smiled and tucked the note safely back under the lion's foot, reminding himself to tell Ron and Hermione. He closed the little red box and dropped it into his jeans' pocket.
He turned to the other present and picked it off the floor with difficulty. It was much heavier than he had expected; he looked at it. It had shiny green wrapping paper with a small note attached to it that read,
Dear Harry,
Happy Birthday, I hope you like it, your going to need this next year, sorry I cant be there, I am on a mission for Dumbledore. Olympe and I are off to get the giants' support for the upcoming war. Sorry I can't be there I will keep in touch!
Your pal,
Hagrid
He sat down on the corner of his bed and removed the wrapping paper and pulled out a heavy book. Engraved on the front was 'The Do's And Don'ts Of Beast Handling' by Grandis Belua.
Harry smiled and placed it on his windowsill. He looked at the letter again "...for the upcoming war," Harry thought aloud, "Sorry I can't be there. Great, now I get to spend Care of Magical Creatures with Slytherin and some stupid teacher, this is all I need."
He collapsed onto his bed and grabbed the first letter he saw. It was Ron's.
Hey Harry,
Happy Birthday! How are the Muggles treating you? My mum says you can come round ours for the rest of the summer, and we can go to Diagon Alley and meet Hermione about a week before school. Hermione will then come and stay with us until school. I have included a map so you can fly to our house. I hope it is ok!
See ya soon
Ron
P.S. Check your Hogwarts Letter
Harry checked Ron's map, it looked very basic, and it didn't look very accurate. Harry had another glance at the map before reading the last part of Ron's letter. He didn't remember seeing a Hogwarts letter, but when he checked again he saw an envelope made of yellowish parchment, the address written in emerald-green ink. He flipped the envelope over and saw the usual Hogwarts stamp, a purple wax seal with a lion, eagle, badger and snake surrounding a large letter H. He opened the envelope and out fell a shiny silver badge with a P on it. Harry stared at this badge with astonishment...he was a Prefect? "They must have sent it to the wrong person," he thought, but sure enough, when he checked the envelope it clearly stated in green ink, exactly what it had stated in his first year.
Mr. H. Potter The Smallest Bedroom 4 Privet Drive Little Whinging
Surrey
"Wow" thought Harry aloud. He took out the piece of parchment that came with the badge; it read,
Dear Mr. Potter, We are pleased to congratulate you on becoming a Prefect. Please meet at the top of the North tower in Professor Trelawney's Room for your Prefect Induction. Please see below for a list of the other Fifth Year Prefects.
Gryffindor
Ronald Weasley Hermione Granger Harry Potter Parvarti Patil
Hufflepuff
Justin Finch-Fletchly Ernie Macmillan Hannah Abbott Susan Bones
Ravenclaw
Mandy Brocklehurst Terry Boot Stewart Ackerley Padma Patil
Slytherin
Pansy Parkinson Millicent Bulstrode Malcolm Baddock Draco Malfoy
Harry looked at the last name upon the list, a burning hatred welled up inside him, Draco Malfoy was his sworn enemy and had been ever since their first year when they had met on the Hogwarts Express. Harry could still remember it like it was yesterday, Draco had entered his and Ron's compartment flanked by his bodyguard look-a-likes Crabbe and Goyle, "...and my name's Malfoy, Draco Malfoy." Ron had then sniggered. "Think my name's funny, do you? No need to ask who you are. My father told me all the Weasleys have red hair, freckles and more children than they can afford." He had then said to Harry "You'll soon find out some wizarding families are better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there."
Harry in his rage crumpled the parchment in his fist. Realizing what he had done, he carefully unfolded the parchment and smoothed it back out and put it back in the envelope, along with the Prefect badge.
Harry picked up the next letter; it was from Hermione
Dear Harry,
How are you? I haven't spoken to you in quite some time. Sorry about not replying to any of your letters, but I have been with Viktor. He has a huge house with a swimming pool and the lot! Don't worry, Harry, nothing has happened between us. I really miss you. Write to me when you get to Ron's and I will see you in Diagon Alley!
Hermione
Harry smiled at the thought of seeing Hermione again for the first time in three months. Her soft, caring brown eyes her soft bushy hair and her trim figure. Harry shook himself, what was he saying? Harry smiled again at the thought of Hermione and put her letter back into the envelope.
He grabbed Lupin's letter and tore off the envelope and tried to decipher the cursive lettering,
Dear Harry,
I hope all is well. Sorry I haven't written for a while but Snuffles and I have had some undercover work to do regarding Voldemort.
Harry remembered back to the end of last year when Voldemort had resurrected himself using some of Harry's blood. Dumbledore then sent Sirius to gather the 'old' crowd, Arabella Figg, Remus Lupin, Mundungus Fletcher.
I am writing to wish you a happy birthday and also to tell you to meet me in the Shrieking Shack on the first Hogsmeade trip. (I think it is about a month after the start of school) I am afraid that I have some bad news.
Moony
P.S. Congratulations on becoming a Prefect, Dumbledore gave me a list of the new Prefects, tell Ron and Hermione well done too.
Harry wondered what Lupin had meant by bad news...