Chapter Two The unexpected
appearance
"HARRY!!!!!" Dudley bellowed at the top of his lungs as he swung himself around the banister and up the stairs. His heavy feet caused the house to shake and echo.
Harry had been sitting inside his room gently stroking Hedwig as she perched on the window sill looking as if about to depart once again. He was smiling gently at her as she hooted, finding comfort in her deep dark mysterious eyes. There he found a warmth he found no where else. Deep unconditional love.
A loud bang of the door made Hedwig jump and soar out the window speeding into the open sky. Harry spun around to find Dudley standing in the door frame, with a smirk on his face, and an evil glare in his eye.
"I didn't think any girl would be interested in you, you git." he eyed him, a look of disgust sweeping across his face.
"What are you going on about?" Harry replied coldly, lifting himself rather quickly from the drunk beside the window sill he had been resting on, clenching his shaking fists at his sides.
"There's a girl for you. On the phone, now." Dudley said starring at Harry unaffected by him. "Never thought a girl would be interested in you." he spat, as he laughed and walked out the door into his room across the hall.
Harry turned and looked at the floor and unclenched his fists, and sadly looked out the window, to not find Hedwig setting on the sill. She was the only thing that kept him reasonably sane these days.
He turned and gravely looked at the phone. He didn't know if he was ready to hear her voice again. That voice that he almost killed. The voice that her parents very possibly could've never heard again. He reached out to grab the reciever but his hand shrunk back, and he turned toward the floor and the nightstand, where the letters were scattered all over. He had only written to Lupin, just so he and the other members of the Order wouldn't get a scare and come to Privet Drive to cause a commotion. But he saw many letters from Hermione. She was the only one out of them all that still sent letters by mail. The muggle way that is. Since she was muggle born, she was more custom to doing things the muggle way. Of course Harry had never minded. But no because of this he was delayed even longer to grab a hold on the phone and speak with her. He hadn't written her all summer. What will she think of him? His heart started beating, soon he would make a move without thought. And he did. He grabbed the receiver pressed the talk button, and without even placing the piece against his ear. HE hung it up. HE saw her face once more when he placed his hand on the phone, how she looked so shocked when she got hit with the curse, and how she fell to the floor like a stiff board. He couldn't face her. But soon its assumed that he must.
Harry thought to himself,
God what am I doing? I can't even speak to them? They risked their lives for me time and time again, and I can't even bloody talk to Hermione? I should be genuinely appreciative of their loyalty! Shouldn't I? But it is also true that because of my naive mistake I could have gotten Hermione killed. And Ron, Neville, Luna, Ginny. I did get someone killed the. The one person I was there to save. She was right. What am I doing trying to save every damned person on this planet!? I'm only fifteen, what gives me the right, or the enough brains to try and fight off death eaters! Time and Time again I think this over. And time and time again I realize what a foll I have made myself. Snape was right, I am obsessed with my fame. That fame is what makes me try and be the hero. Damn me to hell.
Harry looked towards the hall way, all of a sudden beginning to shiver, and shake. He quickly darted towards the door and shut it, feeling like his whole body was falling apart. He fell to the floor feeling a continuous pain. Everywhere it ached. Oh god, it wouldn't stop.
Suddenly the phone rang. Harry looked towards it and gulped his pain and despair down and sat on the top of his bed and picked the phone up.
"Hello?" he answered, feeling a little shake from his nervousness, and from his episode a minute earlier. He quickly wiped the tears from his eyes when he heard Hermione.
"Harry Hi. How are you?" she asked sounding a bit on edge. You could hear the cars ripping across the wet pavement on her side of the phone, and the rain pouring down.
"I'm er okay, I guess. Where are you Hermione?" Harry asked, "Are you at a payphone?"
"No! I'm on my cell phone, I just turned onto your street Harry. Your street is Privet Drive right?"
Harry's throat tightened. She was here, only a few yards away walking towards this house that he occupied. Earlier he would have been dreading her coming, to have to see her and be reminded of her possible death last school year. But now, he jumped almost in excitement, and dropped the phone onto its cradle and darted towards his wardrobe, feeling his heart pounding in his chest. A smile crept its way onto his face, and quickly faded into a stretched look of terror. The letters were piled in front of him on the nightstand. He looked at them and quickly shoved them into the drawer so she wouldn't see. After quickly stuffing all of the un opened envelopes into the nightstand and closet he grabbed his coat from the wardrobe and ran outside to meet Hermione. He couldn't wait to see her face, it would be so refreshing. And it was.
She was standing there with her phone in hand calling out to Harry who should have been on the other side of the phone to reply. She cursed at her phone, as the rain droplets coursed down her face and dripped from her soaked through head of usually large and frizzy hair. She was wearing a faded pair of jeans and a sweatshirt and tank top. But she looked like an angel from where he was standing. His jogging came to a halt when he saw her standing there in the rain. She seemed to be glowing with life.
She looked up from her cell phone with an angry look on her face, her brows furrowed together and her lips in a thin line. Quickly her ridged look melted into a bright wide toothy grin and wet eyes.
She cried out, "HARRY!!!" He laughed and smiled himself feeling a warmth grow inside him that he only felt when around Ron and Hermione. They were the only friend he'd ever had, and the best people he would ever meet, with even bigger and more courageous hearts than his own.
HE sprinted towards her and she did, and felt like it took forever to get to her, where he wrapped his arms around her small petite waist and didn't worry about hugging her to tight, because right now the comfort and the unconditional love radiating off of her felt so perfect, so warm, and gentle. She cared so much about Harry just as everyone else did, that he could actually feel it, he hadn't been able to feel that for a long time. He'd forgotten that he could.
"Harry, I was so worried about you. You never returned my letters. I didn't know what was happening, how the Dursleys were treating you.. I was so worried Harry. Don't ever to that to me again! You hear me! I never want to be so scared for you that I take four buses to get here and walk a total of 10 miles! I care about you! Don't ever scare me like this again! EVER!!" She scolded him as she held on to him tighter, and Harry smiled. He really did miss her.
"HARRY!!!!!" Dudley bellowed at the top of his lungs as he swung himself around the banister and up the stairs. His heavy feet caused the house to shake and echo.
Harry had been sitting inside his room gently stroking Hedwig as she perched on the window sill looking as if about to depart once again. He was smiling gently at her as she hooted, finding comfort in her deep dark mysterious eyes. There he found a warmth he found no where else. Deep unconditional love.
A loud bang of the door made Hedwig jump and soar out the window speeding into the open sky. Harry spun around to find Dudley standing in the door frame, with a smirk on his face, and an evil glare in his eye.
"I didn't think any girl would be interested in you, you git." he eyed him, a look of disgust sweeping across his face.
"What are you going on about?" Harry replied coldly, lifting himself rather quickly from the drunk beside the window sill he had been resting on, clenching his shaking fists at his sides.
"There's a girl for you. On the phone, now." Dudley said starring at Harry unaffected by him. "Never thought a girl would be interested in you." he spat, as he laughed and walked out the door into his room across the hall.
Harry turned and looked at the floor and unclenched his fists, and sadly looked out the window, to not find Hedwig setting on the sill. She was the only thing that kept him reasonably sane these days.
He turned and gravely looked at the phone. He didn't know if he was ready to hear her voice again. That voice that he almost killed. The voice that her parents very possibly could've never heard again. He reached out to grab the reciever but his hand shrunk back, and he turned toward the floor and the nightstand, where the letters were scattered all over. He had only written to Lupin, just so he and the other members of the Order wouldn't get a scare and come to Privet Drive to cause a commotion. But he saw many letters from Hermione. She was the only one out of them all that still sent letters by mail. The muggle way that is. Since she was muggle born, she was more custom to doing things the muggle way. Of course Harry had never minded. But no because of this he was delayed even longer to grab a hold on the phone and speak with her. He hadn't written her all summer. What will she think of him? His heart started beating, soon he would make a move without thought. And he did. He grabbed the receiver pressed the talk button, and without even placing the piece against his ear. HE hung it up. HE saw her face once more when he placed his hand on the phone, how she looked so shocked when she got hit with the curse, and how she fell to the floor like a stiff board. He couldn't face her. But soon its assumed that he must.
Harry thought to himself,
God what am I doing? I can't even speak to them? They risked their lives for me time and time again, and I can't even bloody talk to Hermione? I should be genuinely appreciative of their loyalty! Shouldn't I? But it is also true that because of my naive mistake I could have gotten Hermione killed. And Ron, Neville, Luna, Ginny. I did get someone killed the. The one person I was there to save. She was right. What am I doing trying to save every damned person on this planet!? I'm only fifteen, what gives me the right, or the enough brains to try and fight off death eaters! Time and Time again I think this over. And time and time again I realize what a foll I have made myself. Snape was right, I am obsessed with my fame. That fame is what makes me try and be the hero. Damn me to hell.
Harry looked towards the hall way, all of a sudden beginning to shiver, and shake. He quickly darted towards the door and shut it, feeling like his whole body was falling apart. He fell to the floor feeling a continuous pain. Everywhere it ached. Oh god, it wouldn't stop.
Suddenly the phone rang. Harry looked towards it and gulped his pain and despair down and sat on the top of his bed and picked the phone up.
"Hello?" he answered, feeling a little shake from his nervousness, and from his episode a minute earlier. He quickly wiped the tears from his eyes when he heard Hermione.
"Harry Hi. How are you?" she asked sounding a bit on edge. You could hear the cars ripping across the wet pavement on her side of the phone, and the rain pouring down.
"I'm er okay, I guess. Where are you Hermione?" Harry asked, "Are you at a payphone?"
"No! I'm on my cell phone, I just turned onto your street Harry. Your street is Privet Drive right?"
Harry's throat tightened. She was here, only a few yards away walking towards this house that he occupied. Earlier he would have been dreading her coming, to have to see her and be reminded of her possible death last school year. But now, he jumped almost in excitement, and dropped the phone onto its cradle and darted towards his wardrobe, feeling his heart pounding in his chest. A smile crept its way onto his face, and quickly faded into a stretched look of terror. The letters were piled in front of him on the nightstand. He looked at them and quickly shoved them into the drawer so she wouldn't see. After quickly stuffing all of the un opened envelopes into the nightstand and closet he grabbed his coat from the wardrobe and ran outside to meet Hermione. He couldn't wait to see her face, it would be so refreshing. And it was.
She was standing there with her phone in hand calling out to Harry who should have been on the other side of the phone to reply. She cursed at her phone, as the rain droplets coursed down her face and dripped from her soaked through head of usually large and frizzy hair. She was wearing a faded pair of jeans and a sweatshirt and tank top. But she looked like an angel from where he was standing. His jogging came to a halt when he saw her standing there in the rain. She seemed to be glowing with life.
She looked up from her cell phone with an angry look on her face, her brows furrowed together and her lips in a thin line. Quickly her ridged look melted into a bright wide toothy grin and wet eyes.
She cried out, "HARRY!!!" He laughed and smiled himself feeling a warmth grow inside him that he only felt when around Ron and Hermione. They were the only friend he'd ever had, and the best people he would ever meet, with even bigger and more courageous hearts than his own.
HE sprinted towards her and she did, and felt like it took forever to get to her, where he wrapped his arms around her small petite waist and didn't worry about hugging her to tight, because right now the comfort and the unconditional love radiating off of her felt so perfect, so warm, and gentle. She cared so much about Harry just as everyone else did, that he could actually feel it, he hadn't been able to feel that for a long time. He'd forgotten that he could.
"Harry, I was so worried about you. You never returned my letters. I didn't know what was happening, how the Dursleys were treating you.. I was so worried Harry. Don't ever to that to me again! You hear me! I never want to be so scared for you that I take four buses to get here and walk a total of 10 miles! I care about you! Don't ever scare me like this again! EVER!!" She scolded him as she held on to him tighter, and Harry smiled. He really did miss her.