Far away from #4 Privet Drive at the castle of Hogwarts, a redheaded girl ran down the stairs of the entrance hall. She seemed to be in a great hurry. She kept looking sideways as though she expected to be followed. The girl appeared to be around the age of eleven or twelve, and she clutched her wand in her left hand so tight her knuckles were white. She continued down the steps outside, past the winged boars, and down the trail that led to Hagrid's cabin. Her black Hogwarts robes billowed behind her, and a Gryffindor lion was emblazed on her chest. She was ravishingly pretty, even in her young age, but at the moment her pretty face was furrowed with a look of deep concern and fright. She reached Hagrid's cabin, which was dark, and kept on going past it right into the forbidden forest. She followed a trail lined with shrubs taller than any normal sized man. It led deep into the forest to where the trees would block any evading sunlight during the day. Since it was the dead of night, this area of the wood was just blacker and more menacing. She walked for another quarter of an hour, and then abruptly dropped down to her knees and crawled through a large shrub to the right of the trail that was identical to all the other shrubs. She stood up on the other side of the bush and brushed off her robes. She looked behind her shoulder again and slowly walked forward. Sticking up from the dirt was a very ancient-looking torch. It had been there so long that spiders had set up glistening webs in the intricate designs on the metal circle surrounding the wick. The designs looked like they had been carved by the darkest of wizards. They included a snake with its forked tongue flicking out between it's fangs and a skull that closely resembled the dark mark. The torch stood the same height as the girl, and it seemed to omit unearthly dark magic as she neared it.

She held her wand over the wick and with one last look over her shoulder shouted with all the might in her little body, "Viresco Incendium!"

A soft, eerie green light erupted from the tip of her wand and slowly drifted to the wick. The torch exploded with sparks, and the green light turned into a green flame that flickered and glowed in the dark night. The girl stepped back with a smile on her beautiful face and stared at the flame. Her mouth moved as if she was speaking to it. She would pause and then continue as if she were waiting for a reply. All of a sudden, the girl whipped around and the shrub from which she crawled through rustled. Another young girl, around the age of fifteen or sixteen, stood up from under the bush and, with a look of severe irritation, straightened her robes. A snake was emblazed on her Hogwarts robes wrapped around a large P for prefect.

"Lumos!" she said.

Her wand sparked, and her features were lit up. She had dark, glossy hair and heavy-lidded eyes, which held a certain type of smugness.

"Well, well, well," she exclaimed, her sultry voice full of triumph. "Seems I've caught Dumbledore's favorite girl messing with things that ought not to be messed with."

"No, Bellatrix," the younger girl said in a slightly panicked, yet steady voice. "You've got it wrong. I've found out how to control it. Whoever it is that Dumbledore feels is rising can't use it anymore. Dumbl-."

"Shut-up!" Bellatrix interrupted, her heavy-lidded eyes flaring with rage. "You are a first year, and I am a fifth-year and a school prefect. No one will ever believe you, and you can't prove it because no one is supposed to know where it is. We don't want to get Dumbledore in trouble now do we?"

"Would you just blatantly lie like that? You know Dumbledore just wants to know how to use the torch so the dark power he feels rising can't find it and use it to destroy people."

"Yes. I would lie like that," Bellatrix said simply. "Do you want to know why? You have to keep it quiet though." She lowered her voice and put a finger to her lips. "It's a secret." She walked over and stood very close to the girl. She leaned down and whispered in her ear. "I would lie just like that because the Dark Lord is coming, and no one will stop him. Not Dumbledore, not McGonagall, and certainly not you, you foolish girl. He will rule this earth with pure wickedness and when that day comes, you will die in pain!"

She lifted her head back and laughed.

The younger girl backed away, raised her wand, and shouted, "Impedimenta!"

Bellatrix went flying and crashed onto the hard forest floor. She stood quickly with a look of fury on her face.

"You should thank the Dark Lord I don't kill you right now, Mudblood, but I will make sure you are punished right away when we get to the castle." She looked down at her arm that she had landed on and there was a large scrape that was bleeding freely. "This will certainly help my case when I tell the headmaster and the other teachers how you found out how to light the green flame torch for your own personal mischief and then attacked me when I tried to stop you."

"That's not it," the redheaded girl pleaded, near tears, but she kept her wand raised. "You are an evil girl Bel-."

"Now, now, calm yourself, Ev-."

Harry Potter awoke with a start.

Harry sat straight up and threw the covers on his bed so hard they flew off the edge. He reached for his glasses o his bedside table and swung his legs off the bed to put his feet on the floor. He ran his fingers through his untidy, and right now, sweaty jet black hair. He didn't know why he had awoken so suddenly, but he could vaguely remember a dream of a young girl and a soft green light. He squinted his brilliant green eyes and concentrated. He had had disturbing dreams before, but they were always about Lord Voldemort and made his famous lightening-bolt shaped scar on his forehead tingle. His scar was unusually dormant. He heard a soft whooshing sound and saw his snowy white owl, Hedwig, land on his open window sill. There was a warm summer breeze blowing through the window as Harry stood up, his pajamas a little short because he had grown many inches over his summer break. He looked down and reminded himself to buy some new night clothes at Diagon Alley. Diagon Alley was a busy market for wizards to buy all their magical needs. Harry Potter was a wizard and a very powerful and famous one at that. Harry walked to the window and petted Hedwig affectionately. She hooted and stuck her leg out which held a package and a letter. He untied both from her leg and gave her an owl treat. He sat down on his bed and opened the letter first. He recognized the minute handwriting as Hermione Granger's, one of his best friends at school.

Dear Harry,

Happy Birthday! When you sent Hedwig with your letter, I thought I would send her back with your present to save her a trip. How are you? You must be so bored. I have been in touch with Ron. He says everyone is just fine, and they will be coming to get you soon. You asked me where I went on my vacation in your last letter, so I'll tell you. My parents and I loved the south of France when we went there a few years back, so we decided to go again. Needless to say, I've managed a decent tan. I'm coming home soon to do my school shopping, though. I'm sure I will meet up with you guys in Diagon Alley. I hope your birthday was great. I can't wait to see you.

Love,

Hermione Granger

Harry smiled at her letter and glanced at his alarm clock, which read one in the morning. He had been sixteen for a whole hour, yet this past summer made him feel like he was celebrating his one hundredth birthday. This wasn't his first present this year. Hagrid had sent a large box of Chocolate Frogs and Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans just yesterday. He tore open Hermione's gift. She had given him a book (of course). It was titled Advanced Quidditch: Moves to Amaze and Stun Your Peers on the Pitch. Her gift was perfect. He would come back to Hogwarts with all new moves. No one had seen him play since the beginning of last year because Professor Umbridge decided to give Harry and the Weasley twins a lifelong ban on Quidditch. Quidditch is a magical sport played on broomsticks with three different balls: the Quaffle, the Bludgers, and the Golden Snitch. There are seven players: three Chasers, two Beaters, a Keeper, and a Seeker. Harry was the youngest Seeker in a century, and he played on the Gryffindor House team. His job was to the catch the tiny and quick Golden Snitch.

"That ban lasted long," Harry thought to himself and chuckled.

He knew Dumbledore wouldn't take him away from that this year. All of a sudden, a little brown furrball shot through Harry's open window. It fluttered around the room and rolled onto the bed right next to Harry. He recognized this tiny amber owl as Pigwidgeon, Ron Weasley's very spastic owl. A large box was attached to Pig's leg with a letter on top. Harry could only guess this was his birthday present. He grabbed the letter and began to read.

Dear Harry,

Happy Birthday! I hope you are doing well. We are all doing wonderfully at the Burrow. Percy has crawled back and apologized to everyone. He even told me he was going to apologize to you too, mate. I told him he ruddy well should. Anyway, on a lighter note, Dumbledore informed my dad that Hagrid was successful in getting some of what he sought last summer, and Dumbledore found a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher that's nothing like the last one. I'll tell you more on the Big Guy's news when you get here. We will be picking you up tomorrow around 4:00 p.m. My dad says if we do it in the middle of the day, "nobody" will be caught off guard. Send Pig back with your answer. Again Happy Birthday, mate!

Sincerely,

Ron Weasley

Ps: I just raided Fred and George's store for your present. Hope you like it!

Harry laid the letter down and quickly opened the box. It was filled with sweets and pranks ranging from Skiving Snackboxes to Ton-Tongue Toffees. There were some other items Harry didn't recognize, and he was quite hesitant to try them. He set his presents on top of his Hogwarts trunk and took out a quill, parchment, and ink. He hastily wrote that he would be glad to have them pick him up at four the following day, and thanks for the present. He grabbed Pig, who had been fluttering wildly around his room, tied the letter to his leg, and sent him on his way. Hedwig hooted softly at Pig's departure because she didn't really believe Pig acted the way a real letter-owl should act. He tied a thank you note to Hermione on Hedwig's leg, and she took off quickly and quietly, which was her fashion. Harry wanted to go back to sleep, but he remained wide awake. Just then, a small white owl swooped into his window and landed softly next to Hedwig on his bedside table. Harry's name was on the thick letter, so he opened it. The little white owl fluttered back out into the night. He knew this handwriting as well. It was from Professor Lupin.

Dear Harry,

Happy Birthday! I have your present at headquarters. I didn't think it too safe to send it in the mail. You'll understand when you get here. I have to talk to you about a rather unpleasant topic. I didn't want to do it on your birthday, but I'm being pressured to. It's about Sirius' will. When you reach the legal age of seventeen, you will inherit headquarters and all the belongings thereof and all of the money in Sirius' vault at Gringott's Bank (vault 661-Dumbledore is looking after the key for you). He also had a letter for you. I have enclosed that as well. Again, I am sorry for bringing this up on your birthday, but I was told I had to notify you on the matter. I hope you are well. See you soon.

Sincerely,

R.J. Lupin

Harry didn't know whether to open the letter now or not. He had done his best to keep Sirius from his mind this summer, and now he was staring straight into Sirius' own words. He drew a deep breath and began to read.

Dear Harry,

If you are reading this, I am no longer with you. I know this must be hard for you to read this, but I had to tell you a few things. When I first met you as a young man, you reminded me so much of James that it was uncanny. You grew over the years, and I never thought I could be so proud. I never had a son of my own, and you filled that empty part of me. Whatever happened to me was my own doing. I am a grown man. I know you take after your dad in the fact that you like to put the guilt on yourself. Do not blame yourself. Fate was decided for me long before you came along, Harry. I must ask you three things now that I'm gone. First, remember me not as the prisoner of Azkaban you first met, but as your parents best friend. Always remember I loved them and you dearly. Second, always stay close to your friends. They are your lifeline and more important then you can even possibly imagine at your age. Third, and most important, practice Defense Against the Dark Arts. Practice every day and practice hard. You have the power to conquer Lord Voldemort, but you must also gain the knowledge. Take care Harry. I will see you again one day.

Your Godfather,

Sirius Black

Harry stood stock still in the middle of his room staring out the open window. A dog barked in the distance, and Harry smiled.