Harry Potter and the Green Shield

Chapter 1 – Neighbour Watch and a good flock of OWLS

Harry law down on the damp grass, peering into the sky. Life at Privet Drive hadn't been as bad as any of the other years, and though Harry wouldn't admit it to himself, he found it slightly less hateful.

For once, none of the Dursleys seemed to be bothered to bother him, not even Dudley, which, to Harry, was a very BIG change in Privet Drive life. Harry wondered whether the threat Uncle Vernon received from the Order, last year, as Harry reluctantly got off the Hogwarts express to spend the summer with them, had really scared them so much that they decided to start calling him Harry. Afraid he might write a complaint to the Order and have their house blown up or something else extreme.

Harry had received two postcards from Hermione, in France, and a letter from Ron, asking how he was. It wasn't much but he didn't mind. He knew that both were probably really busy, and it was better than nothing. Again Harry stared into the sky. He saw all sorts of shapes in the clouds, many of them seemed to be broomsticks, and Harry didn't know whether it was a coincidence, or whether it was his imagination, reminding him, he couldn't play Quidditch. He looked in the clouds to see a cloud-shape owl, in the sky carrying a little white envelope. He gazed at it for a minute before realising it was Hedwig flying with a real letter. She flew towards him and lightly perched on his shoulder. He untied the letter and, unlike normal, she hopped on the grass beside him, as if, wanting to read the letter herself. Harry wondered where she had gone, since she'd been gone for about 2 days.

He ripped open the envelope and started to read;

Dear Harry,

Having fun? Probably the wrong question to ask, it must be dead boring there (though that doesn't really help I suppose). You won't believe what I'm about to tell you, but you know when I got home, Mum was all angry at Fred and George? Well now, she actually approves of the joke shop idea! They've been raking money in and got all the family tickets to Ireland! Isn't that great? After that, Mum kind of softened about it, since they did give the family a 20 share, which means that Mum and Dad get 20 of the profit (which you'll be surprised, is actually quite a lot.) They've now managed to get another shop somewhere in Yorkshire, and they've been employing staff daily.

Anyway, I'm in Ireland at the moment, I think Hedwig must have sensed that we weren't at the burrow at the moment, and she actually came all the way to Tipperary just to remind me to tell you I was here! Fred and George have some other news but they promised me (on my broomstick) that I'm not to tell you, they want to tell you in person apparently.

We're coming back from Ireland in 3 days, and then Dumbledore said that it was ok for you to spend the last week with us! If that's ok with your family anyway. (I didn't really mean that it's just Mum was looking over my shoulder as she passed and gave me one of her 'ask properly' looks. I mean, the way you describe them, it doesn't sound like they would care, no offence.)

Anyway we've went travelling today, and I'm about to kiss the Blarney Stone (not that I need it), so I better go, I'll send another letter about the arrangements for your stay. So you'll here from me then.

See you soon,

Ron

Harry smiled; he was slightly relieved at Mrs. Weasley's decision and was really glad he had given Fred and George his Triwizard tournament money, it seems they put it to good use. He didn't need the money anyway.

Suddenly he heard a cough, he instantly turned his head to see a neighbour's head peering over staring at the owl, and how he'd given Harry some sort of letter. Once he saw Harry look at him, he disappeared behind the garden fence. Harry stared at the fence for a few moments taking it all in before bolting into the house, praying Petunia hadn't seen what had happen, but Uncle Vernon was waiting for him in the hall.

"Where are you running to?" Vernon said angrily peering down at him, even though Harry was nearly as tall as him...

"Umm, I'm going to my room." said Harry, trying to act innocent.

"Yeah?" Vernon replied. "Forgot to mention something, boy?"

Uh-oh. Harry thought. He's calling me boy again...

"NEVER THOUGHT TO MENTION THAT, YOUR RUDDY OWL'S THE TALK O THE NEIGHBOURHOOD, HUH?" he screamed.

"Already?" Harry blurted out, mentally kicking him self afterwards.

"DON'T TAKE THAT TONE WITH ME, BOY, YOU..."

But Vernon was interrupted by the sound of a hoot as, what looked like a Hogwarts owl appeared through the hall, dropping a letter in Harry's hands.

Oh no...Harry thought, looking at it, gulping. My...exam results...

"RUDDY OWLS! I'VE TRIED TO BE NICE TO YOU BUT THIS IS TOO FAR, EXPLOITING AN OWL IN OUR GARDEN LIKE THAT!"

But Vernon suddenly stopped talking, noticing that Harry, had gone rather...green. Harry couldn't open it. He couldn't. He'd done loads of scary stuff, but this he couldn't do... he ran out of the hall, into the kitchen and threw up in the sink.

Petunia, and Dudley were there watching him. Dudley recognised the seal on the letter...

"What have they finally expelled you?" said Dudley laughing. Harry shook his head. Petunia, however, had the odd feeling that this had happened...before...

"Wait." she said suddenly, "16... end of fifth...is this your (she shuddered) owl results?"

Harry stared at her, in amazement...she knew. He nodded.

"Well, as my mother said..." she said... "You're going to have to open it or otherwise you'll be thinking about it for the rest of your life."

Harry stared at her again; it was like she was a different person. She handed him a cloth and then... the letter. He nodded again and, with trembling fingers...opened the envelope, rather slowly. He started to read;

Dear Mr. Potter,

The results of your OWL's are as follows:

Astronomy: E

Care of Magical Creatures: O

Charms: O

Defence against the Dark Arts: O

Divination: A

Herbology: O

History of Magic: O

Potions: E

Transfiguration: O

Congratulations on your results, I hope they were to your liking,

Sincerely,

The Department of Education.

He didn't get into the Potions class, but he was too happy to realise. He wasn't just happy he was.....the were no words for his happiness, like how he felt when Hagrid came for him from Hogwarts, yeah, just over that...and Petunia had helped him. He turned to her his eyes shining and before he could stop himself he hugged her so tightly that she seemed quite winded. But he instantly let go in shock. He stared at her in horror. What had he done? She looked equally as shocked as Dudley, mouth hanging open in the corner.

"I'm...s-s-sorry." he said startled by his behaviour. He'd never hugged any of the Dursleys before. "I..." He instantly ran up the stairs past Vernon and out of sight, into his bedroom. He was going to be in so much trouble...he just had to wait for Uncle Vernon to appear his face a plum colour looking like he was a beetroot with legs. He tried to laugh but he couldn't even crack a smile. He was too shocked. Not only about his results, but his behaviour. She didn't even understand the letter in a positive way. After two hours or so Hedwig appeared through his window dropping the opened exam result on his lap. She gave him a friendly peck as if congratulating him. This time Harry couldn't help but smile. He had done well, and now... he was soon to leave Privet Drive forever. There was a knock at his door and his smile vanished. He opened it looking at his shoes, not bearing to see the beetroot with legs... But looking at the shoes he realised it was Uncle Vernon, but... Dudley.

"What do you want?" he spat. He wasn't in the mood for Dudley's quips

"Mum and Dad say they want you to go downstairs to talk to them in the sitting room, while I go to my room." He spat back, in disgust. "I better be getting a new mobile for this..." he muttered before heading for his room and disappearing through the door.

Harry walked slowly down the stairs. He felt sick. Not only with what was going to happen to him, but with himself. The Dursleys hated him, yet he just hugged one of them. He walked along the corridor and then saw Petunia and Vernon sitting on the sofa, Petunia looked nervous, Vernon, angry. But not as beetroot as Harry had imagined...

"Sit." said Vernon, pointing to the other sofa. "Listen."

But he said no more, instead, Petunia started speaking.

"I have read your results and understand what they mean." she said trying to sound stern.

"O-ok..." said Harry

"I assume you want to be an auror?" she said.

For what must have been the hundredth time that evening, Harry stared. How did she even know what it was? But then... she did spend her childhood with a witch...

"Err, well, yeah." Harry said, going red.

"Well if you read this, it says you got an E in Potions (Vernon twitched at the word trying not to burst in to protest, like she had sweared.) And Your P- (Vernon glared, not sure what she was going to say) – teacher only accepts an O in his class so, you can't get a course." she finished rather proud of herself, for making it through the speech.

And then it hit him. He had only just realised. For Harry, E was amazing, but it wasn't good enough. What was he going to do? He couldn't be an auror. He wasn't good enough... Then Petunia spoke again;

"But since you are... well..." she said, trying to find the right words.

"A RUDDY DANGEROUS-MAGNETISING PROPHECY FREAK!" Vernon bellowed, not being able to take it any longer. Petunia glared at him. But continued.

"You may be able to get your Headmaster to twist your teacher's arm... under your circumstances..." she said.

He could see she was right. He'd never seen her like this before. They were actually discussing his future like parents would talk to their children. He could tell Vernon hated it, but Petunia felt it needed to be done.

"Umm, ok..." Harry mumbled. "Thanks for the...advice..."

He got up and the left the sitting room briefly hearing Vernon whisper; "Happy now?" to Petunia. But Petunia was in the middle of her thoughts, she knew that they had been trying to ignore the way he was, treat him badly and everything, but what if it was time for them to retreat? What if they had to take responsibility? But just then, Petunia realised something. They had been awful to Harry for 16 years and they're trying to be nice now? When he already knew them as strict? He must think we hate him, she thought.

"Which we do!" said Vernon. She had said that out loud, all of it. She gasped.

"W-we do?" she stuttered.

"Yes, because he's not normal Petunia, he's different." Vernon insisted.

"Yeah, maybe you're right..." she said and they went to bed, it had been a long day...