This is my first Harry Potter Fan Fic and my first creative story in 3 years! I had a lot of fun writing this – despite sitting at the computer all day in 30 degrees Celsius temperatures. It is also the longest thing I have written yet – and that was a challenge in itself! I hope that you enjoy the fic!
I would like to thank Missybewitched for her help – sometimes I just love my vocabulary too much and can't sacrifice one word for another. And, who knew LL2 would help so much? Hee hee I also wish her all the best with her creation that she's nurturing at the moment – I can't wait until the next instalment!
And most importantly: Disclaimer: All characters etc belong to JK Rowling. I thank her so much for creating them.
Fic Rating: PG13
Harry Potter and the Letter of Doom.
Chapter 1 – Birthday Blues
Ron and Hermione lay dead at his feet. Their once lively faces looking up at him with lifeless eyes and pallid, pale skin. His mouth was dry with fear.
"No, it can't end like this", he thought, "not like this. This wasn't how it was supposed to end. This wasn't supposed to happen. They weren't supposed to be here."
A high piercing cackle broke the still air like lightning, causing a shiver to run the length of Harry's spine and making his head feel, once again, like it was being pulled apart at the seams of his scar.
"This is the way it's supposed to end, Harry, and you thought your little friends could protect you? Did that fool, Dumbledore, send them without your knowledge to assist you? Was it his dying wish that they be with you to the very end?"
"Oh, don't look surprised, Potter. As your Professor Snape has already told you, I am an accomplished Legilimens and our…how shall I put it…bond, is now quite pronounced."
Pulling his wand from the inside pocket of his jacket, Harry slowly backed away from the bodies of his two best friends as he scanned the dark environment for Voldemort. Harry panicked, whipping around in every direction, expecting to be attacked at any second.
"Oh, I am no longer here," Voldemort, cackled evilly.
Harry sat up straight in bed. His scar was on fire, his heart was racing, and he noticed unpleasantly that his pyjamas were soaked through with sweat, and were sticking to him. He peeled off his pyjama top, throwing it carelessly onto the floor and stared up at the ceiling.
This was the second night that he had experienced this dream. Now that he had dreamt it a second time, he could deduce what the dream most likely related to—his fears. That of his connection to Voldemort, of Dumbledore dying, and of losing the only two people left that he cared about most in his life. He would turn sixteen in two days time, and be one year closer to being of age. A man. Harry turned on his side to face the wall as his dark thoughts of the past few weeks resurfaced once more.
"I wonder if this birthday will be my last?" he thought miserably.
He still hadn't told his closest friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, about what Dumbledore had said and done. He hadn't told them about how after fighting the Death Eaters, and losing his godfather, Sirius Black, Dumbledore had told him that he was either going to kill Voldemort or be murdered by him. How Dumbledore didn't think him mature or old enough to entrust him with information that could have saved a life and would have stopped him from acting rashly and endangering his friends…
Harry wiped his eyes; he had never been more miserable in his life. He had no one in the world to talk to about the prophecy and share his turbulent thoughts with. How could he tell his friends?
"By the way," he thought darkly, "you know after we got back from the Ministry of Magic? Yeah, well Dumbledore told me that Voldemort has to kill me or I him. There's no way around it. So, Ron, how did you go in Divination? What Owl mark did you get?…"
There was no way he could tell his friends, not yet. He didn't want their pity nor their sympathy. It was bad enough dealing with the loss of Sirius and their "walking on thin ice" routine on that topic. To give them something else to be wary of discussing was not to his liking, especially as they treated him as if he were some delicate child... He just couldn't handle everything in the world at once.
Harry had stayed in the solitude of his room since he had arrived at the Dursleys. He hadn't bothered to shower or dress as often as he should. All he did was lay in a comatose state on his bed, in his Dudley-sized pyjamas.
His room was a perfect reflection of his mood. It was dark with the curtains drawn so tightly together that only a small sliver of light permeated the bleakness. The smell was dank and musty, a mixture of two-week-old owl droppings, the sweaty smell of an almost-sixteen adolescent boy who hasn't washed for at least a week, and there was a strange smell emanating from the pile of food that Aunt Petunia had slid through the cat-flap- that Harry hadn't touched.
His books, unlike last summer, remained untouched and packed haphazardly in his trunk, which had begun to collect dust. Lethargy had set in and he no longer felt that he would get pleasure from reading a single thing. Not even his Chudley Cannons Quidditch book. The only things he had read had been the occasional letters his friends had written him, and they all lay in a crumpled heap on the floor next to his bed. The prophecy hung heavy in his mind and he sometimes found himself thinking that he was living a life devoid of purpose. He was a marked man after all. Nothing but a pawn in Dumbledore's master plan.
Like last year the letters from Hermione and Ron were vague and didn't let on to anything. However, unlike last year, they came less frequently, contained at least a consoling or sympathy laden paragraph, and most recently, contained a paragraph pleading with him to write back to them. Harry hadn't written back, not once, not to anyone. He couldn't put quill to paper – "what's the point?" he had thought every time he had read: Please write back. There was a tap at the window. Harry blinked as the noise brought his thoughts back to the present. He had been lying awake, he estimated, for at least two hours now. His first thought was of confusion, who or what was making that noise? Hedwig had come back the night before and was in her cage looking down at him with her large amber eyes.
She hooted dolefully at him.
The tapping at the window continued, but it had become a chorus of tapping.
Harry slowly arose from his bed, and quietly put on his glasses and grasped his wand. Whatever was making that tapping he wanted it to stop. If it continued for much longer it was going to wake the Dursleys up. He didn't want a row with them on his sixteenth birthday; he didn't have the energy for it. He edged closer to the window and put an eye to one of the small gaps. One large grey owl and five smaller Pigwigeon-look-a-likes sat on his windowsill, feverishly tapping the glass with their beaks. Each one had a scroll or letter attached to its leg.
Harry grabbed his curtains and flung them open so quickly, and with such force, that the owls were given a fright and he was momentarily blinded in the bright early morning sun. The owls all flew up into the air, and once they had recovered, flew through the now open window to land on Harry's desk.
Harry untied each letter from the owls in turn and watched the last owl disappear into the distance. Sitting back in his chair, Harry surveyed the letters. The big owl had left a large envelope with an important looking seal on the back. Harry thought that this letter could contain the results of his OWL examinations. He shifted it to the back of his letters; he wasn't ready to open that letter yet. He quickly looked over the five remaining letters. One looked to be from Hermione, one from Ron, one had an emerald green Hogwarts stamp on it, another a bright orange letter with electric blue writing, and the last a plain piece of parchment tied with a black ribbon.
The bright orange envelope filled Harry with curiosity, so naturally he opened it first.
Dear Harry,
How've you been?
Ickle Ron has been looking quite worried and has told us that you're not bowing to his written threats to write back, so we're not going to ask you to. It's giving us too much amusement whenever we return home.
Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes has been going quite well, business is smashing. As our financial backer we are pleased to award you a very special card enclosed with this letter. It should help you through the last two years of school.
On a last note, we expect you to receive a surprise quite soon. The packet of powder we have sent you should help you deal with that big git Dursley when the time arrives.
Well, we must be off, business to attend to.
Fred Weasley and George Weasley
A faint shadow of a smile played about Harry's lips as he read the letter, but it vanished as quickly as it had appeared. He took the small packet of powder in his hand and closely examined it. There was a note attached:
Not strictly magic because doesn't require a wand.
Just throw some in the air when the time comes.
You'll be pleased with the results.
F&G
Harry then picked up the card. It had the capital letters V, I and W emblazoned across the front of the card in gold against a deep, red background. The back of the card was imprinted with the same colours, and it read:
This card belongs to Harry Potter.
A most Very Important Wizard.
Please present this card at Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes
To received 50 off
Any purchase.
Harry tucked the card away in his pocket, thinking that it just might come in handy. He then turned his attention to the letter from Hogwarts.
Dear parent or guardian,
As it is known throughout the wizarding world 'He Who Must Not Be Named' has returned. Hopefully, we can unite together to overcome this evil once and for all.
Through much discussion it has been determined that the school year will once again resume on September the 1st. It is up to your discretion to decide whether your child will return to school or not in these troubled times.
However, we write to assure you that Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is one of the safest places that your child can be while away from home. As it is known the school has many protective spells that not even the most powerful wizards can penetrate. All our teachers are trained in Defence Against the Dark Arts, and a qualified Auror from the Ministry of Magic will be joining the staff this year to take the post of Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor. We assure you that your child will be safe at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Should you choose not to return your child to school, we are more than happy to accommodate to an alternative education arrangement. Although we regret to inform that subjects for home study will be limited to those in which the emphasis is on theoretical knowledge rather than practical application and instruction. The following subjects will be offered: History of Magic, Ancient Runes, Muggle Studies, and Astronomy. As other subjects rely heavily upon practical application and instruction they cannot be offered to students not attending school.
Should you require any extra information or have any questions at all regarding your child's education or the return of 'He Who Must Not Be Named', and how this will impact on your child's schooling, please do not hesitate to contact the newly created: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry Education Panel.
If your child will not be returning for the next school year please return the attached form by August 15th.
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry Education Panel.
After he finished reading the letter, Harry knew that he would be returning to school, regardless of how safe he was within the walls of the Dursley house, or how wretched he felt. He would rather be feeling miserable somewhere else than in the tiny dank room the Dursleys afforded him. At least this time he didn't have to worry about having a permission form signed – his uncle would never in his life sign anything for him.
Harry turned to the mysterious scroll tied with the black ribbon and slipped said ribbon off, and as he unfurled the parchment, he thought he recognised the writing. It was smallish looking and spiky.
Mr. Potter,
It has come to my attention that you have not achieved the required OWL mark to be accepted into my NEWT Potions class. However, after a discussion with the Headmaster, I have been informed that although you have received such a dismal result you will be attending my classes.
I am not pleased about this arrangement, as all those that are accepted into my class have received an O in their Potions OWL. If you cannot bring yourself up to the standard required I assure you that you will not be part of the class for long.
I advise you to speak to Miss Hermione Granger about your predicament and that you take to studying Potions over the remaining holidays.
You will be required to take another Potions exam on the first Monday of your return to school to assess your progress. I expect you at six o'clock sharp in my office.
Professor S. Snape.
All the remaining blood drained from Harry's face and he felt sick to his stomach. He couldn't believe it. He had thought that if he failed Potions, he would be able live with it. But to have to take Potions anyway, when once he should have been rid of that dark dungeon forever would be even worse. And since Snape hadn't spoken to him after what he had seen in Dumbledore's Pensieve, he was sure that his Professor would be even more unbearable during classes…unless (Harry thought hopefully) he took to ignoring Harry again.
He turned to what he was sure was his OWL results. He was desperate to see what mark he had received in Potions. He unfolded the letter and read the first page.
Dear Mr. Potter,
It has come to our attention that during the exam period students at the school did bare witness to some distressful events. Due to this, exam marks have been modified in accordance.
We also wish to inform you that an application for special consideration was filed with the examination authority. Your situation has been closely investigated and we wish you to know that events that affected you during your examination period have been taken into account. Your marks have therefore been adjusted accordingly with close consultation with your Professors.
We wish you all the best with your future NEWT examinations.
Marcella Minovita,
Head Witch.
Ministry of Magic Examination Authority.
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
OWL Examination Results
Harry Potter
Original Grades:
Astronomy - A
Care of Magical Creatures - O
Charms - E
Defence Against the Dark Arts - O
Divination - D
Herbology - E
History of Magic - P
Potions- A
Transfiguration - E
Amended Grades:
Astronomy - E
Care of Magical Creatures - O
Charms - O
Defence Against the Dark Arts - O
Divination - P
Herbology - O
History of Magic - A
Potions- E
Transfiguration - O
Harry let out the breath he had bottled up inside of him as he read the results. He had actually done quite well and could now see why Snape would have been in a temper. If he had been stuck with an A, there was no way that Dumbledore could have made Snape accept him into the NEWT Potions class. Feeling slightly better, he ripped open the letter from Ron.
Dear Harry,
Happy 16th Birthday mate!
No present attached, but you'll soon see why.
I expect I'll be seeing you very soon.
I've got something to tell you – but I think Hermione has written about it in her letter, so you can find out from her.
Can't wait to see you.
Ron
As he finished Ron's letter he felt a little puzzled. Downstairs, the doorbell rang. He picked up Hermione's letter. The doorbell seemed to be ringing repeatedly. Smiling to himself, Harry thought it must be the neighbourhood kids playing another prank on the Dursleys. Uncle Vernon's huge feet made angry thumping sounds as he rushed past Harry's bedroom door on his way to try and catch whomever it was disturbing his Sunday morning lie-in.
Just as he was about to open Hermione's letter, there was a scream full of rage bellowing from downstairs. Dropping the letter on the bed, he headed eagerly towards the commotion unable to resist watching Vernon in a rage aimed at someone else.
In OoTP Harry refers to the Pensieve that Snape is using as 'Dumbledore's Pensieve'. p.467