*sniff* I was almost tempted to just not publish this chapter, since nobody
wanted to review... but two people DID.
Thank you so much!! I really appreciate it!
Therefore, this chapter is dedicated to JadeHawk and Drusilla:
~*~Chapter 11~*~
Vernon turned over the letter slowly, and gasped.
"Harry!? It's addressed to you!"
Petunia and Dudley leaned in closer, peering over Vernon's shoulder, as he passed the letter to Harry.
Harry looked somewhat shocked. "A letter!? Who would send me a letter? By OWL!?!?"
He looked over the label.
'Harry Dursley #4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging'
Then, he carefully turned the letter over, and opened it. Inside was a sheet of folded paper.. but the paper was somewhat strange, quite thick, and almost beige. More like... parchment then paper, actually!
Shrugging, Harry pulled the letter out, and started reading aloud.
'Dear Harry, You are in great danger. Please be careful. After reading this, please burn it (or use any other way to destroy it fully). Now, read carefully.
'In about an hour, a man will come to your house. He will say that he is from a school called Hogwarts, and that you are a wizard. Listen to what he says, Harry, but on NO account let him touch you. This is IMPORTANT.
'Perhaps you have already gotten a letter from him, or from Hogwarts, or from some teacher in Hogwarts. If you haven't received it yet, you will some time later today, since it is sent out to all magical people at age 11. Yes, I know that it will be your birthday in three days.
'I will come to your house as soon as possible, and help you. If the man named Albus Dumbledore comes before I do, delay him, ask questions, offer him tea, but on NO account let him touch you, don't stay alone in a room with him, or, better yet, make sure your 'parents' keep the door WELL closed and locked.
'Please listen to me, Harry, and you, too, the rest of you Dursleys, because this could make a difference between Harry living or dying.
'I beg you to follow my letter, at least until I can come.
'Sincerely,
'Thomas Riddle'
(AN: Now I'm going to be evil and leave the chapter hanging here. Mwahaha!! Just joking.. even I'm not that evil!)
The Dursleys looked at Harry and at each other, and then glanced back at the letter.
Aunt Petunia especially looked pale. "You don't actually believe this, do you, Vernon?"
The boys' father looked grave. "I don't know what to think. I don't know!"
Dudley tugged at his sleeve. "Daddy? There aren't any real bad guys, are there?"
He was ignored. Vernon, instead, turned to Harry. "Harry, love," he said. "I don't know what to think, and it's probably just a prank call, but just in case... We'll all stay at home today, and keep strangers out. Everyone, including this 'Riddle' fellow. I'm not risking anything happening to my family, and if we all have to be stuck in this house to be safe, well, then, we'll be stuck in the house. Petunia- would you take the boys inside? I'd like to take another look at things around here..."
But even as he spoke, another owl- this time a black one- soared down from the sky and deposited a thicker letter in front of Harry's feet, and then flew to the house roof and sat there.
Vernon, looking frantically around him, instantly grabbed the letter in one hand, his sons in the other, and pushing his wife in front of him, ran into the house, and slammed and locked the door.
~*~Chapter 12~*~
In the relative quiet of their home, Vernon Dursley carefully examined the letter. It was sealed with a blood-red smear of wax, in the shape of a lion, snake, badger, and eagle all curling around the large letter 'H'.
On the other side, the letter was addressed to 'Mr. Harry Dursley, #4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging'. The return address said:
'Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry'.
All of the Dursleys, including Harry, stiffened, and Petunia quickly took the envelope, opened it, and pulled out a sheet of the same parchment-like paper.
"HOGWARTS SCHOOL
"Of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
"~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"Dear Mr. H. Dursley,
"We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary school books and equipment.
"Term begins on the 1st of September. We await your reply no later than the 31st of June.
"Yours sincerely, "Minerva McGonagall"
As Petunia finished reading, there was suddenly a loud knock on the door. A very loud knock.
Dudley jumped, and fainted from fear, on the door.
"So now I know what they mean by 'nightmares come true'," Harry muttered, panicking, to himself, and became as white as a sheet.
AN: Not expecting all this, were you now? PLEASE, review!!!
I WON'T UPDATE UNTIL I GET TEN NEW REVIEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you so much!! I really appreciate it!
Therefore, this chapter is dedicated to JadeHawk and Drusilla:
~*~Chapter 11~*~
Vernon turned over the letter slowly, and gasped.
"Harry!? It's addressed to you!"
Petunia and Dudley leaned in closer, peering over Vernon's shoulder, as he passed the letter to Harry.
Harry looked somewhat shocked. "A letter!? Who would send me a letter? By OWL!?!?"
He looked over the label.
'Harry Dursley #4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging'
Then, he carefully turned the letter over, and opened it. Inside was a sheet of folded paper.. but the paper was somewhat strange, quite thick, and almost beige. More like... parchment then paper, actually!
Shrugging, Harry pulled the letter out, and started reading aloud.
'Dear Harry, You are in great danger. Please be careful. After reading this, please burn it (or use any other way to destroy it fully). Now, read carefully.
'In about an hour, a man will come to your house. He will say that he is from a school called Hogwarts, and that you are a wizard. Listen to what he says, Harry, but on NO account let him touch you. This is IMPORTANT.
'Perhaps you have already gotten a letter from him, or from Hogwarts, or from some teacher in Hogwarts. If you haven't received it yet, you will some time later today, since it is sent out to all magical people at age 11. Yes, I know that it will be your birthday in three days.
'I will come to your house as soon as possible, and help you. If the man named Albus Dumbledore comes before I do, delay him, ask questions, offer him tea, but on NO account let him touch you, don't stay alone in a room with him, or, better yet, make sure your 'parents' keep the door WELL closed and locked.
'Please listen to me, Harry, and you, too, the rest of you Dursleys, because this could make a difference between Harry living or dying.
'I beg you to follow my letter, at least until I can come.
'Sincerely,
'Thomas Riddle'
(AN: Now I'm going to be evil and leave the chapter hanging here. Mwahaha!! Just joking.. even I'm not that evil!)
The Dursleys looked at Harry and at each other, and then glanced back at the letter.
Aunt Petunia especially looked pale. "You don't actually believe this, do you, Vernon?"
The boys' father looked grave. "I don't know what to think. I don't know!"
Dudley tugged at his sleeve. "Daddy? There aren't any real bad guys, are there?"
He was ignored. Vernon, instead, turned to Harry. "Harry, love," he said. "I don't know what to think, and it's probably just a prank call, but just in case... We'll all stay at home today, and keep strangers out. Everyone, including this 'Riddle' fellow. I'm not risking anything happening to my family, and if we all have to be stuck in this house to be safe, well, then, we'll be stuck in the house. Petunia- would you take the boys inside? I'd like to take another look at things around here..."
But even as he spoke, another owl- this time a black one- soared down from the sky and deposited a thicker letter in front of Harry's feet, and then flew to the house roof and sat there.
Vernon, looking frantically around him, instantly grabbed the letter in one hand, his sons in the other, and pushing his wife in front of him, ran into the house, and slammed and locked the door.
~*~Chapter 12~*~
In the relative quiet of their home, Vernon Dursley carefully examined the letter. It was sealed with a blood-red smear of wax, in the shape of a lion, snake, badger, and eagle all curling around the large letter 'H'.
On the other side, the letter was addressed to 'Mr. Harry Dursley, #4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging'. The return address said:
'Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry'.
All of the Dursleys, including Harry, stiffened, and Petunia quickly took the envelope, opened it, and pulled out a sheet of the same parchment-like paper.
"HOGWARTS SCHOOL
"Of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
"~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"Dear Mr. H. Dursley,
"We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary school books and equipment.
"Term begins on the 1st of September. We await your reply no later than the 31st of June.
"Yours sincerely, "Minerva McGonagall"
As Petunia finished reading, there was suddenly a loud knock on the door. A very loud knock.
Dudley jumped, and fainted from fear, on the door.
"So now I know what they mean by 'nightmares come true'," Harry muttered, panicking, to himself, and became as white as a sheet.
AN: Not expecting all this, were you now? PLEASE, review!!!
I WON'T UPDATE UNTIL I GET TEN NEW REVIEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!