Chapter 3 – Location, location
HorseyGurl1490 :
Thanks for your interest! Maybe your hunch is correct...but then maybe not! Hope you're enjoying the story, if not, you know what to do!
Almost as soon as Harry could wonder where he could be hurtling towards, his feet hit the ground with a jolt and he stumbled forwards, throwing his hands out to break his fall. His palms struck hard earth as the rest of his luggage landed with painful crashes on top of him. 'Not the most dignified landing' he thought, his nose inches from the floor. 'But where on earth are we?'
With a heave, he pushed away his school trunk and stood upright, craning his neck to look around. They were standing in a grassy hollow with smoothly curving sides reaching up to the sky. The sun was just rising and the sky was streaked with pink and deep orange. The grass was lush and long, and dotted with late summer flowers. It seemed like a typical picturesque valley in the country. But Harry knew there was something more to this hollow. He could feel the expectancy in the still air and suddenly he noticed it was oddly silent. Harry turned to ask Professor McGonagall what was going on, but his question froze on his lips as he stopped in shock. She wasn't there!
Heart racing in panic, Harry span around, searching for the Professor. He was sure she had been there when they landed. Or had she never come? Had she intended all along to dump him here alone? Was it all some trick to get rid of the famous Harry Potter? Taking a deep breath, he calmed his heart rate and repeated his mantra 'I am calm, I am remote, I can never be harmed'. He had not been practising Occulemency for nothing. Living for six weeks alone with the Dursleys and his racing thoughts had hardly been calming. Occulemency was the only thing keeping him from running.
Bringing himself back to the present, Harry took out his wand, and after a quick glance at his belongings, began to climb the sides of the hollow. Before he had gone two steps, he was recalled by a loud and indignant squawk. "Hedwig!" Harry ran back to the pile of his luggage and released the loudly protesting snowy owl from her cage. "I'm really sorry, I just totally forgot. I wonder what this place is?" he mused as she flew to his shoulder and affectionately nibbled his ear. "Wait..." An idea dawned on Harry. He could use Hedwig to contact his friends and follow her on his broom. Anything had to be better than staying here in this silent valley, with a tingle of suppressed magic in the air. It was making Harry very uncomfortable. If this was a trap, he had no chance. One wand against who knows how many Death Eaters? He'd been lucky before, but he didn't want to push that luck. He just wanted to get out of here. And if he couldn't use magic? It was the only way
Diving into his trunk he grabbed a spare piece of parchment and a quill, scribbled Ron, and gave the note to Hedwig. As he clambered onto his broom and picked up his luggage, Hedwig took flight in a flurry of wings. Harry kicked off the ground and immediately forgot his worries in the simple joy of flying. As the cold breeze lifted his hair and he effortlessly soared, even the heavy luggage dragging his hands down couldn't dampen his spirits. He was safe up here. As a thousand thoughts ran through his head he brushed them aside and focused on the white owl flying before him. Suddenly, she stopped as if indecisive. Harry was confused. Hedwig had never failed to deliver a note before. Even when the recipient didn't want to be found.
At that split second, she turned swiftly and began to fly back at him. In a moment she was past him and Harry was hot on her heels in bewilderment. Where was she going? And as Harry recognised the small green hollow he had only just left, she swooped down. Then, in an instant she seemed to fly into the side of the hollow, and was gone.
"Hedwig!" Harry shouted. This day was turning out to be the most alarming and confusing since the Department of Mysteries. He landed on the soft grass and ran towards the spot where his owl had disappeared. There was nothing but smooth grass on the slope. He leaned forward to look closer, only to find he had stubbed his toe and a ragged piece of broken wood. Harry bent down in annoyance to throw it away, but his eye was caught by the inscription on it.
"Godric's Hollow" he read in amazement as he found himself standing in front of a long green door with a silver lion knocker. And he stared at that same green door as it slowly creaked open...
A/n: Cliffie or what?! You'll just have to read on :) :)
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