Chapter 2: Magical Neighbors

Harry sat with his feet firmly planted on the floor, eyes fixed across his room as he tossed his broom stick from hand to hand. On the wall of his tiny room hung a tattered sheet of parchment that was numbered by month and day. A bright red X crossed out the days as he counted down till he could return to Hogwarts and be free to roam around, unlike here in his uncle's house where he felt imprisoned. Harry spent every summer of his school life in his uncle's home, which he hated. He felt as though he would have liked it more to be imprisoned in Azkaban than being stuck in this place where no one understood him; where he was criticized and ridiculed. A place where he had no friends, was starved and hidden away from contact with any other human brings. There was no love for him in this house and his clothing and lodgings were testament to that. Now at the age of seventeen Harry was dying for the time when he would be able to spend all his time in the wizarding world. This would be his last year of school at Hogwarts and he planned to make it his best; he would do all in his power to keep the Quidditch pitch open this year, he was dying to get back onto his broom and feel the freeness of flying. He had been through so much in all his time as a student, facing off with the dark lord on so many occasions that he had become very careful and cautious when he was not in school. Harry hated his only living relatives, his dear mother's sister and her husband but mostly he hated his cousin. A boy who as a youngster was a large round fellow but now, that his teenage years had come upon him, Dudley had gotten taller and all his fat now filled out his body. He was muscular and very intimidating to most people. Still over weight by any standards. Dudley had put his bullying skills to better use and had been training as a wrestler for quite some time. He could have very easily snapped poor Harry in two but there was something that terrified Dudley. Harry was now at an age where magic was no longer prohibited outside of school, he was of legal age to use his magic and the first person, muggle, to know it was in fact Harry's cousin. Harry, too, had gotten taller but as Harry had always been a scrawny, neglected boy he still very much resembled his childhood. Harry was tall skinny still wearing clothing that once belonged to Dudley but because of his magic Harry was able to alter a lot of the clothing that he had received with a spell that his friend, Hermione, had taught him before they left the school again. His hair was still shaggy and untamed and Harry had continued to wear the same round glasses that he had forever. Harry took pride in knowing how much like his father he was and yet how different they were. Harry brushed his shaggy uneven bangs out of his eyes and revealed his lightning shaped scar as he reached out to his desk and grabbed the red maker to cross out another day. Harry thought after years of knowing the Dark Lord was back that he would get used to the prickling of his scar. It was always like that now and still it left Harry with many sleepless nights. He had been working hard to keep his mind clear and his Occlumency was becoming better but he always worried.

It was a cold day for the summer as it neared the fall, the rain was coming down quite hard and it gave Privet Drive a very somber and still look. Harry walked slowly around his room waiting for a sign of his owl bringing him notice from his friends for his birthday, but Hedwig had been gone for days and Harry was not really expecting her back. He sighed deeply as he looked out into the rain and noticed that a house down the street had a large moving truck parked in front of it. Harry sighed and knew that the dinner conversation would be that of his aunt telling anything she had figured out about the new neighbors. Harry's Aunt Petunia loved her gossip. She was always spying on the neighbors trying to dig up the dirt to make her family seem to be the most normal family there could ever be, all the while keeping her strange, abnormal nephew away from all eyes. Harry dreaded spending any time with his family but had to eat and so he journey down to the kitchen.

"Dudders my sweet, I have seen a very lovely young lady walking into that house down there at number 9," Petunia said in a sing song voice as she stirred something that was on the stove.

"That's nice," Dudley said hardly taking his eyes off the television

"You know my boy it is about time for you to start looking for a nice girl," Vernon, Harry's uncle had said to Dudley as he looked over his news paper.

"I have a girlfriend dad," Dudley said as he threw a tattered picture from his wallet across the table.

The Dursley's believed that Dudley could do no wrong, however they did not approve of the girl he had chosen to pursue. She was a tall blond girl with beady little, placid blue eyes. She could have been very beautiful if she didn't paint her face as she did with the darkest of make up and black lipstick. Her clothing was always black and she had even at one time dyed the ends of her hair black. Dudley however didn't care about his parents, she was his biggest fan and he adored her.

Harry raised an eyebrow as he heard his aunt make a 'witch' comment about the girl in the black makeup but he dismissed it and went about setting the table without being asked like he had for years and years.

"There was also a scrawny young lad that came out of the house as well. He looked like a trouble maker," Petunia snarled as she glared at Harry.

"I suppose I should introduce myself to him," Dudley said with a slight smile, "could use a punching bag or at least someone else in my little circle of friends."

Harry sat down quietly and watched out the window down the street at the house. The rain poured down the window obscuring the view of the truck but something caught Harry's attention. He though he saw a tall slender woman walking out of the house and releasing a white owl, very much like his own. He got up slowly and walked closer to the window and squinted out but there was no one outside in the rain. The moving truck was gone and all the houses down the streets glowed with a faint golden light from there windows the rain still poured down quite hard. Harry sighed and went back to his seat. Perhaps he was really missing Hedwig and his friends from the wizarding world more than usual.

The days passed even more slowly for Harry when it was dark and gloomy and raining. He had to stay in the house in his room with nothing but his photos of school to keep him company. Finally by the end of the week the rain had stopped but the clouds were still thick and the air was cold and damp. Harry pulled on a sweater and walked out of the house and down the street. He wasn't paying much attention to anything until a great white owl landed on a light post with a letter in its beak, "Hedwig come down from there and give me my letter!" He said as quietly as he called up to the owl that just looked at him strangely. "If anyone sees you Aunt Petunia is going to freak out!"

"Backles," came a voice as the owl took to the air again and landed on an outstretched arm at the new neighbors' house.

"You have an owl?" Harry nearly choked as he spun around to see a young woman at the door to the house.

"Um... yes, I am sorry if he has disturbed you, we um... found him... in Canada..." the girl said trying to wrestle the owl into the house and away from prying eyes.

"I am sorry, I have one too, she hasn't come back and I thought your owl was mine," Harry said a little embarrassed, "you're new around here... at least in the muggle community I mean." he added trying to change the subject.

"You aren't a muggle yourself?" the girl asked in astonishment.

"No," Harry laughed.

"Um... perhaps we should carry on this conversation... away from the eyes of any muggles," the girl smiled and opened the door to Harry, "I'm Amelia by the way!" She smiled as she closed the door behind him.

"Nice to meet you I am Harry."

"Harry Potter?" A voice from the kitchen rang and a tall woman came out into the open.

"Oh mum it can't be Harry Potter what would he be doing living amongst muggles?" Amelia laughed.

Harry blushed bright red as the girl turned back to him.

"Am I right?" She asked with a confused tone.

Harry moved his messy hair out of his eyes and revealed his scar.

"Oh my you are Harry Potter!" The girl said with a hint of excitement in her voice.

"Harry Potter, where?" came a male voice as a tumbling sound came from the top of the stairs.

"Dominic please you are going to fall down the stairs one of these days," the woman said as she turned back to Harry, "nice to meet you, can I offer you anything, home made cookies perhaps?" she smiled and lead the way into the kitchen.

The house was very much like that of Harry's aunt and uncle it didn't look as though the family living in it were of wizarding heritage at all. Harry watched as the boy came bursting into the kitchen and sat down at the table beside Harry, "so you are Harry Potter, quite normal looking aren't you?" Dominic said.

"Dominic, that was a very rude thing to say," his mother scolded.

"Well you aren't very wizard looking yourself," Harry said in a sly tone.

"We try not to be," Amelia said as she too sat down at the table across from Harry, "our father was a muggle and wanted to see us raised as muggles. Mum is a witch originally from here. She studied at Hogwarts then moved to Canada." Amelia explained.

"Yeah now we have come back and as a cover we are here living as muggles," Dominic said as he reached for a plate of cookies his mother had just set down.

"So do you do any magic?" Harry asked looking from one to the other.

"Oh of course we will be heading to Hogwarts to finish our schooling this year," Dominic said with his mouth full.

"So will I," Harry said happily. Finally there were people of his kind around him to talk to.

"Children, can you come in here please?" There mother said as she passed by the kitchen door now dressed in her wizarding robes and headed toward the living room.

"You may as well come too, I am sure you have seen it done!" Dominic said as he nudged Harry toward the door.

In front of the fire place Belinda Cross stood with a golden earn, "I have a meeting with Dumbledore, if anyone comes by you two will know how to contact me!" she said with a smile holding the earn out Amelia. She took a handful of floo powder and threw it into the fire. Bright green flames burst forth from the fire as Mrs. Cross stepped in and disappeared.

"Not my favorite way to travel!" said Dominic as he turned and walked back to the kitchen.

"Me neither," Harry said as he followed the twins, "I've had some bad floo experiences."

"It's so dirty and loud," Amelia laughed

"And swirly!" Dominic exclaimed, "It makes me ill! Muggle transportation is so much more convenient, it may take longer but man..."

"Dominic knows it's the only way to get to Hogwarts at this time of the year" Amelia sighed as she placed the urn back on the mantel beside a still photograph, "that's our dad," She said pointing at the picture, "people think his ashes are the ashes in the earn. It's a good cover up don't you think?" she asked Harry as they walked back to the kitchen.

"So, what can you tell us about the professors at Hogwarts?" Dominic asked upon seeing Harry and his sister at the door.

"Depends on who you are asking about," Harry smiled.

"Defense against the dark arts," Dominic asked enthusiastically

"Don't know" Harry Shrugged, "we've never kept one more than a year."

Dominic stared in wonderment, "really, why?"

"Some say the job is cursed, I say no one is brave enough" Harry stated.

"I hope we get someone good. It's my favorite subject" Dominic sighed, "always had top marked in Defense against the dark arts."

"You'll have to fight me and Hermione Granger for top marks," Harry chuckled.

"Oh yeah?" Dominic said getting defensive, "Just try me!"

"Now, now, Dominic, Harry did survive the Dark Lord's unforgivable curse as a baby" Amelia said shooting her brother a disappointed look, "don't start throwing your testosterone around," she said and rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, I guess you have to be good at it to survive don't you Harry?" Dominic asked.

Harry simply nodded and the twins could tell that he didn't want to continue the conversation.

"So, what about Transfigurations?" Amelia asked.

"Professor McGonagall teaches that. She is second in charge to the head master at Hogwarts. She's a licensed animagus and the head of Gryffindor house." Harry said with a smile.

"Oh we're in Griffindor!" Dominic said with a laugh, "mum doesn't know it but we got our Hogwarts letters already and that's why she is going there! We've been sorted and everything already. Thankfully we don't have to do it in front of the whole school like when we were just starting that was the worst!"

"We should have told mum," Amelia said giving her brother a upset look.

"I'm in Gryffindor too!" Harry smiled.

"What a pleasant surprise that is!" Amelia smiled, "we're on the in already!"

"Oh I wouldn't be too sure about!" laughed Harry, "I'm a trouble maker and fame seeker!"

"You'll have to fight me for that title!" Dominic said "I'm the prima dona here!"

"More like the Prima Ballerina!" Amelia laughed and hid behind Harry.

"Oh, you are so dead!" Dominic yelled pulling out his wand.

"I could take you! I have Harry on my side!" Amelia giggled drawing her wand.

"Yeah I'll protect you," Harry laughed, "how about a dancing charm that would be fun!" he said waving his wand tauntingly.

"Oh I'll dance you into the next century," Dominic joked.

"Wanna make a bet?" Harry played along.

"Dance off!" Amelia yelled

The group of new friends laughed hysterically until Dominic laughed so hard he fell off his chair.

"Ok guys!" Amelia said, trying to compose herself. "So Harry, are there anymore of, you know, us around here?" she asked pointing at the three of them.

"No," Harry sighed, "there is Mrs. Figg but she's a Squib and a rather old crazy woman. But no we're the only magical people around here."

"Well at least there are three of us," She smiled.

"Yes!" Harry smiled back.

Harry left the Cross house finally feeling happy for once in the place he was living he would be able to have some contact with the wizarding community while he was away from school and this made things seem so much better. He walked into his uncle's house just as it started to rain again and as he turned to look back up the street, he saw a familiar friend fly to his window with a packed attached to her leg. Harry bounded up the stairs to meet Hedwig; life at Privet Drive was good after all.