Chapter two: Part of Me

Disclaimer: See chapter 1

Authors lecture: I promise, this will get loads better really soon! Let us just pretend that H-BP hasn't come out, shall we?

Many thanks to all my reviewers! You guys are my life line!

Jynkng: Hee hee, I'm glad you like it! The song title is just something to think about and earn points! Don't forget to choose a house, and thanks heaps for reviewing!

Tinkabel: I knew I could count on you for reviewing! Yeah, I randomly thought of the song after reading Sophie's nursery rhyme book to her! Lol.

Miss you heaps Choose a house! Thanks heaps for your review!

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…Part of me won't go away…Just wanna cut it out of my soul…

There was that voice again! Harry hissed as it sent a searing pain to his scar. As quickly as it had come, the pain vanished, leaving only prickles behind in its wake. Dudley looked terrified when Harry had gasped and pressed his hand to his head.

For the rest of the day, Dudley and Harry regarded each other warily.

Dudley hadn't known what to say to Harry that morning. He was starting to get a funny feeling in his stomach, but he couldn't work out what it was.

Harry, on the other hand, wasn't thinking about that morning. But he was a bit shocked when Dudley had talked to him like he was an actual human being. He was surprised when Dudley had mentioned the dementors, too.

But Harry wasn't thinking about Dudley. No, he was thinking about Hermione's letter.

Harry just couldn't come to terms with Sirius' death and he had nobody to talk to in person that would actually understand what he was going through. He didn't fancy going down to see batty Mrs. Figgs and having a chat with her.

It was evening and Harry sat in his room, staring out the window and watching the dramatic sunset that took place in the bright sky.

He didn't notice the owl until it came nearer, and he watched it as it struggled against the hot, dry wind. He hastily opened his window, and the brown tawny owl flew down and perched on his window-sill.

Harry swiftly took the letter from the awaiting out-stretched leg and watched the owl sip from Hedwig's bowl. Hedwig hooted and flew onto Harry's shoulder.

Looking at the letter, he recognized Ron's unique, messy scrawl and quickly opened it. He was too busy reading and re-reading the letter to notice the owl fly out into the warm dusk.

After reading the letter three times, Harry let out a loud "Whoop!" and raced downstairs.

"What's the reason for all the racket, boy?" demanded Harry's overly large uncle. "We're trying to watch TV in peace!"

"My friend from school is coming around here tomorrow at noon to pick me up!" Harry said gleefully, ignoring the vein pulsing in Vernon's neck. "I won't have to see you guys until next year!"

"Not if I can help it!" growled Vernon. Dudley smiled an evil smile.

"Harry's right," said Petunia, shocking everybody in the room. "He has to come back next year. Not for very long, mind you," she added briskly.

Vernon looked like he was going to have a heart attack. Harry grinned as he remembered the Howler that Petunia had received a year ago.

"Fine, fine!" Vernon grumbled, recognising defeat. "Just as long as they come the normal way!"

Harry practically skipped upstairs and began sorting out his messy bedroom, throwing things into his trunk higgledy-piggledy.

Presently Harry's door was brutally flung open and in the doorway, stood Dudley. Harry walked up to the bully and stood in front of him, where they sized each other up.

"You know," Dudley started, "If you weren't such a…freak, you would have turned out like me. You know what I mean?"

Harry shook his head. "No, I don't know what you mean. Like you? Who would want to?"

"You would've been normal!" Dudley snarled, furious at Harry's quick and insulting come-back.

"You know what I think?" Harry demanded, his eyes narrowed. "I think that every person is so different from each other, that normal shouldn't even be a word! There is nobody on the world that is exactly the same. 'My' people think that muggles aren't normal and you muggles think that we aren't normal! Tell me, Duddles, what is your definition of normal?"

Dudley was quite taken aback. He had no words to respond with.

"See?" Harry said triumphantly. "You have nothing to say. What was your purpose to come barging into my room? I was busy, as my best friend from school is coming to pick me up tomorrow!"

"You, have friends? At your…school?" Dudley laughed hysterically while Harry watched him with an unreadable face.

"And how many of your real friends have saved your life?" Harry asked, watching carefully as Dudley gaped. "You know, a part of me really pities you. You have no real friends, no clue about the real world and you're sheltered so much that if the truth came out in the open, you wouldn't believe it because you wouldn't like it. A part of me envy's you because you don't live your life in fear that at any moment, someone might try to kill you."

"And who cares about you that much to take the time to kill you?" Dudley sneered.

"Do you know why I come back here every summer?" Harry questioned. Dudley shook his head.

"Well, as much as I hate it here, this – apart from school – is the safest place for me to be, until I 'become of age'. Yeah, that's right Duddles! As long as I can still call this place 'home', the one that wants me dead can't touch me!"

Harry savoured the look of terror on Dudley's face. "You m-m-mean that the guy c-c-c-could come here!" he squeaked.

"Actually no, not until I turn seventeen. Then he can come here. Whether or not I'll be around to save you, will be fate's decision, won't it? Funny, how all these years you teased, bullied, tormented and tortured me, and now it seems that – yet again – I could be the only one to save your life."

Backing away silently, Dudley fled to the sanctuary of his bedroom and slammed his door shut.

Harry grinned, shut his door and finished his packing, quietly humming to himself.

Questions and Answers!

Ok, the band that sings the song 'Easier to Run' is…Linkin Park and the album is 'Meteora'. No-one got that though…

Some questions:

Who sings 'Part of Me'? (Five points)
Who thinks they know what Dudley was feeling when his tummy felt funny? (hint: an emotion that starts with the letter 'r---r--'. Five points)
Oh, and five points to every reviewer as long as they have houses!

Gryffindor: 0
Hufflepuff: 0
Ravenclaw: 0
Slytherin: 0