Dealing with losses and unexpected gains
By Tubbataha
Disclaimer: None of this is mine, well except the plot line and that has probably been used by some one else before, but otherwise everything recognisable belongs to JK Rowling and whom ever else own the rights to Harry Potter.
Quick A/N: I have tried to proof read this, however it is not my strength but I think that it is not too awful, any suggestions or comments please review I am always happy for any feedback.
Chapter 1
‚Boy. Get up' A loud angry voice cut harshly across Harry's peaceful dreams, causing him to start awake. He slipped out from under his thread bare covers cursing under his breath at being awoken from what had probably been the best nights sleep he had had in weeks. He tugged hard on the broken handle of the small chest of draws and rummaged around to find some clothes that were at least wearable. Normally he left the clothes in the draws well alone as they were the most hideous or wrong sized clothing he had been given, however Petunia had failed to let him out of his room long enough to do his washing recently so he was left with little choice.
Today was Sunday however and Vernon would let him out of his room, as long as he got out of the house for the whole day and didn't come back till sunset. Vernon argued that this way they had at least one day without freakishness in the house. The Dursely's ignored the potential dangers that Harry could face away from the house and the wards, but Harry for once was actually glad they were disregarding the orders instructions as much as they could possibly get a way with. However at least for Harry it meant he could escape the confines of Dudley's second bedroom for more then jut the brief minutes petunia allowed him during the day once Vernon had left for work, time enough only use the bathroom and to consume the small helping of food and water he was offered. This summer he had not even been let out to do the chores he had been forced to carryout during previous summers.
However this Sunday was not one of the better Sundays of this particular English summer, in fact it was one of days that sneaks in several times every summer in England just to make sure you don't start thinking the weather was too good, and therefore no longer had the topic of the awful British weather to discuss, god forbid the British might start to dry out without rain. (AN: Sorry if that offends anyone but I am British and therefore hold full weather grumbling rights). Harry sat on the Bench in the park just off Wisteria Walk, the damp mist like rain forming a damp grey cloak around his shoulders his eyes apparently focused on the nothing that formed the middle distance between the merry-go-round and the bushes on the far side of the park. Whilst his eyes saw nothing, his mind was focused on the image of the same scene years ago when a dark black dog, closely resembling a grim had appeared from those very bushes frightening Harry into unintentionally summoning the night bus which had whisked him off to Diagon Alley.
That grim of course had turned out late to be Harry's own god father and Azkaban Escapee Sirius Black, but no mater how hard Harry now wished for it that dog would never again be appearing to surprise Harry form the bushes again, in fact Harry would never see Sirius even as Padfoot ever again. It wasn't fair he had only barely got to know Sirius before he was cruelly whisked away. Whilst Harry had begun to accept that the blame for Sirius' death did not lie solely with him, in fact he realised there were several other coughDumbledorecough that held significant portions of the blame. However he couldn't let go of his guilt entirely and much to his dismay his brain insisted on playing what if? Situations in his head every moment it was not distracted and considering the amount of time he was spending locked in his room alone, that was in fact most of the time.
Harry doubted at the moment that being sent to Azkaban could be much worse, how could imagining all the good times he could have had with his godfather the only family he could remember, if which were now denied to them because of his own foolishness and stupidity be comparable anyway better or worse than watching the deaths of his real family that he never knew. Perhaps now though he would see Sirius' death as well when the dementors drew near, after all that was certainly one of the worst moments of his life, he knew now looking back that if it hadn't for Mooney's hand grasping him he would have followed Sirius though the veil that day.
Harry shook himself off and stood up the water that had settled on his hair and clothes cascading off him, he shivered slightly as he moved off the breezy rapidly cooling his damp sweater causing him to feel a slight chill despite the mild warmth off the day. Harry headed off to the other side of the park to the raty old cricket pavilion that due to lack of local interest and subsequent lack of found from the local council had fallen into disrepair over the last few years. Despite is poor condition Harry had often found a suitable shelter on the inevitable rainy days, in fact Harry peeling paint, musty smell and numerous cobwebs faintly reminiscent of the shrieking shack and oddly this gave him some comfort, probably because he associated the shrieking shack it Hogwarts possibly the only place he had ever considered home.
As Harry made to enter the cricket pavilion via the broken rear window, he was so caught up in his own thoughts that he nearly missed the sounds of movement, indeed his left leg was almost completely through the window before he heard the faint shuffling noise coming from within. As his brain finally registered the noise Harry froze, unsure of how to proceed. By now he was to far in to hope that whom ever was inside hadn't noticed his entry, so there was nothing to do but continue. It was probably just a stray animal anyway he tried to convince himself, no that would be far to easy and Harry had learned one thing about his life if nothing else and that was that it was rarely easy. He was also currently cursing himself for leaving his wand behind at the Durlesy's Underage Wizarding Act or not. So as Harry made his decision he continued manoeuvre his body through the window and turned toward the main portion of the room to see whom its other visitor was…….