Harry gets a visitor and a gift. And someone else arrives that he never thought he'd see or ever want in his bedroom.

A/N: I own nothing this is all J.K.R.'s, what a brilliant mind she has.

Chapter Two – Found

It was while Harry was getting dressed for the day that something occurred that gave Harry the tool he needed to pull himself out of the hole that he had dug himself into. He was just pulling on one of Dudley's old over sized sweatshirts when a bird appeared in his room. This was not just any ordinary bird; but Fawkes, the headmaster of Hogwarts, Professor Dumbledore's, phoenix.

The red and gold-feathered phoenix was perched on Harry's bed and it had a letter in its golden beak. Harry walked slowly over to the beautiful bird and sat down beside him. "Hello Fawkes, another letter from Dumbledore?" Harry asked already knowing the answer. Fawkes had delivered several letters to Harry already that summer, from his Headmaster, 'checking up on him'. Harry took the letter from the crimson colored bird and opened it. He skimmed down the letter, nothing of importance, just another letter inquiring after how he was doing. Harry took out a fresh parchment and his quill and wrote as he normally did two words in perfect scrawl, 'I'm Fine.'

What Harry really wanted to do was show Dumbledore exactly how fine he really was. He wanted to yell at the old man for giving him all the information that he had been hiding from Harry all his life, and then leaving him alone to deal with it. Not that his friends could help him much, but it would have been nice to not be alone in this, he felt lost and all he wanted to do was give up and let life pass him by.

Harry handed the letter to the waiting Fawkes. The phoenix took it and then dropped it on his bed and looked up at Harry as if to say 'that's not good enough'. Harry frowned tiredly and picked up the letter and handed it back to the bird. "It's going to have to be good enough," he told him.

Fawkes grabbed the letter with his beak again but this time the letter burst into flames and then turned to ashes on his bed. Harry quickly smothered out the lingering flames, nearly singing his hands, and then held up his blanket, that now had a large burn hole in it. He gaped through the hole at the phoenix, not knowing what to make of the bird; he'd never acted like this before. Harry put the scorched blanket down.

The phoenix hopped onto his leg and looked up into Harry's green eyes, a beautiful song filled Harry's ears and he relaxed instantly. All the feelings of lost, hopelessness disappeared from Harry's mind. It was as if the bird was telling him not to give up. He looked down at the bird as the phoenix song ended. "I understand, Fawkes, but how can I ever possibly become strong enough to defeat him? He's so much more powerful then I am."

Fawkes flapped his wings and lifted himself into the air. There was a brief flash of flame and a large book landed heavily in Harry's lap. The Phoenix landed again on Harry's bed. Harry picked up the book curiously; it was a very old book without a title or an author. He opened the book cautiously and started to skim down the first hand written page. Harry's eyes widened with realization, it was a diary, but not just any diary, Merlin's Diary.

Harry shot his head back up to the phoenix, with amazement in his eyes. "This can't be. I specifically remember reading that Merlin's Diaries, though recorded that they existed, had never been found. It's openly taught in History of Magic class. How did you get this?" I'm talking bloody to a bird, Harry thought, but Fawkes stared back at Harry and it seemed to him that the phoenix had a smug look in his face. The bird nipped at the book as if to say 'read it' and then disappeared with a flash of flame.

Harry did just that, over the next day and night, he left his room only a few times to use the facilities and to grab a small meal here and there when no one was in the house. Mostly he ate just bread and water and the occasional peanut butter with the bread, but at least he was eating something compared to the nothing that he had taken to within the last couple of weeks. He couldn't believe his luck. How had Dumbledore found the diaries? And how come he hadn't sent a letter explaining with Fawkes? Maybe he wanted him to read the first book before he revealed all?

Harry was just on the last page of the very insightful diary, that was opening his mind to difficult, but powerful magic that he had never heard of, nor dreamed about in his life, when Fawkes reappeared and another book was left on his bed, very similar to the one that he had just finished. This time the phoenix did not stay long and disappeared, being satisfied that Harry was doing what he wanted. Again Harry's mind wandered to thoughts of why Dumbledore hadn't explained why he wanted Harry to know Merlin's Magic. Well that was obvious, it would help him against Voldemort.

After halfway through the second diary Harry started to eat better and started taking walks in the morning just after the sun had risen. Merlin had explained in the diary, in great depth, that one had to be physically well and fit to use most of the magic that he was reading about, for most of the magic could be draining. The diary had described techniques and exercises that would allow one the ability to swiftly gain strength and speed and would help sharpen the mine. Harry was sure that most of this was already put into practice in Auror training. He found himself wondering briefly one night, if he had gained enough O.W.L.'s to allow himself access to that N.E.W.T. He doubted it, he was sure potions would keep him out. Besides, did he really want to become an Auror now that he knew his destiny? He wasn't so sure, but he hadn't considered any other career.

A week and a half later, Harry having started keeping normal hours, sleeping at night and awaking in the mornings for his now daily run around Privet Drive was looking almost normal for a near sixteen-year-old boy. He had, though it had been slow going, started eating real food a week ago and he was no longer dangerously thin. He had even started to build some muscle with the training he had been putting himself through. He found that though he still grieved for his godfather, he no longer woke in the middle of the night from the regular nightmares, and the physical training helped to keep his mind off unpleasant thoughts. The fear that had plagued him since returning to the Dursley's had all but left him and he was feeling better for it. It helped that he had learned how to push the Dark Lord from his mind for brief amounts of time.

The useful training that he learned in the diaries consisted of a morning run and pushups, sit-ups and other strength building exercises, and then after a healthy breakfast a form of physical meditation, that though he found awkward at first helped to strengthen, not just his mind but muscles, Harry didn't know he had. After the meditation, Harry would read, not just the diaries but also his schoolbooks. He found that he absorbed quickly anything in writing that he put his eyes to and that he remembered every detail. At first, it was unnerving but then it was remarkably helpful. He did not know if it was some sort of magic allowing him to do this or if the meditation exercises were just making him smarter. Harry had read in one of Merlin's books about another Wizard Merlin had met during his travels, that seemed to have the same ability, and though he had tried to learn from the Wizard how he was able to do this, he had never been able to absorb written words as Harry found that he now could.

Harry had just finished reading another one of Merlin's Diaries and was expecting Fawkes to appear with another when he heard the sound of people coming up the stairs. The one person he had most loathed to see and hadn't, since her arrival, was the first person he heard.

"Does the boy even still exist, you keep telling me that he is here Vernon, but I have yet to see even one unruly hair on his head. Not that I care for the ungrateful boy, but what will your neighbors think when they see him. He must be skin and bones if what you say is true about his eating habits. And you tell me that he goes out of the house for long periods of time. What if the police see him Vernon?" Aunt Marge's wail of a voice sounded down the hall and then there was Vernon Dursley's ruff knock at his bedroom door.

Harry scuffled to hide the pile of books he had strewn across his bed and he had just managed to get the last book into his trunk when his door burst open and his uncle came into the room, looking thoroughly annoyed.

"Potter…" Uncle Vernon looked over Harry with an eye of uncertainty for a moment. Harry was wearing a tight navy blue t-shirt and jeans, which clearly showed Vernon that he was not wasting away, but looked much different then the last time he had laid eyes on Harry.

"Oh Vernon, you must have been exaggerating, he is clearly well, he looks as fit as a fiddle," Aunt Marge appraised Harry as if he were one of her dogs. "Though his hair is still horrid and he clearly is in need of proper grooming, but with the looks he gets from his parents, he probably will never look properly groomed."

Harry had had enough, her voice alone would have been enough to give even Lord Voldemort a migraine. Harry had just started to learn to keep his emotions in check, but he was seriously considering showing the woman exactly what he had inherited from his parents. The only thing that kept him from reaching for his wand was the thought of having to go to another hearing at the Ministry for using magic underage. Instead Harry walked up to her with hatred in his eyes. "Get out of my room before I have the thought to give you something to really complain about me."

Vernon's face turned the reddest color Harry had ever seen on him and he was sure that his uncle was about to explode at him and Harry tightened his muscles and flinched away, waiting for his uncle's attack, but something made his uncle back down and fear sweep into his eyes. Harry turned quickly around afraid that Fawkes had taken that moment to appear in his room with another book, but found himself face to face with a tall figure in a long black cloak with the hood up over his head.

Harry stepped back as he was gripped with fear, for a moment thinking that Voldemort had somehow found a way passed the wards that protected him, but as the figure removed his hood, Harry's fear turned into hatred. There was one person he loathed more than or nearly just as much as Voldemort, and he was now standing feet from him in his bedroom. "Snape…" Harry sneered.

"Professor," the greasy haired potion's master reminded Harry coldly. "I have come to take you to Grimmauld Place," Professor Snape said then lifted his wand in his hand. "Obliviate," Snape muttered as he pointed his wand at Aunt Marge. He looked to the woman and said flatly. "Go down stairs to the kitchen, you never saw this and Harry's been away at school the entire time you've been here."

"Now wait just a minute," Uncle Vernon reacted to this as he normally would, but Aunt Marge was already on her way down the stairs. "What have you done to her?" Vernon raged, his face growing increasingly redder.

"A simple memory charm, Mr. Dursley, she was not harmed in anyway. I suggest that if you don't want me to do the same to you that you not hinder me taking Mr. Potter, unless you want me to leave him here," Snape said monotonously, but it provoked the reaction he had desired.

Vernon's face went from flaming mad to pale as a sheet and then back to slightly red again in a matter of seconds, "Take the boy and get out of my house… But don't let the neighbors see you." Vernon added just before slamming Harry's door shut behind him as he left.

Harry fidgeted for several moments and he flinched from the string of curses he could still hear from his uncle through the closed door. Harry was uncomfortable enough with having Snape in his bedroom, he really didn't need the git knowing what his home life was like as well. "You're here to take me to Grimmauld Place?" Harry asked to cover the noise that still came from the floor below them.

"Ever the observant one, aren't you Mr. Potter? Yes, now hurry up and pack your belongings, Professor Dumbledore is expecting us back."

A/N: Well that was chapter two.