Hello, my wonderful, beautiful readers! How are you? That's very nice! I'm fine, thank you for asking. Last chapter was a bit of a cliffie, wasn't it? Yessir, Harry has got some sirius issues- pun intended. So, this is the last of the chapters I wrote on vacation. The next ones might take a little longer to get out because I have to get back into the flow of writing this story. Though I will enjoy it. A lot.
Thanks to all my reviewers, you guys are awesome! Keep reviewing, please!
Disclaimer: Actually, I've been lying to you for the past four chapters. I really am JKR. Really! Nose grows at astonishing rate
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
For a moment, there was a shocked silence in the Dursley kitchen. It didn't last long.
"UGH!" Dudley moaned, flinging eggs out of his eyes.
"POTTER!" Vernon screamed. He tried to grab him but Harry was too quick. He dodged his uncle's massive arms and fled the house, laughing all the way.
o-o
Harry was only laughing to spite his aunt and uncle, however. No, he hadn't laughed properly in ages. As soon as he left the house, he stopped. His aunt's constant bad moods left him tired and annoyed. He wished the horrid baby would just come out already. It was causing him a lot of grief.
Harry started to walk down Privet Drive, away from Number Four. He knew he would have to face the consequences of his actions later, but looking back, Harry realized the whole scene had been quite amusing, actually. He did not feel bad at all for showering his cousin with eggs. In fact, his only regret was that he had wasted Tabitha Royce's delicious food.
o-o
Back in the Dursleys' kitchen, Lily was fighting the urge to laugh herself. Harry really could channel James' spirit when he needed to. Yes, flinging fried eggs at Dudley Dursley was exactly what James would have done. Then he might have hexed Vernon for being an annoying git and transfigured Petunia into some ugly creature. A skunk, perhaps, or a possum.
Lily was brought back to reality by another moan from Dudley. She hurried into the bathroom and came back with a stack of towels. Petunia grabbed them and started frantically blotting her son, as if he were a slice of pizza with too much oil.
After Dudley was somewhat clean, Petunia retired to her room claiming that she and her baby needed to rest after such a traumatic experience. Not long after she left, Harry came back. He had only been gone for a half hour or so, choosing to be absent during the worst of his bad mood. He tried to enter the house quietly. Unfortunately, Vernon spotted him.
"Potter!" He grabbed his nephew by his messing black hair. "Go to your cupboard, now! And stay there! No food! Go!" Vernon seemed incapable of proper speech. He thrust his nephew into his tiny room and slammed the door behind him, red-faced and panting with rage.
Lily watched Vernon's outburst in shock. What was wrong with the Dursleys? Harry had never done anything to deserve such treatment! Were they afraid of his powers? Jealous? Lily never could understand why Petunia hated her so much when they were children. It was possible she just had a phobia of anything slightly out of the norm. Lily realized she would probably never know the answer to her question. The Dursleys would forever be a mystery to her.
o-o
Harry lay on his bed. He had been in his room for hours, it was almost midnight. He had gone through his chocolate frog cards, done homework, basically anything to take his mind off his grumbling stomach and fatigued mind.
Harry's fifth year at Hogwarts had been nothing short of horrible. He had lost his godfather, one of the most important people in his life, and learned that he had been chosen by fate to defeat the most evil, powerful wizard of the times. Harry wanted to yell at the heavens, "Is there anything else? Anything at all? Shall I be burnt alive as well? Watch every person I care about be tortured in front of me? Eh?Anything? How about I move to a savage island full of cannibals and allow myself to be eaten alive? ANYTHING ELSE?" Harry sighed and stared at the ceiling, almost as if the answer to all his problems was written in the woodwork.
Harry was startled when he heard a faint knock on his door. "Harry," a voice whispered. It must be Royce, Harry thought instantly. Sure enough, when he opened the tiny door, he was met by those sparkling navy blue eyes.
"I thought you could use some food." She whispered. Royce was carrying a tray full of biscuits, cheese, and left-over chili from the Durselys' dinner.
Harry meant to thank her, but his bad mood caught up with him. "Why are you so nice to me?"
Tabitha's face darkened. "Someone around here should be." She looked almost pained, as if she understood Harry's frustration with the Dursleys. Harry sort of believed she did. Tabitha sat on the edge of his bed. "Besides, I don't fancy the Dursleys to be such wonderful people. And you seem like an okay boy enough." Tabitha said in a lighter tone. Harry smiled. She ruffled his already-messy hair. "So where did you get this disaster?"
"My dad." Harry laughed. Tabitha really had a way of cheering him up. "From what I've heard, I look just like him."
Tabitha smiled sadly. "I'm sure you do. Boys usually look like their fathers." Tabitha rose from Harry's bed. "Well, I'd best be off to bed. You should too, Harry. Get some rest." She spoke in a motherly tone. Harry was strongly reminded of Mrs. Weasley.
"Oh yes, because I'll need as much energy as I can get. Sitting in my room for hours can get so strenuous after a while." Harry spoke sarcastically. Tabitha laughed and shut the door behind her on her way out.
Harry smiled to himself. It was nice to meet someone genuine for a change. Tabitha Royce could turn out to be a very good friend. Just by being around her, Harry felt his mood improve. And for the first time since Sirius died, as he drifted off to sleep, Harry was not haunted by nightmares of towering daises and eerie, fluttering veils whispering secrets of death into his ear.
o-o
Lily was full to bursting with emotion. She had had first real conversation with her son! And they had talked about James, of all subjects! She would really have to control herself in the future. It was much too risky for Harry to find out her identity while Dumbledore's charm still had the dangerous side effect of changing people's appearances. No, their conversations would really have to stay on safer topics. Still, Lily was delighted with the time she spent with Harry. She couldn't have asked for a better son. She had to give her sister credit; whatever Petunia did- or didn't do, for that matter- certainly morphed Harry into a wonderful boy. Harry was intelligent, witty, and passionate, just like James. And Lily found it easier to talk about her husband with Harry than it was with anyone else. It even seemed to slightly ease the pain she felt when she thought of him. True, Harry didn't exactly know the truth about her relationship with his father, but Lily hoped that would change soon. Lily fell into a deep, dreamless sleep with this thought to comfort her.
o-o
Lily woke the next morning to a rapping on her window. She sat up in bed, rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, and stretched before rising groggily and dragging herself to the window. She pulled the glass up a few inches and allowed Peine to fly in. Lily untied the letter that was attached to her leg and watched her fly to her cage to drink a few gulps of water. It had been Dumbledore's idea to transfigure her owl into a parakeet, as they were far more inconspicuous birds. Peine was still able to deliver and send her mail, though, an ability that Lily was grateful for because she needed to be in constant contact with Dumbledore. Of course, the letter was from him, as he was her only correspondent.
Tabitha (I prefer this one),
Arthur Weasley owled me this morning to tell me that he was at the Dursleys' yesterday morning. Harry had written to him because he thought he had performed accidental magic. Arthur went as soon as he got the owl and turned the ceiling back to the way it was. He was not sighted. You were lucky this time. Please be more careful in the future. I am aware that you have not seen Harry in a decade and a half, but you must be cautious while you are staying with your sister. Anyone discovering your identity could be the downfall of our plans.
On a lighter note, I have been having much success lately with my attempts to banish the Sopravivus Charm's side effects. I have a few plans, though they will require more time. Please be patient- this discovery could mean the end of this terrible war.
I will keep you informed.
Albus
Lily went through a wide variety of emotions as she read the letter from Dumbledore. She felt relieved, of course, to know that Harry had not done magic. Panic soon overcame her, however, when she learned that Arthur Weasley had visited the previous morning. What if he had noticed the extra magic radiating from the house? Magic that was too strong, too old to be Harry's? She shuddered, imagining the dire consequences. Lily switched to frustration with Dumbledore for condescending her. She did not need to be lectured on caution, Lily was always responsible. Who was the one who kept the Marauders from crossing the line during their days at school? She was. Still, underneath her bitterness, she knew the headmaster was right. She couldn't afford to make her secret known to Harry. It was too risky. Lily was very pleased when she read the part about Dumbledore's successes with the Sopravivus. She hoped he would hurry up with a breakthrough soon; she really missed her old appearance. She felt incredibly vain thinking it, but this stern look just didn't fit her. Her auburn hair and round, fair face was a part of her, and she wanted to show that part of her to Harry.
Lily reached for her wand and set the letter on fire, just as Dumbledore had instructed her before she arrived at Privet Drive. "Destroy or hide all evidence of your contact with wizards. Letters, photos, diaries, anything you have. Nothing should connect you to the magical world."
Lily vanished the ashes and tucked her wand deep into the pocket of her bathrobe. She needed her wand with her at all times, no matter what Dumbledore said. It was her most important possession, and the only thing that made her feel safe.
With that, she left her bedroom and walked into the hallway. The house was very quiet, unusual this early in the morning. She listened closely for Vernon's usual rumbling snores and Dudley's sleep-talking. Nothing. Absolute silence. Lily hurried to Vernon and Petunia's room and opened the door just a crack. She peered inside. The bed was empty. She ran next door to Dudley's large room. Again, no Dudley. The Dursleys were gone.
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
A/N: Oh no, what happened to the Dursleys? Guess you'll have to find out next chapter… evil laugh
Just incase you all were wondering, I pictured Tabitha Royce as looking sort of like the brunette girl from Love Actually, the one Hugh Grant falls in love with. I think her name was Natalie. A cookie goes to anyone who can tell me the name of the actress who plays her! (I really don't know the answer this time; I'm having a senior moment here.)
Love from,
LaRohaZeta