Disclaimer: Unfortunately, the characters and books still aren't mine. I
own the plot, though
A/N: Thanks to my wonderful reviewers; MindyLou, blackenedsoul, and Burner the Echidna. Keep it up guys, I love getting reviews! OK and one more thing...in this chapter Harry's thoughts will be in italics.
To Live and To Love Chapter 5
After Ron had finished talking, he abruptly turned, left the room, went into the bedroom that he shared with his brothers, and closed the door.
"Wow, that was kind of awkward." Hermione breathed in a shaky voice. "Do you think he'll be all right? I mean, I hope that won't scar him for life or anything."
Harry smiled warmly. "Oh, he'll get over it. I'll go and talk to him after I go down and talk to Dumbledore. I'd better be going. See you in a while." With that, he turned and started walking slowly down the rickety stairs.
The more time I take getting there, he thought, the more that I'm going to dread talking to Dumbledore. I wonder if he's going to be angry with me after that last episode in his office, where I threw stuff. He said that it was a way to relieve anger, but I don't know...oh come on Harry just go talk to him.
Harry opened the door to the dining room and was greeted with the pleasant smile of the Hogwarts headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. The old but wise man looked as healthy as ever, and glad to see him.
"I wonder what I did with that Chocolate Frog card that I found on the train...," Dumbledore thought. "Maybe I...oh here he is. Harry Potter. He doesn't look well at all, Mrs. Weasely was right."
"Harry, my boy. I am glad to see that you are now doing well. I heard from Remus Lupin, and I can truly say that I am glad that he got you out of that wretched house when he did." Albus Dumbledore warmly greeted Harry. Suddenly Fawkes the phoenix, who had taken to traveling with Dumbledore everywhere he went, came in through the door and nodded toward the headmaster.
"Ah," Dumbledore said in a pleasant voice, "Molly has left the other side of the door. Now we can speak a bit more freely. So how are you really doing, lad?"
Well, if I don't watch myself I could go off on him like I did Hermione, but I don't think that I want to do that. I think it scares both of us when I let my emotions control the conversation. I'll tell him the facts without letting my emotions get in the way. Yeah, well that could work, but he asked how I really feel, so...I don't know, I work it out as I go, I guess.
Harry mentally collected himself and then began. "OK, you want to know...here goes. Let's start from the beginning of this summer, shall we? The worst event happened right at the beginning. The person whom I loved most in the entire world was killed before my very eyes. Then, before I could even start to accept Sirius's death, I was shipped back to Surrey. My so-called 'family' absolutely loathes me, with the exception on Aunt Petunia, who only semi-hates me. But she left to go to her brother's house for the summer because he wasn't feeling his best. That left Uncle Vernon to do whatever he wanted to me. He started by giving me a long lecture on how I have ruined his entire life, cost him more money than he would like to ever spend on someone that is not technically blood related to him. As he went on, I finally got sick of it. I stood up and started yelling back at him. Just so you know now, I did not take out my wand or do anything that is related to magic. I finished my yelling and said that I was going upstairs to do my Potions essay. I guess Uncle Vernon saw that as the last straw, because the next thing I knew, I was waking up on my bed with a headache and a huge lump on my head. The door was locked from the outside, and all of my Hogwarts stuff, with the exception of the few things I had hidden under a loose floorboard beforehand, was gone. There was a new dog door attached to the door, and there were closely spaced bars on the windows. Hedwig was taken away and kept in the linen closet in her cage. I was only allowed out of my room twice a day to go to the loo. Every few days Uncle Vernon watched me while I wrote short letters to everyone that had threatened Uncle Vernon for my safety. Every time that I tried to write a plea for help, I was beaten with whatever was around at the time that was heavy. For a few weeks during the beginning of the summer, I saw owls flying around the house trying to deliver letters to me. Dudley and Uncle Vernon shot at them with BB guns, and eventually they stopped showing up. The only thing that I had to look forward to was the start of next term and Hogwarts, so I tried to occupy my time by doing my Potions homework. Things kept on like this until Dudley tried to tell my uncle that I was doing magic, which of course I wasn't. Then Moony, umm, Professor Lupin showed up and here I am. My head still hurts and I have scars that will probably be around for years. Is that enough for you, Professor Dumbledore?
Dumbledore had just watched him through the entire length of his rant. "Well, my boy," he said after a few moments pause, "I can see that you have had a hard summer. But I am actually here with some better news. You will no longer have to go back to Surrey to stay with your uncle, aunt, and cousin for the summers. No my boy, the Weaselys have agreed to house you for the next two summers until you turn eighteen. I am still working on the Christmas holidays, but it's a start. They love you as a son, Harry, and I suggest that you take advantage of that. You don't have to tell the story of your summer, at least not that you told me, to anyone else if you don't want to, although I've heard that you told it to Miss Granger. Well, I have to get to the Ministry. We are trying to set up some new security, so if you will excuse me, I will see you in September at the start of the term. Au revoir, Mister Potter."
With that Albus Dumbledore stood up and left the dining room. Harry strained and heard the front door open and close. He definitely had a lot to think about, but now he had to go back upstairs and tell Hermione and Ron about the conversation that had just happened.
A/N: Thanks to my wonderful reviewers; MindyLou, blackenedsoul, and Burner the Echidna. Keep it up guys, I love getting reviews! OK and one more thing...in this chapter Harry's thoughts will be in italics.
To Live and To Love Chapter 5
After Ron had finished talking, he abruptly turned, left the room, went into the bedroom that he shared with his brothers, and closed the door.
"Wow, that was kind of awkward." Hermione breathed in a shaky voice. "Do you think he'll be all right? I mean, I hope that won't scar him for life or anything."
Harry smiled warmly. "Oh, he'll get over it. I'll go and talk to him after I go down and talk to Dumbledore. I'd better be going. See you in a while." With that, he turned and started walking slowly down the rickety stairs.
The more time I take getting there, he thought, the more that I'm going to dread talking to Dumbledore. I wonder if he's going to be angry with me after that last episode in his office, where I threw stuff. He said that it was a way to relieve anger, but I don't know...oh come on Harry just go talk to him.
Harry opened the door to the dining room and was greeted with the pleasant smile of the Hogwarts headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. The old but wise man looked as healthy as ever, and glad to see him.
"I wonder what I did with that Chocolate Frog card that I found on the train...," Dumbledore thought. "Maybe I...oh here he is. Harry Potter. He doesn't look well at all, Mrs. Weasely was right."
"Harry, my boy. I am glad to see that you are now doing well. I heard from Remus Lupin, and I can truly say that I am glad that he got you out of that wretched house when he did." Albus Dumbledore warmly greeted Harry. Suddenly Fawkes the phoenix, who had taken to traveling with Dumbledore everywhere he went, came in through the door and nodded toward the headmaster.
"Ah," Dumbledore said in a pleasant voice, "Molly has left the other side of the door. Now we can speak a bit more freely. So how are you really doing, lad?"
Well, if I don't watch myself I could go off on him like I did Hermione, but I don't think that I want to do that. I think it scares both of us when I let my emotions control the conversation. I'll tell him the facts without letting my emotions get in the way. Yeah, well that could work, but he asked how I really feel, so...I don't know, I work it out as I go, I guess.
Harry mentally collected himself and then began. "OK, you want to know...here goes. Let's start from the beginning of this summer, shall we? The worst event happened right at the beginning. The person whom I loved most in the entire world was killed before my very eyes. Then, before I could even start to accept Sirius's death, I was shipped back to Surrey. My so-called 'family' absolutely loathes me, with the exception on Aunt Petunia, who only semi-hates me. But she left to go to her brother's house for the summer because he wasn't feeling his best. That left Uncle Vernon to do whatever he wanted to me. He started by giving me a long lecture on how I have ruined his entire life, cost him more money than he would like to ever spend on someone that is not technically blood related to him. As he went on, I finally got sick of it. I stood up and started yelling back at him. Just so you know now, I did not take out my wand or do anything that is related to magic. I finished my yelling and said that I was going upstairs to do my Potions essay. I guess Uncle Vernon saw that as the last straw, because the next thing I knew, I was waking up on my bed with a headache and a huge lump on my head. The door was locked from the outside, and all of my Hogwarts stuff, with the exception of the few things I had hidden under a loose floorboard beforehand, was gone. There was a new dog door attached to the door, and there were closely spaced bars on the windows. Hedwig was taken away and kept in the linen closet in her cage. I was only allowed out of my room twice a day to go to the loo. Every few days Uncle Vernon watched me while I wrote short letters to everyone that had threatened Uncle Vernon for my safety. Every time that I tried to write a plea for help, I was beaten with whatever was around at the time that was heavy. For a few weeks during the beginning of the summer, I saw owls flying around the house trying to deliver letters to me. Dudley and Uncle Vernon shot at them with BB guns, and eventually they stopped showing up. The only thing that I had to look forward to was the start of next term and Hogwarts, so I tried to occupy my time by doing my Potions homework. Things kept on like this until Dudley tried to tell my uncle that I was doing magic, which of course I wasn't. Then Moony, umm, Professor Lupin showed up and here I am. My head still hurts and I have scars that will probably be around for years. Is that enough for you, Professor Dumbledore?
Dumbledore had just watched him through the entire length of his rant. "Well, my boy," he said after a few moments pause, "I can see that you have had a hard summer. But I am actually here with some better news. You will no longer have to go back to Surrey to stay with your uncle, aunt, and cousin for the summers. No my boy, the Weaselys have agreed to house you for the next two summers until you turn eighteen. I am still working on the Christmas holidays, but it's a start. They love you as a son, Harry, and I suggest that you take advantage of that. You don't have to tell the story of your summer, at least not that you told me, to anyone else if you don't want to, although I've heard that you told it to Miss Granger. Well, I have to get to the Ministry. We are trying to set up some new security, so if you will excuse me, I will see you in September at the start of the term. Au revoir, Mister Potter."
With that Albus Dumbledore stood up and left the dining room. Harry strained and heard the front door open and close. He definitely had a lot to think about, but now he had to go back upstairs and tell Hermione and Ron about the conversation that had just happened.