Harry suddenly tumbled out onto the floor of #4 Privet Drive. He quickly stood up and looked around for his relatives. He could hear voices coming from the backyard and he could smell barbeque chicken. Harry got down onto his hands and knees and crawled over to the staircase so the Dursley's would not spot him from the backyard. He quickly scrambled up the stairs and ran to his old bedroom.
When he pushed the bedroom door open he stopped at the threshold and looked inside at the tiny room. His stomach dropped and he felt a rush of fear. He was shocked to see that the room hadn't changed one bit. The blood on the floor had dried to a brownish color and the bed sheets were still bunched up on the floor by his bed. An image of his uncle flashed in his mind, You're worthless and no one will ever want you, you freak! Harry broke out in a cold sweat and forced himself to take a step into the room. Turn and face the wall! Oh God, stop thinking about him! Harry slowly made his way to the desk and grabbed the picture of his parent's trying to focus on something other than his uncle.
Harry walked over to the window and peeked out the curtains. He could see Dudley and his gang sitting on lawn chairs under the tree and Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon standing at the barbeque pit flipping over chicken. That's typical. Dudley sittin around waiting for food and not lifting a finger to help. Well at least I'm not the one waiting on the pig.
Harry turned towards his bed and hoped with everything he had that his invisibility cloak was still hidden in the floorboards. He pushed the bed over and loosened the floor board underneath. Waiting for him was his Father's beautiful cloak and photo album from Hagrid. Yes! If all goes well the Dursley's will never even know I was here and I'll have Hedwig back.
He threw the cloak over his head and made his way down to the basement. Once there he looked around for any signs of his owl, but knew already she wasn't there. If she was anywhere in the house he would of felt her somehow. Harry knew that Uncle Vernon had taken Hedwig in the car and driven off somewhere. If Hedwig was still alive then his uncle would have to go see her at some point and Harry intended to shadow him until he did.
Harry made his way into the kitchen and grabbed a few cans of soda, some cookies and a bag of pretzels. He planned on waiting down in the basement until his Uncle went to work in the morning. Hedwig must be at the Grunnings Plant somewhere. Harry knew he would find her if she was there. He headed down to the basement and hid his food behind a few boxes. He went back upstairs still hidden under his cloak for some water. Just as he walked into the kitchen the back door swung open and Uncle Vernon walked in with a plate full of chicken.
Harry's heart beat so loudly that he thought Vernon might actually hear it! Harry had no idea he would still feel terror at seeing his uncle again. He took a deep breath and shook his head. No! I am not going to let Vernon have that kind of power over me! Harry decided at that moment to stop being afraid of the bloated pig standing before him.
Vernon placed the chicken down on the counter and turned towards the icebox for the potato salad. Harry eyed the chicken and his stomach growled with hunger. Maybe I'll have a little fun with old Verny! Harry grabbed the plate of b.b.q. chicken and stuck it under his cloak. This is going to taste good! He stood back to watch his Uncle's reaction. Vernon turned around with a big bowl of salad and froze on the spot. When he didn't see the chicken he looked around quickly then made his way towards the backdoor.
"Petunia! Did you take the chicken outside? I thought we were eating in here."
Petunia came into the house and said, "I didn't take the chicken. Vernon where did you put it? I saw you walk in with it."
"I put it right here on the counter," Vernon said slapping his hand down on the empty counter top. "Where the bloody hell did it go?"
Petunia opened the cupboard doors and looked inside them. She opened the drawers and looked under the kitchen towel. "Where did you put it Vernon? Dudley and his friends are getting pretty hungry and we don't want to upset him on his big day."
"Petunia I tell you I set that food right here!" Vernon pounded on the countertop.
Dudley walked into the kitchen and plopped his big body in the closest chair. "Let's eat! Come on blokes, get in here and dig in!" Dudley called to his friends.
Petunia looked a little frightened as she said, "Dudders, Daddy lost the chicken."
"I didn't lose it! I put it down right here!" Vernon kept pounding the counter as if that might make the chicken reappear.
"Well it didn't just get up and walk away dear," said Petunia with an annoyed expression.
"You better not be trying to make me go back on that diet again! I thought we were celebrating tonight!"
"Oh Dudders we are celebrating. We are so proud that you lost those ten pounds!" Aunt Petunia said as she went to console her son.
"Then where's my food! You said we would have chicken and cake and presents! You promised!" Dudley was acting like a five year old and Harry was quite amused.
It seemed they were celebrating Dudley's weight loss with a party.
Dudley started getting upset and almost bumped right into Harry. Harry took that as his cue to leave and headed back down to the basement as quietly as possible with the heaping plate of chicken. He sat down on the last step and grabbed a giant drumstick in his hand and took a mouthful. It was the best thing he'd had to eat all summer long! He ate another drumstick and both wings before he heard the front door slam shut. He quickly hid the chicken behind the boxes and made his way back upstairs. He looked out the window just in time to see Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia drive off with Dudley and all three of his friends crammed into the backseat. Harry laughed so hard he practically fell to the floor. They must be going for pizza!
Harry looked towards the fireplace and thought about Vespa and the way she knew his address without being told. What was she up to? Harry really didn't have high hopes that she would floo call him back to Snape Manor but he sat down next to the fireplace just in case she did call for him. He would have to tell her that he wasn't ready to come back just yet. He didn't plan on leaving until he had his owl back.
He only hoped Snape wasn't going to be too angry at him. If he had his chance to find Hedwig then it was all worth it, no matter what Snape did to him when he found out. Harry hadn't realized how tired he was as he leaned back against the sofa and threw his cloak over his legs. He quickly drifted off to a deep sleep without any nightmares interrupting his dreams.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Snape had rode his broom to the Forbidden Forest under the invisibility charm. When he passed through the gates of Hogwarts he could see the Aurors placed strategically around the grounds. They must be desperate to get their hands on Harry. Snape really needed to find out who was behind the push to get Harry sent back to the Dursley's. After the way they treated the boy Snape highly doubted Harry would come back whole if he was sent back there.
When Severus reached the edge of the forest he jumped off his broom and leaned it against a tree. Then he headed for the area he knew the plant grew in. The forest was very quiet, not even the birds were making noise. It put Severus on edge and he became very aware of his surroundings. The sun began to set and the air was getting brisk. Severus wanted to grab the plant and head back as soon as possible. The least amount of time Harry spent with his Aunt, the better. He couldn't wait to brew the potion and get rid of this horrible curse. The boy really was looking desperate the last time Snape had seen him. He decided to take matters into his own hands and go get the damn owl back for the boy. He wasn't entirely sure how he was going to get the owl without being detected but knew he would come up with a plan.
Just then he spotted the tip of the rare plant sticking out behind a bunch of leaves. He bent down and carefully pushed the leaves away, revealing the perfect specimen. He pulled a small pair of clippers from his cloak and snipped the base of the plant. As soon as the plant was cut, a strong metallic smell hit his nostrils. There it is again! The smell, the smell is so familiar! It hit him like a ton of bricks. He remembered suddenly where he had smelled that: The tea, the so called special tea that he had with Vespa, years ago!
He thought back to that odd tea she had insisted he attend eight years ago. He remembered her serving a strange metalic tasting tea that he didn't want to drink. He remembered how she insisted that he finish every last drop, chastising his poor manners. That was the last time he had smelled that strong metallic smell. His stomach dropped down to his feet as he knew it was Vespa who had cast the spell on him and not his father.
Oh Merlin! I left Harry with Vespa!
Snape quickly put the plant in his pocket and ran out of the forest as fast as his legs would carry him. He found the broom leaning against a tree where he had left it and jumped on. His mind was having trouble wrapping around the idea of Vespa casting that spell on him. He knew she looked down on him but never thought she would try to kill any of his offspring. That was just too evil to fathom.
TheProfessornever imagined he would have such strong feelings for Harry Potter. He truly cared about the boy and wanted to see this adoption through. He knew he had a lot of making up to do to the boy but knew that once this curse was gone, everything would fall into place.
Snape had put the boy in so much danger and had even physically harmed him and now placed the boy with Vespa! What the bloody hell kind of guardian was he! The boy would have been better off with the Dursley's! Well, I'm not quite that bad but I have been pretty harsh with the boy.
Snape made his way to Hogsmeade and quickly apparated as close to his home as possible. He made a hole through the barrier and climbed through. The estate looked quiet. There was no sign of anyone on the grounds. Snape took off the invisibility charm and ran into the house through the kitchen door. He quickly headed for the main staircase and had one foot placed on the first step before he froze in his tracks.
Three different Aurors standing in the living room had wands pointing at him. One of them yelled, "Freeze! Drop your wand."
Snape slowly turned towards them and assessed the situation. It didn't look too good for him. Besides the three Aurors there was Percy Weasley and Sir Stanton.
Ah huh! The pieces to the puzzle all fit. Vespa must have bribed Stanton to push for Harry's return back to the Dursley's just in case her curse didn't work. Vespa must have used the secret password and let all those Aurors into the manor. Stanton was the powerful wizard pushing to have Harry taken away from him. If that was the case then where was Harry!
"Where is my son?" Snape said with a dangerously low tone of voice as he glared at Sir Stanton.
Stanton was glad he was surrounded by three Aurors and spoke with a false bravado, "You have no son Snape. If you are talking about Harry Potter, the boy is back with his family. Now don't make this harder then it already is. Drop your wand."
Severus scanned the room and tried to come up with a plan to escape. Before he knew what was happening an Auror cast the body binding spell and another Auror yelled, "Expelliarmus!"
Snape's wand went flying through the air and his body slammed down to the ground. His head took the brunt of the fall and a large cut burst open on the back of his head. He only stayed conscious for another second or two but it was long enough to catch a glimpse of Vespa standing at the head of the staircase with a large grin on her evil face.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Harry awoke to car doors slamming and Dudley screaming about how he hated the pizza. The front door swung open and all three Dursley's walked into living room. Harry pulled the cloak over his head and scooted to the side of the sofa.
"Where's my cake! Don't I even get to eat my bloody cake or did Dad lose that too!" Dudley grabbed one of the many wrapped presents off the coffee table and tore it open. He must not of liked the new video games very much since he threw them towards the fireplace, almost hitting Harry.
Petunia walked into the living room holding a large blue cake with "Congratulation Dudley!" written across the top. Both Vernon and Petunia started clapping and saying "congratulations" to thier son.
Harry just couldn't stop himself, this was just too good! Aunt Petunia continued walking towards Dudley and was almost standing before him when she "tripped" over something and the cake went flying straight at Dudley's head. The cake landed square on Dudley's round face! Harry smashed his fist into his mouth to keep from laughing out loud. Vernon tried to say something but words would not come out of his mouth and Petunia screeched in horror over what she had just done to her baby! Dudley tried to scream but the cake was plastered on his face and he couldn't breathe. He was clawing at the cake trying to make a hole for air.
It seemed all three Dursley's got control of their voices at the same time as the noise level became unbearable and Harry covered his ears.
"I hate you, I hate you!" Dudley screeched at his pleading parents as he ran for the stairs. Both parents chased after him and Harry heard them bribing the spoiled boy with more gifts to come.
Harry would give anything to have a magical picture of the cake scene. How he would love to share that with the Weasley twins! Harry quietly made his way back down to the basement and made a bed out of a pile of Dudley's old clothes. Tomorrow would bring an answer to his search. He felt a slight ficker of hope at seeing his companion again.
As Harry was drifting off to sleep he wondered why Snape hadn't tried to find him. He tried not to be too disappointed with that thought but he was really hurt. He wished that Snape was here helping him get his owl back.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Snape woke up to find himself on a hard cot in a cold room with bars on one side and a small window with bars on the other side. Oh Merlin! I'm in jail. He stood up too quickly and staggered back down to the cot again. He felt a large bump on the back of his head. The first thing he needed to do was to get Harry out of Dursley's home. He needed to talk with Dumbledore and get him to go get Harry. He stood again and looked around for a guard.
"Gaurd! Is anyone here!" Snape yelled out. The place was quiet, not even other inmates were there. He looked around again and realized he must be in the cells located under the Ministry of Magic Building. Oh yes, he'd been here before. The place had higher security then any other place he knew.
Snape sank back down to the cot and thought of what Harry must be going through right now. Severus had a panic in his heart at the thought of finding Harry in the same condition he was in on his last visit to the Dursley's. I'll kill the bastard if he lays one hand on the boy! Snape thought of his future son and how he had misjudged him for so many years. He had always assumed Potter was just like his father but Snape came to realize that Harry was actually the least confident person he knew. Potter's uncle had changed a once self assured boy into a frightened boy, who had lost all confidence in himself. Snape had been hoping that Harry would gain some of it back but it seemed the boy had been more emotionally damaged than Snape knew. Snape knew they both had a long rode ahead of them if this relationship was going to work out. There is no way I am letting go of the boy! He will be back to his old self again if it's the last thing I do!
Suddenly he heard a door open down the hallway and the air became freezing cold.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Harry woke up very early and made his way upstairs and out the front door. He snuck into Vernon's car and sat in the front passengers seat with his invisibility cloak over him. He stayed there for a good two hours before he saw Vernon waddle out to the car with Petunia running after him with his lunchbox.
Vernon sank down into the drivers seat and threw his lunch box towards Harry. Harry caught the box and placed it next to him on the seat. Luckily Vernon was preoccupied as he pulled out of the driveway and didn't see the way the lunchbox stopped midair and righted itself on the car seat. It took half an hour to reach Grunnings and park the car in the large lot. Vernon reached over and grabbed his lunch box. He had a peculiar look on his face as he lifted the box up. He pulled open the box and looked inside.
"What the bloody hell is going on?" The lunch box was empty. Harry covered his mouth with his hand to hold back his laughter once again. Vernon's entire lunch was cradled in Harry's lap! He had even taken out the thermos with the hot coffee.
"What's wrong with Petunia!" Vernon hissed as he threw the lunchbox into the back seat of the car.
Harry waited until Vernon was several feet away from the car before he opened his door and got out of the car. Harry cradled his uncle's lunch in his sweater and followed closely behind his Uncle. Harry's heart was hammering in his chest as he got closer to the front door. Vernon walked into the plant and punched his time card in the clock on the wall. Then he made his way to an office up a steep stairwell. Harry looked around the office and saw several pictures of Dudley smiling back at him. Gross!
Vernon looked as if he was going to sit down in the chair behind his desk but then suddenly changed his mind. Instead he walked to the back of the office and pulled out his keys. He unlocked a closet door and pulled on a chain in the closet and a light flickered on. Harry walked a little closer so he could see inside too. He didn't really even need to see her to know she was there. He could feel her as if she was sitting right next to him. Hedwig was there in the closet! But why wasn't she making any noise? Harry tried to get a better look at her and walked around the desk to the other side of Uncle Vernon. Just as he moved around the desk his cloak caught on a folder sticking out and knocked over the pencil holder. Vernon whipped around looking at the pencil scattered across his office floor.
"Who's there!" he called in a panic.
He looked around and then turned back to the closet. Funny things had been happening lately. First the missing chicken, then the cake and now the pencil holder. Vernon began to feel the hairs on the back of his neck stand up a bit. He should just get rid of this owl and be done with it. But what if the boy came back and he needed the owl to shut him up? He thought he better hang onto it at least until school started.
Harry froze and tried to quiet his thumping heart. The last thing he needed at this point was to get caught by Vernon. He watched asVernon suddenly slammed the closet door shut and turned around.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Snape rose up from the cot with his blood running cold. A Dementor? What was going on around here? He hadn't done anything so bad as to be sent to Azkaban. He needed to get a message to Dumbledore, he needed to get Harry away from the Dursley's before the boy was killed by his uncle.
The dementor didn't make any noise as he opened the jail cell door. Snape became so cold that he actually shivered. He didn't even care about that as long as he could get someone to realize that Harry was back with the Dursleys. He watched as the dementor stood back after opening the door. Snape could hear people walking down the long coridoor of cells towards him.Percy Weasleyand Stanton stopped in front of the door and looked at the Professor.
"So Professor, do you like your accommodations?"Stanton said with a slight chuckle at the end.
Snape continued to glare at both men without saying a word. He wanted to see what sort of game these men had up their sleeves.
"I think he may need a few more days to contemplate the error of his ways. What do you think Weasley?"
Percy tried not to look into the Potion Professor"s unforgiving eyes. Percy made a small sound and took a few steps back.
"You will not get away with this. I am giving you fair warning that you will pay for this," Snape said as he glowered at Stanton.
"Oh that's rich coming from a man locked up with a dementor as a room mate," Stanton laughed.
"You underestimate me. You will find that I have more experience than you in making a situation work to my benefit," Snape said in a dangerously low tone.
"I think you need to learn some manners Professor," Stanton sneered.
Those words sounded like they came from Vespa's mouth and Snape became even angrier at the man. He turned his attention to the timid man by the cell door.
"Weasley, how do you think your family will react when they find out you were partly at fault for sending Harry back to his Uncle? I'm sure your brothers will have some choice words for you, not to mention your Mother and Father."
Snape could see how the boy began to tremble.
"You, you kidnapped Harry, Professor. You can't just take someone without the proper procedure being followed," Percy stammered out.
"Professor Dumbledore himself secured the proper forms for my taking over gauridanship of Mr. Potter. This man you are now working for has been bribed by my Aunt and is trying to get Harry killed!"
Severus suddenly stopped talking as he was struck with a silencing spell.
Stanton grabbed hold of Percy's arm and pulled him out of the cell past the dementor.
"Don't listen to the death eater Weasley! His own family couldn't trust him."
They walked out of the jail and slammed the door at the end of the corridor, leaving Snape alone with the dementor.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
TBC
I am out of school and working on the next chapter. Review! Review!Give me some love (and reviews)and maybe the next chapter will be out before the New Year! HeeHee