Chapter 1: Other Side
Harry Potter lay on his bed at the Dursley's. It was a hot summer's day in the middle of August. His birthday had come and passed. He was now a legal wizard and could use magic without getting in trouble. He looked at Hedwig's cage, which was empty as normal.
How long can one bird possibly be gone? Could she not find Remus? Harry wondered.
Harry got up from his bed and walked downstairs. Petunia Dursley was in the kitchen making some lunch, Vernon Dursley was reading the daily paper, and Dudley Dursley was nowhere seen.
This was the normal Dursley household. Everyone was at their normal spots and Dudley was never home. Harry didn't expect anything more or less from his so called relatives. He grabbed his wand as he walked into the kitchen.
"Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon, I'm going out," Harry said.
Vernon looked up from his paper. His mustache had gotten thicker and looked bushier than ever. Some days you could find food stuck in it; sometimes you could see it was never trimmed.
"You're going nowhere, boy. You're going to help your Aunt make lunch for Dudders and me," Vernon said.
Harry pointed his wand at Vernon. Today was a bad day to tell Harry he wasn't going anywhere.
"I'm going and that's that. And no one is stopping me," Harry snarled. Vernon chuckled.
"You'll be chucked out of that school of yours. You know you're not aloud to do freak stuff here. And don't point that-that thing at me," Vernon said, his voice trembling.
Aunt Petunia turned in time to see Harry's wand pointed at Vernon. She shrieked and dropped the pan that held their lunch.
"Harry, put that away. No need to start threatening us," Petunia said, choking on her voice.
Harry didn't look back once and took off out of the kitchen. He packed everything in his trunk and looked around to make sure that he wasn't forgetting anything. He muttered a quick Shrinking Charm and put his shrunken trunk in his pocket. Harry grabbed his broom and walked downstairs, his wand in his back pocket.
Vernon stood at the bottom of the stairs, his arms crossed on his chest.
"You heard me; you're not leaving this house," Vernon stated.
Harry whipped his wand out and muttered, "Stupefy." Vernon fell to the ground and Petunia came running into the living room. She fell to her knees and began to pant over Vernon.
"What did you do?" Petunia asked. Harry turned around as he made it to the door.
"He got what he deserved," Harry said, and he walked out the door, slamming it behind him.
Harry walked out to the curb and stuck his wand arm out. There was a big bang and a purple double-decker bus appeared in front of him. The doors opened as the bus came to a stop.
"Welcome to the Knight Bus. I'm Stan and I'll be your conductor this evening," said a man as he walked out of the bus. "What can I do for you?" Stan asked, looking at Harry.
"Can you take me somewhere?" Harry asked.
"'Ow far is this somewhere?" Stan asked, and then stopped. "You're-you're Harry Potter," Stan said.
"I see they let you go. I mean, you're not in Azkaban," Harry stated.
"Come on, free trip for you. Where to?" Stan asked.
"Godric's Hollow." Harry replied, and sat down in the front bed.
"You 'eard 'im, Ern. Godric's 'Ollow," Stan said.
About ten minutes later, the Knight Bus came to a stop. Stan bid Harry good-bye, and he got off. Looking around at the street before him, Harry noticed that many of the houses that stood there looked cleaned and in use. He got his wand out and laid it in his right palm. "Point Me," Harry whispered.
The wand pointed straight and Harry began to follow it. He passed a house that had shattered windows in it and the painting was melted away. Then, at the end of the street, he came to a stop. A gray house was standing there. It was two stories, and all the windows were busted out and the front door was hanging from its hinges.
Harry walked up to the house, passing through the police paper saying 'Do Not Enter'. He looked around to see if anyone was watching. Maybe someone would remember what happened seventeen years ago. He looked at the house next door. It had a light on in the inside.
"I wonder," Harry whispered.
He stepped back under the tape and walked through the cut grass on the next lawn. Harry walked up to the door and knocked on it, stuffing his wand away quickly.
Slowly, the door opened and revealed an elderly woman's face. Her dark pale eyes stared at him.
"May I help you?" came her soft voice.
"Yes, I was wondering if you could answer a few questions, maybe," Harry stated.
The door opened farther, revealing the lady's nightwear. She had silvery hair that was longer than Hermione's and had a tint of bushiness to it.
"Please, come in, dear. You'll catch a cold standing out there," the woman said.
Harry stepped through the doorframe and into the house. He stood there, waiting for her to say where she wanted him to go. She shut the door.
"Please, have a seat," the woman said, taking a seat in her own chair.
Harry sat down on the sofa across from the chair the woman sat in. The elderly woman scanned Harry up and down.
"Who are you?" she whispered.
"I'm Harry Potter, ma'am," Harry replied.
The woman gasped. "But-you're dead, aren't you?" the woman asked.
"No, ma'am," Harry said.
A girl came running into the room at that moment. She didn't look any older than nine or ten. She had long, bushy brown hair and piercing eyes.
"Ma'am, may I ask if you're related to a Hermione Granger?" Harry asked. The woman grabbed the girl and sat her on her lap.
"No, I've never heard of this Hermione person. Might you have a picture of her on you?" the woman asked.
"No ma'am. I'm afraid I do not," Harry replied.
The woman looked at the girl, as if wondering whether or not to believe Harry.
"I'm Lorreta. Lorreta Young," Lorreta said, introducing herself.
"Nice to meet you," Harry greeted back.
"Tell me, what are you doing in this neighborhood, Harry?"
Lorreta asked.
"I'm here-" Harry stopped and gulped. "I'm here to find out about my parents," Harry finished.