Book 2:
I'm taking longer than expected with this story, so I thought I would send out a little teaser chapter. When I made the cut initially, I thought about making this the last chapter. Still planning on releasing it all at once. Unlike the Naruto story which is more draft and release, I'm using this story to practice self-editing.
Chapter 1: Summer Begins With a Bang
The train stopped; the engine turned off. Hogwarts Express was back in London; Harry Potter's remaining hours of peace were at an end. All the friends he had made since his escape to Diagon Alley that fateful day, and here he was back to square one. For other students, the beginning and end of the circle was the Hogwarts Express, for Harry it would be seeing his Uncle for the first time in a year.
All of his friends except for Tracey had left the compartment. She came back in while Harry finished putting on a muggle t-shirt. Her eyes wet with tears, like he was going off to war. "Harry, write to me every day! Don't let them do anything to you! I need you to come back safe," she demanded with a sniffle.
"I will," he said. Tracey hugged him, crying into his shoulder. He rubbed her back to console her. "Go Tracey. I'll be fine."
Tracey rubbed her eyes. "You better be." She opened the compartment door. Stood in the doorway was an unmistakable Weasley, only the middle-aged form. It had to be Arthur Weasley then.
"Ah, sorry," said Mr. Weasley as Tracey pushed past him without even acknowledging his existence. "Dumbledore said you might need an escort to your Uncle's vehicle?"
Harry nodded and grabbed his trunk off the rack. Hedwig's empty cage rattled on top. They made their way out of the train and onto the mobbed platform. Even with all Harry had delayed, there were many families reuniting with their children. The muggle-borns especially were keen to show off on the spot to their parents. They would be unable to perform magic unless they returned to this very platform.
Mr. Weasley glanced back uneasily every few seconds as they snaked through the crowds, and back out into the main platform. As they made their way into a less crowded and noisy part of the station, the man attempted small talk.
"Good first year?"
"Mmm."
"Good... good… My sons all have nice things to say about you. Ron, Fred, George, Percy. It's quite a feat to get them to agree on anything you know. Especially the twins and Percival."
"Good to hear."
"Ah! Is that your Uncle there?" Mr. Weasley pointed in the far distance of the parking lot, and sure enough Uncle Vernon was waiting for Harry next to his car. Checking his watching and tapping his feet impatiently. When they finally got close enough, Uncle Vernon noticed them. He made a sour expression when he saw Harry was being escorted.
"There you are boy. I was beginning to think you wouldn't show—who is this… person?" his Uncle asked Harry.
"This is Mr. Arthur Weasley," Harry introduced the redhead man. Neither of them made a move. Mr. Weasleys face was disapproving. So was Uncle Vernon's; that Mr. Weasley was dressed in an odd assortment of colors couldn't have helped.
"Something to say?" Vernon challenged.
"I wish I did. I truly wish I did," Mr. Weasley said, "Just treat Harry well."
"Now sir, you haven't the right to talk to me like that!" Vernon turned red with anger.
"Let's go, please Uncle Vernon," Harry pulled his trunk towards the boot of the car. "You may go Mr. Weasley. I appreciate the sentiment."
Mr. Weasley nodded and jogged off right as Harry put his trunk away. He got in the car wordlessly while his Uncle seemed to process what had just happened.
The ride back to Privet Drive went without incident. Mostly it was his Uncle Vernon muttering to himself incoherently about unappreciative oddballs dressing like nancy-boys. Typical Vernon fare. When Uncle Vernon pulled into the driveway and stopped, Harry looked out the car window at the state of his garden. It had fallen into disrepair without his tending to it. Not a word was spoken between Harry and his Uncle until Harry retrieved his things from the back of the car.
"Some kind of animal, boy?" Vernon glared at Hedwig's empty cage.
"I've sent it away for the summer Uncle," Harry responded.
"Good… good… I had forgotten how cooperative you could be." Uncle Vernon smiled, his misaligned teeth making Harry want to throw up. "You have the empty room next to Dudley's now. Get that claptrap out of my sight."
"Yes Uncle." Harry pulled his trunk inside wordlessly and up the steps, over his old bedroom.
When he entered the new room, he wrinkled his nose. They had taken his few possessions and placed them in the room. All they left in what was once Dudley's toy room was a misshapen bed which did not look at all comfortable, and a nightstand with his old alarm clock on it. In the corner was also Dudley's old toybox, which had been stuffed to the brim to the point where the lid could not close. Harry placed his trunk down along with Hedwig's cage. He sat down on the trunk and took a breath. This was it.
# # #
"Freak! It's dinner time!" Harry heard Dudley's voice from outside the door.
He shrugged, opened the door, and made his way downstairs. They were all sat at the kitchen table, completely silent and tucking into the food with great ferocity. He took the final seat and wordlessly made himself a plate.
"Hello Aunt Petunia," Harry greeted as soon as he made a sizable plate without protest.
"Harry," she acknowledged, "You're back then."
"Seems so."
Harry expected his Uncle to pipe up about how he was lucky or some such thing. It never happened. He finished his meal in silence, cleaned his plate, and went back upstairs, only to stop at the top. Something was off. Sure enough, his suspicions were confirmed.
"We are being held hostage here Petunia, I won't stand for it! He can have a few days at most before things return to normal around here!"
"I agree Vernon-dear, we do have to be careful though. Those people are completely unreasonable."
"I would get the belt for the state he left you in last summer! He cannot come and go how he pleases Petunia. He should count himself lucky. Did you see the attitude he came down with? I won't have it!"
"A few days. We can slowly adjust-"
Harry couldn't listen anymore. Instead, he made his way to his room and popped open his trunk. He then grabbed one of the calming candies and emptied it out. He had concentrated the candies using the calming droughts to make it closer to a sleeping drought. Dumbledore had been so focused on the stolen floo powder; he missed the Polyjuice Potion stored in the actual calming drought flasks. And why wouldn't he? 'Delores Umbridge' herself had complained about the lax floo powder regulation.
When he made his way downstairs, his Uncle was still talking nonsense, Harry did his best so they would hear him coming.
"Come back down for dessert eh?" the vein in Vernon's head pulsed from the effort of his ranting.
Harry examined his Uncle and cousin; they had grown heavier, his cousin especially. Dudley had been a fat child, now he could be described as morbidly obese. Vernon and Dudley had always lived in denial about their weights, by contrast his Aunt looked a bit too thin.
"I thought I should finish dessert and prepare tea," Harry said, he let his magic subtly influence them. The trace would not pick up on such things, else it would accidently go off every time a wizard had the slightest emotional fluctuation.
"Quite right you should," said his Aunt, wanting to keep the peace. She was always more intelligent than his Uncle, and often picked up on what Harry was trying to do. Since she would be the one to prepare everything otherwise, Uncle Vernon's objections died in his mouth. While Vernon was head of house, he was not in the habit of contradicting his wife.
After cleaning the table for his relatives, Harry went to the kitchen. He put on the tea, put biscuits on a plate, and cut a few slices of dry cake. The calming draught would improve it. His dexterity exercises came in handy as he one-handedly dosed everything with the calming drought, making sure Aunt Petunia's tea also got a very heavy dose. She could not be relied on to eat enough dessert.
He placed the dessert down, and his cousin and Uncle began to throw biscuits down their throats jealously, were they trying to prevent him from eating any? It reminded Harry of pigs at a trough. He handed his Aunt her tea and went to get his own, trying not to turn green from the disgusting sight before him. He had been away for too long.
"Boy! Mnnfph! Who said you could have tea?" Uncle Vernon said, crumbs coming from his mouth. His Aunt Petunia blew on her tea and sipped it lightly. He began to get nervous. At this rate she would be calm, but his Uncle and cousin would pass out before she even got halfway through the tea!
"I did," Harry responded to his Uncle. He wanted to see how quickly the draught was being absorbed.
"Ah- Yes. What was I saying? Oh, Petunia, truly wonderful cake this time. What did you do differently?" Vernon asked.
"Really? I don't think I made it differently." She took a bite of cake and chewed it carefully, and then took a long sip of tea. "Perhaps I've added more sweetness by accident?"
"I feel tired mummy, I think… I think I'll take a nap," said Dudley, yawning. He stood up and walked to the living room where he fell onto the couch with a large thump.
His Aunt took another bite of cake, this time larger, and with it a large gulp of tea. "That's not like him Vernon." She yawned.
"Too true dear, I should go… check on him." Vernon began to snore, his mouth hung open in sleep. His stomach against the kitchen table kept him upright as his head leaned back.
"Did you do something to the food Harry?" his Aunt asked placidly, "It almost seems like you've drugged us." She chuckled.
"No, no. Not at all Auntie. Finish your tea." Harry used his magic to steer his Aunt's drowsy mind.
She took another long sip. "My sister… she… wouldn't be very happy with me." Her eyes fluttered, she struggled to keep them open.
"No. I imagine you'll have to deal with the consequences in the next life." Harry kept the acid out of his tone as if trying to prevent her from waking up. "I'm going to go now. If you're smart, you'll pretend I'm still here."
"Right, yes…" His Aunt then fell deep asleep. His concentration was perhaps a touch more powerful than he anticipated. His Aunt's thin frame, and his Uncle's appetite were out of his expectations.
With the drugging of his relatives complete, Harry went and got two Polyjuice from the trunk, placing Vernon's hair into one of them. The disgusting concoction was not made better by Vernon, it may have been made worse. The Polyjuice kept its horrific grey color but thickened from the usual mixture, like a disgusting cement. He placed it on his trunk lid and stripped of his clothing. Then he walked out into the hallway, into his Aunt and Uncle's room, and made a beeline for their closet. Harry picked an outfit randomly from his Uncle, and found a particularly old fashioning looking dress from his Aunt's wardrobe, as well as a few other miscellaneous things.
Harry pinched his nose and threw the potion back. He heaved in disgust; it was rancid, worse than any Bertie Botts Harry had the misfortune to come across. But he managed to swallow the bile which threatened to come up. After the disorienting process of turning into his Uncle, Harry rushed to put on the clothing, making sure to avoid any mirrors and trying not to look down at the depressing pile of flesh he had become.
His trunk packed once again, and his things in order, Harry rolled the trunk back down the stairs. He let the trunk slam into every step, as if letting the weight of it take his revenge on that awful cupboard. Now he only wished he hadn't gotten the weight enchantment. Looking back into the kitchen, he placed a note on the table.
"Pretend I'm still here, and you never have to see me again.
-Harry"
He opened the door to the outside and took a long sniff. The garden smelled of slight rot, but it was pleasant, along with a few perennials that had survived it brought Harry back to when he had first figured-out he could escape to the garden. The sun baked his fat frame and made him sweat heavily. He should have chosen his Aunt to make this trip, but it was less believable.
"Friendsss, come to me." He called out to any snakes in the garden.
"A sssspeaker?"
"Interessting, a human with the gift."
"What a pain, I'll check it out."
A whole nest of them had settled into the garden due to the lack of care. They all came to his side out of curiosity. He put down his trunk. His reason for summoning them came ambling around the corner in the form of a short and shaggy haired man, dressed like he was a used car salesman from a decade back That could only mean Mundungus, there to spy on him.
"Bite him a few times and then disperse," Harry commanded the snakes.
"Ssssounds like fun."
"Boring. I'll do it."
"What a pain, sure."
Suddenly Mundungus was set upon with snakes, but he was unable to do any magic to protect himself, as he was out in the open in a muggle neighborhood.
"What the hell is this?! Get off! Ah! Oww! Help!" Mundungus ran towards Harry. The snakes disappeared into the grass as Mundungus tripped flat on his face onto the Durlsey's lawn.
"Are you alright? Looks like you stumbled on a nest of adders," said Harry. "They're fairly harmless but you've got a few bites there. You should get treatment. Nobody has died in years from a bite, but you never know." He held out his hand
"Good idea—thanks mate." Mundungus grabbed his hand and stood upright. He hobbled away, looking green. He couldn't apparate in full view of a muggle neighborhood, nor could he protect himself from snakes using magic. Worst case scenario, Harry would have taken his wand and performed a memory charm on the man using his own wand. But this would give him less lead time and an automatic warning from the Ministry. Disputable, but unnecessary.
Feeling satisfied that nobody else was around, they would surely have come to assist Mundungus, Harry began to roll his trunk down the street. The wheels made grinding noises and Hedgwig's cage creaked as the trunk rattled from the rough pavement. Harry whistled awkwardly, not acknowledging the neighbors who looked at him strangely.
Finally, he came to his destination, Wisteria Walk, and Mrs. Figg's home. The house appeared empty, but Harry knew otherwise. Mrs. Figg kept things quiet. First, he put Hedwig's cage into the trunk for safekeeping. After, he put the trunk out of sight, got into character and knocked on the door impatiently. Harry took big heaving breaths to imitate Vernon having just had a blowup.
After a very long time, Mrs. Figg answered the door. She flashed Harry a look of great distaste.
"Something you need Vernon? Perhaps an apology for the way I was treated last we spoke?"
"Don't play dumb with me woman! I caught one of your damned people staring in my window! I won't stand for it! We agreed to take the boy back, not be harassed!" Harry raged at the woman, served her right for lying to him all those years.
Her brows furrowed in concern. "They are looking after Harry's health. If you could be trusted to care for the boy, it would not be necessary. Were Dumbledore's warnings not enough?"
"YOU-" Harry cut himself off and pretended to calm down. "The boy himself told me to come here!"
She sighed in relief. "Is there anything else you want Dursley? Or are you content to yell?"
"I was TOLD the harassment could come to an end if we agreed to have you see the boy in a week's time," Harry grumbled.
"FINE! Is that all?" Mrs. Figg responded shortly.
"Yes but-"
*SLAM* She swung the door closed right in his face.
Harry stormed off until he was out of sight from the window. He collected his trunk and went to the empty lot a block down the road. Sandwiched between two houses, it was overgrown with weeds and garbage which had been dumped there. He looked up at the sky, the sun had dropped some, but outside was still bright. Harry scanned the grass desperately, biting his fingernails and tapping his feet, until he found what he was looking for.
Dumbledore had been fooled. The Floo was a giant distraction. His initial plan had been to Floo from Mrs. Figg's house and then take a boat to France in Polyjuice. But then, Dumbledore would know where he was headed, and he would have to steal a passport from his Aunt or Uncle, which would further identify him. The next was to go as Mrs. Figg and find an active Portkey to France. There was much less in the way of identification on the magical side, but he didn't dare underestimate the security of the French Ministry just because the British Ministry was incompetent, and he didn't know how long his Polyjuice would stretch.
Harry's greatest coup was his greatest miscalculation. Delores Umbridge and her propensity to throw her weight around led to a plan so perfect, not even Dumbledore could defend against it. The only question now was whether he would be caught right before it activated. Harry grabbed a strangely clean boot, placed delicately on top of a rubbish pile. They had done it! An international portkey direct to France, normally only possible with the signature of the Minister himself! Harry resisted laughing hysterically. They wouldn't even put a check on his magic, as he had told the lady in the Transport Department it was for a squib.
The sun continued to fall into the horizon as Harry sat on his trunk with a boot in hand. There was always a chance Mundungus's guard would be replaced, and they would find him. Harry had done his best to prevent that possibility. Mrs. Figg should be the way-point, her floo would be an easy way into the neighborhood. Apparating into Privet Drive, a muggle neighborhood, blindly would be inadvisable. Given what he told Mrs. Figg, they would be wary of spying directly into his Aunt and Uncle's home. A week's lead time was plenty. As for Hedwig, she had been sent to the Davis' for the summer.
The sun fell under the horizon, Harry gripped his trunk tightly in preparation. Right as the last wink of sunlight flashed into his eyes, Harry felt pulled by his navel and the world spun.