Chapter 3: On the Way Down
Harry Potter stormed around in his room at the Dursleys. He threw himself into the bed, hating his uncle every second that he laid there. Now, Aunt Petunia wasn't so bad; she gave him healthy fillings at every meal and she even showed him how to wash his clothes by hand. She told him it came out better that way. Whenever Dudley and Vernon weren't home, she was Auntie. When they were around though, Aunt Petunia or Ma'am. And just when things go good around here and Petunia was teaching me how to patch my socks, Vernon and Dudley come home with pizza.
Now, patching up socks does not seem like a manly thing or something that you would leave to a person with callused hands, but considering how many socks he had that were Dudley's, they needed it. He addressed Hedwig without looking at her cage behind him on the dresser.
"Honestly, Vernon still treats me like an outsider to the family. He's probably yelling at her right now anyway. Dudley will start yelling at both of us and I just wish they'd leave us alone. What do you think Hedwig? When we get out of here, maybe we'll visit Aunt Petunia more often, I mean, she treats me like a human. That's more than Vernon or Dudley has ever done for me. Hedwig?" Harry looked behind him at the cage and didn't find Hedwig there "Great, I've been talking to myself…"
A knock came in at this door. He asked who it was and in walked in the said aunt. Now, her face was not pinched because she was a prude, like everyone thought it was. It's just that when she had gotten pregnant with Dudley, she grew ill and any extra fat on her went to her baby. Hence Dudley's excuse to a pitifully fat pot belly at age five. She sat on his bed and he sat up to face her. With one look at her face, he knew that she wanted him to leave.
"I can't go Aunt Petunia. No way. I'm not leaving you here with them." He said touching her shoulder
"Oh Harry. Just like your mother, loyal to all. I've treated you horrendously all these 15 years-"
"It wasn't your fault!" he waved his hand at the door and it bolted shut "Besides, I'm 16 tomorrow. But he made you. Look at how you've been treating me…with kindness. The little bit of kindness you show me throughout the day is more than you ever have given me."
"That's exactly the point. I don't deserve your loyalty. I betrayed blood to please water. Even loving water but still water." He understood what she meant but shook his head
"Auntie…" using a kid name he had for her when he couldn't say 'Petunia', "You've never betrayed me. Or mum so don't say that either. You were just-"
"HOOT HOO"
Both turned to the open window and saw Hedwig looking at Petunia suspiciously but then with respect for taking care of her master. She had a mouse in her beak and chomped it up in one gulp. She flew to Harry lap and he petted her lovingly. She hopped to Petunia's lap, who also pet her with affection. Harry smiled as he looked to the moonlight sky again. He noticed something flying towards his window and made a move to show Petunia to be quiet as he took out his wand. The figure came closer and he soon recognized it to be an owl. Sighing, he let out his arm so that it could perch there.
The owl was gorgeous to say the least. It was a great horned owl and a most unusual kind at that. Instead of having dull brown color in its wings, it had a lovely dark red. So red it looked brown but like enough to know the difference. Intrigued, Harry stared at the owl, taking in every detail. Its throat wasn't white either as typically, but a lighter shade of red than the tail, wings and back. He noticed the letter on its leg but ignored it until he looked into the owl's eyes. Instead of being yellow as most birds of nocturnal prey, its eyes were milky, like the shade of its beak. The only thing normal about this bird was the fact that its legs were the same color as Hedwig's. The owl clawed at Harry for a moment, to take away the letter. Sighing, Harry took his eyes off the owl, laid it in Hedwig's cage and opened the letter.
Dear Harry,
I was thinking of going over to you for your birthday. Needless to say, I can't go because of Viktor Either way, I want to wish you a happy birthday, Even if I can't be there. Despite that, maybe you can get away from the Dursleys. Hey, get over to the Weasleys if you could. Molly'll love that .Even get over here too. That will be great. Listen, I'm sorry I can't send anything right now but…Please be patient Harry. I'll get you something before school starts Cross my Head Girl badge and hope to get demoted! Of course that won't ever happen but you know what I mean. Maybe my Head Boy this year is Gryffindor…please oh please…Even if he isn't, you know my common room is always ready.
Happy birthday Harry!
Love, Hermione
"Something's off…" he muttered and Petunia read over his shoulder while Hedwig sat on her shoulder
"It seems she's having a good time. But why does she bold the first letter of each sentence?" she pondered and Harry felt stupid
"Of course! The code. Thanks Aunt Petunia." He gave her a quick peck on the cheek before getting out parchment and a quill and copied the first bold letters
"I…N…E…E…D…-" Petunia looked at what he was doing and sighed
"Oh bloody hell Harry! It says 'I need help come'! Where is this 'Hermione' anyway if she needs you so badly?"
"In Bulgaria…I gotta go. She needs me." He explained to her and she smiled
"See, you're leaving after all Harry. Now, how about going to Sirius' old house and dropping off your stuff there? You know I'd love having you live here longer but the gorillas downstairs…" She motioned behind her and Harry smirked. He had never heard his aunt talk this way, but he liked it. Reminded him of when Hermione punched/ slapped Malfoy in third year. That had felt good.
"Alright. I'll go there first and then I'm going to Bulgaria. I won't tell Ron yet though. He'll freak and I'll be more inconspicuous if I went alone." He felt comfortable telling her his plan of action
"And the owls?"
"They'll follow."
And so, Harry began to pack his things with his aunt's help. Hedwig helped a bit too, she cleaned her cage. With everything packed, Harry got on his cloak and broom. After going into the back yard, with some difficulty from Vernon and Dudley, he said farewell to his aunt, the only blood family that was left to care about him. Hedwig and the owl flew along side him and the three made it to Grimmuald Place, where people were waiting for him to come.
This chapter is only for flip chick, who reviewed. And thanks for thinking it's cute. I'm going to update chapter four and five when i get four or more reviews for this chapter. I'm not being mean now. Besides, next chapter is when there's some finally action and chapter five has some even more action with a big of skin and even some prophesizing.