Chapter 2

It has been a couple of weeks since they moved into their new house and things have been going good. His uncle asn't yelled at him, he hasn't been called names, and best yet, Dudley was told to leave him alone. It is almost too good to be true. He had a couple of chores to do and then he could go outside and enjoy the summer. His birthday was coming up in a couple of weeks, and although he still wasn't expecting to get anything, it was still likely to be better than it has been. He finished cleaning his room and headed downstairs to get started on his other chore, doing the dishes. As he was washing them he thought back to the other day when he met that girl from next door.

FLASHBACK

Harry was just finishing up in the small garden he had started in the back yard when he heard footsteps walk up to him.

"Hi," he heard a young female voice say, "I'm Hermoine."

He looked up at her and smiled when he saw that she looked nervous.

"I'm Harry," he replied as he stood up taking the gardening gloves off. He reached his hand out to her's and said, "nice to meet you."

She smiled at him as she took his hand and shook it.

"I saw you guys move in the other day and I thought I would come over and introduce myself," she said quickly.

"Yeah," Harry said, "I saw you you when we came and looked at the house."

"You remembered," she exclaimed excitedly.

"Of course i did," Harry replied giggling, "why wouldn't I?"

She cast her eyes downward. "Most people don't," she said softly but Harry still heard her.

He frowned at her statement and lifted her head so that he could look at her.

"I know how that feels," he told her giving her a soft smile.

"You do," she asked tentively.

He nodded his head and told her some of the things that he had went through before the changes had started to take effect. He didn't tell her everything, mainly because he wasn't sure just yet what all the changes were.

PRESENT

He finished washing the dishes. He then proceded to dry and put them away. As he finished his aunt walked into the kitchen and sat down at the table. Although things have gotten better, Harry still struggled around them, remembering how things used to be.

"Is there anything else you need for me to do," Harry asked tentively.

At first it didn't seem like his aunt heard him, but as he was about to ask again, Petunia looked at him. To his surprise Harry saw where it looked like she had been crying.

"Are you okay," he asked her gently?

She looked at him for a minute before responding.

"No Harry I'm not," she replied.

Harry was shocked, not by what she said, but by the fact that she used his name. He was usually just called *boy* or *freak*. In fact, he didn't even know what his name was until he started school, and the only reason he went to school, (as his uncle reminded him regularly), was because it was the law.

"Sit down here with me Harry," she said gently, "there are some things i need to tell you."

He was really worried at first, mainly because he wasn't used to his aunt being nice to him before. but also not knowing what she wanted to tell him. He nervously sat down to await the words that would change his life forever.

She looked at him with a sad expression on her face before stating, "you're a wizard."