AN: I do now own Harry Potter, Belongs to JK Rowling.
Also, I wanna say thanks for everyone who's read and added this to either their fave fic lists, or your story alerts. I apreciate it! As thanks, I got this chapter out as quick as my muse would allow.
Enjoy, rate and review!
Chapter 2: What happened?
Harry slowly felt himself return back to the land of the living. Other than a sore spot on his chest, one which felt oddly familiar, he felt fine. Opening his eyes a crack he was only mildly surprised to see the familiar white ceiling of the infirmary. As well as a sliver of light streaking across the room from a nearby open window.
After a minute or so of waking himself up, he pulled his elbows up and attempted to sit up, instead of the desired result however his chest was racked with a coughing fit and was soon holding his hand to his mouth and in an attempt to remain silent and undetected. He failed. Miserably. His coughing and sputtering instantly alerted the Hogwarts medi-nurse to the fact he was awake.
"Stay right where you are Mr Potter!" Madam Pomfrey barked out, rushing over to his bedside, her wand out and performing diagnostic spells before she had even stopped moving.
"Harry my dear boy, it's good to see that you're awake." Came the voice of someone Harry would rather not talk to. Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts.
For a moment, Harry wondered if he could pretend to go back to sleep, maybe avoid confrontation with the older wizard. But realised, Dumbledore would most likely simply wait until he 'woke up' again. Instead Harry led back down under the medi-witches stern glare and remained silent, his coughing fit having stopped the moment he heard the old man.
"I was wondering if I could take a moment of your time, and ask you a few questions my boy?" the grey-haired wizard asked, his usual grandfatherly tone of voice along with his twinkle in his eye.
Remaining silent, was the best choice for Harry. Not that he did what was best. "If you must, sir". Harry said in a rather cold tone. Having added the 'sir' on an afterthought.
If Albus had noticed the cold tone Harry had used, or the forced sir, he did not show it. "Everyone was worried about you last night. But we're all glad that you're ok now."
Harry very badly tried to hold his tongue, but alas, his Gryffindor pride won out, "I very much doubt that. Sir."
"Now Harry, I was hoping you had calmed down and realised the error of your ways after our last discussion." Despite the accusatory tone in his voice, there was still the hint of being everyone's favourite grandfather, as well as his eyes that were still as twinkly as ever.
Harry's eyes were not twinkling. Harry's eyes were practically seeping fiery anger at the words he heard come out of the mouth of a man he had once admired. "Error of my ways!? I'm not sure I heard you correctly professor, did you just say the error of my ways?"
Harry noticed, unintentionally of course, that he did not feel the familiar feeling of his wand in his robes. That usual little feeling of knowing one can defend one's self at a seconds notice. The knowledge that with it, he could do things that most people would be astounded by. Part of Harry was shouting to find it and hex the headmaster. But Harry wasn't that far. Yet.
"Yes Harry, you heard me correctly. And I must say we're disappointed in the way in which you have been handling yourself these last few days. I had hoped after the little outburst at the end of last year, that you have learned a better grasp of control." Dumbledores tone of voice was not happy, and neither was it consisting of the usually proud grandfather tone. Instead it had all the qualities of intense disappointment and sadness.
Harry was out of the car door before it had even stopped. And before his uncle Vernon could even get himself out of the driving seat, of the two times too small car. Although whether it would have been to help or simply hurry the freak off was unsure. Harry was already opening the boot of the car to fish out his trunk. Harry had released Hedwig out of her cage the night before, having told her to meet him at Hogwarts, so had managed to fit the case in the trunk.
"Don't forget what you promised boy! This is the last time we'll see the likes of you and your freakiness'. If any of your kooky friends come by we'll be sure to slam the door in their unnatural faces!"
Harry who had not noticed the Weasley family's car having pulled in at the train station the same time as he did, had no idea they were 2 cars down, and able to hear every word. "I can't wait for it! The sooner I get away from you the better! I've had enough of you and your stupid family! You won't see me ever again!"
"Good! Maybe that whatever-his-name is will finally do you in! Just like he did your parents! It'd be like an early Christmas to know we won't have to see you again!" Harry's uncle shouted from the open window that he was seemingly trying to crawl out of in mid shout. Harry enjoyed the thought for a moment of his uncle crawling out only to get stuck a quarter of the way. Quarter simply because he'd never fit far enough through to get halfway.
"And I hope that he'll pay you a visit. Do the whole world a favour. I might not even show up to save the day!"
"Harry!" a familiar voice shouted from behind Harry.
So busy in his argument with his uncle, who was soon driving away in a rage. One would be surprised if he didn't cause an accident, not like Harry minded. That he had let someone sneak up on him.
Turning around Harry was greeted with the visage of Hermione and the Weasley family. All flabbergasted and surprised, at not only the sight and sound of Harry Potter, boy-who-lived, yelling at someone. But at what exactly he'd said.
"Harry! How could you say something like that?" his bushy haired friend asked, clearly appalled at the thought.
"I'm fed up with it Hermione, every year I have to go back there, and I refuse to go there again."
"But Harry, Dumbledore said.."
"What did he say Hermione? What would Dumbledore tell you, about the circumstances of me living with people that had me existing in a cupboard under the stairs for the first 11 years of my life? And I do mean existing, because it's not 'living' to be starved whilst hidden away like some sort of a freak."
Harry was beyond caring what Dumbledore said, he'd been blaming the old man since Sirius died and he'd realised there was no way that Dumbledore would not have realised that he'd been living in a cupboard. His first Hogwarts letter was addressed to Harry Potter, Cupboard under the stairs, #4 Privet drive. Surely he was aware. But did he do anything about it? No. He could have, but did he? Did he squat.
Harry was sure after 3rd year he'd have been able to live with Sirius. The ministry didn't believe that the black family heir was innocent, but who was the ministry to say where Harry lived. Or Dumbledore for that matter. But repeatedly he was forced to return to the Dursleys. For some reason that the headmaster repeatedly claimed was something Harry was not ready to hear.
"Harry mate, calm down. Your acting childish." The youngest male Weasley piped up. Hermione after all was too busy thinking about what their black haired friend had said.
"I'm acting childish? Me? That's rich coming from someone who every year finds some reason to believe I'm either going dark, or flaunting my fame and money around."
For the next 10 minutes, Harry was chastised by the Weasley matriarch for badmouthing Dumbledore and talking rudely to his friends. Yelled at by Ron. Verbally beaten by Hermione who after having gotten her nerve back denied anything and everything that insinuated them being bad friends and that Dumbledore were anything but completely perfect. Even Ginny and the head of the Weasley household, Arthur Weasley gave Harry a piece of their minds.
The arguments were quickly cut short when Harry shouted rather loudly, still in the muggle side of the train station, that "It's Dumbledores fault that Sirius is dead!" and then proceeded to push a trolley he'd placed his trunk onto through and onto the platform, leaving his friends gaping in shock all with red faces.
The whistle for the Hogwarts express screamed into life just as Harry loaded his trunk into an empty compartment. Having figured that being on the train constituted being at Hogwarts, in some odd logic. Harry used the strongest locking spell he knew on the compartment door and sat down, content on not sharing a compartment with people he knew he'd be in an argument with the moment they sit down.
Harry fell asleep once the adrenalin rush had disappeared. Upon waking up, after what he believed to have been only a couple of minutes, he realised that he had not in fact had anyone attempt to enter the compartment. Good. "Least I don't have to deal with unwanted visitors." Though it was a bit strange.
After a couple of minutes watching the scenery go by, Harry heard the food cart go by. Quickly unlocking the door Harry ordered some sweets and pumpkin juice before sitting down.
Unfortunately for Harry, he hadn't remembered to lock the door. Halfway between a chocolate frog, the compartment door was slid open to reveal Draco Malfoy in his usual position in front of and between his minions Crabbe and Goyle. "Look what we got here, potty is all on his lonesome. You finally get tired of your filthy mudblood and the poor blood-traitor?"
Instead of simply saying anything in reply, Harry who had been having a bad day already, simply lifted his wand and sent a moderately powered stinging hex, along with a few other curses involving boils, itching, and a myriad of other lovely affects, right into the Malfoy family jewels.
Needless to say, the pompous prince of Slytherin was dragged away. And Harry remembered to lock the door before falling asleep. The rest of the ride had been peacefully silent and uneventful. The moment he arrived at Hogwarts however was a different story.
He was face to face with non-other than Severus Snape.
"You've reached the last straw this time Potter. Attacking a fellow student, unprovoked. You'll be expelled for sure this time." The usual sneer adjourning the greasy haired potions master's face.
Harry however smiled at the man in front of him. After having come face to face with Voldemort as many times as he had now, he didn't bat an eyelid at the pitiful attempts of Snape anymore. "I don't think that's true, Snivelus," the rage that instantly plastered itself over the black haired man was seething. "You see, I know the prophecy. Without me at Hogwarts, I'm not 'safe'," Harry stated with air quotes, "and Dumbledore would never allow his weapon to be killed."
Severus, in a fit of rage pulled his wand out on Harry, right there in the train platform in front of all the students, older and younger. As well as Hagrid who was protecting the first years.
Harry simply laughed, causing Snape to become utterly confused thinking along the lines that maybe Dumbledore had pushed too hard finally and the Potter brat had finally snapped. But his musings were cut short when Harry without any mercy what so ever, delivered a swift knee to the groin and a elbow strike to the back of the potion masters head.
Students all around shocked into silence. Hagrid, in a strange turn of events had in fact been looking the opposite way when Snape was taken care of.
Walking past his so called friends who were watching on from the side with a looks akin to surprise, awe and shock upon their faces. Harry made his way towards the carriages, and sat down, intent on simply waiting for the backlash that would obviously hit the moment the rumours were spread during the feast.
Before Harry had the opportunity to reply to the things that the headmaster had said, Madam Pomfrey was instead, rather insistent on getting a say in the matter. "Albus, I don't mean to intrude on personal matters, but I'm trying to do a diagnostic to find if Harry's affected by that stunning spell. And all I'm getting is nonsense, due to his growing anger at whatever it is you're discussing."
"Ah I see how that would be an issue Poppy. I hope we can find a spare moment to discuss this soon Harry. When I get a free moment in my busy schedule, I'll send someone." Before Harry could reply that he didn't want to discuss anything with the man. He was already gone, left to the ministrations of the medi-witch.
The infirmary was silent for a few minutes before Harry quickly realised what he heard and asked the question that he already had the answer to. "I was stunned?... somebody stunned me!"
"Not so loud Mr. Potter!" Came the quick reply from madam Pomfrey.
AN: Better length this time? Good. Will work on doing better soon, gotta get used to writing again afterall.