"With your feet in the air
And your head on the ground
Try this trick
Spin it…yeah
Your head will collapse,
But there's nothing in it
And you ask yourself:
Where is my mind?"
Chapter 4: Time Spent in Vain
Disclaimer: I own the plotline, nothing else
Harry sat in Dudley's second bedroom flipping through the small photo album Hagrid had given to him at the end of his first year. Luckily, his aunt, uncle, and cousin had gone out for dinner so he was being left alone for once. Unfortunately, that only gave him more time to think of last month's events which, in turn, brought more depression upon him. "If that were even possible," he thought to himself.
After glancing at the picture of his parents, Harry turned the page over to see himself standing in the snow at Hogsmeade with Ron and Hermione at his side. The trio was laughing hysterically at something Ron had said, and Harry couldn't remember just what it was...not that it really mattered, though. The fact that he was with him in this picture was what broke Harry. He would have given anything to take Hermione's time-turner from third year to go back and save his best friend…oh, how he was tempted. If it weren't for Dumbledore, Hermione, and the Order talking some sense into him that night, he probably would have tried. The fact that he would have probably driven himself mad in the process didn't bother him in the least…it still didn't, quite honestly. Harry would sacrifice anything to bring Ron back.
The boy sighed. For now, all he could do was stare at old pictures and try to distract himself with the never-ending list of chores the Dursley's provided for him every summer.
Several depressing photos later, Harry decided to get up off his raggedy bed and go fetch himself a glass of water before his 'family' came home and ordered him to sleep.
As he was about to turn the corner after the last step on the staircase, a small letter flung itself through the mail-slot of the front door. Knowing that mail most certainly did not come on Sunday's in the muggle world, Harry quickly snatched the letter and went back into the room he came from. If Uncle Vernon were to find out his nephew was corresponding with what he liked to call, 'those freaks,' he would be in for it. Despite the fact that whoever this was from had addressed him first, it didn't matter. Even with Hedwig locked away, his uncle wouldn't believe that he was innocent.
After closing the door and pushing his desk-chair in front of it (for extra measure) Harry opened the piece of mail only to find that it was from the Weasley twins.
At first, Harry wanted nothing more than to just rip it up. He assumed whatever they had to say would either be something along the lines of, "we hate you now," or, "it wasn't your fault so don't feel bad." Either way, Harry wasn't interested in reading it (even though he inwardly knew it would read the latter of the two). Despite himself, however, moments later Harry had read the short letter only to again wish that he hadn't.
"Why would they want me at their house? Ron's gone…so what business do I have over there anymore?" he asked himself.
Harry spent at least half an hour going over the possibilities of what the Weasley's could want with him. The twins had said they were inviting others, but didn't say who in his letter. He assumed it was for a reason, but that didn't matter. Harry already decided to decline their invitation. Besides, it wasn't as if he didn't want to go and see them (he told himself), he actually had a valid reason as to why he wouldn't be going over there. Many valid reasons, actually. Firstly, the Dursley's would never allow it. Secondly, he had too many chores to do, plus the schoolwork he had yet to start. Thirdly, he had no way of even getting there. And lastly, if by some miracle he was allowed to leave for the afternoon, he would most likely not be allowed back. So, no, Harry would not be going. End of story.
He turned the parchment over to write exactly that, only to find more words. "Great," he thought. It read:
Oh, and P.S. – Mum and Dad will be coming for you around eleven tomorrow morning, so be ready. See you then!
Fred and George
Now desperate to write back telling them what a horrible idea that would be, he quickly wrote that he couldn't possibly attend and that another time would be much better. "Like in a few years, maybe," he thought.
Running back down the stairs and opening the front door to where he expected Errol to be, he witnessed the stupid barn-owl flying off, probably back to the Burrow.
Harry crumpled up the letter and put his face into his hands…What was he going to do now?
The next day came all too soon for Harry's liking. It felt like a mere matter of moments had passed between the time he held the twin's letter and now, where he currently stood making breakfast for the Dursley's.
He was so distracted that he had already burnt the toast twice and had dropped three eggs. Fortunately, his uncle was running late and hadn't paid much attention to Harry, so he didn't see any of this happen. The only down side to that was the Weasley's were still coming over in several hours and even though Uncle Vernon wouldn't be home, he still would be in a million times more trouble over that then what he would have been over some spilt food.
With each ticking second that horrendous cat shaped kitchen clock made, Harry's heart sank more and more. It was already eight thirty a.m. "Only two and a half more hours until I die," he thought to himself, wishing the statement was just a sarcastic, over-dramatic one…but it wasn't. He would more than likely be done for when the two full grown wizards popped onto his Aunt Petunia's clean swept doorstep.
11 o'clock: the time was finally here. As if on cue, Molly and Arthur were suddenly knocking upon their door. Now Harry's heart really began to race.
"I'll get it!" he tried, only to be pushed aside by his aunt.
"Don't be foolish," she told him, "Get back to the garden. I don't want the neighbors to see you."
Her nephew sighed, "I wish it was the neighbors…" he said to himself, making no indication that he would be going off to the garden as Aunt Petunia ordered.
With a glare directed at Harry, she finally turned to face the door, and with a welcoming smile, opened it.
A/N:The more reviews, the sooner I post!
Next Time: Petunia get's some unwanted visitors leaving Harry in an awkward situation.
Until Then...