Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.
A/N: I read all the reviews and I'm sorry for the delay of answer, but, here. I'm going to ask your questions.
The awesome one: yes, I did said in the prologue that I got the idea from the youtube video titled 'Alma'. . . I'm thankful that you loved the story
DarkDreamer1982: I'm really glad that you're liking my stories and for the rest of your questions, I don't want to give you some spoilers since the cliffhangers itself were made to make the story exciting.
And thanks for everyone else who loved the story and please don't forget to tell me what you think about this chapter with another cliffhanger on it :D
Fifth Chapter
He was staring into space, having unnecessary flashbacks that he didn't even wanted to remember but it still haunts him.
There's a ghost roaming around the residence of the Dursleys. He would've laughed a few days back but right now, that very sentence made chills run down his spine. He didn't know what he's supposed to do when a ghost came floating right in front of your bedroom's doorway asking for help.
He suddenly had crazy ideas like, muttering to himself like crazy.
"Oh god, what if someone is killed inside of this house?" He paused before gulping nervously. "What if my good for nothing relatives killed someone in this house? What if I'm next? They hate me!"
He choked when the doorknob turned itself and his aunt entered his room, her eyes narrowed and her expression was stern. He forced himself not to whimper and choke it back down into his throat. This might be his end.
"Boy," his aunt growled his usual name under his relative's roof. "Did you contact anyone while you weren't in our watch?"
"Wha. . . No," he said, narrowing his eyes at his aunt.
"Liar!" She snapped. She walked to Harry and glowered at him. "I would have you know that this man came searching for you! What was his name. . . Yes, Albus Dumbledore."
"I don't know what you're talking about," he muttered, afraid what her aunt might do to him.
"He wants you downstairs," she hissed. In only a brief second, she was already gripping Harry's wrist, her nails digging into his skin. Harry only managed to make a small whimper forcing its way out of his throat. "Do not speak of nonsense about us. I want you to make him believe that we're treating you right, or else. . . ."
"I will! I promise!" He said in a rush.
She quickly let go but still glared daggers at him before going to the door and gesturing for Harry to gather his wits and go meet this Albus Dumbledore.
Petunia Dursley's shallow face changed in a flash into a face plastered with a motherly smile. Harry gave her aunt a mere glance and he caught the face that his aunt made as a warning before changing it back to beam at Dumbledore.
Everything was just so wrong at every angle and the act that her aunt was putting up with was really creeping him out. All he really wanted to do now was run away from this place because a ghost was apparently floating its way around this house and her aunt seems to be possessed with demons.
That's a lot to deal with all at the same time.
"Ah, here he is!" His Uncle Vernon said in a I'm-a-very-good-citizen-of-america tone. Harry didn't know if he should slap his face right now in front of everyone because he highly suspects that he is inside a nightmare.
"And you should be Harry Potter?" Dumbledore stood up and offered his hand. "I am Albus Dumbledore."
He shook the man's hand and gave him a small flat smile. He feels like he couldn't act okay with this man in the room, he feels sick and for a second there he thought he saw Dumbledore gave him a curious glance as if asking if he's okay.
He shook his head telling himself that it was just imagination and nervousness welling inside of him.
"Why are searching for me, sir?" He asked to break the silence, Dumbledore must've notice, everyone would have because the tension was so thick.
"I'm here to inform you about your family matters," Dumbledore told him and he froze on his spot.
"W-what?" He stuttered. "You must be mistaken, sir. My parents were long gone."
"Yes. It's such a shame that they just disappeared without a trace," Dumbledore said in a low voice.
"Oh," was all that he managed to say. His parents disappeared? This was the very day that he got informed about what happened to his parents. "Still, I don't understand your motive, Mr. Dumbledore."
"Yes, I've been trying to contact you since you were of age, Harry," Dumbledore said. "See, your parents didn't actually left you with nothing. They signed you up in this prestigous and special school where I am headmaster. It is actually managed by the government itself and the only way to be a student in the school is by having parents that were once students in the school and sometimes we pick the student ourselves according to their special qualifications."
Every single one of them was now gaping at Dumbledore. Harry would have laughed, would have asked if the old man was crazy, if this was a prank manipulated by a reality TV show, but the sincerity and seriousness in his voice was just so believable.
"But. . . But. . ." He was at a loss for words, he slowly shook his head trying to deny what rubbish the man was saying.
"No buts, Harry," Dumbledore said. "Do you really think that I would go this far if this was all nonsense? That will be absurd. You have to accept and be happy with the fact that your parents made you enter this school. There is a great path ahead of you."
"But. . . Err. . . WHAT!?"
"Proffesor, you must be kidding," Petunia chuckled nervously. "Harry here is just. . . is just Harry. Nothing speacial about him. Why would you reach out to him right now?"
Harry winced at the harsh comment and tried his best to ignore it.
"As I said, we've been trying to contact him or even his relatives but I was always too late and that's because your family had been suspiciously moving from places to places. . . almost like you're avoiding something or someone."
"Well, that's because I've always been shedding sweat and blood for my family to move houses for years for protection," Vernon said suddenly joining the uproar in the house. "With the civil war happening, it was chaos, sir! It was the best way to protect them."
Dumbledore paused for a moment, then nodded as if considering his reason.
"You're a very good man, Mr. Dursley, putting your family first and all that. . ." Dumbledore said. Harry almost slipped a laugh right out of his mouth but covered it with a cough. "But that's not all that I wanted to say."
"There's more, sir?" Petunia asked with a hint of fear in his voice.
"Yes, Mrs. Dursley," Dumbledore said. "Harry's parents here have been loyal to the school and so we want Harry to have a special treatment with the years that got wasted while he unexpectedly didn't start his studies at Hogwarts."
"The school's name is Hogwarts?" Harry asked.
"Yes, Harry," Dumbledore said with pride. "And you, Harry will be attending it."
"B-but. . ." His aunt's voice quivered. "Harry's school here has low status when it comes to educating the students, he might have a really really hard time to keep up with your educational system. You yourself said that it was a prestigous school after all."
"Then I would assign him to home study first before coming to our school. Since we are now halfway to the end of this school year, Harry here might be attending next year."
Harry's emotion was almost happy if it wasn't for that statement that got his spirit crushed. But he would still get home study anyway, so that's fine with him.
"How about paying for his fees?" Vernon asked.
"Since the school is from the government, then the government also pays for the fees of the students," Dumbledore stated firmly as if he's used to getting asked with that question. "Do you have any further questions?"
"No, there's nothing more that we could ask, Mr. Dumbledore," his aunt said, jumping from her seat in excitement for the headmaster to leave the place.
"I will be going then."
When they were at the doorway, Dumbledore flashed a smile at him and twinkled his eyes.
"Oh, Harry," he said. "Mr. Lupin will be happy to tutor you."
And with that, he left.