Chapter 7: Sirius Black
Harry looked around the Great Hall, grinning at everything. There were no more house tables, so Harry was sitting with Lyra, Malfoy, Ginny, Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnigan, Hannah Abbott, Susan, and Luna, who had been unpetrified.
The exams were cancelled in light of recent events, and Gryffindor won the House Cup again. Harry was laughing the entire evening with his friends, and to his surprise so had Malfoy. After finding out about what Dobby did with the book, Dobby was fired from the Malfoy household. Harry, with some persuasion, had taken Dobby on as his elf.
He originally thought it was slavery, but then Hannah told him about how house elves needed the bond or they would die out, and how they actually liked serving. Dobby had been delighted, and had made himself a bright uniform out of leftover fabrics Harry had bought for the Hogwarts House Elves.
Harry had went to say goodbye to them and was greeted with more tears at treating them like equals, before being stuffed with enough food to feed him for a month in an enchanted basket. But Harry had one more request.
"Dobby?" he called to the house elf.
"Yes, sir?" the house elf squeaked, appearing in a flash of bright pink and green fabric.
"I was wondering if you could affect the wards on my house so I could do magic in there?"
"Dobby can do that, Harry Potter!" he told him. "Mr Dumby Dore is putting blood wards on Harry Potter's house, but Dobby is putting elf wards, he is!"
"Thanks, Dobby," Harry laughed at the exuberant house elf. Now, he would be able to do magic and scare his uncle and aunt!
Hogwarts was back to normal with only a few, small differences. Defense Against the Dark Arts classes were canceled ("but we've had plenty of practice at that anyway," Ron told a disgruntled Hermione). Apparently Lockhart had run away when being told to face the monster in the Chamber of Secrets.
Too soon, it was time for the journey home on the Hogwarts Express. Harry was squashed into a compartment with Lyra, Malfoy, Susan, Luna, Hannah, Dean, Seamus, and two of Malfoy's friends: Blaise Zabini and Daphne Greengrass. Ron and Hermione would have joined them but they didn't want to be around Lyra and Malfoy, because of their surname. Ginny joined them after a while and stayed there. She had been through a traumatic experience in the chamber, and was happy to be around people who understood, even if they were Slytherins. They nearly mistook her for Susan before they got a closer look at her hair: Ginny's was flaming red while Susan's was a lighter strawberry red.
"Now you have a way to scare your aunt and uncle," Susan grinned at him wickedly.
"Yeah," Harry grinned broadly. "I think this will be an amazing summer."
And it was. The moment Harry got home we went up to his relatives and pulled out his wand.
"Here's the deal," Harry snapped. "I hate you, and you loathe me. I have gotten special permission to do magic outside of school." To demonstrate, he levitated the couch up and down. "You leave me alone. No bullying, and if Dudley touches me, I'll burn him. In exchange, I stay in my room and I'll cook for you."
The Dursley's were petrified, and agreed. With a grin Harry took this things to his room and called Dobby, asking the house elf to expand his room. Soon his bedroom was a large room with light yellow walls and a white fluffy carpet. His bed was a big 4 poster like at Hogwarts with red and gold furnishings, and his trunk next to his bed. Harry tacked some pictures of him and his friends onto the walls. The room had a study attached, with white walls and brown wood. A chair, desk, parchment, quills, and ink were in the room with his books. The room also had a big bathroom, with marble tiles and light blue walls.
Harry grinned. This would be perfect.
Hey Harry,
How's your summer been? Muggles treating you well? Remember, if they ever threaten you tell me and I'll turn them into slugs. How's life been? I've enclosed some wonderful books on using Charms in a duel from the Malfoy Manor library, and I hope you enjoy them.
Love,
Lyra
Hello Potter,
I'm not sure why I'm writing to you. I just attended the Quidditch match between Ireland and Lithuania- Ireland won. They have the best chasers in the entire league. Good luck with your Windstorm.
-Draco Malfoy, heir to the House of Malfoy
Hey Draco,
Why is your letter so bloody formal? Seriously? I've been spending my time lifting muggle weights to gain muscle and running around to gain speed. Most Quidditch training stuff, you know?
-Harry
Dear Harry,
The Nargles tell me that you beat your relatives! How have you been? I enclosed a necklace to beat away the wrackspurts so that you don't get a cloudy mind. I also sent you some stones for ancient rune carving. It's an early birthday present because I will be in Sweden with daddy on your birthday.
Love,
Luna.
Dear Harry,
How has your summer been? My auntie Amelia wants to thank you for saving me from the basilisk, and says that the Wizengamot are in the process of prosecuting Dumbledore for it, though he will probably get off free since he didn't know where it was. How have you been? Has your summer been better with Dobby? Do reply.
Love,
Susan
Hey Susan,
How's life? My summer's been pretty cool: All my homework is done and with the special wards I've been able to use magic easily. Has Luna sent you a wrackspurt necklace or earrings yet? She said she'd send them to everyone. Life has been good, and Headmaster Dumbledore will get off free.
-Harry
Hey Harry,
How's your summer been? I painted a picture of the gang for your birthday and sent it to everyone. Hope you like it.
-Dean
Dear Harry,
How has your summer been? Ron and the Twins say hi, but there's only one owl and I used mum's wand to hex them all, meaning I get to write the letter. I used the bat-bogey hex mum taught me. It's a Weasley woman hex. My summer's been amazing, but I've still been getting nightmares about the chamber. I love the books you sent me, and Dean sent me a copy of the painting too.
Love,
Ginny
Harry unfurled the painting. It was beautiful. The were on the Hogwarts grounds in autumn with the castle and the Black Lake in the background. Harry was in the middle, laughing, and his green eyes were bright. Lyra was next to him, her long blonde hair curled over her sparkling grey eyes. Luna, Susan, and Hannah sat around them, giggling to each other. Malfoy was in the background, with his famous smirk on. Dean and Seamus sat to the other side of the girls, laughing while Dean sketched something, and subtly holding hands. Hedwig, Lyra's owl Persephone, and Malfoy's owl Imperius were flying in the background. Susan's cat Bottleneck was purring in her lap.
With a large grin he tacked it onto the wall. It was beautiful. This summer was going amazing.
Harry scanned the starry sky for a sign of Hedwig perhaps soaring back to him with a dead mouse dangling from her beak, expecting praise. Gazing absently over the rooftops, it was a few seconds before Harry realized what he was seeing.
Silhouetted against the golden moon, and growing larger every moment, was a large, strangely lopsided creature, and it was flapping in Harry's direction. He stood quite still, watching it sink lower and lower. For a split second he hesitated, his hand on the window latch, wondering whether to slam it shut. But then the bizarre creature soared over one of the street lamps of Privet Drive, and Harry, realizing what it was, leapt aside.
Through the window soared three owls, two of them holding up the third, which appeared to be unconscious. They landed with a soft flump on Harry's bed, and the middle owl, which was large and gray, keeled right over and lay motionless. There was a large package tied to its legs.
Harry recognized the unconscious owl at once - his name was Errol, and he belonged to the Weasley family. Harry dashed to the bed, untied the cords around Errol's legs, took off the parcel, and then carried Errol to Hedwig's cage. Errol opened one bleary eye, gave a feeble hoot of thanks, and began to gulp some water.
Harry turned back to the remaining owls. One of them, the large snowy female, was his own Hedwig. She, too, was carrying a parcel and looked extremely pleased with herself. She gave Harry an affectionate nip with her beak as he removed her burden, then flew across the room to join Errol.
Harry didn't recognize the third owl, a handsome tawny one, but he knew at once where it had come from, because in addition to a third package, it was carrying a letter bearing the Hogwarts crest. When Harry relieved this owl of its burden, it ruffled its feathers importantly, stretched its wings, and took off through the window into the night.
Harry sat down on his bed and grabbed Errol's package, ripped off the brown paper, and discovered a present wrapped in gold and his first ever birthday card. Fingers trembling slightly, he opened the envelope. Two pieces of paper fell out - a letter and a newspaper clipping.
The clipping had clearly come out of the wizarding newspaper, the Daily Prophet, because the people in the black-and-white picture were moving. Harry picked up the clipping, smoothed it out, and read:
MINISTRY OF MAGIC EMPLOYEE SCOOPS GRAND PRIZE
Arthur Weasley, Head of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office at the Ministry of Magic, has won the annual Daily Prophet Grand Prize Galleon Draw.
A delighted Mr. Weasley told the Daily Prophet, "We will be spending the gold on a summer holiday in Egypt, where our eldest son, Bill, works as a curse breaker for Gringotts Wizarding Bank."
The Weasley family will be spending a month in Egypt, returning for the start of the new school year at Hogwarts, which five of the Weasley children currently attend. Harry scanned the moving photograph, and a grin spread across his face as he saw all nine of the Weasleys waving furiously at him, standing in front of a large pyramid. Plump little Mrs. Weasley; tall, balding Mr. Weasley; six sons; and one daughter, all (though the black-and-white picture didn't show it) with flaming-red hair. Right in the middle of the picture was Ron, tall and gangling, with his pet rat, Scabbers, on his shoulder and his arm around his little sister, Ginny.
Harry couldn't think of anyone who deserved to win a large pile of gold more than the Weasleys, who were very nice and extremely poor. He picked up Ron's letter and unfolded it.
Dear Harry,
Happy birthday!
It's amazing here in Egypt. Bill's taken us around all the tombs and you wouldn't believe the curses those old Egyptian wizards put on them. Mum wouldn't let Ginny come in the last one. There were all these mutant skeletons in there, of Muggles who'd broken in and grown extra heads and stuff.
I couldn't believe it when Dad won the Daily Prophet Draw. Seven hundred galleons! Most of it's gone on this trip, but they're going to buy me a new wand for next year.
Harry remembered only too well the occasion when Ron's old wand had snapped. It had happened when Ron had a run in with Crabbe and Goyle and they snapped his wand out of spite, though he managed to spellotape it together.
We'll be back about a week before term starts and we'll be going up to London to get my wand and our new books. Any chance of meeting you there?
Don't let the Muggles get you down!
Try and come to London,
Ron
P.S. Percy's Head Boy. He got the letter last week.
Harry glanced back at the photograph. Percy, who was in his seventh and final year at Hogwarts, was looking particularly smug. He had pinned his Head Boy badge to the fez perched jauntily on top of his neat hair, his horn-rimmed glasses flashing in the Egyptian sun.
Harry now turned to his present and unwrapped it. Inside was what looked like a miniature glass spinning top. There was another note from Ron beneath it.
Harry - this is a Pocket Sneakoscope. If there's someone untrustworthy around, it's supposed to light up and spin. Bill says it's rubbish sold for wizard tourists and isn't reliable, because it kept lighting up at dinner last night. But he didn't realize Fred and George had put beetles in his soup.
Bye - Ron
Harry put the Pocket Sneakoscope on his bedside table, where it stood quite still, balanced on its point, reflecting the luminous hands of his clock. He looked at it happily for a few seconds, then picked up the parcel Hedwig had brought.
Inside this, too, there was a wrapped present, a card, and a letter, this time from Hermione.
Dear Harry,
Ron wrote to me and told me about his phone call to your Uncle Vernon. I do hope you're all right.
I'm on holiday in France at the moment and I didn't know how I was going to send this to you - what if they'd opened it at customs? - but then Hedwig turned up! I think she wanted to make sure you got something for your birthday for a change. I bought your present by owl-order; there was an advertisement in the Daily Prophet (I've been getting it delivered; it's so good to keep up with what's going on in the wizarding world), Did you see that picture of Ron and his family a week ago? I bet he's learning loads. I'm really jealous - the ancient Egyptian wizards were fascinating.
There's some interesting local history of witchcraft here, too. I've rewritten my whole History of Magic essay to include some of the things I've found out, I hope it's not too long - it's two rolls of parchment more than Professor Binns asked for.
Ron says he's going to be in London in the last week of the holidays. Can you make it? Will your aunt and uncle let you come? I really hope you can. If not, I'll see you on the Hogwarts Express on September first!
Love from,
Hermione
P.S. Ron says Percy's Head Boy. I'll bet Percy's really pleased. Ron doesn't seem too happy about it.
Harry laughed as he put Hermione's letter aside and picked up her present. It was very heavy. Knowing Hermione, he was sure it would be a large book full of very difficult spells - and it was. Harry already had read this book though, but set it aside. It would be nice to own it.
Hey Potter,
I'm getting you a gift for some reason. I don't know why. I hope you like it. I have one for myself too.
-Draco Malfoy
His heart gave a huge bound as he ripped back the paper and saw a sleek black leather case, with silver words stamped across it, reading Broomstick Servicing Kit.
"Wow, Malfoy!" Harry whispered, unzipping the case to look inside.
There was a large jar of Fleetwood's High-Finish Handle Polish, a pair of gleaming silver Tail-Twig Clippers, a tiny brass compass to clip on your broom for long journeys, and a Handbook of Do-It-Yourself Broomcare.
Apart from his friends, the thing that Harry missed most about Hogwarts was Quidditch, the most popular sport in the magical world - highly dangerous, very exciting, and played on broomsticks. Harry happened to be a very good Quidditch player; he had been the youngest person in a century to be picked for one of the Hogwarts House teams. One of Harry's most prized possessions was his Nimbus Two Thousand racing broom.
Harry put the leather case aside and picked up his last parcel. He recognized the untidy scrawl on the brown paper at once: this was from Hagrid, the Hogwarts gamekeeper. He tore off the top layer of paper and glimpsed something green and leathery, but before he could unwrap it properly, the parcel gave a strange quiver, and whatever was inside it snapped loudly - as though it had jaws.
Harry froze. He knew that Hagrid would never send him anything dangerous on purpose, but then, Hagrid didn't have a normal person's view of what was dangerous. Hagrid had been known to befriend giant spiders, buy vicious, three-headed dogs from men in pubs, and sneak illegal dragon eggs into his cabin.
Harry poked the parcel nervously. It snapped loudly again. Harry reached for the lamp on his bedside table, gripped it firmly in one hand, and raised it over his head, ready to strike. Then he seized the rest of the wrapping paper in his other hand and pulled.
And out fell - a book. Harry just had time to register its handsome green cover, emblazoned with the golden title The Monster Book of Monsters, before it flipped onto its edge and scuttled sideways along the bed like some weird crab.
"Uh-oh," Harry muttered.
The book toppled off the bed with a loud clunk and shuffled rapidly across the room. Harry followed it stealthily. The book was hiding in the dark space under his desk. Praying that the Dursleys were still fast asleep, Harry got down on his hands and knees and reached toward it.
"Ouch!"
The book snapped shut on his hand and then flapped past him, still scuttling on its covers. Harry scrambled around, threw himself forward, and managed to flatten it. Uncle Vernon gave a loud, sleepy grunt in the room next door.
Hedwig and Errol watched interestedly as Harry clamped the struggling book tightly in his arms, hurried to his chest of drawers, and pulled out a belt, which he buckled tightly around it. The Monster Book shuddered angrily, but could no longer flap and snap, so Harry threw it down on the bed and reached for Hagrid's card.
Dear Harry,
Happy Birthday!
Think you might find this useful for next year. Won't say no more here. Tell you when I see you.
Hope the Muggles are treating you right.
All the best,
Hagrid
It struck Harry as ominous that Hagrid thought a biting book would come in useful, but he put Hagrid's card up next to Ron's and Hermione's, grinning more broadly than ever. Now there was only the letter from Hogwarts left.
Noticing that it was rather thicker than usual, Harry slit open the envelope, pulled out the first page of parchment within, and read:
Dear Mr. Potter,
Please note that the new school year will begin on September the first. The Hogwarts Express will leave from King's Cross station, platform nine and three-quarters, at eleven o'clock.
Third years are permitted to visit the village of Hogsmeade on certain weekends. Please give the enclosed permission form to your parent or guardian to sign.
A list of books for next year is enclosed.
Yours sincerely,
Professor M. McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress
Harry pulled out the Hogsmeade permission form and looked at it. It would be wonderful to visit Hogsmeade on weekends; he knew it was an entirely wizarding village, and he had never set foot there.
"Uncle Vernon?" Harry called.
He grunted.
"I need you to sign this form." he said.
He grunted, and signed it, shoving it back to Harry. Harry smirked before sauntering back up and putting it in his trunk.
"Harry?" Petunia called to her nephew.
She had originally been all for dumping him in the orphanage, but the protection in the letter convinced him to keep him. She hated magic. She had wanted to go with her sister to a magic school but instead she stayed here, boring against her pretty magical sister. Then he came home with a freaky elf and threatened them with his magic.
"Boy?" she called, before entering the room.
She gaped. It had been expanded beautifully, and some amazing pictures were tacked on the wall of him and some freakish friends. She felt a little guilt, but pushed it away.
"Yes, Aunt Petunia?" he called, coming in from another room.
"Marge is coming tomorrow to stay for a week."
Harry groaned. Marge was Uncle Vernon's sister, and she hated him. Even though she was not a blood relative of Harry's (whose mother had been Aunt Petunia's sister), he had been forced to call her 'Aunt' all his life. Aunt Marge lived in the country, in a house with a large garden, where she bred bulldogs. She didn't often stay at Privet Drive, because she couldn't bear to leave her precious dogs, but each of her visits stood out horribly vividly in Harry's mind.
At Dudley's fifth birthday party, Aunt Marge had whacked Harry around the shins with her walking stick to stop him from beating Dudley at musical statues. A few years later, she had turned up at Christmas with a computerized robot for Dudley and a box of dog biscuits for Harry. On her last visit, the year before Harry started at Hogwarts, Harry had accidentally trodden on the tail of her favorite dog. Ripper had chased Harry out into the garden and up a tree, and Aunt Marge had refused to call him off until past midnight. The memory of this incident still brought tears of laughter to Dudley's eyes.
The next day, when Harry was getting ready he received a barrage of owls, all of them scribbled and rushed.
Harry stay at the house
-Lyra
Harry you're in danger. Please, stay safe.
-Draco
Harry I'm talking to my Auntie Amelia and she's considering getting you an Auror patrol for safety
-Susan
Harry, don't get hurt at all.
-Hannah
Harry,
I'm pretty sure everyone else hasn't told you anything, so I will. Sirius Black has escaped from Azkaban, and he's the person who betrayed your parents. Let me go back to the story my parents told me. Your parents went under hiding with you under the Fidelius Charm, a charm that allows no one but the secret keeper to know where you're hiding. Sirius Black was your parents secret keeper, and he gave the secret to You Know Who. He ran, and Peter Pettigrew confronted him. Sirius Black killed Pettigrew and 13 muggles, before being sent to Azkaban. They say he escaped to come after you and finish what his master started: kill you.
Hopefully this wasn't too long an explanation.
Love,
Ginny
PS. Fred and George tell you that their developing some amazing prank items
Harry sat down on his bed and clutched his head in his hands. Sirius Black was the reason his parents were dead. The reason he was forced to stay with the Dursleys. He'd kill him. Harry knew that in his gut.
Dear Lyra,
On that note I'm leaving my house. I know that Sirius Black is around but my muggle house is too easy to find, plus my horrid aunt is coming over. I'll stay in the Leaky Cauldron for the rest of summer. Please send these to everyone else once you've read it.
-Harry
Harry looked around his room in Diagon Alley. Thank god he left before Aunt Marge came, or he probably would have lost his temper.
"Thanks Tom." he said as Tom brought up a plate of steaming food that he scarfed down.
The Knight bus had made him really hungry. Hannah had told him about it, and he regretted ever taking it. After he was knocked around the bus for a few hours he finally got away.
The next morning Harry came down and got a nice breakfast from Tom, thanking him. Harry pulled open his new Daily Prophet Subscription, and started reading.
BLACK STILL AT LARGE
Sirius Black, possibly the most infamous prisoner ever to be held in Azkaban fortress, is still eluding capture, the Ministry of Magic confirmed today.
"We are doing all we can to recapture Black," said the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, this morning, "and we beg the magical community to remain calm."
Fudge has been criticized by some members of the International Federation of Warlocks for informing the Muggle Prime Minister of the crisis.
"Well, really, I had to, don't you know," said an irritable Fudge. "Black is mad. He's a danger to anyone who crosses him, magic or Muggle. I have the Prime Minister's assurance that he will not breathe a word of Black's true identity to anyone. And let's face it - who'd believe him if he did?"
While Muggles have been told that Black is carrying a gun (a kind of metal wand that Muggles use to kill each other), the magical community lives in fear of a massacre like that of twelve years ago, when Black murdered thirteen people with a single curse.
Harry looked into the shadowed eyes of Sirius Black, the only part of the sunken face that seemed alive. Harry had never met a vampire, but he had seen pictures of them in his Defense Against the Dark Arts classes, and Black, with his waxy white skin, looked just like one.
"Hmm," he hummed, before finishing his tea and getting ready to go out.
Harry had a lot of things he needed to replace. First came his trunk. He went to Tara's Trunks in Diagon Alley.
"Hello?" he called into the empty shop.
A big woman came out in a pair of large purple robes, big gold hoops in her ears and her face tanned.
"Hello!" she said cheerily. "I'm Tara! What trunk do you want today?"
"I'm here for a custom trunk," Harry told her.
Her grin widened at the prospect of money.
"What type?"
"I want it black with gold metal edges and my initials HJP on it in gold. I need a compartment for clothes, a built in library, and some miscellaneous storage pockets, including one for a broom."
"That'll round out to about 200 galleons." she told him after a few calculations. "Your trunk will be ready by the end of the day."
Harry thanked her before going to Ollivanders. Lyra had sent him a wand holster for his birthday from Knockturn Alley, but he needed it attuned to his magic and wand first.
"Hello?" Harry called, the hairs on the back of his neck tingling.
"Mr Potter," Ollivander stated, staring at him creepily. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
"I need to be attuned to his," Harry said, holding out his black dragonhide wand holster.
With a creepy stare Ollivander abruptly snatched it from his hands and went over to his table, exposing the green gem that rested at the bottom of the holster. Without warning he swooped out with a silver knife and took a few drops of blood from Harry's palm, dripping them onto the gem.
"Et talem alliges duplicia," he murmured, and the gem glowed red for a few seconds before returning to it's bright green.
"That'll be 2 galleons," Ollivander said smoothly, and Harry forked the money over.
Next was clothes. Harry knew his wardrobe sucked: he only had Dudley's hand me downs. Now he needed proper clothes. Two hours of Madame Malkin's later and he had an entire wardrobe of shirts, pants, underwear, socks, robes, and robe cuffs.
Deciding to go for lunch, Harry went back to the Leaky Cauldron, and stopped by Florean Fortescue's for a free sundae from the amazing man. After he went to Flourish and Blotts for some more books. Books on Charms, Transfiguration, Potions, Duelling, Runes, more duelling, Magical Etiquette, the Wizengamot, and some more duelling.
Harry then went to the trunk shop and picked up his new trunk, made of Hebridean Black Dragon Skin with gold edges. Grinning back in his room, Harry stuffed his new books, clothes, and belongings in. He kept a special pocket for his prank supplies from Zonkos, his cloak, and the map.
Harry spent the rest of the summer having fun. He regularly took flights around Diagon Alley on his Windstorm, and was working on a way to fashion his Invisibility Blanket into an actual cloak. It involved stitching though, something Harry didn't know how to do, so he was researching household charms instead.
But the one thing that tested his resolve on not to spend too much money was a broom. Harry edged his way inside and squeezed in among the excited witches and wizards until he glimpsed a newly erected podium, on which was mounted the most magnificent broom he had ever seen in his life.
"Just come out - prototype -" a square-jawed wizard was telling his companion.
"It's the fastest broom in the world, isn't it, Dad?" squeaked a boy younger than Harry, who was swinging off his father's arm.
"Irish International Side's just put in an order for seven of these beauties!" the proprietor of the shop told the crowd. "And they're favorites for the World Cup!"
A large witch in front of Harry moved, and he was able to read the sign next to the broom:
** THE FIREBOLT **
THIS STATE-OF-THE-ART RACING BROOM SPORTS A STREAMLINED, SUPERFINE HANDLE OF ASH, TREATED WITH A DIAMOND-HARD POLISH AND HAND-NUMBERED WITH ITS OWN REGISTRATION NUMBER. EACH INDIVIDUALLY SELECTED BIRCH TWIG IN THE BROOMTAIL HAS BEEN HONED TO AERODYNAMIC PERFECTION, GIVING THE FIREBOLT UNSURPASSABLE BALANCE AND PINPOINT PRECISION. THE FIREBOLT HAS AN ACCELERATION OF 150 MILES AN HOUR IN TEN SECONDS AND INCORPORATES AN UNBREAKABLE BRAKING CHARM. PRICE ON REQUEST.
Price on request...Harry didn't like to think how much gold the Firebolt would cost. He had never wanted anything as much in his whole life - but he already had a good Windstorm 50 Harry didn't ask for the price, but he returned, almost every day after that, just to look at the Firebolt.
Harry still had to buy school supplies though. He went to the apothecary and bought himself more potion supplies now that potions was a tolerable class: Snape chose to ignore him instead of pick on him. He bought a wonderful chess set with black marble pieces and sapphire eyes to give to Ron.
He had also went and gotten all the Standard Books of Spells. As the days slipped by, Harry started looking wherever he went for a sign of his friends. Plenty of Hogwarts students were arriving in Diagon Alley now, with the start of term so near. Harry met Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas, his fellow Gryffindors, in Quality Quidditch Supplies, where they too were ogling the Firebolt; he also ran into the real Neville Longbottom, a round-faced, forgetful boy, outside Flourish and Blotts. Harry didn't stop to chat; Neville appeared to have mislaid his booklist and was being told off by his very formidable-looking grandmother.
"Harry!" he heard a squeal, and before he could react he was in a hug from Lyra.
"Hey Harry," Draco smirked.
Harry grinned. Both of them had ended the fight the moment Sirius Black escaped.
"Hey Draco," he smiled.
"Mr Potter," Lucius Malfoy said emotionlessly, nodding his head.
"Hello Harry," Narcissa Malfoy gave a much warmer welcome. "Draco and Lyra talk about you all the time."
"Mrs Malfoy," Harry nodded his head in her direction.
"Did you get your school supplies?" Lyra asked.
"Yeah," Harry responded.
"Well we're gonna go get ours," she said. "Daphne's little sister Astoria is starting this year."
"Bye!" Harry waved, before sauntering off.
He found Ron and Hermione in a pet shop. There wasn't much room inside. Every inch of wall was hidden by cages. It was smelly and very noisy because the occupants of these cages were all squeaking, squawking, jabbering, or hissing.
A pair of enormous purple toads sat gulping wetly and feasting on dead blowflies. A gigantic tortoise with a jewel-encrusted shell was glittering near the window. Poisonous orange snails were oozing slowly up the side of their glass tank, and a fat white rabbit kept changing into a silk top hat and back again with a loud popping noise. Then there were cats of every color, a noisy cage of ravens, a basket of funny custard-colored furballs that were humming loudly, and on the counter, a vast cage of sleek black rats that were playing some sort of skipping game using their long, bald tails.
The double-ended newt wizard left, and Ron approached the counter.
"It's my rat," he told the witch. "He's been a bit off-color ever since I brought him back from Egypt."
"Bang him on the counter," said the witch, pulling a pair of heavy black spectacles out of her pocket.
Ron lifted Scabbers out of his inside pocket and placed him next to the cage of his fellow rats, who stopped their skipping tricks and scuffled to the wire for a better took.
Like nearly everything Ron owned, Scabbers the rat was secondhand (he had once belonged to Ron's brother Percy) and a bit battered. Next to the glossy rats in the cage, he looked especially woebegone.
"Hm," said the witch, picking up Scabbers. "How old is this rat?"
"Dunno," said Ron. "Quite old. He used to belong to my brother."
"What powers does he have?" said the witch, examining Scabbers closely.
"Er -" The truth was that Scabbers had never shown the faintest trace of interesting powers. The witch's eyes moved from Scabbers' tattered left ear to his front paw, which had a toe missing, and tutted loudly.
"He's been through the mill, this one," she said.
"He was like that when Percy gave him to me," said Ron defensively.
"An ordinary common or garden rat like this can't be expected to live longer than three years or so," said the witch. "Now, if you were looking for something a bit more hard-wearing, you might like one of these -"
She indicated the black rats, who promptly started skipping again. Ron muttered, "Show-offs."
"Well, if you don't want a replacement, you can try this rat tonic," said the witch, reaching under the counter and bringing out a small red bottle.
"Okay," said Ron. "How much - OUCH!"
Ron buckled as something huge and orange came soaring from the top of the highest cage, landed on his head, and then propelled itself, spitting madly, at Scabbers.
"NO, CROOKSHANKS, NO!" cried the witch, but Scabbers shot from between her hands like a bar of soap, landed splay-legged on the floor, and then scampered for the door.
"Scabbers!" Ron shouted, racing out of the shop after him; Harry followed.
It took them nearly ten minutes to catch Scabbers, who had taken refuge under a wastepaper bin outside Quality Quidditch Supplies. Ron stuffed the trembling rat back into his pocket and straightened up, massaging his head.
"What was that?"
"It was either a very big cat or quite a small tiger," said Harry.
"Where's Hermione?"
"Probably getting her owl."
They made their way back up the crowded street to the Magical Menagerie. As they reached it, Hermione came out, but she wasn't carrying an owl. Her arms were clamped tightly around the enormous ginger cat.
"You bought that monster?" said Ron, his mouth hanging open.
"He's gorgeous, isn't he?" said Hermione, glowing.
That was a matter of opinion, thought Harry. The cat's ginger fur was thick and fluffy, but it was definitely a bit bowlegged and its face looked grumpy and oddly squashed, as though it had run headlong into a brick wall. Now that Scabbers was out of sight, however, the cat was purring contentedly in Hermione's arms.
"Hermione, that thing nearly scalped me!" said Ron.
"He didn't mean to, did you, Crookshanks?" said Hermione.
"And what about Scabbers?" said Ron, pointing at the lump in his chest pocket. "He needs rest and relaxation! How's he going to get it with that thing around?"
"That reminds me, you forgot your rat tonic," said Hermione, slapping the small red bottle into Ron's hand. "And stop worrying, Crookshanks will be sleeping in my dormitory and Scabbers in yours, what's the problem? Poor Crookshanks, that witch said he'd been in there for ages; no one wanted him."
"Wonder why," said Ron sarcastically as they set off toward the Leaky Cauldron.
Harry personally thought that Bottleneck would love Crookshanks.
They found Mr. Weasley sitting in the bar, reading the Daily Prophet.
"Harry!" he said, smiling as he looked up. "How are you?"
"Fine, thanks," said Harry as he, Ron, and Hermione joined Mr. Weasley.
Mr. Weasley put down his paper, and Harry saw the now familiar picture of Sirius Black staring up at him.
"They still haven't caught him, then?" he asked.
"No," said Mr. Weasley, looking extremely grave. "They've pulled us all off our regular jobs at the Ministry to try and find him, but no luck so far."
"Would we get a reward if we caught him?" asked Ron. "It'd be good to get some more money -"
"Don't be ridiculous, Ron," said Mr. Weasley, who on closer inspection looked very strained. "Black's not going to be caught by a thirteen-year-old wizard. It's the Azkaban guards who'll get him back, you mark my words."
At that moment Mrs. Weasley entered the bar, laden with shopping bags and followed by the twins, Fred and George, who were about to start their fifth year at Hogwarts; the newly elected Head Boy, Percy; and the Weasleys' youngest child and only girl, Ginny.
Ginny gave him a large grin that Harry returned: the two had bonded over the Chamber of Secrets incident. Percy, however, held out his hand solemnly as though he and Harry had never met and said, "Harry. How nice to see you."
"Hello, Percy," said Harry, trying not to laugh.
"I hope you're well?" said Percy pompously, shaking hands. It was rather like being introduced to the mayor.
"Very well, thanks -"
"Harry!" said Fred, elbowing Percy out of the way and bowing deeply. "Simply splendid to see you, old boy -"
"Marvelous," said George, pushing Fred aside and seizing Harry's hand in turn. "Absolutely spiffing."
Percy scowled.
"That's enough, now," said Mrs. Weasley.
"Mum!" said Fred, as though he'd only just spotted her and seizing her hand, too. "How really corking to see you -"
"I said, that's enough," said Mrs. Weasley, depositing her shopping in an empty chair. "Hello, Harry, dear. I suppose you've heard our exciting news?" She pointed to the brand-new silver badge on Percy's chest. "Second Head Boy in the family!" she said, swelling with pride.
"And last," Fred muttered under his breath.
I don't doubt that," said Mrs. Weasley, frowning suddenly. "I notice they haven't made you two prefects."
"What do we want to be prefects for?" said George, looking revolted at the very idea. "It'd take all the fun out of life."
Ginny giggled. Harry chuckled with her. He couldn't wait to show the Twins his new prank products. Apparently the Marauders were some of their best customers so Zonkos gave him a free look into their new products.
"You want to set a better example for your sister!" snapped Mrs. Weasley.
"Gunny's got other brothers to set her an example, Mother," said Percy loftily. "I'm going up to change for dinner..."
He disappeared and George heaved a sigh.
"We tried to shut him in a pyramid," he told Harry. "But Mum spotted us."
Harry laughed. "Guess what?" he asked. "Zonkos gave me a free look into their new products that aren't out yet because the Marauders were their best customers."
"Lucky boy." Fred groaned.
Harry smirked, and handed them a pouch of Dungbombs that had time delays on them so no one would know who set them off. Dinner that night was amazing. Harry hung out with them the rest of the day, though he said bye to Lyra before she left for her house. Everyone had piled their tables together and were eating. Harry was in a discussion with the Twins and Ginny on their first prank at Hogwarts. It involved changing the Sorting Hat's song into a muggle song. Ron and Hermione were bickering over Scabbers and Crookshanks.
The next day, among complete chaos all the Weasleys and Hermione piled into Ministry cars and started off to Kings Cross Station. Harry had Dobby apparate him there early with his trunk shrunk in his pocket, and Hedwig on his shoulder.
Since Harry was there early he got himself a nice carriage that Dobby insisted on expanding. Harry smiled at the eagar house elf. Dobby was more of a friend at this point. As time went on others joined. By the time the train started Lyra, Draco, Luna, Susan, Hannah, Ginny, Dean, Seamus, Fred, George, Blaise, and Daphne were all piled into the compartment. Luna's Vanishing Cat, Cheshire, which reminded Harry of the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland kept scaring Bottleneck, and Hedwig was pecking at Imperius. Overall, it was chaos.
Ron and Hermione would have joined but they didn't want to sit with Slytherins.
"Sirius Black," Lyra said all of a sudden, dousing the mood. "Harry has to travel with someone at all times."
"With Dungbombs," Fred chimed in.
"And the Map," Ginny said.
"And his cloak," Susan said.
"Auntie said that they're assigning dementors to guard Hogwarts," Susan said softly, leaning back as Hannah braided her hair.
"Idiots," Ginny hissed.
"What are dementors?" Harry asked. He hadn't gotten around to reading his magical creature books yet.
"Dementors are the foulest creatures to walk this earth," Daphne explained. "They were bred by Herpo the Foul from fear and dark magic. They prey on your fears, sucking all your happiest memories out. If they get close enough they will suck out your soul, which is caused the dementor's kiss. You'll live but you won't be there. You'll be a shell," she finished in a whisper.
Harry gave an involuntary shudder.
"Enough of said talk," Blaise intervened. "What about Hogsmeade?"
"You'll love it," the Twins chimed in.
"I have to wait until next year," Ginny pouted.
"We could sneak you in," the Twins smiled widely. "There's a passage that leads straight to Honeydukes."
Ginny gave an evil smirk that sent fear in them all.
"Weasleys are scary," Draco and Blaise proclaimed at the same time.
"Nah," George laughed. "Just Gin Gin. It's a Weasley family rule: Fear every Weasley Female."
"It was put in place for a reason," Fred said grimly. "I swear, my left nostril hasn't been the same."
"What did you do?" Lyra asked fascinated.
"The bat-bogey hex," Ginny smirked, leaning back as Hannah braided her hair. "Mum taught it to me the moment I got my wand."
"What does it do?" Draco asked.
"It makes your bogies turn into bats and fly out your nose," she smirked.
All of them winced.
"You have to teach me that," Susan gushed.
They exchanged smirks, and all of them shuddered. At one the food cart came and they ordered some candy, but Harry and the Malfoys all had their house elves cook proper meals, and they ate sandwiches, strawberries, and Ginger Ale, before going through several pumpkin pasties and Chocolate Frogs.
The rain thickened as the train sped yet farther north; the windows were now a solid, shimmering gray, which gradually darkened until lanterns flickered into life all along the corridors and over the luggage racks. The train rattled, the rain hammered, and the wind roared.
Their compartment had split into several games now. Draco, who was almost as much of a chess fanatic as Ron had engaged Seamus in a game, while Dean and Daphne played Gobstones. Blaise, Fred, George, Luna, and Ginny were in a game of Exploding Snap. Lyra, Susan, and Hannah were all pouring over a girls magazine and giggling while Harry read through a book on magical creatures. He was surrounded by all their pets. Cheshire was resting on his head, Bottleneck in his lap, and the three owls had taken his shoulders. Harry wasn't sure how two owls fit on one shoulder but they did.
"You're a pet attraction," Ginny snickered.
Harry childishly stuck his tongue out, before returning to his reading about cockatrices. They were class XXXXX creatures according to Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
"We must be nearly there," Draco said, leaning out to look at the nearly black window.
The words had hardly left him when the train started to slow down.
"Great," Lyra drawled sarcastically. "You jinxed it Drake."
"We can't be there yet," said Susan, checking her watch.
"So why're we stopping?"
The train was getting slower and slower. As the noise of the pistons fell away, the wind and rain sounded louder than ever against the windows.
Harry, who was nearest the door, got up to look into the corridor. All along the carriage, heads were sticking curiously out of their compartments.
The train came to a stop with a jolt, and distant thuds and bangs told them that luggage had fallen out of the racks. Then, without warning, all the lamps went out and they were plunged into total darkness.
"What the hell is going on?" Ginny asked.
The door opened, and two figures stumbled in.
"Fred!" Ginny shrieked. "You scared me!"
"George is here too you know!" George yelled indignantly.
"Oh hello!" Lee Jordan, the Quidditch announcer said.
"This carriage is full now," Luna commented randomly.
"Do you know why the lights went out?" Lee asked.
"You tell me," Daphne snorted.
"Ouch! George that was my foot!" Harry bellowed.
"Oh for Merlin's sake!" Lyra shrieked, exasperated. "Lumos!"
And the carriage lit up.
"Why didn't we think of that?" Hannah asked.
"The wrackspurts were crowding your mind," Luna told her.
"What are wrackspurts?" Blaise asked.
"Fuzzy invisible creatures that float around your brain and make you forget things. They swarm around fear."
"Cool," he decided.
Harry grinned. Most people would call Luna crazy. Blaise accepted it.
Suddenly the door started sliding open. Standing in the doorway, illuminated by lights from their wands, was a cloaked figure that towered to the ceiling. Its face was completely hidden beneath its hood. Harry's eyes darted downward, and what he saw made his stomach contract. There was a hand protruding from the cloak and it was glistening, grayish, slimy-looking, and scabbed, like something dead that had decayed in water...
Dementor. That was all Harry knew.
But it was visible only for a split second. As though the creature beneath the cloak sensed Harry's gaze, the hand was suddenly withdrawn into the folds of its black cloak.
And then the thing beneath the hood, whatever it was, drew a long, slow, rattling breath, as though it were trying to suck something more than air from its surroundings.
An intense cold swept over them all. Harry felt his own breath catch in his chest. The cold went deeper than his skin. It was inside his chest, it was inside his very heart...
Harry's eyes rolled up into his head. He couldn't see. He was drowning in cold. There was a rushing in his ears as though of water. He was being dragged downward, the roaring growing louder...
And then, from far away, he heard screaming, terrible, terrified, pleading screams. He wanted to help whoever it was, he tried to move his arms, but couldn't...a thick white fog was swirling around him, inside him -
And then his head was splitting. Harry was screaming and clutching his head, the pain was worse then when Voldemort had caught him in his first year. He was screaming and screaming because something in his head had cracked.
"Harry! Harry! Are you alright?"
Someone was slapping his face.
"W-what?"
Harry opened his eyes; there were lanterns above him, and the floor was shaking - the Hogwarts Express was moving again and the lights had come back on. He seemed to have slid out of his seat onto the floor. Lyra and Luna were leaning next to him, while everyone else was watching. Harry felt very sick; when he put up his hand to push his glasses back on, he felt cold sweat on his face.
"What happened?" Dean asked incredulously.
"Dementors cause him to relive his worst fear," Luna said sadly. "Harry saw his parents die."
The door of the compartment slid open and a ragged looking man with scars on his face, shabby robes, and brown hair streaked with grey came in.
"Was anyone in here affected?" he asked.
"Harry was. And Ginny," Seamus said.
"Here," he stated, handing Harry a thick bar of warm chocolate. "Chocolate will help. Share it with her."
"Thanks, sir," Harry murmured.
"Do you know what happened?" Ginny asked, shivering. Harry knew that she had probably relieved the Chamber of Secrets. "I was shivering and then some white thing came in and pushed the dementor away."
"That was my patronus," he said mildly.
Harry was still confused. "What's a patronus?" he asked.
"It's a spell that repels dementors and lethifolds, made out of your happiest memory," he explained. "Now I must go down the train and check on the others."
"That was horrible," Ginny whispered.
"It felt like all the happiness in the world was gone," Draco said softly, his cheeks looking gaunt in the light.
"I heard screaming," Harry whispered. "A woman."
"You mother," Luna whispered, a tear falling down her face.
"We have to learn how to repel dementors." Lyra said determinedly.
"The Patronus Charm he told us about," Fred pointed out.
"On that note, who was he?" Hannah asked.
"I don't know," Dean shrugged. "Probably the new DADA teacher."
"That makes sense," Susan said.
They didn't talk much during the remainder of the journey. At long last, the train stopped at Hogsmeade station, and there was a great scramble to get outside; owls hooted, cats meowed, and Neville's pet toad croaked loudly from under his hat. It was freezing on the tiny platform; rain was driving down in icy sheets.
"Firs' years this way!" called a familiar voice. Harry turned and saw the gigantic outline of Hagrid at the other end of the platform, beckoning the terrified-looking new students forward for their traditional journey across the lake.
"Hey Hagrid!" he waved, and the half giant waved back with a grin.
Harry quickly boarded a carriage with Lyra, Luna, Susan, Dean, Hannah, Seamus, and Draco, while the Twins, Lee, Ginny, Daphne, and Blaise took another.
The coach smelled faintly of mold and straw. Harry felt better since the chocolate, but still weak. As the carriage trundled toward a pair of magnificent wrought iron gates, flanked with stone columns topped with winged boars, Harry saw two more towering, hooded Dementors, standing guard on either side. A wave of cold sickness threatened to engulf him again; he leaned back into the lumpy seat and closed his eyes until they had passed the gates.
"Come on," Dean murmured, and Harry took a seat at the Gryffindor table with Dean, Seamus, Ginny, and the Twins. Ron and Hermione hovered at the edge with Neville and took a seat. Lee, Angelina, Alicia, and Katie sat on the other edge. With a small wink Harry pulled out his wand and pointed at the hat. With devious grins the Twins pulled out their wands and pointed them at the hat under the table as McGonagall brought it in.
Harry smirked as the hat opened its brim to start singing.
Sawney Bean's got the munchies
A craving for flesh and blood
48 gaping mouths to tame
A cave full of starving weans
He'll chew the fat with anyone
He'll chew anyone's fat
And make no bones about it
He'll be lurking in the dark
Oh they're gonna hang us
Oh we're gonna die
But we'll be looking for you
In the sweet by and by
Thunder roars.a roch wind blows
Darkness cloaks the day
There's a foul storm brewing and a
Howling gale is dragging its teeth this way
Won't you guide us Lord, won't you guide us home
To our castles yonder on the brae
For our beasts are weary and the Devil he roams
Down in Galloway
Then came King James and all his men
Seeking out their kill
Through forest thick in grave pursuit
O'er river, gorge and hill
They breached Bean's cave and there they saw
The fruits of Satan's chore
Charred remains, masticated brains
And entrails by the score
"Creepiest song ever," Ginny grinned.
"I think we scarred the new firsties for life." George smirked.
"Best prank ever," Harry laughed.
"WHO DID THIS?" McGonagall screamed at them once the song was over.
They all stayed silent, for fear of dying by angry Transfiguration Professor. She glared at them all one last time before going to the Sorting Hat and telling him to start sorting. After a long sorting involving trembling first years and one cackling third year named Astoria Greengrass, who found the entire song hilarious and was sorted into Slytherin quicker than Draco Malfoy.
Professor Dumbledore, though very old, always gave an impression of great energy. He had several feet of long silver hair and beard, half-moon spectacles, and an extremely crooked nose. He was often described as the greatest wizard of the age, and that was why Harry respected him.
"Welcome!" said Dumbledore, the candlelight shimmering on his beard. "Welcome to another year at Hogwarts! I have a few things to say to you all, and as one of them is very serious, I think it best to get it out of the way before you become befuddled by our excellent feast..."
Dumbledore cleared his throat and continued, "As you will all be aware after their search of the Hogwarts Express, our school is presently playing host to some of the Dementors of Azkaban, who are here on Ministry of Magic business."
He looked angry at the fact that Dementors would even be at the school.
"They are stationed at every entrance to the grounds," Dumbledore continued, "and while they are with us, I must make it plain that nobody is to leave school without permission. Dementors are not to be fooled by tricks or disguises - or even Invisibility Cloaks," he added blandly, and Harry and Ron glanced at each other. "It is not in the nature of a Dementor to understand pleading or excuses. I therefore warn each and every one of you to give them no reason to harm you. I look to the prefects, and our new Head Boy and Girl, to make sure that no student runs afoul of the Dementors," he said.
Percy, who was sitting a few seats down from Harry, puffed out his chest again and stared around impressively. Dumbledore paused again; he looked very seriously around the hall, and nobody moved or made a sound.
"On a happier note," he continued, I am pleased to welcome two new teachers to our ranks this year.
"First, Professor Lupin, who has kindly consented to fill the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."
There was some scattered, rather unenthusiastic applause. Only those who had been in the compartment on the train with Professor Lupin clapped hard, Harry among them. Professor Lupin looked particularly shabby next to all the other teachers in their best robes.
"Look at Snape," Seamus muttered to him.
Professor Snape, the Potions master, was staring along the staff table at Professor Lupin. It was common knowledge that Snape wanted the Defense Against the Dark Arts job, but even Harry was startled at the expression twisting his thin, sallow face. it was beyond anger: it was loathing. Snape didn't even look at him like that anymore, so Lupin must have done something really bad.
"As to our second new appointment," Dumbledore continued as the lukewarm applause for Professor Lupin died away. "Well, I am sorry to tell you that Professor Kettleburn, our Care of Magical Creatures teacher, retired at the end of last year in order to enjoy more time with his remaining limbs. However, I am delighted to say that his place will be filled by none other than Rubeus Hagrid, who has agreed to take on this teaching job in addition to his gamekeeping duties."
Harry, Dean, and Ginny stared at one another, stunned. Then they joined in with the applause, which was tumultuous at the Gryffindor table in particular. Harry leaned forward to see Hagrid, who was ruby red in the face and staring down at his enormous hands, his wide grin hidden in the tangle of his black beard.
"We should've known!" Ron roared at the edge, pounding the table. "Who else would have assigned us a biting book?"
"Well, I think that's everything of importance," said Dumbledore. "Let the feast begin!"
The golden plates and goblets before them filled suddenly with food and drink. Harry, suddenly ravenous, helped himself to everything he could reach and began to eat.
"Excellent feast, like always," Seamus grinned.
The feast was delicious like always, and the hall resounded with happy clatters of eating utensils. At long last, when Harry was finished with his third plate of his favorite dessert, treacle tart, the feast ended and Harry was rushed to the Hospital Wing.
"Are you alright, Mr Potter?" Madam Pomfrey asked, bustling to him.
"Come on," she muttered, using a diagnostic charm on him.
"Oh my!" she exclaimed suddenly. "Your head has a large amount of dark magic residue!"
"I'm fine," Harry exclaimed. "It's just the dementor!"
"Fine," she relented, "You may go."
Harry sighed and ran from there, before finding his dorm. He unshrunk his trunk and with a levitation charm placed all of his things where they belonged, tacking his painting of his friends from Dean up next to his bed. His new Hogwarts satchel was made of dragonhide leather like his trunk and wand holster, and was equipped with a lightweight charm.
From a few beds over Ron Weasley looked jealously at his best friends new things. Why did Harry get new things and he didn't? Why couldn't Harry share his money with him? And Harry had started drifting away, hanging out with those filthy Slytherins and that oddball Loony Lovegood.
Neville stared in awe at Harry's amazing things. His gran would never get him those. Neville felt a spark of jealousy, and tried but failed at pushing it away. Why was he always pushed away? Why did everyone think he was worthless?
Albus Dumbledore looked at Madam Pomfrey's scans. This couldn't be! The dementor must have pulled the horcrux out of his head, but this would put a wrench in all his plans. He needed that horcrux so that Harry would die and he could defeat Tom! Hmm. He would have to devise a new plan.