Harry Potter and the Two Draughts
Harry Potter goes back to Hogwarts, to find the magical world under assault again by Voldemort. And amazingly, it seems to be centered around Professor Snape…
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. I don't even own Dudley.
Harry Potter sat in the back seat of the car as Vernon Dursley took him back to 4 Privet Drive for the summer. Calling it a home, however, would be a mistake, as Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia had forced him to spend 10 of those years in a cupboard under the stairs. However, when he turned 11, he found out that he wasn't normal. He was in fact a wizard, and would be spending the next seven years in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The only downside of this was that he still had to spend the summers back with the Dursleys.
As Harry sat in the back seat, his mind ran unfocused over the last year's events. The Hungarian Horntail. The Yule Ball. Voldemort. Cedric's death. He couldn't escape the fact that Cedric, in a way, died because of him. Harry had insisted that both Cedric and he grab the Triwizard cup, declaring them both winners. But the cup turned out to be a port-key, and transported both of them to Voldemort. Because of Harry, Voldemort was back to power. Because of Harry, Cedric died at Voldemort's hands. Harry was glad for once that Vernon wasn't talking to him. It allowed him to sit, alone with his thoughts, the entire two hour ride home.
It was going to be a long 3 months.
Voldemort woke up and looked around. No one was in the room with him, which was good, because he had thoughts to sort through. He racked his brain, trying to remember. Something odd had occurred in his dreams. Searching back, he remembered one dream. It wasn't an odd dream, but another dream interrupted it. Were dreams supposed to be able to do that? But the new dream only lasted a brief moment. What happened in it?
Voldemort closed his eyes and focused. There was a boy… Harry Potter! He dreamed about Potter! It seemed as though they were moving, but he couldn't remember anyone walking. And there were other people there – a bunch of kids. And Potter was focusing on one of the boys. Voldemort concentrated hard, and was finally rewarded with a face: Malfoy. Lucius' son, Draco Malfoy.
He tried to remember more, but the dream was slipping through his fingers. Soon, he couldn't recall any of it, aside for the fact that it interrupted another dream. He briefly considered summoning Draco Malfoy to him. But what would that accomplish – the dream was probably nothing at all.
Harry had all of his stuff unpacked, which had again been locked in the cupboard under the stairs. For once this didn't bother Harry. His mind was far too unfocused to even be trying to do magic. He'd probably blow someone up. For a brief moment, he smiled. His after his second year at Hogwarts, he'd blown Aunt Marge up like a balloon. Of course, he didn't quite do that on purpose, but it still was hilarious.
Harry's good mood didn't last very long, though, as all the events from the last term came flooding back again. His smile became straight. His eyes went from having a sparkle of life to becoming completely lifeless again. Harry laid back in bed, and went to sleep.
The next day, Harry woke up at 11:00. He ate, and went back to his bed and sat. Simply sat. He sat until supper. After eating, we went back to his bed and sat until he went to bed around 6:00. He did this the next day, as well, and the day after that. Harry got into a comfortable schedule, one which he didn't have to talk to anybody, one which he didn't have to think about Hogwarts, or anything at all, for that matter.
The only disruption to Harry's schedule came from the letters delivered by Hedwig. The first letter came from Ron. Harry stared at it for several minutes. He teetered – should he open and read it? He decided he'd read it later, and set it carefully at the corner of his sparse room. He'd read it later. He went back to his bed and sat.
The next day another letter came, this time from Hermione. The decision to read this one was easier than the day before – he'd simply read it after Ron's. Harry moved over and put it on top of Ron's. Before long, the letters became a part of Harry's new schedule. Before long, Harry automatically put each letter delivered by Hedwig on top of a growing pile in the corner of his room. And through it all, Harry simply sat.
"Mom, we have to go get him!" pleaded Ron, "He can come live with us."
"Honey, Dumbledore told us that he needed to stay at the Dursley's this summer. When Dumbledore says it's okay for him to leave, then we can get him" said Mrs. Weasley.
"But he hasn't even answered any of my letters! And Hermione says he hasn't answered any of hers, either! Something must be wrong," argued Ron.
"Dumbledore knows best," replied Mrs. Dursley, while deciding send Dumbledore a letter of her own.
"HARRY!" boomed Uncle Vernon's voice from downstairs. What? thought Harry Uncle Vernon hasn't talked to me all summer. Why would he talk to me now?
"HARRY, GET DOWN HERE RIGHT NOW!!" roared his uncle, even louder. Harry wisely decided to go downstairs and see what his uncle was shouting about. At the bottom of the stairs was Vernon, and he was looking even redder than ever.
"Petunia saw one of YOUR kind coming up the street! What do you have to say about it?!" As soon as he finished the sentence, the doorbell rang. Harry couldn't help but smile. Vernon's face showed a mixture of extreme anger and extreme fear. Aunt Petunia's hands were trembling, and she was actually stuttering. Dudley immediately ran from the room as fast as he could (which wasn't very fast at all.) Dudley had been extremely wary of Harry's associates, ever since he had been given a pig's tail four years ago, and a four foot long tongue last year.
Vernon, upon seeing Harry's smile roared "WELL, ANSWER THE DOOR! AND THEY ARE NOT COMING IN!"
Harry slowly walked to the door. He walked slowly, because the Dursley's fright was giving him one of the few joys he had so far this summer. However, he was also afraid of what he would find. He realized that he hadn't even opened any of his friends' letters. The prospects of an angry Weasley family waiting at the door were not pleasant, and he wouldn't want to face Hermione's wrath either.
However, as Harry opened the door, he couldn't help but smile. It was Albus Dumbledore, with his customary smile and twinkling eyes.
"Hello Harry, can I come in," asked Dumbledore.
"Sure" Harry immediately replied, not even remembering Vernon was right across the room staring at him.
"Mr. Dursley," started Dumbledore, "what has your nephew been doing this summer?"
"He's been…up in his room" replied Vernon cautiously, since in fact he didn't have a clue what Harry actually did up in his room.
"Hmmm. Harry, maybe you can show me up to your room." Harry and Dumbledore walked upstairs to his room. At the top of the staircase and around a corner was Dudley. Upon seeing Dumbledore with his wizard robes and hat, Dudley promptly fainted.
"Unusual boy, isn't he…" remarked Dumbledore. Harry couldn't help but smile. They both walked into Harry's room, and both gazes turned to the enormous pile of letters in the corner. WHAT! thought Harry, I got that many letters! I never realized how many letters I got, but never opened up. His smile immediately vanished, and his stomach churned with guilt.
"Harry, Did you read the letter about Hermione's marriage?" asked Dumbledore.
Hermione got married? To who, Victor Krum? Or Ron Weasley? When was the wedding? Why wasn't I notified? Why wasn't I invited? Harry's mind churned. Of course, I didn't open any of the letters; I probably was notified and invited, but never knew it. He couldn't think of anything to say. His mouth just hung slightly open.
"Surely you read the letter from Ron about Percy being named Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation" prodded Dumbledore?
Wow! I knew that Percy worked under Crouch, but getting his position? He must be the youngest person to get that job in a good while. What other things happened this summer that I don't know about? What other things happened with my friends? Harry thought. Hermione got married, Percy got promoted to head of… wait a minute. He looked up at Dumbledore, who had a grin on his face.
"Neither of those happened, did
they?" questioned Harry.
"You are correct. Neither of those
happened. But you saw how you had no
idea on what has been going on around you.
I was worried you might fall into a rut like this. That's why you're going to come back up to
Hogwarts for the last 4 weeks of summer."
Harry's mind raced. He had spent 9 weeks at the Dursleys already? It seemed like two weeks, maybe three. Most of the summer had gone by without him even realizing it. Harry nodded numbly to the headmaster, and began to pack his things. He began lugging his trunk downstairs when Vernon confronted him.
"Oh, so you're leaving. Good. But I'd love to see how you're going to drag that trunk all the way to..." but Uncle Vernon's words were cut off by a roar from outside. Harry could see a giant half-eagle, half-horse creature out on the driveway.
"Buckbeak!" Harry whispered.
"Yes, Harry. Sirius knew about your difficulties as well, and insisted that I use Buckbeak to help you out." Dumbledore replied, "Can you get out that impressive broom of yours?" Harry excitedly pulled out his Firebolt, after which Dumbledore magically bound the trunk to the hippogriff. Dumbledore climbed on Buckbeak's back, and took off. Harry hurriedly climbed on his broom and took off as well.
It was the first feeling of joy for Harry that summer. Dumbledore and Buckbeak weren't content to simply fly straight to Hogwarts. They flew at breakneck speeds through wooded paths, skimming tree tops, and even under a few bridges.
After several hours of pure excitement, they both arrived at the Hogwarts grounds. Dumbledore patted Buckbeak on the head, then grabbed Harry's trunk. 'Mobilicistae' Dumbledore muttered, and Harry's truck floated after them as they made their way into the castle. Dumbledore had a different idea in mind than getting Harry to the Gryffindor common room. Or at least they had to be taking the least efficient way of getting there. Instead of going straight up the first staircase, they walked along one of the adjoining walkways. Completely out of the way, but it gave a great view on the quidditch grounds. Harry couldn't wait until it started up again; Quidditch was one of his favorite activities of all time. Following Dumbledore, he came up a flight of stairs and found himself walking by Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. He couldn't help but snigger. He was probably in that girls bathroom his second year more than most of the girls at the school were their entire stay. They managed to secretly brew a polyjuice potion in there; hopefully none of the teachers knew about it. Finally, Dumbledore led him back to the main stair column. However, he again veered off. Instead of taking the direct path up to the Gryffindor commons, he swerved over to the right side on the third floor. Why? thought Harry The only thing interesting about that was that it was off limits the first year because of the Sorcerer's Stone. His mind skipped back to all the stuff they had to do – the Potion's Logic, the chess match (where Ron nearly died), the key hunt – Harry had to admit that one was kind of fun. But why is Dumbledore taking me around to all these sites?
But right as Harry worked it out, Dumbledore turned to him and said "Harry, I'm sure you must be tired. You've had quite a day. I'll see you tomorrow" and promptly exited through the portrait. He took me around to all those things to show me that what I've accomplished. He reminded me about the good things in life as well. Harry thought as he fell asleep.
---
I apologize if the first chapter is a little slow. Next chapter will include the Weasley's along with the start of term.