THE CHANCE

JK Rowling owns all the rights to the books and the amazing characters she created. I write only to satisfy my imagination and use my creativity and make no money from my writings. 6/10/14

Chapter 1 - Overheard

Harry Potter had been sedated after his most superficial wounds had been treated. The scratches, the bruises and the cuts which he had received in the maze and at the graveyard had been tended to but as usual nothing would be done for the shock and grief he had seen that night as nothing ever was. However, despite the potion he had been given to make him sleep and be oblivious to everything was not working. He was too tense and keyed up to sleep and, as he admitted, he was afraid what his dreams would be. He had seen a fellow student casually murdered, been an unwilling participant in the resurrection of Voldemort, been forced into a ridiculous duel and had only by the "sheer dumb luck" that McGonagall said he had, had managed to escape.

He had brought Cedric's body back, told those present about Voldemort's return, was grabbed by the fake Moody and taken away and had been save from death "in the nick of time" by Dumbledore. Things were a bit (alright a lot) confusing after that and all he remembered was somehow ending up in the Infirmary and being treated by Madame Pomfrey. The medi-witched had then been ordered to leave by Dumbledore.

Harry was semi-conscious but if someone was looking at him they would think he was totally unconscious. It was then he heard another voice, that of the Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge. It sounded like he and Dumbledore were having a conversation.

"Are you certain this will work?" Fudge asked Dumbledore.

"Of course it will. I have planned long and hard for this moment and now that it is here everything will quickly fall into place," said the voice of Dumbledore.

"But I still don't understand how my saying He-Who-Must-Be-Named isn't back will help us to finally defeat him. Won't that give him time to build up his forces and if I do what you are asking but further cutting the funds of the DMLE, well won't that also help him? We'll be totally unprepared while he'll be…."

"Cornelius my dear boy I assure you that I know what I am doing."

"But I just feel so uncomfortable with it all," the Minister replied. "Shouldn't we let Amelia Bones know about the trap you are setting? I still think that I will come out looking like a fool if I do all that you are asking of me" he whined.

Dumbledore's reply was the audible sigh Harry heard before Dumbledore shouted "Imperius" and Fudge stopped talking to listen to what Dumbledore was ordering him to do.

Harry still could hear everything but he was in that state where although he could hear and understand, he couldn't move. He knew he was conscious but wished he wasn't when he heard what Dumbledore was saying. After Fudge left Dumbledore then turned to the sleeping boy. "Time for the usual my dear boy" he said giving a slight chuckle.

"One spell for you to feel totally guilty for causing Cedric Diggory's death. That will teach you for being a good sportsman. Never mind it was Wormtail who killed Cedric on Tom's orders, you are the one who really killed him and you will never forgive yourself for it. You will have nightmares all summer long and even beyond the summer. That will give Vernon reason to beat you and punish you for waking up 'normal, decent, hardworking people' as your sadist uncle always tells you."

Harry could hear Dumbledore swishing his wand about and mumbling a few words. He also felt it when the spell hit him. It nearly caused him to wake up. Then Dumbledore started chanting yet another spell to stop Harry from committing suicide due to the crushing guilt he would be feeling.

"Now off you go to your 'loving' relatives in a few short days. Granger will nag you to death from now until you get off the Hogwarts Express to 'tell me what you are feeling' and in the end she will only advise you to tell a teacher specially Minerva, who won't do a damn thing as usual, or me, who…." He stopped talking and merely chuckled before resuming his one-sided conversation.

"I will be extremely busy this summer seeing to this and that and putting the final touches on my plans. I will order no one to write you this summer saying it would be too dangerous to do so. And it would – be dangerous for my plans not you – as you might feel you actually had friends and people who cared about you. But you don't and never will." He chuckled some more and Harry heard him leaving the room.

Harry Potter was not a stupid person. He was very intelligent and had developed street smarts to survive his life with the Dursleys. He had never been reckless until he arrived at Hogwarts and did things he would never have dared to do before. It was if all his well-honed instincts had flown out of the window. When he did try to control the temper which he had also mysteriously developed and stay out of trouble, Ron Weasley was always there to egg him on and Harry was the one who usually got in trouble not Ron. He had known since first year that Ron did it purposely.

Harry knew a lot of things and before the end of his first year he knew he was probably being spelled but there was nothing he could do about it. His life, his friends, actions and everything was being controlled and there was no one to help him or give him comfort or advice. Neville had tried but the Weasley Twins, Ron or Hermione would appear out of nowhere and interrupt even the most harmless of conversations.

Still Neville had managed to tell him some things during the middle of the night in the boys' bathroom the few times they had both been awake and had to pee. But those times were few and far between until fourth year when Ron had temporarily abandoned him but then he was back with a fury and Neville was "officially pushed aside" and things continued like they always did.

Ron had his "duties" as did Hermione. Her's were similar only in keeping Harry isolated from making friends other than Ron and Hermione. The Twins loomed about and made an appearance when it suited their needs. Ginny was faking embarrassment although he was informed that she had had a crush on "the Boy-Who-Lived" as Ron called him ever since she was a very young child. This year he had noticed her getting bolder as if she was preparing herself to become the fourth member in the Golden Trio. Did that mean in fifth year they would have to change their name to the Golden Quartet? He certainly hoped not but as his life was not his own to live there wasn't anything he could do about it.

However, now he had proof that Dumbledore truly used, abused and probably hated him but there was nothing he could do about it – or was there?