1. A Not So Perfect Return to Privet Drive
Harry potter had been bored out of his mind for nearly three weeks. The summer was taking it's toll on him after the almost certain death of his godfather and wrongly accused escaped convict Sirius Black. As much as people told him that it wasn't his fault that Sirius had died, it did not do anything uncontrollable guilt that consumed the very fibre of his being.
It seemed that either the Dursleys's had gone temporarily deaf or they had chosen not to heed the warnings of Moody,Tonks or Lupin to take better care of Harry, because uncle Vernon had decided that his abnormality could no longer be kept in check through verbal abuse or threat of starvation, it was now decided that it now required physical abuse.
Harry got up and looked at himself in the mirror. He had an inch long gash down his left cheek caused by Uncle Vernon's all too familiar belt buckle along with various other bruises and cuts. He reached up to touch the wound and winced slightly at the pain. The beatings didn't really bother Harry because in many ways he wasn't there he was trapped in his own mind trying to fight his guilt, which was always a losing battle.
Aside from Sirius the sheer loneliness of his life at Privet Drive was what affected him most. Just like the previous summer he had been isolated with not one letter from either of his best friends, Ron and Hermione.
Harry checked the small clock on the nightstand by the side of his bed and also the piece of paper that acted like a calendar pinned to the wall. It was 4:05 in the morning on the 31st of July, it was only now that he realised that he realised he had been 16 for just over four hours. He doubled checked the paper calendar on the wall and realised he had for the first time in all his Hogwarts summers when the chart had been put to different use, because it was was not counting down the days until his return to Hogwarts in a good way but in a bad way. All he wanted to do was to curl up into a ball and shrink into nothingness.
He was plagued by fresh nightmares containing his parents, Sirius, Cedric and also Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Neville and even Luna all lying on top of him and staring at him with cold lifeless eyes and then more people he didn't recognise would end up on top of them and gasping for breath suffering a pain just as bad as the cruciatus curse, drowning in the cold and lifeless bodies as a high, cold laugh rang out clearly in the background. Then as with almost all his nightmares he would wake up screaming and shaking in a cold sweat, except now there was new addition to his wake up welcome which came in the form of a slightly bleeding scar with the familiar excruciating pain that would recede to a dull ache.
Finally giving up on the idea of sleep of which he new he would get none, as he usually only got a few precious hours a night which were of course plagued by his nightmares, he quickly but quietly stole down the stairs avoiding the creaking step near the bottom. Walking into the kitchen and grabbing a glass tumbler from the cupboard, filling it with water and drinking down in one gulp revelling in the coolness as it went down his throat, thinking about the time in the lake for the second task of the tri-wizard tournament. Immediately his thoughts drifted to Cedric but before he could get sucked into his guilty thoughts he was snapped reverie by a tapping at the kitchen window where the dawn sunlight was starting because it was 6:30 he rushed to open the window and let the rather large screech owl enter and perch itself on the kitchen table carrying four letters all with distinct different styles on their envelopes.
He recognized the first Hermione's neat script, although the letter was only short and only one sheet of parchment but this was the first he'd heard of her all summer so he eagerly tore the letter from the envelope.
Dearest Harry,
First of all I apologise for not owling you or contacting you, it was on Dumbledore's strictest orders that we do not contact you without his say so.
The reason I sent my letter with this owl was because Cho Chang (its her owl by the way) needed to contact you urgently, but she would not say why, although she must have Dumbledore's permission because he owled me and I think Ron as well to say we could send you a letter with her owl because it would reduce the chances of having one of our letters intercepted if they all came by one owl.
We never forgot your birthday either (how could we!!!) but we can't owl you our presents so we will give you them when we see you.
How are you coping? What with Sirius and the Dursleys (have they paid any attention to the warning Lupin, Moody and Tonks gave them)
Anyway I'll stop babbling on now take care of yourself and we'll try keep in touch and see you as soon as possible.
Love Hermione xox
Harry couldn't help but notice that the letter was hurried and short very un-Hermione like letter.
The next letter was very brief and written in a barely legible scrawl, definitely Ron's.
Alright mate
How are those bloody muggles treating you?
Sorry I couldn't owl you or anything but you know, Dumbledore's orders and everything.
Have you received an owl from Hermione yet we've been spending quite a bit of time together this summer and do you know what I'm really starting to like her as well... umm more than a friend what should I do? 'Cos I really like her but if something goes wrong our friendship would be really awkward, also how do I say this I don't want her to laugh in my face. Anyway I hope to see you soon
Ron
*The tactless bastard, the sheer nerve of him* Harry thought *I have just lost the only father figure I have ever had and all he can talk about is a petty infatuation that has been painfully obvious to the rest of the world for the last five years.*
Before his anger really started to settle in Harry turned to the last letters. It was his Hogwarts letter although it was slightly thinker than usual
He quickly opened and began to read the letter written as ever in emerald green ink.
Dear Mr. Potter
Enclosed is a list of the books and equipment you will need for your sixth year but firstly and more importantly are your owl results which are as follows : -
Defence Against the Dark Arts O beginner intermediate advance
Transfiguration O beginner intermediate advance
Charms E beginner intermediate ½ advance
Divination A beginner intermediate
Potions E beginner intermediate ½ advance
Astronomy E beginner intermediate ½ advance
Care of Magical Creatures E beginner intermediate ½ advance
Herbology E beginner intermediate ½ advance
Congratulations Mr. Potter you clearly seem to have repaid my faith in you with a set of OWL's like that we may make an auror out of you yet.
Congratulations again Mr. Potter
Minerva McGonagall
(deputy headmistress)
Harry quickly skimmed over his booklist and noticed nothing out of the ordinary and then realised there was another piece of parchment as well, it only took a second to realise that this was a personal letter from Dumbledore.
Harry,
I know that you must still be grieving over Sirius but a situation has arisen that is both tragic and rather dangerous. Miss Chang has recently become a target of Voldemort and his followers. She returned home with the rest of her family from a trip to Devon to find it in ruins with a message saying that they would get her eventually. The safest place for a wizard who is a target of Voldemort is Hogwarts or 4 privet drive.
The changs will be put under the fidellius charm and I believe you are the best candidate for secret keeper, however Cho may still not be safe so I believe that she should spend the rest of the summer at Privet drive with you. We will arrive at noon on the 31st.
I know that you will do your best to make her feel welcome
Do not feel guilty about Sirius he died fighting for what was good and he loved you very much. He is now with your mother and father and happy. I know you may not want to believe this Harry but since your parents died he lived a tortured life where the only bright spots were you and Remus Lupin. He blames himself for your parents death for switching secret keepers just as you blame yourself for his death. Do you see now that you should not blame yourself? Sirius did, but he should not have done and he lived for twelve years in a tortured mind that
I shall see you in a few short hours Harry. Your aunt and uncle do not know we are coming it is your choice whether or not you wish to tell them.
Albus Dumbledore
Harry suddenly had a thought, he didn't want anybody to see him in his current state let alone the girl he thought he was falling for.