Harry stared tiredly at the book in front of him. His eyes burning
with exhaustion as he reread the same paragraph for the third time with out
taking it in.
Finally deciding to give up for the night Harry marked his page, closed his book and got ready for bed.
As he hoped into bed he looked at the luminous clock, before finally settling in for the rest of the night.
When he finally drifted off to sleep Harry found himself in a very peculiar place. He was standing in the flower bed of some manor house with the scent of sweet roses surrounding him as he watched intently through the first floor window into a small study with only one occupant.
A young girl of about his age with long black hair and soft looking sallow skin lay fast asleep on a writing desk, arm hanging over the side, a quill resting beneath he limp arm.
As Harry made to leave the garden the young girl woke up. At first she seemed a bit disorientated but then went back to what she had been doing before she had fallen asleep.
She folded up a letter sitting on the desk, sealed it and left it resting in front of an empty owls perch. Then she left the room for a hallway. Harry kept his eyes on her moving to the entryway window to watch her climb the stairs.
Once there she turned out the lights and Harry could just make out her walking down the hall to his left.
He walked to the door and pulled out a long, familiar wand and opened the door with ease. He went up the stairs and followed the direction that the girl had gone down the hall.
She had gone into what appeared to be the main bedroom of the house. She was standing next to the bed, apparently looking for something in the bed side draw.
He entered; wand extended moving slowly towards her like a predator stalking its prey moving in for the final kill. He stopped when she spoke clearly to him.
"Do you really think me fool enough not to know that you are there?" she said rhetorically then turned to face him. She held her hands wide palms facing them and continued, "I'm unarmed, but you will not win this night Voldemort." A confident smile crossed her face that made Harry think that he knew her, but he knew they had never meet.
Then, with super sharp reflexes that caught both Harry and Voldemort by surprise, she threw one of her hands forwards at them and they were hit by a hurricane strength wind that knocked them out of the room and across the hall, pinning them against the wall.
By the time Voldemort could react the girl had disappeared quite literally into thin air. As Voldemort's anger continued to grow Harry woke up back at Privet Drive clutching his face as the pain in his scar seared painfully as Voldemort's anger grew still.
Despite the pain of his scar making him tear up Harry got up and moved to sit at his desk. He pulled a piece of parchment, a quill and some ink towards him and started to write a letter to Dumbledore telling him about what he had just seen. He had the feeling he had missed something important but knew that Dumbledore wouldn't.
Once he had finished Harry reread the letter to make sure that he had not forgotten anything before sealing it and waiting for Hedwig to return. He didn't have to wait long as Hedwig, sensing the importance of the delivery, appeared almost immediately.
After watching her disappear into the dark Harry retrieved a small phial full of dreamless sleep potion that he had convinced madam Pomfrey to give him before leaving school a month ago.
He laid back down in bed, swallowed the potion in one hit and was instantly asleep.
When Harry woke up the sun was well up and the luminous clock told him that it was seven after eleven.
Harry sat up and standing at the end of his bed was none other than Dobby. He wore a different outfit to the one that Harry had last seen him in and he seemed to be a bit anxious as well.
"Dobby, what are you doing here?" Asked Harry in a lightly puzzled voice.
"Professor Dumbledore has asked Dobby to take Harry Potter to Professor Dumbledore, sir. Professor Dumbledore seemed most concerned about a letter he had received, sir."
"Did he say what it was about?"
"No, Harry Potter, sir. Professor Dumbledore simply asked Dobby to take Harry Potter to Hogwarts and then to come back here to collect Harry Potter's things and take them to the Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix where Harry Potter will spend the rest of his holidays with his friends."
"Okay, Dobby, I just need to get showered and dressed then tell my aunt and uncle before I go."
Dobby nodded his small head causing his Yoda like ears to bob up and down and said; "Dobby will pack Harry Potter's things will sir is getting ready if sir wishes."
"Thanks Dobby, I'd appreciate that." He gathered up a change of clothes and headed for the bathroom.
Once Harry had showered, dressed and told his aunt that he was going to stay with his friends for the rest of the holidays he went back to his room where Dobby was still waiting. He took Dobby's hand and with a crack Dobby apparated them both to Professor Dumbledore's office. Once there Dobby apparated away leaving Harry alone in the office bringing back some bad memories of when he had last stood here.
It wasn't long before Dumbledore returned to his office. He motioned for Harry to sit down as he took his chair behind his desk. Harry noticed that there were two pieces of parchment on Dumbledore's desk one was the letter he himself had sent to Dumbledore only this morning.
"Professor, is the reason you wanted me to come here today have something to do with what I saw this morning?"
"In part, yes, it does. I could not tell from your description who the young girl was that you had seen, but after I received this letter," he handed it to Harry "I have my suspicions."
Harry read the letter to himself. When he finished it he could not make out the signature, which was a furious scribble, that Harry could only make out two letters an A and a B.
As Harry finished Dumbledore pulled a large book out of his draw. It looked like some kind of yearbook. At the quizzical look on Harry's face he said, "Each year all the seventh year students are given a book like this" as he flipped through the pages "They contain the photos, ambitions and anecdotes of all the students in that graduating class. I borrowed this one from Remus so you could tell me if my hunch was right. Ahhuh. Does the young girl you saw happen to look like this young lady?" He handed the book open to Harry.
The largest photo on the page caught his eye immediately. If it wasn't for this girls eyes being black, he would have sworn that it was her. Harry looked at the name below the photo, Anita Snape.
Harry handed the book back to Dumbledore "She is almost exactly like her, except the girl that I saw, her eyes are."
"are blue." Dumbledore said for Harry. "I thought as much. Anita was found two weeks ago, unconscious, nobody is sure what happened to her. But the fact that Voldemort has personally gone after Anastasia himself makes sense of what happened to her mother." Dumbledore pulled out his watch and said "It's just about lunch time, why don't you join Dobby outside and let him take you back to Grimmald Place." Harry simply nodded before standing up and leaving Dumbledore to his business.
Harry didn't like the prospect of returning to the Order's HQ. He couldn't even think of it with out thinking of Sirius. Harry wasn't sure he'd feel better there then at Privet Drive. But at least his friends would be there. When Harry meet Dobby in the anteroom of Dumbledore's office Dobby took him straight to number twelve Grimmald Place. Dobby left immediately as Harry registered which room he was in. The one he had shared with Ron last Christmas.
Before he realised it Hermione had gripped him in a tight hug as Ron said, "hey mate" in greetings.
Ten minutes later Mrs. Weasley came to look in on them. "Oh, Harry dear, you're here already, good. Ron, Hermione, we need you help downstairs. And Harry, could you help us as well?"
"Sure." Harry, Ron and Hermione went downstairs. Harry felt a bit upset that Ron and Hermione had completely forgotten that today was his birthday.
Harry followed a talkative Ron and Hermione into the kitchen where he was caught by surprise by a large group of people all shouting "Surprise" Harry blushed as Hermione whispered an apology for making him think that she'd forgotten his birthday.
After the initial shock Fred and George led him into a secluded corner of the kitchen and were the first to give him his birthday present. A large box wrapped in Snitch wrapping paper tied off with a Gryffindor coloured ribbon.
George said, "Open this one first, Harry."
Fred added, "We think you'll find them handy for this year."
Harry opened it. The box was chock full of treats from their joke shop. Harry recognised some of the things inside including some extendable ears, a half dozen small lunch box shaped tins he suspected were the shop form of their Skiving Snack boxes, there was also a quantity of their Wildfire Whiz-bangs, a collection of Portable Swamps and various other item he didn't recognise.
"We even add some of our new products, you know, things that aren't on the shelf just yet. We've included a list of what they are and what they do." Explained Fred.
"Thanks guys. I'll make sure not to waste to many of them."
Ron and Hermione gave him the present they had bought him. Skimming the title he at first thought that they had gotten him Hogwarts: A History but after rereading the title he realised it actually read Hogwarts: A Quidditch History.
Half and hour after the party had started Remus led Harry out of the kitchen and into a small room off of the main hall. He looked at Harry and Harry could tell he was still deeply hurt by Sirius' death.
Remus looked at the parcel in his hands he said, "A few years ago I would not have given this to you, but, given that Voldemort is back, I think it would be a good idea to study this. It will probably help you in protecting yourself against Voldemort and his followers." He handed it to Harry.
Harry opened it to uncover a red leather, hard cover, pre-loved book on the Animagus transformation. Harry ran his hand over the cover, some how sensing that there was something special about this book.
"This book," stated Remus, "Is the book you father bought when he, Sirius and Peter," he spat this last name, "decided to become Animagi. His and Sirius' notes are still in the margins so they can help you. But please remember to be careful."
Finally deciding to give up for the night Harry marked his page, closed his book and got ready for bed.
As he hoped into bed he looked at the luminous clock, before finally settling in for the rest of the night.
When he finally drifted off to sleep Harry found himself in a very peculiar place. He was standing in the flower bed of some manor house with the scent of sweet roses surrounding him as he watched intently through the first floor window into a small study with only one occupant.
A young girl of about his age with long black hair and soft looking sallow skin lay fast asleep on a writing desk, arm hanging over the side, a quill resting beneath he limp arm.
As Harry made to leave the garden the young girl woke up. At first she seemed a bit disorientated but then went back to what she had been doing before she had fallen asleep.
She folded up a letter sitting on the desk, sealed it and left it resting in front of an empty owls perch. Then she left the room for a hallway. Harry kept his eyes on her moving to the entryway window to watch her climb the stairs.
Once there she turned out the lights and Harry could just make out her walking down the hall to his left.
He walked to the door and pulled out a long, familiar wand and opened the door with ease. He went up the stairs and followed the direction that the girl had gone down the hall.
She had gone into what appeared to be the main bedroom of the house. She was standing next to the bed, apparently looking for something in the bed side draw.
He entered; wand extended moving slowly towards her like a predator stalking its prey moving in for the final kill. He stopped when she spoke clearly to him.
"Do you really think me fool enough not to know that you are there?" she said rhetorically then turned to face him. She held her hands wide palms facing them and continued, "I'm unarmed, but you will not win this night Voldemort." A confident smile crossed her face that made Harry think that he knew her, but he knew they had never meet.
Then, with super sharp reflexes that caught both Harry and Voldemort by surprise, she threw one of her hands forwards at them and they were hit by a hurricane strength wind that knocked them out of the room and across the hall, pinning them against the wall.
By the time Voldemort could react the girl had disappeared quite literally into thin air. As Voldemort's anger continued to grow Harry woke up back at Privet Drive clutching his face as the pain in his scar seared painfully as Voldemort's anger grew still.
Despite the pain of his scar making him tear up Harry got up and moved to sit at his desk. He pulled a piece of parchment, a quill and some ink towards him and started to write a letter to Dumbledore telling him about what he had just seen. He had the feeling he had missed something important but knew that Dumbledore wouldn't.
Once he had finished Harry reread the letter to make sure that he had not forgotten anything before sealing it and waiting for Hedwig to return. He didn't have to wait long as Hedwig, sensing the importance of the delivery, appeared almost immediately.
After watching her disappear into the dark Harry retrieved a small phial full of dreamless sleep potion that he had convinced madam Pomfrey to give him before leaving school a month ago.
He laid back down in bed, swallowed the potion in one hit and was instantly asleep.
When Harry woke up the sun was well up and the luminous clock told him that it was seven after eleven.
Harry sat up and standing at the end of his bed was none other than Dobby. He wore a different outfit to the one that Harry had last seen him in and he seemed to be a bit anxious as well.
"Dobby, what are you doing here?" Asked Harry in a lightly puzzled voice.
"Professor Dumbledore has asked Dobby to take Harry Potter to Professor Dumbledore, sir. Professor Dumbledore seemed most concerned about a letter he had received, sir."
"Did he say what it was about?"
"No, Harry Potter, sir. Professor Dumbledore simply asked Dobby to take Harry Potter to Hogwarts and then to come back here to collect Harry Potter's things and take them to the Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix where Harry Potter will spend the rest of his holidays with his friends."
"Okay, Dobby, I just need to get showered and dressed then tell my aunt and uncle before I go."
Dobby nodded his small head causing his Yoda like ears to bob up and down and said; "Dobby will pack Harry Potter's things will sir is getting ready if sir wishes."
"Thanks Dobby, I'd appreciate that." He gathered up a change of clothes and headed for the bathroom.
Once Harry had showered, dressed and told his aunt that he was going to stay with his friends for the rest of the holidays he went back to his room where Dobby was still waiting. He took Dobby's hand and with a crack Dobby apparated them both to Professor Dumbledore's office. Once there Dobby apparated away leaving Harry alone in the office bringing back some bad memories of when he had last stood here.
It wasn't long before Dumbledore returned to his office. He motioned for Harry to sit down as he took his chair behind his desk. Harry noticed that there were two pieces of parchment on Dumbledore's desk one was the letter he himself had sent to Dumbledore only this morning.
"Professor, is the reason you wanted me to come here today have something to do with what I saw this morning?"
"In part, yes, it does. I could not tell from your description who the young girl was that you had seen, but after I received this letter," he handed it to Harry "I have my suspicions."
Harry read the letter to himself. When he finished it he could not make out the signature, which was a furious scribble, that Harry could only make out two letters an A and a B.
As Harry finished Dumbledore pulled a large book out of his draw. It looked like some kind of yearbook. At the quizzical look on Harry's face he said, "Each year all the seventh year students are given a book like this" as he flipped through the pages "They contain the photos, ambitions and anecdotes of all the students in that graduating class. I borrowed this one from Remus so you could tell me if my hunch was right. Ahhuh. Does the young girl you saw happen to look like this young lady?" He handed the book open to Harry.
The largest photo on the page caught his eye immediately. If it wasn't for this girls eyes being black, he would have sworn that it was her. Harry looked at the name below the photo, Anita Snape.
Harry handed the book back to Dumbledore "She is almost exactly like her, except the girl that I saw, her eyes are."
"are blue." Dumbledore said for Harry. "I thought as much. Anita was found two weeks ago, unconscious, nobody is sure what happened to her. But the fact that Voldemort has personally gone after Anastasia himself makes sense of what happened to her mother." Dumbledore pulled out his watch and said "It's just about lunch time, why don't you join Dobby outside and let him take you back to Grimmald Place." Harry simply nodded before standing up and leaving Dumbledore to his business.
Harry didn't like the prospect of returning to the Order's HQ. He couldn't even think of it with out thinking of Sirius. Harry wasn't sure he'd feel better there then at Privet Drive. But at least his friends would be there. When Harry meet Dobby in the anteroom of Dumbledore's office Dobby took him straight to number twelve Grimmald Place. Dobby left immediately as Harry registered which room he was in. The one he had shared with Ron last Christmas.
Before he realised it Hermione had gripped him in a tight hug as Ron said, "hey mate" in greetings.
Ten minutes later Mrs. Weasley came to look in on them. "Oh, Harry dear, you're here already, good. Ron, Hermione, we need you help downstairs. And Harry, could you help us as well?"
"Sure." Harry, Ron and Hermione went downstairs. Harry felt a bit upset that Ron and Hermione had completely forgotten that today was his birthday.
Harry followed a talkative Ron and Hermione into the kitchen where he was caught by surprise by a large group of people all shouting "Surprise" Harry blushed as Hermione whispered an apology for making him think that she'd forgotten his birthday.
After the initial shock Fred and George led him into a secluded corner of the kitchen and were the first to give him his birthday present. A large box wrapped in Snitch wrapping paper tied off with a Gryffindor coloured ribbon.
George said, "Open this one first, Harry."
Fred added, "We think you'll find them handy for this year."
Harry opened it. The box was chock full of treats from their joke shop. Harry recognised some of the things inside including some extendable ears, a half dozen small lunch box shaped tins he suspected were the shop form of their Skiving Snack boxes, there was also a quantity of their Wildfire Whiz-bangs, a collection of Portable Swamps and various other item he didn't recognise.
"We even add some of our new products, you know, things that aren't on the shelf just yet. We've included a list of what they are and what they do." Explained Fred.
"Thanks guys. I'll make sure not to waste to many of them."
Ron and Hermione gave him the present they had bought him. Skimming the title he at first thought that they had gotten him Hogwarts: A History but after rereading the title he realised it actually read Hogwarts: A Quidditch History.
Half and hour after the party had started Remus led Harry out of the kitchen and into a small room off of the main hall. He looked at Harry and Harry could tell he was still deeply hurt by Sirius' death.
Remus looked at the parcel in his hands he said, "A few years ago I would not have given this to you, but, given that Voldemort is back, I think it would be a good idea to study this. It will probably help you in protecting yourself against Voldemort and his followers." He handed it to Harry.
Harry opened it to uncover a red leather, hard cover, pre-loved book on the Animagus transformation. Harry ran his hand over the cover, some how sensing that there was something special about this book.
"This book," stated Remus, "Is the book you father bought when he, Sirius and Peter," he spat this last name, "decided to become Animagi. His and Sirius' notes are still in the margins so they can help you. But please remember to be careful."