isclaimer, I don't own anything. I'm doing this is a catharsis for myself JK Rowling's owns Harry yada yada yada everyone got it. Good
Summary it's hard enough going to a new school but the trio adding three deranged Azkaban escapees is just a cruel twist of fate but when questions about loyalties our raised where will they turn
Authors note I see Ive successfully cast my spell on you. It's so good to see all of you again big hugs as you all know is chapter 1 of the sequel to awakening solace. If you encounter any confusion at any time please feel free to turn to awakening solace or drop me a line. I always reply to my dedicated readers as long as I can find them. This is of course an Alternate Universe so please don't send me a bunch of flames out canon. If you would like to offer some CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM you're more than welcome one last thing and then we can move on I would like to thank my two extraordinarily talented betas Aerohead1980 and Fae Child19 for their tireless efforts
Chapter 1
A Mundane Life
by: Empathicallychosen
"If individuality has no play, society does not advance; if individuality breaks out of all bounds, society perishes." -- Thomas Henry Huxley
(o)(o)(o)
Somewhere in the middle of Surrey, there was a small, gated community called Little Whinging. Little Whinging was full of streets with extraordinarily mundane names, although it was very hard to tell one street from the next because each and every house looked exactly the same. The reason for this was really quite simple, most people who lived in the community were incredibly rigid and snobbish creatures and the people of Privet Drive were no exception.
Everyone on Privet Drive had one thing in common (apart from the design of their homes, of course). They were all respectable, ordinary people with no skeletons in their closets. It would not be acceptable for anyone living there to have anything to hide. However, one family did. It was the family living in number four Privet Drive.
To the outside world, the Dursleys seemed just like all the rest. Vernon Dursley was a successful director of a drill making business. He was a large and beefy man, who took great pride in his enormous mustache that rested on his purple face. What he lacked in a neck, he made up for by having all of the latest material goods. Petunia Dursley was a lengthy blond who spent her time spying on her neighbors and doting on her huge son, Dudley. Dudley's appearance was best described by the phrase: Pig in a wig. He was a very privileged boy with a domineering nature.
However, there was something that nobody knew about the Dursleys. That 'something' was, quite literally, living in the closet. Harry Potter was a small boy in stature, with emerald green eyes and chronically untidy hair. Whatperplexed the neighbors most about his appearance was Harry's lightning shaped scar in the middle of his forehead. He lived in this household due to an unfortunate set of circumstances. His parents were convicted felons, so he had been brought to Private Drive by an elderly man named Albus Dumbledore. Vernon and Petunia were not pleased by this at all. Harry's aunt and uncle, hated him because Harry Potter was a wizard. It seemed impossible, but it was true. His parents could do magic, his grandparents could do magic (on his father's side, at least) and so could he.
The Dursleys were muggles and they had a very medieval attitude toward magic. As far as they were concerned, having a wizard in the family was a matter of deepest shame. They treated him as though at any moment the neighbors would charge through the door and burn them all at the stake. This was highly unlikely, however, as the most conspicuous thing about Harry was the owl that lived in a tree in their backyard.
This owl was once a stuffed toy named Hedwig. When Harry was younger, he would take Hedwig with him everywhere. One day, when Aunt Petunia told him he was too old to play with toys, he awoke to find Hedwig had come alive. Harry later learned that his best friends Hermione and Ron's favorite toys, Crookshanks the cat and Pig the pygmy owl had done the same. As usual Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon were furious. After this, their treatment of Harry gradually started to worsen until he could no longer bear it. As a matter of fact, Harry's favorite times with the Dursleys were when they simply pretended like he wasn't there.
Unfortunately for Harry, he was there, and it was because of them and their son Dudley that Harry found life to be a little lonely at times.Although Dudley knew nothing of his cousin's heritage, he hated Harry with every fiber of his being. Dudley had a strong influence on most of the children in the neighborhood. He took immense joy in having almost complete control over what happened in the town, at least in regards to the children and his parents.
Theonly children in the community who did not veer away from Harry were Ron and Hermione. They had been friends since before any of them could remember. They shared almost everything, from their lunches to their secret adventure through time. Unbeknownst to his aunt and uncle, at the age of four the friends had accidentally traveled back to the past and met Harry's teenage parents.
Harry was resting for a moment after preparing an extremely rich meal for his relatives. Unfortunately, his relaxation was short lived. It was about time for Harry to begin his walk to school. While his cousin was allowed the privilege of being dropped off by Aunt Petunia, Harry had to walk. Harry did not particularly like school. It wasn't that he was stupid. He was actually very clever. His melancholy attitude toward school, like almost everything else in his life, was related to the Dursleys and how Dudley scared off any potential friends and made his life very difficult to breeze through.
As for Harry's friends, Hermione wasraised by very academically charged, health-oriented parents. According to her, if she had to suffer, so did Ron and Harry. It was Ron who had the constant stress of living with Mrs. Figg, a strange widow who talked to her cats and often forgot to take her medication.
"What are you doing lounging about when you should be on your way to school?" shrieked Aunt Petunia. "My book club is meeting here today and I only have twenty minutes to clean the sitting room!"
"But I cleaned it just last night," Harry reminded her, puzzled.
"You call this clean? There are fingerprints all over this wall. Out! Just get out!" she screeched.
Harry saw no fingerprints, but he knew not to argue. Quickly, he picked up his rucksack and raced down the street. As usual, when Harry approached Mrs. Figg's house, Harry was mobbed by about fifteen cats before he could reach the doorway. Luckily, Ron emerged at that moment, dragging his backpack across the lawn. Ron was a redheaded boy with a star-shaped scar just below his eye. He had gotten it the same night Harry had received his lightning scar. Ron's face was also lined with some freckles. He walked with a bit of a limp he had gotten by the kidnappers who had taken them to the past in the first place.
"You lot had better scatter before I turn on the sprinklers," said Ron, looking over his shoulder to make sure Mrs. Figg was not within earshot.
Ron had almost made it to the driveway at the top of the street when he was hit by what looked like a gray-feathered tennis ball.
"Pig! Get back to the house before you expose us," Ron exclaimed anxiously.
Pig, however, seemed quite content to follow Ron to school. Exasperated, Ron managed to cup Pig in his hands and deposit him back into the house. Ron and Harry walked the seven blocksto the Granger residence, talking about the fact that Ron was expecting a visit from his family very soon. Ron cared about his family very deeply, even though his mother had practically abandoned him after the attack nine years ago due to the extraordinary extent of his magical abilities. She claimed to have made up for abandoning him by giving Ron the old rat his brother had not wanted anymore.
By the time they reached the Grangers' walkway, they had grown tired of the subject and had moved onto the upcoming results of their midterm exams. Harry rang the doorbell and stepped back.
"Good morning boys," said Hermione's mother, Megan Granger, without even looking up from the latest issue of Dental Monthly Magazine. "Come on in, I made a seaweed casserole for breakfast."
Harry and Ron looked at each other, but knowing that it would be just as pointless to argue with Mrs. Granger, as it would with Harry's Aunt Petunia, they entered. The Granger's kitchen was avocado in color, and smelled like a dentist's office (because their dental office was right in their basement).
Hermione was sitting at an old oak table stabbing at her seaweed casserole unenthusiastically. Hermione's bushy hair was dangling over her cup of soymilk. She looked up as they entered and waved them over. They sat down on either side of her and, as she brushed her hair out of her face, Harry noticed the two most distinguishing features of his other best friend. The first was a heart-shaped scar on her right hand.
The other mark left on Hermione was one they remembered far too clearly. Harry, could just make it out when Hermione's sleeve moved with her arm as she brushed away her hair. It was the tail of a nasty burn left on her by an enraged kidnapper. Harry's haunted memories were interrupted when Mrs. Granger heaped a large helping of tofu onto Harry's plate. All in all, the day was progressing rather normally, that is, until a report on the news changed everything.
"Three fugitives are on the run today. They were said to have escaped from a maximum-security prison some time last night between the hours of twelve and one a.m. Sirius Black and James Potter and his wife Lily were convicted of conspiring to kill three infants nine years ago. One of the infants was the Potters only son. Fortunately, the babies managed to escape due to the heroic efforts of Remus Lupin.
Lupin was originally convicted of helping his brothers and sister-in-law to plan out the assaults, but has recently been cleared of all charges and is now recovering from his ordeal at his parents' home in Essex. The Potters and Black are armed and extremely dangerous. Law-enforcement officials urge the public to remain calm however. If you are to come in contact with them it is advised that you call the number on your screen immediately. "
Harry, Ron and Hermione were numb. They were more than nervous and they weren't the only ones. Hermione's father looked as though he were going to be ill. Harry was unable to tell what Hermione's mother was thinking. This wasn't surprising, because he didn't even know how he felt about the situation himself. For almost his entire life, Harry had been told that his parents and Sirius were bad people. But for some reason, in the back of his mind, he was pleased, as were Hermione and Ron.
They didn't know why that was, although Ron joked it was because they wanted the Dursleys to suffer as much as they had made Harry suffer. Hermione did not think it was funny and for a fleeting moment, Harry thought his mum would not have found it amusing either, but he pushed that thought away almost immediately.
They arrived at Carver's Academy of Learning five minutes after the last bell had rung. Because everywhere they went, they felt like they were being followed. Of course the obvious solution was apparition, the process of disappearing in one place and appearing in another. Although the solution was simple, putting their plan into action was actually quite difficult. They were not allowed to use their powers in front of ordinary people and everywhere they turned there were herds of muggles rushing on with their busy lives. Luckily after backtracking several blocks they were able to use the wooded area in the park as cover.
"Oh we are going to be in so much trouble," said Hermione anxiously.
"What else is new," replied Harry.
They bolted down hallway after hallway, dodging teachers and students along the way, finally stopping at classroom 27 and ducking inside. Everyone else was already in the class and the teacher, Mrs. Darlington, was right in the middle of discussing an ancient Greek tragedy when they came in.
"Hey Dudley, is the circus in town," shouted Malcolm Wallace, a weasel-faced member of Dudley's gang.
"Dunno, why," Dudley replied, clueless as usual.
"Because the sideshow freaks have escaped," sneered Malcolm.
Everyone laughed whether they thought it was amusing or not.
"All right. That's enough, everyone settle down," snapped Mrs. Darlington. "Mr. Potter, Miss Granger, Mr. Weasley please come to the front of the room."
The whole class began to jeer and taunt them, but Harry didn't care. He had too many things on his mind to bother with his classmates. Slowly he, Hermione and Ron made their way to Mrs. Darlington's desk.
"Sorry we're late Ma'am, but it's been a rough morning," whispered Ron.
"Normally I'd send you to Ms. Brigstock, but I think we can make an exception for today. Just see that it doesn't happen again," responded Mrs. Darlington.
"Yes Ma'am," Harry, Ron and Hermione chorused.
"Good. Now then, I'd imagine you're rather frightened. If there's anything I can do don't hesitate to ask," she added compassionately.
"Thank you Ma'am, but we're all right," Harry lied.
The truth of the matter was that they were not fine at all. In fact, they were nervous wrecks. However, by some miracle, they managed to make it through to lunch without jumping at every small noise they heard. Still, they could not shake the feeling that someone was watching them. During lunch their headmistress, Ms. Brigstock, made her way through the crowd and escorted the three of them to her office.
Ms. Brigstock was very young for a headmistress, only in her early 30s. She had rosy cheeks and her long curly dark hair was rapped in a tight bun. Harry, Ron and Hermione knew that Ms. Brigstock was actually a very pleasant woman, but they were about the only students who weren't intimidated by her. Ms. Brigstock was quite fond of anything orderly. She was very strict, and the fact that she wore very thick round glasses perched on the tip of her nose and very matronly clothes did not make her seem very approachable, but the students who followed her rules didn't have anything to worry about.
"I saw on the news about your parents, Harry. Are you all right?," Ms. Brigstock asked, her intense hazel eyes examining Harry closely.
Harry nodded.
"Are you sure?"
He nodded again.
"Good. I brought you down here to talk about the results of your exams," she said in a very serious tone. She shuffled through a folder on her desk until she found their papers.
"All three of you scored in the top tenth percentile. You are extraordinarily intelligent. Secondary school is coming up and the faculty and I agree that it would be a shame for your talents to go to waste-"
"I told you we should have missed more of the answers on purpose," whispered Ron so Ms. Brigstock couldn't hear.
Hermione glowered at him.
"That is why I've spoken to a friend of mine employed at Bradwell's Academy for the gifted to enroll you there next year."
They didn't know what to say. The truth was, they would not be going to Bradwell, or to any other muggle school. They would be going to Hogwarts, but they couldn't tell the headmistress that they intended to go to a school for people to learn magic. As luck would have it, Robert Danes chose just that moment to kick a ball right through Ms. Brigstock's office and shattered the glass of her window.
They took the opportunity to escape while Ms. Brigstock was yelling at poor Robbie. The friends ran and reluctantly headed straight to the playground. The moment they stepped onto the asphalt, Dudley's taunting voice rang over them.
"Oi, Potter. Dad says your good-for-nothing parents escaped today. Maybe we'll get lucky and they'll do the job right this time."
"Shut up, Dursley," snapped Hermione angrily.
Piers, Malcolm and Dennis all made for Hermione, but just as they got close enough to do any serious damage, a fierce wind picked up out of the blue and carried all three of them into a dumpster outside the kitchens. Hermione knew exactly what had happened. She glanced reproachfully at Ron who was twiddling a werewolf tooth pendant (given to him by Remus Lupin before their departure from the past), between his fingers.
"Sorry," Ron muttered sheepishly under his breath. "I guess I lost control."
If any of them were to think that this was the worst day ever, they were gravely mistaken. School for the rest of that week was living torture, but back at Privet Drive was worse. Life before the time travel mishap and life after was very different. Before Harry had gone to the past, the Dursley's abuse was very physical and violent. When Harry, Ron and Hermione had returned to their proper place and time, the Dursleys received a surprise visit from Harry's paternal grandfather, Aidan. Aidan Potter was a tall, burly man with wild, untidy hair, revered by the wizarding world and most certainly by the muggle world. At least by the kind of muggles who lived in Privet Drive except, of course, Hermione's parents. It was often said of her parents that they did not belong in Privet Drive. The problem was that Mr. and Mrs. Granger were not stuck up and snobbish, and apparently it was an unspoken rule that only people who had been diagnosed with a superiority complex could live in Privet Drive.
Harry would never forget the look on his aunt and uncle's faces when the man claiming to be Harry's wizarding grandfather told them that he had to talk to them about Harry. Unfortunately, Harry didn't get to hear what Aidan had said to his aunt and uncle, but from that moment on, they never lifted a finger to him again.
Sadly, Aidan may have stopped the Dursleys from physically abusing him, but they still managed to find other ways to hurt him. Their favorite new weapons of choice were starvation and various mental and emotional tortures. But if Harry ever feared the Dursleys would go back to the old ways, it was during the months following the broadcast. Thankfully, as April faded into May and May into June, though Ron did get a visit from his older brothers and his father, there was no sign of any insane relatives at the door, so the Dursleys calmed down.
Harry was glad his aunt and uncle had calmed down, but ever since the newscast about his parents, Harry could no longer avoid Dudley's gang, who visited their leader's house every single day. This was why Harry spent as much time as possible at Ron and Hermione's houses. But, according to James during their venture through time, Harry, Ron and Hermione would be getting their Hogwarts letters soon. This was their only solace until then. There was another added bonus. Dudley had recently received a letter telling him that he had been accepted at Uncle Vernon's old private school, Smeltings. Piers Polkiss was going there too. Harry's Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon's attentions were thus on this happy news, yet it did not mean that ten-year-old Harry allowed himself to breathe freely. Harry's instincts were telling him something was coming, something life altering.
authors note I know sort of a lifeless chapter but I'm setting things up what do you want from me! Anyway I just want to thank J bear and TiTan for their extraordinarily kind reviews that brought me to tears. Everyone please remember that I want to get back to each and everyone of you which is extraordinarily hard to do when you leave an unsigned review and have a common variable in your pen name. even if I can't locate you I will do my best to see that you're recognized I love to hear from everyone I am open to anything you have to say. questions are my favorite because it shows you're paying attention Constructive criticism is welcome and even encouraged rudeness however accomplishes nothing anyway can't wait to hear from you.
Next chapter: even in a mundane town like little Whinging things pick up when the solstice comes around.