Disclaimer: I own the story and plot; Ms. Rowling owns the Harry Potter and the characters that you recognize.
The summer had been miserable, and not because of the way the Dursley's had been treating him. No, they had been ignoring him altogether since he had told them what had happened at school. It was miserable because he was cut off from the wizarding world. No clippings from the Prophet, no letters from Sirius or Professor Lupin, nothing. That had left him thinking of what happened at the third task. How he could have done things different. When he wasn't thinking about the third task, he was dreaming of the cold voice, the blinding green light, and the sound of a rushing train. After he dreamt that, he would always wake up in a cold sweat. After the first week of that torture, he started knocking off homework so fast that he soon didn't have anything to occupy his thoughts. Harry started wondering about things he could do to prepare for the next time he met Voldemort. 'I'll kill him is what I'll do and then I'll capture Pettigrew' thought Harry. His dilemma was that he had no way of going about learning the things he needed to learn to follow through on his intentions. Then it came to him, he would ask for a pass to the restricted section when he got to Hogwarts.
Occasionally his thoughts drifted to Cho, about how miserable she must be. He didn't know what he could do about that, or even if he was right about her mood. He thought about how presumptuous he could sound if he sent a letter in an attempt to console her. However, he knew he would stumble over anything he said to her personally, so Harry decided on going the letter route. He thought about the letter for a while, ran it through his mind a couple of times, and then put quill to paper:
Cho,
I hope this letter finds you well, as I have never owled you before. I am writing you to find out how you are holding up. If my current state is any indicator, then you are probably not in a cheery mood. If there is anything you weren't told about what happened during the third task that you think you should, or feel like you need to send me a howler to make you feel better, then please do.
Sincerely,
Harry Potter
Harry folded the piece of parchment, and tied it to Hedwig's leg. With an affectionate nip of Harry's finger and a proper sort of hoot, the owl was off onto her journey. Just as Harry sat down, a large Brown Owl swooped into his bedroom carrying an envelope with the Hogwarts seal on in. Harry broke the wax and read the school supply list for the year, but noted that the envelope was still slightly heavy. He reached into the envelope and discovered a second piece of parchment and a badge with a "P" on it. Harry knew instantly what this was, a notification that he was a prefect and the badge to prove it. Harry picked up the note that accompanied the badge and read it:
Dear Mr. Potter,
It is my duty to inform you that you have been chosen to be a Gryffindor prefect. Your above average grades in most of your classes and perfect marks in DADA fulfill the grade requirements for all prefects. Also, your actions in the past conform to the ideals of Gryffindor House, and therefore, give further reason for your appointment to such an important position. It is my sincere hope that you continue to be a prime example for how a Gryffindor should act while you hold this position.
Best Wishes,
Minerva McGonnagal
Harry was absolutely shocked. He had no idea his grades were good enough to become a prefect, especially since that was the main requirement. But then again, none of his 5th year roommate's grades were as good as his, and they hadn't earned as many points for the house as he had. So he supposed he was a shoo in, no matter how one looked at it. With that information processed, he stripped off his overlarge clothes and dozed off with the intention of owling his friends and Sirius in the morning.
**********
Harry woke up with a start, and this time it wasn't because of the nightmares that induced his bouts of cold sweating. He groped for his glasses and lazily put them on, and then paused waiting for some clue as to what woke him up. He was rewarded with a tap, tap, tap. Harry looked to the window and saw an unfamiliar owl; in fact, it wasn't a species he even recognized. It was the largest owl he had ever seen, with two tufts of feathers on its head that reminded Harry of horns. He groggily walked to the window and opened it enough for the owl to get through. The strange owl flew in and landed on his chair, shifted it weight a little, and sat still waiting for Harry to take the parchment. He walked over to the owl and untied the parchment from its leg. He unfolded the parchment and read:
Hello Harry,
Quite frankly I was a little surprised when Hedwig delivered your letter to me, however, the surprise was not unpleasant. As for how I am holding up, well, let's just say that I am better than I was during the Leaving Feast. Part of the reason I was so broken down was because I couldn't get a straight answer out of anyone about how Cedric died, or why it he was murdered for that matter. I don't think you could write what happened in the maze without your quill shaking and making your handwriting illegible. Then again, I've found that people have a tendency to underestimate you, myself included. We should meet at The Leaky Cauldron on the 25th. I hope to see you there,
Cho
Harry thought this was an excellent idea. But he knew that Professor Dumbledore was likely to object to the idea that he go to Diagon Alley alone. It frustrated Harry to no end that the Headmaster was so concerned for his safety. Had he not proven that he could take care of himself time and time again? Harry sighed and sat at his desk, causing the owl to fly over and land on Hedwig's cage with such grace that it didn't even disturb his beloved snowy owl. Harry wrote his short reply:
Cho,
It's a good idea, but there's a problem. The only way I'll be allowed to go is if Professor Dumbledore agrees to the idea, and I'm not sure he will. I'll owl him to see what he says to the idea, and then I'll let you know.
Harry
He folded the note and walked over the huge owl. He held out the note and said, "This is my reply, please take it to Cho." The owl took the note in its beak and flew out the open window. Harry didn't bother shutting the window because he liked the cool morning breeze. He sat back down and started to compose a letter to the Headmaster of Hogwarts:
Dear Professor Dumbledore,
I have been invited to go to Diagon Alley for school supplies by Cho Chang. I was wondering if you would consent to this, and perhaps suggest a way to get there. I am awaiting your reply
Harry Potter
P.S- Did you ever get the Marauders Map back?
Harry thought for a bit about what he was going to write to his friends, since he was already owling somebody, he figured it wouldn't hurt to do it all in one fell swoop. He wrote to both Ron and Hermione and asked them both the same relative questions, except he was careful to leave out mention of Krum in Ron's letter, while asking Hermione how her visit to Bulgaria was in her letter. He thought briefly about filling Sirius in on current events but decided it should wait till he was at Hogwarts. He walked over to Hedwig and gently woke the sleeping owl. She protested but still managed to look her usual dignified self. "Sorry Hedwig, but I need you to deliver these letters. Do the one to Professor Dumbledore first, it has the most priority." The Snowy Owl hooted in understanding and flew out the open window. "Good luck, Hedwig" Harry said to the receding figure of his owl.
**********
Harry was reading "1000 Magical Herbs and Fungi" to occupy his so far boring day. The monotony was starting to get to him and it showed in the fact that he was reading out of the book for his least favorite class; potions. He was thankfully interrupted from his reading by Uncle Vernon bellowing, "Boy, dinner is about ready, get down here and set the table." With a sigh, Harry closed his book and trudged down the stairs to do his appointed task.
Harry set the table without a word, if he had, it would have thoroughly startled the Dursleys. He had made it a point not to speak to his so-called family unless absolutely necessary. Tonight though, he did find such a need. "I have to go into London tonight, I'll be gone for a couple of days." Vernon did indeed look shocked but recovered and said, "Now see here boy, and just because you make an announcement does not make it so. I certainly will not go out of my way to please you, and what's more, who's to say I would let you?"
"I wasn't asking for your help, I have ways of getting there, just like I did two summers ago." At this, Harry's uncle's face went purple, but Harry continued his tirade, "Not only that, but if you lifted a finger to stop me, all of Britain's wizarding community would descend upon you."
"What makes you so special?" Uncle Vernon replied hotly.
"See this scar?" Harry said, pointing to the lightning shaped scar on his forehead, "Do you know how I got this? It was a gift from the same wizard who killed my parents. He tried to kill me, but it bounced back on him. No one in the history of the world has ever survived the killing curse, except me. That makes me a celebrity and a hero in the eyes of nearly every wizard in the world." Harry didn't like using his status as a celebrity for his own ends, but he thought that this was one of the few cases where it might be necessary. He figured his message got through to his "family" when they looked slightly more pale than usual, so he got up from his chair and went up to his room to pack his things for a two-day excursion. He made sure to pack his robes, his books in case he got bored, parchment, quill, ink, and he also pocketed his wand. He lugged his now heavy trunk down the stairs and almost made it to the door before someone spoke to him.
"Exactly who's going to do the bloody chores while you're gone?" Queried Aunt Petunia. Harry turned around and replied, "Get Dudley to do them, God knows he could do to loose more weight. With that, he went out the door down the drive, just short of where the sidewalk would have been, made sure no one was watching, and raised his wand to call the Knight Bus.
**********
A/N: I want ten total reviews before I post the next chapter. Also note that this chapter has been revised, and that I will always revise a chapter before I post a new one for the fact that any changes could result in changing a major part of the plot.
The summer had been miserable, and not because of the way the Dursley's had been treating him. No, they had been ignoring him altogether since he had told them what had happened at school. It was miserable because he was cut off from the wizarding world. No clippings from the Prophet, no letters from Sirius or Professor Lupin, nothing. That had left him thinking of what happened at the third task. How he could have done things different. When he wasn't thinking about the third task, he was dreaming of the cold voice, the blinding green light, and the sound of a rushing train. After he dreamt that, he would always wake up in a cold sweat. After the first week of that torture, he started knocking off homework so fast that he soon didn't have anything to occupy his thoughts. Harry started wondering about things he could do to prepare for the next time he met Voldemort. 'I'll kill him is what I'll do and then I'll capture Pettigrew' thought Harry. His dilemma was that he had no way of going about learning the things he needed to learn to follow through on his intentions. Then it came to him, he would ask for a pass to the restricted section when he got to Hogwarts.
Occasionally his thoughts drifted to Cho, about how miserable she must be. He didn't know what he could do about that, or even if he was right about her mood. He thought about how presumptuous he could sound if he sent a letter in an attempt to console her. However, he knew he would stumble over anything he said to her personally, so Harry decided on going the letter route. He thought about the letter for a while, ran it through his mind a couple of times, and then put quill to paper:
Cho,
I hope this letter finds you well, as I have never owled you before. I am writing you to find out how you are holding up. If my current state is any indicator, then you are probably not in a cheery mood. If there is anything you weren't told about what happened during the third task that you think you should, or feel like you need to send me a howler to make you feel better, then please do.
Sincerely,
Harry Potter
Harry folded the piece of parchment, and tied it to Hedwig's leg. With an affectionate nip of Harry's finger and a proper sort of hoot, the owl was off onto her journey. Just as Harry sat down, a large Brown Owl swooped into his bedroom carrying an envelope with the Hogwarts seal on in. Harry broke the wax and read the school supply list for the year, but noted that the envelope was still slightly heavy. He reached into the envelope and discovered a second piece of parchment and a badge with a "P" on it. Harry knew instantly what this was, a notification that he was a prefect and the badge to prove it. Harry picked up the note that accompanied the badge and read it:
Dear Mr. Potter,
It is my duty to inform you that you have been chosen to be a Gryffindor prefect. Your above average grades in most of your classes and perfect marks in DADA fulfill the grade requirements for all prefects. Also, your actions in the past conform to the ideals of Gryffindor House, and therefore, give further reason for your appointment to such an important position. It is my sincere hope that you continue to be a prime example for how a Gryffindor should act while you hold this position.
Best Wishes,
Minerva McGonnagal
Harry was absolutely shocked. He had no idea his grades were good enough to become a prefect, especially since that was the main requirement. But then again, none of his 5th year roommate's grades were as good as his, and they hadn't earned as many points for the house as he had. So he supposed he was a shoo in, no matter how one looked at it. With that information processed, he stripped off his overlarge clothes and dozed off with the intention of owling his friends and Sirius in the morning.
**********
Harry woke up with a start, and this time it wasn't because of the nightmares that induced his bouts of cold sweating. He groped for his glasses and lazily put them on, and then paused waiting for some clue as to what woke him up. He was rewarded with a tap, tap, tap. Harry looked to the window and saw an unfamiliar owl; in fact, it wasn't a species he even recognized. It was the largest owl he had ever seen, with two tufts of feathers on its head that reminded Harry of horns. He groggily walked to the window and opened it enough for the owl to get through. The strange owl flew in and landed on his chair, shifted it weight a little, and sat still waiting for Harry to take the parchment. He walked over to the owl and untied the parchment from its leg. He unfolded the parchment and read:
Hello Harry,
Quite frankly I was a little surprised when Hedwig delivered your letter to me, however, the surprise was not unpleasant. As for how I am holding up, well, let's just say that I am better than I was during the Leaving Feast. Part of the reason I was so broken down was because I couldn't get a straight answer out of anyone about how Cedric died, or why it he was murdered for that matter. I don't think you could write what happened in the maze without your quill shaking and making your handwriting illegible. Then again, I've found that people have a tendency to underestimate you, myself included. We should meet at The Leaky Cauldron on the 25th. I hope to see you there,
Cho
Harry thought this was an excellent idea. But he knew that Professor Dumbledore was likely to object to the idea that he go to Diagon Alley alone. It frustrated Harry to no end that the Headmaster was so concerned for his safety. Had he not proven that he could take care of himself time and time again? Harry sighed and sat at his desk, causing the owl to fly over and land on Hedwig's cage with such grace that it didn't even disturb his beloved snowy owl. Harry wrote his short reply:
Cho,
It's a good idea, but there's a problem. The only way I'll be allowed to go is if Professor Dumbledore agrees to the idea, and I'm not sure he will. I'll owl him to see what he says to the idea, and then I'll let you know.
Harry
He folded the note and walked over the huge owl. He held out the note and said, "This is my reply, please take it to Cho." The owl took the note in its beak and flew out the open window. Harry didn't bother shutting the window because he liked the cool morning breeze. He sat back down and started to compose a letter to the Headmaster of Hogwarts:
Dear Professor Dumbledore,
I have been invited to go to Diagon Alley for school supplies by Cho Chang. I was wondering if you would consent to this, and perhaps suggest a way to get there. I am awaiting your reply
Harry Potter
P.S- Did you ever get the Marauders Map back?
Harry thought for a bit about what he was going to write to his friends, since he was already owling somebody, he figured it wouldn't hurt to do it all in one fell swoop. He wrote to both Ron and Hermione and asked them both the same relative questions, except he was careful to leave out mention of Krum in Ron's letter, while asking Hermione how her visit to Bulgaria was in her letter. He thought briefly about filling Sirius in on current events but decided it should wait till he was at Hogwarts. He walked over to Hedwig and gently woke the sleeping owl. She protested but still managed to look her usual dignified self. "Sorry Hedwig, but I need you to deliver these letters. Do the one to Professor Dumbledore first, it has the most priority." The Snowy Owl hooted in understanding and flew out the open window. "Good luck, Hedwig" Harry said to the receding figure of his owl.
**********
Harry was reading "1000 Magical Herbs and Fungi" to occupy his so far boring day. The monotony was starting to get to him and it showed in the fact that he was reading out of the book for his least favorite class; potions. He was thankfully interrupted from his reading by Uncle Vernon bellowing, "Boy, dinner is about ready, get down here and set the table." With a sigh, Harry closed his book and trudged down the stairs to do his appointed task.
Harry set the table without a word, if he had, it would have thoroughly startled the Dursleys. He had made it a point not to speak to his so-called family unless absolutely necessary. Tonight though, he did find such a need. "I have to go into London tonight, I'll be gone for a couple of days." Vernon did indeed look shocked but recovered and said, "Now see here boy, and just because you make an announcement does not make it so. I certainly will not go out of my way to please you, and what's more, who's to say I would let you?"
"I wasn't asking for your help, I have ways of getting there, just like I did two summers ago." At this, Harry's uncle's face went purple, but Harry continued his tirade, "Not only that, but if you lifted a finger to stop me, all of Britain's wizarding community would descend upon you."
"What makes you so special?" Uncle Vernon replied hotly.
"See this scar?" Harry said, pointing to the lightning shaped scar on his forehead, "Do you know how I got this? It was a gift from the same wizard who killed my parents. He tried to kill me, but it bounced back on him. No one in the history of the world has ever survived the killing curse, except me. That makes me a celebrity and a hero in the eyes of nearly every wizard in the world." Harry didn't like using his status as a celebrity for his own ends, but he thought that this was one of the few cases where it might be necessary. He figured his message got through to his "family" when they looked slightly more pale than usual, so he got up from his chair and went up to his room to pack his things for a two-day excursion. He made sure to pack his robes, his books in case he got bored, parchment, quill, ink, and he also pocketed his wand. He lugged his now heavy trunk down the stairs and almost made it to the door before someone spoke to him.
"Exactly who's going to do the bloody chores while you're gone?" Queried Aunt Petunia. Harry turned around and replied, "Get Dudley to do them, God knows he could do to loose more weight. With that, he went out the door down the drive, just short of where the sidewalk would have been, made sure no one was watching, and raised his wand to call the Knight Bus.
**********
A/N: I want ten total reviews before I post the next chapter. Also note that this chapter has been revised, and that I will always revise a chapter before I post a new one for the fact that any changes could result in changing a major part of the plot.