Harry sat beneath the windowsill, listening to the news. He didn't worry about the neighbors catching him, because he was hidden in the garden surrounding him. You'd have to look very closely to see him. Harry wouldn't be outside if all, if his aunt and uncle hadn't kicked him out in the thoughts that no boy his age should be listening to the news. Then again, Harry mused, they aren't really related to me at all, are they?

Just at the end of the year last year, Harry'd learned that his real mum wasn't Lily Potter, as he'd thought, for all these years. No, it was the notorious Bellatrix Lestrange. Over the summer, he and she had been trading letters for quite a while. He'd learned a lot about her. Bella was calm and sweet, as per her letters. She always wrote back, no matter how silly the comments in the letters were. She never signed her name, and never admitted to being a Death Eater. In fact, on several occasions, she'd speak in code. This way, if the letters were ever intercepted, nobody could ever suspect that Harry was speaking to a Death Eater. Still, she was kindly. Her favorite color actually turned out to be yellow, but she always said it was black. Harry still remembered the first—well, technically, the second—letter to come in the mail.

Dear Harry,

My husband and his boss have me under house arrest. I'm ok, but I can't go outside. Luckily, my husband agreed to send these letters, without his boss knowing. I promise you, once I am let out, I will come for you. For now, please stay where you are.

The boss refuses to tell me anything anymore. I betrayed him, I guess. Personally, I think I should have left him years ago. Furthermore, my husband is under direct oaths not to tell me anything. If I ever do find anything out, however, I promise that you'll be the first to know.

Stay safe. Keep your wand on you, but don't use it unless absolutely necessary. Stay in school. Stay inside as much as possible. These are dark times, Harry. Something bad is going to happen. I can just tell.

Just to let you know, I have always despised my boss. I hated him from the very beginning, but I was forced to join his side. Before now, I'd feared my own life. I suppose that now, I'm not so afraid anymore.

Basically, the letter meant what it said. Rodolphus and Lord Voldemort had forced Bella—mum—to stay in her own home, with no contact to the outside world. Still, Rodolphus agreed to send her letters to Harry, despite the rules. Bella didn't know anything, except for that the Dark Lord would most likely attack soon. She also hated Lord Voldemort, which was a huge relief. Harry was eager to write back. Any letters from Ron and Hermione lately were rare, and short. They wouldn't tell him anything, while Harry's mum told him all she knew. Her letters were also quite lengthy. Harry had really gotten to know his mum.

Suddenly, two simultaneous, loud cracks sounded. One of the old neighbor's cats ran off, towards its house.

"What the bloody hell is going on out there?" Mr. Dursley said, storming outside and seeing Harry in the garden.

The lecture seemed to last for an hour, or maybe even longer.