Secrets from the Past

HARRY POTTER AND THE SECRETS FROM THE PAST

(A/N: This is my first FanFiction, and my mother tongue is italian, so... if you'll find some grammar or spelling mistakes, please forgive me! I wish to thank my wonderful BETA readers SarahLupin and Aly for correcting the chapters for me... I hope you'll like it....)

1. OWL MAIL

...

I ask to myself why when sadness falls

In the depth of my heart

Like the snow, it does not make sound

And driving like mad with lights off

In the night, to figure out if

It is so difficult to die.

...

“Emotions” Lucio Battisti

It was a very hot summer, just like all of the past years. The lawns of Privet Drive were no longer green and luxuriant as usual, but were arid and dry.

“ 136…. 137…. 140…”

Harry was busy pressing-up, with his arms on the bed for support and his feet on the floor and, his forehead and t-shirt sweaty, his face concentrated in effort.

Since he was still under age, he didn't have permission to exercise in his magic outside of Hogwarts School, so he was trying to charge himself by training his body.

“ 150…. 151…. 152…”

He spent the last month shut up his bedroom, trying to avoid running into his Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia and cousin Dudley, by whom he was forced to remain during his summer holidays; now he knew very well that he HAD to remain in that house, even if everyone knew it was a prison for him. But it was the only possible way to escape his mortal enemy, Lord Voldemort.

He ended his reflections and got up, drying his forehead with his hand. Suddenly, he noticed that at the horizon there was a little white spot approaching faster and faster upon him; after a few seconds, his eyes focused on the form of his beloved owl, Hedwig.

He jumped rapidly backwards, and from the open window Hedwig entered the room, landing with grace on his desk; tied to her leg was a little piece of parchment, closed with a red ribbon.

“Finally you came back!”

Harry was happy to see her, even if his tone was a little upset.

“Would you mind telling me why it took you so long to return?”

Hedwig seemed a little bit offended by his question, and after delivering the mail, she jumped in her cage and turned her back on Harry.

He felt guilty for having treated her this way, but it'd been so long and he hadn't talked to anybody, so he couldn't stop himself from letting out his bad mood on her.

Then he looked at the parchment in his hands, unrolled it and read it greedily: it came from Ron, and there were just a few lines on it.

“Dear Harry,

Please be patient. We're going to pick you up soon, so be ready.

Hermione and I are really looking forward to seeing you again.

See you soon, Ron

PS: Best Wishes for your 16^th birthday”

Harry remained still for a few seconds, staring at the parchment, and then he turned it on the other side, hoping to read something more, but there was nothing else; of course, he was very disappointed by this short message, but then he understood that his best friend was not able to write more, fearing that the owl could have been intercepted by the enemy.

He felt a strong envy and a pain in the stomach, thinking that Ron and Hermione were together in that very moment, probably at the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix. He wondered what his best friends were doing....

***O***

Harry was running along a dark corridor with stony walls, lit up just by a few torches; he headed toward the only door at the end of the corridor and when he opened it, he found himself in a large room, with amphitheatre shape.

When he saw that scene in front of him, he remained still and he opened his eyes widely. Right in the centre of the amphitheatre, Sirius Black was fighting against Bellatrix Lestrange, dangerously close to a stone archway, with a fluttering veil hanging from it.

Harry wanted desperately to go and warn him, but he couldn't - it was impossible for him to move or to speak.

Suddenly a jet of light coming out from Bellatrix's wand hit Sirius right in the chest and he slowly sank backwards through the ragged veil hanging from the arch, until he disappeared completely behind it.

“NOOOOO....”

Harry woke up screaming, with his pyjamas all covered in sweat and his scar burning in an unbearable way.

It took him some time to realize that he was safe in his bedroom at Privet Drive.

“POTTER!”

“ Oh, no... Not again...” he thought, beating his fist on the bed, when he heard his uncle's voice complaining from the nearby bedroom.

Then he heard heavy footsteps in the corridor, and he understood that this time, his Uncle Vernon was really upset.

His uncle entered the room like a fury and beat the door with such violence, that all the pictures fell from the wall.

“THAT IS ENOUGH, BOY... YOU STOP IT WITH THOSE TERRIBLE SCREAMS, OR I WILL SEND YOU AWAY FROM THIS HOUSE!”

Harry was still in his bed, looking at his uncle with open mouth, trying to quickly recover from the shock of having witnessed once more his godfather death.

“It isn't my fault... I had a nightmare...”

“YOU AND YOUR DAMNED NIGHTMARES... CAN'T YOU DO SOMETHING TO AVOID THEM?”

“And what am I supposed to do, can you tell me?”

Harry's temper was starting to rise. Anyway, he really couldn't be able to prevent those nightmares from tormenting him, and he wished he could, so badly.

Uncle Vernon was surprised by his nephew's reaction and lowered his voice.

“If you're going to scream again in the middle of the night... I swear, you'll regret being alive!”

Then Uncle Vernon exited the room, closed the door behind him and finally left Harry alone with his thoughts. Harry sat on his bed, with his back on the wall, and started rubbing his forehead, where the pain in his scar was slowly stopping.

Since he came back to Privet Drive, every night he had those horrible nightmares, like the one he have just had.

After his godfather's tragic end last June, Harry was not the same person anymore. At the beginning, he felt lacerated from the pain, and he desperately searched for something firm to hold on to, like a salvation anchor; now, many of the things he believed important in the past - things that any other boy his age could consider normal - for him, they were no more.

Harry didn't care anymore about laughter, games, or girls; now, he had just one important goal to fulfil, and this thought was giving him the strength to go on: defeating Lord Voldemort and in this way getting revenge for his parents, Sirius Black, and all the innocents who had the misfortune to cross Lord Voldemort's path.

Every day passing by, a new and stronger feeling was growing inside him; a mixture of anger, a grudge, and hatred toward Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters.

Harry was feeling the urgency and the need to train himself to fight him, because he was certain, that they were going to meet again, sooner or later. And when that day came, he was going to be prepared to fight with all his strength.

But Sirius's death was not the only thing to torment his brain in that moment: there was also the prophecy, which was keeping an eternal bond between him and Lord Voldemort.

“The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches...

Born to those who have thrice defied him...

Born as the seventh month dies...

And the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not...

And either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives...”

The revelation of this prophecy had shocked him so much, because he new that his destiny was already set. There was no other way; he must be either the victim or the murderer.

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, trying to give his tormented brain a rest.

The only thing to do now was to be ready and patiently wait for the wizards from the Order of the Phoenix to come and pick him up.

(A/N: Well... I know! It wasn't a very original start, but... I had to begin somewhere! Anyway, it gets better in the following chapters... If you liked it or if you didn't like it, please leave your comment... thanks!)

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