Chapter 5: Petunia's Past
"What's all the ruckus up here?" Aunt Petunia asked walking back into the room, "Have you finished your snack yet, dear, would you like more?"
"N-No ma'am," Harry stuttered looking up, "But may I ask you a question?"
"Of course, Harry." Petunia said with a smile.
"Well, you and Uncle Vernon were always mean to me, why are you being so nice now?"
Petunia smiled and set down on his bed beside him. "Lets just say…we have a lot in common."
"We…do?" Harry gulped starting to get a weird sick feeling in his stumach.
"Do you know why I despise those freaks that you call Wizards and Witches?" Aunt Petunia asked growling out the last part.
"Uh…no…" Harry said growing nervous.
"Well, you see, I went to Hogwarts as well, with your…mother." Petunia growled.
"Wait…" Harry said looking up, "You're a Muggle, only Wizards and Witches go to Hogwarts that would mean you…oh no…" Harry said dropping his face into his hands. It hit him fast and hard, but she still clarified it for him anyway.
"Yes, You're not the only one who had an accident and was kicked out of that god awful school!" Aunt Petunia complained, then raising her bangs to show Harry a barely visible scar across her forehead, "Mine was a slightly different accident, wasn't even an accident, you see I was so nice and so popular, everyone loved me, really they did! Then this one disgraceful Gryffindor walked up and shoved me down a flight of stairs! I never in my life was so outraged! And your mother and her pathetic boyfriend had the nerve to patronize me!"
"Umm, Aunt Petunia, what house were you in?" Harry asked already knowing the answer.
"Slytherin, dear," She responded.
"Not surprised," Harry grunted letting his face drop back into his hand.
"Anyway, Harry, dear, now you're just like me!" Aunt Petunia chirped happily hugging the now sick looking teen, "And you'll grow up just like me!"
"I feel sick…" Harry sighed his color leaving his face from the thought of growing up like a Dursley.
"Oh Harry dear, you don't look so good, lay down and take a rest." Petunia said sweetly, as Harry mechanically climbed into bed.
"I think I'll do that, thanks, night." Harry said in a monotone voice.
As Aunt Petunia turned off the light and shut the door her words came back to him, 'Harry, dear, now you're just like me! And you'll grow up just like me!'
<Dream Sequence>
Harry could opened his eyes and saw himself standing outside Hogwarts, he saw Dumbledore and the professors standing out front of the entire student body, and Harry easily spotted a fearful Hermione with Ron standing before her protectively.
But before them was a mass of deatheaters, not a group but an army, and at the front was Wormtail himself.
"Leave here at once!" Dumbledore commanded looking down upon Wormtail.
"You really aren't one to place orders, old man," Wormtail said nodding as the students and teachers were led out before the deatheaters. "Drop your wand and surrender, and we may let the children go."
Dumbledore looked down at the frightened children, and the professors with defeated looks upon their faces. "Very well," Dumbledore sighed dropping his wand at his feet. "You have won, now let the children go."
"Sorry, I am under orders to leave no survivors," Wormtail said with a smirk, "Dreadfully sorry, old chap, Crucio." Once he said the spell the deatheaters mimicked him and Dumbledore dropped to his knees crying in pain as he was hit with multiple Cruciatus spells.
"Now, kill the children, starting with those close to the Potter boy," Wormtail ordered pointing his wand at Hermione, as the deatheaters aimed their wands at the lines of students.
Harry gasped as he heard them all shout "Avada Kedavra!"
"HERMIONE!!!" Harry cried, though no one could hear him, and in a second the Avada Kedavra blasts shot into the crowd of students and professors causing young and old to fall over instantly dead.
Harry saw Hermione's tear and fear filled eyes just before Ron shoved her to the ground before being hit by the spell from Wormtail.
"RON!!!!" Hermione and Harry cried at the same time, though Hermione was the only one heard.
Hermione rolled Ron's lifeless body over, and a sob escaped her lips, "Ron …" Hermione whispered before looking around to see she was the only one left.
"Do not fear, Mudblood," A voice hissed causing Hermione to freeze.
"Oh Merlin … not this …" Harry begged as he saw the dark wizard he saw reborn his fifth year slowly stride toward
"S-Stay away!" Hermione stuttered stepping away from the dark wizard before stumbling over Ginny's lifeless body.
Hermione drew her wand only to watch it fly out of her hand to Voldemort's, "You won't need this, and you have no need for fear, I won't make it too painful."
"You may kill me," Hermione said forcing every ounce of bravery she had to the surface to glare into Voldemort's blood red eyes, "But Harry will find a way to destroy you!"
"Crucio," Voldemort said as he pointed his wand at the girl, making her fall to the ground screaming in pain.
"STOP IT!!" Harry cried jumping at Voldemort only to pass through him as if he was only air.
"Potter is just a muggle now," Voldemort hissed at the girl lying on the ground writhing in pain, "Even lower now then you."
"E-even as … a … muggle …" Hermione gasped out painfully, "He's greater then … you'll ever be …"
"Such faith …" Voldemort hissed, "I'll be sure to allow him to join you soon."
"Hermione sighed and closed her eyes when she saw Voldemort raise his wand again, and pointed it at her, "I love you, Harry …" She whispered one last time.
"Avada Kedavra," Voldemort cried and the beam of magic passed through Harry's body, which was futilely trying to shield Hermione. Harry growled at Voldemort's pleased expression before slowly looking back down at Hermione, into her open lifeless, soulless eyes.
<End Dream Sequence>
"HERMIONE!!!!!" Harry gasped setting up in bed covered in sweat and breathing rapidly holding his slightly swollen scar. "I… I have to get my powers back…"
Meanwhile back at Hogwarts…
Hermione sat, staring out the common room's window into the clear starlit night. She then sighed sadly and leaned back letting her eyes rest.
Hey Hermione!" Ron said running down into the crowded Commons room. He was actually surprised he caught her not reading. That was a first for him. "Hermione, We need to talk!"
"I'm listening." Hermione sighed sounding depressed.
"Not with this many around, can we speak somewhere private?" Ron asked looking around at the many Gryffindors wondering around the commons before breakfast.
"No, no need to go anywhere else." She said matter-of-factly standing to her feet. She looked around, took a deep breath then yelled at the top of her lungs, "VOLDEMORT!!!!"
The room fell deadly quiet for a split second before everyone except Ron and Hermione scattered in panic. Some shot up towards the dorms while others shot out through the exit. Once the dust settle only Ron and Hermione remained, with the trampled Neville dragging himself up the stairs to the boys' dorms begging for help.
"Well now." Hermione said once Neville made it around the bend, "You were saying?"
"I followed Draco late last night." Ron said setting down nervously looking around.
"And?" Hermione asked seemingly hardly interested.
"He met someone, someone he called 'his master'." Ron whispered incase someone was listening.
"What? What did he say?" Hermione asked growing interested.
"He told who ever that was that the plan was going perfectly, that only you, Hagrid, and me, we're the only ones not under his influence," Ron said watching Hermione grow pale.
"You… you think it was You-Know-Who?" Hermione asked nervously.
"I don't know," Ron replied just as fearful.
"We…we need to tell Dumbledore!" Hermione said worriedly.
"No," Ron said shaking his head, "He said Dumbledore was under his influence too. Everyone, every painting, and even the ghosts are under his control! And I think we're partially controlled too!" Ron said.
"How else did everyone believe Draco didn't mean to do what he did? Harry was right, that was completely unbelievable! And also how else did EVERYONE go and decide to get Harry out of Hogwarts was the best course of action?" Ron bellowed marching around.
"Excuse me, not everyone decided that," Hermione said looking cross at Ron.
"So, now what do we do?" Ron asked plopping down in the chair across from Hermione.
"We could owl Sirius," Hermione suggested, "Ask his advice?"
"No," Ron sighed, "If we can't trust, Dumbledore, and the paintings or Ghosts either, how can we trust the owls?"
Suddenly Pig, Hedwig, and a third owl flew in and landed on the couch rail. "Alright!" Ron cheered as he removed his messages from Pig and the other owl while Hermione removed her's from Hedwig.
Ron quickly read over Harry's first:
Ron,
I won't lie to you, you really hurt me, but I guess you do have a point. That shot out the window did tickle a bit. You really surprised me what you said to me about Hermione. I'm sorry it worked out this way, and I think it would be best to tell you if she didn't choose me I'd have liked her to be with you as well. I miss you both terribly and I thank you for looking for a way for me to get my magic back. I promise you, Ron, once I get back, I'll make sure Hermione is happy and says that way. Until then keep an eye on her for me and be there for her. I doubt you'll have a problem with that.
Harry
P.S. After everything we've been through together, you honestly think I could ever hate you? We're brothers, Ron. Brothers can never hate one another.
Ron smiled contently and rubbed his eyes on his sleeve, making sure Hermione didn't see the mixed joyful and saddened tears that threatened his eyes.
Hermione sighed and finally mustered the courage to read her letter from Harry.
Hermione,
I was really happy to hear from you, and I've missed you just as much. Don't worry about the Dursleys, Aunt Petunia is acting really funny though, she's being really, really nice to me, and making Uncle Vernon and Dudley wait on me hand and foot.
I'm pleased to hear you're doing well in your classes, and I'd hate to think my absence would cause such a change as to cost you the points needed to be head girl next year, I know that you've wanted that position since you came to Hogwarts.
I've calmed down a lot, and though I miss you and Ron terrible I'm not sure I'd come back to Hogwarts even if I regained my magic abilities, Ron's apologized and said he was just doing it to protect me, and I believe him, so please don't be too hard on him about the subject. And even if we don't find a way to regain my abilities, without the hard labor the Dursleys usually force me into when I'm here, the Muggle ways of life isn't that bad, and you'll come home on Christmas and Summer holidays, and I'll be sure to come and visit you at your home then.
Whatever way it goes, please don't forget me. Keep an eye on Ron, and neither of you do anything stupid. Write back soon.
Love,
Harry
"What did Harry say to you?" Ron asked at the tomato faced Hermione.
"N-Nothing! Except to make sure we don't do anything stupid and his aunt is acting funny. Actually being nice to him for a change. I wonder why …" She said avoiding the more personal parts of the letter. "Who is that other one from?" Hermione asked looking at the other letter in his hand.
"Snuffles…" Ron responded reading it.
Hermione watched him read it and waited impatiently.
"Oh my god…" Ron gasped.
"What is it?" Hermione asked jumping to her feet.
"Oh my god…" he repeated a little louder.
"Ron!" Hermione yelled shaking him, "What does it say??"
"Oh my god…" Ron repeated yet again this time shakily from being shaken.
"Oh just let me read the bloody thing!" Hermione snapped jerking the letter from his hand.
Her eyes ran down the short letter before her eyes shot wide and began to fill with hopeful and happy tears, "Oh my god…"
Ron,
I think I know a way. By the time you get this, I'll be on my way to get Harry. I'll keep you informed.
Snuffles
To Be Continued…
C. Cowboy: What has Sirius have up his sleeve? Was Harry's dream a premonition? Will Harry be able to stop Voldemort's invasion of Hogwarts even if he gets the ability of Magic back? Find out soon ^_~