Title: Harry Potter and the Girl Who Lived
By: S'Eleene Paris <torres_01@yahoo.com>
Disclaimer: see chapter one for details.
Chapter Two
The Boy Who Lived
(It's very imaginative, I know.)
The sun warmed the backs of everyone who lived on Privet drive. A boy of sixteen, soon to be seventeen, laid down on the grass on a blanket, looking up at the sky above him trying to make shapes with the puffy white clouds in which formed above the group of planned housing on the particular street. Next to him was everything he could possibly need to enjoy the warm, sunny day: lemonade, a package of saltine crackers, and his latest letter from his friend Hermione Granger.
The Boy who lived rolled over on his side to read his letter more attentively. Ronald Weasley, his best mate, and the rest of the Weasleys were away visiting Bill in Egypt. With this in mind, Hermione made it a point to write to Harry every day to make sure he survived it with his Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, and Cousin Dudley Dursley.
Dear Harry,
I hope this letter finds you well. I have asked my parents if you could stay with us the rest of the summer and they agreed to let you!
I couldn't believe it myself! Please let me know if you can come stay with us starting tomorrow and what time to pick you up. (Don't worry, Daddy and I won't use Floo powder in the chimney like the Weasleys.)
Lot of Love,
Hermione
To spend the last month of the summer with Hermione would be a blessing sent from above, but to get away from the Dursleys for the rest of the summer, would be the cherry on the top of a sundae. Harry quickly stood up and raced into the house through the back door to find his Uncle Vernon in the living room on the recliner, reading the newspaper. As Harry approached the man, he cleared his throat.
"What is it, boy?" he seemed annoyed at Harry particular this evening for interrupting his reading.
"I was wondering if I could stay at one of my friend's house for the rest of the summer. You see they invited me to come and stay
..." Vernon grunted and Harry continued. "I know Aunt Marge is coming next week and it would be a good idea if I were away since what happened last time."
Vernon grunted again and then Harry offered, "You could tell Aunt Marge I could not come back this summer because I miss behaved or something during class. She'd believe that."
Uncle Vernon folded his paper neatly and put it on the table next to the armchair. "Why should I let you go?"
"My godfather would let me."
"When do they arrive?"
"Whenever I want them to."
"The sooner, the better."
"My thoughts exactly." Harry thought, but he said nothing as he turned around to climb the stairs to write to Hermione the great news.
Hermione!
Guess what? The muggles are going to let me stay at your house! How about you pick me up at noon I would appreciate it. I can't wait to get away from the Dursley's, but I am more anxious to see you again.
Forever yours,
Harry
He rolled the small piece of parchment and tied it on to his snowy owl's leg. "Give this to Hermione." Hedwig flew out the window with amazing speed and Harry watched her fly away. Harry hoped it would reach her in time for the Grangers to make arrangements.
"BOY!" Uncle Vernon yelled from downstairs. "COME DOWN HERE AND MAKE DINNER!"
"Yes, Uncle Vernon." Harry slowly walked toward the door. He opened it, walked out and down the stairs, and into the kitchen.
Harry took the hamburger out of the sink, where it had been defrosting, and began to fry the hamburger into meatballs for in their spaghetti. Harry sprinkled garlic powder and basil to season the meat and began to chop up mushrooms, tomatoes, green bell peppers, and onions to add later in the recipe.
Harry stirred the hamburger to keep it from burning and stirred the noodles, in which he had started to put in the boiling water, to keep them from sticking to the bottom of the pan. He allowed the food to cook a little more as he went to the fridge and pulled out a head of lettuce, another green bell pepper, baby carrots, a red onion, more fresh mushrooms, broccoli, mozzarella and cheddar cheese, and some grape tomatoes. He chopped the baby carrots and tore the lettuce head.
After seeing him work diligently and smelling how wonderful the meal smelt, Petunia went over and asked. "Is there something I can do to help?"
Harry seemed a little phased about her asking him permission to help him with dinner. Once he recovered from her offer, he motioned toward the stove. "You can stir the noodles and hamburger, so I can do this, but as you do, reach over and turn on the stove, please."
"Why do you need the oven on for?" she asked while she did his bidding anyway.
"I'm going to bake some dinner rolls." Harry added as he motioned toward the bag of pre-made rolls on the counter. Harry took the chopped carrots, sliced onion, the chopped peppers, and mushrooms into the bowl for the forming salad.
"Harry," Petunia began and Harry seemed rather surprised she used his name instead of the usual "boy" she and her uncle normally called him.
"Yes, Aunt Petunia?"
"Where did you learn to cook like this? It smells wonderful and looks delicious. You didn't learn it at that school of yours did you?"
Harry did not look at his aunt as he asked her to give him the garlic powder. Once she handed him the garlic, he answered her question. "Actually, yes it did. My friends Ron, Hermione, and I took a class called "Muggle relations" and we had a cooking portion in at the end of it." he seemed surprised she had any interest at all in him. He stayed quiet as she analyzed what he had just said. Something in his gut was telling him there was something fishy going on with her and as nice as it was having someone actually care about what he did while he was at Hogwarts, but he did not know how he liked his aunt being the person who did. It just seemed so very odd. She annualized him as if he was becoming a person she did not recognize.
Over the past few years, Harry went from a small, scrawny boy to a lean, well-built young adult. "Harry, how did you ever become such a man?" She smiled at him for what in the first time in his whole life ever; she never use to smile at all especially at him.
"What?"
"Look at you, you use to be this scrawny little boy and now you look like this. What happened? Did you lift weights at school or something?"
"Quidditch."
"Ah, yes, Quidditch. I remembered your father use to play it. Some sort of wizard game is it not?"
"Yes, how did you know? Harry was drilling himself in shock because his aunt mentioned his parents in a non-feared tone of voice. She seemed quiet as she added the vegetables to the meat to allow them to cook. "What is it like?"
Harry began to feel scared. "Alright, who are you and what have you done with my Aunt Petunia?"
"I am your aunt, Harry." she seemed like what she was doing was a normal everyday occurrence. "After you left last year, Harry, a few of my friends approached me about you and it struck me like a slap on the face because we were not treating you fairly. I know your Uncle
Vernon does not care about what people think, but I do." She came closer and made him look at her. "I apologize for the way I have treated you for the past sixteen years, Harry. Please forgive me."
Harry thought about this scene to be very strange to be very strange to the extreme; however, Harry forgave her. Before she could utter another word, the phone rang and Dudley answered the phone. "Yes, this is the Dursleys...yes he is here...you actually want to talk to him? Oh, so you are a friend of his from school. May I ask who is calling hot stuff? Hermione Granger?" He put the phone line on hold and ran into the kitchen with it to give it to Harry. "Hey, Potter. Your girlfriend, Hermione, is on the phone!"
Harry glared at his cousin and took the phone. He looked at his aunt and she looked back at him. "Could you take over? I'll only be a few minutes."
"Sure, but don't take too long. Dinner will be ready in just a few minutes." Petunia looked over at her son who was busy picking out the bacon bits out of the salad. "Dudley!"
He seemed shocked as she yelled at him. "Come over here and set the table."
"But mum!"
"Do it!" She commanded and Dudley did as he was told. Harry grinned at his aunt and exited the room and up the stair to talk to Hermione in the privacy of his own room. "Hello? Hey, Hermione. Did you get my owl?"
Hermione's voice floated over the receiver and Harry smiled at the sound of her voice. He had missed her terribly over the first part of the summer holiday and he was really glad she decided to call him instead of owl him. "Yes, I did, Harry. Noon? We can be over there sooner. Mom and Dad were planning on more around nine o' clock."
"That is even better. I just didn't want to put you out."
"Harry, its no problem. By the way, I was calling to tell you Hedwig should probably spend the night tonight, since you would be here early tomorrow anyway. Not to mention she looks exhausted."
"Yeah, she has been to Egypt and back a couple of times already this summer, sending Ron messages when Pig rested from his journey."
"Poor Hedwig!" Hermione exclaimed then she reassured her friend. "Well, she is going to rest tonight. Mom really likes her and Dad seems to enjoy having her around as well. I gave her some crackers to eat and some cool water to drink. Was that okay? I don't have a copy of "Which Owl" here in front of me, so I have not had much of a chance to look up what owls enjoy eating."
"She should be fine for now." Harry locked the door of his room from the inside and plopped down on his bed with the cordless phone. "You may want to let her out later when she has the strength, to let her hunt. She really enjoys small mice, but I do not think there is any place open this late at night."
"There is a pet store down the street a little ways. They are usually open until ten at night. So, should I have Daddy run over and get her some?"
"You realize you buy them alive."
"Yes, I know."
"That means, she needs to kill them."
"Yeah, I know, but after seeing Ron vomit slugs, I think I can handle something like that."
Harry winced as he remembered the memory with clarity. "I guess so." Harry's aunt called from the bottom of the stairs for him to come down to dinner.
"Harry, get off the phone and come down to dinner!"
Harry covered the receiver. "I'll be down in a moment." his attention went back to the caller. "I have to go for dinner."
"That is okay, Mum's calling me too. I'll see you tomorrow at nine then?"
"At nine." Harry confirmed and Harry hung up the receiver and walked down the stairs to eat dinner. He placed the phone up on the charger and walked into the kitchen, noting his uncle had come from his chair and now seated himself at the head of the table and his aunt at the other end. The three of the Dursleys were waiting for him to take his place at the table. He took his place and inhaled the sweet sent of the food he had prepared.
"This dinner smells lovely, Petunia." Vernon mentioned as he took a helping of salad and placed it on to his plate. "It's almost too beautiful to eat."
"Thanks, Vernon, but you know full well that Harry made tonight's dinner. You called him after all."
"Harry? That walking disaster made this?"
"Yes, Vernon, he did."
Dudley stayed quiet as the two boys witnessed the argument in which was about to take place. Mr. Dursley took a scoop full of spaghetti and slopped it on to his plate. Dudley did the same, but did not make the snorting sound his father once did. Vernon continued his rampage on how Harry could not have possibly made something so wonderful or do anything right. "That boy would burn the house down before he would create something as wonderful as this."
"Vernon."
"Yes, my pet."
"Harry did indeed make this meal." Petunia stood up abruptly. "And this conversation has made me decide something."
"And what is that, my pet?"
"I'm going back to the world that I once loved," Petunia seemed determined to have her say, "because I thought I really could fit in here in this world, but I see that I don't. I belong there."
"What are you talking about? Go back where?"
"Where do you think, Vernon?"
"I don't know what you are talking about, Pet."
"Back to the Wizarding world and way from this muggle one and for some reason I don't even know why I left in the first place."
"What are you talking about?" Vernon seemed to grow his favorite shade of crimson as he grew filled with anger toward his wife.
"You're a witch?" Harry seemed surprised.
"I actually graduated, too. When I went to Hogwarts, I was in Slytherin. Your parents were in Gryffindor."
With this, Vernon began to turn a nice mauve color with his fury. His knuckles turned white and he looked as if he were about to burst. "You're one of them? How come you did not tell me?"
"My sister was a witch, and all of our friends are wizards so I thought you would get a hint."
"That means that Dudley..."
"…Is 1/2 and 1/2…"
"Aunt Petunia." Harry interrupted.
"Yes, Harry."
"Then if Dudley is a wizard, why doesn't he have powers?"
"Yeah, how come I don't have any powers like Harry?" Dudley began to grow interested in what her answer would be.
"He's a squib, Harry." She looked at Dudley, then back at Harry. "I had a friend at St. Mungos and she tested him for me in private. I hoped he was for our little family's sake and I guess I was glad that he was, so I did not mention it because it was not important at the time."
"What is a squib?" Dudley pulled at Harry's shirtsleeve annoyingly.
"A witch or wizard with out or with very little powers. That is why you were never accepted at Hogwarts."
"No, Harry." Petunia looked at her husband and watch him more gradually purple as if he were about to burst. "He got his letter. I wrote Dumbledore and told him he was going to be attending Smelting like his "family" before him."
Without another word, Vernon Dursley stood up and left the table to climb the stairs to the bedrooms. They heard the door slam and Dudley took the moment to whine. "Why can't I go to Hogwarts? I want to go to Hogwarts!"
"And be with the rest of us weirdoes?" Harry asked his cousin and Dudley shut his mouth. "It's too late for you to go anyway."
"It's not. A friend of mine began my sixth year and he was the same age as I." She paused then continued. "I could write Dumbledore, Dudkins, and you could attend; however, you would have to take tutorials to ensure you did well since you are already too far behind and not to mention you are a squib."
"Not to mention, you'd have to give up all your friends." Harry added.
"That is fine. I never really liked them anyway." Harry rolled his eyes at the unfaithfulness of his cousin. Suddenly, the front door opened and slammed shut. They listened as Vernon Dursley started the car and left.
Petunia Dursley sighed, as she knew this would be the final time the three of them would see Vernon Dursley, again. Harry and Dudley finished their meal in silence.
*****
Harry woke the next morning to Petunia pounding on his door. "Harry, its time for you to get up, so your friend can come and pick you up." With all the excitement of last night, Harry forgot Hermione was picking him up this morning.
"What time is it, Aunt Petunia?" Harry asked as he raced down the stairs, toward the kitchen.
"Shh! Your cousin is still asleep! It's about seven in the morning." She stood over by the stove and the smells of bacon, eggs, and toast. "I figured you probably wanted something to eat and take a shower."
Harry took a seat at the table and Petunia placed the plate filled with food and he began to devour it. "Have you talked to Dumbledore, yet?"
"Not yet. I'll need to go to Diagon Alley and owl him."
"I wish you would have told me sooner. I would have allowed you to use Hedwig. You would have had a much quicker response."
"I don't know why I didn't. All the details are still rather fuzzy."
"Aunt Petunia." Harry's mind nagged at him to ask her about the question plaguing him so much for the past couple of hours.
"Yes, what is it, Harry?"
"Aunt Petunia, why did you leave the wizarding world?"
Petunia Evans sighed and sat down at the table next to him. "Why did I leave the wizarding world?" she repeated his question.
"Yes."
Petunia sighed once more and tried to give him an answer. "Harry, I have to be honest with you. I did not entirely tell the truth at dinner last night. I guess it was because of Dudley I left the wizarding world, although like I said before, the specifics are a little fuzzy."
"What do you mean it's because of Dudley?" Harry seemed rather confused. I thought he and I were the same age."
"You are. Your mother got pregnant with you the same time I was expecting Dudley." She paused as she tried to recall all the details. "Your mother is a year younger than me, so she still attended Hogwarts when James and her conceived you. By the time her graduation rights occurred she was only seven months. Hogwarts allowed her to continue her studies, since she would not deliver until July and she was the Head girl and your father was Head boy. I, on the other hand, got pregnant with Dudley by chance."
"So, Uncle Vernon made you leave?"
"Weren't you paying attention last night, Harry? He just found out I was a witch. Dudley is the son of another man, truthfully." She paused reflectively and said the name of the man. Harry's eyes grew large at the sound of the name he knew quite well. "His name was Severus. Severus Snape."
*****
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