223AN: Just here to say I don't own Harry potter. I don't make any money from this. All rights belong to JK Rowling or Warner Brothers. If you recognize it, it's probably theirs. I will attempt to italicise any large excerpt portions taken from the books.
Also, I know the Canon story takes place in the 90's. We are going to pretend we don't know that, and I've bumped it up to something a little more current. If my characters using cellphones and the internet(even if it doesn't happen much) is going to drive you crazy or it ruins it for you, you may want to find a different story; there's lots of them out there. Happy reading.
Chapter 1 The Die is Cast
Students crowded the platform and boarded the Hogwarts Express at Hogsmeade Station. It had been a crazy year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Possessed teachers that ended up dead, three headed dogs, trolls loose in the castle, exams. Most students would be looking forward to a nice summer holiday.
However, one small, bespectacled boy with untidy black hair was boarding with his two friends, and he was not looking forward to his summer holidays. No, Harry Potter was dreading returning to his aunt and uncle's home on Privet Drive. He looked back over his shoulder, taking one last yearning look towards the towering castle.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione found an empty compartment about halfway down the train and filed in. Harry sat by the window and looked solemnly out at the platform, clutching the leather-bound book in his lap.
Ron and Hermione exchanged a concerned look.
"What have you got there Harry?" Hermione asked in an effort to break the silence.
"Hm?..Oh this? Hagrid gave it to me. It's got pictures of my parents. I didn't even know what they looked like before he showed me. You wanna see?" Harry looked down as he was embarrassed to admit he didn't even know what his parents looked like, but he loosened his hold on the book and passed it over to Hermione, who took it eagerly.
"Wow Harry. Your mum was beautiful. You really do have her eyes," Hermione said and she looked over the first few pages.
Ron laughed and pointed at a picture of James. "Whoa mate, you really got your dad's hair. Looks like his wouldn't lie flat either."
Harry began to relax and smile with his friends while they flipped through a few more pages of the photo album.
The train ride was pleasant after that and conversation was more comfortable even after Harry tucked the album into his trunk. They spoke of the things they learned, and the friends they had made. They talked about their favourite food at the feasts and recounted Quidditch matches; and for a time, Harry forgot what was waiting for him at Kings Cross.
"Feels strange to be going home, doesn't it?" Hermione asked after they had all changed into their muggle clothes.
Harry looked out the window again, his eyes staring into the distance, and said, "I'm not going home, not really."
Little did he realise the implications of that innocent comment.
Far away, back at Hogwarts, on a spindly table in the Headmaster's office, sat many strange silver instruments; some gave off puffs of colored smoke, a few whirled and made noise. One even flashed and strobed occasionally.
In the centre of this table sat a small, unassuming cone that had a spinning ring floating over the top, and ever since September first, the ring had begun to spin slower and sink lower. This had been noted by the Headmaster, and occasionally thought upon, but dismissed every time.
As the Hogwarts Express drew near to London, the ring finally stopped spinning and fell upon the cone in a loud clatter.
Unfortunately, it would be many hours before this was noticed by the Headmaster, and by then, it would be the least of his worries.
It took quite a while for them all to get off the platform. A wizened old guard was up by the ticket barrier, letting them go through the gate in twos and threes so they didn't attract attention by all bursting out of a solid wall at once and alarming the Muggles.
"You must come and stay this summer," said Ron, "both of you —I'll send you an owl."
"Thanks," said Harry, "I'll need something to look forward to."
People jostled them as they moved forward toward the gateway back to the Muggle world.
Some of them called: "Bye, Harry!"
"See you, Potter!"
"Still famous," said Ron, grinning at him.
"Not where I'm going, I promise you," said Harry.
He, Ron, and Hermione passed through the gateway together. "There he is, Mum, there he is, look!" It was Ginny Weasley, Ron's younger sister, but she wasn't pointing at Ron.
"Harry Potter!" she squealed. "Look, Mum! I can see —"
"Be quiet, Ginny, and it's rude to point." Mrs. Weasley smiled down at them. "Busy year?" she said.
"Very," said Harry. "Thanks for the fudge and the sweater, Mrs. Weasley."
"Oh, it was nothing, dear."
"Ready, are you?" It was Uncle Vernon, still purple-faced, still moustached, still looking furious at the nerve of Harry, carrying an owl in a cage in a station full of ordinary people. Behind him stood Aunt Petunia and Dudley, looking terrified at the very sight of Harry.
"You must be Harry's family!" said Mrs. Weasley.
"In a manner of speaking," said Uncle Vernon. "Hurry up, boy, we haven't got all day." He walked away.
Harry hung back for a last word with Ron and Hermione. "See you over the summer, then."
"Hope you have —er —a good holiday," said Hermione, looking uncertainly after Uncle Vernon, shocked that anyone could be so unpleasant.
Harry gave his friends one last smile before it fell as he turned to follow Uncle Vernon. Just as he was about to take a step, he was jerked back to face a surprisingly determined Hermione.
"Oof, Hermione, what's wrong?" Harry asked, confused.
"I…I'm sorry about that Harry but I just got a bad feeling." Without elaborating, Hermione dug through the small muggle purse she was carrying with her. She pulled out a small paper and a pen and quickly filled it up before pushing it into Harry's hand.
Harry was getting extremely nervous, not only was this delay going to upset his uncle (which was never a good thing,) but Hermione seemed to be acting very odd.
Hermione pulled Harry over a step and whispered quickly, "Those are phone numbers to my parents cell phones, their dental practice and the address for both our house and the practice. If you need help, or just want to talk for any reason don't hesitate to come find me." Harry nodded, realising how long-ago uncle Vernon walked away, he really needed to get to the car.
"Ok, thank you, I really need to catch up to my…relatives."
Hermione grabbed his wrist once more. "One more thing." Hermione pushed another paper into his hand. "My parents insist everyone should keep some quid on them in case they need to call a taxi. Be safe Harry." Hermione gave him one last pleading look and rushed back to her parents.
With a quick glance he noticed she had given him some money to go with the slip of paper with the numbers and addresses. He quickly stuffed it deep into his pockets and pushed his trolley as fast as he dared to catch up with the Dursleys.
When he found the car, Aunt Petunia and Dudley had already gotten inside. Uncle Vernon stood at the driver's door with his arms crossed and the vein in his temple pulsing with anger. As soon as he spotted Harry rushing towards him, his moustache started to twitch and his face darkened as he struggled to contain his rage in the public car park.
As soon as Harry got close enough, Uncle Vernon gripped his shoulder hard enough to bruise and lowered his voice dangerously, "How dare you keep us waiting by talking to those…those freaks. As if I want to spend my days sitting at the train station waiting on a waste of space like you. It'll be straight to bed for you when we get home, no dinner for you tonight. Now, get. In. The. CAR."
Harry quickly loaded his trunk into the boot and climbed into the backseat with Hedwig's cage between his knees. He tried to make himself as small and unnoticeable as possible while he tried to let his uncle's temper cool.
Vernon continued to grumble all the way from the parking space to the street before he turned his mirror to look at Harry. Vernon sneered at him. "You'll be staying in Dudley's second bedroom. It was easier to outfit with locks without raising suspicion with any guests we might have over. Keep the bird quiet or I'll get rid of it, and if you think I'm going to buy special food for it you're mistaken. I'll let it starve before spending any of our hard earned money on it. I don't care what you learned at that nonsense place you call a school because you won't be going back." Uncle Vernon spat the last bit at Harry and stared at him through the mirror, his eyes almost begging him to protest.
In the backseat Harry had been trying to wait out his uncle's rant. However, the panic started to set in when uncle Vernon insisted he wouldn't let him go back to Hogwarts. Surely someone would make sure he would be allowed back, right?
"Did you hear me boy? We contacted St. Brutus's and they agreed to take you. You start school the last week of August. I'll burn those freak books as soon as we're home and we will all pretend this never happened. Any mention of anything abnormal and you'll regret it, understood?" Vernon growled out shooting another threatening glare into his mirror.
Harry was on the verge of hyperventilating. He was trying to come up with a way out, but it sounded like his uncle had spent the school year coming up with a plan. Once he got to Privet Drive, he would be locked up, his school stuff destroyed, and he would be shipped off to a secure school before Hogwarts even started. He had heard they treated the school like a prison for minors.
Without being able to use magic Harry didn't see a solution, and with Hedwig confined too, he had no way to ask for help from anyone from Hogwarts. He tried desperately to think of a solution, some way to remain at Hogwarts, but nothing came to him.
His uncle almost smiled gleefully at the broken expression clouding his nephew's face and was satisfied with the pain he caused. He turned his attention back forward to concentrate on his driving.
Harry was quickly coming up with plans and discarding them as each one seemed to have some flaw or another. With his panic rising, Harry could almost feel his magic stirring. So much so that Dudley next to him began to shake.
As Vernon pulled up to a red light, Harry knew he had to act. His fight or flight reflex was pushing so much adrenaline through his system, that as soon as the car stopped, Harry leapt from the car holding tight to Hedwig's cage. He ran to the back of the car as his magic flared and the boot shot open. Harry reached for his trunk, worried it would be too big to make a getaway and as he reached, it seemed to shrink down small enough for him to slip into his pocket. Not questioning his good fortune, Harry took it and ran.
By the time Uncle Vernon finally realised what was happening, Harry was already running as fast as his feet would carry him. He heard his uncle's roar of rage along with what sounded like, "Good riddance."
AN: The large italic section was an excerpt from the end of Philosopher's Stone.
I have about 14 completed chapters that just need to be alpha/betaed but I'm ready to start sharing this with you! Hope you all enjoyed ch1!
thank you Sakubato and Dubz for your alphaβ talents of these early chapters, and SweetShireen for cheering me on to get this finish and posted. My eternal thanks!