Harry Potter - Series Fan Fiction ❯ A Butterfly Effect ❯ Chapter 2: The Seventh Month Dies ( Chapter 2 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

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So here we are. Another day, another chapter. I want to let everyone know how much fun I'm having writing this. It's like I'm reading it while I write it. I know exactly where I want it to go but I'm open to ideas to fill in and make it more enjoyable. 7 years of Hogwarts here people. So drop a review or a suggestion. I might just listen. : ]

I hope people noticed that the short bit of snake scene in the previous chapter was nearly word for word from Philosopher's stone, with my own flair added and thrown in around it. As I write I have all 7 books on hand. I'm writing my own story here but you can expect a few mirror scenes like that, but tweaked to my advantage. This fic I suppose can best be described as halfway between AU and JK's universe. See if you can spot them when they pop up.

Enjoy.

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Chapter 2: The Seventh Month Dies

Does the flap of a butterfly's wings in Brazil set off a tornado in Texas?

0000

Harry awoke with a start. Her stomach was killing her and making quite a miserable racket. Although she could see nothing in the dark of the closet, she had a feeling that it was still night. The vent that led to the roof was quiet, so it definitely wasn't morning. There was a nest of birds that lived in it somewhere, and she could always hear their morning song. The house too was silent. It just might be safe enough to sneak into the kitchen for some food and water. Now's my chance.

Uncle Vernon had been strict with her punishment. The cupboard door was watched like a hawk. She had been forced to stay in the small space day and night; allowed no meals. She was only allowed out to use the bathroom once a day. Harry would wash, change into new pieces of her Aunt's pinned, cut up clothing, and drink from the sink, doing all of this under Aunt Petunia's watchful gaze. It had been at least ten days since she had truly eaten. Of course… every few nights when the house was silent, she would sneak to the kitchen and see if there was anything she could skive out of the top of open containers.

She opened the door as quietly and as slowly as possible. If opened too fast or too far, it would creak loudly and wake her Uncle, who, as his snores could often be heard through three doors, a floor, and three walls, was surprisingly, a very light sleeper. When it was wide enough to slip through, she squeezed out, hoping her nightie didn't catch on the loose nails around the doorframe. If it did rip, she would be in for it.

Harry tiptoed slowly into and across the kitchen, hisssing in annoyance as the freezing tile floor numbed her feet.

Thankfully, finding some opened food in the refrigerator was a simple enough affair. She took two pickles from a jar at the back, pulled some grapes from a few fuller looking branches, and nicked two slices of ham from what was apparently left-overs. That seemed odd to Harry. Uncle Vernon and Diddykims never left anything over.

She was eating her way through an opened bag of carrots, with her head stuck halfway in the fridge, when she heard a very odd noise. It was a sweet sounding humming and... it was coming from right behind her. She straightened slowly, closed the fridge door, and with a hint of fear, turned around.

But no one was there… and... the landing light outside the kitchen was still dark. She had thought that Aunt Petunia had somehow managed to come down the stairs without her noticing.

The humming was light, tinkling, and conveyed an air of extreme contentment. It was coming from the kitchen table. Moving closer, she saw a huge mess on the surface. It seemed as if several bananas had somehow exploded out of their casings and onto the glass, looking like they had each been thoroughly squeezed from one end. Harry drew still closer. Moonlight shone down on the table from the kitchen window, and in the middle of the banana goo sat… a snake. A thin white two foot long snake. Its green eyes were following her and she backed away, trying not to make sudden movements. The snake stopped humming, raised its head, and let out a soft hiss. But that is not what Harry heard.

"Hello, chica."

Stumbling back, Harry clapped her hands to her mouth to stop her scream.

WHAT? So I wasn't imagining it then? Those moments at the zoo? I can understand… snakes? Piers was right...

"Um, hello?" Harry whispered through her hands, and was surprised to find that she too had hissed.

"Do you perhapss know where Alphonze iss, sspeaker?" The snake's hums began again as it moved slowly to a pile of banana and engulfed it, swallowing the whole mushy piece. It was a very soothing sound.

"A- Alphonze?" Harry was incredibly perplexed as to why she was hissing to a snake. Snakes were dangerous. Even banana eating snakes.

"Yess. He iss my mate. You sset uss free," the snake hissed happily, gliding around the table to another pile of mush. "When the clear wall vanisshed... I knew he would not wait for me, so I sslipped into your dresss pocket. He will return... ssome day."

"Oh… I think… I think he went to Brazil," Harry said apologetically. The snake was struggling to move into the hole from which a banana had exploded.

It resignedly sighed, "men."

Harry giggled despite the odd situation. "My name is Harry." The snake didn't seem to really care, but she pressed on. "What's your name then?" She noticed that her name, in whatever crazy language this was, sounded a bit like 'socks' in English.

The snake couldn't answer as it seemed to have gotten stuck. It and the banana were thrashing wildly about the tabletop. "Here let me." The snake stopped struggling. Harry took the banana and peeled it down. Licking her fingers, she placed it and the freed snake back down on the tabletop.

"Much appreciated Harry sspeaker." The snake began to devour the leftover banana. "To ansswer your quesstion… I wass never ssired. I have no name. Alphonze called me "ssmall one."

Harry frowned. "Well that's not very a very kind thing to call your mate is it?" Harry noticed that the word 'kind' came out in English rather than a hiss.

"Many of your human wordss do not exisst in our tongue Harry sspeaker... sso I have been told. And if you sso wish... you may name me. It iss your right ass a sspeaker."

"Name you? Well…" she was silent for the longest time. "How about… Snakey?" The small white snake looked up from the banana and into her eyes. It didn't need to say anything for Harry to get the point.

"Yeah… well, how about a nice 'A' name then to go with Alphonze... like Alice? Alphonze and Alice."

The snake ate some more banana mush before replying. "That will do sspeaker."

Harry didn't hear her answer, for the upstairs landing light had just flicked on. She hastily grabbed the snake and it hissed in protest. Making a quick run for the cupboard, she dashed inside, closing the door as quietly as she could. Placing the snake underneath her bed, she held her breath as heavy footsteps thumped down the stairs. Uncle Vernon. She saw the hall lights click on, flooding through the crack in the door frame. Her Uncle's footsteps padded past her door and into the kitchen. The fridge door opened, shut, and she heard a chair scrape against the tile. She knew what would happen when one of Uncle Vernon's punishments was not followed to the letter, and there was no way he wouldn't notice that mess before she'd had a chance to-

"POTTER!" Heavy footsteps. She scrambled back against the wall of the cupboard. The door was wrenched open and her Uncle's meaty hands came into view.

"NO!" she cried, trying to evade him. His fat hand grabbed her foot and he yanked her out of the cupboard into the light. Uncle Vernon pulled her up by the hair and roughly shook her.

"WHAT DID I SAY GIRL? NO MEALS!" His face had turned a bright purple. Not good. Crying, she tried diffuse the bomb.

"Uncle Vernon I didn't do-" And then the right side of her face exploded with pain. The world spun around her. Her uncle's backhand sent her careening into the front door. She slid down to the ground, dazed. Harry couldn't get up to run before he was once again looming over her. His fat sausage fingers reached down to pull her up… and then... the mail slot opened. Uncle Vernon paused in shock. He was staring down at the letter that had just been pushed through it.

Miss Harriet Lily Potter

The Cupboard Under the Stairs

4 Privet Drive

Little Whinging

Surrey

Amazed, she reached for the letter, but Uncle Vernon quickly slapped her hand away and snatched it up. As he read the address, his bright purple face suddenly blanched. "PETUNIA? PETUNIA GET DOWN HERE! GIRL, GET IN YOUR CUPBOARD!"

"But Uncle Vernon, its addressed-" She was not allowed to finish for Uncle Vernon grabbed her by the arm, dragged her back down the hall, and pushed her roughly inside. The door slammed shut.

Harry sat in silence, fuming. It was relatively clear that she would not be reading that letter tonight, so she curled up and listened to Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon converse through the door, only catching small snippets.

"thought we had… how…"

"don't… must be watching the house…"

"know where she sleeps…"

"…move…"

Bloody hell. Her jaw was aching... hard. Putting her hand on her cheek, she closed her eyes tightly and focused on something other than the pain. Lily. Lillll-ly. I like that name. The thought filled her with warmth.

There was a soft humming coming from the corner and Harry felt a movement by her feet. A small voice whispered out to her in the dark, "I could kill him for you Chica. It would be eassy... Jusst a little ssqueeze."

"N-No! … that's… not what… I want." Her breath was heaving from pain and exhaustion. She was so tired and her cheek stung so badly. "Alice… why bananas?"

"Well... I grew tired of mice Chica."

With that, Harry fell asleep to the tinkling song of Alice the snake, hand clutched to her face, dreaming of letters, bananas, and lilies.

0000

THUMP

CLUNK

Dudley cackled and thundered down the stairs. Owww. I hate you Diddykims. Cradling her forehead, she pushed open the cupboard door and made her way upstairs. Just before she closed the door to the bathroom, she heard Dudley yell, "DAD? HARRY'S GOT LETTERS!"

She glanced at the little clock on the bathroom wall as she washed. It read 8:45. The two tabs in the middle read 07 and 30. July 30th.

She had been eleven for eight hours and forty-five minutes.

Harry gazed intently into the tiny mirror, examining her eleven year old self, searching for some sort of change. Tiny nose, pale skin, black hair all over the place, sunken emerald eyes staring back at her... Nope. She had lost weight though over the past ten days. So much so, that she looked a bit like a skeleton. Not like I was trying.

There was a large bruise on her forehead, and an even larger one on her cheek. She prodded each gingerly. Not too bad.

Aunt Petunia's nasal voice drifted up from the kitchen, "GIRL! Get down here now and put the eggs on!" She sighed. Happy birthday to me. She pulled her white dress over her head and tried to make her hair do... something other than flow around her head in an uncontrolled mess.

Useless.

As she trudged back downstairs, an acrid smell washed over her. Is something burning?

Her question was immediately answered as she passed through the living room. There was a roaring fire in the grate, and in that fire there were about forty singeing envelopes.

In the kitchen, Aunt Petunia was scurrying about, picking up envelopes off the previously spotless floor. Uncle Vernon, looking particularly annoyed and purple, was shouting "HOW CAN THEY JUST COME IN THROUGH THE WINDOW?" Harry made to pick up one of the letters, but her Aunt's foot got there first. Harry glared around at her family, and stalked over to the stove, completely incensed.

There was a great gust of wind that billowed through the kitchen, most likely from an open window.

Banging the pots around rather loudly, she began to make breakfast.

"Dad! There's more!" Dudley stumbled into the room with his arms full of what must have been a stack of a hundred envelopes. "They were just... sitting in the living room!"

Uncle Vernon shook out his morning paper, saying, "Toss them right in the fire Dudley."

Harry had just finished the bacon and she was not going to let this stand. She slammed the pot down on the stove and yelled to the surrounding kitchen, "They're my letters and I want to read them!" She cracked an egg viciously on the side of the pot and pulled it open. Instead of yolk, a folded up envelope fell out of the shell and into the bacon grease. Stunned, she gingerly picked up the bubbling letter with her fingernails, reading the address scrawled in loopy green ink.

Miss Harriet Lily Potter

The Cupboard under the Stairs

4 Privet Drive

Little Whinging

Surrey

In an egg?

Her uncle saw her shaking the grease off the envelope. Lunging up and away from the table, he snatched it out of her hand.

"AHHHGGG!" Uncle Vernon screamed, throwing the hot letter down on the ground. Cradling his burnt hand, he sputtered, "that… is... ENOUGH! Girl... go to your cupboard, collect your things, and go up to the spare room. You will stay there until I open the door to let you out. Do you understand?"

Dudley whined loudly. "But Dad that's my-" Aunt Petunia shushed him immediately.

Glaring at Uncle Vernon, Harry left the kitchen and wrenched open the cupboard door. She bent down, grabbed her towel, underwear, and nighties and was about to slam the door, when she remembered.

"Alice? Are you here?"

"I am here Harry sspeaker."

"Come on. We have to go upstairs." She held out her hand to the snake. Instead of just sitting in her palm, Alice slid up her arm and coiled around her bicep. Hoping no one would see her with the snake, she ran upstairs as fast as she could.

The spare room was small, but still much larger than the cupboard. The lack of space was mostly due to the junk Dudley had left littered around it. Toys, books, and games he had never used filled the shelves and closet. She placed her belongings on the small desk by the window and held out her arm for Alice to slither down onto the wood. The snake slid around her clothes and coiled up onto the desk lamp that Harry had just lit.

"I hate it here." Harry rubbed at her eyes and gripped the desk chair until her knuckles turned bright red.

"Why do you not leave, chica?"

"Because… because I have nowhere else to go." The snake said nothing in return, merely closed its eyes and rested its head under the rapidly heating light-bulb.

Harry picked up on of Dudleys many discarded books and flopped back onto the bed.

0000

She saw eyes.

Red eyes burning with madness and hate.

A flash of green light.

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BOOM.

Harry sat up quickly. She winced as she rose, knowing that the coat rail would do its dastardly deed effectively… but it didn't come. Opening her eyes, she glanced around the small bedroom in confusion. Oh... Right. She looked at the clock. 4:00 pm.

There was a huge amount of commotion coming from downstairs. It sounded as if a train were passing beneath her feet. She jumped out of bed, raced to the door, and rushed downstairs. Letters were everywhere. Flying out of the chimney, sailing in through windows, spilling out of the closet. Dudley and Aunt Petunia were cowering behind her Uncle as the letters sailed around him in every which direction. Harry reached out and snatched one out of the air.

Miss Harriet Lily Potter

The Smallest Bedroom

4 Privet Drive

Little Whinging

Surrey

Uncle Vernon dove for her. "I SAY THAT IS ENOUGH! WE'RE LEAVING! DUDLEY, PETUNIA, PACK SOME THINGS." He dragged her out the front door, down the driveway, unlocked the car, and threw her in the backseat.

Within fifteen minutes they were packed and rolling down the road. Aunt Petunia sat stoically, staring ahead and occasionally tittering, "it's alright Diddykims." Uncle Vernon was muttering to himself heatedly as he drove. Dudley was crying loudly, because Uncle Vernon had smashed his Nintendo as Dudley tried to stuff it, and his TV, into his suitcase. Harry sat quietly... fuming at this injustice. They're my letters!

They drove for hours in no particular direction, taking exits, pulling into parking garages and shopping malls. For dinner, they stopped into a motel with a grungy looking restaurant. They most likely would have stayed the night after eating, had the desk clerk not stopped them in the lobby and asked, "Excuse me is one of you a Miss Harriet Potter? I just got about a hundred of these delivered a few minutes ago." He held up a letter.

Miss Harriet Lily Potter

The Front Lobby

7:33 pm

Railview Motel

Cokeworth

Uncle Vernon's eyes bulged and he herded them quickly back into the car. They were driving south for about 40 minutes before they got to the beach. Uncle Vernon parked in an empty lot, left the car, and disappeared into the storm. He returned a half an hour later with a man in a yellow raincoat.

"Everybody out. I've found us a place."

0000

Harry sat in front of the small hearth, shivering. The shack was freezing. The ocean spray stung her face as it blew through the cracks in the walls. Leaning forward, she attempted to dry her dress by fanning it in the heat of the small fire that she had finally started with a few wet matches.

CREAK.

Harry jumped. The steps outside the shack moaned.

CREAK.

Again.

BOOM BOOM BOOM

A tremendous knock shook the walls of the shack. Seconds later, Uncle Vernon in his paisley nightgown burst into the from room. He was holding what looked to be a rusted old double barrel shotgun. Aunt Petunia and Dudley hid behind him.

"Who's there? I'm warning you! I'm armed!"

With a great smash, the door was blown inward off its hinges. A giant of a man, at least ten feet tall, stood outside it. He ducked low to step into the cabin and deep gruff voice called out, "Sorry! Sorry!" He picked the door up and put it back into its frame. "Don' know me own strength!" The man turned, spotted Harry by the fire, and his bearded face split into a wide smile. He moved past Vernon and into the light of the fire.

"And `eres `Arry!" The giant man pulled off his large many pocketed coat and hung it on the coat stand, which promptly fell over under the weight. He sat down next to her in the large moldy armchair across from the fire, staring at her with small, yet kind eyes. "Merlin's Beard `Arry! Yer as right beautiful as yer Mum. Look just like Lily yeh do. Well… yeh got James' hair at least. Last time I saw yeh, yeh was only a baby."

Harry couldn't say anything. She was staring at the giant man open-mouthed. Uncle Vernon however, managing to find his voice, hoisted his gun. "Sir, I insist that you leave! You are breaking and entering and I... I am armed!"

The giant man guffawed loudly, reached around the arm chair, plucked the shotgun out of her uncle's hands, bent it in half as if it were piece of wire, and tossed it back to him. "Pipe down Dursley, yah great prune." said Hagrid. He turned back to Harry. "Oh `Arry I almost forgot. I got summat fer yeh." He reached into one of the largest pockets of his jacket and pulled out a flattish box. Handing it to her he said kindly, "I might of sat on it at some point... but anyway, `Appy birthday lass."

Inside the box was a very squashed chocolate cake that read 'Happy 11th Harry.' She was about to touch it, before her hand froze in fear of being slapped. She looked up at the man with a questioning gaze. He smiled down at her and nodded vigorously.

Harry dipped her pinky into the thick icing on the side. She brought it to her mouth and touched it to her tongue. As the chocolate hit her tastebuds, every nerve in her body cried out in joy and she shivered violently.

"Oh no, too sweet is it? I don't usually bake you see and-"

"NO! No it's wonderful… I've just… never had chocolate before." She tried to give the man the most brilliant smile she could muster. "Thank you... so much. But… but who exactly are you?" She thought the question was a bit rude of her but the huge man barked out a laugh.

"O course! The name's Rubeus Hagrid. Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts." He looked at her like this bit of information would explain everything. "Call me Hagrid, everyone does." He held out his hand for her to shake.

Amusingly, she grabbed his pinky, just like she had tried to do all those years ago, and shook slowly. "Hog-what?" she asked, confused.

"Hog… Hogwarts lass! Didn't yeh ever wonder where yer parents learned it all? Albus Dumbledore sent me personally to take you to get your-" He stopped midsentence and his face fell into a look of grave concern. If it hadn't been for that look, she would have scuttled away from his hand as it reached out and lifted her chin into the air. He pushed her hair away from her face and beheld the two large purplish bruises on her face.

"`Arry… who.. whaa-?" In the split second before she covered her face with a hand, Hagrid had seen Harry's eyes dart toward Uncle Vernon. And that had been enough. Hagrid seemed to expand and his eyes darkened. "DURSLEY!"

The giant stood and marched towards her uncle. Hagrid was brandishing a large pink umbrella like a sword. He brought it up above his head, then slashed it viciously downwards. At first Uncle Vernon just stared at the large man. Nothing seemed to happen. Then Dudley let out an unholy wail and clamped his hands to his backside. Before Dudley ran out of the room screaming, Harry was able to catch a glimpse of the extremely long curly-q pig tail sticking out from the waistline of his trousers. Aunt Petunia wailed and Uncle Vernon backed away, dragging Petunia along with him. Hagrid advanced again and they scurried into the back room, shutting the door firmly behind them. Hagrid huffed. "Sorry about that `Arry."

"That.. That was… THAT WAS AMAZING!" She literally bounced on the sofa as she said it. "How did you do it?"

Hagrid laughed, "why with magic o'course! Although I was aimin fer yer uncle and I meant ter turn `im all the way pig!" She stared at him not quite sure if he was taking the mickey out of her.

"What do you mean magic? Like a bunny rabbit... and a hat?"

"No `Arry o'course not." Hagrid gave her a look that said he too felt that she was taking the mickey out of him. "Real magic."

Harry laughed heartily. "But magic doesn't exist!"

Hagrid seemed confused before the answer dawned in his eyes. "You mean… you mean ter tell me that you… you don't know anything?" Hagrid asked a little desperately. Harry thought that was going a bit far.

"Hey... I've been to school! I'm top of the class at maths... and grammar and... stuff."

"I don't mean that lass! I mean about our world. Yer world. Yer parents' world."

She didn't know what to say to that. Hagrid leaned back and whistled, "Blimey. `Arry... yer a witch."

Offended she asked, "I'm a what?"

"No, `Arry... a witch. And a thumpin good one I'd bet. James and Lily were about as powerful as they come."

"You knew… you knew my parents before the car crash?" Harry asked, astonished.

"O'course girl! Yer mum and dad were… wait a mo'... car crash? Wha car crash?"

"The... the one that killed them."

Hagrid roared and Harry jumped back. "A CAR CRASH? KILL THE POTTERS! NOT BLOODY LIKELY!"

Harry's heart flared. If there was no car crash, were they… could they be…?

He must have seen the look on her face. "No `Arry, they were…" Hagrid trailed off gazing into the fire. Her heart began to lose that small flare. "Blimey I never expected this. Growin up with muggles that tell yeh nothin. I knew yeh weren't getting yer letters, but this…" Hagrid shook his head sadly. "Ah `Arry. I don't know if I'm the right person ter be tellin yah this- but someone's gotta- yeh can't go off ter Hogwarts not knowin why every man, woman, and child knows yer name." Hagrid paused and it seemed he was thinking where to begin. "I can't tell yah all of it `Arry. Some of it I don't know me self. I suppose it begins, with a man called…" Hagrid ran a hand through his beard in hesitation.

"What?"

"Well I... I don't like sayin the name if I can help it lass."

"Why not?"

"Blimey. Fear girl! People are still scared. He was a wizard and he went… bad."

"Bad?"

"Dark… as dark as you can go. His name was…"

Harry frowned and tried to help the man along. "Could you maybe write it down Hagrid?

Hagrid chuckled, "Nah, can't spell it. Alright his name was…Voldemort. There! Now don't make me say it again! And he went dark `Arry. About 20 years ago he and his followers started tearing the wizarding world apart. He was strong. Impossibly strong. Dark days, lass... dark days. Thousands died."

Hagrid took a deep shuddering breath and continued. "He was after the Potters, don't know why. And… well… he found em. 10 years ago on Holloween. He found em… and he killed em. And when he turned his wand on yeh lass…well… he couldn't do it. He died, see. When You-Know-Who decided ter kill someone that was the end of it. No one survived, no one cept `Arry Potter, and yeh was only a baby. And thas why yer famous ` Arry. Something special about you ended him, the most powerful dark wizard to ever live."

"But I'm not special… I'm just a fr… I don't think I can be a witch."

"Not a witch? HA! Never made anything happen when you was scared or angry? Things you couldn't explain?" Harry was silent. "Ahh thas what I thought. Now... I think it's about time yeh got yer letter, don't you?"

Hagrid rummaged around through his coat pockets. After a few minutes of pulling out strange bits and pieces of all sorts of stuff, all the while mumbling things like, "Now where did I put that blasted…" Hagrid pulled out a crumpled envelope. He leaned over and handed it to her. In loopy green script it read:

Miss Harriet Lily Potter

The Floor

Hut-on-the-Rock

The Sea

With trembling fingers, she tore it open.

HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY

Dear Miss Potter,

We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress

My owl? "Um Hagrid… it says they need an owl by tomorrow. What does that mean?"

"Merlin's Pants! I had almost forgotten!" Hagrid dug once again into his pockets searching for something. A few seconds later, Hagrid pulled out... a real, live, puffy, flapping owl that did not seem at all happy to be pulled roughly out of a coat pocket.

Hagrid scribbled something on a piece of old yellowing paper and gave it to the owl, now perched on his shoulder.

"Now Archibald… take this ter Professor Dumbledore. Understand?" The owl hooted, bit Hagrid in the nose sharply, and flew out the window into the stormy sky.

Rubbing his nose Hagrid muttered, "Ruddy bird…" He smiled kindly at her. "Now `Arry… wha would yeh say ter a nice cuppa tea?"

0000

Harry and Hagrid walked out of Gringott's bank. They had just picked up what must have been her own weight in gold, now dangling from a small feather-light pouch on her wrist. She had never had so much…anything! Let alone money. She was extremely overwhelmed, not just by the money, but by the strangeness… of everything. In the past hour she had taken a cart ride through a tunnel with dragons, seen a banshee, met goblins, shaken the hand of about one hundred-sixty different people... including her future Professor, seen actual flying broomsticks, and seen three different hats that had live animals scooting around on top of them. It was the oddest and most wonderful experience she'd ever had in her life.

"Might as well get yer uniform first," said Hagrid, pointing over to the nearest shop. "Listen 'Arry, would yeh mind terribly if I slipped off fer a pick me up at The Leaky Cauldron? I hate them Gringott's carts.

Harry smiled up at the still greenish looking man, shook her head, and skipped straight into Madam Malkin's.

0000

Draco Malfoy was bored. Incredibly so. His mother and father were off buying his other supplies and Pansy was squirreled away somewhere in Flourish and Blot's, most likely reading the trashy romantic novels that she was oh-so-fond of. They all were exactly the same, filled from cover to cover with stories of hunky, tanned, body-hairless wizards rescuing damsels from dragons, after which they would engage in some magical sexual encounter. All he had to occupy his mind... was the squat mauve clad woman bumbling away at the hem of his robes. His arms were aching terribly and every time he tried to put them down, the woman, even if she was not working on his sleeves, would slap his shins and yell, "UP!"

He glanced around the shop. It's a bit gaudy. Mother wouldn't approve of me shopping here. Draco stared out into Diagon Alley looking at nothing, his mind buzzing with… nothing. He needed people around. People that were interested in his life and in what he had to say.

A girl skipped into the shop.

Honestly who skips? He paid her little attention. She was standing a few isles away looking around at the robes. Madame Malkin walked away from him and over to the girl asking, "Hogwarts Dear?" The girl opened her mouth, but Malkin interrupted her before she could speak. What a completely infuriating woman. "Got the lot here - there's a young man being fitted up just now in fact." The girl looked toward Draco and her mouth fell open. She ran over to him and excitedly asked, "PIERS? You're a wizard?"

Draco, extremely surprised, locked eyes with the girl. Her eyes… they were… well they were green but… Draco didn't think he had ever seen a green like that. However, the girl's excited expression fell when she saw him up close. Strangely, this upset Draco. He looked away from her quickly, feelin a cheeks heat ever so slightly.

She said to him quietly, "Oh I… I'm sorry. I thought you were someone else." The girl allowed Madam Malkin to help her up onto a stool a few feet from his own. The magical measuring tape whirled around her body as Malkin went back to Draco's hems. The girl seemed very flustered with the instrument's antics. At one point Draco saw it go up her white dress and she had gasped, turning bright pink.

"Pay it no mind deary," Malkin advised her and Draco chuckled at the girl's embarrassment. Again they locked eyes. What the hell was the name of that green? It was going to drive him mad all day. She stared until he had to look away... down at the ground. There was a tense awkward silence for several minutes.

Yet Draco, being as bored as he was, decided to strike up a little conversation. "So who is Piers? Your boyfriend?"

No reaction? This girl was either a very good actress, or Piers really was her boyfriend… or she just completely missed the jibe.

"No... Piers Polkiss. He was just a boy who was friends with my cousin. You look very similar to him but… he had blue eyes. Yours are a silvery gray."

The girl gazed sadly out the window and Draco decided to get a really good look at her without her notice. She was smaller than him and rakishly thin... unhealthily so. Her handsome albeit slightly old fashioned white dress stopped just above her knees, which were a bit knobby. Even though she was overly skinny, her facial features were all delicate and well placed... at least as soft and delicate as Pansy's.

He could tell she came from wealth, as she had a Gringott's weightless bottomless money pouch attached to her wrist. They were only given to families with the oldest and largest vaults. Her hair was… well a bit indescribable. It was long and jet black and stuck up at a few inopportune places. It wasn't straight… but wasn't curly. It wasn't bushy… but wasn't tamed. The best way to describe it would have been wavey-spikey-straitish-I-want-to-run-my-hands-through-it. Yes that's an adequate desciption.

Yet standing out above all her other qualities... were the two large bruises on her face. "What happened to your cheek and forehead?" he asked with a drawl.

"Bumped into a door," she muttered. Draco clearly could tell from her tone that that topic of conversation wasn't to be touched with a ten foot broomstick.

Draco went for a quick subject change. "You know, I think I just might have a Polkiss way back down the family tree. Yes... yes I'm quite sure of it. Bartholomew Polkiss was his name."

She beamed back at him, laughed and smiled. Wow. She has a nice smile. Full of… teeth. Her laugh tinkled in that same soft giggle as Pansy's. He felt that this girl needed to know who he was. "I'm Draco Malfoy."

"Harriet," she said, "Harry."

Draco held out his hand and she took it shaking gently. He probed on. "Play Quidditch at all?"

"No," said Harry.

"My Father says he might buy me a top-end broom for school."

Harry's green eyes twinkled and she asked him excitedly "Really? A flying broom?"

Draco laughed. "No... a regular broom… of course a flying broom!"

"Wait a minute…" Harry grinned at him and said, "Aren't first years not allowed to have brooms at school."

Draco smirked slyly. "Well I'll have to keep it extra secret won't I? You won't tell will you?"

Harry's giggle tinkled through the shop and she promised him, "Nope."

"Cross your heart?" Draco asked.

She nodded. "Cross my heart." Harry made an X across her chest.

Draco smiled and asked her what House she thought she'd be in.

Harry shrugged.

"Well that's alright, no one really knows what house they'll be in till they get there, do they? I'm almost positive I'll be in Slytherin though. All our family have been. Imagine if-"

Malkin cut him off. "All done deary." The squat woman took his money and he looked at himself in the mirror. A decent job for a Mudblood. He walked toward the door... but before leaving he turned back to Harry. The measuring tape was still whizzing around her inappropriately.

"Harry?" he asked rather hopefully.

"Yeah?"

"Would you like to come meet my friend Pansy? You two might get on." He watched as her face fell, it looked like she wanted to say yes, but she shook her head smiling sadly.

"I can't. I'm waiting for someone here... and then I have to get all my shopping done. This was my first stop."

Draco was a bit disappointed. "Well... I'll see you at school I suppose?"

"Definitely." She flashed him a brilliantly white smile.

He turned and left the shop with a smirk on his face, ducking around a huge man who was walking down the street with two ice creams that were dripping down his hands. Disgraceful, letting a giant roam free, honestly.

0000

Harry watched the boy walk out of the shop and around Hagrid's approaching form. She smiled and said, to no one in particular, "he was a bit silly wasn't he?"

Madame Malkin slapped her in the shins and shouted "UP," as her hands dropped to her sides.

Harry threw her arms back up to the proper spot. "Sorry… um excuse me, Madame Malkin?"

"Yes dear?"

"What's Quidditch?"

"I know where you're comin from deary, I grew up muggle. I'll tell you the same thing a 7th year told me on my first day in Diagon Alley. Think football, with a bit of cricket, and a hint of capture the flag and roll it all up into one big game. Take that, raise it fifty feet in the air, and increase the speed of everything by 150 kilometers per hour give or take. That's Quidditch."

Harry breathed out excitedly. "Wicked… and erm, Madame Malkin?"

The woman answered her question before she even had a chance to ask it. "Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin dear. I myself, was in Hufflepuff."

Harry blushed. "Oh and er… is Slytherin a good House to be in?"

Madam Malkin smiled sweetly at her and said, "As good as the rest dear."

Outside she could see Hagrid leaning down into the window, waving at her, and holding up two huge ice cream sundaes.

0000

"Jus yer wand left then - oh and I have to get yer birthday present. What would yeh like?" Hagrid smiled down at Harry.

But Harry wasn't there.

She had stopped a few feet back and was staring down at the ground, hair shrouding her face from view. Hagrid knelt down onto the street and placed his hand on her shoulder. "`Arry?"

"You don't have to get me anything Hagrid." She seemed very distressed. "You've already done…" she trailed off and looked back down at her feet.

"Oh, hey now..." I should murder those ruddy Dursleys. He tilted her chin up to look into his face. "I know I don't have ter lass. Tell yer wha. I'll get yer animal. Not a toad, toads went outta fashion years ago." A corner of the small girl's mouth twitched upwards. "No cats either. Don't like cats ye see. Make me sneeze." There goes the other corner. "I know. I'll get you an owl, and this time I won't pull it out of me pocket." A full smile broke across Harry's face.

She rushed at him, threw her arms around his neck and gave him a tight hug. Hagrid was surprised at first, but he smiled and patted the small girl gently on the back.

"O'course… I expect yah ter send yer owl ter me hut with a letter at least once a week!" Harry nodded rapidly. "Now… to Ollivander's. Hop ter it."

Hagrid had waited outside the small shop while Harry went in alone. It didn't seem to be going very well on the inside however. He could hear a small explosion every few minutes. Hagrid sat outside the shop for a good hour before Harry exited, wand in hand. She looked pensive and a bit frightened.

"Alright there lass?"

Harry nodded but said nothing.

A cool breeze hit Hagrid's face as they entered Eyelops. He enjoyed this store very much. Nice and roomy; lots of creatures; his type of place. He pushed Harry to the back of the store and into the Owlry, gave her a small pile of owl treats, and left her to choose her new pet. He was browsing a collection of hinkypunks, when the owner gave a squawk and shouted, "Hagrid, we have a problem."

The sight that met his eyes as he re-entered the Owlry was... peculiar, if not downright amusing. Seven owls were chasing Harry around the room while she laughed hysterically.

"`Arry? Whaa are yah doin?"

"Watch Hagrid!" Harry stopped running and turned towards him with a wide grin on her face. All seven owls fluttered down and landed on her. Three on each arm, one on her head. She began running and the owls took off, resuming their chase. She stopped again, turned, and raised her arms. The owls retook their seats.

Hagrid rummaged around in his pocket. "Ah here we go." He pulled out a gold colored treat. "It's got a mild compulsion charm on it. Use it to catch me Nifflers." He raised it, and every head in the Owlry turned to face the treat. He tossed it on the floor... and all the bird's flew down to the floor, hopping around and eyeing the treat suspiciously. All the birds... except one.

He laughed. "Looks like yev got an owl `Arry."

She glanced curiously up at the snowy white bird on her head, who looked back down at her rather... owlishly. "Hullo," Harry said.

"Hoot."

Walking out of Eyelops with her owl's cage in hand, Harry turned and tugged on his sleeve, asking, "Hagrid... where can we get some bananas?

"Bananas? What fer?"

"For Alice, my snake. She told me she liked them."

"She told yeh?"

"Yeah. I can talk to her. Can't you talk to any animals?"

Hagrid's heart caught in his chest.

" `Arry don't go…" Hagrid breathed heavily. "Don't go tellin everyone yeh can talk ter snakes." Fear flashed through him. Fear of this little girl he knew nothing about. He was sure she had seen it flash across his face too.

"So it's bad then?" Her face was falling back under her hair.

"No No!" Hagrid said quickly. "It'll.. jus start lots o' gossip thas all." He didn't like lying to her one bit.

She eyed him and he put on the most convincing smile he could. "Oh… okay. I just-" But whatever 'she just,' Hagrid never found out because some pained expression flashed across her face… and then she was smiling again, hair flung back, marching towards The Leaky Cauldron.

Phew.

0000

The four weeks until September 1st passed by quickly for Harry. The Dursleys were much too afraid of the warning Hagrid had given them to bother her too much. Hagrid had made it clear, pink umbrella waving in their faces, that Harry would be fed regularly, would not be touched, and would be escorted to Kings Cross Station. If that did not occur, he warned that there would be 'consequences,' which had made Dudley scamper from the room, clutching his overly large bottom.

So for a month at the Dursley household, Harry Potter had lived in relative peace. She read all her school books cover to cover. Well…she had yet to finish A History of Magic. She found she could not read past the table of contents without falling asleep.

The last day of August found Harry lying on her bed in nothing but knickers, staring at the clock, willing the minutes to move faster. I'd be able to do something productive if it wasn't so bloody hot.

To fully express how hot she thought it was, she said to the room loudly, "it's hot."

"Hoot." Circe agreed.

Harry listened for Alice's agreement but all she heard was the gentle humming coming from the desk lamp.

"Why are you so chipper," asked Harry, annoyed.

"Becausse I'm cold blooded chica. But more sso becausse tomorrow we will leave thiss place."

"So you're coming then?" She had been asking the snake for weeks whether or not she would come or would wait here for Alphonze to follow the trail of the speaker that freed him. Alice had explained that any snake granted a boon by a speaker would be compelled to return the favor eventually.

"Yess, I think sso. It iss rare for any one of uss to sserve a sspeaker. It iss an honor."

"I don't think I want a servant Alice. I want a friend." But friend came out in plain in English. She tried again with "companion." English. "Partner." English. "Ally."

"Very well Harry sspeaker. Alliess."

"But speaking of services do you think you could come sit on me and cool me off? Leach some of the heat out?" Alice made a noise that could only be described as a chuckle, slithered down the desk lamp, and onto Harry's outstretched arm. Alice moved around the arm and reached her chest, nestling in a small coil in the indent of her collarbone. "Ah Alice…you're a life saver."

The snake said nothing, merely uncoiled enough to dart it's tongue out against Harry's cheek, before settling back into the crook of her neck.

"Why can't you be cold blooded too Circe?"

"Hoot."

0000

"Oh Ouch! I'm sorry about that!" She had walked right into someone coming out of the loo and they had banged heads.

"S'okay." The boy she had hit was gingerly rubbing his head.

"Sorry again!" Harry darted around him, dragging her cart towards platform 9.

She saw the boy glance after her, scrunching his face as if trying to remember something.

That incident had been nearly an hour ago.

"You ssmell... odd."

"I bathed in a sink. Cut me some slack." Alice the snake was coiled tightly around her thigh a few inches above her dress hem. It was an odd sensation... to have a snake on your leg, but she found it comforting in this large noisy station to have a friend nearby.

"Oh Alice, where is this place?"

Harry sat down on a bench in an exhausted slouch. She looked up at the two signs in front of her. She was entirely perplexed. One said 9 and one said 10. Nowhere in sight was there a platform sign that read 9