Harry Potter and the Fated Locket

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Chapter 1

A Wink and a Surprise

Harry gazed up at the ceiling of his small bedroom at number four, Privet Drive. An ever-growing crack snaked its way from the doorway to a spot right above his bed. The shape the crack took on seemed to form a pair of eyes the closer it got to him. Was he going crazy, or did the eyes just wink at him? The crack had not been there last summer, but had mysteriously appeared on his first day back at the Dursleys’. He knew this because upon seeing the mysterious new crack, Dudley had run downstairs, whimpering about Harry performing "the M word" on his first day back from school.

Like Harry wanted to even think about magic his first day back in prison. Every time he thought of magic, he thought of school, and every time he thought of school he thought of the horrible events of the end of the year there.

Harry sighed and rolled over. In the past month of being at home, he had endlessly played over the events of the Triwizard Tournament in his head. Not just the last few moments of holding Cedric, limp, and cold, looking up at The Diggorys and wishing it had been him. Oh no, there was more guilt than that. He thought of his name coming out of the Goblet of Fire to begin with. He thought of the fight, and the silence that had ensued between Ron and himself because of this happening. He thought of Hermione's constant worrying. He thought of Cedric trying to be a good person, and helping him out with the second task. He thought of Barty Crouch, overtaken partly with madness, staggering out of the Forbidden Forest for help, and upon returning to the scene, finding Krum stunned and Crouch gone.

All of it. Every single occurrence. Because of him. All the people hurt because he had gotten close enough to them for Voldemort to reach out with his icy grip and take hold of them in one form or another. All because of him. Harry felt the guilt eat through him, felt his insides lurch with each further thought. He laid there, unmoving, unwilling to chance writing a letter to any of his friends.

The silence that had reigned in the house was suddenly broken as an astonished cry rang out from downstairs.

What was that? Harry wondered. He heard heavy footsteps trudging up the stairs and then his door burst open, flying off the hinges.

“Professor Snape?” Harry couldn't keep the astonishment from his voice.

Snape didn’t reply, but glared at Harry menacingly and then grabbed him by the front of his shirt. A million thoughts raced through Harry’s mind and not one of them was good.

'Is he turning me over to Voldemort? He must have still been on the dark side all along. But how could he have fooled Dumbledore? No, that can't be right, something's happening...Ron! Hermione! Oh no...'

“Come on, Potter."

He quickly waved his wand, causing all of Harry’s school things to pack themselves into his trunk, which then flew down the stairs ahead of them. Once they reached the landing, Aunt Petunia was in hysterics.

“Remove yourself immediately from my home or I will be forced to call the authorities!” Uncle Vernon spat at Snape. His face had turned quite purple, and Harry thought, looked curiously like an oversized grape.

“I would love nothing more than to do just that,” Snape hissed back at Uncle Vernon without losing any of his composure. “However, whether I decide to leave without turning you into a sniveling snake, so that Harry is the only one you may talk to, is another story.”

Uncle Vernon quieted down at this. Whether it was the idea of being harmless or of talking only to Harry that made him quit, Harry did not know. Whatever it was, it was quite amazing. Harry had never seen his uncle intimidated, not even by Hagrid, who was at least two times his size.

They left the house with Harry running along to keep up with Snape’s quick strides. After a few minutes of this, Harry was relieved when Snape summoned the Knight Bus and they climbed aboard, Harry not knowing if he was going back to number four, Privet Drive. The thought did not bother him.