Fate and Fatality

Tap tap tap...

Harry's eyes half opened. "Go away," he mumbled. The tapping at his window grew more insistent.

TAP TAP TAP...

Harry sat up in bed, blinking at the early morning light flooding into his bedroom. He rubbed his eyes and blinked a few times, trying to wake up.

Tap tap tap tap tap tap...

"All right, I'm coming already!" Harry groaned. He moved slowly to get out of bed, and even more slowly to get to the window. He threw it open, and a large brown barn owl swooped in, cuffing him on the head for the wait. Harry shook his head as he picked up the letter that the owl had dropped on the floor. It had the Hogwarts seal on it.

Dear Mr. H. Potter,

We regret to inform you that, due to circumstances beyond our control, Hogwarts will not be opening at the start of the year. Please read the following to learn which school you will be attending temporarily.

A list followed, which Harry only glanced at quickly.

Gryffindor 1-4 years

Hufflepuff 1-4 years

Craven Academy, Paris

Slytherin 1-4 years

Ravenclaw 1-4 years

Trevan School for the Magically Inclined, Greenwich

Hufflepuff 5-7 years

Ravenclaw 5-7 years

Bolchivent Magical, Quebec

Gryffindor 5-7 years

Slytherin 5-7 years

The Donovan Academy for Young Magical Advocates, New York

You will be receiving a letter from the school that you will attend. It is our wish that you will be back inside Hogwarts by the first of the New Year. Until then, good luck.

Minerva McGonagall

Harry's eyes shut as he let out a groan. How could he not go back to Hogwarts, the first place he had ever felt at home? Suddenly, his eyes popped open. He reread the letter quickly. Damn. He felt his face turning red with anger. Who the hell put the Gryffindors with the Slytherins? Harry tossed the letter on the floor.

A knock on his door startled him. "Yeah?" he answered after a moment.

"Harry, are you up yet?" Sirius's voice came through the door. Harry had come to live with his godfather a year ago, after Sirius had been cleared of all charges against him. Harry had left the Dursleys' forever, and had never thought of them since, except when he was bored, and thought about turning Dudley into a fat bird the size of a beach ball.

"Harry?" Sirius's voice sounded again. "Well, are you?"

"Yeah, I'm up. Why?"

"You're going to Ron's to visit for a week, remember? We're leaving soon, hurry."

Of course! How could he forget? Even though he didn't have to escape from anyone over the summer anymore, he still liked visiting Ron. He glanced to the corner of his room, where his bag was resting under his desk. The mirror on the wall above it was sleeping now, but usually was awake to give perfectly nasty insults to whoever looked into it. Ron had given it to him for his sixteenth birthday, hoping Harry would find it funny, which he did. Harry took the opportunity to glance at his reflection.

He had gotten taller since his fourth year, and was now no longer short and skinny, but tall and well built. His green eyes and his messy hair were the same, and his scar hadn't moved, but now everything about his face complimented each other. Parvati hadn't been the only girl who had noticed.

Going to his closet, Harry pulled on a pair of jeans and a shirt. He had been very grateful for his new clothes, especially after having to wear Dudley's for so many years. He turned to find his mirror had woken up, and as he looked at his reflection for final measure, the mirror laughed.

"My word, are you going around in those mismatched rags all day?"

"Of course!" Harry replied cheerfully. He felt that today he would be in a good mood, until he turned and saw the letter on the floor. Instantly his bad mood returned. He was indignant that they would put Slytherin with Gryffindor, and on another continent at that! He picked up the letter and read the first few lines again.

We regret to inform you that, due to circumstances beyond our control, Hogwarts will not be opening at the start of the year...

Circumstances beyond their control. The closest the school had been to closing, Harry remembered, was when the Chamber of Secrets had been opened. What could possibly have happened to make them close the school?

No matter how hard he thought about it, Harry had no answers, only more questions. He grabbed the letter and shoved it in his bag. He smiled as he thought of his best friend, Ron. He was going to have an earful from Ron about this.

Bolting out of his room, he went downstairs to the large kitchen. Unlike the immaculate kitchen in number four, Privet Drive, it reminded him of the Weasleys' kitchen. At the sink, a brush scrubbed a pan by itself, and freshly washed silverware was flying into the drawer where it belonged. Harry grabbed a bowl from the counter, ducking as a spoon came flying past his nose, and grabbed the cereal. Hungry, he began to eat right away. He didn't even notice Sirius come in until he sat down across from him.

"Hungry?"

"Starving." Harry paused for a moment, his spoon halfway to his mouth. "Sirius?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you have any idea why Hogwarts is closed this year?"

Sirius looked up sharply, surprised. "It is? Good Lord, what are they going to do about you students?"

"I've got a letter upstairs. They're sending us to different schools. I got stuck with Slytherin in some school in America." Harry shook his head, still mad at the idiot who had arranged the placements. "You would think they would at least keep us in Europe."

Sirius was nodding thoughtfully. "Well, America's not such a bad place, there are many worse places in the world. The problem is, Harry, how are we getting you there?"

Harry hadn't thought of this. "I suppose they thought of it already. A second letter is coming here soon, maybe it will say in the letter."

Sirius had opened his mouth to say something when the clock on the wall chimed loudly. Sirius nodded. "Go get your bags, you're using Floo powder today." Harry quickly got up and raced up the stairs. Sirius glared up at the clock on the wall, still chiming. "It is not thirteen o' clock, and if you've quite finished..." The clock went quiet. Sirius shook his head, muttering, "Stupid clock, couldn't count to save its life."

Harry soon reappeared in the kitchen, dragging his bag after him. After saying goodbye to Sirius, he put his glasses in his pocket and grabbed a handful of Floo powder. He stepped into the fireplace, making sure he had a tight hold on his bag, and said as clearly as he could through the ashes, "The Burrow!"