Harry Potter and the Rise of Hope

Chapter Three

Over Chess

The next morning Harry woke to a soft tapping on the door. "What is it?" he moaned grabbing his glasses and sitting up.

"Harry?" Petunia stuck her head in the room and looked around, "you've had an owl, and your friend is coming to pick you up around twelve so you might not want to sleep in." She started to duck out but then paused, "oh and please pick up before you come down."

As Harry entered the kitchen he stared at a pile of pancakes in his spot. "Well what are you waiting for? Sit down and eat." Petunia said over her shoulder.

"Wow! You made me breakfast! Usually I just . . ."

"Grab a bowl of cereal. I know but you are sixteen today. That reminds me," She reached up and grabbed a box off the top of the refrigerator and set it down in front of Harry. "Here I found this in the attic." Inside was a bunch of old photographs, wizarding and muggle, on top of an old diary. Harry looked up, he finally had his chance to ask about his mother and he was not going to let it slip away. "Why didn't you tell me? Before I met Hagrid I mean." Aunt Petunia took a deep breath and began to speak. Her tail was one she obviously hadn't told in years.

"Your mother and I . . . we used to be best friends. A year apart and still we were inseparable. Our father was a squib Harry, and when she got her letter he was overjoyed. Mum and I didn't really understand, being as you say Muggles, but we were happy anyway because they were. We remained close though, attending each other's weddings. Then Lily and James found out they were being hunted. So we broke off speaking to each other, and she went into hiding. I lived in fear that someone . . .anyone would find out we were related . . . would use the information to harm her. And then . . . I found you on our door step." Petunia took a deep shattering breath and Harry jumped afraid his question had been too much for her.

"I'm sorry. Maybe I shouldn't have asked."

"No, don't be. You need to know. After that I don't really know what happened. Vernon always hated Lily, and the fact that she was a witch made everything worse. They couldn't stand each other! He convinced me that it would be best if you didn't know . . . I'm sorry Harry I never should have let it go this far!"

"Aunt Petunia?"

"Harry I,"

" Aunt Petunia!" she looked up so suddenly that Harry was startled, "Aunt Petunia it's ok. If I had known thing probably would have been worse." Harry could tell she wasn't so sure in fact he could see tears in her eyes. "You once said my dad liked to pull pranks? Any examples?" She smiled.

Harry had to admit that this might very well be his best birthday ever. He and Aunt Petunia had talked about his mother for hours. As he had helped her catalog the pictures she had told him of the countless pranks Sirius and his father had pulled. Harry made a mental note to ask about half of them.

His thoughts were interrupted however by a loud honking in the driveway. "What here already! Well look at the time." Aunt Petunia exclaimed rushing to the door. Harry followed her out and was immediately greeted by Mrs. Weasly, Ron, and Ginny.

"Hi," Ron said scanning the room, "where's . . . "

"Dudley's not here. Come on, my trunks upstairs. Hey Ginny mind staying here and telling us when we've reached the steps?" this last remark was flung over his shoulder as he and Ron raced for the stairs.

"Sure but hurry up we're picking up Hermione. You know Ron's Girlfriend!"

"She is not my girlfriend!" Ron bellowed in outrage.

"Sure, whatever you say."

Harry had to smile. Over the last year Ginny had become a good friend. (Although he wasn't quite sure how) She now knew about Sirius, and she had actually believed he was innocent with very little argument. She was also a great help in breaking up Ron and Hermione's catfights, and these were more frequent than ever. No matter how much Ginny and he insisted that the other two had a thing for each other it was denied.

Harry had also come to learn that Ginny could be as bad as Fred and George when it came to pulling pranks. She would either write down an idea and pass it of to one of the twins who would pull it miraculously without getting caught, or pull it herself. She also as Ron once said, "never shut up," he could hear her now explaining the rules of Quidich to his aunt. (She had been made keeper in Wood's absence)

Grunting as they lifted the trunk Harry asked Ron on weather he'd herd any thing on Viktor Krum.

"Nope, never thought they'd last this long though. Oy Gin tell us when to step will you."

"Okay.' Ginny's voice floated up the stares as Ron began to rant.

"I mean really there's a four year age difference and . . ."

" Harry step." Harry stepped down and Ron stopped as the trunk shifted.

About three fourths of the way down he heard voices in the kitchen. One Harry knew instantly as Dudley, the other his girlfriend Clare. Dudley had slimed out but he was still alarmingly overweight, and why any girl would date him was beyond Harry. He had the feint notion however that Clare was getting rich off it. He heard the kitchen door open and close and a voice exclaim,

"Young lady you do not stare at a young mans hinny. Even if it is cute!" Harry nearly dropped the trunk and Ron burst out laughing.

"What's wrong Gin? You're not blushing."

"Last step Harry. And no Ron! The only person here who should be blushing is Harry!" and with that she gave his rump a nice slap.

Ron actually did drop the trunk, which was quite unfortunate, considering he was still several steps up. Harry received the full weight of the trunk on his chest. Although very painful he was almost glad of this. The effort involved of not collapsing under the trunks weight was enough to keep him from blushing.

Clare Ginny, and Dudley all burst out laughing, Dudley more from the indignity of his cozen the hilarity of the situation. Ron still stood on the stairs, jaw hanging, staring at his sister. "Ron ya want to stop gapping and give me a hand?" Harry groaned under the weight of the trunk. Ron looked over and finally seemed to see the predicament his friend was in.

"Oops sorry Harry!"

"Ronald!" Mrs. Weasley's head pocked around the corner, "Ronald you just dropped the trunk on the poor boy and all you can say is sorry!'

"Hey!" Ron cried, "not fair Mum! Ginny's the one who slapped his behind!" Ginny did go red at this and Harry who was baking through the door watched Mrs. Weasley swell like a bullfrog.

"Virginia Ann Weasley!" Ron and Harry both winced and continued to deposit the trunk in the back of the borrowed Ministry vehicle. By the time they got back inside to their very great relief, Clare and Aunt Petunia had gotten Mrs. Weasley calmed down. They were peacefully able to leave.

Several hours latter after both Harry and Ron had asked "are we there yet?" any number of times, and after both Ginny and Mrs. Weasley had told them "no shut up!" an equal number of times Mrs. Weasley took the exit into a small town. After a few wrong turns and a lot of back seat driving from Ron, they turned in to a drive.

Before any one had a chance to honk the horn Hermione burst out the front door Crookshanks in her arms. "Finally, I thought you'd never get here!"

"We had a little hold up," Harry explained purposely not looking at Ginny or Ron.

"Really what happened?"

"Well," Ron started face donning its most mischievous grin, "Gin here decided it'd be a good idea to slap Harry's . . ." Ron never finished. When Harry realized what was being said he slapped and hand over his friends mouth and hissed, "It's bad enough as it is!" Hermione however had gotten the gist.

"Ginny you didn't!"

"She did," Harry moaned, "and please don't mention this to Fred or George! I'd never live it down!" Hermione only shook her head and led them back inside to get her things.

The Granger's house was a nice little one story flat. As she helped the back through the hall Hermione pointed out the room. These included her father's library. Harry knew instantly were she had gotten her love of reading. The room was stoked so full that a person could barely fit between the shelves. They managed to get back to the burrow without further incident, and surprisingly without Ron and Hermione arguing. Of coarse this was most likely because Hermione was in the front seat then anything else. Thankfully Ron only slipped once, but as it was in front of Fred and George they would be badgered to tell the entire summer. Harry and Ron weren't saying, and Hermione and Ginny kept going into fits of giggles every time one of them tried. However it was a very enjoyable evening. Bill and Charlie showed up over a delicious dinner that ended in a very superb chocolate cake baked by Mrs. Weasley. After a quick Quidditch match in the orchard and a round of Hot Cocoa Harry went to bed feeling this might very well be the best birthday he'd ever had!

*Harry could tell something was wrong: apparently the girl could sense it too. She was walking her dog like any other teen, but she had her wand out. It was early morning, sun barely over the horizon glinting off her blond hair. Clouds were gathering, darkening the sky, threatening to poor rain. The ground was flat and the grass dry, in desperate need of water. The few trees that grew along the dirt path looked withered.

Even in these conditions there should have been some sign of life, a stray rabbit, the song of an early Jay, but there was nothing. No sound no movement. Only the girl and her dog. All was silent, to silent. Even the dog could sense it. Ears flattened back it let out a low growl. The girl looked around.

"What is it?" her voice betrayed simple fear. A dark figure rose on the horizon. A voice high and cold, a voice unlike any other answered.

"It is us! My dear." The girl reacted instantly.

"Stupif . . ." but she never had a chance to finish the spell. Before she had barely raised her wand it was taken from her. Her wrists were taken and tied behind her back by one of the many figures that had apparated when their master had announced himself. With a yelp the dog turned and fled.

One grabbed the girl roughly by the upper arms and half dragged half marched her to kneel at the Dark Lord's feet. The rest formed a ring around them. "Not wise my dear, to attack me. Not wise at all." The Death Eaters laughed as if they knew what would come. As if knowing it herself the girl raised her head defiantly.

"Let me stand!"

"Why," Hissed the one holding her, "why should I?"

"Because I will not kneel to a mad man like him!" The Dark Lord laughed snapping his fingers and the girl was hauled to her feet.

"Well, well, well, the child has spunk! Join us?"

"Never!"

"Thought not, Crucio!" The girl was brought to her knees in pure agony. A pain so deep it felt as if every joint and sinew was being ripped apart. As if every muscle was torn. As if her head was being split in two. When the curse was lifted she got to her feet resignation on her face. She knew she was going to die, and she accepted it. "Tell me child are you afraid to die?" she could here amusement in his voice. She was facing a man who would kill and think it nothing more then entertainment.

"No!"

'No? Macnair!" the Dark Lord snapped his fingers and a figure just behind him moved forward. The girl was lifted ten feet in the air as thousands of tiny blades flew towards her. Still she managed to twitch aside as they grazed only her face and thigh. "Crucio!" The sky darkened and it grew colder but no one noticed. Every smirk and smile was wiped off of every face as they heard a voice cry out. For through her pain the girl had managed to make heard her words.

"You are a fool!" The Dark Lord paused and drew closer.

"A fool?"

"A fool . . . to think . . . you could ever gain immortality! . . . we are mortal . . . for us death is inevitable . . . All must pass in their time . . . and if my time is now . . .so be it!" She never had a chance to say more. Another spell hit her and she fell to the ground. Face in the dusty grass, bonds removed, and unconscious the world she lay utterly alone.

The clouds broke overhead pelting the earth with rain and one figure moved. One man remained. Banishing cloak and mask he knelt down and begun to stanch the bleeding. The echo of the Dark Lords last word remaining in the air, "If you live tell them this was a warning girl! A warning!" *

Harry woke with a start unsure of whether it was because of the horror of the dream or the pain in his scar. Quickly he dressed wrote quick letters to Sirius and Dumbledore telling what he'd just seen and sent them off with Hedwig. Rain pelted the windows. Harry knew that it was only seven in the morning and that hardly anyone would be up, but he headed down anyway.

Harry entered the kitchen to find it a seine of chaos. Mrs. Weasley was making a hurried breakfast for her husband who was trying to find his cloak and tie his shoes at the same time. Looking at the fire he could see the head of a ministry official sitting in the grate, "Stan and Marci's girl was just attacked Arthur! That's why things are so urgent."

"Attacked," Mrs. Weasley cried, "how bad is it?"

"Eight inch gash along the right thigh. If Severus hadn't shown up she'd be dead!"

"Professor Snape? What was he doing there?" said Percy walking into the room

"Think he had some business with Stanton, and that glade is the closest Apparation point for miles. Reckon he was on his way to pick up some last minute paper work."

"Your sure it was Death Eaters?" Mr. Weasley said around a mouthful of egg.

"Certain. They left a piece of parchment, dark mark in the lower corner. A warning! That's all it said. Muggle got there just after the Jonsons and her parents, that's why we need you Arthur, you too Percy if you can come. Believe you know her brother? Poor guys worked himself into a state of panic at the office and no one can tell him exactly what's going on!"

"All right on our way!" Percy and Mr. Weasley disappeared with a pop.

About an hour latter Ron, Ginny, and Hermione had gotten up and eaten, but Ron stopped him before he could tell about the dream, "wait a minute, over a game of chess otherwise mum will think something's up!"

" I'll act like I'm reading a book," Hermione said, "and Ginny act like you're waiting to play the winner." Ginny nodded sending her bright red hair over her shoulders, and settled on the couch with Hermione. Seconds latter Crookshanks settled on her lap and Ron finished setting up the board. "Right Harry tell us about this dream. Pawn to E one!"

"Well it started out in this dry landscape, perfectly miserable place really'

* Hurry up you mongrel! * A pawn yelled up from the board.

"Fine! Pawn to C two! Any way the first thing you notice is this girl"

"Ooh Harry! Pawn to E two"

"No wait Ron, It's not that!"

* Hurry up *

"Pawn to D one, and be patient!"

"Pawn to D one"

"Pawn to D one" two Pawns marched off the board grumbling, the black one still complaining on how slow Harry was. Hermione looked over her book sending Harry a glare. Returning to the game he continued the story. "Well she was tall, blond, kind of skinny, think I know her from some were, and she seemed to know she was in danger. The dog she was walking knew it to. Big thing it was, scarier then Snuffles, anyway it growled and . . ."

"Pawn to D three."

"Pawn to D three." Two more pawns marched off the board and Ron looked disgusted.

"Ok no way I fall for that again!"

"She looked around and asked what was wrong. At that moment . . ."

"Pawn to E six."

"Ron will you quit interrupting!"

"Hermione! I'm playing chess here!" The game and the conversation continued

with comments like *are we playing here or what!* and *we gonna win!* *are not* *we always win!* *no you don't* from the chessmen. It continued this way until Mr. Weasley walked into the room followed by his wife and Percy. All three of them looked worried and Percy and Mr. Weasley's robes were askew.

"Arthur what happened? How bad is it?"

"Not as bad as we thought Molly!"

* I'm dead I've been killed * one of Ron's pawns staggered off the board dramatically and Percy shot it an amused glance, "at least one of us is having some fun." and the conversation was closed.

Blaise Zabini paced the floor of the Malfoy manor drawing room. Robed and hooded so that no one there could see their faces he and his father waited for the return of the Dark Lord. He came and his father began to walk forward. Regretting his last minute decision Blaise ran after him, "Father? Do you truly think it wise to ask if . . ." he found himself being pulled forward by the front of his robe.

"How many times have I told you Blaishael," Blaise winced at the use of his full name, "you do not speak until spoken to!" Next thing he knew Blaise found himself on the floor alone in the room except for Draco. "Tell my father I went home!" he growled stepping into the fire, and leaving a stunned classmate behind.

Two weeks later Harry, Hermione, and the Weasleys were in Diagon Alley. The place was packed, they met every one from Raven to Draco Malfoy. The later of which was quite surprised when Raven (who had plastered herself to Harry) kicked him in the shins for calling Hermione a mudblood. "She's very nice! I like her, and it's not nice to use that word!" She had evidently learned the meaning from a second year Slytherin who had to explain after using the word.

Ginny had teased Harry endlessly for being able to look Malfoy in the eye, (he was now an Inch taller) but Ron stepped in, "you haven't grown at all so you can't talk! Of coarse if Harry here keeps growing a foot at a time . . ." Harry to say the least was not very grateful for this help.

They had a great time however, and a few days latter the Four of them were pushing full trolleys through the station towards the Barrier between platforms nine and ten.