Harry Potter and the Veil of Death

Chapter One~~

Unexpected Abilities

Harry watched the sun set. It had been a glorious day, the breezes had been blowing, and perfect white clouds passed before the Sun, which was giving off the perfect temperature. Children had ran outside all day, playing and laughing in the lawn sprinklers. Too bad Harry hadn't been out there to enjoy it.

Uncle Vernon, furious at the threat at the train station on the last day of the term, yet terrified of being visited by a bunch of abnormals, as he called them, wouldn't allow Harry to take a step outside.

"You won't go get yourself killed, leaving my family unprotected!" Uncle Vernon roared at Harry's protests.

"You're not to take a single step outside, boy, or you'll live to regret it! Is that clear, everyone?"

Following Aunt Petunia's meek nod, and Dudley's smirk, Harry pounded his way upstairs. What did he care for Uncle Vernon's damn family? They surely didn't care for him at all. Actually, what did he really care for anything at all? Everything had been taken. First his parents, and now, the closest thing he'd ever known as a parent. All dead. Because of him. Was there anything left living for? Damn the prophecy! Why couldn't he just live a normal life? Everything was gone. NO! Not everything was gone, he reminded himself. He still had plenty left to live for... There were the Weasleys, Lupin, all his friends from school, and... and Hermione. Yes, Hermione most of all. It was over the past year that Harry discovered his more then friendly feelings for Hermione. At times, it surely seemed as though Ron liked Hermione, and Hermione returned the feelings, and he really didn't want to get in the way of that. But honestly, there was just nobody else for him. Hermione was his missing part, she had everything he didn't. At the thought of being with Hermione, he felt like he could take on Voldemort, right there and then.

But even with so much to live for, he just couldn't get over Sirius's death. So many times in his dreams he watched Sirius's body go through that Veil, unable to do anything. He woke up, night after night, screaming, yet feeling the tears upon his face. After one particularly tormenting dream, he found himself running for the bathroom, unable to keep the contents of his stomach in. As he was walking back to his bedroom, he found the wind knocked out of him as his Uncle slammed him against the wall.

"What do you mean by it, boy?" Uncle Vernon snarled in his face, pinning his shoulders against the wall.

"Mean by what, exactly?" retorted Harry. He was so sick of all this crap from his Uncle.

Uncle Vernon shoved him harder against the wall. Harry was sure that his back would be bruised.

"Don't you take that tone with me, boy! Why do you continue to wake my family up with your screams! I demand you put a stop to all this nonsense!"

"Right," said Harry, "I'll let you know when I can!" and then perhaps, unwisely he added, "Now, will you kindly please remove your FAT hands from me, NOW?!?"

His Uncle turned purple. Oh shit. I've gone too far.

"How dare...? We... Why I should...." His uncle sputtered incoherently. He grabbed Harry around the neck.

Oh god, I can't breathe... this moron... you cow... Harry felt his vision going... that Bastard! Suddenly a bright light issued from Harry. His uncle screamed, and was thrown down the stairs. Then, all went black.

~*~*~*~

Harry felt his conscious self struggling to wake. What the hell happened? Ah, now he remembered... his uncle had gone a little crazy. I suppose that was just one too many brandies...

He looked around. He was in his room. He turned to look at his clock. It was five in the morning.

He groaned. His uncle was such a moron.

~*~*~*~

Harry decided to clear his mind once a day, and before he went to sleep at night. To his amazement, he found that it actually helped stop the bad dreams, and slight twinges in his scar. Every morning he woke up feeling refreshed, but terribly bored. He decided he'd read some of the defense books he had received the previous Christmas. He found a section on wandless magic quite interesting.

Wandless magic has been practiced for centuries, first by one of the four Hogwarts founders, Godric Gryffindor. For most wizards, a wand is essentially needed to concentrate their magic. While most can do simple spells without a wand, few are able to perform unlimited spells wandlessly. Only those of the most power have become accomplished wandless wizards. Wandless magic is very good in many ways. You are able so thwart any magic detecting spells that detect concentrated magic, and with wandless magic, you are never without a weapon.

Harry was quite sure he'd have some abilities in wandless magic, because he was quite sure that was what had happened with his uncle, though that was uncontrolled. He started simply by summoning his own wand.

"Accio wand!" Harry cried, and concentrated on the wand flying through he air and landing in his hand. To his surprise, the wand immediately flew into his outstretched hand. This would certainly help in the fight against Voldemort.

~*~*~*~

One morning, to his delight, he woke to find a letter from Hermione. He eagerly ripped it open and read:

Dear Harry,

I hope your holidays have been alright, hopefully better then the last. All is pretty boring, I am at... you know where...but honestly, I am so bored. Ron has been spending all his time with his new girlfriend...

Harry reread that. It couldn't mean that...? No, Hermione wouldn't say she was bored if they were... that meant...! YES!

You'll never guess who! Oh well, I'll save you the trouble. Ron is dating none other than Luna Lovegood. Really, I don't know when and how this happened, but I'd rather be spared the details. Such an odd couple, but seeing them together, I know that it is serious, and they are meant for each other.

I am so nervous! OWLs haven't gotten here, I am so panicked! What if I failed them all! That would be terrible. I wish our scores were here, so we would know what homework we had, and wouldn't be so bored...

I'll see you soon Harry, sooner then you may think. I won't say anymore here!

Owl me back quickly!

Love,

Hermione

Harry sighed. What did she mean 'sooner than you may think'? Trust Hermione to drop hints like that. Her pulled out parchment and ink, and began a reply.

Dear Hermione,

I have been as good as can be expected. Things are weird. I have discovered a new ability of mine, but I can't talk about it freely. Turn to page 67 of that book I gave you, and you should understand. And would you please pass that on to Dumbledore as well?

I have been practicing that thing I had problems with last year (you do know what I mean?) and it's stopped all the... problems I've been having. I hope you'll be glad to hear that...

Wow, so Ron and Luna? Yes, I suppose they would work well with each other. Sorry that you've been so bored, I wish you'd tell me what you meant when you said 'sooner than you think'! Please tell me!

Hermione, if you are worrying about YOU failing the OWLs, than all of us must be STUPID! There is no way you failed ANY of your OWLs! Trust me, you have no need to worry!

Hope I see you soon (sooner than I expect... HAH)

Love,

Harry

Harry called Hedwig, and he attached the letter to her leg. He watched as she flew into the morning sun, and disappeared beyond his sight.

~*~*~*~

The day after that, Harry received another letter, this time, from Albus Dumbledore.

Dear Harry,

I trust your summer is going well. Harry, first off, I want to apologize for everything. I should have told you earlier, but like I said, an old man's mistake.

Secondly, I am pleased to inform you that your 'lifetime' Quidditch ban has been lifted, and I have your broom in my possession. I daresay that you shan't need it until the term begins.

Third, I am again, happy to tell you that I have obtained both a Magic License and an Apparation License for you from the Ministry of Magic. You are now free to legally practice magic outside of school, and you will receive Apparation lessons later in the holidays.

Finally, I have taken the liberty of subscribing you to the Daily Prophet. I think you may find something of great interest in tomorrow's paper.

Enjoy the rest of your summer, OWL results will be arriving soon!

-Professor Dumbledore

P.S. Thank you for informing me of your newfound abilities, and keep practicing at them. It's also now safe to write anything in the letters, because of a nifty spell of my own invention. Remind me to tell you about it sometime.

Harry smiled. Trust Dumbledore to make you laugh. He wondered what he might find interesting in the next day's paper. Well, he thought, there's only one way to find out...