Harry Potter and the Ancient Alliance

Harry Potter and the Ancient Alliance

Chapter 1

London Train Station

It was a warm, sunny afternoon and the London Train Station was flooded with people. Harry Potter watched with great sadness as families hugged and kissed hello and goodbye at the various terminals. Aside from his lighting bolt scar on his forehead, on the outside, Harry looked like any other normal 15 year old boy with messy black hair and glasses, but on the inside, he had felt more loss, pain, fear, rage, and sadness than most people ever would in their lifetime. Harry was depressed because he had just waved goodbye to his Hogwarts friends, Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger. It would be weeks before he was allowed to see them again and a lifetime before heading back on the Hogwarts Express train to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Harry was magical, but to his muggle, non-magical relatives, being a wizard was as wrong as being a murderer. Although, Harry was sure that if given the option they would have preferred him to be the latter. Vernon and Petunia Dursley, Harry's only living relatives had lied to him for years about his parent's death and about him being a wizard. Their knowledge and fear of the magical world had kept Harry from knowing his true talents and had condemned him to 11 years of misery and torture, made worse by their son, Dudley, who had made Harry's life unbearable with his constant abuse. One could only imagine how shocked he felt on his 11^th birthday to find out what he was and how happy and relived he was to head off to Hogwarts for a Dursley free school year.

Harry finally reached Uncle Vernon's car. He placed his things on the ground along with Hedwig's, his pet owl's, cage. "Another horrible summer," he thought as he watched his Uncle fumble with the car's trunk key. Another summer of no magic, no flying, no Quidditch, no fun. How suitable, a miserable summer to follow his miserable year. Harry knew his friends had said they'd see him very soon, but to him soon was an eternity.

"WAIT!!!!" someone screamed. A startled Uncle Vernon dropped his keys on the ground and bent down to pick them up. Harry, Aunt Petunia, and Dudley turned to find Mrs. Weasley, Ron, and Ginny walking swiftly strait toward them. Uncle Vernon arose to see Mrs. Weasley standing in front of him. His face began to turn bright red with his eyes revealing panic masked by anger.

"What--Now?" he asked through gritted teeth. "Not done with the threats? Come to give us some more?"

"Hardly worth the effort," Mrs. Weasley huffed as Ron and Ginny protectively stepped on either side of Harry. "I've come to get Harry."

"You've what?" asked Aunt Petunia grabbing a hold of Dudley with a shocked expression forming on her face.

"Come--to--get--Harry," Mrs. Weasley repeated more slowly and deliberately. "He is coming home with us for the ENTIRE summer." Harry detected her annoyed, but firm tone. "Get your things, Harry dear, we must get going."

Shocked and speechless, Harry bent down to pick up his trunk only to find that Ron had already done so and Ginny was holding Hedwig's cage.

"Now wait just a moment," Uncle Vernon said his face turning a brighter shade of red as he protectively stepped in front of Harry. "What rubbish is this? Harry is getting in our car and going home with us," he spat.

"Oh No, he's not," said Mrs. Weasley raising her voice and planting both hands on her hips. "I love Harry too much to allow him to go home and be mistreated by the likes of you. In my opinion the three minutes he's been in your care has been three minutes too long. Now get OUT of the way."

Harry blinked in awe. Had he heard right? Was this really happening? Had Mrs. Weasley actually come to get him? Did she really want him to stay at the burrow, their home, for the entire summer? Wait, had she said... she loved him?

"I've had about enough of this. Get in the car, boy! We are leaving right now," ordered Uncle Vernon.

Harry stood frozen in place unable to speak and torn between the two grownups. Both Uncle Vernon and Mrs. Weasley stared at him waiting for him to make a choice. To whom should he obey? The Dursleys were his guardians after all and Dumbledore, the Headmaster of Hogwarts, had told him it was safer for him to stay with the Dursleys; however, Mrs. Weasley was the closest thing to a mother he had ever known and living with an all magic family was probably just as safe if not more so. Harry cringed at the site of Uncle Vernon's angry face. Why was he so afraid of Uncle Vernon anyway? Hadn't he and his friends just taken on death eaters? Hadn't he fought off hundreds of Dementors? Hadn't he, Harry Potter, been the one to triumph over Lord Voldemort (the most evil wizard in the magical world, the one who gave him that scar, and who killed his parents) in his first, second, third, forth, and now fifth year at Hogwarts? Why was it that surviving such terrible events couldn't give him the courage to stand up to his muggle uncle?

"Umm," Harry began staring into Uncle Vernon's fiery eyes. "M-m-m-maybe it WOULD be best if I went with Mrs. Weasley now. It would save time. You wouldn't have to feed or house me all summer and..." Harry's voice trailed off as he looked down at his feet.

"It would save us the embarrassment of having "these people" come to our house to fetch him later on inflicting more suspicion on our family," Aunt Petunia chimed in, the fear and shock slowly slipping from her face. "Remember the fireplace incident, Vernon? I still think the repair men didn't buy your explanation and we do have Dudley's safety to consider."

Harry knew his aunt was referring to the time in his 4^th year when Mr. Weasley, Ron, Fred, and George had come to fetch him for the Quidditch World Cup using Floo powder. He sometimes still laughs at the look on his uncle's face as the Weasleys came through the wall. He also knew she was referring to the times Dudley had been cursed with magic and his short encounter with a Dementor, a guard of Azkaban Prison.

"Yes. Yes. I see your point, Petunia," Uncle Vernon said his face turning back to its normal shade, a slight smile slowly creeping out. "The boy can stay with you," Uncle Vernon said, staring directly into Mrs. Weasley's determined eyes. "But, we won't be sending you any money to take care of him nor will we take him in when you've tired of his company. You want him? He is yours."

"Splendid!" shouted Mrs. Weasley, Ron, and Ginny all at once.

"Say goodbye to your guardians, Harry, they won't be seeing you again for a very," Mrs. Weasley looked the three Dursleys up and down before continuing. "Very, very long time. Come along dears we really must get going."

"Goodbye," said Harry to the Dursleys. "Er, have a nice summer."

"Oh, WE will," said a now pleased Uncle Vernon. "Petunia, Dudley, get in the car we are going home."

As the Dursleys drove away, Mrs. Weasley grabbed Harry's hand and with out looking back the four of them walked back into the station with triumph on their faces.

"That was bloody brilliant, mum!" Ron exclaimed as they searched the station looking for Mr. Weasley and the magical car that the Ministry of Magic had loaned him for the day.

"It truly was," said Ginny swinging Hedwig's cage as she walked.

"Thanks," said Harry recovering from what had just happened.

Mrs. Weasley squeezed Harry's hand tighter and smiled at him. She held onto his hand almost as if she herself was unsure that Harry was really coming with them and if she let go he might disappear and wind up in the Dursleys' car on its way to number four Privet Drive. Harry could understand her uncertainty because even he couldn't believe it was going to be Dursley free summer. It was like a dream come true. He would be able to fly on his boom stick, practice Quidditch with his best friend Ron, and play/loose at wizard's chess. He, Harry James Potter, for the first time ever was going to have a great summer.

"Ready to go I see," said Mr. Weasley smiling at Harry as he, Mrs. Weasley, Ron, and Ginny arrived at the Weasleys' car.

"Yes," said Mrs. Weasley, finally releasing Harry's hand. "Arthur, put Harry's things in with Ron and Ginny's."

"OK," said Mr. Weasley as he put Harry's things in the car.

The five of them piled into the car and drove from the station. A few blocks away Mr. Weasley parked in an empty ally and turned on the car's invisibility shield. Then, with the flip of a green switch, the car began to levitate high into the air over the streets of London and headed for the Borrow.

"Those relatives of yours are right bloody awful, mate. How is it possible to be related to such a scary lot?" Ron asked.

"Bad luck I guess," said Harry. "So what happened after I left the platform?"

"Mum started to cry," Ron answered. "She said she was sad because after everything that had happened this year you would have to be miserable all summer. She said it wasn't right and then all of a sudden she stopped crying, she told dad to meet her at the car, and began walking. Ginny and I ran after her to find out where she was going and what she was doing. When we saw that she was headed straight for your family, we knew what she was thinking," Ron finished with a large smile plastered all over his face.

"Yeah, I'm glad mum went to get you, Harry. None of us would have been happy knowing you was unhappy," Ginny added.

"Thanks," said Harry, joy filling his heart. "Thank you all."

It was a while before Harry could see the Burrow, but before he knew it, the car had landed and he was getting out to go into the Weasley's house.

"You children must be starved. I'll start on dinner," Mrs. Weasley announced

"Mum!" Ron exclaimed. "We are hardly children anymore."

"Oh, hush Ronald," commanded Mrs. Weasley. "You will always be children in my eyes."

Mrs. Weasley made a wonderful corned beef dinner, much to Ron's dismay, but he was so hungry he never took the time to complain. Afterwards, Harry and Ron played a round of wizard's chess (Harry lost of course) and Ginny read the Daily Prophet in a nearby chair. It felt as if no time had passed before Mrs. Weasley ordered them to bed.

Ron and Harry entered Ron's room and immediately began to change into their pajamas.

"Wanna play a game of Quidditch tomorrow?" asked Ron as his pulled his shirt over his head and flung it to the floor.

"Sounds good to me," said Harry as he let Hedwig out of her cage for the night.

"We should write to Hermione tomorrow and tell her what's happened. She won't believe it," said Ron.

"Do you think Dumbledore knows I'm here?" Harry asked.

"Of course," answered Ron. "He knows everything."

"Do you think he will force me to go back to Privet Drive?" asked Harry panic starting to creep on.

"Well," said Ron. "If he does, he'll have to go though mum first and he may be the greatest wizard of all time, but he's no match for Molly Weasley when she puts her foot down."

Harry and Ron began to laugh. They soon settled down and Harry started drifting off to sleep. He felt a sense of contentment sweep over him. A feeling he had never had. For the first time in his life, he felt safe.

"HARRY!" yelled a voice in the darkness.

Harry sat up out of sleep, disoriented to have heard his named yelled so loudly and clearly. He looked over at Ron who was fast asleep.

"Whose there?" Harry whispered, immediately feeling foolish for talking into dark warm air.

"HARRY!" the voice screamed louder this time.

Harry recognized the voice, but how was it possible? It couldn't be, but he asked anyway.

"Sirius?"