Skip the Stars

Chapter One

By the Light of the Moon

Love is a very splendid thing, love lifts us up where we belong, all you need is love

"Dudley, stop! Stop it! Leave me alone!" Harry Potter tried to push his cousin off of him and slapped him ever so lightly on the cheek.

"Ahh! Mum! Mum, Harry slapped me!" Dudley got off him at once and ran down the stairs to the kitchen. Harry just sat on his bed and took quite a few deep breaths. That had been pure torture. Though, that was what life with the Dursleys' brought.

"Harry! Get down here this instant!" The furious voice of Vernon Dursley boomed up the stairs and Harry stood and walked slowly out to the landing and down the staircase. He went into the kitchen, tried to sit down, and felt severe pain in his neck.

"Ahh!"

"You just go stand over there, boy," said Uncle Vernon, huffily. Aunt Petunia was cradling her huge son in her long bony arms while he pretended to sob. Harry rubbed his neck while Uncle Vernon looked at him menacingly.

"What you did is not acceptable in this household," he told Harry through gritted teeth.

"Well, what did I do?" he asked, trying hard not to smile.

"Hitting any member of this family is unacceptable," said Uncle Vernon, looking at Harry evilly.

"Is sitting on anyone acceptable? Or jumping on someone?" Harry asked, hoping Uncle Vernon wouldn't do the exact thing he was about to.

"So you admit to doing these things?" he asked, staring Harry down. Harry felt like he was a hippogriff, not his uncle.

"No, I didn't-"

"Well, well, well. Let's ask you some questions, shall we?"

"I not a criminal!" spat Harry, surprising even himself. "I didn't even hurt him!"

"Oh really. So did you hit him like this?" His huge hand lightly grazed Harry's cheek. I didn't even hit him THAT hard, thought Harry. "Or like this?" He swung back his hand and slapped Harry harder than he had ever been hit in his life.

"Ow! That hurt!"

"Well, why don't you get you and your arse upstairs and we'll talk more about your punishment later." Harry just stood there defiantly. Uncle Vernon took the frying pan that was still on the stove and hit him over the shoulders. Harry flinched and lifted his foot slowly.

"GO!" yelled Uncle Vernon. He scurried over to the stairs but yelped for a reason that the Dursley's didn't know. And they never would.

Please, don't start that again

Harry sat at his desk doing his homework in his room at civil time for the first and probably the last time in his life. Night was falling upon Privet Drive and he decided just to give up on this essay and work on it in the morning.

"Harry! Get down here! Now!" His aunt sounded worried and angry, which was a strange tone to hear in her voice, really in anyone's.

"What could I have done NOW?" he whispered to himself in an exasperated tone. "What?" he yelled over the banister.

"Come down to the kitchen, boy!" said Uncle Vernon, also sounding exasperated, but he had a tint of angriness in his voice, too. Harry walked down the stairs and opened the glass kitchen door.

"What do you want?" he asked, scowling. His furrowed brow matched his look of fury.

"Just to tell you that if you have other ideas of transportation, we're not taking you to get onto the train to that school of yours. So, I guess you won't be going, will you?" He chuckled. What did he find so hilarious about his not being able to attend Hogwarts? Oh, well the answer to that was easy.

"What do you think you're talking about?" Harry asked, lifting his gaze to mean the cold, dark eyes of his uncle's menacing stare. "There's no way a stupid, dumb Muggle can stop me. Besides, you're an ass."

"What did you just call me?" Harry's uncle asked him, his face turned even purpler than it already was.

"You heard me."

"You will not attend that place next year and that's final!" exclaimed a very angry, very purple Uncle Vernon.

"Bull," said Harry, with a brave face and firm hand. Uncle Vernon seemed to swell with inexpressible anger. He looked at Harry with malice and suddenly, took the boy by the scruff of his neck, opened the kitchen door and threw him out in the hall. He slid on the wood paneling and banged up against the door. H groaned before going unconscious.

All you need is love

Harry regained consciousness on his bed. The moon was shining through the window. He went to sit underneath his window grabbing a blanket before doing so. And, by the light of the moon, he let his tears come, crying, for the first time since he was very young about his dead parents.

A girl has got to eat

Chapter 2

Evidence That Counts

All you need is love

BOOM! Something banged up against the door. The man standing outside looked deadly and murderous and that was exactly the way he felt. The occupants of four Privet Drive numbered four people, one of which this man needed. His shoulder-length black hair hung in front of his green eyes, which contrasted with his hair and high cheekbones. For the third and last time he rang the doorbell. When no one answer he turned around, his robes billowing, and sat on the brick wall. A man in ragged robes walked onto Privet Drive. His light-coloured hair was hidden by his hood, as was the rest of his face. He joined the first man on the brick wall, much like to people (of much different status) had sat in the same spot almost fourteen years before.

"Where's Severus?" said the first man, breaking the deep silence that had been surrounding them.

"He'll be coming soon," the light-haired man told his companion. And sure enough, within five minutes Severus Snape had apparated onto Privet Drive. Following him was a tall woman in emerald robes. She had bright green eyes and red hair. Her eyes were the only facial feature showing. The three men saw a twinkle in her eyes and she cracked the small, mysterious smile she had always had at Hogwarts, even though the three men couldn't see it.

Lily Potter was back.

She'll end up on the streets

Harry woke after his short, ten-minute snooze. He decided it might be partially safe to return downstairs, unaware of the fact that his uncle's wrath awaited him at the foot of the stairs When he got to the bottom, his uncle took one arm and rung it around Harry's neck. With the opposite, he took Harry's hands and pulled them around his back. He tried to pinch Uncle Vernon's hands and bite his arm but with no luck.

"You're going to where you belong, young man!" he hissed. Harry made another attempt of escape but his uncle punched him in the small of his back. He kicked Uncle Vernon in the shins but that just delivered more punishment. He slammed Harry up against the wall, dug his nails into Harry's forehead, and punched him in the eye. Then he threw open the cupboard door and threw Harry inside.

All you need is love

Snape went up to the door followed quickly be the two other men and Lilly Potter.

"Lily?!" whispered the first man hastily.

"Is it really you?" finished the second as Snape rang the bell.

"Yes. But I must go. We can't let Harry know." Her voice was hushed, hurried, urgent.

"Why?" the light-haired man asked.

"I must go!" And with that, she disapparated. They were brought back to Earth by the sound or a door opening. Severus Snape stood in the frame, towering over Vernon Dursley.

"Wands out," he said. The other two withdrew their wands. Snape pointed his wand between Dursley's eyes. "Show us the boy," said Snape, his voice thick with malice. There was a pounding on the cupboard underneath the stairs. "You hold your wand here," instructed Snape, nodding to the second man. He went straight to the cupboard.

"Let me out you blubbering Muggle! Let me OUT!" There was more banging. Snape pointed his wand at the cupboard and it opened. Harry Potter fell out of the cupboard and looked up at the tall man who had freed him.

"Put him back!" roared Uncle Vernon.

"I'm sorry, but he," the first man said smiling evilly and pointing to Snape. "Can't do that."

"Well," Uncle Vernon told them, sounding a bit mad. "If you want the biggest nutter in Surrey on your hands, then go ahead take him!" He laughed, but still sounded a bit crazy.

"I think he's the nutter!" whispered the second man to the first.

"He's no nutter and I can guarantee you of that," said the first man in a cold, evil, and murderous voice.

Love is just a game

"Vernon! Vernon, who's-" started Aunt Petunia. She stared at the three man, one holding Harry's wrist in the air, one holding a stick to Uncle Vernon's forehead, and one who looked like he wanted to pull a knife out of his cloak and kill them all. "Vernon, Vernon who are these men?"

"No idea," said Uncle Vernon stiffly.

"And why is he pointing a stick at your head?" Vernon shrugged.

"It's a wand!" said Harry before he could stop himself.

"We're taking Potter and that is our final decision." Harry knew that voice.

"Let go of me!" he cried out. Snape withdrew a rope from his wand and it tied itself around Harry's hands. Snape pushed Harry towards the door, where the second man still stood with his wand between Uncle Vernon's eyes.

"Come Remus. You also." He nodded at the first man. Harry had heard the name Remus before. But where?

"Let go of me, you Death Eater! Let me go!"

"Death Eater?!" laughed Remus. "Neither Professor Snape, nor myself are Death Eaters!" That was when Harry realized where had heard the name Remus before.

"P-professor Lupin? You can't be a, a Death Eater!" Harry cried as the door to number four creaked closed.

"Harry, I'm no Death Eater!" Lupin repeated.

"Right!" Harry snarled. He tried to break free of Snape's grip but Snape just tightined it on Harry's arms. He pushed Harry forward and they were off into the night.

I was made for lovin' you baby, you were made for lovin' me

A blooding-curdling scream pierced the night in the silent Granger household. Hermione Granger sat bolt upright in her bed, her face covered with cold sweat and tears, some still leaking out of her eyes. Her mother entered her room, while her father attempted to calm down her little sister.

"He's a Death Eater! A Death Eater!" she murmured in her mother's ears. Truth be told, she sounded a bit mad.

"No darling it was just a nightmare," cooed her mother.

"No, no! It's a, a sign! He's a Death Eater, Mum!" Hermione cried, frightening her little sister more.

"Who, Hermione?" her mother asked softly.

"Ron," said Hermione, a look or terror on her face as she gripped her sheets as though for dear life. "Ron Weasly."

The only way of lovin' me baby is to pay a lovely fee

Three men struggled to get a boy to sit in a chair in silence.

"For God's sake, you're fighting for dear life! Just sit down!" cried Snape, trying hard to keep Harry seated.

"Harry, sit down." And he did. In complete, total, utter silence.

"Sirius?" he said finally. "I can't believe it. My own godfather. A Death Eater. I can't believe it!"

"Harry, for the final time, we are NOT Death Eaters. Dumbledore sent us to collect you," said Sirius as he, Severus, and Remus removed their hoods. And it was true.

"What did you do with Dumbledore?" said Harry shakily. He still wasn't sure if he could trust them.

"Nothing! He got word of what the prat of an uncle was doing to you and sent us to collect you," said Sirius. It was true; Harry HAD sent word to Dumbledore about the infliction that had been forced upon him, soon after the beginning of the summer holidays.

"Truth be told, I didn't think family could treat family like that," said Lupin.

"He did!" said Harry.

"Well, we should be going," said Snape. He took Floo Powder off the mantelpiece and finally untied Harry's hands. He handed Harry some Floo Powder and said, "Say 'The Flat.' Got that?" Harry nodded. He dropped the powder in the fire, stood in, and said, "The Flat!" When he finally got to 'The Flat' he was astonished at the woman sitting on the couch.

"Mum?"

Just one night, just one night

Chapter 3

Coincidence... Or Not

There's no way, 'cause you can't pay

"Mum?" Harry said, nearly tripping over the well furnished marble fireplace. He just stood there in total silence but was bowling over as Sirius came out of the fireplace as well. They both looked up at Lily.

"Hello Sirius. Please get off my son." Sirius rolled off Harry and he stood up. "Harry. I haven't seen you since," she sighed. "You were quite young."

"Mum," said Harry walking over to his mother and hugging her for the very first time in his life. He smelt her emerald robes. They had the slight scent of grass mixed with rain. He had smelt that before.

"W-where's Dad?" he asked feebly, hating himself for sounding so young. He knew the answer, just from the look on his mother's face.

"Harry, Hedwig came earlier this evening. I think you'll enjoy those letters." Lily smiled at her son. He looked over at the table. Hedwig was perched on a chair.

"Hedwig!" She deposited the two letters in his hands. One was from Hogwarts; Dumbledore's reply, obviously. And one from- "The British Quidditch Society?"

"The group isn't that large yet. But it will be," Lilly assured her son. "Go ahead, open it!" He did.

It said:

Attention all

Quidditch Lovers!

You Are cordially invited to the first ever British Quidditch Society Symposium! Join Fellow quidditch lovers in talk and dinner! Find us at:

Penthouse, 518

Building 12

Fudge St.

Please come, July 31^st, 2002!

7:00-10:30 P.M.

Oliver Wood

Oliver Wood

"Oliver's the founder?!" Harry asked, astonished. The letter fell from his limp hands and fluttered to the floor.

"Well it was started this year and he DID create it, so I could say that was true," said Professor Lupin, who had recently arrived at the Flat. He moved aside as Professor Snape stumbled out of the fireplace.

"Mum, it would be okay for me to go, wouldn't it?"

"Harry, don't be a prat! Of course you can go!" said Sirius in a joking manner. "If it's okay with your mother, of course!" he added when Lily gave him a disapproving look.

"Of course you can," Lily told him.

In the name of love, one night in the name of love

"Hermione, come on! We need to GO!" said Melanie Granger to her older sister.

"Like I'm going to take orders from a nine-year-old," Hermione, brushing more blush on her cheeks. Her curly, black hair was pulled back and had jeweled hair chopsticks stuck in her hair.

"Hermione!" called Oliver Wood. Hermione jumped up and ran downstairs.

"Oliver!" She rung her arms around her cousin's neck. "I haven't seen you in ages!"

"Right back at you! Ready to go yet?" he joked.
"What do YOU think, bonehead?" she asked him. She didn't even have her shoes on. Her blouse was still hanging in the laundry room.

"Well, you look quite appealing in-" Oliver began.

"You think I'm wearing THIS to you meeting?"

"Symposium!"

"Well, I'm not!" Hermione said, turning round and tugging on her mother's old shirt. She went back up to the bathroom where her sister Mel was about to try on her purple tinted blush. "Give me that," she said, snatching the brush out of Mel's hands. Mel made a face and skulked out of the bathroom. Hermione ran into the laundry room and grabbed her white blouse. Slipping on her blouse and buttoning it, she also slipped on her shoes. She knew that if HE wasn't going to be there, she wouldn't have dressed so. But this was special. She hadn't seen him since the end of June. Her dark hair was tinted icy blue and she smoothed it out with her hand. She was ready for tonight.

You crazy fool, I won't give in to you

"He's not coming is he!" said Hermione, pacing Oliver's kitchen. "You just told me he was coming so I would make a fool of myself for dressing up!"

"He'll be here! And besides, Ron Weasley isn't here yet either," Oliver stated calmly.

"IT'S 6:57! HE SHOULD BE HERE BY NOW!" Hermione screamed.

"His godfather lives right down the hall! And he IS staying with him!"

"All right, I'll calm down, rationalize the situation, and breathe" Hermione soothed. "6:59!" she reminded Oliver. The doorbell rang. Oliver answered it. Hermione sat casually in the kitchen, sipping her soda. And Harry waited patiently outside the door to be let inside.

Don't leave me this way

"Hello, Harry! How wonderful it is to see you again!" said Oliver, as he and Harry shook hands. "Come in, come in!" Harry stepped into the magnificent two story flat. It was much like Sirius and Lupin's, but Oliver's, of course, was devoted to Quidditch. "My cousin's decided to come. They're in the kitchen." Harry followed Oliver, feeling a bit embarrassed around all these other people.

"Harry, I would like you to meet my cousins, Hermione and Mel. And you two, this is Harry. Harry Potter." Mel gasped.

"Harry?!"

"Hermione?!"

"You are Harry Potter? Oh my God!" Mel said.

"What are you doing here?"

"What are you doing here?"

"I'm his cousin!"

"You're his COUSIN?!"

"I thought you weren't coming!"

"I thought you were Muggle-Born!"

"I'm not!"

"Well I did!"

"Would you two just shut-up already?" said Oliver.

"Yeah!"

"We have a party to get on with!"

"Symposium!"

"Whatever!"

"Well, are we gonna party? Or are we gonna party?" yelled Hermione.

"PARTY!"

"All right, let's go!" Hermione hissed into Harry's ear. She pulled his arm and ran up the stairs. She ran into a room that was covered in Oliver's Gryfinndor Quidditch apparel and moving photographs of the team. "It's SICKENING!" said Hermione.

"Not really!" said Harry, marveling the room. "This is a room completely devoted to Gryfinndor Quidditch!"

"It's sickening!" Hermione repeated. "I mean, He didn't even think to wash this stuff before he put it on his walls! Bleh!"

"You're crazy, Hermione!"

"Right!"

"After I become Quidditch captain, and after we graduate, I'm buying a flat for myself, just like Oliver and hang all my Quidditch-"

"Crap?" Hermione suggested.

"Stuff on the walls and have a whole room for it. What do you think of THAT, Miss I-Think-Quidditch-Sucks?!"

"I won't feel sorry for you when you break your neck doing a Wronski Feint!"

"Ha, ha, ha, very funny," said Harry in a joking manner. That was when he saw Hermione's hair. "What the hell happened to your hair!?" he shouted.

"Shut up! Mel and Gracie decided to do a prank on me. We all put hair dye in our hair. Well, Mel didn't 'cause Mum wouldn't let her. She put Kool-Aid packets in her hair, but anyway. Grace put washable blond streaks in her hair and Mel put purple in hers. I decided I wanted black. Mel and Grace went to go get it. And I guess that thought it would be funny if I couldn't get this crap out of my hair. And boy was Mum mad. She was going to make them go and get some of my normal hair colour but this was growing on me ssoooooo we all went to the salon and I had MY hair tinted icy blue see?" Hermione bent her head forward for Harry to see. "And both Mel and Grace had theirs coloured black, too. Then Mel had hers tinted hot pink and Grace had hers done with purple tints. You like?"

"Well, they did quite a good job. Is it permanent?" Hermione nodded, fingering a case that held a golden snitch.

"We better get downstairs," said Harry.

"Suppose so," Hermione answered. They went downstairs, avoiding each other's gazes the rest of the evening.

I can't survive

Without your sweet love

Walking back to the Flat at 11:00 at night, Harry thought, was it coincidence that he had run into Hermione? Or was it, just was it, a teensy, weensy twist of fate?