Harry Potter and the New Gryffindor

Chapter 1- The Letter

The sun was setting at number four Privet Drive, not that anyone noticed it happens everyday. Only the fairly tall, slender teenage boy with glasses seemed to notice how spectacular sunset could be. Harry Potter had stopped weeding the flowerbed to take a breather. His Aunt Petunia had had him out there since lunchtime and he still wasn't finished. For once he did not mind because it made the day pass quickly without him thinking about what happened a month ago. He refrained from heading down that train of thought when...

" Have you finished yet boy!"

Damn, thought the raven-haired teenager with sparkling green eyes. " I'm just about done Uncle Vernon!"

" Well hurry it up boy or I won't let you go to that Weasel's house!"

Weasley. His name is Weasley; Harry wanted to shout, but held back. So far this summer at the Dursley's wasn't a complete disaster and he wanted to stay what was considered good terms with his aunt and uncle. Harry stretched and finished his chore and headed back towards the house. He felt awful he was sweaty and dirty.

" Wipe your feet and take a shower, you're disgusting!"

Gee, that was the biggest understatement of the year Harry thought as he muttered " Yes Aunt Petunia" and passed through the back door.

Harry went and collected his things and took his shower. Later, once he entered his room he noticed his owl Hedwig had returned and with two other owls. To anyone this would have been strange, but to Harry everything was normal, normal to Harry because Harry Potter was a wizard. It's been five years to the day when Harry found out he was one much to the horror of his relatives.

" You're back Hedwig, I was beginning to wonder." Harry's eye wandered to the small pile of letters on his bed. He dove at them. They were letters from his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, his godfather Sirius Black and his friend Hagrid. They were all wishing him a happy birthday. The boy laughed pushing his dark locks out of his eyes uncovering a thin lightning bolt scar. He also noticed a letter from Hogwarts and another letter written in shining blue ink with an unknown handwriting, though somewhat familiar.

After reading the birthday cards from his friends and godfather, he opened the letter from Hogwarts. It was thick and no wonder, as soon as Harry broke the seal a silver medallion fell out. Harry quickly picked it up and recognized what it was having seen Ron's older Percy flaunt his every chance he got. " I've been made a prefect..." he whispered to no one in particular. His grades weren't terribly bad but he did not think he had done better than the other Gryffindor boys Dean, Seamus, Neville and Ron. His letter from Hogwarts contained congratulations on becoming a prefect, information about prefect meetings and his supply list for his fifth year.

Turning his attention from the badge and letter to the last letter his curiosity definitely piqued. Who could it be from? Well, there's only one to find out. Harry skimmed through it to get some indication of who wrote it. " I don't believe it... It can't be... It's impossible..." said a shocked Harry. He began to read thoroughly.

December 1980

Dear Harry,

If you are reading this letter then two things have happened: 1) Your mother and I are dead and 2) You have reached your 15^th year. You're probably asking yourself if this letter is a joke, but all I can say is that it is not, although you may or may not have heard that I was renown as a practical joker. This joke would be a really bad joke. You may be wondering how such a letter came to be written, well, I'll try to explain. The purpose of this letter is really to tell you to be extremely careful because Voldemort is very crafty and has plenty of spies. At the end of my sixth year during the summer I happened to be in Diagon Alley and went accidentally into Knockturn Alley (the reason for this was I was thinking what kind of gift I was going to give your mother- completely innocent!). An old woman had beckoned to me and with curiosity aroused I went to see what she wanted. She was a seer, a wise woman so to speak. She told me that she had a dream about meeting me. Personally I thought she a bit barmy. I soon realized (thought how I' not sure) that she was the real deal. She told me about my death, she didn't say when, where or how except it would happen while trying to save my family from Voldemort. She said a lot and well, I was not sure what to do (by the way I did find the right gift for Lily- your mom). I never told anyone about it until recently (for me that is) because I know now in truth that Voldemort is after us and that old witch said that I wouldn't live long after he set his mind upon me. I also write this because I figured you would like to have something a bit more personal from your dad than my cloak. Once again I urge you to take care because Voldemort is very dangerous. He wants me dead because I wouldn't join him but I have reason to believe that he definitely wants you dead, I don't know why. BE CAREFUL whom you trust and remember help always comes in mysterious ways; you'll have to learn to recognize it. I want you to know that your mom and I love you very much.

Good luck Harry,

Love dad (James)

P.S. if you doubt the authenticity of this letter there is a verification spell that should be found in your 4^th year schoolbooks.

P.P.S. if you're wondering how this letter is going to get to you, I've asked Professor Dumbledore to send it to you when you turned 15 (don't know why 15, but I thought it seemed to be a good year).

" Dad..." whispered the orphaned boy as two teardrops fell onto the letter.