Harry Potter's New Life

3) Privet Drive

Snape lifted his hand to knock on the door.

"Don't bother," Harry said as he ducked under his arm and opened the door. "They wouldn't answer anyway."

Harry dropped his things on the floor near the wall and motioned for Ron and Hermione to do the same.

"Well, where are they Potter?"

Harry held his finger to his lips in a hush sign. Snape sneered, but Ron and Hermione held their hands to their mouths to keep from laughing.

Harry opened Hedwig and Pig's cages. The two owls flew straight into the living room. Aunt Petunia screamed and the Dursleys came running into the kitchen. Hedwig went straight to Harry, but Pigwidgeon flew around Dudley, pecking him. Hermione lifted Crookshanks up and then he flew to Ron.

"Sorry about that, Pig gets excited. I'm Ron Weasley, Harry's friend."

"And I am Hermione Granger, Harry's--"

"Girlfriend?" Dudley guessed.

"No, just a friend. We met in our first year at Hogwarts."

"I am Severus Snape, Potter's Potions professor. We need to talk."

"Yes, okay. Boy, take your friends upstairs!" Vernon yelled.

Dudley followed them up into Harry's room. He was curious about these people, especially that Granger girl. Even if she was one of them, she was still downright gorgeous.

Hermione thought this Dudley kid was one of the ugliest people she had ever seen in her life. But she gave him a dazzling smile all the same.

"Would you like some candy?" she said in her most sophisticated voice as she held out the three pieces.

Dudley snatched the pieces from her hand and shoved all three into his mouth. His face flushed red and his eyes grew huge. When he opened his mouth to scream, fire burst out

"Run away!" Ron yelled.

They ran down the stairs laughing as Dudley chased after them. They raced past the kitchen where Snape was holding a discussion. Dumbledore was there as well. He must have apparated.

"Hello Professor!" they called as the dashed past.

Dudley chased them to the park, where two of his friends joined him. One took Harry, the other, Ron. Dudley raised his hand to slap Hermione. She punched him right in the stomach. He curled into a ball with a cry. Hermione laughed and showed the other two her fists. They ran.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked around the park. They sat on the swings and talked. Harry told them that this was the spot where he had met the Dementor last year.

Crack! Fred and George stood in front of them.

"Hiya Harry!"

"Hi guys. You are really lucky that a muggle didn't see that!"

"Yeah, yeah. We know the memory charm thing!" George snapped.

"So what's this about you being able to do the unforgivables?" Fred asked.

Harry gave a short summery about what had happened. "How did you guys find out?"

"Good old Percy," said Fred.

"And Dad of course," added George.

"So how's the joke shop been? We gave Dudley three of those Dragon Mouths that we got from the Express. That was funny watching him spit fire," Ron said.

"Wait, Dumbledore actually let those things on? That's bloody brilliant! We sent those two weeks in advance of your leaving asking if he would allow those to sell. Good ol' wizard he is," Fred explained.

"Thank you Mr. Weasley," Dumbledore had come up behind them. "I tried those myself. Wasn't expecting them to make me spit fire. How is the shop?"

"Great! Lee Jordan is watching right now. Meaning we best be off," George said. And they disappeared with a crack!

"You three are in a lot of trouble. Ron, your mother seemed pretty angry when I talked to her, and Miss Granger, your parents will deal with you. I am to give you floo powder. Hermione, I'll take you home.

"Harry, Severus is pretty angry. Leave him be and don't make him any angrier. Come now, we should get back. It's getting dark and we do not want anything happening." He glanced at Harry.

They followed him back. Dumbledore handed Ron some floo powder.

"See you at school Harry. Bye professors. See you Herm. The Burrow!"

Hermione hugged Harry. "Bye Harry. You keep out of trouble. Please, stay safe. Bye everyone!" She waved to Dudley and clung to Professor Dumbledore with her things. They disappeared.

"You can sleep in the boy's room," Vernon told Snape. "We have a cots for you and the older one."

"Thank you. Potter, bed!"

Harry rolled his eyes and trudged up with Snape on his heels. He climbed in his bed and fell asleep. Snape stared at him for a while. The scar was visible. For the first time since the night of the murders, Snape wondered how in fact the boy had survived when no one else could. He shook his head and lay on the cot, waiting for Dumbledore to return.

From the window, a rat watched the pair sleep. It scrambled away when Harry stirred, running away into the rain. The water washed away the odd prints of the four-fingered rat as it scurried to its master.

4) Aunt Marge

"Master! Master! He's here, he's here!" Wormtail cried.

"So he's at the muggle house?"

"Yes! That oaf Severus Snape is there too!"

"Snape? Snape knows Occlumency, but I can catch him off guard. He can do away with that sniveling Petunia and the rest of those muggles. That will mean I can kill the Potter boy!"

"Yes Master! Yes! Kill the Potter boy! Easy as that!" Wormtail snapped his fingers.

"You bubbling idiot! It will not be that easy. The boy is strong! Do you not remember his fourth year or his last? But he will not come to see his sixth!"

"Yes Master!"

Harry had been with at Privet Drive for two days now. Dumbledore returned on and off. Pig had delivered a message that Ron had been grounded a week for giving Dudley the candy. He still hadn't heard from Hermione.

Harry began to write a letter to Ron and one to Hermione. He was just about to send Hedwig on her way when--

"What are you doing, Potter?" Snape's cold voice asked.

"Sending a letter to Ron and Hermione." He sent Hedwig off.

"Those despicable muggles are having company and are insisting the Headmaster and I act as muggle teachers for you!"

Harry half smiled. Aunt Marge was coming over.

"And we have to wear these!" Snape threw two of Uncle Vernon's pairs of pants and shirts on the bed. Snape used a shrinking charm, reducing the clothing to several times smaller than its original size. He stormed out of the room to change.

Harry began to think as he changed. Though he and Snape were very different, they still shared two things. For one thing, they didn't want to be godfather and godchild. For another, they both hated the Dursley's.

When Dumbledore walked in Harry almost fell over. He must have summoned the clothing while he had been changing. The shirt he was wearing was shockingly fuchsia.

"Go ahead and laugh, Harry. Your uncle gave me this so I could make a fool of myself, and quite frankly, I don't mind at all. Just be sure you don't laugh when Severus comes in," he warned.

Harry laughed. The minute Snape came in, he tried to bottle it up, but it came out even harder. Standing right in front of him, Snape was in a salmon colored shirt. It was too good to be true! Snape was in a pink shirt! Wait until Ron and Herm heard about this!

"Headmaster, please may I change this hideous color?"

"No. Wear it as it is. Besides, pink is your color," Dumbledore said with a twinkle in his eye.

Harry fell over laughing.

"So, Mr. Dumbledore, you are Harry's principal?" Marge asked at the dinner table.

"Yes I am."

"And you Mr. Snape, are his science teacher?"

"Yes."

"Do you give him his regular beatings?"

Snape glanced over at Harry and raised an eyebrow. Harry just shrugged his shoulders.

"Er, yes. Every day, twice."

"Good, good. And I suppose he's had multiple suspensions, Albus?"

"Of course! Potter is a terrible student!"

"Just like his parents!"

A gust of wind blew through the house at that moment. Snape and Dumbledore looked at Harry. His face was dark and his eyes were glowing. His scar seemed almost to glow. Dudley quickly excused himself and waddled to his room. Vernon looked at Harry with malice in his eyes. Harry calmed himself down and grinned mischievously.

The rest of the night went better. Marge kept her mouth shut and Harry did his best to control his anger. That night, Harry dreamed.