HP 6 - A different Half-Blood...

Owls

A boy named Harry Potter stood staring out his window into the dead of the night. This would seem normal for a boy who just could not fall asleep, but for this boy, it was quite usual. He was tall and skinny, and his jet-black hair stood up chaotically on his head. He wore clothes that were too big for him and glasses that had been broken many times. However, what was most unusual about his appearance was a thin, lightening shaped scar on his forehead. A scar that had marked him as a child.

Lord Voldemort is the reason Harry got the scar. He was the most powerful Dark wizard ever known, and his name alone struck fear into the hearts of people if even mentioned. He had even targeted Harry before he was born. Voldemort found him when he was a baby, came into his home and killed his parents. However, as Voldemort tried to kill Harry, his spell was reflected off Harry and back on to Voldemort. While it left Harry with just a scar, Lord Voldemort was reduced to almost nothing and fled into hiding.

Afterward, Harry was sent to live with his Muggle, or non-magical, aunt and uncle. For ten years, they never told Harry that he was a wizard or that wizards even existed. On his eleventh birthday, he found out about the wizarding world when he was invited to come to Hogwarts, a renowned magic school. The secret came out, much to his aunt and uncle's dismay, for they despised even the mentioning of anything "unnatural". Their excuse for Harry's absence during his five years at Hogwarts was that they had sent him to St. Brutus's Secure Center for the Incurably Criminal Boys, and the neighborhood treated him as such.

Harry sat on his bed and let out a breath of exhaustion. He looked over at his desk, with quills and inkbottles scattered all over it, and thought of writing letters to Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, his best friends. He knew he should write to them, as instructed, but he felt he had nothing left to say. He did not want to talk about Sirius or about Cedric, or anything for that matter. He wanted to forget. All of it. He did not want to visit the graveyard or hear the whispers behind the veil anymore. However, what he was really avoiding was something Ron and Hermione could not know.

Hermione encouraged him to talk about what happened, and Ron seemed concerned, too. They really did not know what was bothering him. He avoided their questions and concerns with "I'm not ready" and "see you soon" responses. He knew that he would have to tell them eventually, but he also knew that he could avoid them for a while. So, he stuck to his plan and did not give in. If the loss of his godfather, Sirius, and his friend, Cedric, was not enough, he did not want them to know the other thing on his mind. They would not understand.

Harry spent hours pondering the situation and he was tired of it. He knew it would not just go away, but he could pretend. Harry watched the sky grow brighter as the rays of sun started to shine over the horizon. He had had maybe a couple hours of sleep. It was a typical night for him. Besides, the only sleep he had consisted of nightmares of Lord Voldemort killing his friends and family.

Hedwig, his owl, flew into his room with a dead mouse in her beak. She soared gracefully over to her cage and gave Harry a sympathetic look. Harry could tell she was concerned. He walked over to her cage and stroked her a few times. She gave a reproachable hoot and bit his finger affectionately. Harry heard movement as his aunt and uncle got out of bed. He did not bother to say "good morning" to them as they passed his door. He barely left his room, which had been typical for the last five years.

Four years ago, Uncle Vernon put bars on his window and a lock and cat flap on his door in an attempt to keep him from returning to Hogwarts. It failed. Ron and his brothers, Fred and George, came and rescued Harry. After that, his aunt and uncle did not try to stop him again.

For Harry, summers were usually the worst part of the year for him. He missed his classes and he missed his friends. Even before he went to Hogwarts summers were bad. His cousin Dudley, whose weight was still increasing, had been a bully his whole life and had made Harry's life miserable as a child. Nowadays, he managed to retain his title of Junior Heavyweight Inter-School Boxing Champion of the Southeast for the second year in a row, and simultaneously kept up his reputation of beating up anyone who disagreed with him. However, since Dudley had met a few full-grown wizards, he was not keen to be at the wrong end of a wand again, so he usually stayed clear of Harry.

This summer was different. As much as he hated being at the Dursleys', he hated the thought of going back. In the magic world, he was famous before he could walk and talk. He always was at the center of attention. His years at school were more than eventful. The famous Harry Potter was always followed by ridicule and slander, and up until now, it was bearable. He did not know what to expect when he went back. Last year, almost everybody thought he was insane or an attention-seeking showoff. They did not want to believe that Lord Voldemort returned. It was impossible for them. Finally, the Ministry of Magic accepted the truth at the end of the school year when Voldemort was seen inside the Ministry itself.

How is everybody going to react now? he wondered. He, Harry Potter, the one who caused the fall of Lord Voldemort, had turned from being the deranged liar and potentially dangerous showoff, into the hero who stood up to the ridicule of the entire wizarding world and revealed that the Dark Lord had indeed returned. But he was not a hero. He did not cause Voldemort's temporary demise. His mother sacrificed herself to protect him and that was why the unblockable Killing Curse reflected off him. He did nothing. He never did anything, but cause the death of the people around him.

He could not handle it anymore. Sometimes he wished he had never learned he was a wizard, or that he was the reason Voldemort killed his parents. Two months ago, he had found out why they died. He had known how they died, because in his third year at school, he met dementors, which were tall, hooded, soul-sucking fiends that make their victims relive their worst memories.

On the several occasions that he came within the vicinity of the dementors, he heard exactly the way his parents died. His father, James Potter, fought off Voldemort while telling his mother, Lily, to escape with Harry. After Voldemort killed his father, he told his mother to move aside so he could kill him. She did not and begged Voldemort to spare him, but he killed her to get to him. However, as Voldemort tried to kill him, his mother's sacrifice evoked ancient magic that protected him, and the spell tore Voldemort from his body.

Why had Voldemort gone straight for him that day? He did not seem to care about killing his mother or his father. Voldemort was just trying to kill him. Dumbledore finally told him the truth at the end of the school year. Voldemort did not want to kill either of his parents, only him, because of a prophecy that was made shortly before he was born. It foretold his birth and that he would have the power to stop Voldemort. What was bothering him and the reason he was avoiding his friends, was that in the end either Lord Voldemort must kill him or he must kill Voldemort.

He went over it many times. How could he, Harry, an underage wizard, less than half his age, kill the most powerful Dark wizard ever known? Moreover, Voldemort had already escaped death once. The force of his Killing Curse that Voldemort tried to use on him must have had a lot of power behind it and it was deflected back on to him, and it did not even kill him. How could he conquer the darkest wizard ever known? Moreover, if he did, that would make him a murderer.

The prophecy continued to ring in his hears. The harsh voice of his divination teacher, Professor Trelawney cut through his head like butter:

"THE ONE WITH THE POWER TO VANQUISH THE DARK LORD APPROACHES....BORN TO THOSE WHO HAVE THRICE DEFIED HIM, BORN AS THE SEVENTH MONTH DIES....AND THE DARK LORD WILL MARK HIM AS HIS EQUAL, BUT HE WILL HAVE POWER THE DARK LORD KNOWS NOT.... AND EITHER MUST DIE AT THE HAND OF THE OTHER FOR NEITHER CAN LIVE WHILE THE OTHER SURVIVES....THE ONE WITH THE POWER TO VANQUISH THE DARK LORD WILL BE BORN AS THE SEVENTH MONTH DIES....

Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts, finally revealed the prophecy to him, after he stupidly fell for Voldemort's trap and got Sirius killed. The prophecy was the reason for his parents' needless deaths. Needless, he thought. People keep dying for him, because he might be able to kill Voldemort. He does not have any power that could match Voldemort's power. He does not even have the protection of his mother's sacrifice anymore, because Voldemort used his blood two years ago to restore himself to his body.

The prophecy had said, "The Dark Lord will mark him as his equal", and he was marked. His scar forged a unique connection with Voldemort. It would burn with excruciating pain whenever Voldemort would come near him or his mood would change. However, it was not anything that could make him equal to Voldemort. Besides, lately, it had even stopped hurting.

In his second year at Hogwarts, Dumbledore told him that Voldemort transferred some of his powers to him unintentionally. It was why he could speak parseltongue, or snake language, but it was not very useful. And his scar? He could sometimes see images of what Voldemort was doing or feel his moods, but they are not always true. At the end of the last year at Hogwarts, he saw Voldemort torturing Sirius in the Department of Mysteries at the Ministry of Magic. He rushed off to save him, but it was a fake vision. Voldemort did not have Sirius. Voldemort wanted to hear the prophecy, in full, so he tricked Harry into coming to the Hall of Prophecy. Sirius had come to his rescue, but Bellatrix Lestrange killed him. All because he, Harry, wanted to be the hero.

What could he do to Voldemort? Voldemort himself came to the Ministry after he found out the record of the prophecy was destroyed. He did not even fight back or move when Voldemort tried to kill him. Dumbledore had to save him, the one who supposedly can defeat him.

He was tired of going over it in his head. Voldemort killed his parents and his godfather, because of that stupid prophecy. He did not have any powers or even a future. Was his whole life just a Killing Curse put on hold? How many more of his friends would die because of him? He almost got them all killed by going to the Department of Mysteries. Hermione, Ron, Ron's sister Ginny, and their friends, Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood, came with him to the Ministry. They had received many injuries dueling and trying to escape Voldemort's Death Eaters. It was a miracle that none of them was killed for his stupidity.

Harry lay back on his bed and let out a groan. He was tired of thinking about it over and over again. He wanted it to be over. He wanted a normal life. He sat back up. The sun had risen properly and filled the room with light. It made him feel worse. He wanted to be in the dark. He looked over at his pinned up calendar. He was at least a week behind in ticking the days off until school started. He was not even sure what day it was. They all tend to blend together when thinking of nothing but misery.

Barely anything could break his mood. Ron sent an article from the Daily Prophet not long after they got back. He pinned on his wall and looked at it occasionally, as his one source of happiness. It was about his arch-nemesis from school, Draco Malfoy, and his parents. Draco's father, Lucius, was one of Voldemort's closest supporters, and was captured in the attack at the Department of Mysteries and sent to Azkaban, the wizard prison.

DEEP INVESTGATION INTO THE EXPLOITS OF

LUCIUS MALFOY

Lucius Malfoy, 42, was revealed as being a Death Eater to the wizard community a few weeks ago. Now, the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and Auror Headquarters are doing a thorough investigation into the dealings of Mr. Malfoy. "This investigation is going to be long and tedious. Lucius Malfoy has many dirty dealings to go through. Tracking his movements will be difficult. We must investigate everyone who has gotten money from Mr. Malfoy and why," said Amelia Bones, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, yesterday. Ministry officials raided Mr. Malfoy's Wiltshire manor last week, and found many violations of magical law. Arthur Weasley, of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office, discovered a secret chamber under the drawing floor, and is leading an investigation into various violations of the Muggle Protection Act. "We found several Muggle artifacts were enchanted that are not on the Registry of Proscribed Charmable Objects," said Mr. Weasley at his home near Ottery, St. Catchpole, Wednesday. "We are also investigating several suspicious objects that are full Dark magic," said Gilbert Wimple of the Committee of Experimental Charms. The Department of Mysteries was also called in to investigate several objects. Ministry officials have confiscated all of Mr. Malfoy's monetary and paper assets. "With all the evidence we gathered so far, we could give Mr. Malfoy another life sentence," said Madam Bones. Wizengamot convicted Lucius Malfoy two weeks ago for an assortment of crimes, mostly from his actions in the Ministry of Magic when He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was sighted. Ministry officials also questioned and released Mr. Malfoy's wife and son. They gave no comment, except that they would be staying with a friend, as the Wiltshire manor and all other holdings of the Malfoy family have been permanently confiscated by the Ministry.

The Ministry will continue to investigate all of Mr. Malfoy's transactions and associates, as having any connection to the Death Eaters. Madam Bones, in a final comment, asked anyone who has information into Mr. Malfoy's dealings, or any Death Eater, activity to report it to the Ministry at once.

He grinned wildly as he read it for the hundredth time. Malfoy has nothing. No money, no home, his dad is in prison, and no one can buy any more favors for him.

He heard the toilet flush, which snapped out of his ecstasy. He heard heavy footsteps go down the stairs, which told him Dudley had gotten up. He would not go downstairs for breakfast. I never do, he thought, as his depressing mood was starting to settle on to him again. He turned around to see a very small owl speeding through the window and start zipping around the room wildly.

Harry recognized it at once as Ron's owl, "Pig", carrying a package that was much larger than he could carry. After several wild snatches, he caught him. Opened the letter and read Ron's untidy scrawl,

Happy Birthday, Harry!

We haven't heard from you in a few days, everything alright? We were really starting to get worried. Everything's good here. Do you want to come over here for the rest of the summer? Mum doesn't mind. She really wants to see you. I hope to see you soon and enjoy your present.

Ron

He looked at his calendar. I guess it is my birthday, he thought and opened the package. It was a box of Chocolate Frogs. He grabbed one, opened it, and took a bite. He looked at the card. He got Morgana again. He finished the Frog and remembered three years ago when he first came across a dementor. Lupin gave him chocolate to help him feel better. He was half-wishing it had the same effect now.

As he was reaching for another Frog, another owl came soaring through the window. He recognized it as a post owl. He relieved it of its package and it flew out the window. He opened the letter first. It was from Hermione.

Hi, Harry!

Happy Birthday! How are you? Harry, we are really worried about you. Do you want to go over to Ron's? I asked my parents and they said I could go, even though they want me to stay here longer. Will you think about it, please? It'll be fun. Did you get that article about Malfoy? Ron said he sent it to you....

He stopped and looked at the article with a vindictive smile and returned to the letter.

... Ha! Malfoy is finally getting what he deserves. When do you think we are going to get the letters from school? Last year, we didn't get them to the last day. I didn't have any time to go over the reading material. Anyway, I am forwarding this owl to you. I got it through a mail order. Hope you like it. You should find it useful for next year!

Hermione

He opened the package. It was a medium sized red book and the title in gold lettering was Daily Spells for Daily Use by Irene Presto. He flicked through it. It had spells for cooking, basic Conjuring Spells, spells to organize, Magical First Aid, and spells for Anti-Muggle security. It was interesting. He remembered that when wizards turn seventeen they can do magic at home, but he just turned sixteen. He wondered why she did not wait a year to give it to him.

Just then, two more owls flew in. He recognized one as Hermes, Ron's brother Percy's owl and it baffled him as to why it was here and had what looked like a birthday present. Perhaps Percy was trying to make up for believing he was a crazed showoff like the rest of the wizarding world had believed. The other owl was a handsome eagle owl that looked like the one Malfoy had, but wasn't it confiscated? Why would Malfoy be sending him letters?

However, the curiosity of Percy's owl beat the mystery of the unknown sender. He reached for Hermes and removed the package, and jumped in surprise when he felt it move. He opened the letter and understood whom it was from at once.

Happy Birthday!

Hi! How are you? Probably not too good. I just don't think Ron and Hermione know what you're going through. Ron said he was going to invite you over. I hope you come, but I understand if you don't. I was going to send this with Pig, but I didn't think he could carry it, too. So, I asked Percy, if I could borrow Hermes. He asked what for, and I told him to send you a present. He got all shirty, and said sure and happy birthday from him. He moved back in last week. He talked with mum and dad for a long time. He's been really sulky and depressed. He doesn't come out of his room much. He has to live Ron's old room, because Ron moved into his room. He didn't ask for it back. He's still Junior Assistant to the Minister, but he doesn't talk about it much, thankfully. Anyway, I hope you like your present. Just don't lose it. You don't want to get in trouble.

Ginny

PS - Can't wait for Quidditch to start....

He opened the moving package slowly. Suddenly, a gold flash shot out of the box and started zooming around the room. He ran and shut the window quickly, and then looked at what he immediately recognized as a Snitch from the broomstick sport of Quidditch. Harry, being the Seeker for the team, was supposed to catch it. He watched it for a moment wondering how and why Ginny nicked it. He reached for the package and felt something else in the box. He pulled out what looked like a stand and another letter.

Harry-- this is a toy Snitch. It isn't supposed to leave the room by itself, but if Muggles see it or you let it outside, there might be a problem. You can put it on the stand when you don't want it to annoy you anymore. –Ginny

He looked at it with a smile and wishing he was riding his broom right now. He then turned to the eagle owl. It was carrying a big box that was Disillusioned. He took the package and opened the letter on the top. The eagle owl looked toward the closed window, but Harry ignored him.

Hi Harry,

We hope you're doing alright. The business is soaring, and we have sold out of everything at least once. We got this eagle owl for us to use. Wow, we are having the time of our lives. Mum isn't too happy. She'll live with it.... Yeah, and we owe it all to you, and thanks for telling that you gave us the money. Mum was getting worried we did something illegal. Yeah thanks again!

Happy birthday, and enjoy,

Fred & George

He opened the box and was full of all the joke stuff they made last year and a few new ones. There were Headless hats, Weasley's Wildfire Whiz-Bangs, fake wands, Skiving Snackboxes, something that made you blow bubbles for a long time (emphasis on the long time), and an assortment of hexed food items.

He did not think he could use any of them before he got back to Hogwarts. So, he wrote a thank you letter to Fred and George and sent it back with the eagle owl. Then he sent Hedwig to deliver Hermione's thank you letter, and while he was writing a letter to Ron and Ginny, Errol collapsed on the bed with a birthday cake and card from Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, who also invited him to stay with them. He helped Errol into Hedwig's cage to recover from his journey as another owl soared in. It was from Hagrid, and he sent some Rock Cakes. He wrote a thank you to Hagrid and sent it back. He turned back to Ron's letter.

Ron,

Thanks for the Frogs, and thank your mum for the cake. I'll send Errol back when he's ready. I'm doing fine here. I think I'll just stay here. I'll see you soon.

Harry

It was a mirror image of Hermione's and he sent it off with Pig. Ginny's letter was a little longer.

Thanks Ginny, it made me laugh. I appreciate it. I can't wait to fly again. I suppose I can be on the team again, now that Umbridge is gone. Not unless you're going to keep my position? Just kidding, I'm sure you'll get the Chaser slot easy. Thanks for understanding, but I just want to be alone for a while. Ron and Hermione just don't get it. But don't worry, I'll be alright. I'll see you when school starts.

Thanks again,

Harry

He sent her letter off with Hermes. He grabbed a Frog and looked at his repaired alarm clock. It was eight. He lay back on his bed and watched his toy Snitch bounce off the open window as though it was a wall. He ate a couple more Frogs. His thoughts drifted to the one present he did not get, the one from Sirius. He wished a brightly colored tropical bird would fly through the window and deliver a present like on his fourteenth birthday.

"He's dead," he said aloud and hated himself for dwelling on it.

Suddenly, a seventh owl soared in and dropped an official looking envelope on his stomach before soaring out. He doubted it was a birthday present, and he was trying to figure out what he did to get a letter from the Ministry, but when he read on the outside of the envelope: Wizarding Examinations Authority, he understood immediately. He had completely forgotten about the exhausting fifth year exams. Especially since he got the false vision of Sirius during his last exam, they did not seem to matter that much. He opened the envelope and there were two letters. He read the first one. He could not believe it.

He passed every exam, even Divination. He got an A for Acceptable in Divination, Hi온라인카지노게임 of magic and the practical Astronomy. He got a lot of O's (outstanding) and a few E's (exceeds expectations) in all the other exams. He got an O in the Potions, Charms, Transfiguration, Herbology and Defense Against the Dark Arts. He got an E in the written exams of Transfiguration, Potions and Astronomy, and the Care of Magical Creatures exams. Fourteen O.W.L.'s in all. He just stared in disbelief. He moved the paper aside to see the next letter.

It was some kind of award. Stamped across the top was Medal for Magical Merit. He read the rest:

Dear Mr. Potter,

We are sorry the delay in issuing the examination results, however recent events were a greater concern. The WEA is proud to award you the Medal for Magical Merit. You have met the three criteria required to receive this award. First, was to pass all the exams, second was to obtain an average between E and O of all the exams, and the final requirement was a Letter of Recommendation from an examiner. Professor Tofty recommended you for this award and the rest of the WEA agreed. This is a highly prestigious award granted only to one or two people a year.

Congratulations,

Griselda Marchbanks

Wizarding Examinations Authority

Ministry of Magic

He looked over the letter once or twice more. He received an award for his magical ability. He thought he had made some mistakes, but maybe they were only minor ones. He thought for a fleeting moment that there was a mistake and his exam results had gotten switched up with Hermione's or something, but that would be ridiculous. Besides, he felt that Professor Tofty, who examined him in the Defense Against the Dark Arts, was thoroughly impressed, and even asked him to demonstrate the Patronus Charm for an extra point, which he successfully did.

His mindwandered to the award. Voldemort got the award when he went to Hogwarts, but hedid not have time to dwell on it, because the day was about to get weirder.