Mirror
Chapter One~~~OWLs
He was running as fast as his leaden legs would carry him. His breath came in short, stabbing gasps.
“Sirius! I’m coming, hold on!” he bellowed across the room. Sirius was falling…falling. NO! His insides squirmed as he watched his godfather, the closest thing he had to a family, fall through the veil. “SIRIUS!” He was sobbing. He dropped onto the ground in a helpless heap, and then did the thing he had been yearning to do for months. He picked himself heavily up off the ground, and ran straight into the veil after Sirius.
“BOY! Get down here now!” Uncle Vernon’s loud bellow carried up the stairs. Harry Potter woke with a start. He was sprawled across his bed, sweat dripping down his face. He was shaking all over as he sat up in bed. His legs were aching, almost as if he had actually been running. He wiped his face with his bedclothes, and put on his glasses.
“Sirius…” Harry swallowed heavily and walked over to his dresser. He caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror and stopped. His face was pale, clashing startlingly with his jet black hair. In the middle of his forehead his lightening bolt scar stood out brightly. He sighed, ran a hand through his messy hair, and then pulled on some jeans and a very baggy tee-shirt. When he was finished he sat on the edge of his bed, trying to forget the dream that had haunted him for the past two months.
“WHAT THE DEVIL ARE YOU DOING?” came uncle Vernon’s roar. Harry jumped. He took a deep breath and put on his sneakers. He stood, readied himself for whatever his uncle was about to yell at him for, and marched out the door.
When Harry got downstairs the Dursleys were bustling about in a frenzy. He looked around for the cause and saw a midnight-black owl perched on one of the wooden kitchen chairs. He almost grinned…almost. He walked closer too it and the Dursleys stopped moving as they watched him.
“Get that thing out of here!” Dudley wailed, backing up against the far wall.
“Quite yelling and maybe I can,” Harry said irritably. The owl, its round eyes focused on Harry, stuck out its leg. Harry walked over to it and grabbed the letter that had been tied to it. “Would you like some water before you leave?” said Harry, stroking its feathers. But the owl hooted and fluttered its wings. Harry stepped back as it extended its wings and flew out the open window. Aunt Petunia quickly walked over to close the window, and then she turned to Harry, looking very flustered.
“Is it for you, then?” she asked. Harry stared at her.
“Who else would it be for?” he asked curiously, trying to read her face. Ever since that night in the kitchen when he and Dudley had been attacked by dementors, Harry had suspected that there was more to Aunt Petunia than met the eye. He had often tried to weasel a confession out of her, wondering if she was in contact with Dumbledore. Aunt Petunia glared at him.
“Nobody, I was simply asking,” she said, turning her horse like face away from him.
“Don’t ask questions,” Harry said scathingly, repeating the nasty retort she had often shot at him. Her eyes narrowed. Vernon roared and grabbed the back of Harry’s shirt.
“Take that letter and get out of my sight!” Vernon yelled, throwing him roughly out of the room.
“Temper, temper. You wouldn’t want me to write my good friend Alastor Moody would you?” Harry said, watching his uncle’s face turn purple. But, knowing that little more would cause Vernon to snap, Harry went up the stairs. He closed the door and locked it, a feeling of loneliness consuming him. He hoped that this letter was a letter inviting him to Grimmauld Place, which had been given to The Order after Sirius’ death. He went and sat on his bed, ripping open the letter. It was not from The Order, it was from Hogwarts. Harry’s heart skipped a beat as he read down his OWL scores:
Defense Against the Dark Arts: O
Herbology: E
Potions: O
Charms: E
Divination: D
Transfiguration: E
Care of Magical Creatures: O
History of Magic: A
Astronomy: P
The above are your O.W.L.s. They will determine what career you will take after your education at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The following are the N.E.W.T. classes you will be required to take next year:
Defense Against the Dark Arts
Herbology
Potions
Charms
Transfiguration
Care of Magical Creatures
History of Magic
If you have any questions regarding your O.W.L scores, contact us no later than August 24. Thank you for your efforts, and we wish you a wonderful summer,
Sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall
Harry couldn’t believe it. He had gotten seven O.W.L.s! He had even passed potions! Even though he expected that Dumbledore had a lot to do with the ‘Outstanding’ he had gotten. He smiled for the first time since the death of Sirius. He was also happy to see that he wouldn’t have to take Divination anymore. If he had been forced to take another year of being told how gruesome his death was going to be, he would have blown a gasket. Still elated from his letter from the school, he jumped off of his bed and started to write letters to his two best friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. He told them of his grades and asked for theirs. He smiled at the thought of Ron and Hermione’s faces as they opened their letters. Ron would be grinning his usual, goofy grin as he got his grades. Harry and Ron normally got around the same grades, and he could picture Mrs. Weasley hugging Ron senseless as she learned the wonderful news. Hermione, of course would get most if not all O.W.L.s. She would smile ecstatically and would quickly pick up a book and start reading up on how she could apply her good grades to SPEW.
Harry finished writing the letters, and then picked up another piece of parchment. He was ready to write a separate letter to Sirius, telling him the good news. His hands froze, and his good mood evaporated. He slumped down in his chair and an uncomfortable tickling started behind his eyes. He shook his head, walked over to Hedwig’s cage, and tied both of the letters to her leg.
“One goes to Hermione and the other goes to Ron. Got it?” Harry asked. Hedwig nipped his fingers affectionately and flew off. Harry walked over to his bed and lay down, ready to sleep the rest of the day away, waking intermittently from bad dreams of Sirius’ death. He had only been laying there for a couple of minutes, however, before another owl flew through his window. It was a dark gray, and very scruffy looking, all its feathers stuck out in the wrong places. Harry stood and took the letter it was now offering. On the front of the envelope his address was scrawled very messily. He didn’t recognize the handwriting and opened the letter curiously. It read:
Dear Mr. Potter,
I found this lying on the floors, sir. I knew at once that it was Harry Potter’s, sir. Winky was wanting to throws it away, but I says, “No, we must send it back to him, we must.” So, I picked it up sir, and here it is.
Dobby
Harry pulled out the contents of Dobby’s letter with shaking hands. It was the mirror that Sirius had given him; the mirror that he had smashed against the wall last year. It was now completely fixed, and reflecting his ashen face back at him.
“…Sirius?”
A/N: I know the first chapter is pretty dull, but I had to get the background info in there. Please R&R!!! If you don't I won't know to write more or not! Ill take the Good and the Bad reveiws, so don't be shy. Critique away!