Harry Potter - Series Fan Fiction ❯ Phoenix Dust ❯ Ch. 1: In Which Things Go Horribly Wrong... ( Chapter 1 )

A/N: Don't ask...

 

Summery: Harry's life just keeps getting weirder. Set in the summer after 3rd year.

 

Disclaimer: After HPB Its a wonder I still read it....

 

Warnings: Elf Ears and....Fish.

 

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"I HAVE EARS!!!"

 

Okay so it probably wasn't the smartest statement I'd ever made. In all truths it was probably the stupidest thing I'd ever said. But give a guy a break. It isn't every day you wake up to see you ears suddenly grown long and pointed.

 

 

Phoenix Dust

By Nikikeya-chan again

 

Ch. 1: In Which Things Go Horribly Wrong

 

 

 

 

It was morning, on the 31st of July, otherwise known and ignored by my family (and I use that term very loosely.) as my Birthday.

 

I was looking into the mirror over the bathroom sink, at the newly aquired langth of my ears, I knew I was due for a growth spirt, but somehow this just wasn't the idea....

 

"BOY!!! WHAT'S ALL THAT RACKET IN THERE!!!!???" Uncle Vernon bellowed.

 

I froze, Uncle Vernon, if he came up here...

 

I'd be dead, or grounded, I'm sure if my Uncle could manage to figure out a way I'd be both.

 

If the Dursleys saw me like this...

 

Well there was a good chance they'd throw me right back in the boot cupboard, regardless if my supposedly blood thirsty mass-murdering Godfather showed up to hex them or not.

 

It was then I realized, I had to get out of here, out of Privit Drive, out of Little Whinging, out of Surrey!

 

Quickly as possible I combed my thankfully semi-long (from not having cut it for nearly five weeks.) straggly (from not having combed it for nearly five weeks.) hair over my ears, and bolted out of the bathroom, back into Dudley's spare bedroom.

 

I then quickly ran around gathering up quills and spell books to shove in my trunk, I heard Uncle Vernon's heavy steps on the stairs, suddenly the door flew open and Uncle Vernon thundered in.

 

"What are you doing up here boy." he growled.

 

I paused and then said in a hopefully convincing tone, "Um... Cleaning?"

 

My Uncle glared at me for a secound, like he didn't believe me, (which probably he didn't.) Before turning to walk back out of the room, he paused at the door, "One more shout like that and you'll be out on your ears you hear me."

 

I winced at his wording but humbled myself and nodded, "Yes, Uncle Vernon, I'm sorry."

 

He huffed causing his large mustache to ripple, then, without another word marched back down the stairs.

 

It was only then that I realized I'd been holding my breathe the entire time, heaving a sigh, I looked down at my trunk, as a very good question came to mind; Where was I going?

 

Surely a thirteen year old wouldn't be allowed to roam around all alone? not with the Sirius Black on the loose... Thirteen? I shook my head. No. I was fourteen now, I'd waited up last night just to watch the clock on the bedstand turn...

 

Whatever! it didn't change anything, maybe if I was seventeen, but not fourteen...

 

I shook my head again, 'focus damnit!'

 

'Where could I go? The Burrow? But that was in all the way down in Devon...'

 

Then it hit me; Hermione lived in London. I could go to her place, then, if I couldn't stay with her, I'd just go to the Leaky Cauldron like last year!

 

I'd have to waite it out till the Dursley's where asleep tho, otherwise... What?

 

I scowled, 'They probably wouldn't stop me, hell if I asked nice enough they'd probably drive me there!'

 

But no...

 

There was always a chance they'd notice my ears... I Absently a ran a finger over the now pointed tip of my ears, "I'm a House Elf..."

 

Suiting seeing as that's how I was treated here, 'How did this happen??! What do I do!!!!???'

 

I picked up a book, then tossed it back down seeing as it was one of Dudley's, I needed to focus...Yeah right...

 

xxx

 

So there I was; Hyperventilating in the middle of Dudley's secound bedroom, trying to string two thoughts togather.

 

I had woken up earlier to go to the bathroom and had happened to glance in the mirror, which I now realize had been a very bad idea; My ears had somehow grown two inches and become pointed at the top.

 

I shook myself had to focus, had to get out before they saw.

 

Moving quickly over to the bed, I droped to my knees reaching under and pulled up the loose floor boards to get my other stuff out of the hidey-hole, muttering to myself about what to do.

 

"Now just hold up, how are you going to get there?"

 

"I'll take the Knight Bus like last year..." I stopped. 'Who was that??'

 

Turning quickly I looked at the door, it was still shut tight.

 

"I'm over here Harry, to your left."

 

I turned toward the window, there was nobody there, only Dudley's old desk. That's when I started to panic. 'Where's the voice coming from? Was there really a voice? What if I'm just going mad??' Then I had a really scary thought, 'What if it's some one wearing an Invisibility Cloak??'

 

I stood up slowly, scanning the room carefully so as not to miss anything... Not that I knew what to look for....

 

"Hedwig... Did you hear that voice just now?" I asked shakily, looking over to where she sat on the desk.

 

Hedwig fluffed herself up indignantly, "Well of course I heard it, it was me!"

 

You do not know shock until your owl who you've owned for nearly four years starts talking to you! I somehow winded up sitting on the floor, stuttering like and idiot, "M-my owl just talked to me! Now I know I'm insane!!"

 

"Don't be rediculous Harold! Your not crazy! I've always talked to you. This is just the first time you've listened!" said Hedwig indignantly.

 

What was I supposed to say to that? Sorry I couldn't understand you? Sorry I never noticed you could talk?? "Oh um...Sorry..."

 

Hedwig looked a little less agitated afterwards so I guess I had said the right thing.

 

With a small hoot she glided over to land on my shoulder and started picking at my hair with her beak.

 

"It's okay. I usually just babble anyways, you'd probably have gotten sick of it..."

 

I smiled, I was still alittle shocked, but then again I thought: 'I can talk to Snakes, why not Owls? I wonder what Ron and Hermione would say?'

 

"This is really cool, I've always wished I could talk with you for real."

 

"Well I'll admit, The one sided conversations were becoming quite a bore. You really should preen yourself better." Hedwig mummbled.

 

"Preen?" I turned my head only to find myself staring into to large Amber eyes.

 

"Your feathers are a mess! Just look at them, they're all sticking up every which way!" hooted the owl indignantly.

 

I blinkeded and then laughed as I realized what she was saying, "Oh you want me to comb my hair, but you know, it won't keep it from sticking up."

 

"No probably not, you have a very stubborn crown, but some order to the chaos would be nice." said Hedwig stiffly.

 

'She sounds like Hermione.' I realized happily, I'd always thought she acted a bit Hermione-ish this cinched it.

 

"Your ears have grown, maybe that's why you can hear me better." she made a churring sound, it took a momount for me to realize she was laughing! But then what she'd just said caught up with me and I slumped down in defeat.

 

"My ears! Hedwig what do I do? I doubt this is normal!" I asked, the stress of the situation coming on, "I have to get out of here before the Dursleys find out about my ears."

 

Hedwig hooted thoughtfully, then ventured, "Weren't we going to Hermes and Errol's?"

 

"The Burrow? If they got permission yes. But we can't wait that long, We can try Hermione's..."

 

Hedwig started preening herself calmly, which was really grating at my nerves, untill I remembered she wasn't the one with the ear problem, "Is she home?"

 

I paused, And then felt the urge to pull my hair, I didn't know. I assumed she was, but... "Maybe I should send a letter first?"

 

"Good idea, I'm ready when you are." hooted Hedwig and hopping off my shoulder onto the floor to sit and wait, she cocked her head peering under the bed, "I think there's a Door Mouse under you nest, may I have it?"

 

"What? Oh, yeah. Help yourself..." I smiled getting up, it was nice having some one to talk to. I then went over to my steamer trunk and dug out a few rolls of parchment, my ink well, and a quill, and sat down at the desk.

 

I busied myself watching Hedwig for amoment as she hopped under the bed to get the mouse, it was only after the last of her tail feathers disappeared under the bed that I turned my attension back to the letter.

 

However my attension moved abruptly back to the bed as Hedwig screeched and a plum of feathers and fur exploded from under the bed.

 

"HEDWIG!?" I screamed jumping up as a Grey Rat scurried out from under the bed, a grey rat with a missing toe.

 

"Wormtail! What did you do to Hedwig?!!" I cried panicked, the more rational side of my brain asked, 'How did he get past the wards?'

 

I turned back to the bed, where was she??! "Hedwig?!"

 

"I'm fine! It's that rodent you should be worried about!" screeched a voice from under the bed.

 

"Ooh Rodent...Very clever. You come up with that yourself then?" sneered the Rat.

 

'What th'??'

 

Hedwig wobbled her way back out from under the bed, her feathers were a mess, "You are despicable Scabbers!"

 

This was getting stupid, 'Now I can understand Rats too!? What in the name of Godric Gryffindor is going on??!'

 

"So sorry Miss," seethed the rat, his beady eyes focused on Hedwig, he then turned to look back at me. and the he started to scuttle toward me!

 

I backed up unsure of just what the rat animagus was planning to do.

 

Was he going to try and bite me? Should I kick him??

 

"What's the matter, afraid of a harmless Portkey?"

 

"Portkey?" I asked. What was the devil was a Portkey??

 

Wormtail froze, looking up at me, if rat's can glare he certainly seemed to be. He continued to glare at me for a moment before rushing forward again!

 

Suddenly I really didn't want to know what a Portkey was.

 

With a frightened yelp I hadn't ment to come out, I jumped over him and up onto the bed, "What do you want?! LEAVE ME ALONE!!!!"

 

"BOY!!!" the door burst open and Vernon Dursley flanked closely by Aunt Petunia came in, how the hell they'd got upstairs so fast was beyond me.

 

I suddenly realized something was wrong, Wormtail had stopped moving and was standing very still in the middle of the floor, and my Uncle was still charging right towards him!

 

I watched in horror as Uncle Vernon's foot landed firmly on the Wormtail's tail and Aunt Petunia upon seeing the rat grabbed Uncle Vernon's arm, then they were gone. Vanished.

 

Gone. THEY'RE GONE!!! ALL THREE! ITS LIKE THEY WHERE NEVER HERE!!!

 

And so I stood there looking down at the spot where the three had been just moments before, and then I said the secound most stupid thing I'd ever said:

 

"W-what just happened??"

 

Hedwig's feathers seemed to get sucked in tight to her form making her look much smaller.

 

"What's going on in here? Where's Mum and Dad gone?" I didn't look up as Dudley entered the room. I just stared back at the spot where Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon had last been in shock, What was I going to do now??

 

Then

 

"What's wrong with your ears??"

 

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TBC

 

Okay so I finaly got my beloved Dictionary/Thesaurus back from my darling little sister Lain, and as expected, spellchecked. (I tried to correct as much as possible, I apologize for any remaining errors.)

 

-Cloud