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Exploring Harry Potter's life

by Nighttime star

Chapter 35

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Chapter 35

The darkness departed them in the middle of the Dursley's living room, and they saw as they looked around that it was the middle of the afternoon. They heard the door open and in came a younger, though older than they had seen him yet in these scrolls, Harry come into the living room. He threw his tattered and frayed backpack into the cupboard and walked into the kitchen. He looked as if nothing in his life gave him any joy, any more.

They followed and saw him take bowls and other assorted cooking utensils out of the cupboards and drawers. He reached up and took an old battered notebook and flipped through the pages, Hermione walked behind him and saw that the notebook was full of different recipes for all sorts of different ingredients. As Harry began to take ingredients out of the fridge, Aunt Petunia came stomping in.

"What do you think you're doing?" she shrieked. She wore a flowered apron and had gloves and a spray bottle of cleaner in one hand and a white cloth in the other.

"Fixing dinner, Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon said he wanted steaks tonight." said Harry not looking at her, but staring fixedly at the recipe book.

"I've invited the new neighbors over to eat dinner. I can't serve them steaks!" Petunia screeched. She stamped her foot and slammed a hand down on the page Harry was reading from.

"Why wouldn't you serve your best food?" said Mrs. Weasley in a whisper. "Especially when making a first impression?"

"I want to have a fruit appetizer, wine, salad, lobster, and dessert!" said Aunt Petunia ticking off the different meal courses. Harry stared at her in shock.

"You realize I'm going to be cooking all afternoon, right?" he muttered.

"Well then you best get going about doing it!" she snapped. "Here's some money go and get the things I want!"

"You didn't give him any ideas what to do!" said Ron angrily.

"You didn't tell me what you really wanted!" said Harry shortly.

"Don't argue, get going! Oh and by the way, Aunt Marge is coming as well, she's staying for a while." said Aunt Petunia as she left the room. "So everything must be absolutely perfect."

Harry groaned slammed the money down on the counter. He picked up the notebook again and flipped through it quickly.

The room shifted forward and they saw Harry staggering under the large and heavy bags that easily outweighed him.

As he laid them down on the counters, a loud booming voice came from lounge. Harry flinched.

"BOY! What are you doing?" shouted Uncle Vernon, stomping into the kitchen.

"Making dinner, Uncle Vernon." said Harry as he placed the different foods on the counter.

"That doesn't look like steak and mushrooms." growled Uncle Vernon.

"Aunt Petunia invited the new neighbors over for dinner and she wanted to serve something special." said Harry tiredly. "And isn't Aunt Marge coming, too?"

Uncle Vernon growled and stomped out of the room. "Make sure you do things right."

The scene shifted again and they found themselves still in the kitchen, all around themselves they saw the product of Harry's hard work. There was giant bouquet of wild looking flowers, but when they looked closer, they saw that it was made entirely of fruit.

They saw the lobsters laying on silver platters, a large bowl of multicolored salad, and a bottle of chilled wine in a tub of ice. Then in the corner, they saw a giant chocolate torte, with chocolate rosettes.

"This stuff looks really good." said Ron, his mouth watering.

"Knock it off!" said Hermione. "This is a black scroll remember? Something awful is going to happen!"

They watched as Harry, who was wearing a faded black button up shirt, carried several plates and sets of silverware wrapped neatly in napkins, Despite the fadedness of his shirt, he looked quite charming and gentle. He looked quickly over his different masterpieces and smiled warmly.

"How is this a bad memory, it looks pretty good to me." said Tonks quietly

A doorbell chimed all the way into the kitchen and they all heard Aunt Petunia's false happy voice coming from the hall.

"So happy you could come!" said Aunt Petunia. "Oh and here's Marge!"

The younger Harry groaned softly and finished placing the garnishes on the lobsters before putting it in the warmed oven. They watched as Harry continued to prepare the meals for their debut appearance, and observed as Harry whisked the food out to the table, unseen by the guests who sat in the lounge.

After Harry had lit the candles on the table, the doorbell rang once more. Harry' s head snapped up quickly.

"I'll get it Petunia, dear." said Uncle Vernon cheerfully and walked to the door. As he passed the entrance to the dining room, he sent a warning look to Harry. Harry was frozen in place, his eyes as wide as saucers.

The Watchers could hear the door open and a young man's voice coming from the door.

"Evening sir, I'm Higgens from the Police Station, is Harry Potter here?"

The scene shifted once more, and they found themselves at the very end of the dinner party. But something was wrong. The lobster's shell was left in pieces, as per normal, the flower bouquet was stripped of it's fruit blossoms, the salad was reduced to stray strips of green and purple lettuce, and the chocolate torte was reduced to only a few smears of chocolate cream. But that wasn't what was wrong; it was the fact that they saw Aunt Petunia cleaning her kitchen with a large scowl on her face.

They heard a crashing coming from in the lounge and they headed in there. They saw Harry lying against the wall, apparently knocked out and sporting a blackened eye, bleeding temple and a bruised cheek.

"WHAT THE HELL? What caused this?" shouted Sirius.

"It must have had something to do with that cop!" said Hermione fearfully, clutching at her face, horrified at what she was seeing.

They saw a large woman, with a slight mustache, sitting in one of the large, plush chairs. Gripping a cane and patting the head of a large bulldog. In the bulldog's teeth they saw shreds of cloth dangling from the dog's mouth. When Sirius looked at Harry closer, he saw that the shreds from the dog's mouth were from the pants Harry was wearing, and several trickles of blood flowed from his leg.

"Good Ripper, good boy. Seems his training is working out just fine." said the large woman happily.

"Let's see if the little beast learned his lesson." said Uncle Vernon nastily. He pulled Harry roughly to his feet by the poor boy's collar. "I'm waiting."

Dumbledore lunged forward, but flew right through Vernon and landed hard on the ground the other side.

"Albus! We can't do anything!" reminded McGonagall as she rushed to his side.

"I can't stand it, please, make it end." gasped Dumbledore as he clutched his now sprained wrist.

"It will be over soon." assured McGonagall wrapping his wrist in her handkerchief.

Harry hung limply in his Uncle's grip, he groaned softly and his eyes fluttered open.

"What do you say?" said Uncle Vernon putting his large face very close to Harry's small, thin one.

"I'm sorry." said Harry in a hoarse whisper.

"For what?" cried Remus.

"For what?" said Uncle Vernon nastily. Remus cringed.

"I…I don't know…" said Harry quietly.

"The police came asking for you. You've been to station, haven't you? I've warned you, I didn't want to catch you going there…ever…again…" said Uncle Vernon angrily.

"Nasty brutes, police officers, meddlers every one of them." said the woman smugly. "Not a decent one in the lot."

"YOUR WRONG! ABOUT ALL OF THEM! THEY'RE GOOD PEOPLE!" shouted Harry angrily. He tried to wrench his body away from his uncle and slapped his Uncle square in the face with all the strength he had. But against the large man, it did very little.

Uncle Vernon and the woman blinked, the large woman sneered wickedly as Uncle Vernon's fist rose and fell, the room went dark once more.

They found themselves in Harry's cupboard; to their surprise they found themselves shrunken down this time so they could fit in the small and enclosed space. The wall and ceiling were draped in cobwebs and the smell of dried blood lingered in the air.

"How can someone sleep in here?" said Rivers looking around in shock.

The door to the cupboard flew open and they watched as Harry was flung inside so forcefully that he slammed against the back wall and landed on the dirty, lumpy mattress, he was bleeding now profusely from the small wound on his head, and from a bloodied nose. They stood what felt like hours waiting for Harry to stir and wake up. Sirius, Remus, Dr. Clark and Dumbledore rushed over and tried to nudge Harry and wake him up. But just as Dumbledore was forced to remember, their hands fell on dead air. He wouldn't stir, not until the door to the cupboard opened once more, only it was someone they didn't expect to see at all.

It was Aunt Petunia, and she had a small first aid box in her hands, and a small bottle of water. She dabbed a small gauze patch laced with ointment on the cut on his head. Harry gave a low groan and his eyes fluttered open again. She helped him drink from the bottle of water.

"You'd best tell your police friends not to come around here anymore. The next time, I'm not helping you." she snapped quietly.

"Thank you, Aunt Petunia." he said weakly, sitting up and gently taking the box from her. She snatched it back and finished patching him up. Once again the room went black and they found themselves back in the Great Hall.

Hermione's mind was racing. "So, she helped him? But why?"

"That is what we all would like to know. " said Madam Bones looking at the now fading scroll, as if seeing it for the first time.

"She could have pitied him 'cause he didn't do anything to cause the police to show up." said Dennis.

"That could very well be." said Dumbledore, drying the tears that were falling down his nose and settling into his snow-white beard still nursing his now bruising wrist. "We may never know for sure." Madam Pomfrey hurried over and healed his wrist.

Without warning, dinner arrived on the table, but what they saw, none of them had really seen before in the castle. It was the same fruit bouquets that they had seen at the Dursleys.

The door had opened and Harry walked in.

"So what do you guys think of the flower fruit." said Harry with a broad smile.

"Are you alright?" said Sirius quickly, the three men and Dumbledore rushed over to him.

"I'm fine, why do you ask?" said Harry looking at each of the men with concern.

"You left sort of…funny." said Sirius.

"How did I leave funny? I told you I was going down to the kitchens, to make those things." said Harry pointing over to the table.

Umbridge strained against the bonds but ceased when she saw Tempest scowl at her.

"No, Harry, you didn't, you just walked out of here, not a single word to anybody." said Remus anxiously.

Harry stared at the men with a bewildered look. Dumbledore looked at Harrys and saw…

"He truly believes that we spoke to him when he left." said Dumbledore with a gasp.

"How is that possible?" asked Remus quickly.

"That trance, it made him think or believe that something else transpired. When we saw what really had happened." said Dumbledore.

"The books do have that effect on the subject." said Speckerton from the back of the room. He walked slowly up to the front of the room. "In some cases, they become very protective of the subject of the books, and they tend to have the person pass out during the scrolls or shots and have the person leave for the black Recollection Scrolls. If you remember Mr. Black, the room wouldn't let you leave, but it did let him. The books wanted you to know, but it gave him a chance to bow out."

"These books can think?" said Hermione shocked.

"In a way, yes." said Speckerton simply.

"Could they be the reason that he's sleeping at the drop of a hat?" said Madam Pomfrey.

"No. I don't think that is the reason." said Speckerton thoughtfully. "Passing out is one thing, but if it was the reason, he would have been enveloped in light, and that hasn't happened yet."

Harry watched the adults consult with each other about his apparent narcolepsy, when he coughed loudly. All the adult's eyes turned to him.

"If you let all this fruit go to waste, I'm not cooking again here, you want to talk, do it with a plate." he said waving his wand and conjuring all the plates to come flying into each person's hand.

An hour later, after everyone had their fill of food, and after Mrs. Weasley pestered Harry to teach her how to make the fruit look the way it did, they all began to talk about what had transpired in the scroll.

"What did the police officer want that day?" asked Dr. Clark quietly.

"It was a rookie, his wife wanted the recipe for the pecan pie he took home that afternoon." said Harry taking a bite out of a watermelon tulip.. "He didn't realize that it wasn't a very good idea to do that. He didn't get the recipe until a week later anyway."

"Why didn't you get him the recipe?" asked Mr. Weasley.

"Uncle Vernon wouldn't let me go to the door, and I couldn't go to the station with the bruises and the cuts. The last thing the police need is an incentive to try and help me again and get them in trouble again." said Harry.

Once nine o'clock rolled around, the students drifted off to bed. Sirius threw an arm around Harry's shoulders and led him to the room made up for the three men and Harry specially. When they entered their room, Sirius flung himself on the giant sofa and stretched.

"Merlin, when you come home, I'm going to gain forty pounds on your cooking." said Sirius patting his still flat, but full stomach.

"So are we." said Remus with a large smile with Dr. Clark following him.

Harry smiled brightly and yawned; he muttered about taking a shower and left the room.

All three men sat in the chairs beside the fire, each one as somber as the next, with the scroll weighing heavily in their minds.

"Enough of this depressing crap, where are those drawings? We need to finish planning Harry's wing." said Sirius digging around the couch.

"How can you think about planning? After seeing Harry get struck and hurt like that?" said Remus stunned.

"All we can really do is promise this won't happen to him from now on." said Sirius wisely as he pulled several pieces of parchment and laying them out on the table. "So did we decide on what color his bedroom is going to be?"

"I think we decided on red, with gold trim, did you say wing?" said Dr. Clark. "Just how big is your house?"

"It's the biggest wizarding house in Cheshire." said Sirius without looking up, and then he heard a knocking on the door. "Come in."

Dumbledore came in carrying Harry's small little black book and had a frown on his face. "Where is Harry?" he asked when he saw that the youth was not there.

"He's taking a shower, we thought we would pick up the pace on planning his wing." said Sirius.

"A wing, now? It was a room, now it's a wing?" said Dumbledore with a smile forming on his face.

"Yeah, he's getting older and well, I thought he could use the privacy." said Sirius with a smile.

"Does your mind revolve around sex or what?" said Remus groaning.

"Hey, it's been almost fourteen years, give me some slack here. What can we do for you?" asked Sirius.

"I came to return the book, such a marvelous, I managed to break the code, and I found the lyrics to that song he wrote…he was right, I didn't want to hear it." said Dumbledore, losing the twinkling in his eyes.

"Why?" asked the three men.

"It is a very depression influenced song." said Dumbledore.

"Well, let's hope he doesn't write another one like it." said Remus carefully.

"Mind helping us decorate Harry's rooms? This is taking more thought then I thought it would be." said Sirius with a bright smile.

"I would be happy to help. What have you already gotten down in stone." said Dumbledore regaining the light in his eyes.

"Well, we got the color of his room done, but what to decorate it with, we've got all these magazines on interior decorating, but we just can't pick on we like." said Dr. Clark.

"Have you asked Harry what he would like?" asked Dumbledore.

"It's supposed to be a surprise." said the three men together.

"What's supposed to be a surprise?" said a voice coming from the bathroom.

They all turned and saw Harry, drying his hair with a towel and wrapped warmly in a bathrobe.

"Nothing." said the four men quickly.

"Uh, huh. Mind if I go to bed then? I'm tired as hell." said Harry folding his arms.

"Go for it." said Sirius brightly. "Want me to tuck you in?"

"Nah. I think I can manage on my own. Goodnight." said Harry waving to the men.

They waited till Harry had slipped into the bedroom he shared with Sirius and closed the door.

"Alright, let's get back to work." said Dr. Clark flipping through a bathroom magazine.

"I can turn this old study into a music room for him. I never used it, and he seems to really like music." said Sirius pointing to blueprints of a large estate.

"Kids nowadays like that skiphop music." said Remus thinking out loud.

"Hiphop." corrected Dr. Clark marking different pages.

"Whatever, it isn't the music you and I grew up on." said Remus.

"When does music ever stay constant." said Sirius with a smirk. "Though you've got to admit, the music nowadays has a lot more screaming."

"Harry, seems to favor old fashioned songs, and show tunes." said Dumbledore picking up a magazine on kitchen cabinets.

"How do you know?" said Sirius quickly.

"It was the style that his song was. I went down to the choir room and played the song on one of the pianos." said Dumbledore. "The melody was quite beautiful."

"Oh, well, then I guess keeping it simple would do it best." said Sirius.

"I think Harry would like quick access to the kitchens." said Dumbledore absently looking at a cherry wood spice rack.

Sirius, Remus and Dr. Clark looked up and then at each other.

"I forgot that." said Remus.

"I think the last calming draught you took destroyed your mind." said Sirius shaking his head, "Funny thing is, when I left, there wasn't a kitchen in the house, I always ate out. If 'Psycho Bitch' made a kitchen in that house, I don't think Harry would want to cook in it."

"I wouldn't either." growled Remus. "So let's take this big room on the first floor and make it into the kitchen, give him plenty of space, is that room used for anything?"

"No, it was one of the old living rooms that I never used." said Sirius.

"Why have such a big place when you don't use all the rooms?" asked Dr. Clark.

"I planned on housing all my mates, and their families. That idea didn't pan out, but the house was always there for a bit of a vacation resort." said Sirius with a smirk.

"Before you got sent away, I always crashed at your place. I think Harry will have the time of his life there." said Remus happily.

"Should we get him a pet, you know a dog or something?" asked Sirius absently.

"He has a an owl already. Let's see if he wants another responsibility." said Remus, "besides, after that damned dog bit him, how do we know he even wants a dog, besides you." he looked up at Sirius quickly.

"Does this picture mean that he's got a balcony?" said Dr. Clark pointing to a small square picture.

"Yeah, it looks out to the front gardens and when the sun comes up in the morning, the sun hits you right in the face." said Sirius with a smile.

"Harry will love it." said Dumbledore with a bright smile.

"I hope so." said Sirius worriedly. "Now where's that blasted furniture catalogue?"

Next Chapter: Chapter 36 Estimated time remaining: 16 Hours, 7 Minutes
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