Disclaimer: All Harry Potter characters and story affiliations mentioned in this fan fiction all belong to JK Rowling and legal associations. I own nothing of it nor am I profiting from it now and planning too in the future in any way. The only exception of profit is to my self for literary improvement.
Author to Reader Note: This chapter is only to introduce the plot and mention Harry's leaving of the Dursleys'. The following chapters will dwell further.
Let me also ask that any and all readers please remember that when I started this story in October (10/23/02), it was only based on the first four books along with my perceptions of the characters at that time. So while reading, most definitely there will be a large difference between this and OoP. A few things in this story are elements that I generated from my imagination and are not based directly in the four books, just something I wanted. I'll warn you now that I am an H/Hr shipper.
I do hope any and all readers do enjoy this story.
Created 10/23/02
Revised 7/14/03
Harry Potter and the Turmoil Within
Chapter 1
The Turmoil Begins
The walls stood high covered in patched moss of green filth glossed by moisture no human dare touch. A thick putrid fog, smelling of rotten things, wafted about the air. Darkness consumed nearly all that could have been seen, for the small amount light made available from an unseen moon revealed only a few feet of the corridor. Harry was in a maze, one even worse than at the tournament. His tattered robes and school dressing did nothing to defend against the icy cold that enveloped him. The worst of it all was that his wand was gone and where it was he did not know or even how he lost it.
A multitude of muffled sounds came in every direction around Harry except for one. It could be distinctly heard from somewhere high above, a shrilled banshee like laughter of claws scraping chalkboards.
Harry moved slowly through the freezing labyrinth, with no progress that he could sense.
A sound of wind whistled behind him and Harry swore there was a whispering voice calling his names.
The wind whistled louder again and this time he heard it.
Harry
Harry rushed as fast as he could through the corridors but the calling whisper only came closer and louder, in the whistling winds.
Harry tripped on landed hard on the gravel ground. He tried to stand but his body was giving into the numbness of cold. He looked ahead only to regret it. Eyes stared back at him, floating in the darkness with no face to claim them and no body to give recognition to. They just seemed to float there.
These eyes were glowing, red as blood and ablaze in furious fire yet cold as the depths of the icy maze.
Harry looked upon these eyes and a familiarity came to him. The eyes began to glide slowly towards him as the whispering voice grew ever more loudly and nearer. The eyes came within a moment's distance from him and the voice called again, yelling.
HARRY!
And with that Harry opened his eyes and sat up quickly, gasping for breath. He surveyed his bedroom in blurred vision.
Yet another nightmare had come to pass….
The nightmares continued as they had since the beginning when his fourth year had ended and summer holidays began.
Almost night after night the nightmares played their demented show in Harry's unwilling mind, giving only a night or two's retreat. Since the beginning of the holiday, the nightmares had grown steadily in intensity from just the foul smelling maze to the muffled sounds evolving to the whispered voice and now cold eyes of blood filled hate.
Harry cursed as he sat there feeling the cold sensation in his scar, which was worsened by the immense cold sweat upon his brow that always accumulated during the nearly nightly replays of depravity.
Sometimes he would wake up from these dreams in the early morning hours and just lay there awake, unable to consider the concept of sleep, which his body reciprocated in disagreement. He'd lay there in silence broken only by Hedwig's return home from a night's hunt with a hoot gesturing a full stomach and a need for rest. There were sounds from the few nocturnal creatures of night like crickets finishing their time while early birds woke to begin the daily foraging. Harry lay there while the world continued on its schedule and he could not follow as others did, Magic or Muggle alike.
Harry sighed deeply to himself as he stared at the ceiling still able to picture those demonic eyes, which now began to haunt his dreams nearing the end of the holidays.
The summer holidays…
This holiday had been quite different than the last three had been or any for that matter. After having been returned to Pivet Drive, the Dursleys' view of Harry had not changed at all. They still prevented him from leaving the house most of the time. They still regarded him as abnormal with no value above garbage. Aunt Petunia still barraged Harry with numerous chores and garden work. Dudley still got whatever he wanted.
Yet life at Privet drive was a bit different than the normal way it had followed in previous times. Dudley had lost quite a bit of weight. Smeltings had decided to increase his diet program considerably. He didn't rival killer whales in size now and had slimmed down a bit but he was still easily mistaken for a large beach ball. He was even starting to resemble his mother more than his father now but his brain was still as slow as a snail's pace.
Another difference was there were hardly any arguments between Harry and his Uncle. A fact even Vernon and Petunia had seemed to notice. Harry had done nearly everything he was ordered to do with barely a whisper of resistance. Vernon would come down to the kitchen ready to yell for Harry to make breakfast but find it already done or finishing with Harry in the kitchen. Petunia would make ready to order Harry to tend her garden only to find him already at it, pulling weeds, laying the fertilizing manure or trimming the many bushes.
Though they had not voiced it, this was starting to concern the Aunt and Uncle. Harry was doing things without being told and without argument.
They had learned that since Harry had returned from his ludicrous school, as Vernon regarded it, Harry had not taken any of his school items from his trunk aside from clothes nor mentioned anything about the months he had been gone. For the Dursleys' this was quite welcomed but it was disturbing how quiet and des-spirited Harry had been acting these weeks. Dudley would poke and make fun of Harry in many ways but it was like pushing a doll around for Harry wouldn't react. Though their feelings for the boy were unnoticeable to say the least, they were starting to feel as though he might be planning something and make things badly 'different' for them.
Luckily for the Dursleys' relief would arrive two weeks before the start of the term on September 1st even if it would be an unwelcome kind of relief brought about by their own incessant need for 'normalness'.
One day while the male Dursleys' had gone shopping for Dudley's school things and Harry was toiling in the garden, Petunia had made up her mind to do something she never conceived she would ever do. Petunia opened the door to Harry's room and she spoke briskly in a matter of fact like tone to someone in that room.
"Alright you, I know what you do and I just so happen to have something for you. Give me any trouble an there'll be hell to pay."
With that Petunia stepped into the room withdrawing something from her apron pocket.
Late one morning, while Vernon was at the office and Dudley had gone to the cinema with some friends, the doorbell to number four Privet drive rang and Petunia promptly answered a minute later. She opened the door to be greeted by young freckled teenage girl accompanied by a plump woman bearing a broad smile and small wrapped package in her hands. It was easy to see that both were obviously related in Petunia's eyes given that they both had reddest hair she had ever seen.
"Hello," began the plump woman at the door, "I am ever so glad to meet you!"
"Good morning," replied Petunia believing these people to be the new neighbors moving in down the street of Pivet drive.
However, a moment later, Petunia suddenly developed the nagging feeling that she had met this woman before.
The woman handed Petunia the wrapped package in her hands and said brightly, "I thought a nice Toffee cake would be a nice way to say hello and introduce myself."
"Why thank you," responded Petunia as she took the item into her own hands and stepped back from the door, "Won't you please come in and have some tea?"
Petunia still could not get over the feeling she had of familiarity with this unnamed woman. The young lady stepped in followed by her mother.
"That would be wonderful," excitedly replied the woman while her daughter stood slightly behind quizzically looking about.
Petunia was ready to lead them to the kitchen but something in the smile upon the woman's face made it seem unnecessary to do so.
"I'm terribly sorry but we don't have time for that lovely invitation. We only wanted to introduce ourselves and finish what you asked," stated the woman warily, her smile changing to a devious grin.
Petunia's nagging feeling of familiarity changed to very unsettling, as she looked upon these two.
"What I asked," asked Petunia nervously?
"Now I don't want a fuss. I know you're not happy with those like me in your home or even around for that matter. And I don't intend for there to be any hysterics or foolishness that has accompanied before in the past," stated the strange woman.
"What… who are you," Petunia began but was cut off as the woman pulled a small folded envelop from her pocket?
It was the same envelop; the very envelope Petunia had given to the owl.
"We are here for Harry and I apologize for the unmentioned arrival but I wanted to avoid as much trouble as I could. I was quite surprised to see who the letter was from," stated the woman, "Considering how you feel about your sister Lily, I would never have expected you to contact me."
"Molly" whispered Petunia in a rigid state.
"Yes quite right, Molly… actually Molly Weasley now. This is my daughter and youngest child Ginny. I believe you met my husband and my rather 'enthusiastic' boys last year about this time. I decided that things would be much smoother if I were to come to avoid any repeats," happily stated Mrs. Weasley.
Petunia stood there dumbfounded with no idea what to do. She was alone in the house without help surrounded by… them.
With a gestured look from her mother, Ginny opened the door they had entered and there stood Fred and George who entered quite stiffly and quietly while being eyed by their mother.
"Remember what I said. No tricks, jokes or anything of the sort. We're guests here and this woman deserves respect without her home becoming some kind of manor of mischief," warned Mrs. Weasley to the boys," Now go and fetch Harry… and I mean it… or de-gnoming the garden will be a delight to the punishment you'll get if your toes so much as itch with an idea."
The boys scooted up the stairs knowing the way while only saying "Yes mother."
An awkward silence followed as the boys went to Harry's room to greet him and help gather his school things. Minutes began to pass. Petunia stood exactly where she was. Mrs. Weasley began to glance upward more and more at the stairs as time past by. She knew right well that those boys wouldn't be doing anything silly because they knew they'd rather deal with Professor Snape than her temper.
Ginny was fighting hard to suppress the rising giggles in her as she stole quick glances at Harry's aunt. Petunia was as white as her apron and looked as though someone had used the petrificus spell to make her so rigid and statue like.
Mrs. Weasley on the other hand was trying hard to settle herself from the desire to storm up the steps to devastate whatever stunt the mischievous duo were planning. She reminded herself that Harry had not been previously informed of their arrival and may have needed a few minutes to realize that the Weasley family was here to take him back to the Burrow. So he'd need more time to gather his things. But something about how quiet things were bothered the boys' mother.
Just as she had finally had enough of the unknowing and was about to proceed up the stairs ready for a tirade, George and Fred appeared carrying a trunk between them down the stairs while balancing an empty owl cage.
"Er… Mum," began Fred uneasily," I think you should go up and see Harry?"
"Goodness what's wrong," was all Mrs. Weasley could say as she hurried past and up the stairs trying to prepare for whatever joke the boys had set up unable to resist their urge?
The site that greeted her was not what she had expected.
Harry was sitting on the edge of his bed with his face looking down at the floor. Hedwig must have flown off to the awaiting perch at the Burrow. Mrs. Weasley cautiously walked in and sat next Harry.
His skin, though tanned from garden work, was strangely pale. His eyes looked tired and far away. The strangest sight was his hair; normally a pointed mess now was nearly flat and dull looking having lost its luster.
"Is something wrong, Harry? Ron didn't come because I didn't tell him I was coming to get you. It's to be sort of a surprise for the both of you. I wanted the transition form here to be as quick as possible for us all," quietly whispered Mrs. Weasley anticipating that Harry was hurt at Ron not coming.
Harry just remained motionless and didn't respond.
Mrs. Weasley was getting worried now, "Harry talk to me?"
At this Harry lifted his head at looked at her with his wearied eyes, "I don't think I should leave."
Mrs. Weasley guessed easily what Harry meant.
-He must view his presence as dangerous for others. - She thought.
But she wasn't going to let him think like that and she'd be damned if anyone would stop her from taking him home for reasons she had yet to say.
She grabbed his arm as she stood and pulled him to his feet. She started to almost drag him across the room. Harry was very surprised by her swift action but followed without question.
She stopped at the doorway, turning to look at him and with very matter of fact like tone replied, "Harry you are part of my family... No question about it... I will not have you stay in this dreadful place a moment longer... Ron has been going on about how you and we've all been just as worried… Dark wizards may be after you but that's not 'your' fault just as everything else that has happened is not anything to be blamed at you either... Now I won't have any more this."
And without struggle Harry followed Mrs. Weasley out of the room and down the stairs. He said a quick goodbye to his still very rigid Aunt and stepped out the door feeling a bit better than he had in some time. Ginny was in the front passenger seat of an orange four door car half of herself leaning out the window with big warm smile while Fred and George stood on opposite sides of the open back door with big grins on their faces. Mrs. Weasley headed around the car while Fred ushered Harry in followed by George.
Mrs. Weasley started the car and began driving away. The giggles and snorts of laughter over Petunia's reaction at an invasion of wizards and witches into her home could no longer be held back any longer. Even Mrs. Weasley could hardly contain herself anymore over the humorous look on the woman's face. Before they could finally simmer down to talk to Harry, he was already fast asleep, this time peacefully.
What they never notice, Magical or Muggle alike, was someone down the street a short ways standing in the shadow of garage. A being with dim silver eyes gleaming while their body remained hidden by the shadows.
The unknown person whispered to no one, "The Turmoil Begins."
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