Eyes of Green, Heart of Gold
by Aellaheh
Chapter One,
Magic Is Everywhere
Number 4 Private Drive,
July 31st
Harry sighed as he heard Uncle Vernon yell for him, even on his 6th birthday he didn't get a break. He carefully placed the bucket and mop he had been holding in the corner. Then he ran his hands several times over his baggy jeans to dry them.
"Coming, Uncle Vernon!" He yelled back. He walked cautiously out of the kitchen, past his cupboard and ducked just in time to miss his cousin Dudley's fist and ignored the smirk that followed. He kept walking, with his head down, until he was directly in front of his Uncle.
" Yes, sir?" He spoke quietly, his young voice trembling in fear. Vernon sneered at him, the expression making him resemble a bull dog.
" Boy, we, that is, Petunia, Dudley and I will be leaving for a while. You will be left alone here. Do not even think of stepping outside the door. You are allowed access to your cupboard, the kitchen and the bathroom. Do I make myself clear, boy?" As Vernon laid down the rules, his voice got louder and his face grew gradually more purple. His multiple chins were quivering with emotion, looking sickeningly like jello.
Harry nodded meekly and shifted his feet nervously, still looking toward the ground. Vernon took one look at his nephew, and growled out,
" You will look at me when I speak to you, freak!" A huge, beefy hand smacked the small boy across his head with force. Harry whimpered and clutched his pounding head with one hand. Uncle Vernon then grabbed the boy's thin wrist until Harry looked up at him with tear-filled green eyes, then with a twist and a horrifying crack, he broke it. Vernon let it go harshly and smirked, leaving the thin boy laying on the floor, sobbing.
Harry always looked up at his Uncle from then on.
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- ---
June 12th
Morning
Five years later, almost eleven-year-old Harry Potter walked down an empty street, his skinny arms full with a bulging brown paper bag. He had been sent by a note written the night before to got to the Grocery store and buy candy for his cousin and his cousin's friends, along with milk and some other food items.
Harry walked silently, his head up and proud, even as he had to stop to pull up his baggy pants. His emerald green eyes stared straight ahead as if he were thinking of nothing more than to get home as quickly as possible. His black hair stuck up oddly, blowing this way and that in the warm wind.
It was June. Harry didn't like summer much, when it was summer he had to pay special attention to his Aunt's flowers and had to stay outside for hours. His only water source in that time of year was from the garden hose. Harry walked up the path leading to the front door and quietly opened it. It was eight o'clock, but Harry had gotten up and out at six. He wasn't sure if anyone was awake.
Harry walked in, carefully overstepping a small pile of letters by the door. He went to the kitchen and gently placed the bag on the table. Five minutes later, when Harry was done putting everything away ( his cousin's candy gets left in a huge jar by the refrigerator), he went and collected the mail ( not looking at it, because once he had found a postcard from some lady Vernon had met on a trip, and boy, had the picture on that been rated NC-17) when it occurred to him that it was Sunday. There was no mail on Sunday. Curiosity won Harry's internal battle and he looked down at the letter. What he saw surprised him.
On all four of the ancient looking parchment envelopes, in emerald green ink, were the words;
Harry Potter The Cupboard Under the Stairs.
Number 4 Privet Drive Little Whinging, Surrey.
Harry looked around, and quietly slipped them into his pant's pocket. Just in time, it seems, as just then, he heard his uncle's heavy footsteps come thundering down the stairs. Harry winced, thinking; A good thing I put my blanket over my bed, sleeping in all that dust would have been horrible. He tried to hide his curiosity about the letters from showing on his face.
" Boy, I see you followed instructions, now get your freaky self out of my kitchen, I don't want you touching my food." Harry nodded meekly, staring up at his Uncle huge round face, and quietly slipped out of the room, when Vernon sat down. The Dursley's had been acting very strange lately. They hadn't been nice, but certainly more tolerably than usual.
Once safely in his cupboard, Harry opened one of the mysterious letters. Who could be writing to him, he wondered?
Two parchments unfold and, there, written in the same green ink, was an acceptance letter to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and a list of supplies needed. Harry stared at the letter for a moment, then shrugged his shoulders, weirder things have happened. Like the time I burned a hole in the carpet with my hand, or the time I flew to the school roof. Maybe that stuff could finally be explained.
HOGWARTS SCHOOL
of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
Headmaster: ALBUS DUMBLEDORE (Order of Merlin,
First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,
Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards.)
Dear Mr. Potter,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed list of all necessary books and equipment.
Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall,
Deputy Headmistress
Harry looked amazed at the paper. Cool! The next page was interesting, a cauldron, a wand, robes, etc. If this were true, then he, strange freaky Harry Potter, was a WIZARD, and a completely normal one at that! Harry took two calming breaths. He had no need for the other three letters, but he opened them to make sure all the letterswere identical. He folded up the first letter he opened and put it back in the envelope, then he folded the envelope and stashed it in the very back of his cupboard.
He turned to the other three letters and concentrated, wanting to experiment with this Magic stuff. He heard a roaring sound in his ears and red sparks danced behind his closed eye lids. After awhile he opens his eyes, and he saw, in place of the letters, a pile of plain black ash. He felt that he had been sweating and shaking. Okay, that was tiring, he thought to himself.
As he laid down to regain his energy, he thought of a problem. How was he going to get to this Hogwarts place, what did they mean by owl and how was he going to get the supplies?
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- - -- -- -- -- --
Albus Dumbledore's office, Hogwarts.
June 12th
Albus Dumbledore sat at his desk, quietly humming around a lemon drop in his mouth. All these years and they were still as delicious to him as they were the first day he was offered one on All Hallow's Eve by a small Muggle child, 11 years ago.
So, as he was humming, he almost failed to notice the purple flashing light that signified Harry had finally received his letter. All the other Muggle raised children had already received their letters and a teacher had instructed the guardians on where to buy supplies, now, a teacher for Harry . . . hmm . . . Severus maybe? No, all he will do is frighten the young boy out of his wits. Minerva? She's on vacation visiting her sister. Hagrid? Oh, right, he's off capturing Flobberworms for Professor Kettleburn for a couple days. Pomora? She's not doing anything . . . Yes. She will do nicely.
Dumbledore stood up and winced slightly at the popping noises his bones made. He walked over to a jar shaped like a curious Muggle television character named Elmo, and pulled off its head, then he proceeded to take out a pinch of Floo powder and toss it into the ever burning fire in his fireplace.
" Pomora Sprout, Greenhouse Cottage." Though he was always exceedingly amused at the name, he kept his face straight, but was unable to keep his eyes from twinkling, so when Pomora casually stepped out of the grand fireplace, and look up at him, she immediately smiled and asked.
" What's so funny, Albus?" She looked at him curiously, the large smile still on her face. Her flyaway hair had leaves and twigs in it, there was a smudge of dirt on her cheek, and her earth-colored robes made her look like some strange plant. Obviously, she had just been attending to her huge garden.
" Oh, nothing, my dear Professor. Please sit." He motioned to the chair facing his desk. After Pomora was comfortably seated, he sat down behind his desk. He lifted up the silver bowl that contained lemon drops and held it out. Pomora cheerfully picked one up at threw it in her mouth. Dumbledore smiled at her and set the bowl down, folding his hands neatly one over the other.
" Now, as you know, school will be starting soon, and one Muggle-raised student has not yet been directed to Diagon Alley to buy his supplies." Pomora looked surprised at the news and exclaimed.
" So late?! School starts soon!" Dumbledore nodded gravely.
"Yes, his Guardians are not the most tolerable and have not allowed him to see the letter until now. He has his letter and I would like you to go and fetch him. As I doubt his guardians will take him shopping, I must ask you to do so. I have his Gringotts key and he may buy what he wishes." Dumbledore took a golden key out of his desk drawer and slid it over to the professor. Pomora looked at the key, then looked at Dumbledore.
" He has a Gringotts key, but he was raised by Muggles? Who is this boy?"
"He, my dear, is Harry Potter. Now –" Dumbledore was cut off abruptly by a shocked Professor Sprout.
" Harry Potter . . . Goodness Albus! You want me, to take Harry Potter shopping for his school supplies?! THE Harry Potter, defeater of You-Know-Who! And his guardians sound horrible! Does he even know he's famous!? What shall I say to him?" The poor Professor looked to be almost in tears. Dumbledore was alarmed. He had not expected the Professor to take the news quite like that.
"My dear, he is just a young boy, a special young boy, but a child nonetheless. I do not know if he is aware of his importance to the Wizarding world, I am not even sure that he knew he was a wizard before receiving the letter. It might be a bit difficult to convince him to come with you, but I'm sure everything will be fine." He reached over and patted one of her pudgy hands. "It will be fine."
Pomora nodded and visibly relaxed. Then she looked up with her dirt brown eyes and asked quietly.
"Shall I get him tomorrow then? At around 10 AM. I can expect to be there." Dumbledore nodded and pulled out some parchment and a quill.
" I shall write to inform him of these happenings. You may leave and get prepared if you wish." He twinkled happily at her for a second. She stood up, gave him a shaky smile and Flooed to her Cottage. Dumbledore returned to writing his letter.
-- -- -- - -- -- -- - -- - -- - -- -- -- -- --
Dursley Residence,
July 12th Noon
Harry was sitting in the Dursley Garden. The sun was hot on his back and his eyes were semi-shut. He had rested after using what he figured was termed Magic and was now fine. It was around 12, and everyone except Aunt Petunia and Harry, was gone. Suddenly his hazy peace was disturbed when a medium sized caramel-colored owl flew over and landed on the bench, next to him. Harry jumped up and looked around. What the . . .
The owl hooted and put out its leg. Tied around the scaly leg was a rolled up sheet of yellow parchment like his Magic letters. He carefully reached out a hand to pet the owl and realized it wasn't going to hurt him, so he quickly untied the letter. While he unrolled it, he could feel the owl's golden eyes following his every move and was surprised to feel uncomfortable. The letter wasn't over long and it was written in a deep royal blue ink. Harry read through it quickly.
Dear Mr. Potter,
I am sure by now that you have received your Hogwarts letter, and you might be somewhat confused. That is why I send this Letter. I am Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I am sending a teacher tomorrow at 10 AM to take you shopping for your school supplies in London. She will also take you to buy your ticket for the train to school, which leaves September the 1st. Please do not be worried when she arrives, all will be explained.
If you do not believe any of this is true, please ask the teacher to demonstrate for you before you leave with her. Also, if you have any questions, please send them to me with this owl, she knows where to go.
Sincerely, Headmaster Albus Dumbledore.
Harry looked at the owl sitting comfortably on the garden bench then back at the yellow parchment letter. He smacked himself on the forehead and muttered.
"What have I gotten myself into?"
TBC
A/N: mhm . . . That concludes the first chapter of Green and Gold ( the name was a semi-joke between me and my sister... I thought it was cute I was just going to name it green and gold, but I think this describes it better...slytherin green eyes with a pure heart of gold, so Harry sigh ). :P I am trying to be a serious author for once, instead of little crappy Gin/ Dray one shots, and this is how I'll start. I wrote a little bit of this chapter whenever I had time over a period of two weeks, which is how this story will function . . . so expect an update around every two or three weeks.
Please Review but be respectful, I write because I enjoy writing, but what my readers think means a lot to me. Flames, when reasonable, are welcome, so are criticisms when they are meant to help. All questions will be answered if they don't get in the way of the plot, because I don't want to reveal what shouldn't be revealed yet.
Cheers!
Laleh ;)