Harry Potter and the Dark Future

Chapter 2: Changes

Harry returned to his home at 8:30, soaked to the skin. My home, Harry mused silently. This isn't my home. A home is a place where you are loved. My home is Hogwarts, or The Burrow.

*************

The instant he walked through the door, his Aunt swooped down on him like an overgrown vulture.

"HARRRRRREEEEEEE!" she screeched.

Harry winced. Her screeches were almost as bad as the Mandrake's cries.

" What do you think you're doing tramping into the house soaked to the bone at half eight in the morning ? What is wrong with you? Now get upstairs and AAARRRRGGGGHH! My new carpet! Do you have any idea how much that cost your Uncle and I ? You are pushing your luck you ungrateful brat, why we even took you in is beyond me, you are just a filthy layabout, you will never amount to nothing, and "

Harry tuned her out as she took a deep breath and carried on with her tyrant of abuse and squelched his way upstairs and entered the bathroom. He locked the door, discarded his soaking wet clothes, and jumped in the shower. The hot water washed away the coldness he felt and he left his troubles behind for a few glorious moments, relaxing in the comfortable warmth the shower provided.

Washed and refreshed, Harry stepped out of the shower and proceeded to dry himself. As he did so, his reflection caught his eye. As he looked at his body, he realised that he was mostly skin and bone, and hardly had any muscle.

The next morning Harry arose at 5:00 AM, ready to go through with his plan. He had spent most of the previous day planning a work-out routine, which he was determined to follow for the rest of the summer. He figured that if he kept himself busy and physically exhausted he would be too tired to have nightmares and would stop dwelling on the past so much, with the added bonus of being more than just skin and bone by the end of the summer. But he knew, deep down, that there was only one reason why he was doing this: To destroy Voldemort. He was training for a day that he knew would come soon, the day he would kill Voldemort, and he figured that having a strong body would not hurt. After all, not all battles are magical, some are physical, Harry continually reminded himself.

He would wake at sunrise, which would be roughly around 5:00 AM for the rest of the summer, go for a one hour jog , do fifty press ups, some sit ups, some chin ups on a swing bar at the park, and then he would go for a half-hour run. He would then return to Privet Drive, have some breakfast, and do the chores that the Dursleys had set for him that day. When he had finished all his chores, usually around 9:00, he would do the same routine that he followed in the morning. He would then go back to Privet Drive (he had stopped calling it home), have a quick shower, and when he was sure the Dursleys were all asleep, sneak some food out of the kitchen and do his school homework in the sitting room late into the night as quietly as he could, retreating to his bed when he was too tired to stay awake any longer.

***********

After a week of this new routine, Harry was happier than he had ever been in Privet Drive. He only saw the Dursleys at Breakfast when they gave him his list of chores for the day, and at night when he told them that he had finished them. Otherwise he only ever saw them in passing. This was just how Harry liked it. He was very surprised that he hadn't been caught doing his homework either. He also found that his plan was working, because with his mind concentrated hard on something else, he had no time to think dark and depressing thoughts, except when he reminded himself what he was training for, and because he was always so tired when he went to sleep, he did not have any nightmares.

There were more added bonuses as well though. Harry found that even after just a week, he already felt much more physically stronger, and felt more confident within himself. He also found that he could get his homework done much quicker at the sitting room table, probably because it was more comfortable, and it was very relaxing , sitting on a comfortable sofa in a warm room studying magic, after the hard physical labour he endured during the day.

The first few days of the routine had drained Harry so much that he started asking himself why he was even bothering , and was it worth it. But every time he came close to giving it all up an image of Voldemort's face came into his head, taking away all emotions except for his raw naked hatred for the so-called man and after thinking like that each time he nearly gave it up, the routine had become easier and easier.

Three weeks later, Harry had actually moulded himself into the routine, and it was as normal to him as brushing his teeth or eating. His muscles were growing rapidly, as if they had needed this exercise for a long time. But he had reached a block in the road.

He had finished all his homework, and this put him in a sticky spot, Harry thought as he dwelled on it one morning in his room before breakfast. What would he do every night, if he had finished all his homework? He couldn't just go to sleep, because he wouldn't be totally exhausted, and then he would have nightmares. Harry hadn't had a nightmare since he had started the routine, and was damned if he was going to have one now. He needed something else to concentrate on. I could re-read my homework He mused silently. What's the point, you've already checked it a million times another part of his brain told him.

Just then a sharp knocking distracted Harry from his thoughts and he turned his head towards the window to see Hedwig hovering there, an envelope tied to her. He opened the window to let her in and she swooped gracefully into the room and on to Harry's bed. He walked over to her and untied the envelope from her. He tore open the envelope to reveal a piece of parchment and a copy of the Daily Prophet. Harry unfolded the parchment and immediately recognised the soft, flowing handwriting as Hermione's. It read:

Dear Harry,

How are you? Are the Dursleys treating you okay?

Your last letter sounded suspiciously happy, are you sure you' re okay?

In case you're wondering I'm fine, my Mum and Dad wouldn' t let me go

to Bulgaria to see Viktor, they said I was too young " to go running off to

some Bulgarian lad's hideaway in the mountains where he takes advantage

of young girls like you ". Honestly, Viktor isn't like that at all, he'd never

take advantage of me and besides he's not even that much older than me

anyway, but try telling THEM that.

Sorry Harry I got a bit carried away there didn' t I? So how are you? You' re

not thinking about things too much are you? Please don't Harry, it's in the

past and you can' t change the past. Well, you can with a time turner but even

that won't work for something that is meant to be. Don't get angry, you always

knew he was going to come back sooner or later didn't you? After all, Professor

Trelawney predicted it back in third year and I know that she's a fraud but

Professor Dumbeldore seemed to think it was a real prediction didn't he? That's

what you said. My Mum and Dad were really scared when I told them about it all,

it must be so hard for them to know I'm in danger and not being able to do

anything about it.

I really hope that you're not thinking about all this too much and if you haven't

been I'm sorry to have brought it up. But Harry, nothing that happened was your fault,

okay? IT WAS NOT YOUR FAULT HARRY POTTER , and if you think any differently

I'll send you a thousand howlers and I'd also be happy to perform that

Curse of the Bogies that Ron threatened me and Neville with back in first year,

remember? I never got round to telling him how to use that did I? Ah well, I'm sure it's

better that he doesn't know it, he'd probably tell Fred and George and that wouldn't be

pleasant.

Sorry about that I do go on a bit don't I? But I mean it Harry, it wasn't your fault.

You didn't know that the cup was a portkey and there was nothing you could have done

to save Cedric, it wasn't your fault. If you knew the cup was a portkey, let it take you and

Cedric away and then pointed your wand at his heart and said the killing curse, then it

would have been your fault, but you done none of those things and certainly didn't know

about the cup being a portkey. It wasn't your fault. You could have done nothing to stop

them. It wasn't your fault. Please don't think it was Harry, because it wasn't.

Right, on to a nicer subject now. I'm sorry that this letter is so long, I've just got a lot to

talk about right now, too much time round Parvati and Lavender at Hogwarts I suppose.

So, do you think that Professor Dumbledore will let you go to the Burrow this summer?

Ron told me that Professor Dumbledore was putting up lots of protective and anti-apparition

wards around the Burrow, so it should be safe enough for us all to be there. I really do hope

you can come, because I'm not going there without you and don't even bother trying to change

my mind because it won't work. We're a trio, me you and Ron, and we do things together or not

at all, it just wouldn't be the same without you there Harry. Besides, I think I kinda gave Ron

the impression last year that I liked him, you know, in that way, but I don't, I just can't see him

in that way, he's like a brother to me, and it would just be too weird and uncomfortable at the

Burrow without you there, and us two like that. I do hope you can come, I can't wait to see you

again.

I'll owl you on Wednesday ( your birthday in case you've forgotten ) and I'll try and see if

we can all meet up in Diagon Alley sometime soon, I'll try and arrange it okay? If not I'll see

you at the Burrow or on the Hogwarts Express on September the first.

Love from

Hermione

P.S Don't even bother trying to find out if you can change the past with a Time Turner, I've

already researched it.

Harry laughed inwardly and grinned. He was certainly not going to bother researching about the Time Turner if Hermione already had. She was an excellent researcher, she had found out about the Philosopher's Stone when no other student in the school knew about it, and that was back in first year. In second year she had figured out that Slytherin's monster in the Chamber of Secrets was a Basilisk, in third year she had figured out that Professor Lupin was a werewolf and had done all that research for Buckbeak's case, and last year she had helped Harry learn loads of new curses for the third task, looking every single one up. Harry grinned again. He was certainly not even going to bother doubting her, he knew she'd be right in the end. But it would have given him something to do at night.

In all truth, Harry had actually forgotten about his birthday on Wednesday. He had been so absorbed in his new routine that he had practically forgotten about most things, the date being one of them. He wondered if Dumbledore would let him go to the Burrow for his birthday, if only for a day. Harry hoped he would, he really wanted to see everyone again.

Not really wanting to go down to Breakfast yet, Harry decided to leaf through the Daily Prophet and see if there was any news about Voldemort or the Death Eaters yet. He leafed through it but found nothing about them at all, the main headline being: " bored 55- year old housewife witch invents new charm to make a full pot of tea in 2.4 seconds! ". Harry was just finishing reading about the Chudley Cannon's latest defeat to Puddlemere United ( 370- 40 ) when an advert caught his eye. The advert was in colour, the only thing in colour in the whole paper, and the colours were continually changing. It read:

'' Having problems getting out and about? Starting

magical school but can't get out to get your books?

Already in school but sick of reading your

textbooks over and over again?

Or are you a big reader, straining for new information

but with limited means of travel? Well then look no

further, your problems are solved!

Bowman's Bouncing Book Shop and Octo's Owl

Delivery have formed a secure partnership to offer

their services to the less able to travel witch or wizard

to ensure that they are not deprived of reading material

and do not die of boredom! Choose from a giant selection

of books from our highly varied range, including Charms for

around the house and changing your pride and joy: Without

getting your hands dirty.

Editor's book of the month: " Magical me no more: The

mysterious disappearance of Gilderoy Lockhart "

To order your own free of charge 574 page catalogue, simply

tap your wand to the advertisement and say: Resolvo Catalogus

Note that this is not classed as underage magic, so underage

witches and wizards are entitled to order a free catalogue.

We at Bowman's Bouncing Book Shop and Octo's Owl

Deliviery hope and encourage you to use our fantastic service

soon, to broaden your minds and feed them with new knowledge!

Also note that one catalogue per wand is permitted, the charm will

be disabled after being used once. "

Harry smiled, a real smile, his first one since he had stepped out of Kings Cross Station at the start of the holidays. This is too good to be true, this is perfect for something to do at night he thought to himself as he rummaged through his trunk to find his wand. Why is it that the thing you need the most from a trunk is always at the bottom? He mused to himself.

Two minutes later he emerged triumphantly with his wand in his hand, the contents of his trunk strewn all over the floor. Glancing at his alarm clock, he saw that it was nearly 10:00. His Aunt was going to flip. Sure enough, a second later, his Aunt's war cry was heard from downstairs:

"HARRRRRREEEEEEE!"

Harry cringed at the sound, inwardly kicking himself for not keeping track of time. He quickly ordered the catalogue, left it with his wand on his desk and left his room to enjoy a lovely day with his kind and caring Aunt.

At quarter past midnight that night Harry stumbled into his room, half awake. He had been in the living room since 10:30 flicking through the catalogue to see what books caught his interest. He had found many books that he was interested in, but was sure he had seen most of them in the Hogwarts Library, so he thought it a bit pointless to buy them ones, and eventually his list went down to about twenty. On his list were four Defense Against the Dark Arts books, but ones that went beyond what they taught at Hogwarts, ones that were essentially textbooks for witches and Wizards studying advanced DADA at magical University. He had five books on duelling and duelling technique, something that he knew was going to be important when he killed Voldemort. The image of him killing Voldemort had lately brought a smile to the young boy's face, as he imagined watching the Dark Lord writhing in agony at his feet, and then spitting on him. He had a few books on both sword fighting and martial arts, two skills that he thought might come in useful in the future. He had a book on Godric Gryffindor on the list, solely for the reason that he was interested in the man who had founded his house and helped create Hogwarts. He also had a book that had every recorded prophecy from over a thousand years ago up to the present day recorded in it. Harry had this one on there so he could see if there were any prophecies involving Voldemort that might help Harry defeat him. Not defeat Harry reminded himself. Not defeat, kill. He also had a few books that were packed full of Spells, Charms, Curses and Jinxes, the ones used by Aurors for attacking dark wizards. Harry planned to learn every one of these.

He had written down everything he wanted along with relevant information i.e Gringotts vault number etc. on the order sheet that he had found in the middle of the catalogue. He planned to send his order off with Hedwig that night and then collapse into bed.

Unfortunately things were going to be a bit more complicated than that. After silently shutting his door, Harry turned around to face his room and saw Hedwig lying on the bed, a pool of blood surrounding her entire body, with only one eye left and half her feathers missing. And lying next to her, unaffected by the blood, the blood just seeming to go around it, was a pure black envelope decorated around the edges with silver and green and for its wax seal was a skull, with a serpent emerging from its mouth like a tongue.