Can somebody give me a link to somewhere where I can read the Harry Potter book online? Or at least the beginning of it... I takes forever to reach my mail :|
I found something but is it real? Please tell, cause I don't wanna start reading a false story! ^^
Chapter One
Secrets Unraveled
Harry slowly raised his head and stared morosely at the familiar visage
of number four, Privet Drive. What had already been a horrible day was
rapidly getting worse. Not only did he have to appear unannounced on
the Dursleys’ doorstep (something he knew they’d have no problem
expressing their displeasure over), but he’d also have to tell them
that two other freaks would be joining him this afternoon. The corner
of Harry’s mouth twitched humorlessly as he envisioned how they’d take
the news.
He’d left Ron and Hermione at King’s Cross station a little over an
hour ago. They were each going to make quick stops at their respective
homes before Apparating to Privet Drive. Harry smiled fondly,
remembering their show of solidarity. He hadn’t been expecting it; he’d
thought he’d be going on alone. Although he was desperately worried
about them and the remainder of their quest, he had to admit that the
thought of some support while facing his relatives was quite nice
indeed.
Harry had thought it would be better – or at least less embarrassing –
if he arrived at Privet Drive first and prepared his relatives for
their arrival. He’d wanted to get away from the Hogwarts Express and
the other students as quickly as possible…before he ran into Ginny.
Ginny.
Harry quickly shook his head – he couldn’t afford to think about Ginny.
He still didn’t think his resolve was strong enough to hold.
Since he wasn’t yet of age, he’d quickly slipped away without speaking
to any of the crowd at King’s Cross and taken the train to Privet
Drive. The long, hot journey had left him irritable. It didn’t bode
well for the coming reunion. He’d considered just Apparating back from
Hogsmeade to avoid the Hogwarts Express altogether. So what if the
Ministry chucked him out of Hogwarts now? He wasn’t going back, anyway.
Hermione, always the voice of reason, reminded him that there was no
need to give the Ministry an excuse to break his wand, and Harry had to
admit that she had a point.
Rufus Scrimgeour wanted Harry under his control, and Harry wouldn’t put
it past the man to make life difficult in an effort to force Harry to
comply. Harry had no patience for the man or his politicking. Still,
recklessly using underage magic for the sake of mere convenience was a
risk not worth taking.
He hated when Hermione was right.
So, he’d sat in a compartment with Ron and Hermione and tried to ignore
the hole in his heart that Ginny’s absence created. He hadn’t seen her
the entire journey home and wondered which compartment she’d sat on the
train. Neither Ron nor Hermione had asked him where she was, but he’d
caught Hermione staring at him speculatively on several occasions.
Harry had been steadfast in avoiding her gaze. He’d stared out the
window miserably, his thoughts focused on happier days…
Ginny.
Stuffing his hands in the pockets of his jeans and squaring his
shoulders, Harry trudged across the street towards the immaculately
pruned garden of number four, Privet Drive. He’d promised Dumbledore
that he’d return one more time before his birthday, and he intended to
keep that pledge. Harry’s chest tightened as he thought of his
headmaster, but he blinked the moisture from his eyes and continued
forward. This was what Dumbledore had wanted, and this was what he was
going to do.
Still, knowing what he had to do didn’t make doing it any easier. He
wasn’t in the mood to deal with the Dursleys’ nonsense. He had no
patience for their petty bigotry…he had bigger challenges to face. The
days when Vernon Dursley’s purple face could make him cower were long
past. He wondered what he could expect when they opened the door to
find him standing there after his eventful departure last summer.
All in all, he supposed it could be worse. He’d rather face the
Dursleys’ ire than Molly Weasley’s fury when Ron informed her of his
plans to ditch the Burrow this summer and head straight into the war
that she’d been so adamantly attempting to shield him from.
Oh, no, Harry mused, he got off far easier in only having to face the
Dursleys.
He wondered if Ron would have dropped his little bombshell while still
at King’s Cross, or if he would have waited until arriving at the
Burrow. Harry could picture Ron in the kitchen trying to reason with
his mum, and Ginny would be there…
Ginny.
Harry’s heart constricted at the mere thought of her, and he pressed
his eyelids together as if to squeeze her from his thoughts. Everything
had seemed so simple and straightforward in his mind when he’d made his
decision. He couldn’t put Ginny in danger. He’d never survive if he
lost her, too.
But he had something he had to do, and he couldn’t afford any
distractions while he was searching for the Horcruxes. Breaking it off
had been the right thing to do. There was no reason that she should
have to put her life on hold just because he did. It could take years
to find them all.
At the time, it had seemed the perfectly logical thing to do. But now,
away from Hogwarts and facing the unknown…now, nothing was clear. He
didn’t know how he’d be able to function with this pain tearing such a
hole in his heart. He felt as if he were bleeding continually from an
invisible wound.
One thing he did know for certain: she could distract him with a simple
smile, and he couldn’t afford to be distracted. He had too much that he
had to do.
As for what did come next…that’s where Harry faltered. He knew what it
was he had to do, he just wasn’t certain about how to do it. How could
he find the remaining four Horcruxes? Where did he start? And how did
he keep himself – or worse, Ron and Hermione – from suffering the same
fate Dumbledore did when he’d located the last two Horcruxes? Or what
he’d thought was a Horcrux, anyway…
R.A.B. How was he to find R.A.B.? Where did he begin?
The locket, the cup, the snake, and something of Gryffindor or
Ravenclaw…
It seemed hopeless and overwhelming as a whole, so he’d have to start
in pieces and work from there. He fingered the cold, hard metal of the
fake Horcrux that he still kept in his pocket. Harry had found himself
using it as some sort of talisman, holding onto it whenever the stress
started to build. There had to be a way, and he was going to find it.
The first step would be Godric’s Hollow. He wasn’t certain what he
expected to find there, it just seemed important that he go.
Scratch that. The first step would be getting through his last
confinement with the Dursleys, and the sooner he started enduring that,
the sooner he could move forward.
While he’d been lost in thought, Harry’s feet had carried him to the
front door. Taking a deep breath, he tapped the knocker three times.
Here we go.
It took only a few moments before he heard footsteps approaching the
door. It opened slightly, and Aunt Petunia’s horsy face peered through
the crack. He watched as her eyes widened in surprise before the door
swung open wide, and she yanked him inside by the collar of his shirt.
“What are you doing here?” Aunt Petunia demanded, her long neck craning
from side to side to ensure none of the neighbors were out and about
and watching Harry being manhandled by his aunt. “Why are you back here
so soon? Did those freaks at that school of yours finally decide they
didn’t want you either and throw you out? Did you think you could just
show up here unannounced?”
“Hello, Aunt Petunia. It’s nice to see you, too,” Harry said
pleasantly, pulling back from her grip and readjusting his collar. He
spared a quick glance at the parlor, noting that nothing had really
changed, although there were some crumpled sweet wrappers on an end
table, which was unusual for Aunt Petunia.
“Don’t you ‘hello’ me,” his aunt snapped, dragging his attention back
to her aggravated face. “I asked you what you are doing here? Term
still has several weeks remaining.”
Harry shrugged and dropped his gaze to the floor. “We were released
early this year,” he said vaguely, not wanting to discuss Dumbledore’s
death with her quite so soon. He wasn’t ready.
Before she could reply, the kitchen door swung open, and Harry’s cousin
Dudley lumbered into the room. He was even larger than Harry
remembered, and his face looked tired and drawn. His eyes opened wide
with shock upon seeing Harry, and he began gaping like a fish.
“hadn’t anticipated was hearing the low murmur of voices coming from the
sitting room as he walked past. The sound of his own name caught his
after him.
Despite his predicament, Harry couldn’t help but be awed by the
creature. Its wingspan was so large that it nearly shadowed the entire
width of the Parthenon. It soared gracefully into the sky before
turning its voluminous yellow eyes on Harry.
He maneuvered the Firebolt in a steep dive, attempting to fly
underneath the dragon before it could turn. He hadn’t counted on its
tail, however. The dragon’s tail was long and thin, and the beast used
it like a whip. It lashed out at Harry and the scythe-like tip ripped
his shirt and cut into his chest, drawing blood.
The beast roared, and its nostrils flared at the scent of Harry’s
blood. Harry dove again, but the tail whipped into his back this time.
Twice more Harry attempted the dive, and twice more the dragon’s sharp
tail sliced into him. His shirt hung in tatters and dripped with blood.
His Firebolt was fast, but this dragon was faster.
Harry swung upward, climbing steeply. The dragon was confused and
bellowed its ire. It followed Harry’s climb, gaining on him. It
breathed out heavily, and Harry could feel the heat from the
approaching fireball. He turned quickly, ducking low as he felt the
hair on the back of his neck singe. He wrapped around the Parthenon
wall and dove between two columns.
The dragon shrieked in rage when it realized it couldn’t follow Harry
through the opening. It had to turn and fly up and over the top. Harry
took the opportunity and dove towards the dragon’s lair. He had nearly
reached it when that whip-like tail lashed out, slicing into him again.
He hissed in pain and had to pull up to avoid another blast of fire. He
was growing frustrated and felt slightly lightheaded from the loss of
blood. Something had to go his way soon, or he was a goner. He climbed
steeply and once again looped over the top to fly back between the
columns. He didn’t pause to check if the dragon followed, but instead
aimed right for the nest as fast as his broom could carry him.
The dragon shrieked, enraged. Instead of turning this time, it crashed
right through the columns. The force slowed the beast slightly. Harry
sped towards the ground, pulling up just in time and aimed the broom
into the entrance of the cavern. As he leaned down to grab the cup, his
broom vanished.
He swore violently. He’d never claimed to be an expert on conjuring
spells, but damn it, his timing couldn’t have been worse.
Before he had time to conjure another, he heard the piercing screech of
the dragon, and it sounded as if it was approaching fast. He tucked the
cup inside the waistband of his jeans and sprinted outside. He dove for
the stands just as a fireball streaked overhead.
The dragon bellowed in fury as it clawed at the low wall separating the
arena from Harry’s hiding place. He crouched low and tried to move
away, but the wall collapsed, leaving him exposed. The dragon’s arm
struck the wooden gate that had been sealing the entrance to the lair,
shattering it effortlessly. Harry cried out as hundreds of sharp
splinters rained down upon his back.
The dragon’s huge arm crashed down again, this time closer to him, and
the scythe-tipped claw lanced his side beneath his ribs. The impact of
the blow threw Harry in the air, knocking the wind from him. He crashed
onto the dirt, panting and clawing at the ground as he tried to get
away from the angry dragon.
Before he could move, before he could utter a sound, the dragon’s tail
encircled his ankles, hog-tying him, and began to pull him closer. He
was certain he could see victory reflected in the sickly yellow eyes.
Harry forced himself to stay calm, although he was shaking all over.
The dragon’s tail jerked upward, leaving Harry hanging upside down near
the dragon’s mouth. He could see tendrils of smoke spiraling away from
the nostrils.
If that thing breathes a fire ball now…
Bruised and bloodied, Harry waited until he was as close the dragon’s
face as he dared. He pulled out his wand, aimed it right at those
malevolent yellow eyes, and blasted off the most intense Conjunctivitis
curse he could manage.
The dragon reared its head and roared, sending out a wave of blistering
heat. Harry was released from its hold and he dropped to the ground
with a thud. His body ached, but he couldn’t find the strength to move
away from the rampaging dragon. The beast was howling in pain, its huge
arms clawing at its eyes, which were running and covered with a white
slime.
If Harry couldn’t pull himself up, he’d be crushed under the tail or a
massive foot. Panting heavily, he tried again to stand, but it was
useless. What would happen to Ginny if Harry were killed here? He at
least had to get the cup to her so she could escape. Groaning as he
rolled to his side, he pulled the gleaming cup from the waistband of
his jeans.
He was surprised to see how the gold shone, despite being unpolished
for so long. Helga Hufflepuff’s golden crest glinted in the sun. As the
dragon sent more flames towards him, Harry instinctively raised the cup
like a shield and tossed it into the approaching fire. He rolled to the
side to avoid being fried, crying out in pain as he did so.
When the cup made contact with the fire, a blast of bright white light
filled the arena. Harry covered his face, feeling as if he’d got a
terrible sunburn. An unearthly scream rent the air, shaking the very
foundation of the arena. The dragon howled in misery before crumpling
to the ground and dissolving as if it had never been there.
A blaze of fiery red hair suddenly streaked across his face as Ginny
landed next to him on a broom.
"What happened? Where did it go?" she shrieked. "Are you all right?"
"The cup," Harry croaked weakly, pointing to where it lay on the
ground.
Ginny scooped it up in her hand. The gold was scorched and blackened,
but it remained intact.
"Just a cup now," Harry muttered, feeling lightheaded. "Wonder if it
still works as the key?"
"Come on, let’s get out of here," she said, helping him off the ground
and onto her conjured broom.
Harry slumped against her weakly as she rose in the air and flew them
to the opposite end of the arena.
"I thought the lady was supposed to stay in the stands and shriek for
her Champion to get up," he said, smiling weakly.
"Who says I’m a lady?" Ginny shot back.
Harry grinned, feeling slightly delirious. "I love you, Ginny," he
whispered, his eyes failing to stay open.
He felt her body start. "I tried to get to you sooner to help, but it
was like some kind of barrier held me in place. I wasn’t able to break
past it until you were on the ground," she said, sniffling.
"’S’okay," he mumbled.
Ginny reached around to shake him fiercely. "Stay with me, Harry. Just
a few minutes more. Here’s the entrance; fit the cup into the slot."
Harry tried to lift his arm, but it felt like jelly, and he couldn’t
make it cooperate.
"Here, I’ll do it," Ginny said as she grabbed the cup and fit it into
the slot. The door slid open, revealing that deep blackness once again.
Ginny flew the broom right into the archway, and moments later they
flew right back into the sitting room at the Smith Museum. Ron and
Hermione were still huddled together by the wall.
"Did you get it?" Ron asked anxiously.
Harry nodded towards the charred cup. "Found and destroyed," he said
weakly, his legs refusing to hold his weight as he stepped off the
broom. Ginny grabbed onto him and eased him to the ground.
"Mate, what happened to you?" Ron asked, his eyes wide.
"We’ll discuss it back at Grimmauld Place," Ginny said in a take-charge
voice. "Ron, do you still think you can Apparate with Hermione?"
Ron nodded. Clutching an unconscious Hermione to his side, they
Disapparated with a pop.
Ginny wrapped her arms around Harry. "Hold on tight to me, Harry," she
whispered.
"I can take us," Harry said stubbornly.
"Thanks, but no. I don’t feel like being splinched today. I’ve had
enough excitement for one day."
With a cheeky grin, she kissed his cheek and brought them both back to
headquarters…back to her family.
**--**--
Chapter Twelve
Repercussions
Ginny opened her eyes, steadied herself and stared at the gloomy
outline of Number Twelve Grimmauld Place. She had just Apparated onto a
small grassy patch of land shadowed by a large tree a short way from
the house, and hoped she wouldn’t get a reprimand from the Ministry
about underage magic since she was in the company of several of-age
wizards.
The sun had set long ago, and the street was quiet and dark, not even a
Muggle vehicle disturbing the stillness. She could see dim candlelight
burning in several of the windows of headquarters and was relieved that
it was still occupied. Harry slumped against her, finally losing his
long battle to stay conscious. She struggled to let him down gently and
ended up pinned beneath him. Merlin, for a thin bloke he was heavy. She
shuddered at the stark purple bruises covering his pale face.
Ron sat on the ground next to Harry, cradling Hermione in his lap. He
was listless and barely had the strength to speak.
"Sorry, Ginny," he said, gasping. "I tried to fire sparks at the door,
but I missed."
"It’s okay. Everything’s going to be fine, Ron. How’s Hermione?" Ginny
asked. The older girl was frighteningly still, and Ginny couldn’t bear
to look at the awful wounds on her head.
"She won’t wake up, Ginny," Ron said, sounding like the frightened
little boy that Fred and George used to tease with spiders.
"She will," Ginny said with a confidence she didn’t have. She suddenly
didn’t feel very grown up, at all. "This isn’t finished yet, and
Hermione is way too tenacious to give up in the middle of a project.
Stay with them a minute; I’ll be right back."
She gently untangled herself from Harry’s limbs, wincing at the raw
slashes across his chestsaid, leaning
over and kissing her again. He knew from experience that he was talking
to deaf ears, but as far as he was concerned, she was the most gorgeous