Novae Fors

Chapter 3

 
[thoughts: italics]

           With a gasp Harry had awoken, he immediately sat up and banged his head on the low ceiling. Squinting in the darkness Harry was finally able to make out his surroundings. He was... In his cupboard? No that couldn't be right he hasn't lived with the Dursleys let alone in his cupboard in a long time. Mind still whirling Harry reached up and pulled a thin cord, immediately the small cramped cupboard was flooded with light. Harry blinked rapidly to get rid of the shapes that had begun to obscure his vision.

          "So I wasn't imagining it Death truly sent me back," Harry mumbled quietly to himself. Harry was startled from his musing when a shrill voice suddenly sounded outside his cupboard it was accompanied by harsh knocks on the door.

          "Boy! Hurry up and prepare breakfast, I don't want you in this house until 8 pm tonight, I will be having guests over!" Harry swiftly replied with a "Yes Aunt Petunia." Harry immediately left his cupboard under the stairs and began preparing a full breakfast which consisted of back bacon, eggs, British sausage, baked beans, fried tomato, fried mushrooms, black pudding, and fried and toasted bread. He quickly rushed through cooking the meal so he would still have time to set the table and wash the dishes, it was honestly quite sad how easily Harry could fall back into this routine and mindset so easily. Without much difficulty Harry had finished washing the dishes just as Aunt Petunia walked back into the kitchen dressed in her everyday clothes, which consisted of a floral knee-length tea dress with coral-colored flats, she wore pearl studs in her ears and had a string of pearls around her neck. Harry thought those pearls looked rather fake but he wasn't going to tell her that. She shooed him out of the kitchen and told him to go and quickly use the bathroom and get dressed for the day.

          Harry quickly grabbed a pair of clean clothes and rushed upstairs as quietly as possible, since he didn't feel like dealing with Vernon so early in the morning. Harry took a quick shower and dressed in a baggy pair of jeans five sizes too big and a blue striped collar shirt he used an old shoelace string to tie his pants from falling and quickly slipped on his dirty trainers that used to be white. By the time he was downstairs Uncle Veron and Dudley had already eaten breakfast and were getting ready for the day. Aunt Petunia was in the kitchen brewing a new cup of morning tea she handed him a plate with a piece of toast smeared with butter and exactly one fried egg, Harry sat at the table and scarfed down his meal. Harry went back to his cupboard to grab his bag and walked back over to the kitchen. "Aunt Petunia I'm going to spend the day at the library." She just looked at him and gave a curt nod. He noticed that Uncle Vernon and his cousin had already left Vernon to work and Dudley to school, the Dursleys have long since seen the need for him to go to school, after all, he was just the freak they kept under the stairs.

          Harry walked out the door and headed down the street in the direction of the library, the sun blazing down heavily on his far too thin shoulders, when he reached one of the main roads in his community he turned left instead of right in the direction of the library, he kept walking until he found the old park.

          I walked for a while with a particular spot in mind, I need somewhere to practice my magic away from muggles so the ministry won't find out, I decided on an old park that has long since been abandoned because of too many wild animals in the area. I walked around the park, he couldn't practice there it was still too risky, I decided to venture a little way into the forest to a small clearing I memorized notable features in the forest so I could easily find my way back.

          The clearing I found myself in is breathing-taking. The grass is such a beautiful color of green I can tell it's soft just by looking at it, birds chirped softly from high up in the trees, singing their soulful songs. An assortment of wildflowers bloomed all around this clearing enchanting it with their wondrous colours the muffled sun shined through the leaves creating a marvellous shade that seemed to ignite the clearing, squirrels ran up and down the tall trees occasionally making leaves fall with all the ruffling, butterflies mingled with each other around the colorful wildflowers but one thing stood out the most this place was infused with magic, a warm welcoming sort of aura, it almost felt motherly, stepping into this clearing felt like I was finally home again, I quite like it. 

          I continued to step carefully into the clearing not wanting to alert and scare off any animals, I made my way near the center of the clearing once again astonished that this place, this glorious and striking place could exist so close to home. I was still admiring my surroundings when a loud crunch of leaves sounded behind me, easily startling me out of my musings, I slowly turned around not wanting whatever could be behind me to think I was a threat. As soon as I laid my eyes upon the creature I was immediately drawn in by its appearance, this animal provided a sense of security.