The Anti-Heroine || A Harry Potter Fanfiction

Chapter XI

Chapter XI:

Harry's POV:

All too soon September 1st had rolled around and Harry and Hermione bid Sting, Hornet, Glitter and the others all farewell before getting up at an ungodly hour to make the journey to Little Whinging. Harry was sad about the summer being over, something he'd never thought was possible, but at the same time he was excited about heading back to Hogwarts.

They reached Privet Drive at around nine in the morning and Hermione donned the Invisibility Cloak before they walked up to the front door. They'd decided Hermione appearing out of nowhere would give the biggest shock factor should the Dursleys have decided to make things difficult.

Taking a slow breath, Harry knocked on the door and prepared himself for the shouting only to take several hasty steps back when it wasn't Uncle Vernon or Aunt Petunia or even Dudley who opened the door.

"P-professor?" he stammered. Snape's lips curled into a somewhat sardonic smile.

"Mr. Potter. Why don't you come in? You too, Miss Granger." Behind him, Hermione shimmered into existence as she pulled off the invisibility cloak. Her face was the picture of politeness as she stared up at their Head of House.

"Certainly, sir." She said prodding Harry's back. Nervously, Harry stumbled slightly before walking into the house.

"Living room." Snape ordered and Harry obeyed in somewhat of a daze. Snape here, in Privet Drive, was... unbelievably bizarre. Had he finally lost it? He wondered.

He rounded the corner and stopped suddenly, Hermione almost crashing into him. The three Dursleys were sitting on the sofa, their faces terrified. His school trunk was neatly laid out in the middle of the floor and Hedwig's cage was sitting next to it. "Sit down, Mr. Potter, Miss Granger." Snape said in a voice that expected to be obeyed.

Harry hastily walked over to the nearest couch and sat down, praying he wasn't in too much trouble. Hermione sat next to him, tucking her legs up under her chin and leaning into him, tangling one of her hands with his.

::Remember Harry, innocent until proven guilty:: she hissed quietly, just loud enough for him to hear ::don't tell them anything:: He nodded and worried his lower lip with his teeth as he waited anxiously for what was going to happen next.

"So, Tuney, I believe you and your pathetic excuse for a family owe Mr. Potter here something." Snape said in that dangerous, sibilant voice of his. It took Harry a moment to figure out that when Snape said "Tuney" he was referring to Aunt Petunia.

Petunia glared at Snape, her hands clenched into fists at her sides. "I'll never know what she saw in you, Snape!" she spat angrily and Snape just raised an eyebrow.

"Not quite. Try again." He drawled, tapping his wand against his thigh in a somewhat threatening manner. Petunia took several rapid deep breaths before turning to Harry with a look of absolute loathing on her face.

"We're very sorry for the way we treated you earlier this holidays," she said, her voice stiff, "and we're happy to have you back here next summer." Harry wondered whether he should make the most of this rare opportunity but instead he just nodded.

"Now that that's sorted, Mr. Potter collect your belongings. Miss Granger, I trust you have yours with you?" Snape raised an eyebrow seeing her carrying only a satchel.

"Everything's in here, sir." Hermione said, her tone even and a polite smile still in place. A smile that curved into something much less polite and much more wolf-like as she met Uncle Vernon's eyes. The scar on his uncle's face was half hidden among the fat folds, a livid line of shiny pink marking his first and only strike. Harry bit back an inappropriate smile as his uncle shrank away from his best friend and looked back at Snape who was sneering.