Anna Black, The Girl Who Lived, Book 1 (UNDER CONSTRUCTION)

4: Happee Birthdae Harry

EDITED

It was a minute to midnight. A minute until the boy's eleventh birthday. And what was this boy doing?

Harry lay on a ratty blanket in a gross, small, old cottage in the middle of the sea. It was dark and ruddy with only one bedroom, a makeshift kitchen and bathroom, and a 'living room', which was just a very small space with a worn couch. Not to mention the fact, it wasn't exactly warm in this - it couldn't even be called a cottage - shack.

The Dursley couple inhabited the bedroom while Dudley and Harry got the living room. Of course, Harry got the short end of the stick and had to sleep on the floor while Dudley slept on the couch, snoring and half hanging off from his weight. It creaked with each breath he took.

This, of course, was no surprise to Harry. He was always second best to Dudley; in fact, he was a piece of dirt next to Dudley.

Harry James Potter was sadder than ever. Not only was his birthday near nonexistent, but he never got to see the letters, he was stuck with the Dursleys, and he was separated from his best friend, Anna.

Every year on his birthday, they would meet up at midnight. This was a tradition ever since the girl had moved to Little Whinging. Yes, it seemed a bit far-fetched, but the small children made it work. Usually, they would just sit on Anna's back porch and he would open a gift she had gotten him.

But this year, he would be alone. Harry had no clue where he was or how long he'd be there. All he knew was that this was because of the letters. When a plethora of the mysterious letters burst through the fireplace, the post slot and owls pecked at windows until they shattered, Vernon Dursley had enough. The man made everyone quickly pack their bags and, in less than an hour, they had piled into the car and were speeding off.

Harry's face had been pressed to the rear window of the vehicle and he caught one last glimpse of Anna, who was looking out the front window of her house. He took in every detail of her as if he would never see her again.

The birthday boy was in the process of drawing a cake with a stick on the dirt floor of the cottage when the time had changed to midnight. At that very second, there was a pounding at the door. Dudley jerked awake and Vernon and Petunia came into the room, staring at the door.

'What could it be?' wondered Harry. It was hardly burglars - they were in the middle of the ocean.

With two more bangs, the door flew off the hinges, and the Dursley couple hid pointlessly in the corner while Dudley hid behind a wall. In came a gigantic man, and behind him, a child's figure.

Before Harry could hide or react, he was engulfed in a small yet big hug, almost knocking him off his feet. His heart swelled a bit. God was he happy to see Anna.

"Harry! Oh my gosh, I'm so happy to see you! I mean, I always am but especially now because so much has been going on. The letters, I know everything now and-"

"A...Anna. I like you and all, but please, let me go. I...can't...breathe," wheezed Harry.

The girl quickly let go, her grey eyes big and cheeks dusted pink with embarrassment. "Heh, sorry, I was afraid I wouldn't see you again. It was hard to find you, didn't think we ever would." As Anna spoke, the giant picked up the door and leaned it against the frame, apologizing all the while. He took a seat on the old couch and easily crushed it.

Harry couldn't quite explain how happy he was to see Anna. Their tradition had not been broken and they were together for his birthday once again.

For a gigantic man, Harry believed he was behaving very normally. Sitting on the couch and it collapsing was not his fault because of his size.