Don't Mess With The Chosen One....

18

July 12, 1996
2:30 PM

Harry pulled the hood of his blue jacket up over his head, covering up his eyes. He made sure he had his dad's Invisibility Cloak, before leaving his aunt's and uncle's house, and making his way to the park on Magnolia Crescent.

Harry looked around quickly to be sure no Muggles were around, before he stuck out his wand. A second later, the Knight Bus pulled up in front of him.

Harry paid for a seat, and then kept his head bent so that he wouldn't attract unwanted attention. Five stops later, the Knight Bus stopped at the edge of a forest. Harry got off, and waited until the Bus had left, before he disappeared under the Cloak and headed into the forest.

Harry unfolded the letter he'd received the day before, and reread the instructions.

Take the Knight Bus to a place called, "Yellow Grass-Lane.
In the woods, head straight until you get to a tree marked with a red X.
Go to your left until you find the tree marked with an O.
Go to your right until you reach a lake.
At the lake there will be nothing. Just walk around that area until you see it.

"I must be mad to follow these instructions!" Harry said to himself.

But nevertheless, Harry walked through the green woods for about ten minutes, until he came upon an old tree with a red X painted on its trunk. But Harry saw that four other trees had X's on their trunks (two were yellow, one was blue, and one was purple.)

Harry turned to his left, and walked along the damp earth, his trainers getting a bit muddied. When Harry reached the next tree trunk, a half mile later, he found that it had a rainbow circle on it. By the time Harry reached the lake, it was four in the afternoon.

Harry pulled out his wand (one could never be too cautious) as he walked in figure eights along the lake's edge. As he made his tenth figure eight, Harry felt something cold and wet, like a waterfall, wash over him. Harry tripped over a log, and pitched forward.

"Ow!" Harry moaned, and his Cloak slipped off his head, as he sat up and massaged his shin.

"Who's there?!" Draco asked, as he emerged from the tent he'd been setting up.

"It's just me." Harry said, standing up.

"Are you okay?" Draco asked him.

"Yeah. Just tripped over that blasted log."

Draco snorted. "Wish I could have seen that."

Harry stuffed his Cloak into his pocket, and pulled out hotdogs, marshmallows, graham crackers, and muggle chocolates.

Draco picked up one and read the label. "Milky Way. Why would you eat a food named after a galaxy?"

Harry shrugged. "Muggles have a thing for outerspace."

"Interesting." Draco said. He tossed the chocolate bar into the pile next to the unlit campfire. "Well come in and tell me what you think."

The boys crawled into the tent, and Harry's jaw dropped when he saw the inside.

Magic would never cease to amaze him!