Chapter 1
Let Them Come
Harry Potter thought that he would like being a nobody again. In the wizarding world, he was special, and although he hated to admit it, he had become used to it. During his sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Harry had in fact become a celebrity. Now as he anonymously sat on a park bench one warm July afternoon, not far from his home in the colorless town of Little Whinging, Harry realized that he could not easily adjust to being a nobody again.
Just a few weeks earlier, Harry attended the funeral of his mentor, Professor Albus Dumbledore, former Headmaster of Hogwarts. As so often occurred to Harry, he ended up at the center of attention at the ceremony attended by the most important members of the wizarding world. Mourners glanced at him when they thought he was not looking, whispered about him when he could not hear them. Harry had become accustomed to it by now. After ten years of treatment as a nobody by his muggle relatives, now he had become "somebody" - a person who mattered. Mostly he hated all the attention, but yes, he had to admit that a small part of him liked it. Here in LIttle Whinging with the Dursleys, he involuntarily returned to his nobody status. Back at the house he hated, living with people he detested, he wondered why he simply did not leave
After arriving back at 4 Privet Drive, Harry mostly holed up in his room for a couple of days, only coming out briefly. Soon he could not bear the four walls of his room, and he began roaming the neighborhoods of Little Whinging as he had done so often in his younger days. A few people recognized his face from his childhood, saying hello and striking up small talk. But in this world, he would always be a nobody, not the least bit special. Being a nobody, however, could no longer be an option. Like it or not, the magical world depended on Harry Potter, who truly had become “The Chosen One.”
Harry’s brief conversations with Vernon and Petunia Dursley, his uncle and aunt, had been thankfully mundane. They did not inquire about the recent events at Hogwarts, and Harry felt no inclination to bring up the subject. All three of them knew that this summer would be his last at 4 Privet Drive, and an unspoken understanding arose to avoid confrontation. Harry’s cousin, Dudley, did not join in this pact, however, and when Dudley on rare occasions appeared in the house, he glared at Harry with hatred in his eyes. Harry returned the glare with intense green eyes, and his cousin ultimately would look away. Dudley and his gang all had run-ins with the local police and had to be a bit more careful in their delinquency, but they still craved a good beating when they could find it.
On his long walks, Harry half-heartedly avoided Dudley’s gang, but deep down he sensed the inevitability of a confrontation. From his park bench, Harry could see them coming, five of them this time, with the robust (to be kind) Dudley at the lead. The alpha male, Harry thought with a chuckle, for he hardly presented a noble appearance. The prudent idea of leaving his bench occurred to Harry, who quickly put it out of his head. He felt in no mood to act prudently. Let them come.Dudley noticed Harry but pretended that he did not. However, another member of the gang pointed at his green-eyed cousin, leaving Dudley no choice but to follow them towards the park bench. The five-man gang in fact presented a menacing sight, but Harry realized that he did not fear them. He had far more serious problems than a few brain-dead thugs in a muggle park. As Dudley arrived, Harry and his eyes locked in the stare-down, and after several seconds, Dudley looked away.
“What are you doing here, freak?” Dudley bellowed more loudly than necessary. He often called Harry “freak” in front of his friends but never explained why.
“I’m sitting on a park bench.” Harry replied calmly and quietly.
“I don’t think we like you ‘round here. Better clear out if you don’t want us to rearrange your face,” Dudley threatened, his mates sneering by his side.
