Expecting the Unexpected

Chapter I

Harry Potter was lying in his room (if it could be called one-it was more of a hovel) worrying about things that should never worry a fifteen year old. He had been lying awake in his bed( a few old blankets which had been used by God-only-knows how many generations before being passed onto him).

Four years ago he had discovered that he was a wizard when a giant of a man had broken into the hut they (he and the Dursleys) had been hiding in and declared " Yer a wizard,'Arry!"

Since then Harry's life had been a roller coaster of misfortunes and disasters. His only delight were his two best friends, Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger. Their trio was an exemplary one. They had stuck together through thick and thin.

In their first year when the Philosopher's stone had been hidden in the Hogwarts Castle and Voldemort had sought it out then they had undertaken several challenges together. Ron had been ready to sacrifice himself in the animate chess game without any second thoughts. Hermione had gambled her life readily in the Potions riddle and had helped Harry forward.

In second year when the entire school had believed in the ridiculous rumor about him being the heir of Slytherin, they had believed in him and helped him uncover the Chamber of Secrets.

In his third year when Sirius Black broke out of Azkaban they had been afraid for him and had crossed all limits to ensure his safety. They had comforted him for not being able to go to Hogsmeade by bringing all sorts of sweets for him from Honeydukes. When they had found out about Black being Harry's godfather and being innocent and wrongly imprisoned then they had helped him rescue Sirius and ensure his safe escape.

But in fourth year when the Goblet Of Fire spouted out his name, the entire school turned against him once more and this time even Ron didn't believe him. Hermione helped him all she could with all the challenges.

When Voldemort was resurrected by the traitor rat, Pettigrew, all of Harry's worst dreams came true. He witnessed Cedric Diggory's murder, saw the resurrection of his worst enemy and dueled him. He saw an echo of Cedric who asked him to bring his body to his parents. He saw echoes of his parents who helped him escape from the graveyard. Then he thought that he had escaped from hell mostly unscathed.

But the actual hell of Harry's life began then. The person who had seemed to care about Harry the most, the one in whom Harry believed the most, Headmaster Dumbledore, betrayed him.

When the Death Eater Crouch ambushed him , Dumbledore had come to his aid. But after rescuing him, he had immediately asked Harry to describe his graveyard experience. At that time Harry had been shocked and shaken so he was extremely malleable. Dumbledore manipulated the story out of him by telling him to get the weight of the incident of his chest immediately.

Now on thinking back Harry realized that reliving the nightmare so soon ensured that the trauma was deeply etched into Harry's mind and he never forgot it.

Even after all Harry had endured, when Dumbledore could have easily arranged for Harry to stay with the Weasleys he chose to pack Harry back off to the Dursleys. Even when he saw his reluctance to go back, he didn't consider Harry's wellbeing but did what he believed was for The Greater Good.While thinking about all this, Harry slowly dozed off.