Chapter: 1
1. Summer
For most kids, summer was a time of fun and sun. With no school to worry about, most kids take advantage of their freedom to meet and play with their friends outside until nightfall, then returning home to a nice dinner with a loving family. Most kids dread the end of summer, for that signifies the start of another year of school.
Unfortunately for Harry Potter, he was not "most kids." For you see, Harry Potter is a wizard, born with the ability to control magic and perform amazing feats. But, even against wizarding standards, Harry Potter was not "most kids." After all, not many kids have a personal vendetta with the most evil wizard of his time.
On this particular day in July, Harry found himself once again in the Department of Mysteries. The final fight with the Death Eaters flashed through his mind: the despair he felt once he realized he was surrounded, with only Neville by his side; the relief he felt when the Order members rushed into the room, firing spells from their wands....
"Nooooo!" Harry screamed. Harry opened his eyes to look into the sneering face of Severus Snape, Potions Master at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, currently Harry's tutor in Occlumency. Harry wished he had kept them closed.
"Better Potter," Snape observed, almost reluctantly, as he watched Harry pick himself up from the floor. "You were able to stop me from seeing the end. But you'll need to improve considerably if you wish to keep the Dark Lord from knowing your thoughts."
Harry grimaced slightly, then set his face into a neutral expression. He promised himself he would control his anger, his hatred, towards the man in front of him. Harry simply nodded and returned to the chair facing Snape. Harry understood why Snape had to be his occlumency tutor. Not only was Snape the best qualified, Snape was also the only one who would happily pick away at Harry's deepest fears and most painful memories, as Voldemort surely would. With Snape, Harry faced a true challenge and would be better prepared to face Voldemort. But just because he understood didn't mean he had to like it.
"That will be all for today Potter. I will return next week for another lesson. Remember to clear your mind of thoughts before sleeping," Snape said, standing up. Harry followed Snape to the door of Number 4 Privet Drive and watched him walk away, covering the distance necessary that would allow him to apperate away.
Leaving King's Cross Station at the end of the school year, Harry had hoped that this summer would be his best yet (considering his summers in the past, this would not be hard to accomplish). After the scare the Order put into his uncle, Harry expected a new level of freedom from his horrid relatives. He also expected that he would be kept informed about Voldemort's activities, though maybe not as much as a full Order member, after Dumbledore's revelations to him at the end of last year. Harry was, however, of two minds about returning to 12 Grimmauld Place; on the one hand, it would be nice to see his friends Ron, Hermione, Remus, and the other Order members again; but on the other hand, Harry dreaded
returning to Sirius' home. It was hard enough not to think about what happened, what Harry caused to happen, while at the Dursley's. It would be next to impossible not to if he were surrounded by things that would remind him of Sirius.
Unfortunately for Harry, much of what he expected would not come to pass. True, the Dursley's have been studiously avoiding him; in fact, they practically ignored him, only calling him for meals. He wasn't even forced to perform any of his usual chores. Normally this lack of interaction would have pleased Harry, but all his time alone only left him with his thoughts and memories as company. He would have preferred to be performing chores if nothing else to keep his mind off of Sirius.
