Divide
Prologue
By Whisper
Authors notes: I want to thank my BETAs Koorime and ChibiBecca. I would also like to appologise if people start craving cookies oo; Oh, and this Fic is set in Bath, Wiltshire, my hometown, so sorry if it sounds like a travel brochure at times ^^
Divide
Prologue
By Whisper
Summer.
Unlike most students nearing seventeen, he never really looked forward to, nor particularly enjoyed the time off school. Summer meant he was away from his friends, away from the only life he knew, the only place he ever enjoyed himself.
Summer meant putting up with his cousin.
The only thing that kept him sane over the two and a half months were the letters he frequently received from his friends Ron, Hermione and even occasionally Hagrid – his first friend and current Care of Magical Creatures Professor.
He rolled over onto his back, lost in thought about his adventures at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He stared absently up at the sky – today it was a ridiculous shade of periwinkle blue with a very few puffy cotton like clouds dotted about willy ninny, though mostly towards the horizon.
He was lying in the park; a few minuets walk from what could loosely be termed ‘home,’ as far from everyone else as was possible, absently keeping an eye on Dudley and his gang as they tormented the younger and invariably smaller, children.
Dudley himself was studiously ignoring his smaller cousin, as despite his size and advancing boxing abilities, he was terrified of the young wizard.
He sighed and climbed to his feet, checking he still had the wand he carried with him at all times. When satisfied, he trudged wearily back to number four Privet Drive, his home for the next few weeks.
A few minuets later he quietly opened the front door, meaning to make his way to his room before being noticed, and stepped inside. Mere steps away from freedom and the security of his bedroom, his uncle’s voice resounded through the floor.
“HARRY! GET DOWN HERE, BOY!”
Harry winced, he had been so close. With a sigh of resignation he made his way back down the stairs and into the kitchen. Uncle Vernon was standing by the table, face red with rage, clutching what looked like a letter in his beefy hand.
When he entered, Uncle Vernon waved the crumpled letter in his face, “WELL? What d’you think of this, boy? Eh?”
Harry sat down and put on a politely interested expression. It appeared to work, as Vernon continued.
“My name was drawn from the ballot this year, for the two week paid holiday at a five star hotel-”
“Well, isn’t that a good thing?” Harry interrupted, his eyebrows raised quizzically.
Uncle Vernon fairly exploded.
“You would think so, wouldn’t you!” Again he thrust the letter under Harry’s nose, motioning for him to read it.
Harry did so, not really taking it in, then handed it back to his livid uncle.
“Well?” Vernon nearly screamed the word, making Harry blink, then slowly shrugged.
The red colour of his uncle’s face deepened, “We have to bloody well take you with us!”
It suddenly dawned on Harry; his name had been in that letter, he was on the list of invited guests at the hotel. Not only that, one of his uncle’s co-workers was going to be there and had requested to meet him.
This meant his uncle was either going to have to try and fob him off on a neighbour, leave him alone in the house for two weeks, or take him with them.
Harry’s heart skipped a beat.