Author's Note: It seems that I forgot to mention that the previous chapter was indeed a prologue, and I had some complaints on the length of it. I really have no intention of torturing you all with insanely short chapters, but there really wasn't much more I could have put in with that one. Ah, well. This one is better, but I still don't like the length. Hopefully the next will be longer.

Goodbye for now,

Dren

Chapter 1

Birthday

Harry Potter laid on his side, watching the neon red numbers of his clock. He did this every year, watching and counting down to his birthday. This year was even more special, if you could call it that. He would be turning seventeen, and he planned on moving out as soon as possible.

11:59...12:00.

As the clock turned over, there was a shimmering on the bed next to him. When it stopped, a small, lock-like device sat on top of a folded letter near his stomach.

Intrigued, Harry turned on his lamp and opened the note.

My dear son or daughter,

Today should have been your seventeenth birthday. I'm sure James
and I won't be around by now, as the Dark Lord is after both of our
hides. Depending on when we die, you probably want to know more about
your family.

I have charmed a sort of portkey to appear with this letter. To
activate it, turn the key over in the lock and tap it with your wand.

Do this only when you are truly ready to learn about the family.

With Love,
Your Mother,
Lily Evans

Harry blanched at the signature. The letter was from his mum? Part of him was pushing him to follow the instructions in the letter, but part of him was saying that it was just a trap. That it was very likely Voldemort again.

Was there a way to find out? In his mind, Harry knew he could legally perform magic outside of school now, but his record with the Ministry of Magic made him reluctant.

Just as he was about to cast an Authenticity Charm on the letter, the young wizard heard a tapping at his window. The letter that the owl outside his room carried answered all of his problems. It was written on enchanted parchment, which had a golden phoenix embossed at the top. It was a way of communicating used by members of the Order of the Phoenix. When an Order member touched the phoenix on the paper, it glowed red and revealed its message. This message was from Dumbledore.

The letter is authentic.

A.D.

Well, Harry thought. That's that. He picked up the strange looking lock. He was surprised to note that it did look very much like a Muggle padlock without the bar. It also had a small hourglass in the middle of the barrel. With some apprehension, Harry did as the letter told him and turned the key, tapping the thing with his wand.

As the hourglass began to spin backwards, the Boy-Who-Lived felt the familiar tugging behind his navel. The only difference from portkey travel was that the tugging spun him around until he was dizzy. The myriad colours seemed to seemed to fly by for hours until he found himself being slammed into the floor.

"Well that was unpleasant," he muttered, righting himself.

"I wouldn't know," a sarcastic voice remarked from somewhere behind him.

As Harry turned to see who it was, a door on his right opened, and his mirror-image entered the room.

"AHHHH!" the boy cried. "Merlin Lils, you should have warned me!"

Harry spun around and his eyes fell on the redhead seated on the sofa.

"Mum?" he said, just before passing out.