AN: Hello! This is my first Harry Potter FF. I've been playing with this idea for a long time now and hope it will be something.

I was inspired by Mountain907's story 'Harry Potter and the Cursed Summer'. Check the story out, it was great!

I hope you will like it. As always: I do not own Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling does. I only had an idea and was too lazy to make up my own characters.

Review on what you liked and disliked and if you liked it, I will write more.

Love, Kate

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Harry Potter and the Magic of life

Chapter One: Back to Surry. Or not.

With loud squealing noises came the Hogwarts Express to a stop at the platform of nine-and-three-quarters at Kings Cross Station.

As soon as the doors opened hundreds of students spilled from its inside onto the platform, talking, laughing, joking and shouting while searching for waiting parents and siblings.

Owls hooted in their cages, cats purred on their owner's arms, other animals rushed through their cages. A lonely toad jumped through the crowd, desperately trying to avoid being squashed under-foot.

The Students of Hogwarts School for Witchcraft were ecstatic to be home at last. The summer holidays had begun and for the next eight weeks they could happily forget everything school-related and enjoy their free-time.

A group of three people exited one of the last carriages. On girl and two boys.

The girl was slender with bushy brown hair, brown eyes and a big red cat in a cat-carrier on her arm. She wore casual jeans and a t-shirt. Over one shoulder she had a backpack slung and was laughing loudly.

The boys were very different form their outer appearance.

One was taller than the other by far and had a thick mob of red hair on his head, a crook grin while his greenish-blue eyes twinkled with amusement. His face was covered in freckles. He was grinning and rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. He wore old torn jeans and a flannel shirt that too had seen better days over a t-shirt. He carried a pack and a rolled up newspaper in the other hand.

The last boy was the girl's height with raven-colored hair, pale skin and deep emerald eyes. His black trousers were turn at the knees and his t-shirt was at least three sizes too big for him. Like the other boy he had his back slung over his right shoulder while a white snow-owl sat on his left one. The empty cage he carried with his left and.

He was talking excitedly with the others using his free hand to make wild gestures.

"And you should have seen Fudge's face when Sirius transformed back into his old self and just stood there in Dumbledore's office. It took McGonagall, Snape, Lupin, Flitwick, Professor Dumbledore and an Auror named Moody to shut him up, keep him there and keep him from ordering a whole squad of Aurors together with some Dementors right to Dumbledore's office. Who keep that Fudge was so obsessed?" Harry Potter told his friends.

They were listening eagerly, wanting to hear everything about the meeting they had not been allowed to attend even though they had played a significant role in its creation if you could phrase it like that.

It seemed unreal to each of them that only two weeks ago they had helped solving one of the greatest injustices of their society.

The unjust imprisonment of Sirius Black twelve years prior.

After the fall of Voldemort, Black had not only been accused to have betrayed Harry's parents to the Dark Lord bit also have caused the death of twelve Muggels and one wizard named Peter Pettigrew. Without a trial he's been sent to the Wizard-Prison Azkaban and left there to rot.

But Black, who was also Harry's godfather, had been innocent all Along. Peter Pettigrew had been the one to cause the explosion and then had faked his own death and framed Sirius.

Twelve long years the traitor had hidden in his animagus form of a rat at Ron Weasley's home before they had discovered his true identity and confronted him.

Sirius, who'd escaped Azkaban thanks to his animagus form showed up too and the truth was finally revealed.

The rat had been stunned, bound and brought up to the castle and handed to the Headmaster who had contacted the Ministry of Magic and its Minister.

Ten minutes later there had been a whole squad of Aurors who looked stunned when the prisoner was indeed identified as Peter Pettigrew.

Madam Bones of the Law Enforcement Department imminently ordered a clarification of the events.

So Sirius was brought to the castle after most of the Aurors had left.

Under the influence of a strong veritaserum both suspects had been questioned and their answers had been written down. Memories had been examined and statements been taken. With the binding promise of a fair and just trial by both Madam Bones and Cornelius Fudge, if unwillingly from the latter one, Sirius had accompanied them to the Ministry for safe-keeping and surveillance but not as a prisoner.

Since then Sirius had written Harry nearly every day, telling him how the trail was progressing and that it was looking more than good for him, seeing that he'd never gotten a trail in first place.

The last decision had yet to be made and even then Sirius would have to deal with a lot of other stuff like his Gringotts accounts and Black heritage, the press and reintegrating in the wizard society. But he had promised Harry that this would be the last summer he would have to send at the Dursley's. Permanently. After this summer Sirius would find them a house, formally adopt Harry and then Harry would move in with him. Permanently.

That promise made Harry happy enough that he was sure that he could manage the final weeks with his aunt, uncle and cousin just fine.

He was already anticipating their faces and reactions when he'd tell them the 'happy news'.

So that was the reason why Harry was happier than ever as he, Ron and Hermione left the platform through the gate and entered the real Kings-Cross while pulling their heavy trunks and small cauldrons and brooms and what not.

Hermione soon spotted her parents and after tight goodbye-hugs and getting them to promise to write her over the holidays she left.

Harry and Ron steered towards the big group of red-heads, Ron's big family.

Molly Weasley, Ron's mother greeted them both with tight hugs and Arthur shook Harry's hand.

"We heard from Dumbledore. Oh Harry I can't believe it. We're so happy to hear the Sirius is innocent." Mrs. Weasley whispered excitedly.

Harry smiled brightly at her.

Mr. Weasley smiled too and then said in a mock-scolding voice: "If I remember correctly, I asked you not to go after Black at the beginning of the year."

Harry grinned sheepishly. "I know. I'd planned not too but…well it just didn't work." Arthur smiled. "Don't worry. I'm glad you did. We knew Sirius from earlier times. We could never quite believe he was guilty but the evidence pointed towards him. So we just went with it. We're sorry." He said.

Harry shrugged. "Its him you'll have to apologize to and honestly, I'm just glad it all worked out in the end."

"Still, something like this should never have happened. Sent to Azkaban without a trial…"

Harry turned to look at the young man that had spoken. He was tall, his skin was rough and tanned, his stereotypical Weasley-red hair long and in a ponytail and a fang-earring dangled from his ear. He wore sturdy pants and a waistcoat made from what looked like dragon-hide over a snugly fitting shirt with sleeves that went to his elbows.

"Charlie Weasley." He introduced himself to Harry. "I wanted to meet you personal for a long time now. Ron's told us a lot about you and I wanted to thank you personally what you did for Ginny last year." He said as they shook hands.

"Harry James Potter, its great meeting you Charlie. Ron said you work in Romania with dragons, right?"

"That's right." Charlie said with a smiled. He liked Harry already. The boy was polite and curious but not in an annoying way.

"He could have been the seeker for a professional Quidditch team. Instead he runs off chasing dragons." Fred said from behind his father.

Charlie rolled with his eyes. "What can I say, Quidditch wasn't dangerous enough for me I guess." Then he turned back to Harry. "I heard you are the house-teams seeker too? And that like your father you are quite the natural talent?" Harry grinned and nodded.

George snorted. "He's better than you in your prime time." He said and elbowed his older brother playfully in the ribs.

Charlie raised an eyebrow questioning.

"Oh really?" he asked amused "Well if that's so than I think we'll have to do a match about it, what do you say Potter?"

Harry laughed. "I would love too. When I first started playing Quidditch they told me that out team hadn't won since you left the school. You must be half decent then."

Charlie roared with laughter which attracted some irritated glances from passing Muggels.

"Only half-decent." Ron snorted. "He always outplays us when we play at home. We only let him enter the game after we got to play some balls or otherwise within ten minutes he's all like: "Oh look, I caught the Snitch, again!" It's bloody annoying."

The whole family shared a laugh, even Percy.

The Mrs. Weasley looked around and asked with a slightly concerned face: "Harry dear, where are your aunt and uncle?"

Now everybody looked around.

Harry shrugged. "Probably outside in the car waiting for me to come and look for them."

He tried to ignore Mrs. Weasley's angry expressions and the concerned looks the other Weasley's exchanged amongst each other.

"I should probably get going. It wouldn't surprise me if they decided to go home without me." He meant it as a joke but he could see it in their faces that they wouldn't like that.

"Are you sure we shouldn't wait until you're picked up?" Arthur asked.

Harry shook his head. He was no small child anymore.

"It's fine Mr. Weasley. They're always like this. Don't worry."

He shook Mr. Weasley's, Charlie's and Percy's hand, gave Ginny a hug, Fred and George a fist-bump and Ron a one-arm hug before he was pulled in a bone-crushing hug by Mrs. Weasley.

"Be careful Harry dear. Write this time."

"Yeah mate, if anything's the matter or wrong, send Hedwig to me and we'll get you out of there just like last time." Ron said.
"I will thanks." Harry promised before pushing his heavy cart towards the exit.

At the elevators he got a last quick glance at the wizard-family before they disappeared somewhere around the corner.

As Harry pushed his cart out of Kings Cross Station into the low evening air he couldn't hold back a sigh.

Eight weeks of the Dursleys wasn't much, not compared to the twelve years he already had spent with them but still the thought of 'home' depressed him slightly.

Not for the first time he wondered if he couldn't just spend the summer at the Leaky Cauldron like last summer after the Aunt-Marge-Incident.

Harry wasn't even sure if he was still welcome at Number Four Privet Drive.

Sure, the Ministry had tidied up after him, deleted his Aunts memory and everything but that didn't mean that his aunt and uncle would have forgotten the 'accident' over the past ten months.

And as the sky turned darker and darker and the street-lamps turned on and the echoes of Big Ben echoed through London Harry wondered if he was right.

When ten o'clock came and went and there was still no sign of the Dursleys Harry got up from his trunk on which he's at these last few hours and looked around.

There was a Policeman at the entrance of Kings Cross.

Not for the first time in his life Harry played with the idea to activate the Muggle police or child-services.

Over his years with the Dursleys he'd collected enough evidence that would win a case of child neglect in every court.

But on the other hand he didn't need more official institutes in his life.

But the shock it would cause Uncle Vernon if Harry came with the police to his home…

Harry shook his head.

No, it was no possibility.

He guessed he could always call the Knights Bus to get him to Surry or the Leaky Cauldron.

Deciding that that would be the best thing to do he collected his things from the pavement and went to search for a lonely street where he could call the magical bus.

.

Riding the Knights Bus was just like the last time. It hurt a lot. Harry tried desperately to hold onto his bed while Ernie drove through London like a maniac.

Stan just stood relaxed in the corner, reading the daily prophet.

The Knight Bus was also fuller than the last time.

Harry wasn't the only one who didn't like the bumpy ride.

Hedwig threw a tantrum until he let her out at one of the many stops along the way, leaving him alone.

The drive took forever. They seemed to stop every few meters to pick someone up or let someone out.

Across from his sat an old lady with a box full of slugs on her lap.

Harry loathed slugs since Ron cursed himself to barfing up some especially disgusting ones.

"Hogwarts dear?" she asked.

"Yes Miss." He said politely and smiled at her.

"Didn't your parents pick you up?" she asked.

"My guardians are very busy. They probably forgot." Harry said.

"Poor thing."

"It's alright Miss."

The bus came to an abrupt stop and Stan shouted bored: "Hobbelgook-Village." The old Lady got up, patted Harry on the head and said: "Well, enjoy your holidays anyway."

"Have a good time yourself." Harry said and smiled.

As soon as she was gone a new customer entered. He was clad in a long traveling cloak and had at least a dozen scrolls in his arms.

"I'll pay you in a moment Stan, just let me put this down." He said and unloaded the scrolls onto the just emptied bad in front of Harry. One fell from the bed and rolled towards Harry but the man didn't notice.

Harry picked it up and wanted to give it back to him but Stan beat him to it.

"Weasley! Back in the country at least? What happened to apparation?" the conductor asked grinningly.

"They don't let you if you're hurt. The risk that you splinch is bigger than apparently. And the only portkey they had only took me this far to home."

"Sucks mate. Ottery StCatchpole I take it?" "Yes please." "Sixteen sickles. That is if you don't want any hot coca." "No thanks. The last time I had any of your coca I had indigestion for a month."

Stand just laughed.

The man turned around and sat down on the bed, taking off the hood.

Familiar Weasley-red hair appeared, together with a handsome face and blue eyes. Under the cloak he wore simple black robes with golden embroidery on the left chest over jeans and a white shirt. The boots were slightly muddy and he had a home-made scarf wrapped around his throat and fingerless gloves on his hands. The only thing that didn't match him were the claw-marks on his face. They looked old yes, but they were still visible.

"Hi, I'm sorry, but you dropped this." Harry said and handed him the scroll.

The man looked up surprised.

"Thanks man. Would have been in big trouble if this one had gotten lost!" he said and put the scroll with the others.

When he looked back at Harry his eyes went wide.

"Bloody hell, you're Harry Potter." He muttered.

Harry grinned. "And I take you are William Weasley, the oldest of your siblings?"

"Call me Bill!" Bill said and extended his hands and shook Harry's with much gusto. "It's awesome to meet you." Bill said.

"And it's awesome to meet the person Ron has his 'Bloody hell' from." Harry greeted back.

Bill laughed. "Well, what can I say; oldest sibling is always a role model. Though I think my mom wouldn't agree with you on the 'bloody hell' part."

Harry laughed too. "No, she wouldn't."

"Are you on your way home?" Bill asked.

"Yeah."

"It's rather late." Bill said, looking out.

"My relatives forgot to pick me up and since I have no mobile I couldn't reach them."

Bill nodded.

Trying to change the topic, Harry nodded towards the scrolls.

"What are those? Ron said you were a Curse-Breaker. Is that art of your job?"

Bills eyes lit up like a Christmas-tree.

"Oh yes. They are spell-rolls. I have to decode them as a preparation for a mission in a few weeks."

"What exactly do you do as a Curse-Breaker?"

"Well there are a lot of old places all around the world like old tombs or temples or hidden caverns that are spiritually cursed. Not always bad cursed, more like protected. It's our job to de-curse them so they are safe, for Muggles and wizards alike. Usually these places have hidden treasures and stuff like that which we take back to Gringotts, our employers, and sell." Bill explained.

"That sounds really interesting. Is it dangerous?"

"Not if you know what you have to do." Bill said smilingly.

"And what kind or mission are you going on?"

"My team and I are out searching for an ancient heavily cursed in Cambodia. Our detectors have registered a lot of balled energy down there and informed us. Most likely and old temple or something alike."

"So you are basically treasure-hunters?"

Bill grinned. "Yeah, more or less."

"Then you're probably really good in Defense against the Dark Arts, right? I mean if you have to deal with cursed and things like that…"

"Yes, but DADA is only the second most important think. You have to be good in…"

Right there the Knight Bus came to another abrupt stop and Stan shouted: "Surry, Magnolia Drive."

"Sorry, that's my stop." Harry said apologetic and quickly collected his things.

"No problem Harry. I tell you another time we see each other. I'm sure that'll be soon. You're coming to the Burrow sometime in the near future, right?" Bill said.

"I hope so."

He and Bill shook hands.

"It was nice finally meeting you Harry, See you soon."

"You too Bill."

Harry watched as the Knights Bus disappeared with a loud crack, before he picked up the handle of his trunk onto which he'd bound his broom-stick and cauldron and picked Hedwig's cage up with the other hand while carrying the bag he had with him on the train diagonally over his back.

Packed like a donkey he started walking towards his 'home'.

The silent whooshing sound of wings cutting through the night informed him on Hedwig's arrival.

The owl landed gracefully on her master's shoulder and nibbled softly and affectionately on his ear.

"Hey girl." He muttered. She hooted softly.

"Yeah, not my favorite way of travelling either but I had no other option. It's not like I could fly with my broom." He reached into his pocket and produced some slightly flattened owl-treats he still had in there form the train-ride.

Hedwig took them happily.

Harry was relieved when he finally made his way to Privet Drive.

His things were so heavy he wasn't sure he could drag them any further. Only now he'd forgotten to put a feather-light charm on it back at Hogwarts. Then again his head had been so full and occupied with more important matters than his trunk.

Now he regretted it slights.

Just thinking of having to heave it up the Dursleys stairs with Aunt Petunia looking at him like a hawk so he wouldn't scratch the walls or stain the carpet while doing so, he had to suppress a groan.

Arriving at Nr. 4 he looked at Hedwig. "Come on girl. You know they don't like it if I let you out of your cage. Don't worry; I let you out as soon as I can."

With Hedwig in the cage he carefully rang the bell.

Although it was late the house was still alight and he could hear the television from the living room.

Then he could see the tall and thin outline of his aunt making her was towards the door.

When the door opened Harry sat on a polite smile and said: "Hello Aunt Petunia. How was your year? Mine was great."

Petunia Dursley just looked at her nephew with horror and disgust.

"You…you dare to come back here?" she hissed. "After everything you have done?"

"Well it is the place I live. I have nowhere else to go." Harry said slowly. But not for long anyway, he added in his head.

His aunt gritted her teeth.

"You little freak!" she hissed and pulled him harshly inside.

"Do you know what you have done? How far you've gone? Enough is enough."

She pulled herself up to her full height and said: "Why else do you think we didn't come to pick you up? We don't want you here anymore."

Although Harry had already guessed so and knew that the Dursleys hated him he still couldn't help the feeling of pain and hurt in his chest.

It was stupid to feel so but the harsh words still cut through him.

"I'm sorry. But she started it, she baited me. Accidental magic can't be controlled."

"You think that justifies anything?" his aunt shrieked.

"Honey? What's the matter?" Vernon Dursleys voice suddenly boomed from the living room.

"The freak dared to come here Vernon." Aunt Petunia called back.

It was nearly funny how fast the stomping sounds that were Uncle Vernon's foot-steps approached the hallway.

When his massive form appeared in the door to the living room, Harry flinched at the expression on his face.

It was more than angry.

It was murderous.

"You." He growled.

"Me." Harry said weakly. He couldn't muster eth strength for his usual cheek. He was tiered and emotionally drained.

The truth on how much his aunt and uncle actually hated him just sank in deeper.

"What do you think you're doing here?" Vernon asked, his giant moustache quivering.

He looked even more like a tusk-less walrus.

"Please. I'm sorry for what happened the last time I was here but it was not entirely my fault. But I have good news. This is the last summer I will spend here. My godfather turned up. He's agreed to adopt me. All I ask is for you to let me stay for a few weeks before I'm off to the Burrow."

Harry hated how weak he sounded.

Since when did he let what the Dursleys said go under his skin? Begging them to let him stay…

"Never. Enough is enough. There was a line. You crossed it and now you must face the consequences." Vernon said his eyes full of barely concealed glee.

"But…all my stuff…" Harry tried.

"I suppose you can get them. It's not like we want them or anything else that reminds us of you in our house." Petunia sneered, arms crossed before her chest.

"Thank you." Harry muttered.

"Well, go on then boy, you have two minutes. Then I don't want to have to see your face ever again." Vernon growled.

Harry hurried up the stairs into his room.

There wasn't much in the room that was his anyway.

In a spare backpack that he found under his bed he stuffed the pictured of his parents, the photo-album Hagrid had given him, his Gryffindor-flag and most of his cloths as well as the blanket he'd been wrapped din as a baby when he'd been left on the doorstep of this very house, which he was no being forced to leave. The blanket had grown with each year that Harry had grown. He guessed it was part of some magic that it had been exposed too.

"Hurry up boy!" came the shout from downstairs.

Harry flew down the steps.

This was ridicules. He was thirteen. They couldn't throw him out.

Should he contact Sirius?

But what could he do? He was at the Ministry and couldn't just leave yet. And besides, Harry didn't want to load this on him too. And he didn't want him to think that he couldn't take care of himself.

Back to the Leaky Cauldron? Probably the best idea in his current situation. Maybe he could contact Professor Lupin. The man was like his honorary uncle.

He thought about contacting Ron but threw the idea aside.

He didn't want to ruin their holidays.

The Weasley's had enough to do as it was with seven children at home, they couldn't just take care of him through the whole holidays!

He'd contact them in two or three weeks.

The Leaky Cauldron it was.

But that meant…

"Hedwig, you might as well fly there. I don't want you barfing up all over the bus." He said.

More of Ernie's mad driving. Which joy.

Sighing Harry summoned the Knights bus a second time in a few hours.