...And another one opens - Part 1

Harry's eyes wandered over his old, familiar, cramped quarters. A lumpy old mattress with several springs poking out still rested on a wire camp bed. Several toy soldiers and broken chess pieces were scattered on a shelf. Spider webs had covered the slanted ceiling completely, and a heavy layer of dust covered everything inside.

Harry vaguely wondered why Aunt Petunia hadn't sanitized this spot like she did everywhere else. It was almost as if all the things that frightened her were hidden inside that cupboard.

Harry recognized his childlike writing on the walls. Just scribbles, really, beside his name. He'd once confiscated some of Dudley's crayons and made a habit of nicking more whenever he'd got the chance. He could see a crude drawing of a birthday cake with candles drawn in different colors with gradual improvement in the drawing. He remembered adding to it each year on his birthday.

To say that Hermione exploded would be an understatement. She whirled toward the Dursleys, whipping Harry in the face with her hair as she spun around.

"How could you?" she screeched, baring her teeth like a wild animal.

Aunt Petunia averted her eyes to the floor, but Uncle Vernon puffed out his chest as if to defend himself. Hermione never gave him the chance.

"What?" Ron asked blankly.

"You loathsome, despicable cretins. To think I tried to tell him to be nicer to you. You actually kept him locked in a cupboard when he was just a little boy?" Hermione raged.

"They what?" Ron exploded, his head swinging wildly from Hermione to the cupboard to the Dursleys and back to Harry again.

Hermione ignored him. "You ought to be ashamed of yourselves," she hissed, raising her wand.

Harry grabbed her hand and pulled it away from Uncle Vernon just as she gave it an upward flick.

Unfortunately, as he'd pulled it away he'd pulled it towards himself. He suddenly found himself hanging upside down by his ankle in the entry hall of Privet Drive.

Aunt Petunia shrieked and covered her eyes. Uncle Vernon shielded her with his body and pushed her back into the kitchen. The slamming of the kitchen door echoed in the silent hall for a moment.

"Er, Hermione…can you let me down?" Harry asked with amusement.

Hermione gasped and gently released Harry from the spell.

"You used Levicorpus. I can't believe you used one of the Half-Blood Prince's spells," Ron said in amazement. Harry could hear the delight in his voice.

"Never mind trying to use it on a Muggle. Are you trying to get yourself arrested, Hermione?" Harry asked, beaming at his friend.

"Ready to start living on the wild side?" Ron asked, grinning.

"Oh, shut it, you two. I was just so angry with them. I can't believe you never told us about this, Harry," Hermione said, trying to maintain her dignity in the face of her laughing friends.

Harry shrugged. "It doesn't matter now; let's get some sleep. Tomorrow will be a busy day."

He could tell Hermione wanted to argue, but Harry didn't give her the chance. He bolted up the stairs in front of them, leaving them to follow in his wake. Still, settling down in his bed that night, it was a very long time before he finally drifted off to sleep.