Harry Potter and The Philosopher's Stone (Revamped)

Chapter Two

Vernon burst down the door with a maniacal laugh and headed straight for the stairs whilst Dudley and Harry delicately waltzed their way into the poor excuse of a living room. They all unpacked, which didn't take long for one of them, and gathered in the wooden, creaky kitchen, where Harry was preparing an omelette for both the boys. Vernon even said Harry could have some, as three servings would feel as if Petunia was with them.

The night went on like any other would, except in a lighthouse, of course. Vernon was watching a game show on the TV, even though it was a lot more static than usual, and Dudley was also watching it, trying to guess the answers but getting most of them wrong. Harry was in the kitchen cleaning and taking short glances at the TV. It felt like any other day without Petunia. And then a storm rolled in.

Dark clouds were growing outside and thunder was banging and crashing into the ultramarine waves. A sense of foreboding hung in the air, although Harry was the only one perceptive enough to notice. That's when he heard some weak footsteps outside. Vernon and Dudley picked up on the clicking of the stones after a while, just before a rhythmic and delicate knock happened upon the door. Harry went over to answer it before he was quietly chased by Vernon and dragged away from it. "Don't answer it, boy. It could be the school." Vernon warned, Harry still wondering what the hell this school was he was so obsessed with.

The knock arose once more. *dun-dun, dun-dun-dun, dun dun*. A quite satisfying sounded knock, actually. After about two minutes of nobody answering, the footsteps began once more and the creature left.

Just as Vernon settled back down onto the couch, a loud yell sounded from outside and the door flew off its hinges, falling to the floor with a thud. In walked a delicate looking woman, in about her 60s, and dressed in a black robe that dragged behind her on the floor. She wore blood red gloves and was holding a giant stick in her left. A pin lay on her breast of an emblem, with 4 animals with 4 different coloured backgrounds - red for the lion, blue for the raven, yellow for the badger, and a cool green for the snake. It was quite the spectacle.

"Harry Potter, which of the boys are you?" she said pointing her large stick between the boys. After quite a bit of silence and turned to Vernon. "Oh god, it's not you is it? I don't think it's been that long, but oh well." she walked up to Vernon and begrudgingly placed a hand on his shoulder. "Come on then, Harry, to Hogwarts."

Vernon then began making some quite erratic sounds in shock, disbelief and most likely disgust. "I'm Harry Potter." the slinky boy said, earning the old woman's attention. "Who are you?"

"Ah, so you're the boy, I can work much better with that". She pushed Vernon away and strutted over to Harry, placing her hands on her knees and bending to his height. "You, young man, are very special, as I'm sure you're aware. Your parents were quite magnificent after all. A tragedy what happened to them."

"You knew my parents?"

"Of course, I taught them when they were at Hogwarts!" She stood up tall and patted her stick in her hand. "I'm happy to say they learned all their best spells from me."

"Spells?"

"Yes, Spells. Why do you look surprised?"

Vernon uncomfortably coughed, earning a gaze that could kill from the old woman. "I, Minerva Mcgonogall, have never heard such blasphemy in my entire existence." She got face to face with Vernon, so close he could feel her cold breath peak with anger on his skin. "Does the boy not know about his family? Wizards? Have you not told him anything?" she raised her voice, causing Vernon to flinch back.

"I never had the chance?" Vernon responded, gasping when her gaze cut deeper and tears started to prick the corner of his eyes.

"You have had the boy in your possession for 11 BLOODY YEARS!!-"

"Excuse me." Mcgonogall turned to Harry, her gaze becoming softer than before, although still cold. She backed away from Vernon and turned her full attention to Potter. "What do you mean by Wizards? And what do you want with me?"

Her face finally fell in heartbreak, the chilliness washing away fully, despite her eyes being the frostiest blue you have ever seen. "Oh, poor boy, I'm not hear to hurt you, no need to worry". She raised her hands in defeat. "My name is Mcgonogall, I am a professor at a school who's aim is to teach the most powerful wizards of all time. You're parents, Lily and James Potter, were some of the best students we ever had."

She finished off her sentence, and returned to her straight-back pose and aloof manner. Harry looked at her in disbelief, his eyes wider than the sun and bony hands shaking as if he was in the Arctic. "Now, Mr Potter, its your turn to become one of the greatest wizards we have ever known. But only if you take a chance and trust me - the greatest form of magic is trust and chance. So what do you say? To Hogwarts?"

He looked back at his Uncle and Cousin who were too scared to look away from him. He had never seen them so paralysed, and they looked at Harry as if he was actually human for once. If he could learn this magic, he could be seen as a powerful person by not only these "wizards" but the Dursleys too. He would never have to be at their whim ever again. He met Mcgonogall's glacial gaze once more and nodded before repeating her last words: "To Hogwarts."

She reached her hand out and Harry took it, as they headed to the door. He looked back at his family and winked at them. Before saluting them and disappearing into the storm still raging outside. Dudley stared at his father, as Vernon stared back. They both looked panicked, as if the Kraken itself had been released. They stood in silence before Dudley eventually spoke up after what felt like eternity. "What the fu-"