Eleven-year-old Harry Potter was a wizard. That was still such a strange concept for him because he had only just found out a few days ago, and despite having gone and picked up his supplies for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, he still couldn’t believe it. Actually, he could believe it but he didn’t want to get too attached to the idea of getting away from the Dursleys, only to have the universe come up with a way to stick him right back with them.

Of course, Harry was relieved that the Dursleys had been leaving him alone and no longer treating him like his sole purpose in life was to wait on them hand and foot. But it was a bit odd how they were treating Harry now; it was like he didn’t exist. They only spoke to him when they absolutely had to, and even then it was quick two or three word sentences. This usually only happened when Harry was in the way or if they were going to feed him. They had been giving him more food recently, because they were worried the ‘freaks’ were monitoring them after they had to send Hagrid to deliver Harry’s letter. They had stopped yelling at him and beating him for the littlest things. For the most part, Harry did what he wanted and stayed out of the Dursleys’ way.

Harry was presently in the backyard, digging in the mud and watching Dudley and his friends argue back and forth with each other. Dudley had been given instructions to not pick on Harry in case he cast a spell on him. If Harry even knew how to cast a spell on anyone he would have done so already, but Harry decided for his own sake not to tell his relatives this. He was enjoying the peace way too much.

Harry was just getting ready to go back into the house when he spotted what looked like a gold chain. When he looked at the chain, he thought it was really nice. The pendant was fascinating—a series of circles around what appeared to be an hour glass. Harry wondered who had lost it, because it looked rather expensive. He decided he would make a poster and put it up, so whoever owned the pendant could claim it. But he wouldn’t put a picture, because the genuine owner should know what it looks like, and that way he could make sure it went to the right person.

Harry went upstairs to his room and quickly scribbled out a few posters, and by the time he was finished, it was after dark. It would be a good idea to wait until tomorrow to put the posters out.

He brought the chain out from his pocket and began staring at it. Harry threw the chain around his neck and looked at the pendant a little more thoroughly. Its rings looked like they could be moved, and when Harry started spinning it, he found his young mind captivated by the motion. Soon he was spinning away and letting his mind drift to everything he wanted to learn at Hogwarts: potions, charms and transfiguration. It was going to be brilliant. Harry had already read through his textbooks and couldn’t wait to actually put what he’d learned into practice.

The best part was that everyone would be like him. They wouldn’t call him a freak, they wouldn’t beat him, and they might actually want to be his friends now that he wouldn’t have Dudley around to chase them away. This was going to be amazing. Harry looked over at Hedwig, his new beautiful owl, and smiled at all of the possibilities for the following years to come.

It was a little past midnight when a loud crash downstairs startled Harry away from his thoughts. The little pendant fell from his hand, and to his surprise, it started spinning in the opposite direction Harry had been turning it. Suddenly the room was spinning, and Harry was getting dizzier and dizzier by the second. Harry felt like he was being ripped in half and the feeling only intensified as he began hoping he could be anywhere but where he was right then. The last thing Harry heard before he passed out completely was a loud crack and himself screaming.

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