“Yes, but he hadn’t jinxed it, had he?” said Ron. “Ouch!”
The tiny owl, now hooting happily in his hand, had nibbled one of his fingers in what it seemed to think was an affectionate way.
Crookshanks took the order to the Owl Office for me. I used your name but told them to take the gold from Gringotts vault number seven hundred and eleven — my own. Please consider it as thirteen birthdays’ worth of presents from your godfather.
I would also like to apologize for the fright I think I gave you that night last year when you left your uncle’s house. I had only hoped to get a glimpse of you before starting my journey north, but I think the sight of me alarmed you.
I am enclosing something else for you, which I think will make your next year at Hogwarts more enjoyable.
If ever you need me, send word. Your owl will find me.
I’ll write again soon.
Sirius
Harry looked eagerly inside the envelope. There was another piece of parchment in there. He read it through quickly and felt suddenly as warm and contented as though he’d swallowed a bottle of hot butterbeer in one gulp.
I, Sirius Black, Harry Potter’s godfather, hereby give him permission to visit Hogsmeade on weekends.
“That’ll be good enough for Dumbledore!” said Harry happily. He looked back at Sirius’s letter.
“Hang on, there’s a P.S. . . .”
I thought your friend Ron might like to keep this owl, as it’s my fault he no longer has a rat.
Ron’s eyes widened. The minute owl was still hooting excitedly.
“Keep him?” he said uncertainly. He looked closely at the owl for a moment; then, to Harry’s and Hermione’s great surprise, he held him out for Crookshanks to sniff.
“What d’you reckon?” Ron asked the cat. “Definitely an owl?”
Crookshanks purred.
“That’s good enough for me,” said Ron happily. “He’s mine.”
Harry read and reread the letter from Sirius all the way back into King’s Cross station. It was still clutched tightly in his hand as he, Ron, and Hermione stepped back through the barrier of platform nine and three-quarters. Harry spotted Uncle Vernon at once. He was standing a good distance from Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, eyeing them suspiciously, and when Mrs. Weasley hugged Harry in greeting, his worst suspicions about them seemed confirmed.
“I’ll call about the World Cup!” Ron yelled after Harry as Harry bid him and Hermione good-bye, then wheeled the trolley bearing his trunk and Hedwig’s cage toward Uncle Vernon, who greeted him in his usual fashion.
“What’s that?” he snarled, staring at the envelope Harry was still clutching in his hand. “If it’s another form for me to sign, you’ve got another —”
“It’s not,” said Harry cheerfully. “It’s a letter from my godfather.”
“Godfather?” spluttered Uncle Vernon. “You haven’t got a godfather!”
“Yes, I have,” said Harry brightly. “He was my mum and dad’s best friend. He’s a convicted murderer, but he’s broken out of Wizard prison and he’s on the run. He likes to keep in touch with me, though . . . keep up with my news . . . check if I’m happy. . . .”
And, grinning broadly at the look of horror on Uncle Vernon’s face, Harry set off toward the station exit, Hedwig rattling along in front of him, for what looked like a much better summer than the last.
Text copyright ? 1999 by J.K. Rowling.
Cover illustration by Olly Moss ? Pottermore Limited 2015.
Interior illustrations by Mary GrandPré ? 1999 by Warner Bros.
Harry Potter characters, names and related indicia are trademarks of and ? Warner Bros. Ent.
Harry Potter Publishing Rights ? J.K. Rowling.
This digital edition first published by Pottermore Limited in 2015
Published in print in the U.S.A. by Arthur A. Levine Books, an imprint of Scholastic Inc.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher.
ISBN 978-1-78110-647-1
TO PETER ROWLING,
IN MEMORY OF MR. RIDLEY
AND TO SUSAN SLADDEN,
WHO HELPED HARRY
OUT OF HIS CUPBOARD
CONTENTS
ONE
The Riddle House
TWO
The Scar
THREE
The Invitation
FOUR
Back to the Burrow
FIVE
Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes
SIX
The Portkey
SEVEN
Bagman and Crouch
EIGHT
The Quidditch World Cup
NINE
The Dark Mark
TEN
Mayhem at the Ministry
ELEVEN
Aboard the Hogwarts Express
TWELVE
The Triwizard Tournament
THIRTEEN
Mad-Eye Moody
FOURTEEN
The Unforgivable Curses
FIFTEEN
Beauxbatons and Durmstrang
SIXTEEN
The Goblet of Fire
SEVENTEEN
The Four Champions
EIGHTEEN
The Weighing of the Wands
NINETEEN
The Hungarian Horntail
TWENTY
The First Task
TWENTY-ONE
The House-Elf Liberation Front
TWENTY-TWO
The Unexpected Task
TWENTY-THREE
The Yule Ball
TWENTY-FOUR
Rita Skeeter’s Scoop
TWENTY-FIVE
The Egg and the Eye
TWENTY-SIX
The Second Task
TWENTY-SEVEN
Padfoot Returns
TWENTY-EIGHT
The Madness of Mr. Crouch
TWENTY-NINE
The Dream
THIRTY
The Pensieve
THIRTY-ONE
The Third Task
THIRTY-TWO
Flesh, Blood, and Bone
THIRTY-THREE
The Death Eaters
THIRTY-FOUR
Priori Incantatem
THIRTY-FIVE
Veritaserum
THIRTY-SIX
The Parting of the Ways
THIRTY-SEVEN
The Beginning
CHAPTER ONE
THE RIDDLE HOUSE