Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter If I did then ya'll would be ecstatically happy cause this would be book number 6 and I would be a millionaire
Prologue:
It started suddenly and without warning. Fifth year had ended, Sirius was gone, and Voldemort had publicly shown himself and the entire Prophecy had been revealed but once more Harry had been sent back to the Dursely's to cope with all of these things alone.
The trip home to Privet drive was uneventful, Vernon's reaction to Moody's very blatant threat had rattled the big man thoroughly whilst Dudley was trying his damnedest to keep as much distance between him and his cousin as possible. There was something in Harry's expression that made the atmosphere in the car unbearable.
Two weeks passed before things went wrong. It started simple enough, it was Thursday morning and while Harry was making breakfast for the Dursely's he accidentally spilled his uncle's coffee into Vernon's lap. Naturally Vernon exploded, cries of ungrateful whelp and freak where flung around but what finally caused the incident was when Vernon called Harry a good for nothing little bastard just like his father.
In the office of the Detection of Under Age Magic Alarms started ringing, a specially enchanted quill began to scribble away in the report log.
Harry James Potter
No 4 Privet Drive
Surrey
Elsewhere at number 12 Grimmauld place panic was beginning to settle in as word spread that Harry had been casting magic. Dumbledore quickly gathered several order members, Tonks Remus Shacklebolt and Moody to apparate to Harry's home to check on him. What they found was worse than any DeathEater assault. Harry was gone.
They found Petunia and Dudley locked upstairs in the bathroom whilst down stairs in the cupboard under the stairs they found Vernon Dursely stuffed inside. It stank of urine and the stain on the front of Vernons trousers and the drying puddle on the floor was evidence enough that the smell was coming from him. He gibbered incoherently his terror overcoming his rational mind. "R-r-red-red eyes!"
The wizards and witch looked at each other in fear, the red eyes could only mean that Voldemort had somehow found Harry, yet why where the muggles still alive. One calming draft later the truth was finally revealed.
After Vernon's comment regarding Harry's dad Harry just went stiff his head down staring at the table, slowly he started to shake and his hands clutched table till finally he screamed, venting sixteen years of frustration in a single moment. All over the kitchen glasses shattered, plates cracked and tins exploded. Harry's eyes burned red with hatred for the family before him, in the corner his aunt cowered covering her whale of a son in an attempt to protect him. Vernon though was rooted to the spot as this hundred and thirty pound boy heaved the kitchen table across the room and grabbed the fat man by his shirt and threw him bodily into the hallway. He slammed into the wooden floor and slid long it the air rushing from his lungs. Harry just stalked after him no real expression except that of his eyes blazing red. Vernon whimpered to shocked to do anything as the cupboard under the stairs sprang open unaided and Harry once more reached down and grabbed his uncle and heaved him of the ground as if he weighed nothing at all.
"See how you like it." Harry turned and shoved his rotund uncle into the tight space and slammed the door closed the bolt sliding home with a click.
The varying reactions were all dramatic, Tonks was panicking, Lupin was livid, Moody was thoughtful and Kingsley was worried. The boy who lived was gone.
**********
She sat at the bay window staring out at the stars but not really seeing them, her gaze was really focused inwards like it had been most evenings remember the events that had happened that night in the Department of Mysteries. Unconsciously she rubbed her hand along the faint scar let from that night. She knew she should be angry with him for not listening to her, for getting them all hurt because he wouldn't speak to an order member but she found she couldn't. All she could do when she thought of him was see that stricken look on his face when anyone mentioned Sirius.
"I'm sorry."
She almost hit the ceiling in fright as the voice intruded on her thoughts spinning round she reached for a wand that wasn't there. "HARRY!"
She spun around in surprise. "Why are you here, how are you here, do the order know where you are, wh-what, why are you smiling like that?"
Harry just stood there a half smile on his face his emerald eyes almost twinkling as much as Dumbledore's. "I missed you, and to answer your questions, to say goodbye, magic, and no they don't."
He almost laughed when that angry look appeared on her face and her hands on her hips but he didn't, he wouldn't laugh at her for simply caring about him. "Before you start Hermione we need to talk ok?" She scowled but remained silent and Harry took that as a good sign. "I'm done here Hermione, first Cedric, now Sirius, where does it end Hermione, you almost died because of me." He sighed at sat down at the foot of her bed and ran his fingers through his messy back hair. "I can't keep letting people die for me, I won't. As for the Order, let's just say that Dumbledore has made his reasons very clear to me. I'm a target for one power wizard and a pawn to another." He flashed her that crooked smile of his. "It's time both learned I'm neither. So I came to say good bye, I sent Ron Hedwig with a note to watch over her for me, but I had to see you in person, I had to say goodbye."
She stared at him with a mingled expression of horror and shock. "B-but your underage, you need to go to Hogwarts, you need to be there to learn, you can't beat Voldemort without learning!"
"I'm probably already expelled Hermione, things kinda came to a head with Vernon tonight and I lost my temper and lost control. I stuffed him in my cupboard and kinda destroyed my aunts kitchen."
She giggled nervously. "You stuffed him in the cupboard?"
He nodded with a soft laugh. "Yeah, he almost didn't fit." He sighed and stood. "I need to go Hermione, they'll know I've left by now and they will come here to see if you've seen me." He crossed the floor and gently brushed a lock of hair from her face and lightly pressed his lips to her forehead.
She stared at him a minute before she ran to her wardrobe and grabbed several items of clothes before stuffing them into a backpack. Harry looked at her oddly. "So where will we go?"
He blinked. "We?" He shook his head. "No you don't get it there is no we this time, I'm going alone." He took a step back as she shot him her patented Malfoy glare.
"Not bloody likely, you wouldn't last a week without me, where would you have been without me in first year and the potions riddle?" She stalked towards him jabbing her finger into his chest. "How about in second year when I figured out it was a basilisk that was attacking the students. How about all the other years Harry, could you have done any of it without me helping you Harry, think carefully Harry your manhood may depend upon your answer."
For a brief moment Hermione could have sworn Harry's eyes flashed crimson before he took a visible deep breath and raised his gaze to meet hers. "I probably couldn't have, but when it comes time to take that final step I always take it alone, this time is no different."
Hermione dropped her bag on the floor and turned to glare at him. "You are not doing this alone Harry, we are best friends and best friends stick together." She shook her head sighing at his stubborn expression. "You're not going to do this alone."
Harry sighed. "I know the prophecy Hermione, I know why Voldemort wanted it so badly, and I finally understand, you can't help me Hermione, it's him or me, that is what the prophecy is about, neither can live while the other survives." He smiled in a bitter way. "I have to kill him Hermione, and Hogwarts can't teach me those things, won't teach me those things. Dumbledore knew Hermione, he's always known. And you saw where that led, I refuse to let that happen again."
"Fine!" Hermione grabbed her bag and tossed it over her shoulder. "Just because you are the only one who-who can defeat him, but you still need me Harry so give it up cause I'm coming with you." She flashed him that smile of hers when she had won an argument or learned something before anyone else. "So where are we going?"
"As far from here as possible."
TBC…