Harry Potter and the Alucinor Dicio

Disclaimer: I don't own him wish I did...........

Chapter 2 – Traveling Home

“ Harry! You won't believe what I just heard!! Professor Lupin just stopped by, and we are both going back to Grimmauld Place tomorrow. They are picking you up first, you'll be flying here, and then we'll be taking a portkey from my house! Isn't that great?” Hermione barely breathed through the whole sentence, as if spitting it out quickly would make Harry feel better about the change. Harry hated being at the Dursley's but he felt a strange, sick feeling at the thought of going to Sirius' house with no Sirius there.

“ Harry?..... Are you still there?”

“ Yeah, I'm here Hermione... it's... that's... great. Really, just great.. I'll be looking forward to leaving here and seeing you ...and Ron , of course.” Harry cringed inwardly at how lame that sounded , even to his own ears. Hermione knew what was bothering him, but let it go again, because she knew she couldn't get him to talk properly about it over the phone.

“ Well, Harry I have to finish packing you know, and you need to get started. Professors Lupin and Moody will be there tomorrow at noon, okay Harry?” Along with about 12 others, Harry thought to himself. Heaven forbid the boy who must kill Voldemort be taken down. Harry greatly resented the escort and the precautionary tactics, but he knew he had no choice in the matter. Dumbledore, no, the whole wizarding world were depending on him, he must be kept safe.

“ Yeah, absolutely Hermione, I'll get started on that packing straight away. I'll see you tomorrow okay?” Harry could almost see Hermione rolling her eyes at his obvious sarcasm.

“ You know, Harry, it wouldn't kill you to be a little more prepared. It's this type of thing that affects yours and Ron's grades, if you would just make the effort..”

Harry cut her off before she went on a full blown homework tangent, saying goodbye and quickly hanging up. He looked down the hall to see his Uncle Vernon hovering near a doorway.

“ So, those freaks are finally coming to get you eh, boy? Couldn't be soon enough for me, bad enough feeding you, and your ruddy owl screeching all hours of the night!” Vernon huffed. Harry stared at his uncle down the hall.

“ Yeah, Uncle Vernon “ Harry started “ yeah they are coming to get me tomorrow. You'll remember them, the ones who dropped me off at end of term?” Harry asked. He inwardly chuckled as his uncle turned a curious shade of puce at the mention of Mad Eye Moody.

“ Well be on with you then, Boy!” Vernon snapped. “ Bloody well can't wait to get rid of you, hopefully you won't be coming back!” He turned and stomped off down the stairs. Little did Vernon know, Harry wished he would never return, as well. However Harry knew he must continue coming to this place, since it offered the protection of family blood. Harry too, stomped down the hall to his room, to lay in agonizing wait for his escort.

The next day Harry rose bright and early to start packing. He had been too angry to start it the night before, choosing instead to work out to relieve his frustration at the Dursley's and the whole situation. Harry was looking forward to seeing his friends again, but anxious to be in the house that held so many memories of Sirius. However since it was the last week of July, he would at least be surrounded by friends and family, real family, for the first time on his birthday. At precisely noon, Harry was waiting downstairs with his trunk, and supplies. He had sent Hedwig on to Grimmauld Place already and she would most likely arrive before he did. In his hand he clutched his broom, and had his wand shoved in his pocket of his coat. The Dursley's stood around, Vernon looking angry, Petunia looking terrified of what might happen and Dudley looking, well, hungry. All of a sudden there was a series of resounding CRACKS, as Mad Eye, Remus, Mr. Weasley, Tonks apperated into the living room. The Dursley's nearly jumped out of their skins at the sound.

“ All right, Harry?” questioned Mr. Weasley mildly. Meanwhile Mad Eye immediately started giving Vernon the evil eye, as he tried to shrink behind his wife. Tonks grabbed Harry's trunks and cast a simple lightening spell on them as Remus produced an old shoe out of his coat and waving his wand over it muttered a few words. The shoe glowed and then subsided.

“ I'm fine Mr. Weasley, thanks” Harry replied. He looked over at Remus, “ I thought we were traveling by broom to Hermione's?”

“ We were at first, Potter.” growled Moody, “ but there have been a few sightings of Death Eaters today. Could be rubbish, but remember, CONSTANT VIGILANCE!!! So you'll be taking the portkey to Miss Grangers with Remus and I, while the others apparate ahead with your stuff.” As soon as he mentioned it, Mr. Weasley and Tonks gave Harry a small wave and disapperated with a CRACK.

“ Well, Harry” said Remus gently “ you know the drill, grab on and we will arrive at the Granger's shortly.” Harry turned and nodded at The Dursley's, who barely looked in his direction, turned and grabbed the shoe along with Remus and Moody. “ One, two, three...” said Remus, and Harry instantly felt the discerning tug behind his navel jerking him forward.

The next thing Harry saw was a small bushy haired girl flinging herself at him and catching him in a fierce hug.

“ Oh Harry! I'm so happy to see you! Are you okay? You look bigger! How were those awful people?” Hermione fired off these questions one after the other while stepping back to take a good look at Harry, noticing how he had grown and filled out these few weeks. Really filled out, Hermione thought, blushing.

Harry laughed at her rapid questions, “ Hermione, you were speaking to me everyday this summer! You know the answers to all these questions!” Harry noticed her blushing and wondered if he had embarrassed her in front of her parents, who were standing a few feet away. Hermione, suddenly realizing the others presence, brought everyone over to meet her parents.

“ Mum, Dad, this is Harry Potter, Remus Lupin, and Alastor Moody. They'll be taking me to Ron's by portkey today!” Harry wondered at Hermione's small lie to her parents, but shrugged it off. Her business, he thought. Remus and Moody greeted her parents, and then announced that Hermione should get her things from her room. Harry offered to help her with her trunks.

As they walked down the hall, Harry took the time to study Hermione unobtrusively. Gone was the awkward girl he remembered from first year. Harry suddenly realized that Hermione had quite grown up while he wasn't paying attention, but I suppose we all did, he thought. Hermione's room was just as he expected it to be, a bed, and a large desk, with almost all the walls obscured by bookshelves, On her nightside table was an open copy of Hogwart's: A History, a lamp, and a photo of Harry, Ron and Hermione taken at some point last term.

Hermione grabbed her book and photo off her end table and placed them in her trunk and closed it. She turned to Harry, looked at him intently and said “ How are you really, Harry? I know you don't want to talk right now, but we will, and soon,” She stated fiercely. Harry flushed under her disconcerting stare, he felt as if she was trying to see his soul.

“ Really, I'm fine...” He trailed off seeing her glare at him. “ Okay, I'm not alright, but I'm getting better everyday, I think. You've been a great help this summer, I don't know what I'd have done without you Mione.” She blushed at this, mumbling a reply.

“ Alright you two?” Remus hollered up the stairs. They started, realizing they had been a bit longer than they should have. Harry picked up Hermione's trunk, how many books does she have in this thing? It weighs a TON! Hermione offered to help, but Harry refused. As they entered the living room they saw both Mad Eye and Remus waiting for them by the portkey.

Hermione hugged both her parents and kissed them goodbye, telling them she would write. Harry watched this, wondering exactly how it would feel to be loved like that. He shook off his mood however, and grabbed the portkey and Hermione's trunk and tried to prepare himself for the trip back to Grimmauld Place.