Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, unfortunately, as many things of HBP would have been different if I did…lol
A/N: As you can guess I wasn't pleased with many of the events of the book. So here's my attempt at righting them in my version of book seven or a part of it at least. You may not like the start but if you stick with me, you'll see where I'm heading…by the way, sorry for title, I know it is a bit lame, but I couldn't come up with something better…
Harry Potter and the Quest for the Horcruxes
Chapter One
"Life goes on, Harry"
After their leaving of the school, Harry went to the Dursleys, who were surely not happy to see him return sooner than usual.
"Don't worry, I'm not gonna stay long. Just few days time, then I'm off forever from here" he said before his uncle Vernon could even utter a word, and that made the man grow his typical purple colour and his vein pulsing menacingly.
Harry, however, was completely unfazed by that, as he had other and more pressing matters to think and worry about.
In those few days at Privet Drive, Harry remained locked in his room, twirling the false Horcrux in his hands while deep in thought.
Sometimes he relived that fateful night in which Dumbledore had died. He would feel a sudden burst of rage at both Snape, who killed the Headmaster, thus betraying his trust and the Order's, and the ones who did not believe his warnings about the greasy git and Malfoy planning something.
Other times, he kept trying to imagine, from the memories Dumbledore had showed him, what places Voldemort would have cherished the most, places in with he would leave pieces of his soul.
Now that the Headmaster was dead, he felt all the pressure of the prophecy on his shoulders. He knew Voldemort would strike hard now, and strike soon. He had to be ready, or the confrontation would lead to nothing good.
He had to find the remaining Horcruxes soon, and destroy them.
But those ways of thought were often distracted by a certain redhead girl, whose imagine and lovely face kept coming in his mind.
He knew he had done the right thing breaking up with Ginny, he could not risk to put her in danger for being his girlfriend, and he was glad she had, after all, accepted it without too much of a fight. She really understood what he was going trough…
However, knowing it was right didn't make it less painful. The few weeks they had been together had been like nothing else he had experienced, and he had truly felt happy.
When thoughts of her came during the day, he loved to go for a walk, ignoring his relatives' comments about his daydreaming state, and reach Magnolia Crescent park.
He would sit on the grass, longing to be with her. Or he would go on the swing, wondering how would it feel to do that with her. He kept hearing her beautiful laughter in his ears, and smiled fondly remembering the good snogging that often accompanied their encounters.
He did after all be in Dean's position as he had hoped after seeing them kissing…it could have been his turn now, but the need to kill Voldemort and keep her safe made him break up with her.
She often came in his nights too. He would dream of long walks around the lake, hand in hand. Or heated snogging sessions, or even more, as he could reckon by some typical signs he would find in the morning.
He sighed, rolled on his bed and took his glasses, then after checking the clock he went down for dinner that was to be ready in minutes.
He had taken the decision to leave the next day for the Burrow, where Ron, Ginny, Hermione and all the Weasleys would be waiting for him, so he informed his "relatives" about that.
"I'm going to be off tomorrow. Thought you would be pleased to know that, as it will probably be the last time we see each other"
"I hope it will at least" he added then under his breath.
"Fine, boy. And mind to not bother us again, because I'm not going to take you in once more, whether that old crazy man likes it or not" Vernon said.
Hearing his uncle talking like that about Dumbledore made him lose his temper. The pain for the loss was still really fresh, and he could not tolerate someone insulting the Headmaster he had loved so much.
Harry had his wand out in a moment, threatening them.
"Dare to say that again?" he hissed angrily.
"You can't do anything. They'll throw you out of that school" Vernon whimpered, terribly scared.
Petunia and Dudley ran to hide in the living room.
"That school, as you call it, won't see me all the same this year. I'm off to do something more important and crucial, so I don't care" Harry said, still wand in hand.
Once he thought he had scared them enough, he moved to his room, in few minutes had his trunk ready, then walked away, and no one Dursley tried to stop him. Not that he expected them to.
When he was out in the rather chilly night, Harry walked angrily for a bit, then he gripped his trunk and Hedwig's cage firmly, thought intensely of the Burrow, then turned, and felt the darkness engulf him, the bands constricting his breath, till he landed in front of the Weasleys' house, inhaling deeply. He still had to get used to Apparating, and while it was handy to cover quickly long distances, he still preferred brooms.
So after one minute or two he went to the door and knocked.
"Who's there?" a frightened Molly Weasley asked.
"It's me, Harry. I've come early"
"What's the room you sleep in when you're here?" she asked, wand at the ready, should it be someone on Polyjuice.
"Ron's if the twins are here, the twins' if they are at Diagon Alley. What do you like to do most as soon as you see me?"
"Give you a crushing hug" Molly said smiling, opening the door. Harry grinned at her.
"It's good to see you, Mrs. Weasley" he said, stepping in.
"The same goes for me, Harry" she said, giving him her trademark Molly Weasley hug.
Finally she released him just when all the others came to greet him.
"Hey, Harry, thought you would come tomorrow" Ron said, walking toward him, one arm around Hermione's shoulders.
For the first time in one year or so, Harry saw both his friends smiling broadly at him.
"Hem…there's something I should know?" he asked amusedly.
Hermione turned slightly pink, while Ron blushed a violent shade of red.
"Well, see, Harry…not that we wanted to keep it from you, but…now…well, yes, we sort of…" they stammered, not knowing how he'd take the news.
"I get it, you two are going out. That's great guys, as long as you two don't repeat the scenes Ron did with Lavender last year" he teased them, winking at Ginny who had by now come there too.
Seeing her pained him a bit, but he acted as nothing was wrong, he had to be strong for her safety.
"Well, yes, however, the wedding is going to be the day after tomorrow, so we better go to bed, we need to do a lot for it yet…" Ron suggested, trying to change the subject.
"Wedding? The two of you are already getting married? Isn't that a bit rushed, Ron?" Harry said, teasing him.
"I was talking about Bill and Fleur's, Harry, thanks but I think we'll wait a bit more before getting married. As I was saying, lots of things need to be done…"
"Oh, no, Ronniekins, don't think we'll let that slip" George said. "Harry, you're officially invited to join the "Tease Ron and Hermione" night"
Harry grinned. "Thanks guys, but I think I'll pass this chance" he said, faking a yawn. "I'm really tired, you know, Apparating here from Surrey…"
"You Apparated? But you don't have the licence yet!" Ron said, outraged.
"Yeah, well, I had no other choice to come here quickly and without anyone noticing" he shrugged.
So, some joyful chatter later, they were all off to bed.
Next day the big preparative for the wedding continued, Fleur had already chosen her dress, Bill had got his own, the ceremony was going to be held in the backyard of the Burrow as no one wanted to go back to Hogwarts so soon, the pain for the battle was still fresh, so they relocated it.
White and orange roses adorned the garden, and the incident to Bill had brought Molly and Fleur as close as you could imagine, so it seemed really an happy occasion. Ginny still not liked Phlegm, as she called the French girl, very much, but since her mother did, she put on her best face. Harry was near her through the whole ceremony, even if Gabrielle, Fleur's sister, kept trying to be as around Harry as possible, being quite smitten with him as she was.
"Seems you got some competition for Harry's heart, Ginny" Hermione commented lightly.
"Well, I do like to think Harry has better taste than going with her" the redhead said, scowling. The girl really annoyed her a lot with her behaviour, much like her older sister.
Ron and Hermione were one near the other too, obviously as they were going out now, and Harry couldn't help to grin at them. He rarely saw them this happy.
Finally, Bill, who was dressed in a very elegant black robe, reached the altar, and few minutes later the Wedding March sounded. Fleur appeared in all her glory, with a simple white dress which exalted her body, keeping her shoulders almost bare and with a V-neck maybe a bit too deep, but with the outstanding heat of the season it was allowed. Her hair had been pinned with small white roses, and she looked directly at her husband to be, blushing when he mouthed to her "You're gorgeous", led to him by her father.
"Who gives this witch away?" the priest asked.
"I, her father, do"
And so her hand was placed in Bill's.
They looked lovingly at each other, while the priest kept reading the usual formulas for the ceremony.
Finally the moment of exchanging their vows arrived.
"Fleur, from the moment I saw you I knew there was more to you than your beauty, and I'm glad I was able to find that and discover that you are a well gifted witch, kind, generous, and loyal for all these reasons I love you with all my heart"
"Bill, you've bin ze kindeest wizard to me sinze we met, and you've showeed me what really loving someone iz, for that I love you more than anything elze, and I don't care about you suffering that incident with that werewolf, I love you all the zame"
Then they placed the rings on each other's fingers, with trembling hands.
"Bill and Fleur, I declare you husband and wife. Bill, you may kiss your wife now"
And so the Weasley did, lifting her veil and sharing the sweetest of kisses with his newlywed wife in front of family and friends.
After that, the banquet was held, with Molly who had prepared all the food. All laughed heartily, chatted, joked, ate, there was no room for sadness.
Even in such times, they managed to slither a day of complete bliss into the tension and fear of being in war. Harry for once forgot his heavy burden, and enjoyed even dancing, first with Ginny, then he and Ron exchanged partners, so he swung around a giggling Hermione for some time, before they stopped, quite flustered for the heat.
The four of them chatted till the dancing ended and the moment of throwing the bouquet arrived. Fleur turned and cast it as far and high as she could, and Hermione showed hidden Seeker reflexes snatching it from under Ginny's nose.
"Look who took the bouquet, we better start planning another Weasley wedding" George and Fred teased her and Ron, who both blushed.
"Guys, leave them alone. It was time I didn't see them this happy" Harry said.
"Thanks, Harry" both his friends said when the twins walked away muttering something like "ruining the mood" and "not having sense of humour".
"Anytime, guys, as long as you don't put on scenes like last year. I was going mad trying to mediate between you two…"
So, with time, the joy died down, the guests left, Bill and Fleur retired to their house to share their first night as wed couple, not before enduring the twins teasing them heartily.
Dinner time came, and there were Ginny, Ron, Hermione, Harry, the twins and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley there. They ate chatting about the wedding, Ginny and Hermione with dreamlike expressions told them how they wanted their own wedding to be.
"I would like it to be in a big chapel, with all the people from Hogwarts there, lots of red roses, a chorus singing, all the bridesmaids in orange dresses, and my own dress white, with a long tail, a simple veil, not showing so much of my body like Fleur's but still a bit sexy so to raise my husband-to-be's interest for our wedding night...and what about you, Hermione?"
"First of all, as long as I'm in love with the man I'm marrying" and she looked to Ron, who became red on his ears, "I don't care much for how it is. But my dream is a small wedding, with family and the closest friends, the church adorned with lilies and white and red roses, my bridesmaids dressed in pink and my wedding dress sparkling with small diamonds all over it, my hair pulled up in a chignon, no veil, even if I know it is charming the moment in which your newlywed husband lifts it to kiss you, and definitely a bit sexy. I mean, I know the man waiting for you at the altar loves you so no need to raise his interest, but it feels good to see once more what kind of effect you can have on him…"
"Why would it be?" Harry asked, bewildered.
"Girl power, Harry. Something you would never be able to understand" Ginny replied flippantly, moving her hair over her shoulder in a fancy way, as to flirt with him.
They all laughed, while Ron and Harry exchanged a look saying "they are definitely nuts".
Soon later all of them went to bed.
All but one young wizard, black unruly hair and green eyes, coming of age in few days, who remained in the porch gazing at the blue sky.
He wasn't aware of time passing, so he was startled by a ruffling of clothes behind him. He turned, wand in hand, releasing his breath when he saw it was just Hermione.
"Oh, it's you" he said, putting away his wand.
"Harry, it's three in the morning, you should go to sleep" she said softly, sitting near him.
"I know. It's just that lately sleep welcomes me with horrible nightmares at times, so I'm not too fond of it right now…" he said, attempting a joke.
She smiled feebly. "Care to speak with me about them?"
"Well, there's not a lot to say. I relive the moment Snape killed Dumbledore again and again, and keep wondering what would have happened if it had been possible to keep the Death Eaters from joining Malfoy. He seemed almost on the verge of believing Dumbledore and pass to the Light side, but then they came…and I could do nothing, Petrified as I was…" he said, his voice breaking, tears falling freely.
She gently wiped them away, and he marvelled in the softness of her touch. His inner monster seemed to like it too, as it purred.
"Harry, there's no point in thinking about it anymore. It's not your fault. We need to finish what he started, but we can't do that if we keep looking back to what was. We need to build what will be. Life goes on, Harry" she said, standing up and offering him an hand.
He accepted it and she led him inside. Just when she was to let go, he led both of them on the sofa.
She willingly followed, seating near him.
"Please, don't go" he said, almost like a scared children.
Maybe he was, or he felt like one, with the great things every one expected from him, and that he didn't even know where to start doing.
"I won't, Harry. As long as you need me, I'll stay"
"Thanks, Mione. You're a wonderful friend, I don't know what I would do with out you" he said.
Then he closed his eyes and let her soothing voice drive him to a peaceful slumber.
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