Welcome back, everyone.
Glad to see some of my faithful readers are still out there...and even more glad to see some new ones picking up my fics. Thanks to all!
Now then, as for the time it took me to update this, I have a few things to say about that.
Some things came up in my life that kept me from writing as much as I would've liked. I had an episode while I was at work that caused me to collapse, and since then I've found out I have anemia. I do sincerely apologise for the length it has taken me to post this, but I would ask your forgiveness as it was not really something I had control over.
I have nothing more to say right now, so read on!
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Chapter 2: Farewell, Number Four
Harry's first thoughts when he awoke the next morning were that his head was killing him and it was much too bright. That, and something warm and soft that was snuggled up next to him, laying on his left arm. He was in the middle of trying to remember exactly why his head was killing him when the warm and soft thing next to him let out a quiet sigh.
His curiosity piqued, Harry cracked an eye open only to be met with the sight of bushy brown hair.
'It's only Hermione,' he thought to himself, relaxing. It took about three seconds for that thought to really sink in.
Harry's eyes flew open and carefully he lifted his head, trying to determine whether or not Ron was awake while not shifting around too much. Thankfully, both Ron and the bed remained undisturbed, the former snoring away happily in the chair he had fallen asleep in last night.
Harry pinched the bridge of his nose with his free hand, trying to remember how they had all ended up in this predicament. He remembered stupefying Ron...Hermione apologising to him for last year...Hermione conjuring the wine...
"The wine..." muttered Harry under his breath. Hermione muttered something unintelligible next to him, but stayed asleep, much to his relief.
Harry's main objective now was to free himself from his best friend without waking her. Slowly, he began to inch his arm out from under her. He was halfway there when she rolled over and looked up at him, blinking.
"My head hurts," she whispered.
"I was trying not to wake you," said Harry sheepishly.
"It's alright," replied Hermione. "What?" she asked, seeing a faint blush in Harry's cheeks.
"Oh...well...er..."
"Harry," she said, putting her hand on his arm. "We're best friends."
"I know that," he replied.
"Then it shouldn't matter that we slept together," said Hermione. "Nothing out of the ordinary happened...right?"
"Of course not?!" exclaimed Harry, earning a grunt from Ron. They both jumped at the sound, but thankfully their red-headed friend stayed asleep. "Of course not," he whispered. "Hermione I would never do anything like that."
"Then there's nothing to be embarrassed about," she said. "Though I think it might be a good idea to separate ourselves before Ron wakes up. It might save some weird questions."
"Yeah," replied Harry as Hermione rolled off his arm and swung her legs over the side of the bed.
"Oh..." she moaned, bringing her right hand up to her temple and rubbing it while shielding the sun from her eyes with her left.
"Let me do that for you," offered Harry, moving to sit behind her.
"Wait a sec," said Hermione, grabbing her wand off the floor. She pointed it at the window, muttered something unintelligible, and a moment later the room was enveloped in darkness, the offending brightness gone. "Much better."
"How's this?" asked Harry softly as he began to rub her temples.
"Mmmm...very nice," she replied, leaning back into him. "We got a little carried away last night, didn't we?"
"Just a bit," said Harry with a dry laugh.
"We don't get carried away often enough," sighed Hermione.
"Never thought I'd hear that statement come from you," muttered Harry offhandedly.
"Well it's true," said Hermione. "And I don't reckon we'll be able to for quite some time."
"You're probably right," replied Harry. "We can't be going around getting pissed if we're to find horcruxes."
Hermione reached up and gently grabbed Harry's right wrist, causing him to cease his ministrations.
"So you're going to let us come with you then?" she asked softly.
"Even if I didn't," said Harry with a smirk, "would that stop you?"
"So it's because you have no other choice?" asked Hermione, turning around to face him.
"Partially," admitted Harry. "I'll be honest, I don't like the idea of you two putting yourselves in danger for me."
"That's a bit rich, coming from you," replied Hermione with a faint hint of a smile.
"It's the truth, though," said Harry. "But that aside, I reckon I'd last about a minute out there by myself."
"Oh, so you're using us, then," replied Hermione with a laugh.
"Are you purposely trying to guilt trip me, Granger?" asked Harry, narrowing his eyes even though he was joking.
"Now what would be the point of that?" asked Hermione slyly. "As if you don't have enough guilt already."
"Isn't that the truth," said Harry shaking his head and sighing.
"Harry," said Hermione looking him in the eyes. "You don't really blame yourself for Dumbledore's death, do you?"
"I don't know, to tell you the truth," he replied. "I mean, sure it was Snape who killed him, but if he hadn't been so weak from the potion that I forced down his throat -"
"Then you wouldn't even have the chance to find out who R.A.B. is and the horcrux would be lost forever," interjected Hermione. And as much as Harry hated to admit it, she was right.
"So what do we do now?" he asked after a moment.
"We continue on, just as we were meant to," said Hermione. "But first, a shower is in order, perhaps." And without another word she grabbed her suitcase and left the room.
Harry sat in silence for a minute, stunned at Hermione's abrupt departure. He supposed she was right, and after all, it was he who had said the previous day that the past was in the past, and couldn't be changed.
He sighed and looked at the clock on his bedside table, only to realise that he wasn't wearing his glasses. Running his hands over the bedspread, he found them under the pillow and looked over to see that it was just past ten in the morning.
Deciding that it would probably be better to let Ron sleep, Harry lay back down on the bed, interlaced his fingers behind his head, and stared at the ceiling. He silently wondered how the three of them would go about finding the horcruxes once all was said and done with Fleur and Bill's wedding and Godric's Hollow.
'The locket...the cup...the snake... something of Gryffindor's of Ravenclaw's,' thought Harry to himself. He refused to let himself forget what Dumbledore had taught him, and therefore had made it a habit to repeat those words in his head at least once a day over the past few weeks. "R.A.B...," he whispered to himself. "Who the bloody hell is R.A.B.?"
"I've been thinking that you should ask someone in the order about that," said Hermione, coming back into the room. Although she was fully dressed, her hair was still wet and it gave Harry the notion that she was becoming rather feminine.
"Dumbledore told me -"
"Not to tell anyone what you two were doing that night," interrupted Hermione. "I know. I'm not saying you should go around telling people you're hunting for horcruxes, but maybe if you just mentioned in passing that you were wondering about someone with the initials R.A.B., you might get some results."
"And how would that work?" asked Harry. "Imagine me going up to Remus and asking, 'hello, do you know any dodgy wizards with the initals R.A.B.?'"
"Didn't you do the exact same thing when you were trying to find out who the half-blood prince was?" asked Hermione, which caused Harry to sober up instantly. "You ask and tell a lot of things to members of the Order, and despite the fact that you're not in it, they do give you honest answers."
"They'll want to know why I want to know about this person," said Harry glumly. "I had no qualms telling Remus about the Prince...I thought it was my dad, and the spells certainly seemed harmless enough at the time. But what will I tell them when they ask me 'why do you want to know?'"
"Tell them that you saw something at Godric's Hollow with the initials," suggested Hermione. "Carved into a tree, or something like that."
"It might spark some interest in them, especially if I asked Remus," said Harry. "And it'd have to wait until after we got back."
"I thought the hunt was going to wait until we got back anyway," said Hermione, more as a statement than a question.
"I suppose you're right," sighed Harry. "It makes no sense to cut off all my resources."
"Now you're getting it," grinned Hermione.
"Well, I'm going to go take a shower as well," said Harry, standing up and going over to his dresser. "I imagine that I smell a right sight worse than you did about an hour ago." He quickly grabbed some clothes, dodged the pillow that Hermione had thrown at him, and exited the room, winking at her as he left.
Twenty minutes later he returned to find that Ron was awake, and chatting animatedly in hushed tones to Hermione.
"Something important?" Harry asked, rubbing his hair with a towel. The two of them jumped as if they had been shocked, and turned to face him.
"Sorry," breathed Hermione. "Didn't see you there."
"What was so important to make you both so edgy?" he asked.
"Nothing, just stuff about Bill and Fleur's wedding," replied Ron, though Harry thought he could sense some dishonestly in his voice.
"So what are we going to do today?" he asked. "There's not much to do around the house..."
"Well what do you normally do?" asked Hermione.
"Honestly? Nothing," said Harry with a shrug. "I'm usually too deep in thought to do anything...if not I sometimes take walks around the block. Or at least I did before Voldemort's return was accepted."
"Well it's broad daylight, I don't think any death eaters are going to attack us," said Hermione. "Besides, I want to go and talk to that neighbor of yours and see if she can do me a favor."
"Mrs. Figg?" asked Harry in astonishment, to which Hermione nodded. "Why on earth do you need to ask her for a favor?"
"Because I would like to get some potions ingredients, and preferably soon," she replied. "I don't want to be walking around all day with a hangover."
"You're more than welcome to," shrugged Harry. "But there's probably someone from the Order watching the house. There almost always is these days."
"Why would they bother doing that?" asked Ron. "It's not like You-Know-Who can touch you here."
"Probably to follow us just in case we go out for a walk like we're about to," said Harry, motioning them to follow him out of his room. They proceeded down the stairs into the hall, where Aunt Petunia was dusting the framed pictures.
"Morning," said each of them in turn as they passed her. When there was no response, Harry looked back briefly to see her looking at them with intrigue. After a moment she gave him a curt nod and resumed her dusting.
"Now then," said Harry opening the front door, causing bright sunlight to hit their faces. "Know any charms that'll make invisible people appear?"
"No need," replied Hermione, squinting at something across the street. Harry and Ron followed her gaze and saw a tabby cat with square markings around its eyes. The cat, noticing them, looked both ways down the street and ran across, transforming into Professor McGonagal once safely inside the house.
"Good morning, Professor," said Harry, closing the door.
"Mister Potter, Mister Weasley, Miss Granger," she said, cordially. Sensing there was someone else in the area, she turned around and saw Petunia staring at her, one of her thin eyebrows arched. "Mrs. Dursley."
Petunia said nothing, only gave her the same curt nod she had given Harry and went about her business.
"Perhaps we could go somewhere private to talk?" McGonagal asked. "I'm not here by coincidence, although it seems that since you were looking for me, the timing of my arrival was most opportune."
"Sure," said Harry. "My room is sound-proofed."
McGonagal followed the three of them up the stairs and into Harry's room. Harry held the door open for everyone and then closed it as he joined them.
"A very large and comfortable area," said McGonagal with a smile. "I suppose we have Miss Granger to thank for that?"
Hermione blushed and nodded slightly.
"Very good, now, down to business," said McGonagal, waving her wand and conjuring them large armchairs not unlike the ones in Dumbledore's office to sit in. "We need to talk about several things, Harry, the first of which is how you will be getting to the Burrow."
"I can apparate," replied Harry automatically. "If I could side-along Dumbledore from over a hundred kilometers away, I think I can do myself the Burrow."
"Whether you can or cannot is not the issue," stated McGonagal. "The fact that you are underage and don't have a license is. I will personally come to take you there."
"Alright," acquiesced Harry. "What else?" McGonagal thought for a moment before speaking again.
"For many years now, I have been the second-in-command within the Order of the Phoenix," she said slowly. "When Albus died, I became the head."
"Um...congratulations?" suggested Harry.
"Thank you, but I have not come here to brag," continued McGonagal. "Part of the instructions that Albus gave to me included that I view the entire contents of his pensieve. And while this has taken me the better part of two weeks to accomplish, I have managed to do so." Harry nodded, having a feeling where this was going. "I will then presume, that on the night you and Albus left the school, you were searching for a horcrux?"
There was silence in the room as Hermione and Ron stared anxiously at Harry to see what he would say.
"We were," he finally said after a minute of contemplation.
"And were you successful?" asked McGonagal.
"No," said Harry truthfully. He waited to see if she would press him for more information, but this seemed enough to satisfy her.
"I'm sorry to hear that," she said, pursing her lips in a frown. "I would like you to know, Harry, that since there is now an actual plan to defeat Voldemort, you will have full access to all of the Order's resources. Especially because of the prophecy."
"Thank you," said Harry graciously.
"I understand that you will want to search for the horcruxes by yourself, but I do ask that you remember we are here to help you, and will, should you ask."
"I understand," nodded Harry.
"Good," said McGonagal. "Now, I have brighter news for you three." Harry, Ron, and Hermione all looked towards her with interest at this. "After much deliberation, Hogwarts will remain open this year."
"That's wonderful!" exclaimed Hermione.
"I had a feeling that you would enjoy this news, Miss Granger," smiled McGonagal. "Now, while I do not in any fashion expect you three to continue your studies religiously what with the time you will have to invest searching for horcruxes, I would request that you stay at the castle. You would, of course, have access to all of its facilities and would be free to come and go as you pleased."
"I dunno..." said Harry slowly.
"You do not need to give me an answer right away," said McGonagal. "In fact, I wish you not to. Take some time to think about it." Harry nodded at this. "Now, what can I do for you all?"
"Oh, I was wondering if perhaps it would be possible to get some valerian roots, powdered scarabs, and leech juice," said Hermione quickly. Harry saw McGonagal's eyes narrow at his friend, then dart around the room, finally landing on the empty bottles on the floor.
"While I do not condone the consumption of alcohol by those who are underage by any means," she said, her eyes still narrowed. "I do think that perhaps we all need to relax from time to time, especially during these days. It so happens that Molly Weasley keeps a hangover potion stocked in her cabinets in case any of her men come home drunk, so I'll grab that. And no, Mister Weasley," she added, seeing the look on Ron's face. "I will tell her it's for Mundungus, as she will easily believe that story."
"Thanks," said Ron, blushing.
"I will not do this for you again, however," continued McGonagal. "So please refrain from any more...frivolity for the time being."
The three of them nodded somberly, and McGonagal's face softened slightly.
"I shall be back here in four days time, at precisely one in the afternoon," she said, standing up. "Please be ready to leave when I arrive." Again, the three of them nodded, and McGonagal turned to leave. "Here is your official invitation to the wedding, Potter," she added, pulling an envelope from her robes and handing it to Harry. "Oh, and if you should need anything else, Tonks and Alastor have been switching off keeping guard. Alastor is always in the backyard, invisible, and Tonks is the many different people taking walks down the street. Take care." And without another word she turned and walked from the room, closing the door behind her.
"Well...that was fun," said Ron after a moment. Harry and Hermione nodded but were startled a moment later at the sound of a pop, and a heavy glass bottle appearing on the floor in front of them.
"So," said Hermione, conjuring three new glasses. "Who's first?"
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Three days later found Harry, Ron, and Hermione on one of their walks, which they had taken to having for hours at a time over the past few days.
"So what do you think about Hogwarts?" asked Ron conversationally. "Thinking about going back?"
"Course I have," replied Harry. "I mean...it seems like the logical thing to do, but I don't know...something about it just seems...off."
"Well you did see some pretty horrible things there," said Hermione pointedly. "It'd be enough to rattle anyone's bones."
"Where else would I go though?" asked Harry. "I mean, I can't stay at the Burrow all year round -"
"Mum would be more than happy to have you, though," interrupted Ron.
"No offense, Ron, but your mother can be a bit...constricting at times," said Hermione tentatively.
"And just what's that supposed to mean?" asked Ron, turning around to face her.
"Children," interjected Harry before the argument could start. "Let's not fight now. And Hermione's right, Ron, your mother does have the tendency to be overbearing sometimes."
Ron looked rather like a fish out of water, his mouth opening and closing as if he wanted to retort, however no sound came out.
"I'm certainly not staying at Number Twelve," he continued. "If I can go my lifetime without having to set foot in there again it'll be too soon."
"Well I certainly think we should stay at Hogwarts," said Hermione. "The fact that it's certainly the safest place to be aside -"
"That didn't stop Malfoy from infesting the school with death eaters," Harry pointed out.
"True, but the cabinet's been destroyed, and if he can figure out another way to get them inside, well...I'll eat my book."
"Hogwarts, A History?" Harry and Ron asked at the same time. Hermione blushed at this, but nodded.
"I'm going to hold you to that," said Ron with a grin.
"Moving on," continued Hermione, looking like she slightly regretted bringing the subject up. "I think having unrestricted access to all of Hogwarts' information could be very useful."
"I agree," said Harry as they rounded the corner onto Privet Drive. "Especially if McGonagal lets me into the headmaster's office...I'm sure Dumbledore had lots of things saved that could be really helpful for us."
"Exactly," said Hermione as they walked up the way to Number Four. "So, is it agreed that we'll return to Hogwarts this year?"
"Agreed," said Harry and Ron, in a mock toast. "To Hogwarts."
"Let's not start that again," replied Hermione with a chuckle as they entered the house.
"Harry," said Aunt Petunia as soon as they had closed the door, making him jump. "Could I have a word?"
"Um...sure," Harry replied, rather taken aback. Ron and Hermione looked at him inquisitively, to which he merely shrugged and followed his aunt into the sitting room. He sat in the chair opposite the couch, watching his aunt stare absently out the window across from him. "Umm..."
"I've not been myself lately," Petunia said suddenly, not turning around to look at him. "It's frustrating...you've lived here for almost seventeen years...and now you're leaving."
"And?" Harry asked after a moment.
"And I'm feeling slightly maternal!" she exclaimed, exasperated. "I don't know why...we certainly haven't treated you like royalty and I know you'll have no love lost when you leave..."
"Maybe it's because that despite your animosity towards my mother, she was still your sister and you still cared about her even though she was a witch?" Harry suggested. "And since I'm her son, I'm your only link to her."
Petunia turned around and stared hard at Harry for a few moments, then turned back toward the window.
"We were good friends once, your mother and I," she said. "When we were growing up, we always used to have slumber parties with each other, and read fantasy stories under the blankets with a flashlight."
Harry stared on with amazement at the sincerity that his aunt was showing.
"And then the fantasy became reality for her," sighed Petunia, turning around and sitting down on the couch. "She got to experience what I could only read and dream about." She let out another sigh and looked up at the ceiling. "I envied her so much. I told myself that it wasn't fair that she could do magic and I couldn't. That I was being punished for doing nothing wrong. So I convinced myself that magic was an abnormality, and when I finally married Vernon and told him everything, I told him the same."
"So that's why you know so much about my world," said Harry, causing Petunia to look at him. "You absorbed every bit of information my mom told you about it, so you could know what it was really like."
"Something like that," admitted Petunia. "I don't regret much that has happened in my life. I love Vernon, and I love Dudley." Harry had to refrain from snorting at the mental image of his aunt hugging her Duddikens. "But one thing I do regret is not making peace with my sister before she passed. No one has ever told you this, but I took her death fairly hard. I told Vernon, of course, that I was ill, but when you lose one of your family, you're --"
"Never whole again," said Harry, finishing the sentence for her. "I know how it is, trust me." Petunia nodded sadly at this.
"I have some of her things," she said slowly. "Jewelry, mostly. Stuff that Dumbledore recovered from the wreckage of the house. You're more than welcome to them if you would like."
Harry's heart jumped at the prospect of owning something that was his mother's, but he settled back down and merely smiled.
"You can keep it," he said with a smile. "Thanks to some good friends, I have enough memories of her and my father for right now. You should be able to keep a piece of her with you as well."
"Thank you," said Petunia softly. Sensing the conversation was over, Harry stood. "I've told Vernon to be nicer to you and your friends, by the way."
"I thought as much," replied Harry with a laugh. "Thank you."
Petunia nodded at him, and with a slight smile, he left the room.
Harry bit his lower lip in thought as he began to ascend the stairs. Wondering what Ron and Hermione would make of this, he reached the landing just in time to see a long piece of flesh-colored string get pulled under his door. Rolling his eyes, he walked to his room and entered, not surprised at all to see his friends sitting awkwardly in the armchairs, looking for all the world like the cats who just shared the canary.
"Why is it that I'm neither surprised nor angry that you were listening in on that conversation?" he asked in a tone that suggested it was a rhetorical question.
"Er...cuz we're your friends and you know we're sneaky and you love us for it?" suggested Ron.
"Something like that," sighed Harry as he sat down beside them. "I suppose it'll have saved some time anyway, me not having to repeat everything now."
"Harry," said Hermione gently, putting her hand on his arm. "We're sorry we listened in on that conversation. We didn't realise it would be so personal, and by the time we found out -"
"You were too interested to stop listening," finished Harry for her. "I know how that is, and like I said, I'm not angry."
"Thanks, mate," said Ron sheepishly. "And that was a right noble thing you did there, letting her keep your mum's things."
"It's true though," replied Harry, standing up and walking over to his dresser. "I don't need to be greedy...I already have more of my parents than I ever thought possible when I was ten." He pulled out the photo album Hagrid had given him at the end of his first year and presented it to them. "I've never shared this with anyone before," he said, watching as Hermione took the book from him with intrigue.
"Oh, Harry," she said softly as she opened the album, Ron sliding his chair next to hers so he could get a better look.
"Those photos are the only thing that kept me going through most of my summers here," said Harry honestly.
"Can I borrow this one?" asked Hermione, pointing at one of the photos in the album. Harry walked around behind her chair to get a better look, and saw that it was the photo he had added himself after his second year in which he, Ron, and Hermione were all standing around with each other, smiling. "I want to get it copied."
"Sure," replied Harry, watching as Hermione slid the photo out. "Just don't lose it, I'm rather keen on that one."
Ron and Hermione each looked up at him with a smile, and before Harry could say another word, he was enveloped in her arms, Ron watching and grinning all the time.
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"Are you sure you've packed everything?" asked Hermione for what Harry believed was the eighth time.
"I'm sure," replied Harry, looking around at his now barren room. "I don't think I remember ever seeing the room this empty."
"Well if you forget something, I'm sure we can get your aunt to mail it to you," said Ron, packing his own things away. "She doesn't seem all that bad, you know."
"She wasn't always this nice," commented Harry. "After all, she was the one who established the first rule of a quiet life with the Dursleys. No questions," he added when Ron and Hermione looked at him with confused expressions.
"Well...at least you'll have a couple good memories from here," commented Hermione as she shrunk the cases that held Harry's possessions so that they would fit in one suitcase.
"I suppose," replied Harry as the doorbell sounded downstairs. "That'll be McGonagal."
"Are we all packed then?" asked Hermione.
"Yes," sighed both Ron and Harry simultaneously.
"Well excuse me for wanting to be sure," she replied hotly. Ron rolled his eyes at Harry who gave a smirk in response.
The three of them grabbed their belongings and left the room, Hermione leading the way. As Harry was about to leave, he took one last glance at the room he had lived in, and giving a small sigh, closed the door.
They saw McGonagal waiting for them at the bottom of the stairs, none of the Dursleys in sight.
"Mister Weasley, Miss Granger," she said, not wasting any time. "You will be able to apparate to the Burrow once you leave the house. We will use the backyard so as not to attract attention. Please do not waste any time. Potter, I will side-along you."
"Alright," said Harry, following his friends through the kitchen and out of the house to the yard in back.
"See you in a minute then, mate," said Ron, smiling once at Harry before disapparating. Hermione gave him a nod and did likewise.
"Are you ready then, Potter?" asked McGonagal, closing the back door.
"As ready as I'll ever be, I suppose," he replied.
"Alright then," she said, taking his arm with her hand. "One...two..."
In the split second before McGonagal said three, Harry looked back at the house he had been forced to call home his entire life. He had just enough time to see his aunt staring at him from the window that had been his before he felt the all-too familiar compression and was gone.
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And that ladies and gentlemen, is chapter two.
I realise it's been two weeks since I updated, and I'm sorry about that. Anemia aside, the truth is it's been hard to write. I haven't gotten back into the flow of it nearly as easily as I'd hoped, and hopefully I'll be able to overcome that in weeks to come.
That, and I blew out the engine in my car. I reserve the right to claim shenanigans on that one.
As always, let me know what you thought! I'm not sure how much storyline I'm going to fit into next chapter...but Bill and Fleur's wedding will either be next, or in two chapters. Gotta figure that one out still. Take care!