A/N: Harry Potter and his universe belong to JK Rowling. Not me, unfortunately, I'm just doing this for fun.
This story is set post-HBP. If you have not read HBP I suggest you go read it before you read my story, as I'm not going to be wasting time explaining everything that happened in the book. You get a brief reminder at the beginning and that's pretty much it.
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Summer once again found a certain raven-haired teenager locked in his bedroom, reflecting on the misery he again had to endure while he stayed at Privet Drive. Harry Potter had never felt so alone in his life. Not even during his first eleven years in the cupboard under the stairs, where his Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon had hidden him. True, he had been living a rather pathetic existence at the time, what with continually being harassed by his cousin Dudley, but the usual taunts seemed so trivial now compared to the rest of his life.
He had experienced true friendship and family when he discovered his heritage on his eleventh birthday and was sent to live and study at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry had been lucky enough to meet his two best friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. He had battled Voldemort more times in his last six years of schooling than anyone else ever had. At Hogwarts he had a family, and in his fifth year he'd had his godfather, Sirius Black.
It was all taken away from him far too soon during the battle in the Department of Mysteries in his fifth year, when Sirius fell through The Veil and never returned. He had spent his time in Privet Drive that summer blaming himself for everything that happened. At times he'd even felt like returning to Hogwarts would be fruitless, for he no longer had his godfather.
During his sixth year everything had changed. He was finally being treated as an adult, and he was taking on even more responsibilities. Headmaster Dumbledore had led Harry on a quest to discover Voldemort's remaining horcruxes, determined to destroy them and, in turn, destroy Voldemort. They had found what they thought was a Horcrux, but it was really a fake that was placed there by the person who had originally discovered the Horcrux. Despite Harry's best efforts, he felt he had failed Dumbledore. He had returned him to Hogwarts in a weakened condition after their feats in the cave, only to lead him into a fight with several Death Eaters.
It wasn't as if Harry could've known what awaited them upon their return to the school. The only thing he did know was that all along he had had a terrible gut feeling about Professor Severus Snape, and he discovered in the worst possible way that his feelings were right.
Shortly after their return to find the castle under siege, Professor Snape murdered Dumbledore with an Unforgivable Curse.
Harry had his summer to spend in Privet Drive with the image of a jet of green light striking Dumbledore's chest, and seeing him fall. He had finally come to terms with losing Sirius, only to lose the next most important person in his life.
He had also had a brief relationship with Ron's younger sister, Ginny. Harry realized that it could not continue, as Voldemort would try to use her against him, and ended it before things could get serious.
Since leaving Hogwarts after Dumbledore's funeral, Harry had not made any attempts to contact Hermione, Ron, Ginny, or anyone else for that matter. He simply remained holed up in his room, miserable, and once again blaming himself for the death of another. With no friends, no godfather, and no Headmaster Dumbledore, Harry truly felt alone.
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"We can't just stay here and let him do this to himself!" Hermione yelled, glaring at Ron and Ginny.
Ron glared back at her. "We're not letting him do this to himself, but he's got to stay in that bloody place for the summer!" He stood from his bed, bringing himself even with her. They were all talking in Ron's bedroom, Hermione now angrily taking her stance against Ron, with Ginny sitting on what should've been Harry's bed.
Hermione and Ginny just blinked, staring at Ron, neither knowing what to say.
Ginny spoke first. "You were more than willing to go 'rescue' him in second year, weren't you? I remember you, Fred, and George getting Dad's flying car to go and get him. And with what's happened, I don't think Harry much cares about the protection at Privet Drive. He's probably off in a right state over Dumbledore and whatnot, and we're sitting here having tea when he's likely gone mad!" She was furious with her brother, thinking that he would be the most likely to want to go get Harry. She'd expected resistance from Hermione, but she seemed to be itching to bring Harry back to the Burrow as well.
"Look you two, before you go completely nutters on me. Harry. Has. To. Stay. There. I don't like it either, but that's just the way things are. It's… it's what Dumbledore said he had to do." A look of sorrow flitted across Ron's features, disappearing as quickly as it had come.
"That's it! I've had it with you, Ronald Weasley! Usually you're the first one up and out of your seat to go get Harry out of that miserable place but now you're actually arguing with the two of us over whether or not we go and get him! God, I don't know what I ever saw in you! That is our best friend out there, probably locked alone in his room, starving and too miserable to eat a bite, depriving himself of sleep and slowly driving himself to insanity with guilt! You know as well as I do that he's bloody well going to blame himself for Dumbledore's death, and you just want to leave him there?!" Hermione paused to take a breath. Her face was flushed and her hair seemed to crackle about her with electricity.
"'Mione, I just think that right about now, Harry needs all the help he can get, and if that means leaving him in Privet Drive an extra couple of days so that his mum's protection spell is renewed, then that's what we should-"
There was a loud crack, almost like someone had Apparated into the room. Ron was holding his cheek with a look of shock on his face, and Hermione was positively steaming. Her right hand slowly returned to her side and balled back up into a fist.
Ginny stared at her friend, speechless. She'd never seen Hermione this angry. She didn't think even she'd been this angry, and usually her fury was what fuelled her renowned Bat Bogey Hexes.
"I don't care what you think is right, Ron," Hermione glowered, and then lowered her voice. "If you can't be bothered to help him, then maybe you should just go back to Hogwarts in September. Somehow I don't think that your help is going to be required while we're searching for the remaining Horcruxes. Good luck in your N.E.W.T. classes, and on your tests."
She turned on her heel to look at Ginny.
"You just-" Ginny began, stumbling over her words.
Hermione raised an eyebrow. "I just what, Gin? Smacked your brother senseless? Told him that I don't want to be with him anymore? Decided to take charge and go rescue Harry?"
Ginny's eyes widened. "Well… yeah,"
"So are you just going to stand there and stare, or are you coming with me to get your boyfriend?"
"He's not… my boyfriend." Ginny muttered, casting her eyes down at the floor.
Hermione looked confused. "But you two-"
"Mhmm, and then he broke it off so that Voldemort doesn't try to use me to get to him. I understand, really. It hurts, but I understand."
Ron fell back onto his bed, still holding a hand to his cheek. He stared up at Ginny. "He broke up with you?"
"Oh, get with the program, Ron," Ginny snapped. "It's been over since Dumbledore's funeral, and I'm not angry at him."
Before Ron got another chance to interrupt, Hermione slid her arm around Ginny's shoulders in a comforting hug. "I'm sorry, Gin. I'm sorry it hurts, but I'm still going to get him anyway. You can come if you want," she offered.
Ginny seemed to be contemplating the idea. As she was thinking, Hermione begin to feel a strange sensation deep in the pit of her stomach. She couldn't quite place it. Was it anger? No, she'd already smacked Ron and certainly felt better now. She was confused. It was something she'd only felt when she saw Ron and Lavender Brown snogging in the-no! It couldn't be!
"I'm not coming, Hermione." Ginny interrupted her thoughts.
"What? Why?"
Ginny sighed. "Mum'll be right furious if I go, not to mention someone's gotta straighten Ron out by the time you get back with Harry. You can do it on your own, you don't need me."
Hermione nodded, her mind still reeling from her newest revelation. You do not feel that way, you do not feel that way, you do not-
Before she could convince herself, Hermione abruptly left the room for the fireplace downstairs. Grabbing a handful of Floo powder, she clearly said "The Residence of Arabella Figg!" and threw her powder into the fireplace. Ron and Ginny rushed downstairs just in time to see her engulfed in the emerald green flames, and then she was gone.
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Far away in Surrey, a very surprised Mrs. Figg watched as Hermione dusted herself off on the hearth of the fireplace.
"Why, Miss Granger! I wasn't expecting you!" she said, laughing softly as her many cats began to wind themselves in and out of Hermione's legs.
"My apology for not warning you I was coming, Mrs. Figg, but it's urgent. Can you point out to me which house is Harry's?" she said breathlessly, still rather worked up from her fight with Ron.
Mrs. Figg was surprised. "Certainly, dear, but I do believe that the Dursleys are home at the moment. Wouldn't you rather have a spot of tea with me and then call on him a bit later?"
Hermione shook her head, chimney dust flying everywhere. She felt like Mrs. Figg was trying to buy time to notify the remaining members of the Order that she was there. "I'm afraid it can't wait." She said, and started for the door. "I'll find the house myself; number four, isn't it?"
The door slammed behind her, leaving poor Arabella Figg with her hand to her mouth. "Oh, dear," she muttered, "who would've ever thought that Miss Granger had such fire in her?" She quickly sat down at her desk, writing a note to be owled directly to Remus Lupin. Surely he would be in a position to figure out what was going on.