Title: Year of Discovery
Chapter: (1) Leaving the Wizarding World
Author: Laen
Summary: When given a chance to embark on a new journey away from the Wizarding world once and for all, Harry takes it. However, each hero has a task, and Harry learns the hard way that he can't escape his destiny.
Disclaimer: If you honestly think I'm J.K. Rowling, I'll take it as a compliment. Or... in some cases an insult, considering how Rowling finished the series with Harry getting together with Ginny - ew.
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All was quiet on Privet Drive that night; the rain had finally stopped and the clouds had cleared, making it possible for the moon and stars to be seen. It was nearing midnight, and almost all the residents in the neighborhood were fast asleep in bed - all but one.
Harry James Potter stood staring out the window in silence, with a grave expression on his face. It had been several weeks since the death of his God-father Sirius Black, and it had been several sleep-less nights since he had been informed of a certain prophecy.
Time passed quickly while Harry stood there, lost in thought. He would've continued to stand there had he not noticed the chimes come from the grandfather clock downstairs in the hallway.
DONG! It was midnight. DONG! DONG! DONG! DONG! DONG! DONG! DONG! DONG! DONG! DONG!
The twelfth dong never came, and for a second Harry thought he had gotten the time wrong.
"Still mourning, Mr. Potter?" a voice carried across the room to where Harry stood by the window.
The boy who lived spun around with his wand in his hand, ready to utter a spell. However, he barely had the chance to do anything before he was disarmed.
"Now, now, is that anyway to treat a guest?"
A figure stepped out of the shadows in the room and into the moonlight; Harry stared with slight confusion.
"Who are you? Did Dumbledore send you?" Harry asked, taking a look at the man who had just mysteriously appeared.
It was a fairly tall man; he wasn't as tall as Hagrid, but wasn't shorter than say, Oliver Wood. He was dressed in navy wizarding robes, and surprisingly enough didn't have a wand.
"Dumbledore? Don't be ridiculous," the man said, chuckling lightly, "my name is Kazu, I am a Dragon Master working for the Elders. I was sent here to offer you an opportunity."
Harry's eyebrows raised, but before he could say anything Kazu continued.
"I believe by now you've been notified of a prophecy that involves you and a Mr. Tom Riddle?"
"Uh, yes," Harry answered, before realizing what he had just done, "I mean - no! The prophecy was destroyed!"
A smile appeared onto Kazu's face, and once again he began to chuckle lightly.
"Nice try Mr. Potter, but I already know the truth: you're the chosen one."
The silence in the room was chilling, and Harry didn't know how to respond to Kazu's statement.
"I have a question Mr. Potter - "
"Please, call me Harry," the Gryffindor cut in, sick of hearing 'Mr. Potter this' and 'Mr. Potter that'.
"Harry then, answer me this," Kazu paused for effect, "are you sick of Dumbledore's tactics yet?"
Green met blue, and Harry found himself staring straight into the mystery man's eyes, not at all worried about whether or not the man was a legimens.
"Sick would be an understatement," Harry whispered, his voice cold and pained.
"I have been sent to offer you an opportunity, Harry. The Elders wish to place you under a different environment - to give you the options of training or living life normally, away from the Wizarding World."
"How is that possible-"
"The weight of the world lies on your shoulders, Harry. You shouldn't be spending your summer trapped in a place like this, isolated from everyone."
Silence fell among the two individuals, and Harry once again found himself speechless.
"Imagine being able to walk through the streets without being stared and pointed at; imagine being able to tell people who you are without them searching for a scar. The Elders want to offer you a break from all this... four and a half years of solitary before you need to return. All we need is an answer."
"You want me to run away," Harry mumbled, forcing himself to look away from Kazu and back out to the window.
"Only temporarily, and it's not me that wants to Harry, it's you."
The look of confusion returned to Harry's face, and the sixteen year old teenager raised an eyebrow at Kazu.
"Did you not just make a wish? Eleven gongs ago?"
Harry's eyes darted towards the nearly crushed clock that he had fixed. Eleven seconds past the hour; something was wrong- the second hand wasn't moving.
"Fate works in mysterious ways, Harry. Your God-Father would have wanted you to take this opportunity."
Emerald green eyes shifted from the clock to the mysterious man, and Harry blinked twice.
"You already know my answer, don't you?" he asked.
Kazu smiled, and nodded his head.
"Then let's go."
A bright flash of light appeared in the smallest room located at number four, Privet Drive, and as the last gong was heard from the Grandfather clock in the hallway of the Dursley's home... Harry James Potter disappeared.
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Author's Note: Hey everyone. I finally got around to re-writing this thing. It took me... what, two and a half years? Thankfully, during that time a lot has changed, but hopefully you'll like my new writing style. If you want, feel free to leave me a review to let me know if you like the new changes. I'm always happy to read constructive criticism, etc.
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