Disclaimer: Not mine. I wish it were so we would have had HHr, but alas it's JK Rowling's.
A/N: My reply to the challenge issued by PJ, you can find it here: http://talk.portkey.org/index.php?showtopic=26635 . This story will start right after fifth year, and it will involve sex, some blood, and such, so this is why it is rated NC17. I hope you'll enjoy it, I think this is the most complex challenge I've ever dared to reply to, so I sincerely hope I'll be able to pull it off well.
Thanks to my beta Gingercat!
Harry Potter and His True Sixth Year
Chapter One: Worrying in Privet Drive and a Surprise
Harry Potter got down from his uncle's car without a word, carrying his trunk inside the house, and then up the stairs to his room.
His uncle came up right after him, and shouted orders at him, to keep quiet, not do anything "he learned at that freak school of his", and be ready to do his chores first thing in the morning. He didn't seem scared much by the Order's threat, especially Moody's. Although, Harry fleetingly thought that his uncle would be much less commanding if the retired Auror was there at the moment with his spinning eye. The thought would be amusing, and he would have smiled, if he didn't have a huge weight on his heart keeping him from every kind of happiness, as small as it may be.
Harry nodded wordlessly, just staring blankly at the wall in front of him. Minutes, then hours passed that way, and when one of the Dursleys slipped a plate through the cat-trap in the door, he completely ignored it.
Finally, sleep engulfed him in the middle of the night, but it was far from a pleasant experience. He relived the night in the Department of Mysteries, those last moments of life for his beloved godfather, Sirius Black, killed by his own cousin, Bellatrix.
And then, being possessed by Voldemort, before being able to push him out of his head. Only, in the dream he didn't push the Dark Lord away, instead he let him control his mind, and one by one he killed all his friends.
Harry awoke screaming, as his uncle was pounding on his door, threatening to beat him to a pulp if he didn't stop shouting and waking up him, Petunia and Dudley.
Harry shut up, wiping away the cold sweat on his forehead, and opened the window to let some fresh air in.
He watched the empty streets of the neighbourhood, but not really seeing them as his mind was currently occupied mourning one of the two best friends of his father, who he had got killed with his foolish actions.
"Sirius" he whispered into the night, closing his eyes as tears started to collect in them, the tears he hadn't been able to shed since that night, keeping all his sorrow bottled up. "I miss you" he finished, now openly crying.
It was a while before he got back to bed, and he made a point to not fall asleep as he was afraid he would have another nightmare. They had always been constant in his life, especially in the last couple of years, but since Sirius' death they had become almost a constant.
So, the next morning, he trudged down the stairs at half past six, prepared breakfast for his "relatives", and then went out to take care of the garden. He knew he could stop that treatment with a letter to the Order, but he felt like he deserved it. And besides, having something to do kept him from mourning Sirius all day long.
More or less an hour later, he saw his uncle leaving in his car, then Dudley going out, probably to join his gang and terrorize some little kid. His cousin has always prided himself on his abilities as a boxer, but Harry had never seen him fight with someone his age, only with little children in the nearby parks, and always with the support of his gang.
The only Dursley in the house was now his aunt Petunia, and he was quite surprised when she came out a couple of hours later and offered him some chilled orange juice.
He was quite thirsty, so he accepted the offer. As he sat at the kitchen table, sipping his juice, he wondered about her sudden kindness.
"You know, Harry, I never really despised you" his aunt started, while working on preparing lunch for the two of them. "I admit I've always envied your mother for being a witch, I mean, I was used to being the center of attention, and since she was born she had stolen part of that from me, but when she got her letter, well, that made her a her even more special than me to my parents and I had a hard time adjusting to it" she kept talking, and Harry was intrigued by her story.
Another distraction from his mourning, at the very least, so he made the most of it, and kept quiet, listening to her words.
"When I married Vernon, well, it was clear he didn't like her and your father being magical. He despised everything out of the ordinary, and this led me further away from her. When you were left on our door…well, it was a shock to know she had been murdered, and I could barely stand Vernon's rants about how she and that Potter got what they deserved, and things like that" she continued, bitterly. "He made me swear I would treat you terribly, and would squelch any tendency of magic you might demonstrate. As if we could do such a thing" she snorted.
"I wanted to refuse him, I really wanted to, but he threatened to send me away, without money, without a home, and keep Dudley" Petunia kept talking, her words underlined by the rhythmic sound of the knife chopping carrots and potatoes.
"I was weak, and gave into his will. I still don't think I would have the strength to resist him, actually. So, I'll try to be nice to you when we are alone, but with them around…sorry, Harry, but I really can't" she said, now looking at him with an apologetic look on her face.
He nodded, washed the glass he had drunk from, and wordlessly returned to his chores. He mulled over her words for the most of the afternoon, and reckoned he was somewhat glad Petunia hadn't really hated her sister like she wanted to let the others believe. It had always been something he couldn't understand, how one could hate his own blood that way.
--
For a week life at Privet Drive continued with the same routine. Harry would do his chores at day, and mourn Sirius at night. More chats with his aunt followed, where she told him some more about how his mother had been at his age, and what Petunia had been able to witness of Lily's relationship with James.
Harry treasured those memories, now that he had lost Sirius he was glad for anyone who could be a source of information on his parents. The only other one he had was Remus, but the Lycan hadn't been seen since the battle at the Ministry, and Harry wondered where he might be right now, and how he was.
He was sure his old Professor would be devastated by the loss of another of his best friends, and the sense of guilt over provoking Sirius' death with his reckless actions doubled.
However, something came to disrupt his mourning, that night. A brown owl kept pecking on his window to be let in, and when Harry finally woke up, he hastily opened the window to let the bird in.
Saying that the animal wasn't pleased to have been left waiting outside was an understatement, and the bite he gave Harry while the raven haired wizard took the envelope from its leg was just proof of that.
Sucking on his bleeding finger, Harry said once more he was sorry, and then the owl flew away quite haughtily, if a bird can be haughty, waiting for his reply near Hedwig's cage.
Reading the parchment, Harry just had to smile, for the first time in some weeks, maybe.
The letter was from Hermione.
Hi, Harry!
I just couldn't stop myself from writing,
I know you are sad for Sirius' destiny, and
I just wanted to make sure you're well. I'd
like to visit, and I asked Dumbledore about
it but he told me he has better plans. He wouldn't
say more though, so we will just have to wait and
see. I know you'll probably also be worried about
me, with that curse I got at the Ministry a few weeks ago,
which is also why I'm writing you.
Harry, I'm fine, so if you've been worrying about that,
you can stop doing so. Poppy healed me perfectly and
although I'm still a bit sore, I'm fine.
I hope to see you soon, Harry. I miss you so much and
knowing you're alone with those terrible Muggles makes
me anxious about you. Take care, and don't do anything
I wouldn't do, ok?
Love,
Hermione
P.S. I hope you got along well with my new owl, Apollo.
He quickly scribbled a note to her, saying he was fine, that the Dursleys weren't so horrible, especially since he had somewhat started a civil relationship with his aunt. He told her some of the things Petunia had revealed to him, and told her he wouldn't worry too much, and try to not let sadness about Sirius overcome him, but that if he was truthful, it would be hard. As for her owl, he joked that the two of them weren't the best of friends at the moment, but he hoped to right the situation soon.
He attached the note to the bird's leg and let it fly away, hoping Hedwig wouldn't be jealous. She didn't seem to be though, as she hooted softly when the other bird left, and Apollo did the same looking back to her.
Harry smiled, and quickly let Hedwig free. It didn't take much for her to catch up with her new friend.
"I definitely have to tell Hermione about it the next time I see her" he chuckled to himself before going back to sleep. However, soon his elation at receiving a letter from her vanished, as he got engulfed by guilt for not having thought the tiniest bit about how Hermione was doing after they parted at King's Cross.
He knew Madam Pomfrey was an excellent healer, but with a curse from a Death Eater you can never tell. And so, worrying about how his female best friend truly was, aside her reassurances that she was fine, became a new routine for Harry, that second week of his staying at the Dursleys'.
--
The biggest surprise of all, though, came at the start of his third week there. He was just sitting in his room, after finishing his daily chores, when with a flash Dumbledore and Fawkes appeared in his room.
"Sorry for the intrusion, Harry" the headmaster said, with his usual twinkling eyes. "I'm sure you'll be glad for my visit once I'm finished though" he winked.
Harry was speechless, wondering why Dumbledore was here in his room, and feeling slightly ashamed about how he had trashed the older man's office few weeks earlier.
"Don't worry, I know you needed an outlet at the moment" Dumbledore said, almost reading in his mind. And maybe he had been, Harry never asked, but now that he knew of the existence of Legilimency, it wasn't so farfetched anymore.
"I've come to realize that the time you need to stay here has decreased with your growing up. Basically, I guess you could have left here much sooner last year, and in the previous summer too" the old man sheepishly said. Harry groaned, thinking he could have spared himself the company of Vernon and Dudley.
Dumbledore chuckled, and nodded. "I know, Harry. Believe me, I'm quite ashamed at myself for making that mistake. Anyway, I've come to fetch you and bring you to Grimmauld Place, where you'll be safe. You just finished the time required for you to activate the protections keyed on your mother's blood half an hour ago" the other man explained.
"So I can leave?" Harry asked, hopeful. He had enjoyed the chats with Petunia, but the rest…well, it was just awful.
Dumbledore nodded, and helped him pack. A wand and few charms were handy in that situation. Then, the two of them made her way downstairs, where Petunia was sipping her tea watching some television.
"Hi, Petunia" Dumbledore said, smiling. The woman was a bit shocked, but regained her composure quickly. She remembered the man, so she politely invited him to sit.
"I'm sorry, but Harry and I are on a bit on a tight schedule. I just wanted to let you know he has ended the required amount of time to spend here for this year, so I'll be escorting him to a place where he will be with his friends. I'm sure it will do him good"
Petunia nodded, although Harry could spot a bit of sadness in her eyes.
Five minutes later, he and the Headmaster landed in the hall of Grimmauld Place. He had just regained his bearings, when a voice he didn't expect startled him.
"Harry!"
-->