Author's Note: This is my first Book 7 fanfic, and I hereby disclaim all rights to the characters and anything else you may recognize.

RISING FROM THE ASHES

Chapter One – Letters

It was nearing midnight on the 29th of July, and all the houses on Privet Drive had their curtains drawn, with no visible light pervading through the fabric.

All, that is, but one.

A window on the second floor of number four, Privet Drive, did not have its curtains drawn. A faint yellow light could have been clearly visible from the street, had it not been deserted.

If anyone had bothered to peer in through this window, they would have seen a boy with messy black hair, piercing green eyes, glasses, and most peculiarly, a lightning bolt scar imprinted on his forehead.

Harry Potter sat on his bed, concentrating with all his might on the enormous volume he was reading. He looked up every so often, glancing nervously at his bedroom door and anxiously rubbing his nose. He then returned to his intense reading.

Minutes later, a soft tapping on his bedroom window made him jump. He looked up apprehensively.

Four owls were sitting on the windowsill. Hedwig, Pig, what looked like a Hogwarts school owl and an owl which Harry did not recognize were staring back at him.

"Hello, Hedwig," he murmured pleasantly, setting aside his book. He strode over to where his owl was perched and opened the window to let the owls in.

Hedwig let out a hoot in response, which was muffled by the frog she had clutched in her beak. She dropped the letters she had been carrying into Harry's outstretched palms before retreating into her cage to devour her new catch. Pig hooted excitedly, flapping his tiny wings and darting around the room. He finally gave Harry the two letters he had clutched in his beak. He flew around the room, finally settling on the top of Harry's dresser. The Hogwarts owl, which also had two letters, and the unknown owl followed suit.

Harry plopped back onto his bed, spreading out the letters in front of him.

He recognized Ron's untidy scrawl, Hermione's neat handwriting, Hagrid's scribble, and a Hogwarts letter. However, there was still one letter of which the identity of the sender was unknown to him. After momentary consideration, he picked up Ron's letter first.

Hey mate,

Mum and Dad reckon we're going to pick you up from the Muggles' on August 1st, is that alright with you? Sorry we can't come sooner, but mum says we have to pick you up after your birthday so that your mum's protection will be sealed, or something like that. Blimey, this ancient magic confuses me. Hermione would probably master it in an instant, though, she's just brilliant, isn't she? Anyway, Bill and Fleur's wedding is on the 8th , so the whole week beforehand will most likely be preparations and mum going mental over dresses and decorations. Ever since Ginny and I got home, she's been going on a cleaning rampage. Hermione's here already, and she and Ginny have been doing what she calls 'female bonding', meaning talking about their feelings and rubbish like that. Wish I could hear what they're saying; it'd be a right laugh to hear the inner workings of the female mind spoken aloud.

See you soon,

Ron

Harry's heart did acrobatics in his chest as he read Ginny's name, and he wondered vaguely whether she had talked about him. He could, in theory, ask Hermione, but knowing her she would probably refuse to divulge the information, telling him that what was said between herself and Ginny stayed between them. She might also thoroughly annoy him by giving him that knowing look, and ask him once again to rethink his decision. He wanted to do that more than anything in the world yet could not for Ginny's safety. If something happened to her, he could never forgive himself. With a heavy heart, Harry laid Ron's letter on his bedside table. In spite of the circumstances, he was quite looking forward to going to the Weasleys', and was counting down the days until he was rid of the Dursleys forever. When he turned seventeen, would finally be able to do magic outside of school.

Next, he decided to read Hermione's letter. He missed his two best friends very much, and reading their letters made him feel closer to them. It was only a week's time until he would see Ron and Hermione again. However, the thought of the day after the wedding made his stomach churn unpleasantly. Who knew if Bill and Fleur's wedding was the last time he would ever see the pair of them? He needed to go look for the last four Horcruxes, and he was planning sneak out of the house in the early morning the day after the wedding. The last thing he wanted was one of his best friends dead. He sighed heavily, and opened Hermione's letter.

Harry,

I arrived at The Burrow just yesterday, and I've been spending a lot of time with Ginny. She's so excited about the wedding, as am I. I've never been to a wizarding wedding before. Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever attended a wedding at all. However, I've read all about them, and the weddings in the wizarding world and the Muggle world are remarkably similar. On the other hand, they do have a few major differences. Anyway, Mrs. Weasley is bustling around the house, worrying about hair, make-up, clothing, invitations, and so on. And Ron…well, Ron is being his usual self – a completely hopeless prat. Harry, I know he's your best friend, but he can be so insensitive sometimes. Anyways, we're all missing you, and here's to a happy early birthday, we'll write you again in a few days.

Love from,

Hermione

Harry chuckled. Typical Hermione, reading up on everything from wand cores to weddings. He suddenly realized he had never been to a wedding either, and sincerely hoped he wouldn't mess anything up due to his lack of knowledge.

As for Hermione's comment about Ron, he could see it from her point of view. Nevertheless, he had always felt that Hermione over-reacted about Ron. Sometimes he couldn't help being insensitive, just like Hermione couldn't help being a bit of a know-it-all at times. It was in both of their natures.

He positioned Hermione's letter next to Ron's and reached for Hagrid's. He jumped as he heard the sound of footsteps heading towards his room and dove under the covers, switching off his bedside lamp and nearly knocking over his water glass in his haste. He closed his eyes and feigned sleep, his heart pounding as Uncle Vernon barged into his room in his tartan robe and slippers. He opened one eye just wide enough to see his uncle look around suspiciously, and then storm out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

Harry rolled over and looked at his alarm clock, which read 3:34 AM. He groaned, and decided to save his remaining letters for the morning. He closed his eyes once more, and feel asleep almost instantly, exhausted.

…

He was rising from a pile of ashes, his enormous wings unfurling as he raised his beady eyes towards the moonlight. He flew away from the ground, his body spiraling as he flew higher and higher. He soared across the vast, empty countryside for what seemed like hours, until finally he spotted a mass of fiery red hair below him. He swooped down upon it, landing on the shoulder of the body to which the hair belonged.

Ginny smiled at him, her kind brown eyes sparkling. She nodded at him, and gently gripped his scarlet tail feathers. He took flight, once again soaring through the seemingly endless countryside. Ginny was suddenly at his side, perched upon a broom. Laughing, she took off and he sped after her. They were racing, playing follow the leader, or just hovering in mid-air and looking at each other. Then, the sun began to appear from beyond the horizon. Ginny gave him a small, sad smile, a light kiss on the beak, and vanished.

Harry awoke with a smile on his face. It had been the greatest dream he had ever had, and best of all, he had been free.

…

"Get up, boy!" Uncle Vernon shouted through Harry's bedroom door. Harry wearily opened his eyes, yawning. His uncle added a few bangs on the wall for good measure and stormed off.

Harry stretched, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, and got out of bed. Five minutes later, he was dressed and downstairs making breakfast for his 'favourite' family.

Two more days, he reminded himself as he beat the eggs. Two more days until I can leave this place forever.

…

When he had finished preparing the breakfast, he brought it over to the dining room table where the Dursleys were waiting.

"It's about time!" Uncle Vernon barked, stuffing eggs into his mouth. Dudley leered at him with his piggy eyes, licking cream cheese off of his bagel. Aunt Petunia was the only one not eating. She glanced from Harry to his uncle almost fearfully, and then began to eat her grapefruit, her horse-like face studying Harry with every bite.

"Erm…" said Harry, who was still standing and not quite sure if he was allowed to sit down and eat breakfast too. The three looked up at him wordlessly.

"Well, then," said Harry. He grabbed some food for himself and joined them at the breakfast table, sitting catty-corner to Aunt Petunia and Dudley, and across from Uncle Vernon. He was fully aware that the only reason his surrogate family was tolerating his presence was the same reason he was tolerating theirs; today was his second-to-last day at number four, Privet Drive.

After several minutes of silence, Harry spoke.

"As you know," he began, but was cut off by a loud belch from Dudley, who grinned.

"That's m'boy," Uncle Vernon chuckled jovially. "Healthy lil' lad." Harry rolled his eyes. Thankfully the display of annoyance went unnoticed by his aunt and uncle, and he continued.

"As you know, my birthday is in two days. I will be seventeen, which, in the Wizarding world, means I will be an adult. This means that, being an adult, I won't be penalized for doing magic outside of school. It also means I no longer have to live with you. My friend Ron Weasley and his parents are going to come and pick me up a day after my birthday. I expect you to treat them with respect and courtesy, and if you do not I will not hesitate to use magic on you, as by then I will be legally allowed to."

Of course, it was against Wizarding law to use magic on Muggles, but the Dursleys didn't have to know that. "I guess that's all," Harry finished lamely, amazed to have gotten off unscathed. He picked up his dishes to take them to the sink, leaving a stunned silence in his wake.

…

Harry finished washing all the plates, glasses, and silverware from breakfast. He was just about to head up to his room to respond to Ron and Hermione's letters, as well as read the Hogwarts letter (even though he had no intention of going back) and the letter from the unknown sender, when he was stopped by Aunt Petunia. Uncle Vernon and Dudley were still in the dining room, chatting about Dudley's latest boxing match.

"Come with me," she whispered fiercely. "Don't let your uncle or cousin see you. And hurry!"

Baffled, Harry obeyed, following her as she marched briskly up the stairway, a feeling of foreboding weighing down his chest.