Harry Potter sat on his bed, wallowing in self-pity, and basically feeling quite sorry for himself. And with good reason. Harry was to face the most powerful wizard in the world. The very same person who had murdered Harry's parents, and then turned his wand on Harry. Harry had always thought this wizard- Lord Voldemort- to be mortal. Not at all normal, but mortal at least. It had just been 2 months since he had learned that Voldemort was far from mortal. In fact- he was near immortal. There was also the fact that the only person who knew more about this than Harry- his headmaster, Albus Dumbledore- was dead. He had been killed by Severus Snape, a teacher at the school Dumbledore had headed. Harry had always had his suspisions about the hook-nosed, greasy-haired teacher. After all, he had been a Death Eater. But Dumbledore had insisted that he trusted Snape, and he had let him in on the Order of the Phoenix.
But this was not what was bothering Harry the most. In fact- he had pushed all thought of Lord Voldemort to the back of his head and was now thinking of the one person in the world he feared more than him, This person was not immortal, they were not old, they had no idea how to kill anyone, nor would they have any reason to. No, this person was small and had fiery red hair. She was but 15, but would turn 16 quite shortly. Harry was thinking of Ginny Weasley. She was his best friend's little sister, and Harry had gone out with her for a short time last school year. But he had broken up with her because he feared if Voldemort found out about her, she would be hurt. Harry had only had 1 girlfriend before Ginny, and it had not gone well. But Ginny- now that was a different story. Harry loved he few weeks he had spent with her. It had been like he was living someone else's life. Someone whose parents hadn't been murdered when they were only a year old. Someone who didn't grow up an orphan, under the care of their wretched aunt and uncle. Someone who didn't have to face the most powerful wizard in the world. Someone who didn't have to worry about being possibly attacked at any given moment. Harry wasn't that someone, however. He was one of the most famous people in the wizarding world, after all. The spell Voldemort had cast on him was supposed to kill him on the spot. But it hadn't, making Harry the only person to ever survive it. However, Harry was left with a lightning bolt scar that, oddly enough, connected him in some way with Voldemort.
Harry stroked the scar, as though he thought it might go away if he tried hard enough. But he knew better. The scar- and his connection with Voldemort- would never go away. Harry turned his thoughts away from Ginny to Voldemort. He started thinking about horcruxes, and that snake, Nagini. Obviously, a horcrux could be a living thing. Something clicked in Harry's mind. His connection with Voldemort- and the ability for a living thing to be a horcrux. He suddenly remembered something Dumbledore had said. Perhaps Voldemort had unwittingly made Harry a horcrux. Harry lept up, partly because this thought made him nauseous, and partly because there had been a tap at his window. He opened his window, and a large barn owl flew in. It dropped a piece of parchment and a very big package on Harry's wooden floor and flew outside again. Harry's own owl, Hedwig, squawked indignantly at the visitor and ruffled her feathers when it left. Harry bent down and scooped up the note. When he looked at it, his blood ran cold. There, written in loopy, familiar handwriting, was a letter addressed to Harry, who had to sit down, because the room had started to spin.
Final Will and Testament.Enclosed was Dumbledore's will. Harry's eyes began to smart. He became shocked as he found that he had been left Dumbledore's pensive and a journal. He ripped open the package and found that a charm had been placed on the pensive to make it smaller. Harry would be able to enlarge it tomorrow when he turned 17. His blood ran cold when he picked up the journal. This would explain everything. Harry didn't think he would be able to handle this yet, instead, he went downstairs to have a talk with his aunt and uncle. He knew that they knew the magical protection that kept them safe was running out, but he just wanted to remind them. He found them watching BBC in the living room. Dudley was eating in the kitchen. No surprises there. Harry trudged into the living room and sat in an armchair.
"What do you want, boy?" Uncle Vernon asked bitterly. Harry tried at hard as he could not to turn his purple-faced uncle into a parakeet.
"Well, actually, I wanted to remind you of something…I'll be turning 17 tomorrow and-" But Petunia interrupted.
"You're not getting anything for your birthday." She growled brows furrowed. Harry smirked.
"That's not what I meant. But it means that- er- um- you're not going to be as safe when I come of age."
"You'll only be 17. That's not of age." Vernon said.
"Yeah but, in the wiz-uh-my world, we come of age at 17." Harry's aunt and uncle's faces contorted with a mix between hatred and fear.
"Harry, in there an way in which you can extend that? I knew this was coming, but-" Aunt Petunia asked, worried.
"No." and this will be the last time I'm here, so well, bye. I guess." Harry said awkwardly. Dudley waddled I from the kitchen, holding a piece of pizza in one hand, and a TV Guide in the other.
"What's this I hear? You're leaving? Finally!" he smirked and hopped upstairs. Everyone ignored him.
"Harry- I know that we've always told you that you are not to discuss your freakishness in this household, but- well- are we safe?" Petunia asked. Harry was shocked that she had spoken to him as though he was a real person for once.
"Well, no." Petunia and Vernon exchanged looks of fear and confusion as Harry got up to leave. Tomorrow he could finally leave all this. He would be able to do magic outside of school…. As if thought of what he could do to Dudley, a memory of his cousin hopping around with a tail of a pig's crossed his mind. He smirked and passed Dudley on the stairs.
"What're you smirking at, then?" Dudley asked. His beady eyes followed Harry.
"Just you wait." Harry answered.
