This story takes place after HBP. I've changed several things for year seven: for one, they go back to school, and Harry is still with Ginny, Ron and Hermione are together, and probably several other smaller details. It's just my version of book 7, so I hope you enjoy it.

Also-I'm sorry if there is typos, I don't have spell check and I have no patience to read things over, especially at quarter to 4 in the morning.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

The Battle of Life and Death

Chapter one--Begining of the End

The street outside the window was silent. Harry had been looking out it for some time, but after a while started daydreamimg. He had so many things on his mind. For one, this day was a day he had been waiting for a long time. He dreamed of the day it would come, and now it was here. It was his seventeenth birthday, and his last day at number four, Privet Drive.

His rescue squad was coming to pick him up that day. He was going to spend the last month of the summer at the Burrow, which felt more like home than this one ever did. It felt strange leaving, like it was too good to be true. It was also slightly frightening; this was his last summer vacation, and his last year at school. Then he had much ahead of him (unless it came sooner) and he had no idea what he was going to do. Find the Horcruxes, yes, but how? He didn't know how he'd do it by himself, withour Dumbledore's guidance.

He had debated whether he should go back to school or not. Hogwarts without Dumbledore? And the Horcruxes were out there, and he was the wizarding world's only real chance at stopping the evil that haunted their everyday lives. But he couldn't help feeling as though he really wasn't ready. He needed just a little bit more time, time to find himself and figure out what he was to do.

The locket...the cup...the snake...something of Ravenclaw's or Gryffindor's...Those words often went rhrough his thoughts. He had what they were; but that was all. And though that was a great step, it still wasn't enough. Where were they? What spell had he laid upon them? And who,who, was R.A.B? So many questions. No answers.

He had thought about telling Lupin or someone else from the Order about the Horcruxes and what he had to do, but Dumbledore hadn't wanted him to. Why had Dumbledore left him with this?

The locket...the cup...the-

The sound of the doorbell made Harry start and jump up. HE had gotten lost in his thoughts again; he did quite often. His heart beating rapidly, he opened his door and went down the stairs. Uncle Vernon had just opened the door.

"Hello," Harry heard a familiar voice say. "We're here to pick up Harry."

Harry stood next to his uncle in the doorway. There stood Remus Lupin, and behind him, Arthur Weasley.

"Hello Harry," Mr. Weasley said with a smile. "All ready to go?"

"Uh, yeah, i just have to get my things," Harry said.

"Well then go ahead and get them," Lupin said.

"Alright," Hary said, and left the door way and went back upstairs. He enterd his room, looking around at it, saying in his mind, this is it. I'm really leaving.

He went to pull his trunk out, then realized that he was seventeen now, and was allowed to use magic legally outside school. He pulled out his wand.

"Locomotor trunk!" he whispered, and it floated a few inches off the ground. A smile came to his face thinking about how much his aunt and uncle would like seeing him using magic in their house.

When he went back down the stairs, Lupin and Mr. Weasley were in conversation with Uncle Vernon; well not really, for Lupin and Mr. Weasley seemed to be forcing the conversation, trying to keep things pleasant whlie Vernon just glared at them without saying a word.

"Oh, Harry," Lupin said, looking relieved. "So you're ready to go now?"

Aunt Petunia joined her husband at the door just as Harry reached the bottom of the steps, his trunk floating in front of him. His aunt and uncle looked at him, and just as he'd expected, looked warily at his wand that he was holding up ahead of him, guiding the trunk. They drew away slightly as he came to the door.

"Yeah, I'm ready to go," he said.

"I can take care of your things," Mr. Weasley said, and took out his wand. THe Dursleys looked at him now too, as though expecting him to destroy their sitting room. He merely flicked his wand and Harry's trunk disapeared. The Dirsleys retreated even more, under the impression that he was going to make them dissapear too.

"Well I guess this is goodbye," Harry said to them.

"Yes it is," Vernon said, not trying to hide how pleased he was. Harry knew he was more grateful than his uncle was.

He went down the steps with Lupin and Mr. Weasley. Harry paused and turned back around.

"Be careful," he said. "Don't trust what you think about what's out there. Because it's worse than you think."

"Is that some sort of threat?" Uncle Vernon said, swelling up.

"No," Harry said quietly. "It's the truth. Trust me, I know."

He turned away from them and continued his way down the walk. Lupin looked around.

"We're going to apperate," he said. "Since you haven't got your liscense, you have to go with me, alright?"

Harry nodded. Lupin grabbed Harry's arm. Harry looked at the place he had been forced to call home for sixteen years, to the peope he was forced to call family, and then saw them no more as he dissapeard with a crack.