The Darkness Within the Heart of a Hero
Summary: Post HBP; the day after his 17th birthday, Harry Potter disappears. He returns little over a month later but things aren't quite what they seem… Prophecies, Light and Dark Magic and the hunt for the remaining Horcruxes seem so petty after all this Harry has been through.
A/N: I do not own Harry Potter, Hogwarts or any other cannon-creations. Nor do I own the views of Light and Dark Magic some characters hold, these ideas are the work of some far greater fic writers. I bow my head to Madame Luna Moon-Monster. Now, let us begin…
PART ONE: Deadly Promises, Destruction and Dark Lords
Chapter One: An Unusual Birthday
The 31st of July was not usually an extraordinary day in the Dursley household. However the 31st of July 1997 just happened to be Harry Potter's 17th birthday…
Harry lay awake staring at his ceiling. In a few precious hours he would be legally allowed to do magic outside of Hogwarts; the thought both thrilled and scared him. He knew from that moment he could legally defend himself without the Ministry threatening to snap his wand. However he also knew that the blood magic that had protected him and his… family… would disappear.
Family… he snorted at the word. The nearest thing he'd ever had to a true family were the Weasleys. But he wasn't even sure he'd have them now. After all when he broke up with Ginny at Dumbledore's funeral, Harry knew that Ron would feel disgusted that he could do that to her. He felt in constant pain for doing so but knew that he'd feel worse if Ginny stayed so close…
Harry shook his head and looked over at his clock. The small brass hands showed it to be ten to midnight. Ten minutes…ten minutes left of so-called 'childhood' after that, anything could happen…
Harry woke up reluctantly the following morning. He'd worn himself out with worry and, after an hour of silence, had drifted off into a restless sleep. Remembering their conversation with Professor Dumbledore last year, Harry trudged downstairs dreading the reactions of his relatives.
Walking into the kitchen Harry was surprised to see the Dursleys standing in the corner of the room staring in shock at the Weasleys, Hermione, Remus Lupin and Minerva McGonagall.
"Professor…what's going…" Harry began but before he could finished his question he was engulfed by the arms of Mrs. Weasley.
"Oh Harry, Happy Birthday dear, you're looking well considering…" Harry caught her glaring at Aunt Petunia. Realising she'd increased her grip on Harry's shoulder she moved back over to her husband, leaving her youngest son to step forward.
"Harry mate," Ron muttered, "happy birthday. Look, we've all talked things over and now you're of age we thought we'd ask you to move in with us. Erm… if you want to that is…"
"Are you kidding?!" Harry smiled at his best friend, "I wasn't even sure you guys would want to know me after…" he looked towards Ginny sheepishly. "After everything that happened at Dumbledore's funeral…"
"Yeah well…" Ron leaned closer, "Fred and George were planning on pranking you for a solid month, even though they've moved out we're still finding loads of their stuff all over the house. But after a severe warning from Mum and Ginny, they thought it would be best to stay away."
"Ginny?" Harry blinked at his best friend then looked around. Sighing and not wanting this moment to be any more stressful than it had to be, Harry walked over to the youngest of the Weasley clan, noticing she was looking down at her shoes and biting her lip.
"Hi" He said thickly.
Ginny looked up and Harry was horrified with what he saw. She had heavy bags under her eyes and her normally subtle make-up had been washed down her face by silent tears. It took all of his strength to stop himself from pulling her close and telling her things would be ok.
"Ginny, I…"
"Don't," she breathed, "Harry, I care for you more than anyone in the world, I understand why you did what you did, but that doesn't mean I like it." She moved towards the kitchen door.
"Where do you think you're going freak?!" Vernon Dursley spat. Ginny stopped, her hand shakily outstretched for the handle. Vernon leered forward and opened his mouth to continue his rant; Harry however, was ready for this.
Before he could say another word, Vernon Dursley - the great, fat oaf of a man - was turned into Vernon Dursley - the great fat oaf of a potbellied pig.
"VERNON!!" Petunia shouted running at her husband, "VERNON! What has he done to you?!?"
"I've merely changed him into the creature I've seen him as since I was five years old." Harry said with a smirk. "It's no less than the great git deserved."
Everyone reacted differently to this. Mrs Weasley looked horrified while Mr Weasley tried to tell her that no real harm had been done. Fred and George disappeared under the kitchen table holding their stomachs, with Ron quickly following suit. Professor McGonagall's lips had pursed but were twitching at the corners. Hermione and Ginny however, had frozen staring at the newly transfigured pig.
"I need some fresh air," Harry sighed, "and Ginny, I think we need to talk."
He walked passed Ginny and opened the kitchen door. She gasped as his hand brushed her knuckles for the briefest of moments.
"Are you coming?" Harry asked, framing himself in the doorway.
"Harry…" Hermione started, but she stopped when Ron stood, glancing over at her.
"Let them go 'mione. They need to talk, and so do we…" Ron sighed from the floor, getting up he looked from his sister to his best friend and back again.
A mutual thought rang out through the quartet:
It's time for all those unheard words to be spoken. God knows what tomorrow will bring…