Harry Potter

And the Hollow of Memories

Chapter One: The Unexpected

It was a rainy day along the square houses of Privet Drive. The occupants of number four, upset at the extremely horrid conditions outside, were, if possible, even more upset at the type of company forced upon them. Harry Potter had brought his long time best friends, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasly, to Privet Drive this summer, in light of recent events that had taken place a little over a month ago. Since Harry had decided not to return to Hogwarts for their seventh and final year if the school did open Ron and Hermione decided to accompany Harry on his long, difficult journey to find the last four of horcruxs.

"Harry...", said Hermione one evening as they left his room. They were all sharing the space, one of Uncle Vernon's "conditions". Luckily the room was quite spacious. "Do your Aunt and Uncle always ignore you or is it just because were here?"

"No, this is pretty much how it goes every summer," Harry replied

"A bit harsh aren't they?" asked Ron as they walked into the dining room to collect their food to take upstairs. It was another of Uncle Vernon's "conditions".

"Yeah but you get used to it", Said Harry as he collected his steak and kidney pie.

Back upstairs the trio ate their dinner; Hermione poured over the latest copy of the Evening Prophet as Harry and Ron played a game of Exploding Snap.

"Hey listen to this," said Hermione after a few minuets of silence. "There's been a Death Eater attack not to far from here…… look." She handed them the paper.

Death Eater attack on small town outside London

Death Eaters struck once again on a small town outside London for unknown reason. Though the specifics remain unknown, 25 Muggles were murdered and dozens more terrorized. Muggle homes were also destroyed in the fray by Giants in the service of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. The Magical Law Enforcement Squad managed to finally defeat them by using a series of Impediment Curses and Stupefying Charms. After the battle, it was discovered that three Aurors had lost their lives. For names see the obituary section………….

The article went on to name the many damages caused by the Death Eaters and their giant allies.

Ron whistled. "What do you reckon there looking for?" he asked.

"Well isn't it obvious….. They were probably looking for Harry."

Harry looked unsettled by the information. Unthinkable. It's been a week, he thought, since the protection that Dumbledore bestowed on him wore off. At this thought he frowned. Why, he thought, why did Snape have to kill Dumbledore when I needed him most? If only Dumbledore hadn't Stupefied me…….. He might still be alive. Familiar excruciating pain seared through Harry's scar, interrupting his thoughts. He clutched his forehead and, fell to the floor, tossing his steak and kidney pie aside. He could vaguely hear Ron and Hermione's cries of concern as he lay there on screaming. Then, just as suddenly as the pain began, it vanished. Harry slowly crawled on to his chair still clutching his scar.

"Harry, are you ok?" Hermione said, abandoning her seat to kneel in front of him.

"I - I don't understand," He said feebly. "Dumbledore said that Voldemort was practicing occlumency against me. My scar hasn't hurt since the night Sirius died."

"Harry, never mind that. The main thing was what emotion caused it, Harry think, what was he feeling?" Hermione urged him

Harry closed his eyes and thought back, "H- he was happy, he's found something… something…something important…"

"Just as I thought. He didn't close his mind…" Hermione said vaguely as she got up and began to pace the room.

"What are you babbling about Hermione?" Ron demanded

"Don't you see Ron? Voldemort didn't care if Harry knew how he was feeling at the moment. He clearly found something that will be the end of Harry…the end of everyone."

He sighed. "So what do we do, Hermione?"

"There's nothing we can do really," Hermione said. "We can't leave, remember what Dumbledore said? As long as you stay here you can't be touched by Voldemort or any of his Death Eaters … we should stay for at least for another week."

"Though I doubt the Death Eaters will even think of attacking Little Winging……., she said putting down the paper and picking up one of her spellbooks. Harry and Ron continued their game into the wee hours in the morning before giving up and going to bed. Hermione having fallen asleep on her book in the chair, gave a start when a very loud bang echoed through the neighborhood around two in the morning.

"Harry," she said as she ran over to the bed to wake him "Harry wake up," there was another even loader bang that sounded a lot like a house being ripped out of the ground. You could now here several people screaming. This finally woke Harry and Ron jumped out of bed and got dressed; Harry grabbing his wand and Invisibility Cloak as he opened the door to find Uncle Vernon white faced, scared out of his wits.

"Your not going out there are you?" he asked "There are giant things ripping' up houses and those people that crack pot told us about, you'll be killed"

"We have no time for this, we have to stop them before they kill everyone, stay inside no matter what" Harry responded Uncle Vernon nodded and the trio ran down the stairs and out into the garden.

It was utter chaos. Death Eaters, twenty of them by the looks of it, crackling mad, running up and down the neighborhood chasing after muggles, jinxing them so they sprouted extra arms and heads. Trolls were uprooting trees and picking up muggles and tossing them like pebbles. Dementors were swooping around attacking the muggles at their leisure.

Finally, Harry jumped off the front steps and charged at the nearest Death Eater, "Reducto!" he shouted. The Deatheater went flying five feet in the air before landing in a bush ten feet away, unconscious. At this Ron and Hermione joined the fray. Ron pointed his wand at a Death Eater who was about to attack Harry from behind while he was dealing with a troll. "Stupefy!" he shouted, knocking the Death Eater off his feet.

"Thanks!" Harry said

"No prop-look out!" Ron yelled as jet of green light almost hit Harry square in the head "You O.K.?"

"Yeah," he replied as he dodged another jet of light and ran to assist Hermione with yet another Death Eater.

He pointed his wand at Hermione's attacker 'Levicorpus' he thought desperately. The Death Eater was lifted ten feet into the air by his ankle before falling to the ground and out cold.

"Thanks," Hermione said.

That was when Harry saw him...his greasy black hair, long nose and prowling walk….. It was Severus Snape. He was attacking Mrs. Fig from down the street. Harry tore after him "SECTUMSEMPRA!" he yelled. Snape screamed in pain and looked around.

"Potter!" ha said in mock surprise "I was not expecting to see you here"

"Expect the unexpected, Snape", Harry spat.

Snape swung a curse at Harry's direction which Harry easily deflected. "Very good, very good but can you dodge this…. CRUCIO!"

Harry ducked causing the curse to hit a street lamp and topple it.

"Stupefy!" Harry shot back.

But the curse never reached Snape because a twenty foot tall being stepped between, them easily absorbing it. Harry looked up in awe, the giant was huge. It looked just like Gwarp though about four feet taller.

"Well meet a gain soon Potter," Snape said from behind the giant. There was a faint pop and Harry knew that Snape had apperated.

"COME BACK HERE!" he yelled as the enormous giant moved out of the way. Harry was suddenly distracted by a Hermione's sudden shriek "Professor, watch out!" Harry turned to see none other than Mad-Eye Moody fighting a particularly vengeful giant. He had dived to the side to dodge a car that was thrown at him.

"Are you ok professor, can you walk?" Hermione asked as Harry arrived at their side. Harry saw a long , oozing gash along Moody's right leg.

"I think I can heal it Hermione" Harry said. He pulled out his wand and said "Episkey!" The wound healed, but there was a long scar left in its place. Moody looked at it "Nice job, Potter though concentrate a little more next time and there wont be any scar left…… don't worry" he said seeing the look on Harry's face "I'll tidy it up later" He got up and limped away to continue the battle. Looking around, Harry could see the individual duels going on between Death Eaters and other members of the Order, recently arrived to fend off the attackers. After a few moments, Harry finally spoke "Let's go find Ron," he said to Hermione

"Isn't that him, over there? Look!" she said, looking alarmed.

Harry turned around to see that Ron was dueling Fenrir Geryback the werewolf that had attacked Bill a little over a month ago. It was he who had bitten Professor Lupin so many years ago. Harry and Hermione ran towards Ron sending curses. Finally, they arrived at his side, barely dodging the curses being thrown at them.

"Ron are you ok?" Hermione asked, wand aloft and pointed at Greyback, Harry doing just the same.

"Yeah, 'Bout time you showed up"

"Ahhhhhh……." Greyback growled, "Fresh meat!" he lunged at Harry teeth bared as he

"Stupefy!" the curse bounced off forcing Harry to dive out of the way.

"Stupefy!" Ron shot another stunning charm at Greyback as he turned and charged again, "Why isn't it working?" he yelled at Hermione.

"Because he's a werewolf! We've got to hit him at the same time in order-" Hermione broke off as Greyback rounded on her forcing her to dive out of the way "-for it to work."

"Fine…..Three-" Greyback was turning again this time sights set on Ron "-….two…. NOW"

They all pointed their wands at Greyback and shouted "STUPEFY!" Greyback didn't know what hit; Greyback was lifted off his feet and thrown twenty feet away into the front door of the house across the street. This intern caused the muggles inside to shriek in terror.

"You guys ok?". They turned to see Remus Lupin, looking slightly better than last time they saw him. His robes were less raggedy and there seemed to be less grey in his hair. Harry looked behind Lupin and saw that most of the Death Eaters, dementors, trolls and giants had been captured or had fled thanks to the members if the Order of the Phoenix. The battle had finally been won.

"Oh, hello professor. Yeah I think were all ok……" Hermione said

"Good, now, I've come to escort all of you to the burrow; I assume you all know how to apperate?"

They all nodded.

"Splendid. Now, I assume you don't have your things ready, do you?"

"No, we still have some things to collect, hold on well be back."

Thirty minuets later they were standing in the cool night in front of the home the Weasleys.