Harry's year after HBP.

Goodbye.

Harry awoke to the sound of snoring. He was used to this of course; at Hogwarts he shared a dormitory with his best friend Ron, and when at the Dursley's Dudley and Uncle Vernon could be heard from the bottom of the garden.

But Harry was at no 4. Privet Drive, and the snoring was coming from much closer than down the hall. His mind was fuggy from sleep and it took Harry a while to remember that Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger had decided to come and live with him.

His days at Privet Drive had never been, and would never be, considered fun. Even taunting Dudley until he turned purple wasn't fun, satisfying to be sure, but not fun. Yet for the first time in Harry's memory, his time here had been bearable.

The three friends spent most of the time in Harry's room reading, planning and talking until late into the night when Hermione would conjure two spare beds and squash them into an already cramped room.

Harry's room had never been so full; 3 trunks, 2 bird cages, 1 cat basket, 3 beds and 3 people. Harry had never been allowed guests at the Dursley's before, Dudley had made sure that no one would want to be Harry's guest. But the two young wizards who had taken up residence with him were certainly not guests of the Dursley's, oh no. They belonged solely to Harry. But Vernon had set down some very strict rules. They weren't allowed to use the guest room, or the lounge, or the kitchen, and they weren't to be seen by the neighbours, and once Harry had made it clear that his friends could perform magic without being expelled they were told that under no circumstances were they allowed to practice their unnaturalness in the house. However they were also told that they weren't allowed to eat any of the Dursley's food and had to provide for themselves. It didn't occur to either uncle Vernon or aunt Petunia that Ron and Hermione could not do this without magic. Or perhaps it had and they were hoping that the two freaks could be starved out.

It was lucky that Hermione was perfectly capable of providing, because Ron most certainly wasn't. When the terms had been set down by uncle Vernon, Harry had written a pleading note to Mrs. Weasley and as a result Hermione was transporting large amounts of food from the Burrow to Harry's bedroom every meal time. Harry remembered with a jolt to his stomach, seeing Dumbledore using a similar spell to send Harry's trunk away last year when he had been rescued from Privet Drive.

Harry sighed and rose to a sitting position, both Ron and Hermione were still asleep and it was still early but he felt he had slept enough and got dressed quietly. He snuck past the head of Hermione's bed to his desk and continued reading a book he had set aside the night before, until his friends woke up.

That afternoon, out in the garden, Harry broached a subject none of them had talked about, "When shall we leave?" He asked.

Hermione looked up sharply from the book she was reading, "leave? But Harry if we leave before your birthday you won't be protected."

Harry raised an eyebrow, "I'm not going to be protected much longer any way."

"Besides," Ron chipped in, "he only spent 2 weeks here last year; we've already been here longer than that." He looked expectantly at Hermione, he didn't like it here and whilst it had been his idea to come in the first place, Harry thought he might be regretting it now.

"Last year Harry had protection outside of here too, but… he doesn't any more." She finished in a small voice, "Besides until he can do magic himself, he is vulnerable, I don't think we should put him in a situation where he might need to use it."

Harry sighed, he supposed she was right but the weather was wonderful and he wanted to be at the Burrow where he could fly in the paddock and see all of the Weasleys one last time before he, Ron and Hermione started off on their mission. To hunt down and Destroy the 5 maimed pieces of Lord Voldemorts soul, the locket, the cup, the snake, something of Griffindor's or Ravenclaw's, and finally the part that resided in the body of the most feared dark wizard himself.

"How about a compromise then?" said Hermione looking peculiarly at Harry. "We can leave on the same date that you left last year. Since the school closed so much earlier this year that's still a while away, but there'll still be about 3 weeks until your birthday."

Harry had sat up straighter and had been staring intently at her while she spoke. She had ended smiling at him sadly, he suspected that she had been feeling sorry for him and had only said they could leave early in the hopes of cheering him up. It certainly cheered Ron up who leapt to his feel, knocking over the garden chair, and thrust his hand into the air, "I'm going to go mark it on the calendar. Shall we say two weeks tomorrow?" Before either of them could answer he laughed and jogged back to the house.

Harry noticed aunt Petunia giving him a disgusted look from the kitchen window until he disappeared out of sight.

"Harry?" asked Hermione tentatively.

"Yes?"

"Are you going to be alright going back to the Burrow?"

"Of course. I love being at the Burr-"

"I mean Ginny…" She blurted. He felt lost for a moment, his mouth gaping like a guppy.

"I know that she'll be there when we go back. I… She understands why I broke it off with her. It'll be ok."

Hermione smiled sadly. Harry had tried to tell Hermione that he'd broke up with Ginny only to find out that Ginny had already told her. He suspected that Hermione had told Ron too but he hadn't mentioned anything. "What if you're wrong Harry? What if being apart isn't going to make her any safer? You could be throwing so much away."

His eyes turned hard as he looked at her, "This is the only thing I can think of to make her safer, I know that Voldemort will know about her, Snape or Malfoy," he spat the names, "will have told him that, but if he thinks it's in the past it might be ok. It's a slim hope I know but it's better than waving as sign over her head and inviting Voldemort to go get her isn't it?" He realised he was breathing heavily. "Isn't it worth that?"

Hermione's eyes were sad, she let out a little sigh. "Yes I suppose it is." She straightened the skirt she was wearing and stood, "let's go and find Ron."

Harry stood, righted Ron's toppled chair and walked to the kitchen where aunt Petunia was looking at him suspiciously in an apron, doing the washing up.

"I'm going to tell my aunt about us leaving." Harry told Hermione then paused thoughtfully, "two weeks tomorrow."

Hermione too looked thoughtful for a second too then raised an eyebrow; Ron had been caught out, "I believe that is half a week early," Harry's face fell, "but I suppose a few days won't hurt." She smiled, he grinned.

He walked across to Petunia and Hermione headed upstairs.

"What do you want?" she asked when he stopped by her.

"We've decided the day we're leaving." Harry said.

Petunia's face softened a little. "Oh you have, have you?"

Harry nodded, "Two weeks tomorrow."

"Two weeks," she repeated, "and that will be it, I'll never see you again."

Harry gave a half nod and shrug, "I doubt it."

Petunia nodded and went back to washing up, "well," she said as he was leaving, "do try and be careful."

Harry paused for a moment suspiciously, "I will," and then he left. He headed upstairs where he planned on writing a letter telling Mrs. Weasley.

He entered his room to see Ron and Hermione flinch away from each other and looking guiltily at Harry.

"Well," said Hermione a little red faced, "Well look at the time, I think dinner should be ready." And with a wave of her wand she conjured a table that held dinner from the Burrow.

The next two weeks passed with lots of reading and a few arguments between uncle Vernon and Harry, who was well passed the day when he'd do anything the former said. It cumulated one day to the point that Ron had drawn his wand and told Vernon to back off. No one had seen him since.

Still, although Harry was saddened by the loss of his headmaster, and was not in his favourite of places, what should have been an awful time, the presence of Ron and Hermione, who seemed to be withholding the urge to bicker, turned into the best time he had ever had at Privet Drive.

The morning of his last day was sweltering, Harry woke early and threw open the window in the hope of letting the room cool down, Ron, of course didn't flinch but Hermione stirred and her eyes opened groggily.

"-'t, time 'sit?"

"Early," whispered Harry, "don't worry, go back to sleep I'll wake you up in an hour or two."

"'k." she mumbled.

He went and ate a quick breakfast, uncle Vernon was just leaving as Harry finished, "Goodbye," said Harry.

Vernon simply grunted.

Harry smiled, some things never changed.

He headed back upstairs and sat on his bed staring out of his slightly curtains until Hermione, and finally Ron, got up.

So it was, at 9:45 that morning, that a crack was heard by Petunia Dursley, coming from her nephew's room, she could not believe that he was being so brazen as to do you-know-what under her roof. As she made her way up to give him a piece of her mind, last day or not, she heard another crack. Gasping, she rapped sharply on Harry's door as there was yet a third crack, if they were breaking the furniture, why she… She didn't know what punishment would be severe enough. She threw the door open when there was no reply, "if you think tha-" but she found no one in the room. In fact the room looked just like it had before Harry had arrived that summer. Well then, he was gone, that was that, and slowly, as she closed the door, a tear leaked from her eye.

A/N I'm perfectly happy for any reviews, you can be as critical as you like, as long as you don't resort to name calling. Thank you for any feedback.