Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling. If I was, chapters 29-30 of HBP wouldn't have happened.

Note: There are major spoilers here for those that haven't finished the Half-Blood Prince. Yes, I finished it. Seven hours and now I'm blind. So, I'm sorry to say, everything you read below about a character and his untimely end are true. Also, this is my first Harry Potter fic.If you have finished HBP, then please tell me so! (I'm the only speed reader I know)

Chapter One

A Happy Goodbye

Harry Potter couldn't remember how long it had been since he had been happy with anything concerning the Dursley's. On his seventeenth birthday, he would leave Number 4, Privet Drive forever. It was a day he was looking forward to with great excitement, but if he was happy, the Dursley's were in ecstasy. After sixteen years of having this unwanted child in their house, he would finally be gone.

But at the back of Harry's happiness, there was also sadness. The only reason he hadn't left the Dursley's since returning from Hogwarts was that Albus Dumbledore had told him to do so. And Dumbledore was dead. He had lived through the death of his parents, whom he didn't remember, his godfather, Sirius, but the old headmaster seemed worst of them all. There were so many things he could have done differently. Like in the cave, when he had to get rid of the potion. Maybe, just maybe, if Harry had been the one to drink, Dumbledore wouldn't have been weakened, and Severus Snape wouldn't have killed him that terrible night. If he ever met Snape again, he would almost pity him for being on the wrong side of Harry's wand.

Rising up from his small bed, he headed to the bathroom and splashed water on his face. Calm down, he thought. You rushed at killing Sirius, and he turned out to be innocent. Yeah, countered the voice at the back of Harry's mind, look where that got him. And Snape was the one who revealed the prophecy to Voldemort. And to think, all along, he was the Half-Blood Prince, the only reason I passed Potions.Ironic, Snape wasn't even teaching Potions--

His thoughts were interrupted by a loud popping coming down the drive. Harry checked his watch. 11:47, it read. Thirteen more minutes. Why were the Weasley's so early? Their plans had been very specific, not wanting to risk any accidents. Drawing his wand, Harry slowly headed down the stairs. Resting at the bottom of the staircase, his school trunk and Hedwig's cage. The brilliant, snow white owl was hunting, and knew to go to the Weasley's.

Without getting too close to the door, he tried to peek out the window. There were many robed figures moving about, but he tried to focus on the car. In the darkness, he couldn't tell if it was the green Ministry car, like Mr. Weasley had told him they would arrive in. A wave of fear rippled through him. Had Voldemort set a trap? Could the people be Death Eaters that took Polyjuice Potion? He sighed with relief when the group gathered under the porch light, and he could see each clearly.

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, standing on either side of Remus Lupin, looking as thin as ever. With a shudder he realized that the full moon had only been a few days earlier. It reminded him that Bill would have figured out if he was a werewolf at all…Mad-Eye Moody stood with Tonks, his magical eye twirling about, finally fixing on Harry. Slightly unsure that they were the real deal, he saw Tonks' eyebrows disappear and then returned a bright green color. Scraping his mind, he tried to figure out if a Polyjuice Potion could give the powers of the individual wizard when the doorbell rang. Wincing at the coughs from Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia's room, he opened the door slowly.

"Come on now Harry, where are your things?" Mrs. Weasley whispered. She glanced at her husband, who, Harry chuckled, was staring at the light fixture, wondering how electricity worked. After an impatient elbowing from Molly, he went in, picking up Harry's bags. Mad-Eye went to pick up the cage, while Tonks helped Mr. Weasley with the trunk.

"Wotchers, Harry!" she exclaimed. "What've you got in here?"

"Everything I own," Harry answered simply. "I don't plan on coming back."

Lupin stepped beside him, and started walking him to the emerald car. Harry couldn't hold down his curiosity any longer. "Is Bill a--"

"No, thank goodness. We got enough wolf's bane potion to him, and except for a little bit of wolf like eating habits, I believe he'll be fine."

"I'm sure Fleur is happy," Harry commented. Lupin simply nodded, gazing fondly at Tonks. Feeling a pang of jealousy, he looked away. At the end of the year, he had been dating Ron's little sister, Ginny. But with Voldemort killing everyone close to him, he had let her go. Until he left the Burrow, he'd be living with her.

Stepping into the car, he gazed one last time upon Number 4, Privet Drive. To his surprise, all three Dursley's were on the porch. Aunt Petunia beckoned him over. Reluctantly, he went over. In her hands, she held a very dusty album. When he reached the doormat, she handed it to him.

"It's pictures of Lily from before she became…one of you," she said. For the slightest moment, Harry thought she was almost crying. Either he was getting the first physical sign of affection, or a sign of how happy she was that Harry was leaving.

"Good-bye," was all he said, and he went back to the car, and for a moment more let his gaze rest upon the Dursley's, then looked forward, and didn't look back. Instead, he looked at the album, and was surprised at what he found. Most of the pages were blank, and there was a small, unorganized collection of photos in the front. Nestled amongst them, were two letters. One was the writing of Albus Dumbledore, and reading it, he realized that this was the letter he had when he was a baby, delivered fresh after the death of his parents to his only living relatives.

The second letter was Aunt Petunia's writing. It took him a moment to realize that it was a birthday card.

Happy Belated Birthday, it read. Inside, was flowing script.

Harry,

We've never treated you well, but we wish you luck. Happy belated birthday, 1-17.

Sincerely,

Petunia Dursley

Vernon Dursley

Dudley Dursley

Harry was speechless. Never before in his life had the Dursley's acknowledged his birthday with a card. Then again, they had rarely acknowledged his birthday at all. He carefully put it back in the envelope. Though he didn't cherish many memories with them, this card he would keep. He picked up one of the pictures in the pile. Much to his surprise, it was his mum…and his dad. Of all thing, he hadn't expected this. Judging by the photo, they were still in Hogwarts. His stomach flipped. This was a pile of pictures of both his parents. Muggle photos, sure, but his parents.

"You seem happy," Lupin murmured. "And we haven't even gotten to the Burrow yet."

"What's happening at the Burrow?" But Tonks had poked Remus and he was silent. Harry realized that it was his birthday, and all his friends were at the same place waiting for him. Perhaps he would finally have a birthday party!

Well, let me know if you liked it. And I warned you, I spoil book 6. So don't yell at me for mentioning story parts!