Chapter 1: Leaving the Dursleys
Harry Potter took one last look around the room he had lived in for the past six years. Before he left, he decided to have one last try at a civil goodbye. The Dursleys seemed about to explode when they heard that Harry's friends were all coming to get him. They hated anything and anyone connected to the wizarding world.
Harry walked out of the room giving it a glance as he walked down the stairs. Waiting in the living room were his Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, and cousin Dudley. They were watching every move he made. Dudley had thinned out over the past two years, making him look scrawny compared to what he used to be like, but he was still rather large. Uncle Vernon still had a huge, thick neck and body, and was now red in the face. And Aunt Petunia had a long, thin neck, same as her entire body.
They all heard a car pull in front of the house and Uncle Vernon stared out the window watching as people kept climbing out of the car. First was Ron, followed by Hermione, Ginny, Fred, George, and then Mr. Weasley.
"I guess I'll be going now," Harry said, picking up his trunk and Hedwig's cage. "Thanks for everything." Although it wasn't much, Harry thought.
"You won't be coming back. Is that right, boy?" Uncle Vernon questioned.
"You won't ever have to see me again. This is goodbye forever. Have a good life."
Aunt Petunia opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out and she shut it again. The three Dursleys stood in the doorway watching Harry as he greeted his friends.
"Harry!" Hermione yelled, running and embracing Harry. "I've missed you! Are you excited about leaving the Dursleys?"
"It feels weird. I mean, I hated it, but I've been living here for the past sixteen years of my life," Harry replied, shaking Ron's hand, and then hugging Ginny tightly. "Let's go before Uncle Vernon has a cow. He looks as if his ears are about to release fire." Hermione and Ron turned to face the house to see Uncle Vernon's face in the window, watching them closely.
Mr. Weasley and George placed Harry's trunk and Hedwig's cage in the trunk, allowing Hedwig to fly on ahead. "Kids! Let's go. Your mother will be expecting us soon," Mr. Weasley called.
They all piled back into the car. Harry squeezed in next to Ginny and Hermione, noticing the looks Ron was giving Hermione. "Did you have a good summer, Harry?" Ginny asked.
"It was alright. I'm glad to be with you though," Harry answered, smiling. "Are we going to Grimmauld Place?"
"Yea, that's where everyone is. You should see the house. It looks great."
Harry leaned closer to Ginny to whisper in her ear, "What's going on with them?" pointing to Ron and Hermione.
"I'm not sure, but ever since Hermione came to Grimmauld Place, they've been acting really strange." Harry glanced over to see Ron staring openly at Hermione.
Before long, the car pulled up in front of a row of old houses. Number twelve could not be seen from the street, at least not by anyone who did not know it was there or what it was used for.
Mr. Weasley pulled Hedwig's cage and Harry's trunk out of the trunk with the help of Fred and George as Ron, Hermione, Harry, and Ginny climbed out of the car as well. Harry looked up between number eleven and number thirteen and then number twelve popped in there as he was watching. They hurried up the porch and into the house.
George levitated Harry's trunk upstairs and into the bedroom Harry had shared with Ron for the past two years. Fred did the same with Hedwig's cage. Harry walked slowly from the foyer into the kitchen. On the way he noticed the portrait of Sirius' mother was no longer hanging near the door, covered in drapes, but a new portrait was there. This was a special one that Harry knew he would always remember. The picture was of Lily and James, holding a baby Harry in their arms and Sirius in the background. They were beaming down at Harry and he couldn't help but smile as he looked up at them. It was good to know his parents and Sirius were watching over him.
Remus Lupin walked over to Harry and placed his hands on his shoulders. "This was one of the only pictures left at your house when it was destroyed. I had kept it until now, but I decided this was the best place for it. Especially since, once you turn seventeen it will be your house. Sirius would love for you to have it, that is if you would like it," Remus explained.
"I do want it, but it will still be headquarters for the Order, right?" Harry asked.
"Of course. I know no place better," Remus replied, smiling brightly.
The two walked into the kitchen to find Molly Weasley waving her wand around while pots boiled and steamed, and the oven beeped. The table looked as if it were set to seat twenty-five people.
"O, Harry dear, you're here!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed, running over to Harry and pulling him to her chest. "How are you, dear? Did those muggles give you a hard time?"
"They were fine. Ever since you all talked to them on the platform, they have not given me a hard time. I even got fed well and I was allowed to do whatever I wanted," Harry explained. He felt a lot happier than he had in days. Although he was not sure why, but he knew it had to do something with the people around him.
Harry turned and saw Ron, Hermione, and Ginny enter the kitchen, followed closely by Fred, George, Mr. Weasley, and Lupin. They were eyeing the food hungrily. "Why are there so many place settings? Are we expecting more people?" Harry asked.
"Well, Bill and Charlie are on their way over here. They've been waiting for you to get here. And Moody and Tonks are coming and some other people from the Order. Dumbledore might show up too," Mrs. Weasley answered. "Dinner won't be ready for awhile though, so go on upstairs and wash up."
Harry Potter took one last look around the room he had lived in for the past six years. Before he left, he decided to have one last try at a civil goodbye. The Dursleys seemed about to explode when they heard that Harry's friends were all coming to get him. They hated anything and anyone connected to the wizarding world.
Harry walked out of the room giving it a glance as he walked down the stairs. Waiting in the living room were his Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, and cousin Dudley. They were watching every move he made. Dudley had thinned out over the past two years, making him look scrawny compared to what he used to be like, but he was still rather large. Uncle Vernon still had a huge, thick neck and body, and was now red in the face. And Aunt Petunia had a long, thin neck, same as her entire body.
They all heard a car pull in front of the house and Uncle Vernon stared out the window watching as people kept climbing out of the car. First was Ron, followed by Hermione, Ginny, Fred, George, and then Mr. Weasley.
"I guess I'll be going now," Harry said, picking up his trunk and Hedwig's cage. "Thanks for everything." Although it wasn't much, Harry thought.
"You won't be coming back. Is that right, boy?" Uncle Vernon questioned.
"You won't ever have to see me again. This is goodbye forever. Have a good life."
Aunt Petunia opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out and she shut it again. The three Dursleys stood in the doorway watching Harry as he greeted his friends.
"Harry!" Hermione yelled, running and embracing Harry. "I've missed you! Are you excited about leaving the Dursleys?"
"It feels weird. I mean, I hated it, but I've been living here for the past sixteen years of my life," Harry replied, shaking Ron's hand, and then hugging Ginny tightly. "Let's go before Uncle Vernon has a cow. He looks as if his ears are about to release fire." Hermione and Ron turned to face the house to see Uncle Vernon's face in the window, watching them closely.
Mr. Weasley and George placed Harry's trunk and Hedwig's cage in the trunk, allowing Hedwig to fly on ahead. "Kids! Let's go. Your mother will be expecting us soon," Mr. Weasley called.
They all piled back into the car. Harry squeezed in next to Ginny and Hermione, noticing the looks Ron was giving Hermione. "Did you have a good summer, Harry?" Ginny asked.
"It was alright. I'm glad to be with you though," Harry answered, smiling. "Are we going to Grimmauld Place?"
"Yea, that's where everyone is. You should see the house. It looks great."
Harry leaned closer to Ginny to whisper in her ear, "What's going on with them?" pointing to Ron and Hermione.
"I'm not sure, but ever since Hermione came to Grimmauld Place, they've been acting really strange." Harry glanced over to see Ron staring openly at Hermione.
Before long, the car pulled up in front of a row of old houses. Number twelve could not be seen from the street, at least not by anyone who did not know it was there or what it was used for.
Mr. Weasley pulled Hedwig's cage and Harry's trunk out of the trunk with the help of Fred and George as Ron, Hermione, Harry, and Ginny climbed out of the car as well. Harry looked up between number eleven and number thirteen and then number twelve popped in there as he was watching. They hurried up the porch and into the house.
George levitated Harry's trunk upstairs and into the bedroom Harry had shared with Ron for the past two years. Fred did the same with Hedwig's cage. Harry walked slowly from the foyer into the kitchen. On the way he noticed the portrait of Sirius' mother was no longer hanging near the door, covered in drapes, but a new portrait was there. This was a special one that Harry knew he would always remember. The picture was of Lily and James, holding a baby Harry in their arms and Sirius in the background. They were beaming down at Harry and he couldn't help but smile as he looked up at them. It was good to know his parents and Sirius were watching over him.
Remus Lupin walked over to Harry and placed his hands on his shoulders. "This was one of the only pictures left at your house when it was destroyed. I had kept it until now, but I decided this was the best place for it. Especially since, once you turn seventeen it will be your house. Sirius would love for you to have it, that is if you would like it," Remus explained.
"I do want it, but it will still be headquarters for the Order, right?" Harry asked.
"Of course. I know no place better," Remus replied, smiling brightly.
The two walked into the kitchen to find Molly Weasley waving her wand around while pots boiled and steamed, and the oven beeped. The table looked as if it were set to seat twenty-five people.
"O, Harry dear, you're here!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed, running over to Harry and pulling him to her chest. "How are you, dear? Did those muggles give you a hard time?"
"They were fine. Ever since you all talked to them on the platform, they have not given me a hard time. I even got fed well and I was allowed to do whatever I wanted," Harry explained. He felt a lot happier than he had in days. Although he was not sure why, but he knew it had to do something with the people around him.
Harry turned and saw Ron, Hermione, and Ginny enter the kitchen, followed closely by Fred, George, Mr. Weasley, and Lupin. They were eyeing the food hungrily. "Why are there so many place settings? Are we expecting more people?" Harry asked.
"Well, Bill and Charlie are on their way over here. They've been waiting for you to get here. And Moody and Tonks are coming and some other people from the Order. Dumbledore might show up too," Mrs. Weasley answered. "Dinner won't be ready for awhile though, so go on upstairs and wash up."