(A/N) hello everyone I am Ralph and welcome to this small work of fiction. If you have read my other stories and have noticed that there has been a long time sense my last update I apologize. Life has kept me busy and I have had some major case of writers block concerning my other stories. One factor is that this is bouncing around my head.
I have been on a massive Harry Potter kick and have been reading as much Harry/Hermione Fan fictions as possible I have always liked this couple and felt that they would have ended up together in cannon especially during and after book four. I think after the Goblet of fire was when the series went downhill for me, I won't go into what exactly did it for me as this would be an extremely long opener and I want you to read this so on with the first chapter.
Harry Potter and the path to see tomorrow
Chapter 1
Interference
Sirius Black was slightly confused as he sat at the kitchen table of his home at number 12 Grimmauld place. Sirius had been staying here instead of being on the run as you might have expected from a, "Convicted Killer" such as himself. But this was his ancestral home and had sufficient protections to keep him hidden as well as a reputation for being abandoned sense is wrongful imprisonment.
*Flash Back*
He had just been setting into a late dinner whenever Albus Dumbledore came bursting from his fireplace suddenly saying something had happened at Hogwarts and he needed to hold a meeting of the Order of the Phoenix and the only secure location he could do so without raising suspicion would be Sirius's home. Of course the man's first reaction was, "Is Harry okay?"
"I will explain all in due time Sirius but for now we must act quickly, I must return to the school and collect Minerva and Severus, If you could contact Arthur and Molly, as well as Remus and have them floo over as quickly as possible. We can get this underway." He said before walking backing the fireplace and returning to the office.
Sirius nodded dumbly at the now empty fireplace before rising to his feet and placing the calls.
*End Flash Back*
That had been about a half hour ago the first to arrive had been Remus, followed closely by a worried Arthur and Molly. It wasn't long before Dumbledore returned with McGonagall and Snape as well.
"Unfortunately there is not time to summon the rest of the order so we will have to make do with what we have." The elder wizard said looking at the others from the head of the table.
"Yes, now is Harry okay?" Sirius asked growing impatient with the elderly man.
"Yes and no Sirius, Harry is alive but he has suffered through a severe ordeal on this night." The bearded man said as he let loose a heavy sigh. "During the final task of the Triwizard Tournament Harry and Cedric Diggory where transported to a grave yard when they had tied for the Triwizard cup, Cedric was killed on the spot and Harry was used in a dark Ritual to restore Voldemorts body. We were none the wiser to this happening and the ritual was completed and Voldemort has been restored to power once again. It was after this that when Voldemort tried to kill harry that he was able to escape along with the body of Mr. Diggory by summoning the cup to him reactivating the cup and returning the boy to the castle. It was later that we discovered that Alastar Moody whom had been teaching Defense against the Dark Arts this term was in fact a Death Eater we thought to be dead. It was he who had put Harry's name in the goblet and forced this whole issue. He was confronted with Harry in his office and has been dealt with. Alastar has been found and sent to Saint Mungos for treatment and is expected to make a full recovery. "He said looking out over the members of his order.
"So You-Know-Who has returned?" Molly asked sounding slightly afraid.
"I am sad to say it but yes our worst fears have been realized. Voldemort has returned and war will once again befall the wizarding world." Albus said causing a whimpering noise to escape her throat.
"Is Harry Injured?" Sirius asked no satisfied with the elder mans brief and impersonal description of his godson's condition.
"Harry is relatively unscratched he received a pretty bad knife wound on his arm as apparently his blood was required for the ritual. He also has a few other minor wounds and scratches for the ordeal in the maze as well as the duel in the graveyard. He has been treated by madam Pomfrey and has been put under Dreamless Sleep Potion so he can recover." He said.
That seemed to put Sirius at ease for the moment so Dumbledore moved on. "Now this meeting was called for several reasons the first has to do with our next course of action with this latest turn of events. And already there is a proverbial fly in the Ointment. When Harry returned from his encounter at the grave yard he was rather hysterical and openly claimed that Voldemort had returned. But while this is understandable and normally wouldn't be a problem the Minister has already written harries story off as crock and bull and denies the return of Voldemort."
"That Bastard!" Sirius said angered by the actions of Minister Fudge.
"This means that the Prophet will be printing even more condemning stories of harry not exactly what we need for his public image…" Remus said more to himself that the others remembering the utter trash that was printed this year about Harry competing in the tournament.
"Indeed Remus I have already said that I stand by Harry's word but I fear that won't be enough to stay the Prophets tongue." Dumbledore said with a slight shake of his head as he popped a lemon drop into his mouth.
"Now that brings us to our next problem and I must stress the importance that this not go beyond this room ever." The man said before producing a pensive. He tapped a couple of the runes on the side and the memory projected up for all to see suspended in the gloomy kitchen.
The prophecy began to play out explaining Harries role in the now emanate war. Everyone was shocked to hear that it had to be Harry to kill Voldemort and that they would fight indefinitely until one was victorious.
"Now I have shown this to you to stress the importance of Harry's safety. We must come up with a plan to keep harry safe for the time being I am open to suggestions if you have them." He said.
"Where is Harry set to stay for the summer?" Sirius asked.
"He is to return to the Dursley's like normal." Dumbledore replied easily.
"What about bringing him here and Training him up in defense and dueling?" Sirius put forward.
Instantly Molly Weasley retorted with, "Heavens no! He's only a boy we can't allow him to learn to duel."
And it instantly anger Sirius. "Molly…" Sirius said in a clipped tone. "Perhaps you haven't quite grasped the situation here; there is a certified murdering psychopath after my godson. You can ask Snivelus here I am sure he's seen his card and everything." He said earning a glare from Snape at his jibe. "But in all seriousness I think that special consideration needs to be made to the circumstance here. Voldemort will not wait for Harry to grow up and learn to fight. He will strike while he still feels he has the advantage."
"I agree Albus Harry must learn to defend himself if he is to survive this war." Remus said supporting his long time friend.
"Yes the mutt does put forward a good point, if the potter brat is to be the savior of the world he must learn to hold his own and grow a back bone." Snape said with his usual disdain and sneer in place.
"I understand your concern Sirius but the boy is simply too young to handle leaning advanced dueling and the responsibility it would mean, and besides Harry deserves a childhood." Albus said.
"Exactly Albus at least not all of us have lost our senses." Molly said nodding in support of the headmaster.
"Albus I do believe that there is merit to Sirius's idea. Why don't we bring him here and put him under the care of the order? Even if we don't teach him anything he will at least be safe and off the map here." McGonagall said looking at the elderly headmaster.
"Yes Perhaps you are right Minerva." Albus said, "Yes Harry will return to the Dursley's for two months and then come here to Grimmauld place."
"Why must he return to those muggles at all?" Molly said.
To which Dumbledore simply replied, "I have my reasons just trust me."
By this time Sirius was steamed, it was almost as if Albus was setting his god son up to not survive this war, but he held his tongue the old man had his mind made up and they were all just pieces in his grand scheme he was sure.
Remus was angered as well but nowhere near the level of rage that his best friend was currently feeling towards the elderly wizard in front of them, but this didn't sit well with the Wearwolf by any stretch of the imagination. 'Albus has gone too far this time. He's condemning my other best friend's son to death. I won't let that happen but it looks like I will have to call in a few favors. And clue in Sirius as well.'
It was a while later when the meeting adjourned and everyone went their separate ways the last to left in Grimmauld Place was Sirius and Remus.
"Remus what are we going to do. Albus is attempting to kill Harry the way he is running things you'd think Harry will be a sacrificial lamb in this war." Sirius said going over to the cupboard and producing a bottle of Fire Whiskey and two shot glasses.
Sirius poured the drink into the glasses and handed one to his friend before they both threw the glass back and drained the burning concoction in one gulp. "I was thinking the same thing my friend." Remus said with a said sort of half smile.
"Well do you have any ideas how to keep Harry alive?" Sirius asked as he to grinned in a similar fashion.
"Actually I do Padfoot but it will require some doing and us to act fast. But if we hurry we might be able to put our plan into action by the second day of Harry's summer." Remus said putting a hand on the man's shoulder and pouring them both another shot of the drink.
Hermione Granger sat next to the sleeping form of her best friend Harry Potter. Her Thick brown Hair was slightly disheveled as was her uniform from the drama of the day. And her eye's bore the tell tale signs of crying as well.
Harries other friend Ron Weasley had already gone back to Gryffindor Tower claiming to be tired. She had let him go without protest but she had adamantly refused to leave her friend's side tell she was sure he was okay. Madam Pomfrey had given him some dreamless sleep potion before she got there but she still had refused to leave. The Mediwitch had given it up as a mood point and allowed to girl to stay and had gone back into her office.
Unable to resist the temptation of reaching out and making sure the Harry in front of her was in fact corporeal and not some figment of her imagination she reached out and brushed some of the hair away from his face revealing the notorious scar given to him by his parent's killer. The same killer that now walked amongst them again.
That thought had brought a fresh bout of tears to her eyes as she thought of how Harry had seemed fated to be tormented by this sick and twisted evil person. "Oh, Harry." She said running a hand down the side of his face and along his jaw line before removing the trembling appendage from him.
This year had been hard on her being forced to watch as he was forced to face dangers she wouldn't wish upon anyone. Then ad in the fact that there mutual friend Ron had taken being a Prat to whole new levels, as well as the paper printing ludicrous stories. It had been a dozy of a year. But through it all the two of them had grown exponentially closer together. She figured a lot of that had to do with the fact that Ron and Harry had been at odds for most of the year and had only mended their friendship a little before the second task.
She banished the thoughts of the turmoil from her head and looked back to harry to smile despite herself. He looked very peaceful asleep under the light blankets of the hospital bed. 'He almost looks handsome with that look of content on his face.' She thought before berating herself and reminding herself that she was his friend and nothing more.
She had been catching herself doing that more and more often. As the year went on she began seeing her first friend in a light she had tried to deny for a long time. To tell the truth Hermione has had a small crush on her male friend sense first year. She figured that it had something to do with how he risked life and limb to save her from that troll back in the first year. Yes technically it was Ron that had knocked it out but If Harry hadn't jumped on it and distracted it she would have ended up a greasy smear on the end of the trolls club and the floor. That was the start of it but it soon became apparent that Harry only thought of her as a friend so she buried her feelings and accepted his friendship.
In her third year those feelings came back a bit as the rescued Sirius from the back Buckbeak. And then this year they grew even stronger as they spent a lot of time alone preparing for the tasks. And now with this latest turn she found herself looking at the boy in a new light.
To her it seemed Harry had drawn a bad lot in life. Though she didn't know the gory details but she knew Harry's home life wasn't good by the way he reacted to things around him and when he had to go back. So it was obvious that he grew up in a home that didn't love him and now add to that there was a psychotic murderer you seemed to have a fatal attraction to she felt truly sorry for the boy. Not to mention every year prior to this he had faced mortal peril of some sort twice directly at his hands in one form or another.
"Harry I am sorry that you seem to have this horrible luck." She said talking out loud. She was sure she was alone and harry in his state of deep dreamless sleep would be unable to hear her.
"But I won't leave you I promise." She said taking hold of his hand on the bed.
"I will stand by your Harry, despite V-Voldemort and the dangers I am sure you will face." She didn't need to be a seer to see that the dark lord had it out for the boy.
"I am your friend and that's what I am supposed to do. You once risked your life to save me from a troll, so now I will risk mine to help make sure you stay safe." She said giving his hand a slight squeeze.
"Do you really mean that?" A voice said behind her. Hermione nearly screamed as she let go of Harry and whipped around fast while fumbling for her wand.
She turned to see none other than Remus Lupin standing before her. "Professor Lupin what are you doing here?" She asked surprised to see the Werewolf here at this time of night.
"It's Remus now Hermione I am no longer a Professor." He said with a smile as she re-pocketed her wand.
"I am sorry Remus It is a force of habit I guess." She said tuning red with embarrassment for what she said earlier and her newest slip of the tongue.
"Did you really mean what you said Hermione? About standing with Harry? About risking your life to keep him safe?" Lupin said stepping closer to the young women.
If possible Hermione further turned crimson and managed to nod before saying, "Yes I did mean it. Harry is my first friend I ever had and I fully intend of living up to those words." She said making eye contact with the older man despite her flush.
"That good Hermione I am proud of you. But I have some bad news I am afraid." He said.
"What's wrong professor? Has Voldemort already struck again?" she asked worried once more.
"No, however Dumbledore, myself, and several other members of the Order of the Phoenix met to night to discuss the days happenings as well as plans for Harry." He said with a shake of the head.
"What did you guys come up with?" She asked.
"Well Dumbledore thought it would be best for Harry to return to the Dursley's for most the summer before heading to the Orders soon to be Head quarters. But that didn't sit well with me and Sirius after we learned something important about Harry and Voldemort." Remus said.
"What is it professor?" She said forgetting Remus's earlier comment.
"It's not my place to tell you but we are making sure Harry will know about it soon as Dumbledore is refusing to tell him. I am sure he will tell you after he finds out though." He said.
"Voldemort is out to kill harry isn't he sir?" She asked.
Remus smiled grimly, "Brightest witch of your age no?" Was his answer.
That made Hermione nod in understanding.
"In a way you're right Hermione Sirius and myself wanted to bring harry to head quarters and begin training him to fight but Molly and Dumbledore decided that he was too young for that." Remus made it that far before being interrupted by the now angry Hermione.
"What were they thinking to anyone with half a brain Voldemort has it out for harry this was just the beginning. Now that he is back it means that war is on our doorsteps again. And it is obvious from his actions that Harry means something to Voldemort. I mean in four years here at Hogwarts Harry has faced the man three times." She said in a furious whisper not wanting to wake Harry.
"I know that is why Sirius and I are taking matters into our own hands. Now before I tell you our plan Hermione, I have to ask you one thing." He said starring into her eyes.
"What is it Professor?" She said in return curious to know what the two Marauders had cooked up.
"Will you do more than just stand with Harry, More than risk your life for him? Your life is already at risk just by being his friend and supporting him at this point. My question is will you fight and kill for him Hermione? Will you fight to help keep him safe; will you fight with him so he won't face this alone?" He asked placing a hand on her shoulder.
Hermione looked down at the ground in thought as Lupin's words rang in her head. He wasn't asking for her to be his friend he was asking her to pick up her wand and fight alongside harry. It had become obvious that Harry would have to fight after tonight but now the question was would she join him?
To Hermione after a few seconds the answer was obvious. "Yes I will Professor lupin, I will fight with Harry I won't let him face this alone." She said with steel in her voice.
"Good." He said before giving the girls shoulder a squeeze. "Now this is what I had in mind…" Remus said and began explaining what he intended to do to help save Harry from the coming storm.
Harry had awoke the next morning to find Hermione asleep in a chair next to his bed. He smiled as he looked at her disheveled form. 'She looks pretty when she's asleep.' He said unable to stop the unfriendly like thought from entering his mind. He had long sense forgone trying to berate himself for having such thoughts as they seemed to become more, and more unstoppable as the year progressed.
Harry had suspected it had something to do with the fact that she never left his side this year and stood with him when his other friend wouldn't.
That thought made him take a darker turn as he still was a little sore over Ron's flagrant jealousy. As Harry's first friend he couldn't bring himself to permanently end their friendship so he had forgiven his friend but it had forever changed their relationship.
'You'd think that he would know by now that I didn't ask for any of this.' Harry thought with his head bowed. 'And Voldemort is back that means that war is back as well.' He thought. That also made him remember that Cedric had been killed before his eyes at the hands of Wormtail.
'This war isn't even twenty-four hours old and already there have been casualties. How many more will die before it's over?' he thought as a tear slipped from his eyes begrudgingly he swiped it from his face, angry that he found himself so damn weak.
"Harry?" Hermione said sounding a little muddled from sleep.
Harry looked up to see his best friend looking at him with great concern even if a little sleepily.
"H-Hermione…" Harry said unable to look at her eyes as more accursed tears slipped from his eyes blurring his vision further than his glasses less state.
Hermione for her part was now wide awake as all vestiges of sleep left her as she saw her best friend was about to break. She did the first thing she thought of and got up from the chair and quickly drew the boy into her chest and held him there as he finally broke as a sob racked his body and his hand clutched at the back of her shirt behind her hair.
"What's wrong Harry?" She asked as his head settled into the crook of her neck and she began to loosely rub his back. She also had become aware of the fact that Harry had almost pulled her to him causing her to be on her knees on the bed with him as well. It made for a bit of a compromising position.
'Damn who ever has a problem with it.' She thought. She was not about to leave her friend in his time of need.
Harry was still unable to speak as he cried for the first time in a very long time. He had cried before when he was young but he quickly learned that freaks don't cry at the hands of the Dursley's, so he never cried or at least not with anyone around.
'I am so weak.' He thought as he clutched onto Hermione.
"It's okay harry I am here." She said in a gentle voice.
It was several minutes later before Harry could find his voice. "I sorry Hermione." Harry said in a chocked voice.
Hermione was confused by this reaction, "What do you have to be sorry about?" She asked forcing him to look her in the eye. She almost wish she hadn't as she looked into the face of her broken friend.
His eye's where dull and slightly haunted looking, with shots of blood running from his irises out to the corner of his eyes. His face streaked with tears, and still slightly dirty from his previous ordeal he looked every bit the tortured soul. "I am sorry for being so weak and crying on you like this." He said lowering his head as his eyes turned down.
"Harry, why do you say that? Crying doesn't make you weak. In fact it makes you human." She said tightening her hold on him again.
"It's just that I was never allowed to cry around others. I would be punished for it I did. So I learned not to cry to anyone but myself. He said from the crook of her neck. His breath caused her to shiver involuntarily as he talked if this where a different circumstance it would have been a dream come true for the fourteen year old girl.
"I am sorry…" Harry said and tried to pull himself free from her upon her shiver.
"No harry! It's alright we can stay this way if you, like your breath tickled that's all." She said with more than a slight blush, as she clutched him a little tighter to hold him in place.
"Okay" He said, "And thank you Hermione no one has ever cared for me like this before." He said. This had an effect on Hermione as she felt hot tears escape her eyes now, while she used her jaw to nuzzle the top of his head.
"Harry I am sorry you grew up the way you did. And if there was something that I could do about it I would." She said surprised at the own amount of emotion that was in her voice.
"It's okay Hermione it's too late to change the past and I don't want to be a burden on you." He said with a small file she felt against her collar bone.
"Your not a burden Harry, you're my friend and this is what friends are supposed to do." She said with a slight laugh and a smile.
"Thank you, Hermione." He said and the two of them slipped into a comfortable silence for a moment still holding onto one another.
"Harry, if you want you can talk to me about what happened back in the graveyard, I can tell that it's affecting you." She said in nothing more than a mere whisper.
"Hermione I-"he said before Hermione cut him off.
"No Harry please don't deal with this on your own. I want to help you and I can't do that if you push me away." She said still in a whisper but much more forceful as she once again made him make eye contact with her.
Harry was a little surprised to see the resolve and determination with in her eyes and set into her tear stained face.
"I- It was horrible Hermione they killed him right in front of me." He said as he broke again and let his head fall back to her shoulder.
Harry spent the next fifteen minutes recounting the events of the graveyard back to Hermione during that time Harry cried again, and she cried with him as he recounted the fear as he dueled Voldemort and the anguish he felt seeing his parents coming from the linked wands.
As the sad and twisted story continued she was sure that her and Harry's relationship was forever changed by the event that was coming to pass before her eyes. But she didn't care she was Harry's friend and she had no intention of leaving in her friends moment of need.
After he finished with what happened to Moody and how he turned out to be Barty Crouch Jr. he dissolved into tears for a time as he released all of the emotion from everything that had happened to him during this year.
"Hermione…" He said after while raising his head to look directly into her face.
"You should distance yourself from me." He said even though he couldn't bring himself to let go of the girl.
"Why harry." She asked looking confused.
"Because that night Voldemort made it clear that he has a vendetta against me. It didn't end last night he is still going to come after me and try to kill me again, and I don't want anything to happen to you. So I am asking you to forget about me and go so you'll be safe."
"Harry…" Hermione said and closed her eyes and exhaled a deep breath.
"I am not going anywhere Harry, you're my friend and I intend to stay with you no matter what. Besides I would be in danger regardless of my friendship with you. Because according the You-Know-Who my blood is brown and unbefitting of the magic within me." She said and Harry found it hard to refute the steal in her eyes.
"But you'll be in even more danger next to me." He said though the fight had almost left him.
"Harry I don't care, I am your friend and if V-Voldemort wants to pick a fight with you he will have to fight me as well. I am going to stand with Harry whether or not you like it" She said Putting a hand on his cheek and rubbing her thumb across his face drying one of his tear tracks.
"H-Hermione." He said as he blushed a little from the contact and her words.
Acting on an impulse she reached up a little and kissed his cheek. It was chaste but she still felt and heard his intake of breath as she tasted the salt from his tears.
She pulled back down with a heavy blush for her boldness. "I am sorry Harry I don't know what got into me there." She said apologizing quickly hoping she didn't offend her friend.
"Hermione, thank you." He looked at her, "For everything." He hugged her once more before letting go.
"Come on you should get cleaned up. While you do that I will go get Madam Pomfrey and then go get cleaned up and changed myself. Then I will meet you back here, Professor Dumbledore made an address to the school last night, all classes have been canceled tell the end of the term by the way." She said before getting up to go get the mediwitch. Before exiting the hospital wing herself.
The mediwitch in question showed up a few moments after Hermione left and performed some basic checking spells and pronounced him fit to leave. So harry got up and started to head for the exit when Hermione came back in dressed in muggle casual attire.
"Hey so I guess you're ready to leave then." She said she had a bundle of cloths in her arms. "I couldn't find Ron in the common room so I had Neville grab you a change of clothing." She said handing him the fresh cloths.
Harry took the fresh pair of slacks and button down shirt and went behind one of the privacy screens to change. After returning the two left for the Gryffindor tower. Harry was thankful that the corridors where deserted at the moment as he wasn't sure if he could face his fellow classmates.
The year ended a few days later and Harry quickly found himself at Privet drive yet again. Hermione had hinted that he wouldn't be there for long. But Harry wasn't as sure of it as he had asked professor Dumbledore about it and he said that Harry would be with the Dursley's indefinitely due to the return of Voldemort.
So far life with the Dursley's hadn't been too bad but neither was it great. Harry wasn't sleeping well because the graveyard was waiting for him in his dreams. He was beginning to grow tired of it but he had noticed that it was a little better after he wrote to Hermione about it a day after he returned.
It was the third day of the break and Hermione had already wrote him back telling him that it wasn't his fault that Cedric died and reassured him that he would be free from the dursley's shortly.
Later that day after Harry finished the Chores his aunt had given him; he decided to go for a walk around the town in an effort to get out of the oppressive sterile environment. He went down the street and past Miss Figs house and before long wandered his way into an empty play ground. Harry wondered why a play ground would be deserted at this time of day. He looked up and saw the answer; it looked as if the sky's where about to open as they converged on him in an ominous dark swirling mass.
'Great just what I need a rainstorm…' Harry thought with a sigh sitting down heavily on a swing.
'I suppose it's fitting with my mood.' Harry continued with a bitter chuckle.
"Harry Potter!" A voice called from behind him causing him to panic and jump from the swing and go for the wand he kept on him.
He leveled it at the stranger who stood before him; by the amount of black he was wearing the man could very well have been a Death-Eater. But judging how his clothing was distinctly Muggle Harry quickly knew that wasn't the case. The man in question wore a black Muggle Trench Coat and shirt, and a pair of black Cargo pants and heavy boots similar to the ones that Harry had seen in the soldiers wear in the brief flashes of movies and television that his uncle liked to watch. His face looked strong and defined especially with the one red scar that ran the length of his jaw on the left side of his face. His eyes where a bright piercing blue and his hair was similar to Snape's except less greasy and significantly longer in the back where It was pulled into a loose pony tail. He had no wand drawn but the handle of a blade possibly a dagger was sticking out the opening of his coat.
"Now Harry, I mean you no harm and we are in a Muggle area, why don't you put that in your pocket? If you don't trust me you don't have to remove your hand so you can draw again quickly." He said in an accent that defiantly wasn't British.
Harry thought about it for a minute and slowly nodded before lowering his wand and placing in his right pants pocket while keeping a firm grip on it in case he needed to defend himself.
"Thank you." The man said with a slight smile.
"So who are you?" Harry asked wondering who this stranger was.
"I am Saul Covington, an old friend of Remus and your God Father." The man now known as Saul said.
"How do I know you're telling me the truth?" Harry said still wary of the man.
"Remus said you where smart. If you will allow me to reach inside my jacket pocket I will produce a letter from your God Father that had been charmed so only you can open it. Inside is a security question for you to challenge me with, and also to prove that it was Sirius that wrote the letter there is a fact that only he could tell you in the header of the letter as well." Saul said holding out his gloved hands showing the where empty.
After a few seconds Harry nodded his consent so the man slowly reached into one of the inner pockets of the duster he wore and just as slowly produced the parchment. True to his word the letter was sealed with the Black coat of arms and hadn't been broken.
Harry looked up to see Saul reaching for the handle of the blade at his hip causing Harry to almost pull his wand again. "Hey! Wait a second read the header above the seal. That's a blood Seal it will only work with a drop of your blood so I was going to hand you my dagger." He said not removing his hand from the hilt of the blade.
Sure enough there in Sirius's distinct writing where instructions on opening the letter. So Harry nodded and allowed the man to draw the dagger. It was a rather elegant looking weapon with a blade of about a foot and long slender quillons that ended in a slight upward curve, and a ring for ones finger at beginnings of each quillon. He handed the gleaming blade to harry handle first and harry carefully used it to poke his finger just a bit so he could place a bit of his blood onto the wax of the seal. After doing that the wax dissolved and Harry returned the man's blade to him in much the same fashion.
Harry looked at the letter:
Harry, The name of the Hippogriff that you and Hermione used to help me escape is named Buckbeak.
Harry, if you are reading this letter that means we have been able to put our plan into action and Saul is with you now. You can trust him Harry He went to Hogwarts with me, your father, and Moony. He wasn't a Gryffindor though, instead he hails from Hufflepuff.
He's extremely loyal and will take good care of you. I think you'll like him he can be very light hearted but deathly serious when the time comes.
You will notice that he is in fact not British. He is American, Southerner to be exact even if he doesn't look like the stereotypical American southerner.
Now Harry unfortunately times are rough and you can never be too cautious as I hope that you haven't been up to this point. So in order to confirm his Identity ask him, "What was your response when Sirius asked you where your cow boy hat was?" And his Reply should be, "In the asshole of the last person who asked that question."
Harry time is short here and it conspires against us so with this last bit I must part. As I said dark times are ahead and Remus and I have come into some startling information concerning you and the upcoming war. We contacted Saul to give you a chance in this war, because Dumbledore saw fit to deny you the opportunity. So Harry as your godfather I implore you to go with and learn everything Saul has to offer. It will save your life.
Sirius
P.S Saul will have all the information on your role in the war inquire about it once your are safe and away from Privet Dr.
Harry finished reading the letter, and looked at Saul. He stood there passively with is blue eyes boring into Harry awaiting his Challenge. Harry gave it and the Saul fired back the response with a smile. Harry smiled and folded the note before pocketing it.
"Okay so are you ready to go? Time is Short Remus was only able to distract your guard for a limited time." Saul said his eyes scanning the area around him deftly.
"My guard?" Harry asked confused.
"Yes Dumbledore has had you under watch by his order members sense the beginning of the break." Saul replied his accent still sounding weird to the boy.
"I need to get my things from the dursley's." Harry said.
"So you'll be going then?" Saul said letting a glimmer of a grin across his scarred visage.
"I trust Sirius and Remus with my life." Harry said confidently.
"Good, and here I thought that you might be a little more difficult to persuade." He said this time smiling warmly.
"Come on then, let's hurry and get under way we have a lot to do and no time to do it in. It looks like Lindsey is going to beat us home." He said spiking the boy's interest.
"Who is Lindsey?" He asked curious.
"She is my wife, and she had to do something for me to expedite this process for me." Saul said before placing a hand behind Harry and ushering out of the park.
With that Harry and his new companion made their way back to number 4. Harry quickly noticed some things as they made their way down the street one was that Saul was very clever. He hadn't removed his arm from Harry's back as they walked. As such Harry could tell that Saul was tense and ready for action almost as if he expected an attack. However despite the swiveling head and the noticeable tension through the arm he look completely relaxed to most they would look like a nephew and a uncle walking down the street together catching up on old times.
They soon arrived at number four and the entered unannounced. Vernon for his part tried to sputter something about harry bringing freaks into his house but one look at the man's dress and the formidable dagger at his hip shut the whale of a man up as harry ran up the steps to gather his things.
After returning with his trunk and Owl secured Saul smiled at Harry and walked past the assembled Dursley family to stand next to Harry Before shrinking down the luggage, and handing it back to the boy. "Well Dursley's," He said his southern draw playing on the words, "We'll smell you later, and by the way ya'll just got crop dusted." He said.
He quickly produced a medallion that he had around his neck and had Harry take hold of it with him, and with a yank behind the navel they were gone as a noxious smell invaded the dursley's sense of smell leaving them coughing and crying.
(A/N) there you have chapter one of the Path to See Tomorrow the next chapter will be Revelations and Training begins. Now I want to take the time and make it painfully clear where I intend this story to go. By no means will Harry and Hermione be Godly powerful but nor will they be teens thrust into a situation where people are trying to kill them. By the time Harry and Hermione have finished with their training they will be able to stand against a death eater with near equal footing but will not be able to stand up to Voldemort single handedly at fifteen. Nor will this be a soul bond fic as I think they are too common and sappy. Instead I want to try to give them a few unique skills and items and have them seem like normal teens forced into special circumstances. Also my OC's will really only be featured heavily in a few chapters and briefly in others nor are they supper powered by any means. Each of them will have their own flaws merits and abilities.
Also you might have guessed that Harry and Hermione are heading across the pond to the states. That assumption is correct but I wish to implore you to give the next chapter a shot because I plan on having Wizarding America far from the land of Milk and Honey some portray it. As to how I do that you'll have to read the next chapter when it's posted. And in parting leave a review and tell me what you thought and what I could improve upon. Reviews give me a lot of motivation to put time into the next chapter.
Edit 2/4/10: Okay thanks to the early reviews, and I have already gone back and tried to as many of my spelling a grammar issues as I could. But I am sure I missed quite a few of them still. And I apologize for that as grammar has never been a strong suit of mine and I am bad at editing my own work, as I tend to see what I have written rather than the mistakes in the writing. But I will attempt to be more mindful of it in the future as some of my mistakes are silly.
In response to the anonymous reviewer blah, I thank you for the constructive criticism, and the Story is mostly based on the books over the movies. This is a Alternate Universe so something's are obviously going to fudged a bit such as Sirius being in Grimmauld Place rather than being at Hogwarts for the third task. If you decide to continue reading my story you'll find that this more or less loosely based on cannon rather than following cannon. Most of my stories take that path as I feel like why write the story if it's a clone of the original.
Also I currently do not have a beta but I wouldn't mind one let me know if your interested.