This is a rewrite of 'The Longest Journey Ever'. I wondered if I could change the story and make it more interesting. I had a few years of researching the art of storytelling and I'm planning on writing my own YA novel pretty soon. Also, take note that the first chapter changed from the preview. But without further ado, Disclaimer!

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

Thank you Disclaimer!

A Hero's Journey

"Rewrite of The Longest Journey Ever."

Chapter One: Seven Years Ago

You're probably wondering why I'm hanging off the Hogwarts Astronomy Tower, aren't you? Oh, you didn't know that? Well, I am hanging off that damn tower. What does it feel like? Well, it's uncomfortable. I'm dangling high above the ground, near the cold clutches of death. Am I scared? I think the answer is obvious.

Well, I probably have to tell you who I am and how I got here. Well, my name is Harry James Potter. I'm fifteen years old. Some years ago, I found out I was a wizard the hard way. And now a melodramatic Dark Lord is after my blood. I can now only hope for survival. As for how I got here? That's a longer story. And it starts seven years ago.

.

I was a second grader. I was also very scrawny and short. Unfortunately, that didn't change much. And compared to the other kids in the class, I was always the weird one. I had large round glasses that didn't fit my face and large, ugly clothing that didn't fit me. I wore Uncle Vernon's belts. The ones that didn't snap, of course. To top it off, my hair was always messed up like crow feathers. Like I said. I didn't change much in appearance. But one thing that did change is my current residence.

I lived with the Dursleys. You probably know about them, of course. So I won't bother going into detail there. But anyway, I was walking to school on a Monday during winter. The air was biting cold as I walked, wishing my aunt could've given me a lift. I could probably have scored a lift this morning if it weren't for Dudley's insistence on walking to school. And by insistence, I mean a tantrum.

I stopped a little while to rest. I was shaking from the cold as I clutched my coat tighter around myself. The school is only a few more blocks away. I could make it. I started to move forward. My plans were foiled, however, when my large cousin knocked into me with his snowboard, laughing obnoxiously. I spit out some snow and glared at him.

"You're not supposed to do that!" I yelled at him "You're ten times my size!"

Dudley just laughed, tears forming at the corners of his eyes. Whether it's from laughter or the pain of having to fall off his snowboard and hit his head on the fence behind us, I didn't have a clue. I got up from the ground, dusting off my clothes.

"Laughing makes your fat jiggle, by the way," I muttered.

Dudley heard me. He stopped laughing and stared at me "What was that?"

"Nothing," I lied "We need to get to school."

Before Dudley could process that was a lie, I felt the hairs stand up on the back of my neck. I looked around, hearing a strange sound. Like something zipping through the sky at an extreme speed. What happened next, I couldn't even process. The house across from Dudley and I exploded in a shower of fire and sparks. I didn't hear screaming but I knew people lived there. Once lived there.

But one thing I was really sure of? We needed to run. I started to run down the sidewalk. I was around the bend when I realized something. Dudley wasn't following me. I heard another explosion. I couldn't leave him. I ran back to where he stood. Sure enough, the idiot was just staring at the house.

"Dudley!" I called, "We need to go!"

Dudley didn't move.

"Dudley!" I called. But there was no response. I ran over to him and pulled at his arm "Dudley! We have to go!"

KABOOM!

Dudley and I were thrown back as a bomb landed right behind us, blowing the street to bits. Somehow, we survived. Dudley started wailing. I got up, feeling the need to cry as well. But I couldn't. It never got me out of anything. I pulled at Dudley's arm, trying to get him up.

"Dudley! We need to go!" I shouted at him, pulling him "Move. It!"

I somehow got to pull him up in a burst of energy. He stumbled a little bit.

"Mummy!" He called. It was so loud, my ears buzzed.

I heard a distant explosion. We'd have to go the other way.

"Come on!" I said and pulled Dudley to follow me "We're going to Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon!"

And for the first time, Dudley listened to me. We ran down the sidewalk toward our house. As we ran, I tried to figure out where these bombs came from. Was this World War III? I doubted they were meteors. But what if? Perhaps like the dinosaur age, we were getting wiped out too. I ran faster, making sure Dudley was following. I could see our house up ahead. Just a little further.

Then the world stopped spinning. A jet of fiery red light shot through the sky like a meteor, burning brighter as it headed down toward number 4, Privet Drive. I didn't have time to scream or to save them. The light collided with the house and it burst into flames and cinders of what once was the Dursleys' home. I heard Dudley's heartbroken scream behind me. I felt the post-bomb wave and I stumbled slightly but I somehow managed to stay on my feet. My heart was beating faster and slower at the same time.

I looked around. Where was I gonna go? And Dudley. What was going to happen to Dudley and I? Were we gonna survive. A sob escaped me. I didn't particularly love my aunt, uncle and cousin. But they were my only living relatives left. And they were Dudley's parents. There was no way they'd still be alive. Uncle Vernon didn't leave for work today. He was on sick leave.

"Mummy! Daddy!" Dudley screamed and made his way to the house. Another jet was flying toward the house.

I surged forward and grabbed his sleeve. "Please!" I shouted "Dudley! No!"

He looked back at me "Let me go you… you… you freak!"

"I can't lose you too!" I shouted back at him "There's no use! We can't go in there! We'll get ki-"

KABOOM!

Dudley and I were knocked back by the sonic boom that followed. I hit the pavement and Dudley fell on top of me. I felt my ribs crack and held back a scream. My head was throbbing. I must've blacked out for a few seconds. But I wasn't sure. The world was foggier. The pressure in my head was making it hard to focus.

"Dudley!" I shouted, blinking back the stars obscuring my vision, "We-we need to get out of here! We have to go! Geroff me!"

Dudley got off of me, crying. I winced as I stood up, my own tears staining my face. I tried thinking where we could go.

"Harry?" Dudley said quietly. I looked at him, ready to tell him to shut and let me think. His next words stopped me. "Is Mum and Dad okay?"

I swallowed. I heard another explosion behind us. Why couldn't this be a dream? For the first time, I wished I could wake up in my cupboard under the stairs. Dudley as happy and bullying as usual. Aunt Petunia in all her patronizing ways. Uncle Vernon's rude remarks. I trembled as I looked back at my cousin. Before I could think up an appropriate answer, another explosion shook the ground.

"Harry!" A shrill voice shouted. Mrs Figg?

I looked across the street, over at her front door. She was standing there with a man. The first thing I noticed about the man was his light brown hair. The second was that I recognized him somehow. But that aside, Mrs Figg had been on vacation since Monday. She was supposed to come back this afternoon. But that didn't matter. She was alive.

"Harry!" Mrs Figg yelled again "Come here! Hurry! Bring your cousin!"

Dudley and I didn't need anymore convincing. We ran across the street toward her house. The trip to her house seemed to last longer than it actually was. I could hear one or two explosions behind us. I kept anticipating the street being blown up. Dudley was ahead of me somehow. Maybe he was quicker than I thought. Or I was slower because of the pain in my leg and ribs? My head felt thick and foggy. I couldn't concentrate.

I could see Dudley entering through the small gate to Mrs Figg's house. He looked back behind at me.

"Why did you stop!?" He shouted "We need to go, Harry!"

I quickly got over the shock that Dudley cared enough to see if I was following. I realized I stopped running. Was I running at all? A shadow appeared behind me. Someone was standing behind me.

"HARRY!" Someone shouted, horror laced in his voice.

I looked at the strangely familiar guy. His hair was flecked with grey, his eyes were familiar amber-green, three scars running down his face. I felt a hand on my shoulder and I froze. Actually, I couldn't move from my spot at all.

I looked behind me. A pitch black demon was gliding behind me, it's icy hand on my shoulder. It resembled a wraith. It had a decomposing face and emitted a cold air that made me feel as if I'll never smile again. Someone was screaming. I looked back at the Dudley, Mrs Figg and the other guy. The world went blurry and black clouded my vision.

And it's a cliffhanger. Mwahahaha! I'll try not to keep you hanging. Anyway, I hope that's a good try #2. Review and tell me if it's any good. Thank you so much for reading. If you like it, go ahead and tell me. If you didn't... well, you can tell me how to improve it. Or roast me. Whichever. But this is the new version of the Longest Journey Ever.

- The Dementors Dinner Party