Chapter 01
It was with a huge yawn and great reluctance that Harry Potter opened his eyes to the dreary sight that he knew awaited him. While he had long ago accepted that it was necessary for him to stay at the Dursley's residence in Privet Drive for at least part of the summer, it was still an unwelcome reality. The somewhat cluttered room in which he currently rested was a stark reminder of that.
With a sigh, Harry sat up and threw his blankets off. He stretched and yawned again before turning his head to look at the repaired alarm clock that sat on the small table beside his bed. It was quarter to six.
"Right on time," he said as he swung his legs over the side of the bed and rose to his feet. Grabbing his running shorts from where he had left them the previous day, Harry quickly donned them and made for the door. As he made his down the stairs and headed towards the front door, he made sure to be as quiet as he could. The last thing he wanted to do was rouse any of the Dursleys from their slumber.
Fat chance of that, thought Harry as he exited the house and breathed in a deep breath of the clear morning air. They all sleep like the dead, and with Vernon and Dudley's snoring, I could probably fire off a gun without waking them up. Still, it was better to be safe than sorry.
Shaking his head to clear it of the thought of his relatives, Harry set off out of the driveway at an easy pace and headed down the street. It had become a regular morning routine for him, jogging, ever since he had returned from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry at the end of his fourth year. With the resurrection of Lord Voldemort, an event he had been unfortunate enough to play a major role in, Harry knew soon the attacks that had marked Voldemort's rise to power during the last war world start up again. Being trapped with his muggle relatives, unable to practice his magic, Harry did the only things he could do to prepare. He began to workout, building up both his strength and stamina.
Harry was helped along in his endeavour by the timely arrival of what could loosely be termed a growth spurt, although it was nothing like any growth spurt he'd ever heard of before. In the time since he had arrived Privet Drive for the summer, a little more than a month, Harry had grown over half a foot in height. On top of that, his once scrawny and thin body had filled out considerably. He would never be as big as Crabbe or Goyle, but he now had enough of a physical presence to make any normal person at least hesitate before trying to push him around.
His new size had already come in handy in dealing with his bully of a cousin, Dudley. Harry thought back to what had happened with a grin on his face as his feet rhythmically pounded the pavement.
Two days before, Harry had been sitting outside of the house, enjoying the sun and looking through a book on defensive spells that one of his best friends, Hermione Granger, had sent to him upon his request. He was interested in some of the spells the book described and had been really getting into it when a large shadow suddenly fell across his seated form. He looked up, only to see his fat cousin grinning down at him menacingly.
"Dad said no taking your freak books out of your room, freak," Dudley stated.
With a pronounced sigh, Harry had closed the book and risen to his feet. With his new height, he dwarfed Dudley by several inches, a fact that the bully only seemed to realise once Harry was staring down at him. Harry hadn't said a word, choosing instead to just turn and walk towards the house.
Unfortunately, Dudley hadn't been able to resist the temptation to antagonize his cousin. "Don't turn your back on me, freak."
With another sigh, louder this time, Harry had turned to face his cousin with a long-suffering look on his face. "Just leave me alone, Dud. I really don't feel like getting into it with you today."
He had tried to keep his tone light, but Dudley wasn't having any of it. He had moved towards Harry until he was once again face to face with him. Then, with his mouth twisted up into an unpleasant smirk, he'd reached out and given Harry a violent shove. With the knowledge that his cousin couldn't do magic during the summer without facing immediate expulsion from school, Dudley was confident in his ability to impose his will on Harry.
Unfortunately for Dudley, Harry's sudden growth spurt put a small kink in his plans. In the past, a slight shove from Dudley would have sent Harry's much smaller form reeling. With his recently acquired bulk, Harry had merely taken a step back to collect himself, then came forward and gave his cousin a return shove. That caught Dudley off-guard. The surprise of the move, coupled with the fact that Dudley's short legs and fat body made him top heavy resulted in Dudley ending up flat on his ass on the ground.
Harry had glared down at his cousin for a moment."I told you to back off. I've had it with you pushing me around and I'm not going to take it anymore. From now on, just mind your own business and we won't have any problems." With that, Harry had whirled around and stalked off, book in hand.
Dudley remained on the ground where he had fallen, shocked by his cousin's uncharacteristic outburst. He'd decided, after a moment's consideration, that perhaps it was time to find a new punching bag, one who didn't hit back quite so hard.
Now, as the birds sang in the trees and the light from the newly-risen sun shone down on him, Harry couldn't help but laugh out loud. The look on his cousin's face when he had left him sitting on the ground on his fat ass had been priceless. Harry wasn't sure what had come over him, blowing up at Dudley like that. All he knew was that for the first time in his life, he was strong enough to take care of some of his problems for himself, and that was a good feeling.
Of course, Harry knew that not all problems could be taken care of as easily as Dudley had been. No amount of growth spurts or working out would be enough to alleviate the major pain in his life, the one that called itself Voldemort. But until he was able to talk to Professor Dumbledore or somebody else in a position of power, there was nothing else he could do.
All throughout the summer, Harry had been in contact, through the use of his snowy owl Hedwig, with many people who may have had useful information for him. Unfortunately, owl post could be intercepted, so it was not a good idea to send anything too important by that method. Harry knew this and he accepted it. It annoyed him greatly that he wasn't able to learn anything truly useful, but he understood the potential dangers.
Both Hermione Granger and his other best friend Ron Weasley had written to him several times, but their letters were mostly filled with pleasantries and inquiries about his well-being. That was all well and good, but it didn't really help him in any way, beyond reaffirming that his friends still cared about him. It had taken him three letters to Hermione before she had even consented to send him the spell books he'd requested; she thought he was being a little too paranoid. After all, it wasn't like Voldemort could get to Harry while he was staying at Privet Drive, right?
Harry had also been corresponding with his long-imprisoned godfather, Sirius Black. Sirius had been on the run since he escaped from the wizard prison Azkaban during the summer before Harry's third year at Hogwarts. Now, with the rise of Voldemort, Sirius' letters hinted that the illegal animagus had taken up a more permanent position in an effort to aide Dumbledore. Harry was happy that his godfather was finally getting a chance show his worth.
As people started leaving their houses to head to work, Harry's run finally came to an end. He slowed to a brisk walk as he entered the Dursley's driveway and briefly checked his watch. Half past six.
Not bad, he thought. Two minutes faster than yesterday.
Quietly, he let himself back inside and crept up the stairs towards the bathroom. He knew it would still be at least half an hour before any of the Dursley's got out of bed, so he decided to grab a quick shower. He grabbed some clean clothes from his room and made his way into the upstairs bathroom. Working quickly, Harry washed his hair and face and rinsed off the sweat he'd accumulated during his morning run. He never liked to spend too much time in the shower, lest Vernon or Petunia voice their concerns about him wasting hot water.
As he stepped out of the shower, Harry caught a glimpse of himself in the bathroom mirror and paused to look at his reflection. For the first time he could remember, Harry was please by what he saw in the mirror. His recent growth, coupled with the vigorous series of push-ups and sit-ups he did every day had combined to give him a physique that he could be proud of. While he was not buff or ripped by any means, he at least had some muscle tone and the beginnings of what might one day be termed a six-pack.
His eyes turned to his face. It had also filled out some, which completely eliminated the somewhat pinched look he used to have. His black hair was still messy and untamable, but he had trimmed the sides and back as well as he could and was pleased with the results. Perhaps most pleasing to him was the change his recent outings had wrought on his complexion. No longer pale, he had an admirable tan that served the purpose of rendering his scar nearly invisible. A person would have to be right in front of him to even make it out now.
With a final small smile, Harry cut short his self-inspection. The last thing he wanted was for one of the Dursley's to find him in the bathroom, naked and admiring himself in the mirror. Donning his jeans and t-shirt, he made for his room, quietly closing the door behind him.
As soon as Harry entered his room, he realised he wasn't alone. Fluttering crazily around the room, with a small note tied to its leg, was Ron's tiny owl, Pig. Hedwig was eyeing the much smaller owl with distaste from her cage in the corner of the room. Smiling, Harry managed to snag the excitable little bird out of the air and quickly removed the paper from its ankle. He let go of the owl and it immediately took off out of the open window, undoubtedly heading back to the Burrow to annoy the Weasleys.
Shaking his head, Harry sat on the end of his bed and opened the folded parchment. On it, a short note had been scribbled in Ron's messy and sometimes difficult to read script.
Good news, mate!
Dumbledore's gonna be sending some people to come and collect you from the muggles later today. They'll be there at noon, so have your stuff packed and waiting. Hermione's already here.
See ya soon,
Ron
Upon finishing the note, Harry felt the elation well up from inside of him. Turning towards Hedwig, who had been watching him silently from her perch, he grinned excitedly. "We're leaving today, girl. No more Dursleys for another year." The owl fluttered its wings and clicked, apparently just as excited about the new development.
Getting up off the bed, Harry let out a joyful laugh before walking over and opening the cage door. "Go on, girl. Why don't you go to the Weasley's? I'll be along later ." Hedwig nipped his finger affectionately before taking flight and soaring out of the open window. Harry watched her with a smile on his face until she disappeared from sight. Turning back to his room, he rubbed his hands together, and then began to pack.
Hours later, Harry was once again sitting on the Dursley's front lawn. This time he had no book with him. He'd finished packing quickly and decided to flee the house before anybody saw fit to give him any chores to do. Now, with only fifteen minutes remaining until noon, he was impatiently waiting for his way out to arrive.
As he waited, Harry ran through a list in his head of who might be coming to collect him. Ron had said 'some people', which could mean anyone. The fact that he hadn't said any specific names led Harry to believe that maybe his friend didn't know either. Of course, Ron could have been intentionally vague just in case the letter got intercepted. With Voldemort back up and ready to wreak havoc on the world, it was better to be safe than sorry.
Oh well, Harry thought, guess I'll just have to wait and see. He swept his gaze down the street, wondering if perhaps they would be coming by car. It was unlikely, but you never knew with magical people. Their methods seemed to change each time they came for him.
At that moment, Harry's musings were abruptly cut short. His eyes widened in shock when he looked up and saw several people in long black robes appear suddenly right at the end of the driveway. He immediately recognised the robes and masks of the Death Eaters.
Jumping to his feet, Harry drew his wand from his pocket and pointed it at the Death Eaters, all of whom were staring silently at him from the road.
After a moment, one stepped forward and spoke. "Ah, Potter. Just the boy we were looking for." Harry recognised that hated voice. Lucius Malfoy. "I'm afraid we're here to kill you, Potter. It's nothing personal, you understand. Our Lord merely wants you permanently out of the way. He would have come himself but he has much more important matters to attend to." Harry could almost feel the smirk that must have been on Malfoy's face.
Faced with a situation that spelled almost certain death for him, Harry knew he only had one real option: try to stay alive until whoever was coming for him arrived. Without pausing to think, he pointed his wand at Malfoy and shouted the first spell that came to mind. It was one he had read about during the summer, so he had yet to actually attempt it himself. The effects were impressive, to say the least.
"Constrictus!" he yelled, trying to put as much force behind the spell as he possibly could.
Not expecting an attack made Malfoy an easy target. His eyes widened when he saw the bright yellow spell heading for him, moving much too quickly for him to try and move out of the way or erect a shield. The spell collided heavily with his torso, drawing a loud 'oomph' from his throat as all the air was forced from his lungs by. Immediately his robes began to tighten around his body. The spell was one that could be used to tighten ropes, making sure that they would not loosen. When employed upon people's clothing, things quickly became unbearably tight.
As Malfoy struggled with his suddenly too tight robes, the rest of the Death Eaters moved forward to subdue Harry. Fortunately for him, he had immediately moved upon casting his spell. Several curses hit the spot he had just vacated, but nothing came near him.
Realising more firepower was called for, Harry began to use more dangerous curses as he ducked and dodged the spells being cast at him. "Reducto! Incendio! Stupefy! Impedimenta!" Although most of his spells were easily blocked by the more experienced Death Eaters, Harry was grimly elated when his Impediment Jinx managed to slip through and caused one of his attackers to abruptly cease moving. But his elation quickly evaporated when Malfoy finally managed to free himself and joined in the attack.
"Protego," Harry shouted, praying that his shield would hold against the barrage he was facing. Unfortunately, his prayers went unanswered.
Several unfamiliar dark curses were sent his way from the wand of Lucius Malfoy. The first few splashed harmlessly against Harry's shield, but the final one tore through the shield like it was made of paper. Both Harry and Malfoy knew that Harry wouldn't be able to call up another shield in time to save himself.
Harry took a deep breath, ready for the curse that would end his young life. But that curse never came.
"Stupefy!" a new voice shouted.
Before Harry's relieved eyes, more people suddenly arrived on the scene. The newcomers immediately began to trade spells with the Death Eaters. Before he could be hit by a curse, Malfoy apparated away, leaving the rest of the Death Eaters to deal with the sudden danger.
Harry grinned as he watch Remus Lupin stun one of the dark robed figures, just as Mad-eye Moody hurled a blasting curse at another. Although the newcomers were outnumbered about two to one by the Death Eaters, it was clear to Harry which side had the upper hand in the battle. A young, pink-haired witch had engaged two of the dark wizards and was more than holding her own against both of them, while a tall black wizard was also duelling effortlessly against multiple opponents.
Unfortunately, at that moment, Lucius Malfoy returned, and he brought reinforcements with him. A dozen more Death Eaters entered the fray and suddenly Harry began to seriously question his earlier prediction.
"Is this the best Dumbledore's precious Order has to offer?" asked Malfoy in a contemptuous tone as he sent a Severing hex at Arthur Weasley. The Weasley patriarch blocked it and fired a Stunner back at Malfoy. He appeared to be about to respond to the comment, when the last of the good guys suddenly drew Harry's attention.
The unfamiliar man was exceptionally tall and the only one there, besides Harry, who was clad in muggle clothing rather than robes. But neither of those things were what drew Harry's gaze. What had caught his attention was the fact that the man had just cast the killing curse. "Avada Kedavra." The Death Eater beside Malfoy dropped to the ground, dead, while both Malfoy and Harry stared at the caster in shock. Never before had Harry heard of one of the good guys using such a spell. Apparently neither had Malfoy. He immediately apparated away, undoubtedly running back to his master to report what he had just witnessed.
While that exchange was happening, the battle continued to rage. As Harry looked on, the large man fired a different curse at another Death Eater, who immediately began to scream in agony. He fell to the ground, bleeding heavily from his torso. Before the big guy could choose another target, the remaining Death Eaters decided that enough was enough and apparated away.
As soon as they were gone, Lupin ran over to Harry, worry evident in his eyes. "Harry, are you all right?" he asked, worry colouring his tone.
Harry, whose eyes had been focused on the newcomer and his use of dark curses, turned his gaze to Lupin and nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. But the wards? How did they—?"
Lupin cut him off there with a raised hand. "No time for explanations right now. Dumbledore will tell you everything later. Right now Arthur is going to take you to headquarters. We'll bring your stuff with us when we're done here." He looked around. "Where are your things?"
"My room, but—"
Once again, he was cut off. "No time, Harry. Arthur, if you would..."
Mr. Weasley nodded and moved towards them. Smiling widely at Harry, he held out his arm. "Grab my arm, Harry. I'm going to side-along apparate you to headquarters. It might make you feel a little sick to your stomach, but that should pass quickly. All right?"
Harry nodded, indicating and grasped onto Arthur's arm. One last thought popped into his head before they disappeared. Where the hell is headquarters?
