Harry Potter and the Truth of the Matter

Chapter One: Prologue

Harry was sitting in the smallest bedroom at Number 4 Privet Drive, wondering what the new year was going to bring for him. He was turning 17 the next day, and escaping to who knows where, as long as he was gone. His relatives didn't seem to care about it, in fact they were ecstatic when he told them that he was leaving on his birthday. What he didn't tell them was that they didn't have to worry about Voldemort anymore, for he had defeated him at the end of his last year at Hogwarts. He was going into his 7th year at the school, and looking forward to a year of not having to worry about the megalomaniac attacking him or his friends anymore. He had a beautiful girlfriend, and friends that cared and worried about him, like he worried about them. He smiled at the thought of how he had gotten the bookworm to be his girlfriend at the end of the battle. He had been thinking about it for some time when Voldemort finally decided that he had enough waiting, and decided to attack the school. To say that the battle was short and one sided would be a understatement. Harry just looked at Voldemort with a grin, and pointed his wand at his scar and cast the killing curse. He figured that he couldn't kill himself that way, do to the prophecy, but he could probably kill Voldemort through their connection. It worked, and no one was hurt, besides the Death Eaters. They fell dead from the backlash of their masters death through their marks. Harry smiled at the end, and took Hermione into his arms and kissed her senseless, letting her know his true feelings for her. She smiled as she went into the kiss, giving back as much as she got.

There were hoots and whistles, as well as about time, from their friends and family. Ron had gotten together with Luna Lovegood a couple months earlier, and Ginny got together with Neville around the same time. They figured that Harry and Hermione would probably get together eventually, but were hoping that it would be before the end of the year. They were glad when it happened, and a few hundred galleons were given to the winner of the betting pool, which was Professor Dumbledore, of course, for he seemed to know everything before it happened.

Harry wasn't sure where he was going this summer, because he was going to go on vacation with Hermione and her parents, and he was looking forward to a real vacation. He had never been taken on one by the Dursley's, so he was going to have fun. He had already been to Gringotts to get money, when he was taken there to read his parents will a couple days ago, for everyone knew that he was leaving for the summer, and he was given special permission. The same day, he took and got his aparation license, along with a whole new wardrobe. He found out that he was richer than a lot of people, and was looking forward to having some fun. He also made sure that his friends were well taken care of with money, and even tho he had some arguments by the Weasley's, they eventually gave in to his arguments and took the money.

Harry was packing up well after midnight, because he couldn't do magic out of school til he was of age. He smiled as he packed up all his things, and then went down to get a small snack, and also to do some things to repay the Dursley's for their ahem, kindness, he put some interesting pranks around the house to make sure that they remembered him.

In the kitchen, he turned all their diet food into fattening food, that still looked like it was the diet food. He also put a spell on them so that they were always having the urge to eat, even if they had just eaten not 5 minutes ago. This spell along with the switch spell, turned it into a pig heaven, where they would gain at least 100 pounds each before the spell ended 2 weeks later. He didn't like them to much, but didn't want them to suffer to much, so he did another set of spells to make it so that once they were done with that spell, they would all lose the weight that they had gained, and their excess weight, so that they were fit and slim again. They would think that they had learned a special new diet, and would take and market it in a book, but proven frauds, when the people who bought it, did lose weight, but weren't as fast or work as well as the Dursley's did.

He then went up to get some sleep for the night. He was leaving early the next morning, and had set out taking his clothes he was going to wear the next day out. He had already shrank his trunk, and packed a couple of suitcases and a backpack for the trip. He was going to be going muggle for the trip, so he made sure that he was ready for the trip. His relatives understood that he was going to be gone before they got up in the morning, and he had said his good byes the night before. He took off his glasses, and laid down for a couple of hours sleep before he was to aparate to Hermione's house to meet up with her and her parents. They were going to be meeting up with a few relatives of hers that knew of the Magical world for some reason, but she was a bit mute as to who they were. She just told him it was going to be a surprise with a smile.

When he woke up three hours later, he set Hedwig free, telling her to go to the Weasley's for the time that he was gone, giving her a note for them. It asked them to watch over her until school started at the beginning of September. He put 20 galleons in with the note to help pay for the upkeep and transportation to Kings Cross Station of her. He smiled and told her to go and have fun for the rest of the summer.

He then made sure he had everything, and with the loudest crack he could come up with, aparated to Hermione's, making sure he was loud enough for the Dursley's to remember him. He appeared in her bedroom with a smile. He saw her sleeping peacefully, and leaned down to give her a soft kiss to wake up his princess. "Wake up love, I'm here, your knight in shining armour." He chuckled as she stretched and gave out a yawn. He saw that she had her Hogwars letter still unopened on her desk, they had decided that they would open their together and find out what was up for the next year together.

When Hermione was awake and smiling up at him, he gave her one of his patent pending, award winning crooked grins, and left the room so she could get up and get dressed. He was met outside her room by Douglas Granger, DD. "Good morning Doctor Granger, how are you doing this morning?" Harry asked with a grin. He had been seeing Hermione long enough and had visited their house enough times that her father wasn't upset about Harry coming out of her room.

"Good morning to yourself Harry, I'm glad that you were able to make it. Are you all packed and ready to go?"

"Yep, got my suitcases and carry ons in Hermione's room, along with my trunk. I hope it's ok that I leave it here til we get back?"

"Yah, don't worry about it Harry. Now don't forget, you are to either call us Mum and Dad or Douglas and Jane while we're on this vacation, no Doctors Granger. Yah I know you're not our real son, but I also know how close you are to Hermione, and that you two will probably be getting married when you get out of school, and probably be engaged by Christmas." He said with a knowing smile at Harry.

Harry had the good grace to blush at that, and smile at Doug. "Yah your probably right. Don't tell Hermione or Jane this, but I already have a ring for her, just waiting til Christmas to pop the question. So I'm asking your formally Doug, may I have permission to marry your daughter at some time in the future?"

"Of course you can Harry, Jane and I love you as much as Hermione does now, and consider you part of the family already." He gave him a hug as they were whispering this, considering that they were right outside the said girls room, who was now getting ready for the day.

They went down and met up with Jane Granger down in the kitchen. "So, I see you made it Harry, is Hermione up now?"

"Yes Jane, I made sure that I woke her up properly this morning. How are the second most lovely lady in this house doing today?" He gave her a kiss on the cheek as he asked this with a grin.

"Oh you charmer. You better keep that charm for Hermione. I am doing fine, are you hungry?"

"Of course I'm hungry, the Dursley's never feed me enough. I can wait til Mione get's down here tho. How about some coffee?"

"You know where the pot is Harry. It's already made up for you and Doug."

Harry went and made Doug and himself a cup of coffee, and came back to the table. He looked over the Daily Prophet that had just arrived. "Hmm, this is interesting. It seems that Minister Bones has just made a declaration of my godfathers innocence. Finally, it took them long enough for the trial and conviction of Peter Pettigrew. I'm glad that he was finally found guilty, and Sirius found innocent." Harry smiled a little, knowing that Sirius was sitting at #12 Grimmauld place, probably still sleeping over the hangover he probably has from the celebrating he did at the conviction. They had rescued him from the veil shortly after their fifth year, when they found a more advanced Accio spell to bring him from behind the veil. It took the combined power of Albus Dumbledore, Harry, Remus and Hermione to do it, but they did it. They were all out for a few days after words, but all came through it quite well.

Ten minutes later, Hermione came downstairs to the smell of bacon and sausage, along with Coffee on the table. "Good morning all, everyone ready for our trip?"

Harry greeted her with a smile and a kiss, which Doug and Jane smiled behind their backs at this. They could tell that these two were soul mates, and that nothing could separate them.

Hermione had come down with her letter from the school, and looked at Harry. "Well did you bring yours down?"

Harry held up his and they opened them together. "Well this wasn't a surprise, we're Head Boy and Girl. Same classes as we had last year, and since I didn't get the Quidditch Captains badge, I assume that either Ron or Ginny got that. I hope that it's Ron, for it's his last year, and Ginny can do it next year." Harry smiled as he showed them his badge, and then stuck it back in with his letter. "I'm going to be putting this into my trunk until we get back at the end of next month."

Hermione smiled at him and showed her parents her badge also, before doing the same thing.

After breakfast Harry and Hermione went up to get their luggage for the trip, and to put things straight with their school supplies. They spent a bit of time canoodling before coming back downstairs levitating their luggage. "Doug, Jane is your luggage ready? If I remember right, your garage is attached to the house, so we can levitate everything into it through the door between the two. That way we don't have to worry about straining our backs until we get to the airport." Harry smiled as he levitated the Grangers bags and took them all out to the car. He enlarged the boot of the car, and placed the luggage in it. "This way, theres room for everyones luggage, including the relatives we're supposed to meet. Who are these people anyway, Hermione just winks at me when she tells me about them."

"Don't worry Harry, it's a surprise for you. I think you will enjoy this surprise, it's a good one. We have relatives all over the world, and in high places, so you will find that this is going to be an interesting and educational trip. We're going to a big family reunion first, then to America for a bit of fun."

Hermione rolled her eyes at that, but didn't say a word. She knew what her parents meant by having fun, and hoped that Harry liked the idea. She was looking forward to seeing her relatives again, and to introduce Harry to them. She had an idea that he was planning something for Christmas, but she was planning something also. She looked at him from the other side of the car and smiled. "Yah Harry this should be a real fun vacation." She sat back and listened to her walkman as they drove off.

When they were close to a strangely familiar looking building, they stopped and let in the relatives that were going with them. Harry's jaw dropped when he realized who they were, and was about to say something when Hermione started introducing them. "Harry, I would like to introduce you to my cousins..."

A/N: Sorry about the Cliffhanger, but I thought you might like to have some surprises for the next chapter. If you can guess who it is, put it in a review, and I will name a Granger family member after you. You can pick whether they are Muggle, Magical or a Squib. The first to make the right guess wins. Here's some clues.

1. They are famous.

2. They play a major part in the stories, Harry Potter and the Summer before Seventh Year, Harry Potter and his Seventh Year, Harry Potter and Life After Hogwarts, and the New Marauders, which is a unfinished series of stories by the same author.

Enjoy, and I will give you until Sunday night, which is when I will post the next chapter, to give you all a chance. Please read and review, and thank you. This is a seventh year fic, that does not follow cannon, I don't like the idea of either Sirius or Dumbledore dying. Donalddeutsch.