-CHAPTER ONE-

The Weasley's Messenger

It was only his third day back at the Dursleys' and Harry had already wished he hadn't returned, but he knew he must, for Dumbledore would have wanted it this way. Harry had already been pushed down a flight of stairs on his second day back by Dudley, who claims it was not him and who tried ever so hard to disappear after the act and make it look like a phantom shove. Harry knew, though he acted like he did not, that it was in fact Dudley and not a ghost who had pushed him and later that night while everyone was sleeping Harry found Dudley in his room chatting on the internet to his girl friend, Linda from school (a relationship which Harry believed to be one built on the foundation of Linda's terror of Dudley, not her love of him). Harry decided this was the best time to get his cousin back and began to post his own messages in the conversation posing as Dudley, rude comments and comments sure to replace the fear in Linda's mind with pure rage. Harry's plan did work though it was followed by consequences, as Harry sprinted back to his room after he was sure the deed was done, he heard a loud crash that almost rose to the noise level of the now cursing Dudley. When Harry returned to his room he found what he immediately recognized as a corner of Dudley's computer that had punctured the thin wall that separated Harry's room from Dudley's. Next to the computer Harry also observed some of the other Dudley-made-dents protruding into his room from the other side. The surrounding disfigurements in the wall were caused by an enraged Dudley at several different times in his life, small and large ones (Dudley's fists were never really small but the smaller protrusions were indications of a younger Dudley, the marks were almost like a time line, the time line for an angry, monstrous, disobedient teenager). Dudley went crashing towards the stairs to try and undo what Harry had done on the computer in the den, and while passing his parents room he shouted that he needed a new computer, which was recognized by a grunt from his weary father. Harry lay back down on his bed, satisfied, and waited for sleep to come.

Harry and Ginny were both alone talking about the events of the previous Hogwarts year down by the lake where he had, three years earlier, completed his second Tri-Wizard Tournament task. Harry was just about to lean in and kiss Ginny when he was awoken by the infuriated Dudley shouting about how Linda had broken up with him because of his computer malfunctioning, this brought a slight feeling of happiness and a faint grin to Harry's face.

Harry lay in bed the next hour or so contemplating his dream, things he hadn't thought of since his train ride home on the Hogwarts express, things such as Ginny, had she found someone new, no, Harry thought to himself, it's only been a week, she couldn't have, Harry held onto this scenario and hoped it were true. The thought of Hogwarts not opening also worked its way into Harry's mind, although, it didn't matter to him as he was not planning on returning without Dumbledore as headmaster. That's when it hit him, Dumbledore. Harry had hoped the moment would never come, the moment he would really feel that Dumbledore was now gone, for good. Harry grieved for a few moments and then brought himself to his feet, he knew Dumbledore, and he knew he wouldn't want Harry to waste his time mourning the past. Harry tried hard and wished that he had paid more attention in Occlumency (which then brought back hateful memories of Snape) to better suppress, but not forget, the thought to the back of his head. Harry had taken no more than two steps toward the door when he saw a piece of ruddy, tattered, brown clothing which did not belong, poking from inside his closet. Harry approached the door and when he was about three feet away the cloth retreated inside. Harry stopped dead and snatched his wand from the nightstand hesitating only for a moment to think about the repercussions of being underage and using magic outside school, but decided he'd rather be safe than sorry. One, Two, Three, Harry pulled the door so fast he could have sworn he saw a little smoke and was quite surprised at what he saw.

"Dobby! Wh-what are you doing here?"

"Ohh, Harry Potter, at last, Dobby misses Mr. Potter very much, yes he does," Dobby flew out of the closet and fell to Harry's feet which he began to kiss repeatedly, "Oh, Dobby… has been… a good… servant… to Harry… and,"

"Dobby, you can stop," interrupted Harry, "stop kissing my feet, it's okay. Now, tell me why you're here."

"Yes sir Mr. Potter sir, Dobby brings news from Harry's friends, Hermione and Ron. Dobby is also sorry to add… to add… to add that…" and Dobby began to break down and was about to smash himself over the head with Harry's lamp when Harry intervened, knowing that this was inevitability coming, grabbing the lamp and ordering Dobby to stop. "Sorry, Dobby just, it's just that, Dobby is sad and Dobby is angry that he could not help Harry Potter stop the Malfoy boy. Oh, it's all Dobby's fault! Dobby followed the Malfoy boy all day and night and couldn't find anything. Ohh! Dobby failed, Dobby failed Harry Potter"

And just before Dobby could get his hands back on the lamp Harry commanded him again not to hit himself, "it's okay Dobby, don't worry, now, about that news, is it a letter?"

"Oh yes, a letter for Harry Potter, very urgent, 'get this to Harry as fast as you can,' says the girl, nice girl," Dobby smiled and then began to bang his head against the wall, "Bad Dobby, Bad Dobby, Dobby must never speak about Harry Potters friends, ever."

Dobby's volume had reached the level that it began to draw attention from Uncle Vernon, "what the bloody hell is going on up there? Quiet it down or it's the cupboard for a week." Harry was now taller than Uncle Vernon and wasn't really afraid of his now empty threats anymore, his uncle also must have noticed this height difference because he tried not to stand next to Harry, either for that reason or he was too terrified that he would get hurt if he stood too close.

"Dobby, for the last time stop, please," the house elf stopped right away and looked at Harry with the biggest eyes he had ever seen.

"Master said, 'please.' no one had ever, ever told Dobby please, everyone orders Dobby, 'do this, clean this, go here,' but never says please." Dobby through himself at Harry and hugged him.

"Dobby, I'm not your master, I want to be your friend, I don't want you to hurt yourself and I would like you to tell me of the news from Ron and Hermione."

At these words Dobby's eyes filled with tears of joy and he began, "yes sir, friend. Harry Potter's friends want Dobby to give him this," still beaming at Harry he handed him a folded piece of parchment, which Harry read:

Dear Harry,

Ron and I have something very

Important to tell you, it is too long for this

letter. I'm staying with Ron and his family

for the summer, mum and dad know, and we

really need to tell you something, well, a

couple things. See you soon.

Sincerely,

Hermione Granger

'Tell me something? What could it be?' Harry thought to himself and realized that Dobby was still gazing at him through water eyes mouthing what seemed to say 'Harry Potters friend, Harry Potter wants Dobby as a friend, Dobby Harry Potters friend'. "Um, Dobby, did Ron and Hermione say anything else? Anything about something they need to tell me?" These words seemed to knock Dobby out of his trance.

"No, nothing else, just to give Harry Potter the message and come back with an answer," Dobby said through an abnormally wide smile, "so will Harry Potter be coming to stay with his friends?"

Harry didn't even have to think about it, he really needed to get away from the Dursley's, he would have been happy had he been invited to stay behind the bar of the Leaky Cauldron. "Tell them 'yes' Dobby, I'll be there tomorrow by lunch."

Dobby's face again filled with more joy than it looked like it could handle, "oh Dobby is so happy Harry Potter is returning, he will go tell Harry Potters friends, oh, everyone will be so happy, except Kreacher, oh Kreacher will be most displeased."

And before Harry could ask Dobby what Kreacher was doing at the Weasley's he apparated (a skill Harry learned that, last year with Dumbledore, he had mastered).

Harry immediately began loading everything into his trunk, spell books, sweets, clothes, school robes (which Harry saw no need for but eventually decided he could still wear them outside of school).

Harry descended the stairs to find Aunt Petunia napping on the den couch and when he saw no sign of Uncle Vernon or Dudley, came to the conclusion that they were out getting Dudley his new computer. The thought that Dudley needed a new computer because of his actions brought back yet another satisfied smile to Harry's face which was stripped away almost instantaneously when he saw heard the car coming up the drive way. Harry made a mad dash to the fridge, grabbed as much of the food he thought the Dursleys wouldn't miss as he could, and ran up to his room just before Uncle Vernon and Dudley entered the front door.

"This better be good enough for all my computer games dad! If it isn't we're going out again for a better one!" Threatened Dudley as he made his way upstairs.

"Don't worry son, the bloke said it's the newest model, top o' the line." Uncle Vernon replied.

Harry spent the rest of the day eating the vegetables and fruits (which seemed like a poor mans meal after eating at Hogwarts for six years) and listening to the Dursleys spend hours trying to hook up Dudley's computer. The Dursleys spent hours in Dudley's room and Harry fell asleep around 10:00p.m. listening to Dudley still trying to hook-up his beloved computer.

Harry awoke at 7:43a.m. the next morning and decided to tell the Dursleys that he was leaving. Harry left his room and Dudley must have heard because he was out of his own room and in the hall just after Harry.

"Hey, twit, I know you had something to do with my computer," snarled Dudley, he reminded Harry of a rabid dog and this was a situation he did not want to be in, "I'm gunna get you!" Dudley made a mad dash towards Harry, which Harry dodged by shuffling into his room; Dudley landed on the floor with a loud bang and had some trouble getting up. "You can't hide from me, I owned that room."

Dudley ran over the threshold and saw Harry's trunk and possessions all packed up, "where do you think your going?"

"I'm leaving, going to a friends, probably won't ever be back, I'm going to be of age soon," Harry and Dudley were circling Harry's possessions in the middle of the room, "just let me go downstairs, tell your mum and dad I'm leaving, and you'll never see me again, alright."

"How about no," Dudley let out an evil laugh, "mum and dad aren't even home now, gone out to get me breakfast."

"Fine, have it your way," and just as Dudley jumped at Harry, Harry yelled, "Tarantallegra!" Dudley's legs began moving and dancing uncontrollably. "Tell them yourself that I've left then, won't you? Oh, and don't worry about your legs, they'll get tired out in a few hours. Harry knew he wouldn't get into trouble for this spell, he figures the Ministry had enough to deal with, Hogwarts, Voldemort, Harry didn't think a simple jinx deserved their attention at this time.

Harry grabbed his things took one last look at Dudley and turned concentrating on the Weasley's. The squeezing sensation returned and Harry held his breath until he was standing in the middle of the Weasley's front garden. 'I wonder if Ron and Hermione will believe that I apparated all the way here by myself,' Harry wondered.

Harry heard voices behind the door, everyone seemed to be eating breakfast still, and he knocked three times, the voices stopped, footsteps started.