The Last Fight
RETURNINGA tall dark-haired boy stood gazing out of the grimy window into the street below and a group of children playing together. He sighed quietly and turned his back on the window and the gleeful shouts.
Harry Potter had only moved in to Number 12, Grimmauld Place a few days ago, and all ready he wanted to leave. This was because the old, dirty house reminded him of Sirius.
For the last three years, Harry had gone looking for Horcruxes. It was the only thing he'd really thought about since the unfortunate murder of Professor Dumbledore all those years ago. While doing his searching, he'd not had anywhere to call home. Mostly he'd used Muggle bed and breakfasts, or the occasional wizard pub. Wherever he'd stayed, wizards and witches had recognised him. Harry was used to all this now, but it never made his life any easier, especially since reports of Dumbledore's death in the Daily Prophet, and it was always risky if his location was revealed because he knew Lord Voldemort was after him. While Dumbledore's death had been reported as an 'accident', the staff and students at Hogwarts all knew the truth. How the Death Eaters had entered the school with Draco Malfoy's help, how Malfoy had been unable to kill Dumbledore, and how Snape had done it instead before running from the school with Draco to join the Dark Lord.
Harry forced his mind away from these unpleasant thoughts, bringing himself back to the present day, and the filthy drawing room. The canvas bearing the Black Family Tree still hung on the wall, as did Sirius' mother in her portrait a few floors below. The days were long, often seeming endless; no doubt today would be the same. Harry allowed his thoughts to drift once more, this time looking back over the last three years.
After visiting Godric's Hollow, and the place where his parent's home had once stood, Harry had set out on his long and challenging path. For the first year his best friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, had been with him, but then Harry gad requested that he carry on alone because the next few years were bound to get more brutal and dangerous, and he did not want to be responsible for any unnecessary deaths, especially where his friends were concerned. After much persuasion from Harry, and a lot of arguing from Ron and Hermione, they had agreed, leaving Harry to become increasing lonely as each day passed. A few times, he'd regretted that decision, other days, he was glad he'd made it, and that they had agreed to it.
As he had predicted, the following two years were tough. They were full of duels, some of which Harry had been lucky to escape from, sleepless nights, suffering with Voldemort's protections on his Horcruxes, and day after day of fruitless searching.
"I suppose I should tell them I'm back," Harry muttered to himself, before realising his trunk and owl were still at the Weasley household where he had left them, not wanting to have a lot of luggage with him, and a snowy owl attracting attention wherever he went.
There was only one thing for it; he'd have to set foot in Hogsmeade village again and pay a visit to the Post Office building again, something he'd been avoiding as much as possible for the last three years.
"It can wait until tomorrow, unless they've got any Floo powder in here," he though aloud.
"No, Harry, there isn't any Floo powder."
Harry jumped and turned to the doorway. Remus Lupin was watching him.
"How long have you been there?" Harry demanded.
"I might ask you the same question." Lupin replied.
"About 4 days."
"About 2 minutes, just long enough to hear you say 'I guess I should tell them I'm back', which I think is a very sensible thing to say the least."
Harry nodded.
"Molly has been incredibly worried about you since Ron and Hermione returned but you didn't. You know what she can be like."
Harry nodded again, "Yeah, I know what she's like."
"She's probably going to try to persuade you to return to The Burrow," Lupin warned.
"I can't return there, not yet."
"How come? I though you saw it as a second home?"
"I do, but I can't be near Ginny, for the sake of both of us. If Voldemort finds out how I feel about her, he'd use her to get to me. I can't risk anyone getting hurt because of me; I'd never forgive myself. I explained it all to Ginny after Dumbledore's funeral."
Harry lowered his head, determined not to show Lupin the emotions running through his body.
"I suppose it's your choice, Harry. I'll not force you to do anything you don't want to do." Lupin sounded resigned, but at least he understood what Harry was trying to say.
By the time Harry looked up, Lupin was gone. Outside the children had returned home.
