Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, or any of the other characters. That is all the work of J.K. Rowling herself.

Dursleys, Summer, and Grief

Harry Potter was an extraordinary boy. He had defeated the Dark Lord Voldemort as a baby. He was spared from a spell that had killed many people, including his parents. He was saved by a sacrifice, his mother's sacrifice. She gave her life to protect her son, standing against certain death.

This summer eve had Harry thinking of that. Well, he was thinking of a lot of things. He was thinking of a prophecy that had sent Voldemort after him, thinking of sacrifices that had been made for him. His father, James, had tried to protect Harry and his mother, Lily. He had tried to give them time to run, to get away. He died because of it. Lily stood before her son, even when she was given the chance to save herself. She was killed because of it. Her sacrifice had given Harry protection against Voldemort's killing curse, and that was how Harry found himself to be 'The Boy Who Lived'. His godfather had tried to save him, and was killed by his cousin Bellatrix. Dumbledore, a man he had considered like a grandfather, was killed by that dirty traitor Severus Snape, who had convinced everyone, even Dumbledore, of his innocence.

Harry could recall those moments at the end of last year. Chasing after Snape, trying to curse him, hex him, make him pay for what he did. He could still see Snape's face as he taunted him, and as he was outraged at being called a coward.

Sitting up quickly, Harry got up from his bed to look out the window. The night was stuffy and hot, and the memories were making his blood boil. Memories had been plaguing him ever since he got back to the Dursleys. The Dursleys took it on themselves to avoid him. They almost seemed frightened of him, as his eyes were always cast downward and he was so quiet. They just left him be, especially after the visit the old wizard had paid them last year.

A tap on the window told him that his owl Hedwig was back from wherever she had been. He opened the window to admit the beautiful snowy owl. She looked at him with her large yellow eyes, and then held her leg out to show him a letter. Harry untied the letter from her leg, and then gave her a quick pat on the head. He found her an owl treat, gave it to her, and then walked over to his bed to look at the letter. He turned on his lamp and looked at the name on the front. It was a letter from his best friend Ron Weasley.

Hey Harry,

Bill and Fleur's wedding is coming up and we just wanted to make sure you were definitely going to come. Mum is happier now about the wedding, and she's been helping a lot. She and Fleur get on a bit better now. Oh, and Happy Birthday Harry!

Ron

Harry smiled, and looked at his clock. It was indeed his birthday. He probably would have forgotten it, had he not been reminded. Harry opened the small package that came with the letter and found a box of assorted candies.

Another package came by way of a tawny owl. Harry guessed it was from Hermione. He was right, as he opened the letter to find her handwriting.

Dear Harry,

Happy Birthday! I do hope to see you soon. I'll be at Bill and Fleur's wedding and hope to see you there. Oh, and I know this summer must be hard for you, but don't forget that you have Ron and me. Again, hope to see you soon.

Hermione

Harry smiled sadly at the letter. Hermione did always try to look on the logical bright side of problems. He noticed that both of his friends seemed to be tiptoeing around the events of the end of school. He wrote two replies, both saying he'd be there for the wedding. In fact, he'd leave tomorrow morning. He had passed his apparition test, so it would be easy. He sent the tawny owl back to Hermione, and Hedwig went back to the Burrow.

He sighed and ran his hand over the back of his head, ruffling his already messy hair. He looked around his room which had newspapers strewn everywhere. They were tacked on his walls, piled on his desk, thrown about on the floor. With Dumbledore gone Voldemort seemed to have taken out all the stops. Muggle and Magical worlds alike were having so many murders many papers couldn't keep up. Harry recognized some of the names from the world of magic, people he had met or heard of. The minister kept trying to contact him, but he wouldn't even open the letters anymore.

"Dumbledore's man through and through." The minister had called him, and Harry couldn't help but think that's what he had been the whole time. Everything he had done for so long had been connected to Dumbledore. He had looked up to the man, and he had always been there. The Ministry of Magic had turned their back on Dumbledore and him when they tried to tell everyone that Voldemort had returned. They had made Dumbledore to look a fool; they had even sent someone to watch him at the school.

Harry was dubbed to be a crazy lunatic who couldn't be trusted, or a terrible liar who wanted to scare people, only to gain the attention he so desperately wanted. They had come out of it on top though. When Death Eaters were found at the Ministry, they were forced to believe it. They couldn't ignore something right before their noses.

Then, the new Minister tried to make Harry the mascot, tried to play it off as giving the people hope. Make Harry their hope, the tragic hero who had gotten rid of Voldemort the first time, supporting the Ministry. Harry had declined. How could he support something that had never supported him? Dumbledore, the Weasleys, Hermione, Neville, they had supported him.

Harry lay down on his bed, putting his glasses on the table beside his bed. He put his hands over his eyes and stared into the darkness they created. Visions swam before him. The hall he had followed for a year to a door that was locked, then opened, the flash of green light that took everything from him, A jet of green light and a fall into darkness. He finally drifted to sleep, fitfully turning about as he dreamed of the past, and thought of the future.

He woke early the next morning and got dressed quickly. He piled stuff in his trunk, not planning to ever return to this house, and then apparated to the Burrow to see the friends whom he hadn't seen since the end of school.

Author's Note: This chapter does seem a little short, but the books always do begin a little slow. It should get much better. This was just for recapping and beginning. I'm happy to be writing something again, and my editor should be happy too.