Harry Potter and the Unknowable Objects
Chapter One – The Necessary Evil
Harry Potter had a job to do. This year, and how ever long it took, he had to hunt down Voldemort's horcruxes. His best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger had decided to accompany him on his quest. He was grateful. He had a niggling concern though. With Professor Albus Dumbledore dead, by the and of the treacherous Severus Snape, he had no idea who would be capable of leading the fight against the Death Eaters. Or at least, who would lead the Order of the Phoenix.
But at that particular moment, Harry had to push his worries about the order to the back of his mind. They had reached Number 4. The street sign read Privet Drive. This house was the one he had grown up in. Ron and Hermione were at his side as he walked to the door. They put their wands forward, and the door opened silently. The three sorcerers entered the Dursley household wordlessly.
Harry's Uncle Vernon saw three cloaked figures walk quietly into his home and rose angrily, clearly intending to throw the lot of them back out the door. However, when Harry lowered his hood and glanced at him, his uncle sat back down. Harry did not look easy to intimidate. Especially not when he had an honour guard.
"Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, Dudley," Harry said, looking around the living room, "Hermione, Ron and I will stay in this building for the next 24 hours. After then, we shall leave and you will never see me or them again. I must warn you however, that once I take up residence in my new home, this building will cease to be protected from Voldemort. Good day"
The figure of Ron had shivered slightly at the word Voldemort, but Harry did not mention it. The three friends proceeded up the stairs to Harry's room and locked the door behind them.
"Well," said Ron, removing his cloak, "that went better than expected."
"Yes," replied Hermione, who had banished her cloak into the cupboard, "at least he just sat there and listened to Harry, instead of trying to smash his face in for once."
Harry laughed, "Did you see his face light up when I told him we'd be gone in 24 hours? Priceless!"
The other two grinned. Hermione conjured a double bed and she and Ron sat down on it. Harry noticed the room expand to accommodate it and marveled at Hermione's magic. But at the same time, the bed itself reminded him how surprised he had been been surprised at how easy going they had become about their relationship once they had left Hogwarts.
"Now, just to be sure, you do only intend to sleep in that, right?" he asked, mock-seriously.
"Of course!" Hermione snapped, apparently offended that Harry's attack on her honour, "If we got up to anything else, your 'uncle' would kill, first us, then you. And that simply cannot happen."
"Calm down sweetheart," Ron said, soothingly, "he was just having a little joke with us. No big deal."
Harry and Ron laughed as Hermione's face went from shocked and outraged, through calm and finally to amused. She sniffed disapprovingly, causing the boys to laugh even harder.
The next morning Harry awoke first. He changed back into his day clothes and got his cloak out from the cupboard. Ron and Hermione had just transfigured their clothes into nightwear, something he would be able to do himself as of the next day.
"Alright you two, time to get up. We're leaving in half an hour," Harry said to the sleeping forms, entwined on the double bed.
They sprang up their wands in their hands and scanned the room. Satisfied, they transfigured their clothes back into day wear and put on their cloaks. Harry would have laughed at their instant protectiveness, but it was just a facet of them being his guard. He grabbed his cloak and exited the room.
Harry heard his friends put up the hoods of their cloaks as they left the room. He was not wearing his yet, he had no problem with the Dursleys seeing him.
He entered the kitchen, leaving his friends waiting in the living room, and noticed all 3 Dursleys freeze, waiting for him to talk.
"I have removed all my possessions from my room and we will be leaving in 25 minutes," he said calmly, looking round at them, "I thank you for allowing us an easy stay and wish you luck with staying alive in the coming war." Before another word could be said, he swept from the room, put on his cloak and put up his hood. He stood with his friends and waited to leave.
He noticed the Dursleys craning their necks ever more as their time of leaving drew nearer. Harry sighed, he knew they would have some kind of celebration planned, perhaps they'd even invited Marge and/or the neighbors. It didn't matter either way. He hated them, the whole three of them and he was glad to be shot of them. They'd never shown him any love, never even pretended they liked him. But now it was over. He smiled despite himself.
Harry noticed that Ron was keeping an eye on the whole room, the doors and the windows. There were questions on whether the magic Dumbledore had called upon to protect Number 4 Privet Drive from attack would still be in operation now that he, Dumbledore, had passed away. Ron and Hermione did not want to have a fight in this building. They knew there was a chance they'd have to destroy it in the process.
Hermione was glancing at Harry, apparently afraid he would try and make trouble with the Dursleys. She needn't have worried. Had Harry approached them, they'd have retreated into the back garden and locked the door. Not that Harry had any desire to approach them anyway. As far as he was concerned, they no longer existed. Hermione's eyes darted to the clock. She let out an almighty sigh of relief.
"It's time," she said, "let's go."
