A/N: OK This is my first new story in quite awhile. It has taken me a little while, but I have a general plotline for each of the first few chapters, so I should update pretty quickly but once that runs out, I may slow down again. I am still working on my James/Lily fic but I had to get this out of my system, besides that one needs more work on each chapter. Anyway, let me know what you think, this is the first work I have done in awhile so stay with me on this, and also, this chapter does stay close to the first few chapters of the sixth book, but it was needed because of a few key differences. Anyway read on…
Chapter 1: News
It was 11.29pm on the 30th of July and Harry Potter was asleep in his room at number four, Privet Drive. Tomorrow would be his 16th birthday, but that wasn't on his mind at the moment. What had been on his mind was the death of his godfather, Sirius Black. It had been on his mind every day since the events in the Department of Mysteries. But right now, just before he fell asleep, that hadn't been the most prominent thing on his mind.
On his desk were letters from his friends Ron and Hermione, all with veiled questions as to how he was doing but no answer he could give would stop them from sending them. On the top of the rather untidy stack of parchment was a letter written in thin slanting handwriting which belonged to his headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. The letter had arrived four days previously and read as follows:
Dear Harry,
I would like to escort you to The Burrow for the remainder of your summer holidays. If this is agreeable to you then please return this owl with your reply. If you will take me up on the offer then I shall arrive at number four, Privet Drive on the 30th of this month at 11.30 pm.
There are also other matters I would like to discuss with you, if you accept my offer, at the time when I arrive, if that is convenient. I hope to hear from you soon.
I am, yours most sincerely,
Albus Dumbledore
Harry had replied immediately and had spent the last few days waiting for his reply, or else packing his trunk, or pacing his room. In the end he was unsure if Dumbledore was really coming, which had resulted in his room being an odd assortment of piles of clothes, books, parchment and quills, and a haphazardly half-packed trunk, which had made sleeping the last few nights rather awkward.
At precisely 11.30 a light went out in the street outside, and the darkness woke Harry with a start. Instinctively his hand flew to his wand and he peered out into the gloom before hearing the doorbell ring. His uncle's voice came ringing out from downstairs.
"Who the bloody hell is calling at this time of night?" and Harry did a double take, he had forgotten to warn the Dursley's of Dumbledore's possible arrival. He took the stairs two at a time but as he arrived on the bottom step Uncle Vernon was at the door and he opened it to reveal Albus Dumbledore in all of his wizarding glory, and had been rendered quite mute at the sight.
"Ah Vernon, how nice to see you" Dumbledore said politely, when no reply came he continued. "Shall we assume you have invited me into your lovely home? It is unwise to linger in the streets in such times" and he stepped over the threshold into the house, Vernon closing the door behind him.
"Ah Petunia, I must say you keep your house in good order" he addressed Harry's aunt, when again no reply came he once again spoke "I assume from your silences that Harry had not mentioned my arrival?" he said looking around with mild interest.
Harry took this as his moment to enter the hallway "Er sorry Sir, it must have slipped my mind" he said rather sheepishly "I'll just go finish off!" and with that he bounded back up the stairs. He located everything he had lost rather quickly once all the piles were in his trunk and 10 minutes later he had dragged his trunk down the stairs into the hallway where Dumbledore awaited him.
"Ah Harry, excellent, I take it you are ready to leave?"
"Yes Sir," Harry said enthusiastically and he made for the door but Dumbledore remained.
"Excellent, just before we leave I have something I would like to remind your relatives of" Dumbledore said, his tone was light but there seemed to be a faint chill emanating from him. He turned to face the Dursley's and they drew together slightly. "As you know next year Harry turns 17, which means that he has come of age in the Wizarding world" Harry heard Uncle Vernon mutter 'preposterous' under his breath but Dumbledore carried on as though he had not heard it.
"Now the magic I evoked here 15 years ago will expire on the day he turns 17, or the day he becomes a man. I ask that you allow him to return here one more year to ensure that his protection continues. I asked you to care for him as one of your own, yet you never had. However you have grudgingly allowed him to stay here and for that, you have my gratitude in keeping Harry alive. And now we will take our leave"
And with that Dumbledore strode out of the house, leaving stunned Dursley's behind. Harry uttered a rushed 'Bye' before following his headmaster. "Are we going to The Burrow now sir?" Harry asked, and Dumbledore chuckled.
"Yes Harry, but we do not want to be burdened by these on our trip, we must take a rather irksome detour first, if that is alright with you of course" Dumbledore added. Harry nodded his agreement and Dumbledore waved his wand and Harry's trunk and Hedwig's cage disappeared. "If you will take my arm Harry" and Dumbledore extended his arm out, and Harry grabbed it. "Have you ever apparated before?" Dumbledore asked and Harry shook his head. "Well this will be a new experience for you then" and without warning Dumbledore turned on the spot and Harry felt the ground disappear from underneath him.
He felt like he was being squeezed through a tight rubber tube and just when he thought that all the breath he had would leave him but just as soon as the sensation was there, it vanished. When he opened his eyes again, he realised he had closed them while apparating, he saw that they were near the Burrow, in a field near a rickety shed not too far away. Quietly they made their way inside.
"Now Harry as I mentioned in my letter we have a few small things to discuss, not least the fact that I have not heard how you are coping now that Sirius has…gone on" Dumbledore said kindly, surveying Harry over his half-moon spectacles.
Harry fixed his eyes on the spiders crawling around in a distant corner of the shed. It took him awhile to find his voice. "It's…hard t-to know that he won't write to me again" Harry said in a strained voice and his eyes burned. He blinked back the tears and carried on in a stronger voice. "But Sirius wouldn't have wanted me to beat myself up about it would he? And life is too short for that. It could be me next…and if it is…I want to take as many Death Eaters with me…and Lord Voldemort too if I can manage it"
Dumbledore broke into a wide smile "Spoken like your parent's son and Sirius' godson! And I am glad you have the drive in you, as I knew you would, because this year I want to take a more…active role in your education"
Harry started at this, "What…you mean give me lessons?" he asked excitedly
Dumbledore nodded "Well not just me…other teachers too, it would be an added effort but I believe you can cope. They will of course have to be kept secret; however I think Mr Weasley and Ms Granger deserve to know, as they do about the prophecy. I take it you plan to tell them?"
"Yeah, I was planning to this summer" This wasn't completely true but in a way, accepting that they would know lifted a weight from Harry's shoulders. "So what will I be learning sir?"
"A bit of everything, mainly more advanced spells in the subject area's you have in school along with some more…extra curricular magic" Dumbledore said evasively. Harry looked frustrated but Dumbledore merely chuckled. "Don't worry Harry, at the Welcoming feast I will explain more, now I believe we should make our way to The Burrow, needless to say I'm sure Molly will want to inspect you before sending you to bed."
And with that they set off to the Burrow. When they got there Molly threw open the door and pulled Harry into a bone-crushing hug. "Harry dear it's so good to see you, come in and sit down, you have grown so much since I last saw you, just like Ron, oh and look at how thin you are!" Her speech was cut short by an amused cough from Dumbledore "Oh hello Professor" she said, appearing rather flustered.
"Good evening Molly, I trust you are well?" he said his eyes twinkling in the gloom. "I must ask a favour, when you make your trip to Diagon Alley please contact Remus, he wishes to see Harry very much, and if you could give him this" a scroll of parchment appeared an he handed it to Mrs Weasley "I would be most grateful, it is an extra list of books Harry will need this year, Remus will accompany him to get them"
"Of course Professor, before you leave though may I offer you anything? Tea? Brandy?" Mrs Weasley asked, ever the hostess.
"No I must be off, I have trespassed on your hospitality for too long. Give my regards to Arthur and your son's Fred and George, I'm sure their shop will keep my staff on their toes this year" Mrs Weasley looked proud at this, but blushed all the same. "I shall see you on the first of September Harry, until then, goodbye!" he said and he took two steps into the darkness, turned on the spot and vanished.
"In you come now Harry, sit down, I have made some soup for dinner, if that is alright with you" Mrs Weasley fussed over him as Harry made his way into the kitchen of The Burrow where a delicious aroma was coming from. "Now Hermione is already here, and both her and Ron are asleep so I have put you up in Fred and George's old room"
Harry muttered his appreciation as he slumped into a chair and pulled the bowl of steaming soup towards him as a loaf of bread and knife soared towards him and started slicing itself. After a few minutes there came a knock at the door and Mrs Weasley hurried over to it. After a conversation in whispers, where at one point Mrs Weasley turned an interesting shade of pink, the door opened to reveal Mr Weasley, who entered and looked at Harry in mild surprise.
"Harry, good to see you, I was expecting you to be asleep by now! How are you?" he said, sitting down at the table, pulling his own bowl of soup towards him.
"I'm good thanks Mr Weasley, how are things at the Ministry?" Harry replied.
"Manic as usual, of course now that I lead the Office for the Detection and Confiscation of Counterfeit Defensive Spells and Protective Objects, quite a mouthful I know, my workload has somewhat increased. You wouldn't believe half of the stuff that crops up!"
"Wow, congratulations Mr Weasley!" Harry said at the news of Mr Weasley's promotion
"Thank you Harry" Mr Weasley said with a smile. Harry finished his soup and stifled a yawn behind his hand, and Mrs Weasley, never one to be deceived, pointed at the door.
"Bed. Don't worry about getting up in time for breakfast tomorrow either Harry, I will send a tray up. See you tomorrow dear" Mrs Weasley said kindly and Harry, too tired to argue nodded mutely and climbed the stairs to Fred and George's bedroom, which was cluttered with boxes, he supposed they used it as storage. He clambered into one of the beds and the moment his head hit the pillow, he was asleep.
A/N: Thanks for reading all the way down here. What did you think? Review and tell me!!! See you next chapter!
