CHAPTER 1: The last ride on the Hogwarts Express

A/N: My first fan fiction! It starts where book six ends. I think Dumbledore's death has a lot of implications that haven't been mentioned yet, and in a few chapters I'll get to what I think those are (they've been driving me crazy since I read the end of book six).

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After Dumbledore's funeral, the students slowly walked toward the thestral-drawn carriages, to be escorted back to Hogsmeade to catch the Hogwarts Express back home.

Harry, surrounded by a crowd, yet feeling so alone, took one last look back Dumbledore's gleaming tomb. Against his will, a small smile began to spread as he watched Peeves swooping over the tomb, singing a tribute (quite off-tune) and throwing various objects clearly stolen from Professor Sprout's greenhouses at the tomb. A few puffapod seeds bounced off, amid the watering cans and fluffy pink earmuffs, and large flowers popped up and began to bloom around it.

Smiling, he turned again to look for Ron and Hermione. As much as he wanted them by his side during his search for the horcruxes, he still felt selfish putting them in danger- perhaps more danger than any other people in the world- by allowing them to accompany him on his journey.

Though there were a few people walking between them, and Harry could tell tears were still streaming down Hermione's face. As he watched, he saw Ron's hand tentatively slip into Hermione's and squeeze. Harry smiled as Hermione's hand squeezed back, yet he still felt a lurch in his stomach.

He wished so much he could bring Ginny along. But he wouldn't be selfish with her. He knew she'd be brilliant in a battle, and even would be helpful in determining what Voldemort was thinking- but Harry was walking right into Voldemort's path, and, regardless of whether Harry lived or died, Ginny must live- because Harry didn't know if he could continue fighting with her gone, too.

Ron and Hermione had just reached a carriage. Harry smiled slightly as he saw them both, automatically, look at where they knew the thestrals should be, although they still couldn't see them. Harry hoped they'd never been able to see them.

Crookshanks, who had been leading them, bottlebrush tail high, hopped first into the carriage. Harry began to jog in order to slip into the same carriage.

Once on board the Hogwart's Express, they began the usual shuffle to find an empty compartment. As terrified parents had already taken so many students home, they found one fairly quickly.

"Harry," began Hermione, "I…I think we should work out a game plan. Maybe some safe places to apparate to, in case we run into trouble."

Ron hesitantly laughed. "You think we'll run into trouble with the Dursleys, huh?"

Hermione glared at him. "How can you joke at a time like this?"

Ron smiled. "So, you don't mind accompanying two wizards with out licenses, do yeah?"

"You two can take the test right after the wedding!" Hermione huffed, "I don't want you be thrown into a stupid Ministry trial again."

Once again, against his will, Harry smiled. Maybe not so much has changed, after all. "You're right, Hermione. I was thinking the same. And, for safe places, I don't think we should appear at Number 12, Grimmauld Place every time, because if we are fighting Snape, he could follow us." He felt the anger that had been slowly dissipating surge up again at the mention of Snape.

Ron and Hermione exchanged a quick glance. Harry, upon noticing it, glared at them. "What was that look for?"

"Well, it's just that," stumbled Hermione, "no matter what, we can't let Snape get in the way of your, well, our mission. No matter how much we hate him, we're the only people who know about the horcruxes. Let someone else take care of him. And speaking of such, why didn't you tell Professor McGonagall about the horcruxes? She's in the order, she's the new Headmistress, she could help…" she finished lamely, before trembling, "She knows so much more than us!"

Harry shook his head stubbornly. "Dumbledore said I could tell you two. But no one else."

Ron shook his head slightly, but knew Harry too well to argue with him. "Well, I reckon that Dumbledore fancied you as his replacement." He added, confidence building in his voice, "Figures you can handle it, like the Philosopher's Stone."

"And the Chamber of Secrets," Hermione chimed in.

Harry, who at one time would have blushed, just sat thoughtfully. "You know, you might be right. When we were coming back from the cave, he said he wasn't worried, because he was with me."

He saw a smile creep up on Ron and Hermione's faces and decided it was time to lighten the subject. "Er…you know, just because we are going to be missing our last year of school doesn't mean you two can give up your prefect jobs, does it?"

Hermione jumped up. "Oh my goodness! I completely forgot!" She grabbed Ron's arm and dragged him out the door to the front of the train. Harry laughed and went in search of Hedwig and Pig, who had been brought up to the train before the funeral.

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As Harry walked back to the compartment, two cages in hand, he wondered if his stomach (and the emotions it seemed to contain) would ever be normal. Hedwig and Pig and been neatly perched on either side of Arnold, Ginny's purple pygmy puff. He wondered where she was. He thought about slipping on his invisibility cloak and looking for her, but shook that idea off, ashamed. He would never resort to spying on his girlfriend (As he so secretly still thought of her).

After sitting back down, he pulled out his copy of Advanced Potion Making. He'd taken it from the Room of Requirement earlier that morning, right after he'd destroyed (in a muggle fashion which make him resemble Dudley much more than he'd ever want to admit) the vanishing cabinet that was also hidden in the room.

He didn't quite feel the same sense of graditude toward the book, which, after all, belonged to Snape, yet he had a burning desire (once again located in his stomach) to defeat Snape. Defeat Snape using his own spells. Staring down at the spell he'd used once to suspend Ron by his ankle in the air, he remembered looking into the pensive and seeing his father use it against Snape. It had, the first time he'd seen the memory, caused him to question his father. But now he relived it with relish, his father using Snape's spells against him.

Harry thought for a moment. Was it actually a spell Snape invented? If so, how did his dad learn it? It was, after all, a non-verbal spell. Maybe it was just a spell Snape liked, and written in the book, he mused, which satisfied him even more, taking credit away from Snape.

He closed his eyes, imagining his father, along with Sirius and Lupin (he always managed to leave out Pettigrew in is dreams) defeating Snape. He slowly drifted to sleep.

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When they reached Platform 9 ¾, Harry looked around. He was always pleasantly surprised that Uncle Vernon would actually arrive to pick him up.

Mr. Weasley was standing next to him, and issuing a stream of questions. Uncle Vernon, who's memory was at least good enough to remember the threats issued upon him last year if he mistreated Harry, appeared to be doing his best to squirm away without Mr. Weasley noticing.

Once again, Harry grinned. No matter how much the world around him was changing, at least there was stability in Uncle Vernon, he thought. Vernon stared at him. "What are you grinning at? I'm the one who should be grinning. After this trip, I'll never have to see you again." He rubbed his hands together, rather gleefully, before grabbing one end of Harry's truck and beginning to haul it off.

Harry, who's hand was still attached to the other end of the trunk, was dragged along, and stuttered, "Er…Uncle Vernon? Ron and Hermione are going to come, too…"

Uncle Vernon stopped in his tracks. Harry tripped over the trunk, and Hedwig hooted angrily as her cage slammed into it. Uncle Vernon's eyes narrowed. "I am NOT having any more of YOUR KIND in my home!" he roared. "And shut up that damned owl!"

Hedwig hooted indignantly, and Hermione hastily took her from Harry. She stepped up next to Harry, and trembled slightly as she looked into Uncle Vernon's purple face, but she held her ground. Harry felt Ron step up on his other side. Behind him, he could sense Mr. Weasley and other members of the Order surrounding them.

Uncle Vernon, looking around, realized people were staring at him. As the people staring were dressed perfectly normally, and were not carrying trunks, owls, or toads, he knew that were not wizards and that they thought he was making a scene. He swallowed, as he hated making a scene, and pulled Harry off the trunk. "Very well, boy, but this better be a short trip." He glanced sideways at Pig, who was, as usual, zooming around in his cage.

Ron grinned sheepishly and passed Pig's cage to Mr. Weasley.