Chapter One – Farewell, Privet Drive

Harry Potter sat on his bed at Number Four, Privet Drive, unable to believe he was finally escaping forever. He had packed away all his possessions, including the few pieces of muggle clothing he had worn in his miserable childhood. He would usually have tossed them carelessly into a trunk but this task was too momentous to be hurried. He almost fastidiously folded each item and, as he laid them in his trunk, let his memories come flooding back.

There was the shirt Aunt Petunia had died grey in preparation for sending him to the local comprehensive school, before they had known he was going to Hogwarts, Harry said a silent thank you to Hagrid who had rescued him from that fate. Harry also had fished out his schoolbooks from his primary school days, all of them covered in nasty graffiti by Dudley for which he, Harry, had got into trouble. Surveying his childhood memorabilia he could not shake the mixed feelings of anger, sadness and tremendous loss he always experienced when asked to talk about or even contemplate the years of misery spent with the Dursleys.

He thought about Ron's room at The Burrow and the array of possessions strewn everywhere and scattered throughout the house and compared them to the few items Harry had left and the few he ever owned as a child. Ron's family was by no means wealthy but, despite having second hand ownership of most items, Ron had been far more privileged as a child than Harry. He had a happy childhood, free of abuse and neglect, full of love and laughter. Harry remembered feeling jealous of Ron on the first day of Hogwarts and of his loving mother and large family. The stark contrast between their two lives was perhaps what made them friends and Harry did not in any way begrudge Ron his happy childhood just as his best friend did not begrudge him his acquired wealth.

Wand in pocket, Harry decided to go downstairs to say goodbye to his surrogate family for the last time. He had no affection for any of them but losing Dumbledore and fear of what was to come had left Harry too tired to continue hating the Dursleys: he regarded them as too pathetic to be deserving of his hatred, Aunt Petunia was in the kitchen, as was Uncle Vernon but neither of them looked up when Harry entered,

"I'd like to say goodbye." Harry began. "This is going to be the last time we see each other and I have a few things I would like to say." Uncle Vernon looked up from his golfing magazine, cruel humour spreading across his blubbery face,

"What makes you think we want to hear it, boy?" Harry withdrew his wand and with a non-verbal summoning charm drew Dudley into the room. Flicking his wand again he locked he kitchen door behind him and, simultaneously, snapped Vernon's magazine shut. Aunt Petunia gasped.

"WHAT ARE YOU…" She shrieked. Harry pointed his wand at her.

"You'll be in trouble…" Dudley sneered. Harry snorted

"The Wizarding World is at war – they wouldn't notice if I hexed you all to Outer Mongolia. Luckily for you I only have half an hour but I intend to make the most of it."

Petunia sank into a chair next to Vernon whilst Dudley made for the fridge.

'Dudley I'm sure you can go half an hour without eating…" Harry waved his wand just as he had seen Dumbledore do exactly a year ago and a kitchen chair slid across the room, knocking Dudley into its seat.

"I've lived here for sixteen years and I'm sorry to say I have no fond memories." Harry gazed at the Dursleys. "I'm happy to be leaving you all just as I'm sure you'll be thrilled to be shot of me. As much misery as you caused me, however, I must express some gratitude to Petunia." Dudley stared around at his mother. "You didn't have to take me in, Petunia, but you did and, in doing so, saved my life. You may not have known this at the time but this does put you at great risk." Judging my the aghast face of Uncle Vernon and the livid face of his aunt, Harry supposed Aunt Petunia had known this and that she had concealed it from her husband.

"As you know, a force of dark wizards is attempting to hunt me down and gain control of the Wizarding World. Their leader will be curious about the wards Dumb… my headmaster placed on me and will most likely try to torture you for information." Harry felt some guilt at the newfound terror in his only relatives' eyes. "I am going to ensure that you have the best protection we can offer you… by we I mean the Order… the combat league who are fighting Voldemort." He did not feel the need to explain away the Dursleys' confusion. "I'm also going to put additional security charms on the house… I know you hate magic but you will need it for your protection if you are to survive the coming war."

"Why are you doing this for us?" Whispered Dudley. "We hate you." Harry vaguely registered a surge of irritation rising in the pit of his stomach,

"I know and I'm not pretending to be fond of you either but I like to think I have honour and I also don't need you spilling secrets that would lead to my death." Dudley's piggy eyes seemed to fill with glee.

"Trust me, Dudley, you don't want to try and get me killed… Those people won't spare you and it will lead to massacre beyond your understanding. As I was saying, when I leave today I shan't return but protection will be in place. Now, I must ask you, Petunia to make this the time when you tell me what I need to know." Harry stared hard at his aunt who sat, as if in a daze for several moments. Then she got up and walked towards the door which Harry unlocked for her. He and the rest of the family followed her to what used to be his bedroom, the cupboard under the stairs. She opened the door and rummaged around inside. She withdrew holding a battered shoe box which she thrust into Harry's hands.

"Here." She spluttered. "It's all here."

"Are you sure?" Harry asked forcefully.

"Yes, except for the letter he wrote me the day Dudley got attacked because that one…"

"Burst into flames." Harry finished, He wanted to go through the contents of the box but, looking at the clock, knew that he had very little time. "Thank you."

He felt somehow awkward. He didn't want to hug the Dursleys, he didn't think he'd ever hugged them, but what was he supposed to do when saying goodbye to the only family he had left? He shook Vernon's pudgy hand and Dudley's, both of whom looked like they wanted to snatch their hands away. He gave Petunia a hasty kiss on the cheek and brought out two battered photographs from his back pocket.

"I didn't know if you'd want these…" He muttered. She took them gingerly. One was a photograph which must have been taken by Lily during the school holidays. It was a magical photo in which the people were moving and it showed the Evans family, Lily and her parents smiling and Petunia looking afraid and scowling. The other was of Lily, James and baby Harry." Petunia bit her lip and nodded before tucking them in her apron pocket. Harry summoned his broom, trunk and Hedwig's empty cage from his room before opening the front door and walking out of number four, Privet Drive for the last time.

He glanced at his watch and, as though they were reading his mind, Ron, Hermione and Arthur Weasley appeared with three loud "pop"s on Aunt Petunia's front lawn.