The story starts the day before Harry's seventeenth birthday and it's about his seventh year at Hogwarts.

Chapter 1: 'So long Privet Drive'
This was the hottest day of summer so far, and stars where just beginning to show in the crimson sky. Shrieks of laughter and joy could be heard outside of number four, Privet Drive, but Harry Potter lay on his bed, on his own, sleeping comfortably for the first time in five days.

It had been a hard summer for him, since he kept reliving his last weeks at Hogwarts every time he slept. He woke up every night, sweating and with red eyes from the lack of rest. Every time he dreamed he saw his headmaster die again and watched Snape's pale and hateful face as he killed him.

But just for today his sleep seemed to be peaceful and untroubled. Perhaps it was because he hadn't slept in such a long time and now his sleep was too deep for him to dream, or maybe because he hadn't really fallen asleep, but fainted on top of his bed, but either way, it was very satisfying.

The sleep was very satisfying, but not for long. His uncle Vernon rapped on the door and shouted at Harry through the door.

"Come down boy! Dinner is ready!"

Harry woke with a start. His uncle pounded on the door again shouting harder this time and adding some threats to his words.

"I'm up!" Harry answered angrily, cursing his uncle for waking him up.

He heard his uncle hurrying down the stairs and enter the kitchen talking loudly to aunt Petunia about his manners.

He got up, walked to where his wardrobe was, and stared at the mirror on one of the doors. A skinny sixteen year old boy looked back at him, his jet black hair and his bright green eyes both showing that he had just woken up. His forehead showed a scar shaped like a lighting bolt etched upon his skin. He could see Hedwig in the mirror's reflection, looking just as annoyed at Harry's uncle as he was for his sudden decision of waking them up.

Harry decided to go downstairs and eat dinner because he hadn't eaten anything since morning.

He run down the stairs taking to steps at a time and entered the kitchen, where he found everyone eating (except for Dudley who had already finished). He sat as far as he could manage from the rest of the family and shoved in a piece of meat pie, and a couple of chicken legs, and then left without saying a word to them.

He darted back up the stairs again and locked his bedroom door behind him as he entered it.

"We'll be leaving tomorrow Hedwig!" Harry said happily for the first time in weeks. "And we will never have to come back!"

This was Harry's plan. Tomorrow he would be seventeen, and in the wizarding world that meant that you were "of age", so he would be able to perform magic anywhere and as many times as he wanted.

He looked around and realized that half his belongings where on the floor. His Firebolt was propped against the wall on a corner of his room, while his invisibility cloak lay invisible crumpled on the opposite corner of the room; luckily Harry knew it was there. He toddled around his room picking up dirty clothes and underwear, open textbooks and empty ink bottles, for what seemed half an hour to Harry, until every thing he owned was packed inside his trunk.

He slumped on his bed and stared at the ceiling, ready for another sleepless night.

This is the second story I've ever written so it may not be very well written, there's also the fact that english is my second language, but I hope you liked it.Please read and review!