You Gave Me Hope...

Chapter 1

Number 4 privet drive, little whinging, surrey, was an ordinary house, on an ordinary street. Within the house lived an ordinary family of 3 who went about their business like all others, the dursleys however had another occupant living within their house, Harry Potter.

Harry Potter was a now 16 year old boy who, unbeknownst to others, was also a wizard, yes, wizard as in magic. At the age of only one harry had been marked and forever known as The-boy-who-lived, by another wizard, a dark wizard, by the name of Voldemort. With Voldemort's attack, harry had lost both his parents and was now under the care, if you could call being raised as a slave as care, of his mother's sister and her husband. From as far as harry could remember he was treated as a house worker, cooking breakfast, cleaning up after his relatives and being an overall slave.

On Harry's eleventh birthday, harry received a letter from Hogwarts school of witch craft and wizardry. July 31st 2001, was the day that harry would remember forever, as that was the day he was able to leave the dursleys.

Hogwarts was a school like any other, besides the fact that the students learned magic instead of Chemistry and English. In Harry's first year he had met Ron Weasley and Hermione granger, who had become his best friends. They took down a troll and rescued the philosopher's stone from Voldemort's grasp together and from first year have been inseparable.

During the second year of harry, Ron and Hermione's education, they had managed to take down a basilisk along with saving Ginny, Ron's younger sister, from death.

Third year brought the trio to a new challenge, not anything to do with magical creatures but the challenge of rescuing Harry's new found godfather Sirius black who was never given a trial and sent to Azkaban prison for a crime in which he did not commit, yet with the help of Remus Lupin he was found innocent when Peter Pettigrew was sent to the ministry and confessed to the crimes.

Fourth year saw harry competing in the triwizard tournament as a champion of Hogwarts along with Cedric Diggory , fleur Delacour champion of Beauxbatons and Viktor Krum champion of Durmstrang. He witnessed the death of Cedric and the return of Voldemort, where they had taken his blood and Bellatrix LeStrange had cut off her hand to perform the dark ritual in which Voldemort received a body of his own.

Fifth year was the worst for harry as that was the year he had lost his godfather to the killing curse in the department of mysteries in the ministry of magic. Without Sirius Harry had become a legal adult in the wizarding world. With the loss of his godfather, Harry also became aware of a prophecy connecting him to Voldemort, even though he had heard the whole prophecy and had repeated it over and over in his head, the only thing he was able to understand was '...neither shall live while the other survives.'

Sixth year was just as bad as it left Harry without the instructions of his mentor Dumbledore, as he too was killed this time by Severus Snape, the potions master of Hogwarts. Sixth year also left Harry with the knowledge of Voldemort's horcrux's, which 2 of them had already been destroyed, the diary from second year and the ring that Dumbledore had manged to retrieve and destroy before his untimely death.

Harry was now sitting on his bed in number 4 privet drive, which he had fixed with magic and was staring out into the open with a blank look upon his face. It had been 3 weeks since the funeral of Dumbledore in which not only did he say his final goodbye to the old wizard but was broken up with from his now ex-girlfriend and first love Ginny Weasley. With everything that Harry had been through he knew that there was still more to come, he needed to hunt down the horcrux's that Voldemort had created along with making sure that those around him would be safe when the time came and he were to face Voldemort. His future held no hope as he knew that he would possibly be the one to die so deciding to make sure that he was alone in the end as to not hurt anyone if he left, harry would keep people at arm's length. According to harry potter, life could not get any worse.

In Harry's current state of nonexistence within his mind, it took him a while before he noticed the pecking sound from the window in which he spotted his owl Hedwig hammering the glass with her beak, looking down at her leg and then at Harry, he noticed the letter tied and quickly ran to the window to let her in.

As Harry untied the letter from her leg he looked at his owl while giving her a treat and stroking her head with the back of his fingers.

''Sorry girl, I've got a lot on my mind and I didn't hear you'' he said to her. Hedwig hooted and nipped his finger understanding what he said and waited while Harry opened the letter.

Dear Harry

I know it's been a while since I've written but I'm sure you will understand that I have had a hard time accepting that Dumbledore is gone and have been in an isolated mood for the past few weeks.

I want you to read this carefully Harry James Potter; it is NOT your fault. What happened on the tower had nothing to do with you, you obeyed Dumbledore's orders and he made sure that you were not discovered when you returned, he knew what he was doing.

Onto slightly better news, I have been given permission to come and stay with you for the remainder of the summer until your 17th birthday in which we will be going someplace else as the blood wards will drop and become useless. If you wish for me to come please send a reply with Hedwig, I asked her to make sure you reply with an answer so don't even think about not doing so, she has my permission to attack if need be.

You can just send back a yes or no and I will then either use Hedwig for a reply or just send her back after she rests.

Love

Hermione G.

Harry closed the letter and looked up to be met with the wide yellow eyes of Hedwig as she stared him down. Harry knew that if he did not reply then Hedwig would start biting. He quickly grabbed a regular piece of paper instead of parchment and a pen instead of a quill and wrote down his reply.

Dear Hermione

I would love it if you stayed with me until my birthday, but I am not myself right now, I don't know how to explain it but since the events of three weeks ago, I don't feel like doing much, I cannot concentrate on anything and spend most of the day sitting on the edge of my bed thinking, I would not like for you to waste your summer so if you feel like not coming I understand.

Love

Harry J.P

Harry tied the letter to Hedwig's outstretched leg and watched her fly towards Hermione's house. Returning to his spot on the edge of his bed Harry took out his wand and transformed his room so that it now resembled that of a fancy motel room. The room now had 2 double beds with a divider in between, a small kitchen that consisted of a fridge, small sink, microwave and a few cupboards. To the end of the room was a desk along with a door to the bathroom and to add to the furniture there stood two closets for their clothing.

Harry would not mind if Hermione decided to change her mind but if she did decide to still come at least he would be prepared, if not, he could easily change it back. He returned from looking around the newly formed room and lay down on his bed, looking at the ceiling he let out a deep breath and closed his eyes, getting lost once again within his mind and thoughts.

Harry had drifted in to the land of sleep and was awoken by the pecks on his forehead from Hedwig, who had returned from Hermione which meant that she had a reply. Harry fixed his glasses so that he was able to see and sat up, filling Hedwig's water and food in her cage he then proceeded to take the letter from her leg. Taking the letter harry walked towards the desk and turned on the light, looking at the clock he saw that it was now 22:45, he sat down and placed the letter in front of him staring as if waiting for it to do something.

In a way, harry wanted Hermione to stay with him as he felt that they would both be able to start the healing process with the help of each other, yet a more stronger argument within his head was telling him that he must not let her get close to him, as her life would be in danger. He slowly opened the letter and began to read the letter,

Dear harry,

Any time that I get to spend with you is not a waste, and no matter what, I will always be by your side, you should know that by now after all we have been through.

It may seem weird but I believe that we will be able to help each other during my stay, we don't have to talk all the time or constantly do stuff as I consider that being in each other's presence will allow us to begin the healing process of loosing Dumbledore and we may even be able to finally let go of everything.

See you tomorrow at 4pm, I'll apparate to your back yard as I know how your relatives hate having our kind arriving at the front door, you have told them I'm staying right? If not then you better do it because I swear harry, I will not be an uninvited guest in your relatives house, I may not like them but I will respect the unwritten code of etiquette.

Love,

Hermione G.

With the end of the letter, harry made himself a mental note to inform his relatives of the expectant visitor and with that he switched of the light gave Hedwig a final stroke on the head, took of his glasses and collapsed into bed with the final thought of how he was going to spring the news of hermiones arrival to his aunt and uncle the next morning.