Harry sat down on his trunk with a sigh. He had finished packing all of his belongings, being careful to conceal the oversized clothes that he got from Dudley from the other boys in his dorm. Soon, they would all board the Hogwarts Express.
His first year at Hogwarts had some horrible moments- most notably his terrifying encounter with Voldemort- and he certainly wouldn't miss Snape or Malfoy. But unlike his friends and all the other students he had overheard talking excitedly, he was not looking forward to returning to his family.
He would miss playing Quidditch and spending time with his friends.
He would also miss being allowed to eat three good meals every day and not being forced to do chores all day. It was possible, he supposed, that the Dursleys would be wary of him now that he had a magic wand and knew how to use it, but he just couldn't imagine them suddenly treating him well. Now that he knew what it was like to have friends without Dudley scaring them away, to get Christmas presents, and to play freely when he wasn't doing homework, he couldn't bear the thought of returning to a life that once seemed normal to him.
Plus, after a decade of being vulnerable to the Dursley's whims, he feared that they would somehow prevent him from returning to Hogwarts. What if they found out he was actually defenceless because he was not allowed to do magic outside of Hogwarts? What if they hurt Hedwig? He really wished he were allowed to stay at Hogwarts over the summer holidays as he had in the winter.
He still had over an hour before he had to leave. Ron was busy searching for all the clothes and books that he had misplaced and Hermione had told them she needed to return several books to the library. So Harry decided to walk around the castle alone. It had become more like his home than the Dursley's house had ever been. Perhaps seeing his favourite places again would make it easier for him to be away from it for several weeks.
After checking nobody was around, he pulled his invisibility cloak out of his trunk and put it on. He really wasn't in the mood to talk to people and especially didn't want to have to answer questions about how he and his friends earned so many points for Gryffindor.
Eventually, Harry realized it was almost time to leave. He began to pace in frustration. It wasn't fair that he had to return to the Dursleys after everything he just went through. He wanted somewhere safe and comfortable to stay where nobody could find him and send him away, where Aunt Petunia could not yell at him, and Dudley could not hit him, and also where he would not be whispered about, stared at or attacked by an evil wizard. He was so focused on these thoughts that it took him a moment to notice a door that he could not remember seeing earlier.
Welcoming the excuse to delay leaving, he pushed open the door and stepped into a large and unfamiliar room. His mouth fell open. For a moment, he worried that he had wandered into a professor's private room but surely they would have ways to keep students out. The room contained a four-poster bed, bathtub, toilet, sink, bookshelf, table, wooden chair, armchair, kitchen, and fireplace.
Feeling curious, he closed the door behind him and began looking around. The red and gold bed covers and curtains reminded him of Gryffindor. The bathtub was larger than any he had ever seen. The stove in the kitchen turned on easily but the fridge and pantry were empty. He walked to the bookshelf and began reading the book titles. Harry never shared Hermione's love for reading but these books seemed interesting. He opened a couple and realized that they were appropriate to his age and limited knowledge of magic. There was even a shelf for fiction.
Suddenly, it occurred to him that he had been exploring this room for a long time. Poor Ron would be waiting for him and the Hogwarts Express was probably about to leave. He ran out of the room, not stopping until he burst into his dormitory.
The other boys and their belongings were gone. He spotted a scrap of parchment on his trunk with barely legible writing:
"Percy made everyone leave. See you on the train. Ron."
Harry had forgotten the prefects would inspect the dorms and then escort the first years to the train. If he didn't hurry, he would miss it. But, although he knew he needed to find someone immediately and ask for directions to the train, he did not move.
An odd idea occurred to him. Nobody seemed to be using the room he had just found. He had not found clothes, a toothbrush or anything personal. In fact, maybe, just maybe, nobody else knew about the room. If that was true, he could hide there and never be discovered. His invisibility cloak would help him sneak in and out to get food. The Dursleys would probably be relieved not to find him on the platform so he doubted they would report him as missing. Hopefully, Ron and Hermione would assume he was on the train and think it was just bad luck when they didn't find him.
The more he thought about, the less foolish it seemed. So Harry tucked his trunk under his invisibility cloak with him and retraced his steps.
He stopped in horror when he found the door had disappeared again. It was easy to get lost in Hogwarts and he considered the possibility that he was in the wrong place. But no, he was certain. He tried to remember what he was doing when he first saw the door. Perhaps he should wish very hard. He squeezed his eyes closed and thought as hard as he could about how much he wanted everything that room could do for him. Nervously, he opened his eyes. There was still no door.
He began to panic. The idea of not seeing the Dursleys, at least not today, had become so appealing that he didn't want to think about running to catch the train. Perhaps he could hide somewhere else but he could not think of anywhere else where he was not likely to be found. Unconsciously, he began to pace and finally remembered that he had been doing that when he discovered the room. He almost shouted in joy and relief when the door materialized.
For the first time in his life, he might enjoy his summer holiday.
Author's Note: To confirm, in this story Harry found the Room of Requirements at the end of his first year. I made some minor edits to this chapter after the first posting.