To shatter a soul By Erin
Disclaimer: - Sadly I don't own the world of Harry Potter, and I never will. JK Rowling owns the wonderful world of Harry Potter, and therefore everything in this story except the plot. Nothing I have written is meant to cause offense, and note that there will be spoilers in this fiction from books 1-6. I love reviews, and I can take constructive criticism into consideration. Hope you enjoy.
Chapter One – Invading Privet Drive
Harry stepped out of the fireplace and into the Leaky Cauldron. It was deserted, except for the barman Tom who looked at him hopefully. The pub was once a thriving business full of hustle, but now the abandoned pub permeated sadness and neglect. Harry sighed slightly feeling sorry for the man. It seemed that the war with Voldermort was taking its toll upon everyone; he wondered briefly how the twins custom was fearing. He hoped that they were at least doing better than this. His heart clenched slightly, it seemed that no one felt safe enough to do anything normal, like just casually stopping for a drink after work, or shopping. Out of the corner of his eye Harry noticed the fire flashing green, just as he heard his voice calling out to the barman.
"I'll have three Butterbeers, please."
"Right you are Mr. Potter!" Tom's voice practically sang with happiness. Harry knew that the slight inconvenience was worth it, Hermione could nag all she wanted, he wouldn't be cowered by Voldermort. He knew instinctively that it was something Dumbledore would have done, which comforted him slightly.
"Harry." Hermione said reproachfully, "We shouldn't stay here. It isn't safe." Harry smiled at her and cocked his head slightly in the direction of the barman. Tom had begun to whistle softly.
"But look at him Hermione, that's probably the first time he's smiled in awhile, and we won't be here more than ten minutes. What's the point in fighting this war if there's nothing left to fight for." He asked softly, as they turned and watched Ron stumble out of the fireplace. The redhead paused and grinned at them.
"Mate! You read my mind." He strode over to the pair smiling as Tom sat the three Butterbeers down on the counter. Harry paid him and motioned for his friends to sit down at a table close by.
"Harry, I really don't think we ought to be sitting here in the open. I understand your point, and in a way you're right but... but did you even consider the fact that these drinks could be poisoned?" She asked quietly, pausing only in the middle to stop Ron from taking a swig of his drink. He muttered something unsavory under his breath.
"Yes actually, I did. You weren't there Hermione but it's a memory I'll never forget. I still dream about it." Harry said sharply, and Hermione looked slightly embarrassed but a determined glint shone in her eyes.
"In fact it scared me so badly that the next time I was in the library I did some research of my own." He pulled out his want and waved it around the bottles in a circular motion before tapping each one and murmuring, "Aperio Veneficium." A white light engulfed all three bottles, and then faded.
"You see Hermione. Perfectly harmless."
"I'm sorry, It's just..." Hermione began but Ron interrupted her.
"I nicked this from Slughorn's office just after it happened. I figured he owed me." Ron said showing her a bezor. "Now, not that this isn't touching, you both fighting over my welfare because it is, but I reckon we should drink up. We're going to need it. In fact perhaps we should have a Firewhisky, for a bit of Dutch courage and all that."
"I'll give you Dutch courage Ronald Weasley! Don't you dare!" Hermione whispered angrily. "Firewhisky is supposed to be absolutely vile, and not only that but think again if you think the Dursleys will appreciate..." Hermione ranted. Ron shared a conspiratorial smile with Harry, which raised Hermione's ire. "... and what would your mother say? I doubt she would be impressed." She finished staring pointedly at Ron.
"Hermione. He was joking." Harry said trying to keep a straight face. "But Ron's probably right. We should drink up." He said before draining his Butterbeer. Ron followed suit but before they could stand up and walk away Tom emerged at their side.
"Do you require a room for the night Mr. Potter?" He asked hopefully. Harry felt embarrassed. He was acutely aware that it was only ten o'clock in the morning, and that Tom seemed to be swallowing his pride and almost begging for their custom.
"I'm sorry Tom, not today no. Perhaps another time soon though." He said softly, pity clawed at his stomach as the old mans face became worn with barely concealed despair.
"Yes. We'll probably need a few rooms when these two take their apparition test later in the summer. Although, would it be possible for you to sell us a crate of Butterbeer to take with us now Tom?" Hermione asked, Harry realized that she too, probably saw that the business appeared to be in financial trouble.
"Yeah, and how about some food to take with us?" Ron chimed in. Harry's heart swelled slightly with pride washing away the pity. His friends had come to the old mans aid, without directly giving him charity which was something Harry sensed Tom wouldn't allow. No matter how much money the pub was loosing.
"Bless you." Tom spoke quietly. "It would be my pleasure."
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As they stepped onto the corner of Privet Drive Hermione stopped with a queer look on her face.
"Harry, you did tell them that we were coming didn't you?" She asked quietly as though something has just dawned on her.
"Did you want them to sell up and immigrate to New Zealand Hermione?" Harry asked smirking slightly as Ron laughed. Hermione looked at him disapprovingly.
"You can't do this Harry. How will you ever reconcile if you don't stop bating one another?" She asked indignantly.
"Hermione give it up already, it's never going to happen," Ron said softly as he watched Harry grimace.
"Oh. Harry.." She started but Harry waved her away.
"It's fine Hermione. Let's go." He squared his shoulders and began to walk down the street. They walked in silence until they reached the front of number four.
"Merlin, I can't wait to see their faces!" Ron muttered excitedly, "Bet they wet themselves." His exuberance made Harry chuckle slightly as Hermione scowled at them. Something told Harry that she hadn't quite given up on seeing the two families reconcile their differences. Harry repressed a snort knowing she was flogging a dead horse, instead he watched her ring the doorbell. Ron he notice, was practically bouncing on the balls of his feet.
Vernon Dursley finally opened the door but before Harry could say anything the door was slammed shut.
"How rude!" Hermione hissed. Harry could now hear frantic whispers creeping out from behind the plastic door. Harry turned and observed the neighborhood. Some of the more nosier neighbors were curiously peering at them from behind their white frilly netted curtains. He sighed in annoyance.
"Something tells me that they're pleased to see you Harry." Ron said flatly. All the merriment was stripped from his voice, and he stared the door in distaste.
"Your neighbors are staring at us." Hermione said quietly observing them and Harry repressed the urge to snap at her for stating the obvious.
"Didn't I tell you that I'm supposedly the neighborhood delinquent?" He asked trying not to rub his eyes, this whole scene was starting to drain him of his energy.
"I though you were exaggerating." Hermione said apologetically.
"Not quite. These lot all think I attend St. Brutus's school for incurably criminal boys, or something along those lines." Harry thought he heard a snort, but when he looked at his friends they were looking at him with a mixture of pity and anger.
"It's their loss Harry. Your the best thing that ever happened to this family." Ron said angrily. Hermione tried to place a comforting hand on his shoulder but he shrugged her off.
"According to the Dursleys I'm the worst thing that ever happened to them. I'm almost as bad as the devil himself." He said somewhat bitterly.
"Since when have you cared what they thought Harry? You never have, so stop this self pitying crap! You know my family have practically adopted you, so sod them! And I don't know how you stand being ogled like some exotic creature, because it's already doing my head in!" Ron spoke angrily, he looked at the woman who lived opposite number four. She was trying her best to look inconspicuous whilst observing them from behind her curtains. To his surprise Ron suddenly broke into a smile and started waving at her. She blushed at disappeared quickly but her young daughter waved back. Harry began to laugh slightly. Hermione however turned towards the door.
"Mr and Mrs Dursley! I know you can hear me because I just heard you discussing the situation we find ourselves in. I just thought you should know that your neighbors are staring at us. In fact this is causing quite a bit of commotion that needn't be continued." The furious whispering abated, but nothing happened. The three of them stared at the door in silence for more than a minute waiting. Still nothing happened. Harry noticed Hermione's face turning pinker with anger.
"You should also probably be informed that I'm of age in our world, and I can use magic. Now I'd appreciate it if you'd open the door and invite us in like civilized people, before I have to take matters into my own hands." Her hand reached down into her pocket. Harry thought wryly to himself, that the only time he had seen her as angry as she was now, was when she had punched Malfoy in their third year.
"You can't! You still have another year at school." A small voice told them from the other side of the door.
"Perhaps you misheard me, either that or you are being deliberately obtuse. I am of age. I am legally allowed to cast magic outside of school, and I have been since September." Hermione replied coolly, she looked and sounded remarkably like Professor McGonagall at that moment, but Harry had, had enough of niceties.
"Yes, and if you don't open the door Aunt Petunia I'll ask my friends to put on a show the neighbors will never forget! Why don't you hex the hedges to change colour every so often Ron? Or perhaps you should transfigure the car so that it's like your dad's, you know the one that can fly. Or we could always finish the transfiguration Hagrid started, and turn Dudley into a real pig!" Harry said loudly.
The door was flung open violently. Vernon Dursley looked as though he was about to break a vein, his mustache quivered slightly, his piggy eyes were narrowed, and his face was rapidly becoming an unflattering shade of puce. His angry expression paled in comparison to Petunias. She looked near demented with frustration. Her eyes were wide and sparking fiercely. Her whole body trembled slightly, and her fists were clenched so tight, that Harry thought her nails must have been biting into her palms in an effort to control herself.
"Get in. All three of you. If you so much as think about laying a finger on my Son you'll wish you never left school early." She spoke through clenched teeth. "Two weeks. You can stay for two weeks, and then I want your word that you'll never darken my doorstep again."
It was at that point that Harry realized that his aunt really did have something that she fiercely cared about, Dudley. The snivilling bully who was currently backed into the corner of the hallway. His hands were clenched against his backside, as he quivered with fright making his three chins wobble slightly. Harry noticed with a slight shock that the elder boy looked terrified, and was almost in tears. Harry tried to feel ashamed of himself, and failed miserably as he herded his friends up the stairs.
End Ch1.
A/N Having reached writers block with my other post-HBP fic (HP and the Return to Godrics Hollow) because I jumped in too soon with that one, and didn't think about the plot line, this fic might incorporate snippets of that story but this one will be finished whereas RtGH is on permanent hiatus
As always, R/R.