Harry had woken up three weeks later with a splitting headache and a head full of cloudy memories of the night of the battle.
Both Hermione and Ginny had screamed with joy when he opened his eyes and groaned as the bright sunshine streamed into his face. Hermione looked like she had had no sleep for the whole three weeks he had been unconscious.
It took a further two weeks for Harry to talk Madame Pomfrey into letting him out of the hospital wing at Hogwarts, where Ron and Hermione had insisted he be taken once they had revived him. He then spent a further two months at the Burrow, growing more and more frustrated with Mrs. Weasley's mothering and fussing over him. He finally cracked when at the end of the two months, when he had been feeling himself for over a week and a half, Molly wouldn't let him go and play Quidditch with Fred, George, Ginny, Ron and Hermione (as Referee!) in the orchard near the Burrow.
"Damn it Woman! (Harry had really lost it by now) Why can't I go play Quidditch with the others? I AM NOT A BABY!" By this time, a very red faced Harry was standing, towering, over an equally red faced and obviously flustered Molly Weasley, who was showing no signs of backing down either.
"You can't go outside yet, you might catch something! You need to rest for a bit longer!" said Mrs. Weasley firmly, trying to herd him back up the stairs and up to bed. "NO! No. I have had enough rest, and I am going to go outside and play Quidditch!" Harry grasped Molly firmly by the shoulders and moved her aside, stepping out the back door and joining his friends in the air.
Not long after, Harry talked Ron, Hermione and Molly into letting him go on a holiday. Eager to get away from Britain entirely, Harry decided to head for the warmer climate of Australia.
Ron and Hermione had wanted to come with him, but Harry refused. This was something that he needed to do on his own, to find himself as a person, not a wizard or The Boy Who Lived or even The Chosen One. He needed to find out who he was so he could live the rest of his life in peace.
After a week of packing, as well as fierce deliberation on methods of transportation, Harry left for Australia. Deciding that muggle transport, though incredibly slow and uncomfortable, was the best way to adjust to the time difference better. With a hug to Hermione, a handshake for Ron and a wave at Molly and the other Weasleys, Harry said one last goodbye and apparated to London to catch his plane.
By the time Harry arrived in Sydney, Australia, he was regretting his choice to travel by muggle means immensely. A delay in Singapore had increased his travel time from eighteen hours to nearly twenty-four. He was tired, hungry and wanted to get out of the damn plane! Thankfully Remus had sent word ahead when he had found out where Harry was planning to go. He told Harry that he would know who he was looking for when he found them. With nothing more than this information, a backpack and a suitcase, Harry emerged from the plane and soon entered the arrivals lounge.
"HARRY! OVER HERE MATE!" A voice from the other side of the vast room shouted. Harry craned his neck to see the owner of the voice. Spotting a hand waving above the crowd, he said a silent prayer and made his way over to the group waiting close to the exit.
What greeted him was a small group of five or six young people around his own age wearing faded shorts and shirts in varying states of disarray and shabbiness. What intrigued Harry the most was the curious footwear that each individual was sporting. The bright rubber slip-on shoes passed between the wearers' first two toes.
Unable to think of anything else once seeing the group's footwear, Harry blurted out, "What are those shoes?" The question was met with a gale of laughter from the group.
Still chuckling, an individual separated himself from the group and held out his hand to Harry. "Hi! The name's Matthew, but call me Matt. No one here ever calls me that, 'cept me Mum, and even then it's only when I'm in trouble." The young man grasped Harry's hand and shook it vigorously, a wide grin gracing his face.
"Pleased to meet you Matt." Responded Harry; now knowing that this was who he was supposed to be meeting. Remus had judged what, or who, he needed perfectly. Fun loving, but generally sensible people his own age without a care in the world!
After a loud and cheerful round of introductions, Harry was faced with: Drew, Sarah, Jamie, Jean and Kiara. They all shook his hand and welcomed him to 'Oz' as they called it.
Leading him outside, Matt and the others took him to a secluded corner. Stopping there, Matt placed a hand on Harry's shoulder. "You don't need to lug that around anymore," he said, gesturing toward the suitcase, "Shrink it and stick it in your pocket. Then we can show you round!"
While Harry had suspected that Remus had set him up with magical people, it still surprised him to hear it himself. Shrugging, he pulled out his wand, shrank the suitcase and backpack and put them both in his pocket, then put his wand away. He then turned to the group and asked, "Where to first?" his tiredness long forgotten.
Their faces all lit up and they were off!
Harry was exhausted. After leaving the airport, Matt and the others had dragged him all over Sydney, from the Opera House to the top of the Centrepoint Tower and back down to the Sydney aquarium.
By the time they finally took him to where he was going to live for the next … however long he was going to live there, he was falling asleep on his feet.
"Here you go Harry, this is where you're going to sleep." Said Matt, leading him up the hallway of a moderately sized apartment near the beach.
"Thanks Matt, …" Harry paused as he yawned widely, "What time is it anyway?" he finished.
"About eight o'clock. Don't ask me what time it is over in Pommie Land though. I wouldn't have a clue." Matt shrugged, as Harry grinned at the now familiar name for his home country. "Thanks, I can find out the time back home with a spell Hermione found before I left. See you tomorrow Matt!" replied Harry.
"See Ya Harry!" waved Matt as he headed back to the living area.
Harry barely had the energy to find his pajamas before he fell into bed and was almost instantly asleep.
The next day, Harry woke after midday. When he finally dragged himself out of bed and made his way out into the kitchen, he found the apartment empty. Looking around, he spied a brightly coloured message on the door of the refrigerator. Taking it down, he helped himself to a bowl of cereal and sat on the balcony to read the note, which was addressed to him.
Harry,
Sorry we left before you got out of bed, the surf was too good down at the beach! Help yourself to anything for breakky, though by the time you get your lazy butt out of bed, it will be lunch time!
If you manage to get up before 5pm, we are all going down to the pub for a few drinks tonight. I have invited a few of my other mates (they're the same as us) to come meet you, so you had better show up!
See Ya Later!
M
P.S. The pub is the Surfshop, the one I showed you yesterday.
Harry finished reading and checked the clock in the kitchen as he washed and dried his dishes. 2:30pm. Good, he had enough time to talk to Hermione and Ron before he went out.
Going into his room, Harry found his wand and held it in front of him, "tema revalis le england" There was a flash of light and a time appeared in the air in front of him. 4:30am. Far too early in the morning to be waking Ron or Hermione up just to talk to them, he valued his life far more than that!
Instead he headed for the shower. He spent far longer than he usually would have in the shower, letting the comfortably hot water course over his face and down his back and chest. When he emerged from the steamy bathroom he felt refreshed and much more alive.
After dressing, Harry unpacked all his belongings into the chest of drawers and wardrobe in his room. He then checked the time in England again … still too early.
After 'pottering' around the apartment for a while, learning where all the rooms were, and finding out which door lead to where, Harry gathered his wand, wallet and apartment keys before closing the door behind him and going to meet his new friends and flatmates at the Surfshop.
