Disclaimer: Anything recognisable belongs to J.K. Rowling.
. o O o . 37 . o O o .
'Insert Imaginative Title Here'
Harry was just getting into bed when he felt a stab of anger. His scar prickled, and he knew the anger and frustration was not his own. No vision accompanied the feeling however, and he reasoned that anything that angered Voldemort could only be good for him.
oOo
Harry woke to the smell of rain, fresh grass, hay and animals. Breathing deeply, he smiled and opened his eyes to the dim sunlight shining through the window of the barn. To him, it was the smell of freedom.
He stood and stretched languidly, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and brushing some stray strands of straw from his pants.
He opened his trunk and pulled out a clean shirt and then went down the stairs to the ground floor of the barn. He pushed open the smaller door and stepped out, finding himself looking out over rolling farmlands.
The sun was only just peeking up over the horizon, casting a dull light over the land.
In front of him was a paddock and he walked to the edge of it. Leaning on the wooden fence, he looked out over the field of animals. Pigs were gathered around a muddy patch nearby and further away cows and a few horses grazed.
"Mornin' to ye," came an Irish accented voice behind him. Turning, he saw a teenage girl standing behind him holding a tea towel. She had pale skin and a light smattering of freckles across her nose, and her hair was a deep brown.
"Hi," he replied. "I'm Harry."
"I know. Me mam told me to come fetch you for breakfast. She said you can eat with us, if you like. My dad's already gone for the day, but he said he'll be back later to talk to ye about the work you wanted."
"Oh, thanks. That's great."
She nodded, smiling, dimples on her cheeks. "Well, house is this way. Come on."
Harry followed the girl, looking around at the green fields that surrounded the house. He could faintly hear the sounds of the farm animals that scattered the fields.
Noticing that he had fallen behind the girl's brisk pace, he jogged a bit to walk beside her. "So er, what's your name?"
"Aislinn McKenna. What brings ye to Kreeside?"
"Kreeside?"
She nodded. "That's the name of our farm."
"Oh, well I just wanted to get away from London for a while. Travel a bit. I'm only staying for my holiday break."
He followed Aislinn into the house, the door opening into a warm kitchen.
A woman who looked exactly like Aislinn except older was cooking at the stove, but turned to greet them.
"You'll be Harry then? I'm Ana."
Harry shook her hand. "Nice to meet you."
"And you, dearie. Have a seat, now. Breakfast won't be a moment."
Harry sat down in the chair next to Aislinn, exchanging a smile with her. The three of them had a friendly chat about their respective schools and where Harry was from while they ate the food Ana had cooked. They were just finishing when the rumble of a truck was heard. It stopped in the yard and a minute later the back door banged open, admitting a smiling Niall. "Girls, Harry."
Niall took a seat at the table, across from Harry. "So, young Harry, are ye still interested in some work?"
Harry nodded his head enthusiastically. "There's one thing, though. There's a wedding I have to go to, and I'll probably be staying there for a while, maybe a bit less than two weeks. Will that be a problem?"
Niall shook his head and clapped Harry on the shoulder. "Not at all, lad. Aislinn here and I will get along just fine without you for a few days."
oOo
Harry groaned and closed his eyes as he laid down on his bed. He had never realised how weak he was before. Quidditch may have toned his muscles, but it certainly hadn't built any, and he was aching from head to toe from the lifting and dragging and walking he had done all day.
First Aislinn had shown him how to milk a cow, saying he wouldn't be doing this usually, but that it was an essential part of the farm experience. Then the tough work had begun. He had helped Niall put up a fence, first loading a trailer with stakes and wire and then heading to a paddock and hammering them into the ground. They hadn't gotten very far when they had stopped for lunch, and Harry had wolfed down two helpings of stew and about five pieces of bread. After that they had worked on the fence some more, and then Niall said they could take a break to do something else.
They had driven around several paddocks then, lugging rocks into the trailer and taking them back to the house for a garden that Ana wanted to make.
After that, Niall had taken pity on Harry and let him off for the day.
Suddenly something dropped onto Harry's stomach and he jumped, his eyes flying open.
An owl hooted and he saw a brown owl sitting near Hedwig's cage, nibbling at the owl treats. Harry picked up the letter that had been dropped on him and opened it.
Harry,
The first thing I want to do is apologise. I already have, but I'm saying it again because I'm not too sure you listened before. The second thing I want to say is that I hope you want to be friends again, but I'm not going to force you to pull your head out and start acting like one.
The last thing I'm going to say is that you'd better start treating Hermione decently, because this whole thing has really upset her.
I'll see you at Bill and Fleur's wedding on the 21st.
Ron.
Harry raised his eyebrows in surprise. He certainly hadn't been expecting that. Despite the tone of the letter, Harry couldn't help but smile, but then his face fell again. The fact that Ron seemed prepared to cut ties was what caused Harry to make up his mind.
All this time, he had thought his obstinacy and his anger at them had been the only thing between them being friends again, but if it turned out that Ron was fed up with him acting like a prat and wouldn't be there if Harry did decide he needed them, then it was a different matter all together. All this time, he had thought they would always be there, but if they weren't... A trickle of worry began to pool in his chest and he wondered if this is how Ron and Hermione had felt all this time.
Harry decided then and there that this had gone on long enough.
Yes, they had lied to him, but they had been doing it for him, and in the end, could he really stay mad at them for that? It was time to grow up and let go of his anger.
oOo
The second day Harry was there was a weekend, and Aislinn convinced Niall to let her take the truck and drive Harry to Galway to show him around. It wasn't a long drive and they spent it pleasantly, Aislinn telling him about growing up on the farm and how she went to school in Galway, staying there during the week and coming home on weekends and holidays.
They parked the car in a commercial area near Aislinn's school and walked down the long street, Aislinn pointing out sights as they went.
They stopped for lunch and then Aislinn suggested that they see a movie. It had been years since Harry had seen a movie. He had been allowed to go once with the Dursley's before he had started Hogwarts, but since then he had hardly even watched television.
Aislinn laughed at his eagerness and they bought tickets for an action movie that she had heard was good.
They were heading back to the car when Harry stopped short at the sight of an oddly dressed man. Well, not odd to Harry, but he was sure to the muggles on the street he was odd, dressed as he was in flowing blue robes and carrying matching hat in his hands.
Aislinn gave an amused smile. "It isn't rare to see some oddly dressed people now and then around here. I think there must be some sort of club or something around here."
Harry nodded and they continued on, but he made a note of the building he had seen the wizard go into. If there was a Floo there, that would help him a lot in getting back to England for Bill and Fleur's wedding.
oOo
That night, he thanked the stars that he had seen the wizard; he was definitely going to need a Floo.
He had been working on his Transfiguration homework when an owl had swooped though the barn window and landed with a screech, waddled over and nipped his arm.
"Ouch! Alright, I saw you!" Harry had plucked the letter from the owl, who had taken off immediately.
Potter, I will be calling on you next Saturday afternoon at four o'clock for a brief lesson.
SS
Harry scowled at the brief message. He should have expected that Snape would not let him get behind in his practice of Legilimency.
He would have to talk to Niall about going in to Galway again next weekend.
Tucking the letter away, he pulled out a fresh sheet of parchment and a quill and ink, and began scrawling a letter to Dudley about how he was doing. He made sure not to mention where he was, just writing vague remarks about how he was enjoying himself and hoped Dudley was well.
It felt a bit strange writing to Dudley, and he wondered how his aunt and uncle would react when they found that he and Dudley were corresponding. He added an extra bit at the end, telling Dudley that if his parents asked, he should tell them that Harry was just sending Hedwig every now and then to make it look like he was still at Privet Drive, so no one would come and check.
It was only when he had sent the letter off with Hedwig that he realised he had forgotten to tell Dudley he would be back there next week, which had been the whole point of the letter.
"I guesss my relativesss are going to get an unpleasssant sssurprissse, Salzzz," he said to Salazar, who was coiled up at the end of Harry's bed.
Harry walked over to his trunk to return the parchment and quill. He was just closing the lid when he spotted something he had forgotten he had; the potions textbook he had taken from the dungeons when he had forgotten his own.
He had been meaning to have a look through it, so he pulled it out and took it back to his bed. Flipping open the cover, he found that someone had written 'This is the Property of The Half-Blood Prince.' on the inside cover.
Wondering who on earth that was, Harry turned the next few pages looking for another name, but couldn't find one.
The book was filled with the previous owner's spiky scrawl. Not one of the pages was unmarked.
Most of the scribbles were corrections or improvements to potions, but there were a few things written in the margins that looked like spells of the boy's own invention.
The first one he found was at the bottom of a page detailing the Pepper-up Potion.
The untidy words read Levicorpus (n-vbl). Harry assumed that meant non-verbal, and he wondered what the spell did.
He was itching to try it, but he couldn't use his wand or the Ministry would know where he was.
After a while, he put aside the book and practiced his wandless magic for a while. He was getting pretty good at summoning now, able to do it most of the time with any object. He had found that it was harder to summon objects that were further away, and that he had to be actually looking at the object to summon it, though he supposed that with enough practice he would be able to summon objects that were out of his sight and from greater distances.
oOo
The evening before he was due to Floo back to London for his lesson with Snape, Harry was practicing his animagus transformation. He had transformed, and he somehow felt that he had nearly completed the change.
He was a lot higher off of the ground; his head was close to the rafters of the barn. He had no mirror to inspect the rest of his body, but he hardly needed it. He found he could twist his body easily around on itself, allowing him to look at himself from several different angles.
He was long and thin, and his arms were completely gone now. His legs still looked slightly human, but they were far more muscular and the clawed feet were even longer. To his surprise, he noticed a short tail, and he twisted further to inspect it. Unfortunately, he overbalanced, thudding to the floor because he was unable to use arms to catch himself.
His body was a deep emerald green, sinewy and strong, and though it felt wrong, it was not especially difficult to pull himself up.
Suddenly he heard the crunch of boots on gravel, and he could tell that it was Niall walking towards the barn from the house. His hearing must be much more acute now; there was no way he should have been able to hear that.
He noticed too, that his sense of smell was exceptional.
He quickly transformed to his normal state, and then walked out of the barn to greet Niall.
"Harry, I was just checking that you were all set for tomorrow."
Harry nodded. "Is it still alright for you to drop me off?"
"Of course, and I'll pick you up on Sunday."
Harry returned to the loft of the barn just as yet another owl soared through the window. Reading the letter, he was forced to re-evaluate his planned trip back to London.
Harry received another letter the next day, this time from Dumbledore.
Dear Harry,
It has come to my attention that you have left the safety of your relative's house.
It is of the utmost importance that you contact someone from the Order at once, so that we can collect you.
It is most unsafe for you to be alone at this time.
A.D.
Harry scowled in displeasure. He had thought it would be a while before anyone noticed he was missing, certainly more than three days, but clearly whoever had been watching the house was more observant than he had given them credit for.
He wrote a short reply, saying that he was alright and that he was fine where he was. They might know he wasn't at Privet Drive, but they didn't need to know where he was staying. If he told them, he had no doubt they would turn up and take him to Grimmauld Place for the rest of the holidays.
HisHis
oOo
Harry spent the next week and a bit getting to know the farm and the McKenna family better by day and reading through his books at night. He had received several more owls from members of the Order, insisting they tell them where he was, but he simply refused, merely replying that he was fine and preferred to be left alone and that he would see them at the wedding.
He had also written an apology to Snape for missing their planned lesson, and received an acerbic reply in return.
oOo
Early in the morning of the 21st, Niall dropped Harry and his trunk off in Galway and he headed to the building that he had seen the wizard go into. As he got closer, he noticed that like the Leaky Cauldron, the eyes of passers-by skipped from the building on one side to the one on the other side, not seeing the one in between. On one side there was a library and Harry ducked in to it and went into the toilet. Locking himself in a cubicle, he pulled out one of the vials of Polyjuice potion he had bought from the apothecary when he had sold the basilisk parts. Uncorking it, he added a hair he had kept safe after he had plucked it off the band of Niall's hat when he took it off at lunch.
The potion bubbled and turned a cheery red colour. Harry downed half of it and felt his body begin to change. Niall was slightly taller than Harry, and more bulky, but Dudley's clothes fitted fine.
He left the library and headed next door, stuffing his glasses into his pocket.
He entered the building that no one else could see. It turned out not to be a building at all. Instead, after stepping through the door, he found himself in a wide alleyway, and when he looked back he could see the muggle street as if there were no wall there at all.
He headed into the nearest shop. It was a robe shop, and he approached the front counter. The attendant looked up with a smile. "How can I help you, sir?"
"I was wondering if there were any public Floos around here?"
The attendant nodded. "Just up the alley there's a transport office you can Floo from."
Harry thanked the woman and headed to the building she had described. He didn't go inside, however. He had a half hour before the half dose of polyjuice wore off, and he didn't want to turn up at the Weasley's looking like a complete stranger.
He walked up the wide thoroughfare, looking in the windows of various shops he passed. The buildings seemed older than the ones in Diagon alley, but they were all well kept up. The shops themselves seemed to be much the same as the ones he was used to seeing; the occasional apothecary, cafes, a wizarding wear shop that sold robes and hats, stationary shops.
After a quarter of an hour, he thought he had better start heading back. He didn't want his appearance to change in the middle of the street; that would certainly attract attention. He didn't think anyone here would recognise him, but he didn't want to risk it either.
He reached the transport office and went inside, heading straight for the row of fireplaces. Green flames were burning constantly in each grate and there was a small line of people waiting in front of each one. He chose the one with the shortest line, and only had to wait a few minutes before it was his turn. He stepped into the emerald flames and called clearly, "The Burrow, Otter Street Catchpole." He closed his eyes tightly against the bits of flying ash, but he could do nothing about the bits that went up his nose. He stopped spinning and felt himself fall forward. He stumbled dizzily, swaying from side to side until he got his balance back.
Harry had seen some people who stepped out as if they were simply walking through a doorway, but he had no idea how they could maintain their sense of equilibrium.
When he had done so, he found that several wands were trained on him. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Lupin and Tonks were standing around him, their wands pointed at his chest.
"Who are you?" snarled Lupin, a tone in his voice that Harry had never had directed at him before.
"It's me, Harry."
"Harry?" Lupin frowned, but didn't lower his wand. The other three exchanged quick looks.
"Wh-" began Tonks, but at that moment, Harry felt the polyjuice begin to wear off.
After a few groans of pain, Harry straightened up, returned to his normal appearance. He grinned. "Polyjuice. Sorry, I didn't mean to surprise you all like that."
A fuzzy figure moved towards him and Harry found himself enveloped in a tight hug by Mrs. Weasley.
"Oh, Harry! We're so glad you're safe! Running off like that was such a silly thing to do!"
"I'm fine, Mrs. Weasley," he insisted, touched by the depth of her concern for him.
Let's look at you," she said, stepping back and holding him by the shoulders. "You do look alright, and you've grown since last time we saw you," she said, a tear appearing in her eye.
"Let Harry go, Molly. He's just fine," said Arthur Weasley, stepping forward. "Hello Harry."
Harry returned his smile. "Hello Mr. Weasley."
So where have you been, Harry?" asked Tonks, her expression becoming more serious.
Harry sighed. "I've been safe. It doesn't matter where."
Lupin frowned. "Why won't you tell us, Harry?"
"Because I know if I do, I won't be able to go back there."
Remus' eyebrows rose. "And you're intending to, aren't you?"
Harry shrugged. "Maybe. It's a nice place. I've been enjoying it."
Just then, Dumbledore stepped into the kitchen, followed by Snape. They stopped short at the sight of Harry, and he noticed a look of relief pass over both their faces, though it was extremely brief on Snape's.
"Harry, my boy. I must say it is an immense relief to see you well. Where have you been?"
"We've been trying to get that out of him, Albus, but he seems quite reluctant to tell us," stated Tonks.
"Is that so?" mused Dumbledore, a small smile on his lips as he gazed at Harry. "You've cause quite a stir. I am interested to know how it is you left without anyone realising.
Harry shrugged again. "I just went out under my invisibility cloak." He thought it seemed a pretty logical conclusion that they would have already come to. "It wasn't difficult."
"But as usual," murmured Snape, who seemed to be back in good health, "you neglected to think about how your actions would affect others."
"Well I didn't think you would find out I'd left so quickly. I didn't want people to worry."
"And what about your family?" enquired Snape in a silky voice.
Harry rolled his eyes. "I'm sure you've realised by now that they were perfectly happy to see me go!" he replied hotly.
"Idiot boy! Y-"
"Severus, that is enough," cut in Dumbledore sharply.
Harry looked from one to the other, a frown forming on his face.
"I assure you that your family are perfectly fine," said Dumbledore. "Though they did have a bit of a scare."
"What do you mean?" asked Harry slowly, a feeling of dread rising in him.
"When you left, when you no longer called Privet Drive home, the wards put in place to protect you fell."
Harry sank into his chair, the heavy weight of guilt settling on him. He had been so relieved and happy to have left Privet Drive that he hadn't even considered the wards around the house.
And that brief stab of disappointment and frustration he had felt soon after he had left – that must have been Voldemort finding out he was not at Privet Drive.
"I instantly felt the wards fall, but when that much magic comes crashing down, other people are bound to notice as well, especially if they are monitoring the house, which Voldemort undoubtedly was."
"What happened?" asked Harry, his voice cracking with worry.
"Members of the Order apparated immediately to the area, arriving shortly before a large group of Death Eaters. We managed to hold them off and there were no casualties. Your relatives have been moved to a safe location until we can establish new wards and convince them to return to the house."
Dumbledore gave a small smile. "I admit, at this time they are most hesitant about doing so."
Harry didn't reply, instead letting his head fall into his hands.
Mrs. Weasley took pity on him and pulled him against her side, smoothing down his hair.
"Don't worry dear, you didn't know. No one blames you." She continued, talking loudly over Snape's snort. "Everyone is safe, including you, and that is what matters."
"Don't coddle the boy, Molly. He deserves whatever guilt he feels." Harry could imagine the sneer that was being directed at him.
Mrs. Weasley tutted at Snape's comment, but Harry had to admit he actually agreed with Snape.
There was silence in the kitchen until Mrs. Weasley spoke. "Why don't you go upstairs and put your trunk away? Ron and Hermione are up in Ron's room."
Harry nodded numbly and began to drag his trunk up, when it suddenly lifted up into the air with a flick of Dumbledore's wand.
Harry trudged up the stairs with it floating behind him, and finally came to the landing that Ron's bedroom came off.
Steeling himself, he knocked and pushed the door open.
"Harry!" exclaimed Hermione, jumping up from the bed.
"Hey guys."
Ron gave a nod, an unsure expression on his face.
Harry ran a hand through the hair, unsure of exactly what to say and all too aware of the sudden tension in the room.
He finally settled for "Still backing the Cannons, I see." Ron's room was more orange than ever, walls ceiling and bed covered in posters and banners and all manner of souvenirs.
"So you've decided to be civil again, have you?" asked Ron, a somewhat stony expression on his face.
Harry heaved an exaggerated sigh, determined not to get annoyed. "I suppose I have, yes."
"So what made you change your mind?" asked Ron in a slightly gruff tone.
Harry's lips quirked. "Well I got a letter from you, Ron, about Hermione, and I got a letter from Hermione about Ron."
Ron grinned sheepishly at Hermione, who was beaming at Ron.
"And you both seemed to think I've been out of line."
Ron started to speak, but Harry held up his hand. "No, you're probably right. I think I deserved to be angry about what you did, but I shouldn't have stayed angry for so long. I was just sick of every aspect of my life being controlled. I thought I could at least trust that my two best friends would tell me the truth."
"We are sorry, Harry. You have to believe that!" insisted Hermione.
"I do, and I want you both to know that I am as well. I've missed you guys."
Hermione threw herself at him, sobbing into his shoulder. He patted her back awkwardly, looking to Ron for help, but the redhead just shrugged and gave Harry a look that clearly said, 'you deserve it.'
Hermione finally pulled away and wiped at her eyes, giving an embarrassed smile.
Harry turned to Ron and held out his hand. "Friends?"
Ron grinned and clasped Harry's hand. "No doubt about it."
After that, Ron filled Harry in on everything that had been going on at the Burrow over the past two weeks.
Harry was quite happy he hadn't been there by the end of Ron's story; apparently it had been quite hectic with all the preparation for the wedding.
Mrs. Weasley called them down at ten to help set up chairs in the yard. It didn't take very long, as all the Weasley children were there to help, along with Lupin and Tonks.
As they laid out the last few chairs, Harry saw Dumbledore, Snape and Moody talking quietly near the orchard.
A few minutes later, the three began walking back to the house and Harry broke off from the Weasleys to catch up with them.
"Professor Snape!"
The Potions Master stopped with a scowl, waiting for Harry. "Yes?"
"I was just thinking, since I missed my lesson the other day, and since we're both here, maybe we could do it sometime today."
Snape stared at him with piercing eyes for a moment. "Very well. Come along." Snape turned and swept away.
"What, now?"
Snape stopped and turned back, an eyebrow raised. "Do you have something more pressing to be doing at the moment?"
"I suppose not," mumbled Harry, and followed Snape into Mr. Weasley's office, which was about the only room in the house not occupied.
They practiced for about an hour before Snape threw Harry out and glanced up at the clock on the wall. "I suppose we must make an appearance at this infernal wedding," he muttered, looking thoroughly put out by the idea.
Unlike Snape, Harry was only too happy to go and talk to people. He hadn't seen Lupin in a while, and he wanted to talk to Ron and Hermione.
Snape disappeared somewhere, and Harry found Remus in the kitchen talking quietly with Tonks. He felt a bit guilty about how he had treated her, but only a bit. She had only been doing her job.
"Harry!" Tonks smiled when she saw him. She certainly didn't seem to be holding any grudges over his behaviour.
Harry joined in their conversation for a while before an excited look suddenly came over Tonks' face and she turned to Remus. "We haven't told him the good news!"
The same look dawned on Remus' face and he smiled widely.
"What news?" asked Harry, confused.
Suddenly, Tonks stuck her hand in front of Harry's face, wiggling her fingers. Harry saw a jewel-studded ring glittering on her ring finger and his jaw dropped. "You got married!?"
He looked to Lupin. "You two got married!?"
Remus chuckled. "I'm sorry you couldn't be there, Harry. It all happened very quickly. In fact, it was just the two of us."
Harry shook his head in amazement. He certainly hadn't seen this coming. "Congratulations," he said, genuinely happy for them both.
...
Bill and Fleur's wedding was nice. Harry had never been to one before, and he found he enjoyed it, even though he had to use polyjuice to disguise himself. He was happy to do it however; he didn't want word to get out that he was here in case Voldemort decided to attack the Burrow.
After the ceremony, everyone danced and ate until early into the morning.
oOo
One night after he'd been at the Weasley's about a week, Harry was having trouble sleeping, and after a while he got up, closing the door quietly behind him. He stayed a moment with his ear pressed to the door to make sure Ron's snores didn't stop, and then went downstairs and out into the back yard.
The night was cool as he walked to the treed area that ran along the edge of the Weasley's property, and dark clouds hung in the sky, making everything around him difficult to see.
Perfect for him.
Once he was in the cover of the trees, he found a nice open space and sat against a tree for a few minutes, to ensure no one had followed him out of the house.
After a while of sitting in the peaceful silence, Harry was assured no one had come out after him and he stood, moving to the middle of the clearing. It was even darker under the trees, but as soon as he transformed, the world opened up to him.
His sight returned, and he could see tiny details with great clarity. His sense of smell and hearing were amazing as well; he could hear small animals scittering through the trees, and smell many strange smells on the wind.
His attention turned to his body, looking for any new transformations, and he was surprised to notice muscles moving that he had never really felt before. He twisted slightly to look at his back. There, hanging on his back and fluttering slightly when he moved, were two small but definite wings.
His heart raced at the sight of them. They were too small to be of any use at the moment, but if they continued to grow, he would be able to fly! The thought sent excitement racing through him.
When they'd learned about animagi in transfiguration, their textbook had said that magical creatures were extremely rare. Having grown up as a muggle, he didn't really know that many magical creatures, except the ones they had learned about in Hagrid's class. Given that he had no idea what he was however, he was beginning to suspect that he, like Malfoy, had a magical form.
What confused him more however, was the fact that Malfoy was a dragon, and a dragon was the closest thing Harry could think of to describe himself.
Given the statistics however, he didn't see how they could possibly be the same.
After a while, Harry returned to his human form and walked back to the house, where he was finally able to fall asleep.
oOo
The next morning, Harry and Ron came down to breakfast to find Dumbledore chatting with Hermione, Ginny and Mrs. Weasley.
Everyone exchanged good mornings, and Harry and Ron found full plates of food pushed in front of them.
"I don't know how you boys sleep so much," commented Mrs. Weasley as she sat back down. Ron gave a shrug in reply, scoffing his food down and receiving disgusted looks from Hermione and Ginny.
...
Harry was just finished the food when Dumbledore stood up to leave, and turned to address Harry.
"Harry, I shall be coming to collect you on the evening of the first."
Harry looked up with a frown. "Why?"
"The Order has agreed it would be safer to spend the rest of your holidays at Grimmauld Place.
Harry pursed his lips, receiving a sympathetic look from Ron.
Dumbledore continued, sensing Harry's reluctance at the idea. "I think you'll actually find it quite pleasant. It has been fully cleaned out now, and Remus is living there; I'm sure you'd like to see him. He is definitely looking forward to seeing you."
Harry did brighten at that thought, and it must have shown on his face.
"I also think Molly may be convinced to send her children away a few days earlier."
Mrs. Weasley smiled. "Of course, that sounds like a wonderful idea."
oOo
On the night of Harry's birthday, he was sitting with Ron and Hermione in Ron's bedroom.
"I'm leaving tomorrow."
"Yeah, for Grimmauld Place. We were there when Dumbledore told you, remember?" replied Ron, pulling out an old Quidditch Magazine with a picture of the Chudley Cannons on the front.
"No, I mean I'm leaving on my own. I don't want to go to Grimmauld Place, so I'm going somewhere else."
Hermione bit her lip. "Are you sure that's a good idea, Harry?"
Harry shrugged. "It's what I want to do."
"It isn't really safe though, is it? What if-"
Harry cut her off before she could launch into a lecture. "Look Hermione, I've haven't been at Privet Drive all holidays, and nothing's happened to me so far. I'll be fine."
"So that's what everyone was so worried about!" said Ron loudly, putting down the magazine and leaning forward. "Where were you then?"
Harry smiled. "Ireland, but you can't tell anyone, alright?"
"Ireland!" squeaked Hermione.
Ron grinned back. "Lips are sealed, mate."
Harry turned seriously to Hermione, whose lips were pursed. "Hermione?"
"Fine!" she huffed, though he could tell she thought it was anything but.
oOo
The next afternoon, Harry had everything packed. He had said discreet goodbyes to the Weasley children, knowing they wouldn't let on where he was going.
He had said goodbye to Mr. Weasley that morning before he left for work, and thanked Mrs. Weasley for having him after lunch.
Then, around four, he and Ron carried his trunk downstairs to the empty kitchen and Harry gave a tearful and worried Hermione a hug. "I'll be fine, really. There's absolutely nothing to worry about."
"So you've said," she muttered as he pulled away. Ron rolled his eyes and slapped Harry on the back. "Seeya, mate. Have fun."
Harry grinned. "I will."
Harry threw some Floo Powder into the fireplace and stepped into the emerald flames.
"Diagon Alley!"
oOo
The Office for the Department of Transport in Diagon Alley was next to empty when he walked in at a quarter to five that afternoon. His trunk was shrunk and sitting in a deep pocket, with his wand and invisibility cloak on top of it.
There was a middle-aged man standing behind the counter, and Harry approached.
"Hello, I've come to get my Apparition Licence," he said, his voice ringing loudly in the empty room.
The man turned and walked around the desk. "Right this way, please."
Harry followed the man around the counter and into a large, empty room. No sooner had they arrived, then a loud pop sounded in the room and a wizard appeared in a far corner.
"This is Wendell Patrick, he'll be your instructor for today."
Harry nodded to the friendly looking man, who he recognised from one of the practice sessions they had had in school.
"Now the process is quite simple," began the man immediately. "I shall conjure several hoops on the floor, and as I do you shall apparate to them. As you can see, the maximum distance you will be apparating today is no more than twenty metres, so I must stress that a licence to apparate does not mean you should immediately go out apparating all over the country, because you'll likely splinch yourself."
Harry shuddered at the thought, recalling the splinchings that had taken place during their practice sessions at Hogwarts.
"If you splinch yourself today, that is grounds to not receive a licence."
He nodded, and the man clapped his hands together in enthusiasm. "Right then, first one." He flicked his wand, and a purple hoop appeared about five metres away.
Harry concentrated, turned on the spot, and felt a squeezing sensation. When he opened his eyes, he found he was standing slightly to the left of the hoop. He frowned, wondering how this would affect him.
"Not to worry, not to worry. Try again."
Another hoop appeared, and this time when he apparated, he found himself smack-bang in the middle of the hoop.
Wendell nodded in approval and conjured a hoop that was a little further away. This went on for a good half an hour, and to Harry's relief, he performed well. Finally, they were finished.
"Well done, well done."
"That's it?" asked Harry.
Wendell nodded happily. "If you just go through to the front desk and hand them this slip, they'll present you with your licence. Congratulations, young man."
Harry grinned. "Thanks."
Harry returned to the front room and approached the front desk again, placing the blue slip onto the counter.
The man took it without a word and pulled out a small card. "Name?" he asked in an indifferent voice, not even bothering to look up.
"Harry Potter."
The man's head whipped up, his eyes roving Harry's face and forehead carefully. After several moments, his gaze turned to the small card and he printed Harry's name carefully onto the line. "Fill out these, please."
Harry took the two sheets of parchment and began to fill out his detail. There wasn't much, and he was done in a few minutes.
The man took the parchment back and performed a spell which duplicated the small card, and handed one back to Harry. The other went into a filing cabinet, along with the forms.
"And you're all set, Mr. Potter."
"Great. Thanks."
"Have a nice evening."
Harry nodded. "You too."
Harry strolled out of the office for the Department of Transport, feeling very good about himself. Being able to apparate would make things a lot easier.
Deciding to go for a celebratory ice cream, Harry headed down the street, hoping the shop he wanted wasn't closed.
He was nearing Florean Fortescue's when the pop of apparition filled the air. Over a dozen Death Eaters had appeared in the Alley, their wands raised.
It was late in the day now, and the street was almost empty except for the black robed figures that were scattering, racing off in all directions.
Harry drew his wand and ducked around a corner, just in time.
A Death Eater raced past him, and Harry crept out behind him once he had passed.
Harry stopped and aimed his wand. The spell left his wand, hitting the Death Eater square in the back and sending him crashing to the ground.
Harry had just ducked back into the shadows when another Death Eater sped past, having seen his fallen comrade from the main alley. He reached the man and stopped to check for a pulse, before looking around and speeding off again. Harry once again aimed his wand. A spell was on his lips when he was hit from behind, his wand ripping from his hand and landing on the other side of the Alley. He sprinted towards it, but another spell threw him backwards. He hit the brick wall with a thud, and the alley went out of focus for a few moments.
When his vision returned to normal, a masked figure had reached him.
Harry breathed heavily, the back of his head aching where it had hit the wall. The Death Eater stood over him, also breathing heavily, pointing his wand at Harry.
He was going to summon his wand, but he stopped when he realised the Death Eaters was staring off down the alley at the retreating back of the first Death Eater. When he had disappeared around a corner, the man standing over him looked down at Harry.
"Stup-" The Death Eater halted. Several moments passed as the masked Death Eater stared down at him, glancing up and down the lane.
Harry looked at his options. He had no wand, another wand trained on him, and nowhere really to run that would give him any cover. He glared up at the attacker, trying to work out where his wand had flown so he could summon it. "What are you waiting for?"
To Harry's surprise, the wand dropped and the black-cloaked figure took an abrupt step back.
"Get out of here."
Harry's mouth dropped open in recognition and disbelief as the Death Eater turned and began to walk quickly away.
"...Malfoy?"
Harry got to his feet as the Death Eater halted and spun around.
He tensed as the boy marched back. With a strangled yell, Malfoy punched Harry right across the jaw, sending him spinning to the ground.
Leaning down and sticking his face inches from Harry's, Malfoy hissed, "If I live to regret this Potter, I'll make sure you do too."
Harry spat a mouthful of blood to the ground as Malfoy turned again and hurried down the lane.
Harry scanned the ground and found his wand quickly, summoned it to him, and apparated.
...
He made his way up the dark lane that ran alongside the McKenna's farm. He had no idea how he had been found. And the Death Eaters must have been there for him, because there was no sense attacking the alley at the end of the day when it was practically empty, and they had clearly been looking for someone.
Rather than go into the house, Harry headed straight to the barn and unshrunk his trunk, rifling through it for a shirt that wasn't stained with his blood. He washed of his face and inspected his lip in the mirror. It was split, but not bleeding anymore. He touched it and winced; it was tender.
A great sense of shock and disappointment had filled him when he recognised Malfoy's voice. He had become a Death Eater after all.
Harry supposed that some part of him had known all along that it would happen, but a greater part of him had hoped that Malfoy had listened to Harry's arguments against following that path.
Sometimes when they had been in the chamber, in silent companionship, studying, duelling or practicing their animagus transformations, it had been hard for Harry to associate him with the Draco Malfoy that most people saw, with the person Draco Malfoy who was now a Death Eater.
But then again, Malfoy had let Harry go. Reluctantly, yes, but he had done it. This fact gave Harry some small measure of hope. Perhaps there was hope for the Slytherin yet.
oOo
The next evening after a hard day of moving cattle around and digging a drainage trench, Harry was relaxing on his bed when a screech owl soared through the window, dropping a short scroll on the wooden floor.
Harry's muscles protested as he leaned down and picked it up, pulling away the string that kept it rolled up.
You are due for a lesson this weekend. I fully expect you in my presence at 6:00 on Saturday night.
SS
As luck would have it, the McKennas had been invited to a gathering at a friend's house on the night Harry was scheduled to be at Grimmauld Place for his Legilimency lesson. He had been invited to go with them, but he elected to remain behind at the farm, saying it would be a good chance for him to get some work done.
"They're this really old couple," said Aislinn, wrinkling her nose. "Though I suppose there will probably be someone my age there."
They were sitting in the barn while Aislinn's parents got ready to go out.
"Well I won't be very good company. I'll be spending all afternoon on assignments, unfortunately."
Aislinn sighed and leaned back in her chair. "Wouldn't you rather come with us?"
Harry gave her a rueful look. "Yeah, I would, but if I don't get started on my assignments, they'll never get done."
"I think it's weird having assignments over the holidays. We never get any. Two months of blissful, assignment-free relaxation!"
The car horn sounded then, and Aislinn reluctantly stood up. "Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow."
Harry smiled and returned her half-hearted wave. 'Have fun."
She turned around and pulled a face at him, and then disappeared down the stairs.
As soon as the McKenna's car was bumping off down the track, Harry left. He slipped Salz into a pocket and then apparated to the wizarding alley in Galway, then flooed to the Leaky Cauldron. From there, he apparated again, this time to the front steps of Grimmauld Place. It would have been too far for him to apparate all the way from the McKenna's farm back to England.
He knocked, and only had to wait a few moments before the door was opened. As soon as it was, Mrs. Black's ear-splitting shrieks could be heard.
"Shut up, witch!" hissed Snape, before turning his glare on Harry. "Get inside, Potter. What are you waiting for?"
Harry stepped past the Potions Master into the dark, familiar house.
He stood by while Snape wrestled the curtains shut, and then followed him into the kitchen.
"The Order is not happy with you, Potter."
Harry frowned at the abrupt statement.
"The Order isn't or Dumbledore isn't?"
"You have caused the entire Order a great deal of worry, Potter. Disappearing without notice – twice – has put us out a great deal."
"Well the second time shouldn't have been so unexpected," muttered Harry, causing Snape to scowl.
"Do you not understand the danger you are in?"
Harry pursed his lips. "Of course I understand, but I'm not a child. I have a right to make my own decisions."
"That is debateable, given that you are clearly unable to think through the consequences of your actions."
Harry clenched his jaw, glaring at Snape as they stared each other down from opposite sides of the room.
After a minute, Snape indicated for Harry to sit, and he did so as Snape lowered himself into a chair on the opposite side of the table.
They had just sat down when the door opened and one of the last people Harry had ever expected to see in a wizarding house stepped into the kitchen.
Her mouth formed into an 'o' of surprise when she saw Harry.
"Petunia," sneered Snape.
"Severus," she replied stiffly. "Harry."
"Aunt Petunia! What are you doing here?"
She sniffed daintily, moving over to the kettle. "We've nowhere else to stay that is safe. Some of your lot turned up and destroyed the house!"
"An embellishment on fact," muttered Snape to Harry as she filled the kettle up. "The house is perfectly fine, and your relatives completely unharmed. The fight took place in the street and the front garden."
"I didn't realise when Dumbledore said they were somewhere safe that he meant here." Harry scowled. "This is Sirius' house."
"Was," replied Snape smartly, quirking his lip in a small smirk, and Harry felt his face flood with colour.
"Don't t-"
"I simply meant that it now belongs to the werewolf-" Snape paused when Aunt Petunia flinched and dropped her teacup, waving his wand to repair it. "-and he can bring whoever he wants into the house. If he wishes to keep your relatives safe, that is none of your business. Though one would think you would be grateful to Lupin."
They sat silently at the table until Aunt Petunia had finished making her tea. Once done, she hastily left the kitchen, and Harry heard her going up the stairs.
"Someone still should have told me they were here."
"You did not ask, and you have been conspicuously absent, a fact which no one who might have been in a position to tell you could help."
"Have you met my Aunt before?" asked Harry abruptly, and a surprised expression appeared on Snape's face.
"What makes you ask?"
"She asked me about you, when I got back to privet Drive after the holidays. She knew your name. And she addressed you by name just now. That doesn't seem like her, considering you're a wizard."
Snape waved Harry's observation aside. "Perhaps the Headmaster told her when he collected the three of us from Privet Drive after you apparated us there. Besides that, I have been here regularly since they arrived and it is generally considered good manners to introduce oneself to guests with whom one is sharing living quarters."
Harry narrowed his eyes. "That doesn't seem likely to me."
Snape pursed his lips in apparent annoyance. "Then perhaps she can read minds, Potter. Though that too, sounds unlikely. We shall being the lesson now."
Harry however, had something else he wanted to talk about. "I saw Malfoy the other day."
Snape's eyes flickered briefly away before returning to Harry's, and a frown appeared on his face.
"I was in Diagon Alley and-"
"Ah, yes. Your little escapade did not go unnoticed."
"It wasn't an escapade, Professor. I went to get my apparition licence."
"Be that as it may, you were not careful enough."
"I've got no idea how they found me," stressed Harry.
"The Dark Lord has followers everywhere, Potter. All it needed was for one of them to see you and the Dark Lord would know within minutes where you were."
"It's not exactly something I could help. I had to look like myself if I wanted to get my licence. Besides!" he said louder, as Snape began to talk. "This isn't the point. I was telling you about Malfoy. He was one of-"
"Quiet!" hissed Snape. "Do you think we are not aware of this?"
"It's your fault!" Harry blurted out before he could stop himself, and he immediately wished he could take it back, because he knew it was a completely unfounded and unfair accusation.
Snape's nostrils flared. "And how did you come to that conclusion, may I ask?"
"You should have talked to him. He looks up to you, and you betrayed everything he's always believed about you."
"Mr. Malfoy was on his way to becoming a Death Eater long before I was revealed as a spy. How dare you suggest that it is my fault!"
"You could have convinced him not to. You could have told him that he would be protected."
"It is time to begin the lesson, Mr. Potter."
"I-"
"I said it is time to begin the lesson." yelled Snape, slamming a fist down on the scrubbed wooden table. "This discussion is over. Clear you mind!"
Harry sat back and cleared his mind, regretting blaming Snape for what Malfoy had done. Snape's face was contorted in anger, until he too cleared his mind, and his face became a blank mask. Even his eyes showed no signs of anger.
They began with Occlumency, and Snape was ruthless in his pursuit of Harry's memories. Harry was very good at Occlumency now, but after a while his shield began to weaken under Snape's assault.
He realised that Snape was searching for the place Harry had been staying, and he felt his shield growing weaker still. Instead of continuing to fight Snape, Harry gathered certain memories; the farm, the chamber, and put only them behind his shield.
He then projected memories of the Leaky Cauldron, remembering the time he had been there before his third year. He wasn't sure this would work, but Snape was in a bad mood and he wasn't going to stop until he thought he had what he wanted.
Harry let his memories leak out, and Snape sorted through them, quickly coming to the memories that Harry put forward. He was walking up the wooden stairs from the pub, Tom was unlocking the door and Harry was dragging his trunk into the dimly lit room. He was lying on the bed, looking in the mirror and smoothing down his hair, walking through the archway into Diagon Alley.
It worked. Harry kept his feeling of relief behind his shields as Snape retreated from his mind.
"The Leaky Cauldron, Potter?" he sneered. "That is where you think you are safe?"
Harry shrugged lightly. "I've been fine so far."
Snape had a small frown on his face, but he said nothing more on the matter, and they went on to Legilimency.
Harry entered Snape's mind. Once again, he was standing in a dark place, with memories swirling out of reach. They were occluded by a thick oily substance that seemed to hang in the air and pooled around his feet.
He focussed on finding a memory he wanted, seeking images of Bill and Fleur's wedding. As soon as he did so, a great many images disappeared. The remaining memories grew closer, but Harry was also tugged, in multiple directions at one. He immediately fell over, sprawling in the viscous muck that Snape used as a shield. It was deeper and thicker than it had been at the Burrow, and he struggled to get to his feet.
By the time he had done so, he no longer had a hold on the memories he had been seeking. Struggling to keep his balance on the slippery floor, he decided to simply try sitting down.
He did so, and this time when he focussed on his own memories of the wedding, although he was tugged around, he did not lose his concentration.
There were too many memories to draw in just one, so he focussed more on the Bill and Fleur part of his memories. A few more memories dropped away, and Harry assumed they were from other weddings Snape had attended.
Deciding just to pick one of the remaining memories, Harry focussed on one and slowed it down. As it slowed, it moved closer and closer, and he found that the oily muck around him was draining away to be replaced by green grass. The sky was lightening, becoming bright blue.
In moments, he was standing in the back yard of the Burrow. He looked around at all the people laughing and dancing, and saw Snape talking with Dumbledore a few steps away. Suddenly, he realised there was black muck oozing up through the ground. Harry focussed on staying in the memory, and it retreated.
Satisfied that he had done alright, he decided to look for another memory, and his mind sprang instantly to Aunt Petunia. He had a feeling there was something Snape wasn't telling him about her, and he wanted to find out what it was.
No sooner had the though sprung to his mind, then he was back in the darkness. He focussed on Aunt Petunia and most of the memories dropped away.
Suddenly the oily substance that washed around Harry's ankles was much deeper. Suddenly it was in his mouth and his nose and his eyes. He could not see, or breathe. He felt himself being dragged along by a great current, and then he was falling. It was as if he were washing down a plug hole, and suddenly he was sitting at the kitchen table, gasping for breath.
Strangely enough, he suddenly realised that he was fine; he didn't need to catch his breath at all. He stopped his heavy breathing, feeling a bit stupid.
Snape smirked. "It is all mental, Potter. You may have felt like you could not breath, but in reality, it was only your mental self that was unable to. I might add that an image in your mind does not need to breath. When you come across such obstacles, simply remember that it is all mental, and overcome it."
Harry nodded, massaging his temples and wondering if it was only coincidence that Snape had ended the lesson when Harry had been looking for memories of Aunt Petunia.
"That will do for tonight. You have made considerable improvement since leaving school, something I did not expect."
"I've been practicing those exercises."
Snape nodded, and Harry stood, stretching. He said good night and headed out.
Harry left the kitchen and was approaching the stairs on his way to the front door when Uncle Vernon appeared in the hall.
"What are you doing here, boy?" Uncle Vernon's face purpled remarkably quickly when he caught sight of Harry.
"Uncle Vernon," replied Harry tonelessly. "I had to come by and see one of my teachers."
Uncle Vernon moved surprisingly quickly, pinning Harry against the wall with his arm.
"This is all your fault! I knew it was a mistake to take you in all those years ago, and now we've lost our home! Your freakishness has cost us too much this time. All this time we've put a roof over your ungrateful little head, and then you leave and as good as take it with you!"
Harry glared at his uncle. "Don't make me use magic on you, Uncle Vernon."
His uncle let out a mad laugh. "Magic? I know you aren't allowed to do that outside of your freak school."
"I am now. I've come of age. I can do what I want, and believe me, I do want to, Uncle Vernon."
Uncle Vernon's face paled slightly, and his grip loosened slightly.
"Mr. Dursley," hissed a soft, but malice-filled voice from the shadows. "You will take your hands off of your nephew."
Uncle Vernon looked around in surprise, releasing Harry at once and stepping back.
His uncle muttered something unintelligible, cast a nervous glance at Snape and hastened back up the stairs, the sound of a door slamming reaching Harry's ears.
Harry nodded to Snape and moved quietly past the portrait of Sirius' mother to open the door. Stepping out into the cool night air, he apparated.
oOo
It was late when Harry arrived back at the farm, and he could see the McKenna's car was back. All the lights were off in their house, so he headed straight for the barn. Half way there, however, he changed his mind. He was feeling wide awake, despite the draining lesson.
Instead of going up to his loft, he walked out to an empty paddock about ten minutes walk from the barn. It was the one he had helped Niall fence off, and they hadn't yet moved any animals in there.
He looked around him. There was absolute silence, not even a breath of wind disturbed the peace. The sky was unbelievably clear and the moon cast a bright silver glow over the land, allowing him to see perfectly.
Taking a deep breath, Harry cleared his mind and transformed. The warm, tingling feeling spread all through him, from the top of his head to the bottom of his toes, and Harry knew that he had finally completed the transformation.
He was big, but given that he was a Quidditch player, being so high of the ground did not unsettle him. His human skin had been replaced with green scales the same colour his eyes had been, and his legs were muscular and strong, with feet that had long, black nails and a deadly spike on the heel.
He had a long tail, and he found he could walk on his feet, though only quite slowly. It was annoying, and he felt the desire to move faster. By some instinct, he lowered himself onto his scale stomach and began to push himself along with his back legs, his long body moving in a kind of snake-like motion.
After sliding around the field for a few minutes, he stopped and stood up.
Now it was time to test the final and best new body part: his wings.
Harry spread the huge, leathery wings and gave them an experimental flap. He could feel the wind from them, and he flapped them harder until he felt himself lift slightly off the ground.
With a feeling of elation, he flapped harder still, and finally he was in the air, supported by nothing but his own body and the air.
He flew up, up, up, getting further and further away from the ground. Inside he was grinning like a maniac, though he was fairly certain it didn't show on his face.
Harry had never felt so free. He twisted and turned in the air, higher above the ground than he had ever been.
The countryside was far beneath him, cloaked in silvery moonlight here and shadowy darkness there. He could make out amazing detail, things he wouldn't have been able to see with human eyes.
It was the early hours of the morning when Harry finally collapsed into bed, a huge smile on his face.
He didn't believe he was a dragon as well; the chances of him and Malfoy being the same magical creature were pretty much nonexistent, and he had never seen a dragon that didn't have arms. He was definitely reptilian, of that he was sure. He would have to wait until he got back to Hogwarts to do some research.
It was as Harry was falling asleep that he had a sudden thought. Snape had stopped the lesson when Harry had called on images of Aunt Petunia. But that was strange, because Snape was a far greater Occlumens than Harry was a Legilimens; he would have easily been able to stop Harry actually seeing any memories.
When Harry had focussed on Aunt Petunia, many memories had dropped away. But there had still been some there, and Snape had denied that he knew Aunt Petunia.
Perhaps what Snape had not wanted Harry to see was that he did have memories of her at all.
oOo
Voldemort held the wand to the girl's head, ignoring her pleas. "Why did you not review?" he hissed, his eyes flashing.
The girl looked up, her mouth dropping open. "I'm sorry! I- I-"
"No excuses!" he roared, and the girl cringed.
"I'll review!" she cried. "As many times as you want!"
Voldemort gave a satisfied smile. "Make sure you do," he threatened, before disappearing into thin air.
oOo
I didn't read through and check this chapter, so if there's any glaring errors, please let me know in a review : )
Chapter lengths will probably be back to the 4000-5000 words range next week, but I might occasionally throw in longer ones for those who want them.
Please review! (Or I'll have to set my minions on you). Next update will be sometime next week. I'm thinking that the next chapter will see Harry back at school.
Thanks to Vanessa riddle, nxkris, cyiusblack, ams71080, Jensindenial3516, Elyma, Forgotten Lake, swordbunny4486, La Mariane, Slytherin66, RockIll, fhippogriff, black-heart-green-eyes, JonathLee, Daisuke Shadow Kitsune
and
Blah: He didn't get money out of his vault because he didn't have his key. Thanks for reviewing.
kapuchino: Glad you like it. Thanks heaps for the review. : )
notime: hehe, well I appreciate you taking the time to review. I'm so glad you like it! Thanks for the encouraging review : )
Dreamweaver: Thanks for reviewing : )