Without a Trace

'They expect things from me that I can't deliver.' Harry thought as he lay in his bed. 'They seem to think that I have some amazing power that can drive Voldemort from this world. But they're wrong. They're all wrong. The only thing I have going for me is a seemingly endless streak of luck.'

Harry had been brooding like this for the two weeks he'd been at number four Privet drive. Every day his thoughts swung a little darker. His confidence in his abilities had been shattered.

'I'm just too weak.' He thought. 'I'm not very good in my classes, I don't have superior magic powers, I don't really have particular skill at anything. Just Quidditch. But Quidditch doesn't kill dark wizards.'

Harry glared at the light bulb in his room. It had burned out three days ago, and he hadn't been bothered to fix it. He actually liked the dark better. A ghost of his old confidence popped into his mind for a moment and interjected something. Something that could change his life forever.

'But what if I could get stronger? What if I could go out and find this power that could kill Voldemort? What if I get the training I need?' His confidence interjected. The rest of his mind loved this train of thought and latched on to it.

'Yes! We could leave. Leave England and go all the way to the other side of the world. Far away. Away from Voldemort where I could train in peace. After all, England isn't the only place on the planet that has Wizards.'

Harry smiled for the first time in what seemed like months. Harry sat up in his bed for the first time in hours and slipped on his shoes. He always kept an emergency 50 pound note in his trunk for if he ever needed something from the Muggle world. He opened his trunk and fished it out and stuffed it into his pocket. He opened his bedroom door, his eyes hurting from brightness of the light and headed downstairs. Harry walked out the front door without anyone noticing him and headed off in the direction of the local library.

The Surrey library wasn't exactly state-of-the-art. It wasn't exactly shabby either. It was your average, run-of-the-mill library. A dozen computers, and lots of shelves with books on them.

Harry looked at his watch. It was 11:35AM. The library didn't close until 7. That gave him ample time to do his research. Harry suspected that if he found what he was looking for today, he would be able to leave by no later than tomorrow night.

The automatic doors to the Library slid open for him, and he was hit by a wave of air conditioning. One of the librarians had apparently set the thermostat to "arctic ice storm." Harry shivered slightly and walked up to the information desk.

"Excuse me?" he asked the lady at the counter. "How would one go about getting a library card?"

The lady looked up from her magazine, and handed him a blue sheet of paper and a pen, before turning back to the magazine.

"Thanks." Harry said, as he filled out the form.

A few minutes Harry handed the form back. The lady read the form, typed a few things into her computer and the printer whirred. She handed him a laminated card with the name of the library and his name on it.

Harry smiled and walked off to the computers.

'Piece of cake.' he thought.

Seven hours later, Harry left the library, his head brimming with knowledge.

'I need to write the order tonight. Just to keep them from checking in on me too soon.' Harry thought.

Harry strolled back into his Aunt and Uncle's house and walked back to his room. Again, he didn't meet either of his family members. Harry sat down at his desk and wrote a quick note to the order.

Mad-eye

Just checking in. Everything is just fine.

Harry

He sent the note off using Hedwig and collapsed into his bed. He just barely had the presence of mind to set his alarm clock before going to bed.

At 5:15, Harry's alarm rang. Harry turned it off before anyone else heard it. Harry rubbed his eyes, changed his clothes and started preparing everything he would need.

First, Harry found the old backpack he used to take to school before he went to Hogwarts. Harry stuffed a few outfits of clothing into the bag and started rummaging through his trunk for things he would need.

All he took was his Firebolt, Sirius's knife, his money, his Gringotts key and his Invisibility cloak. The rest he left in his trunk.

Harry donned his invisibility cloak and crept downstairs into the kitchen. Harry made a few sandwiches, grabbed some snacks from the cabinets and stuffed them into his bag. Harry left the kitchen without a sound and left Privet drive by the early morning light.

He never thought he would come back.