And Life Goes On…

Over the next couple of weeks Harry found himself making excuses to spend time with Emily. Granted, this meant he had to spend most of his free time in the school library, because of his Grandma's new rule on not going over to other kids' houses, but somehow he didn't mind. Just because Harry had skipped two grades didn't mean he was a genius and he found he had to work very hard to keep up with Emily.

Emily was trying to get to high school by the age of ten. 'If I'm still here by then, I'll go with her,' Harry found himself thinking whenever she said that.

He found that whenever he wasn't with Emily, he would be thinking about her. How she had a dimple on one cheek, which only showed if she smiled. How she was always quoting from the movies her brothers watched, though she kept saying she didn't like them. Emily had three brothers, Bill, Will, and Dill. Her mother had died well giving birth to Dill, when she was five. Her father worked two jobs to make ends meet, so the only way Emily got to do anything was by working hard.

Harry sometimes had a feeling Emily was keeping something from him. Or maybe it was just he thought anyone who spent all her free time at the library must have an alternate motive, but he didn't ask. He couldn't lose her.

They spent all their free time together, talking or studying. Emily took him to see the highlights of the suburbs, as she called them, which included the movie theater (where the teens hang out), the local McDonalds, the public library, and, of course, the bookstore. Harry, in turn, told her about all the places he had lived. About what the subways in Moscow looked like, the story of the time he got lost in Australia and found a family of sugar gliders. He taught her how to make a rude gesture in Turk, how you say hello in New Zealand, and all the ghost stories he know of people who died walking across the Golden Gate Bridge.

They spent many afternoons sitting in a dark corner of the library, picturing places they'd like to go together. Emily wanted to swim in the Dead Sea, experience the wonders of the Ancient World, got windsurfing in Australia, and climb Mount Everest. Harry, on the other hand, wanted to know what it was like to live in a small community where everyone knew each other; to have a place where he belonged, and didn't stand out for his accent.

"But you must have had that in one of the places you've been?" Emily said, one day when Harry had expressed this desire for the hundredth time.

"Yes," Harry said, wistfully, "I had that once, for a short time, but not anymore."

"Where?" Emily asked eagerly.

"England, in a little town called Ottery St. Catchpole. Do you know, that's the only time I didn't sound different, were I was immediately accepted?"

"What happened?"

"Some one Grandma knew found out about us. So we had to leave. My best friend, a kid named Ron, he knew who I really was, I think he hates me now."

"I don't get it, did your Grandmother do something wrong?"

"Well yes, I think, she took me. I told you my parents were killed in a car accident. Well that's not really true, they were murdered."

"Oh, Henry, I'm so sorry, I didn't know."

"It's OK; it happened when I was only one. Well, this person, he was like my parents' mentor, he wanted to send me to my Aunt and Uncle, to keep me safe."

"What's wrong with that?"

"They're horrible people, Grandma says. She used to be my mom and dad's teacher, she remembers my mom coming back to school and telling horrible stories about her sister. She couldn't stand to see me sent there, so she took me. If Dumbledore or anyone found out were I am, I'd have to go live with them."

"So she's not your Grandmother?"

"No, sorry about that too, it's the story we always use."

"I told you, don't worry about it, I understand, I'd have done the same thing."

'That's not the worst part," Harry continued, swallowing hard, "the guy that killed my parents, he's killed hundreds of other people. But he couldn't kill me. I don't know why; I can't really remember it that well, his weapon must have backfired or something. Anyway, he's after me now, people think he's dead, but I know he's not. He'll come for me one of these days."

"Henry that's horrible, a-aren't you scared of him?"

"Not really, I don't know why. I'm just used to it. There are much more important things to worry about, things that I can actually do something about. Like making sure we don't run into any wi- I mean people who might know me. Plus, when I'm eleven, I'm going to go to my parents' old boarding school. They'll prepare me for when he comes for me. I hope."

"Henry, I should tell you something-"

"Can it wait? I've got to go, and – oh great, I'm late. Grandma is going to kill me, see you tomorrow."

Harry picked up his backpack and left, not noticing the look of horror and guilt on Emily's face.

Harry never did learn what Emily had wanted to tell him. For a while it seemed both of them had forgotten about that conversation in the library that day. Days turned into weeks and weeks into months, and soon it was the 31st of October; Halloween.

Emily and Harry had agreed to go trick or treating near Harry's house, as it was a bigger area. They had decided to dress as Star Wars characters, mostly on Harry's insistence. He was to be Luke Skywalker and Emily was Princess Leia. They even had those plastic light sabers.

"I can't believe you talked me into this," Emily said the moment Harry opened the door.

"Ah, come on Em, you look great," Harry said. "Let's go, I want to get a sugar high tonight."

"Don't eat it all at once, save some for later and say thank you," McGonagall called after them, sighing.

By the end of the night both Harry and Emily had their pillows bags full of candy and were both on a sugar high. They laughed hysterically the whole ride back to Emily's house. Harry barely took in that this was the first time he had ever seen Emily's house. Although the reason for this was apparent as they pulled into the parking lot in front of her apartment.

Harry stared at it. The apartment building was old and the apartments looked like they could only fit two rooms. Emily saw Harry staring at her home and stopped laughing. She looked away, embarrassed, then opened the door and ran away.

"EM!" Harry called after her, but he didn't think she heard him.

The next day in school, Emily pretended nothing had happened the night before. Harry took his cue from her and for a while it became something they didn't talk about.

It was soon forgotten anyway, as one day in the middle of November, Miss. White approached their desks during free reading time.

"Harry, Emily, can I talk to you for a moment please? Outside."

The duo nodded, looking questioningly at each other. Once they were safely outside, with the door firmly closed, Miss. White told them her news.

"The teachers had a conference about you," she started, "we invited the principle from Highview Middle School too. We all decided that you two are ready for middle school, you're far too advanced for fifth grade; actually you're more like seventh grade students."

Emily let out a little squeak, "I can't believe this, does that mean ?"

"Well, not exactly, you have to pass a test first. It's the entry exam for middle school; if you get good scores we'll put you directly in seventh grade. Every fifth grader takes them at the end of November to make sure they're ready for middle school."

"Um…Miss White," Emily said nervously, "I know that seventh grade is really, really advanced, but what do we have to do to go straight to eighth grade?"

Harry looked at her in shock; he didn't think he was ready for seventh grade, let alone eighth. Plus, they could move at anytime, and then he'd be all alone in eighth grade. But he didn't want to lose Emily.

"My, you're ambitious," Miss. White was saying. "Well, we actually did discuss it, but you have to get almost a hundred percent on the exam to get that far ahead. That, I should warn you, is almost impossible."

"Well, we can try anyway. So, what's on this test?" Harry asked, shooting Emily a look that said 'don't push your luck.'

"I'm going to pass out a guide today, but if you want I can get you copies of last year's test or some other year if you want."

"How many of them do you have?" Emily asked, and Harry knew he'd be spending the rest of the month in the library.

"Oh, about ten, do you want them all?" Miss. White said, surprised.

"Yes," they said together, laughing.

"Oh, and answer sheets too, please," Emily added.

AU: On that fateful Halloween night, the day the magical world was changed forever, someone heard about it before Dumbledore. Someone who will risk everything to save little Harry from life at the Dursleys. What would Harry be like if he grew up loved? Read and find out.