A/N: Thanks to Ran; tima: I hadn't read it before this, but it is similar.
Maybe were on the same brainwave. Anyway, are you going to write more of
that story. It's very good!; lilytiger20; LoMaRiBa: I know they seem a bit
far fetched, but maybe he's a multi-tasker? And, he started taking lessons
for the fighting stuff, he's not very good yet. I thought of the Ministry
kind of like the American judicial system: you need a warrant before going
in. It will take that time to gather all the evidence together. Minerva
only knows when they are coming because of her connections with the
Ministry; Silver Wolf; tobytdk: They definitely have to go to the
Hellmouth! Think of all the trouble they can get in there!; Fage of Hyren:
I'll admit, I have read that story before and probably absorbed some of the
beginning points for my own, but my Dumbledore is not going to be
so....what's the word, creepy? Goodly evil? Power hungry? Control maniac?;
suicidaltoast; potter-man; Jewelclaw Lady of the Wind; litine; Lady Phoenix
Gryffindor; and White Rider.
CH3: Only Time Will Tell
The next few days went by slowly. Harry did long, meaningless jobs for the Dursleys and at night, he organized his things to be ready for travel. Shortly after receiving that letter from Fred and George, he had sent a letter to Hermione, but hadn't gotten a reply yet.
It was now the night he was suppose to leave. 11:45. Harry checked and double checked his room to make sure he wasn't leaving anything behind. At least, nothing he didn't want to leave behind. A sudden tapping at the window alerted him to Hedwig's return.
Harry let her in and she soared down to his bed, But, when he checked to owl's leg, he was disappointed to find his own letter there, unopened and unread.
Sighing, he coaxed Hedwig into her cage and waited for the Portkey to activate. 11:50. 11:57. 12:00. In a swirl of lights and colors, Harry was lifted off his feet and transported far away from Privet Drive.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Miles and miles away, Draco was getting ready for the same thing. Muffled noise from downstairs told him that his father had guests over. Probably Death Eaters. Shutting his suitcase, Draco thumped it off his bed and made his way over to the desk, where the Portkey was.
He wrote a small note to his mother and snatched up the letter. The clock struck midnight and he disappeared.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Early morning, June 26, Petunia Dursley was preparing her son's breakfast. Her husband had already left for work when there was a knock on the door. Before she could answer it however, several robed figures appeared in her living room. The door opened and a brown-haired man wearing dark blue robes walked in.
"We were going to do this the Muggle way," he snapped at the others.
"Sorry, sir," a couple mumbled.
"Now, I apologize, ma'am, for our unexpected entrance," he said, turning to Petunia. "My name is Richard Pitchak, head of the Auror Division, Ministry of Magic. We're here to...see your nephew." Mrs. Dursley squeaked and pointed upstairs. The men immediately stomped up the stairs, causing Dudley to came out of his room, grasp his bottom, and slam the door quickly. The wizards exchanged curious glances.
"Which is Potter's room?"
Petunia nodded her head towards the door to the right of her son's room. They burst open the door to find an...empty room?
"He's not here, sir," one of the younger Aurors called.
"What?!?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Albus Dumbledore was siting in his office, thinking. He wasn't sure if he made the right decision in Harry's case. Sure, he just wanted to protect the Order. If word got out that the Order of the Phoenix was helping a suspected murderer, they would be even more un-welcome then they were now. On the other hand, sending the wizarding world's greatest asset and a 15- year old boy to Azkaban might not be the best outcome. The Headmaster sighed as two figures appeared in his fireplace.
One was the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, and the other was Richard Pitchak.
"Anything go wrong?" questioned Dumbledore.
"Wrong! Potter has disappeared!" shouted Fudge.
"Really?"
"You didn't have anything to do with this?" Pitchak asked suspiciously.
"I haven't seen or spoken to Harry since he left school at the end of the term."
Fudge sighed. "All of his things are gone. Someone must have tipped him off."
"That and we found this." Pitchak pulled a piece of folded up parchment out of his pocket and handed it to Albus. Reading it, the wizened wizard slumped in his chair and whispered,
"What have I done?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The group left Dumbledore's office and headed down to the Great Hall to tell the rest of the staff what had happened. Nobody noticed a small beatle on the windowsill. It flew down to the floor and turned into a woman. She picked up the parchment on the desk, grinned evilly, before transforming again and flying out the window.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The next day's Headlines were clear.
HARRY POTTER GONE MISSING!!!
Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived and suspected in the murder of Cedric Diggory, has disappeared, writes Rita Skeeter, Daily Prophet Reporter. Yesterday morning, Richard Pritchak, Head of the Auror's department, led a team to Potter's house in Surrey, only to find that he left sometime during the night. Potter's Aunt and Uncle, Petunia (Evans) Dursley and Vernon Dursley, say that their nephew had been there the night before and went up to his room after dinner for the evening.
Potter, who is widely acclaimed for the defeat of the Dark Lord, You-Know- Who, is also believed to be delusional and highly dangerous. According to the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, Potter claimed at the end of the Triwizard Tournament that the Dark Lord had been reborn and had killed Diggory. Fudge also states 'these hallucinations he has run deeper than that. In Potter's third year, he claimed that the mass murderer, Sirius Black, was actually innocent.' This reporter also has usurped allegations that Potter has been in contact with Black for the past year.
Pitchak says that chances are, someone tipped Potter off to his upcoming arrest and he fled. Either that, or he simply ran away. 'Truthfully, if Potter did run away, I wouldn't blame him. It must be awful growing up with these Muggles'. New sources state that Potter's relatives hated magic and mentally abused him, no doubt contributing to the mental state he is now in.
Though, all of the contributing factors point to someone telling him to run. Especially if you add the note into the equation. It was found in Potter's bedroom, on the desk.
Living risky, never scared,
Wander closer to the edge
Nothing valued think no fear,
Always wondering why you're here
All your purposes are gone,
Nothing's right and nothing's wrong
Nothing ventured, nothing gained,
Feel no sorrow, feel no pain,
Kiss me while I'm still alive
Kill me while I kiss the sky
Let me die on my own terms,
Let me live and let me learn
Now I'll follow my own way
And I'll live on to another damn day
Freedom carries sacrifice,
Remember when this was my life
Looking forward, not behind,
Everybody's got to cross that line
Free me now to give me a place,
Keep me caged and free the beast
Falling faster, time goes by,
Fear is not seen through these eyes
What there was will never be,
Now I'm blind and cannot see
Kiss me while I'm still alive
Kill me while I kiss the sky
Let me die on my own terms,
Let me live and let me learn
Now I'll follow my own way
And I'll live on to another damn day
Freedom carries sacrifice,
Remember when this was my life
Kiss me while I'm still alive
Kill me while I kiss the sky
Let me die on my own terms,
Let me live and let me learn
Now I'll follow my own way
And I'll live on to another damn day
Freedom carries sacrifice,
Remember when this was my life*
Dear World,
It seems odd to start a letter that way, but I want everyone to know this. Nobody is perfect. I'm not perfect. I never was and never pretended to be. But, for some reason, that was never good enough for any of you. You held me up, on a pedestal, so I could set an example to follow and face all odds and protect the masses. And I fell off.
There are many things that I'm not proud of. There are many things that I wish had turned out differently. A wise man once told me 'It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.' So I know that I can't change the past. And I have to accept the consequences.
You may or may not believe that [You-Know-Who] is back. You may think that I am insane, but, while that may be true, I want to warn you. The day will come when everyone must choose between what is right and what is easy. I hope all of you make the best choice.
And I wish to tell you all good-bye. I'm leaving to a place where I don't have to be the Boy Who Lived and I probably won't be back for a long time, if ever. I have had many wonderful times in this world and I will never forget them. From my first steps into the Leaky Cauldron to playing Quidditch. I will miss it.
You can't put the weight of the world on someone's shoulders, it will eventually crush them.
See ya,
Harry Potter
Could Potter be telling the truth? Could he possibly be innocent? And is the Dark Lord really back? Only time will tell.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Fred and George Weasley read the morning's Daily Prophet in a subdued silence.
"So that's it then," Fred said.
"Yeah, he's gone," agreed George. They left the paper on the table for the rest of their family to find and went out for a walk.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cho smiled down at the paper in her hands.
"Where ever you are, Harry. Enjoy yourself. You deserve it."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Neville listened to the ranting fire-conversation downstairs. He chuckled to himself. Harry could always stir up a room. He sat down to write the Boy Who Lived about the mess he was creating in the Ministry. Neville was sure Harry would enjoy it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Severus Snape and Minerva McGonagall struggled to keep straight faces as the Minister raved about Harry. Apparently, everything was going according to plan.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Remus was drafting up his new lesson plans for the year. He would be returning for the Defense Against the Dark Arts position. Then the news paper had arrived.
Both him and Sirius smiled sadly over Harry's letter.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In another part of the world, a blond haired boy scanned the article. He handed it to his black-haired companion who smirked.
"I think they got my point."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------
Lyrics by Three Doors Down
CH3: Only Time Will Tell
The next few days went by slowly. Harry did long, meaningless jobs for the Dursleys and at night, he organized his things to be ready for travel. Shortly after receiving that letter from Fred and George, he had sent a letter to Hermione, but hadn't gotten a reply yet.
It was now the night he was suppose to leave. 11:45. Harry checked and double checked his room to make sure he wasn't leaving anything behind. At least, nothing he didn't want to leave behind. A sudden tapping at the window alerted him to Hedwig's return.
Harry let her in and she soared down to his bed, But, when he checked to owl's leg, he was disappointed to find his own letter there, unopened and unread.
Sighing, he coaxed Hedwig into her cage and waited for the Portkey to activate. 11:50. 11:57. 12:00. In a swirl of lights and colors, Harry was lifted off his feet and transported far away from Privet Drive.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Miles and miles away, Draco was getting ready for the same thing. Muffled noise from downstairs told him that his father had guests over. Probably Death Eaters. Shutting his suitcase, Draco thumped it off his bed and made his way over to the desk, where the Portkey was.
He wrote a small note to his mother and snatched up the letter. The clock struck midnight and he disappeared.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Early morning, June 26, Petunia Dursley was preparing her son's breakfast. Her husband had already left for work when there was a knock on the door. Before she could answer it however, several robed figures appeared in her living room. The door opened and a brown-haired man wearing dark blue robes walked in.
"We were going to do this the Muggle way," he snapped at the others.
"Sorry, sir," a couple mumbled.
"Now, I apologize, ma'am, for our unexpected entrance," he said, turning to Petunia. "My name is Richard Pitchak, head of the Auror Division, Ministry of Magic. We're here to...see your nephew." Mrs. Dursley squeaked and pointed upstairs. The men immediately stomped up the stairs, causing Dudley to came out of his room, grasp his bottom, and slam the door quickly. The wizards exchanged curious glances.
"Which is Potter's room?"
Petunia nodded her head towards the door to the right of her son's room. They burst open the door to find an...empty room?
"He's not here, sir," one of the younger Aurors called.
"What?!?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Albus Dumbledore was siting in his office, thinking. He wasn't sure if he made the right decision in Harry's case. Sure, he just wanted to protect the Order. If word got out that the Order of the Phoenix was helping a suspected murderer, they would be even more un-welcome then they were now. On the other hand, sending the wizarding world's greatest asset and a 15- year old boy to Azkaban might not be the best outcome. The Headmaster sighed as two figures appeared in his fireplace.
One was the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, and the other was Richard Pitchak.
"Anything go wrong?" questioned Dumbledore.
"Wrong! Potter has disappeared!" shouted Fudge.
"Really?"
"You didn't have anything to do with this?" Pitchak asked suspiciously.
"I haven't seen or spoken to Harry since he left school at the end of the term."
Fudge sighed. "All of his things are gone. Someone must have tipped him off."
"That and we found this." Pitchak pulled a piece of folded up parchment out of his pocket and handed it to Albus. Reading it, the wizened wizard slumped in his chair and whispered,
"What have I done?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The group left Dumbledore's office and headed down to the Great Hall to tell the rest of the staff what had happened. Nobody noticed a small beatle on the windowsill. It flew down to the floor and turned into a woman. She picked up the parchment on the desk, grinned evilly, before transforming again and flying out the window.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The next day's Headlines were clear.
HARRY POTTER GONE MISSING!!!
Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived and suspected in the murder of Cedric Diggory, has disappeared, writes Rita Skeeter, Daily Prophet Reporter. Yesterday morning, Richard Pritchak, Head of the Auror's department, led a team to Potter's house in Surrey, only to find that he left sometime during the night. Potter's Aunt and Uncle, Petunia (Evans) Dursley and Vernon Dursley, say that their nephew had been there the night before and went up to his room after dinner for the evening.
Potter, who is widely acclaimed for the defeat of the Dark Lord, You-Know- Who, is also believed to be delusional and highly dangerous. According to the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, Potter claimed at the end of the Triwizard Tournament that the Dark Lord had been reborn and had killed Diggory. Fudge also states 'these hallucinations he has run deeper than that. In Potter's third year, he claimed that the mass murderer, Sirius Black, was actually innocent.' This reporter also has usurped allegations that Potter has been in contact with Black for the past year.
Pitchak says that chances are, someone tipped Potter off to his upcoming arrest and he fled. Either that, or he simply ran away. 'Truthfully, if Potter did run away, I wouldn't blame him. It must be awful growing up with these Muggles'. New sources state that Potter's relatives hated magic and mentally abused him, no doubt contributing to the mental state he is now in.
Though, all of the contributing factors point to someone telling him to run. Especially if you add the note into the equation. It was found in Potter's bedroom, on the desk.
Living risky, never scared,
Wander closer to the edge
Nothing valued think no fear,
Always wondering why you're here
All your purposes are gone,
Nothing's right and nothing's wrong
Nothing ventured, nothing gained,
Feel no sorrow, feel no pain,
Kiss me while I'm still alive
Kill me while I kiss the sky
Let me die on my own terms,
Let me live and let me learn
Now I'll follow my own way
And I'll live on to another damn day
Freedom carries sacrifice,
Remember when this was my life
Looking forward, not behind,
Everybody's got to cross that line
Free me now to give me a place,
Keep me caged and free the beast
Falling faster, time goes by,
Fear is not seen through these eyes
What there was will never be,
Now I'm blind and cannot see
Kiss me while I'm still alive
Kill me while I kiss the sky
Let me die on my own terms,
Let me live and let me learn
Now I'll follow my own way
And I'll live on to another damn day
Freedom carries sacrifice,
Remember when this was my life
Kiss me while I'm still alive
Kill me while I kiss the sky
Let me die on my own terms,
Let me live and let me learn
Now I'll follow my own way
And I'll live on to another damn day
Freedom carries sacrifice,
Remember when this was my life*
Dear World,
It seems odd to start a letter that way, but I want everyone to know this. Nobody is perfect. I'm not perfect. I never was and never pretended to be. But, for some reason, that was never good enough for any of you. You held me up, on a pedestal, so I could set an example to follow and face all odds and protect the masses. And I fell off.
There are many things that I'm not proud of. There are many things that I wish had turned out differently. A wise man once told me 'It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.' So I know that I can't change the past. And I have to accept the consequences.
You may or may not believe that [You-Know-Who] is back. You may think that I am insane, but, while that may be true, I want to warn you. The day will come when everyone must choose between what is right and what is easy. I hope all of you make the best choice.
And I wish to tell you all good-bye. I'm leaving to a place where I don't have to be the Boy Who Lived and I probably won't be back for a long time, if ever. I have had many wonderful times in this world and I will never forget them. From my first steps into the Leaky Cauldron to playing Quidditch. I will miss it.
You can't put the weight of the world on someone's shoulders, it will eventually crush them.
See ya,
Harry Potter
Could Potter be telling the truth? Could he possibly be innocent? And is the Dark Lord really back? Only time will tell.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Fred and George Weasley read the morning's Daily Prophet in a subdued silence.
"So that's it then," Fred said.
"Yeah, he's gone," agreed George. They left the paper on the table for the rest of their family to find and went out for a walk.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cho smiled down at the paper in her hands.
"Where ever you are, Harry. Enjoy yourself. You deserve it."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Neville listened to the ranting fire-conversation downstairs. He chuckled to himself. Harry could always stir up a room. He sat down to write the Boy Who Lived about the mess he was creating in the Ministry. Neville was sure Harry would enjoy it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Severus Snape and Minerva McGonagall struggled to keep straight faces as the Minister raved about Harry. Apparently, everything was going according to plan.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Remus was drafting up his new lesson plans for the year. He would be returning for the Defense Against the Dark Arts position. Then the news paper had arrived.
Both him and Sirius smiled sadly over Harry's letter.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In another part of the world, a blond haired boy scanned the article. He handed it to his black-haired companion who smirked.
"I think they got my point."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------
Lyrics by Three Doors Down