Chapter 1 - "Saying Goodbye"

The perfectly normal street of Privet Drive in Surrey was empty. Well it was a moment ago, because now out of no where Harry had appeared, glancing swiftly around to check no one had seen his sudden appearance.

With purpose he strolled towards number 4, the home of his so called relations. He rapped smartly on the door, there was noise inside, and muttering from Uncle Vernon as he approached the door about who would call so early on a perfectly nice Saturday morning.

The door swung open and the large putrid face of Uncle Vernon appeared around it.

"Good Morning Uncle." Harry said calmly, holding himself with the statue of someone in charge. He had no bothered to change from wizard clothing, and Uncle Vernon seemed to flinch at the sight of him wearing his 'magical' clothes.

"What are you doing here." he growled

"Why I have come to see you, may I come in."

Uncle Vernon saw the wand in Harry's right hand, and nodded wearily.

"Thank you" Harry said as he stepped through the gap that Uncle Vernon had given him.

Once they were in the hall way, Harry continued, ignoring the glaring looks from Vernon, "As you hopefully remember Dumbledore informed you that I would be back for a short while this summer, and although I am a little early, I have decided a period of one week starting now will suffice for my presence here. You do not need to worry, I doubt you will see me in that time as I will be in my bedroom for the duration."

And with that he left a speechless Vernon and continued up the stairs, pulling his trunk with him. He entered the smallest bedroom at privet drive, which seemed to have been left to get dusty during the last year he had been away. Harry sat on the bed, and a great plume of dust rose to the air.

He sighed, opened his trunk and pulled out his copy of 'Advanced Potions', flipping it open and scanning the contents page. He didn't find anything interesting and so started at the beginning, soon lost in a world of potion making with Snape's many notes.

It was the following friday night that it all began, when the four 17 year olds and 2 16 year olds began to put their plan into action. Harry had decided that they should all return to the families for a period of 1 week, before they would all meet a Godrics Hollow to begin their quest.

Hermione for her part had spent the week studying anything and everything, that was when she wasn't convincing her parents that this was something she had to do no matter the danger. Ron and Ginny, no daring to tell Molly, under the cover of an early night snuck up their bedroom, packing everything they would need into their school trunks.

Luna's dad has hardly needed much convincing at all, he knew what was necessary, but he did warn her to be careful about the crinklecorns she might meet, and to keep in touch.

Neville for his part got caught. He was in the middle of packing his trunk when he gran had entered his room and demanded to know what he thought he was doing.

"I'm going to help Harry," he replied firmly,

"Don't be silly Neville, your not even a fully trained wizard, let alone a powerful one."

Neville finally flipped, after years of being told he was no good, he finally let his anger out, "Actually I'll have you know that I am a good wizard, you may not believe this but Harry asked me to help him, and I will not let him down. I may not be very clever or very powerful, but if I can help save the world, then even if it costs my life, I'm doing it, and nothing you can say of do can stop me!"

As he spoke for the first time he raided power such that his Mrs Longbottom has not seen since his father, and as she watched, everything he was taking with him jumped into his trunk. Mrs Longbottom was speechless, unsure of what to say to her glowering Grandson, so she did the only thing she could do, hugged him and wished him luck.

Harry for his part was already leaving the Dursleys, pulling his trunk behind him, with Hedwig's cage balanced on top. Hedwig had already set off in advanced, since he didn't believe she would like the experience of Apparating.

Harry stopped at the bottom of the stairs and opened the door to the living room, the Dursleys where all fixed on some show on TV.

"Well Goodbye then." he said, wondering if they would even hear him. If they didn't they didn't acknowledge and Harry turned, taking one more glanced around the hall as he opened the front door. His memories in this house were not good, but for some reason leaving made him feel that it was the end of an era.

Harry appeared a split second later nearly halfway across the country at Godric's Hollow, a small village in the east of wales. So east in fact that the inhabitants where never sure if they were english or welsh, and therefore a mix of the two seemed to have been created.

Harry strolled down the main street, which was deserted at this time of night, eventually he took a left turn and then a right. Finally he arrived where he knew he eventually wood. Church Lane, and just opposite was the Church, and in the grounds of the Church and grave yard.

It took a while of searching but Harry eventually found them, his parents graves were overgrown, as if no one had looked in on them a while. It was a double grave arrangement, with both his parents listed on the same massive stone.

Harry slumped down, his trunk falling down next to him. He just stared for a very long time, then eventually he reached out and touched the gravestone. As he did so a blinding flash of light enveloped him for a split second, then was gone. Harry slumped over, falling next to his trunk, as the darkness seemed to swallow him.

It was the early hours of the morning when Ron carefully snuck down the creaky staircase towards Ginnys room. As he approached she opened the door and peered out, seeing him she smiled and began to pull her trunk behind her. Together they headed down the stairs, heading for the kitchen, then freedom. They where halfway across the kitchen when the lights flicked on, and there sat Mr and Mrs Weasley. From the look on her face Molly was not happy. As Ginny braced herself for the onslaught, Ron grabbed her arm and concentrated. Moments later they both vanished with their trunks, as Arthur hurried forwards pulling out his wand. He cast a tracking spell but was too late, they were gone.

Neville had never been that good at apparation, but today he knew that it was his only option. Just remember the three D's he muttered to himself as he concentrated on the picture of Godrics Hollow that Harry had shown them. He glanced at his Aunt, she smiled then spoke, "Good Luck, I love you..." and with those words in his ears Neville vanished.

Hermione hugged her parents, her mother was crying, and she was trying to keep her tears in check. "I love you hunny," her mum said through her tears, "I love you too mum." Hermione took a step back, gave them one more uncertain grin, then gripping her trunk firmly, she vanished as well.

Luna had no one to say goodbye too, her father had already set off in search of another story, and so after a last glance around the home she loved, she too after a look of determination crossed her face, vanished.