Chapter 2 – "Lead by Fawkes"

Harry felt something poking him, it was painful. He opened his eyes and wished he hadn't. He quickly closed them again, unable to stop a groan escaping his mouth. He opened his eyes again and squinted against the glare of the sun beating down on him. Suddenly a face appeared, blocking out the sun. The face of Hermione Granger. She was shouting something Harry couldn't hear. He concentrated,

"HARRY, HARRY ARE YOU ALRITE..."

Harry mumbled, then finally found his voice, "Hermione..." he started to get up, and felt two people helping him, which he shortly discovered was Neville and Ron.

"I'm fine, what happened?" he asked

"We don't know, we just found you laying here, we've been looking since the early hours of this morning, when you weren't at the meeting place."

Harry took stock of himself, starting to feel better, but different. It took a moment to work it out, but then he realised, he was full. Not as if he had over-eaten, but as if he had over studied, he could almost feel the knowledge in his head, waiting to be accessed. He explained this to the others, and their reactions were as expected.

Ron was a bit unsure of what to do, Luna suggested some wild theory, Ginny offered to contact her parents, and Hermione said they should get in touch with Hogwarts and that they would know what had happened. Harry shook it off, they couldn't afford to go Hogwarts, goodness knows what McGonagall would do when she discovered what the 6 of them were attempting to do. She was already angry with him for not revealing what he and Dumbledore had been doing before the Death Eater attack.

Harry finally pulled himself to his feat, and turned to the others taking charge as he knew he would have to do from now on, "Ok, lets get going then, you all ready for this, you can still go home."

No one moved, but Hermione spoke up, "Were with you Harry, till end..."

Harry smiled at her, then continued, "First stop then is my house, to drop off these trunks temporarily, will be using that as a sort of base. Then London, will need supplies, both Muggle and Magic."

Everyone nodded and together they set off towards Harry's first home, where he had spent the first year of his life in happy contentment. When they approached the house, Harry was surprised to see it wasn't a ruin, but rather someone or something had repaired it. Ron tried the door but it was locked.

Hermione shoved him out the way, "Alohomora". The door didn't budge. Harry frown and tried the door himself. It swung open easily, and a disembodied voice spoke, the voice of his father, "Welcome to the home of Potter. You are of our blood and thus are welcomed here."

"Erm," Harry paused, then shrugged, and stepped through. Hermione attempted but was quickly rebuffed and fell into Neville who crashed onto Ginny. Harry had to stiffle his laughter as the heap of young wizards and witchs outside the door tried to get back to their feet.

"What are we going to do Harry, we can't get in..." Ron said

It was almost as if someone had just told him, because Harry suddenly knew like he was recalling a long lost memory. He touched the wall, then spoke, "I Harry James Potter of the Potter Line emit Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, Ginny Weasley, Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood into this home, now and for as long as I live."

There was no response, but Harry gestured for them to try again, and this time Ron stepped forward and into the house.

The house was neat and tidy and as the others began moving the luggage into the living room Harry went upstairs. He entered a room which had a cot in it, was decorated in a light blue and full of baby toys. It was his room, excatly how it had been so many years ago. Harry felt tears fall down his face as he stared around the room.

He heard a noise behind him, someone was comming up the stairs. He turned and was pulled into a hug by Hermione. He let himself go for a moment, letting the grief for his parents out. Hermione hugged him until the tears stopped falling then she pulled away.

"I'm sorry Hermione." Harry said, "I..."

Hermione pressed a finger on his lips, "ssssh, its alright, you should grief."

Harry nodded, then wiped his face and straightened as he heard another set of feet on the stairs. It was Ginny.

"Everythings in," she said, then paused looking at Harry and Hermione who were standing very close, hastily Hermione removed her finger from Harrys lip and stepped back.

"Right, I'm comming then," Harry responded, and followed Ginny down the stairs, leaving Hermione to follow.

The others were waiting in the kitchen, and they all turned expectantly as Harry entered, waiting for his next orders.

"Ok, Neville, you take Luna and Ginny to Diagon Alley, heres my Gringots key, take whatever money you'll need and then heres a list of stuff we will need. Hermione should know a spell to hide your appearance incase someone who we don't want to spots you. Meanwhile me, Hermione and Ron are heading for muggle london to sort out the rest of the stuff will need. Will all meet up outside the Leaky Couldron at lunch time, even if everyone isn't finished, take no risks, clear?"

Ginny nodded for everyone, and then after exiting the house they disapparanted to their required destinations.

It was 12:30 when Harry, Hermione and Ron were all standing in the shadows near the leaky couldron waiting for the others. Harry glanced up as he heard a rustling a bird was flying towards them. Not any bird at that, its was a Phoneix. As it got closer Harry saw it was Fawkes, and he was singing a song that made Harry feel somehow contented.

He landed on Harry's shoulder and pecked his ear lightly, then he pulled away but didn't let go, almost as he was trying to direct Harry somewhere. Meanwhile the others had returned with 6 backpackets that Harry had no doubt where stuffed with the stuff he had requested.

Neville spoke up, "We've got everything."

Harry nodded and then winced as Fawkes talons dug into him.

"Ok Fawkes, where do you want to go?" he asked, and then Fawkes, almost as if understanding, took off and flew about head hight towards Muggle London. Harry shrugged at the others and began to follow. The others fell into step behind him in and almost dimond formation. All his life Harry had never been happy being the one to give the orders, but now it felt natural. They continued to follow Fawkes deeper into Muggle London eventually arriving at what could only be referred to as a slum area. Litter was all over the streets and graffiti covered the buildings to such an extent that you could not tell what colour they originally where. Where there was a gap in the graffiti it was covered in some sort of thick grime.

Several people sat around in rags, one asked for spare change as they passed, and Harry flipped him a Gallion, which no doubt when melted down would be worth more than it was worth in the wizarding world as a Gallion.

Fawkes continued to fly ahead, singing louder now as if urging them on. It was at this point Harry surmised that non-wizards couldn't see Fawkes because no one seemed to notice the noise he was making. They entered one of the blocks of flats, and Fawkes headed to the stairwell as Harry and the rest followed. Eventually he stopped outside a door on the 5th floor, landing on Harrys shoulder and bleeting.

Almost as if he could understand Harry new that Fawkes was telling him to knock on the door. So he did. It swung open almost instantly, and Harry peered into the darkness beyond, trying to make out the lone figure in the darkness...