The next morning Harry was awakened by Hedwig tapping on the window. He silently cursed himself for forgetting to leave it open but he was also rather surprised that the Headmaster had answered as soon as he'd obviously done. Harry was also a bit irritated because Dumbledore had broken the 'no-mail-delivered' rule he, himself, had instated. His annoyance only rose when he read the letter.

Dear Harry,

I must say that I hadn't expected a letter from you though when I read it I was even more surprised. I must caution you Harry, do not trust these people, some of them have, after all, turned to Voldemort already. I do not wish you hurt. Enclosed in this letter you notice that there is another one, addressed to those people, please see to it that they get it. Do not read it yourself. I know you miss your friends but don't do anything rash just because you do.

Signed, Albus Dumbledore.

Harry stood for a long time, contemplating the contents of the letter. He was intrigued by the letter to Alexis, for a short while he considered opening it but he quickly dispelled the idea. He didn't like the Headmaster's way of telling him what to do and not to do, hadn't the old man meddled enough for this summer? He pocketed the letter while looking out of his window to see if he could spot any of his guards, wizards or Alexis' people. He couldn't, but he was sure that he'd seen some kind of movement over there, by the bush in the garden next door. Harry hurried to prepare as he heard his aunt starting to move about. He didn't want to antagonise his relatives now. His wizarding guards had never noticed anything but he didn't know about the new ones and he didn't want to risk it.

The day continued rather uneventful, other than Dudley managing to not only eat his bacon but part of his fork also. Neither his aunt nor his uncle thought that strange, or freaky. Soon Harry was forced outside to mow the lawn and scrub the driveway. There were a couple of dark splotches on it that Vernon though was motor-oil but Harry knew better. He was watering it down when he saw Alexis closing in accompanied by the dark haired man, Emilio, and one of the guards she'd lost the first they met, the one with long blonde hair. Harry's uncle had already left for work so Harry thought it safe to wave at them. He didn't particularly care that Dumbledore had said to stay away from Alexis, she seemed nice enough. And she had saved his life.

"Hello Harry, how's it going?" Alexis asked as she and her 'entourage' drew to a halt next to Harry.

"Hello. I've got a letter for you." Harry produced the letter from a pocket in his overly large jeans. He suddenly felt inadequately dressed. All three of his visitors we're wearing leather pants, that fitted rather snugly, and some sort of shirt. Alexis' tight t-shirt was the same shade of green she'd worn before, as was Emilio's. The longhaired man whose hair was paler than Malfoy's, dammit that was the second time this summer he'd thought about Malfoy, wore a crimson shirt, the exact shade of red that fresh blood has. It was a little odd that they wore full length trousers and boots in the summer but Harry figured it was some kind of sect thing. Or whatever they were part of, the 'elite bodyguard service' or something in those lines.

The blond, another of Alexis' guards, or so Harry thought, was studying Harry quite intently while Alexis read the letter and Emilio read it over her shoulder. Harry tried not to fidget under the cold blue gaze, knowing that he, himself, had been staring earlier.

"Thank you for delivering the letter, Harry." Alexis said when she'd finished reading.

"Eh… no problem." Just then Harry heard the front door open and as he turned around he saw Dudley stepping out on the porch.

"Hey! What are you doing in our yard?" Harry's cousin yelled. He must have been heard in the entire neighbourhood.

"I met Harry the other day when I was lost and he was kind enough to point me the way. I stopped by when I recognised him to thank him and to tell him that I did, indeed, get to where I was headed." Dudley looked confused for a second or two while he tried to interpret what Alexis had said. He also stepped closer while a calculating look settled over his face.

"Wouldn't you rather speak to me?" Dudley asked.

"What on earth for?" Alexis replied. Harry felt a bit left out, Alexis was his friend, not Dudley's, why did his cousin have to ruin this too?

"Who wants to talk to a freak anyways? I'm much better than him. I've even won some boxing titles." Alexis looked blankly at Dudley for a second or two before an amused smile touched her lips. Emilio didn't look quite as amused. Harry suddenly saw what was amusing, Dudley were trying to hit on Alexis. That thought almost left him retching. Sure, Alexis didn't look bad, she even looked nice, but she was at least 5 to 10 years older than them and she didn't look as if she was going to pick Dudley up on his offer.

"Harry was quite able to show me the way to where I was going, which was what I wanted. I don't understand what boxing has got to do with anything." Alexis replied.

"Everyone knows that girls dig that kind of things." Dudley replied and Alexis blinked a couple of times.

"I really don't know how to reply to that." She started. She didn't get time to finish before Dudley spoke again.

"Wanna come with me to see a film tomorrow?"

"Eh… I really don't think my fiancé would like that." Alexis said as Emilio put both arms around her from behind and glared at Dudley from above Alexis' shoulder. If Harry hadn't been afraid of what his cousin might retaliate with he would have laughed at Dudley's crestfallen expression. It turned ugly, though. Dudley apparently didn't like competition. Harry silently watched as his cousin's face grew redder and redder, almost but not quite reaching that particular shade of magenta that Vernon often wore when angry.

"Then break up with him!" Dudley exclaimed. Unfortunately he was loud enough to attract his mother's attention.

"What's going on here?" Petunia's voice was shrill and Harry was certain that everyone on the street was now watching the proceedings on the Dursleys' lawn.

"She won't go on a date with me! Harry ruins everything!" Dudley complained to his mother who walked over to them.

"It's all right Duddykins, mum's here, you don't need to date that kind of girl." Harry had been watching his aunt trying to comfort her son but he saw something in the corner of his eye. Both men that had come with Alexis had stiffened and both were shooting angry glances at his aunt and cousin. Alexis motioned Harry to the side. Neither of his relatives seemed to notice that they moved, Petunia kept trying to calm her son down by agreeing that he was a very good looking boy and he was so handsome and she couldn't understand why anyone would say no to him. By the look on Alexis face Harry concluded that she'd heard his aunt's words too and found them equally outrageous.

"I will have to leave now, Harry. If you need to contact me just say so and one of your guards will appear."

"And how will I know that it's a guard and not someone else?"

"It will be pretty obvious but if you want proof just ask them to show you their ring. They should have a silver ring on their right hand, just like this one." She showed him a plain silver ring that didn't have any particular markings, at all.

"Um… okay." Harry said, wondering how he would be able to differ one silver ring from another.

"Don't worry. The guards will keep you safe. Even if you leave the wards." Alexis said the last with a bit of a wink. Harry wasn't quite sure how to respond to that.

"Alexis, please don't give him ideas. They have problems enough as it is… with you." Emilio said, but by the tone of his voice Harry could tell that he was joking.

"You make it sound as if I'm the only one creating trouble. I happen to remember when my Father..." She left it hanging as she smirked at Emilio. She turned back to Harry. "Don't worry Harry, just do what you want to. If you need help just ask them."

"But… you do know that the Death Eaters have magic. And they aren't very nice people."

"Death Eaters?" Emilio asked, looking as if he was going to start laughing.

"That's what Voldemort's followers are called." Harry answered. He thought that Emilio mumbled the words 'death eater' again before looking away. Both Alexis and the blond man looked equally amused.

"Don't worry about the magic, I'm sure they'll cope. If not, they'll take you back here, where the wards will stop the magic. Because they will, won't they?" Alexis looked around as if she would be able to see the wards.

"They should." Harry said. He knew that the wards we're supposed to protect him against his enemies but he had no idea how they worked. Would they stop curses or just the people? And what about guns? Well, Harry amended, maybe the guns part was over the top, he couldn't really see the pureblood elitists of Voldemort's forces using something as muggle as a gun.

"Well, if they don't I'm sure the guards will figure something out. It's their job, after all."

"Um… may I ask something?" Harry asked, uncertain.

"Sure."

"Are all guards blond?" As Harry said this Alexis smiled a bit.

"No, just mine. And Father's." She answered.

"Why?" Harry couldn't stop that question.

"I don't know. You'd have to ask Father that but I also don't think that's a good idea."

"Ok." Harry squeaked. The look in Alexis' eyes when she'd said that last part hadn't been an overly nice one. She hadn't looked mean but it was something there. Harry decided that he didn't want to meet with Alexis' father. At least not anytime soon. He was a bit curious, though. Harry saw, and heard, that Dudley had gotten over his 'love' for Alexis and was now trying to cajole his mother into buying him a computer. Petunia promised to speak to Vernon on her son's behalf because of course her little Dudders needed a computer to do his schoolwork on.

"I will have to go now, Harry, but we'll meet again. Bye!" Alexis offered and they started to walk off. The blond man, who had previously been quiet, started talking softly to Alexis in a language Harry didn't recognise.

"Good bye!" He said and waved them off. He returned to the driveway and the hose he'd abandoned while talking to Alexis. His aunt had, thankfully, managed to get Dudley to go back inside, apparently the sun wasn't good for Duddykins' delicate skin. Harry was just happy to be rid of them, it meant that he could do his chore uninterrupted, and hopefully without getting yelled at.

The rest of Harry's summer passed more or less quietly. He still had chores to complete but they seemed to take up less and less time of his day. Especially those chores that we're supposed to be done outside of the house. The garden seemed to almost have weeded itself. Harry wouldn't have minded doing that, or similar, chores. They we're relatively easy and though they took time they didn't require much effort. He also enjoyed the possibility of spending time outside now that the weather had turned to the better.

Mostly Harry stayed at the house but from time to time he left the wards to go someplace else, mostly just to get away. He felt less guilty of doing so now when he knew that he had guards that didn't care that he left the wards. Not that he ever saw them, though. He'd woken one night to hear some odd sounds from outside his window. He hadn't seen anything in the dark but it had sounded as if someone was wrestling in the neighbour's hedge. In the morning Harry went out to investigate and he did find a couple of traces that there had been a struggle there. A few twigs and leaves from the bushes had been strewn around in the grass and he could spot a broken twig or two on the bush. It could have been done by a large dog or something but Harry doubted that. It was also the shoeprint that looked as if it had been made from a dress shoe, something that's not overly common in back garden. Harry had quickly smoothed out the soil where the print had been, no one needed to see it.

As summers do, this one also drew to an end. The last night of freedom, as Harry called it, before going back to Hogwarts he spent staying up, outside. He'd managed to sneak away and neither his aunt nor his uncle had missed him, they were too busy doting their son, who would leave for school the same day Harry did. They sky was clear and though it did get a bit chilly Harry marvelled at the sky and his last chance to be alone… well, relatively speaking. Hogwarts was great but it was very hard to find solitude there.

Harry busied his mind trying to name the constellations in the sky, doing most everything not to have to think about Sirius. He'd thought about him a lot this summer and he felt that he'd thought enough. He didn't want to forget his godfather but Harry'd come to the conclusion that maybe if he tried to not think about Sirius some of the pain would go away.