Harry Potter and the Return to Godric's Hollow by Erin10.
Spoiler Warning: - This fiction contains spoilers from HPB. If you haven't read HBP, don't read my fic! It won't make sense and I don't want to spoil HBP for anyone! Consider yourself warned! I won't be held responsible if you read this and then complain that I spoilt the book for you!
Disclaimer: - Everything belongs to J.K Rowling! I own nothing! This is written purely for my own enjoyment, after the last book my sanity depends on it!
Chapter Two – Plans of Action.
A week later, Harry was busy packing his trunk. He had stayed at the Dursley's for the first three weeks of July, and in nine days Bill Weasley was to marry Fleur. Finishing quickly he dragged his trunk down the stairs and into the hallway, and then he walked swiftly up the stairs and picked up Hedwig's cage, he had told her to fly to the Burrow.
He sat the cage on top of his trunk and he looked around briefly, this was the last time he would ever see the Dursley residence. He would never ever visit here again. He quickly walked into the kitchen. His aunt Petunia stood with her back to him he noticed that she was busy making breakfast, his uncle and cousin sat at the table.
"I'm leaving now. I doubt I'll ever see you again." He told them forcefully, "Thank you for taking me in." He laughed bitterly and shook his head in morbid amusement, what more was there to say to these people? There wasn't anything he could think of, absolutely nothing. Without waiting for an answer he walked from the kitchen, and pulled his trunk and Hedwig's cage into the street. Pulling out his wand stealthily and checking for any Muggles nearby, he raised the wand, and with a bang, the night bus appeared.
"Hello I'm Arnold Pearson and I'll be your conductor this morning…" Harry nodded impatiently.
"Yes… Yes, hasn't Stan been released yet?" He asked cutting the boy off when he remembered that Rufus Scrimgeour had arrested Stan Shunpike several months ago. Pearson shook his head regretfully.
"No Sir."
Harry shook his head and mounted the bus. "Scrimgeour has a lot to answer for, doesn't he? I'll have a single to Ottery St Catchpole, outside the Burrow please." He told Pearson who looked quite shocked that Harry had defiled the Ministers name.
"Right you are Sir. I'll bring your luggage aboard. That'll be three galleons and a sickle." Harry nodded and paid the man, he noticed that the beds had vanished, and in their place comfortable chairs and settees littered the bus. He sat in the chair nearest the driver Ernie.
By chance he glanced back towards the Dursley's house. His aunt has been peering out of the window looking for him. He remembered that Muggles could not see the night bus, and that it must have seemed like he had disappeared in plain sight. That would rile them up for a final time, and send her into a screeching fit about his weird abnormality. The thought made him grin.
Pearson it seemed could not keep his eyes off of Harry, and Harry did not know if this was a good thing or not.
"What did you say your name was Sir?" He asked him finally. Harry smiled slightly and shook his head, he raised his hand to shake Pearsons, after all, he hadn't really introduced himself, and he decided quickly, that in the dark times they were living in, it wasn't really appropriate for him to divulge his true name. Harry did some quick thinking.
"I didn't. It's James, James Evans." Harry then making sure his fringe was covering his lightning bold scar, stared out of the window in a daydream which included the end of the war, and all of his friends lounging around happily with Ginny by his side. He did not speak to Pearsons again, except to say goodbye when he reached his destination.
"Who is it?" An anxious voice asked. Harry grimaced, Mrs Weasley sounded quite frightened.
"It's me Mrs. Weasley. Harry." He heard her gasp slightly, but the door did not open.
"Would you like me to tell you something only I know Mrs. Weasley? Then perhaps you can tell me something that you know about me, but that's not commonly known?" He asked remembering what Mr Weasley had insisted on Molly Weasley doing last year.
"Yes please Harry."
"The summer before my fifth year, you told Sirius that I was as good as your son." He whispered remembering that fondly.
"Your favourite dinner is Shepard's pie." She whispered back and opened the door quickly. She pointed her wand at his belongings and levitated them inside, stepping aside for Harry to follow. She then bolted the door.
"It's good to see you Harry, but you shouldn't be wandering around alone! Anything could have happened!" She scolded him. Harry grimaced slightly at her tone.
"I haven't much choice Mrs. Weasley; Dumbledore isn't here to protect me anymore is he?" She didn't answer, but another voice did, which made him spin around quickly.
"Be that as it may Harry, the Order's still here to protect you." Harry turned to see Remus Lupin sitting at the kitchen table. Harry shook his head in disagreement.
"No they can't. I won't be sticking around for much longer; I have places to go and people to see. No one can protect me anymore, no one but myself." Harry took his cloak off and hung it over the chair.
Lupin frowned. "What have you got to do Harry?" He asked sounding quite worried.
"I don't have to do anything Lupin. I chose to finish what Dumbledore and I started." He said flatly, but he smiled slightly at Lupin to show him that he wasn't snubbing him. It was a technique he remembered Albus Dumbledore employing on him last summer, to soften his tone, so that Harry did not believe that he had snubbed him, and to show him that he was free to ask more questions. Harry continued to speak.
"Hopefully, I might also run into Snape on my journey, and if I do I'll show him the same mercy he showed Professor Dumbledore." He sank into the seat beside Lupin; his eyes sparkled with anger at the thought of what Snape had done to his mentor. Molly saw this and turned on him.
"Don't you even think about it Harry Potter, your still just a child."
Harry looked up at her and shook his head, "No Mrs. Weasley, you want to believe that I'm still child, but I haven't been a child for several years now. All I'm doing is fulfilling destiny if you will."
"Killing Severus Snape is not your destiny Harry!" She squealed, and Harry nodded in agreement which confused the woman slightly.
"No, you're right, it's his comeuppance. He's had his hand in my parent's deaths, Sirius's death and he is solely responsible for Professor Dumbledore's death. I want to have a direct hand in his, and Merlin help me, I will!" Harry vowed feeling Lupin's eyes boring into his skull.
"And do you have the skill to do that Harry?" Lupin asked sceptically, "…Because the last time I looked you still had a year of schooling to complete, and Snape is a world class dueller." Harry turned to meet his old Professor's gaze head on.
"Either I will or I won't. If I don't then it won't matter much to me will it? And if I do I'll be the-boy-who-lived twice." His laugh was tinged with irony. "But time's running out and I don't have a year to waste at school. Not now that Dumbledore is dead. I have a hell of a lot to do, and I doubt I've much time to do it in, skill or no, I embrace the challenge. I think it's a better plan that sitting around and waiting for Voldermort to strike first. This time, everything will be on my terms, and I for one, prefer that immensely." Harry said sounding satisfied, his mouth slightly curved into a very small smile. He looked startlingly like a very quiet cat that had got his cream finally, and who was just about to savour it.
"That goes for the pair of us too Harry! We've already told you, you're not alone mate. We're coming too." Another voice said quietly, it was his best friend Ron who had spoken; he was holding his girlfriend's hand, Hermione Granger, Harry's other best friend.
"After all we've been through together, it'd be a shame to break the trend now wouldn't it?" She smiled sadly at him, "We'll be with you all the way Harry, like we always have been. Where you go, we go, like we always have." Harry looked at them pensively.
"It's asking a fair bit of the both of you. This is far more dangerous than ever before, and there won't be anyone to bail us out if things get rough. It's your choice, and like Dumbledore let me make my choice alone, I'll let you make yours, and either way, I won't think any less of you for it." He smiled slightly at the indignant looks on his friend's faces, but he continued to talk. "You've got until the day of my birthday to decide, by then I really must make a move."
"No need. I'm with you mate. It's not a hard choice you know Harry, you're my best mate, andI'll see you through to the end." Ron told him shaking his head in mock annoyance at his friend's typical behaviour. Mrs. Weasley began to voice her protests, but Harry ignored her, and cut her off quickly.
"If you come you have to be prepared for anything. You could end up like my parents. The only difference is that you would have had a shorter engagement to one another, and no children to leave behind." Harry told them his Slytherin surfacing briefly. Ron looked shocked.
"How in Merlin's name did you know about that?" Harry pointed to their entwined hands. Hermione wore a solitary gold band on her ring finger.
Ron shook his head with a small chuckle. "Only a seeker would have spotted that, but it isn't an engagement ring Harry, it's a promise ring. It's a shame we won't be playing next year Captain." To Harry it seemed as if Ron had brushed off his warning, so he began to speak again when Ron interrupted him.
"Yes Harry! We know! Generally people's lives are at risk when people are at war! It's a chance everyone has to take! Not just us. Admittedly, ours will be at more of a risk than most, but so be it. We're still with you. Stop trying to convince us to stay, it's not happening." Hermione smiled slightly and she began to continue where Ron had left off.
"Harry, we've done nothing but think about it since you told us. The risk is worth it. It's the right thing to do, and we would do it anyway because we care about you too!" Harry smiled slightly.
"I care about you both more than you can imagine, but you do realise Hermione that if you come with me there won't be any time for Hogwarts and classes? You won't graduate." Ron laughed silently turning away from his girlfriend.
Hermione however sniffed and looking quite annoyed, she shot a dirty look at Harry. "I can't believe you think I value my education more than your life Harry!"
He smiled. "This coming from the girl who once said 'I hope you're pleased with yourselves. We could have been all killed -- or worse, expelled,' in our first year Hermione? It's obvious that not graduating is going to be a really sore spot for you, however just for the record I didn't think that you valued it more than my life." She sniffed again looking quite annoyed.
"Yes it's a sacrifice, but it's one I'm prepared to make, so can we just drop it? Ron's sacrificing Quidditch, but you're not making a point about that! You're sacrificing the love Ginny wants to give you, which you kept remarkably quiet about!" She said with a shrewd look. Her last sentence had been said in barely more than a whisper so that the adults didn't hear her.
"Which is a completely stupid thing to do Harry, but that's neither here nor there because you won't listen to me anyway." She finished huffily.
"Fine. Fine. I see your point Hermione, I'll drop it." Harry told her looking away from the Weasley family, as a small blush tinted his cheeks at the mention of his breaking up with Ginny. "I only meant to prepare you for the harsh reality of what awaits us; none of this adventure will be pretty. It will be life threatening and downright frightening at times."
"None of you are going anywhere!" Mrs. Weasley snapped having heard enough, and having had enough of being ignored in her own home. Ron looked at her angrily.
"My best mate is going off into go knows what trouble, and you expect me to stay at home like a good little boy and let him brave it alone? I don't think so Mother! I'll be right beside him!" He snapped. Hermione placed her hand on Ron's shoulder trying to calm him down; she spoke softly to Mrs. Weasley.
"We'll be gone the day after Harry's birthday, Mrs. Weasley. We reminded Harry at the Headmasters funeral about attending Bill's wedding, and Harry and Ron need to take their apparition tests on Harry's birthday."
"Where will you go?" Asked Lupin still staring at Harry.
"Who knows?" Harry muttered not quite ready to divulge that information to the man in case the adults tried to stop them. He fingered the fake Horcrux which he wore around his neck, feeling apprehensive about the oncoming journey.
"What's that Harry?" Lupin questioned again. Harry looked at him and spoke quietly.
"A reminder of what's at stake." Hermione looked at him sadly.
"Neither of you could have known Harry." She tried to reassure him.
"S'not the point is it Hermione? That night was hell, in more ways than one. We should have known, in fact we should have done a lot of things but didn't." Harry muttered again, feeling an ache in his heart.
"Are you going to brief the Order on your mission Harry?" Lupin asked. Harry shook his head.
"No one but the three of us is to know. I promised the Headmaster and Hermione and Ron promised me." He said forcefully.
"He's gone Harry… I'm sure he wouldn't have minded…" Mrs Weasley began attentively, she looking slightly resigned to Harry's plight now, but she looked like she wanted to know every little single detail about it before passing complete judgement.
"Like I told Professor McGonagall, Mrs. Weasley, Professor Dumbledore did not tell me to ever stop following his orders, even if he died, so I won't." Harry told the woman sternly. This was one secrete no one but the three of them were to know.
"Molly, stop pressing Harry, you know what he told Scrimgeour." Remus said with a small smile of pride, which was directed at Harry.
"That I'm Dumbledore's man through and through. How did you know?" Harry said softly.
"The Headmaster's portraits talk Harry; you told the Headmaster did you not?" Harry nodded, and decided that it was time for another subject; he did not want to think about the Headmaster now, because the subject was still too raw.
"We'll need some of Fred and Georges serious line," Harry told his friends, "Anything that could be useful, Shield Hats, Cloaks, Gloves, Instant Darkness Powder, Decoy Detonators and Extendable Ears. You two could do with an invisibility cloak each too, can you buy those? I need another wand too." Harry asked thinking of anything they might need.
"Why do you need a wand Harry?" Lupin asked frowning.
"Didn't you know? My wand is the brother to Voldermort's wand. Phoenix feathers, which were given by Fawks. Did Ollivander ever surface?" Molly raised her hand to her mouth trying to stifle a gasp at Harry's revelation.
"No." Lupin muttered pensively.
"Shame. I always thought he seemed a bit dodgy, I doubt he was kidnapped, probably always was a Death Eater, he was a very odd man. I never felt that safe around him." Harry shuddered remembering how being in Ollivander presence had felt, and how his eerie, moon-like eyes seemed to follow your every step, like Moody's fake eye, but more sinisterly.
"Harry! You can't just accuse people of…" Molly began. Hermione laughed bitterly.
"He never trusted Snape either. He was the only one who didn't! None of us would listen to him, we just thought it was because of the old hostility between his parents, Sirius and Snape. We kept telling him that If Dumbledore said that he was trustworthy then he was, and look how that ended! I for one think that we should think that everyone could be a possible Death Eater, because it's better than blindly trusting everyone. We can't afford to lose anyone else, especially Harry, not after losing Dumbledore." Hermione told them darkly, her brown eyes glittering strangely.
Harry was slightly shocked to hear Hermione's view's being painted so negatively. "No Hermione not everyone is a possible Death Eater, Professor Dumbledore was right to a certain extent. Some people do deserve a second chance and they do deserve to be trusted when they've earned that right. Look at Sirius when he almost killed Snape, Snape was a git, but even for a prank that was extreme. Should I have not given him my trust? Some people, those people like Voldermort don't deserve trust to be given to them or second chances. It's a case of finding the middle ground between Professor Dumbledore's trusting nature and Moody's constant 'everyone is out to get me,' vigilance, paranoia." Harry finished feeling like he had just delivered a sermon.
"Well said Harry!"
A new voice sounded from behind Ron and Hermione who still blocked the door. They apologised and entered the kitchen, and it was Ginny who followed them in.
"You must be hungry. I bet you didn't stay at the Dursley's for breakfast?" She asked looking around the kitchen. As if on queue Harry's stomach rumbled.
"I… I'm sorry dear, I completely forgot. I'll whip something up for you now." Mrs. Weasley told him blushing like he had earlier. Harry heard none of that though, his eyes were locked with Ginny's, and he suddenly realised that the next ten days would be excruciatingly hard, because even though he knew he must distance himself from her, he didn't want to.
Hermione however, nudged Ron, while she watched them with a smug smile on her face she whispered, "I told him it was a stupid idea."
End Ch2
Should be a Weasley Wedding next! What did you think?
Please Read and Review! It makes my day!
Erin10
Revised 14/09/05