Many miles away, at the Weasley's house 'The Burrow', a boy named Harry Potter awoke with a start. His emerald-green eyes traced the room. His best friend Ron was sleeping soundly on the bed next to his, Chuddly Cannons pictures littering the walls around them both. He was staying at the Weasley's for the remainder of the summer, having been invited there a week previous by an anxious Ron, and a very flustered Ginny. Harry and Ginny were still going out, and Harry had not dropped out of Hogwarts yet; he needed more information about Voldemort before he could continue trying to defeat him. He figured that he could go to Hogwarts for a few weeks, so that his friends would not worry about him, and when he was able to get his hands on one of the horcruxes, he would have to leave, possibly forever.

Harry ran his hand over his head, smoothing out his unkempt jet-black hair. It was foolish of him to worry about something so little. He had had another dream, one about Voldemort, the darkest wizard of all. Harry was worried at first, but after seeing Ron, asleep without a care in the world, he let out a small laugh and fell back unto his pillow. Everything was fine here, and there was nothing to worry about. Voldemort was no where to be seen, it was just another dream, nothing more.

He'd had these dreams before, and this particular one many times in fact. It was as Dumbledore had told him before, he could see into Voldemort's thoughts, as though they were one. But Dumbledore… this dream was different, much more recent. Voldemort was conversing to the Death Eaters about his death, and about a seventh horcrux. Dumbledore had said that there were only six horcruxes, but even Dumbledore was wrong sometimes, after all, he had trusted Severus Snape. And what was the seventh horcrux sealed into? One that was so important to Voldemort that he would call all of his Death Eaters to him to tell them?

Ron grunted peacefully in his sleep somewhere to Harry's left, reminding him that he should probably go back to sleep, so as not to wake anyone. But he committed the entire dream to his memory, he would need to tell someone about it later, to make sure that it was not big deal, and not something incredibly dangerous. But still, where could the seventh horcrux be? Could it be in the place Harry least expected, or right under his nose?

The next morning was all a rush, nothing less than a blur to Harry. It was time to go back to Diagon Alley again to get school supplies, though Harry highly doubted that he would be at Hogwarts long enough to use much of what he bought. Mrs. Weasley suggested that he did anyway, insisting that 'the whole He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named thing could wait until the end the first semester, at least.'

Harry highly doubted that he would even stay at Hogwarts for the first month, but he did not want to upset Mrs. Weasley, nor did he want to worry his friends. The truth was, he was in denial the whole time, from the part where he first found out about everything he was destined to do, and exactly how hard it was going to be for him.

Deep down he was extremely worried, especially about his own life, but he hid that feeling. He knew about the prophesy, the one involving Voldemort and himself, and he knew that it was his fate to take on Voldemort, just as the prophesy said; but thinking things and doing them are very different things. He could 'act the hero' now, but what was to happen when he was left alone, face to face with Voldemort, and battling for his own life?

Harry tried to push it all out of his mind, it was the least he could do to make his time with his friends, and their time with him, more enjoyable. Though it still was hard to think that this might be his last trip to Diagon Alley, and his last few weeks with his friends, he tried to think to himself that he could defeat Voldemort, knowing still that he had little of a chance to do so.

They had returned to Gringotts, where Hagrid's booming voice greeted them. Though it was wonderful for Harry to meet Hagrid again, he still had this lurking feeling, remembering that the reason he had such wealth in the first place was because his parents had been murdered by Voldemort, and their gold had been left to Harry.

After Gringotts they all met up with Hermione and her parents, out in front of Eylopes Owl Emporium. Harry was greeted by a friendly hug from Hermione, and a series of rants from her as well about the dangerous position he was in, and how he should lay low so as not to break any school rules. He tried to tell her that with Voldemort on the run, the school rules were the least he needed to worry about, but she just smiled and changed the subject.

After they had finished shopping, Harry's mind occasionally slipping into his thoughts to the point where he could barely focus on anything, they went to the Leaky Cauldron to spend the night, before they would have to return to Hogwarts again.

Everyone in the Leaky Cauldron either patted Harry on the back, or congratulated him on his stunning victories in Quiddich. Not one of them mentioned Voldemort, and it was as though they didn't really think that the final battle was going to happen any time soon.

Everyone seemed to think that, even with Dumbledore gone, there was still hope yet. Perhaps he had left something helpful behind, but all that was left was the useless locket, which was a fake after all. It was just a way to get Dumbledore out of Hogwarts, and it had worked, though only Harry knew about it. Many people would have thought that Dumbledore would have known about Voldemort's plan to begin with, and would have had a backup plan himself, but only Harry knew that, with Dumbledore gone, there was no hope left...