Chapter2 – One Last Summer
Harry Potter looked out of his bedroom window as the sun started to set. Soon the stars would come out, people would be going to sleep, and the owls and other night creatures would come out. Another day back at the Dursleys had come to an end, which was to Harry a double-edged sword. On one hand it meant one day closer to going back to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. However; on the other hand it meant one day closer to a victory for Voldemort if he couldn't find the Horcruxes. With thought of the Horcruxes came thoughts of Dumbledore. With thoughts of Dumbledore, his mentor and protector over the last few years, came tears burning in his eyes.
Once again Harry's thoughts went back to the battle in Hoqwarts between the teachers, students and a squad of Death Eaters. They went back to how Snape betrayed them all by killing Dumbledore. With Dumbledore gone, that left Harry alone to figure out the riddle of the Horcruxes. That's ironic, thought Harry when memory once again brought him back several years to Tom Riddle, and Ginny Weasley, Ron's baby sister. Thinking of Ginny brought even more tears to his face.
When it came to Ginny his heart was torn into two pieces. Both parts cared deeply for her, but there were two ways of going about Ginny. Either he cut off ties with Ginny so that she wouldn't get hurt by Voldemort. Or he could stay close to her and risk the Dark Lord using her to get to him. Just like Tom Riddle had done all those years ago. It seemed to Harry that it was ages ago that he had first gone to Hogwarts, his true home. He then thought about Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, his two best friends. How could he explain to them that they can't help him, that he has to destroy the Horcruxes on his own? The answer was simple. No matter what he could possibly say or do, both of them would go with him to help. All Harry wanted to do was keep his friends from getting hurt. With the storm that was brewing, it seemed as thought that that was going to be a very difficult task.
Hedwig, Harry snow-white pet owl, screeched out to Harry, indicating that she wanted to be let loose to go and hunt. Harry got up from his perch and walked over to the cage. Quietly he unlocked the lock on the cage and picked her up. Walking back to the window Harry let Hedwig go off into the night. Harry then went and flopped onto his bed and starred at the ceiling. His thoughts went to his most immediate problem. In less than a week he would turn seventeen years old. By wizard law, that would mean he was a man. This was probably the only thing that Mr. Dursley had been pleased to know about Harry. Simply because that meant that he could get rid of Harry for good. He had already told Harry that on his birthday he was expected to be packed and gone before Mr. Dursley woke up that morning. He was going to have to see if the Weasley's would allow him to stay with them for the rest of the summer. But then he had second thoughts.
Staying with the Weasleys could easily put them in danger, Harry thought, besides, hadn't he put the family in enough danger over the years? But where could he possibly go? Where could he hide from Voldemort? He could go to Sirius's old estate, but that may actually be too obvious a move and decided against it. Where's Hermione when you need her? Thought Harry. While Harry was contemplating what to do, an owl flew in through the window with a letter for Harry. Harry gave the bird a coin and looked at the letter. He saw that the address was written to him in Ron's handwriting. Opening the letter with anticipation he read the letter and smiled when he was finished reading it. He then read it over again.
Dear Harry,
Hello Harry! How are you? Listen, I know that you're turning 17 soon, and well since the Dursleys know that you'll be a man, I figured that they're going to kick you out. Well, I mean to say that Hermione thinks so. Uh, if they do kick you out my mum says that you are welcome here, of course. Oh, by the way, Ginny says that if you don't come by she well, ah, she will send letters to you everyday explaining what she is doing to me. Harry, she is DEAD SERIOUS. Hermione says that she will help her too! Harry, PLEASE HELP ME!
Your Best Friend,
Ron Weasley
P.S. They REALLY ARE SERIOUS.
HELP!
In some strange way the letter brought a lot of comfort to Harry. For starters it meant that Hermione and Ron where on good friendly terms again. The last thing he needed was a year like last year between those two. Second of all, it meant that Ginny would not let him go as easy as he had hoped. Third, it solved his problem as to where to go when he turned seventeen, as it seemed he wasn't being given a choice. Whether Mrs. Weasley or Ginny took the choice away, he didn't know. Harry drifted off to sleep thinking of Ginny, and what she was going to do to Ron.
Harry woke up the next morning and slowly got dressed and went downstairs to hopefully get something to eat. When he went into the kitchen he found that a banana had been laid out for his breakfast. As he sat down and started to peel it, his Uncle Vernon looked at him with a scowl on his face. Harry saw him out of the corner of his eye and ignored him. He looked across the table at Dudley Dursley. Dudley looked like a small elephant these days. He really should get help. Harry thought to himself as he saw his Aunt Petunia get up and start doing the dishes.
Harry had finished his banana by then and got from the table to go back upstairs to his room when Vernon stopped him. Apparently Harry wasn't going to escape his uncles sharp tongue this morning. I don't care anymore, thought Harry, I won't have to put up with this for much longer.
"Listen boy, in a couple of days you'll turn seventeen. Since according to your worlds law you will be a man. By time I wake up that morning I WANT YOU GONE. DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?" Vernon shouted the last part of his early morning retort loud enough for the neighbors to hear.
"Yes I do. I will leave and never look back. Actually, I can't wait to leave this hell-hole." Came Harry's reply as he went up the stairs to his room. It was true, he couldn't wait to get out of here, away from his Aunt and Uncle and his horribly fat cousin. Harry passed the time over the next couple of days packing his things and getting ready to go to the Burrow. Finally the day before his birthday came, and the day seemed to pass on incredibly slowly to Harry. Eventually night fell on 14 Privet Drive, the last night Harry would see at this place.
Two hours before midnight Harry was sitting in his bed twirling his wand around with his fingers, waiting for the sound of the clock that would tell him it was midnight. All of a sudden he sat bolt upright as he just remembered something. When he turned seventeen the spells protecting this place would wear off. It would be easy for Voldemort to attack him and the Dursleys. As much as Harry hated to admit it, they were his family. He had to warn them somehow. Knowing that it would be futile to wake up his Aunt and Uncle he decided that he would leave a note pinned on the kitchen table. Then it would be up them what precautions to take. He quickly took out a scrap piece of parchment and scribbled the note. He then cautiously went downstairs and put it on the kitchen table for them to see in the morning. He quickly went back upstairs and into his room shutting the door behind him.
Back in his room he took stock of all of the things that were there and inside of his trunk. Making sure that he had everything that he needed he grabbed Hedwigs cage and set it beside him as he sat on top of his trunk. It was an incredibly boring final hour for Harry, just sitting there staring of into space. He tried his best not to think of Dumbledore, Ginny, Horcruxes, Ron, Hermione or anything that about Hogwarts. At last, he heard the the chime from the clock downstairs signaling that it was midnight. At last, Harry thought as he picked up his trunk with one hand and Hedwigs cage in the other. He coiuld use magic legally now, and the first spell that he cast was a feather wieght charm on the trunk. With that he went downstairs one final time and out of the front door. Without looking back or thinking twice Harry Potter left Number 14 Privet Drive for the last time.