Chapter one: A time for goodbye.

Harry heaved a sigh of relief. It was finally over and he would be leaving Hogwarts for the last time. He felt saddened at the same time though. This place had felt like home to him these past seven years. Which was more than he could say about the ruddy little shack the Dursley's called a home. Yet he was leaving. He was now a fully trained wizard and it was time to start a new life. He would just have to make a quick stop at the Dursley's to pick up his remaining belongings, not that he had left much behind. He more enjoyed the idea of making them squirm one last time and oh how good it was going to feel to be rid of those horrible muggles once and for all.

Harry allowed himself a small smile as he relished that last thought, when he got a rather harsh thump to his arm.

"OW!" Harry growled. "OI Ron, could you possibly be anymore clumsy? What's gotten into you?"

"Sorry Harry, excited I guess." Ron blushed as he finished clamoring into the carriage.

He had settled beside Harry just as Ginny and Hermione entered.

"This is going to be brilliant!" Ron said gleefully, rubbing his hands together like a child that had just been set loose in Honeydukes.

"Maybe for you." Ginny harrumphed, crossing her arms.

"Don't worry Gin, it'll be over before you realize." Hermione encouraged, "And in the mean time I can find us an apartment close to the boys."

"It's just not going to be the same without you guys." Ginny pouted. "I'll be all alone with no one to talk to all next year."

"That's not true, you'll still have Colin." Ron pointed out.

Ginny shot Ron a glare that could have killed. "Oh yes and he'll be such a bloody wonderful conversationalist now won't he?"

She screwed her face into a perfect version of the look Colin Creevey always had whenever he looked at or talked about Harry.

"Oh Harry's so brave, Harry's so smart, Harry, Harry, Harry!"

"OI! Now I know it can't be that bad!" Harry grimaced.

Ginny turned to him. "Harry, I love you. Merlin knows I do." She looked at him sweetly. "But if I have to hear one more bloody thing about you from that boy's mouth I'll go totally nutters!"

The others chuckled.

The carriages began to move.

"So, got any plans for when we reach London Harry?" Ron asked. "You've been awfully tight lipped."

"I'm just going to get my things from the Dursley's, then I'll meet you at the Burrow." He explained.

"Are you sure that's wise?" Ginny paled.

"Yes mate. You sure that you don't want one of us to come with you?" Ron asked anxiously.

"No Ron, I'll be fine." Harry told him. "There's not much to get and I can aparate to the Burrow from my old bedroom."

"Alright then, we'll take your trunk with us to keep you from having to heave it with you." Ron beamed. "Mum and dad won't mind."

Harry smiled. "Thanks mate. But I think it's best if I just take them with me."

"Suit your self." Ron shrugged.

"We're here!" Hermione sang.

The carriages came to a halt at the Hogwarts express and as everyone got out Harry's scar began to burn.

"OW!" Harry clasped his hand to his forehead.

An image flashed before his eyes of a small pudgy man, on his knee's sobbing and pleading for his life.

"Where is he!" Harry could hear Voldemort's voice demand, his voice cruel as usual.

"I-I don't kn-know what you m-mean." The man stuttered through his sobs.

"Don't play coy with me you filthy muggle. Tell me where he is now!" Voldemort demanded more vehemently.

"Th-there is no one of our fa-family with that na-name!" The stuttering man pleaded. "P-please just let us go!"

"I've grown very tired of this charade!" Voldemort sighed. "If you refuse to give the boy up then you must die!"

He then pointed the wand at the now hysterical man and yelled. "AVADA KEDAVRA!"

The man stopped sobbing the instant the spell hit him and fell silently to the floor.

"Bring me this buffoons wife!" He yelled into the air.

The image faded from Harry's view and the pain ebbed.

"Harry, are you alright?" Ron asked, looking pale himself.

"Voldemort!" Harry gasped. "He's torturing some muggles, looking for someone."

"Who do you think he's looking for?" Hermione asked and when Harry glared at her, she gasped. "Oh! Oh Harry, you don't think he's gotten a hold of the Dursley's do you?"

"I don't know Mione, it didn't look or sound like Vernon." Harry said thoughtfully. "Come to think of it, I'm sure it wasn't him."

"Oh Harry." Ginny sobbed as she flung herself into his arms. "Please don't go to the Dursley's!"

"Gin, I have to." He said lifting her face to meet his. "Don't worry though, I'll come back to you." he told her just before their lips met.

"UGH!" Ron said in disgust.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Oh honestly Ron!"

"What!" Ron asked, taken aback.

"When are you going to get over this Ron! Ginny's a big girl now and it was only a matter of time before Harry was bound to notice it!" Hermione scalded. "Besides." She batted her eyes at him seductively. "You really should be paying attention to another "big" girl."

"Oh?" Ron raised an eyebrow. "And just who is this girl your going on about?"

Hermione growled and swung a perfectly aimed hand in the direction of Ron's head. Ron however had managed to miss her swing and ran towards the Hogwarts express, laughing.

"I'll bet you ten to one she gets him before he's able to lock himself in a compartment." Harry mused.

Ginny chuckled. "You're on." She said as they walked toward the train, hand in hand.

Harry sighed as he watched his friends say goodbye. He knew that for most of them this goodbye was forever, but for Harry, Ginny, Hermione and Ron. It was going to be more of a see you in a bit.

"Now you're sure you'll be fine Harry?" Molly asked, uneasily.

"Yes Mrs. Weasley." Harry chuckled. "I promise. It's not much to get and I'll be at the Burrow before you can miss me."

"Alright then." Molly sighed. "We'll just be off then. Come Ron, Ginny."

Ginny gave Harry a quick peck on the cheek. "Be careful!" She croaked out as she followed her mother.

Harry smiled to himself as he watched the Weasley family go. He couldn't wait to get back to the Burrow and prepose to that beautiful girl. They had been dating most of the year and Harry had fallen so hard for her that he had written Vernon and actually asked him for his mother's ring, the ring Harry had found when he was six and had been told that it was to be given to him when he was old enough. Well Vernon was not pleased about the fact that Harry had demanded the return of the ring, seeing that it was quite valuable but Harry had threatened to tell everyone their dark little secret and Vernon had caved. Harry could almost imagine Vernon's chubby face as he had written the reply and sent Harry the ring. As soon as the package had arrived Harry opened his uncle's letter.

Harry,

You had bloody well stay away from our family after this all is done.
Having your sort in our family has been horrible at best. I demand that you
come and get your belongings the moment you are done this year and never
come back! Here's your mother's ring and if you so much as tell one soul your
related to us I'll, well I don't know what I'll do but you can bet it'll be bad. Just
get your things and if we never see you again it'll be too soon.

Vernon Dursley

Harry had chuckled at this letter. What made that pudgy bastard think he'd want anything to do with them once he was out of their home? Honestly Harry was looking forward to never seeing them again. Lost in his thoughts Harry hadn't been paying attention to the time until the clock chimed five times. It was five o'clock and Harry had been waiting for over an hour now for the Dursley's. This was most unlike Vernon. True he disliked Harry but he would never have left him stranded. Harry rumaged into his pocket for what wizarding money he had and could change into muggle money. Of course this meant a trip to Diagon Alley but it was better then him aparating infront of a station full of muggles and possibly scaring the wits out of them. He pushed his trolley out of the station and hailed a cab. A bright yellow cab stopped infront of him and a large man with a toothy grin beamed at him.

"Need a lift there mate?" The driver asked him.

"Yes I need to get to London." Harry said and gave him the address for the Leaky Cauldron. "Now I only need to stop there for a bit then I need to go to 4 privet drive after that."

The driver beamed at Harry again. "Right o mate! Hop in and I'll get your trunk." The man got out of the cab and took Harry's trunk from him.

Harry took Hedwig and sat her cage onto the seat of the cab carefully. He then climbed into the cab himself as the man pushed his trunk into the back.

"Oaf!" grunted the man. "Blimey mate, you got rocks in there or what?"

Harry blushed as the man got into the cab and set off toward London.

It seemed like forever before the cab came to a halt before the Leaky cauldron.

"I'll be right back." Harry told the driver as he got out of the cab.

Harry quickly made his way to Diagon Alley and then to Gringotts. As he approached the Goblin at the exchange desk the goblin looked up and sneered.

"Welcome to Gringotts, how may I help you." The goblin said in a gruff voice.

Harry handed him the wizarding money. "I need this to be changed into muggle money please." He told him.

"Well now, not much of a request for that. Usually people are wanting the oposite." The goblin told him. "Let me see now. Twelve Galleons and 15 Sickles comes to tewnty pounds." the goblin handed Harry the money.

"Thank you." Harry said taking the money and made his way back to the cab.

"Okay." Harry said as he got back in to the cab. "Now lets go to privet dr."

The driver nodded and took off. Harry looked out the window as the buildings flew by and wondered why the Dursley's had not met him. He didn't get much time to ponder this when the cab came to a halt.

Harry looked at the heap of rubble that was where #4 privet drive should be standing.

"Are you sure this is where you wanted to go mate?" The driver asked confused. "Looks like nothing's here no more."

Harry shot the man a look of irritation. "Of coursethis was where I wanted to go, but where's the house?" He asked more to himself.

The man shrugged. "Well if this is where you want to go then that'll ten pounds mate."

Harry gave the man fifteen pounds, not paying attention to what he was actually doing and got out of the cab. he grabbed Hedwig as the man took out his trunk.

"Good luck then mate." The driver said as he pulled away.

Harry walked numbly towards the ruins that was his uncle's home and looked around for any sign of life. He had just spotted an arm dangling out of the wreakage when he heard the popping sound that was made when someone aparated. Harry whirled around to see five Aruror's looking around the wreakage. Aparently no one had spotted him yet.

Harry cleared his throat. "Excuse me but what happened here?" He asked.

The Aurors spun around in surprise.

"What are you doing here?" one of them demanded as he spotted Harry.

"This is, well was my home until today. My uncle failed to pick me up at the station and I had to get a cab." Harry shot back at the man. "Now will you please tell me what the bloody hell happened!"

"Just who are you?" The same Auror demanded.

"I am Harry Potter." Harry said irritated.

"Oh Mr. Potter. I had no idea, please forgive me." The man was stumbling.

"Knock it off!" Harry growled. "I am hardly anyone to be groveling over!"

"Now again I ask, what happened here?" Harry demanded.

"You know who attacked here sir." The same auror said, trying to get Harry's good graces. "He killed the muggles that lived here and destroyed this house."

"That bloody bastard!" Harry growled. "Couldn't wait one bloody day could he!"

"So-sorry?" The auror looked taken aback.

"Where is he?" He thought out loud. "Where could that monstrosity of a man be?"

As the thought hit Harry he grabbed Hedwig's cage and placed a hand on his trunk. He then aparated to the burrow.

Harry had arrived at the burrow too late. Voldemort was already there and had broken through the wards. The bodies of the only family he had known were strewn all over in a bloody mess. Voldemort was standing over the last survivor, a very bloody and sobbing Hermione Granger.

"Where is he!" Voldemort yelled.

"Do you honestly think I would ever tell you where Harry is!" Hermione spat into his face. "I'd die before I would ever give him to you!"

"Then you'll have your wish little witch." Voldemort said cruelly as he lifted his wand.

"VOLDEMORT!" Harry yelled as he stepped out "Get your filthy hands off of her!"

"Ah, Harry. Just the man I wanted to see." Voldemort grinned evilly.

"HARRY RUN!" Hermione yelled. "GET OUT OF HERE NOW!"

"Shut up you filthy Mudblood!" Voldemort pointed his wand at Hermione.

"HARRY RUN NOW!" She continued as if she hadn't heard a word.

Before she could say another word though Voldemort yelled. "AVADA KEDAVRA!" And Hermione fell to the ground, eyes wide open but not moving.

"NO!" Harry screamed as he ran forward.

Before Harry could reach Hermione he felt a spell hit him and he slid into darkness