Author's note: I'm sorry for the lag time, very unlike me isn't it? Hope you guys have been keeping up alright till now. Oh yes BIG NEWS, I've just enabled the anonymous review option so you're all free to make your comments. No flames pretty please, you can criticize but be constructive about it. See you next week!

"Pass the butter please Dudley."

"Sure. Dad, are you done with the butter?

"Yes, of course boy, here you go."

Thanks."

"How would you boys like your eggs today?"

"Sunny side up please, mum."

"Ah, not for me Petunia, I've got to look good for the meeting with the executives."

"And you, Harry?"

"Er…scrambled please."

Every morning since Harry's return to Privet Drive had been just like this. Cheery greetings, generous breakfasts and the Dursleys talking to him like he was no longer something smelly that a possum dragged in. Harry's first few days back had been inexplicably bizarre for him. Not knowing how to respond to the Dursleys sudden new found kindness towards him, he had just gone with the flow and talked to them with the same politeness and on hand friendliness.

The breakfast table was set beautifully with an orange chrysanthemum standing in a half filled glass of water. Vernon, Dudley and Harry each had a glass of orange juice and a plate piled with bacon, toast and baked beans. Petunia had even taken the liberty of folding their napkins into various shapes; Harry's was curiously shaped like a pointed hat.

Harry had not asked the Dursleys about their reformed behaviour, partially because he was afraid that they would take offense and go back to treating him like dirt. He couldn't imagine for the world what could have completely changed the Dursleys like that. Was it perhaps the fact that Dumbledore had died? Or was it because some of the Order had threatened them into being nice? Or maybe, Harry had thought with a twinge of fear, it's because I'm going to leave them a week and have no real reason to want to come back. They're just being nice because they're so elated that I'm leaving them. He was shocked to find himself slightly disappointed by this revelation, for he had once or twice even formed the impossible possibility that the Dursleys were somewhat, atoning. No, don't be ridiculous, they hate me and always will. Yet somehow, his heart leapt when Vernon Dursley had invited him to play a game of scrabble.

Ron and Hermione had been, just as they had promised, sending Harry letters almost every day. By the astounding turn of events, Vernon Dursley had lifted his ban on Hedwig having to be perpetually locked in her cage as long as she was still in his house. He now did not even mind her soaring into the kitchen once in a while to nibble at someone's toast, even his own. They had just finished breakfast when Hedwig silently zoomed into the kitchen, landing gracefully on Harry's shoulder. A letter written in neat cursive lettering was clutched in her beak as was the Daily Prophet. She dropped it on Harry's lap and, upon seeing that there was no more food left for her, let out a very indignant, loud hoot. Vernon gave a start and Petunia shrieked and dropped the plates in the sink. Usually, Harry would have gulped and tried to escape as fast as he could, but this time, he just gave a sheepish grin.

"Sorry, she's just hungry."

"Yes, of course she is. I think there might be some raisins in the fridge if she'd like those." replied Vernon and went back to reading his paper. Petunia remained rigid for a while but quickly went back to washing the dishes.

Harry got the raisins for Hedwig and left the kitchen for his room, examining the letter in his hand. Besides Hermione's distinct handwriting, the rest of the envelope looked like it had been stamped on and embossed several times over. Large, black square letterings read "APPROVED" and "AUTHORIZED BY MOM". The Ministry of Magic seal had been embedded twice on both sides of the letter, in bright gold capitals. It also did not look as if much care had been taken in re-sealing the letter for all Harry had to do to pull out the parchment from inside was shake it upside down till it fell out.

Dear Harry,

Hi again, hope you're doing as good as you were two days ago. Ron was thinking of calling with a telephone, but I didn't know how your aunt and uncle would take it. Then again, I realized that they're being nice and all that so I thought I'd just ask you instead.

I hope you read the Prophet before reading this letter because that's the only way you'd be able to understand what I was talking about. As usual, I'm not allowed to say whatever I want to in this letter, so I hope you get the message. If you noticed the "bent bars" bit on page 2, I'm sure you'd come to the same conclusion as me when I first read it. So it's finally happening isn't it? What we've been speculating all along. Ron, Ginny and I talked to our greatest friend about it but the answer we got wasn't straight. All we were told was that it wasn't what we think and it was nothing to worry about. Of course, we beg to differ.

So the big day's coming in a week and we feel it's about time we decided where you were going to go. Stay on where you are or come back with us? Ron's parents were thinking we should drop by where he died and see what's going to happen on September the first.

Best wishes,

Hermione and Ron

Ps: Ginny misses you an awful lot mate. I even caught her crying about it just yesterday. I think we'd all be happy if you came back. Cheers, Ron.

Harry immediately dove for the Prophet and noticed for the first time, its headlines. He choked on air.

"Mass break-in at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry- valuable items believed to be stolen.

Ministry experts from the Breach of Magical Laws and Regulations department confirmed yesterday, that Britain's only wizarding institute, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry has indeed been burglarized. Very valuable antiques, dark detectors and even portraits have been stolen from the edifice. According to now Deputy Headmistress Minerva McGonagall, "any enchantments or magical barriers that guard Hogwarts have not been lifted. In fact added magical precautions have even been blanketed around the school during this period of inactivity. Our gates have been secured shut using the most complex security enchantments and so have certain doors within Hogwarts. - "

Harry instantly knew what she had meant by "certain doors". The door to the Room of Requirement that had allowed Draco Malfoy to communicate with the Death Eaters the whole of the last school year.

"- Hogwarts School has remained inactive for the last month, owing to the very sudden and shocking death of Headmaster Albus Dumbledore. Whether or not, classes will resume on the first of September this year, McGonagall was not in composure to answer. Cont on p.2". Harry impatiently fumbled with the newspaper for a few seconds before he managed to flip it open.

Ministry experts were called down immediately to Hogwarts when the alert was made by current caretaker, Argus Filch. Thorough searches revealed hardly a vestige of evidence pertaining to the person or persons responsible for this burglary. The only pieces of evidence located by Department Head, Boris Burke, were the bent bars on the main gate leading to Hogwarts as well as the head of one of the two gargoyles flanking the gates being severely chipped. "The only thing this shows", commented Mr. Burke," is that whoever broke into Hogwarts was either very strong or very big. And clumsy too."'

The rest of the article merely went on to describe the incident involving Dumbledore's death and the debauchery that had ensued. As if they hadn't highlighted it enough already, Harry thought bitterly. His thoughts immediately shifted to Hermione's letter. The bent bars on Hogwarts' main gates. The thought that instantaneously flickered on in Harry's mind seemed almost ridiculous to him yet feasible. Very feasible. Giants.

That night, Harry lay in bed, unable to drive the growing sense of dread and speculation out of his mind. How had the death eaters managed to get their hands on the giants? If even Hagrid and Madame Maxime, two people with the closest likeness to full blown giants, could not sway them, how did the death eaters, whose only weapons were dark magic- that which giants absolutely abhor- manage to? They probably tortured them into it, Harry thought. But then again, what could be more torturous then being involved in one of those super-sized bloodbaths that Hagrid saw them get into? He shuddered to imagine.

His vision swam in and out of focus as his eyelids began to droop. He envisioned Golgomath ripping off Karkus's head, but having difficulties because the sinew on his neck was just too tough to rip out. Harry could hear Karkus trying to bargain his way out of death, his voice strangely calm and collected for someone almost losing his head.

"I never wanted to get involved in this in the first place……" Of course he didn't, who'd like having their head torn off?

"I swore to myself I was never going to say a word to the boy…." Karkus thought Hagrid was a boy? How silly.

"But why, Petunia?" Petunia? His name is Golgomath you stupid giant… Harry awoke with a start. He could hear muffled voices coming from the next room; no doubt they were Vernon's and Petunia's. He shook his head and blinked several times before quietly sliding off the bed. He crept over to the wall and pressed his ear to it.

"It was going to be just nods and grunts from then on. Oh don't give me that look Petunia; you saw how arrogantly the old geezer spoke to us. It was almost as if we were beneath him. Why I'd love to kick him beneath his-"

"Oh for mercy's sake, Vernon, you do realize he's dead don't you? The least you could do was show some respect-"

"Respect? Respect for that lot? Oh, I'm sorry Petunia but I lost all respect for that lot ever since he was dumped on our doorstep!" A loud thud reverberated off the walls.

"Hush Vernon please- he might wake up!"

"I didn't see you caring for the boy much, either Petunia. Why, wasn't it you who whacked him till he was sore the day he wore Dudley's old shirt to school? Wasn't it you who never bothered to give him proper meals? Not to mention I do believe he's from your side of the family!" The last word rang out very loudly and Harry actually jerked his ear away from the wall. His heart was pounding. It was a while before either of them spoke again.

"He w-won't be coming back here Vernon. I think it's only right that we give him a good sending off. W-we aren't savages, Vernon. We don't take pleasure in other people's pain. The boy lost his parents, his godfather, his headmaster and now even though it won't make much of a difference to him anyway- us. He may be abn- different Vernon, but he's human. He's got feelings and we've been destroying that for the past seventeen years. The least we could do is send him away with a smile." There was a pause after this after which Harry only heard the creaking of bedsprings.

So this was why the Dursleys were being so doting. Petunia had been enlightened, to say the most, about the fact that this was the last time she would ever see her nephew again. Her nasty, rude, rebel of a nephew but a nephew she had taken care of for seventeen whole years nonetheless. He was the last link she had left to her dead sister, the last blood channel that she had with the Potters and he was leaving them for good. It is said that no matter how much you despise family, that part of your heart will never be replaced by someone else.

Harry did not know if he should feel touched or sickened by what he just heard. The fact that Vernon and Dudley being so warm towards him had all been part of a charade, riled him as much as Petunia admitting that she honestly cared, moved him. He sat on his bed and watched Hedwig devour a dead tree frog, while contemplating. After a few minutes of brooding, Harry got up and searched for some parchment and a quill on his cluttered desk. He sat down and began to write.

Dear Ron and Hermione,

Let's go back to Hogwarts

Harry.