Deep in the heart of a forest laid an innocent infant wrapped in a blue cotton blanket. The forest was long and forgotten in the shadows of the trees. Not even the bright light from the full moon above could bring light to this particular part of the wood. Only the child's head could be seen in the wrapped blanket. The little baby boy was fast asleep, alone in this cruel world with no one to turn to. No where to run. No where to hide. All safety was gone for this infant.
A strong gust picked up over the dark forest. The child's soft and light hair blew back from his face, revealing a scar in the shape of a perfect lightning bolt. The gust picked up, becoming cooler. It felt as if ice turned into the wind. The baby boy opened his faint green-gray eyes to see nothing more than the darkness concealing him in the forest.
A brown owl perched in an oak tree hooted at the child, it's round yellow eyes peering at him. The baby looked at it with a wide-eyed gaze. Fear. A moment later the little child began to cry loudly. It was different than any other infant's cry. It was full of fear, loneliness, and vulnerability. The baby continued to weep.
Something strange began to happen to the dark forest. The shadowed trees began to melt themselves down, forming people with long black robes that covered their feet. They wore long pointed black hats that tied at their necks and front skull parts they wore as masks, concealing their true identities. Death Eaters. They surrounded the crying infant, chanting some type of incantation. Each one held a burning torch.
A cold, spine tingling, maniacal laughter echoed throughout the forest. The brown owl that had once been so peaceful began to melt down into a long and slick female snake.
"Ah, Nagini. Bring me Harry Potter," a voice as cold as ice hissed, "Let us see what has become of the Boy Who Lived." The snake hissed in response to her master and obediently slithered over to the infant. Her long tail wrapped around the crying child and she slithered to her master, setting the baby boy at his feet and slithered up to her master's shoulders, coiling herself in place. Cold hands with long white fingers picked the child up. A long, white index finger slowly crept to the baby's lightning bolt scar. The infant's cry's grew louder, more painful than ever. "Do not worry, Harry. It will be over shortly."
---------------------------------------------------
"Harry? Harry! Oh honestly, Harry wake up!" A sharp voice said, interrupting the nightmare. The voice was familiar, but in a whisper. "Harry come on, we don't have much time." The voice pleaded desperately.
The seven-teen year old wizard opened his emerald green eyes sleepily. His dark hair was uncombed and messy from sleep. Pushed this way and that. He looked about his familiar looking room through a blurred vision without his glasses. He made out the figures of a snowy owl in her cage, a dresser with drawers half open with ragged looking clothes hanging out of them, a brown trunk with more clothes in it, and someone standing next to his bed. He blinked and squinted, trying to see whom it was.
The person shoved his glasses into his hand gently, "Glad your awake, Harry. We've really got to get going." Said Hermione Granger. Harry put his glasses on and clearly saw one of his best friends for the past seven years.
Harry moaned tiredly, "What time is it?"
"Seven thirty."
"How did you get here?"
"My Mum and Dad drove me. They're real worried about us, I mean me, you and Ron." Hermione said in a worried voice herself, "I told them about the Horcruxes and V-Voldemort." She was still a bit uncomfortable saying Voldemort's name.
Harry sat up and nodded, "Where's Ron?"
"He's still at the Burrow, packing and saying good bye I suppose." Hermione walked toward the bedroom door, "You'd better get dressed and packed too."
"Yeah… Er, you can wait in the Kitchen downstairs, just try not to wake anyone up, okay? I'll be right down."
With a wave of her curled, bushy hair, Hermione had left Harry's room and walked down to the Kitchen. She sat down at the kitchen table and looked around the room quietly. She could hear the snoring of Uncle Vernon and Dudley in their bedrooms and rolled her eyes.
---------------------------------------------------
After about thirty minutes Harry came quietly down the steps and walked into the Kitchen to meet Hermione. He had put on jeans and a plaid short sleeve shirt that looked three times his size. It was obviously one of his cousin Dudley's old shirts. He had packed a nap sack with clothes, a sleeping bag, and a few spell books, most in which Hermione had lend him and he never returned them. His wand was tucked in his pocket with his shirt covering it.
"All set?" Hermione asked, standing up from her chair.
"Yeah." Harry said, nodding to her and looked at the refrigerator, "Did you bring anything to eat?"
"Well, Ron is supposed to bring food for our journey, but I thought we could use some breakfast first." She said brightly and started to the front door. Harry followed, relieved that Hermione always thought ahead. He was starving.
Hermione picked up her own nap sack by the door that had a long shoulder strap instead of two short ones. A sleeping bag was strapped down on top of it. Harry opened the door for Hermione and she walked outside, pulling out some sugarless breakfast foods for them. She gave Harry a half smile as she handed him some food, "Sorry, Mum and Dad wouldn't let me bring anything bad for my teeth." Hermione's parents were both dentists and being so didn't allow sugar food products in their home.
Harry chuckled at her, "It's alright." He said, just thankful he could eat something. He began to eat, as did Hermione. It did not take Harry long at all to finish his breakfast; he waited patiently for Hermione to finish as well. She was done in a minute or two after Harry. She walked out onto the front lawn and looked around at the neighboring houses, the lights were still out which meant everyone was still asleep.
Hermione looked back at Harry, "Do you remember how to Apparate Harry?" She asked hopefully.
"Of course I remember." Answered Harry.
"Alright, we've got to Apparate to the Burrow, on the count of three. One… Two… Three!"
Harry felt the hard ground leave him as he Apparated. A strong, unknown, pressured force was pushed against his chest. He hadn't Apparated all summer and wasn't used to the uncomfortable position it put him in. Harry remembered when Dumboldore had taken him to Apparate. That was the first time Harry had ever experienced Apparation and disliked it very much. He quickly became short of breath, but as soon as he thought he'd stop breathing he and Hermione landed roughly on the front lawn of the Burrow.