Disclaimer: No money is being made or received for this work in her playground of characters.
Chapter 3 -- The Trip
Harry wanted to go through every box that night, but was honestly afraid to do it alone. He wrote to his best friends' one letter, knowing Hermione, Ron and Ginny would read it together. He wrote of his conversations with his aunt that day and the boxes. He decided during the course of this letter that he would wait until he was extracted to go through them. He let all three of them know that he was going on a short trip with his aunt, but did not have any details.
He knew Hedwig would not let him far out of his sights and she would be able to summon help at a moments notice. Harry asked Hedwig to take the letter then return as soon as she could. He did not want her to wait until they responded before her return. She nipped his finger in acknowledgment before taking flight.
Making sure Uncle Vernon was already asleep, he turned on his nightlight, made sure the backup was hidden, and fell into a fitful sleep. Hedwig arrived a few hours later, and sat on her perch, watching him as his nightmares entered his sleep once again.
Harry woke early, showered, and was already making breakfast when the rest of the people in the house came downstairs. Vernon and Dudley ate without a single word to Harry. They left, still a little nervous to be in the same room with Harry and not arguing.
Within ten minutes of them leaving, Aunt Petunia wrote two notes. One to Uncle Vernon about Harry being at Mrs. Figg's and her being out on errands, which would be left in the middle of the table. The second was a note that Harry couldn't read. She turned and asked Harry to call 'his owl'. Attaching the letter to Hedwig's leg, Aunt Petunia walked to the back yard with the beautiful owl and whispering something, Harry watched as his owl took a letter to someone he could only assume was in the wizarding world.
As she made her way back into the house, she did not meet his eyes, mumbling something about "…you promised no questions." Harry followed her out the door, waiting as she locked it.
The train trip was not enjoyable, it made him miss the Hogwarts Express. Aunt Petunia read silently as the train moved across the country side. The journey ending in a small town called "Godric's Hollow". His eyes open wide as they made their way out of the train and onto the platform. Aunt Petunia would not meet his eyes, and keeping with his promise, he asked no questions. Hailing a cab, Aunt Petunia gave an address of a small park across town. The Cabbie acknowledged and when he stopped, he agreed to meet them in a few hours for a return to the train depot.
Harry stood mutely, looking down the streets. He wondered if he had played here as a baby and vaguely where the house that his parents were killed was. Aunt Petunia opened her purse and extracted a piece of parchment. Turning to Harry, she handed it to him. He was astonished as the words appeared as he started to read it.
The home of Lily, James, and Harry Potter can be found at
Number 21 Forrest Drive
As he finished reading these words, he saw the house come into view. They walked across the street and into the house. It was eerily quiet. Part of the roof had been blown off and the front hall had burn marks on the walls. As they entered, he felt himself shudder as he touched the damaged walls, his finger tracing the lines of the magical fight that had happened so very long ago.
He turned to his aunt and was surprised to find her crying again. She left him to his own thoughts, entered the living room and sat on what was once a beautiful couch. Harry continued his search of the house. He walked through the living room and up the stairs. There were closed doors. Making a random choice, he began on the farthest room to the left. As he opened the door, he noticed that there was no roof on this room. The crib was still there, as was a baby blanket with snitches and quaffles. He felt a wave of memory run through his soul.
The screams, the flash of green light, the sudden scream of a baby - him - as his mother fell.
He touched the bookcases, momentarily hearing flashes of a woman's voice reading words. Children's books lined the shelves. A lone rocker stood in the corner; a feeling of being rocked as he fell asleep crept over him.
A small hand mirror lay near the changing table, nappies in the carrier with matching embroidery of snitches as the blanket on the bed. A single nappy bag thrown against the closet door, holding it closed somehow.
Making his way, he bent to pick up the bag and open the door. The scent of cedar came to him. A rack of baby clothes hung preserved in the closet. His hand seemed to take a life of it's own as he lightly touched the cloth, then the many pairs of baby shoes, he looked to the side wall of the closet. The only adornment inside the closet was a small snitch painted there. He reached to touch it and the wall slid silently to reveal another book shelf. The books inside were not children's books; they were ancient. He wanted these books, but wasn't sure how he was going to take them with him on the train. Oh, how he wished he could do magic.
A cough behind him made him step out of the closet to see the twinkling eyes of Professor Dumbledore. He ducked his head saying something that sounded like "hello". Dumbledore took a step toward Harry. They had not had a conversation of any merit since his return the previous summer from the Department of Mysteries. Their eyes had not truly met since the leaving feast and Harry wasn't sure if he was still angry at the old wizard or not. They had not been close in the past year. Harry had kept the Headmaster at arms' length in order to keep himself from hurting any more.
Harry took an awkward step forward and found himself swept up in the second human hug in two days. Harry began to mutter apologies, the complete words catching in his throat as he found his heart wanted no distance between he and his mentor. Harry realized that he needed this man in his life. With Sirius gone and Remus dealing with his own grief, Harry needed this man to be in his life.
He realized that Dumbledore was softly crying also and sending apologies of his own to the young man. After a few minutes, the embrace broke and the old man wiped his tears. Dumbledore spoke first, the first actual complete thoughts voiced, his broken voice begging "Harry, please forgive an old man's mistakes."
Harry, for his part, forgave him in his heart before responding. "Of course professor." The hug broken only when Dobby joined them in his old room. Finding his strength once again, Harry spoke again, "Professor, there is a bookshelf here and I would like to take the books with me. I can't do magic but wondered if you could take them to Grimmauld Place until I can get there. Hermione will love them. Or maybe you could reduce them so I can take them with me." Dumbledore nodded his agreement, then suggested that Harry and he go to his parent's room to see if there was anything else he wished to take.
James and Lily's room was spectacular. This room had been untouched by the battle that had been fought in his childhood home. Vivid red and gold, bedspread of satins and silks, pillows of velvet and tapestries covered the room. On the vanity table was an assortment of his mother's things. A small box with a Lion's head and the initials "LEP" adorned the lid. Harry slowly opened it. Inside was a silver charm bracelet. Looking close, he saw that there were charms attached: a Lion's head, a pair of baby shoes, a bouquet of flowers, a locket, and a book. Turning to the old man behind him, a brilliant idea came to him. He smiled "Can those books become part of this Charm Bracelet? Would this work?"
Dumbledore smiled, the familiar twinkle in his light blue eyes as he nodded, turned and left the room quietly. The two wizards and house-elf made their way back to the nursery. Professor Dumbledore went into the closet and began to transfigure the books into charms. Dobby, using his own brand of magic, attached the charms to the bracelet. Once complete, Dobby put it on Harry's wrist. Harry would be the only one to remove the charms or the bracelet. He watched in awe as the bracelet brightened for a moment and faded from sight. He could still feel it, and even hear it when he moved his wrist, but it was completely invisible. Harry thanked Dobby and Professor Dumbledore.
The questions he had promised not to ask his aunt bubbled to the surface. He wondered if he could ask his mentor. He ventured that at this point, he could ask any questions he chose and it would be okay. "Professor, might I ask you a couple of questions?"
Professor Dumbledore looked into the green eyes of his student and nodded, but did not promise to give answers.
"Is this all mine? Who is the secret keeper? Can I move in here? What else can I take with me? How long have you known it was all here - preserved? Will you help me move some of it to the Dursley's?" As Harry took a breath, Dumbledore interrupted.
"Harry, breathe, it's all yours. You may take what you want, but I recommend you take nothing more that you already have. There are a couple of more books that you may want on that bracelet and we should find them. You will be leaving within twenty minutes in order to be on the train with your aunt."
Harry knew he had all the answers he would get for that day as Dumbledore swept from the room. He watched the old man return to his parents' room. He quickly found a few additional books, changed them into charms and handed the charms to Dobby, who attached them to Harry's bracelet. Harry reached over and took his mother's box and pocketed it. He also took one other box, which had the initials "HJP" and "July 31, 1989".
He fleetingly thought of the hand mirror in his nursery, but decided against taking it. Instead, he followed the headmaster downstairs, looking to his aunt; quietly thanking her and they left the house together, still not speaking. The cab was waiting for them as they emerged from what appeared, to the real world, as a group of trees.
The return trip found Harry staring at the charms on the bracelet. When he thought of them, the bracelet glowed lightly and became visible. He wondered if the original charms were transfigured like the books. The books, he wanted to read the books, to know what the final ones were that came from his parent's room, knowing it would be some time before he was able to use magic to return them to proper size. Lost in thought, Harry did not notice that the train had stopped. He silently followed his aunt from the train and to the car. He sat without words as she drove them home.
After unlocking the door, with her foot on the bottom step, he touched her arm. She turned around and found herself in an embrace of the boy she had hated for so many years. She returned the warmth and tears. No words were exchanged. When they broke apart, Petunia continued to her room. Harry, for his part, went to the kitchen, determined to make another meal, with or without Dobby's help.
As he entered the Kitchen, Dobby was already making a dinner fit for a king and his court. Smiling at the elf, he said, "Thank you once again my friend - for everything." Dobby simply bowed his acknowledgement. After another wonderful dinner, Harry was sent to his room. The hours wore on as he read his homework, wanting to finish it so he would be able to go through his parent's things when he left Privet Drive.
As night fell, Harry found he could not sleep. He stared at the charm bracelet that twinkled in the light. Near midnight, his bedside table flickered. Harry reached for his wand, always near, and sat straight up in bed. He looked to the window; listening with all his might as he heard a screech from an owl somewhere in the distance. Only then did he notice the street lamps going out one by one. He waited to feel the cold, assuming this was another Dementor attack.
Minutes ticked by. The screech of the owl came closer. Harry made his way to the open window to look into the street below. As he did so, he saw the owl flying straight for him. Harry barely ducked out of the way as the owl dropped a note to him, turned gracefully and flew straight back out the window. As he watched it fly away, his wand hand shook slightly as the lights on the street were turned back on, one by one. When the last one was on again, his bedside lamp flickered into life as well. Breathing once again, Harry unrolled the parchment and read:
H,
Can't believe it, four days into the summer and we have been given permission to come get you. Cool huh? Anyway, Little H is going spare about you being there. She's worried about you going through your parent's stuff alone.
Are the nightmares better? Mine are, maybe a bit. Anyway, Big H, F & G will be to get you in a bit. You'll know if it is really them or not. You know them well enough to ask the right questions. Be ready at 1:00 AM, and leave a note for the muggles. You won't be going back this summer if mum & little H have their way. Write a goodbye note and get packed.
Your best mate-
R
Harry scrambled to his desk, wrote a short note back to Ron.
R-
Will be ready. Keep Hedwig with you. Give little H a hug and keep her sane till I get there. Send Big H, F&G with four of your favorite treats. I'll know them that way
-H
Hedwig flew to his desk without being asked. She hooted a comforting sound in his ear before sticking out her foot as he finished. Harry attached the letter to her leg and asked her to make a very fast trip, but stay there as he would be along soon. He kissed the top of her head as he carried her to the window. She hooted dolefully as she took flight.
Authors Note: I promise that if you can get through the first five or six chapters, you will not be disappointed! Enjoy!
