Harry Potter steps off the Hogwarts express for what could be the last time in his life. As he made his way to the ticket barrier that takes him back into the muggle world, the conductor motioned for him to step through. There greeting him was Molly and Arthur Weasley, Fred and George Weasley, Lupin and Tonks.
"Hello, Harry," Mr. Weasly said shaking his hand.
"What are you all doing here?" Harry asked puzzled.
"You really think that we would let you leave after what happened at Hogwarts?" Tonks answered trying to brave a smile.
"Harry, Tonks and I will come to pick you up at noon on your birthday, we are going to have your apparition test and then you are going to the Burrow for the wedding and the rest of the summer." Lupin said.
"And we will be there with you when they come and pick you up." Hermione and Ron had just walked through the barrier.
Mrs. Weasley just released Ginny, whom she had been greeting. "Ronald Weasley, you will do no such thing. You will come home and you can wait for Harry. I will need all the help to get the wedding together."
"Mum, Harry might need us. We will only be there for a short time and we will be home before the wedding. We can help you when we get back. Plus, I also need to get my apparition test. I can go with Harry."
Mrs. Weasley opened her mouth to speak, but George butted in. "Mum, we can go and check on them every once in a while to make sure they are ok." Mrs. Weasley again opened her mouth to speak, but this time her husband interrupted.
"Molly, Ron is now of age. If he wants to go for a short time he should be able to."
Mrs. Weasley looked around for support. For some kind of ally, but none came. All she said was, "Ronald Weasley you are to be home on Harry's birthday after your apparition test! No later!"
Harry looked over at his aunt and uncle. They were staring at the group with their mouths open. They obviously were mad at the fact that a witch and a wizard would be staying at their house. Harry, Ron and Hermione walked over.
"Uncle Vernon," Harry said without a hello. "These are my friends Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley. They will be staying with us for the summer."
uncle Vernon looked like he was going to hit Harry for self-inviting two "abnormal" kids to his house without considering asking him. But with the fact that he was outnumbered three to two and that Harry, Ron and Hermione could do magic, he just shrugged.
They all walked to the car each dragging a trunk along with a cat and two owls. Harry opened the trunk and found a problem. How could they fit three trunks in here? Hermione solved the problem by casting a charm that enlarged the trunk so they could fit everything in there. Hermione then looked over her shoulder to make sure that nobody was watching.
After putting everything into the now enlarged trunk, they climbed into the backseat. Uncle Vernon put the car into reverse and left the parking lot. He didn't say anything the whole trip home. Both Harry's aunt and uncle just sat there staring out the window. Neither of the groups trying to make any contact with the other group.
When they were almost home his aunt asked, "Is Dumbledore coming to get you again?" Harry suddenly felt as if he hit is head on the window as he remembered Dumbledore's fall off the tower and onto the ground. It then reminded him how much he had to do this year. Collecting the four other Horcruxes and then the last piece of Voldemort's soul, the part still in him.
"Boy, you answer your aunt when she asks you a question," his uncle snapped at him.
Hermione suddenly picking up on Harry's emotions said, "Mrs. Dursley, Dumbledore is dead, but two other people will be by to pick us up on Harry's birthday."
Aunt Petunia only seemed to gather three words out of that whole sentence. Dumbledore is dead. "What do you mean he is dead? He can't be!" His aunt sounded fear for only the second time that Harry could remember.
"He died at the end of the school year," Harry said gloomily, "I was there. I saw it."
aunt Petunia stayed silent and looked away from uncle Vernon who seemed to be staring at her curiously about her sudden outburst.
The rest of the car ride Harry sat there staring out the window into all the mist that was around the car. He was also looking for anything out of the ordinary. He still carried around his invisibility cloak with him as Dumbledore had made him do. He also is still carrying around the fake Horcrux that Dumbledore and he had found two nights earlier. Harry has to find Voldemort's 4 other Horcruxes then Voldemort himself. He did not know why he carried around the Horcrux, but it reminded him of everyone who got in the way of Voldemort to keep him alive. His parents, Sirius and Dumbledore. That was four people to many. He could no longer hide behind people. He had to finish Voldemort by himself.
When they finally got to Private Drive Harry got out of the car and grabbed his trunk and took it upstairs. Hermione and Ron followed. Hermione produced two camp beds. Harry gave Hermione his bed because it was more comfortable. Harry woke up the next morning to an owl that delivers the Daily Prophet. He opened the paper to a big wanted sign. Harry read, "Wanted Severus Snape, for the Murder of Albus Dumbledore." Disgusted he scanned the rest of the article and found out that Sturgis Podmore has been released. (He had been wrongly accused last year just because he was close with Dumbledore. He woke Ron and Hermione and told them about the article to little response. They had been up late the last night trying to figure out how to destroy horcruxes and where they could be. Later in the day and went downstairs with Ron and Hermione to eat breakfast. Only his uncle was in the kitchen when he walked in. Harry sat down and grabbed some toast and put jam on it. His uncle didn't say anything to him.
Hermione, tried to make conversation. "Hello, Mr. Dursley how are you today?"
Harry's uncle, very rudely, just grunted in response.
After they ate they went upstairs where he lay on his bed once again. His first thought was about how many days he had left at Privet drive. They only had three days to go, but it felt like a lifetime.
The next two days all they did was lie on his bed and read about how to destroy Horcruxes. The better word would be to find a book that mentioned Horcruxes. Harry didn't have time to ask Dumbledore how he destroyed the ring. All Harry knew was that it gave Dumbledore an injury.
Over the two days Harry, Ron and Hermione read about deaths and kidnaps by the Death Eaters. It seemed like the Ministry couldn't handle the Death Eaters at all. The Ministry was losing people by the day. Dolores Umbridge was found dead in her apartment building the day before his birthday. The only thing was that Harry didn't feel very upset about it. He felt happy, almost like a birthday wish. The other good birthday wish was that the Dursleys left them alone and didn't bother them at all. Not caring when they woke up or when they ate. They just sat in his room waiting for Lupin and Tonks to come and take them to his apparition test.
Harry fell asleep the night before his birthday to a happy dream about him and Ginny spending a long time by Hogwart's Lake. When he looked around though he saw shapes moving in the forest and a person, by the looks of it, immerged, but before he got a closer look he woke up with a screech from Hedwig.
He shook off the feeling of the dream because he new it couldn't happen. He wasn't going back to Hogwarts, he was going to find Voldemort's Horcruxes and finish Voldemort once and for all.
Harry looked around his bedroom at his friends. Ron was about an inch taller still with his red hair and freckles. Hermione had stopped growing now and looked very pretty. Even though her brown hair was still bushy, it seemed to be straightening a little. Harry himself was about done growing, still with his untamable hair.
Harry walked downstairs without waking the other two to tell the Dursleys what he was doing. He walked straight into the living room where his aunt and uncle were.
"Uncle Vernon, aunt Petunia," Harry started. "I am going to leave soon and never come back."
"So, boy, what are you waiting for, get ready to leave." His Uncle said very rudely.
"I just wanted to tell you that I am going to the Weasley's for my best friend Ron's brother's wedding. I am then going off to try to destroy Voldemort's Horcruxes. If I succeed I will have avenged my parent's death and everyone else who has lost a loved one to him." Harry said slowly so that his aunt and Uncle might be able to understand him. "That is all I wanted to say."
"You're not even going to say thank you for raising you for seventeen years." His uncle said as if he had not paid attention to what Harry had just said. Other than he was leaving for ever.
Harry's temper was rising fast, so he just said, "Thank you." To his aunt and uncle and went upstairs to pack his stuff. When he got up to his room, he walked in on Ron and Hermione snogging. Only it wasn't like Ron with Lavender. It was composed, but when Harry walked into the room they broke apart fast. Hermione said something about going to the bathroom and walked out of the room looking embarrassed.
Harry sat down next to Ron smiling. "So when did this happen?" Harry had a feeling this has been going on behind his back.
"Well…..since we got here." Ron said embarrassedly. "Sorry"
"Why are you sorry?"
"Well, we don't want to get mixed up and get off track of finding the Horcruxes. We also didn't know if you would like it."
Harry laughed. "I don't care if you start seeing Hermione, it doesn't bother me. It would be better if you two were happy on our trip. Dumbledore always wanted more love in the world."
Ron beamed as Hermione walked back into the room.
"I think we should pack, since Lupin and Tonks should be here soon." Hermione said brightening up once she saw that Ron was smiling.
Shortly later they heard a loud crack and new that Lupin and Tonks were there. They walked to the front door and opened the door just as Lupin and Tonks got to the doorstep.
"Ready, you three?" Lupin asked.
"Yes, are we going to get going right away? I don't want to stay here much longer, it is pretty depressing." Harry said looking right out the door.
"Ok, Harry, if that is what you want. I am just going to send your stuff ahead." Tonks said looking at the three. He heard Tonks mutter something and his trunk and Hedwig disappeared.
"Wait, I just need to do something," Harry said suddenly.
"Take your time," Ron said
Harry walked into the kitchen were his aunt was cleaning. "Aunt Petunia, I would just like to say goodbye."
His aunt hesitated for a moment and then walked over and hugged Harry. "Stay well, Harry. I've never told you how you, but are just like my sister." She then let go of Harry, but Harry thought that he felt something drop into his pocket. "Goodbye, Harry, I'm sorry we have been so horrible to you, but Vernon has never approved and I……. She left her sentence hanging. Well, never mind." Harry turned to leave. "Oh, and wait, I need to give you something." She ran upstairs and came back down with a package wrapped. "Don't open it yet. Goodbye, Harry, and good luck"
Harry walked back into the front hall stunned. His aunt had never acted like that in front of him. She rarely talks about his mother. She certainly had never given him anything before either.
"Are you ready, Harry?" Harry was startled; he forgot that they were leaving for a couple seconds.
"Yes."
"Now, Harry, just hold my hand and we will apparate to the Ministry. Are you ready?" Tonks asked.
With an answer of sudden realization that he was never coming back Harry held Tonks hand and said, "I'm ready."
Harry looked over and saw that Lupin said the same thing to Ron. Since Hermione could already Apparate, she didn't need any help.
With a final look back at Privet Drive Harry realizing he was never coming back. Then with a crack, Harry, Ron, Lupin, Tonks and Hermione disapperated from Number Four, Privet Drive for the last time.