Chapter 2: (Not So) Tearful Goodbye's
Harry awoke later than usual, the rest of his sleep dreamless, to the sound of his Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon fighting with his cousin Dudley. From what he could hear Dudley had been cheating on his diet yet again. He shook his head and hopped out of bed. He grabbed a piece of parchment on his desk and dipped his quill into a bottle of ink.
Ron-
When can I leave? This is the last time I will be writing
to you from here. The protection from Voldemort that
Dumbledore told me about had run out on this house
since I'm 17 now. I'm looking forward to coming, am
I in time for Bill and Fleur's wedding? Talk to you soon.
-Harry
He called Hedwig and tied the letter to her leg.
"Take it straight to Ron okay?" She looked into his eyes and nodded as though she understood and soared out the window. Harry sighed, he wondered how different staying at the Weasley's now, he hadn't stopped thinking about Ginny since he left the day of Dumbledore's funeral. He still wanted her, but he couldn't put her in danger.
Harry wandered downstairs at his leisure enjoying looking at all the things he would never see again.
"Good morning all!" Harry said breaking the tense silence in the large kitchen. His Uncle Vernon, now reading the news paper grunted in reply and his Aunt Petunia went to fetch the cereal and bring it to the table for them, but Harry stopped her.
"Allow me to get my own breakfast won't you?" She stared at him but backed away from the counter expecting him to get up. Instead he flipped his wand out of his pocket and looked straight at the box of cereal and said,
"Accio Cereal, Accio Milk!" His Uncle Jumped to his feet, his as purple as the eggplant they'd eaten for dinner last night and began to scream at him.
"HOW DARE YOU! Using that unnaturalness under MY roof! Oh well, no matter your not allowed to use magic outside of that school of yours, your expelled now." He said with an evil grin on his face. Harry laughed.
"Oh really? Well since I know you forgot, today is my birthday. I'm 17 now and in our world that means I'm of age now." Aunt Petunia gasped and Uncle Vernon now had a look on his face as though he had received the best gift of his life.
"Well that old bloke from your school, the one that picked you up last summer", Harry knew he was talking about Dumbledore and felt a small pang in his chest, "Well he said", Vernon continued, "That once you were 17 you could leave here, forever" Aunt Petunia remembered what Dumbledore said as well, and nodded. Harry answered the happiest he had ever been in this wretched house.
"Exactly, and I'm going to my friend Ron's, you remember him", Dudley whimpered having had two bad experiences with wizards before, "I'll be staying there for the rest of the summer, and after this last year of school, I will never come back." The three Dursleys all looked at each other then Harry. Before they could say anything, Harry turned and went upstairs. He wanted a head start on packing. When he got to his room Hedwig was already back sitting on the window sill. He was afraid that something had happened and they weren't there. He dashed over to her and untied the letter, but it was not the one he had sent earlier, breathing a sigh of relief opened it.
Harry-
Hermione can apparate now, and since I still can't, it
was a measly eyebrow! She is going to come get you in
an hour or so, and since you pretty much know how to
apparate, she'll just be there. She be there in an hour
or so, bring your dress robes for the wedding and say
your (not so) tearful goodbye's.
-Ron
Harry had never packed so fast in his life, now able to use magic; he carefully folded clothes and packed school things. He destroyed old Daily Prophets, with headlines of Dumbledore's death, more deaths and attacks. He cleaned out the whole room. Brought his things downstairs by the front door, still receiving stares from the Dursleys and anxiously waited the arrival of Hermione.