The last year of Hogwarts had been cancelled since a full blown war was going on and there was no Dumbledore to protect their children. Witches and wizards alike thought it would be wise to keep their loved ones close and had opted to school their children the prescribed courses through correspondence which was headed by Minerva McGonagall, the new Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Harry was sent an owl with his courses to Privet Drive. He shook his head and with a smile tossed his schedule along with more books into his trunk. When his bags were all packed and every stitch of clothing that was his was put away, he went down stairs with his things. Hedwig had gone ahead to the Burrow to let the Weasley's know that he would be ready to apparate at 5:00 PM. It was now 4:30 PM, and Harry knew that he was going to have to say his farewells to the Dursleys today and for some strange reason this was harder than he thought it would be. Harry knew that after this moment he would never set foot in the house on Privet Drive again.
When he got to the kitchen, he heard people talking. He recognized Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon, with a smile on his face, Tonks, Lupin and Arthur Weasley.
"Mrs. Dursley, you know that Harry wishes to stay with my family." said Arthur "Since Dumbledore is dead and so is his Godfather, Molly and I have petitioned the Muggle courts to become his legal guardians until he reaches the age of 18, which by those same laws makes him of legal age. He will become of legal age in our world at the age of 17 years old. Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, all that you have to do is sign these papers, then you can have your say with Harry and we will be on our way."
"Yes, of course we will sign those papers…Can't wait to get rid of him." said Vernon as he signed his name. He handed the pen to Petunia and she just stood there. He wasn't such a bad boy to have around.
"I will miss you Harry in my own way, but maybe this is for the best." she put pen to paper and in doing so gave Harry what he had always wanted, a chance to become a member of the Weasley family, if only for a little while.
"Ready, Harry?" asked Mr.Weasley
"May I have a moment, please? Could you wait in the other room for me?" Mr. Weasley nodded his head.
Harry, Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia were all standing there not knowing what to do or say.
"Aunt Petunia, you and Uncle Vernon have what you have always wanted. Me.. gone. There are a few things I need to say before I leave. First I want to thank you for helping shape the person that I became. If I would have been brought up in the wizarding world with everyone falling all over me because I was famous, I would have become as bad as Voldemort before it was over. I may have been hungry, but I was never starving. I may have been neglected and unloved by you , but I found those things in the Weasley's when I needed them the most. You tried to keep me down and unhappy, but I realized something along time ago. Only I can do that. So, I will thank you again and ask only one thing from you. I want you two and your son to leave this house. It is not safe here for you. Go anywhere, but leave. Aunt Petunia, you know that there are seers in the magical world. I have seen nothing but bad things for you here if you stay. Remember me with fondness." Harry said. With tears in his eyes, he went out the door to leave with the others, not noticing that there were tears in Petunia's eyes, too.
At the Burrow, Ron, Harry and Hermione were all sitting in a bedroom, decorated in Chudley Cannon colors, a few days before Bill and Fleur's wedding.
"Harry, have you given much thought as to where we should start looking? "asked Hermione
"No. I have no idea."
They were going through all of their old school things.
"Hey look!" shouted Ron "My chocolate frog cards. Remember Harry, on the train to Hogwarts, our first year you got a Dumbledore card?"
"Has anyone seen him in any of them since the day he died?" questioned Hermione.
"No, but he seems to be back now." said Harry as he sat there staring at one card in particular. If he didn't know better, he would have sworn Dumbledore winked at him. The other two came over to sit with Harry as they looked upon the face of their old Headmaster.
"Hello! Nice to see you three again!"
"Bloody hell!" shouted Ron as he fell over, taking Hermione with him to the floor.
"Hello, sir," said Harry. "I knew you wouldn't leave me completely lost. It's so good to talk you."
"Harry, maybe we can chat later, but first to business. You know that the horcruxes have to be found. You have to do this. I can not be there physically, to help you, but I will help you all I can through my cards. The war is going to pick up now that Voldemort knows I am gone. Take me downstairs now, we need to talk to the Weasleys. Also, we need to tell Arthur that we will need the Order here as well."
Harry, Ron and Hermione ran downstairs yelling for everyone. They met them in the kitchen.
"What's all the shouting all about, Ron?" said Mr. Weasley.
Harry thrust Dumbledore's card into Arthur's face. Arthur smiled.
"Hello Albus, glad to see you back."
"It's only for a little while, I'm afraid. There are other things that need to be set into place and soon. There are things that Harry must do before he faces Voldemort. He cannot do these things alone. I trust your children to be able and strong and I'm asking you to let them go with him. I can make no promises to you, Molly. We are at war they may be hurt or worse but I will be there to give any advise or help if I can, but this has to be."
"Oh Arthur , what else can we do but let them go?" cried Molly. Arthur hugged her to him. "Alright, Dumbledore, what do you want us to do?"
"I want Harry, Ron and Hermione to get Neville
Longbottom, Luna Lovegood and all the DA that will fight. I also need
Fred and George and all the weapons that they can come up with. New
stuff, things that have not been on the shelves of Weasleys Wizarding
Wheezes. You, Bill and Fleur will stay at the Ministry, of course,
while Charlie tries to bring as many people as will come to help we
cannot do this alone. Ginny will help Molly in locating Mundungus
Fletcher, Remus Lupin and the rest
of the Order of the Phoenix,
except for Snape. He has other things to do."
Harry just looked at Dumbledore as if to say 'Hello he has just killed you,' but Dumbledore looked somewhere else.
"What about Percy?" asked Molly. "What do you want him to do?"
"Molly ... Percy is fighting for the other side this time. You should have realized that as Arthur did when he left. Everyone knows what to do. You have one week to see it done. I'll expect everyone to meet back here and to check in with me every night, so I may relate to the others that everyone is safe." Dumbledore says walking out of one card and into another.
