Finally out of the pink tutu, but I lost hangman now I'm wearing a bunny suit. One of these days I'll realize I have no chance at owning Harry Potter or Batman.

Chapter Nine – Going Home

"So if he only has one horocrux left, why do we need to go hunting for them all," Ron asked.

Hermione sighed as she began to explain once again, "Ron, we don't know which one has a soul piece left. So we have to gather them all to make sure, so when we defeat Voldemort he can't come back."

Ron nodded finally understanding and then asked, "Harry when are we going to go to Godric's Hollow?"

Harry looked up from the article he was reading about a demon in The Sun and said, "I guess we can go right now."

"Harry I can't believe you are reading that garbage, The Sun is just as bad as the Prophet," Hermione chastised.

"Hermione, it is important to see how things are going in the Muggle world. Anyway Sirius had a three year subscription," Harry said as he turned to page three and turned his head trying to get a better look at the picture.

Hermione huffed and got up to get ready to go. Ron and Harry quickly followed and then stepped outside to apparate to Godric's Hollow.

As they arrived, Harry looked over the village and smiled while thinking about how this would have been a wonderful place to grow up.

Hermione and Ron, seeing the peaceful expression on Harry's face waited.

Harry looked up at his friends and said, "Apparently the cottage my parents were hiding in was number 4."

Walking down the streets, they finally stopped at a burned out building.

"Damn Pettigrew," Harry muttered. "They were happy and would have been alive if not for him."

Hermione and Ron each placed a hand on Harry's shoulders. "We'll make sure he pays Mate," Ron said.

Nodding to his friends, Harry opened the gate and stepped onto the property for the first time since 1981, causing a blinding flash of light.

"Harry," Ron said and paused, "What happened?"

"I, umm, don't know," Harry said. "Hermione do you have any idea?"

The bushy haired girl looked at the house then both of them before saying, "I'm not sure."

"Master Potter has returned," an elderly looking elf said as he appeared in front of them.

Harry looked gob-smacked at the elf and asked, "I'm sorry do I know you?"

"Master Potter I am Scotty. I was Master James and Mistress Lily's house elf when you were little," the elderly elf said.

"Harry I can't believe you own an elf," Hermione said as she began to wind up into a tirade.

"Oh no Miss, Scotty is a free elf, bonded by choice to the Potter Family," Scotty said quickly stopping Hermione's rant.

Chuckling at how quickly Scotty was able to stop Hermione, Ron asked, "Can you show me how to do that some time, it would be dead useful getting her to stop sometimes."

Harry put up his hand to stop Hermione from killing Ron at this moment and told her, "Later. Scotty I thought the house was destroyed."

"Master Potter it was," the elf said sadly. "But I have been putting it back together with help from Mister Lupin and Mister Black since then."

"But why didn't we see the house," Hermione asked.

"The Potter Wards hide the house until the Master of the House is home, Miss," Scotty said.

Harry nodded and knew he needed to have a little chat with Remus about this. "Would it be possible to look around Scotty," Harry asked.

"Of course Master Potter, this is your house," he replied quickly shooing the teens into the cottage.

As they entered the house, each of the three teens was surprised by the Spartan conditions.

"Scotty is this all my parents had here," Harry asked shocked and saddened at not seeing anything that would tell him about his parents.

"No sir, everything of value was placed in the family vault by me after you were taken by the Half-Giant," Scotty said. "Master Potter, would you like to visit your parents before you go?"

Harry looked at the elf in shock and nodded slowly.

"Please follow me then," Scotty said.

Scotty led them through a meadow until they came upon a fenced in area marked with two stones.

Harry knelt on the ground to read the stones seeing they belonged to his parents, before he finally broke down and wept.

"I'm sorry Mum and Dad, I'm sorry for getting Sirius killed and sorry for being the reason you and Dad had to die," he wept.

Hermione and Ron walked back to the house to give Harry some time alone to finally grieve.

"I have no idea what to do, Dumbledore died for no reason, that bastard Snape killed him," Harry continued to pour out his heart to his parents. "I'm sorry if I have disappointed you both. I just wish I didn't have to do this."

As Harry spoke to his parents the winds began to pick up around the hill as Fawkes flashed on top of the stones and began to sing.

"Fawkes, I'm sorry for Dumbledore," Harry began, but quickly stopped as Fawkes cuffed him gently with his wing. Fawkes looked at Harry as if to say it wasn't your fault.

"I know Fawkes but it still feels that way," Harry said.

Fawkes looked at him and chirruped at him.

Nodding to the phoenix Harry looked at the stones and swore, "I swear upon my life and magic that Voldemort will be stopped." Harry's body glowed bright gold as the magic took hold and Fawkes singing became joyous.

'It took you long enough to realize it wasn't your fault Harry,' a voice in Harry's head said.

Spinning around looking for who was talking to him, until he heard Fawkes trilling laughter at him and looked at the phoenix.

'Yes, Harry we have been bound since you defeated Slytherin's basilisk,' the phoenix said to him. 'Though I think it is time for me to change as to reflect my new partner.'

Harry watched as Fawkes burned and a different colored bird took his place. Fawkes had changed from Red and gold, to a dark green with golden plumage. Harry said to him, "I am honored you would choose me, but I don't feel worthy."

The phoenix cuffed Harry on the back of the head and said to him, 'Hedwig always has said you were thick and took forever to convince. But you are worthy Harry Potter.'

Looking at the phoenix in surprise that Hedwig and he had talked until Fawkes said, 'Haven't you ever heard the term, pillow talk?'

This revelation was what finally caused Harry to faint completely to Fawkes chirruping laughter.

A/N: Look for a bit more action in about two chapters or so.