His uncle was standing in the living room amidst the endless pictures of his whale-like son. His face was a deep shade of purple clearly showing his repressed anger.
▒You have a visitor boy▓ Vernon spat, ▒he▓s waiting in the kitchen, hurry up and get rid of him before a neighbor sees!▓
With that he waddled to the door leaving a slightly confused Harry in his wake.
Who would it be? He wondered idly as he shuffled slowly towards his aunts▓ clinically clean kitchen.
His eyes were downcast as considered who he might find waiting for him. Perhaps Moody, or Remus maybe even Hagrid┘
He stopped short, dumbstruck, as his eyes fell on the dark robed figure seated at the table.
▒Rather dingy this place of yours, isn▓t it Potter? Somehow I was expecting more from the famous boy who lived┘▓
Harry▓s wand was in his hand and trained on the pale smirking face of Draco Malfoy in less than the beat of a heart, pointed dead centre between the other boys gray eyes.
How DARE he show his face! After his pathetic plans had lead to the death of the greatest wizard Harry had ever known!
Just before Harry could release every curse he knew on Malfoy▓s wretched hide the other boy spoke again.
▒Put that away Potter. I▓m only delivering a message▓ his voice a calm counterpoint to Harry▓s growing rage.
▒FROM WHO?!▓ Harry could barely contain himself. The very nerve of the bloody ferret!
▒I am not at liberty to say I▓m afraid, but I can you assure that both the sender of the message and I are completely neutral parties in this ridiculous war of yours▓
This was just the wrong thing to say, and most definitely the wrong time to say it.
▒War of mine? Mine? How do you figure it as MY war Ferret?▓ his eyes were flashing dangerously.
▒Well obviously it▓s YOUR war Potty. When you come right down to it everyone expects you to be the new Dumbledore, don't they, personally I don▓t care but having spent six years in class with you, I can say with authority that it▓s not going to happen. You just don▓t have the raw power.▓
Harry slumped into a chair across from his old enemy. To honest he been thinking along those same lines since his mentor had been┘ had passed away.
▒Well anyway, Potty before your precious followers arrive to capture me I▓d like to deliver that message?▓
Glaring at the ferret Harry waited.
▒The message is √ Not all magic is done with a wand▓ Malfoy drawled as he reached inside his robes and withdrew a wrapped package and flung it onto the table.
On principle Harry was loath to touch anything that had been anywhere near, much less in Malfoys robes but curiosity got the better of him.
Tearing the plain brown paper he gave an indignant hiss as he discovered Advanced Potion Making grade 7. He didn▓t even have to open to cover to know what he would find-
Property of the Halfblood Prince
Malfoy smirked as he silently stood and walked from the unnaturally clean kitchen and out in the gloom even as the loud pops of apparition were heard coming from the front lawn.
Still glaring at the book, Harry remembered what had happened in his fourth year with the tri-wizard cup and decided not to touch the offending tome just yet. He▓d have Mad Eye or Remus have a look at the thing first. He even caught himself half hoping that it was cursed or better yet a portkey like the cup, at least it might give them a clue as to the whereabouts of a certain greasy-haired bastard┘
Harry was broken from his thoughts by the sound of heavy feet thumping across the floor as Tonks followed by Remus and finally Mad Eye Moody burst through the door, wands at the ready.
Remus gave him one look and was sure that it was Harry before him, polyjuice potion couldn▓t give you eyes like that┘ however Moody was taking no chances.
▒When did you learn the Patronus charm and from who?▓ he rasped at the boy before him.
Harry smiled vaguely and replied ▒Third year, and from the man standing next to you▓
The order members were always late for everything but they had good hearts, if not good leadership at the moment. Harry scarcely registered Tonks violently pink hair or the disturbing blue orb that was Moody▓s eye, he did however immediately notice the drastic change in his father▓s old friend Remus.
The werewolf was looking by the best that Harry had ever seen him, a little of the gauntness had left his face and he seemed more animated. It must have something to do with the pink haired lady on his right, thought Harry still only half paying attention to his surroundings. He sat back on the chair he had recently vacated and waved the members of the order over to the remaining chairs. Surprisingly they sat down without question and stared at him expectantly, Harry didn▓t have time to be perturbed by this as he spoke,
▒I had a visit from a Slytherin ferret this morning. How he got in here I▓ll never know since this house is still supposed to be warded┘ but he left this,▓ he indicated the book still laying on the table between then before going on
▒He also left me a message, however I don▓t think I should tell you what it was just yet▓
Again they didn▓t question his action and now Harry noticed it. They were looking at him┘ strangely┘ he▓s seen that look before, that was how they▓d always looked at Dumbledore!
He▓d known that Malfoy was right to certain extent but surely the order didn▓t have the same delusional expectations of him that the rest of the wizarding world had┘ did they?
He looked at the three adult wizards before him, to and outsider it may have seemed comical, three adults looking at a mere teenager in more than slight awe and with great expectation, but to him it rankled. He continued his story rather more uncertainly,
▒I▓ll be leaving here tonight, as apparently that wards are down I▓m going to stay over at the leaky cauldron, its so obvious that the death eaters would never think of looking there, tomorrow I▓m going to grimauld place. Whether its still unplottable or not its another place they▓d never think to look for me▓ as he finished he looked the metamorphamagus, the werewolf and ex-auror before him fully expecting to be told to stay put and not do anything so silly, he was however surprised.
▒Good reasoning there Potter,▓ growled Mad Eye, ▒ if you want I can come with you to reset some wards on the old headquarters.▓ He inclined his head slightly in apparent approval of the boys plan.
▒Remus and I would love to come but I▓m afraid that I have to work and its nearly full moon▓ said Tonks simply. Remus looked about to object but Harry met his worried gaze steadily until the former professor also nodded.
After a few minutes of slightly strained conversation Tonks pulled a slip of paper from her robe pocket and handed it to a bemused Harry.
▒That is only for emergencies, do you hear? Any funny business with it and it▓ll be my job and my neck. Your not too popular at the ministry right now▓ despite the easy smile on her face her tone was very serious and Harry couldn▓t help but look down at the slip in puzzlement, more at her sudden attitude of grownup-speaking-to-naughty-child than anything else.
His eyebrows rose as he read the heading √ Permission for the Special use underage magic- he was stunned, he▓d never even heard of such a thing!
He scanned quickly to the bottom and found the document to be signed by a Senior Auror Nymphadora Tonks. Well that was new┘
When had Tonks been made a senior auror?
With that they said their goodbyes and once again three loud cracks were heard as the order departed leaving Harry to deal with the consequences of his sudden decision to leave privit drive for ever. His uncle was livid at the further intrusion of the three adult wizards of course, but one flash of his permission slip had his uncle shut his trap and left for work in a great huff.
Harry spent the rest of the day wondering if night would ever fall. His packing had taken barely half an hour, as he owned nearly nothing, which left him sitting in his striped room, which depressingly didn▓t look all that different from before.
As the hours rolled on he found himself drifting slowly to sleep and too lazy to fight it he fell into an unguarded slumber.
Severus, please? AVADA KEDAVERA!
Harry sat bolt upright on his bed still surrounded by his meager possessions, his scar throbbing painfully and a wet trickle running from it over his cheek. He gradually became aware of a soft tapping at his window.
It was Hedwig and she had his reply from Hermione!