It was early in the afternoon that a feminine silhouette strolled through the grass of the Dursley's front garden. Mrs. Figg watched from her window the girl that stretched her arm to knock on the wooden door softly yet determined; her long brown hair was tied back with a white ribbon and her loose grey skirt reached down to her knees. The girl seemed older than what her dressing ways made her seem. Even so, she looked younger than what one would guess. She held a white box on her left arm that looked nothing too heavy. The girl remained calmed and did not knock again. She seemed to be certain that the Dursleys would not take long to reply to a knock unless they had something special going on like their son's fiftieth pie of the month. A tall thin woman with a floral apron opened the door with that hypocrite smile that her lips always wore when visitors arrived. Soon, it disappeared when seeing the girl standing before her. The faked smile vanishing and all blood running from her face. The lips of Petunia Dursley trembled and she stuttered slightly, searching through her brain, trying to come up with anything that she could possibly say.

But the girl was much faster and, without even the tiniest trace of a grin, she said, ''Petunia''. Her tone made Petunia snap from her trance and move aside, glaring at the girl as she walked inside the house.

Petunia looked outside from side-to-side, searching for any watching eyes. She closed the door slowly and said, ''You dare come here being-''

''If you dare say freak, I will make you regret ever saying that word to-''

''Mum!'' Dudley's irritating and demanding voice came from the kitchen. No wonder he was drowning on everything he could find. Petunia seemed to have read the girl's thought and smirked proudly saying, ''His trousers are falling off now. Getting thinner, my boy''

''Or is it that you buy him bigger clothes to make him feel better?'' snapped the girl practically slapping the smirk off Petunia's face. She glared at the girl furiously and jerked her head, motioning to the stairs.

''He's upstairs. Now, once you're done, I want you out of my-'' She had no chance to finish. The girl walked up the stairs with the same icy expression. The house looked warm and cosy, but the people in it certainly did not make it seem that way. There were photographs of the three of them all over the walls and on a little table put up for decoration. No sign of the boy she cared the most. The boy that had to spend every summer with them. She knocked twice on what she knew was his door and heard a startled jump and an owl's hoot. The door was open in an instant and that dark-haired young boy she loved so much stood in front of her. She watched him gape up at her with widened eyes, making a bright smile on her lips wash away that anger she had felt at standing before Petunia Dursley. ''Now look at that. You're all grown up and it's only been a couple of month since I've last seen you''

''Emmeline!'' Harry beamed, throwing his arms around her. Emmeline started laughing and hugged him right back, being careful not to destroy the box in her hands. His hair already reached her cheek perfectly without her having to lean down. She pressed a loving kiss at the top of his head and pulled away from him, her hand on his pale cheek. She frowned.

''Have you not been taking any sunlight?''

''Like you're one to talk,'' chuckled Harry. ''You're paler by the day''

Emmeline laughed once more and smiled at Harry. ''Happy birthday, kid'' she said, making Harry's face lighten up completely just before he threw his arms around her once again. She felt her heart twitch a little at this, knowing how it must've been the first and only congratulations he had received in the whole day.

''So this is what Harry Potter's man cave looks like'' she said jokingly, looking around his room ass they sat on the floor, his door locked. The box opened beside them and sweets, cake, and muffins surrounded them. Four sweaters, three pairs of socks, new robes, and a few shirts were already folded on Harry's bed. Although Harry had complained, Emmeline insisted he kept all of it. Those were his presents after all. Still, he begged her to at least eat with him everything she had brought him. Harry was shocked when she had started pulling out food after clothes after more food from that little white box. She had to explain him how the Undetectable Extension Charm worked. Harry took a fist-sized piece of cake into his mouth and his cheeks grew. Emmeline laughed as he nodded, in response to her question.

''You're talking like a man already'' Harry frowned. ''You no longer have that little boy's voice''

Harry swallowed and said, ''I haven't noticed any difference, you know''

''You won't. Trust me, just those who haven't seen you in a while will notice it. That's why none of them have started to make fun of you''

Harry sighed and said, ''I hate it here, Em. If I could just get out for a few minutes. Go away from them and be able to do magic... It wouldn't be as bad as it is''

Emmeline watched him sadly while he took another bean. He spit it out the second he closed his mouth and made a repulsed sound. Emmeline raised her eyebrow at him and chuckled. ''Bogey flavoured?''

''Worse... Vomit'' Harry said, cleaning his mouth with his sleeve

''Here,'' Emmeline handed him a Chocoball. He looked less disgusted after he swallowed it and carried on eating. ''Have they been giving you your meals?''

''Not the ones I wished, but it's something...''

Emmeline sighed and shook her head. He didn't deserve the way he was treated. All of the sudden she took the box in her hands quickly and submerged her whole arm into the box, searching around. Harry frowned at her as he watched her curiously. ''There you are...'' she breathed, pulling a rather old book from the insides of the box. She had cleaned it earlier but there was still some dust on its black hardcover. Emmeline looked up at Harry, ''I want you to have this,'' she started. ''But you have to promise me something before you start reading it or even think of lending it to someone. It will be your book from now on, but you have to be careful to who you might give it to''

''Alright'' Harry said unsurely.

''Harry... This book is very important to me and I only want you to have it or read it. It is crucial you don't speak of it to anyone. Not even Ron or Hermione, alright?''

''It isn't like they talk to me anyway''

''What?'' Emmeline frowned deeply.

''They haven't talked to me over the whole summer. Keep going, though, it doesn't... matter anyway''

Emmeline hesitated for a moment, not knowing if to ask him any more about it. She shrugged it off and carried on, ''You can't let anyone have their hands on this book, Harry''

''Why? Why is it so important to you? What is it?''

''I can't really explain that part to you just now. I probably won't for a long time,'' she lowered her voice, but cleared her throat right away. ''You can start reading it, but you definitely can't carry on with your reading if you don't understand a thing. There's a lot of Latin, French, and Ancient Runes' stuff. Once you get to that part, if you're not taking that class by third year, then... I don't know, you can ask me. But you have to do as I'm saying... Understood?''

Harry looked at her puzzled, hesitantly, but nodded nonetheless. ''Yeah, I got it'' he whispered with his eyes lying only on the book. Emmeline moved the book from her grasp and handed it slowly to Harry, watching him carefully as he stared at the cover with a deep frown. ''Pure Lineage: Verum pro nullum Ignarum... What does that mean?'' Harry asked, looking up at Emmeline.

''No truth for the ignorant,'' Emmeline said.

''Why do you have this? Why give it to me? What is it, anyway?''

Emmeline stood up and ran her hands down her skirt, cleaning the bits of food that were there. She put her shoes back on and said, ''I think you and I both know what that is, Harry''. She turned to look at him with a grin. ''It's time for me to leave now''

''What? No!''

''I'm sorry, but I have a lot of things to do'' Emmeline said sadly. Harry stood up quickly and shook his head.

''But you still haven't told me how and why you're still alive''

''That's harsh, coming from you'' She frowned at him.

Harry sighed frustrated and said, ''You know what I mean! You were shot by... that curse, I saw it and you know it is true!''

''I neither confirmed it nor denied it. No need to be so angry at me. Aren't you glad I'm still here?'' She asked him, making Harry look up at her with regretful eyes. Harry started to apologize right away but she interrupted him saying, ''I know, just... have a safe term, don't get into too much trouble-''

''What do you mean?'' Harry asked defensively. Emmeline pressed her lips together forming a thin line and looked away. She had said too much. ''Aren't you going to Hogwarts this term?'' She remained silent, looking for any explanation that would let him understand. Harry looked at her incredulously and asked, ''Y-you can't just leave me there by myself! You have to- you have lessons to attend to, how can Dumbledore-''

''Harry,'' she said softly, trying to calm him down. Harry wanted to scream at her, yell it all out, but somehow he couldn't. He felt betrayed, by everyone that he once thought of his friends. He thought of them being different from the people that usually surrounded him. He thought they wouldn't just forget him. Was it really that easy for them to just ignore his existence and carry on as if nothing was wrong? To forget him that easily? Why hadn't Ron or Hermione talked to him all summer? Why hadn't she? Sure, she had come all the way from where she lived to Privet Drive to spend his birthday with him. But why hadn't she tried to write to him too? Not even Hagrid had tried to reach him. Emmeline could see clearly on Harry's face how lonely he felt. She didn't hesitate to pull him into her arms and hug him tightly. ''I'll be having my homework sent to me. I'm excused for almost half the term,''—Harry pulled away quickly to look up at her incredulously. Emmeline placed her hands on his shoulders and looked firmly at him—''I promise you I'll try and make it to school before it's Christmas, alright?''

Harry hesitated for a long time before nodding and hugging her again. ''What if they ask where you are?''

''You say you don't know''

''Does Professor Dumbledore know?''

''He was the one that gave me permission''

''Where will you go?''

''I'll be around''

Harry looked up to her frowning, ''Tell me one place''

''Romania'' Emmeline grinned.

''Isn't that were Ron's brother works?'' Harry asked.

''Yes, it is. I'm visiting him and then I'll be off to Albania. I might come back depending on what I find''

''What is it that you're looking for?''

Emmeline looked at him for a moment and then grinned. She leaned forward and kissed his forehead. ''If I only knew''

''You're travelling to search for something, but you don't know what it is?'' Harry looked up at her as if she were mad, making her laugh and shake her head.

''Sometimes, Harry, we travels to find who we truly are. Sometimes, we travels to confirm to ourselves that we are just who we thought we were''

''You're not making any sense today'' he chuckled.

Emmeline smiled. ''Don't get into too much trouble''