Ramblings and Dribbles

by WolfgangNH

This is a posting of ramblings, dribbles, one-shots, unfinished ideas or other stuff I just don't think deserves it's own storyline. Some I plan to finish someday, others are what they are. This is mature reading for some posts. Some items may be well developed, others are not yet, and may never be. There will many different pairings, and sometimes none.

41. Giving Up

Rambling and Dribbles: A dribble that I hope some enjoy.

-oOo-

Working Title: GIVING UP!

-oOo-

Disclaimer: The world of Harry Potter does not belong to me.

Premise: A being abandoned by his friends and the Order the summer after the Triwizard Tournament, Harry has grown rather bitter, resentful and rebellious. What would happen if this came out at his trial for performing underage magic… especially if he hadn't performed magic?

This is a 'Harry get's out of England' story with a twist I have not seen before. Not saying that other's haven't done it, but just not one I have read or heard of.

-oOo-

Chapter 1

-oOo-

August 23, 1995

Little Whinging, Surrey, England

"Good morning, Harry," Mr Weasley said in a forced chipper tone. "Are you ready to leave?"

Harry nodded.

Mr Weasley frowned. "Where is your trunk and Hedwig's cage?"

Harry shrugged.

The redheaded man looked to Aunt Petunia. She was scowling at Harry. "If he is going to do magic again, just get him out of here. I don't want him back."

Harry snorted and walked out the door.

"Harry, I really need your trunk and everything you are bringing with you. I am taking you somewhere safe after the hearing," Mr Weasley called after him.

Harry shrugged again. They had ignored him all summer, except to get a few owls telling him what to do, so it was only fair that he ignored them too.

"I'm sorry, Misses Dursley, but we do need to get going. I'll bring him back to get his stuff later," Mr Weasley said.

"I said I don't want him back, unless he is going to Stonewall High," she told the man and slammed the door in his face.

Mr Weasley tried to sound upbeat. "Don't worry, Harry. I'm not sure if anyone told you I wouldn't be taking you back today. Let's get to the ministry and I'll bring you back after lunch to get your trunk."

Harry didn't say a word.

Mr Weasley looked at him before sighing. He had dealt with enough sullen or unruly teenagers to recognize when one was upset and giving him the silent treatment.

Taking Harry's arm, Harry was suddenly pulled through space and time in the most uncomfortable way. When they appeared in London, Harry stumbled over to the first solid wall before upwelling on the pavement.

Mr Weasley patted his back. "You've never side-a-long apparated before, have you?"

Harry gave the man a glare.

Mr Weasley sighed. "I told Dumbledore you shouldn't have been left alone," the man muttered as he guided Harry towards a telephone booth. It was a rather unremarkable booth that was ubiquitous across England… twenty-years ago.

Harry glared at the idiotic watchman that fawned over him. "Harry Potter! My little girl wrote about you all year long about you. Quite taken with you, actually. Maybe you know her? Erin Crabtree?"

"Eric, I need to get to my office and Harry has an appointment in the Underage Magical Department at ten," Mr Weasley said.

"Oh, right. Right. Your wand, please," the guard said.

Harry shook his head.

"Harry, you have to register your wand and leave it at the desk," Mr Weasley said.

Harry shook his head again and turned out his jacket pockets.

Sighing, Mr Weasley said. "Sorry about this, Eric, but he's rather upset he has to go up to the Underage Magical Use board today."

The guard chuckled. "Not the first time I've dealt with a sullen teen. Let me just run this over you."

The man took a stick from behind the counter that had a small light on the handle just above his hand. The guard ran the stick over Harry and frowned. "Huh, he really doesn't have his wand on him. Alright, you two can go through. Good luck, Mr Potter. Not all of us believe what the Daily Prophet says about you."

Harry scowled. He didn't like what the Prophet was saying about him, and he didn't understand why he was here. He hadn't done anything wrong.

"Come on," Mr Weasley said. As they were getting in the lift, the man leaned down, "Why don't you have your wand on you?"

Harry shrugged.

"Harry, I'm being serious. I get you are upset, but you can't keep this up," Mr Weasley warned him.

Harry watched as a tall, dark-skinned man in burgundy robes and wearing a kufi just managed to rush into the elevator. He moved to Mr Weasley's side and whispered frantically into his ear. Harry just looked ahead. "What floor, dear?" a witch asked.

"Ninth," Mr Weasley said. "Thanks, Kingsley."

Harry was rushed out of the elevator. "What are they thinking of having the hearing in the lower courtrooms?" Mr Weasley said angrily.

Harry wasn't sure to feel angry, afraid or just indifferent? He went with indifferent. It wasn't like anyone really cared for him.

A few minutes later Harry was pushed into a set of open doors by himself.

"What is the time, Weatherby?" a man in green bowler hat and purple robes asked.

Percy Weasley looked like he was fighting to keep the colour from rising. "Eight fifty-six."

Fudge was behind a dais. Off to the side sat dozens of people in purple, red or black robes. They all looked rather self-important, with large tricorn style hats and large shoulders, like they had pads or something under them. He had been told to just answer things truthfully and don't speak unless asked something. That was easy to do. Harry hadn't spoken to anyone in weeks now. He could keep his tongue if needed.

"Call the start of the hearing. I want this to get started exactly on the hour," Fudge said as Harry moved to sit in the chair. He noticed a few people noticing him, but most were still talking amongst themselves.

Percy looked all pleased and turned back towards the centre of the room. It was obvious that the prat hadn't expected Harry to be there. Fudge was even more surprised. "Potter, what are you doing here?"

Harry shrugged as he took his seat on the very uncomfortable black chair. There were chains attached to it. He wondered if they were used or just for show.

"Right. Well, let's get this going," the man said, obviously flustered that Harry was here.

Harry watched as Percy gathered himself. It took a few minutes to announce the pompous minister, the charges and to ask Harry how he pleaded.

"Innocent," Harry said. His voice was a little croaky. It was the first time he had said anything in well over a month.

"Hem. Hem. It's Guilty or Not Guilty," a woman in pink said. She was the only one wearing pink. "He already mocks this trial. He should be found incontempt as well."

Harry turned his stare to her.

"Well, Potter? What is it or do I find you in contempt?" the minister questioned.

"Excuse me, minister, but has Mister Potter been informed about what the procedings are here?" a woman in a monocle asked.

"He was notified. It is not this courts issue if he doesn't know how to act. How do you plead?" Fudge questioned. The woman with the monocle frowned.

"Not Guilty," Harry told him.

"Very well. Auror, bring us his wand to be checked on the charge of performing magic while not at school," Fudge demanded.

The man that had told Mr Weasley to come here stepped forward from the stands. "Mister Potter didn't have any wand on him today."

Fudge looked at him. "What is this? You were required to take your wand with you. That was defined in the notice that was sent you."

Harry shrugged. "I don't have it."

"Minister, this is surely contempt," the pink lady said.

"Mister Potter, where is your solicitor," the woman in a monacle asked.

"Didn't know I needed one," Harry said. "The notice for my hearing didn't say anything about bringing my wand."

"A hearing? Mister Potter, you do realize the severity of what you are being accused of, don't you?" the monocle woman asked.

"Mister Potter was sent a summons for this," the pink woman said. Her rather squat face reminded him of a cane toad he had seen in a book one time.

"That doesn't matter. He appeared here on time, so he obviously must have known. Where is your wand, Potter?" Fudge demanded.

"Don't have it," Harry replied.

"Obviously. Tell us where it is and an Auror will go get it," Fudge told him.

"They can't," Harry told him.

"Hem. Hem. Do not defy the ministry, Mister Potter. Where is your wand?" the pink toad asked.

"Burned up," Harry told him.

Fudge bristled. "Destroying evidence! You do realize what that will mean for you?"

"I don't. According to this, I cast a patronus charm on August tenth. That is impossible for me to do," Harry told them calmly.

"Well of course it is. You're only a third year," the pink woman said.

"I can cast a patronus, but it's impossible for me to do that anymore," Harry said.

"Stop this. Where is your wand or you will be found guilty," Fudge warned.

"It's burned up. I burned all my Hogwarts stuff and my wand earlier this summer, before my birthday," Harry told them.

This seemed to shock a few people.

"You burned your wand and all your school supplies?" the woman with the monocle asked. "And when if your birthday?"

"Yes, ma'am. I burned it all. My birthday is July thirty-first," Harry anwered.

"You lie! No one would intentionally burn their wands," the pink toad said.

Harry shrugged.

"Mister Potter, you will have one more chance before you are found in contempt and this trial continues without you here," Fudge said angrily, his face reddening in his anger. "Where is your wand?"

"Burned up. The ashes are still buried in my relatives garden. Uncle Vernon is still upset at the burned patch of grass in the backyard," Harry replied.

"You are honestly telling us that you destroyed your wand and that you didn't cast the magic detected in Little Winging on August tenth, nineteen-ninety-five? Are you will to take an oath or veritaserum to prove that?" the monocle woman asked.

The minister looked even more flustered. "Amelia, I don't think we need to go that far. Obviously the boy is lying. I will issue a warrant for Aurors to go search his house and he can wait in the holding cells until we can reconvene tomorrow."

The monocle woman, Amelia, gave the man a stern look. "Minister Fudge, if this boy is telling the truth that his wand was destroyed before July thirty-first, then there is no way he could cast a spell as powerful as a patronus on August tenth, besides the fact that spell he is being accused of using is far in advanced of what he could know."

Harry snorted in amusement. "You find that funny, Potter?" Fudge said angrily.

"I can cast a patronus, but I don't want my magic anymore," Harry told them.

This got some gasps of surprise and the minister paled a little. Amelia looked at him. "Why would you want to give up your magic? You understand what would happen?"

Harry shrugged again. "It's obvious that no one wants me. The Daily Prophet has been calling a liar, unstable and a cheat all summer. I think last week there was an article that recommended I should have died, not Cedric Diggory. So I figure, why not just give up my magic. It's not like anyone will miss me."

Fudge was moving his mouth like a fish out of water. Many in the stands looked very uncomfortable and were murmuring with each other. Amelia looked to want to say something else when the doors behind him burst open.

"Witness for the defence, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, and Misses Arabella Figg. I would like to state the defendant is not guilty and the court has no right to perform a priori incantatum on an underage wizard's wand without his guardians' permission," a bearded wanked said as he strolled into the room.

Fudge's fish impression turned suddenly into anger. "What is the meaning of this, Dumbledore! This was a sealed room. Aurors, remove these people. They did not present themselves when these proceedings were started!"

Three of the burgundy robed men started to move towards them.

"Aurors stop," Amelia commanded. "Mister Potter, are you serious that you are trying to give up your magic and that you destroyed your wand when you say?"

Dumbledore had stopped right next to him. He had started to give Harry a reassuring smile until his face froze.

Harry looked right up at the man, the anger that he had thought he had left behind burning in his eyes. "Yes," he clearly said. "I request to be obliviated and bound. I don't want to be a wizard anymore."

The courtroom broke out in pandemonium after that. Harry got some satisfaction out of the horrified look on Dumbledore's face.

-oOo-

Late that day…

DAILY PROPHET

Evening Edition

August 23, 1995

HARRY POTTER WANTS TO BE A SQUIB!

For months now your reliable Daily Prophet has been bringing you news about one of our largest heroes, Harry Potter. The Boy-Who-Lied has recently been in the news as being the champion of the ill-fated Triwizard Tournament where Cedric Diggory tragically lost his life.

The Boy-Who-Lived reported that a dead man killed Diggory and the Ministry of Magic has provided proof this could not be so. As if the boy didn't have enough fame and infamy, he was recently charged with severe offenses against the Statute of Secrecy and the Statues for Reasonable Use of Underage Magic. He was called before the Wizengamot to stand trial this morning to answer to these charges. As expected, it was a trial that was anticipated to cause a stir, and this reporter can say it did not disappoint.

Your intrepid reporter, Rita Skeeter, was there to witness the trial. All the proceeding were rather mundane until the Boy-Who-Lived wand was requested. You can imagine my surprise when the boy said he did not have it. It was even more shocking when Harry Potter said he destroyed it!

You read right. Harry Potter destroyed his own wand!

Even more shocking, Harry Potter wants to be obliviated and bound. The Boy-Who-Lived wants to become a squib!

Why you ask? I had the same question.

To my shame, I have learned this newspaper is part of that. The Daily Prophet has repeated many leaked details and other insinuations against the Potter heir, believing it was true. After questioning under veritaserum, I am a big enough woman to admit that I was taken in my the ministries, and particularly Minister Fudge's, lies to believe that our saviour had cracked under his fame. I was proven wrong…

-oOo-

That evening…

London, England

Harry hadn't said a word since leaving the courtroom. Everyone here had ignored him for almost two months, so they could be ignored as well. After being taken to Grimmauld Place, and especially finding out that Ron and Hermione had been together much of the last month, he had let Sirius lead him up to a room after shoving Mrs Weasley away from him. He didn't care if she looked hurt and upset. He didn't really care for anyone here. The only one Harry could understand not contacting him was Sirius, and that was a legitimate reason. The man was on the run. Even so, Harry didn't even say anything to him.

The day had turned dark and he could feel the hunger pangs, though they were getting less. How long had it been since he had a solid meal? Last night? Things had been better at the Dursley's since they had realized he meant it that he didn't want magic anymore, even if Uncle Vernon was upset about the burn patch.

When a knock came at the door, Harry just stayed where we was, his hands behind his head and looking blankly up at the ceiling. Once again his life had been turned upside down on him and he didn't have a single word to say about it.

After another knock, the door opened. The smell of something delicious wafted into the room.

"Hey, pup, you still up?" Sirius asked.

Harry did nothing to acknowledge him.

The man walked into the room looking like a down trodden dog. He had been all cheer and smiles when Harry had walked into the house. Now he was subdued.

"Molly made some sheppards pie and Yorkshire puddings. Thought you might like some before the rest of the Order shows up," the man said. He moved over and put the plate on the table next to his bed. Harry tried to keep an even face as his stomach betrayed him and made some angry noises at the smell.

Sirius smirked. "Thought you might be hungry."

Harry didn't say anything and the man's smirk faded. After a moment, he sat on the edge of the bed. "Arthur told us what you said in the hearing today and Tonks and Moody went to check for your stuff," Sirius said in a why that it sounded like he wanted a response. When Harry didn't say anything, Sirius went on. "We couldn't find anything except your cloak, your picture album and the map."

Sirius had taken them out of a pocket of the older style robes he was wearing.

"Not sure where you put everything else, but if you let me know, we'll go get it," Sirius told him.

Harry hadn't lied. He had had a good barn fire a week before his birthday. He had intended to burn everything magical, but just couldn't bring himself to destroy the few things he had from his parents. They were the only people he ever knew that truly wanted him.

Everything else: the Firebolt, his books, quills, wand, trunk, uniform, money pouch… everything magical was now gone. As far as he knew Hedwig was gone too. She had been sent out earlier this summer to deliver letters and never came back.

Sirius looked at him, expectant for Harry to say anything.

Harry just lay on the bed, still staring up at the ceiling.

"Listen, Harry. I know that you don't really want to give up your magic. Just tell me where your stuff is," Sirius requested.

After several more minutes of silence, Sirius sighed. "Alright, I get it. You're upset. I'll let you sulk for a bit more. Once you want your wand and everything, just let me know."

Sirius patted his leg before getting up. He walked to door. Just before walking out, Harry said, "I've enrolled in Stonewall High. When do I go back home? I have a lot of revision to catch up on."

Sirius blinked at him. "I thought you hated it there?"

Harry shrugged.

"What about Hogwarts?"

Harry shrugged again.

The worried look on Sirius face grew more dire. "I know you don't really mean that, pup. The train leaves in a week. I'm sure you'll feel better once you're on it."

Harry didn't say anything as he just stared at the ceiling. A rather concerned Sirius shut the door behind him after a few minutes.

-oOo-

About the same time…

London, England

The paper slammed down on the desk. A few knickknacks flew off the desk, skittering and clanging across the floor. A red-faced man was trying to tower over a woman sitting in the chair before the desk.

"You told me this was a sure thing! You told me that we could use this to control the boy! You said he would be forever grateful to me once I pardoned him and sent him back to Hogwarts! Dolores, this is all your fault," an angry Cornelius spat as he yelled at her.

"Look at this! Look at these headlines. For almost two months we have been tearing the boy down and polls were starting to show it. More and more were questioning what the boy claimed! In one day, you have ruined that, Dolores! Did you even verify who cast that Patronus in the area?"

The pink clad woman looked a little cowed. Her normally smug and superior expression was missing. "The underaged magical detectors picked it up in the area. There are no other magical children for twenty miles. How was I to know he burned his own wand?"

"You investigate, you daft cow! You verify or plant your information. I have taught you this. It doesn't matter if he did it or not, but the appearance he did was important. I need Potter. I need his fame and for him to owe me. This was supposed to do that. I need him to undermine Dumbledore. You-Know-Who isn't back and the boy is just doing what the old man wants," Cornelius said angrily. "I wanted Potter brought down, not wanting him to give up his magic. Merlin, Dolores, the public is going to want to kill anyone that made the Boy-Who-Lived give up his magic."

"You said you wanted him out of the way," she replied weakly.

"Out of the way. In the palm of my hands. Not a squib! You are to stop anything you have the Daily Prophet doing to him. We have to turn this around," Cornelius told her.

She sputtered. "Turn this around… but… but… Cornelius! We never go back on our plans. Potter is a liar and needs to be eliminated. This could ruin you."

"It is going to ruin me if we don't turn this around. I want an investigation reopened onto the Diggory boy. Dig up anything you can. I don't care who you have to sell out, but make it out that the Death Eaters were trying to take revenge or something. Arrest a few people. I don't care. Just find a way to make the boy happy again. I have to go and talk with Amelia. She is all over the reports now that there may have actually been dementors in the area. Merlin! Can you imagine what it would have been like if the boy had been kissed?" he said as he ducked his head and sat back down in his chair. He missed the panicked look on Dolores' face.

"Maybe I should go talk with Amelia while you talk with the Prophet?" she suggested.

Fudge sighed before rubbing his hands over his face. "I have to handle Amelia. This is going to be delicate enough and you don't always have the best people skills. You need to go and deal with the Prophet. I don't care if they have to do a reprint. Make sure there is nothing in the paper that puts any type of negative light on Potter."

Dolores swallowed hard. "And if they don't?"

"I know you can find a way. Now go," he said, waving her to go. He needed a few minutes before he went to go find Amelia. With any luck, she was still in the ministry.

-oOo-

August 25, 1995

London, England

The knock came at the door again. "Harry, can I please come in?"

Harry was now sitting up at the desk in his room. A few plates were stacked on the night table next to his bed. He refused to go anywhere except his room and the bathroom until he was returned home. Sirius refused to take his dirty plates out, but would bring him food twice a day if Harry didn't show in the kitchen. Thus, the stack of plates was getting higher.

He was sitting at his desk working on the mounds of muggle revision he had missed out on the last four years. He was making progress, but knew he was behind and might never really catch up. He was determined to take his CGSE's next summer though. It would be a little later than if he had stayed in muggle school, but not far off from what he should be.

He ignored the knock and the girls voice again. "Harry, you can't just ignore us forever."

Harry looked at the Walkman he had put on the desk. Once Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia had cooled down enough about his barn fire, they listened to what Harry wanted to do. To his surprise, they actually seemed pleased and supportive of his idea to leave magic behind. Pleased enough that Uncle Vernon backed off his chores and Aunt Petunia allowed him to take the old Walkman when Dudley got a new CD player.

Looking at the Walkman, Harry scowled. That was one thing he hated about magic. He couldn't use anything electronic around highly magical places, like Hogwarts or Grimmauld Place. He also hated that most magicals would look down at something like the portable tape player and think it so below then that they couldn't adapt to use it. He really wanted to listen to music as he worked through his first-year chemistry revision.

"Harry, open the door. We have something to tell you," an annoying redhead's voice came through the door.

He turned back to the textbook to look for the definition of a mol again. He needed it to do the calculation in his workbook.

He heard the knob rattle as one of his ex-friends tried to open the door. If they choose to use their wands, they could get in. He had only locked the door with the old skeleton key he found in the drawer in the nightstand. It was part of his new anti-magic stance.

"Harry, talk to us please," Hermione begged through the door. "Dumbledore told us we couldn't contact you this summer."

Harry scowled at the man's name. Of course, if Dumbledore told you to, then that is what you should do, he snarked in his head.

The doorknob rattled again.

"Come on, mate. Let us in. You'll never believe what we overheard at the last meeting," Ron yelled through the door.

"Ron, not so loud," Hermione's low voice came through the thin door. Harry may want to give up magic, but he could do with a silencing charm about now.

"Come off it, Hermione. Mum is still yelling at Fred and George and I'm sure Harry will want to hear about the weapon in the Ministry," Ron said.

"Will you be quiet. We aren't supposed to know. Harry, open the door, please?" Hermione begged again after chastising Ron.

Blocking them out would be so much easier if he could listen to his music…

-oOo-

August 26, 1995

DAILY PROPHET

Morning Edition

MINISTERY ARRESTS DEATH EATERS!

The Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Amelia Bones, has confirmed that the Ministry of Magic has moved against a group claiming to have kidnapped Harry Potter and killed Cedric Diggory.

Ongoing investigations have led Aurors to looking for a group claiming to be Death Eaters. Three arrests were made last night. No source in the Ministry has confirmed who has been arrested, but an off the record Auror had been overheard talking about 'pureblood bigots'. An anonymous source has indicated that Jovian Flint was one of the ones arrested, who is a nephew of Lord Flint.

The DMLE has issued an alert that they may not have arrested everyone involved.

There is also suspicion that this same group may have been involved in the afterparty chaos of the World Cup last year. If that is true, then more than a dozen other Ministries will be looking to prosecute those involved.

A press conference is scheduled for 2:00 PM and will be broadcast on the Wizarding Wireless Network…

-oOo-

Later that day…

London, England

It was dinner time again and Harry's stomach was growling. He shouldn't miss lunch, but he refused to interact with anyone, especially after Hermione had ambushed him when he went to the bathroom yesterday. All he wanted was to take a quick shower and she wouldn't leave him alone, actually following him into the bathroom to force him to talk to her. Her shrieks as he started to undress when she wouldn't get out had brought the whole house to the third floor.

Huffing, he stormed out of the bathroom in just his shorts, not caring about anyone's sensibility. He had heard Sirius and Hermione arguing after Mrs Weasley got done trying to yell at him. Harry did his best to just look impassive and not say a word. The way he slammed his door shut told everyone how upset he was. He was upset enough that his magic escaped him enough that it threw Mrs Weasley out the door so he could close it.

Since then, only Sirius had come to see him.

When the knock came, Harry leaned back in his chair. Throwing his head back, he pushed his glasses up his nose and rubbed his eyes. Candlelight was murder on his eyes after a few hours and the windows of this dank old house didn't let in enough light. When the door opened, Harry lifted his fingers and turned just enough to look at who was coming in.

His first reaction was to sneer. His second reaction was to not.

Snape had just walked in and shut the door. In his hand was a plate with some roast and all the fixings. It smelled good. The man looked at Harry as he looked at the man upside down.

"Black wanted me to bring this too you since I was coming up," Snape told him.

Harry gave the man a curious look. Snape was far from his favourite person, but at least he had never pretended to be someone he was not: a spiteful man that hated Harry because of his father and his father's friends. Though, something looked different tonight.

Harry didn't say a word as Snape stood there. After a moment, he moved over to the desk and put the plate on top of the French workbook.

"After all this time of trying to get you to keep your mouth shut, and all it took was for you to throw a tantrum?" Snape goaded.

Harry snorted but didn't say a word.

Snape rose an eyebrow. As antagonizing the man was, he didn't seem too really be in it tonight. The man looked over to the pile of books and other stuff on the desk. "That is not potions or transfiguration."

Harry shrugged.

"So, is it true? You want out of the magical world?"

Harry sat up and turned to look at the man. "I figure you would be celebrating," Harry replied.

The man's expression stayed neutral. He met Harry's eyes. "At one time, I would have."

Harry's brow rose in question. "And not now?"

Snape regarded Harry for a long moment. "That depends."

Harry waited for the man to talk. It had worked with everyone else so far this week. Snape didn't say a word. A battle of wills seemed to take place, and for the first time in a while Harry's curiosity was peaked. "Depends on what?"

"Do you really want out of our world?" Snape asked.

Harry snorted. "What world are you talking about? I'm not wanted anywhere so I'm going to find somewhere where I am."

Again, Snape was looking at him. Harry had a feeling that the man was trying to decide something and looking at Harry in a different way. "Did you destroy your wand?"

"Had a big old fire in the backyard. The Firebolt took off and I had to use a hose before it caught the fence on fire," Harry told him.

A small corner of Snape's mouth twitched, like he wanted to smile. "I see. Has Professor Dumbledore talked to you at all since you arrived?"

Harry made a sour face. "He hasn't said three words to me since you all forced me to tell you what happened in the graveyard. He's done a good job of making sure no one talked to me since then."

Snape frowned. "If you have another option, would you remain a wizard?" Snape asked.

Harry gave him an incredulous look. "Why would I want to stay? Have you seen what the Daily Prophet has said about me this summer? I'm just a delusion quack that makes up Dark Lords out to kill me. Or how about my loving family? My loving friends? My loving teachers?" He said the last rather pointedly to Snape. "Everyone hates me most of the time. So, professor, please tell me, why I would want to stay?"

"You are not worried about the Dark Lord? He would kill you if he has the chance," Snape questioned.

Harry shrugged. "If he does, he does. I'm just tired of always having to live up to everyone else's expectations, but never being able to live up to my own. I don't want to be told what to do anymore. I never wanted to be famous. I hate it, as much as you and others think I bask in it. I want out. I want to be obliviated. I don't want magic anymore. If Voldemort comes for me one day when I'm a muggle, then so be it. My parents didn't die for me to be a martyr. I'm sure they would like me to live and I would like to just be a normal boy for a while. Even if it's only a few weeks before everyone comes to kill me."

It was the most he had said in a while and the first time he had put the swirling maelstrom that had been in him since that night of the third task into words. Snape gave an unfathomable look.

After several long few heartbeats of silence, Harry said, "I just want out." He turned back to his desk and moved the plate off his French workbook. He made sure that nothing got on it before picking the silverware up. "If you don't mind, I still have a lot of revision to finish if I'm doing my CGSE's next year."

Harry started to eat the roast. As much as he hated the Weasleys right now, he would miss Mrs Weasley's cooking. It was part of why he wanted to be obliviated. He didn't want all those times when he was happy to keep reminding him of how horrible things were. He might break if he had to keep thinking of Hermione, Ron, Sirius and the others. Their betrayals just cut too deep.

Snape didn't move as Harry worked on his dinner. He was halfway through when the man said, "What if I can give you another option?"

Harry stopped with the fork partway to his mouth. He didn't look at the professor. "No thank you, professor. I'm sure it's something else that Dumbledore has thought up to control me. If you want to take me to Tom, then so be it, but I would like to control my own life for a little while."

He put the bite of beef and baked carrot into his mouth.

"What if I said I'm leaving the country? It wouldn't be hard to take someone else with me when I go," Snape said.

Harry chewed and swallowed before turning to look at the man. Harry had a bit of an incredulous look. Harry was trying to figure out what the man was getting at, or why he would want him around. Snape hated him. Up to a month or so ago, Harry felt the same. Now he was just apathetic to his old life. "Why?"

Snape's face showed an internal struggle for a moment before he said, "Lily Evans was my best friend. We grew up together in Cokesworth. Her parents… did things to help me. Lily did things to help me and was there for me until I broke our friendship. You look so much like James Potter," the man said with clear disgust, "that I forgot you were Lily's son too."

Harry's brow rose.

Snape continued. "All this time I thought you were your father. I missed that you were more like Lily than I knew. She hated attention, but shone enough to always garner it. I think it was why she didn't care for your father when they first met. James was loud, a bully, arrogant and loved attention. Everything your mother wasn't. I don't know if James ever grew up and became the man others talk about. To me, he was always an arse."

Harry's brow rose more. People didn't usually talk about his mother. Only how great his parents were, and his father was the best of people.

"I made an oath on Lily's death to keep her child alive," Snape told him.

Harry could tell that this wasn't the time to let old grudges come up, but his mouth was going before his mind could catch up with his decision. "And you have done such a splendid job of that. Or is this like my relatives? It doesn't matter if I'm happy or not, along as I'm alive."

Snape sneered. "Petunia was always a vindictive, petty person. I never knew that was where you were sent until after you came to Hogwarts. Albus has always kept his cards close to his chest and had me believing, like most of the rest of the wizards, that you grew up pampered."

"Hardly," Harry said bitterly.

Snape frowned. "So it seems. I do not have much time if we are to leave the country in the next twenty-four hours. I will ask one more time, if I can give you a different option that lets you keep your magic and leave all this behind, would you take it?"

Harry regarded his most hated professor for a few minutes. "How do I know you won't try to take me straight to Voldemort or drown me in my sleep?"

"You will have to take that chance," Snape told him. The frown was still on his face. "I don't have time. Do you want out?"

There was a part of him that was screaming 'HELL YES!'. While another part was incredibly weary. He doubted that Dumbledore would just let him go. "And your masters will just let you go?"

Snape's face went emotionless again. "I can't guarantee that, but I have information that can be used to leverage both the Dark Lord and Albus Dumbledore." Snape looked at his watch. "You must make your decision now. I have already been here too long."

Harry swallowed. Did he want to keep his magic? If he got his wish to be obliviated, how long would he have a happy life for before Voldemort or someone else came to get him? Harry was thinking weeks at most. Was it worth it to live his own life for that amount of time? He really had meant it that he doubted his parents died to not let him live.

Snape started to drum his fingers on his arm.

"I want out," Harry told him.

Snape nodded. A sheet of parchment was pulled from his pocket, along with a few muggle twenty-pound notes. "I do not know how long it will take for me to complete what I need. Get ready to leave. It will be at least two hours before I am back. Tomorrow at the latest. If I don't return, then you can go here. Do not take any magical transport. There is a key under the third rock from the left of the stairs. Inside you will find instructions and what you will need on how to escape on your own. It is the best chance I can give you."

Harry pursed his lips before nodding.

Snape turned and went to leave the room. He stopped when Harry said, "Professor, if you were really my mum's friend, you'd be the first one of my parents' friends to ever really help me. Thank you."

Snape didn't turn to look back at the green-eyed boy. He gave one curt nod. "If I am not back by dinner tomorrow, make your escape tomorrow night. I am sure there will be chaos and it will be the best chance you will have."

He was out of the room before Harry could say anything else. He looked at the closed door for a few minutes before turning back to finish his dinner and then pack.

-oOo-

Chapter 2

-oOo-

August 27, 1995

Wiltshire, England

Voldemort sat in his chair. He was silently fuming at the headlines of the Daily Prophet. He was trying to decide to be apoplectic at or silently cheer the paper on for making more chaos. He wanted his return to be silent and unknown. Potter escaping had ruined that. He had figured that Dumbledore would already be all over him and his supporters. Instead, the fearful minister had done a rather effective job of covering up something that could have been catastrophic for his original plans.

DMLE confirms Death Eater wannabees are just that!

The headline galled him some. To be one of his Death Eaters was an honourable thing. You were not a 'wannabee'. You were either one of the elite, or you were nothing, and his Death Eaters were the elite of his forces.

Even though it galled him, he couldn't deny that this whole controversy hid his plans well. He had lost a few supporters, but none of his marked inner circle. He could deal with some losses. In the end, this would work well for him.

As he came to the realization that Fudge and the Ministry were still helping him, even if they didn't know it, the doors to his throne room opened. Looking up, a nervous looking Lucius Malfoy was walking down the hall. He skirted around the large table he used for his war councils. When he reached the raised dais and chair, the man prostrated himself. Voldemort smiled internally.

"What is it, Lucius? What has you coming to me like a house elf?" Voldemort asked the man. It was amusing to see the Lord of the house and key member of his inner circle having to debase himself like this. His anger at his servants who had not looked for him or believed in his immortality was still there. His fear that they would turn on him if he didn't continue to establish his dominance over them after the latest humiliation by Potter and their unfaithfulness to find him drove part of his psychosis to keep that dominance.

"My lord, a missive has come for you," Lucius said.

Voldemort's brow rose to look at the thick envelope. His followers knew to never send him an owl or written message unless bid to do so. He had also ensured that an owl would never find him. His followers also knew that he required them to appear before him to deliver any news, and they would only be forgiven if a messenger was sent with the proper reasoning.

"Who is it from?" Voldemort asked.

"Severus Snape, my lord. It was sent to me to give to you with another letter," Lucius told him, still not looking up.

"Where is the other letter?" He was suspicious. Lucius would never deliver a letter like this without direct words from Severus. He was one of the few that had been forgiven as he was still following the last orders given him. Voldemort understood how the man had interpreted them to not give up his true loyalties to Dumbledore by looking for him, and the man had been told to not interact with others unless bidden.

Lucius took the other letter out of his pocket. Voldemort lazily swished his wand. Both letters floated before him. He cast more than a dozen detection spells to ensure nothing untoward was on them. He found himself more paranoid of late. The only two magical signatures he could detect was a compulsion charm on the letter for Lucius and magic imbued into both to identify the sender. He knew his inner circle well enough to recognize who had sent the letter.

"Very well, Lucius. Leave me. If this proves to be a pointless note, I will not be pleased," Voldemort told the man an enjoyed the way he expertly hid his fear.

When the doors closed, he reached out for the letter to Lucius. It was a simple letter telling Lucius to give the other note to 'their Lord'. He was surprised that Lucius had not removed the compulsion and would ponder it later. He admitted to being curious. This was not Severus's style.

Opening the letter, he read the man's elegantly flowing script:

To my Lord,

My lord, I know that you would prefer to meet in person, but that is not possible. Your greatest enemy has figured out your secrets. In Potter's second year, he confronted a shade of you. In that confrontation he fought and slew your servant, a giant basilisk. When it appeared you would have victory over Potter, he was able to destroy the book that held your shade.

The event raised suspicions in your greatest enemy.

After your rebirth, he was able to determine how you still live. A second object with a shade of you was found in the secret place I can not tell you about. I was told it was found by an RAB. I have my suspicions who that is, but no confirmation. Your greatest enemy has recently destroyed that one.

He suspects that you only made two, but I have discovered that the shade from the one Potter destroyed was able to latch itself to him. It does not seem strong enough to possess him, but I fear that your defeat could be at hand should your greatest enemy find out about this.

As such, I am following your orders to thwart every plan he has, for he plans to kill Potter. He would prefer for you to kill the boy, to fulfil the prophesy, then you would be mortal again. He also fears that if the boy is not kept in a state that he is happy enough, the shade will start to gain enough power to possess him. I do not know if this will allow you to continue in your immortal quest for dominance or not.

Thus, to thwart his plans, and to keep you safe, I am taking the boy away to hide. It is your greatest enemy's belief that as long as you live, Potter will live, and as long as Potter lives, then you shall live. Should either of you die, then it is uncertain if you would survive, as he also speculates that it is the boy's blood and magic that helps to sustain you.

Please, do try to find me, my lord. I will keep him away from you and hidden from the world for as long as I can. I will also endeavour to change him to our cause so that he may stand at your side one day.

I will contact you at some point in the future to ensure Potter is safe.

Your obedient servant,

Severus Snape.

-o-

There were very few times in his life that he could remember feeling this deep down fear. His two horcruxes had been destroyed. Potter had somehow latched onto the part of him from his old journal. He feared splitting his soul anymore. Slughorn had said that there was once a wizard that tried to make three and he went insane and weakened his hold on the others to the point he was murdered in his sleep and was not able to be revived.

The bone deep fear that he was almost mortal again was something he didn't like. It was something that he had fought hard against. Ever since the prophesy, he had fought against the fear that someone could defeat him someday. Now the one prophesized to kill him was the same one keeping him alive?

Was it possible that Potter was now one of his horcruxes?

If that was so, then keeping the boy alive was very important.

Just as important was whether the rebirth ritual had far greater impact on him than thought. If it was Potter's blood keeping him alive, then keeping the boy alive was vitally important.

He snarled.

Dumbledore would probably be correct.

Keeping Potter alive, in good health and probably happy would be important. Magic like this would decrease if he did anything differently.

He reread the paper.

Severus was his greatest supporter and servant. What the man was going to do was probably the best. If Potter was around him, he doubted he would be able to hold back his temper and possibly kill the boy, or to have one of his other supporters kill him.

As eh thought about this horrible situation, he latched onto what was said about his first familiar… and the diary! The fear burned out of him as he gave a hiss of deep anger. Nagini shifted from her place by the fire, feeling her master's agitation.

"I'll gut the bastard, after I make him suffer for the next hundred years," he said, getting up. This required a special type of punishment. It was not often that Voldemort went to his victims. If Lucius wasn't vital for his funds and connections, he would have already levelled this house. No. The man would first explain what happened, and then if he would find out what Voldemort's wrath was really like. Him. His wife. His son. Every one and everything the man held dear belong to Voldemort and he would use it as needed.

-oOo-

That same morning…

Hogwarts, Scotland

It was a going to be a rare beautiful day in the Highlands of Scotland. The late summer was already turning cool in the mornings, but the sun looked to be making a stubborn play at shining all day. After the last week of overcast skies, it was a welcome reprieve.

Unfortunetaly, Albus would be stuck in his office for much of the day. The final reports to the board for the incoming students, budget and teacher list was due. He still had found a replacement professor for Defense Against the Dark Arts and knew the Ministry appointment of Dolores Umbridge would stand. This worried him as an educator, she was not. It would most likely be another year where the students would suffer with poor instruction in the subject.

He did not like the Ministry sticking its head in where it didn't belong, but after the debacle of the tournament last year, the way his reputation had been attacked all summer and now with Harry wanting to leave the wizarding world, he didn't have enough sway to change this.

He frowned to think of Harry. The boy still hadn't told them what he had done with his wand and other supplies. Molly had told them they would be going to Diagon Alley today to get this years supplies. He had made sure that Moody, Remus, and Hestia would accompany them. He had ensured not to tell Severus of the date on the off chance that Tom decide to kidnap Harry again.

"Tea please," he called out to his empty office, knowing there was always a house elf listening in. A moment later, a rather fragrant red tea appeared on his desk. He took the time to add one lump of sugar, some milk and pick up one of the still warm lemon tarts that he enjoyed so much. After taking a bite and some tea, he settled into his chair to focus on the reports that Minerva had prepared. He really hated this part of the job, but it was necessary.

He was just wrapping his head around the numbers… a few less students then they had expected… when a wrap of a beak on a window brought him out of his thoughts. It was uncommon for owls to come directly to him. Typically they would be delivered to the owlry, where and elf would retrieve it and sort the mail for him.

Looking up, he frowned. The black and white Eurasian owl was one he knew. It belonged to Severus and was only used when he news that he couldn't tell him directly. His wand came to his hand and he casually flicked it.

The owl flew to his desk.

"Are you waiting for an answer?" Albus asked as he took the scroll off the owls leg. The hoot that came back was indecipherable. It was obvious the owl was not though as it hopped away and took flight as soon as it could. Albus watched the owl through the window before flicking his wand again. The window shut with barely a sound.

Undo the scroll, he was slightly surprised to have another parchment fall out of it. He surpressed his curiosity for the moment to read the scroll.

-o-

To the Headmaster,

Headmaster, I regret to inform you that I am resigning my many roles in your organizations. Attached you will find my resignation letter to the Hogwarts Board of Governors and my regret to do so while the school is year is so close to starting.

As for you, old man, I am leaving the Order of the Pheonix to fulfil the oaths that you had me take the night you drafted me into your service. For you see, before I had taken those oaths, I had taken others. I swore to protect the child of my once best friend. The oath was similar to what you had me swear to you, and if you had not had blackmail information on me, I would never have followed your plans. I may not like Potter, but he is also an Evans and you blinded me to that for years.

I have found out some of your darkest secrets. Secrets of horcruxes, prophesy, your greater good and the plans to kill a boy you had me swear to protect and keep alive. Did you even consider what that oath would do to me and you once the boy died? Do you remember the promise, on your oath as a Dumbledore, you made to me?...

Albus blinked a time or two. He had made many promises over the years. Promises that he sometimes kept, sometimes didn't, but most often fulfilled in the way he deemed best. Frowning, he tried to recall what was said that night in early nineteen-eighty. Surely he hadn't given his oath on a promise? Had he?

Albus pursed his lips. Some items mentioned he had suspicions that Severus knew, but they had never talked about them in case Tom had finally found a way to break through Severus occlumency skills.

After a moment, he continued reading…

I know the diary that Potter destroyed in his second year was a horcrux. How could it not be with the darkness around it and the way the boy described what happened.

I have also been able to hear the full prophesy. I never fully believed in prophesy, and listening to it, I can see two possible interpretations. The first is the one you see. My Lord and Potter are destined to kill each other one day. My lord obviously sees it this way two and has seeked out the boy's destruction since that night I so foolishly gave him the first part.

The second, you old fool, is that you are the dark lord to Potter. The boy is littered with scars. What type of marking does it take to mark one as an equal? A basilisk bite? Scars from numerous beatings? Scars for beating another dark lord as many times as you have?

As for power, Potter is far more powerful than anyone his age should be. You even admit that Potter will equal you, if not exceed you some day. What if that day is now, or five years from now? I have little doubt Potter will be your equal, if he isn't already in power alone.

Then there is the chance that neither of you live while the other survives. You have not done anything since that night of the prophesy that was not to forward that damnable thing. Have you really lived at all since then? You certainly haven't given Potter a chance to live while you rule his life. Did it never occur to you that you didn't need to manipulate people? If you showed faith and love, that people may follow you because you are a truly great person, not be because you are Albus Dumbledore, a man with more titles than can be written on a single parchment?

I do not know which way the prophesy holds, so I choose to remove him from the influence of both my masters. By doing so, I will ensure the boy I swore to protect can live. He will learn to live and enjoy his life, for at this moment, he is resigned that the Dark Lord after him will kill him. He is convinced it will be mere weeks, and thus has asked for some control over his life, even if it is only for a few weeks.

I will grant him all the time I can. It is the least I owe the memory of Lily. As Potter so succinctly pointed out, he doubts his parents died to just see him be a martyr. But that is what you want, isn't it? How can a person of the light require such from someone that doesn't even understand what he is sacrificing for?

The last I must address with you is the horcruxes. I do not know how many there are, but you will find the remains of a second one in my office. I was able to destroy it last night. I am also aware of Potter's affliction and intent to see another way of ending the abomination in him while ensuring he survives.

Do not try to find us. I will not take kindly to any more interference in my life or his. The other parchment work that you be receiving shortly from the goblins will be the magically binding change of guardianship from Sirius Black and the Dursleys to myself using the Lily Potter's will. You forgot to seal that one. If you try to do anything to reverse this, the goblins have instructions to do all in their power to see you and the ministry lain low. The wealth and the connections that the Potters still have to the economics of the magical world could see Britain in much pain should you not leave us alone.

If we shall ever need your assistance again, we shall contact you.

Sincerely,

Severus Snape

-o-

Finishing the letter, Albus snapped is eyes towards the monitors and trackers he had on Harry. His face whitened to notice that a few of them appeared to be labouring, while the one monitoring the wards was in three pieces on the small table. He had no idea how Severus had broken those magics and wards, but this could be disastrous. Everything in the letter could be disastrous.

"Fawkes, take me to Harry and Severus," he said, getting up.

Fawkes just looked at him. When after a few seconds the phoenix hadn't moved, Albus sighed. It wasn't the first time that his familiar had refused a request when it came to Harry in the last few years. The thought that Severus may be right in his analysis of the prophesy started to trickle into his ever present assuredness that he was doing the right thing.

After an a long moment that turned into an awkward silence between him and Fawkes, Albus dropped his arm. "I see," he said out loud. "Will you take letters to the Order?"

Fawkes regarded him for a moment before shaking his head. Apparently the bird was in revolt about anything that might bring the boy back. Surely Severus and Harry understood the importance of what they were and what their destinies were? Didn't they?

After another sigh, he put the reports to the side and got up. He would need to go to Headquarters and ensure the Harry and Severus were gone. If they were, then the search would have to start immediately.

-oOo-

Later that day…

Georgetown, Guyana

It had been a mostly silent flight. He wish he could say that most of the last twelve hours had been the same. On the first leg, Snape had gone through everything that was going on and what options they had once they made it to Guyana.

All the while, Harry had looked out the window as the huge plane took off from London to land nine hours later on St Lucia, then a second flight to a nation he had only ever heard of briefly in his muggle geography class in primary. Out of all the places he figured they would end up, Guyana would not have been one of them.

Next to him, Snape had his eyes closed. Harry had quickly found out the man did not enjoy flying in an airplane, but had done so because it was the least likely way for the ministry or the Order to track them. Though, Harry figured he should call the man by his new name.

Officially, on paper, Snape was now Reginald Prince, his uncle.

That was going to take some getting used to. Harry wasn't sure to call him uncle, Uncle Reginald… Regi… or git. Though the man hadn't done anything to bait him since showing up at his door at three in the morning with all their travel papers, a ministry approved change in guardianship and a letter stating the Dursleys never had any official guardian status.

Harry took out the passport that Snape… Uncle Regi… had given him. The goblins could do some great things for the right amount of money. Getting muggle and magical passports and travel papers in a few hours was apparently one of them. He remembered Uncle Vernon complaining it would take two months to get their passports last year.

Opening the passport, he looked at a brown-haired boy with green eyes. His new name was John Harrison Evans. When he had asked Uncle Regi about his name, he was told John was his grandfather's name, but not many knew that. He wasn't even sure if Sirius knew that. It would be hard to get used to a new name, but if it had been his grandfather's name, then Harry would. It would be nice to have something else of his family. He would have to start thinking of himself as John.

John Evans.

John Harrison Evans.

He wanted to leave the magical world behind him. In a way he was with his new name and the potion that changed his hair colour. Uncle Regi had told him he would have to drink more of the vile concoction every three months.

Harry was still trying to figure out how he felt about all this.

Uncle Regi had said he could keep his magic. Harry… John… still wasn't sure he wanted too. Nothing good had ever come from it. In the end, everything that had to do with magic always turned sour or deadly, mostly to those around him.

"When we land, we will have to go through muggle Customs before we can report to the ministry. Do you remember what to say, John?" Uncle Regi asked.

Harry nodded, still looking out the window as he could see land in the distance. The plane was getting lower. "My name is John Harrison Evans. I am seeking asylum and citizenship."

"Do you tell them your old name?" the man asked.

"Only if we are in a warded room with Aurors and a solicitor and they have taken an oath," John told him.

"Good. I am not expecting that you will need to talk or that we will need to seek asylum. I have working papers to be a potions master and we will be going to Castelbruxo to register you on Monday. Once we are done at the ministry, we will find the local wizard's quarters and get you a wand," he said.

Harry nodded his head.

"Then we will need to visit a bank. Do you want to work with goblins again or a not?" Uncle Regi asked.

Harry had been thinking about that since he had been told there would be a few options in South America. Each had their benefits and drawbacks. "I don't want the goblins to know where I am," Harry told him.

The man nodded as though satisfied. "Then I recommend the puckwedgies. They are related to the goblins, but known to be easier to work with, as well as good investors. The pure wizarding bank I know of mainly only deal with wizards. The puckwedgies straddle both worlds."

Harry nodded. As Harry's…. John's… guardian, Uncle Regi had withdrawn all but the most basic funds to keep his trust vault open in England. The main Potter vaults were scheduled to be moved to Germany next month. Uncle Regi had wanted to empty them, but couldn't access them or take any money out as he wasn't a Potter, but he could authorize them to be moved to a different Gringotts branch, and apparently Germany and Britain didn't care for each other, so the ministry in Germany wouldn't do anything to help get Harry Potter back if John had to go there. It also meant that Gringotts didn't need to notify the ministry since the account was not closed.

"The puckwedgies sound fine," Harry replied.

Uncle Regi nodded.

Harry watched as they got lower. He found it interesting as the wings started to unfold themselves. The man next to him grabbed the arm rest in the aisle, his knuckles turning white as they went lower and lower over the large city of Georgetown.

When the plane landed, Snape didn't let go of the armrest until the plane came to a stop on the tarmac outside a fence to the main building. Being towards the back of the plane, it was a little bit of a wait to get out. When they did, it hit Harry, like when they landed in St Lucia, it was hot and little humid. He was over dressed in his heavier pants and long sleeve shirt, but didn't have anything else that was really nice at the moment.

After getting through the Customs agent, Uncle Regi led them over to a door. Above it was written 'Magical Arrivals'. He was pretty sure only a wizard or other magical being would be able to see it. The guards by the doors out of the terminal didn't give them a second glance as they opened the door. Harry looked behind him and held it open as another man followed them in with a backpack. All of Harry's stuff had been shrunk and in his pocket.

Behind the door was a counter, a bored looking witch behind a counter and a single man in a more muggle style uniform with short sleeves. The wand on his arm and the way he was standing marked the man as an Auror.

"Good after," the woman said to them.

"Afternoon," Uncle Regi said. "John, put up your passport and the form."

John put his passport, the muggle and the magical documents next to the man's.

The woman picked them and looked them over. "I see that you are applying for a work visa and temporary stay?"

"Yes. We have an appointment at the ministry in an hour," Uncle Regi answered.

"And your nephew is going to attend Castelbruxo in Peru?" she questioned, looking up to Harry.

"Yes, ma'am. I wanted to transfer because I would like to be a magizoologist and Castelbruxo has a better program than where I was," Harry told her.

She nodded. "Where did you go to school? I went to Castelbruxo myself. Most people here got o Castelbruxo or Rockford Academy on Trinidad."

"Hogwarts," Harry said.

She clucked her tongue. "I'm sure the Triwizard Tournament had nothing to do with the transfer either. I've seen two others in the last few days. We saw what happened to that poor boy and Harry Potter. Everything looks in order."

She took a stamp and put a stamp each in their magical passports before handing everything back to them. "All I need you to do is register your wand with Corporal Bacchus and then you can go into the next room to use the floo, unless you know how to get to the ministry already?"

"The floo will do. My nephew doesn't have a wand at the moment. It was destroyed while he was playing around and we didn't have a chance to replace it before we left. Do you have a local wandcrafter?" Uncle Regi enquired.

"You will want William's and Son on Emerald Walk. You can take the floo to The West Coast when you are done at the ministry," she told him.

Uncle Regi nodded his head. "Put those in your pocket and don't loose them," Uncle Regi ordered when Harry took all his stuff back.

Harry gave the man a look that he wasn't a small child. The man hadn't totally changed.

When they flooed to the Ministry, Harry noticed a few things.

First, they were above ground.

Second, the main lobby was lined with large windows and doors. The place seemed like an old British governor building in a prosperous colony.

Third, it looked out onto a harbour that reminded Harry more of a seventeenth century painting than modern day. There were two stone peirs lined with a half dozen sailing vessels. The peirs were busy with all sorts of people and others. Three men by a large two masted ship looked as large as Hagrid.

Uncle Regi paused for a moment to look at the scene at well. There were hundreds along the peirs and around a small line of row houses and a few warehouses across from them.

"Impressive, isn't it?" a woman asked from behind them.

Harry started and he didn't miss Snapes hand going towards his wand. A woman in the same guard uniform as at the Customs Office was regarding them. She tensed to see Uncle Regi reacting the way he did.

"Yes. Very impressive. I have heard Georgetown was still a major trading port," Uncle Regi said, relaxing and moving to a more neutral stance.

The woman regarded them for a moment. "Most of the trade from the Caribbean goes through here, to mention the old mines in the mountains and other products. British?"

"Yes. We have an appointment with the immigration department. Can you point us in the right direction?"

"Its just down this hallway, all the way to the end and then take a left. Third door on your right," she told him.

"Thank you. Come along, John," Uncle Regi told him.

John had turned to look out the window again. "Can we explore the docks later?" Harry enquired.

"Perhaps the day after tomorrow. We still have much to do today and it is getting late," Uncle Regi told him.

Harry sighed. He really wanted to go see all the activity down at the docks and Uncle Regi had said this whole thing was so that he would learn to live. What better way than to explore?

-oOo-

That night…

London, England

Hermione sat in her bedroom of Grimmauld place. Nothing had been right since Harry had walked off the Hogwarts Express at the end of June. She had seen how Harry had tried to hide how much he was hurting. What she couldn't understand was how she had let herself be convinced it was any good to leave Harry alone all summer?

She sat on her bed looking at the letters she had written to him. Letters she wanted to send, but Hedwig had never shown and then Dumbledore had appeared at her house. Looking up, she was tyring to understand what happened that day. It was a little fuzzy.

She had been excited to be going on a trip with her parents to Austria. They hadn't been yet and it was on her mother's bucket list. She could remember sending a letter with Ron's owl a few days previous saying how worried she was for Harry, which had tempered her enthusiasm some. Then… then she had somehow agreed to come to the Headquarters of the Order of the Pheonix.

Hermione frowned at this.

She had been looking forward to the Austria trip for months, ever since her parents had told her about it in April. She hadn't really told Ron or Harry. She knew Ron would get jealous while Harry never travelled anywhere…

Though he had said his relatives had been on some holiday trips.

A slight headache was starting as she tried to figure out why she had decided to not go on the trip and why she hadn't tried harder to get hold of Harry. That had only been two weeks into their holiday. Now she had been at Grimmauld Place for almost eight weeks.

Looking at the letters, she was trying to remember if she had sent any letters to her parents?

Hermione couldn't remember any.

She also couldn't remember if she even had the opportunity. There were no owls at Grimmauld Place and she was pretty sure she had never seen any mail delivered here if it wasn't from an Order member or Dumbledore.

Putting a hand to her head as her headache grew, she couldn't help but feel responsible for Harry's disappearance today. It had been a fun search when they realized Harry hadn't been in his bed. They all thought he was just on the roof or rooting around in the attic or someplace else he shouldn't be. It had given her some hope that he was starting to come out of his funk. There was some need to find him though. Honestly, this place was a death trap in the areas not yet cleared out.

When Dumbledore had appeared mid-morning, the search had turned frantic when he had mentioned that Professor Snape might be taking Harry somewhere. They were all supposed to go to Diagon Alley together. Instead of going to get their school supplies, the house had been combed over.

A little after noontime, the twins had managed to get a few extendable ears into the kitchen, where they had found out that the professor had kidnapped Harry. Dumbledore didn't think Harry would be taken to You-know-Who, but it was imperative to find him.

As worried as she was for her best friend, she couldn't help but feel that Harry had run, instead of being kidnapped, and Professor Snape probably went after him. After the way Harry had been left at his family's house without any of his friends of Sirius after seeing Cedric murdered, she didn't blame him for running.

Her headache seemed to keep growing as she tried to remember why she hadn't done her best to contact him.

Hermione found she wanted her parents. They should have been back home weeks ago and it was only a few days before she was to go back to Hogwarts. Perhaps Mr Weasley could take her back to see them tomorrow? She was really worried about them. Not to mention really worried about Harry. Maybe they could help find him? Maybe he went back to his relatives. He had said that he wanted to go back home and had a pile of muggle books. Maybe his family wasn't as bad as she thought?

Either way, she wanted to go back and see her parents. As long as this headache went away…

-oOo-

A/N: For those that do not know, Guyana is a former British colony and speaks English ast he official language. It is slightly accented, but very close to the Queen's English from what I can find and have seen from videos. I've never read a story that happens in this part of the world and thought it a place that most wizards would not think to look at.