Welcome back guys! A lot happens in this chapter, so I hope you enjoy it! Feel free to ask questions if I didn't make things clear enough.
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Harry reappeared in the ally where he had come yesterday.
He sank to his knees, his legs shaking and his head pounding. He was still in rough shape, and the short walk to the woods had taken a lot out of him.
He leaned up against a dirty wall, thinking about everything he had just heard.
Voldemort was possessing him; Dumbledore himself had said it.
He couldn't stay in the house anymore. He was a danger to everyone, which was why they were going to place a guard with him.
He knew a guard would be no good, though. He could defeat anyone they placed with him, even if he was tied up.
Could Voldemort be in his head right now, listening to his thoughts?
He pushed the idea out of his head. He would know if someone was in his head, wouldn't he?
His eye color must just be another side-effect from his scar hurting. Besides, the time with Lupin they had not stayed like that for long. In fact, he was sure they would be completely normal again by now.
He would go back to the house later to get his trunk, but then he would leave and not come back.
He would find the Horcruxes on his own and then find Voldemort. If he died along the way, then he died, but it would be worth it if it meant defeating Voldemort.
Harry only knew that he could not ask anybody to come with him, not now. Anyone around him would be in danger. He would not risk their lives; that was why he had just left.
After a while, his legs started to become less shaky, though his head continued to pound with an endless pain. Harry slowly got to his feet and tried to walk.
He found it was much easier now, and he could do it almost completely normal. He decided he might as well look around the town for a while. He had a lot of time to kill, after all.
a small town, but the streets were full of early-morning shoppers. The street was filled with quaint shops, and Harry thought he would walk around a bit.
He had only been in a Muggle town a few times in his life. Harry's eyes fell on the bookstore he had visited yesterday, but he decided he would go there later.
He found a shop labeledApothecaryand decided to go inside.
Inside, there was a multitude of miniature bottles. He picked one up from a shelf and read the tiny label. It read, 'Skyful, pain relief.'
He had never before tried any sort of Muggle medicine. The Dark Lord was not one for Muggle remedies after all. Still, Harry was certain that it must be helpful, or else why would they use it? Surely it would work to elevate some of his lingering pain?
He went up to the counter and then realized two things. The first thing was that he was still invisible, and the second thing was that he had no money to pay for this.
He stood there torn for a moment and then decided to put the bottle back on the shelf.
He really didn't need it, though it might have been useful. Nevertheless, he was not going to steal.
He might have when he had been living in the Manor, but not now. He knew it was wrong. He could deal with his discomfort.
Harry exited the store and returned to his small side street. He sat down with his back against the hard stone and watched as the Muggles came and went.
All of these people were living lives which were so different from his. Their biggest worry was how much the price of eggs had increased in the last month.
Meanwhile, he was about to embark on a dangerous mission from which he may not return to hunt down Horcruxes, one of which had already cursed him once. And, if by some miracle he actually survived, he would then have to hunt down Voldemort himself and either kill him or be killed.
Compared to his life, their worries seemed quite minuscule.
Harry was not sure how long he sat there, but the sun was high in the sky before he moved again. His forehead was dripping with sweat, and his shirt was stuck to his back. He needed a place to cool down.
He glanced around as he stood and decided to go back to the bookshop. He reached the door and looked around carefully before pealing off the cloak and entering the shop.
As soon as he opened the door, a chilling blast of cold air hit him, feeling lovely on his hot skin. This time, the shopkeeper was talking with another customer, so he didn't come over to talk with Harry.
So, Harry made his way to the back of the store and sat on the ground, hiddenamongstthe books. He did not put back on his cloak, but he kept it out, just in case he needed it again.
Soon, he got bored and started to pull out books at random. He would read a few pages and decide whether or not to keep going.
At about noon, Harry heard the shop door open with a slight jingle sound. Whoever entered made very little sound, and something gave Harry an odd feeling.
He peered out from behind the shelf and saw Sirius, Ron, and Ginny had all just entered the shop. They were all dressed in Muggle clothes and wore pleasant expressions on their faces.
As Sirius talked with the shopkeeper, Harry noticed Ron discreetly pulled out his wand and performed a spell. He gave Ginny a quick nod, and she stood in front of the door, seemingly casual, but Harry knew her purpose.
They were looking for him, trying to trap him. He quickly wrapped the invisibility cloak around himself and moved to the front of the shop without making a sound.
He did not want to be cornered in the back.
Then he used a chair and climbed up onto one of the selves.
"We will only be a moment, I promise." Sirius was saying to the old man. "We are special agents from the government. We are looking for someone who recently escaped prison. Very high profile. Are there any other doors in or out of here?"
"No," the old man said, a little nervous.
"Great," Sirius said, "Is there anyone else in the shop?"
"There might be a young man, but I think he left already…"
"Perfect," Sirius said, "Then, if you could step outside, we will only be a moment."
"Well…" The old man said, but Sirius was already ushering him out the door.
Harry noticed Ginny blocked the door immediately after he exited to make sure he, Harry, didn't get out too.
"He should be in here." Ron said, "I checked, and it said there were five people here."
"Do it again." Sirius said. Ron did and then nodded, "Now it says there are four; he has to be in here somewhere."
"Harry," Ginny said, "Come out."
"That won't work," Sirius said, glancing around, "We are going to have to look for him the old-fashioned way, force him to come out."
He and Ron started to search every inch of the room for signs of Harry. Harry thought he would be fine until Ron suggested they try firing stunning spells around at random to see if they hit him on accident.
"I can't think of anything else," Sirius agreed. He and Ron started to point their wands at random and send flying jets of red light. They did not just stick to the ground, though; they also started to point their wands at the ceiling.
They were thorough; Harry would give them that.
They were getting closer to Harry, and he knew he had to get out of there, but he didn't want to hurt Ginny. She was one of the only people he counted as even close to a friend.
He jumped down from his shelf, landing much too soft, just as Sirius and Ron were getting close. He walked calmly over to Ginny and pointed his wand back at the other two.
A brick wall erupted out of his wand, then, before Ginny could do anything, he picked her up and moved her to the side.
He escaped out of the door just as a spell whizzed by his head, narrowly missing his ear. As soon as he was outside, he turned on the spot and disappeared.
He reappeared in the woods by the Burrow. He ran to the house and entered through the front door.
He was still completely invisible, but it didn't matter much; in fact, it was probably better. He ran upstairs and into his and Draco's room.
His trunk was still sitting there. There was a note on top of it, but he didn't bother reading it. Instead, he jammed the lid closed and shrunk it once again.
He stuffed it into his pocket and did a quick scan of the room. He noticed an abandoned roll of bandage under Draco's bed. He hurried to pocket it, and then he left the room.
He walked quickly over to the bathroom and opened the cabinet. He took out the Pepper Up potion and then examined the other bottles. One was labeled Essence ofDittany.
He had read about it before, but he couldn't remember what it did, besides that it healed you somehow. He put both into his pocket and walked out of the bathroom and back down the stairs.
He entered the kitchen and was relieved to find it completely empty. He opened up a cabinet and found a bag. He loaded it up with every fruit in the fruit bowl, bread he found in the cupboard, and crackers and oats.
Then, glancing around the kitchen, exited the house. He promised himself that this would actually be the last time. He was walking back to the woods when something caught his eye.
It was a small shed which the Weasleys had yet to use during his stay at the Burrow. He hurried over and clicked on a light.
His eyes scanned the tiny room, which was filled with box after box of stuff that was never needed. Then, he saw a box with a backpack peeking out.
He dropped his stuff and grabbed the backpack. It would no doubt come in handy. He opened up the box more, and he found a tent, a knife, and, perhaps best of all, a blanket and worn pillow.
He stuffed his pockets with everything, and then, filled his arms with the soon as he had everything he needed, he turned on the spot and vanished once more.
Harry appeared on the edge of a steepcliffsideoverlooking the ocean. Waves crashed hard against the rocks below as Harry processed everything which had just happened.
Slowly, he backed away from the side of the cliff and dumped his possessions on the ground.
He opened up his trunk and started to pack everything into it. However, after trying and failing multiple times to fit everything, he finally sighed, out of ideas.
What could he do now?
He needed a way to transport all of these things. Then his eyes fell on the backpack. What if he was able to charm it so that it could hold everything he would need? He knew the spell but had never attempted it before, though he had seen Draco do it multiple times in the past.
He took out his wand and pointed it at the backpack. Light shot out of the end and hit the bag, making it glow slightly for a moment before it returned to normal.
Harry opened the bag and put his hand in it. He was able to fit his whole arm in. It would work nicely.
Harry then opened his trunk and emptied its contents out into the now-enchanted backpack. Everything fit comfortably.
He shrunk the trunk itself and stuffed it in the bag also. He reached his hand in again to make sure that all of his stuff was still there. He smiled as he felt all of his things.
Next, he put in the medicine and the knife that he had taken from the Weasleys.
Then he added the pillow and blanket, closely followed by his small supply of food.
He peered inside of the bag and grinned as he observed all of his things fitting perfectly. Undetectable extension charms were supposed to be really hard, but apparently, they were much easier than everyone said.
He looked around to make sure he hadn't missed anything and saw the tent lying on the ground. He looked around at his surroundings and shrugged. Here was as good a spot as any to set up camp.
He opened up the tent, and out fell a multitude of pieces. There were wooden pegs, some posts, and a small mallet.
"Forget it," he mumbled, and he pointed his wand at the pile. Immediately, the pieces burst into action, quickly assembling themselves before Harry's eyes.
Harry was about to enter the tent when he paused and looked around thecliffsideagain. This spot was very out in the open. The least he could do was put up some protection.
So he started to circle around the tent, casting some of the protective enchantments he had learned from Narcissa. Once he was sure that no one would be able to locate him, he entered the tent and closed the flap behind him.
Harry had never been camping before, so he had no experience with tents, but this one was way better than he had been expecting.
It was built like a small one-room flat. It had a kitchen and a living room. It also had a few bunk beds stuffed in the corner. Not too bad for a single piece of fabric and some posts.
Harry collapsed wearily onto the small couch and dropped his bag next to him.
It had been a very long day, between his scar hurting and finding out that Voldemort was possessing him. A feeling of dread rose in Harry's stomach at the thought of Voldemort possessing him.
What if he was doing it right now? What if he was heading to where Harry was as he sat there?
Harry knew he was being paranoid; his scar wasn't even hurting him, but nevertheless, he focused and emptied his mind.
He remained like that for a few minutes just to ensure that Voldemort definitely could not be in his was being stupid; he knew that, but it couldn't hurt to be safe.
Then Harry sat up straight. He had just remembered something. There had been a note waiting for him on his trunk. He hadn't had time to read it.
He quickly opened up his backpack and started digging around in its depths. He pulled out a shirt, and then an apple, and then a pair of pants.
This was completely pointless.
He got out his wand and pointed it into the bag. "Accio note," he said, and the piece of paper zoomed into his hand. He turned it over and started to read.
Dear Harry,
If you are reading this, you decided to go off on your own to find the Horcruxes. I am sorry about this because I decided last night I would like to come with you. I am so sorry I tried to stop you. I was upset about the prophecy and didn't want you to get hurt. I am sorry you decided to undertake this quest alone because of my stupidity.
Just know I will never stop trying to find and join you. I would rather be in danger with you than safe without you. You have always been my best friend, and you mean the world to me. Stay as safe as you possibly can, and if you have forgiven me, come back. It would be my honor to join you.
Love, Draco
Harry sighed sadly as he finished reading Draco's note. Harry wasn't sure what to feel.
On the one hand, he really wanted company, and Draco would no doubt be a huge help to him.
On the other hand, Harry knew that he was too much of a danger to Draco. If Voldemort was possessing him, then no one, not even Draco, would be safe. He knew that he could never put Draco in that kind of danger, no matter how much he wanted help.
Draco was to important to him, and the thought that he could be the reason that Draco got hurt was terrible.
Nevertheless, Harry desperately wished that there was a way for him to get in touch with Draco, just so that he could explain what was going on and tell him that he forgave him.
Harry thought briefly about touching his mark, but he quickly pushed that idea from his mind. If he did, then Draco would be able to know where to apparate to find him, which would not be good.
Then he wouldn't be able to get Draco to leave, and all of his stuff was here, so it would be hard for Harry to escape again.
Just as he had decided not to touch his mark, his arm burned.
He jumped, thinking that he had triggered it by mistake. However, after thinking about it, he realized that he couldn't have.
The only thing that triggered it was his fingers, and the note was still held in both hands.
Draco must be trying to reach him.
Harry knew that it was a trap; it must be; why else would he burn right now? There was no way that Draco was in any actual trouble, but then again…
If Draco really did need his help, and Harry failed to come to his aid, Harry would never forgive himself. He jumped up and made up his mind.
It was most likely a trap, and he knew he shouldn't go, but he was not willing to risk the possibility. He put the note back into the bag and drew out his wand again.
Harry pointed at himself and saw his body vanish from under him. He was getting quite good at that spell.
He looked around the tent and decided to leave everything behind. He would be returning here even if it meant learning to apparate without a wand.
He would do anything to keep Draco out of danger.
He turned sharply on the spot and reappeared moments later in the middle of the woods. He recognized them as the ones close to the Weasley's house.
It was a testament of how much time he had actually spent among these trees that he could recognize them so easily.
He looked around at the scene he had just appeared in. The Order members had formed a circle around Draco, who was tied up with his hands behind his back.
Harry smirked at their feeble attempts. Did they really think he was so naive?
"This is your punishment," Sirius said, but his words sounded scripted. If they wanted to put on a show, Harry decided he would play along.
"Now you will get what is coming to you."
"On the count of three." Mr. Weasley said, "One, Two… Three."
Harry sent a burst of light from his wand that was so bright and strong that it locked everyone back a step. A blue shield burst up around Draco, and his bindings blasted off. The light emanating from it was so intense that it was hard for Harry to look at.
When the shield disappeared, a message was left behind, burnt into the ground.
"What does it say?" Ginny asked.
"It says: Nice try," Draco said, tilting his head to read it. He looked impressed. Harry had to admit, it was one of his finer pieces of magic.
"Harry," Sirius said, turning around to look behind him to the spot where the light had come from. "Come on, don't be stupid. We just want to talk."
Harry was just about to return to his tent when he heard something.
"Harry, please, don't you trust me anymore?" It was Draco, his voice so emotional that it stopped Harry in his tracks. It was that one sentence that made Harry wish that everything was different.
Of course he still trusted Draco! He wanted desperately to tell him that, to say that he did and would always trust Draco, no matter what happened.
But he couldn't.
Harry had to keep Draco safe; that had been his first priority from the beginning. No matter what the threat was, Harry had told himself that he would protect Draco.
Now Harry just had to protect Draco from himself. He had to stay away for Draco's own good.
Harry walked into the middle of the now silent circle. They were all waiting to see if he made any response.
Harry pointed his wand at himself and undid the spell just as he reached him. Draco looked momentarily shocked at his sudden appearance, as did everyone else.
"Of course I trust you, Draco. Don't be an idiot." Harry said, his voice desperate, "It's myself who I can no longer trust."
Then, just as Draco reached out a hand to touch Harry, he turned on the spot and left the forest behind. He arrived back at his tent and fell onto his knees, pain etched across his features.
It hurt to leave Draco behind. He desperately wished that he could have come along. But he could not, would not, put Draco in even more danger.
Sirius would probably be able to put together what Harry had said and his conversation with Dumbledore. Then they would understand why he had left and why, even though he had forgiven Draco, he still had to do this alone.
If they would actually tell Draco about any of it was yet to be seen, though Harry guessed that they wouldn't. It would upset Draco, and they would not want to do that, especially since Harry was already avoiding them.
After all, they still needed to keep tabs on Voldemort's child, and Draco was currently their only option.
He felt his arm burn again, but he didn't go this time. Draco was safe.
He got up and walked over to one of the beds. He passed by a mirror and paused. He saw that his scar showed up boldly on his pale face, still evident from when it had burned hours ago.
The area under his eyes was shaded slightly gray, though it was better than it had been. This was probably due to him getting a full night's sleep the previous night. That had been the first time in too long.
He rolled up his sleeves and saw that his arms still held all of the bruises from the Ministry. Harry could feel them on his chest still as well.
His clothes were absolutely filthy. They were caked in dirt and were covered in grass stains. He turned and walked back over to the bag to retrieve clean clothes from its depths.
He changed and put his dirty clothes by the sink. He would wash them in the morning. He was too tired to do it now.
He thought briefly about taking a drink of the Pepper Up potion, but he thought against it. He really did not need it right now, and it was probably better not to use it up so quickly.
He didn't know when he would be able to get his hands on it again.
He walked back over to the bunk beds and climbed into the bottom bunk. He took off his glasses and placed them on the nightstand next to his wand. He flicked his hand, turning off the lamp, and the room was cast into darkness.
He fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow, and, once again, his dreams were blissfully empty.