Purple steam fogged his glasses as he stood over a bubbling cauldron. He made a mental note to learn the impervious charm so it would stop doing that.
Harry stirred in the final ingredient and lowered the temperature. He was nearing the moment of truth for the 6th time that morning. He'd been attempting this potion all morning with near abysmal results.
The potion was supposed to allow the drinker to glide through the air and had been mentioned in one of the books Luna had gotten him for Christmas. Harry hoped it would be useful for traveling under his invisibility cloak without leaving footprints or making noise.
He reckoned he could always just use a broom, but this would be more practical than carrying a brim around.
The accompanying image in his book showed a person gliding forward a few inches off the floor and he was curious how he would control his movements.
He watched as the potion gradually changed from purple to silver, before shooting off small sparks. The book indicated this would happen when the potion was complete. All his other attempts had turned a dull gray or had simply remained unchanged so this was a good sign.
He turned off the heat. Luna walked in while he was waiting for the cauldron to cool enough for him to sample the potion. Harry noted that she was using the hair dye he'd gotten her for Christmas and her hair was pink this morning.
"Hey Harry, are you almost done? The Weasley's and Susan will be here soon," the pink haired girl said.
Harry had decided to invite almost everyone he'd met at the Bones party, save for Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle. He'd received polite and formal looking letters from Daphne's parents and Theo's father stating they had a conflict and couldn't make it.
Traci, Hannah, and Neville had all sent their own less formal responses stating they couldn't come.
Only Susan had been able to accept his invitation but he wasn't too sad about that and he was looking forward to getting to know her better. He just hoped that everyone got on alright.
Harry nodded to Luna and said, "Just about done. Do you want to try this with me?"
Luna looked at him skeptically, one eyebrow raised in suspicion.
Harry rolled his eyes in response with a huff. He dipped a metal spoon into the cauldron and then swallowed a mouthful of the silver liquid. It has a bland taste, of which he was grateful since a lot of potions simply tasted awful.
A few seconds later, he felt his heels raise off the floor followed by the balls of his feet and finally his toes. He thought he might lose his balance for a moment, but he managed to remain upright as his body adjusted to the change as if it were completely natural.
He simply started moving in whatever direction he leaned towards. He found that the harder he leaned, the faster he'd go, but his body wouldn't let him lean very far and he couldn't go very fast.
After she could tell there wouldn't be any unwanted side effects, Luna repeated his actions and was soon floating around the lab just like him.
Harry laughed as Luna squealed as he tried to chase her around the lab. It was a fruitless pursuit, however, as neither could go faster than the other.
He eventually felt his body lower to the floor. He was impressed by how natural the whole experience felt, but noted the drawbacks of the potion. If he were discovered, he'd most certainly be caught.
Luna landed shortly after him and then waited for him as he cleaned up his potion mess. The pair left after that and saw Mrs Figg greeting a pretty red headed girl near the floo.
"Susan!" Luna yelled as she ran to greet her friend. Harry continued to walk towards the floo, watching happily as Luna and Susan hugged.
Harry was preparing to greet Susan the traditional way but she waved him off and pulled him into a tight hug.
"Thanks for inviting me, Harry," she said, still hugging him. "I was dreading spending the rest of the holiday alone while Auntie Amelia worked."
She finally released him with a jump as if she suddenly realized what she'd done and Harry noted her red cheeks as she looked away awkwardly.
"You're welcome anytime," he said with what he assumed were equally red cheeks. He didn't understand why he kept reacting this way around her.
Susan's eyes widened and she asked, "Really? Anytime?"
Harry heard Luna say "Harry likes to move fast. He invited me to move in after only a few hours of knowing me and we shared a bed for several weeks before he kicked me out."
Susan's jaw dropped in surprise.
He coughed before waving his hands. "It's not like that," he interjected, sending Luna a glare.
He looked to Mrs Figg, hoping for some help but she was covering a smile with her hand. He supposed it was too much to hope for.
"Oh come on!" He shouted, throwing his hands into the air. "Someone please set things straight so I don't look like a weirdo!"
Luna burst into laughter. "Honestly, you're too easy, Harry," she said. "It's almost not even fun to tease you anymore."
She then informed Susan on what actually happened.
Susan laughed and said, "Alright then, that's not so bad."
She put her hand on Harry's arm and said, "Are you sure it's not a problem? We did just meet."
Harry nodded. "Luna's a tremendous judge of character," he said and continued with a glare, "despite any other faults she might have." He smiled and continued saying, "so if she likes you then that's good enough for me, but I think you're pretty great from what I've seen." He felt heat rise in his cheeks and then put his hand over his mouth before he embarrassed himself further.
He noticed her hand was still on his arm. She looked at him with a sweet smile and said, "Just let me know if I ever become a bother."
Harry doubted very much that would ever happen but he told her that he would.
Thankfully, the floo flashed green just then and Ron stepped out of the fireplace. Harry noted, with jealousy, that the boy clearly had no trouble with the floo.
He nodded to Mrs Figg and then walked over to Harry. Susan removed her hand from Harry's arm when Ron approached and Harry frowned at the loss.
"Hey mate," Ron said with a smile. He looked around at the entry hall and whistled appreciatively. "This is a really big house."
Harry was saved from responding as the rest of the Weasley's came through the floo one by one.
Each of them came and greeted Mrs Figg, Luna, Susan, and Harry. He noticed that Susan's hair was actually quite different from the Weasley's copper-like hair since hers was a darker shade.
They all exchanged pleasantries and looked around in awe of his grand home. Ginny actually came over and approached him. "I'm sorry for how I acted before," she said.
Harry was impressed at the directness from the shy girl and said, "Don't even worry about it." She graced him with a bright smile at his easy acceptance of her apology.
A balding man, who was clearly Mr Weasley, came and shook his hand with a kind smile. "Thanks for what you did with the rat, Mr Potter, I don't think you understand just how much it means to Molly and I to have that creature away from our family," he said with a serious look that almost seemed foreign to the man's gentle features.
Harry looked the man in his eyes and said, "It was my pleasure. Besides, it was the only way to free Sirius."
There were many questions from the group about how he knew Sirius was innocent and since Luna was the main reason, he let her tell the group what she'd found.
Harry took over when it came time to explain about his trip to Azkaban. He chose to omit the interference from the guards.
All of the Weasleys and Susan seemed impressed at his tale.
After that, Harry took them on a tour, choosing to focus more on what he'd learned about his family than any of the expensive features.
Ginny and Susan fawned over Auggie when they got to Luna's room, which Harry noted was as messy as ever. He saw Mrs Figg subtly kick a pile of underwear under the bed without anyone but Mrs Weasley noticing. Mrs Weasley simply smiled politely, completely unbothered.
Ron and the twins took turns holding Ratatoskr, who seemed pleased at the attention. Harry noted that Susan also took a turn shaking the twig creature's hand. The bowtruckle then gestured he wanted to be picked up, which she obliged with a smile by putting him in her front robe pocket.
When they got back to the living area, Ron asked, "Why don't you take the master suite?"
Harry considered whether he wanted to give a genuine response or make something up but decided there was no harm in being honest.
"Because sleeping in my dad's old room makes me feel closer to him," Harry answered.
Both Ginny and Mrs Weasley looked at him with kind sad eyes when he said this. Susan just nodded, and Harry was happy to see she didn't have a look of pity on her face. As a fellow orphan, she knew exactly how he felt and probably didn't care for pity.
Ron looked confused at first before it dawned on him. "Right, sorry." He said somewhat awkwardly. Harry simply smiled, not bothered at all by the question.
The kids spent most of the afternoon just chatting and hanging out. It was colder here in the north than at the Burrow and there was snow on the ground. Mrs Weasley cast strong warming charms on all of them so they could go outside comfortably. The adults chose to stay inside and Mrs Weasley offered to help make dinner.
Remus arrived home just in time for dinner. Harry ran from the dining room where everyone was gathering to greet the man.
"Hey Remus," Harry said. "Any luck with Silvie?"
Remus looked at Harry with a worried look and said, "No, I'm afraid not."
"You'll find her, Moony," he said.
Remus simply nodded, obviously still bothered, but didn't say anything.
He shook himself out of it and added, "I did manage to stop by the Magical Menagerie for this," he said while removing a rolled up parchment.
Harry examined it and found the contents to be satisfactory. "Thanks Remus!" He said. He pulled Remus over to the dining room but Remus resisted.
Harry looked quizzically at the werewolf. "Come on, Remus, we talked about this. Join us for dinner.
Remus had insisted that Harry tell anyone that would regularly be spending time here with Harry that Remus was a werewolf. He'd said it was the responsible thing to do and didn't want to cause problems later on if it got out.
Harry had no problem just keeping it a secret, but agreed to Remus' terms. He didn't want to be friends with anyone that was too small minded to look past a condition that only affected someone once a month anyways.
Remus held firm and shook his head. "Are you sure I'll be welcome?" He asked.
"Of course you'll be welcome. You live here for Merlin's sake," Harry replied. "If they don't like it, they can leave, but I have a good feeling that this group won't care about your furry little problem."
Harry pulled the man along and Remus followed along.
"Hey everyone, this is Remus Lupin, one of my dad's best friends. He lives here and just happens to be a werewolf, but that won't be a problem for about five more days," Harry said bluntly. He figured it was best to rip off the band aid and act like it was totally normal to live with a werewolf.
Harry looked around the room and watched as everyone processed what he said. It was almost funny to watch. The Weasley twins looked at each other and shrugged.
Mr Weasley shared a look with Mrs Weasley before standing and walking over to Remus. He offered his hand to Remus, who accepted it with surprise and they shook hands in greeting. If any of the Weasley kids were worried before that, their patriarch's acceptance of the werewolf removed it.
Susan smiled and waved the man over, offering him a seat next to her. Harry opted to sit across from Remus.
The rest of dinner went on as if nothing noteworthy had happened.
After dinner, Harry excused himself briefly so he could grab the book on Runes that Mrs Figg had bought him during the summer.
When he'd returned to the dining room, he quickly found Percy standing near his parents and walked over to them.
"Hey Percy," he said while pulling out the scroll Remus had handed him earlier. "I wanted to give you something so you could replace your pet. This is a certificate to the Magical Menagerie that you can turn in. It should cover any pet you find there and the supplies you need."
Percy tried refusing the gift but Harry was adamant that he replace the older boy's pet. His reasons for doing so weren't entirely altruistic. He figured the boy would eventually find a job in the ministry and work his way up and it would be good to have a connection inside.
Percy eventually accepted the gift and then Harry pulled out the book on Runes and said, "I also wanted to make sure you knew that my interest in Runes was genuine. I'd like to lend you this book that I'm sure you'll find interesting. You can give it back on the train to Hogwarts and we can pick up where we left off on our conversation."
Percy eagerly accepted Harry's offer and then proceeded to bombard him with information on the subject. He didn't relent for nearly half an hour and Harry was starting to wonder if he'd gone too far and that maybe he should find another ministry shoe in to warm up to.
Eventually, Mr and Mrs Weasley rescued Harry by announcing that the family needed to return home. Harry was supremely grateful for the announcement.
Harry and Luna said goodbye to all of them as they left through the floo. Harry noticed that Fred's hug with Luna lasted nearly twice as long as anyone else's.
Susan reluctantly announced her departure with a frown as well but she smiled when Harry reaffirmed she could visit whenever she wanted.
When everyone left, Mrs Figg excused herself so she could go to bed. She let Harry know his training would resume tomorrow and not to stay up too late.
Harry nodded and bade her goodnight. Luna and Remus stuck around and Harry remembered he'd wanted to ask more about Silvie.
"Are you worried about Silvie?" He asked.
Remus looked thoughtful and sighed. "I shouldn't be since she's with a large pack, but she usually sends correspondence more frequently than this."
"Maybe we should go look for her," Harry offered. He hoped Remus would say yes and let him come.
Remus shook his head seriously. "A werewolf pack is not a safe place for the boy who lived," he said. "Many of the werewolves, even the ones that I'd consider good, would be tempted to use you for their own benefit."
Harry didn't know what Remus meant by that. "How would they use me?" He asked.
"They'd want to turn you into one of them," Moony said. "A werewolf boy who lived would be a political masterpiece for the werewolves. How could the ministry continue with its prejudiced views if the savior of the wizarding world was suddenly one of them?"
Harry nodded. So many people wanted to use him, even the Guild, and he'd let them because it served his purposes. He wondered if being a werewolf would be so bad if it helped Remus.
"No," Remus said firmly. "I can see the wheels turning and the answer is no. It's not worth it, trust me." Remus began pacing. "I'd never forgive myself if you were cursed with this affliction," he said. "It's so painful… even with the wolfsbane potion."
Harry nodded in response. He didn't relish the idea of being a werewolf and having to transform against his will once per month. He didn't want to worry about injecting someone else either.
Harry pondered the problem a bit before saying, "If you need to leave for a bit to make sure she's okay, I'd understand."
He didn't want Remus to leave. It felt really good to have the werewolf here so he could see him everyday, but he didn't want to hold the man back if he needed to leave.
Harry looked up at Remus and saw the man was frowning, considering Harry's words. He finally spoke after several long seconds. "I have been considering it but everything with Sirius and the rat has kept me here," he said. "I don't want to leave Sirius now that he's free, but I am worried Silvie and her daughter, Tabatha, are in trouble."
Harry understood how Remus likely felt. "Sirius might be in the hospital for several more days… maybe even longer," he said. "He'll understand."
"What about your training?" Remus asked.
Harry thought he was grasping for excuses at this point. Harry could practice on his own and said as much.
He added, "Don't werewolves have heightened senses? You could probably track her in no time."
Remus nodded and said, "Yes, but she's in a large pack. I can track the pack but it'll be hard to distinguish her scent from the rest and I might not pick up on it if she's not with them."
Luna interjected just then. "You can take me and Loki with you," she said. "I can help you find them by reading the auras."
Harry jolted at her request and he saw Remus do the same.
Remus recovered before Harry and said, "I can't take you with me. It's not safe and if I do go, I'll be roughing it in the wilderness the whole time."
Luna just grinned and said, "I had a dream that you and I went camping like daddy and I used to. I think I'm meant to go with you. You'll need me."
She then skipped away and said over her shoulder, "I'll just get packed up and then you and I can leave in the morning," as if the argument were already settled.
Harry just laughed. That was the most Luna-like thing she'd done in quite a while.
Remus didn't look convinced that it was a good idea. Harry, if he was honest with himself, was also worried it was a bad idea but he wasn't the boss of Luna and he trusted Remus could protect her.
"The full moon is still days away," Harry said. "I'm sure you'll be fine."
Remus sighed heavily and started pacing.
"Luna won't take no for an answer at this point and she can help," Harry added. "Do you have anything of Silvie's?"
Remus stopped and nodded at that.
"Good, Luna will be able to read the object and then track the residual aura in an area Silvie was in," Harry said. "You'll probably be back before New Years with her help."
"I'll have to be if we are going to avoid my furry little problem," Remus said.
Harry trudged into the kitchen slowly the next morning. His muscles ached fiercely after the few days off from exercise. Luna, Remus, and Mrs Figg sat around the small table with toast and tea.
Remus looked back and forth as Mrs Figg and Luna argued.
"I don't see why you can't wait until after the full moon to go search for your girlfriend." Mrs Figg said gruffly to Remus.
"Because we'll be too late by then," Luna said. "I have this feeling that we need to go now or something bad will happen."
Mrs Figg threw her hands in the air at that. "We shouldn't be making these kinds of decisions based on a feeling!" She shouted back.
Luna crossed her arms defiantly. "I had a dream that Moony and I went camping and now I feel like I'm meant to go and we need to go now. Why don't you trust me?" She asked.
Mrs Figg's eyes softened just a fraction. Harry doubted anyone else noticed because it was replaced by a steely look a second later.
"I do trust you, but this isn't safe," she said. "I beg you both to reconsider."
"Maybe she's right," Remus said to Luna. "We should wait until after the full moon."
Luna screamed out in frustration. "It'll be too late by then! I just know it!" She shouted.
Harry, who had been silent until then finally spoke up. "I think Luna's right," he said. "Luna can read auras and everything I've read has said aura reading falls under the branch of divination magic." He paused to breathe. "Maybe she can see or at least discern some of the future."
Mrs Figg looked at Harry sharply for interjecting. He reckoned he might have just lost some points with her for his comment. Luna's look made up for it. She was smiling brightly at him and he thought he saw tears forming in her eyes. She was taking this all very seriously. He wondered if she was leaving out anything that she might have guessed or dreamed about.
He watched as Mrs Figg noticed as well and then deflated. "Oh alright, you can go. But if you don't get back before nightfall on the 31st then I'm calling the aurors."
The atmosphere still thick from the earlier argument, they finished breakfast in silence. Harry hoped they would all be safe on their journey and that Silvie and Tabatha were okay.
Luna and Remus left soon after that and Harry and Mrs Figg continued lessons as normal. After lessons, he practiced magic on his own. Without a partner, he focused on things he could do on his own like the warming and impervious charms.
Mrs Figg left to run an errand with 'dung that would take several hours, leaving Harry alone for the first time in ages. Harry was surprised at how empty he felt without Luna's presence.
He had always been on his own before he'd found out he was a wizard and he remembered that not long ago he'd almost wished to be on his own, away from even Mrs Figg again. So much had changed in the last six months.
He was starting to regret not going with Remus and Luna, the consequences of being recognized by a werewolf be damned.
He decided that maybe he'd chance an expedition out of the house with his invisibility cloak. Maybe he'd get lucky and run into Malfoy or Crouch.
He walked to his room to fetch the cloak from its hiding place. As he entered his room he noticed an owl in the window with a letter in its beak. When the owl saw Harry, it dropped the letter and flew away.
Harry grumbled at the bird's rudeness and bent down to pick it up. He recognized the blank wax seal instantly.
He ripped open the envelope with excitement. His pulse quickened as he read the letter that was in the familiar handwriting of the Guild Leader.
'My newest Fledgling,
Your Wolf and Moon have arrived safely to their destination and your Mentor is occupied.
I have an urgent request.
Travel to where I last met you alone for further instruction.
GL'
p.s. The knob on the tree is key
Harry stumbled out of the floo in the Three Broomsticks, but he didn't let that get his spirits down. Instead, he walked on as if he'd traveled through the floo without any issue. He nodded to Madam Rosmerta as he sat at the counter and ordered a butterbeer. She grinned at him and placed a fresh bottle in front of him. He sipped on it, savoring the taste and the pleasant feeling he got as he drank it.
As he sat there, he watched as a group of wizards that looked fresh out of Hogwarts called over a young serving girl. The girl rolled her eyes and then walked over. One of the wizards pinched her bum when she walked by and his two friends laughed as she yelped in surprise.
Harry, who has been itching for an excuse to steal something grinned. He snuck off to the bathroom, which was luckily vacant, and he quickly withdrew his invisibility cloak and put it on.
He snuck back out into the lobby and found the group of wizards that had been causing trouble and crept over to their table. He crouched low and walked slowly so he didn't make any noise.
He could see a money pouch hanging from each wizard's waist. He was tempted to try and lift them off each of the wizards but was worried he'd be caught. Luckily, the serving witch came back out and they became distracted as they started saying crude things to her as she walked by. He lifted each of the coin pouches off of them one by one without them noticing.
He wandered off back to the bathroom and removed his cloak. He opened the coin pouches and found that they were rather light on coins. The bags were less than full of sickles and knuts. He emptied the coins into one bag and then attached it to his waist and then exited the bathroom.
Back at the counter, he ordered another drink and finished it slowly, hoping the group of wizards would attempt to leave soon.
He kept an eye on the group of wizards and watched as they each realized they no longer had their coin pouches. They looked around in panic and then started to leave without paying.
With a smirk, he called loudly to Madam Rosmerta, and watched as the wizards hesitated. Madam Rosmerta walked out a moment later and refilled his drink. She looked over at the group and saw the three wizards standing there awkwardly.
"You three all set, then?" she asked as she looked over their table. Her eyes widened as she realized they hadn't left any money on the table. The result was spectacular as the whole lobby watched and listened as she berated the wizards for attempting to steal from her establishment. She loudly demanded they either pay or get to work in the kitchen scrubbing dishes by hand without their wands or she'd call the aurors. They had no choice but to comply and they walked sullenly into the back room and got to work.
The bright smile on the serving witch's face far made up for the light coin he'd managed to steal from them. He emptied their coin from the pouch as a tip and then walked out.
Harry stood in front of the whomping willow as he stowed his invisibility cloak inside an expandable pocket within his robes.
The wind blew freezing cold air around him causing his cloak to billow. He imagined he looked like a stoic hero standing atop the hill with his cape in the wind.
The tree swayed in the wind as if it were a mundane tree that wouldn't attack anyone that got too close. Harry knew better and raised his wand and shot a stunner at a knob that rested just above the opening within its roots.
The tree sagged slightly, which indicated to Harry that it was safe to venture forth. He took a few tentative steps forward, waiting for any indication that the tree might attack. When none came, he rushed forward and slid down into the depths below its trunk.
He breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that he wished someone had told him about the knob before. Last time had been a very close call.
He crawled through the secret passage to the shrieking shack and wondered what the Guild Leader needed from him. He hadn't expected her to call on him so soon as Mrs Figg told him not to expect anything until he was at Hogwarts. He supposed she couldn't be right about everything all the time.
Before long, he found himself lifting the trap door and climbing up into the first level of the house. He focused his magic and expanded his consciousness, inspecting the area for signs of magical beings in the house. He got a ping off something above him and quickly climbed the stairs.
He opened the door and found an empty room. He knew someone was here, however, and inspected the room with his magic. In the corner opposite the bed, he got a ping. He pointed his wand in that direction.
"Very good," a silky voice said. "You're learning from past mistakes." A figure appeared as they removed an invisibility cloak and stowed out away. The room was dark so he couldn't see very well at first. A woman stepped out of the shadows and Harry recognized her from his initiation ceremony.
"Is this your true form then?" He asked before he could stop himself.
She shrugged. "Everything is a mask, my fledgling. Is the way you present yourself to the world really your true form?" She asked. "What about your actions? Do they tell the world who you really are?"
Harry thought about what she said.
"I guess our words and actions could also be used as a mask of sorts," he countered.
"Precisely," she said. "Everything is a mask. You can even hide your true self from yourself if you're not careful. Perception is a tricky thing and self perception is not safe from manipulation."
Harry was thoroughly confused and even a bit worried. "How do I protect myself from illusions then?" He asked. "Is it even possible to know who I truly am?"
"Maybe," she said seriously. "But does it even matter? What is so dangerous about an illusion?"
Harry thought hard but was honestly stumped. It didn't feel good to be tricked, even if he was tricking himself, but he didn't know how to explain why.
"Perception and illusion are tricky," she continued. "We all see things differently. You and I could stare at the same thing for days or even years and when we were asked to describe it we'd answer differently. Is one of our answers more accurate than the other?"
Harry thought he was beginning to understand.
"Both descriptions would be true and both would be false at the same time," he answered.
The Guild Leader smiled broadly.
"Reality and illusion are a dichotomy ruled by perception and swayed by thought," she said.
His brain was beginning to hurt as he struggled to wrap his head around that statement.
"To answer your question directly," she said. "This is the body I was born with and not the result of a potion or a spell."
Harry nodded.
"Now let's move on to why you're here," she said.
Harry held his breath as he waited for her instruction. He began to feel pins and needles across his skin.
She removed a key that looked similar to his own Gringotts vault key. "I need you to place this in your Gringotts vault for safe-keeping."
Harry was immediately underwhelmed. "That's it?" He asked, not bothering to hide his disappointment.
She tilted her head to the side as she studied him. "Well yes," she said. "Not everything I ask you to do is going to be dangerous and exciting, you know."
"Why do you need me to do this?" He asked. "Is it yours? Will it get me in trouble?"
She laughed wickedly at his questions. "I won't say why, but it is mine and yes, it might cause trouble."
"Why me?" He asked.
"Because no one will expect a Guild Fledgling to be honored with such an important item like this one," she answered.
Harry put two and two together. If she were giving this to someone low ranking in the Guild, it meant the deception was for someone else in the Guild or at least someone that knew about the Guild. "So you're hiding this from someone in the Guild?" He checked.
She smiled and said, "My, you are sharp. I'm so glad I accepted you into the Guild." She paused and then added, "I suppose that makes me at least equally smart or more so."
Harry figured he didn't actually have much of a choice so he extended his hand and accepted the key from her.
"I suppose no one is to know I have this?" He checked.
"Naturally," she answered.
"Well at least there's that," he said. "I'll have to sneak away from Mrs Figg to deposit this."
"That's the spirit," she said in response. "The sooner, the better."
A moment later, she disappeared with a crack. He supposed it was too much to ask for a ride home.
He grumbled and climbed back through the secret passageway.
When Harry climbed out of the passageway he pushed on the knob to disable its protections. As he lifted himself upright, he noticed what looked like Professor Dumbledore approaching from a distance.
He quickly darted into the forest before the old man spotted him. He wrapped his invisibility cloak around himself and watched from the tree line.
As Dumbledore got near the violent tree, he stopped and inspected the ground. From there he followed Harry's footprints with his eyes until he was looking right at where Harry was standing.
Harry wasted no more time and booked it into the forest. He didn't run too far in because he didn't want to get lost. He kept running along the edge towards the gate.
His exercise regimen was paying off and he was able to run the whole way back to the gate without issue. The hard part has been not letting his invisibility cloak snag on any branches as he ran.
He got to the gate and found it shut. He tried opening it but it didn't budge. The headmaster must have triggered them shut to prevent his escape. He didn't know what he was going to do now, but he didn't want to get stuck here.
He thought quickly and remembered how he'd opened the locked display case at Borgin and Burkes. He focused and sent little magical probes out, searching for the source of the lock. He was quickly overwhelmed by ambient magic.
Instead of giving up, he tried to get used to it so he could look for anomalies. His head ached as it became overstimulated by the constant barrage of magic. There was simply too much here. He would need to find a way to solve that problem before school started or he'd never be able to use his focus at school.
Just as he was about to give up, he picked up on something different. There was a magical signature running in a line from the gate and up the path towards the school. He pushed through the pain in his head and sent a spark of magic down into the line, hoping to trigger a reaction.
He heard the gate open with a creak as he did so and then ran through the small gap. Just as he cleared it, he felt the ward line and then the gate slammed back shut.
He glanced back at the gate as he ran towards Hogsmeade and saw Professor Dumbledore arrive at the gate. He was surprised that the old wizard had gotten there as fast as he did. Harry continued running and didn't look back again.
He could tell that Mrs Figg was still not home, luckily, so he didn't have to explain anything to her. He walked briskly to his room and started the shower.
He washed off the grime of the day and reflected on everything that had happened that day. His conversation with the Guild Leader has been interesting and it made him want to learn more about illusion, perception, and other mind related subjects. Even though she'd told him there was no protection against illusion, he just had to check for himself. There was probably a book in the library about the mind arts. Hadn't Olivander said his wand was particularly capable of Occlumency?
He wished Luna were here because she'd probably have an interesting and perceptive thought on the subject.
He thought about how the Guild Leader was clearly worried about other members in the Guild working against her. She must be desperate to hand her vault key over to a Fledgling like him. It reinforced his worries that he'd be in constant competition with the other members of the Guild. He didn't mind a little competition but he didn't like the idea of having to look over his shoulder all the time.
Finally, he thought about Remus and Luna. The Guild Leader had said they'd arrived safe and he was grateful for the news. But the Guild was clearly monitoring their movements and most likely his own. He wondered how much they knew about his life and goals.
He guessed it didn't matter much since he wasn't really doing anything that would jeopardize his position in the Guild. He'd just been studying, practicing, and working towards making a name for himself. He'd hoped to outgrow the boy who lived nonsense. He just wanted to live a life that his parents and grandparents would be proud of.
Well that, and to dish out some well deserved justice to those that had somehow escaped what they deserved. It simply wasn't acceptable that he'd had to suffer while the people responsible were out there living without consequence. With the Guild's help, he'd see them all receive the justice they deserved.