FicWad

I don't own nothing, except the plot.
On with the show…

Harry Potter and the Halls of Hogwarts
Chapter 4 – A Shifters gift

Harry did not wake in the twilight, rather there was a gradual sharpening of awareness. A dawning of consciousness in this inbetween state.

Infinite in scope and neither light nor dark, this 'greyness' weighed down on Harry. An oppressive tranquillity. A feeling of timelessness permeated his awareness. For an eternity the awareness languished in this purgatory. For a second.

It was here that a universe started. Randomly, without cause, a single particle of grey fissioned into a particle of pure white light and a particle of pure impenetrable darkness. Direction, force, time, meaning were born.

Then . . . Nothing. Around him was a total grey twilight with one piece of light and one piece darkness floating in the static world unchanging and unmoving.

Harry waited, in the time he waited he felt a thousand galaxies could have been created and destroyed. Yet, here nothing changed until he was aware of, millions of miles away, a single particle of grey randomly and without cause splitting into a particle of light and a particle of darkness.

Harry settled in for the long haul.

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Ron rolled over in bed, the light from the morning sun cutting through the windows and burning through his eyelids. Ron groaned again and inhaled deeply through his nose. There was a delicious smell that wafted through the room. A smell that inexorably brought Ron back into the world of the living, powerless to its aroma.

Bacon. Ron groaned and his stomach rumbled in agreement and complaint. Rolling out of his bed and smacking the rough carpet of his bedroom was enough to engage Ron's mental faculties again. He pulled his splayed limbs together and pushed himself of the floor. He snatched his wand of the bedside table, and with a quick flick he summoned a pair of clean robes, underwear, socks and his trainers from downstairs.

Walking out of his room on the top floor he yawned loudly down the creaking steps and stopped on the third floor. Fighting his instincts to carry on downward to food, he knocked on the bathroom door and hearing no response walked in took a quick shower.

Stepping out of the bath he looked at himself in the mirror doubtingly. For the last 5 years Ron had always been proud of the way he looked - a proud Weasley from his hair to his heart. But since the events of the ministry he had been shaken to his core. The shame he felt was unbearable. And the guilt he felt from letting Harry down, from not helping in the fight against the Death Eaters, from letting Sirius die, it was more painful then any emotion Ron had ever felt before.

Ron had seen the anger and the pain on Harry's face after Sirius death, he knew Harry felt Ron should have been able to stop it. Ron believed that Harry believed the kinds words he'd written. He was too self-sacrificing, but Ron had let him down time and time again and Harry knew it.
He looked down from his reflection in the mirror, He was too ashamed to look at himself right now. Pulling the towel tighter around himself he walked to the door peeked out for any sign of Hermione before sprinting upstairs to his room.

Ron dressed quickly, checking his robes for loose threads he combed his hair and then brushed his teeth in the sink before jogging down the steps from his room, past the heads of deceased house elves, slowing to tiptoe past Mrs. Black's portraits.

Ron pushed open the door and saw Hermione in her PJs as she put her plate on the side and cleaned it with a quick "scourgify". With another murmured incantation that Ron didn't catch the plate flew up and joined its brothers before she turned around and spotted him.
"Finally up, lazy?" She beamed, her comment caused the tables occupants Remus, Tonks, Ginny and the Twins to turn around and mutter various phrases of greeting before turning back to their own conversations.

"Hey" Said Ron, "Where's mum?"

"She just went to speak to McGonagall before she leaves, so just serve yourself ok? Do you understand Ron?"

"Yes, Hermione I understand" Ron sighed, He knew she sounded a bit condescending but it was to be expected really. Ever since those brains in the Department of Mysteries it was like a fog had been placed over his brain. It was not as bad as it was in the beginning now but yesterday for example he had forgotten how to use Cutlery, and had almost tried using his wand the wrong way round. Fortunately or unfortunately depending how you saw it Snape had been passing by at the exact moment and had incapacitated him before he could do himself any harm.

From the smirk on the sallow man's face Ron could guess that he had taken great pleasure in blasting him halfway across the hallway. The git.

"Ok, I'm going to get changed now, you eat up and take your potions and be ready to leave at about 11 ok?"

"Ok Hermione" Ron sighed.

Serving himself a very generous helping of bacons, beans, eggs, sausages, fried bread, toasted bread, mushrooms, fried potatoes slices, and fried goats cheese. He sat down and picked up his knife and fork and tucked in.

"What's the matter Ron?" Asked Fred

"Not hungry?" Finished of George, the twins laughed and Ron ignored them.

"Oh leave him alone guys," Said Ginny, "Don't you think he's got enough to worry about with his date with Hermione"

"It's not a date!" mumbled Ron noncommittally. He had grown used to it over the last week.

"Sounds like a date to me Ronnykins" Teased George

"Yeah, a romantic trip to those muggle cinema things then a stroll about in Diagon Alley a little hug here, a little hand holding there, a shy kiss" Said Fred batting his eyelids and holding his hands together by his face.

"Shutup!" Moaned Ron again "And you GINNY!" who then just laughed harder.

"Oh shush Ronald" Said Molly sternly who had chosen this particular moment to walk back into the kitchen, "Have you taken your potions yet?"

"No Mum" Sighed Ron

"Well go and do that now before your date Ronald"

"It's not a date mum!" Said Ron exasperated, reluctantly traipsing off to take his medicines. As the kitchen door swung shut behind him Ron swore he heard one of the twins say "High five Mum"
Ron sighed again.

At Eleven 'o clock Ron was waiting patiently for Hermione who was running slightly late. As she stomped down the stairs looking flustered,

"Ready to go?" She said.

"Ahuh" He confirmed smiling up at her, "What kept you, not like you to not be punctual"
"I couldn't find our emergency portkey until I remembered I'd put it in my trunk for safe keeping"

"Oh, ok" Said Ron, "Lets go"

Tiptoeing past Mrs. Black they walked out into the street squinting in the august sunlight. The cinema was about a half an hour walk away, and the trip their was uneventful apart from Hermione's insistence that Ron hold her hand when they were crossing roads and not stray too far from her.

It was about a quarter to 12 when they finally arrived at the cinema and Ron was awestruck by it. It was on the top floor of a huge shopping building and everything was made with cool marble and cream colours. The Roof of the cinema itself was made of strange blue metal crisscrossing every which way with every gap in the metal filled in with glass.

The whole building was cool and fresh compared to the heat of the city outside as if a cooling charm had been placed on the building and the stairs themselves moved, so that you could step on the bottom step and it would take you up to the top of the Staircase. Not even Hogwarts did that. Ron was in awe that all this could be made without magic and he had gained a new compassion and understanding for his dad's obsession for muggle teknolgy.
Ron was so wide eyed by the muggle Shopping mall that in the end Hermione had to literally drag him to the cinema ticket booth.

After buying a strange thing called pop corn (the sweet version, apparently there was a salted version which Hermione didn't like) and some drinks of "Cola" Hermione lead him to a large room dimly lit and seated him down.

For about 20 minutes they watched adverts on this huge moving picture for businesses, and other Films like the one they were about to watch. Then for about 2 and a half hours Ron was lost in a magnificent and incomprehensible world about people with spies and flying planes and helicopters and things that made huge explosions and fireballs and destroyed buildings and people alike.
When Ron came out he was in an absolute state of total excitement and Hermione beamed as he reminded her of everything that had happened in the film.

"I thought you'd like it" She laughed, "Now to Diagon Alley"

Ron was still bouncing by the time they had left the shopping mall far behind them. As Hermione took his hand to take him across one of the busy street in London they heard a shout from behind them.

Looking around they saw a group of about 14 individuals some on bikes, some not wearing various hooded tops and baggy tracksuit bottoms. Shouting again a man in a white hooded top said

"Hey Honey, You can do better then some Ginger Twat!"
The whole group burst out in ugly laughter. Flushing in rage, Ron opened his mouth to say something back when he was cut of again by another member of the gang who burst out laughing.

"Look, he even blushes like a bloody tomato," causing raucous laughter among his friends.

"Just walk away Ron, They're not worth it" Hermione muttered quietly. Ron taking the advice went on to relay this information to the pests.

"Not worth it? Is that what you said? That's what I think he said isn't it lads?" He said walking towards them as his sheep like followers shouted approval. "You think that I'm not worth your time do you?" He paused for a second before screaming in Ron's face, "I'M WORTH MORE THEN ANY FUCKING LANKY GINGER TWAT YOU STUPID FUCK!"

Punching Ron in the gut Ron doubled over to meet a knee rising up to his face that catapulted him back upright, wobbling. Blood streaming down his face, the rest of the croney's gathered around him, some of them starting to take an interest in Hermione again.

The white topped man placed both his hands on Ron's chest and pushed, hard. Falling backward everything seemed to occur in slowmotion noises became muffled and dimmed. He wasn't sure he was going to survive this and as he fell he could see some of the gang picking Hermione up as she screamed, her wand falling to the floor.

His hands splayed out beside him, flailing in the air and as he fell his fingers brushed something cold and metallic, for a moment he thought of a dragon cold, blue and evil, the shape of a Hungarian Horntail, before he hit the floor the impact taking the breath out of him.
Everything sped up, colours became brighter and noises became louder, one noise in particular. Screams. The screams of men.

Rolling onto his front slowly he groaned and pulled out his wand out of his pocket, he heard running then he heard something that pulled him out of the mist, something that snapped his eyes wide open something that petrified him from his head to his toes. He heard a roar. The roar of a dragon. The Roar of an EXTREMELY pissed off dragon.

Suddenly he felt hands on his clothes pulling him up. He stood uneasily and looked up and up and up. In front of him less then 4 feet away from him was a huge blue metallic claw. And above it rearing up into the sky screaming was a metallic blue Hungarian Horntail the size of a lorry. Rearing up like this it was as tall as the 3 storey apartment building next to it.

"RON!" Screamed Hermione, and they turned and ran as fast as they could before they were crushed. The earlier street gang was no where to be seen. As they ran Hermione shot a wicked sickly yellow curse back at the Dragons Eye to no effect.

The gigantic dragon roared again and whipped his tail scoring a deep wound into the buildings behind him. Then he fell forward again on to all fours, and suddenly, unfortunately Ron and Hermione were again within a dozen feet of this Monster.

The dragon roared and opened its mouth as if to flame them when there was a huge bang and the beast was propelled hundreds of feet backwards flipping 180 degrees and landing on its back.
Turning around Ron and Hermione watched as dozens of hit wizards apparated and starting falling into formation conjuring ropes and magical bindings.

As the Dragon was subdued and sedated by the hit wizards, and Obliviators and Healers began to appear they noticed a young witch and a wizard with blood pouring down his face. Hermione sighed and prepared to be interrogated.

Harry watched as the last particle of the original twilight split and flew off to their opposite ends and with that it was complete. Harry had waited a million millennia a thousand times over and finally it was over. In time he had gained what appeared to be a corporeal form and he stood on the border. Behind him the darkest dark, the impenetrable silence, the haven of murders and tortures of the evil of the universe in front of him the brightest of lights, brighter then the brightest star whispering to him with sweet promises of pleasure and freedom. A Realm with no grey area, clear cut light and dark. Heaven in front of him, Hell behind and now he had to choose.

Voices called to him from the light and the darkness tempting him and threatening him 'Come to us harry, your father and I miss you harry' 'let us take you away from the pain harry, let us take you with us, its not your job to deal with Voldemort harry. You can be happy here harry.'
Harry was filled with shock, was that his mother talking to him, he had heard her clearly among all the voices. He listened again and heard his father calling to him, Sirius too, all the loved ones he'd never met, he remembered the mirror of erised. He could make it true now. And as he listened slowly the voices from the light dimmed to a murmur, still there, still soothing him, still tempting him, while new voices started from behind him.

They were terrible, horrible voices whispering over his shoulder, their breath tickling his ears and his neck, making his hair stand up, and filling him with fear. They brought threats of pain and torture and death.

'Come to us harry, we want you harry my death eaters and I, we need you harry, come to us and we'll have our fun. We know you wouldn't want to deny us the delight of your pain, would you Harry? Come to us and we can gather all you friends, all your loved ones all the world and smother them in your shadow. This is where your meant to be Harry'

And like that, still hearing the voices of Voldemort and Bellatrix and the Malfoys as they faded to murmurs, Harry knew exactly where he was meant to be. This realm was clear cut just like Harry's mind and there was only one way Harry could ever have gone.

'I love you mom and dad and Sirius, I love you all so much, and you know where I'm going now. I will come to you Mum, one day'

And with that last mental scream Harry took a metaphysical step backwards, into the darkness.
The darkness rushed past him and Harry watched as the light dwindled to a pinprick, then was gone, consumed by the Darkness, consumed by Hell. As Harry fell the Voices assaulted him

'Its your fault Sirius is dead.'
'You led him to that place.'
'Why didn't you save him?'
'Why didn't you die for him?'
'Why didn't you care about him?'

'It was my fault he was there, he came to rescue me, and he died for me, but his death was caused by Bellatrix not I, Its her soul condemned not mine!'

The voices changed their tack.
'Why do you hurt you friends so?'
'Why do you hurt those who love you?'
'Do you enjoy their pain?'
'Why are you running, why do you hide from the light?'
'Why do you come to the darkness'

"I CARE FOR MY FRIENDS, FOR MY LOVED ONES, I COME INTO THE DARKNESS AND I BRING THE LIGHT!"

Harry's eyes snapped open and he felt perspiration running down him in rivers, his breath coming in shallow pants. His brain felt like it was working over time and he felt vitalized, stronger and healthier then he ever had before.

Harry sat up from the bed and looked down from the ceiling. Across from him the former unspeakable was running toward him. Well he assumed she was as she was in the typical running pose in a position that no person could naturally remain in, one foot off the ground and leaning forward.

As he watched she slowly started to blink and he could see her eyelids moving downwards at a snail pace.

Using his powers of deduction Harry realised that something seriously unusual was afoot. Harry tried to remember what had happened previously. The scene just before he'd gone under burst into his head with startling clarity. That witch had tried to kill him!
Harry moved to swing his legs over the edge of the table, as he did so he felt a slight change come over him, and the world returned to human speed.

"Are you okay boy?" Concern and excitement evident in her voice.

"You! You tried to kill me!" Harry said sounding a bit shakey, looking out of the window at the sunny sky outside. He turned back and drew his wand. “You best explain yourself, and quickly” Harry snarled.

“I did what I told you I would” She replied icily. “I performed a procedure to increase your mental ability, and you ingested a potion to alter your blood chemistry, and that is all”
“I heard you” Harry retorted, his wand not wavering an inch, “You said it would kill me”. At this the woman looked irritated.

“If the procedure worked, as I know it did, you will recall I actually said 'I think you'll be the one to survive', and I was right may I point out”

Harry remained still for a moment longer before grudgingly pocketing his wand. “What is the time?”

"Its about 10 to 4 Mr. Potter. Now about the Bill." The lady spoke tentatively.

"10 to 4 as in pm? as in after midday? as in just over an hour till 5 o clock? That 10 to 4?" Harry blanched.

"Yes?" Said the lady, her mysterious aura gone completely.

“How much do I owe you?” Harry asked.

“This time” She replied slowly, “My services are pro gratis. Consider it my apology for the potential lethality of the experiment”

Thrusting his key back into his pocket roughly Harry fled. Harry felt different, but not extraordinarily and if it wasn't for the weirdness that had happened when he first woke up he would have shrugged it off.

He still could. All it would have taken for her to implement that trick was an impedimentia jinx. Harry was on the verge of turning back when a bestial roar reverberated through the alley freezing the assorted wizards and witches. It shocked Harry from his thoughts, he had a trunk to collect, he was starving and Gringotts would be sending out his spending details in about an hour.

If Harry was lucky and Dumbledore was in Scotland at Hogwarts or somewhere else on holiday he could have hours after five till Dumbledore found out about his jaunt to the wizarding world, but if Dumbledore was at HQ he would have roughly twenty minutes till Dumbledore would be apparating into Diagon Alley.

After years as Fate's punching bag Harry strongly suspected that the latter scenario would be the one more likely to occur.

It took nearly twenty minutes before Harry had located Larimey's Luggage. Briskley walking in he rung the bell grabbed the trunk, shook hands and said thankyou many, many times. He received a smaller reimbursement than he had expected and then hurried off to find a restaurant.

It had taken almost half an hour before the hit wizards had released them, and allowed the healers to patch Ron up. For a few minutes Hermione debated going back to the Order HQ, but decided against it. After all, this dragon thing was just a huge freak coincidence, another magical story to add to her collection.

As the obliviators finished their work the wizards started to disapparate back to the ministry and various other locations.

"Can I drop you two off anywhere?" Asked the kindly healer who had tended to ron. He had a round, chubby face, and a well trimmed full beard.

"Please" interjected Hermione, "Can you drop us off at the Leakey Cauldron please? We can floo our way home from there"

"Not a problem" The man smiled. Placing his Hand on Hermione's and Ron's shoulders he gave a quick twirl and the two felt the brand new, horrid compression that apparation engendered.
Just as Hermione was starting to have trouble holding her breath the three appeared with a pop outside the front door of the wizarding pub.

Feeling a little shakey from the trip Hermione placed her forehead on the cold stone of the tavern.

"Yeah it takes you that way the first time doesn't it" Said the healer, "Sorry the travel took so long, it's a bit harder with three."

As Hermione started to get her bearings again he looked at her and Ron critically, seemingly finding things to his approval.

"Well I'll be off then, be careful, ok? I don't want to have to see you two again any time soon you hear me?" He said, mock threateningly.

Hermione smiled and he chuckled quietly, then with a quick twirl and a small pop he was gone.
Standing up straight Hermione took Ron's arm and pulled him inside the tavern, he was still looking a bit pale.

"Are you ok, Ron?" she asked, concerned.

"Yeah, I'm fi – "He replied, cutting himself off with a dry heave.

After five minutes of sitting down Ron was ready to go. Looking up at the clock Hermione saw that it was 5 past 4 and they were expected back at the house by 6. That didn't give Hermione as much browsing time in Flourish & Blotts as she'd wanted. It would have to be enough she thought.
Walking out back they tapped the bricks and the Gateway to Diagon Alley opened up, still full of witches and wizards about their magical business.

For a moment Hermione just soaked in the magnificence of it. The effect of this magical place was as strong now as it had been on her first visit when she finally realised that this life would be her own. That she would no longer be bound by her parents pushing her in her academic life; freedom from their expectations, the freedom of going to a boarding school where they weren't constantly pushing her, constantly expecting more. Hermione loved her parents with all her heart, but she had wanted more out of life then to go to school to study mundane subjects and spend the rest of her life as a dentist. Hogwarts had fulfilled and surpassed her wildest fantasies.

Hermione walked forward jostling her way through the crowds of magical peoples and creatures, looking around she decided first on their list of things to do was to go and get some robes from Madame Malkins for the coming school years. Walking in through the front door Hermione led Ron up to the counter.

"Hello," She called melodiously, ringing the bell.

"One minute please" A woman replied from the back room.

"Hermione, what are we doing here, I can't afford robes from here" Ron whispered to her urgently.

"Oh shush, Ronald" Said Hermione boldly. Ron was shocked into silence, most probably by the use of his whole first name. She would have to remember this new trump card and add it to her 'beating Ron in an argument' deck of cards. A large metaphor, but apt. Looking out of the large window in the front of the store Hermione watched with interest as the people of Diagon Alley went about their business. Mostly it was just people walking around or into shops but at one point she saw a witch who floated about two feet of the ground as she moved along, her and her companion behaving like this was nothing out of the ordinary. Another time a young man with messy black hair that looked remarkably like Harry's sprinted out of an adjoining alley as if the hounds of hell themselves were chasing him roughly barged through the crowd till he reached the restaurant opposite Madame Malkins, where she saw him stop calmly sit down and order some food as if he had just done nothing out of the ordinary.

After about ten one minutes later Madame Malkins stepped in front of them and smiled soothingly
"Hello" Said Hermione bitingly at the women who had wasted ten minutes of her day "I'd Like some male Hogwarts school robes, and quickly this time please" Hermione smiled.

As Harry settled down in the restaurant opposite Madame Malkins he calmly placed the trunk besides the table and got down to the important business of ordering. Looking around he saw no sign of staff and remembered his dinner at the Yule ball. Hoping he was correct and wasn't about to do something absolutely foolish, he looked at his plate and said clearly "Spaghetti bolognase" and after a tense couple of seconds a huge meal appeared in front of him, he then proceeded to order a drink and asked for a bill, which he paid with a few lose sickles.
As he ate slowly, it was hot, he slowly pulled all his miniaturized bags out his robes and lost his distinctly bulgy impression. Deshrinking them he opened his trunk on the first compartment and placed most of his bags in them. There was one bag left by the time his first compartment was full. And the bag contained some essential books for him this summer, including his beginners guide to apparation. Pulling out the guide he began reading. At the end of the forty minutes it had taken him to eat his meal and drink his refilling cup Harry had read 70 pages of the short book on apparation. All the theory had been covered, and the remainder of the novel appeared to be tips on how to gain the clarity of thought to apparate successfully. He was like a sinkhole and everything he read had been slurped up and stored away by his devouring eye. And it was 10 past 5. Time to go and find a new hole.

Looking up he jumped to see a girl with bushy brown hair next to a tall man with a distinctive red mop entering the door of Flourish and Blotts holding several shopping bags.
Harry jumped to his feet, picked up his trunk and Sprinted like mad for the door. Hermione and Ron here, in Diagon alley, today! What were the odds?

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Ron had been dragged from shop to shop for almost an hour straight now and he was extremely tired. First Hermione had forced expensive clothes from Madame Malkins upon him. Then she had dragged him to an apothecary, when he had no intention of continuing Potion lessons for as long as Snape took them. Then when he had suggested a quick stop off at the Quality Quidditch Supplies she had had the nerve to say that they had no time for unnecessary stops. Ron had made the mistake of sarcastically saying "What was the visit to the Apothecary, then?" and had subsequently received a harsh two minute berating. It was madness, sometimes Ron didn't know how he put up with this woman, he pondered if he was masochistic as he trudged on. She would be lost without him, always studying, never relaxing. Where would all that studying ever get her? Not a stupid question in a society soon to be overcome by war.

Ron stopped abruptly, that was awfully insightful of him, but looking at the news nowadays, maybe not. Giants in the West Country, Amelia Bones and Emmeline Vance both murdered. That bridge snapped in half, no this year wasn't going to be an easy one by anyone's standards and then there was that dragon in London a few hours ago. Unlike Hermione Ron was pretty damn sure that it wasn't death eaters causing that. For one there was no Dark Mark in the sky and secondly that was no natural dragon. It was the shape and image of a ferocious Hungarian Horntail - one of the only four dragon species Ron had ever seen live and definitely the most dangerous - but was dissimilar in size and a metallic blue just like the one he had imagined when his attacker had assaulted him the exact one he was imagining when his hand had scraped what Hermione had later told him was a red 'post box'. Then there was the fact that no one had seen a dragon coming. That it had suddenly just appeared in London. That as far as Ron was aware Dragons couldn't apparate. Lastly, and most frightening of all, was the feeling he had had when his hand grazed the post box as he fell. It had felt identical to the sensation he had experienced as an 11 year old holding his first wand. But stronger, a lot stronger, and that scared Ron beyond measure.

As it was Ron decided not to tell Hermione his suspicions, his fear, as she would most likely scorn his ideas, blame his mental problems for the moment and then go on to lecture why it was impossible for even a dozen trained wizards to perform a transfiguration like that which he suggested. That it was most definitely impossible for a 16 year old wizard-in-train without use of his wand.

It was in such a mindset that Ron went to enter Flourish and Botts deep in thought and was startled by the sound of Hermione's voice after such a long silence.

"Ready to go home?" She asked

"Definitely" He replied “But you haven't even looked at any books yet. Are you sure?”

“I'm sure” Said Hermione over-enthusiastically, bouncing up on the balls of her feet toward him, “I can always come back for books, and I'd want more time than we have now.” Ron sensed the half-truth on her lips but didn't remark upon it. It was her own choice.

Hermione reached into her robes and pulled out a necklace with a phoenix on it. As they touched it with a finger each Hermione held it tight and whispered “Activate”.

Ron looked up just in time to see a messy black haired, green eyed boy ten feet away and closing. His eyes widened and his left arm raised up toward the running boy.

"Harry?" He asked as he felt the distinctive jerk just below his naval and he was pulled away alone the route of the portkey before slamming down in the park opposite Grimuald Place.

"Harry?" he repeated again.

"What are you jabbering about Ron?" Hermione asked

"Harry" He said, "He was running towards us just as you activated the portkey."

"Nonsense, Ron, it's the mists in your head again." She said hesitantly

"They give me memory problems, Hermione, not hallucinations!" Ron argued heatedly.

"Ok, Ok. I believe you" She said calmly, "I guess we should go tell the Order we think we saw him."

"Why? He wouldn't have got there without them would he? Be logical Hermione" Jibed Ron playfully.

"I suppose" Said Hermione.

"Do you smell food?" Said Ron excitedly, "I'm starving."

Hermione laughed, "You always are. Lets go." They walked up to Grimmauld Place problems forgotten.
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Harry slowed to a stop at the place his friends had just been, his breathing rate and pulse barely increased from his short sprint. He knew Ron had definitely recognized him and guessing that they had just returned to the order, they were probably bound to tell someone who would tell Dumbledore or Dumbledore himself. They could apparate here any second. Harry just had to hope that the portkey wouldn't drop them to close to the orders headquarters. It was time to leave this place and it was definitely going to have to be a quick exit. Harry turned in the opposite direction he was facing and sprinted to Gringotts. He had no money, Wizarding or Muggle, and he was pretty sure he could do with some over the following month. It took harry 40 seconds to run to Gringotts and as soon as he was in their doors he ran to the nearest teller, still not breathing too heavily.

"Hi. I'm Harry Potter, I need to make a very quick exit from Diagon Alley and I need money quickly both Wizarding and Muggle. Can I do that without going to my vault?"

"No" Said the goblin.

"What I have to go all the way to my vault? There's no sort of quick withdrawal thing?"

"Nope" Said the goblin unsympathetically “There would not be much point in vaults and mine carts if you didn't have to use them”.

"Fine, can I go to my vault please" Harry moaned.

"Key please" Said the goblin his face impassive.

"You are easily the most irritating goblin I've ever met." growled Harry giving him his key. After finding the key to his liking the goblin simply stated in his monotone voice,

"You are entitled to your opinion Mr. Potter. RookHold!" a goblin hurried up to the receptionist, "please take Mr. Potter to his vault."

"Yes sir." Said the goblin, "This way please Mr. Potter"

The goblin waddled over to a door annoyingly slowly and took Harry down the rough stones to a cart which they promptly climbed into. The Goblin rapped the side of the cart and it set of at a fast pace. The cart which had once seemed to harry like the fastest thing in the world on his first visit felt now like a slow and time wasting device.

"Can you make this go any faster?" Harry asked without thinking.

"One speed only" Said the goblin.

As they pulled up to the vault Harry recognized as his own, Harry vaulted the side of the cart and bodily lifted the goblin out behind him causing great affront. The goblin waddled up to the vault door again and inserted the key muttering quietly while harry checked his watch. 13 minutes past 5. He really had to hurry. Quickly running into the vault harry was startled into silence as he saw its contents. If harry had had to guess he would've have said that his vault was roughly one half its normal size a huge patch of bare ground startlingly visible. Harry really hadn't realised how much he had spent. 'It was worth it' thought Harry thinking of finally being free from the Dursleys. He really would never have to go back. Never, for as long as he lived, Harry forced himself to relax again. Stress would not solve anything. Sweeping a small pile of Sickles and Knuts into the bottom of his bag then covered them with galleons until he could barely tie the drawstrings. He stuck the bag into his pocket and then proceeded to pick up 40 galleons which he placed in his other pocket.

"Lets go." Said Harry, not unkindly, to the mumbling goblin.

When the cart had pulled into the dock at the top of the track Harry pretty much ran as if his life depended on it. Straight up the stairs to a muggle exchange till. He took out the 40 galleons in his pocket and exchanged them for roughly 2,000 muggle pounds. Harry hadn't realized the galleons were worth that much, however they were solid gold. Then the money was in his trunk along with his money purse and Harry was sprinting down the street to the Leakey Cauldron. In the distance his sharp eyes could see owls flapping toward the horizon. Already a few were starting to descend downward into other parts of London. Harry didn't know which way exactly Grimuald Place was in relation to Diagon Alley, but what if one of those owls was Dumbledore's? Harry's heart was in his mouth, he had minutes, seconds before he was found out, his plan interrupted and Harry escorted to HQ or worse, back to the Dursleys. Harry tapped the bricks in quick succession and ran through the pub.

"By jove, Harry potter?" Said a voice

"The one and only!" He shrieked back hysterically.

Harry carried on running. The exertion was starting to become apparent. He focused on placing one foot in front of the other, ignoring the beginning of a dull fatigue. Harry still felt stronger then he ever had before. In fact, that it was only now that he began to fail the strain was only more evidence in favour of one vital truth. He was going to be able to given even more in his Quidditch matches this year!

Harry's thoughts ceased as he propelled himself through his door into his room. Harry pulled out his holly and phoenix feather wand and with a quick accio Harry watched as all his worldly possessions flew into the third compartment of his trunk which he closed with a snap. He'd really have to sort through that mess later, it was going to be a long chore. Harry touched his wand to his new trunk and shrunk it securely placing it inside one of his jean pockets right at the bottom. Then he was running again down the steps to the door, ignoring the startled calls of wizards and witches alike.

"Tom" Harry called, "I'm afraid I wont be staying another night, keep the money, happy holidays"
"As you do, Mr. Potter." Said Tom, a passing blur as Harry sped to the front door. Harry was literally steps away from his freedom, when his look of joy turned to a look of horror. In front of him with a succession of quick pops appeared Dumbledore, Tonks, Shacklebolt, Molly and Bill Weasley. As Harry's eyes and the eyes of his pursuers widened, Harry stood in shock not moving for seconds noticing that the others were frozen too. Not sure if this was shock on their part or like what had happened at the transformation shop and not sure how long this state of affairs would continue Harry turned and Harry ran, as fast as he could, which was fast indeed.

Kingsley felt himself exiting the horrible compression of apparation with a slight twirl and looked up to see Harry Potter, the object of Dumbledore's panic standing right in front of them in the Leakey Cauldron's door. For a fraction of second nothing happened, the orders faces turning to that of shock, Harry's to that of panic. Then from a standing start Harry was gone, his trainers slapping loudly against the floor as he turn back inside the Pub. The order surged forward, Dumbledore shouting orders. They ran through the pub, Molly oddly taking the lead, until they hit a brick wall.

Precious seconds were lost while they opened the archway before they jumped through, the group tensely looking for any sign of the errant boy-wizard. Dumbledore heard squawks of indignation moving quickly in a patch through the alley and traced them it just behind the oval apothecary that bisected the alley.

Spreading out so as not to intimidate him they slowly and calmly walked towards him, pretending they hadn't noticed him by looking all around, Molly lagged behind as she attempted to catch her breath. Unfortunately for them Harry did not bite and as they closed in he took off again sprinting incredibly fast down the alley. His slender build was an advantage here as he slipped bonelessly through the tiny gaps in the crowd of shoppers.

Kingsley cast a temporary muscle enhancing charm on himself that enabled him to roughly barge his way through the shoppers and gain some distance on Harry. A momentary gap in the crowd exposed a clear line of sight of Harry's fleeing form.

His charm was almost done and he was the only one in range. Kingsley took advantage of Harry's turned back and cast a leg locking curse and a flipendo jinx in quick succession.

It was pure coincidence, or luck, that saved Harry from being captured right there and then. He had cast a quick banishing charm on a table that flew wildly into the crowd behind him. The table had then promptly been hit by the leg locking curse which made it explode in a rain of flimsy splinters. Ducking down and crossing his arms over his head to protect him from the shrapnel the slower moving flipendo jinx had flown over his head to explode on a Gringotts marble pillar with a curious organic sound.

Jerking left Harry ran into a narrow side passage that led into an alley Harry had never entered before. Jumping over boxes scattered in his path he saw Tonks to his left and carried on straight into another narrow passage that became a dead end. Hitting his fists against the wall Harry roared and turned around and saw the blue haired woman outlined at the entrance, her silhouette blocking his freedom. Tonks' face screwed up in some unknowable emotion her wand tip flared a bright red as a stunner bursting forth. The curse moved over the intervening distance decidedly sluggishly, perhaps somewhat faster than walking pace. Harry could see swirls of smokey colour within the spell like a solid smoke moving within the scarlet beam.
Harry dived forward and below the beam simultaneously drawing his wand allowing it to explode into a myriad of colours on a section of wall previously occluded by his face. His wand steady, his mind clear Harry roared “INCARCEROUS”. With a unhelpfully loud bang ropes burst forth from his wand, expanding as they sailed through the air to ensnare the witch. Snake-like they encircled her body from her ankles to the bottom of her nose. Harry allowed himself to breathe for the first time in what seemed like an age as he jogged up to her. Her eyes seemed to promise a slow and painful death as Harry smiled and ruffled her hair. A moment longer, and he picked up her fallen wand before securely tucking it under a rope around her midsection as he left her.
Harry alternated between a jog and a fast walk down this strange Oriental Alley he debated for a moment where to go. Where was the public floo? Letting his adrenaline guide him it wasn't too long before he found himself in the industrial alley where he had brought his trunk and from there he ran straight up and out into the almost deserted Diagon Alley. Harry guessed that his flight from the order must have cleared the alley of most bystanders and the order themselves were out searching the other alleys. His luck on the up, Harry sprinted to the turning disapparation and the Leaky Cauldron. He ran quickly round the blind corner and into a beard, bouncing off and falling to the ground.

"Hello Harry" Said Dumbledore, helping him up. Harry didn't even bother raising his wand, he may have learnt a trick or two today but he most definitely had no pretences that he could beat Dumbledore in a contest of magic. "Where exactly were you planning to go now, Harry?" quipped Dumbledore sternly.

"Sir I need to do this, please let me go" Harry pleaded. A pause followed.

"I know Harry, I know. I care for you deeply Harry, and I want no misfortune to come to you but I've realised life is not an adventure I have the right to deny you." Harry looked up, shocked, there was a twinkle in Dumbledore's eyes again.

"Sir?" Said Harry, but Dumbledore did not reply, reaching into his robes he pulled out a necklace with a phoenix shaped medallion attached to it.

"Harry listen carefully, this is a portkey to Grimmauld Place. The keyword is the name of my phoenix, if you don't come back with me now I want you to promise that you will have this with you at all times, ok?"

"Ok sir."

"Promise me Harry!" Dumbledore urged.

"I promise" said Harry, Dumbledore's head snapped up,

"Footsteps" He stated, "listen to me carefully Harry. I'm sure you have a clever place where you plan to hide this month, but I am going to be looking for you, hunting you and if I find you. . . Voldemort can too; stay alert, stay vigilant, and more important then even that, have fun and enjoy yourself. Now go, quickly."

Harry could hear footsteps now too; looking at Dumbledore he suddenly stepped forward and hugged him, taking Dumbledore by surprise. Then, with a twirl and a pop, Harry Potter was gone.
Dumbledore turned with a huge grin on his face as the order stumbled around the corner, or limped in Tonks case, looking disgruntled.

"Did you get him sir?" asked Bill urgently, looking for a sign of harry.

"I'm afraid Mr. Weasley, that with the advantage of both youth and supple joints Harry has evaded me. We will have to start a search, oh and Molly, please tell Minerva next time you see her that Harry won't be needing those apparation lessons this year after all." Then with a twirl and pop Dumbledore was gone.

"Looks like an order meeting now, or I'm a Hippogryff's tail feather" Grumbled Kingsley

"Too right mate" Agreed Bill, then, with 4 little pops, the rest of the order were gone too and their little section of Diagon alley was still.
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It was about six o' clock when the order meeting was called to, well, order.

It was a top priority meeting which meant order members came immediately from wherever they where, no matter what they were doing. Wizengamot members walked out of trials, aurors left wizards escape, Snape left his potions.

As was understandable a collective feeling of disgruntlement was the predominant emotion in the room. Standing up and clearing his throat the conversation in the room quieted then stopped.
"Ladies and gentlemen. I'm afraid that some horrific and terrible news has come to my attention, grave news that I think that will require the effort of every person here to amend. Harry Potter has run away from home"

Worried murmurs spread throughout the room as people contemplated this new turn of events. Apart from Snape that is.

"You called me away in the middle of a critical juncture in my potion making because that brat has had a temper tantrum and run away from home?! Am I hearing correctly? You called in the entire order for this? When you could have just gone and collected him when the wards went off? This better not be one of your jokes Albus, because I AM NOT laughing."

"Severus, I know you have never particularly fond of Mr. Potter but -"

"Fond of him? I despise him Albus, I despise everything about him, his ignorance is only matched by his arrogance. A boy lauded as a hero for freak accidents, total coincidence and spadefuls of luck" Hissed Snape, spitting mad.

"Don't you talk about harry that way" Roared Remus, "you can't stand him because he looks like his father can you? Your so petty, you greasy, spiteful…"

Dumbledore sighed as the meeting descended into a free for all with everybody shouting to be heard over everyone else, everyone spurred to new decibels by everyone else. Leaning back Dumbledore checked his watch, 6 o' clock exactly, Dumbledore jumped quietly as a his phoenix appeared in flames in front of him offering a letter. A short burst of phoenix song quieted everyone down and looked at the letter in front of him, opening it up he read through it quickly, his face impassive.

"What is it Dumbledore?" Someone called.

Dumbledore was silent for a few moments before replying.

"It's a letter from Harry".
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Harry appeared with a pop and checked his watch. Muggle rush hour and it showed. The train station was absolutely packed making peak time Diagon alley look slightly crowded. Fighting his way through the crowd it took almost 10 minutes to get from the entrance to the ticket barrier between platform nine and platform 10. Walking through the barrier to platform 9 and ¾ harry was shocked by the sudden contrast. Outside this platform thousands of people were moving about on their business, in here there was not a single person, just some newspaper pages on the floor, gum and a few abandoned trunks scattered near pillars.

Harry pulled out his trunk out of his pocket and tapped it once to unshrink it. Looking it over he took in its appearance, it was made from a rough material and an average size for a trunk, not quite as clumpy and large of his last one. There were no frills to it and it looked like a cheap, average trunk that wouldn't be too out of place among the trunks scattered around this platform. It suited Harry just fine. Looking at the handle he once again praised its ingenious design. It was a normal handle split into three equal portions, pressing portion one then pulling the handle up would open the suit case on the first compartment. Pressing the second would open the second and the third the third. Now that he was alone Harry pressed the third button and opened the room chamber.

An ambient light filled the entire room but Harry could not determine the source, while below his head a series of thin metal bands set into the wall served as a ladder. Larimey Jenkins or an associate had decided to decorate the entire chamber in warm Gryffindor colours and it was a nice touch. The room wasn't large, but it wasn't tiny either. From the look of it Harry reckoned he'd have room to fit in a bed and a desk and still have floor space to stretch his legs. The length of the room was probably just smaller then the height of him three times over and had a thick red shag carpet that would be comfortable under his feet.

In the middle of each of the longer walls was a what appeared to be a single drawer. Centred, inset and opposite each other, their handles were identical to that of the trunk. A dull wooden ruddy brown that contrasted the brighter red of the walls. At the top left most corner was an empty cuboid of space a step below the floor of the rest of the trunk separated by a thin curtain. Completely empty there was nothing else of note within the trunk.

Harry pulled his red face out of the hatch and fell back with aplomb, as the blood drained from his head he closed his trunk, and picked it up by the handle. No reason not to take one last little precaution. He strolled over to the edge of the platform and jumped down on the gravelly track. At intervals along the platform were large semi-circular holes that hid a hollow below the level of the track. Poking his head into the darkness a quick lumos illuminated a foot, a foot and a half, drop where some lose gravel had been scattered. Easing his trunk into the bottom of the dank wheelwell, he opened it before awkwardly lowering himself in.

At 6 o' clock Harry started the lengthy business of making his trunk liveable for the for the foreseeable future.
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Ron rolled over in bed. It was 10 past 11 and he thought he'd heard a noise upstairs. He hadn't been able to sleep all night. Without the distraction of company there was guilt, shame, fear, hope and horror all fighting for dominance inside his head. Alone the usual guilt of the summer had made itself known. He was ashamed for not telling the order he had seen Harry in Diagon Alley, for not realizing that there was no protector with him. He felt scared for Harry out there in the world right now with no shelter and no protection with You-know-who hunting him down, and he gathered hope from the look on Harry's face when he saw him, full of joy, and from the way he was thinking more and more clearly as the days passed by.

Mostly however, Ron felt terrified by his suspicions that he had created that dragon in London that had wreaked so much havoc and ruined lives.

Ron reached over and checked the clock again. 12 past 11 and sleep was still eluding him, images of dragons and Hermione screaming as she was stolen away by hooded men rampaged through his skull. Deciding to conduct a little experiment Ron picked his wand of the bed side table and placed the tip on his alarm clock thinking up a clear and detailed picture of a rose. He focused all his will on the alarm clock and closed his eyes, opening them a few moments later he was relieved to see no change in the alarm clock at all. Unless….

Ron placed his wand back down on the table and summoning the image of a rose again as clear and detailed as he could he again closed his eyes and brushed his fingers across the surface of the alarm clock. Once again, if a little less exciting this time, he got the feeling he had once got from holding his wand. A silken rustling followed by a gasp sounded behind him and Ron's eyes snapped open his head turning to the door. In front of him stood Hermione in her pyjamas. Her mouth open she pointed just to his right.

"But Ron," She gasped, "That's impossible."

Knowing what he'd see before he saw it Ron looked back at his bedside table where there rested a beautiful white rose cloaked in moonlight.

Silence reigned for a moment before Ron seized the moment.

“It's for you” He croaked shakily.
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A/N If you have ever seen the film phenomenon, its that level of intellectual ability that harry has now, sorry for the long abscence, if the change of atmosphere to dumbledore seems too noticeable please review and tell me.