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Chapter 5 - Goodbye Number Four

"Lad," Moody growled, "d'ye have even an inkling o' the amount of paper we just made ar'selvs ta do?"

"Sir?"

Marietta interjected "You just got promoted to the First among the trainees here, you have to either disappear and lose this opportunity for continued training or you have to be, in fact, James Evans our esteemed Recruit Platoon Leader."

"Oh."

She took a deep, cleansing breath, squared her shoulders and said "You'll be needin' a yeoman to manage the paperwork and a Master at Arms t' help keep the rest o' the recruits in line. I'll be nominating m'self as yeoman." Marietta's Irish accent apparently became pronounced when she was under pressure.

Harry immediately realized the value of her offer and was grateful for it; she knew all the ins and outs of auror training and could keep him from looking like an idiot who had just been promoted beyond his capabilities.

"Smythe" Harry called out.

The Recruit Squad Leader jogged over to him.

"RSL, you know the spot I've found myself in?"

Smythe grinned and nodded.

"Are you all right with the idea of me as your platoon leader? I mean, I just got here and it looks like I'm tryin' to take over."

The burly recruit looked thoughtful for a moment then said, "aside from knowin' who you are and what you have to do, I have learned more in two days of sparring with you than I have in six weeks of training here. Hell, I'm chuffed to serve with you and will be proud to tell my grandkids who I trained under if the secrecy act ever loosens up."

Harry's face split into an evil grin, "well, in that case, I need a Master at Arms and you are hereby volunteered!"

What Harry didn't know was that the platoon master at arms was the First among the Recruit Squad Leaders; second only to the Recruit Platoon Leader in the chain of command.

"I'm proud t' serve under you Harry" Marietta cooed.

Harry went red as a raspberry, and the two recruits laughed at their new and way-too-easily embarrassed platoon leader

"Repple, that's you Harry," Moody beckoned "bring y' staff along, we have some planning t' do."

The old Sergeant Major took them to a small Quonset hut divided into part office, part living quarters, consisting of a small bedroom with an adjoining shower and WC, and part conference room.

"Welcome to the Repple flat," he announced with an arcane (and slightly arthritic) flourish.

The four co-conspirators spent the rest of the day crafting a past for "James Evans." James it turns out was an orphan of undeterminable parentage who had attended a small private academy of magic that had suffered from an unfortunate case of dragon demolition. The only documented parts of his past that had survived were the "official" records of James' O.W.L. and N.E.W.T scores which were, of course, stellar. He had no family but had until just recently belonged to a druid sect that required him to spend time in seclusion from sunset to sunrise which is why no one had noticed him before in the barracks.

"No one's ever gonna' buy this crap story" Harry groused.

"People believe what they want t' believe" Moody replied, "This'll work."

Harry groaned when he realized that he'd have to wake up at five-thirty every day that wasn't a liberty weekend and that he would probably have to work late into the night writing out lesson plans and orders passed down from battalion for the following day.

"Brilliant, I get to stay up late but I make up for it by getting up early. . ."

"Such is the awesome burden of command, James" Marietta rebounded with a smile.

"Well, the Dursleys won't see me anymore, that'll make em' happy I guess."

"About that Harry," Moody asked, "how long are you plannin' stay there?"

"I guess until my birthday on the 31st, I'll be seventeen after that and the blood protection expires."

"How long have you been there?"

"I dunno, a month maybe?"

Moody grunted "Never looked inta blood wards didja?"

"No."

"The blood wards will stay in effect until you're seventeen, tis' true, but you don't have ta spend mor'n a fortnight in the warded home t' set them in place."

Harry's hopes soared, "do you mean to tell me. . ?"

"The only reason y'have for goin' back to that 'family' o' yours is t' pick up your owl and trunk."

The resounding whoop could be heard three counties away.

Mad-eye and Harry portkeyed to the back yard of Number Four just after dinner; the Dursley's eyes grew wide and fearful as the grizzled and scarred old auror clumped into the living room.

"Harry's done with ye'" Moody said, "he's a decent lad who's grown up that way in spite o' the way he was treated here."

Vernon was beginning to purple, Petunia looked around the room focusing on anything but the fearful sight before her and Dudley was trying unsuccessfully to sink into the settee's cushions.

"He was put with you lot because, God and the Goddess help him, yer'all family. Protections have been on this house since he was abandoned here. Bad, and I mean really bad wizards (they all cringed at the 'w' word) well, these folks have meant mischief on him and his family - meaning you lot - all this time, but they couldn't get past the wards. Those protections will fall one second past midnight on the 30th o' July. If I was you, I'd find someplace else t' be that whole week. Hell I'd be outta the country f' the next month or so."

He stumped over to the base of the stair, "all right Harry?"

"Just sending Hedwig to my flat, be right down."

"Take your time lad."

Moody moved heavily back to the Dursleys who looked like they were having trouble digesting the fact that Harry's presence had protected them for the past fifteen years, and that protection would be gone at the end of the month.

"He's gettin' trained up to face the worst of the worst of em' and frankly, he has maybe half a chance o' winning an a better'n even chance of dying."

Petunia's face paled, Vernon hurrumphed and Dudley looked stupid, as usual.

"He's going t' say goodbye, be courteous enough to wish him well or I just might let a few folks know how he's been treated all these years; an' by whom."

Harry's wheeled trunk thumped down the stairs preceded by its owner, then rolled into the living room. He took a deep breath and seemed lost in thought for a moment; then he spoke softly.

"Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, Dudley. I'm going now, I'd like to say thank you for my room and board while I was here but I can't. You never loved me; you made my life a living hell. You never let me be a child. I hope I never have kids, because if you are what I have to go by it would be better that they never be born. All the same, goodbye. If we see each other on the street someday lets just pretend we don't okay?"

Moody glared at the three muggles.

"Goodbye." Vernon said quickly then looked away.

"Goodbye." Petunia echoed her lower lip trembling, perhaps in guilt, perhaps in grief.

"Bye." Dudley said then looked at his mum and dad.

Harry nodded then walked out the door of Number Four wheeling his trunk behind him for the last time.

Harry stopped on the walk in front of the house and asked "do you have or can you get a pensieve?"