Harry Potter 1. Chapter 1: Privet Drive and Azkaban

Harry Potter:

Death of a Boy – Birth of a Legend

By

Love4HarryPotter

**A/N: ** Over the last few years I have read many, many Scripts here on HPFF. And now I guess it's my turn to give it a shot. Like all of you, I had a love for Harry Potter since the start and followed our friends through their adventures, but I found myself wanting to hear more. So I started reading a lot of different Fanfic's here on the net, and became inspired to write my own version.

I have to admit that this will be my first story ever written and hope my readers will stay with me. In return I promise to do my best to keep the thirst for more Harry Potter quenched. Please review after you read it, since I can't improve without your critiques. I'm open for any ideas, suggestions, hints, tips and tricks, as long as it isn't in a disrespectful, foul or discouraging way.

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own any of the Characters, those belong to J.K. Rowling. I just indulge in her fictional world, which leaves me mesmerized every time I step into it.

Chapter 1: _Privet Drive, hurt pride, Azkaban_

It was one of those days again; dragging on slowly with no end near. The sun stood high over Little Whinging with no clouds in the bright blue summer sky; a slight breeze was blowing through Number 4 Privet Drive. But everyone that knows this address knows also that this idyllic scenery might not be as quiet as it seems.

Harry was sitting in his small room, in a pile of rubbish, school books and clothes. His empty trunk next to him, he was sorting out what he would take when he leaves this place in a few weeks. Then he'd be 17 and of age, at least in his world. Hedwig hooted softly in her cage, which stirred Harry back to reality. He just couldn't focus on what he wanted to do. His green eyes reflected a bitter sadness and despair, which one may not expect to find in a 16 year old boy.

It had be two weeks since Dumbledore's funeral, yet for Harry it seemed that just yesterday he was standing on the Astronomy tower at Hogwarts, watching his friend and mentor die. Albus would never again smile at him with that twinkle in his eyes, which Harry became so fond of. Never again would the old man look over his half-moon spectacles and offer him Lemon Drops. Random memories were flashing into his head. He saw himself standing in front of the Mirror of Erised talking to Dumbledore.

"…_..Sir – Professor Dumbledore? Can I ask you something?"_

"_What do you see when you look in the mirror?"_

"_I? I see myself holding a pair of thick woolen socks."_

Harry smirked at that notion and the scene shifted. He looked at all the trinkets gathered in the room while he stood in the Headmasters office, listening to the voice of his mentor. He remembered how Dumbledore's blue eyes twinkled over the half-moon spectacles, when he elaborated why Harry's patronus took the form of a stag that night at the lake. That night Sirius almost became victim off the Dementors Kiss.

As this memory faded, a new one replayed itself. Harry found himself again in Dumbledore's office, the clicking and buzzing of the old wizard's trinkets and gadgets still in the air. It was after the Chamber of Secrets incident in Harry's second year. He had opened the hidden hollow of Salazar Slytherin using Parseltongue and was still confused about how it was possible for him to communicate with snakes. Dumbledore figured that on the night Harry's parents died, Voldemort transferred part of his magic over to Harry.

"_Voldemort put a bit of himself in me?"_ Harry remembered himself saying as it struck him. Could the magic he possessed be equal to Voldemort's himself? But if so how did he deflect the Death Curse? And if Voldemort really left a piece of him inside Harry, would it make him a …a…

"HARRY POTTER!" Vernon Dursley boomed from the bottom of the staircase, tearing Harry out of his grim thoughts. "COME DOWN HERE AT ONCE!" the thunderous voice blurted upstairs. Harry had kept to himself so far and had hoped to keep it that way until his departure on the 31st of July.

"We're going on vacation!" Vernon announced happily as Harry dragged himself down the stairs. "My sister Marge has invited us, that are Petunia, Dudley, and I, to stay the rest of the summer at here retreat in Southampton. After your despicable behavior last time, YOU will of course stay here."

A disgruntled "Hmmm" was all Harry could mutter under his breath.

"DON'T GIVE ME THAT UNGRATEFUL GRUNT. WE HAVE GIVEN YOU FOOD, CLOTHES, AND A ROOF OVER YOUR HEAD. I WON'T HAVE YOU SPEAK LIKE THAT TO ME!" Vernon Dursley yelled at him.

It was quite a sight when Harry's Uncle was enraged, his face turning slowly from red to all shades of purple. His big mustache billowed as he yelled at the teenager and sweat started to form on his forehead. Like that, one could easily mistake Vernon Dursley for a walrus during mating season, just without the tusks.

"YES Uncle Vernon!" was all Harry could respond. His insides were boiling and he had to clench his fist's to control his temper.

In this moment Dudley entered the hallway, stopping in his tracks at the sight of Harry. The slightly smaller, but taller version of Vernon Dursley had been avoiding his cousin ever since last summer's encounter with the Dementors. During the previous two weeks Dudley would storm back to his room at the mere sight of Harry, and then would open his door only a few centimeters to check if he was gone.

"Duddykins go upstairs and start packing, dear; we'll be leaving early tomorrow morning. Your father and I have to get the car checked and will be back in a couple of hours." Petunia ushered her son out as she entered the now crowded entrance foyer.

"AND THERE WILL BE NO FUNNY BUISNESS WHILE WE'RE GONE, POTTER." Vernon exclaimed, and with that he pushed his massive body past Harry, grabbed his key's and wife and walked out the house, slamming the door after him.

Harry just stared at the door for a second, shrugged and made his way into the kitchen to grab something to eat. The almost empty fridge left only a sandwich as lunch choice, but it would be better than nothing. He washed the knife he used and poured a glass of milk. On his way back to his room he'd almost spilled his drink in surprise seeing his aunt Petunia standing in the hallway, holding a shoebox in her hands.

Her expression was saddened and the frown she wore made her look a lot older than she actually was. It was the first time that Harry could remember ever seeing here like that. Bewildered all he could ask was:"Are you okay aunt Petunia?"

"You'll be leaving us soon…so…so I thought it was time to give this to you… One of your…kind left it with me short after you came to us…with the instruction to give it to you when you come of age…" One could tell in the strain in her voice, that it wasn't easy for her to find the right words.

"I…I …know that no words can't make right, what we have done to you…and I don't expect you to forgive us…but…but I hope the rest of your life will be better." She didn't look at Harry; instead she just placed the box on the stairs and turned to leave the house.

Lost for words over this unexpected side of Petunia, he only choked a quite "Thank You."

"Yeah…bye" She replied and was out the door.

Harry stood by himself, dumbstruck for a second, before finding his composure to pick up the box and somehow he juggled the sandwich and the glass of milk up to the desk in his bedroom. Having lost all appetite he went straight for the box. He had just settled down in a comfortable position as there was a knock on the door and Dudley carefully poked his head in. "D-do you m-mind if I c-come in f-for a second?" he stuttered.

"Yeah…Sure" replied Harry, skepticism written all over his face. As he entered the room, Harry stared at the box for a second, and then decided to slide it under his bed.

For a few moments Dudley was taking in his old room, which used to house all of his old or broken toys. There was a wooden bunk bed with a worn mattress, which he remembered having when he was a kid. A pile of clothes; some old, some dyed and worn sat on a patched comforter. Next to the side stand was a stack of old newspaper's with changing headlines:"Voldemort at large, Minister of Magic Helpless!?"

A pile of books, parchment and a couple of quills where stacked into a battered old trunk, which stood in front of an even older oak dresser. A few of the drawers appeared to be off track and some socks, which Dudley also recognized used to be his, were sticking out of them. The small garbage can next to the desk was overflowing and the rest of the garbage, which was scattered around the room, was kept in small plastic bags from the local convenient store. It almost looked like Harry had cleaned out everything he owned, which wasn't really a lot. Except for a few knick-knack's that Dudley couldn't categorize, it seemed he could fit it all easily in his trunk.

"You really don't have a lot…? I mean … all my parent's ever gave you were my old hand me downs? "

Harry wasn't really sure where all of this was going, but nodded reproachfully. _What is going on here, first Petunia and now him? What is this? Are they coming to their senses?_ Harry thought to himself as he realized that Dudley was actually staring at him. He looked at Harry with a shocked and saddened expression. "I…I'm sorry." was all he could say, as he settled on the dilapidated chair by the desk.

"I actually just wanted to thank you… since you saved me from those Demented …thingies or whatever they're called. I realize very well that you just could've left me there to deal with them by myself," speaking more to himself then to Harry. "W-when they attacked us I felt like all the happiness was gone from the world. And then … it was like a nightmare… I saw myself locked up in your cupboard and …and…" he couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence. All he could do was look at the boy sitting on the bed; the cousin who they had treated like a slave and an outcast.

Before Harry could even formulate a response, Dudley continued this one sided conversation. "When will you be leaving? Dad said you'd be out of his hair soon."

His temper rising in him Harry muttered through his teeth:"Don't worry I'll be gone before my birthday is over. Let's just hope, for you own sake, everything goes well on that day. "

"Do you think he'll come looking for you here?" his cousin asked.

'_Dudley knows Voldemort?'_ astonished at the boys referral to the darkest wizard to ever have walked this earth." Let's hope not." Harry replied." How do you know Voldemort?"

"I didn't know his name, but I figured after those horrid Dementoid creatures attacked us and you fought those off with your magic stick thingy, whoever he is that wanted you so bad, might show up here one day."

Harry looked at his cousin for a second:" I'm somewhat glad you and your parents are leaving. It'll be safer than being here. Lord Voldemort's followers, the Death Eaters, are probably watching the house already."

Dudley's face suddenly turned into an expression of shock and fear:"But if they're already watching it why haven't they come and tried to get you?"

"It's not that simple." Harry stated. His cousin just stared incredulous at him, as Harry recounted the events of the night his parents got murdered. With every word Harry spoke it felt like a small weight was taken of his shoulders. He couldn't remember why, but Harry continued telling Dudley about the occurrences surrounding the Sorcerer's Stone, his fight with the basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets, about Tom Riddle's diary, the Tri-wizard Tournament leading to the resurrection of the Dark Lord. Dudley gasped when Harry told him how he had been labeled a liar by the Minister of Magic and how The Prophet publicized it all. The battle at the Ministry left the large boy, who had moved by now from the uncomfortable desk chair to the floor by Harry's bed, speechless. The Boy-who-lived deliberately did not mention anything about his godfather Sirius Black since he was not only a wanted man in the wizarding world but also in the one of the Muggles. Yet Harry felt that he could tell Dudley about the death of Hogwarts beloved Headmaster, which made his cousin almost sick to his stomach.

When he was finished both boys stared at the floor for several minutes. A tear was slowly streaking down Harry's cheek, as his emotions started to get the better of him. It took a lot out of him not to lose his composure and to suppress the years of grief and sadness. The burden on his shoulders was still heavy but yet he felt relieved to tell Dudley the horrors of his life.

When the sounds of slamming car doors announced the return of Dudley's parents, he got off the floor to make his way out of his former toy storage room. When he reached the door he looked at Harry and said:" You…You and that dark guy…Woolenmoore or so… make great enemies." And with that he was out of the room.

'Yes, yes we do' Harry thought to himself, laughing inward at the statement his cousin just made.

A hooded figure swiftly walked through a dark graveyard. The moonlight illuminating only the nearby tree line and the small chapel attached to this sanctuary of the dead. Once he entered the small forest, a rundown and withered shed came into view. The cloaked figure drew his wand, knocked softly and entered. Inside, a fire was burning in the hearth, serving as the only heat and light source in this meager furnished room. Besides a small kitchen, a recliner and a tattered couch which was covered by a moth eaten throw, there seemed to be nothing else in it.

A blonde teenager sat on the sofa holding his head in his hand, exposing the black skull tattoo on his right forearm. He looked up at the shrouded man as he entered and pulled his hood back.

"What took you so long Snape, I've been waiting for days. Did you bring some food?" Draco sneered at his former professor. "This place is giving me the creeps, there's no one here for miles, and the only thing you hear is this lonesome chapel bell every fifteen minutes." the young man complained.

Without warning Snape grabbed him by the collar and pulled him to eye level."That's the point, you insolent little fool. If the Dark Lord should learn your whereabouts, he'll torture you worse than the Longbottoms. If you are to survive this debacle, you are to do as I say." He released Draco, who dropped back onto the couch, his pride hurting more than his behind.

"This should hold you over for a while." the ex-potions master snarled, tossing a small bag to the young Death Eater. "If you need water, there is a small carafe in there that you can fill with water. You still know how to do that, or did the last two weeks of isolation make you forget how to use your wand?" Snape smirked. "I have to meet the Dark Lord, and hope he doesn't become suspicious about my occasional disappearance. Until then you are not to leave this place, do I make myself clear, Draco?"

He reluctantly nodded, and Snape apparated with a swift turn and a loud crack.

"BELLA, get your men in order. The Dark Lord won't reward you for failure. If we don't take Azkaban tonight, our fate will be the same as Lucius Malfoy's. I don't understand why we even bother with him… risking our life for the Dark Lords pet." Fenrir Greyback commanded.

The task on hand was simple, free the remaining Death Eaters and take over Azkaban. But Bellatrix Lestrange felt, that her time in the good graces of the Dark Lord was almost over.

Voldemort was very displeased after the failure to retrieve the prophecy from the Department of Mysteries and had tormented her for hours. In his fury he used the bone breaking curse, just so he could watch her scream in pain. After the healing charm was applied, the Dark Lord would start over with his agonizing torture. '_It's my own fault'_ she thought to herself. She should've known that Lucius was incapable of succeeding in his mission as asked. At least she gotten rid of the traitor's brother, her cousin Sirius Black, which was most likely the only reason she was still alive.

The cool spray and the salty smell of the North Sea brought her mind back to focus on the mission ahead of her. Azkaban stood about 2 miles off shore and its sharp, rocky beaches were tearing the waves of the ocean's swell in half. The sun had just set and the looming towers of the dark prison seemed to be on fire.

Only about a dozen Auror's were scheduled to patrol the small island, at least that's what the ministry official stated. Since the Dementors had abandoned the wizarding world's only penal complex, the pressure on the security unit went up tenfold.

"It's time."Greyback sneered. "And don't forget the Bubble-Head Charms. The sea might be a bit rough." He laughed, exposing his four longer incisors. He hadn't yet transformed into his werewolf form, but the moon would be up soon and he'd unleash his full rage on the inhabitants of the Island before him.

The evening sky was tinted in purple and orange when the small army of Death Eaters dove into the North Sea. The Dark Lord wanted to leave no room for failure and had granted Bellatrix to take the entire outer circle and new recruits along. The group of Crabbe, Goyle, Dolohov, and Alecto and Amycus Carrow was supposed to guard the shore while the rest would initiate the siege of Azkaban.


	2. Chapter 2: Plans in Motion

_Chapter 2: Plans in motion_

Harry laid awake all night pondering on all that had happened today. After the Dursley's returned from their shopping trip, they made every effort to get packed and ready for the next morning. His aunt Petunia had called Harry downstairs to show him the dried goods she bought to hold him over until his departure. It mostly consisted of canned soup, Mac-n-Cheese and Rice-a-Roni; He would not have a going away feast, Harry thought to himself.

Petunia had returned to her old high nosed demeanor and had Harry clean the kitchen so she could stew a Potato and Pea soup for dinner. Harry retreated back into his bed room, not wanting to be in his aunt's way nor did he want to cross path with his uncle Vernon.

He finished cleaning his room and packing his trunk and backpack for the quest ahead. His schoolrobes, books and potions kit where neatly organized in his trunk. The few clothes that fit he either wore or were packed in there, along with his broom and the cleaning kit that goes along with it. He remembered when Hermione had gotten it for his thirteenth birthday. She thought it would go well with the Firebolt Harry had gotten from his godfather the Christmas before.

Sirius' face conquered his mind, the lifeless expression as he fell through the veil in the Department of Mysteries. He knew it was his fault, if he'd only been a better Occlumens, Voldemort would have not so easily implanted the vision in his mind. If he would have only known better spells, he could've held up the Death Eaters and saved his godfather.

In that moment Harry realized that he was completely unprepared to face Tom Riddle. Sure he knew the Patronus Charm and a few other defensive spells, but that would be not nearly enough to destroy the remaining Horcuxes, let alone defeat Voldemort.

He pulled the bedcover off him and swung his leg over the bunk. After he replaced his glasses he walked over to the desk, taking some ink, parchment and a quill and got to work.

Horcruxes:

Riddle diary – destroyed by me after I stabbed it with a basilisk fang

Marvolo Gaunt's ring – destroyed by Albus Dumbledore

Slytherin's locket – might be destroyed by R.A.B., must find R.A.B. or the destroyed locket

Huffelpuff's cup - current location unknown, investigate Hepzibah Smith's murder, revisit memory but how?

Nagini – find out if animals can be used as Horcrux

Something of Ravenclaw or Gryffindor

Voldemort – the last piece resides within him

Training:

Defensive and offensive Magic, Movement Magic, Vanishing Magic, Dark Arts.

To-do-list:

Visit Gringotts bank, get clothing and equipment, see Olivander, the Burrow, convince Ron and Hermione to stay at Hogwarts, hunt down remaining Horcruxes, kill Voldemort

Harry stared down at his finished list, a frown on his forehead. How would he ever find all the Horcruxes? Who was R.A.B. and how could he find him? Is there a possibility that even he himself could be a Horcrux? And how could he convince his best friends to go back to Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, when he had already decided not to go back. He couldn't bear it if one of them were injured of even worse, killed.

His mind felt exhausted and he leaned his head on the shabby looking desk before him. His glance fell upon the box his aunt had given to him earlier. He had almost forgotten about it. He got up, his curiosity guiding him. He sat down on the end of his bed and stared at the old shoe carton. He tried to slide his fingers under the lid to lift it off, but it wouldn't budge.

Immediately he thought about his wand. Harry knew about wandless magic, but he had never been able to perform any of it yet. Or at least he thought. Hence it was more surprising to him as he saw his wand lift off his side stand and land in his ready hand. Astounded by that unexpected bit of magic, Harry almost dropped his wand again but caught it at the last moment. With a short tap of his magic rod, the invisible seal around the box was broken and the lid slid right off.

A small light blue cloud of smoke escaped the box in his hands, reminding Harry of Neville's Remembrall. It floated to the center of his room where it expanded to at least to ten times its original size. A dim glow emitted from within the center of the cloud, projecting a faded and distorted image into the smoke swirls. As the shadow came more into focus, Harry could make out the distinct features of a woman. She had shoulder length, thick brown hair, her emerald green, almond shaped eyes sparkled at Harry and her motherly smile accented her beautiful face.

"Hello my dear Harry…my son. I would've hoped for our all sake that you would never have to see this, but if you do it means that we've failed and Voldemort got us after all. Your father and I went into hiding to raise our new precious star in our sky. You look so much like your father; at least you inherited my eyes, so James couldn't blame all the beauty on himself."

"My dear son, please listen carefully, as it might be of utmost importance for you one day. You were born into a world, terrorized by fear and war through the Dark Lord Voldemort. I know that you sometimes might feel alone, but you can always trust that a protecting eye is always watching you. We'll be always with you as long as you keep us in your heart."

"During my years at Hogwarts I had studied many unique spells and potions. One rather simple one is called "magic of the Fathers". It allows parents to transfer part or all of their magical powers and abilities to a close blood relative. Should we have not survived you need to seek out our graves and follow the instructions in the Charms notebook I left you. Along with it is also my prized Potions book. I wrote many tips and hints for potion making in it. Severus Snape was a great help and friend, helping me figuring most of it out. He had been a good friend of mine since before I even meet your father and you can trust him. I will arrange that he'll give you this box in the event of mine and James' death."

"Never forget Harry that we love you very much and we will be always in your heart. Trust in Severus and Dumbledore and everything should be fine."

"I Love you my Son."

Harry just stared at his mother's vanishing figure as the feelings of deep sadness and sorrow overwhelmed him. Images from the night of his parent's death zapped through his mind. He heard the pleading voice of his mother Lily and then a green flash ended the vision, which tore through Harry's mind.

Tears escaped his eyes and Harry plunged his head into the pillow, where he began sobbing uncontrollably and eventually cried himself to sleep.

The next morning Harry was rudely awoken by the sound of suitcases being dragged down the flight of stairs leading to the entrance door. It must have been around six o'clock, because the sun just came up, bathing Little Whinging in its golden rays. One could almost think that it is going to be a beautiful day. But for the-boy-who-lived it was just another day in his burdened world.

"HARRY POTTER!" Vernon's voice tore through the momentarily silence."SINCE YOU'RE UP YOU CAN COME BLOODY WELL DOWN HERE AND LOAD THE CAR!"

Harry's brain still felt numb as he swung his legs with great effort over the side of the bed. In this sleepy state he had forgotten about the box still sitting on the bed and was startled when his feet sent it crashing against his dresser, spilling its content all over the floor.

His brain was suddenly fully awake as it registered the hollow wooden sound of wands rolling along the floor. Now even more curious he looked around and spotted a multitude of different items at once. Still half in the box, which had fallen onto its side, he spotted a small jewelry satchel atop a grey and a yellow notebook, which Harry remembered must be the one his mother had mentioned the night before.

Next to it was a small leather glasses case along with a sliver Chronograph which appeared to have eight button's, instead of it usual three, arranged around the elegant reflecting centerpiece. The leather armband shimmered in different hues of green, like the wings of a butterfly, and was fastened around a small scroll.

A baseball size glass crystal ball had rolled behind the timepiece and the same light blue smoke from the night before swirled within the surprisingly unharmed glass ball.

At last his eyes rested on the two magic rods that had caught his attention to begin with. The longer wand measured about eleven inches and appeared to be made of mahogany while the second one seemed almost an inch shorter and crafted out of willow. Harry didn't know how but immediately felt that those where his fathers and mothers wand.

His head was spinning and the emotions that cried Harry to sleep last night, resurfaced again. The only personal item he had for the longest time was the photo album which Hagrid had given to him in his first year. Yes, Dumbledore had left him his father's invisibility cloak but it didn't hold the same special value as the moving wizard pictures in the photography folder. But now he had received probably the closet possession a wizard could ever give up and these were from his parents.

His eyes filled again with tears and his nose started running when a few pecks on the window made him look up. There a brown Owl with a newspaper tied to its leg sat on the ledge waiting for to be let in. Harry picked up his parents wands and the other items still scattered, put them back in the box and made his way to open the window. The delivery bird swooped in and landed on the perch next to Hedwig's cage. It held out its leg for Harry to undo the stringed up newspaper and placed a few Knuts in the pouch which was attached to the owls other leg. The winged creature hooted softly and then exit the same way it entered.

Harry had just unrolled The Daily Prophet when loud stomping footsteps approaching his room and without even a knock the door flung open and a livid Vernon Dursley burst in, his face purple in rage.

"HOW OFTEN DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU, THAT I WON'T HAVE THESE RUDDY BIRDS IN MY HOUSE? WHAT WILL THE NEIGHBOURS THINK? WE TOOK YOU IN, GAVE YOU THE FOOD OFF…"

"SHUT UP!" Harry's temper exploded. He reached for is wand which was still on his bed and it instantly zoomed into his hand, pointing at his uncle's large chest.

"GET THAT BLOODY THING OUT OF MY FACE. YOU'RE…YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO USE IT. THEY'LL CHUCK YOU OUT OF SCHOOL IF YOU DO!"

"I don't care; I'm not going back anyways!" Harry snarled his fist clenched to his left ready to strike the man in front of him. Instead he advanced pointing his wand right under his uncle's chin. "I'll stay here until my birthday and then you'll never have to endure me again." Harry gritted through his teeth. He had to do his best to not curse Vernon Dursley with all the jinxes and hexes he knew.

"Now if you'd please excuse me uncle Vernon, I'd like to get dressed now." And with that he pushed his uncle back into the hallway and slammed the door in his face. The door however did not fall into its lock but instead connected with Mr. Dursley's hand which was still in the frame. He screamed in pain when he saw the blood trickle out of his knuckles and the corner of the door clearly imprinted across his right hand.

"THAT'S IT BOY! YOU BETTER BE GONE BY THE TIME WE'RE BACK, OR SO HELP ME GOD I'LL BOOT YOU OUT MYSELF, AND NOT EVEN THAT OLD FOOL OF A HEADMASTER OF YOURS CAN CONVINCE ME OTHERWISE!" Vernon cried, as he backed up from Harry's room to make his way to medicine cabinet in the bathroom and tend his hurt hand.

'Well, so much for a peaceful good-bye.' Harry thought to himself and turned his attention back to the wizard's newspaper where big bold changing black letters signalized that something bad had happened.

Surrey is one of England's agricultural county's just southwest of London. It didn't seem to strike anyone odd to see a small black marten scurry from a bush up the tall oak tree across from number 4 Privet Drive. With a few swift jumps the slender, short legged and bushy animal made it up branches and twigs until it was level with Harry's window. It had just witnessed the boy's outburst towards his uncle and if someone would've paid attention one could've heard the little black creature snicker.

The marten settled in a bird nest, after it had hungrily devoured the still premature residents. It had been in this form for a very long time and wondered if it ever be able to transform back in his real form. Twenty-eight years he'd been a marten, twenty-eight years since he disappeared from the face of the earth, twenty-eight years it had been since he faked his own death.

YOU-KNOW-WHO TAKES OVER AZKABAN – MINISTRY CAUGHT NAPPING

_By_

_Rita Skeeter_

In a feeble attempt to maintain their position in Azkaban Prison, twelve Auror's died last night. It is speculated that in the late evening hours about fifty Death Eaters invaded the small island, killing the dozen guards on duty and releasing all remaining prisoners. The dead Auror's had then been banished to the Ministry of Magic and were recovered by the Officials working at that point.

It is apparent that our Government was caught napping and with their pants down. Still a few Questions remain unanswered: "Is the Ministry losing the war against You-know-who and what will it do against the random Wizard and Muggle killings (detailed report page 4)? …..

Harry had read enough. He crumpled up the newspaper and threw it onto his discard pile near the garbage can. Voldemort was taking over the wizarding world and he was sitting here doing nothing. Something had to be done and he would not be caught napping like the Ministry.

A plan started to formulate in Harry's head that would get him unseen to London and in extension to Diagon Alley. With the Dursley's leaving and his mother's protective charm still in place he had found in Number 4 Privet Drive a good start off headquarter. At least until he becomes of age, then he would have to find a different place but for know he would not fret over it.

By now the Dursley's had left and Harry would have not even noticed if it weren't for the sound of Vernon's company car starting up. Harry walked over to his window and saw the car driving down Privet Drive. For a brief moment he swore he saw Dudley's face peeking out of the back window.

"So you know where the boy is Severus?" the Dark Lord asked the black cloaked man with the greasy hair kneeling before him. "Yes my Lord, Draco feels very ashamed for letting you down and would like to turn his fate over into your hands. He knows that you might show him no mercy and end his life, but he hopes that he can prove himself worthy as a Death Eater if given another chance."

Lord Voldemort strode along the dimly lit round chamber, twirling his yew wand. He indeed had other plans for Draco Malfoy and had never expected for him to succeed in the first place. It was intended as punishment for Lucius and seemed to have had the appropriate effect on him. Never before had he seen a man of Malfoy senior's statures plead like a cowardly blood traitor.

A few other members' of the Death Eaters were assembled; cloaked and masked. As the Dark Lord walked past them, he turned his attention to Snape, who was still kneeling before the throne that was positioned at the back wall. Besides the few torches burning on the windowless walls, the high backed chair was the only other item in the room.

"You will bring him to me and we shall see if he pleads as gutless as his father." Lord Voldemort almost laughed, which was a quiet scary sight. His face was whiter than a skull, his wide livid eyes gleaming brightly through the darkness of the chamber. The snake like slits for nostrils didn't flare when he laughed which contorted the folds around his mouth in a scary way, giving his face a quite menacing expression.

Snape bowed quietly and the Dark Lord signaled with his agreeing nod that it was ok for the potions master to rise of the musty stone floor. It wasn't until now that the remaining Death Eaters closed in around Snape, while Riddle seated himself almost leisurely on his throne.

"The Dark Lord wants you to guard a few places." Severus commanded the hooded five figure's around him."You do not need to know about the importance of those places, but you WILL defend them with your life." He reached into his pocket, pulled out five small note of parchment and handed one to each of the Death Eaters. Immediately after reading each of them burned the note they had just received. "Now leave! I think you have work to do." Snape snarled at them and with a short bow they exited.

"Do you suspect that old fool Dumbledore told Potter about the…items?" Voldemort asked Snape who had remained after the short meeting. Severus waited a moment to answer, choosing his word carefully he then replied: "Dumbledore thought the sun shone out of the boys every orifice. The so called Chosen-One is just as ignorant as his father and he did not even inherit his Muggle mother's magical talent. Even if Dumbledore told the boy about the…items, I think it impossible that he'll figure out the importance of such. My Lord if you would let me deal with Potter…"

"No!" the Dark Lord rudely interrupted him. "Harry Potter is mine! Besides we have more urgent matters to attend to. Now that I have Azkaban, our next target will be the Ministry of Magic. Once it is in our hands there is no one who'll stand in my way to bring the wizarding world to its knees!"

Severus Snape shuddered slightly while Lord Voldemort's last word echoed thru the chamber and very deep within he hoped that it wouldn't end like that.


	3. Chapter 3: The Potter Patent

_Chapter 3: The Potter Patent_

It was quiet in the house, maybe a little too quiet for Harry's liking. Normally he could hear his aunt Petunia making her cleaning rounds through the house and his cousin Dudley, watching TV louder than anyone else seemed to be able to take. Every now and then he would hear the heavy breathing of his well overweight Uncle, who would make his way up the stairs to the bathroom, but not anymore.

After the Dursley's had departed Privet Drive, Harry had remained for some time at the window, staring off into the neighborhood. It was wondrous to him how it could be so calm here in Little Whinging while the rest of the country is being terrorized by the darkest Wizard ever.

The-boy-who lived walked to Hedwig's cage and opened it. The snowy white owl flew a few circles around the room and then swooped straight out the window which Harry had opened for her. Two distinct hoots exclaimed how happy the bird was to be out and able to stretch its wings.

As Harry watched his winged friend conquer the sky his eyes fell upon a little marten sitting in a bird's nest, which was perched in the oak tree across the street. For a moment he thought that the furry little creature was actually watching him, but pushed it quickly out of his mind. 'It was probably just plundering the nest' Harry reasoned to himself and waved away the thought of a spying marten.

He had decided to spend the rest of the day going over the items his parents had left him. Harry walked up to his desk and started placing his newly obtained inheritance on the worn wooden counter.

He was drawn foremost to his parents' wands and reached for his father's mahogany crafted one first. As soon as he held the magic rod at the ready he suddenly had a sudden feeling of déjà vu.

He felt as though he was standing again in Ollivander's Wand Shop in Diagon Alley on his eleventh birthday. The old Wandmaker had handed Harry his own wand and he could feel the warm sensation as the magic washed over him and the wand chose him.

Ollivander's words were still ringing in Harry's ears that it was curious that he should be destined for this particular one, while He-who-must-not-be-named was chosen to wield its brother. With the vision fading the warmth seemed to wash away as well, leaving only a slight tingling throughout Harry's whole body behind.

Still stunned from this experience he placed his father's wand on the desk reaching with his left for his mother's, which was stilled stored in the small cardboard box. Once Harry had placed the wand in his right the same odd feeling overcame him again but instead of warm comfort, this time it was more of a refreshing cold. Olivander's voice came again to The-Chosen-one's mind and reminded him that the wizarding world could expect great things of him too.

Again the memory vanished and with it the flow of magic and the sticky humid air from his room brought his mind back to reality. A lot of thoughts and ideas tumbled through his head to which he hoped that maybe Hermoine or even Ollivander could answer him. Could multiple wands really pick one wizard? And then why did wands similar to those of his parents not connect with Harry in his first year? If he was to understand all this he must seek out those answers, preferably before he would visit his parent's graves.

After Harry placed his mother's willow wand next to his father's on the desk, the glass orb was the next item he picked out the box. This baseball size sphere truly looked like the Remembrall that Neville's grandmother had sent her grandson in their first year. The light blue mist was still swirling within it and just staring in it awoke the emotions of last night's vision. How could his mother tell him to trust in Snape?

'That bloody git killed Dumbledore and betrayed the Order of the Phoenix' Harry thought to himself. 'But then, she was also unaware of what a deceiving man Severus had become after he had signed up with Voldemort. Harry placed the little globe on his pillow, so it wouldn't fall and break, though it surprised him that it didn't shatter this morning when he had kicked the box by accident.

Harry decided next to look at the small jewelry box which was stored right next to the chronograph. He picked it up and opened it, his hands trembling slightly. Within the small case there was a thin gold necklace which had a small gold key and a heart shaped medallion. There was also a small piece of parchment in the small holder that only read: Vault 7 password: ProngsPotter

It was obvious that this must be a vault key for one of the safes in Gringotts, but whose? Harry made his way to his trunk to retrieve the key for vault 687 and compare it to the one on the necklace. The key he had since his eleventh birthday looked rather simple, while the other was golden, with three entwining loops on the small handle and multiple teeth on the other end which indicated a far more complicated locking mechanism.

Harry loosened the anchor on the necklace and slid his vault key onto the chain, fastened it and started fiddling around with the pendant. The locket seemed to be not bigger then a Sickle and more gold encrusted about ten crystal clear diamonds embedded on the outside. It almost seemed that the gems were swimming in the valuable yellow material and for a moment Harry was lost in the pure beauty that the amulet reflected. He decided to wear it, hung it around his neck and tucked it under his shirt.

By now it was close to lunch time and Harry's stomach rumbled. Since he hasn't had anything to eat today he decided to go downstairs and make himself a quick sandwich along with a glass of juice. He grabbed the watch from the box, pocketing it after removing the small scroll and was reading the note while making his way to the kitchen.

"Multi-Purpose-Auror-Watch: 144533-C _patent by James Potter issued October 5__th__ '81_

The Department of magical Inventions and Improvements recognizes the Multi-Purpose-Auror-Watch as an invention of the above named. The mentioned item has been improved with the below listed enhancements and will be used as future standard equipment in the Ministry's Magical Law enforcement Program.

Clockwise button assignment starting top right:

Protego Shield – will provide the shield spell for a given time depending on charge (charge 3)

Disillusionment Charm – will provide invisibility for a given time depending on charge (charge 3)

Standard voice-activated Stopwatch, Commands: Stop, Go, Reset

Displays Watch-charge in %

Standard voice activated Alarm, Commands: Set alarm (time), Off,

Disarming Charm – will cast Expelliarmus depending on charge (charge 3)

Stunning Spell – will cast Stupefy depending on charge (charge 3)

Emergency Portkey – Note you have to be at the location when setting and activation will drain watch of all charges, Commands: Set, activate

To charge the watch push the assigned button and cast the exact spell to charge if required. Please note that a one hour cool down time and the recharge of all spells will be required after using the Emergency Portkey

Harry placed the note on the kitchen counter and slipped his hand in his pants pocket to retrieve the watch, which to his amazement was created by his own father James Potter. But as he stared at this unique timepiece, new questions seem to arise.

The note had stated that all Auror's should be equipped with one of these Multi-Purpose-Watches, yet Harry had never seen Tonks or Kingsley wear anything remotely like this. Harry made a mental note to inquire whether or not his dad's invention was ever put into production.

Harry decided to give his new watch a try and fastened it around his right wrist. He figured that it would be best to wear the timekeeper on his wand arm so he'd be able to activate it with his free hand.

Since it was still early in the afternoon, Harry strolled out in the back yard, admiring how the sun played with the different green hue's in which the wristband was colored in. Wasting no time he pushed the "charge-button" and a small display with the word "Charge: 0%" appeared on the face of the watch. At the same time an electronic sounding voice announced: "Shield - zero charges, Invisibility - zero charges, Disarming - zero charges, Stunner - zero charges, Portkey location - set."

Harry swore quietly under his breath. He would have to wait until he became of age in order to recharge the watch. He definitely didn't need a run in with the Ministry of Magic again. Harry remembered too well when the Wizengamot tried him for underage Sorcery at the beginning of his fifth year. Scrimgour had threatened to snap Harry's wand but fortunately Professor Dumbledore and Arabella Figg testified on his behalf.

Slightly irritated and discouraged, Harry made his way back in the house. Suddenly a small brown bird flew straight into the Dursley's living room. Pigwidgeon, Ron's tiny owl, tried to land on the fire place mantel but because of his size and the frantic flapping of his little wings, the small bird sent the picture frames arranged by Petunia, flying to the ground.

Caught off guard Harry could do nothing but watch the family portrait along with some others, as they shattered at the front step of the fire place. Since the little bird had now created his own little airstrip he landed and stretched out his leg which had a small note tied to it.

Harry walked over to Pigwidgeon to relieve him of the scroll and gave him a small treat. The brown little bird chirped joyfully, scooped it up with his beak and flew back out the window. Harry's heart pounded in his chest as he held the note he had just received and the only thought that now lingered in his mind was Ginny.

The quarter moon stood low in the early night sky and the dim light gave the forest a haunting air. Had someone been near, he would have heard the loud crack as Remus Lupin popped into existence. He looked around to make sure that he was not followed and that he was close to his destination.

It was only a few hours ago that he was sitting in Professor McGonagall's office. They had talked about the decision to reopen Hogwart's in the fall and the new headmistress had offered him the job as the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.

"Do you really think it's wise to reopen the school Minevera?" Lupin asked her. "A lot of students might not return. Their parents are either to afraid of an attack by Voldemort or their parents are Death Eaters."

McGonagall gave Remus a concerned look."I have thought about it a lot Remus, and Albus would have never allowed for the school to close. I know I can't replace Dumbledore, but you must understand that this school means just as much to me as it did to him. I would feel as I'd let him down if I don't reopen, Remus.

"Yes." Lupin nodded in agreement. "We all owe him a lot. I can't help but wonder what will happen to us, now that he's gone. Do you think that the Suppression Spell on Harry will wear off now and if so we should tell him about his real strength of magic?"

McGonagall shot him a stern glare but then reluctantly answered," We should watch him and it would be best if you could handle that Remus. Come back as the defense teacher, it would be so much easier."

"I'm not so sure if Harry wants that…" Lupin trailed off, but the headmistress had her rebuttal ready." He trusts you Remus! After Sirius' death you're the last living person that connects him to his parents, he'll listen to you." Minevera smiled at him. "Besides I can't see Alastor being a good father figure for him."

A short laugh escaped him but his head still wore a deepening frown. He had never considered that Harry might see a father figure in him. But the more he pondered it, the more he had to agree that there was no one else left. "Why did Dumbledore suppress Harry's magic and give him to those Muggles?"

McGonagall seemed to consider her answer for a moment."Albus thought that he needed to grow up away from all this. He saw the pure raw magical power the boy has and thought it was a protection for Potter and his relatives to let this magic slumber. However should this effect now wear of then Harry will need guidance and training or the consequences might be devastating for him. We have to make sure that he's prepared when he fulfills his destiny. Remus, I also think that Potter is just a child and should not be involved in the war like his parents were, but if the prophecy is true than we have no other choice but to help him with any means."

The werewolf considered the transfiguration professors words as he his eyes wandered over the portraits of the previous headmasters. His eyes rested on the last picture which was empty. "Has he appeared yet?"

McGonagall turned in her chair and looked up at the almost life size empty picture with a sad expression on her face. "No, he hasn't. The whole staff is wondering why Dumbledore's mental projection hasn't entered his painting as normally is the case."

It was then that suddenly a black raven swooped in through one of the open windows, dropped a piece of parchment in front of Lupin and zoomed right back out the same window. Remus looked at the unexpected post, picked it up and opened the small scroll which was addressed to him.

The moment his eyes had scanned the note, it burst in flames and left nothing but a small pile of ashes on the headmistress desk. McGonagall looked quizzically at Lupin, but like he was reading her mind he stated,"

"The lonely cabin in the Forbidden Forrest, Snape"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Remus drew his wand as he quietly approached the lonely, dimly lit cabin. He could make out a tall dark dressed man with long black greasy hair arguing with a blond haired teenage boy. Lupin still wasn't sure what to make of all this, but Dumbledore had once pulled him aside in an Order meeting and told him that this would happen. It was only because of this reason that he did not take the entire Order of the Phoenix with him. He never understood why Albus so blindly trusted Severus Snape, but Remus would give him a chance to explain himself. It took a lot out of him to tame his inner wolf which was ready to just charge in the cabin and kill the two inhabitants.

Remus peeked though the small window next to the only door into the small hut. Snape had his back turned to him, while Draco Malfoy sat on an old worn couch in front of him. "There's no way Snape! NO WAY!" the teenager spat. But Severus remained cold as always and swiftly grabbed Draco by the collar and pulled him up to eye level. "It's already arranged and if you want to survive all this, you better do as I tell you to!" Snape sneered at Malfoy.

Lupin chose this moment to charge into the room, wand at the ready.

"I expected you earlier Lupin," Snape snickered as he dropped Draco on his butt and turned to face the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.

_. _


	4. Chapter 4: Shock at Daigon Alley

Chapter 4: Shock at Diagon Alley

Diagon Alley seemed almost deserted. Many shops were closed and their windows and doors barricaded. Most of the shop owners had left their businesses behind to save their families and themselves. Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor, Slugg & Jiggers and Scribbulus store appeared to have been attacked and completely destroyed. The dark times definitely left their mark on the once blooming Diagon Alley.

Of course places like Flourish & Blotts or the Weasley Wizard Wheezes didn't yield to the ongoing threat of the Dark Lord. But even the few people rushing around looked as if they wanted to be done as quickly as possible with their errands.

Harry stood panting on the front steps of Gringotts Wizarding Bank. It had been two days now since Pigwidgeon fluttered into the Dursley's living room, informing him that Ron and Hermione would be spending the rest of the summer with him. Hermione, who wrote the letter, had been spending her time at the Burrow ever since Dumbledore's funeral.

To Harry's relief there was no mention about Ginny in the note at all. He had pushed the youngest of the Weasley's to the furthest back of his mind. Ron and Hermione's arrival was planned for around 6:00 pm today. He would have to hurry if he wanted to finish all his shopping before anyone realized that he was missing from Number 4 Privet Drive.

Harry had spent most of the last hour talking to Ollivander the Wandmaker regarding the odd sensations he had felt when he touched his parents wands. The old man found it quite curious, but remarked that it is not impossible for a wizard to own multiple wands. However, the last known wizard that was destined for such a feat had been Godric Gryffindor himself and before him only the great Merlin was meant to be chosen by multiple wands. Ollivander remarked again that we could expect great things of the boy who lived.

Harry walked up the marble stairs that led to the Wizarding bank to the two armored Goblins flanking the burnished bronze entrance doors. As the Boy-who-lived was about to enter, he was stopped by one of the guards.

"Stand here for a security check!" the small creature commanded as he pulled out his probity probe and started scanning Harry from head to toe. The humming of the odd looking device sent shivers down Harry's spine and the hairs in his neck started to stand up. "Proceed, Mr. Potter!" the goblin announced and heaved the heavy door to Gringotts open.

The great marble hall was still as glamorous as Harry remembered, with its mosaic marble flooring, the endless counters on which various goblins went about their business and the large golden chandeliers hanging from the high ceiling. Even in here more armored goblins were standing guard to secure the few wizards talking to the tellers on duty.

Harry walked straight ahead to the same counter as in his first year, which was on the far end of the lobby.

"I wish to make a withdrawal and see about my funds please," Harry stated politely to the small creature behind the counter. This did not appear to be the same goblin as the last time. He seemed younger and had a few hairs growing wildly on his head. Harry remembered well what Hagrid had told him about goblins and how they valued their dealings with money and the wizarding community.

"Very well then, Mr….?" the goblin responded and stared at him quizzically.

"I'd like to conduct my business in private if at all possible," Harry answered as he looked around the large hall, checking to see if anyone might have recognized him. Fortunately everyone else was more concerned with their own dealings and no one paid the teenage boy any attention.

"Right this way then, Sir," the goblin said, as he hopped off his stool and guided him to a door off to the side behind the row of counters.

He then pointed at a rectangular glass tablet which was mounted on the wall. "Place your hand here, Sir. It's for identification and security purposes."

Harry put his hand on the smooth surface and almost instantly felt a small prick in one of his fingers. The goblin raised an eyebrow and a second later the plate lit up briefly and the door opened for them to enter. Once inside the clerk locked the door behind them and said, "Thank you Mr. Potter, my name is Griggbane and I shall see to your needs. It might surprise you if I tell you that I have been taking care of all the Potter business, until you parents untimely death."

Startled by the goblins response Harry asked, "You knew my parents?"

"Yes Sir, Mr. and Mrs. Potter trusted only me with all their dealings regarding the Potter family vault, their estates and their investments. I have to say that I had expected you earlier, especially since the Black legacy has now been transferred over into your name, making you Head of the House of Black and the House of Potter," Griggbane explained. The Goblin could tell by the puzzled and shocked expression that Harry seemed to have no idea about his inheritance and everything he owned.

"If you'd like Mr. Potter I can show you everything that you currently own," Griggbane stated. Harry just nodded and the small creature grabbed a parchment and a quill, which floated over the paper, ready to receive the words that it should write down.

"At this point The Potter account consists of a grand sum of 25 million galleons in gold and 10 million in gems and artifacts. You also have ownership of the Potter Mansion in Exeter, the summer retreat in Godric's Hollow, the Potter Castle in Wales and another mansion outside Belfast in Ireland."

"The Black legacy includes about 15 million in galleons, 3.5 million in gems and artifacts, Number 12 Grimmauld Place in London and the Black Castle in Falkirk, Scotland. The required paperwork for the Potter estates should be in the pertaining family vault, to which you already should have the key. The key for the Black vault was given to me, for safe keeping until you claimed your inheritance."

"If I may, I can get the necessary forms ready, so you can take full ownership of all your belongings," Griggbane finished. He rolled up the parchment, placed the quill back into the small ink bottle on the table and handed the statement to Harry.

For a moment the-boy-who-lived starred in awe at the goblin and then said, "Thank you Griggbane, I really appreciate the service that you have given to me and my family and if you could I'd like you to take care of my future finances and business transactions as well."

"It would be an honor, Mr. Potter. You can count on my confidentiality and I shall fetch your key for the Black family vault. Is there anything else I can do for you right now?" Griggbane asked. "Actually yes, Griggbane. I was wondering if there's a way which lets me access money from my vault without always having to come here?" Harry inquired.

"Of course Mr. Potter. Many of our customers have a voice activated money pouch, which will dispense any amount that is spoken directly into it. You can also withdraw Muggle money, but just stating the amount with the Muggle currency. The voice activation is a small security feature that'll prevent any other wizard from clearing out your bank account. Should you ever need a bank statement, all one would have to say is "statement" and a small parchment roll should appear, with the available founds. We also require you to leave a minimum of 1,000 galleons in your family- and 10 galleons in your trust fund vault to prevent it from being closed down," Griggbane finished.

He then wrote another small note and transfigured it into a paper airplane, just like the ones Harry had seen in his fifth year in the Ministry of Magic. He remembered Mr. Weasley telling him that those were inner departmental notes. Griggbane opened the door and the small paper plane zoomed out and a few moments later several other paper airplanes swooped in to form a neat pile of documents on the desk in the middle of the room. The bank clerk picked the few parchments up, looked swiftly through them and then showed Harry where to sign. After Harry had replaced the quill and signed on all the various dotted lines, Griggbane withdrew an envelope, tore it open and handed the Chosen one a small black key. "You're now the rightful owner of the Head of House Black status and all its belongings. Would you like to see your vaults now?"

Harry glanced quickly at his new watch, which told him that he would have to check them out later. He had a little less than two hours to finish up and get back home before Hermione and Ron would be there. Plus he wanted to make some dinner so they would not have to go hungry all night long. "I'm sorry no, I just need to withdraw about 500 galleons and be done for today. Another time maybe, Griggbane," Harry replied as he placed the small black key on his necklace. "And thanks for everything," he added.

With that the goblin bowed briefly and led Harry out of the small private to his counter, where he handed him a leather pouch. "Just speak the required amount into the pouch and it should appear in just a moment for you." Harry did so and as soon as he spoke the words "five hundred Galleons" the money indeed appeared in his newly acquired money pouch. He thanked Griggbane once again and turned to walk out of the great marble hall back into Diagon Alley.

The sky had darkened and thick rain clouds along with a brisk wind greeted Harry as he walked down the steps of the wizarding bank. He still wanted to visit Flourish and Blotts to obtain as many books on defensive and offensive spells as he could find. Hardly anyone was out on the street now, but Harry pulled his hood of his cloak up anyways. He should make a quick stop at Madam Malkin's to get a few more clothes. The robe he wore was from his school uniform and he really had no decent wizarding outfits to his name. He would also have to visit a few muggle stores to at least pick up some jeans, shirts and jackets for him. But since time was not on his side right now, he really hoped that he would be able to convince his friends to visit muggle London for a quick shopping trip.

He knew that his best mate Ron would be ecstatic about that, since he was just as fascinated about the non-magic world as his father. His friend Hermoine on the other hand would be a different story. Harry knew it would not be easy to convince his always logical thinking, overprotective witch friend, but he hoped that he could reason with her, when he would show her his wardrobe and the meager amount of clothes he owned. Especially since it was all used, torn and at some point belonged to his overweight cousin Dudley. The Dursley's would flip out if they knew that two other of his kind would be staying in their house. Harry waved that thought off. How would they find out anyways? They are on vacation and he would be gone in less than a week. He would be of age, his mother's blood protection would wear off and Harry would be able to go where ever he pleased.

First he would visit his parents grave, like the vision of his mother had advised him, and then he would set out to find and destroy Voldemort's Horcruces. But where to start? Harry had pondered it the last couple days but he seemed to get nowhere. He had been playing with the fake Slytherin locket, rereading the note that R.A.B. had left. Who was he? Did he manage to destroy the original Horcrux? The more he thought about it the more he came to conclude that there had to be someone else who must've helped the mysterious R.A.B.

Deep in thought he almost didn't realize that he had walked past Flourish and Blotts as a voice brought his mind back to reality.

"Harry!!! What are you doing here? Have you completely lost your mind? What if someone else sees you?"

Shocked by hearing his own name, Harry swiftly turned around his wand at the ready. How did it end up in his hand so quickly? Did I even reach for it? Harry wondered for a second. He looked straight ahead to stare straight in the face of the bushy, brown haired girl that had just called out for him.

"Put it away, or do you want everyone to think we're going to duel in the middle of the street?" Hermoine scowled at him. "Come on, don't just stand there get in or do you want someone else to see you?" And before he knew it she had pulled him by his arm into the book store. Little did the young witch know that they were already being watched.

The cloudy sky opened its gates and rain started pouring down spreading its despairing mood throughout the London streets. No one wanted to leave their homes in weather like this. Not even stray cats or birds wanted to leave their safe, dry resting places. Yet, the brown marten quickly jumped out of a bush in Diagon Alley and quickly scurried under a bench right outside Flourish and Blotts.

The weasel-like creature was quite exhausted, having to follow the boy who lived through all of London. Keeping up with the bus and the subway Harry Potter had taken to the Leaky Cauldron was quite a feat but in the end he had managed to keep up with him.

It wouldn't long before he would reveal himself to the Chosen one, in hopes to have the curse lifted from him and once again be able to walk upright, be able to eat real food and wear real clothes. He had spent too much time in this form, but he thought it necessary; it had kept him alive for twenty eight years.

He remembered well what had forced him to such actions and counted himself lucky that everyone thought him dead rather than alive. Had anyone known that he was still alive, his days would be numbered and he was sure that HE would become the Dark Lords prime target for the time being. But his mind was still full of concern and doubt, but the hope to bring down Lord Voldemort was the only driving force in his life.

He remembered a time when he had it all, when he and his brother played together in his parent's house. Always up to mischief and jokes, at least until he went to Hogwarts. Then everything had changed so quick, it was hard to think of all the details leading to it. He had become friends with an orphan boy named Thomas Riddle and even though his parents didn't approve of non-purebloods, he felt strongly drawn to this youth.

They were both sorted into the Slytherin house and soon Riddle had persuaded many of the other students in their house to align with him. Little did they know that he would bring the most terrible reign of terror upon the entire wizarding world. Most of them were mesmerized with the views and plans he had, but in his eyes there was no place for failure or love.

The marten let out a small unnoticeable sigh, when he thought about how many of his friends had lost their lives following the Dark Lord's cause and how even he, who was thought of as a loyal follower to Tom Riddle soon became a target of his mistrust.

But then he had found out about the true horrors that Voldemort was pursuing. How his will to become immortal became an obsession and how he would go to extreme lengths to obtain it. Even back then, hardly anything was known about Horcruces and he was shocked when he heard Tom's confrontation with Slughorn during one of their potions classes in his sixth year.

A few years later he had found his proof that Riddle had really done it and created not only one but five of them and he was getting ready to make his final one. The Dark Lord had chosen his last one due to a prophecy which one of his Death Eaters had told him about and how a mere boy may cause his downfall.

Voldemort had given his most trusted followers locations to protect for no obvious reasons, but the marten knew better. He had been told to look after a cave which turned out to be one of the five hiding places for the Dark Lords Horcruces. It was then that the little furry creature, then still human, decided that he couldn't stay with the monster that called himself Lord Voldemort. Something had to be done even if it meant his own death, but he could not stand by and watch another dictator come to glory.

From this point on his mission was clear and he contacted his brother again to ask for his help. Even after all these years his brother was still welcoming and tried to give him advice whenever he could. They had studied animagus transformations in their youth and it was then that they came up with a plan to destroy the five Horcruces and hopefully help the child mentioned in the prophecy destroy the Dark Lord. But fate wasn't on their side. As soon as they had overcome the horrors in the cave and destroyed the Horcrux, Lily Potter, one of his brother's dear friends, cast an ancient charm to keep him in his marten form until Lord Voldemort was destroyed.

Unfortunately it was soon thereafter that Riddle went to the Potter house, killing both Lily and James Potter and with them his hope of ever becoming human again. Even though the events of that fateful night seem to have left the Dark Lord for dead and Harry Potter alive, yet the marten knew better. He had to help the boy who lived to fulfill the prophecy and maybe return him into his normal, human state.

The life of a marten was probably as exciting as that of a fly. Hunting for eggs, birds and small rodents during the day, staying safe and hidden during the night. Sometimes he wished a big falcon would just scoop him up and feed him to his young, but ever since he heard of his brother's break out from Azkaban a new flame had sparked in him, he hoped to become human once again. But when he went to his parents' house late last summer, there was no sign of his brother.

He knew then his only hope was Harry Potter and he set out to Hogwarts. It took him almost a year to arrive at the school of Witchcraft and Wizardry and even then Harry seemed never to be alone or secluded enough to be confronted with the marten. The marten sighed again as the rain started dripping through the wooden planks of the park bench. "Oh Sirius, where are you my dear brother?"


	5. Chapter 5: Deadly Escape

_Chapter 5: Deadly Escape_

"Are you totally out of your mind, Harry? What made you come here all by yourself and without a guard?" Hermione scowled at the boy with black hair in front of her. Even though the youngster had his hood up and his cloak buttoned, his lightning bolt shaped scar was a dead giveaway about who he really was.

"Hermione, I …eh…I just had to get out and figured I'd get some money for some books I meant to pick up," Harry Potter retorted, blushing furiously. "You could have at least waited until me and Ron arrived. Besides, I already picked out a good selection of reading material for you," the girl with the bushy brown hair replied, pointing to the bag full of books in her hand. "I still can't believe your uncle and aunt just left you like that. At least you don't have to put up with them until your birthday and can leave the house then in peace and quiet."

"Yeah…Hermione about me leaving, I'm sorry but I just had to get out of that house. I just couldn't stand it anymore," Harry mumbled, staring down at his feet." I just feel so useless sitting at home, waiting for my birthday and doing nothing while Voldemort is out there wreaking havoc." Stray thoughts about the headlines in the Daily Prophet from the last couple of weeks immediately rushed through his mind. The countless wizard and muggle killings, the fires and not to forget the death of the dozen Auror's during the taking of Azkaban seemed to haunt Harry's thoughts more often these days.

Ever since his mother's sister, her husband and their son left him to go on vacation, Harry seemed to dwell more and more on last summer's occurrences and the death of his headmaster. Why professor Dumbledore had to stun him was still unclear to him. Not to mention why the traitor Snape cursed Albus to his untimely death. And of course not to forget his breaking up with his ex-girlfriend Ginny.

Harry knew that he loved the Weasley's only daughter but he also thought that given the times, it would be too dangerous for him to be in a relationship. He was aware that Ginny was his shining beacon of light in his darkness filled life, yet it was unimaginable for him what would happen if Voldemort would get a hold of her or even worse, kill her.

Lost in thought Harry didn't even notice Hermione accepting his apology until she seemed to have read his mind and declared, "You have to talk to Ginny when we get to the Burrow, Harry. And to Ron for that matter." Startled by her comment Harry knew right away that his best mate was probably not very happy about the break up and almost dreaded going back, facing not only Ron but his older brothers as well.

"Hermione, you know I had too, it is just too dangerous right now for me to have a girlfriend, and…"

"Harry you don't have to explain yourself to me, but I wish you'd see that Ginny is the one that'll complete you and that she's a grown girl who can take care of herself," Hermione cut him off. "I know she said she'd understand and respect your decision, but you need to realize, that you need her just as much as she needs you…"

Harry wasn't given a chance to answer. The door to Flourish & Blotts flew open and a middle aged witch came storming into the almost deserted book store. Her robes were torn in several places, dust covered her shoulders and hair. Black scorch marks on her face revealed that something bad must have happened to her. "DEATH EATERS are coming," was all she could say before she fell unconscious to the floor.

Both of the teenager's eyes became suddenly wide and in a blink of an eye the black haired boy had his wand at the ready. His rage and hatred for the Dark Lord's followers radiated from him and he was ready to charge out the door to face them all at once. But Hermione took a hold of his shoulder and pulled him back into the shop.

"No, Harry you can't and won't! What good will it do if you get killed before we even have a chance to take out any of the … you-know-what!" the girl with the brown hair tried to reason with him. Harry could feel his heart pounding in his chest, the adrenaline pumping through his veins. The thunders of smaller explosion could be heard outside and the screams of terrified shoppers were ringing in Harry's ears. Why should he stay here and hide? How many people would have to die this time because of his cowardice?

BOOM!!!

A spell must have hit the shop next to Flourish & Blotts, because the ground in the book store was shaking hard, sending books flying of the shelves. Buried underneath a pile of scripts and scrolls, Harry could barely make out the crowd of dark cloaked figures rushing past the store, paying its occupants no mind, while still flinging random spells at the shops across the street.

Harry jumped up to his feet to peek out the window and assess the damage done to Diagon Alley. "Harry, get down!" Hermione yelled, as another rogue spell impacted right above the shop, sending debris and rubble through the glass. Harry's quidditch reflexes made him duck quickly but the flying shards still cut into his arms and back leaving him with several gashes. Rejuvenated by a sudden burst of adrenaline Harry rolled to the broken window, screaming "SECTUMSEMPRA!" directing the curse at the nearest masked man.

The spell hit the Death Eater who closed up the group square in the right shoulder, severing his arm from his body. Taken off guard by the sudden attack two Death Eaters spun around quickly just to be welcomed by a Reductor Curse. The cloaked figure to the right side-stepped the oncoming spell quickly, but the other man wasn't so lucky. The curse hit him straight in the head, throwing his body into the closest wall, where he landed with a sickening crack in a pile of dirt and building fragments.

"IT'S HIM! It's Harry Potter!" the other masked Death Eater exclaimed, slashing his wand through the air and sending a purple spell into the boy's direction. "CONFRINGO!" however was the last he heard, just before his spell hit Harry's left arm.

The power of Harry's spell immediately ignited the Death Eaters entire black cloak and the man tried furiously to swat and stomp out the flames. But it seemed all for naught. In less than a minute he fell to his knees, his mask shattering on the cobblestone which revealed a stunned Antonin Dolohov screaming in pain.

By now more of Voldemort's followers had swung around to engage into the battle with the boy-who-lived, casting numerous hexes and curses at him. Each of them hoped to obtain a great reward from the Dark Lord if one of them would be able to capture the Potter boy. Yet they were also aware that the punishment for their failure to do so would be even worse. The Death Eaters were casting curses and hexes as fast as possible, all missed their target but were severely shattering the stability of the small bookshop.

"Harry we have to get out of here! NOW!" Hermione yelled. She quickly ducked another orange colored jinx that flew through the broken window, impacting right above their heads. Small debris started raining down on them and Hermione looked up realizing that the cracked ceiling wouldn't hold any longer. She quickly grabbed Harry Potter's arm, not noticing a bushy brown tail slipping into the Chosen one's pocket.

Harry just stared at Hermione blankly, trying to steady himself while he slowly drifted off into unconsciousness. Harry suddenly felt the familiar tuck behind his navel and everything around him became a swirling blur, right before the roof of the bookstore came crashing down onto the spot where they just disappeared from.

"Quick Arthur, lay him down here on the kitchen table. I already flooed Poppy and Remus they should be here any second," Molly Weasley instructed her husband. In the same moment green flames erupted in the hearth and the Hogwarts nurse followed by Remus Lupin stepped into the now crowded Weasley kitchen. "What happened Hermione?" the werewolf almost shouted making his way across the room to the shaking young teenage girl.

Hermione recounted the events from Diagon Alley down to the curse that Dolohov had thrown at Harry. At the end of her story the poor girl started rocking even more violently and Molly rushed over and put her arm around her, "That's enough now Remus, can't you see that she's in shock?" The matron flicked her wand and a steaming mug of hot tea came soaring through the kitchen. "Here my dear, drink that it'll make you feel better," she said as she pushed the cup in Hermione's hands.

In the meantime Madame Pomfrey was going to work on the lifeless looking form of Harry Potter. She waved her wand multiple times up and down his entire torso and occasionally muttered a few incantations. Sometimes she would shake her head and mumble, "That's not good" or "phew, that was close." At some point Harry's body started convulsing, leaving everyone gasping.

Ron and Ginny had now also joined the group now, which had to, after Madam Pomfrey's orders, leave the Weasley kitchen. Everyone retreated into the sitting room except Molly Weasley, who was assisting the skilled nurse. Arthur explained to his son and daughter what had happened, leaving them with a blank expression on their white faces.

"What was he doing in Diagon Alley to begin with? He should've been at home with his aunt and uncle?" Remus Lupin asked as he paced nervously around the lounge. Hermione, who was sitting on one of the couches, had pulled her knees to her chest and was sobbing uncontrollably into her hands. Ron tried to comfort her by putting his arm around her from one side while Ginny held her from the other. "They left him there alone," the youngest of the Weasley brother's answered Remus question, "We were supposed to stay with him starting tonight and then bring him here on his birthday."

"What was he thinking running off on his own like that? He could've at least waited for you guys or at least informed the Order, we would've provided him guards," the DADA teacher sighed. Mr. Weasley got out of his chair and placed his hands on the other man's shoulders," Remus, don't fret over it, right now we need to see that Harry will be ok. Merlin help us if he shouldn't make it out of this alive." If Mr. Weasley was upset he didn't let it on. Over the years he had come to love the Potter's child like one of his own and he knew that even his kids didn't always act reasonably.

Almost two hours passed when the sitting-room door opened and an exhausted Mrs. Weasley and Madame Pomfrey entered. All eyes turned expectantly towards the healer and the matron whose worried expressions forebode no good news. Hermione looked up with her bloodshot eyes, tears still streaking down her cheeks. "Is he going to be ok?" she asked pleadingly.

The two older ladies looked at each other before Poppy stated," I don't know dear. The curse that hit Harry is very powerful dark magic, which slowly deteriorates all vital organs. I have stopped the effects from spreading, but I can't say how much damage has already been done to the surrounding tissue. All we can do now is wait and hope that Harry hasn't suffered any internal bleedings. This potion has to be administered every 6 hours for the next week and he's not to leave the bed or even get up. Too much movement could be fatal for him." With that she pulled out a large brown bottle out of her healer's bag and handed it to Molly Weasley.

"Can we see him?" Ron asked but was cut off by his mother." He's still unconscious and will need his rest. We put him in the twins' old bedroom for now and you do best to leave him in peace, or I swear you'll be de-gnoming the garden without magic until they bite all your fingers off. Is that understood?"

"Yes mum," the red haired boy mumbled, sinking back into the couch.

Meanwhile upstairs the small furry marten had found his way into the bedroom and was staring at the boy with the lightning bolt shaped scar. During the commotion earlier nobody had paid him any attention as he quickly snuck out of Harry's cloak pocket and hid in a nearby bush. Gladly his sharp claws and agility allowed him to climb almost anywhere, getting around the outside of the Burrow was quite easy for him. After he had watched the scene in the house through the kitchen window he climbed up to the twins' bedroom and crawled in through a gap in a skylight on one of the upper floor.

If someone would've been able to read a martens expression he would have found it full of concern for the young man lying in front of him. He jumped onto his bed and curled up next to dark haired boy, '_Please make it through this'_ the little creature thought to himself as he studied the Chosen one's face intently.

Harry Potter's eyes were moving rapidly under his closed lids, indicating that a strong battle was raging within him. Little did anyone know that the visions he had during his coma would determine his next steps in the ongoing war, even guiding his future and the rest of his life.

A/N: _And so it begins, what will the future hold for Harry? Trust me when I say it's going to be interesting and unique. I have done extensive research and outlined a plot which hasn't been done yet. Please don't be shy, leave me a note, good or bad it doesn't matter, just don't curse. It is what keeps me going. Thanks to all who have been following me so far._

_F._


	6. Chapter 6: Death of Harry Potter

_Chapter 6: Vision's and the death of Harry Potter_

It was a beautiful mid-summer day with a slight breeze rustling through the ocean of knee high grass. A few bees were flying busily from one wildflower to another and a large bird soared high above a small lake. The rays of the sun reflected in the snow covered mountain chain which stood resolute in the far distance. On the foot of the hillside sat a small wooden cottage which adorned the idyllic landscape and the smoke coming from the stone built chimney suggested that someone must be living in this dreamy location.

Harry was lying in the grass field in front of the lake and breathed in the pure air. He seemed carefree, as all the burdens of his life were lifted of his shoulders. The last he remembered was pain rushing through his entire body. Where was he? How did he come to be here? Was he dead? Harry got up to his feet and looked down on this pleasant scenery. His green eyes fell upon the small house near the lake. '_If this is the afterlife, I just might enjoy it.'_ Harry thought to himself.

He saw a young black haired boy, maybe four or five years old, running to his mother who was sitting in a rocking chair on the cottage's front porch. The wind was playing with her red hair and her yellow summer dress seemed to be barley touching her freckled skin. "Lily Marie Potter quit taking the mickey out of your younger brother!" the young woman shouted. A young girl, a few years older than the boy, with red tussled hair jumped out from behind a bush, a bright grin across her face. "But mum, Knargles will steal your toys if you don't watch out for them," she happily stated. "Don't worry James Arthur, your sister is only trying to make fun of you," his mother told the little boy who seemed to sigh in relief.

Harry soaked in the vista in front of him when he realized, this was his family. The young woman must be Ginny and those were their kids. His heart started beating heavily in his chest as he leisurely walked towards them. Ginny waved at him as she saw him strolling down the hillside and the little boy bounced up and down flapping his arms, while the girl was skipping happily towards the veranda. All seemed well.

Suddenly, thick gray clouds darkened the sky followed by a thundering crash and the panorama that was just so serene appeared to be plunged into a horrible nightmare. The wildflowers and bushes drooped and shriveled in mere seconds and the trees appeared to be now bare and dead. Red hot lava spat from the mountain tops, forming rivers that slowly crept down into the valley. Even the large bird had lost is feathery coat and was now a flying rotten carcass. The small lake's ripples had shifted into violently splashing waves and the vivid blue water had turned into a thick blood red liquid.

Utterly shocked, Harry stared down at the dried out, dead prairie and a feeling of deep despair and guilt overcame him. _What is happening here? _Harry wondered as he looked around frantically. Instinctively he reached for his wand but it wasn't in back pocket as usual. He tried to brace himself for what might be happening next but without the ability to perform magic, he felt quiet helpless.

Harry Potter kept looking around bewildered, trying to figure out what was going on when his sight fell on a pair of oddly shaped clouds similar to a set of snakelike slits, which seemed to open slowly. A menacing glowing pair of red eyes stared down from the now black sky and another roaring thunder shattered the once before idyllic scene.

"HARRY POTTER!!!" a sinister voice boomed, "You will lose everything!"

Harry wasn't quite sure how, but all of a sudden an ancient looking staff appeared in his right hand. He inspected it closely and saw to his astonishment that within the handle three familiar looking wands were embedded. Ancient runes were engraved from top to bottom in the large rod, on which towered a large green stone which shone brightly. A black raven feather tied to a leather string trimmed the stones socket and the strange markings emitted a golden glow. Harry could feel the staff's raw magical power surging through his whole body and great confidence and determination drove away the sad feelings in his mind.

Harry stood there almost rooted to the spot when he saw Ginny still standing on the cottage's balcony. She was huddling with her two little kids who wore fearful expressions and Harry could make out the terror in their young faces. He instantly broke out into a full sprint jumping onto the wooden porch and just stared for a brief moment at the red haired woman.

"Ginny get the kids inside! I'll try to handle this," Harry commanded. She just looked at him with a dazed expression which did not seem to be her own, as she tried to form an answer; but all that left her lips was," Caer Myrrdin." Then everything went black.

Ginny sleepily walked down the stairs on the morning after the attack on Diagon Alley. The smell of coffee, eggs and hash browns lingered in the air and Molly Weasley was busily bustling around in her kitchen. Arthur had already gone to work and Remus Lupin was sitting at the table sipping on a steaming mug of coffee. Nymphedora Tonks was in the chair to his right caressing his hand, her bright pink hair falling into her tired face.

"How is he today? Any improvement?" Ginny asked her mother, who just shook her head. "No dear, his condition is still unchanged. It has been less than a day honey and we really have to give it time before we can see any melioration," Mrs. Weasley stated, pulling her youngest child into a motherly hug. "However Ginny I have to ask you, did you know that Harry had a new pet?"

Ginny raised an eyebrow, "No, I thought he only had Hedwig. Why do you ask mum?"

"Well, when I went to check on him and gave him his medicine I saw a little brown marten all curled up sleeping next to him. I wonder where he came from," Mrs. Weasley trailed off. Ginny just shrugged, pouring herself a cup of tea and taking a seat across from Tonks who looked up at her. "Morning Gin'," she smiled at the redhead.

"Good Morning Tonks. I heard you guys had quite a heated discussion last night. I'll take it the Order is not very happy with Harry right now," Ginny said plainly taking a drink of her tea. "Have you been listening in with your brother's extendable ears?" Remus snapped at her.

"No, but you and Moody have very deep and loud voice's which makes it kind of hard not to overhear them. Besides, I couldn't sleep," Ginny replied to Remus whose face wore a deep frown. His expression eased slightly as he looked up at her, "I'm sorry Ginny I didn't mean to snap at you like that. We're all just very concerned about Harry. It would have had some serious effects if he would have been killed yesterday. Not only for the Order but for the entire Wizarding Community…"

Three pecks on the kitchen window interrupted Remus Lupin's train of thought as he looked over and saw the delivery owl for the Daily Prophet hopping eagerly on the outside ledge. Ginny got up to receive the paper which was tied to the owls leg and place three knuts into the small leather pouch on the owls other leg. Once the bird had flown back of into the sky, Ginny went back to the kitchen table to sit down and unroll the wizarding newspaper. What she read there made her gape and her face turned a violent shade of red.

"I can't believe it! What in Merlin's name are they thinking!" she shouted, clearly outraged about one of the articles. "What is it Gin'?" Tonks asked, but everyone was now staring at the young red haired witch whose face had anger written all over it. Ginny kept on reading for a moment and then slammed the paper in front of her staring lividly at the werewolf, "Remus what the ruddy hell is going on?"

"Ginevra Molly Weasley you better watch you language whilst being in my house!" her mother yelled out of the kitchen. "Yes mum, sorry," was all she said her face unchanged and her eyes still focusing on the man before her. Remus turned the Daily Prophet around and read the report to which Ginny had pointed and a slight smirk came across his face. "Good job Kingsley," was all he muttered.

Harry felt his body floating weightlessly in nothingness. Darkness engulfed him and all his worry's seemed to be gone for the moment. The sadness and despair that normally rested in his heart were almost nonexistent and he felt his thoughts drifting uncontrollably in and out of his mind. Sometimes it almost seemed as they were speaking to him and on other times they seem to emit straight from his inner core.

"_Harry, please. You must wake up!" _

"_You will lose everything, Harry Potter"_

"_No, not Harry….take me instead."_

"_You can't defeat me, Harry Potter. I'm the greatest wizard alive."_

"Caer Myrrdin_"_

Harry eyes shot open, the last two words still echoing in his head as he looked around in the pitch darkness. Suddenly a green light seemed to illuminate the blackness emitted by a fist sized gem floating afar. The stone slowly hovered towards Harry baring an attached socket with a black raven feather tied to it. Once it had fully closed in on Harry, he could make out the raven feather which was tied around the gems socket and he realized that the staff was actually carried by a man.

Harry had to strain his eyes to make out the figure approaching him when it struck him, "Professor Dumbledore?" Was this a dream? He knew for certain that the old headmaster was dead, having seen his murder first hand. His brain started working fiercely, trying to puzzle together who this person could be. Even though the man shared a certain resemblance, it was clear on the second look that he indeed wasn't Albus Dumbledore after all. This wizard seemed younger yet he radiated the same power and wisdom as Harry's belated mentor. He wore brown studded leather pants, a white shirt and a long moleskin coat. His face seemed just as kind as the ex-headmaster's, his long brown hair was tied in a pony tail and his short beard was neatly trimmed. The man wore a slight smile on his face and his hazel eyes shone brightly as looked on the boy before him. "I welcome you Harry Potter, great bird of fire," the wizard said in a warm voice, "yet I'm wondering what you're doing here?"

"Where is here?" was all Harry could bring out, still stunned about the fact that the stranger knew his name.

"Some may call it the gateway to death, while others may call it magical limbo. It is commonly perceived as a dark tunnel with a bright light at the end of it. Yet it appears that the gateway never opened for you."

"So, I am dead?" Harry asked the other man, somewhat confused by the explanation he just received.

"Yes," the man paused shortly, "and no. It seems that the magic within you hasn't really decided yet, whether you should cross over or not thus I'm puzzled why you're here. Usually the magic of oneself is quite clear upon its decision, yet yours seems to be in a struggle to disconnect you of your human bonds. Unless one is in true love or protected by such." The wizard began pacing slowly studying Harry the whole time, his hazel eyes twinkling at him in a familiar way. Harry dared not to interrupt him, feeling that his life or death depended on it. He breathed heavily as he waited for the man to speak again. After another short pause, which felt like hours the man continued his train of thought, "But, it is to my knowledge that you have a great task ahead of you and many people's lives depend upon your success. The dark serpent will not rest in its conquest for power, great bird. He'll devour all that stands in his way if the great bird of fire doesn't find the means necessary to stop him."

"It is because of it, that I cannot allow you to pass. You must return, great bird, and do battle with the dark serpent for your worlds fate is balanced upon your fiery wings. The power of the ancient one will guide you and his book of secrets shall show you the old ways, for we will meet again at Caer Myrrdin."

"Wait! Who are you? What is Caer ….?" But before Harry could finish his question the wizard smiled fondly at him and touched the boy's forehead with the bright green gem towering on his staff. "Unlock the magic within you," Harry heard the wizard chant, as a surge of raw magical power shot through his entire body. Harry felt himself fall back into the abyss of darkness and he closed his eyes, hoping that it would be over soon.

The sound of heavy rain crashing against a window and a loud cracking thunder made him open his eyes when Harry found himself lying in a bed. Lightning brightened up the room briefly and he felt around for his glasses, his hand brushing over something soft and bushy curled up next to him. Once his spectacles were in place and the dimly lit room of the Weasley twins came in focus, Harry found himself staring into the face of a brown ferret like creature, except for the little horns on his head.

"I'm glad you're well and alive Harry Potter," the marten said as he stared with his black eyes at the boy before him, which to his surprise fell back onto his pillow, where a dreamless sleep recaptured him.

Somewhere in a different part of England the stunning headline in the wizarding newspaper also didn't go unnoticed. Sitting in his throne room the Dark Lord held an issue of the Daily Prophet in his hands, rage written clearly on his contorted snakelike face."WORMTAIL!" the man in the black robes sitting in the high backed chair yelled. A few moments later the plump looking, balding man with a silver hand came hobbling into the dark chamber. He bowed deeply, avoiding eye contact with the Dark Lord. "Why haven't I've been told about this, Wormtail?" Voldemort sneered as he threw the newspaper in front of his servant's feet.

Peter knew instantly that something must have happened that was not part of the Dark Lords plan. With shaking hands he picked up the Daily Prophet and his eyes widened in fear and shock as he read the headline on the front page. "M-My Lord I-I had no idea, I wasn't e-even there, remember. You sent Dolohov and Lucius to Diagon Alley…." But Peter Pettigrew didn't get to finish his sentence.

"CRUCIO!" Riddle bellowed in utter fury pointing his wand at the now writhing figure before him, "You think I didn't know that? Go fetch them for me and don't forget to bring the newspaper when you return," the Dark Lord commanded. Wormtail picked himself up off the floor still feeling the vigorous after effects of the Cruciatus curse but he didn't dare to not bow to his leader. He then quickly exited the dark chamber, just to return a few moments later followed by two cloaked individuals.

"You summoned us my Lord," the man with the long bleach blond hair said as he humbly bowed before Voldemort, not meeting the Dark Lords gaze. Without any warning a searing pain shot through Malfoy senior's body, like hundreds of white hot knives stabbing him over and over again, when the torture curse hit him. The man buckled over writhing in pain but only grunting, because he didn't dare scream since it would show how weak he really was.

"Bella, do you care to explain the events that happened in Diagon Alley?" Voldemort sneered at the cloaked woman kneeling next to the squirming form of Lucius Malfoy.

"My Lord, we attacked the shops you asked us too, but out of nowhere baby Potter appeared and started flinging spells at Dolohov and the Carrows. The boy even managed to gravely injure Amycus and actually killed Alecto. Antonin responded with the "attero penitus" and must have hit him before he went off in flames himself and died," Bella quickly responded because she knew that any hesitation would earn her the same punishment. Malfoy gasped in relief when Voldemort finally released him of the curse after Bella finished her statement.

"Didn't I clearly say that the Potter boy was to be mine?" Riddle bellowed his face only inches away from hers, his red eyes sparkling dangerously. He snatched the Daily Prophet out of Wormtail's hand and threw it at Bellatrix's chest, "And would you care to explain this?"

The woman quickly tried to grasp the paper on the floor, fumbling many times before finally clutching it in her hands. The changing headline there made her swallow the large lump that had almost instantly formed in her throat. '_This can't be' _she thought to herself as she read the front page article which headlined today's issue of the wizarding newspaper. Bella kept staring at the moving picture, which featured Kingsley Shacklebolt levitating a body covered by a white sheet out of the ruins which once was Flourish & Blotts, as she reread the paragraph below it.

THE BOY-WHO-LIVED

-

THE-BOY-WHO DIED

_By_

_Rita Skeeter_

A series of Death Eater attacks devastated Diagon Alley in yesterdays late afternoon hours. The group of at least twenty hooded followers of the darkest wizard of all time, You-know-who, randomly destroyed several shops and leaving at least a dozen wizards injured or dead.

Among the dead victims was none other than the-boy-who lived, Harry Potter. Umberto Blotts, owner of the bookstore Flourish & Blotts witnessed, as the Chosen one and his friend Hermione Granger entered his establishment short before the vicious attack to the once glamorous shopping alley.

Mr. Potter immediately engaged in the battle with the attacking followers of He-who-must-not-be-named and saw several spells shattering the front side of his building. Short after, Mr. Potter was hit with a yet unknown curse, right before the ceiling of the bookstore collapsed right on top of young man. Mrs. Granger was seen apparating away immediately after and it is assumed that she informed the responding authorities.

Less than an hour later, the body of Harry Potter was recovered out of the debris and identified by Kingsley Shacklebolt, Head of the Ministry of Magic's Auror Squad. The dead body of Mr. Potter was forthwith covered and sent to the Ministry for further investigation. So far it is unknown what the intended target of the Death Eaters was, yet it is presumed that it was just an act of terror orchestrated by You-know-who.

An interment ceremony for Harry Potter will be held this coming Sunday July 31st, on which he would have celebrated his 17th birthday. It is clear that this will certainly shake the wizarding world to the core, as we all mourn the boy-who-lived, now the boy-who-died.

In further news the disappearance of Octavos Olivander the Wandmaker, Bill Weasley head of the banks security, Griphook and several other employees' of Gringotts Wizarding Bank was confirmed. It is so far unclear whether the named individuals have been kidnapped by the Death Eaters or also died in yesterday's attack of Diagon Alley. (_Detailed list of injuries and death's page 4)_

_A/N: And so the ball starts rolling. Can anyone guess who the mysterious man in the 2__nd__ vision is? Any guesses on what "Caer Myrrdin" is? Please let me know whether you liked this chapter or not…don't be shy._


	7. Chapter 7: Revelations

_Chapter 7: Revelations_

The early morning sun had not yet fully risen and was looming beneath a thick overcast sky. It wouldn't be long until the high floating thunderstorm clouds would swallow it again and a slight breeze dragged misty swirls across the land. Its flaming rays tinted the plains and forest in a fiery red and the remaining raindrops covering the field behind the Burrow sparkled like hundreds of tiny diamonds.

The storm had raged all night and one could still see the aftermath from the tempestuous winds. Broken branches and freshly bloomed flowers lay scattered across the open area. The creek had swollen into a small raging river from last night's heavy rainfall and even the Weasley's shed had lost a few of its wooden shingles. A box of plugs was thrown into the garden where a few gnomes could be seen rummaging through it and carrying off the odd shaped plastic pieces.

Fleur DeLacour was sitting in the Burrow's kitchen, which was still very quiet in those early morning hours. She had arrived there late last night from France where she and her mother, in liaise with Molly, had made plans for the upcoming wedding. Her eyes were bloodshot and the big dark rings underneath them revealed that she hadn't slept at all. Fleur's tear stricken face was staring at a lilac colored piece of paper with decorative silver writing.

Your presence is respectfully requested

At the marriage of

William Arthur Weasley

And

Fleur Babette DeLacour

On Friday, August 10th, nineteen hundred and ninety seven

At 12 o'clock p.m.

This blessed event will take place at the Burrow in Ottery St. Catchpole.

We hope you will join us in celebrating this joyous union.

A reception will immediately follow.

R.S.V.P. Molly Weasley or Apolline DeLacour

She missed his big strong arms wrapping her in his gentle hugs, his mustache and goatee that would softly tickle here when they kissed and his long red brown hair which made him look so distinguished. She was never bothered by the scars on his handsome face which were the only reminder of last year's battle with Fenrir Greyback. A few more tears rolled down her cheeks as she set down the invitation and put her face in her hands where she cried quietly.

It had been almost three days now since Bill Weasley had disappeared and an overwhelming fear and sadness rested in Fleur's heart ever since. She could clearly feel that You-know-who had kidnapped or even worse killed her beloved soon to be husband. Of course she had read yesterdays Daily Prophet and had noted that there were also other employee's of Gringotts missing and therefore concluded that Lord Voldemort was planning to break into the wizarding bank.

When she found out about Bill's disappearance, the Veela inside her had literally screamed for revenge and she immediately had flooed to the Burrow. When she arrived Fleur was so infuriated that Arthur now sported a black and blue swollen eye because he and Remus attempted to calm her and get her to see reason. They had told her that it would be more than foolish to just run of and try to oppose Voldemort and his Death Eaters all by herself.

The two members of the Order of the Phoenix had to promise that she could participate in the upcoming search and rescue mission that they had planned. Unfortunately, so far it was unclear where Bill might be held or any other of the missing wizards for that matter. Ever since the dark lord had taken over Azkaban prison it was speculated that he would use it as one of his major headquarters, but due to its peculiar location and the hundreds of Dementors circling it, an attempt of infiltration was nearly impossible.

The sound of a squeaking floorboard and footsteps descending down the stairs startled Fleur out of her stupor. Molly Weasley looked at her soon to be daughter in law, "Have you been awake all night, dear?"

Fleur nodded and croaked an almost inaudible "Yez."

"Oh dear, well let me make some breakfast and some strong coffee or do you prefer tea?" Molly stated in her motherly self. The mother of the Weasley household had taken quiet a liking of the young woman before her, not only because she would marry her oldest son but also because Fleur had asked her first if it was ok to become Bill's betrothed. "Cafe wou'd be great Molly,"

Mrs. Weasley smiled at her for a moment and then with a flick of her wand the kitchen jumped to life. The kettle floated to the sink where it filled itself with some water and then landed on top of the burning stove plate. A frying pan settled next to the boiler and several eggs cracked themselves open over it. Soon the smell of a hearty breakfast filled the entire house and motility of other family members waking up could be heard upstairs.

Arthur Weasley was the first to join the two women in the dining room. His right eye was still a slight shade of blue which matched his Ministry robes but the swelling had subsided. Fleur stood and walked over to him looking at him with an apologetic look on her face, "Mr. Weazl'y I'm so zorry I hit you laz' night, I … I really didn't meanz to… I really didn't know what I waz doing. It iz jus' zhat I waz so mad about Bill being taken zat…"

She started to cry again but Mr. Weasley just placed a hand on her shoulder and looked at her kindly," Don't worry about it Fleur, I understand. I know that Bill's disappearance affects all of us differently," he trailed off, and after a short pause he just smiled at her and stated," And how many times do I have to tell you to call me Arthur." Fleur's face turned a slight shade of pink and even a little smile came across her thin lips' "zorry Mr. Weazl'y … I mean Arzhur."

Arthur smiled at her again before turning to his wife, "Well, Molly dear I'm off to work. Don't forget to talk to the kids about tomorrow's funeral. Is there any news about our patient?"

"Not since last night, dear I will go up here in minute and check up on him, but Poppy did say that it could be a while until he reaches consciousness." She gave her husband a peck on the cheek. He hugged her briefly, threw a handful of floo powder into the chimney and vanished in a heap of green flames.

Fleur had settled back down at the kitchen table, staring at her coffee mug," There iz somezing I need to tell you Molly," she said shyly. "You an' your family hav' showed me zuch zweet kindness…" Molly just waved her hand, "Don't mention it Fleur. You're part of this family now…" But Fleur cut her off in mid sentence, "Pleaze, let me finish Molly. I really zink you should know zhis." A single tear started to run down her cheek as she hesitated for a moment and then just blurted out, "Molly, I zhink I'm preagnant."

Mrs. Weasley stared at the young woman for a moment incredulously and then walked over to her and wrapped Fleur in one of the infamous Mrs. Weasley hugs. "My dear Fleur, this is fantastic," she shrieked. "I'm so happy for you two. Since when did you know?"

"About two weekz now. I hav' been zick almost ev'ry morning. Bill wanted to wait to tell you until zeh wedding, but given zeh zircumstanzes I zhought you should know now."

At this moment Hermione and Ginny stumbled sleepily down the stairs, both still wearing their night gowns. Hermione's hair was more bouffant than usual and was sticking out in several spots. "What is this entire ruckus about?" Ginny stated followed by a big yawn, "How's one supposed to sleep when you're yelling like this, Mum?"

Molly threw a quick glance over to Fleur who almost unnoticeably shook her head, indicating that she wasn't ready for the rest of the family to know about her growing offspring. "Oh, nothing Ginny dear, nothing," Mrs. Weasley said placing a plate full off kippers, eggs and bacon before her only daughter. "I'm going to check on Harry real quick," and before Ginny had a chance of even thinking about to come along with her Molly commanded, "and you're to eat your breakfast, Ginny. You should know by now, it's the most important meal of the day."

"Every meal is important. What are we having, I'm starving," Ron stated in a matter of fact tone, who surprisingly seemed bright awake. "It's on the stove dear, go help yourself. I'll be right back," Molly called to him as she ascended the stairs to the twin's old bedroom. She quietly opened the door to find Harry, along with his new furry friend, still lying unmoved in bed. She walked over to him and put her hand on his forehead as if to check his temperature. The warmth of her palm made him shift and mutter a few inaudible words.

The marten however, having picked up her scent, awoke immediately and stared at Molly. She was surprised how this usually shy little creature had not left his side since the incident three days ago and she knew that there must be a deeper connection between him and Harry, which she seemed to not yet understand. Mrs. Weasley looked at the animal reassuringly and whispered, "Don't worry; I'm sure Harry will be better soon."

To her utter surprise the marten nodded at her, stood and scuttled over to Harry's pillow where he pulled out the boys glasses from under it. Molly gasped in astonishment, "He awoke! I put those on the nightstand after we brought him up here." Again the marten nodded and Molly looked at him with a bewildered expression. "You're a smart little thing indeed. You seem to understand everything I say," she said to him, almost feeling odd that she was talking to a marten. Once more the ferret like creature just nodded and then curled back up next to the sleeping form of Harry Potter.

"I agree, better give him some more rest," Molly whispered, placing Harry's glasses back on the nightstand and walked out of the room. Once she had closed the door to the twin's bedroom, Molly stood there for a moment still befuddled about what just had happened in there. After a minute she just shrugged it off and made her way back downstairs.

The rest of the morning passed uneventfully. After lunch Ginny went to go to check on Harry herself, but he still hadn't woken. She also had noticed the cute little brown marten on Harry's side and she decided to take it with her to feed it with some of the leftover lunch. The small brute devoured the small portion of roast, potatoes and vegetables and drank almost a full bowl of milk. By now Ginny had also realized that Harry's furry new friend was a lot smarter than your average marten and she thought that his intellect was almost human like.

Hermione, Ron and Molly had gone outside to clean up the debris of last night's storm while Fleur had gone to Percy's old room to finally get some sleep. So Ginny figured she could use the quiet time reading some of Hermione's sixth year school books. She had settled down on one of the big cushiony couches in the sitting room, a stack of books on the side stand next to her. Reggie, what she had started to call the marten, had curled up next to her and snored softly. A copy of _Standard Book of Spells Volume 6_ rested opened in her lap, but she hadn't made it past the introduction page.

Ginny found it hard to concentrate on the book before her. Her head was full of thoughts pertaining to her and Harry these days. The scene from Dumbledore's funeral played over and over in her head. "We can't be together anymore," Harry had told her, "How do you think I'd feel if this was your funeral?" he said, before he had walked away from her sealing, in his eyes, their break up. At this point she was so mad at him that she wanted to smack him across the face and ask him how he dared to determine what was good for her and what was not. But she loved him too much to ever consider hurting him that she refrained from slapping Harry and had stormed off to cry somewhere quietly.

It was his nobility that made her so upset and love him undyingly at the same time; his affection, towards all the people close to him since he had already lost so much. Yet she didn't understand why he kept blaming himself for the loss of his parents, Sirius or even Dumbledore. Couldn't he see that Voldemort was the evil force which had torn his world apart? It was unimaginable to Ginny to lose her whole family and still show as much love and compassion as Harry did; she admired that the most in him. Considering all that Harry had to endure in his life it was surprising that he didn't turn into a dark wizard himself or even worse, insane.

Ginny must have sat there for at least an hour, lost in her own thoughts, as the crackling of green flames in the fireplace startled her out of her daze. Remus, Tonks and Moody stepped out of the hearth with Harry's trunk in tow. "Wotcher Gin'," Tonks said, her hair colored in a bright bubblegum pink with a few dark purple highlights in it. "Hi there Tonks," Ginny replied, hastily closing the book in her lap. She didn't want to let on that she hadn't read it at all.

"Is your father at home yet? We got some important news for him," Mad-Eye growled. Ginny felt sick sometimes when she would see Moody's magical eye turn into the back of his head and exposing only the white of it. "N…No, but he should be here soon," Ginny replied as she glanced at the Weasley's clock which indicated that her dad was already of work. "Is it about Bill? Do you know where they're holding him?" Ginny inquired eagerly, but Alastor just put his hand up and grumbled, "It's Order business, don't worry your little head…"

"DARN YOU AND YOUR ORDER BUISNESS!" Ginny just lost it and yelled at him, "HE MIGHT BE A MEMBER OF YOUR PRECIOUS ORDER BUT HE'S FIRST AND FOREMOST MY BROTHER!"

Alarmed by his sister screaming, Ron came running into the house, wand in his hand ready to curse anyone who would dare to harm his little baby sister. "What the bloody hell is going on here?" he asked, his wand pointed square at Moody's chest.

"MOODY KNOWS WHERE THEY'RE HOLDING BILL AND HE WON'T TELL COZ' IT'S ORDER BUISNESS!" Ginny yelled, jeering the last two words.

"Ginny please calm down and Ron put your wand away." It was Remus who spoke this time attempting to defuse the heated situation and stepping between Ron and the ex-auror.

"Is it true then? Do you really know where You-know-who has taken him?" Ron asked again, pocketing his wand and plunged himself into the couch which Ginny had previously occupied. However, he had sat right on top of Reggie, who now dug numerous tiny sharp teeth into Ronald Weasley's behind.

"OUCH!" he yelled as he jumped back of the couch rubbing his hurt butt. Ginny stepped over to Reggie and scooped him up, placing him on her shoulder and the marten gently wrapped his bushy tail around the back of her neck.

"Aeh…Ginny why do you have a rodent wrapped around your neck?" Ron asked his younger sister. "His name is Reggie and you just planted your posterior right on top of him. I would bite you too, if you'd ever do that to me," she stated matter of factly.

"Blimey, that bloody gnawer already has a name? It almost bit my blasted a…" but he couldn't finish his sentence. By now Hermione and Mrs. Weasley had also arrived at the sitting room. The latter had her wand out and was responsible for the casting of a silencing charm on her son.

"RONALD WEASLEY, I'm done telling you not to use such language in this house and if you ever want to use your tongue again then I highly recommend that you do well to remember this moment, understood?" Molly said her angry face very close to his. He just nodded, shock written upon his face which had turned a deep red. He muttered a silent "Sorry mum," after she released him of the Silencio charm.

"Be glad she didn't use the cleaning charm or you'd be blowing out bubbles every time you speak," his sister whispered at him, which made Hermione giggle and even Reggie let out a small snigger. Ron just gave her one of his 'ha-ha very funny' looks and settled himself back onto the couch looking around cautiously so as not to be pinched by anything else.

Awoken by all the noise downstairs, Fleur had gotten up and also arrived in the Weasley's sitting room. "What about Bill? Hav' you found him? I heard you talk about him. Pleaze tell me." She looked pleadingly at the two men standing next to Harry's trunk. Remus sighed and asked Mrs. Weasley if she could bring Harry's belongings upstairs before walking over to the young woman standing in the door way.

"Fleur, please sit down and I'll explain." She reluctantly let him guide her to the couch that Ron already occupied and then sat himself in one of the recliners in front of her. "We have received intel that You-know-who indeed has taken Bill Weasley and the others to one of his safe houses. We're going to have an Order meeting in an hour to discuss our next course of action."

"Remuz pleaze quit prevaricating and just tell me where zey hav' taken him," anger was clearly building up in her voice and the others in the room could tell that this was Fleur's veela side talking. Lupin threw a worried glance at Mad-Eye Moody and sighed again, "Malfoy Manor."

Harry breathed in the fresh air which the slight breeze blowing through the room from the open window in front of his bed. He had no idea how long he had been out, but the visions he had experienced were still fresh in his memory. The nightmare in the meadow, the man with the staff and the two words that left him utterly confused. 'What is Caer Myrrdin?' he marveled, but he was sure that once he recounted the events to Hermione and the others, she would throw herself into a research frenzy and help him figure it out.

The muffled voices which were coming from below made him flutter his eyes open. It must have been late afternoon because the sun shone right through the window. The bright light hurt Harry's eyes and it took him a few tries to be able to completely keep them open. Yet the entire room still appeared somewhat blurry and he reached for his glasses. Reminded of last night's encounter with the marten he hesitated for a moment before he put them on his nose and took in his surroundings. To his relief he found that he was alone in the twin's bedroom.

Harry swung his legs off the bed to make his way across the room to get dressed. However when he tried to sit up a sharp pain shot through his whole torso. He winced in pain and rolled off the edge instead. His legs felt wobbly, not being able to support his weight and his insides felt like he had taken a rough beating. Once he got his clothes on, Harry staggered through the hallway towards the stairs, seeking balance on the walls. Glad that there was only one flight of stairs before him he wrapped both arms around the railing and he carefully made his way downstairs, one step at a time.

The black haired boy had floundered his way almost all the way down safely when his luck ran out at the last three steps. Harry's left knee buckled and his foot slipped of the stair step. He fell on his behind, slid down on it and landed right in the middle of the foyer. Harry's insides objected with immense pain which made him cry out loudly.

Immediately he was surrounded by many familiar faces and one unfamiliar. "Merlin's beard, Harry, you're awake and what are you doing out of bed?" Mrs. Weasley scolded but at the same time looked worriedly at him. "Charlie, Fred please help me get him on the couch," she directed her sons. Once Harry was placed in a comfortable position all eyes of the order meeting seemed to be resting on him.

"Wotcher Harry," Tonks waved to him out of a corner in the sitting room. Harry glimpsed around and saw Remus, Moody, Shacklebolt and Mr. Weasley standing alongside her. On the other side of room he discovered a pack of redheads which consisted of Charlie, Fred, George and Ron. Molly and Ginny had him flanked from both sides on the couch and across from him sat Hermione, Fleur and a man that looked astoundingly like Albus Dumbledore. Yet this man seemed a little bit younger, his beard was a lot shorter and instead of Albus' trademark half-moon spectacles he wore horn-rimmed glasses. "You're the bartender of the Hog's Head," Harry noted.

"Yeah, Aberforth Dumbledore is the name," the man growled, his blue eyes twinkling in a very familiar fashion.

An uncomfortable silence filled the room again and Harry sensed that everyone expected him to talk first, "So…aeh…how's everyone?" But he knew that his feeble attempt to loosen the tension would not be answered as kind as he would have hoped.

"We could ask you the same," Remus stepped forward. "Harry, what were you thinking running of like that and then to Diagon Alley of all places? You could have been killed and what good would have done that?" Harry could tell that his father's old friend was quite upset. His face flushed and he looked down at his feet, a big lump starting to form in his throat.

To Harry's surprise it was Hermione who spoke next. "Professor Lupin, we already talked about this and there is no need in reprimanding him for it now. We all should be glad that he's alive and on the way to getting better. You however could let him know about your plan with him," she defended her friend.

"Plan? What plan, Remus?" Harry looked quizzically at Lupin, "If you're thinking of locking me up like Dumbledore did Sirius in my fifth year, forget it. I have a job to do."

"Mate, listen to him first, it's actually quite ingenious," Ron said from his corner.

Remus Lupin proceeded in pulling out yesterday's issue of The Daily Prophet and handing it to the confused looking black haired boy. Harry read the article on the front page his eyes becoming wide and his mouth falling agape, "DEAD? You had me declared DEAD?" he said, disbelief and anger clearly written upon his face. "And how do you plan on having a funeral for me? I don't reckon that anyone will volunteer to be buried in my name."

Remus just grinned at him, "Actually, yes and it's also quite simple. Let me just say this, Polyjuice Potion and the ghoul in Ron's attic."

A/N: _Please note that this chapter is meant as a transition of what there is to come. Some of you might think of it as boring but it is vital to what's to happen next. Again please let me hear your thoughts about this chapter, good or bad are both welcome. I promise the next one will be better and will also feature a battle scene. Until then read, review and enjoy. Thanks F._


	8. Chapter 8: Till Death do us part

A/N: _Please note that this chapter is meant as a transition of what there is to come. Some of you might think of it as boring but it is vital to what's to happen next. Again please let me hear your thoughts about this chapter, good or bad are both welcome. I promise the next one will be better and will also feature a battle scene. Until then read, review and enjoy. Thanks F._

_Chapter 8: Till death do us part_

A/N: _Hi to all of my beloved readers. You probably wonder why my A/N is this time at the beginning of the chapter rather than as usual at the end. I want to forewarn you all, that there will be a few graphic battle scenes and also character death in this chapter. Some of you might even hate me after this one is over. However I promise, it will be very dramatic and hopefully you think of it as another great chapter, maybe even the best one so far. Please read, review and of course enjoy. F. _

Harry looked disbelievingly at his former Professor, "You know Voldemort'll never fall for that, besides what would you recommend I do in the meantime? Sit here, twiddle my thumbs and hope Voldemort stops his killing spree?"

"For now, yes. Harry, first off you are way too exhausted to even make it out of your bed. Second, I have taken up the open Defense against the Dark Arts position in Hogwarts, where you will be going when school starts again. It'll keep Voldemort off your back for a while. And before you wonder how we're going to hide you at Hogwarts, I must tell you that you have found the perfect hiding spot yourself. You'll be staying in the Room of Requirement and the teachers will come to give you private lessons so you can pass your N.E.W.T.s."

Harry's insides were boiling and the members present could tell the young man with the tussled black hair was on the verge of losing his temper. He was gritting his teeth and his fists were clenched to his sides. Had his body allowed it, he probably would've stormed out of the Burrow and apparated away. At this point Harry didn't care anymore. Why did everyone have to make plans for him? Tell him what he has to do and when? Did they even realize that tomorrow was his seventeenth birthday and he would be of age?

However, before he was able to express any dissent, Remus spoke again. This time his voice was calmer and more father like. "Harry, I know that you're displeased with our decision but we thought it would be a way of helping you out. With You-know-who thinking you're dead you should have more leeway to do whatever it is you think you have to do." Remus paused for a moment, seeing that Harry was thinking hard about the arrangements which were suggested to him, "You know Dumbledore would have wanted you to come back to Hogwarts too. Just remember, it is one of the safest places in Britain."

Harry still didn't liked the situation but considered that he would be away from the prying eyes of everyone else and also the teacher's would not place a permanent guard with him. Plus he would have access to the library which could help him extensively in his research on Horcruxes. "Who else knows about this plan?"

"Only the teachers of Hogwarts and everyone that is present here. We were also thinking of letting Dobby into the plan so he can bring you your meals every day," Professor Lupin answered, hoping that this would persuade Harry.

"Fine," Harry mumbled, "But only under one condition."

"Which would be?" Remus looked questioningly at him.

"Ron, Hermione and Ginny are permitted to come see me whenever they want or I need them," Harry demanded. His two best friends grinned at him and Ginny's eyes looked somewhat shocked, yet a small smile escaped her lips. He wasn't even sure why he had included Ginny but ever since the vision about the meadow, something inside him had changed his perspective towards her. When he saw her standing there on the cottage's front porch and his two kids playing in the field, a strange feeling of longing had filled him. It had showed him what he wanted for himself, should he survive this war. What his future could be, should he really be able to defeat Voldemort.

"Well then," Remus said relieved, "Since it looks like that we have an accord I'll send an owl to Headmistress McGonagall and inform her that you'll be there on the 30th of august. Until then I have to ask of you to stay under the care of Mr. and Mrs. Weasley." Harry just nodded and Remus evinced his thanks that the boy understood him. "Oh, before I forget Harry, Alastor and I took the liberty of picking up your trunk from your aunt's house."

"Now," Remus moved on in his authoritative voice, "in further order matters I have to ask all non-members to leave." He threw suggestive glances at Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny who all understood that they were not meant to hear what else was about to be discussed. "Mum, is it ok if I stay with Harry in Fred and George's room?" Ron asked. His Mum nodded with her that's-ok look on her face but of course the twins had to have their fun with him, "Just as long you don't soil any of our sheets dear brother," Fred grinned at him, "Or we'll make sure that You-know-Poop will get you, "George called after Ron who was helping Harry up the stairs.

Somewhere in a hidden building in London, Draco Malfoy was pacing restlessly in a dusty room, to which he had been moved by Severus Snape. '_This place is no better than that musty old shack I was in before.'_ A small fire was burning in the hearth and a crumpled up issue of the Daily Prophet was lying next to it as if someone tried to throw the newspaper in the fireplace, but missed the target by a long shot.

It was yet unclear to Malfoy junior why Snape had helped him or what his true agenda was. Was he the spy that the Dark Lord had smuggled amongst Dumbledore's lines, or had he fooled Voldemort for all these years and he had been in fact working for the old headmaster all along? But why would Albus then let himself be killed by the ex-Potions professor? "AND WHERE THE BLOODY HELL IS HE NOW?" Draco yelled out, frustration and anger getting the better of him.

At this moment the door to the room unlocked and Draco swiftly drew his wand. 'Speaking of the devil' Malfoy thought when he saw Severus striding in with another cloaked figure behind him. "We have to talk, this is not working out. Especially now that Potter is dead."

Snape just simply put up his hand, "I brought you some company," ignoring Draco's outburst completely. The other person pulled back the hood of its cloak, revealing none other than Narcissa Malfoy.

"Mother!" "Oh Draco," she exclaimed as she rushed forward to wrap her only son in a motherly hug. "You two have loads to talk about," Snape sneered, the scene before him obviously sickening him. "I will return later," he said as he turned to leave the room.

"Wait!" Draco yelled after him, "What is this about? Why did you bring her here? And where are you going?"

"She needs protection just like you. This is one of the few locations in London the Dark Lord knows nothing about and if you must know I'm showing the Order of the Phoenix where your former home is situated." Snape stepped closer pointing his finger warningly at the fair haired boy before him, "And until I return I expect you to remember your place young Malfoy. If it wasn't for Lupin's quick thinking and understanding, you would be dead by now. Now, if you'll excuse me I will take my leave. Oh, Dobby is preparing dinner downstairs and try not to wake your grandmothers painting when you descend." And with that he rushed out, slamming the door behind him.

Draco looked at his mother, his face full of questions, "Mother what happened? Why did he bring you here?"

"Draco listen to me," her voice unsteady and tears forming in her eyes. "Your father is dead. The Dark Lord held me in one of the manor dungeons hostage so he could use me as leverage to guarantee your fathers success. Lucius was supposed to find you and bring you to him."

"He however decided it was time to switch sides and rescued me instead. Lucius led me out of the dungeons to the front gates, but your aunt Bella had followed us. Draco she killed him, my own sister killed my husband, your father." Narcissa was crying now.

Draco just stared at his mother gobsmacked, his mind still trying to process the information he had just been given. His mind was racing, '_What were they supposed to do now? How would they ever make it out of this war alive?' _He felt like a prisoner of the Order of the Phoenix and now he was marked as a traitor by Voldemort himself. Draco sank to his knees putting an arm around his mother next to him. "We have to disappear, leave this place, leave England all together," he whispered to Narcissa.

Draco's mother just looked at him with bloodshot eyes, "And where do you suppose we go? Everyone in our family is either a Death Eater or dead, Draco. We have no choice but to hide here."

"But Saint Potter is dead and the house will become property of the Ministry of Magic. Do you think they will let the wife and son of a Death Eater stay here for free?" Draco said who was getting more and more frustrated about their predicament. He closed his mind for a moment to gather his thoughts. Sometimes he had wondered why his mother insisted on teaching him Oclumency, for him it always seemed to be one of the most boring subjects ever. However, in situations like these, he was very grateful for this unique feat, it really helped him to stay focused.

"Mother, Snape mentioned that Lupin will be teaching Defense against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts this year. I wonder if he could help us to hide in Hogwarts. It would be safer than this hole. I remember that Potter, the weasel and the mudblood were holding secret meetings in our fifth year." Draco stood again and started pacing, his brain working fiercely now. His mother just stared at him, because she had never seen her son so calculating.

"The room which they used would only appear when one is in dire need of it and one would have to know the right question in order to open it. Then last year I spent nearly most of our school year in it to fix this bloody vanishing cabinet." Draco paused for a moment and then looked up as an idea struck him.

"Mother, if we could convince the werewolf to get us into Hogwarts we could hide in the Room of Requirement. At least until the war is over. I highly doubt that the Dark Lord has any interest in the school now since the Potter brat is gone."

Narcissa Malfoy contemplated her son's idea for a moment before she admitted that he was right. Staying here would be foolish. It would only be a matter of time before the Dark Lord would find out about this location. With Malfoy Manor under his control and Bellatrix on his side, the connection that the House of Black would be their only possibility to hide would be logical.

"I agree my son, but for now we have to wait here. You heard Severus, tonight the Order including Lupin are on a mission. Let's just hope that the Dark Lord won't kill him too."

There was no thunderstorm this night but a thick blanket of clouds covered the usual beautiful night sky. No moon or stars could be seen and even the wind seemed to rest tonight. A young woman kneeled next to a dried out fountain, holding the lifeless form off her beloved. Rain drops started to fall slowly but steadily from the heavens, reflecting the pain and sorrow which had formed in her heart.

More dead bodies lay scattered in the garden next to the sinister looking mansion. Her eyes wandered over the dead, some in black cloaks with Death Eater masks still on, others in the royal blue colors with the Ministry symbol embroided above their heart. Her gaze returned to the man lying in her lap when the rage of her normally hidden magic started to boil to the surface. '_How had it come to this? Why did he kill him?'_

It was only an hour earlier when she and her companions had apparated to an ominous building on the outskirts of London where they would commence their mission. They were already surprised to have not found the manor under the Fidelius Charm but then, of course, who would You-know-who entrust to be the secret keeper for one of his hideouts.

"Specialis Revelio," Remus Lupin said pointing his wand at the iron cast gates of Malfoy Manor. First a light blue and then an orange light emitted from them and Remus stated that an Anti-Apparation Jinx and a Caterwauling Charm were in place. It took Charlie Weasley less than a minute to break down both spells.

The shortest but very muscular built son of the Weasley's had always trained with his brother Bill and was almost as proficient in breaking curse's as the oldest sibling. "This doesn't feel right," he said in a slight foreign accent. Having spent years in Romania training dragons and usually speaking their native language, had left him with some of their speech patterns. "Either they're expecting us or they are very stupid, while I don't believe it's the latter."

The young woman beside him was panting heavily and pearls of sweat had formed on her forehead. Her wand was clutched in her hand and she looked like she was ready to go on a hunt. "What are we waiting for? Znape zaid zat he'z in zere, let'z go," she said as she started to get anxious. Her intellect told her to be more cautious but her heart made her to reach out and push the heavy iron gates open.

Remus quickly followed Fleur as he swiftly snuck onto the grounds behind her. Before them laid a gravel walkway, which was decorated left and right with tall overgrown bushes. The Manor itself was dark and seemed abandoned, yet Fleur could feel the tension in the air. '_Zomewhere in zhere iz Bill and I will find 'im' _she thought determinedly to herself. She and Lupin had already snuck up to the mansion's large wooden entrance doors when the handful of Order members and the dozen Auror's followed suit.

"Alohomora," she whispered and she put her hand on the door handle to open it. Remus tried to hold her back but it was too late. When she had pushed the door open a loud and shrill sound erupted, which echoed from every wall. Fleur had not anticipated that a Caterwauling Charm would also be placed on the building and she was now clutching both hands to her ears in an attempt to make the deafening high pitched howling go away. She looked searchingly around and could make out a large stone staircase with a small archway under it which was to be entered from the long hallway in front of here.

Suddenly a door to her right opened and a Death Eater stood right next to her. In a swift motion she ducked and rammed her shoulder into the cloaked figures abdomen. He stumbled a few steps backwards but it was too late for him to raise a shield as Fleur's Reductor curse struck him square in the chest. Hearing footsteps coming from the stairway she turned and saw Remus already battling another cloaked figure. A stray spell zoomed past her which singed a few of her hairs.

By now two Auror's had pushed their way into the small foyer but they were welcomed by at least four more of Voldemort's followers waiting on the stone steps. A wall of black, orange and green spells was hurled right at them and Remus had to launch himself towards a caught off guard Fleur, pushing both of them to the ground. The impact of the curses was so devastating that it blasted the two Auror's not only off their feet but through the wooden doors.

Fleur Delacour and Remus Lupin scrambled to their feet, running down the hallway towards the arch which revealed a smaller staircase spiraling down to the dungeons. The battle was now well underway, as more Order members and Auror's stormed through the opening which was once the front door. At this moment one of the attackers from the stairwell came falling right towards them, his entire robes engulfed in flames. He hit the hard stone floor with a loud thud and stopped moving instantly, the air filling with smoke and the stench of burning flesh.

"Zis way," she yelled at Lupin as she started running down the stair case into the dark cellar. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the dark corridor. "Lumos," she thought and the tip of her wand ignited in bright white light, which revealed several heavy iron doors to her left and right. Footsteps behind her made Fleur spin around and instinctively she raised a Protego Maxima Shield.

"It's just me Fleur, we have to hurry," Remus demanded, "They're everywhere! We have to find him and get out, now." He pushed her back into the dark passageway, "You take the left and I'll take the right, that way we'll cover more ground," he commanded as he started checking the doors on his side.

Most of them were locked and casting the opening spell on each of them consumed extra time. The more rooms they unlocked the more it seemed that their search would turn out futile. Fleur was on the verge of tears again as she stepped in front of the last door of the hallway. "He must be in here," she said to Remus as she motioned to the door. This one was not locked and only revealed another flight of stairs ascending back upstairs. '_Here goes nothing,' _she thought to herself as she shot a quick glance at her partner and rushed up the steps. When she arrived at the top she found herself in a large garden with a dried out stone fountain. Three curled up serpents towered on top of it, their necks twisted around each other and their heads looking into the dark sky above them.

The scene before her made her heart skip a beat in horror. There were at least twenty Death Eaters battling the six order members and only about three Auror's. The few minutes it took her and Remus to search the dungeons their numbers were diminished to less than ten. She kept looking around and her gaze fell upon three wooden poles which had three bodies tied to them.

She rushed forward ducking several stray spells that were flying towards her. When she finally made her way to the captives, she recognized Mr. Ollivander on one of the poles and a mutilated form of a goblin on the other. The third person was an indistinguishable charred form but too short to be Bill Weasley. "P-Please h-help me," the old man said. His entire body was drenched in blood and his face bore multiple deep gashes with blood still oozing out of them. Had he not spoken to Fleur, she would have not thought him alive.

By now Remus also had fought his way over to Fleur and the three tied up prisoners. He quickly casted a counter charm for the Incarcerous spell which held the old Wandmaker tied up. Once released from his ties, Ollivander fell to the floor and laid there almost lifeless, his chest barley rising and falling. Remus reached into his pocket and pulled out a rusty old can. He tapped the tip of his wand on it and muttered, "Portus." The battered tin flared yellow for a moment and then only hummed awaiting its activation. "We have to get him to St. Mungos, Fleur or he'll die," Remus said to the strained looking woman who tried to give her attention to the goblin.

"I'm not leaving wiz'out Bill," she snapped at the werewolf. Anger and frustration was clearly written upon her face. When she saw the poor souls tied to the poles her heart had leaped because she thought she had found her beloved one. But his absence infuriated her even more and her veela blood started to boil. Where was he being held?

She turned around ready to head back into Malfoy Manor and search every room there was. At this point she didn't care anymore whether she made out of here alive. Their numbers were dwindling rapidly and besides herself and Lupin only the six members of the Order of the Phoenix appeared to be the last one's left, fighting fiercely for their survival.

She spotted Kingsley Shacklebolt battling two Death Eaters at once and Charlie Weasley, who had just disposed of his opponent rushing towards him. Mad-Eye Moody was also holding his own against two of Voldemort's followers but it seemed that their attempts to break through his defenses seemed to be less then fruitless. He had just spun around his own axis and twirled his staff at the same time forming a barrier between himself and his attackers. One of the masked men hurled a purple spell at him which he batted like a baseball straight back at the other Death Eaters face. This one instantly dropped his wand as all the blood in his body seemed to flow straight to his head and started to shoot out of his eyes, ears, nose and mouth.

Arthur Weasley was engaged with Rudolphus Lestrange, whilst Fred and George were fighting Bellatrix. Fleur felt that the remaining Death Eaters were well preoccupied and she could attempt to restart her search. "I'm going back in Lupin; you can take care of zhe Wandmaker."

She had just made a few steps back towards the mansion when her sight fell upon a set of red glowing eyes which was standing on a balcony of the building's second floor. "I guess this is the blood-traitor you're looking for?" His emotionless voice boomed and he held his wand pointed at a long haired man which was floating in the air before him. "I'm done with him, you can have him back," Voldemort snarled and then just apparated away.

Time seemed to stand still as Fleur and the others saw Bill racing towards the ground. She started sprinting towards the point where he might land in hope that she could catch him with a levitation spell. At the same moment though, she spotted Bellatrix in the corner of her eye, which had sent an Avadra Kedavra curse towards her. Fleur dove into a forward roll to the ground and jumped right back up on her feet. But it was too late. Bills back crashed into the first floor balcony, flipped and then fell head first to the ground. In the meantime the remaining Death Eaters had taken the opportunity of distraction to follow suit of their leader and disappeared into thin air.

Fleur raced over to the spot where her loved one had dropped down. She fell to her knees and cradled his head in her lap. As she stared in his handsome but scared face, tears were forming in her eyes, "It'z going to be alright my love," she mumbled but in her heart she knew that this was far from the truth. She could tell that his back was broken, probably in numerous places. His breathing was very slow and blood trickled out of the side of his mouth. His eyes fluttered open and as he drew one last sharp breath he said, "I love you Fleur," before his head went limp and lolled to the side.

'_How had it come to this? Why did he kill him?'_ she thought as the rain came falling down and the other present members of the Weasley family closed in. What followed next is still unexplainable to any of them. Fleur let out a cry which was full of rage, anger, love and sadness. The voice did not seem to be her own as she continuously held the scream in multiple octaves. One could only explain it as numerous voices all screaming at once. As her way of grieving seemed to become louder and louder the remaining Order members felt a vibration fill the entire area.

Suddenly Fleur rose into the air; her arms spread wide, her hair and robe billowing in the wind that had gathered, as her endless scream filled the night. The louder the voices became the more the vibration turned into a steady shaking. Fred motioned to the others to take a few steps back. Cracks started to form upon the building and shingles fell left and right from the roof. With a sudden loud pitch and a thunderous explosion all windows shot out of their frames and a few seconds later the whole building collapsed into a pile of debris and rubble.

After it was all over Fleur had sunk back to the ground and was now lying next to the dead body of Bill Weasley. She was still alive but the rage of the veela had drained her and left her unconscious. Arthur scooped her up, while a crying Charlie did the same to the lifeless form of his older brother. Remus, who was holding Mr. Ollivander, handed Shacklebolt the Portkey he had made earlier and told everyone to hold on. A few seconds later they were all gone leaving a heap of dead bodies next to the ruins which once used to be Malfoy Manor.


End file.

Harry Potter, Adventure, Fantasy