A/N: Ok... so this chapter is a little slow, but unfortunately it's necessary to set things up. The characters contained herein all belong to JK Rowling...darn it. Please read and review
The dark haired young man lay listlessly on his bed in in his room on Privet Drive staring at the ceiling. It had been two weeks since he had left Hogwarts... two weeks of dreadful Duddykins... two weeks Aunt Petunia's sour looks and Uncle Vernon's temper... two weeks of being cut-off from his world. Granted, he'd had letters from Ron and Hermione, as well as Neville and Ginny, but it just wasn't the same. Added to Harry's usual summer doldrums, was the almost crushing sense of guilt and loss he felt over the death of his godfather just before the end of term.
As if all of this was not enough for one person to deal with, there was the prophecy. Harry's life had been forever altered that day in Dumbledore's office when the prophecy was revealed to him. It's words were constantly with him, like a mantra repeated again and again in his mind, "And either must die at the hands of the other, for neither can live while the other survives." Harry now knew why his parents had been killed, they had died to put off the inevitable. He was not even 16 years old, and yet he knew, with unwavering certainty, what fate held in store for him. He would face the world's most evil wizard in a battle to the death and either save the world or die trying.
A commotion from downstairs interrupted Harry's dark musing. He could hear his uncle's bellows and his aunt's high pitched screech. Harry sighed, and braced for the inevitable. He knew that whatever was going on downstairs would somehow be his fault, forget the fact that he had barely left his room since he'd arrived.
"BOY!!!" his uncle hollered up the steps. "Get down here!"
"Right on cue," Harry muttered, climbing out of bed and throwing on a shirt. Slamming his door behind him, Harry stomped down the steps. He was in no mood to deal with this right now.
"Yes Uncle Vernon?" Harry said as civilly as he could(which was not very).
"You have... company," his uncle snarled, nearly choking on his last word.
It was then that Harry saw the small group of people standing near the fireplace. His face split in the first smile in two weeks.
"Potter," said Mad-Eye nodding to him.
"'Wotcher Harry," said Tonks winking, her bright pink, spiky hair looking extremely odd in the Dursley's living room.
"Hello Harry," said Lupin stepping over and giving him a quick hug and looking him over, as if to insure that he was in fact ok. "You need to go and grab your things. We'll be leaving as soon as you're ready."
"Leaving? But I..." Harry began
"You'd rather stay?" Lupin asked his eyes twinkling.
"Of course not...but.."
"I know you have a thousand questions Harry, but we need to hurry. I promise I will answer them all as soon as we get back to headquarters."
Nodding, Harry turned to go upstairs, Tonks following him.
"Can't stand to be down there in all that...neatness," Tonk said in answer to his questioning look. "Besides, I thought you could use some help packing."
With a few flicks of her wand, all of Harry's things were quickly, if not neatly, packed in his trunk. Harry grabbed Hedwig, who was dozing in her cage, while Tonks levitated his trunk and they headed back down the stairs to an oddly quiet living room.
Harry's aunt and uncle were sitting on the couch looking terrified, Dudley was doing his best to squeeze his enormous bulk behind them. Harry grinned.
"Harry... Moody and Tonks are going to take you to headquarters. I'll be along in minute, as soon, as I'm done warding the house," Lupin told him.
"What do you mean you want to warp my house?" Uncle Vernon bellowed.
"Ward, not warp Mr. Dursley. We just want to make sure you're safe from something happening like it did last summer," Lupin explained patiently.
"You mean those dementy-whatsists? Why would they come here with him gone.? I'll not have it! "
"Now Vernon.." Aunt Petunia said placatingly.
"No Petunia! No magic," he spit as if just saying the word left a nasty after taste on his tongue.
"Fine Dursley," said Moody his magical blue eye glittering ominously. "We'll just let that great pig of a son get his soul sucked out. Let's go Potter."
It was all Harry could do no to laugh at the complete absurdity of the situation. Uncle Vernon's face had gone from bright purple to pasty white at the mention of Dudley's soul getting sucked out. Dudley had dove behind the couch, and unless he was mistaken Aunt Petunia had fainted.
"Oh allright. Put up your bloody damn.... warfs... and get your... freakishness out of my house." Uncle Vernon choked out.
"Right," said Lupin pulling out his wand.
"C'mon Potter," said Moody again, holding out a cracked plate for Harry to take hold of.
"Good-Bye Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia... Diddykins," Harry said grinning at his cousin, whose overlarge bottom was sticking out from behind the couch reminding him of when Hagrid had given Dudley a pig's tail. Harry took hold of the plate with one hand holding Hedwig with the other. Tonks followed suit. He soon felt the familiar pulling sensation as the portkey activated and landed with a thud in front of Grimauld Place.
"Let's go Potter. Inside quickly!" said Moody ushering Harry up the steps and through the door.
A/N Thanks for reading. Please review!