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Author: Robert Owen Story: Invictus Rating: Teens Setting: Pre-HBP Status: Completed Reviews: 5 Words: 146,488
A/N: This chapter continues the flashback started in Chapter 4. The next two days were sheer bliss for Harry. He ate good solid meals, slept soundly for the first time in weeks, beat Hermione in several games of Muggle chess, watched several Muggle films with Hermione and her parents, and spent a delightful afternoon watching and discussing Star Trek with Mr. Granger. Unfortunately, just as they all sat down to supper on the second day, a Hogwarts owl arrived with a message for Mr. Granger. He read it over, and then looked at Harry with an expression that flickered between resignation and anger. "Professor Dumbledore says that you are to go back to the Dursleys tomorrow and that you have to stay there another three weeks, until the 14th of August, when Ron's brother, Bill, will come and get you." Harry could only sit numb with shock at these words. Go back? Go back to the Dursleys? He briefly wondered with if Dumbledore had lost his mind, and then, with bitter regret, realized that he probably hadn't. Meanwhile, Mr. Granger had handed the parchment over to his wife, who read it and then passed it on to Hermione for her perusal. She looked up, eyes blazing with a fury Harry had rarely seen. "DAD! Professor Dumbledore can not be serious! You can't take Harry back to those…those…people! Write Dumbledore back and make him understand! Make him see that Harry can't stay there again! Please! You've got to try!" Mr. Granger slowly shook his head with evident regret. "I wish I could, Hermione, but I'm afraid he's right this time, dear. You read what he said. Harry must go back in order to ensure that the protections around the Dursley's house stay in effect until he turns seventeen." Mr. Granger reached across the table and took Hermione's hand. "I don't like it any more than you do, but it's what's best for the time being." He turned to Harry. "I'll take you back in the morning, Harry, but I want you to know that I meant what I told your uncle. I will stop by every evening after work and make sure you're being treated all right." Numb with the thought of returning to Privet Drive, Harry could only stare down at his plate and mumble, "Yes, sir, I understand." Hermione got up and ran around the table to hug Harry. "Harry, I don't like this at all, but if my father says he'll be there, he will. Besides, I'll come with him!" "No, you're not." Hermione looked up in shock. "But, Dad!" "No arguments on this, Hermione! Harry and I are going to do a little 'male bonding' on these visits and that means no girls allowed." Despite the situation, Harry had to grin at Hermione's look of exasperation at her father's statement. Mrs. Granger stood up and started to clear the dishes. "Ted, why don't you and the children select a film to watch tonight, while I load the dishwasher, and I'll join you in a minute." "Sounds good to me," he replied. "Hermione, since I chose last night, what's your preference tonight?" Hermione pursed her lips in thought and then smiled as she said, "How about my favorite, The Princess Bride?" A few minutes later, Mrs. Granger joined them in the living room and Harry settled back to enjoy one last night of peace before returning to his own private version of Hell. Over the next three weeks, Mr. Granger stopped by every night after work and took Harry out for a few hours to see a movie or go to the park and play football, anything to pass the time and take Harry's mind off the Dursleys. At first, Uncle Vernon had been none to pleased to see Mr. Granger at his door each night. However, upon sober reflection as to the alternatives, he resigned himself to the daily visits and simply ignored Harry's departure each night, a situation Harry was quite content to live with. The last night out, however, two days before his promised deliverance, proved a bit different. Mr. Granger took Harry to a small quiet pub a few miles away from Little Whinging. Once there, he took Harry back to a corner booth, hidden behind a section of wall, signaled for two beers and waited until the barmaid had left before speaking. "Normally I don't condone underage drinking, Harry, but after what you've had to deal with, I see no harm in a beer in honor of your belated sixteenth birthday. Just do me a favor and don't tell Hermione. I'll never hear the end of it from her if you do." Harry grinned at memories of Hermione in the Three Broomsticks and sipped at the warm beer. It wasn't Butterbeer, but it wasn't that bad either. Mr. Granger continued. "Now, the day after tomorrow, Bill Weasley is coming to get you. He'll send an official note tomorrow, so try and act surprised when it comes, all right?" Harry took another sip and nodded. "Good, now here's a present from Cordelia and I for you," and he pulled a box out of a bag which he'd carried in with them. Harry opened it to find a compete outfit of new clothes. There was a set of khaki trousers, a green polo shirt, socks, underwear, a real leather belt, and a pair of black leather dress shoes. Harry looked up in surprise as he stammered, "I…really…don't…" Mr. Granger cut him off. "Nonsense, lad. You're a man now and it's high time you started to look like a gentleman instead of a vagabond." He leaned over conspiratorially and whispered, "Besides, Hermione helped pick it out since she's the only one who knew your sizes." Harry blushed a bit as he replied, "All right, I accept. Please tell Mrs. Granger and Hermione that I really appreciate it." "Good, now that that's settled, what do you say to a game of darts?" Mr. Granger then winked at Harry, who chuckled as the older man started to pat down his pockets as he muttered, "I know I put that picture of your cousin someplace." The rest of the evening passed swiftly and Harry returned to Privet Drive to discover that the Dursleys had gone out for the night. He watched as Mr. Granger drove off and went inside to find Hedwig waiting with letters from Ron and Ginny. He'd wondered why he hadn't heard from them since going to the Grangers but he'd figured with Mr. Granger checking up on him that they knew what was going on and so hadn't worried too much. Ron's was short and to the point. Harry, Happy belated birthday, mate! Hope things are better and look forward to seeing you on Wednesday! I know Ginny will be glad, too. Ron Harry smiled at the thought of seeing his girlfriend again. He then opened Ginny's letter. Harry, Happy birthday! Yes, I know this is two weeks late, but Mum told us not to write you these past two weeks so as not to aggravate your relatives. I can't wait to see you on Wednesday! I know we've written all summer but that doesn't count. Mum's still babying me, so maybe with you here I can finally get a respite from my family (and maybe some quality time alone with you.) Take care, and remember always that I love you. Ginny XOXOXO Harry felt his heart fill with joy as he read and reread the words. Ginny didn't know his uncle hadn't read this letter but her simple reaffirmation of her love for him meant more than she'd ever understand. He carefully folded the letters and placed them in his trunk along with his new outfit, before going to sleep, secure in the knowledge that deliverance was at hand. The next morning Harry awoke to hear his uncle screaming at him to come downstairs at once. As he quickly dressed, Harry realized that Bill's letter must have arrived. Upon entering the kitchen, he found that supposition correct. Vernon Dursley looked as red as a tomato from his bellowing, which made Harry wonder privately, again, if his uncle would ever comprehend that his explosions only served to attract the very attention he wanted to avoid among the neighbors. Waving a piece of parchment around, he pointed at Harry and yelled, "All right, boy! I want an explanation and be right quick about it!" Harry tried to keep the smile from his face as he gave his uncle a perplexed look; "I don't know what you mean, sir." His uncle shoved the parchment at Harry and growled, "Read it, boy!" Harry immediately noted that it was a memo from Bill Weasley at Gringotts Bank. His heart leapt as he read the confirmation of Dumbledore's promise on the sheet. Tuesday, August 13th, 1996 To: Mr. Vernon Dursley No 4 Privet Drive From: Mr. William Weasley Gringotts Bank Curse Breaking Department London Division Sir, I am taking the opportunity to owl you concerning the status of your nephew, Harry James Potter. I have been requested to proceed to your residence tomorrow at 3:30PM WMT to pick up Mr. Potter, and his belongings, and transport him to the Burrow, where he will be staying the rest of the summer, before the start of the new term at Hogwarts on September 1st. In accordance with this directive, I would appreciate it if you would insure that he is packed and ready to go upon my arrival. Please also note that Mr. Potter will not be returning home for the remainder of the school year and so make your plans accordingly. It would also greatly facilitate matters if you would take the time to fill out the attached document. This parental consent form will permit either Mr. Potter's godfather, Mr. Sirius Black, or my parents, Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Weasley, to be called upon to attend to any issues which might arise during the school year so that it will unnecessary to bother you at home. Sincerely, Bill Weasley Mr. William Weasley Senior Curse Breaker Gringotts Bank Vernon glared angrily at Harry and demanded, "Well? Who is this Weasley person?" "He's the older brother of my friend Ron. You met his father two years ago, when he came to get me for the Quidditch World Cup." The sudden squeal of terror from Dudley showed that he remembered his run in with the twins, while his aunt looked as though she was about to faint at the memory of what her living room had looked like after their arrival. Never mind that everything had been fixed, the mere thought of it happening again evidently scared her. One look at his uncle's beet-red face showed that, he too, had not forgotten. "Fine!" Vernon said through gritted teeth. "Just make sure that you're packed and ready to leave as soon as he gets here. Which reminds me, just how is he planning to do that without letting everyone know he's a freak like you?" Harry silently bristled at the insult to Bill, but tried to remain calm and civil. "I don't rightly know, sir. I would imagine he'll probably borrow a Ministry car or use a portkey." "A port what?" "A portkey. It's a magical item which when activated can transport whoever's touching it to a specific destination." Uncle Vernon's face blanched at the thought of Bill suddenly appearing in front of No 4 Privet Drive for the entire world to see. Then he realized what Harry had said and exploded. "I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU NEVER TO DISCUSS THAT ABOMINATION IN THIS HOUSE!" Harry flinched but looked his uncle resolutely in the eye. "I'm sorry, sir, but you did ask." Vernon sputtered for a second before replying, "Well, for your sake, he'd better show up in a car! I don't want any funny business going on and the sooner you're both gone, the better." "Yes, sir," Harry replied dutifully even as he silently seconded the feelings about his leaving. "Don't answer me back, boy! Don't you ever forget that we took you in out of the goodness of our hearts and have fed and clothed you all these years without one iota of compensation for our efforts. You could at least try and be grateful for our generosity!" Harry wanted to scream back at his uncle over these outrageous lies but knew it wouldn't do any good. Besides, he consoled himself with the knowledge that, after tomorrow, he'd only have eight more weeks, at worst, to spend with his relatives next summer and then he'd leave them forever. "I'm sorry, Uncle Vernon. I didn't mean to imply otherwise. Can I go upstairs and start packing?" "Yes, yes, go upstairs and pack! Just remember to have dinner ready at 6pm sharp! We're going out tonight to the cinema and I don't want to be late!" "Yes, sir," and Harry practically ran upstairs to get his stuff ready. The morning couldn't come fast enough for him! The next morning, Harry was up early and had his trunk, broom, and Hedwig's cage placed in the foyer by the front door even before he made breakfast for the Dursleys. For the next several hours he kept glancing at the clock, hoping that the time would somehow magically fly by and release him from this prison. Finally, just before 3:30pm, Harry heard a honk from in front of the house and rushed down the stairs just in time to watch his aunt open the door to reveal a smiling Bill Weasley. Ignoring his aunt's look of disapproval at Bill's ponytail and fang earring, Harry shook the proffered hand of his savior and asked the first question which popped into his head. "Bill! How's Ginny?" Bill laughed as he pulled Harry into a bear hug. "Fine, Harry! She's fine, and so is everyone else. Now, have you got everything? Percy arranged for me to borrow a Ministry car, but I've got to return it by midnight or it'll turn back into a pumpkin." Harry could tell from the looks on his relatives faces that they'd missed the joke. "Everything is right here." "Good," and turning to Vernon, Bill politely asked, "Did you sign the parental consent form I sent you? It will certainly make things easier for everybody if my parents can act on his behalf during the school year." Uncle Vernon cleared his throat and replied gruffly, "No, and I won't until you explain to me why you lot want to have any say in his life. After all, we're his legal guardians." The sanctimonious way in which Uncle Vernon spoke made Harry almost lose the remnants of his breakfast on the spot. Bill, however, calmly regarded the older man and answered his question. "It's simply a matter of convenience. This year, Harry's classes will require a lot of extra work in preperation for his N.E.W.T.s next year and part of that work will involve things requiring parental or guardian permission. I simply thought it would be easier for you to pass the authority in these matters to those who will be closer to Harry during the school year, especially since my younger brother Ron will be taking the same classes. That way, my parents can sign for both boys without his godfather, Sirius Black, having to 'pop' over constantly to get your signature." Vernon qualled slightly at the idea of Harry's escaped convict godfather suddenly appearing at his front door. Then, he realized, it also that it meant he'd be free of any responsibility for Harry until next summer. He coughed slightly and peremptorily motioned for Bill to follow him to the kitchen. "Fine, I just wanted to be sure. It's in the kitchen. I'll sign it and then I want you and the boy gone from our sight. Is that clear?" Bill gave Vernon a cool look and simply nodded his head. Vernon looked pleased at this reaction and led the way to the kitchen. Harry waited by the door for several seconds and then decided to take advantage of the opportunity and take his things out to the black Ministry car which sat in front of the house. However, before he could start for the door, Harry heard his uncle's voice rising in anger. Then, the kitchen door opened and Harry heard Vernon yelling after Bill as he calmly walked towards the front door. "You bloody lot are all alike! Unnatural, that's what you are! Freaks and abominations! Wrecking people's homes! Calling us up and yelling into the phone! Sending your blasted owls with their nasty droppings all over the countryside! Which…." Harry concentrated on picking up his trunk as his uncle continued to harangue Bill. "…. reminds me, you'd better tell that little trollop who keeps writing the boy to stop immediately! Its bad enough I've got a freak for a nephew without some other freak constantly sending those bloody birds of yours with messages saying that she loves…. Auk!" Harry whirled around in surprise at the sudden cessation of his uncle's speech to find that Bill had shoved his uncle up against the wall and now had his hand clamped firmly around Vernon's throat. Petunia shrieked and pulled Dudley to her side. Bill's voice was steady and controlled. "The young lady to whom you are referring has a name, Ginny Weasley, and she happens to be my sister. Furthermore, she's been dating your nephew since last Christmas." Vernon's face was slowly turning red as he struggled for breath. "It might also interest you to know that young Harry here has saved her life twice now, and that it is a debt I can never repay to him." Bill paused and fixed his gaze on Uncle Vernon's eyes. "Your nephew, the freak as you call him, is as brave and fearless a man as any I've known, and certainly has earned mine and my family's respect. My brothers and I wouldn't let him near our sister otherwise, whereas all you've earned is my contempt." Bill spat on the floor, to emphasis his point, which, in turn, caused Petunia to almost faint in shock, and then he continued. "Now, I'm going to give you some advice. If I ever hear of you calling my sister a trollop or a freak again, I will come back here. However, when I do, I won't be alone. I will bring my brother Charlie with me. You do know who Charlie is, don't you?" Vernon could only shake his head slightly. "Well, let me tell you about Charlie. You see he tames dragons in Romania. Wild dragons, with a taste for fresh meat." Harry watched as his uncle's eyes grew wide and his face paled. "Usually, they feed them a side of beef each day at noon. However, I'm sure that no one will object to Charlie giving them a midnight snack. Have I made myself clear?" Vernon sagged and let out a moan, saying, "Oh God," even as a large stain began to spread across the front of his trousers and a very unpleasant odor filled the air. Bill looked on in disgust as Vernon Dursley sank to the floor with an audible squishing sound. Turning, he levitated Harry's trunk and motioned the boy to proceed him. Then, throwing a meaningful look at the Dursleys, Bill said in a loud and clear voice, "Come on, Harry, let's get you home." As he climbed into the Ministry car, Harry glanced back again at his uncle through the open front door, surprised to find him still on the floor, with Petunia and Dudley at his side. "Bill? You wouldn't really feed my uncle to the dragons, right?" Bill paused as he put the trunk in the car's boot and smiled. "Of course not, Harry. You know how Hermione feels about cruelty to animals. Why, she'd never forgive me." It took a second for the joke to register and then Harry started to laugh as they drove away. ~*~ Ginny watched as Harry's green eyes shifted their focus back from the past to the present. "After that, we drove to the Leaky Cauldron and I took the Floo back to the Burrow and the rest you know." He turned and looked down at Ginny, and was surprised to find a stream of tears rolling down her cheeks. He reached out and gently wiped them away with his thumb. "Please don't cry, Ginny." Unexpectedly, Ginny suddenly reached up, pulled Harry's face down, and kissed him with a passion that left Harry breathless. Then Ginny released him and, lying back down, she placed her hand to his cheek and gently ran a finger over his lips. She spoke quietly, and with some anger, "I can understand Ron not saying anything but why didn't Hermione tell me any of this? I thought she was my friend." Harry caught her hand and kissed it gently. "Blame me, my dear. I told her not to say anything because I didn't want you to worry." He smiled ruefully, "Remember what I told you when I first got here? That I had been worried sick about you all summer?" Ginny nodded slowly. "Well, I knew that if I told you what was really going on, your first reaction would have been to grab a broom and come charging over to Privet Drive to rescue me." He took her hand and laid it against his heart and his face grew serious. "Ginny, I carried you up those last flights of stairs at Hogwarts, remember? I knew all too well just how weak you were then and I couldn't bear the thought of you having a relapse. I hid things, and asked Ron and Hermione both to help cover for me, to keep you from worrying because I couldn't risk losing you again." He paused to lift her fingertips to his lips for a gentle kiss, then continued. "You are more than just my girlfriend, Ginny. You are my confidant and something more which I'm not sure I can put into words." He paused and whispered, "I love you more than you will ever know, Miss Weasley," and then Harry leaned down and kissed her, letting her know in that one kiss just how much she truly meant to him. Unfortunately, the magic of the moment was spoiled a minute later by Ron's voice as he yelled from somewhere in the distance, "Harry, you'd better stop snogging my sister! Ginny, Mum says time to come in, supper's ready!" Harry and Ginny both roared, "SOD OFF RON!" then laughed quietly as they heard Hermione suggest that she and Ron take a "scenic" walk back toward the house. Harry dropped his head and muttered, "Do you think its too late to trade him in on a new SILENT model?" Ginny giggled, "Afraid so, his warranty expired when he met you." The two reluctantly got up and gathered the remains of the picnic lunch. Ginny turned to Harry and placed her hand on his chest. "Harry, I'm glad you told me what happened, but please, don't hide things like this from me. I know you want to protect me but I'm a part of your life now and it hurts when you shut me out, even when your intentions are the best." Harry lowered his head in silent acknowledgement of Ginny's words. "I'll try." Ginny gave him a mock scowl, then giggled as she poked him in the chest. "Oh, you'll do more than try, Mr. Potter, if you know what's good for you! I'm just sorry I missed seeing your uncle relieve himself in his trousers!" Harry chuckled at the memory and then made a face and pinched his nose as he replied, "I wish I had missed it, Gin. You have no idea how bad the smell was!" Then he reached for the basket and the two walked slowly back to the Burrow, hand in hand. ~*~ A/N: Again, a big thank you to my betas Sherylyn, Bart, Kathy, and Imogen or their excellent proofreading and fantastic suggestions. Next up: Off to London!
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