World Turned Upside Down.

Sunday 25th June.

Harry came to gently, the warmth of a body on either side of him. Lying on his left side with his right arm circling whoever was lying there, his fingers interwoven with the person's hand, he felt a level of peace he was unused to. Enjoying this peaceful feeling he kept his eyes closed.

Feeling the cold of a ring on one of the fingers he ran the pad of his thumb over it, the layout of the gems betraying it as Hermione's engagement ring. Unlike Daphne's ring the gems were in a straight line around the band. Harry pulled her body closer to him.

Why was Hermione sharing his bed? They had never done this before, and it felt like Daphne was there as well. What had happened last night?

He had won the Triwizard Tournament! He remembered the chaos of the maze, saving Cedric from an Acromantula, and then sharing the win with the older student, but then what? Maybe he had drunk too much in a celebration party?

Harry sat bolt upright as the memories from the graveyard came pouring in. Cedric was dead! Voldemort had returned! Moody had been a Death Eater in disguise!

The sudden movement woke up the two girls, who were quick to wrap him in their arms and reassure him that it was all going to be okay. Tears were freely flowing as the boy remembered the sorrow of seeing Cedric dead, the fear as Voldemort rose out of the cauldron, and the overwhelming feeling of the entire experience.

Ten minutes later Harry was cried out and had started to regain control of himself, enough to ask them about the sleeping situation. "What happened after I left Moody's office last night?"

"We led you here and Lanwe let us in. You passed out as soon as your head hit the pillow and we decided to stay with you in case you woke in the middle of the night." Hermione took it upon herself to answer him.

"You should shower then get dressed." Daphne pulled away from him as she spoke.

Looking down Harry realised he was dressed in flannel pj bottoms and a loose t-shirt. It certainly wasn't what he had been dressed in the previous day and so he looked at Hermione and raised an eyebrow. She blushed lightly.

"Well you passed out in the bloody, grimy clothes that you had worn during the Task so we thought that something more comfortable would be better. The hide armour is over there." Hermione pointed at a chair in the corner of the room which held the Basilisk vest.

"Thanks." The boy mumbled as he stood and left for the bathroom.

Minutes later the warmth of the shower was seeping into him as he lathered up his skin. It was as he was doing this that he realised that his arm was bare of the cut he had received the day before. Harry assumed that his Phoenix blood had healed it when he transformed so he could flame yesterday.

It was weird to look at clear, smooth skin that he knew should have an ugly gash, in fact if he thought about it enough he could feel the pain of the blade slicing into his flesh. Rubbing a finger across the arm he realised that the muscle and tendons were also healed and it wasn't just the skin. Harry wasn't going to complain.

Ten minutes later Harry was dressed and entering the room to find Hermione seated on the bed, barely keeping back her tears. "What's wrong 'Mione?"

"I shouldn't have… You might have known… I was wrong..." She was crying now. "He said he didn't want to worry you… That with the tournament you had too much concerning you… I should have told you..."

The boy struggled to follow the scraps that the weeping girl was letting out. He had no idea what she was talking about, or what she meant. It really was a mission to understand an emotional woman.

"Breathe, Hermione, Breathe. What are you talking about?" Harry tried to calm her down.

It took several minutes for the girl to stop crying and compose herself enough to explain. "Back at the end of April, do you remember how you were going to have Professor Snape fired?"

"Yeah, of course. What about it?" He wanted her to continue.

"Well after he couldn't persuade you Headmaster Dumbledore asked for me to come to his office. He explained to me why he needed Professor Snape to keep his job. He was worried about the resurgence of the Death Eaters, and feared that it might even lead to a return of Voldemort. He gave examples of events here at Hogwarts over the last few years, as well as the Quidditch World Cup, and I understood his worries." She took a moment to ensure he was following before continuing. "He pleaded with me to lobby on his behalf and I did."

Harry thoughts rushed as he pieced together what that all meant. He felt his anger rising as he started to understand what had happened. He felt used. He felt like a fool. But more than anything he felt betrayed.

He kept from exploding, but his anger was evident. "So you and Dumbledore decided to take advantage of our relationship and manipulate me?"

"NO!" Hermione yelled out in fear.

"What would you call it then? You and him talked behind my back about persuading me not to do what I felt was right, and then chose to abuse our relationship for those ends. I would call that manipulation, wouldn't you?" The boy snarled out.

Hermione bounded off the bed and grabbed hold of him. "It's not like that Harry. You have so much on your plate this year and concerns about Death Eaters and Voldemort didn't need to be heaped upon you. Well now we know that you probably could have used that information… We didn't manipulate you, you just weren't listening to the Headmaster's wishes and concerns."

"The Headmaster's wishes and concerns? Fuck the Headmaster! It was his duty to keep Snape in check for the last decade, and he has failed! It's not a game of chess where Dumbledore can keep it all locked up in his brain and not let everyone know what he knows and what he's thinking. It cost Cedric his life, and it could have cost me mine as well! And don't tell me you didn't manipulate me, you said stuff like you couldn't be with me if I behaved like that!" Harry's anger hadn't abated and he pushed her away.

"And I wasn't lying!" Hermione snapped back. "You were taunting and mocking Professor Snape. Yes he had been warned, and there was nothing wrong with you standing up for yourself and others, but taunting? Mocking? While what you were doing was out of the right place, your attitude reminded me of how Malfoy has behaved the last 4 years and you can't deny it."

The pair glared at each other, neither wanting to concede. Harry was filled with hurt and thoughts of betrayal, while the young lady was allowing her fear for the boy to materialise. Tensions were running high.

"So you don't want to marry me, is that what you're saying?" The emerald eyes shone with pain.

That cut through to her and she latched onto him once more. "No, of course not Harry! But I want to marry the real you. The you that is my best friend and that I have fallen in love with over the last 4 years, not an arrogant bully. If I had a sudden change in attitude or personality I would trust you to sit me down and talk to me about it, and that's what I'm doing."

The pair were interrupted before the boy could respond to that. "Descendent, the School Matron is here wanting to see you. Should I let her in?"

"Allow her entrance Lanwe." Harry looked at his fiancee for a moment before leaving for the entrance room to find Poppy walking through the door. "Morning Poppy."

"Mr. Potter, if you could lie down on the couch I will check you for any damage from yesterday. I should have done this last night but it got forgotten and lost in all the chaos." Pomfrey led him over to the furniture in question before beginning an examination.

When the school nurse was happy that he wasn't in any danger or pain she left, telling him that the Headmaster wanted to see him in his office. Debating whether or not he could face the man Harry decided that he probably couldn't refuse to go.

Five minutes later he was walking into the office to find Dumbledore, Amelia Bones and Shack's team of Aurors. Albus and Amelia stopped their discussion and looked up as he walked in.

"Harry, please be seated." The man whose office it was invited.

Harry sat down in the empty chair and raised an eyebrow. If they were going to call him here the least they could do was fill him in on what was going on. He wasn't going to beg.

"The Minister has spent last night and this morning trying to dispel the fires that you caused last night. He has been telling everyone that among the chaos and stress of last night you mistook what you saw. He claims that an unnamed former Death Eater was responsible for kidnapping you and murdering Cedric Diggory. With said Death Eater kissed he has declared the situation dealt with." Dumbledore shared.

"Except that's not what happened, and Crouch wasn't working alone." Harry spat out.

Albus gave him a short smile that Harry took as condescending. "While I believe you, Harry, Cornelius has tied my hands."

Turning to Amelia he raised an eyebrow at her. "And you Madam Bones?"

The woman took out her monocle and polished the glass before returning it to its rightful place. "Minister Fudge has not talked with me on this issue. He probably believes that I would discount such a crazy tale from someone so young straight away, and forgets that the Ministry and the D.M.L.E have to investigate such a serious claim made by a Wizengamot Lord."

"Will it make a difference?" He snorted. "You said that Fudge will ignore it all."

The Head of the D.M.L.E wasn't smiling. "If we can verify your claim we will come to that bridge then. Headmaster would you mind if we use the Hogwarts pensieve?"

A minute later Shack, his boss, and Albus disappeared into the device leaving Harry in the office with three Aurors. Tonks, the only of them that he knew, greeted him. "Blimey Harry, can't have a quiet day can you?"

That forced a laugh out of the teen. "You don't know the half of it, Tonks. Remind me to tell you of some of my other adventures some time. I've gotta say those armour vests are worth it aren't they?"

"How do you know 'bout those?" One of the Aurors asked, suspicious of how this Hogwarts student knew about them.

"Harry was the one who provided the Basilisk hide and paid for them to be made up." Tonks explained to her colleagues.

The Auror's eyes bulged out at that. "That must have cost a fortune! There are what, 15 of the heavy full cover suits and 35 of the standard ones?"

"Yeah I think that's how many that were made up. Plus my own of the medium, standard, ones." Harry conceded.

Tonks cut in at the same time. "Have some restraint Hughes! You don't just talk about how much someone paid for something!"

Harry waved her off. "It's fine Tonks. I'm sure Auror Hughes didn't mean any offense. The vests were about 2000 galleons each and the full suits were 3500 each. But I mean it's a price worth paying if it saves some Aurors lives."

"Speaking of, what did you mean by that comment earlier? Did you get hit by something last night that your vest stopped?" Tonks asked, concern evident.

"Yeah. Hit with a couple of crucio's but didn't feel a thing. Not that I'm recommending going out and being target practice for someone, you never know when it will fail or the spell will hit outside of the protected area." The boy tried to pass it off. The stunned expressions of the Aurors portrayed that he failed.

Tonks mouth flapped open and close several times before she regained control of herself. "You were hit with the Cruciatus curse? And it didn't hurt like you were being stabbed with a million red-hot fondue forks?"

"Three Cruciatus curses. They all hit me in the chest and didn't penetrate the Basilisk hide. That's an oddly specific description Tonks, have you been hit with it before?" Harry asked the young woman.

"Yeah all Trainees are put under it in final term so that we know just how painful it is. It's one thing to be told about it, but you can't truly appreciate the intensity of it without having felt it. They feel that if we know just how painful it is we will do our best to avoid it in the field. But that's not important right now, are you sure that you got hit with the Cruciatus curse?" Hughes cut it.

Harry rolled his eyes at that. "Yes I am sure."

"We will have to inform the Boss to mark the vests A1 not A2." Hughes told the other two Aurors.

Before Harry could question him about what that meant the three in the Pensieve reappeared. Dumbledore looked melancholic, Bones looked shocked and Shack looked like he always did. Harry decided that he never wanted to play poker with the man.

Amelia sent the other 3 Aurors into the Pensieve before turning to address the youth. "It's a shame that none of the Death Eaters were named, but I think I recognised a couple of them that I will have put under surveillance."

"You saw Lucius Malfoy's wand?" Harry enquired.

"Yes I did. The memory, unfortunately, isn't enough for me to start anything official but I will alert my Aurors so that they are ready and are watching for anything suspicious. I will also have Malfoy and several of his friends under surveillance." The Head of the D.M.L.E responded.

Harry turned to Albus to see what he had to add. "I will not be able to bring this before the Wizengamot. If you can find a way to, great, but they will not let you speak if they think that you are going to bring this up."

"Well what bloody use are you then!" Harry's anger at the man from earlier started to show.

Once again Albus turned to the boy and smiled at him, like one would to a child that doesn't understand what is going on. "Unfortunately Minister Fudge has made it clear that 'if I don't drop this nonsense he will see me unceremoniously kicked out of all by positions'."

Fawkes flew over and trilled at Harry as he landed on his shoulder. "He means well. You will find a way around the idiocy and stubbornness of the magical world, youngling."

Scratching the firebird under its beak Harry let the musical tone wash over him and fill him with calm. When a creature as old as Fawkes had faith in him, it was hard for him not to have faith in himself.

"I am not needed here any more then. I will just get my memory and go." Harry stood and scooped the memory out of the Pensieve just after the three Aurors were ejected from the device. "Just so you are aware Headmaster, I plan on returning home after lunch today and will not be returning until next year."

"Harry, I do not think that is wise. You are safer here until the end of term and then will be safer with the Dursley's." Albus told him, his tone indicating that it was a command not a suggestion.

Harry laughed, a full, loud guffaw. "Safer here at Hogwarts? If I had been at home and not here last night would never have happened. I'm going and you can't stop me."

"Lord Potter." It was Amelia's voice and brought the boy to a halt. "The reason why I brought Senior Auror Shacklebolt and his team is because I am going to assign them to you as a protective detail."

Harry furrowed his brow at that. "No."

"Why not? They will be able to protect you." The woman was surprised at his refusal.

"As it stands only three people in the magical world know where I live, and the more people who know the greater risk of it getting out." He was insistent that his privacy and protection was ensured.

Bones gave him a stern look. "My Aurors are professionals, and will keep you safe while not breaching your confidence."

"Not happening! I don't even know half the team." Harry fired back.

"How about just Shack and Tonks? You know both of them, and while they would be a little disadvantaged with a half-strength team, they will be able to ensure your safety." Amelia was unwilling to back down.

Harry looked at the two of them for several moments, assessing the pair in question. "If they give an oath to not leave my house without my permission, not contact anybody, including yourself Madam Bones, and never share anything about my life afterwards I will take them with me. That is as long as I don't commit any crimes of course."

The three Law Enforcement Officers huddled together and quickly started conversing in hushed tones. The came to an agreement and the pair of Aurors walked over to the Floo and departed. "They will meet you at the Great Hall during lunch."

/

Tuesday 27th June, 10:30am. (A/N: In an earlier chapter I have had Buckbeak cleared of his charges [chap21] and in the last I mentioned his less than ideal legal situation- this is because despite the pardon Sirius didn't want to create too many questions about the history of the Hippogriff and cause problems for Harry whose actions were, let's say, less than legal).

Harry was sitting in the shade of the trees, enjoying the peace and quiet of the Island. He stroked the bluey-grey feathers of Stormcloud who was lying next to him while Buckbeak danced around entertaining the pair. An unfinished nest could be seen in the half-light of the forest.

Since he met the female Hippogriff the previous day the boy had spent a large majority of his time relaxing with the creatures. The pregnant Stormcloud had been hesitant meeting the boy but had soon warmed up to him and now happily followed him around the forest. Exploring the forest with Stormcloud at his side had helped calm the boy.

His Auror guards had tried following him, but whenever they tried an angry Hippogriff had chased them off much to Harry's amusement. Instead they had set up a command post in the Rose Garden and took turns in it watching over the forest and the Island to make sure Harry was safe.

Both Hippogriffs heads snapped to the side, and several seconds later Harry heard the footsteps that had caught their attention and watched as Shack came into view. The tall Auror came to a stop, parcel under one arm, and waved Harry over.

Patting the Hippogriff within reach the boy stood up and walked over to Kingsley and silently took the parcel off the man. Opening it up he pulled out some parchment with a note written on it. The note was from his lawyer, which wasn't surprising as only Sirius or the Welch-and-Smith Law Office could send mail through the wards.

It raised more questions than answers and led to Harry reaching into the parcel and pulling out a thick envelope. His name, written formally, was on the front of the letter. Breaking the seal on the back he pulled out several pages of thick parchment and read through it. The request was surprising to say the least and had the young Lord contemplating what it meant.

Saying goodbye to the 'Griffs he led the Auror back to the manor, collecting Tonks from the guardpost on the way. "Get in your uniforms, we are heading to the Ministry. I am going to get changed. You have 10 minutes."

Getting dressed in robes fitting his station and checking both of his wands, his Holly and Phoenix wand in one of the other standard wand holsters that he had replaced the stolen one with, before leaving his room. He was in the entrance hall a full 2 minutes before either of his guards.

"My presence has been requested by the Department of Mysteries, and I assume you want to escort me?" The Auror partners confirmed his suspicion. "I don't know how to Apparate, and don't want to Flame into the Ministry so you two will have to Side-Along me."

A couple of minutes later the Aurors were keeping reporters, citizens and Ministry-workers at bay while Harry went through the entrance desk. Like Ministry employees, Wizengamot members were allowed to keep possession of their wands and only had to record their presence with the desk.

Tonks and Shacklebolt were able to keep the people at a distance and secure an empty lift for the group, and soon they were approaching the door to the Department of Mysteries. Shack knocked on the door, which remained shut.

He was reaching up to knock a second time when an open slot appeared in what had been a solid door moments before. "What do you want Auror?"

The Auror in question stepped back and the Unspeakable scanned the other two in the party. The slot disappeared and the door opened in its place. The man (Harry thought he was a man) was in a Black robe that seemed to absorb the light, with only his eyes being able to made out on his face.

"Lord Peverell, this way please." The Unspeakable led the group to a break room. "Your Auror guards can wait here for our return, Lord Peverell, they do not have the clearance to come further."

The pair bristled at that but Harry waved them down. Without knowing more about why they wanted him here he wasn't going to do anything that might draw their ire. "That's fine. Where are we going?"

The man waited until the door to the break room was closed before responding. "The Boss wants to speak to you."

"What should I call you?" The boy enquired of his guide.

"Elis Trunich, Unspeakable second grade, warding. You can call me Slate everybody does. It's my codename." Slate informed the boy.

The openness surprised Harry. "Are you allowed to tell me all that?"

"You are Lord Peverell. While Lord Gilios currently runs the D.o.M, and have for centuries, the Unspeakables have not forgotten that our true creator and leader is Lord Peverell." Trunich turned down a new hallway.

"It's been 400 years." Harry pointed out.

They came to a stop in front of a door that seemed identical to all the others they had passed. "The Peverell's were true leaders. They were always curious, always striving to improve our understanding of magic and push the boundaries of what is possible. The Gilios' are happy to use our ideas to better their lives but have never assisted or helped us discover anything. Anyway the Boss is in there, I need to get back to work."

Harry knocked before entering what was a fairly large clean office that had thick tomes filling shelves around the room, and two neat stacks of parchment on the desk. The man seated behind the desk was wearing an identical robe to Slate except the hood was down.

He was old, extremely old if Harry had to hazard a guess, so old that even for a magical he looked old. Madam Marchbanks was in her 140's and looked nowhere near as old as "The Boss" who Harry assumed was the man. While Harry was appraising him, the man was studying him back.

"Lord Peverell it is a privilege to meet you. That you for coming in so soon. Pholius Arba Potter at your service." The man stood up and bowed to him.

That had Harry thrown off balance. "Potter? Any relation?"

"Distantly. I was your great-great-grandfather's second cousin. However that is not why you are here, I would like your assistance with something." The man then all but pushed Harry down into his seat and then sat in the visitors chair.

"My help? What with?" The 14-year-old still had no idea what was going on.

Pholius leant back in the chair and steepled his fingers. "Unlike the fools in the Ministry, and in particular the incompetent morons of the Minister's office, we are well aware that death is a complex issue. In fact it is one of the major topics of research for the Department of Mysteries. For that reason myself, and all the Unspeakables I have talked to on this matter, believe your claims after the Third Task. I was at the event, family pride was on the line after all, and had a quick look at Diggory's body before I was sent away and the after effects of the Killing Curse were inescapable. We want to study the ritual Voldemort used and to do so we need a copy of your memory from the night, will you provide it?"

"And why do you want to research the ritual?" The young Lord was instantly suspicious.

"There are several ways that Voldemort could have cheated death and by studying the ritual we can work out what method he used, or at least narrow it down. That way we can stop him from using it again in the future. You might not know this but a former Unspeakable, Rockwood, betrayed us and was a Death Eater spy. We don't forgive and we most certainly don't forget." The vitriol he felt for the man was clear.

Harry had to make a decision. Would he trust a Ministry Department? Yes the D.o.M were unique and had more autonomy than any other department, but were still somewhat beholden to the Minister. On the other hand he needed allies, now more than ever.

Was the man across from him even being honest about who he was? Was there a Pholius Potter? Even if their was, was this him?

"Pardon me a moment." Not waiting for a response Harry disappeared in a ball of fire, reappearing in a specific room in his home.

His sudden appearance drew the gaze of most of the eyes in the room, and even woke up several others in attendance. Twelve pairs of eyes looked down at him, several glaring after having their sleep disturbed.

Like many houses of old wizarding families the Potter Manor had a room for portraits of ancestors and it was into that room Harry had travelled. If anyone could give him the answers he needed they were in this room. If he could get a straight answer out of them.

"Lord Potter, welcome!" A ancestor from the 1500s greeted him.

"Well put Lord Potter! Of course you are always welcome here Lord Potter." Another painting added.

This was joined by a dozen other greeting for Lord Potter as well as two dozen other statements back and forth, all saying either 'Lord Potter' or 'my good Lord'. It was a favourite pastime for them all, and the main reason Harry avoided the room.

"Quiet, all of you! Thank you. I recently met a man claiming to be a Potter, Pholius Arba Potter, and a distant relation. Perhaps one of you can shed light on this for me, so that I know if I can trust him." Harry cut over their incessant yammering.

"I had a nephew named Pholius. Born in 1823. He would be ancient if he is still alive." One of the portraits responded.

The current Lord Potter considered that. "And how could I confirm it is him?"

Receiving guidance, Harry had soon returned to the office in the D.o.M. Before the Boss could speak the young Lord brandished his wand.

"Ostende Genus!" The Gryffindor called out, and a blue light shot towards the Unspeakable.

It hit, and then a split second later large blue letters flashed over the man's head. They read out P.O.T.T.E.R clearly. The Boss looked up at the letters before raising an eyebrow at the student.

"Sorry bout that, had to be sure of your claims." He didn't look sorry, despite his words.

Pholius didn't look happy. "Word of warning, don't pull a wand on an Unspeakable, especially not in the Department of Mysteries. Lord Peverell or not the outcome will most likely be deadly, and incredibly painful at that."

"Perhaps we had best move on to why you asked me to come." Harry changed the topic.

A wicked grin spread wide across the ancient wizards face. "Let's get down to business…"

/

Saturday 8th July, 10:30am.

The young man stood there looking at the building that he had been forced to live in for more than a decade. This was the last time Harry would ever come to Privet Drive, and if he got his way the last time he saw the Dursley's.

Many people wouldn't understand why he was going to do what he had planned, and if he was honest Harry himself kept fluctuating between helping them or leaving them to face the coming storm alone. If anybody didn't deserve his help it was the the Dursley family.

However he wasn't doing this for himself, or even for the Dursley's, he was doing this for his mother. Lily Evans-Potter was by all accounts the kindest student at Hogwarts and to honour her memory Harry would offer his assistance to Lily's sister. If their arrogance and bigotry stopped them from accepting it that was on them.

Knowing he couldn't delay it any longer he walked up to the front fire and knocked. "Pet can you get the door?" The voice of Vernon was muffled by the door but still carried enough for the boy to hear.

The door swung open and standing there was Petunia Dursley, a polite smile on her face. The smile faded as she realised who was at the door. "You're late! We wasted 30 minutes waiting for you at the station last week."

"I need to speak to you and Vernon for a couple of minutes and then I will leave you both. May I come in?" Petunia stepped to the side and Harry led her into the living room which was currently occupied by Vernon.

Vernon was seated in his favourite chair, watching the television and didn't bother to even look up. "Who was at the door Pet? A salesperson? Don't they understand that on Saturday people want to be left alone in peace?"

He finally looked up when she didn't reply, scowling at Harry's presence. "I thought you had run away, boy."

"Not quite. You might want to be seated Aunt Petunia." Harry waited for her to sit but stayed standing himself. "Voldemort, the terrorist who murdered my parents, has returned."

Harry paused for that to sink in, but obviously Vernon didn't understand what that meant. Petunia however became incredibly pale. "Re… Re… Returned?"

"What does that have to do with us?" Vernon spat out.

The man really was an idiot, Harry mused. "Several things. Firstly he hates non-magical people. Secondly he has already made it clear that he wants to kill me and is not afraid to kill innocent people to try and get to me. Lastly he is a psychopath who doesn't care how many people he kills."

"Then why did you come here? Do you want him to kill us?" The large man inquired, his face getting redder and redder as his fear and anger rose.

Harry just looked at him passively. "Hardly. I am here because it is what my mother would have wanted. Voldemort will come after you for several reasons but at least now you know he is coming. I will be leaving soon and never returning, I will also not be telling you how to get in contact with me in case you are stupid and he catches up with you."

"Well you've warned us you can go and hide now!" Vernon snarled out.

"Not quite. Unfortunately there are those in the magical world who know about this house and you will be defenseless when they come." Harry reached into a pocket and pulled out a document and a cheque. "I would suggest you sign this document and take this cheque and move. I had my lawyers draw up a standard property transfer agreement, and the check is 10% over the average house price for similar houses in Surrey. If you don't want to take it that's fine but my conscious is clear."

Vernon snatched up the papers and read through them before looking at the cheque. "This is obviously a joke! Where would you get £100,000?"

"My parents left me enough of an inheritance to cover this and to hide away from Voldemort and his slaves." Harry shot back, unwilling to let Vernon know just how much the Potter family had left him.

Vernon's eyes drifted back to the cheque, his greed dancing in his eyes. "So you have been a burden on us all these years despite having your own money? I think this cheque is much too light."

"Shut up Vernon you greedy fool!" Harry snapped back, surprising both his Uncle and Aunty. "And £2,500 every year to care for a child is not nothing! That's right I know about the money that you were given every year to care for me as it came out of my account."

Petunia finally got over her shock. "You were getting paid every year Vernon? You never told me!"

"You know the new jewellery and dress that I buy you every year in the first week of January? That's where the money for it comes from, as well as my new suits. The factory stopped doing Christmas bonuses in 1981 and then I get this surprise envelope of cash at the start of 1982 and I thought you deserved something special. So I told you how they had changed from Christmas bonuses to New Year's bonuses and that's why it was a little late in coming and made up for it by getting you that pearl necklace you love. Then every year since the same envelope of pounds has come so I have treated us." At least he had the good grace to look embarrassed about lying to his wife.

Harry however didn't see the funny side of it. "And the note saying it was for the care of me? Just ignore that did you?"

"We fed you, clothed you, schooled you and kept a roof over your head! We were entitled to some niceties for our troubles!" Vernon was not willing to accept he was in the wrong on this.

"It doesn't matter now, as you are never getting another payment. What did you tell Aunt Petunia this year when you didn't receive any money?" Harry was looking forward to this answer.

Vernon didn't look like he wanted to reply but cracked under Petunia's intense stare. "I dipped into our savings to cover it. I was surprised when no money arrived but then you weren't there at the station I assumed somebody else had taken you in."

"Our savings Vernon? You were going to take me to Hawaii!" Of everything she had heard so far that seemed to have the biggest impact on Harry's Aunt.

"I still will Pet! We might just have to wait an extra year." The walrus took her hand to show his sympathy for his wife.

Harry rolled his eyes at that. The man was willing to take money meant for a child and spend it on luxury items for himself and his wife and try and extort more money from that same child without showing any regret, but then can turn around and look like he needs forgiveness for the worst crime imaginable for delaying his wife's holiday for a year.

"Perhaps we can get back to business so I can get out of here? There is one last piece of help I am willing to offer. One of the William Grant & Son's distilleries in Dufftown Scotland needs a manager and the position is yours if you want it. The job starts in three Mondays which gives you time to pack and move, and the cheque allows you to buy a new house there. It won't really affect Dudley's schooling given he is a boarding student anyways, and it gets you away from where Voldemort will be looking for you. I suggest take the money, take the job and move. Tell anybody who asks that you got headhunted and offered a job in Wales or France or anywhere but Scotland so that they don't know where to look for you and never look back." Harry spoke to the pair.

His mother's sister was the first of the pair to speak. "Scotland? But Scotland is a terrible country to live in! It's cold, wet, and full of drunks."

"It's a better alternative to being dead! I don't care much what you do. Stay here and take your chances if you want, take the money and move somewhere else and trust Vernon's work history to find another job, or accept my help." Harry shot back at his Aunt.

"How long do we have to decide?" Vernon asked.

"5 minutes or so. At least that's how long the offer for the house stands. As I said earlier the job in Scotland is already yours. Here is the business card of your contact there, call him and turn down the position of you want otherwise don't call him until you are in Dufftown or you are giving a flashing neon sign to your location." Harry stood up. "I will let you talk in private while you make up your minds."

"How are we supposed to make the decision to upheave our lives in 5 minutes?" His Aunt called out.

Harry shrugged. "Hopefully Voldemort will be defeated soon and you can decide what you want from the rest of your lives, but you have to make a tough decision about what is best for you right now."

Harry left the room and went upstairs to the room he had occupied the last few years. Searching the room he found a few things that he had left there, old class notes and the such. Five minutes late he returned to the living room.

The husband and wife were sitting there silently watching the door waiting for his return. Petunia spoke as soon as he entered. "We have decided to take the money and move to Scotland."

Instead of speaking Vernon pulled out a pen and signed the document and handed it over to Harry. The boy scanned through it, making sure no changes had been made, before adding his signature at the bottom. Casting a simple duplication spell he handed a copy back to Vernon.

"I expect the house to be empty by the 24th. I'm sure you can understand my sentiment but I hope to never see you again." Harry turned to leave the house.

Just as he stepped out the front door and turned to close it he saw his Auntie standing there looking at him weirdly. "Thank you Harry."

Not knowing what to say the Gryffindor simply nodded at her before leaving. Rather than disappearing from a muggle street in the middle of the day Harry wanted to leave from a place that he wouldn't be seen. He knew just the place.

There was another reason that Harry wanted to go to the little park a short walk away; it was where he first saw Sirius. He didn't know that the giant dog was his godfather at the time, but now that he did he wanted to return to the park to honour that memory.

Taking a shortcut down an alley he stumbled across his cousin, leaning against a wall smoking a cigarette. "Dudley."

The other boy's head shot up and he focussed on the intrusion. "What are you doing here Potter? I thought you had run away."

"I was just saying goodbye to your parents so I guess it's fitting that I say it to you as well. Goodbye Dudley." Harry said before walking past the other boy.

"Ha so you are running away! You think you can survive out there? That there is somebody willing to take you in?" Dudley mocked him.

Harry debated whether or not to bite on that. "Turns out the Potter's, my father's family, are fairly wealthy. I will take care of myself. Goodbye."

Harry took two steps before he felt a sudden chill come over him. A mist started to descend on the pair, freaking out the larger of the two boys.

"What are you doing Freak?" Dudley yelled out, his fear obvious.

"It's not me you idiot. Be quiet." Lord Potter's eyes were dancing around as he searched for the intrusion.

Dudley was in full-on panic mode now. "I can't see! What are you doing to me?"

The voices from a terrible day long ago started echoing in Harry's head and his fears were confirmed. Acting instantly he produced his Holly wand and shouted out his charm. "Expecto Patronum!"

As expected a shimmery silver stag jumped out of his wand and the relief was instantaneous for both boys. "What is that? You can't do magic out of school!"

"Shut up Dudley!" Seeing a dark shape to the left Harry sent his patronus that way and the Dementor fled in the face of it's kryptonyte.

Feeling an encroaching darkness coming from the other side Harry produced another patronus which caused the first to dissipate. Just like the first time around the advancing patronus chased away the Dark Creature that had been threatening its creator.

With both Dementor's retreating the mist and evil feeling left as quickly as it appeared leaving the two standing alone in the alley. "What the hell was that Harry?"

"That, Dudley, was the patronus charm. A very effective piece of defensive magic that is the only way to protect yourself from two very dangerous magical creatures. As a non-magical you couldn't see the Dementors but you could feel their presence. They fill a person with fear and an overwhelming sense of helplessness as a means of paralyzing their targets before they eat your very soul. Come quickly, we need to get you home." Harry grabbed his cousin by the arm and dragged him back to number 4 Privet Drive.

Not waiting to be polite this time Harry slammed open the door startling the inhabitants of the house. "What is the meaning of this!"

Seconds after he yelled Vernon appeared seeing Harry pull a still shocked Dudley into the house and slamming the door closed behind them. "What's the meaning of this Potter? I thought you were going?"

"Dudley and I were just attacked by a very dangerous magical creature. You are lucky I have experience with them or we would both be dead right now. Well sucked soulless to be precise but it has the same outcome. You don't have a couple of weeks anymore! Quickly go pack bags with only the things that you need." Harry tried to install a sense of urgency in the family of three.

"Now?" Petunia looked shocked.

"Yes!" Why were they not moving already? "I am willing to wait a little time while you pack but you are defenseless when I leave so hurry."

Petunia and Vernon dashed off, finally listening, but Dudley was still too stunned to move. Remembering his first encounter with Dementors Harry rushed into the kitchen and started searching. Finding a whole block of chocolate he returned to his cousin.

"Eat this Dudley." Tearing off a piece he handed it over.

Not thinking the other boy hoovered it up, as well as the next two pieces he was given. Colour had finally returned to his face and he was looking much better. He was also finally responsive.

"Dudley you must go to your room and pack a bag. Pack all the clothes that you need, your school uniform and equipment, only what you need. You are never coming back here. Quickly now!" Duds nodded at that and ran off, up the stairs, and to his room.

Harry walked over to the window and looked out, making sure there was no more danger. He spent the next ten minutes on watch before anything changed, when an owl swooped down and pecked at the glass.

Opening a window he accepted the letter before it flew away. Recognising the seal in the back Harry ripped it open.

Lord Potter,

We just received a very interesting letter meant for you. Come see us as soon as you can, certainly before you leave the country. It is urgent.

Daffodil Smith.

Wondering what could be so urgent that he would be sent a letter during the middle of the day from his lawyer, they only thing that came to mind was the Dementor incident but how would they have found out about it? He would just have to go to the Law Office as soon as the Dursley's were on the road.

Hearing the thundering steps of his Uncle coming down the stairs he looked over to see him deposit a pair of suitcases before returning upstairs. Harry returned to his guard duties.

It was almost half an hour later that the four were standing near the front door with 8 suitcases in total. "Get in your car and drive. Stay in a hotel in London tonight. Tomorrow call your boss Vernon and tell him a family emergency has arisen and you have to move closer to family so cannot come into work for the next few days and that this is your final notice. After the call leave the hotel and drive until you get to Dufftown, don't tell anybody where you are and after that call never contact anybody from your old life. That goes for you as well Dudley don't try and contact anybody. Because you can't come back here, here is a cheque to cover all the possessions you have had to leave behind."

Vernon nodded as he accepted the second cheque and with Dudley's help they carried the cases to the car in two trips. After the second trip the three piled into the car and drove off, Harry hoped that it would be the last he heard about them.

Closing the door and locking it he looked around. It would be a hassle to sell everything in the house but there was little he could do after the attack. Disappearing in a ball of fire he hoped he would never have to return here, but now he had to focus on whatever his lawyer needed.