Disclaimer: Do not own or profit from anything you see here. This year is mine! Plot belongs to ME (but JK's characters belong to her).

AUTHOR'S NOTE: this is my version of year 7. I wrote this months ago with a few revisions lately, but it is my version. I will write another version that follows JK's final book, but this is not it! Anything that is similar to book 7 is completely coincidental! Credit belongs to me: )

Chapter 1: Outnumbering the Dursleys

Emma, Harry, Hermione, and Ron filed onto the train and found a compartment with Ginny, Neville, and Luna. The train ride was quiet and uneventful as everyone was still numb from the funeral. When they finally got off at Kings Crossing, Harry realized that it would probably look weird to the muggles seeing dozens of students dressed for a funeral flooding the station, but he didn't care. He just wanted to spend his evening at the Dursleys with Emma, who had decided to keep him company, and then meet up with Hermione and Ron tomorrow, and finally be done with the Dursleys.

"I'll be by tomorrow, Harry, to help you leave," Hermione said as she hugged Harry and then Emma. Emma was happy she managed not to flinch as the onslaught of Hermione's emotions smothered her. Hermione apparated out, and Emma placed a hand on her chest taking a deep breath. Then she slipped her car, the mini cooper her dad had gotten her for Christmas, out of her pocket and un-shrunk it. "Does your family know we are coming?"

"I sent them an owl that school was closing early, but I had a ride so they didn't have to burden themselves. You will be a surprise though."

"Not unusual," Emma said as she navigated the streets. They drove in silence for a long time till finally Emma said, "Harry, can I make a suggestion? It is one you won't like."

"Of course," Harry said. "What's wrong?"

"You are planning on staying at the Dursleys only for tonight," Emma stated. Harry nodded. "My suggestion is to stay there until Bill and Fluer's wedding in two and a half weeks," Emma said.

"What? You want to stay that long at the Dursleys?" Harry asked. "Why?" He figured Emma had to have a reason for it.

"I have my reasons. If we go to the Burrow too early, how are we going to get any work done on trying to study Horcruxes? The house will be overflowing with people, and Molly will notice if you and Ron all of a sudden start opening books during summer vacation– especially if there is the possibility of no school next term," Emma explained. "At least at the Dursleys' we will have time to start planning our search with relatively little interruptions."

"I hadn't thought about it," Harry said honestly. "I just wanted to go back my last time and then be done."

"Honestly, I think you have unfinished business with the Dursleys'," Emma said.

"What are you planning?" Harry asked wearily but Emma just gave him a smirk that mirrored that of Draco. He thought she seemed even more exhausted than normal; he wanted to help her in some way, but wasn't sure how.

They pulled up to number four. Emma parked along the curb, and they walked up to the door in complete muggle fashion. Already unsure of what to expect (although he was pretty sure Uncle Vernon would have a stroke because he not only brought someone to their house, but a magical person at that), Harry just walked straight through the front door with Emma behind him. When Harry got to the entrance way of the kitchen, the Dursley clan looked up from where they were sitting down to dinner.

"So you're home then are you? Well, don't just stand there, make yourself useful," growled Uncle Vernon

" I thought I should just let you all know that I have brought a friend to stay with me" Harry said, motioning towards Emma to come up then "and that we will both be gone in about two weeks."

Emma nodded at Harry's awkward introduction. She took the opportunity provided by their stunned silence to speak. "Good Evening, Mr and Mrs. Dursley, Dudley. I am Emma O'Neill. It is a pleasure to meet all of you. I apologize for my intrusion, I had thought Harry would announce my presence in advance, but I will beg to trespass on your hospitality myself. I am truly sorry for the inconvenience," she said sincerely. There was silence as the Dursleys' sat on in denial. "What a lovely kitchen you have Mrs. Dursley," Emma said looking around. "It looks like it was photographed in Ladies Home Magazine."

"Now listen here you!" Vernon spoke up, "Here you are taking advantage of our hospitality to this boy, and you literally come bursting into our home, interrupting our meal," he huffed, "what makes you so quick to assume that we will allow another fre" Vernon started but was interrupted when Petunia stepped in by shooting him a look.

"ENOUGH! Emma is staying with me. I didn't even ask for your permission in the first place, and you stand here and insult my friend. I. . ." Harry started.

"Harry, it is your uncle's house and I would ask him for his permission and gladly excuse his behavior," Emma said, the picture of calm. She turned back to Vernon and Petunia. "I ask what I have done to deserve this censure? I have complimented your home and family, and promised to be under the best behavior, but instead you are blinded by your prejudices because of an accident of birth. I point out I have done nothing to draw attention to myself upon arrival and ask: may I be allowed to stay with you for two weeks?"

Vernon looked over to Petunia, who looked like she was willing to let Emma stay. "Who do you think you are to come in here demanding anything of me" Vernon said, trying one last attempt to find a legitimate excuse.

"I am Harry's cousin, on his father's side, and the daughter of an important politician; I ask you to put me up out of the kindness of your heart."

"Ah ha! All along you had other relatives you could have stayed with . . ."

"Harry knew nothing of me until this year. And for reasons unknown to you, Petunia let him stay. Now, you will let me stay," she said eerily calm but commanding (compared to Vernon's near hysteria). With that said, she picked up her trunk and moved it upstairs to Harry's room. Harry was amazed that anyone would stand up to Vernon like that, except maybe Dumbledore or Sirius, but thinking of them was too sad, so he decided to take his stuff and follow Emma to his room.

Emma took out her wand and started expanding the small bedroom to accommodate the two of them. She conjured another bed and side table for herself and started making the room feel like a real bedroom rather than just Dudley's spare room. "You don't mind if I share your room, do you Harry? I didn't ask first," she said when he came in.

"No, of course not. Won't the ministry notice magic being used?" He was in no hurry to go to another trial.

Emma just smiled. "They know I am here. If anyone tries to reprimand you for underage magic my father will stop them. It's why I didn't disable the tracking spell he placed on my car. . . yet," she added.

"Isn't Petunia going to, er, get upset over the use of magic in her house?"

"Perhaps, but only if she crosses the threshold," Emma said laughing. "I made a barrier over the threshold so anyone looking in will see it how it used to be."

Harry grinned. "Awesome," he said right as the door open and they saw Petunia holding two trays of food. "I thought it best if perhaps you don't come down just yet, let Vernon get a chance to cool off, and let me talk to him."

Smiling, Emma nodded to Petunia. "Thank you very much Mrs. Dursley. It looks delicious".

Blushing, Petunia left. Harry stood there flabbergasted that Petunia had brought up food and didn't even use the cat door. They sat in chairs Emma conjured and ate. "It still feels surreal."

Emma nodded. She wasn't sure she wanted to talk about it yet. 'Emma, if I had known, . . .'

'If either of us had known, we would have done it different,' Emma said. 'I should have!'

'You promised, and he knew once you gave your word you would hold by it.'

"Dumbledore made you promise, Emma," Harry said and Emma actually laughed since he and Draco were both thinking the same thing.

"I know, I just feel betrayed," she admitted. "I should have just peaked; so many things could have been avoided over the years if I had," she said stabbing at her food, the only sign of her irritation.

"You can project, it won't kill me," Harry said. "Sometimes you have to get it out."

"It's not like you were after Cedric's death, Harry. Sure, you annoyed the hell out of everyone but no one was physically or mentally damaged."

Harry understood the implied meaning. "It can't be good for you to bottle it up. If the only way I can help is to let you express yourself than go ahead," he said sincerely.

Emma smiled. "You are helping; I let your feelings of hurt and betrayal be mine. I admit to always being vicariously emotional through you," she said stabbing at the potatoes.

"Draco is really leaving Voldemort?" Harry asked.

Emma nodded. "Yes, he and Snape and Narcissa are going to go into hiding," Emma said. Emma felt the surge of hatred flare up in Harry at the mention of Snape's name. "I'm sorry," she said. She didn't think now was the best time to bring up her feelings and suspicions on Snape.

Harry stared at her. "Sorry? For what?"

"Not doing something different. Probing and prying to see what their plan was . . .I don't know, just something different."

"Emma, I don't blame you, and I don't even blame Draco, oddly enough. I blame Snape. I don't think you could have done anything else."

Emma smiled. "That means a lot, you know." Harry nodded, and changed the subject to something more lighthearted.

"Sometimes I wonder what it would have been like to have even just one parent." Harry said as he lay in bed. Emma had transfigured a comfortable bed for herself across from him.

"I know," Emma replied knowingly making Harry laugh.

Harry smiled despite himself. "You seem to know everything already. It's amazing you even have conversations"

Emma laughs. "You are not the first to have wondered over that. Draco did too. But if I just sneak into everyone's head then life would be boring. Night Harry. I 'spect Hermoine and Ron will be here around ten tomorrow."

"Night Emma" and Harry fell asleep, still feeling guilty knowing Emma is staying up and guarding him like usual.

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The next morning Harry woke up to the smell of pancakes and bacon, and was surprised that Petunia didn't come rapping on his door to have him come and serve. He looked over and saw that Emma was already up.

When Harry entered the kitchen, he found Emma was helping Petunia, who didn't seem to mind at all. They even seem to be talking in a friendly manner! He shook his head wondering what was going on in Emma's ever calculatingmind.

Vernon walked in behind Harry and found the scene odd, like Harry, but other than his face contorting, he didn't say anything to voice his opinion of the matter.

Everyone sat down at the dinner table, and Dudley seemed more interested in sitting next to Emma than being able to see his television for the first time in his life. Harry shot Emma a glance that clearly said boy are you in trouble now.

The conversation was choppy, with mainly Petunia talking to either Vernon or Emma (Dudley was too busy eating and staring at Emma and Harry was too busy trying to not be sick at the entire situation). No matter how nice Emma was, though, Vernon didn't say two words to her.

Later that morning, when Harry and Emma were back in his room– after Emma helped Petunia with the dishes– Hermione and Ron apparated over. "Suddenly, I'm not in a hurry to explain to my Aunt and Uncle that I will be having two more of my friends popping in and out of the house randomly for the next two weeks," said Harry.

"Nice greeting mate," said Ron. "At least you don't have to sneak out of the house and hope that your mum stays occupied with wedding plans not to notice your absence. This is when I'm glad my house is chalk full of people."

"Honestly Ronald," said Hermione with a grin.

"Don't worry Harry, I have already spoken with Petunia this morning. She was actually quite talkative– not surprising– but she was quite curious about everything."

"What did you tell her?"asked Harry, slightly panicked.

"That you are going on a suicide mission," said Emma, and laughed at his look of horror. "Just kidding! Honestly, I didn't think you would care if she thought that. I just told her that we wanted a chance to get to know each other since you hadn't know about me for the past 16 years. I told her then you were going to stay with the Weasley family like you usually do, and that Ron, your redhead friend, and Hermione, another friend, would be coming now and again to keep us company and so that we could study during the break."

"Study?!" said Ron. "Who studies during summer break anyways?" He looked at Hermione's angry face and gave her a sheepish grin. "Sorry 'mione".

"That is our excuse for being cooped up here."

"And besides Ronald, we are going to be studying. We are going to have a lot to cover– I mean we have to learn about horcruxes: how to find them, how to destroy them, plus we are probably going to have to cram in as much stuff we would learn in seventh year as possible." said Hermione matter-of-factly.

"First thing to decide, is when do we leave to look for them?" said Emma.

"I was thinking after the wedding– the sooner the better" said Harry.

" Good idea," said Hermione and Ron at the same time, then blushing realizing what they did.

They spent the next hour going over what Harry learned from Dumbledore about Tom

Riddle. Mainly, Harry going over the memories and Hermione taking furious notes of everything Harry said while Emma committed it to (what Ron called her endless) memory and Ron listened patiently. Finally, with Ron's growling stomach, they decided to brave the Dursley kitchen for lunch.

To their relief, they forgot that Uncle Vernon would be at work. Yippee!!! was the common thought in Harry, Ron, and Hermione's head making Emma grin. That just left them having to deal with Petunia and Dudley (who mysteriously appeared for lunch), but Emma felt on good terms with Petunia, and the other 3 were comfortable with the knowledge that they outnumbered the 2 Dursleys.

The rest of the afternoon was spent making a game plan. It was decided that they would start getting supplies the next day with Hermione and Emma going to Diagon Alley and picking up potion supplies and, of course, any books they could find that would possibly be useful.

Ron left first for fear that his mom would realize he was gone all day. Hermione stayed a little longer, going over plans with Emma and Harry. By the time she left they had made a list of all the horcruxes they knew for sure, the ones they guessed, and where they could possibly be. Hermoine apparated out when Vernon got back, promising to be back tomorrow around 10 again.

Dinner was similar to breakfast with Petunia doing most of the conversation. Emma tried to help keep things going, and even managed to get Dudley into a conversation (to everyone's shock). But no matter how talkative and aggressive she tried to be, Harry couldn't help but notice that Emma seemed to be even more withdrawn than usual. He had asked Hermione if she noticed (or if he was just being paranoid), but even Ron noticed it.

He hoped a day shopping with Hermione would help her.

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