1
A New Leaf

Three soft pops signified the arrival of Harry back at Privet Drive along with Hermione and Ron. They apparated into Harry's bedroom, deciding to forego the formality of seeing Vernon's face if they had knocked on the front door.

"I had forgotten how small this room was Harry," Ron said as he looked at the way they were all cramped into the room with their trunks. "I don't know if we'll all be able to stay here even if it is only for one night."

"Don't worry, Ron," Hermione said as she pulled out her wand. "There will be plenty of room when I get done with it."

"Great," Harry said as he put Hedwig's cage on the dresser. "I'll leave you two to sort that out while I go down and inform Uncle Vernon of our arrival."

"I'm glad you're the one who has to tell them," Ron said looking relieved. "Are you sure you don't want me to go down with you though?"

"I'll be fine," Harry said with a serious look.

"Don't lose your temper, Harry," Hermione said looking concerned. "With all you've been through you know your Uncle will get to you that much easier."

"I'll try to keep that in mind," Harry said as he opened the door and walked out.

"It'll serve his uncle right if you ask me," Ron said with a grin.

"How can you say that, Ron?" Hermione asked sticking her finger out at Ron. "You know he's still underage. One hex is all it'll take for the ministry to haul him in you know."

"I'm sorry to be the one to point this out to you, Hermione," Ron began, "but do you really think Harry's going to let that stand in his way now."

Hermione was about to respond when what Ron said sank in. Harry had definitely begun to change. She had completely forgotten that he wasn't even supposed to apparate for a few months.

"Now that I think about it," Hermione started, "maybe you should sneak down the stairs a bit and listen for any sign of trouble."

"Good evening everyone," Harry said as he pushed open the kitchen door and spotted Vernon and Petunia sitting at the table eating dinner.

"Harry!" Petunia shrieked in surprise.

"What are you doing here, boy?" Vernon asked as he looked to the door Harry had just walked through as if expecting to see more wizards walk in any second.

"I live here," Harry said as he opened the refrigerator and began pulling three drinks out of it.

"I know that," Vernon roared as his face turned a familiar shade of purple. "Why are you back so soon?"

"They had to let school out early," Harry said. "Don't worry. I'm only staying one night. Two of my friends came with me, but we'll be leaving tomorrow."

"Two friends came with you eh?" Vernon asked. "I certainly don't remember giving you permission for that. I suppose if I refuse it then that old fool who picked you up at the beginning of the year will come back to knock us in the head with more wine glasses."

Harry acted without thinking as he drew his wand and aimed it right at Vernon as he gritted his teeth and said, "Never insult Albus Dumbledore in front of me. I just came from his funeral earlier today and I won't let you talk about him like that. If you so much as mention his name again I'll make you regret it."

"You had better put that stick away, boy," Vernon said as he rose from his seat and stepped closer to Harry. "I know very well you aren't allowed to use magic away from that school."

"If you only knew how little I care about that little rule right now," Harry said with a wild look in his eyes that Vernon couldn't help but notice.

"Put it away, Harry," Ron said as he stepped into the kitchen. "You know you don't want to do this. Save your hexes for someone who matters."

Harry hesitated, but put his wand away as he said, "You're right, Ron. I don't have to hex them. They had better pray that I manage to kill Voldemort by this time next year though. By that time the magical protection they've enjoyed for all of these years will end. The death eaters will be looking for them then. If I were them I would think about moving to another country for a while."

Harry left the three drinks he had pulled out of the refrigerator sitting in the kitchen with a terrified looking aunt and uncle. He was hoping that they would take his threat seriously. As many times as he had wanted to get away from them, they were still the only relatives he had left.

Harry and Ron walked back into Harry's room and had to stop at the door to take in all of the changes Hermione had made while they were gone. If they hadn't known better, they would have thought they had just stepped through the portrait hole into the Gryffindor common room.

"Brilliant," Ron said as he looked around.

"Hermione, what…," Harry began. "How?"

"It's something I've been working on in my spare time at school," Hermione said. "I haven't gotten it exactly right yet though. It still haven't been able to add the dormitories to it. We'll have to sleep on the couches."

"I think we'll be all right with that," Harry said as he stepped further into the room.

"Sometimes I really wish I was as smart as you, Hermione," Ron said as he plopped down into a big chair by the fire. "This is really amazing."

"Thanks," Hermione responded with a slight blush and a grin. "I won't bother to point out that you could be if you would just apply yourself and study more."

"I know that I should have taken that advice from you sooner," Harry said. "Maybe if I had…"

"There was no way you could have known, Harry," Hermione said as she touched his arm.

"I know it now though," Harry said seriously. "I'm going to learn everything I can over the next few months. I have to be ready when I meet them the next time."

"Wait a minute, Harry," Hermione said. "Don't you mean when you meet him again?"

"I will meet Voldemort," Harry said. "That much has already been determined. Before that, I'll be looking for Snape."

"Don't worry about him, Harry," Hermione said in a voice that bordered on pleading. "Let the ministry find Snape. No one expects you to go after him."

"I do," Harry said. "I'm just not ready to face him yet. He proved that to me."

"We'll be there with you, Harry," Ron said. "You won't have to face him alone."

Harry became aware of the seriousness that hung in the room and said, "Well none of us is going to be any good if we don't get something to eat. Dinner is on me."

Three soft pops were enough to shake Tom from his nap. Business in the Leaky Cauldron had been non-existent lately, so any sound at all was enough to wake him.

"Harry," Tom said as he hurried over to where Harry stood with Ron and Hermione. "I didn't expect to see you here tonight."

"You may be seeing more of me here in the coming months," Harry said. "For tonight though, do you think you can manage a dinner for three."

"Of course," Tom said. "Have a seat. As you can see there are plenty of tables to choose from. I'll bring your drinks out to you in just a minute."

"Thanks," Harry said as he watched Tom disappear into the back.

"So, are you planning to spend a lot of time here over the next few months, Harry?" Hermione asked.

"I imagine I'll be popping in and out," Harry said. "I'll visit as many of the shops in Diagon Alley as possible as well. I'll want to do my part to keep them all in business. The more of them that close, the more hope everyone will lose."

"You can't keep them open on your own though, Harry," Ron said. "People won't feel safe shopping here while the death eaters are still running around."

"Well, after dinner I intend to have a talk with Fred and George to see if they could help with that," Harry said with a grin.

"What on earth could those two do about it?" Hermione asked.

"It's just an idea I have that I want to run by them," Harry said. "Come to think of it, I think there's a little something you can work on for me as well."

"Really?" Hermione asked. "Do you need me to research something?"

"I want you to duplicate the barrier the death eaters used to block the stairs the night they attacked Hogwarts," Harry said.

"Don't you mean you want her to find a way to get through it, Harry?" Ron asked.

"No," Harry said. "I want her to find out how to create one like it that will have the opposite effect. I want it to be placed in doorways and not allow anyone with the dark mark tattooed onto their arm to pass through it."

"Well, if you make a shield like that I'd like to have a couple at my doors," Tom said as he set three butterbeers on the table.

"That's the idea," Harry said. "Put that barrier on every shop door in Diagon Alley and maybe people will feel safer shopping there again. Put it on the front doors of every house in England so everyone can sleep a little better."

"That's an interesting idea, Harry," Hermione said. "I'm not sure it would work though. Eventually Voldemort would find a way to get rid of the barrier."

"I thought about that," Harry said. "Maybe you could try to combine it with a permanent sticking charm. That charm has proved impossible to break while we've been trying to get Mrs. Black's picture down."

"When have you been thinking about all of this?" Hermione asked.

"Since just before the funeral," Harry said.

"You're kidding," Hermione said before she could stop herself. "I'm sorry, Harry. I didn't mean it like that. It's just that… well… That's a brilliant idea."

"Well, you aren't the only one who can have brilliant ideas," Ron said in Harry's defense.

"It's just that I was there when Neville bounced off of that barrier," Hermione said. "I never even thought about trying to use their own innovation against them. Adding the permanent sticking charm is an ingenious idea. It just isn't the kind of thing I expected to hear Harry come up with right now. I thought his mind would be on…"

"Revenge?" Harry asked. "Those thoughts are still there. It wasn't until recently that I realized that the world is much bigger than just me. I look back on it now and I have trouble believing that I was so self-centered. Everything was all about what I felt and what I thought. I know what matters now though. I have to fight Voldemort eventually, but first I have to try to break through the fear he's spread through the wizarding world. To do that, I'm going to need a lot of help."

"I would say so if you plan to put this barrier on every door in the country," Ron said with a grin.

"Exactly," Harry said with a smile of his own. "If we're going to win this war the wizarding world is going to have to stand up and fight against the fear Voldemort spreads. I don't want the death eaters to take a step onto the streets of this country and not have a set of eyes watching them and reporting what they see back to the order."

"That's an awful lot to ask of them," Hermione said. "People are scared more than you know, Harry."

"We just need to instill a little faith in them, Hermione," Harry said. "You'd be surprised to see how much fear a little faith can wash away. Trust me."