Metamorphosis

***Author's note: I have decided to post my new Harry Potter story to make up for the delay in updating my other ones. *sighs* I'm working on it, I promise. Sick Pleasures should be up soon. I also have another recent one: Darkness Falls, that can tide you over until I get to updating all the stories. I am also going to be updating Love Your Enemies shortly after. Please bear me!! Thanks! ~Candy

Story note: Takes place right after the fifth book. The summer before Harry's sixth year. If you read carefully you can see he hasn't turned sixteen yet. There are Order of the Phoenix spoilers, naturally, since this is taking place after the fifth book.

Prologue:

The wind howled loudly against the stormy night, nearly drowning out the deafening thunder that crackled through the sky. Every so often lightning would flash threateningly, but disappear a second after. It was unusual weather for the summertime in early July. Instead of people walking about the streets late at night in the warm summer atmosphere they were forced indoors.

The house that stood at the edge of Privet Drive was the only one with a window open, letting some of the cool air along with water droplets trickle in. Unnoticed by anyone in the shadows of the stormy sky, a small white figure flew against the pouring rain, heading straight for the open window. Powerful snowy-white wings glided the beautiful owl onto the windowsill, despite the harsh winds.

The owl ruffled her feathers to throw off any excess droplets of water, nipping occasionally until she was satisfied. A sound came from inside the room as the door opened, soft footsteps following suit. The owl looked up at the sudden intrusion, blinking her bright yellow eyes.

"Hedwig, there you are," a soft voice spoke from the dark of the room.

A small light on the bureau beside the bed was turned on, illuminating the figure that called out to her. Realizing that it was her owner she hooted and flew over to him, landing softly on his outstretched arm.

"Did you have a nice flight?" Harry smiled, stroking her feathers.

She hooted again, nipping his finger with affection as he strolled over to the window to close it. After the window was closed and the mess of water dripping off the windowsill was cleaned up, Harry led her over to her cage, which was filled with fresh food he had stolen from the kitchen after cleaning the dishes. She flew gracefully into the cage and began nipping hungrily at the bits of toast, egg salad and other bits of food.

Harry stood watching her for several seconds before seated himself on his bed. Silence washed over the room as he stared out the window, watching the rain hit against the window. Another bolt of lightning flashed, the strange shape in the gleaming light causing Harry to touch the familiar scar upon his forehead. Harry sighed, his gaze dropping from the window as he pushed himself up farther to lay down on his bed. He stared up at the ceiling for several minutes, pondering as the silence continued except for the occasional ruffle of feathers.

"Can you believe it's been almost two months since Sirius died?" Harry spoke aloud, directing the question toward Hedwig but not expecting an answer.

Hedwig was all he usually had over the summer. Even though she couldn't respond she could feel his pain, or unhappiness and was at least company from the Dursleys, who had taken to ignoring Harry completely. Sirius Black was still at large in the muggle world; all of them oblivious to the event that had taken place only months before in the wizard world.

Harry sighed and turned over to stare out the window while laying down. The summer seemed to go by so slow, as if the days passing were months. Harry had been forced to cease contact with the wizard world, including letters from friends, the Daily Prophet, anything at all. Dumbledore hadn't told him directly, but Harry had gotten a call from Hermione who, unlike Ron, knew how to use a telephone. It was safe for Hermione to contact him that way since she still lived in the muggle world as well.

The Dursleys hadn't seemed to care what he did or who he spoke to. Harry had a pretty good idea that it was because of the previous year when a Dementor had almost gotten to Dudley. Although neither of them would admit it, his aunt and uncle were grateful that Harry had saved him, even if he had had to use magic. So instead of pestering him and making his life miserable, in a subtle way of thanking him they had just decided to ignore him, which Harry in fact appreciated.

None of the Dursleys, nor even the wizard world as of yet, knew that Sirius Black was dead. Harry was glad his relatives didn't know since it would make it harder for him to recover. Almost every night Harry would get nightmares about Sirius' death, or something in which he could always see Sirius but never reach him. It was hard to cope with and painful. His friends couldn't even write to him to make him feel better. So Harry had gone into a bought of silence, only talking when he was alone with Hedwig.

The sound of rain against the window, and the wind howling in the distance, somehow eased his anxiety. Harry's exhausted body relaxed as his eyes began drifting closed. The many nights in which he stayed awake to prevent nightmares about Sirius, or Voldemort, had finally begun to effect him. His breathing had slowed until he was taking deep even breaths. As he relaxed completely, sleep began to overtake him…

"Harry!" a stern voice called out to him.

Harry stirred slightly, not sure if he was dreaming or not. His body relaxed again as he began to fall back into a slumber.

"HARRY GET DOWN HERE!"

He groaned as he lifted himself off the bed, rubbing his eyes gently. For once he had been relaxed enough to fall into a peaceful slumber, until his uncle's screaming had woken him. It was the first time in the whole summer that a word had even been spoken to him. And it just so happened that he was supposedly in trouble from the stern, angry voice of his uncle.

He had expected the Dursleys to be getting ready for bed, since Dudley had been going to a day camp, supposedly to help him lose weight along with other children going there. But instead, Dudley only seemed to get thicker in his arms when he was occasionally swiping at Harry every so often. Harry had a gut feeling Dudley snuck treats, with some of his new camp buddies, from the people in charge of watching the camp. From the sound of it, he seemed to be enjoying himself and happily discussed every detail to his parents, even while eating salad, or healthy dietary suppers that usually tasted bland.

Harry of course had been forced to eat whatever they ate, but since they no longer were paying much attention to him he usually snuck snacks upstairs, which were the hidden treats Uncle Vernon kept in the floorboard in his room. Harry though had been keen enough to step on it while searching through their room when they were away picking Dudley up from camp.

The stairs creaked beneath him as he trudged down them, trying his best not to yawn. He hadn't remembered doing anything wrong, or anything at all. For the past several days he had shut himself in his room, eating the snacks he had stashed up over a period of several weeks. Any missing food was either blamed on rats or mistaken for something they figured they just didn't remember eating.

The Dursleys were huddle together in the sitting area, as if discussing something of importance when Harry entered. They all looked up at him strangely as he came into view.

"What is it?" Harry asked casually, hoping his voice didn't sound strained or demanding.

"There is something abnormal going on," Vernon snapped quietly. "And if you have done anything boy…"

"I haven't done anything," Harry said flatly. "I'm not allowed to remember? If I get another warning from the Ministry I probably won't even get a hearing and will just be expelled from Hogwarts."

Uncle Vernon's face flushed an angry shade as if he was about to retort, but instead stared at him harshly.

"Then what is that bloody sound?"

Harry tensed, clearing his mind to listen to whatever his uncle was complaining about. He didn't hear anything unusual, only the rain and occasional thunder. He listened closely, not noticing the Dursleys watching him intently. Harry's eyes squinted as he tried to hear past the rain and thunder. There was something. It was a buzzing sound, much like a bee, only more of a hum. Harry lifted his head and began walking slowly around the room to find where the sound was coming from.

"I think it's coming from the sink," Harry said.

"See Vernon, it could just be the plumbing," Aunt Petunia spoke up, reassuring him.

"That's some strange bloody plumbing if you ask me!" he huffed, his cheeks puffing out as he did so.

Dudley, who had been staring at them for several minutes in silence, was looking more frightened. Although he was a big bully at school, Harry could tell Dudley was much more afraid of him, despite the occasionally swipes he got from him.

It makes sense. He almost got his soul sucked out.

"F-father," Dudley stammered fearfully, "maybe you should take the pipes out so it'll stop doing that."

Harry had the urge to look at him as if he were crazy but held his composure. Dudley still wasn't the brightest bulb, in fact, he was practically failing all his classes, but Harry knew it was just out of fear that it was something magical. Harry couldn't think of anything that could magical with a sink, but he remained silent as his uncle approached the sink.

Vernon held the newspaper he was reading in one hand folded up, as if the sink would bit him. Harry didn't move from his spot as he watched closely. Dudley had wrapped his arms around his mom as he watched his father. Vernon took a few steps closer, bending down to look inside the sink disposal. He tapped the spout several times and even cleaned out the disposal, finally lowering the newspaper with a sigh.

"It's perfectly fine Dudley."

Just as he said that, a high pitched hum broke the tense atmosphere as water sprayed out of the disposal. Dudley had yelped with fear and lost his balance from the couch. Vernon had been just as startled holding the newspaper out in front of him like a shield. The water finally stopped spraying, but a gurgling sound was replaced instead of the humming sound. Harry stared at the sink, wondering if that kind of plumbing problem was normal. Suddenly, the sink exploded with light, causing Vernon to stumble backward, crashing into the table. Petunia let out a squeak of surprise and covered her mouth, wide-eyed, while Dudley practically tried to hide under the pillows on the couch.

The light seemed to be cascading out with a strange bright blue tint to it. It began to shrink and shrink until it was a small blob. Right before their eyes, the light disappeared and something fluttered onto the counter. Harry approached it, since Vernon was too afraid to see what it was. He reached down and picked up the letter, reading the writing. It was addressed to: Harry Potter &The Residents at 4 Privet Drive. Harry recognized the handwriting anywhere.

"It's from Dumbledore," Harry said quietly, not sure that they could even hear what he said.

Uncle Vernon, however, stood up again red-faced and holding the newspaper out threateningly.

"And what is he doing using that bloody abnormality in my house?!" he yelled angrily.

Harry bit his tongue from saying anything that would upset him further, "Dumbledore said he would only contact me if it was an emergency."

His uncle glared at him harshly, hand clenched firmly around the newspaper but instead of approaching him he stomped over to the living room and sat on the couch.

"Read it aloud boy, this concerns my family as well," Vernon said gruffly.

Harry wanted to take it upstairs and read it himself, slowly so that it would last longer. It was his first letter all summer long and he didn't want to have to read it aloud for it to end in less than five minutes. However, he also didn't want to upset the Dursleys. They had been doing him a favor by going out at nights, while Dudley was sleeping over with some friends doing something illegal or bothering the neighbors over there, leaving Harry to enjoy the peace that was left with him. Hedwig also enjoyed being let out whenever she pleased and flapping around inside to pick at some food.

The feeling of excitement drained away as Harry opened the letter to read it aloud. A part of him was extremely thankful Dumbledore wrote to him (and the Dursleys), but at the same time he knew that Dumbledore wasn't just writing to say hi. Something had come up and he felt the need to alert Harry right away. Harry unfolded the letter and cleared his throat.

"'Dear Harry, and Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, as it has all ready been established, the wizard world is beginning to understand the events that have occurred here at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The people are just coming to terms with the knowledge of Lord Voldemort's return. There have been many disappearances of certain witches and wizards, some of which who are directly connected to myself or the Ministry of Magic,' " Harry paused to lick his lips, wondering why Dumbledore was speaking of several references of the wizard world to his aunt and uncle.

"'For the past several months, shortly after the event that took place inside the Ministry of Magic, the Order and I have been working with Minister Fudge and the aurors to keep track of Lord Voldemort. Even with the help of the Ministry there is no way to tell what he is planning. It seems he is attacking homes now in an unorganized pattern, and he does not stay in one place very long. I fear that perhaps this is a diversion for something bigger.

"'I do not want to frighten your family, for it is true the charm placed upon that house in untraceable to him, but as in the past, Lord Voldemort's attempts to distract my attention, kill those he needs to without leaving a trace behind, and not failing to surprise me with how carefully thought out his plans have been, have all led to one thing. And that is to capture Harry Potter…' "

Harry's throat tightened as the words left his lips, hoping that the Dursleys hadn't noticed the slight paling of his face. He knew that Voldemort had been after him all those years, he just didn't need the Dursleys to hear it. Harry licked his lips again, feeling that his throat was now dry and refused to look at his relatives. Instead, he finished reading the letter.

"'Harry must not use any magic whatsoever for Voldemort will be able to trace him almost instantly. This, I fear, has been Voldemort's goal since he lost the last battle and the prophecy he was searching for. He is trying to locate the exact position of the house, for he has known which city since the previous year.

"'As long as the charm stays put Voldemort cannot reach the house unless he knows which charm has been placed on the house. That knowledge is only known by myself and a select few of which are with me. That does not mean, however, that he won't try. The Dementors working for him will surely show up again and try to pinpoint the exact house to bide him some time so that he may figure out how to get past my protection. Until I am able to personally come down there, I urge you to stay away from windows unless you are seen by Dementors, and keep the doors locked. The Ministry and I are working on another plan to ensure the safety of everyone. Please do not contact me back.

"'Sincerely yours, Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.' "

The silence that reigned over the room was full of an awkward tenseness. Harry had been staring down at the letter, barley aware that he had finished reading it. None of it seemed real…That Voldemort was after him, looking for him now in the muggle world, or that he, Harry, had fought him numerous times against unexpected obstacles and was still in one piece, or that there had been a prophecy concerning him and Voldemort in which only one would survive, or that Sirius had died…

The newspaper was suddenly slammed down upon the table, causing Aunt Petunia to let out another shriek and Harry to jump slightly. Vernon's face had turned a very familiar and discomforting purple hue as he turned to glare daggers at Harry, as if he had planned all of it.

"That's it?!" he snapped, spit flying from his mouth. "My family is in danger and he expects us to stay around? I WILL NOT LISTEN TO THIS BUMBLING FOOL!" he roared.

"He's not a fool!" Harry blurted out heatedly, causing his uncle to veer in his direction again. "He's one of the main reasons I've survived this long! He knows what he's doing!"

"HE'S PUTTING US ALL IN DANGER!" his uncle roared, standing up with the newspaper still clenched in a death grip. "A maniac killer is on the loose and he expects us to stay put when Volde-what's-his-face is looking for this house?! He's bloody insane, that's what he is! And we're not staying here!"

Vernon threw the newspaper on the table and stomped past Harry toward the stairs. Petunia made a small noise and quickly followed him out with Dudley practically glued to her side. Harry stayed put, standing in the kitchen with his fists clenched. Without being able to get in touch with Dumbledore, Harry couldn't ask him what to do. If his uncle was serious about leaving, they'd be leaving the safety of the charm on the house, making it easier for Voldemort to find him once he figured out how to get into the muggle world undetected.

Ten minutes later, his uncle came tramping down the stairs, two suitcases in hand with his aunt and cousin following behind him. Petunia still looked very pale and frightened and Dudley still hadn't said a word. Harry was beginning to think it was a very bad idea.

"All right, do you have your suitcases?" Vernon asked, turning to his wife and son.

Dudley had three suitcases and Petunia only had one.

"I'm afraid we can't take all three Dudley," Vernon said, his tone saying there was no discussion.

"But father!" Dudley whined.

"We can come back for your birthday presents when we are sure it's safe!" Vernon said sharply, grabbing two of the three suitcases.

"It's all right darling, we'll get you some more presents or better yet extra Christmas presents!" Petunia tried to smile and comfort her son.

Dudley made a whining noise but opted to cross his large arms over his chest. Vernon had left to put the suitcases in the car, returning quickly with his car keys in hand.

"All right, we're ready to go!"

"I don't think we should," Harry interrupted, hoping that his uncle wouldn't go off on him like he usually did. He had a feeling it was much too dangerous.

Uncle Vernon turned towards him sharply, "We? You're not coming."

"Not coming?! What do you mean? I'm the one Voldemort is looking for! You can't just leave me here alone!" Harry shouted, not caring if he was scolded for yelling. His relatives had been cruel to him his whole life, but never this cruel. They had cared for his life enough to seal the charm when he first came to them, though his uncle had almost thrown him out the previous year.

Harry turned abruptly to his aunt, "What about the promise you made to Dumbledore? You said you'd let me stay with you to keep the charm sealed!"

Petunia turned pale and swallowed, "He's right Vernon, we did make that deal," she said quietly, barley audible.

"WE CAN'T TAKE HIM WITH US, IT'S SUICIDE!" Vernon yelled, causing Dudley to jump back, his large body wobbling from the force. "If he comes with us then that…that Volly…Volsky…you know, the bloody maniac will find us easier! He has the boy on a magical radar! Then we'd all be dead for sure anyway!"

"So what am I supposed to do then?" Harry asked dryly, glaring at his uncle with as much hatred as he could muster.

Vernon took a deep breath to calm himself, still red in the face from yelling, "You can go with your abnormal friends, what do I care! Go wherever you can! But we have to leave!"

"I can't contact my friends, I'm not allowed to! If I try to send them a letter it might not get to them and be intercepted by the wrong hands! Besides, Dumbledore said going to the wizard world would be much more dangerous for me! Voldemort would be able to find me easier there!" Harry shouted back, enraged that his uncle was seriously just going to leave him to die.

"Well you can't come with us!"

"SO YOU'RE JUST GOING TO LEAVE ME HERE TO DIE?!" Harry roared, his temper getting the best of him.

His uncle backed away slightly, probably afraid Harry would use magic. Upon realizing it was a danger to him he became purple-faced again.

"We have no choice!" he spat. "We are not responsible for this!"

"We're not murderers either, Vernon!" Petunia squeaked, her voice raising much more than Harry had ever heard her.

Vernon turned to his wife, glaring at her for interrupting, but Petunia wouldn't back down this time. She had enough dignity to at least keep a promise, or perhaps the guilt of letting Harry die, no matter how insignificant he was to them, in their household, would be too much for her skinny, fragile body. Dudley still remained silent and quite pale, looking back and forth between his parents like a fearful puppy.

Vernon finally took another deep breath, trying to calm himself down so he wouldn't scream at his wife. He rubbed his head and finally stared at his wife as calmly as he could.

"Dumblybore— "

"Dumbledore," Harry corrected angrily.

"Whatever! He said the boy was safer here! If he came with us that crazy maniac would find all of us anyway! Dumbledore," he emphasized casting a glare toward Harry, "said he would be here as soon as he could! The boy will be safe here until he comes!"

"But what if Voldemort comes first? Or worse, Dementors! If I use magic to defend myself from them, Voldemort will be able to find me then!" Harry said, more calmly, but still with a bitter tone.

"If you're supposedly the most powerful wizard to defeat this maniac before, then you can do it again!" Vernon snapped. "We are leaving, NOW!"

Petunia grabbed Dudley's arm and began leading him outside, her fear overpowering her. Vernon followed right behind them, locking the door without another glance at Harry, who was silently fuming. He was so angry he felt like hexing them all but he knew he couldn't, and his uncle knew he couldn't. So now, he was stuck in the Dursleys' home, all alone and unable to defend himself while Voldemort was searching for him.

At first, the anger coursed through him until he thought he'd smash everything around him. Then fear began to envelope him as the idea of the complete situation crossed his mind. He was alone in the house, and Dementors knew where to find him, and soon Voldemort would too…

Harry's heart immediately began to race as he ran upstairs to his room. He burst inside, waking Hedwig from her slumber. He knelt down onto the floor and threw open the loose board in the floor, pulling out some parchment and a quill. Harry dipped the quill in the ink frantically, spilling the ink over the wooden floor. He began scribbling as fast as he could while explaining the whole situation. Dumbledore had told him not to reply back because heading to the wizard world it could get intercepted. But Harry wasn't writing to someone in the wizard world, so he was willing to take the chance. Either way he was in trouble anyway, he just hoped that he would be all right for the time being until Dumbledore showed up.

He folded the letter up and sealed it in an envelope, leaving it addressed to the person but no return address or who it was from. Harry rushed over toward Hedwig, tying it around her leg while petting her affectionately.

"Hedwig, go as fast as you can," Harry urged.

She hooted and, once the window was opened, she took off at a fast speed. Harry was grateful it had stopped raining, though the clouds were still dark from the previous storm. Harry took a deep breath, knowing that Hedwig wouldn't take too long to get the reply and come back to him. The truth was that he hated being alone. If Voldemort and all the dark creatures working for him, as well as Death Eaters, weren't looking for him he would feel secure and at peace being left alone from the Dursleys. But that wasn't the case.

He would've felt better had Mrs. Figg still lived next door. She had moved to the wizard world temporarily to join the Order. The Dursleys had figured she just died, but Harry knew better. They still didn't know she was in touch with the wizard world and Harry was going to keep it that way as long as possible.

Yeah, but what help would she be anyway. She doesn't do magic. Still, it would be nice to have a friendly face.

Harry's shoulders slumped as he pulled himself away from the window, deciding to make himself something to eat in order to calm his nerves. He kept reminding himself that help would soon arrive, whether it was Dumbledore or…

Beep! Beep! Beep!

His thought was cut off as the loud sound broke the uneasy silence. Harry wheeled around, almost tripping over the invisibility that he had thrown out of the floorboard moments before. He stopped cold, searching for the source of the noise and realized where it was coming from. Slowly he stepped forward, past his bed and in the direction of the window. His eyes were focused downward as he bent his knees in order to kneel down. Cautiously, he peered into the open floorboard that held everything from the wizard world (including homework he had yet to finish).

A strange, red light caught his eye first as he examined the hidden space. There, inside the floorboard next to his Exploring Mystic Signs book for Divination, and on top of the broken mirror that Sirius had given to him before he died, was the device he had gotten from Mad-Eye Moody, who apparently slipped it into his pocket while at the train station where his relatives came to pick him up. He had also slipped a message along with it to tell him they couldn't keep in touch because it wasn't safe but that the device would come in handy if he ever needed it. Harry stared down at the Dark Magic alerter device, his eyes widening as the small red light on the top of it flashed in front of him while beeping madly and spinning at the same time.

The device…it's been activated.

He remembered that Ron had had one before and told him that it was unreliable, but that had been because they were out in the open near magical activities. Harry was far from the magic world (despite the quick transportations), in the muggle world where no magic could be sensed unless there really was something nearby. And that only meant one thing.

Oh no…I've got to get out of here!

Harry's head was spinning as he jumped up from his kneeling position, feeling his heart racing faster and faster as it pounded against his chest. He quickly dashed over to the bureau beside the bed and shut off the small lamp that had been illuminating a dim light for him to see. Once he was in complete darkness he blinked several times to get adjusted and grabbed his trunk from inside the closet. He opened it up, throwing things aside roughly as he tried to find items that he desperately needed. He grabbed several small bottles, and a couple items that he had gotten recently after the incident the previous year at the Ministry.

He crammed the items in his pocket, tripping over the clothes that lay strewn about. He took off the white shirt he had on, exchanging it for a black one that Hermione had helped him shrink to his size right before the end of school. He knew he only had time to grab the most important things so he left his Hogwarts robe from the previous year, and many other possessions that didn't seem that valuable. He went back to the floorboard, gathering only several things that he could see with the help of the flashing red light.

Harry knew he couldn't do magic, otherwise it'd be detected so he couldn't turn the device off. Quietly, he crept over to his window, making sure to kneel down so he could only peer out. He held his breath, glancing out the window into the night. All he could see were the outlines of houses and the occasional light illuminating the streets from the street lamps.

Could the device be wrong even in the muggle world?

The street lamp down the street suddenly darkened as the light was extinguished. Harry's breath caught in his throat as he saw that all the lights in the neighborhood turned off, and he was quite certain it wasn't a power failure. Harry made sure to grab some of the snacks he had snuck upstairs from the kitchen and tucked it beneath his arm as he made his way toward the door of his room, wand in hand. Though he couldn't use it, Harry felt safer holding it.

His door opened slowly and he stepped out into the dark hallway, creeping down the stairs. He made a decision to try going out the back door throwing his invisibility cloak on him. Before doing that, however, he crept quietly into the kitchen and approached the window by the front door to look out. The streets were dark because of the lack of light, but they appeared to be empty.

Suddenly, out of no where a light flashed, along with another light and then another. Harry was soon losing track of the number of flashes that came through the dark. His eyes widened as he took in the full view.

Death Eaters!

Harry was positive the cloaked figures moving around were Death Eaters because the source of lights were coming from each individual holding something that resembled a wand. Harry immediately started backing away from the window, hoping that he hadn't been seen. He quickly ran toward the back door and was about to open it when his eye caught sight of more flashes coming from the small backdoor window.

I'm completely surrounded!

Harry knew using magic to get out was out of the question. And trying to get outside with the invisibility cloak on wouldn't work either because there were too many. If even one saw the door open and close he would be trapped, even if he were invisible. Panic filled him as he could picture what would happen if tons of Voldemort's servants got to him. They were most likely supposed to bring Harry back to him, but that didn't mean they wouldn't curse him along the way.

He shuddered from the memory of the Cruciatus Curse, backing away from the backdoor. He quickly squeezed his eyes shut, remember what Lupin had told him about keeping calm. He had been told that by many people before, but when Lupin was a Dark Arts teacher he taught Harry how to keep himself calm so he could think clearly. He felt his muscles relax slightly and he opened his eyes again. Quickly, he ran toward the living room area searching around the walls.

A loud crash made him wheel around and throw himself toward the wall. It had come from upstairs and sounded like the window had been smashed, which meant that they were beginning to throw curses. Harry guessed the door all ready would've been barged in had there not been the charm placed on the house, which gave him a small amount of time to escape. For now they could only throw curses until the charm gave and allowed them entrance.

Harry began moving some furniture as quietly as he could without being too slow, until a wall had been cleared. He took the portrait of the Dursleys down without too much trouble to give him more room. He reached into his pocket and extracted a small, round blue ball. It was made of a chalky substance, which got onto Harry's fingers. He had forgotten that Hermione had given it to him as a birthday present a couple years back and he had never thought of using it before. Putting the ball onto the wall he traced a rectangular box larger than himself. The chalky blue hue glistened against the white wall.

Harry pulled out a small vase-shaped bottle filled with a light violet hue. It was a very rare potion that shielded any use of magic, whether it be a charm, spell or curse, but it could only be used once. It had also been the potion Snape made for a final exam the previous year. Harry had just been through facing Voldemort again so Dumbledore had taught him privately how to make it. And he had been allowed to take it home, unlike the other students.

Could he have known I needed it?

The feeling he had about it was strong. Dumbledore knew a lot of things needed for future occurrences. Harry poured it all along the shape of the "doorway" he had created on the wall, turning the chalky blue color to a light pink with a slightly silver hue. He was then able to take out his wand and muttered the incantation Alahomora Contegio and the wall disappeared, revealing a doorway in which Harry could escape out of. He grabbed hold of the wall just as the house shook with violent tremors, sending him sprawling to the floor. He could hear loud voices outside as every window near him, and probably in the house as well, burst causing glass to shatter everywhere.

The door wrenched free of the hinges as cloaked figures stepped inside, the charm fading away. The few that stepped into the house took off their hoods. Bellatrix Lestrange looked around, her eyes glistening in the dark. Outside the house, Death Eaters were destroying every piece of property, even the garden. Several more Death Eaters entered from the back door as well as the front door, destroying the kitchen and burning things. The fridge was toppled over, the food inside turned to poisonous snakes as every ounce of possession was touched.

Outside, Death Eaters were screaming with victory as they set things ablaze. Their handiwork was going unnoticed by the neighbors because of the shield charm used after the house was located. Glass could be heard shattering from upstairs as doors were burst open off their hinges, despite being unlocked. Several moments later, five Death Eaters came down the stairs.

"Everything upstairs is being destroyed," he said, pulling off his hood.

Bella turned slowly around to face him, "And?"

"And…," he began, trailing off. "We found the boy's room. There are some things our lord might like."

Her eyes bore into his, "Some things he might like? YOU IDIOT!" she screeched, causing him and a few others to jump. "He doesn't want the boy's things he wants the boy! Now, have you found him?"

The Death Eater next to him shook his head, "No, there was no one upstairs. But all the boy's stuff was in his room."

Bella took a deep breath, her cold expression lessoned ever-so-slightly, "Then that means he's got to be around here somewhere. Perhaps they haven't come home yet."

Another Death Eater shook his head, "No, the other rooms were a mess. It looked like they left in a hurry."

"They couldn't have known."

The Death Eaters on the stairs turned toward Macnair, who was beside Bella. He stared at all of them, glancing at Bella as well. Before anyone uttered a word, the sound of slow footsteps sounded behind them, causing them to turn. A hooded figure, holding a cane in one hand walked inside, lowering his hood.

"I say, what a lovely place for some…muggles," Lucius Malfoy said, obviously sarcastic.

"If you're going to comment on the decorating instead of working, Lucius, then I suggest you go outside and amuse yourself," Bella snapped coldly. "But we have a situation at hand."

"Yes, yes, I know. I happen to be included, Bella," Lucius' eyes bore into hers. "Now…what's the problem?"

"The problem is that we can't find what our lord wanted," Bella said, glaring at all of them. "Harry Potter is missing. His belongings are here, but not him. And there is no way anyone, not even his precious Dumbledore could've known we were coming."

"Of course, our lord's plan was brilliant," Macnair spoke up. "He stayed behind with most of the others to distract the Order. He made it seem like he was trying to torture people from the Ministry in order to find out where the boy lived, only he had all ready known. He was just staging an attack."

Lucius' eyebrows rose, "Have you come to explain what we all ready know?"

Macnair scowled but ignored him, "We can just tell him that we can search the whole city for him. The Ministry and the Order are distracted so it'll be easier."

"That's your plan?" Lucius sneered, "If our lord finds out Harry Potter escaped even after the carefully thought out plan, what do you think will happen to us? Huh? We'll be killed, that's what!"

"Then what do you propose we do, Malfoy?" Bella asked, her eyes glistening with anger.

Before he could respond, a high-pitched shriek echoed as a figure was thrown into the house. The robes had small tears in it as the body uncurled from the floor and shakily stood up.

"Didn't I tell you not to get in the way, Wormtail?" Bella snapped. "You're going to do something stupid that might alert the Order on our whereabouts!"

Wormtail sputtered and tried to keep himself balanced, wheezing as he tried to glare at her, "Y-you c-can't tell me what to do! I…I was assigned this too!"

"You disgust me," Bella snarled, causing him to back up slightly in alarm. "You think that you can just stand around and watch us complete a mission then take the same amount of credit? Our lord only favors you right now because you gave him a second chance," she said coldly, glancing at his hand which was a particularly strange silver hue, different from his normal hand.

Wormtail's face was sweating but he managed a grin, "J-jealous, Bella?"

Bella's face contorted into fury until it slowly vanished and changed into a malicious grin, "No, Wormtail. Actually, I'm not. You can have a wonderful time going down on your knees to our lord and tell him that we failed the mission."

Wormtail's smile faded and was replaced by absolute horror, "What?" he squeaked.

Bella's sneer widened, "It appears that Potter is no where to be found. Don't worry, though, I'm sure it'll be quick and painless…well, the death will, I'm not so sure about the torture before the death."

Wormtail sputtered, making strange incoherent squeaking noises, "B-but that c-can't be! Potter is here! This is the house!"

"Yes, and all his stuff is here, except him!" Bella snapped, her anger returning. "And unless we find him none of us can go back to him without suffering consequences! We have to tell the rest of them out there to split up and find him!"

"We can't do that," Macnair said, as Bella cast a glare toward him. "We're all ready running short on time before the shield charm is broken. The Ministry and the Order are going to find out what we're up to pretty soon. Our lord was clear that we only had around fifteen minutes to claim the boy and be out of here. That leaves us with five minutes left."

Wormtail whimpered pitifully, "W-what do we do?"

They all turned, looking at him distastefully but not answering his question. Finally one of the Death Eaters from the stairs stepped forward.

"I have an idea. How about we just tell him Harry's dead?"

The question came from another Death Eater who had been listening at the top of the stairs. He stepped down, passing the bunch on the bottom to stare at them. His cold dark brown eyes gazed at the lot of them.

"What?! Are you insane Mulciber? Lie to him? Do you know what he does to liars!?" Bella shrieked.

"That's only if he finds out," Mulciber answered. "Think about it. Once news gets out the Harry Potter's muggles' home has been destroyed, the whole wizard world will assume he's dead."

"Dumbledore will know different," Macnair stated, crossing his large muscular arms over his chest.

"Perhaps…but the Ministry didn't listen to Dumbledore's accusations about the Dark Lord coming back a couple years ago, so without proof the boy is alive his accusations will be ignored," Mulciber explained.

Bella snorted, "You think that will work? The Ministry may have not listened to Dumbledore before, but they found out he was telling the truth when our lord was seen at the Ministry several months ago. All because of that Potter brat! They'll trust him more this time."

"Unless we give proof that the boy is dead," Mulciber said, his lips quirking into a grin.

"And how are we going to do that, might I ask?" Lucius voiced, staring at him indifferently.

Mulciber smiled, "That's where Lucius and Wormtail come in."

Wormtail squeaked as eyes ranked from him to Lucius and back to Mulciber in question. Several more Death Eaters had entered from outside to hear what was going on, including Avery, Cox and Nott.

"Lucius and Wormtail?" Bella asked, unconvinced.

Mulciber nodded, "Yes. Lucius has his ways of getting to people, and Wormtail can change into a rat. Plus the whole world thinks he's dead. If you sneak into the Ministry and collect a sample of Potter's blood, we can smear it all over."

Bella snorted again and rolled her eyes, "In the time limit of five minutes, I'd say that's impossible."

"What if we tell our lord that if Harry Potter has gone "missing" it could work to his advantage?" Avery spoke up.

He was leaning against the broken door frame, eyeing them patiently.

"Yeah, and what if he comes back?" Bella asked critically. "That won't work."

Mulciber sighed, "I say we stick with my plan. The news about this isn't going to take very long to get out to the public and make it known that no bodies have been discovered. If the reporters work to our advantage they'll be sending people looking for signs that the boy has died. Once they have found some kind of clue or piece of evidence, we're off the hook."

"And what if he isn't dead?" Bella asked.

"It won't matter," Mulciber said. "The boy is banned from the wizard world because it's not safe for him, right? So he's stuck here. Sooner or later he's going to starve from being on the run and from not being able to call help, or he'll run into a Dementor. Either way, he's dead. There's no way he can survive with no place to go and without being able to contact anyone."

Silence reigned over them for several minutes, except for Wormtail's occasional whimper. Finally Bella rose her head up.

"Fine. But we have to make sure the boy is doomed," she said turning toward Lucius. "You have a way with the Minister, don't you?"

Lucius' face broke out into a sneer, "Yes, he's in the palm of my hand."

"Make him put a protection guard up so that Harry Potter may not contact the wizard world in any way, except don't let on that it's Harry Potter. Trick him into it by letting on that Harry Potter has been killed in the muggle world and tell him that in order to save himself he must set up the protection guard from the muggle world and wizard world. And that way all access to the wizard world will be blocked so the boy can't contact anyone or get there in any way, which will ensure his doom," Bella explained.

Lucius nodded with a malicious smirk, "It shall be done."

He disappeared with a small pop, and Bella turned back to the rest of them.

"We all wait until a little bit later to report. We tell him it was for his safety, and that we were making sure we weren't being followed or tracked. That means none of us on this mission have to show up when he calls. No matter how painful it is, we wait for Lucius to give us a sign that it has been done."

"But how will we lie to him? We know that boy might be doomed but not dead yet," Macnair argued.

Bella nodded, "Right, but if Fudge is the idiot I think he is he'll go straight to the press and tell them the boy is dead, not realizing he has in fact ensured Potter's doom. By the time we return to report to the Dark Lord, the news would have all ready reached his ears. He should congratulate us, and unless he asks one of us specifically if the news is true, we should be fine. I doubt he will though, because knowing that the wizard world thinks he's dead will give him what he needs."

They all nodded in agreement.

"Right, let the message be out that we wait an extra half hour before returning. And spread the news of the plan, but don't tell any of those idiots out there that Harry Potter really isn't dead yet. Just say that we heard it from the reports in the news. This information only stays with us," she gestured to the ten of them. "Now, let's go!"

They disapparated shortly before the house began to crumble. The walls disintegrated, collapsing down until the house was no longer standing. The Death Eaters were cheering victoriously outside, unaware of the discussion that had gone on with the select few inside the house. Small flames emitted here and there as strange, unknown creatures lurked in the gardens and inside the mess of wood and concrete.

Even from the distance away in a cemetery by the park, hidden in shadows, a pair of dull green eyes watched the smoke willowing into the sky. His eyes were not fixed on the mess that had once been the home in which he had stayed for fifteen years, despite being miserable, but instead were focused above the house on the dark, gleaming symbol of a skull that had haunted him since the first time he had seen it. The Dark Mark stood out against all the smoke surrounding it, almost beckoning a victim.

Harry stared out from the bush he was hiding behind, wrapped in his invisibility cloak, hoping that the Dursleys wouldn't be coming back soon. They would certainly not be happy about having to replace a whole house. He watched as the numbers of cloaked figures that had caused the damage disappeared until there was no one left, except the smoking house. He knew it wouldn't take long for a neighbor to find it and call the police.

Casting one last glance at his relatives' house, Harry walked in the opposite direction, unsure of a destination, but knowing that there was no way he could go back now. He was on his own, and it was up to him to stop the source of all the suffering.

TO BE CONTINUED…