Disclaimer: The lovely Mrs. JK Rowling owns Harry Potter and Co. Although, don't we all wish that we did?
Summary: After the events of the Triwizard Tournament, Dumbledore feels that Harry is no longer safe at the Dursleys. He decides to take Harry in for the summer and also help him deal with his depression.
A/N: This is the first fan fiction that I have ever written, so please be gentle with me. I will accept any constructive criticisms that you have for my story. I would also like to hear what you liked about it, if anything. Thank you, guys.
It was almost time for the summer vacation to start. Harry was dreading returning to the Dursley's house even more than he had in the past few years. He was starting to feel depressed and guilty because of Cedric's death. All Harry wanted at the moment was to be left alone, but every time he would find somewhere to be by himself, someone would show up and interrupt his solitude. Their eyes showed concern and love; however, Harry felt that he might just explode if they wouldn't stop with their pity.
Harry was having a hard time eating and sleeping since the Triwizard Tournament had ended. Whenever he would go to sleep, he would see Pettigrew murder Cedric, Voldemort's rebirth, and his parents coming out of the wand. Harry kept telling himself that he should have refused to be in the Tournament. If he hadn't participated, Voldemort wouldn't have turned the Cup into a portkey. Harry also felt that he shouldn't have asked Cedric to take the Cup with him. These thoughts kept torturing Harry's mind throughout the day. Not only was he losing weight and gaining circles under his eyes, but he was also having trouble concentrating in class. His teachers understood and gave him some leeway. Even Snape's comments seemed half-hearted and less scathing.
One night Harry couldn't take it anymore. He waited until all of his roommates' loud snores filled the dorm, and then he quickly grabbed his Invisibility Cloak and threw it over his body. He silently crept down the staircase and into the Common Room. As he passed the fireplace, he gave it a morose look. Harry remembered his chats with Sirius via the fireplace, and he wished that Sirius hadn't had to leave Hogwarts so soon after the Third Task. He had wanted to talk with his godfather some more, but Sirius was going to be busy this summer working on a task for Dumbledore. Harry felt a little pang of anger towards the Headmaster for taking his godfather away from him at the time that he needed Sirius the most.
Harry suddenly gave his head a shake in order to clear his thoughts and focus his attention. He went to the portrait hole, opened it, and slid outside. Letting his feet guide him, Harry finally found himself beside the lake. He took the cloak off and lay spread-eagled on a cool rock by the shore. The soft breeze tickled his skin and the trees swayed gently in the wind. The clear night sky offered him a magnificent view of the sparkling constellations and the bright, round moon. Harry found himself at more peace than he had all week as he drifted off into a dreamless sleep.
Harry slowly felt himself becoming more conscious and aware of his surroundings. He kept his eyes shut, not wanting to fully wake up yet and have to face another day. As he reached out with his senses, he realized that he felt strong arms carrying him tenderly and cradling him against a broad chest.
'What's going on?' he wondered to himself. 'The last thing that I remember is… the lake! I didn't mean to fall asleep there. I just wanted to rest for a little while. Who is carrying me?'
While Harry's thoughts kept running through his head, he didn't realize that they had reached their destination. He felt himself being carefully lowered onto a soft, comfortable bed and the covers lovingly tucked around him. Harry hadn't noticed until that moment just how tired he still was. He struggled to open his eyelids in order to discover who his mystery helper was, but his eyes wouldn't cooperate with him. Someone slowly and lightly ran their hand over his head and through his messy hair. He heard a song being quietly hummed in the background. Harry felt his body beginning to relax, and he gave a small sigh of content. Before he drifted back off to sleep, he thought that he felt someone place a gentle kiss on his forehead.
Harry gradually opened his eyes and peered around the strange room. Bright sunlight filtered in through the large window opposite the four poster bed that he reclined in. The walls were decorated in midnight blue, and the bed covers were done in cream. A bookcase crammed full of books lined one wall. A desk and chair filled a corner of the room, and a dresser took up another. There were two doors leading away from the room: one Harry figured went into a bathroom. He finally spotted some clean clothes perched neatly at the end of the bed. Confused, Harry got up and pulled the clothes on. Once he was fully dressed, he wandered over to one of the doors and pulled it open. He found himself walking into Dumbledore's office, and the man was currently working behind his desk. The Headmaster quickly glanced up when he heard the door creak open. He flashed Harry a bright smile and gestured for Harry to take the seat opposite his desk.
"Hello, Harry. I hope that you had a nice rest. There are a lot of things that I wish to discuss with you this morning."
"Good morning, sir. Why am I here?" Harry questioned. His face turned a little bit red once he realized that the Headmaster must have been the one to carry him last night.
"Well, Harry, I found you asleep beside the lake this morning at 3:00 am. I would have woken you up and taken you to Gryffindor Tower, but I knew that you haven't been sleeping well. I decided to let you stay in my guest chambers for the night," Dumbledore said looking sadly over his glasses at Harry.
"I didn't mean to fall asleep at the lake, sir. I just needed to get away for a little while to think…" Harry broke off starting to feel a little choked up. He glanced away from the Headmaster's piercing gaze. He didn't want to show any weaknesses to anyone.
"That's alright, Harry. I know that you've been having a difficult time. I was actually going to call you up to my office today to speak with you anyway. You will not be staying at your relatives this summer. It is my belief that because Voldemort now has your blood, he could go around the wards placed on 4 Privet Drive. I do not think that you would be safe there anymore."
"Will I be able to stay with the Weasleys?" Harry asked hopefully, his depression lifting for a moment.
"No. I'm sorry, but security is not very strong at their house. Also, Voldemort is aware that you are friends with the Weasleys. That would be one of the first places that he would look for you," Dumbledore answered without a twinkle in his eyes.
"But where will I go?" Harry quietly asked. He sank back into the chair cushions feeling weary once more.
"You will be staying with me at my summer home. The only one that knows how to get to my house is Severus, and he will only come to inform me about Death Eater meetings. I must ask though that you do not inform Ron and Hermione about where you will be staying for the summer. I have already written your aunt and uncle concerning your summer arrangements. When the train departs tomorrow, you will stay here until we leave for my house. If anyone asks why you will not be on the train, just tell them that the train isn't safe enough transportation, and you will be going to your relatives' house in another manner."
"Why can't I tell Ron and Hermione? They won't tell anyone where I am if you don't want them to. I don't want to lie to them," Harry stated feeling distressed.
"I know that, Harry, but there are ways to force people to give information. If they aren't aware that you haven't left the Dursleys, then they can't tell anyone anything: willingly or otherwise. Also…" Dumbledore paused for a moment aware that Harry wasn't going to like what he had to say next. "You won't be able to write to them for at least a couple of weeks at the beginning of this summer…"
Harry jumped out of his chair and interrupted him once he said that. "What! You made Sirius leave me in order to go on some mission, and now I won't be able to talk to my friends. Why?"
"I'm really very sorry, Harry. I fear that Voldemort could be staking out your friends' houses. If you owled your friends, he could intercept the owl. You will be able to talk with them soon. I promise."
"Fine," Harry said through gritted teeth. "Since I have no choice, I will tell them whatever you want. See you tomorrow."
Harry leaped out of the chair, threw open the door, and stormed down the stairs. Dumbledore sat there a few moments longer with his face in his hands.
'That could have gone better,'hethought.