Battle with Darkness

Chapter One: The Way Out

Late August

The Dursley's Home

He had to stay, again, with the Dursley's for the summer. Becoming the servant was normal for him. He knew what to expect from this "family". Harry had counted the days until he could be in the comforting walls of Hogwarts. He wanted to be with his friends, the Professors... Merlin, even Draco if he had to spend anymore time with the Dursley's home.

He wanted to do magic again. He wanted to have fun, only he never really had much fun in the past, always having to save someone -- having to watch his back for evil. How he wished someone knew what it felt like to be the hero all the time. He had Ron and Hermione by his side, but it wasn't the same.

Harry had a lingering feeling in his heart that connected him with something -- someone. Only he didn't know what or who. I have to talk with Dumbledore about this, he thought. He looked up to the ceiling and counted the holes. Harry blinked while staring up there; the he had to look away. He saw what he dreaded the most, Cedric. Don't start this again, he thought. He couldn't possibly understand how the holes up his ceiling made up Cedric's face.

"Think of something else," and he did. The Dursley's went on vacation a few days ago, leaving Harry locked in his room. They had left little food for him, but he didn't care much. He didn't have much of an appetite, anyway. Hedwig was aching to fly, only she was locked in her cage. Harry dreamed of the Wizarding World.

He wondered what Ron was doing, and what pranks Fred and George have been planning for the next year. He knew they must have been thinking about him. He slightly smiled thinking about what foods Mrs. Weasley would be cooking for him. He thought about Mr. Weasley asking him about Muggle things. He never did pay much attention to Ginny, but he wondered what could she be doing... He sighed. "I wish..."

The house was silent, except for Hedwig's hooting, who is still in the cage. He told her before, "I wish I can let you fly around." He rolled over his side and looked at his mini calendar that had Quidditch players for each month. Harry flipped August and saw September. His eyes were glued to the red circle that was around the first.

"This year has to be my year," he whispered. Harry sifted a yawn; his eyes were starting to close. It wasn't helping that it was past midnight either. "Might as well sleep. Don't you think so, Hedwig?" The owl gave a hoot. Harry smiled. "You're right. Way past our bedtime," He blew out his candle, covered his owl's cage with a towel, and went in bed. Soft snores were the only thing heard from Harry's lips.

-- -- --

"Harry. Harry."

"Err, go away." Harry swatted his hand at the person who was waking him up. He didn't want this. He wanted his sleep. It didn't come easy in this household.

"Harry." poke "Its Ron!" shove "Blimey, Hermione... He's not waking," the female friend huffed and shoved her red hair friend away.

"I'll wake him," she grinned mischievously. She cracked her fingers and began her "magic". She hovered over Harry's sleeping form, leaning down to his ear, she yelled. "OH SWEET MERLIN! RON, THAT FEELS SO GOOD!" Hermione pulled away quickly before Harry sat up straight with his eyes wide open.

"Huh? What? Who?" Harry virtuously looked around his room. Hedwig hooted in delight, as her master was "surprised".

"Why, hello Harry! Glad to see that you're awake!" Hermione cheerfully greeted. Harry's breathing was finally calming and his ears were getting back to normal. He blinked his eyes from the light in the room. His head was pounding, and slightly he tilted his head to the side.

He saw Ron blush a mad shade of red. However, he felt like falling back into his pillow and to cover himself with the blankets. "Harry!" he flinched. His eyes lazily made his way to Hermione's face and he dumbly smiled.

"Hermione..." Harry sniffled, and laid down on the pillows. He had lightly tugged on the blankets, covering his sleepy body. "G'night all," Hermione huffed again and dug into her pockets for her wand.

"No! Not yet!" Ron leaned forward and placed his hand on her arm. "He's tired, 'Mione. We should have let him sleep."

She sighed. "I feel bad, Ron. We had missed his birthday!" Harry didn't budge from the bed, too tired to care about anything. Ron stood by the door, which was completely broken by their break in. Hermione stood by Hedwig's cage, while she hooted to be let out.

"Why don't we let Hedwig out?" Ron asked. Hermione nodded. She pulled off the towel that covered her cage, and opened it with the simple Alohomora spell. In an instant, Hedwig flew around the room. "Want to go outside?" She hooted in delight and followed Ron out of Harry's room and down the stairs. Ron was about to the open the front door when it opened itself.

Ron stepped back. Hedwig flew back upstairs and into her cage. She had backed herself against the cage. Hermione turned from trying to wake Harry again. "What's wrong, Hedwig?" There was no hoot coming from her beak.

"HERMIONE!" Her head turned in a quick motion and she ran towards the door. Ron had panicked and backed himself up to the stairs. "HERMIONE!" He yelled again, panic-stricken. He let one leg up on the first step, but suddenly fell backwards.

"YOU!" The voice boomed at Ron. Hermione, from above the stairwell, pointed her wand at the Muggles below.

A smiled formed on her face and she waved her wand. "Wingardium Leviosa!"

Dudley Dursley shrieked and floated a few feet from the air. "MUMMY!"

"Oh, Dudleykins! Mummy is here!" Petunia Dursley reached her arms in the air, but Hermione had floated him to the ceiling. The fat boy yelled for someone to help him and nobody came to his rescue. Ron, during Hermione's "magic trick" had run upstairs and huffed beside her. He motioned for Harry's room and she nodded without breaking her train of thought. Vernon's face had contorted into some horrid feature.

"BOY!!"

• -- --

The boy in bed leapt in the air after hearing the angry voice of his uncle. "Blimey! We must hurry, Harry!" He didn't need to be told twice. He gathered most of his clothes in his trunk and Ron shrunk it after it was closed. "Where is your wand and the other things?!"

"Locked in the closet downstairs!" Harry took a hold of Hedwig's cage. "Where's Hermione?"

For a second Ron grinned. "Floating that horrid cousin of yours,"

Harry was about to tell Ron about no magic during the summer when Hermione's voice was heard. "Harry, Ron! I can't keep this up for any longer!" Hermione yelled. Uncle Vernon was making his way up the stairs, while his wife Petunia was jumping up and down, trying to get her precious son down.

"Bind him, Hermione!" Ron yelled, and grabbed Harry by the arm pulling him out of the room. Hermione yelled out "Petrificus Totalus" and Mr. Dursley fell back on the stairs.

Dudley, who now had the spell off, fell on his mother. The two did not get up at all. The three Gryffindors ran down the stairs and Hermione unlocked the closet. Harry found his wand and his books. Hermione used her wand, shrunk the books, and gave Harry his wand. Hedwig hooted and they reacted.

"How did you two come?" Harry asked.

"My parents," Hermione replied. "They are just a block away. We must hurry!" All rushed the youngsters and ran to the car that had Mr. and Mrs. Granger. They gave no worry to the Dursley's as Mr. Granger drove away from Privet Drive.

"One question?" Harry spoke up while Hermione's parents talked amongst themselves.

"Hmm?" Ron looked at him.

"What happened to 'no underage magic'?" Hermione turned to Harry and smiled.

"Well, Professor Dumbledore told the Ministry about something he had found. Top Secret. He sent me an owl and asked me to have my parents take me to your house and pick you up. He had told me that I had some limited magic use and I wouldn't get in trouble if I had used some. I owled Ron after I read my note and asked him to come and help me. So, we came and here you are!"

Harry didn't know what to say, so he said the only thing he could think of. "Oh.... Thanks.."