Harry Potter and the United Power

Chapter 1 - Summer Days

The sun was at its highest point, and was sending burning heat onto the town of Little Whinging. It seemed as though the sun would never give up this relentless heat; it had been like this for weeks. There was no sign of it cooling down in the near future. The heat affected everyone. It was a struggle to go outside. It was very unlikely that passers-by would see anyone outside if you walked past this town, especially not on Privet Drive, the most prosperous street in Little Whinging. No one would dare set foot down that street, unless they wished to get screamed at for stepping on perfectly manicured lawns.

However, despite the extreme heat, there was one young man outside of number four Privet Drive. He was lying amongst the rose bushes in the backyard of the house, and seemed quite out of place with his surroundings. Unless you were a resident of this house you would think he was from the poorer part of Little Whinging. He had scruffy black hair and wore clothes that looked as though they had been bought from a second-hand store. The young man's name was Harry Potter, and although by appearance one would think him an average teenage boy he most certainly wasn't. He was a Wizard-in-training at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and was soon to embark upon his sixth year at this school. Harry had been driven to hide in the rose bushes to get away from the yelling and screaming of his aunt and uncle and their ridiculous demands, as he knew that he wouldn't be found there for hours, if he was careful not to make a sound. He had in his hands a letter which he had received only a few hours ago. The letter was from one of his best friends, Hermione Granger. In it, she had written that Mrs. Figg would pick him up at eleven today and that he would be going to stay with Hermione at Grimmauld Place.

The heat was getting to Harry, and when he heard a knock at the front door, it was Mrs. Figg. Harry silent thanked Hermione for the gift she had given him on the last day of school which amplified sound. It had been so useful for him over the holidays, especially to know when to hide. Harry knew his Aunt Petunia would answer the door as she was the only other person home at the time, Vernon was at work and Dudley was out beating up some poor kid.

"Oh hello, Mrs. Figg. Come in," Petunia said and lead Mrs. Figg to the living room and sat down in the arm chair, while Mrs. Figg sat in the arm chair beside her. "So Arabella what can I do for you today."

"Hi Petunia, I have a favour to ask of you," Mrs. Figg began. Petunia nodded and Mrs. Figg continued, "well you see, I have to go visit my mother. You see she's fallen ill and had to be rushed to the hospital. She lives quite a way away, so I'll be gone for quite some time, probably the rest of the summer. I was wondering if it would be possible for Harry to stay at my home for the rest of the summer to keep things in order."

"Why yes, of course he can. I'll just go fetch him for you," Petunia replied.

"Oh no it's alright, take your time just send him over with his things when he's ready," Mrs. Figg replied and stood up to leave. "Bye Petunia and thanks for the help."

"It's no problem Arabella, I hope your mother will be okay and I'll see you after the summer, bye," Petunia said as she led Mrs. Figg to the door and saw her out.

"HARRY!" Petunia yelled up the stairs. She then went to his room and found that he wasn't there. "Oh, where is that boy. HARRY! COME HERE AT ONCE!" She yelled just as Harry raced inside to the foot of the stairs where she was standing.

"Yes Aunt Petunia?" Harry innocently enquired.

Petunia stared at the muddy tracks leading from the back door, then looked at Harry. "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?! YOU'RE A MESS! YOU KNOW YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO LEAVE THE HOUSE! HOW MANY TIMES DO YOU HAVE TO BE TOLD, YOU INSOLENT BOY?" she screamed at Harry. "Now I'll have to spend all day cleaning the mud off my floor," she finished and then added under her breathe "at least I'm getting rid of him."

"Sorry Aunt Petunia." Harry timidly answered as he stared at the floor to avoid the wrath of his Aunt.

"Sorry isn't good enough!" she snapped. "Take those filthy shoes off and go get cleaned up right now! Mrs. Figg needs you to watch her house for the rest of the summer." She pushed him up the stairs.

Harry went into his room and grabbed a comb of his bedside table. He ran it through his messy black hair, then grabbed a wash cloth and quickly cleaned all the dirt off his arms and face. He had mixed emotions about going to Grimmauld Place. On one hand he was excited to be able to leave the Dursley's this early but on the other hand he wasn't sure he would be able to cope being at Sirius's house.

He had already packed his things, however he knew that his Aunt would become suspicious if he was packed already so he thought it best to wait awhile, so he sat down on his bed and thought about his situation and what he wanted to do about.

I've got to fight Voldemort on my own, yet everyone is going to want to help. I suppose that is why I'm going to Grimmauld Place this early. He thought. I don't want help. I'll do it on my own. What about Ron and Hermione. I don't want them to die. Voldemort has killed everyone I've ever loved... My parents...Sirius...what if he goes for them next. I can't let that happen... but what can I do. I guess there's only one thing I can do. He decided I guess the only way to protect them is to leave them. I'll just not return to Hogwarts this year. I'll live in the muggle world. Voldemort can come find me and I'll defeat him but I won't endanger anyone by doing so. He decided that that was what he was going to do and so slowly headed down the stairs looking miserable.

"Alright, off you go then," Petunia said.

"Um, Aunt Petunia, may I have my wand and potions kit from the cupboard? I won't be back here until next summer."

Petunia looked at him, considering whether or not she wanted him to go back to that school. "How do you expect to get there? We're certainly not going to drive you to the station. You'll go to the public school this year."

This was the exact reaction Harry was expecting from his Aunt. He did intend on going to the muggle school however he didn't want to let his Aunt know that just yet. He wanted her to think he still intended on going to Hogwarts so simply responded by saying. "Why would you want to send me there? I thought you hated having me around here, but if you want me around then certainly I'll go to this school of yours," He knew the thing his Aunt and Uncle hated the most was having him around all the time, and this would lead them to think he intended on going back. His plan was to come back just before school went back and tell them he'd gotten expelled.

She turned to get the key from the rack by the door an muttered under her breathe "Stupid kid, thinks he's so good now, because he was right." She walked back to the cupboard and unlocked it, taking out his things. "Okay, you can have them, but you find your own way to the station. I don't want to see you again until next summer!"

"Thank you, Aunt Petunia. I'll see you next summer!" Harry stepped out the door and headed to the garage. Once there he pulled out his trolley, which he'd used for the paper rounds a few years ago and then wheeled his things over to Mrs. Figg's house.

In a number of minutes, he arrived at Mrs. Figg's house and knocked on the front door. He was rather excited to be able to leave so early and not have to spend the summer with the Dursley's, and that he'd be able to spend his birthday with friends. However he was also feeling a little depressed by the whole thing after all he was going to stay in the house of someone he'd killed. He wasn't sure if he could handle being there just yet. Mrs. Figg quickly came to answer the door and let Harry in. She ushered him to the lounge where Hermione was waiting.

"Hi Hermione," Harry said, taking a seat.

"Hi Harry, how's your summer been?"

"As good as it can be with the Dursleys, I guess," Harry answered.

"Well, at least you can get away early this year," Hermione replied cheerfully.

"Yeah, but what am I going?" he inquired bitterly. "Grimmauld Place," he continued answering his own question. "And that's not going to help me much, Hermione," Harry replied cynically.

Hermione just looked at him for a while, working out a response. "Harry, you know you have to stay either here or at Grimmauld place. It's too much of a risk to have you anywhere else. Plus, you liked Grimmauld Place last time."

Harry just stared at the floor. He was upset about Sirius's death and he hadn't yet been able to accept what had happened. He still had nightmares about it and ever day the scene of that night would replay in his head. "I won't like it this time; it's Sirius's house. I killed him! How can I be happy there?" he retorted.

"Oh Harry, you didn't kill him. You know that and it wasn't your fault it happened. Sirius would have done anything to save you, like he did for your parents, and he did Harry. It's not your fault." She said trying to help him accept that it had happened, and help him move on.

"I don't want to go to Grimmauld place. I'd rather stay with the Dursley's than go there. Anyway, I'm not going back to Hogwarts this year. I've caused so much trouble there, and I don't want anyone else to die because of me."

This startled Hermione and Mrs. Figg. They had never expected that Harry would choose the Dursleys over the wizarding world. Hermione and Mrs. Figg looked at each other, then Mrs. Figg walked towards the kitchen and left Hermione to talk to Harry.

"Harry, you can't just leave the wizarding world like this," Hermione stated as calmly as she could.

"Why not? I did when I was a baby!" Harry countered.

"What about the prophecy?" Hermione asked him.

Harry was upset by this. He had always thought it would be his responsibility to tell Ron and Hermione after all it was about him. "You've heard it?" Harry questioned. He wasn't entirely sure that Hermione actually knew what it said. He thought she might have just heard something about it, and was trying to get him to tell her.

"Oh, well, we really don't know exactly what it said, but we've been in meetings with Dumbledore. He said it'd be your responsibility to explain," Hermione explained.

This made Harry curious. We? Were there others involved? Harry had already decided he didn't want to get anyone involve in this - he would do it on his own. That was part of the reason he was willing to stay with the Dursleys this year. He knew that if he went back to Hogwarts, he'd be forced to listen to Dumbledore and the others tell him what to do. He didn't want that. No one was going to die because of him again. "Hermione, are you in the Order?"

"Of course not! I'm too young. Besides, the Order doesn't exist anymore."

"Why not? Doesn't The Order want to help me anymore? They do every other time," Harry replied, rather confused. He found it odd that the order didn't exist anymore, and he was at a loss to figure out why. He'd always thought they'd try to interfere with his life, and now they'd just left him. Although Harry didn't want their help, he was hurt by the fact that they didn't even want to offer it.

"They can't help us Harry; it would be the death of them. They wanted to, but Dumbledore found a prophecy that forbade their interference."

"I thought you didn't believe in prophecy, Hermione," Harry reminded her.

"This is real, not some prediction of Trelawny's."

"Who gave the prophecy?" he inquired of her.

"Does it really matter?"

"I never thought that I'd see Hermione Granger believing in prophecies and all that nonsense."

"It's real, Harry. Dumbledore explained it to us," Hermione replied, sounding rather offended.

"Though he conveniently left out who gave it. Bet you'd feel differently if you knew who made that first prophecy. I don't know about that second one, but I doubt you'd believe it if you knew who made the first one. And since when does the smartest witch at Hogwarts just accept what she's told without question?"

At that moment, there was a small pop from the kitchen, and soon Mrs. Figg entered the room again with Dumbledore. "Harry, she didn't just accept it," A voice from behind him declared.

Harry spun around at that a noticed Professor Dumbledore standing behind him. "Professor Dumbledore," he exclaimed, surprised to see him.

"I never told them the actual wording of the prophecy, though she did ask a lot of questions. I had to give her a book to prove to her that there were such things as real prophecies," Dumbledore said as he took a seat in the living room.

Harry was slightly confused by this. He wondered why someone would talk about a prophecy without actually telling people the actually wording of it. "Why didn't you tell them the wording of it?" Harry inquired. "It seems as though you told them a lot about it anyway. You may as well have told them," Harry finished cynically.

"I didn't tell her who gave it, as I didn't feel it was important for her to know. I didn't tell her the exact wording of it, as it is up to you whether or not you tell them." Dumbledore explained.

"In other words, you deceived her! You knew she'd never believe you if she knew who had given it, so you just decided to not tell her!" Harry exclaimed.

Hermione was beginning to look very uncomfortable by this conversation. "Um, who said the prophecy, Professor? And why does Harry think that it will change my opinion on the truth of it?" she asked timidly.

"Harry, if you want to tell Hermione who gave the prophecy, go right ahead. However, you'll also need to tell her all you know about it," Dumbledore told him and waited to see if Harry would tell Hermione.

"You know she won't believe what it said, if she knows who said it," Harry told Dumbledore before turning to Hermione. "Hermione, the prophecy was made by professor Trelawny."

Hermione glared at Dumbledore. "You told me it was a REAL prophecy. Trelawny is a complete phoney! How could you believe anything she said? How could you make me believe that it was real? Did she make the second prophecy, too?"

"Hermione, this isn't like the predictions that Professor Trelawny makes in her classes," he began to explain.

"That's the only type she ever makes," Hermione retorted angrily. She felt hurt that Dumbledore had lied to her.

"This is a real prophecy. You remember in the book I showed you it said that the seers go into a trance-like state." Hermione nodded. "Well, that is what happened when the Professor gave this prediction. We can work out what it all means now, and it is all very real," he finished.

Hermione started to fell a little better about it then. "Well what does it say then?" she asked of him.

Dumbledore looked at Harry and simply replied. "Harry, if you would tell Hermione what this prophecy actually said."

Harry nodded. "Here goes nothing," He took a deep breath. "The prophecy said, 'The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches...born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies...and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not...and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives...the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies.' So that means me," he finished lamely.

"Oh Harry, I do believe the prophecy, and you'll have to hear the second prophecy with the rest of us soon so that we can help you." Hermione informed him.

"You mean you haven't even heard this other prophecy?" he asked.

"No, not the exact wording. We'll be hearing it tomorrow when everyone arrives at Grimmauld place."

"Who's 'we'?" Harry voiced the question that had been on his mind for a while.

"I don't exactly know...it's all the people whom the prophecy relates to. I know that it involves Ron, Luna, Neville, Ginny, and me. They're already at Grimmauld place; we're still waiting for you and two others," His annoyance must have been showing on his face, because she added, "They're all from Hogwarts and no one is in the Order."

Harry took all this in. "Um, Dumbledore? Why doesn't the order exist anymore?"

"Well, Harry, we are no longer needed. There is nothing else for us to do as an Order. We can't be involved in the final battle, so all we can do is keep the Death Eaters at bay, and the Aurors can do that without aid." was the confusing explanation. "You will understand better when you hear the second prophecy tomorrow. Oh and no, Trelawny didn't make this one. It was made long before her time. So Harry, are you ready now to go to Grimmauld place?"

Harry still wasn't sure if he wanted to go. However, as long as the Order wasn't going to interfere, he felt that he wouldn't harm anyone, and he was intrigued by this second prophecy. He thought for a little about it and decided that he'd at least hear this second prophecy before he made a decision to leave Hogwarts. "I guess," he said, and stood up, heading over to the fireplace to Floo to Grimmauld place.