Alone

Chapter 7

"So is that what you're going to do?" Derek asked finally as he set his fork down.

Jake sighed. That was the question of the century: what was he going to do?

Jake sighed again. "I hate my life sometimes!" he declared suddenly.

Derek smiled wryly. "I know mate, I know."

Do they really need my help? I mean, sure, I'm the fucking Boy-Who-Lived, but I'm just a normal person. Hell even Hermione, a Muggle-born, was better at spells then me (A/N we'll ignore the fact that she was better than everybody at spells). I'm sure she and Malfoy can handle it. After all, wasn't Malfoy a Death Eater or something? And I'm sure Dumbledore can do it.And Ron is powerful, or at least he was, when I last saw him. Surely he's become more powerful by now. I'm positive that between the four of them, they can do it. And besides, there are bound to be more powerful people in the Order. No, I'm certain that the Order won't need my help. After all, I haven't used my magic in four years and I'm sure as hell not going to start now! Jake thought with satisfaction as he reached his decision and at this point convinced, to a certain extent, himself that the Order doesn't need him. To hell with them; they can manage without me. In any case, they've managed to do so for four years.

"I'm not going Derek. They don't need me. They haven't needed me for four years, they sure don't need me now," Jake said with finality.

Derek raised an eyebrow, but remained silent. I hope he knows what he's doing and doesn't regret it, Derek thought with sadness as he watched his friend clean up the plates. 'Cause I'm sure he's going to go back. If not now, then after that Voldemort guy kills some people.

* * * * *

Hours became days and days became weeks, but still no word from Harry. The Order was starting to get worried. What if Harry didn't want to return? What if Harry decided that he wanted nothing more to do with the wizarding world?

It was a fine day when the note came.

Dumbledore quickly reached for it, hoping that it was from Harry. It was.

It was addressed to Mister Draco Malfoy, Defence of the Dark Arts Professor. Dumbledore quickly summoned him from his third year class.

Draco trudged up the steps in a huff. He was just getting to the good part of the lesson and had somehow, through a minor miracle, managed to get his Gryffindor class settled down. Everything was going fine until Dumbledore suddenly told him, although not in such colourful words, "Get your arse up to his office quick smart."

Stumbling through the door, Draco glared at the old man.

"What is it Albus?" he asked.

Dumbledore wordlessly handed over the letter, on normal Muggle stationery.

Draco's eyes widened.

"Is it from Potter?" he asked. Dumbledore nodded as Draco tore through the envelope.

Malfoy,

The answer to your question:

No.

No way am I going to go back to that hellhole of yours,especially not Hogwarts. Do you think you could've convinced me to go back to the people who betrayed me when I needed them the most? I hope not Malfoy, because surely not even you think I'd forgive and forget that easily, did you? I didn't think so either. I trust you to not bother me anymore for I have reached my decision and nothing, I meanNOTHING, will change my mind. I'm sorry that things turned out this way.Wait a second, no I'm not. I'm happy that things turned out this way; at least this way I know who my true friends are.

I trust you not to contact me, in any way, or I will promptly take out a restraining order against you. I'm not joking Malfoy; a lot of things have changed about me since we last saw each other in the halls of Hogwarts.

Sincerely,

Jake Nicholas Stevens

P.S. My name is Jake Nicholas Stevens and not Harry James Potter. Harry James Potter died a long time ago and since you can't raise the dead accept the fact that he's not coming back.

Draco read the letter through twice. So that was how Harry felt? Fine! Without another glance at the letter, he threw the letter on to Dumbledore's desk and stormed out of the room.

* * * * *

Weeks passed since Draco had visited their apartment and most of the time, Jake managed to push the incident out of his mind. Of course, the key words were most of the time. When these thoughts did play on his mind, Jake felt as if his head was about to explode. After all, not all of Harry Potter's traits had gone to the grave without rubbing off on Jake first. Unfortunately, from Jake's point of view, one of these traits was the ability to make him feel completely guilty over things that normal people would never feel guilty about.

Well then, who ever said I was normal? Jake thought sarcastically as he threw one of his pillows over his head, trying to shut out the voices that were telling him to change his mind, to go back.

Which is pretty stupid considering the voice you're trying to block outis from the inside of your head and not outside, a voice that sounded suspiciously like Draco Malfoy's drawled.

Jake groaned.

Oh, shut up! He snapped back.

That the best we can come up with Potter? The voice continued to mock.

Jake groaned again.

Trust my conscience to sound like that bloody git, of all people, Jake thought as he sat up. He was not going to get any sleep soon.

Going downstairs Jake got himself a cup of tea and dragged out a couple of files on his client. If he wasn't going to sleep, he might as well do some work.

In your underwear? His conscience drawled innocently as Jake slammed the files down on the table in a rare show of anger. Stomping upstairs, Jake pulled on a robe and went downstairs again, to work on the files.

Happy now? Jake asked sarcastically, briefly wondering why he was obeying a voice that not only sounded like Draco Malfoy's, but also acted like the idiot.

Very, the voice answered contentedly, much like a cat that has just had a saucer of milk. Jake stifled another groan and got to work on the files.

* * * * *

"Albus!" the voice rang through the Great Hall loudly. The hall was immediately silenced as everyone stared at the stranger. The stranger staggered up to the head table and leaned on it heavily.

"There's been another attack," he whispered urgently before collapsing in a dead faint.

* * * * *

Jake was coming home after work with Derek when he noticed it.

It was a letter.

Written on parchment.

It was sticking out of his letterbox.

With a shaky breath, Jake reached for it. He had every intention to rip it to pieces, but Derek stopped him.

"At least read what it says," he advised.

Jake looked at the letter for a long time before nodding and going up to their apartment.

Settling himself comfortably on the sofa, Jake ripped open the envelope and was surprised when a newspaper clipping fell out.

Wednesday 18^thApril

Another Attack: Where's The Boy-Who-Lived?

- Lavender Brown

Yesterday MuggleEngland suffered the latest attack of You-Know-Who. Twenty-five Muggles were killed as dark wizards launched the attack at one in the afternoon. The attack was situated at the University ofCambridge, and all those killed were students. Aurors and members of the Order of Phoenix arrived on the scene ten minutes after the attack started and were successful at saving the rest of the Muggles from suffering the same fate of their peers.

This has been the tenth attack since the beginning of the year and the Ministry of Magic appears powerless to stop them. This is all due to Cornelius Fudge, the current Minster of Magic, who still blindly refuses to believe that You-Know-Who has risen again despite the evidence.

The one person who might be able to save us has abandoned the wizarding world. Harry Potter the, Boy-Who-Lived, disappeared four years ago and has not been seen since. Where is he? This reporter believes that Mr. Potter is still angry for his friends betraying him when he was arrested and has not forgiven them. Despite the rumours that say he is dead, his friends believe that Mr. Potter is alive.

"Wherever you are Harry, please come back.We're sorry," Mrs. Hermione Granger-Weasley said, tears sliding down her face.

Oh behalf of the wizarding community of the United Kingdom, this reporter apologises to Mr. Harry James Potter; we're sorry.

Jake finished reading the clipping in a daze. His brain didn't register the apology or any of the information on the attacks. All he was able to absorb was that Cambridge University was attacked, and that twenty-five people were killed.

What about Lucy? Was she killed? Oh God, please, please don't let anything happen to her, Jake thought desperately as Derek scanned the clipping.

After he finished, Derek, too, was devoid of any colour.

"Lucy," he whispered, looking at Jake. Jake didn't look back and was staring into space.

Suddenly, Jake gave a choked sob and broke down, crying. Derek hurriedly got off the armchair and embraced Jake who was still sobbing.

"It's okay Jake," Derek said softly as he rocked his best friend from side to side.

Jake shook his head. "No it's not. Don't you get it? If only I had gone with Malfoy, I might've been able to stop this. I might've been able to save Lucy," Jake mumbled, deep in self-hatred.

"Stop it Jake!" Derek said sharply, making Jake look at him. "You don't know if Lucy's dead. She could still be alive; the article doesn't tell you who died, so you have no idea if she's dead or not."

Jake drew in a couple of shaky breaths and nodded. Derek was right. There are lots of students at Cambridge. Lucy probably wasn't dead.

"I have to make sure," Jake told Derek as he stood up. Derek nodded, knowing what Jake meant.

* * * * *