Harry Potter - Series Fan Fiction ❯ Harry Potter and the Ashes of Hope ❯ Chapter 13: Together again ( Chapter 13 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Okay children this is the last of what Laer-ear and Mellyone was able to do before Real Life played a cruel fate in their lives.

After this is all me.

Please remember I don't own Harry Potter and to read the rest of the disclaimer in Chapter 1

Chapter 13

Together again...

Remus was eagerly looking around the area he knew he had seen Harry. The young boy had shown up as he was apparating. After walking up and down the road several times, he sat on the bench he had been sitting at earlier in the day.

Several people gave him strange looks. He had not been seen around before and even though this was a large city, he stood out. The passersby only saw a haggard looking man with graying hair in shabby clothes. Most thought he was another homeless individual. They ignored the man and attended to their own business not wanting to be known for associating with someone like the sickly looking man. Remus paid them not attention though.

He would stare at every young boy with dark hair that would pass. It was getting late in the day when he decided to give up for the day. He sighed heavily and got up from the bench. He wanted to find Harry before Dumbledore caught on to what he was doing. As he was preparing to apparate in the alley he heard running footsteps behind him. Remus turned around and felt his mouth fall open in astonishment.

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Harry had been having a very bad couple of days. He had not been able to get any money and he was hungry. Most of the busy people walking to and from work always became suspicious when they saw him and would clutch their purses and wallets closer to them. Many of them had money stolen from them when the boy was around and suspected him. He had almost gotten caught again yesterday. In his haste to escape he had dropped the wallet he had been able to take before the man had known what had happened but another had pointed out that he had taken the mans wallet before Harry could get away. The man had grabbed hold of his arm but Harry was able to wiggle his way out of the grip.

Harry became alert again when he spotted his next victim. He couldn't believe his eyes. It appeared that his Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon where out for dinner. He couldn't help the smile that came to his face when he thought about what their reactions would be if they saw him. Walking up to his aunt and uncle, Harry felt secure in the knowledge that they couldn't punish him this time. He slowly walked behind them to the restaurant as they made their way to an outdoor table.

“Don't worry Petunia, Dudley will be here soon. He's just running a tad behind. You know how boys his age are.” His uncle was saying.

“Of course Vernon, I just worry about my precious Duddikins.”

Harry had to slap a hand over his mouth to keep from laughing out loud. He didn't know why his aunt had away felt the need to call Dudley pet names. Dudley's friends had always been too afraid of their leader to make fun of the names his mother called him to his face.

The Dursleyswere just about to sit when they noticed the little boy standing by them. Harry watched the look of revulsion that was on his Aunts face as she noticed his grubby appearance. Not wanting to ruin his moment, Harry raised his head to the two adults and smiled.

“Hi Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon.”

He watched the two in amusement. Vernon Dursley seemed to have lost the ability to speak. Petunia looked as if she were about to faint. After a minute of standing there gaping like a fish out of water, Vernon regained his senses.

“What kind of trick is this? You're supposed to be dead you little freak. You can't be Potter anyway;he was a teenager when he died. What kind of freakishness is this?”

Harry looked at his aunt. She was still staring at Harry with a horrified look on her face. Harry couldn't help but smirk at her and she quickly looked to her husband to get them out of the situation. At that moment Dudley Dursley showed up holding the hand of a girl that was just as big as he was.

“What's going on Mum?Who's this little freak?”

Harry turned to Dudley and nearly laughed out loud again as realization came over his face. He was enjoying this moment very much. He couldn't help but wonder though if this would somehow get back to the wizarding world. Coming to a quick decision he cast a very powerful, wandless obliviate spell on the four people in from of him and quickly grabbed Vernon's wallet and gave the man a good kick in the shin before running off.

The Dursleyscame out of their trance like state when there was a shout of “That kid just took your wallet.” Dudley wanting to prove himself to his girlfriendran after the strange looking boy.

Harry hadn't been expecting Dudley to chase after him. Dudley wasn't as big as he once was, but he was now in better shape due to his boxing. The bigger boy had no trouble keeping up with Harry. Deciding he needed to cut his losses for the second time in two days, Harry dropped the wallet and turned into they next alley. He nearly ran into the man standing there.

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Remus could not believe his eyes. Standing there in front of him was Harry. It had to be him. The boy seemed to be just as shocked as he was. He took in the boy's dirty appearance and noticed that he was trying to catch his breath. He took a tentative step towards the boy and knelt down so he could be eye level with him.

“Harry?”

“Remus it was you I saw the other day!”

Remus, always the most cautious of the marauders, voiced a question to the young boy. He wanted desperately for it to be Harry.

“Tell me something only the real Harry would know.”

Harry thought for a moment before he replied

“You gave me lessons to learn about the Patronus Charm in third year. You and Sirius game me Animaguslessons along with Ron and Hermione. I wasn't able to discover my form.”

Remus stood there a moment longer and Harry thought that he hadn't believed him. He was therefore surprised when Remus grabbed him into a bone crushing hug.

“Can we go someplace else Remus? I ran into the Dursleysand took Vernon's wallet. Dudley was chasing me. I don't want him to find me. I had to obliviate them so they couldn't let it slip that they saw me, even if they didn't believe it.”

Harry felt Remus tighten his arms around him and then the unpleasant feeling of being squeezed through a tube. Needless to say, Harry didn't like to apparate. When he opened his eyes, he appeared to be in a small cottage. The furniture was muchworn, but the place looked and felt comfortable. Remus had disappeared into another room, retuning a few minutes later with tea. He motioned for Harry to sit in one of the comfortable looking chairs.

“How is it possible that you are alive Harry? Dumbledore saw you right after you had been Kissed.”

Harry went on to explain that after being away from the Dementors for a while he was able to remember the visit that Remus had made to talk to him about transforming.

“The next thing I know, I was in a park in Surrey. It was the first place I could think of. I decided to change back into my human form and when I did, I was an infant again.”

It took another couple of hours to explain about being able to change his vision, being able to do wandless magic, and how he would practice flying in his phoenix form. He had told Remus that he had been raised in foster homes and then finally running away to live on the streets.. Remus had been shocked by all of it. He was now talking about different books they could consult and people they could ask.

“Remus, I don't want Dumbledore to know.”

“Harry we have to tell him eventually. He will need to know. I need to go to France tomorrow, and assignment for the Order.”

“We can tell Dumbledore eventually. I just don't want him to know yet. Do you think there is a way fro me to age into my 23 year old self. I'm supposed to be 24 soon you know.”

“I don't know Harry. I doubt there is a documented case of this anywhere. I mean you are correct in thinking that transforming into a magical Animagus is impossible. Or at least supposed to be.... You should come to France with me. Dumbledore won't know you are with me. I'll only be there for a month at the latest.”

“But what will I do while we're there?”

“We'll think of something Harry.”

After talking a bit more and having dinner, Harry was very tired and ready for bed. His small body just couldn't handle being up for long periods of time, especially now that he was full and feeling warm for the first time in a while. Remus showed him to a small room and used a shrinking charm on a pair of his pajamas. After Harry had climbed into the bed Remus had tucked him in.

“Remus, I know I look it, but I'm not a little kid you know.”

Remus apologized before he left the room and Harry felt bad. The man had been nothing but kind to him. He had never had help when he was younger living with the Dursleysand it was still hard for him to accept kindness from adults. The last thought on his mind before falling asleep was that he now had someone he could trust.

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The next morning out of habit, Harry was up early. Remus was not in the sitting room or the small kitchen, so Harry searched the cupboards for something to make for breakfast. It was the least he could do;he had a lot of practice cooking, thanks to his aunt and uncle. He knew Remus had a tough time holding a job down;he was still surprised at how little food the man had. By the time Remus was up and in the kitchen, Harry had made porridge and toast.

They talked through breakfast about Voldemort and what was now in his control. Since Harry's Kiss the Dementors had fled Azkaban to join Voldemort and the Ministry was having trouble covering up the Death Eater attacks from the muggles which were getting worse every day. The giants and most of the werewolves had joined Voldemort. Only the Goblins and Centaurs had remained neutral. Fudge had been voted out of office a few years ago, after the incident with the captured Death Eater and he claiming everything was under control.

The next day, there was a Death Eater attack in Diagon Alley and several people were killed. Needless to say Rufus Scrimgeour had replaced Fudge and he was actually trying to get everything back under control.

Harry wasn't surprised about the giants and werewolves joining Voldemort. He just hoped they would be able to stop them. He didn't want anyone else to be hurt. He and Remus had already discussed getting a wand for him. Remus had said that one could never be too prepared and that having a wand and using wandless magic would be a huge advantage to him. He was sure that they could find a wand for him in France.

“How are the Weaselysand Hermione doing?” He asked out of curiosity.

“They are doing as well as can be expected in times like these. Ron and Hermione are no longer a couple. They haven't been the same since Dumbledore told the Order about your innocence and your death.”Remus said quietly as gauged Harry's reactions.

He was the bond that held the two together and after his death, it had all fallen apart. Anyone could see there was still love there. But without Harry....well.

A lot of things went south for Harry's friends and classmates....

Still he could tell Harry wasn't sure how to feel about them anymore. They had turned on him when he needed them the most. Yes, all of the evidence pointed to Harry, but he still couldn't see how they thought he would do something like that. He didn't ask anymore about them. It was just too painful even after seven almost eight years.

Harryand Remus would be leaving for France that evening. Fawkes had delivered the portkey to Remus while Harry had been in the shower. The phoenix tilting its head and giving a little musical sound of delight as it looks to the wolf with hidden knowledge. Somehow Remus knows that the great bird will not spill his and Harry's secret to the Headmaster or anyone else for right now.

It would take them directly to the place they would be staying. They would be staying in Dijon and then Paris. They would have to be very careful though. They were going to use glamour charms. They couldn't take the chance of Harry being recognized, even if he was supposed to be dead. It had been decided that they would act as father and son on vacation.

Harry spent the rest of the day showing some of the wandless magic he had learned to Remus and reading a few of the Defense books that Remus had on his bookshelves. He had also brought up the subject of money and Remus explained to him that Dumbledore had given him enough to cover any expenses. Before Harry had left Hogwarts for the start of his summer holidays at the end of his fifth year, he had given Remus a card that would charge things to his Gringott's account.

Remus had not used it in the nine years that he had it, saying that he would not have felt right about using it. Harry decided that this would be how they would afford clothing, as Harry had ruined all of the clothes he had taken with him when he ran away, and other extra amenities. The ministry had never checked into his account with the goblin run bank and Remus assured him that the goblins wouldn't go to the ministry about funds being withdrawn from the account. The Ministry could not touch the account without being granted permission from the goblins.

It was finally time for the portkey to take them to their destination, a small villa in Dijon. Harry realized it was sad that this would be the first long trip he had ever taken besides going to Hogwarts.