I don't own anything.

This chapter has been edited.

The Beginning

Harry potter, a boy of sixteen years, sat looking out of his bedroom window at Privet Drive number four, tears were streaming down his cheeks. Just weeks ago his summer holiday away from Hogwarths school of witchcraft and wizardry had ended andhe felt as if his life was falling apart. A letter that he had beensent, laid crumpled at his feet. His white owl Hedwig sat perched on top of his transfiguration book, quietly preening herself. She cast sorrowful glances at him every now and then.

"Dead" Harry whispered and rested his head against the cool window glass and gave a sob. New fresh tears welled out of his eyes. One would think that Harry should be used to death or at least numb from all the times witnessing it in his young life.

Fifteen years had gone since the dark lord Voldemort had murdered his parents. Whilst his parents had died after being hit by the Avada kedavra, the killing curse meant for Harry had rebounded and hit Voldemort, stripping the dark lord of his powers.

Then six years earlier when Harry had started his first year at Hogwarts, Harry had once again meet with Voldemort and once more stopped the dark lord from following out his plans. Harry's first defence against the dark arts teacher, professor Quirell, had unfortunately died at Harry's hands.

Then five years ago Voldemort also known as Tom Marvolo Riddle, had again made an appearance in Harry's beloved school. Voldemort had possessed Ginny, Harry's best friends little sister through a charmed diary. Whilst Ginny had become weaker, the diary Voldemort who had been feeding on her life force had become stronger. Harry had defeated a giant basilisk, killed the diary Voldemort and saved Ginny. And therefore once again stopped Voldemort.

Three years back Voldemort´s plan was to abduct Harry from Hogwarts. And in this, he finallysucceeded. Harry had been wisped away, unfortunately together with another student who had been killed in front of Harry. Harry had managed to escape taking the body of his fellow student, Cedric Diggory, with him.

The next year Harry's godfather, Sirius Black, who had been unjustly imprisoned for thirteen years, was killed in the departments of mysteries, trying to save Harry's life. Harry who had first been at Hogwarts had left for the ministry after receiving a face vision from Voldemort, telling him that Sirius was being tortured.

And now, just weeks earlier the most beloved headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, who had been more of a grandfather to Harry, had been killed right in front of Harry's very own eyes. Dumbledore had put Harry under the Petrificus Totalus and therefore stopped Harry from helping him at the needed time. Harry would never for the rest of his life forget the pleading look in the headmaster's eyes when faced with Snape. The potions master, Professor Snape andHarry's most despised teacher, had finally showed his true colours by killing the man who had trusted him when no others would. Harry felt nothing but pain knowing that he had been right all along, telling Dumbledore not to trust Snape. Voldemort, the most feared wizard of all, often mentioned as You-know-who out of fear from using his name, had named his followers The Death Eaters. And Severus Snape was a death eater, a loyal death eater.

Headmaster Albus Dumbledore had believed in Snape´s lies of regret and given the young man a second chance as a teacher at Hogwarths. And now one of the greatest wizards was gone leaving an empty void in the wizardring world and Harry's heart.

Harry's best friends at school, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, had promised to come and spend the summer with him at his relative's house. At least until Harry's seventeenth birthday when he would leave and hopefully never have to return. Harry was planning on going to his birth home, Godrics Hollow. He had dreamed of going to his parent's house ever since he had been a small child.

But now after weeks of waiting for his friends to finally arrive he had been told in a letter that not only they but also Ron's mother and two of his siblings were dead. That there had been an attack at the Burrows, the Weasley house. Harry did not think he could take much more pain. These weeks at his relative's house were enough he decided. The blood protection Dumbledore had put up when Harry had been no more than a newly orphaned baby would have to be satisfied. He packed the few belongings he had removed from his trunk back in it and closed it with a final thud. Grabbing hold of Hedwig's cage, were the white owl now resided after seeing her master packing, he walked out of his room.

His relatives, aunt Petunia, uncle Vernon and Dudley Dursley were all occupying the living room. They were watching the TV.

"And we would like to report that yet another gas leak has been discovered. The police believe this to be an act of terrorism the Prime minister condemns this act of violence and say that a specially trained force has been set out to catch the culprits…." The newscaster kept talking about what the muggles, non-magic folks, thought was a gas leak. Harry and his relatives all knew differently of course. It was Lord Voldemort and his loyal death eaters causing all this devastation.

When Harry stepped into the living room his relatives all turned as one to stare at him.

"So… you're leaving? Bout time!" His uncle exclaimed, although most of the usual malice was gone. His uncle seemed to have realised that Harry's freak world had turned into theirs. "Are you going to stop him Harry?" His aunt whispered in a small voice, very different from the one that usually yelled at him to do this and do that. Harry simply nodded and turned to leave, not wanting to see his relatives act so differently. "Um… I was wondering… If I'm still alive and Voldemort hasn't been stopped, may I come for a couple of weeks next summer?" Harry acted on pure instinct when asking his relatives this. One year ago, he would have never even imagined asking out of free will,if he could spend even an hour with them. But he knew that Professor Dumbledore would have wanted him to and that was the main reason he did ask. Afraid that he knew what the answer would be,he did not dare to turn around and so stood in the doorway facing the hall.

"You may" surprisingly it was not his aunt who answered but uncle Vernon. "You just fix him well, like my Dudley would, and I'll let you move in with us again." Harry turned to face his uncle. Vernon Dursley looked very UN Dursley like at the moment. His face was pale and for the first time in Harry's life, Vernon looked at Harry with hope and pride. Harry had never known that he had waited all his life for the approval of Vernon Dursley, but he had.

"I will do my best uncle Vernon." Was all Harry said before exiting the household of privet Drive number four, maybe for the last time.

A black raven flew down towards him, surprising him as soon as he stepped out, a letter wastied to its foot , Harry removed the letter and read

Mr Potter

I fear I do not know why I am writing you this letter, but I felt compelled to. I was put under the Imperius curse last summer by the Dark Lord. He ordered me to take the Unbreakable vow with Narcissia Malfoy. I do not know how the Dark Lord succeded in this as I am most capable of throwing the curse of.

I would have never killed Albus out of free will. The headmaster was the only one to believe me when all others would not. He was the father I never had.

I cannot tell you how I hurt, knowing that I bear Albus blood on my hands.

The Dark Lord will probably have ended my life by the time you receive my confession, please do not fault Draco he would have never hurt Albus or anyone else.

I ask you to forgive me my weakness, as I never will…

Severus Snape

Something inside of Harry grew and cursed through him, Harry caught himself wishing that he could be given a second chance. A second chance at fixing all that had gone wrong.

He walked towards the end of the street much like he had with professor Dumbledore, when something in the bushes caught his attention and he drew his wand. "Lumos" A soft light illuminate the bush the sound had come from and Harry gasped at the sight of a large black dog. He stepped backwards and tripped on his trunk. He flung with his arms trying to keep his balance. There was a deafening BANG and Harry threw up his arms to shield his eyes against the sudden blinding light. Harry looked up to the familiar sight of the Knight Bus. A triple-decker in a violent shade of purple.

"Welcome to the night bus, emergency transport for the stranded witch or wizard. Just stick out your wand hand, step on board and we can take you anywhere you want to go. My name is Stan Shunpike, and I will be your conductor this evening." Stan the conductor looked at the shocked face Harry was giving him. "Um…Stan?" Harry was confused. What in the world was happening. He just thought he had seen Sirius and now Stan acted as if he had never seen Harry before."Woss that on your´ead?" Stan asked. Harry who was having a very strange feeling of déjà vu quickly flattened his hair over his scar. "Nothing. Look can you get me to the leaky cauldron?" He asked quietly. "Yep, it's eleven sickles, but for firteen you get´ot chocolate, and for fifteen you get an ´ot-water bottle an´a toofbrush in the colour of your choice." Harry rummaged in his trunk, dug out his moneybag, and shoved some silver into Stan's hand. He and Stan then lifted his trunk, with Hedwig's cage balanced on top, up the step of the bus.

Harry moved over to one of the bedsteads and sat down. There was another tremendous BANG and they were moving. Harry lay down and closed his eyes, ignoring Stan's attempts to start a discussion. Harry actually found himself falling into a restless slumber, he barely noticed as Madam Marsh got of and the bus got into motion with yet another great BANG. Stan who had probably gotten bored of trying to get Harry's attention, had unfurled a copy of the Daily Prophet. Harry slowly opened his eyes and nearly screamed as he caught sight of the front page. A large photograph of a sunken-faced man with long matted hair blinked slowly at him from the front page. Stan who noticed that he finally had the means to get Harry's attention handed over the newspaper.

"Er you go. Scary-lookin ´fing, inee?" Stan asked. Harry just nodded, he thought that they had already declared Sirius free of all charges. He held the paper up to the candlelight and read

BLACK STILL AT LARGE

Sirius Black, possibly the most infamous prisoner ever to be held in Azkaban fortress, is still eluding capture, The Ministry of Magic confirmed today:

´We are doing all we can to recapture Black´ said the Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge…

Harry looked up from the paper. Something was very wrong. This article was old, he had read it after the ´Aunt Marge´ incident, before his third year at Hogwarts. He sat there for a while thinking. He did not notice Stan's attempts to get back Harry's attention.

"Black wos a big supporter of You-Know-Oo" Stan said eventually, clearly wanting some kind of reaction. However, when none came he snatched the newspaper from Harry's hands, swivelled in his armchair, and sulked. The knight Bus rolled trough the darkness, scattering bushes and bollards, telephone boxes and trees, and Harry lay, restless on his bed. One by one, wizards and witches in dressing gowns and slippers descended from the upper floors to leave the bus. They all looked very pleased to go.

Finally, Harry was the only passenger left.

"Right then, Leaky Cauldron next!" They were thundering along Charing Cross road, and soon the bus skidded to a halt in front of the small and shabby-looking pub.

"Thanks" Harry said to Ern. He jumped down the steps and helped Stan lower his trunk and Hedwig onto the pavement. Harry looked up to thank Stan, but found Stan goggling at the shadowy entrance to the Leaky Cauldron.

"There you are, Harry!" Said a voice Harry knew quite well, unfortunately.

"Blimely! Ern, come´ere! Come´ere!" Stan leaped onto the pavement beside them. "What didja call´im, Minister?" he said excitedly.

"Um…Well I'm very glad…Um…Yes. Harry and I need to step inside the Leaky Cauldron now…" Harry found himself being steered inside the pub.

"You've got him, Minister!" Said Tom the landlord. Stan and Ern appeared, carrying Harry's trunk and Hedwig's cage.

"Ow come you didn't tell us´oo you are, eh?" Said Stan, beaming at Harry.

"Ah…a privet parlour, please Tom" Said Fudge.

"Bye" Said Harry to Stan and Ern, as Tom beckoned Fudge towards the passage that led from the bar.

"Bye´Arry!" Called Stan. Fudge and Harry followed Tom into a small parlour. Tom clicked his fingers, a fire burst into life in the grate and he bowed himself out of the room.

"Sit down Harry" Said Fudge. Harry sat, feeling goosebumps rising up his arms. This all felt to familiar. He had already gone through with all of this before.

"Now then…You will be pleased to hear that we have dealt with the unfortunate blowing-up of Miss Marjorie Dursley. Two members of the accidental Magic Reversal Department were dispatched to Privet Drive a few hours ago. Miss Dursley has been punctured and her memory has been modified. She has no recollection of the incident at all. So that's that and no harm done." Fudge smiled at Harry who nodded, not knowing what to say or do. Harry gave a huge yawn, the day had been too long and frankly, Harry did not know what to make of it.

"Why don't you follow Tom to your room, and enjoy your stay, Harry." With a relived smile at Harry and a handshake, Fudge left the room. Tom now moved forward from the doorway beaming at him.

"If you'll follow me, Mr Potter." He said, "I've already taken your things up…" Harry followed Tom up the handsome wooden staircase to a door with a brass number eleven on it, which Tom unlocked and opened for him. Inside was a very comfortable looking bed, some highly polished oak furniture and a cheerfully crackling fire.

"Now, if there's anything you need, Mr Potter, don't hesitate to ask." He gave a bow and left. Harry let Hedwig out of her cage and sat on the bed for a long time, absent-mindedly stroking her. The sky outside the window was changing rapidly from deep, velvety blue to cold, steely grey and then, slowly to pink shot with gold.

"It's been a very strange night, Hedwig." He yawned. And without even removing his glasses, he slumped back onto his pillow and fell asleep.