Chapter Three – Growth Spurt

Whispers.

"Shh Ron… you ready? 1…2…3… HAPPY BIRTHDAY HARRY!"

Harry opened his eyes in shock to see his two best friends staring over him. Then he suddenly realized he was 17! He was of age!

"Morning you two," Harry replied reaching for his glasses and his wand. Hermione was already holding a present towards him.

"This is great," Harry said, "thanks Hermione." Then pointing his wand at his present he muttered a quick spell and the present unwrapped to reveal a thick book, Defensive Dark Arts by Hegus Pigglebottom.

"Amazing!" Harry had already begun flicking through the pages. "And, this time I'll be able to join in when we practice."

"No practice today though," said Ron who'd moved to the other side of the room to get his present, "we'll be going to meet Dad to have our Apparation test and then off to the Burrow for your birthday lunch!"

Harry paled at the mention of the word test. Sure, he and Ron had gotten the chance to do a fair bit of practice; however, he hadn't had many good experiences with members of the Ministry.

Harry opened Ron's present next, using a spell again. It was a case of Butterbeer and Harry wasted no time opening them for breakfast.

The three friends were laughing and drinking when Harry spotted Dudley cowering at the door. Harry, Ron and Hermione had managed to spend their confinement at number 4 Privet Drive avoiding the Dursleys at every turn. Dudley, however, was harder to avoid, not only because of his massive size but also because he spent every day snooping on the trio.

"Want a butterbeer Dudley," Harry asked, feeling especially generous because of his good mood.

"Mum says you're to come downstairs," Dudley whispered, gazing at Harry like he'd committed a sin.

"Okay, just let me get dressed," Harry replied as he looked at his friends with raised eyebrows.

"That's weird," Harry said.

"Your family probably just want to wish you a happy birthday," Hermione said.

"Not bloody likely," scoffed Ron.

"More like a good riddance," Harry agreed, "Still we'd better get packed up."

The three friends quickly got dressed and Hermione packed the room with a simple spell.

As they walked downstairs they heard whispers from the kitchen. Harry distinctly heard his name and the word 'freak' so he could only assume it was about him.

When Harry entered the kitchen he noticed that the table was set for Vernon, Dudley, Petunia, Ron, Hermione and Harry. His Aunt was cooking by the stove and simply instructed the three to sit down.

There was an extended uncomfortable silence, the only sound being the cooking bacon. Uncle Vernon was a shade of purple Harry usually associated with hatred and it was very evident that he would rather be somewhere else. Dudley, however, was staring at Harry's friends as if now given the chance to freely look at them.

"Could I give you a hand Mrs Dursley?" Hermione asked politely.

"No," Petunia answered too quickly. "I'm almost finished."

Harry's Aunt began to serve the group and then sat down herself. After Harry and his friends being ignored and his family avoiding them at all costs for the last few weeks it was an odd situation.

"Dudders darling, would you pass the butter," she asked as she sat prompting the group to pick up their cutlery cautiously still waiting for an explanation for their presence. "Now, Harry, I understand that you are leaving today is that correct?"

"Yes Aunt Petunia," Harry answered. "I'm of age now so I'll be moving out."

"Good," grunted Vernon with a mouth full of eggs. Petunia shot him a dark look while Harry and Ron grinned at each other.

"So you won't be coming back?" she asked.

"Definitely not," Harry responded.

Petunia nodded. "And is this He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named still about then?"

"Yeah, he's still around." Harry rolled his eyes.

"And, once you leave the protective.. spells will broken?"

Harry paused a moment. He hadn't really thought about the Dursleys. The blood protection spell that kept him safe at the Dursleys ended when he no longer called Privet Drive his home.

"We have some friends who could come by and put some wards around the house," Hermione offered and everyone stared at her, "My parents are non-magical, so Professor Dumbledore arranged for the Order to place wards around our house. I'm sure members of the Order would only be happy to do the same for your family."

"We'll be rid of the boy, that's enough, no more freaky friends," Vernon hissed at his wife.

"We've discussed this Vernon," Petunia shot back.

"It might not be necessary," Hermione said to Vernon, who changed from purple to red upon being addressed. To Hermione's credit she continued. "I wouldn't be surprised if the Order has already put every variety of safety spells and protective wards upon the place. It's only the blood magic that will break when Harry leaves. In any case I have some portkeys upstairs that I got from the Ministry in case of emergency. We could give them to you."

"What's a portkey?" asked Dudley.

"It's a magical object that when activated moves you from one place to another."

"How did you get those?" asked Ron jealously.

"I asked Kingsley for them last year. They are quite difficult to get but Harry's name manages to pull some strings. I thought they might come in handy."

"Where do they go?" asked Harry.

"St Mungo's actually, I didn't know where we would need to get away from and well, I thought when we have to use them..."

"You thought you'd be using them if one of us is injured," Ron accused, as if Hermione's forward thinking was a betrayal of their talents.

"St Mungo's?" Petunia asked.

"It's the wizard hospital. It's in London."

"STOP!" shouted Vernon standing up quickly. "We are not discussing this. We don't need your kinds help thank you very much. I won't stand for freaky spells and portthings in my house, it's unnatural!"

"Dad!" Dudley shouted back, "I almost DIED last year, from something I couldn't even see. If these people come after us we are going to need all the help we can get!"

Vernon looked at the table and Petunia remained unmoved.

"It's the boy's fault, we should have never taken him in."

"Vernon! Sit down!" ordered Petunia. Harry had never seen her so mad. Vernon refused and stood at the table blustering for a moment longer before storming out of the house.

"Sorry about that," Petunia said once he'd left and Harry stared at her in disbelief.

While Harry and Ron went to collect the last of their belongings Hermione taught Petunia and Dudley how to activate their portkeys. She left one for Vernon as well, perhaps Aunt Petunia would have better luck convincing him later.

As Harry carried his belongings downstairs he looked around and tried to take it all in. He was leaving this place forever.

"Hermione, we're ready," Ron called from the front door.

Hermione, Petunia and Dudley came to the entrance hall where Harry took one last look at the cupboard under the stairs he had once called his home.

"We'll call the Knight Bus," Hermione said, as she pointed to Ron to collect the things. The pair moved outside and Harry stood with his family.

"I guess this is it," Harry said.

"Harry wait," Petunia called as he turned to say goodbye. "I have some things for you."

She passed Harry a plain brown box.

"Some things of your mothers, the stuff she left at our parents when she moved out," Petunia explained.

"I, well, thanks Aunt Petunia."

"Stay safe." She moved forward as if she was going to hug him and then held onto the door instead. Harry nodded at his cousin and then turned his head as he heard a loud bang. The Knight Bus had arrived.

Ginny felt as if she had been operating outside her body. Since Harry had arrived she had not felt a thing. Everyone was celebrating Harry's birthday and Harry and Ron passing their Apparation test and she just felt phony.

She couldn't look at him though. How was she was supposed to endure the three of them staying for a week when she and he were over? When Harry smiled at her from across the table she had very nearly dissolved into tears right on the spot. She dropped her knife to the floor so she could hide her face, something she hadn't done since she was eleven.

His eyes were always questioning and kind, green orbs beckoning to her from across the table. She couldn't handle his suffocating presence any longer. Harry had been acting like a gentleman, so kind, concerned and respectful of her distance. And, quite frankly she'd had enough of it.

After lunch on the lawn Ginny hurried inside.

"Hi," said Harry catching up with her in the kitchen. "Should I go?" Harry asked.

"Yes…..No."

"Yes?"

"No, of course not," Ginny said, eyes burning. She changed the subject. "You look taller."

"You know, that's what Ron said, he said I grew two inches overnight," Harry replied laughing. "It must be because I'm a whole year older."

Ginny smiled, "About that, I meant to give you your present outside but I sort of wanted to give it to you when it was just us."

Harry took the parcel carefully. He opened it and there was an embroidered silver wrist band, it had a small red lion and some runes featured on it.

"I thought you could wear it for luck," Ginny mumbled, looking at the band and refusing to look at Harry's face in case he didn't like it.

"Did you make this Ginny?"

She nodded.

"It's beautiful." Looking up cautiously she watched Harry attempt to put it on.

"Here," Ginny laughed moving over to help him. She could feel the heat of their bodies so close together as she knitted the band around his wrist.

"Thanks," his breath was low and eyes locked into hers.

Kiss me, kiss me, she repeated desperately in her head.

"We'd better go back outside," Harry said stumbling back as if coming out of a trance.

"Of course."

It wasn't until the end of the day that Harry finally had the chance to look in the box of his mothers. Harry wanted to be alone when he opened it so he waited until Ron was snoring softly before opening the lid.

"Lumos," he whispered. He still smiled each time he got to use a spell.

It was mainly school things. Quills, essays on parchment, and school books some of which he could have used during his time at Hogwarts. He wondered exactly why Petunia had kept all this stuff. There were some handy advanced Potions texts that he could give to Hermione.

Then he found it. His mother's diary.

He opened the cover and some photographs fell to the floor. Picking them up he turned them over to look at them. The first was a muggle photograph of two girls smiling fiercely. He recognised his mother straight away but it took him a second to recognise the other woman as his Aunt Petunia. The two girls were smiling and his Aunt had her arm wrapped over his mothers shoulder. Harry noticed his Aunt looked different, happy, not stiff and cold.

Harry had never thought his Aunt and mother looked quite alike but as he looked at them side by side he could begin to see the similarities. They actually looked like sisters. They were both slender, his mother was shorter than Petunia so looked more delicate. They also had similar high cheekbones and the shape of their noses was the same. Harry on the other hand didn't think he had any of his mother's traits, except of course her eyes which were blazing in this photograph, she looked so alive.

He smiled when he saw the next photograph. It was a group shot and it moved. Four girls dressed in Hogwarts robes and Remus Lupin flung in the centre of them. Harry's mother stood to the left of Remus, smiling and nudging the werewolf in the ribs. Harry didn't know the other girls in the photo, and certainly didn't know Remus was such a ladies' man, but he assumed the girls were his mothers' friends. They were laughing and teasing each other. He wondered if they were still alive and if they'd want to meet him. It was nice to see his mother so happy.

The next photo was of Hogwarts, it was a photo of the castle from by the lake. There were a few students on the lawn but they were small and Harry didn't recognise any of them. He wondered if his mother loved Hogwarts as much as he did. If she, like Harry did, saw it as her home.

He turned to the last photo and almost dropped it. It was a photo of his mother and Professor Snape, cheeks pressed together as they had held the camera up and turned it on themselves. What would his mother be doing with him? Hatred filled Harry as he stared at the boy who had grown up to betray them all.