Written for Littleroo27. 1,300 words - ficlet
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It was September the first. So it was not unexpected that young witches and wizards all over could not sleep, because they were eagerly looking forward to going to Hogwarts. Harry Potter was no exception.
It was a bit after 7 in the morning, and Harry was packed and ready to go. He watched out the window at the gathering gloom. It had been unduly hot of late and a now a low haze seemed to cover everything. Harry could sense it was about to rain. He only hoped it would stop before he would reach Hogwarts. Arriving at the school wet was bad enough from the carriages, but far worse for the poor first years.
With a sigh, he looked at the clock again, 7:16. Eleven couldn’t come soon enough to suit him. However, it hadn’t been as bad as usual with the Dursleys. Perhaps since he’d finally beaten Voldemort, they just didn’t seem to matter anymore. Although Harry fancied he now sported a dark, mysterious look of a murderer. But perhaps since it was so anti-climatic he never got the chance to really feel the part.
Flashback
Aunt Petunia heard from the neighbor’s wife that a rat had been spotted in the vicinity. Being insanely proud of her spotless house Aunt Petunia began to rant about seeing rats everywhere. Harry had thought she’d gone a bit loopy, but what did it matter, he’d always thought that anyway.
In an effort to calm his nearly hysterical wife, Vernon had brought home some industrial strength rat cleaner that they used in the factory. It was so strong Harry had been given a pair of gloves and a bandana to wear. “I don’t want the mess of explaining to the neighbors your dead body on my beautiful lawn!” Vernon had yelled when Harry had raised his eyebrows at the unusual concern his uncle was exhibiting.
After reading the warnings on the side of the poison he gulped nervously. But knowing it was no use to argue he went outside to apply the stuff. He stirred it around a bit with his knife, so as not to touch it “ even with the gloves on Harry thought it best to be especially wary. Then he began to apply the poison around the garden shed before moving back to apply it around the base of the house.
It was as he was headed back to the house when he heard a scream of “Help me Master” followed by “Harry help me” that Harry grabbed his knife again. Turning around he was startled to see Wormtail twitching and writhing half man-half rat lying outside the garden shed. Remembering the call of help to his master Voldemort, Harry spun around again. It was then he saw the familiarly gruesome figure of Voldemort apparating near Wormtail, just outside the perimeter of the blood wards. Without a second thought Harry threw his knife.
The knife flew perfectly through the air landing with precision in Voldemorts chest. Voldemort looked down and laughed. “Stupid boy do you really think you could kill me with just a …” suddenly Voldemort’s face contorted, twisting in pain. Harry cast his eyes around looking for another weapon. Spying the rat poison he grabbed it. Bending over just as Voldemort cast a spell toward him. Not that it mattered; he was close enough to the house that he was standing safely inside the blood wards. The spell bounced harmlessly off. Harry was about to charge forward to douse Voldemort with the poison when he saw Voldemort was writhing about on the ground next to what was now a very dead Wormtail.
Harry watched in a morbid fascination as the darkest wizard in modern England died twitching and cursing from the industrial strength rat poison that had been on his knife. As Voldemort breathed his last, Harry felt the headache that he’d had on and off since first year leave him at last. He smiled, then went indoors to contact Albus Dumbledore.
Aunt Petunia greeted him nervously at the door. “Well, did it work did you kill any rats?”
“Oh, yeah two as a matter of fact, good and dead. I just need to contact someone to get rid of them, since it was Voldemort and his sidekick Wormtail.” Petunia gasped, clutched her throat and peered out the window. ”Vernon!! Oh dear, dear VERNON!”
Several hours later, after enduring countless questions and even putting his memories into a pensieve Harry was finally able to apply the rest of the poison. After that day the Dursley’s had given him a wide berth.
End Flashback
Harry looked at the clock again. It was coming up on 8:00, so he nipped quietly downstairs to fix breakfast for the family. They didn’t yell at him to do it anymore as they had when he was 11, but it had become a routine at this point. Harry’s eyes cast over to the cupboard he’d lived in for so many years. He opened it, wondering if he’d ever see it again. Closing it once more he smiled happily, after all regardless of how the year went he would not come back to this place. Perhaps he’d go live with Remus Lupin who’d become a surrogate godfather of sorts. Or maybe travel then find a flat.
Hours later he found himself comfortably seated aboard the Hogwarts Express for the last time. He thought he must be getting old to be so nostalgic of late. His thoughts were interrupted by the opening of the carriage door.
“Harry!” Ron smiled at him then ducked back out. “He’s in here!”
Unsurprisingly the next face that appeared was Hermione’s. “Well, Hello Harry. Is it true you killed him and Peter Pettigrew too?”
“Oh that. Yeah, it is. Are you coming in or what?” Hermione’s face took on a smug air. “I’m Head Girl, don’t you remember? I sit up front this year. Come along Ronald.”
“Um, yeah I’m a prefect again. See you later then Harry?” Ron asked.
“Yeah, whatever,” Harry looked again out the window where he could see first years on the platform. He felt a tightening in his stomach. This year he had received fewer owls from Ron and Hermione than ever before. He had, however, accumulated several letters from Neville Longbottom, Oliver Wood and Remus Lupin. Neville was asking after his health and expressing concern he wouldn’t graduate, Oliver was persistently hoping that Harry would join Puddlemere and Remus, well was acting like he was Harry’s father.
Harry sighed, it appeared Hermione didn’t know, but he was Head Boy. He supposed he better head up front and try to act like he cared. Checking one last time that his things were stowed away he walked up front. On the way he accidentally ran into Lavender Brown.
“Oh hello Lavender, nice dress,” Harry commented seeing the green number that he knew would be perfect on him.
“Thanks Harry, nice to see you too,” Lavender smiled then hurried along.
As Harry continued his trek toward the front of the train he wondered if it would really be safe to have items delivered from the Purple Pimpernel, the shop for alternative lifestyles he’d found at the start of summer. After all, someone might notice.
He looked back to where, thanks to his bit of growth spurt, he could just make out the bit of green that indicated Lavender Brown. Perhaps if he was careful he could nick some of the girls dresses over the school year. It would be tricky but he would eventually get his hands on that green one, this he vowed to himself.
With a secret smile now planted on his face Harry entered the compartment reserved for the Head Boy and Girl, looking forward to the new term more eagerly than before.
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