Fan Fiction ❯ Keeper of the Dunedain ❯ Run away ( Chapter 2 )

Two weeks had past since Vernon Dursley had been pronounced dead. Petunia Dursley stood before the grave of her murdered husband. Dudley hugged her wailing at how much he wanted his daddy back. The funeral had been over hours ago but Petunia and her son had remained. She stared at the grave of her husband with acute numbness. That was the way it was since Harry left the Dursley household. Petunia didn't know what to feel. She was furious at Vernon for becoming drunk, ashamed by the fact that she and her husband had inflicted such pain on Harry, and afraid that some one would find out about the truth about Vernon's death.

 

 

((Flashback)): It had been no more than ten minutes that Harry left that a dark haired man had appeared in the room with a faint pop. He looked ill in his ragged clothes and dark circles under his eyes. But Petunia didn't care she had not moved from the spot that she had been dropped. The now widowed woman stared at the corpse that was her husband.

“Oh God” the man exclaimed when he saw Vernon's body lying on the floor.

 

He approached Petunia slowly.

 

“ What has happened here, where is Harry?” The urgency in this man's voice momentarily snapped Petunia out of her staring.

 

She turned to look at the intruder with tear stained eyes.

 

“ Vernon was drunk, he tried to hurt the boy,” she croaked.

 

The man was visibly shaking now. From anger or fear Petunia didn't know. This mysterious person obviously cared for her nephew, and then Petunia remembered this man.

 

He was one of the men with Harry when they came to pick him up from the train station “ He ran away”.

 

Remus Lupin stared down at the pitiful excuse of a woman before him.

 

Blood was splattered across her face and there was bruising on her neck. It was obvious that she had fought against this colossal man. ` But how could she survive, had Harry used his magic to save her'. His question was soon answered by the belt he saw that lay prone on the floor with blood and pieces of flesh upon its buckle. It was a sufficient enough weapon for a desperate woman to wield. Remus was silent for a moment watching as Petunia lapsed back into silence.

 

“Who killed Vernon Petunia?” he finally asked her.

 

Petunia continued to stare at Vernon hypnotized by the still flowing blood on the floor. “ I did” she lied.

((Flashback))

 

Petunia still didn't know what possessed her to lie and say that she had slain her husband. The man who had appeared in her house had obviously cared for Harry as did the rest of the people who came to her house soon after. People like Professor Dumbledore and Alaster Moody were Harry's teachers. Then for the first time Petunia was properly introduced to Mr. And Mrs. Weasley who had become surrogate parents to Harry.

 

They all kept asking her about him and the events prier to their arrival. They all were furious at what they heard but kept their tempers under lock and key as she told them what had happened. But Petunia kept the fact Harry had somehow turned into a lion and killed Vernon to herself. Professor Dumbledore had come up with a cover story for the local authorities and had offered to alter her memory. Petunia declined,' I must live with the guilt of my actions'.

 

Miles away a black hooded figure sat alone in a crowded pub inside the Leaky Cauldron. A snowy white owl sat on his right shoulder hooting pleasantly. Two men a few tables away were having a conversation that captured the lone figure's attention.

 

“ Did you hear Earl Harry Potter's aunt killed her husband? The old bastard of a muggle had tried to hurt the boy who lived”.

 

The silent figure's hands tremble slightly under the table.

 

Earl nodded solemnly; “They said Mr. Potter ran off and has yet to be found”.

“ Can't they track his magic” Earl's friend asked.

“ That's the thing the boy hasn't used his power at all since that night Pete”.

 

The hooded figure relaxed slightly and patted the feathered chest of the owl on his shoulder.

 

“Smart one that boy” Pete agreed.

 

The cloaked figure stood from his seat the owl glided from his shoulder to the back door where the hooded one soon followed. As soon as the door shut behind him Harry Potter removed his hood. Hedwig his ever-faithful pet stared at him with what seemed to be agitation.

 

“Don't give me that look Hedwig I'm not going back” he met Hedwig's stare with a withering look of his own.

 

The snowy owl gave a disapproving hoot but quieted afterward nonetheless. Harry took out an envelope from his cloak and placed it in his own mouth. Ever since he killed his uncle Harry had tried to figure out how he could transform. On the third night of his self-exile Harry figured out that it was his desperation that caused it and he instinctually had touched his inner beast. Now Harry tried to remember how it felt two nights ago to see someone he cared about suffering. He remembered feeling helpless, angry, and afraid. The same knot from two weeks ago tightened in his stomach.

 

Slowly Harry began to turn into a lion. He could feel his internal organs rearranging themselves to accommodate his new body. Instead of a groan Harry let out a low growl as his vocal cords began to change. Both clothes and skin faded from sight and was replaced by white fur. Harry's black hair became a wild mane that covered his only marking, the lighting bolt scare on his forehead. The only thing that remained unchanged was the pendant of Sangreojos, which now fit snugly around his broad throat like a collar.

 

Harry focused his magical energy to his paws calling on what little he learned from Alaster's gift in such a short time. Diagon alley didn't need for a wand to open it. It merely needed magic to touch it. And now Harry didn't rely on his wand so much because he could focus his powers into his hands. The experience was exhausting but for Harry's current plan necessary. He stood up on his hind legs and tapped the brick that was three spaces above and two spaces across from the trash. Then he stood back and watched as the wall open up to Diagon alley.

 

Hedwig fluttered down to rest on Harry's shoulder once again intent on staying close to him. Even as they entered the alley Harry ignored the stares that were directed at his way. He could admit that he and Hedwig must have been quite a sight. To see a lion let alone a white one walking down the street with an owl on its shoulder was strange even by wizarding standards. But Harry wasn't concerned by that now. He had to get to Gringotts and get out as quickly and efficiently as possible. It wasn't long before Harry reached his desired destination.

 

Even though Harry could sense how put off by his arrival the goblins were Harry was treated no differently than if he were human. He was escorted to one of the counters where a free goblin wiggled out of his high stool and approached Harry. The goblin extended his hand palm up “ well hand it over lets see what your master wants”. The boy who lived wanted to laugh but held back the impulse fully aware he'd probably growl instead. So he dropped the envelope into the goblin's extended hand. Hedwig hooted softly and jumped from Harry's shoulder to sit next to him on the floor. The goblin opened the envelope and read the letter inside. Then he stared back and forth between Harry and the letter. This time Harry did growl.

 

“ Alright, alright don't rush me beast,” the goblin snapped as he walked to one of the rooms that led to the vaults.

 

Harry huffed softly amused by the antics of this particular goblin. A few minutes later the goblin returned carrying a leather satchel above his head. He seemed to be struggling with the bag that was almost twice his size.

 

“Tripling get over here and help me” the goblin called.

 

The goblin called Tripling was much younger than the goblin that carried the satchel. He sprinted with ease up to the one who called him over “ Yes Mr. Gorgon”.

 

Tripling helped Gorgon lift the satchel and walk it over to Harry.

 

“ Alright now beast stand up so we can put this on you” Harry did as he was told studiously ignoring the fact that the goblin had called him beast yet again.

 

Tripling helped Gorgon throw the satchel across Harry's back and buckle it to his upper and lower torso. Hedwig watched them with hoots that were her version of laughter. Harry however did not find this situation funny and glared at Hedwig. Once the satchel was secure the goblins stepped back. “ Go on now all the request were met,” said Tripling. Harry nodded his massive head and trotted off with Hedwig flying not far behind. Outside Harry swiftly ducked into a dark alley when he saw the familiar sight of Albus Dumbledore striding down the street. The headmaster's eyes no longer twinkled as Harry remembered. Instead, those blue eyes were indistinct and clouded over with worry. To the left of Albus was Auther Weasley and to his right was Mad eye Moody.

 

“ We need find Harry quickly, he is unsafe on his own”.

 

“ We know Weasley calm done Potter can take care of himself” Harry heard Albus sigh, “ I'm afraid you are both right, Harry may very well be able to take care of himself, but he is still a child still innocent even with all the things he shouldn't be forced to bare”.

 

Both of Dumbledore's companions quieted at this.

 

“ We need to split up, Molly, Minerva, Hagrid, and Remus won't be able to cover much ground anymore than us” said the old wizard.

 

Mad eye hobbled forward his magical eye swiveling, “ Right then I'll go to Gringotts the boy is sure to have stopped there”.

 

“ I'll check in with Cornelius I'll catch up with you two later” Auther walked away.

 

Albus stood alone in the street yet the passer Byers paid no heed to his presence as they continued with their daily lives. Harry watched the people that walked around the famed headmaster of Hogwarts without so much as a thought. They were afraid Harry could practically taste it in the air. The conformation of the dark lord's return had rocked the wizarding world. And the ministry as well as the rest of the wizarding world was in a state of just coming out of denial.

 

Harry would sit in the wizarding pubs listening to the people spread rumors over drinks. Cornelius was a politician not a warrior it was obvious that he didn't know what to do in this kind of situation. `But now is not the time for reflection' he mused. Slowly Harry turned back to his human form. As his chest flattened and his waist shrunk the satchel fell to his ankles. Harry stepped out of the satchel and hoisted onto his left shoulder and as if on cue Hedwig took her place on his right shoulder.

 

As Harry walked forward he pulled his hood over his head. `Time to end this' he thought but just as Harry was within arms length of Albus an explosion erupted through Diagon alley. Harry dropped the satchel, which had been filled with wizarding money. Cracks in the ground began to form and people screamed in complete terror as the dark mark appeared in the sky. Harry began to feel a slightly burning sensation from his scar. `Not now' he thought in pure desperation.

 

“ By Merlin” the look of anger as destructive as the thunder god himself came to settle on the face of Albus Dumbledore.

 

And it was this face that Harry focused on to push pass his pain. Then Harry turned around and followed his mentor's line of sight. Floating in the sky was Lord Voldemort himself with at least twenty of his death eaters.

 

“ Go Hedwig” he urged his owl but she would not budge.

 

All the other people had tried to run away only to be surrounded by green magical flames only some made it into Gringotts.

 

“ You cannot want to leave so soon,” said the malevolent dark wizard as he and his followers descended to the ground outside the fire.

 

All of the death eater's wands were out and aiming at the poor witches and wizards cowering at the very sight of the dark wizards.

 

“ Go get help Hedwig now!” Harry hissed softly. But his beloved owl would not listen she merely dug her claws deeper into his shoulder.

 

Voldemort stepped closer to the fire a sadistic smile twisted on his serpentine lips.

 

“ Where are you professor? Come out and play”.

 

Harry didn't stop Albus as the old wizard moved passed him and the rest of the frightened crowd. He knew that if he weren't careful they would all die. So Harry kept his head bowed low as he tried to urge his feathered friend to fly away. Albus stopped when all that stood in between him and his former student was the fire.

 

“ Where is your wand old man?” Voldemort asked snidely.

 

In answer Dumbledore took out his wand from his sleeve and threw it to the dark lord.

 

“ Why are you here Tom?” Voldemort caught his wand and snapped it in two before dropping it to the ground.

 

There was no use in asking where were the Aurors Albus already knew they were most likely dead. Voldemort took out his own wand and aimed at Dumbledore's heart.

 

“ To kill you of course,” he answered.

“ Hedwig he's going to die at least get off of me so I can fight” Harry whispered harshly.

 

Hedwig gave a soft mournful hoot before disengaging from Harry's shoulder and fluttering to the ground. Without another moment to do without Harry focused his magical energy into his hands once again. Harry closed his eyes and gave a silent prayer before raising his arms and letting bolts of electricity fly from his fingertips. Albus and the rest of the crowd fell to the ground in pure shock

 

The death eaters didn't know what hit them and neither did Voldemort. For some strange reason the bolts of lightening shot from this stranger targeted only them. Though the death eaters all died within seconds of contact of this lightening the dark lord was not so easily defeated. Still standing Voldemort tried to use a counter curse to send the lightening back at the cloaked figure. But when the last of his efforts were met with success the stranger muttered something under his breath and a magical shield surrounded the stranger and the rest of the crowd. The lightening bounced off of the shield and straight into a hobbling Mad-eye.

 

“ Alaster!” Dumbledore watched in horror as the old aurora sank to the ground and died.

“RELEASE!” the shield dissipated and the stranger fired what seemed to be a giant beam of light that consumed the dark lord who screamed in agony.

 

The wind and dust kicked up around them and the magical flames around them along with the dark mark disappeared. Albus stood up and brushed off his robes he looked at where Voldemort once stood and turned to the stranger whose face he could not see. The cloaked figure let his arms drop to his sides. Albus could hear his heavy breathing and knew very well who it was even if he didn't show his face. Wordlessly the hero collapsed into the waiting arms of Dumbledore.

 

Albus sunk to the ground and removed the hood from Harry's head. Hedwig quickly waddled over to where Harry lay and nipped at his prone hand. The crowd came closer to look upon the face of their hero and gasped. Here lay a beautiful young man even though his face was covered in blood. Long glossy black hair flowed easily passed his shoulder blades. White skin looked almost supernatural against his current attire. Tall with a chiseled whipcord build but what captured their attention was a now bleeding reopened injury on his forehead in the shape of a bolt of lightening. Their savior was none other than Harry Potter.