HOME IS WHERE HIS HEART IS

Chapter Two

Bold italics Parseltongue

A small crack was heard as a lone figure Apparated in a forest that backed a dilapidated manor. Harry sensed the wards around the perimeter of the grounds, and pulled out a small dagger, slicing a thin cut to his palm, watching as the blood seemed to absorb into the shimmery ward before stepping though effortlessly. Unbeknownst to the owner of the manor, Severus had keyed in Harry’s magical signature, using a vial of his blood as the key. Harry cautiously made his way to the servants’ entrance, stopping when he heard the familiar hisses. He smiled as he magically made a large wooden crate appear, then slowly opened the side.

“Hello, little one,” Harry hissed in Parseltongue to the venomous asps that were nestled in the wooden crate.

“Isss it times?” One of the bigger asps asked, slithering up Harry’s arm which he held out to him.

“Yes. Remember only the marked ones. There may be others coming once the sky is light. Do not bite them,” Harry hissed.

“Don’t worry, Massster. The marked onesss’ sssmell is hard to misss.”

“When you are done, come back to thisss box. It will take you to your home,” Harry hissed. “And be careful,” he added, stroking its black scales.

“Assss you, Massster,” it replied. “Be careful of the big one.”

Harry nodded and used the Evansco spell to vanish the door so the asps could get back out again.

He silently unsheathed his sword then crept inside, not coming across anyone until the first landing. He hid in the shadows, smiling to himself when he recognized his first victim. He slid the special dagger – Sirius’s dagger, from his hip and effortlessly tossed it. Harry heard the gurgling of the dying woman and stepped up to her.

“For my godfather, Bella,” he whispered, kneeling down to press the dagger deeper into her throat, waiting for her last strangled breath to escape her lips before continuing up the stairs.

Severus and Draco had helped map out the manor, accounting for every hidden passageway and room. Unknown to the two Slytherins, Harry added a little something extra to the map. It now was linked to the house and all living creatures and people of the house, much like the Marauders Map that he used so faithfully during his Hogwarts’ years, which was now in the hands of Remus Lupin again, one of the makers of said map.

He heard the hissing of his next target coming closer and slipped into an open doorway, waiting. Within minutes, the large snake slithered through the open doorway – to have its life ended when Harry cleanly sliced the head off its body with his sword. He stepped over the bloody snake corpse and looked at the map. He smiled to himself when he began to see names glow red on the map; his slithery friends doing their job.

He approached the large wooden door, then looked at the map before cautiously stepping through the threshold. He held the sword before him; his wand still in the arm holster as it was pretty useless against the man that lay asleep on the bed. He had heard that old Tommy was looking human again, but was still surprised to see the actual man. He held the sword up to Voldemort’s chest, as he used some wandless magic to swell the larynx in Voldemort’s throat.

Voldemort instantly came awake when his throat closed off his air. He bolted upright, his hands going to his throat, noticing that his nemesis was standing at his side, and that pain shot through his upper body, when the sword plunged through his chest.

“Hurts, doesn’t it?” Harry smirked, pressing the sword further into the heaving chest.

Voldemort went to grab Harry’s arm but a raspy gasp escaped instead when Harry thrust one of his daggers through his hand, pinning him to the bed.

“I’m sorry to tell you that your pet snake Nagini has passed,” Harry calmly said, grinning when Voldemort’s eyes widened. “She was the last Horcrux, Tommy. The Order and I have found the others and destroyed them. This will be your last life. You will not hurt one of my own again,” Harry said, thrusting the sword through to the wooden frame under the mattress. After pulling up to slice the heart in half, he sat on the edge of the bed, watching his destiny die before him. “No more, Tommy,” he quietly said.

Harry sat at the desk, pulling a Muggle pen and paper from the drawer. He raised an eyebrow; for all of Voldemort’s rantings about purebloods being superior, he found it ironic that Tom Riddle had been a half-blood who kept Muggle items around. Shaking his head in dry amusement, he penned a quick note to the Order. He had just finished when a tap on the glass caught his attention. He wandlessly opened the window, and Hedwig flew in, landing on the back of his chair. He wasn’t surprised to see the snowy owl; after all, she had a kind of sixth sense when it came to his location.

Harry retrieved the map from the floor where it had fallen and tied it to Hedwig’s leg, sending it back to the Order along with the note. He fondly stroked the soft feathers and received an affectionate nip in return. “Take care, Hedwig, I know Remus will look after you.”

Hedwig looked at him with sorrowful golden eyes, and Harry’s throat constricted. He kissed the top of his friend’s head and then shooed her out the window, watching her fly towards Grimmauld Place. Once she was merely a speck in the sky, Harry turned away from the window, his gaze resting on Voldemort’s corpse as he pulled out a Muggle beer cap.

“Home,” he quietly said, before he disappeared with a pop.


~*~


“We should be there, Albus,” Remus said, breaking the silence of the kitchen at Grimmauld Place.

“We cannot get out of the house. I have tried everything in my power to break Harry’s charms,” Albus smiled. “And the Floo has been disconnected also.”

Draco, meanwhile sat quietly listening to Albus, Severus, Minerva, the Weasleys, and Remus speculate what Harry had done.

“Stupid Gryffindor,” he said getting up to try to climb out of the open window again, to fall back when the wards pushed him back. “He could be dying,” he choked out.

Remus and the twins looked at each other, then took out the pendant on the chain around their necks. “He’s okay,” Remus said, seeing the stone unchanged.

“How do you know?” Severus asked, then saw Remus holding something in his hand. “You knew he was up to something, didn’t you?”

“We did not know he was going to go off by himself. We were told that . . . ” Fred began, then looked up as the familiar white owl flew through the window to land in front of Albus.

“Hello, Hedwig,” Albus smiled, petting the owl before untying the thick rolled parchment. Albus first unrolled the map, charming it to lay flat on the table, then picked up the letter.

Hello Albus,

As you are probably all sitting around the table, cursing me for being a damn Gryffindor, I wanted to let you know that I am well. Not a hex or mark on myself. I had been planning this little trip of mine for quite some time. I planned, researched, and made up alternative plans in case some things were not to fall into place like I planned.

The map some of you may recognize. I added a few extra charms to it. It ‘had’ shown where all the Death Eaters were, but it also now shows where their dead bodies are. Still alive – their names would be in black. Dead – red.

Everyone looked at the map to see most of the names in red, or turning to red. Severus was the first to notice the name Tom Riddle in bright red letters.

Yes, Severus, you are free. Voldemort is dead, as well as Nagini . . . so he will not be coming back . . . ever. I know everyone expected that Gryffindor’s Sword would play a part in his death, but it was poetic justice in a way that the sword that killed him was Salazar Slytherin’s. So much for the heir of Slytherin, huh?

Also, Remy, you may notice that a certain bitchy witch is on the stairwell. She was killed with Sirius’s dagger. I would ask that you take it from her throat to keep - in memory of Sirius.

Albus, you are a manipulative old man, but I care for you as a grandson would. You’ve been there for me for many years, although we had a tumultuous few years, I feel that we got over that the past year or two. I know that you were not expecting how much my magical powers grew, and frankly it bloody scared me a little at first. You know as well as I that the wizarding world will not leave me alone now that I defeated Voldemort. They’ll either ‘saint’ me or condemn me for being the next dark lord . . . or a murderer. That is the reason that Harry Potter needs to disappear. The wizarding world is fickle . . . as I found out in my early years. They either love you or fear you. One last thing . . . if another dark lord wannabe comes along – DON’T call me. I’ve done and sacrificed enough for the wizarding world.

Minerva, my friend, thank you for being there to talk to me through many of my adolescent problems. I’ll miss our tea times. Please keep the old man in line.

The Weasleys, my family – you accepted me with no reservation. Made me feel like a son and brother. Molly and Arthur, you will always be my mum and dad. Charlie and Bill, thank you for helping Severus with my training. Charlie . . . I will always remember fondly that night . . . that weekend.

Everyone looked at Charlie who smirked mysteriously and shrugged his shoulders.

Bill: I’ve talked with you in the past about overseeing my finances. The Goblins at Gringotts are aware that you will have say in investments and balances of my accounts. Thank you for taking care of that. I’m terrible at money management. Thank Merlin, it’s not a huge issue with me.

Ginny, my friend, my sister: I’m truly sorry that Seamus is no longer there for you. I was heartbroken to lose a great friend like him when he died last year.

We’ve lost so many in this war: Seamus, Hagrid, Susan Bones, Dennis Creevy, Cedric and of course Sirius, Ron, and Hermione, who I miss the most. As I believe that you stated Albus . . . that death is but the next great adventure. Hopefully, a good one for them.

Fred and George: I talked to you the previous night already. Take care and make sure to continue to keep people lighthearted. Also, you may want to go to Gringott’s. There is a deed for Zonko’s in Diagon Alley all ready with my signature. It just needs you two to sign before it is ours. Just promise me you won’t get into the Harry Potter franchise. It kind of freaked me out to see my likeness made into dolls at Flourish and Blotts.

Remus: Gods I’ll miss you. You’re my last link to my family. You are my family. One favor to ask is that you take care of Hedwig. She seems to like you the best. Grimmauld Place is now yours to do as you wish. I won’t be needing it. You knew I was up to something last night, and you were obviously right. I planned this very thoroughly. I wanted this to be over, so no one else I care about dies. Doesn’t mean I was suicidal though. Love you Remy.

Severus: Thank you for your snarky git ways, keeping me in line. I grew to care for you very much the past years. You were a mentor, a friend. If anyone deserves recognition in this war, it is you. I probably wouldn’t have made it past first year, if it wasn’t for you saving my life – repeatedly. You helped me overcome my depression when Ron and Hermione died – over long talks and good firewhiskey. Now, that Voldemort’s gone, maybe Albus will finally give you that DADA position – or open your own apothecary. You are after all – the greatest Potions’ Master around. You would flourish with your own shop. Maybe some day I’ll see you again – to share a ‘moment’ again. I will miss you.

Draco: Last but not least. Gods . . . we have a history, don’t we? We have been rivals, friends, comrades. It was nice to get to know the real Draco Malfoy the past couple of years. You – I will miss the most. You were, and are constantly in my thoughts. I will never forget last night, and early morning with you. You have no idea what that meant to me, Dray. I will always remember the feel, the taste of you. You have escaped or hid from the media because of your family. With me, it would begin again. I don’t think I could do that to someone I care about.

“Who does he think he is? Telling me what I want,” Draco shouted, standing up.

“Sit down, Draco,” Severus quietly said, seeing the sorrow in the blond’s eyes.


To end this sappy letter – although it may seem like I’m running away – I don’t feel that it is so. My whole life I was told what was expected of me – how to act – how to behave – and how to be Harry Potter. Now, it’s my turn to live my own life.

Please don’t try to look for me . . . at least for a while. I need time. Hedwig will not be able to find me, nor will you be able to trace my magic. I’ve legally changed my name, and have blocked my magic from anyone sensing it. I’m not giving up magic completely, but it won’t be my life anymore.

You will always be in my thoughts,
Harry

P.S. The wards around the house came down when Hedwig flew through the kitchen window.


“Did he say where he was going?” Draco asked, turning to face Remus.

“No, he didn’t,” Remus quietly said, reaching for the letter.

“Fuck! Inconsiderate bloody Gryffindor,” Draco muttered, stalking out of the kitchen as the others looked on.

“They had the one night together, both expressing their feelings the only way they probably knew how. They’re both idiots,” Severus said, shaking his head, then got up to leave the room.

“Well, should we join the Aurors at Riddle’s Manor?” Albus sighed, looking down at the map that now showed all the names in red.

Note: Some of you may wonder about the sword that killed Voldemort. It is Salazar Slytherin’s, and is not a horcrux that was needed to kill him. It was just something that I thought would be kind of ironic. I figure in the day and age of the founders, swords were common weapons among the people. The founders of Hogwarts were powerful witches and wizards, and I could totally see them with their own personal swords. I’m thinking he found it in Grimmauld Place or a hidden room somewhere in Hogwarts. Not really important how he found it, but how he used it instead.

tbc

Thanks for the review for chapter one: paigeey07; spedwouthermedz; Engwaaearien; thrnbrooke; and harrydraco4life. Another chapter as promised.