The Boy Who Lived

Illusions

It was hard, brutal, and exhausting work.

'We get you up to the school today,' he said with determination.

'Pardon?' she said.

'We bring the plan forward three days. You're safer up at the school. If needs be, you can hide there all year. The House-Elves will look after you and will keep you safe.'

'Harry, I'm not going to hide in the school, moving about it like a ghost for the rest of my living years.'

'You know I'm not asking you to do that. Just stay there while I'm gone.'

'But how long will you be gone for?'

'I don't know,' he said, running a hand through his hair and pushing his glasses up his nose with his index finger again. Albus had told him sweet fuck all about how to find the remaining four of Voldemort's six Horcruxes. His fingers unconsciously went to the fake locket that was hanging around his neck.

Minerva watched him closely. She knew that Harry and Albus had left the school that night and Albus had returned in a severely weakened state but she still didn't know the full story. As Harry said, it was better not to know, he would tell her one day.

She glanced at the back of his hand, the white scars of I must not tell lies clearly visible against his olive skin. It still made her so angry. That and the scars on his back where Vernon had taken his belt to Harry. She'd only seen them because the weather was unseasonably hot in Scotland that summer and he'd been at his punchbag in the garden without a t-shirt on. He'd finally sat down and told what had happened.

'Where will you go for the next three days? You can't go to Diagon or anywhere near...'

He didn't answer, just in case, but she guessed it would be Privet Drive, he wouldn't be unwelcome since he'd ousted Vernon. Anyway, the Order where planning to move Petunia and Dudley into hiding in two days' time. 

Instead of answering, he said, 'I wish there was a better plan for this bit.' The torture of what they were about to do evident in his eyes.

'It's a brutal necessity that might help us for a bit.'

'You know I won't mean whatever I throw at you. I swear, none of it.'

She smiled sadly, 'I know.'

'Look after Ron and Mione for me...'

She raised her eyebrow, doubting that either would let Harry go off by himself. She didn't say anything though.

'Mum, I love you. Thank you... for everything,' he said. There was a finality in his words that made her feel tearful. As if he didn't expect to see her again.

She reached across the table and gripped his hand tightly, not wanting to let go. 'I love you too, darling. Take that with you, wherever you go. I won't stop thinking about you.' Or worrying, she added mentally. 'And we'll see each other again before we know it.'

He got up wearily, 'have you got your final things packed? We do this, this morning. We have an hour. The weather is perfect, there'll be people milling around to witness it all.'

They'd already moved most of her belongings up to the school. The important, sentimental items had been moved to their Gringotts' vaults. They were all too conscious of the Weasleys' house being targeted the previous summer and the loss of everything in the fire. Minerva was prepared for the fact that this might be the last time she saw her precious cottage that was full of so many dear memories.

Harry went up to his little bedroom and retrieved his rucksack from under the bed. It was already packed and he pulled together his final things. He hoped he had enough to survive whatever was coming next. He opened Hedwig's cage and the owl looked at him sorrowfully.