Infinity Imperius

Chapter One: Best-Laid Plans of Mice and Men Often Go Astray

Harry's eyes came flashing open as he struggled to sit up; the battered alarm clock beside his cot bed at 4 Privet Drive stared back at him with its typical red numbers, letting him know that it was fifty-nine minutes after eleven. He always counted midnight, the roll-over into the following day, as his birthday; he would be fifteen that year, and he wondered, morbidly, for a moment, as he struggled to awaken completely, who would die next who was associated with him.

He drew his legs upwards towards his chest, recounting his last term at Hogwarts, and felt the tears springing to his eyes again. He remembered the maze, and grabbing the cup with Cedric, as well as the cup turning out to be a portkey, which took them directly to the Little Hangleton Graveyard, where Cedric met his untimely death at the hands of Peter Pettigrew, all on the command of Voldemort. With his scar inflicting him blindly with pain, he was banished onto the bones of Voldemort's own father, while Pettigrew chopped off his own hand, and sliced into Harry's arm, so as to complete the brew to bring back Voldemort. After a violent duel, Harry had grabbed Cedric's body on the ghosts' command, while his parents shielded them both from the serpentine wizard via his wand, and were taken back to Hogwarts.

He remembered what the man he had thought was Moody had done, and how Snape had darted into the room, and had immediately taken him out of there. He had unexpectedly calmed Harry down in the wake of Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall taking charge of the Death Eater, Barty Crouch Jr., and had taken him down to the dungeons to heal him. Harry was amazed at the man's gentle behavior, and they had even spoken about what had happened that night. Even after that, when classes had begun, there were no more untoward glares, unfair taking of points, and he was even on the lookout for Malfoy and his cronies dropping inferior ingredients into his potions, to the point where he fared much better in class.

Harry shook his head at the memories, and attempted to ignore the unfamiliar stirring in his groin when he considered Professor Snape. Shaking his head, he turned at the sound of a small tapping upon his window and noticed Hedwig standing there, and remembered that she had gone for a long hunt. Unlatching the window and letting her in, he was surprised to see that there was a letter tied to her talon, and smiled at Ron's handwriting.

Harry,

Dad's attached a portkey to activate after midnight on your birthday, all with Dumbledore's permission. It'll activate when you say, "Weasel". I thought it was funny. Gather your things and Hedwig, too, as well as her cage.

See you when you get here.

Ron

Eagerly, Harry gathered up his things into his trunk, which his relatives hadn't bothered to lock under the stairs that summer, and tapped it gently, the simple wandless magic going undetected for the moment as it shrank down. He did the same with Hedwig's cage, and that joined his trunk in the pocket of the jeans he'd hastily put on. Clicking his tongue and gripping onto the battered old engine piece that Mr. Weasley had sent along as the portkey, after he had stuffed Ron's letter into his other pocket, Hedwig effortlessly flew and landed upon her master's shoulder.

"Let's go, girl," he said, gripping the portkey close. "Weasel," he whispered.

Harry seemed to be yanked up into the air, and through time and space, before he landed in the shrubbery just next to Mrs. Weasley's garden at the Burrow in Ottery St. Catchpole. Swearing under his breath as he got to his feet and brushed himself off, Hedwig screeched rather indignantly and flew over towards an open window attached to the kitchen. Shaking his head and walking towards the kitchen door, he opened it slowly and stepped inside, not wanting to disturb anyone, but was suddenly ambushed on all sides by Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Fred, George, and the Weasley parents.