Chapter One: Aunt Petunia's New Friend

It had been two weeks since Dumbledore's funeral. Harry was back at the Dursley's. He found it hard to believe but ever since his return, the Dursleys have been behaving in the most undursleyish way. Aunt Petunia was somewhat polite to Harry, Dudley did not tease him anymore. In fact he even said thanks to Harry when Harry gave him his post one morning. And Uncle Vernon had not yelled or shown displesure at the sight of Harry even once. All this made Harry feel a bit odd. He sometimes thought what if Voldemort had put the imperious curse on the Dursleys so that he could have someone close to Harry? Someone who could monitor all the actions of Harry without letting the Order or the ministry know. However Harry rejected this possibility thinking that if Voldemort was instructing the Dursleys to watch Harry, he wouldn't tell them to be good to him. But still, it was very fishy, very fishy indeed.

While on one hand, the behavior of the Dursleys was worrying Harry, on the other, there was a much bigger problem that came Harry's way on his fifteenth day with the Dursleys. Ron had sent him a letter saying that Hermione had gone on her own to the forests of Albania, where Voldemort had spent the years of his downfall to look for some clue. Ron was furious, "how can she do this?" he had written, "She told her parents that she was coming to the burrow for Bill and Fluer's wedding. I haven't told mom about this. She would go mad"

Hermione and Ron had planned to go on the horcrux hunt with Harry after the wedding. Hermione had sent her parents into hiding in some remote village of China. Ron had convinced Mrs Wheasley to go with Harry and help him. Mrs Wheasley tried a lot to ask what they were doing but later gave up thinking it to be no good as Ron wasn't ready to tell her. They were supposed to meet at the Burrow three days before Harry's birthday. But now, everything had gone wrong. where had Hermione gone? why couldn't she wait? what if, thought Harry, she was in danger? what if she was dead?

After all, ever since Dumbledore's death, people were dying left, right and centre. it was only three days after the funeral that the Patil family was killed by the killing curse. the only people escaped were the two sisters, Parvati and Padma, who were in their relatives house that night. Then, just ten days ago, there had been an explosion on a muggle street that killed eighteen muggles. and then Madam Hooch, the Hogwarts quidditch teacher was killed in her house in manchester four days ago. It was certainly the darkest time the wizarding world had seen in a very long time. And now, Hermione had gone out, all alone.

Preface:

Hello,

I know you all have read Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows, and have loved it, but still, I would like you to read this version of the seventh Book...

I hope you enjoy it...

Thanks...

Abhimanyu Amoli


PS: I would also like to thank J. K. Rowling for giving us the seven books...