"But Professor Dumbeldore," Harry began, his eyes burning into the bearded man's own with dramatic urgency. "You yourself said I had to be at the Dursley's this summer. You said that Petunia would secure my mother's protection over me, and that otherwise..."
"Yes, Mr. Potter, I am precisely aware of what I said during our earlier conversation," Albus chuckled, popping a lemon sherbert into his mouth with a relaxed joy. "Unbeknownst to you, of course, I had been working on an alternative plan. One which has, rather surprisingly, come to fruition at the perfect time." He placed a hand on a small, polished wooden box and slid it over the desk to Harry, who observed it tentatively for a moment, before extending a hand.
Undoing the latch, the lid lifted to reveal a silver locket necklace, embellished with a beaming red garnet stone. Harry felt a weight in his chest - the boy had an understandable fear of mysterious artefacts - but nevertheless clicked the locket open with careful hands. Inside was a pair of pictures, one of his mother and one of his father, smiling and laughing in their Hogwarts robes. "Professor..." Harry trailed as he inspected the pictures' every moves. "What is this?"
"Its your mother's locket, Harry. Her mother gifted it to her before her departure for her first year here; that red stone on the front is Lily's birthstone."
"Its beautiful," Harry nodded, mostly talking to himself.
"Quite so." Albus smiled. "Several members of the faculty here remember her being deeply attached to it. I've had people searching high and low for it. Hagrid uncovered it at Godric's Hollow not two days ago."
"But why, professor?" The necklace glinted as it spun slowly from Harry's hand.
"I think it is best for you to be at Hogwarts this summer, Harry. After the tragic loss of Mr. Diggory, and then everything you went through this year..." He couldn't bring himself to say it, but Harry knew he was largely referring to losing Sirius. "I just don't believe a summer with the Dursely's is the best option for your heart."
"Couldn't agree more," Harry agreed bitterly. "But unfortunately, I don't want to be murdered in my sleep by Voldemort so, I don't really have a choice."
"Hence the locket." There was a wiseness in Dumbeldore's grin. "I think I can safely say this locket - its closeness to Lily's heart, and to you, over the years - ought to do just as well securing Lily's protection over you as Petunia. Maybe better. And besides, there is no safer place than Hogwarts." Harry turned the locket over again in his hands now, before tentatively putting it on himself. Albus beamed. "It suits you." As Harry stood to leave, Dumbledore politely added;
"This will be good for you Harry. After so long, I think it is finally time for you to exhale."
*****
The Platform buzzed as student filed onto the red steam train, chattering and embracing as they went. Ron and Hermione stood, tapping their feet impatiently, scanning the madness for the familiar mess of dark hair that was approaching them. Harry gave them a strange look - somewhere between a smile and a sigh - and Hermione pounced into action.
"What's wrong? Where have you been?" The intonation of her voice was, as usual, electric.
"Nothing's wrong, don't panic. But Dumbledore changed his mind. He wants me to stay."
"Here?" Ron furrowed his brow. "Bloody hell mate, he's changed his tune."
"But what about the prophecy? And Petunia?" Questions were falling out of Hermione's mouth faster than she could think of them. Harry flashed the locket.
"This belong to my mum. Dumbeldore says it'll be just as protective. And he thinks I need to stay here because it'll give me some time to actually calm down."
"He might have a point, mate." Ron added with a shrug. "You haven't switched off in years. Here might be the best place for you to do it."
"It's huge and quiet, and there's lots to do." Hermione nodded as she came around to the idea herself.
"And to eat." Ron's grin hid a food-related envy.
"And you shouldn't get too lonely - I'm pretty sure Luna is staying, among others. We'll write, of course."
"And I'll be damned if I can't convince mum to convince Dumbledore to let us visit at some point." Hearing his friends so affirmative was all Harry needed to settle his nerves about this stark change of plans.
"Right, well it's settled." He let himself smile for the first time in hours. "Hogwarts is my home for the foreseeable." And, as if overcome, Hermione yanked him into a tight an warm hug.
"Stay safe." She whispered with a fervent urgency.
"You know me," Harry chuckled through constricted lungs. "I always stay out of trouble." And she released him with a knowing eye roll. Ron moved forward now, delivering a lighter embrace with a reassuring pat-on-the-back.
"Have a good one mate."
"Give the family my best." They parted and, as his eyes began to glaze over just a little, Harry waved as they boarded; as they sat down; as the train departed - and he kept on waving until the train was naught more than a dot in the distance and a puff of smoke.
// ok sorry this first chapter had to be a lot of quick exposition so the plot made some sense in the grand scheme of things now back to business //
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give me a reason || a draco x harry story
Fanfiction"we have matching broken parts" when, following Dumbledore's advice, Harry stays at Hogwarts for the summer following Fifth Year, he thinks it's his ticket to his first good summer. but, when Draco Malfoy announces his need to stay at Hogwarts as we...
