Death's Gift

Chapter One - The Plan

Death's Gift - Chapter One
The Plan

Harry sat in the drawing room of Grimuald Place. Ever since the battle of Hogwarts he'd felt off. It was almost three years now since he, Ron, and Hermione had set off on their Horcrux hunt. The reconstruction of Hogwarts had started up and Harry was doing all he could to help but the castle would never be the same. Harry sighed and walked over to one of the many drawers in the room. Opening the middle one he pulled out the Elder Wand. He'd snapped it and thrown it into the Black Lake after the battle, but just a few moments later it has appeared back in his pocket, whole. You couldn't destroy a Hallow. Harry didn't want the wand, though his Holly one wouldn't work for him anymore, so, Harry had started to rely on wandless magic. He couldn't get a new one or go back to his old one until his magical connection to the Elder Wand was broken, but that could only happen if he was killed and Harry wasn't planing to die any time soon.

Sighing, Harry sat the wand down and went to get dressed, he was supposed to be joining the Weasleys for lunch. Lately, Harry had been distancing himself from them. Not avoiding, just, distancing, from everyone. With the Weasleys it was just too awkward. First they lost Fred, then Harry had broken up with Ginny, and then Hermione called off her engagement to Ron. Harry shook his head, pulling on a red sweater. Harry never really did understand why he got together with Ginny in the first place, she was rather clingy and more often then not gave him a headache. After the war Harry just couldn't keep it up. Harry was about to floo to the burrow when his front door flew open. Immediately on guard, even though only select people could enter his house since it was under a feildus charm, Harry spun around in a defensive stance.

"Harry! Oh thank Merlin you haven't left!" Hermione exclaimed through rough breaths.

Harry, still on guard, lowered his stance, "Hermione? What are you doing here?" He noted her heavy breathing, "And why are you out of breath?"

"I came to stop you from going to the Weasleys. You're in danger." She walked towards him.

"What else is new." Harry muttered.

He followed Hermione into the sitting room where she started pacing, muttering to herself.

"Hermione? What's going on?" Harry asked, growing concerned.

She stopped and looked at him, "Right, ok. It has to do with why I called it off with Ron, and why I cut off contact with the Weasleys completely."

Harry, knowing this was serious, scribbled an apology letter to the Weasleys, saying that something came up and he wouldn't be able to join them. He gave it to Penywil, his new owl, to send to the Weasleys. Harry still missed Hedwig a lot, her being is companion ever since he found out he was a wizard, but Penywil was still very helpful.

"Ok, you have my full attention now." He told Hermione.

Hermione nodded, "First, I want to say that I'm really, really, really sorry that I didn't tell you all of this earlier."

"Hermione..." Harry's voice held that of a warning.

"They're manipulating you!" She burst out, "Molly, Ron, and Ginny! Oh they're horrible! Ron actually can't stand you and only befriend you because of your fame, Ginny's completely obsessed with you and wants to marry you so she can be the next Mrs. Potter as well as have access to your fortune, and Molly just wants to keep you around to make her family look better as well as have access to your money!"