Finding Heather

Year 7 Chapter 1

Author's Notes: Hello to you all and welcome the Deathly Hallows. Part of me feels sad that the story I've enjoyed writing is coming to a close, but I do have some ideas for what will happen to Heather after her defeat of Voldemort (Gasp, Spoilers?) I hope enjoy. I'm currently more than halfway done with this section of the story and will be posting the remaining chapters once they are all completed.

Harry Potter doesn't belong to me, but to JK Rowling.

Chapter One

 Heather Potter sat at the small desk in her bedroom at Number Four Privet Drive writing in her diary. It had been a long time since she had cracked open the small blue book, having not had time to write in it during her previous year at Hogwarts. She had only rediscovered it a few hours ago as she emptied the contents of her trunk in preparation for leaving. All around her closet sized room were stacks of books, robes, and other various items from her school years. Most of it would be left behind as it wouldn't be useful in her mission, with the exception of her clothes, Firebolt, Hedwig, and a few other odd items shoved into an overcrowded rucksack by the door.

 As she went through her things, she had momentarily thought about leaving any of her boy clothes behind, as the time was coming where she could no longer hide that she was becoming a girl, mentally if not yet completely physically. Remembering Dumbledore's advice during their last lesson however, she had packed both sets of clothes, stretching the rucksack close to bursting.

 She paused writing at the sound of the door slamming. Uncle Vernon was in the process of repacking the car for the tenth time in the past two weeks. He hadn't taken kindly to the news that he was expected to go into hiding with a pair of wizards, both for his family's protection as much as Heather's. Rolling her eyes at her uncle's implacable distrust of anything that wasn't, by his definition, "normal," Heather resumed writing.

Sunday, July 27, 1997

 I'm writing what I hope will be my last entry in this diary before leaving Privet Drive behind for good. It's strange, knowing that in a few short hours I'll be leaving this place that I have hated my entire life. The Dursley's still aren't sure they're going to go with the Order when Dedalus Diggle and Hestia Jones arrive, but I'll do my best to convince them. It's not as though I wish them the best, but no one deserves what Voldemort will do if he captures them.

 I'm currently sucking on a cut thumb. During my excavation of my school trunk, my hand found a shard of the mirror Sirius gave me two years ago hidden in the debris. Somehow it still works, or at least I think it does. While I was examining it I could have sworn that I saw Dumbledore's eye staring back at me.

 Damn, there's Uncle Vernon calling for me. Here's goes nothing.

 She was in no hurry; her fear of her uncle having faded years ago. Relocking the book, she stuffed it into her rucksack and took one more look around the room before opening the door. Uncle Vernon still barely spoke to her, except during his repetitive rants about not leaving. Downstairs, the living room looked bare without the dozens of pictures of Dudley hanging on the wall. That had been the most obvious concession towards leaving that Aunt Petunia had made, unable to bear the thought of losing pictures of "her baby Diddykins." Uncle Vernon was pacing back and forth in front of the window, his face the usual shade of purple.

 At the sight of Heather, he went off. "It was all a plot to get the house" he shouted at her. It didn't take long to bring them around, again. Dudley was the deciding factor in the end. When Heather mentioned the dementors that had nearly stolen his soul two years ago, her cousin squeaked loudly, which was a surprising noise to come from so large a person, and declared his intention to go with the Order. Unwilling to bear the thought of being separated from their son, his parents surrendered any further arguments. Half an hour later, the Dursley's piled into Uncle Vernon's company car along with Dedalus and Hestia, bound for safety and out of Heather's life for good.