Title: Sacrifices to Be Made

Author: Heather Sinclair

Email: Heather @buffysboudoir.com

Rating: PG-13

Pairing: H/Hr

Spoilers: Major freaking spoilers for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

Summery: Post-OotP. It's Harry's 16th birthday and he's had enough.

Disclaimer: This story, and any content relating to the Harry Potter franchise is not authorized J.K. Rowling, or Scholastic Press. I own my computer ... Can I have Harry and Hermione instead?

Chapter 1

Harry Potter counted the minutes until full dark, the night before his sixteenth birthday. His summer had gone almost without any event whatsoever. In fact it was quite probably the most boring summer of Harry's life.

Threats had been dished out to the Dursley's by a number of members of the Order of the Phoenix about their treatment of Harry... and they had followed it to the letter. They hadn't said one word to him the entire summer. They didn't look at him, didn't talk to him; it was as if he didn't exist in their eyes. This suited Harry just fine.

He had sent regular owls off to Remus Lupin, his one time professor and last remaining friend of his deceased father's, relaying news that he was physically well and looking forward to another term at Hogwarts.

In actuality, he wasn't.

The past few years had taken a hard toll on himself, his friends, and his loved ones; the last being paid by his godfather, Sirius Black. Harry had anguished for weeks over his 'hero complex' and its inevitable consequence of luring his godfather out of hiding, into the line of fire of his cousin's wand, and ultimately into the folds of the veiled archway deep within the Department of Mysteries.

That was Harry's final breaking point. Once he realized what he was doing each year to those closest to him there was no other option, in his mind, than to disappear. He knew it would be next to impossible to escape into the wizarding world; he was too well known. However, he thought he knew enough about the muggle world to make a good stay of it until Dumbledore and the Order had a chance to find and deal with Voldemort.

But first he'd have to make a clean break of it and disappear from the eyes and ears of everyone for a small while. The situation presented itself with the arrival of an owl the previous day.

Mr. H. Potter

4 Privet Drive

Little Whinging

Surrey

Gnog Gnast

Senior Executor

Gringott's Wizarding Bank

Diagon Alley

London

Re: The estate of Sirius Black

As executor of the Black estate it is my duty to inform you as to the disposition of the last will and testament of Sirius Black. Enclosed you will find two keys and one enchantment-sealed letter from Mr. Black.

The smaller of the two keys is to the Black family vault which has been willed to you, Harry James Potter. Its contents as of this date will be transferred upon your wishes to your Gringott's vault with receipt of the key with a return owl. The second key is to a, as yet to be disclosed residence, also know as the Black Family Estate.

All deeds of ownership have been transferred to your name and will also be stored in your Gringott's vault. We regret that we are unable to give you the address to said house as it seems to be unplottable. Our hope is that you are aware of said residence and its current location.

If you have any questions please remit them to me personally via return owl.

Sincerely,

Gnog Gnast

Senior Executor

Gringott's Wizarding Bank

A melancholy smile spread slightly on Harry's face as he folded up the Senior Executor's letter and stashed it in an inside pocket of his robes. He starred at the letter from Sirius once again.

To be opened in the event of my

death by Harry Potter at no other place

but the kitchen of the Black Family Estate.

He had tried, a number of times, to open the letter since yesterday, but the enchantment on the seal had made it impossible. His one hope was that it would deactivate itself upon entering the kitchen at number 12 Grimmauld Place. And from there he would make his escape.

The last remnants of sunlight disappeared from the sky and Harry turned to his snowy white owl, Hedwig, attaching a letter to explain his absence to his friends.

"Take this to Dumbledore, Hedwig. Make sure he doesn't get it for at least another three hours. Then meet me at Grimmauld Place, okay?"

The owl looked at Harry with mild concern and hooted agreeably. Harry watched until Hedwig was out of sight and he turned to take one last look at the back of the Dursley's house.

"Good riddance."

He checked to make sure his trunk and Hedwig's cage was firmly secured to his Firebolt and he pushed off the ground into the night sky.