Severus Snape finally tests his first real Horcrux removal potion on Harry, and for a moment it feels like a Portkey tugging at his scar and stomach as the soul fragment shifts but stubbornly refuses to let go. Shaken yet hopeful, Harry trusts Severus more than anyone alive and knows they are at least on the right path. Life at Prince Manor settles into a strange calm filled with runs around the pitch, Dobby fussing, and quiet meals while the war outside gets darker and the world starts looking to Harry as a symbol of hope whether he wants it or not. Letters from Fred and George reveal that Weasleys Wizard Wheezes is booming and that they are paying Harry a real cut of the profits, while yet another Sirius letter compares him to James and pushes him toward Ron, making Harry more certain than ever that he has to be his own person. By September, ten outstanding OWLs, a new broom from Severus, and a forced birthday at Grimmauld Place have come and gone, and Harry boards the Hogwarts Express with Neville and Luna as his true inner circle. A run in with Romilda Vane, fan girls at the windows, and a Slughorn invitation to a private lunch he flatly refuses set the tone for sixth year: Harry is done being paraded as a prize and is going back to Hogwarts on his own terms, with Severus as his anchor instead of Dumbledore.

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