Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, settings, or anything else to do with Harry Potter. This story is only for entertainment purposes and no monetary gain shall be sought. All rights belong to J.K. Rowling.
"Wake up, Harry!" An urgent but friendly voice rang in Harry Potter's right ear. Turning his head, he reached for his glasses to restore some clarity to the blurry dorm room around him. Once they were on, he could make out the face of his best friend, Ron Weasley.
"Morning, Ron," Harry moaned in response, taking in the sight of the circular dorm room around him, with several four-poster beds facing inwards from the walls. "Sleep well?"
"I did," Ron replied, "but you were tossing and turning in bed all night. Did you have a bad dream?"
"Yes, in fact I did," Harry muttered at first, "but I don't really remember any details. Voldemort was in it-"
"Do not say his name!" Another student exclaimed.
"Anyway, that's all I remember, Ron," Harry shrugged. "Let's get ready for breakfast."
After getting washed up and dressed, Harry and Ron exited the dorm and went down a spiral staircase to enter the Gryffindor common room.
"Hi, Harry! Hi, Ron!" Hermione smiled as she came down from the girls' dorm.
"Hi, Hermione," they both said at the same time.
"Look," she said while pointing at the notice board. "Apparently there must be a special event going on today, because classes are cancelled." She sighed with a rather disappointed expression on her face.
"Gosh, Hermione," Ron groaned, "I know you're already preparing for next year's O.W.L. exams, but do you really have to keep your brain that far into the future? We're only at the beginning of our fourth year!"
"I need to keep up my grades and my reputation!" Hermione nearly shouted. "I spent the last three years impressing the teachers and I want to keep it up! For me, there's no such thing as spending too much time at the library studying."
Harry and Ron exchanged looks. "Why not just have a breather for one day? You can exercise your brain again tomorrow," Harry told her.
"Fine," Hermione groaned. Clearly for her the day was not getting off to a good start.
They climbed through the portrait hole and exited the common room, not saying a word until they arrived at the Great Hall for breakfast. The four long rows of tables were packed with students from each House.
"Wow, I guess we're here a little late," Ron noticed. "Everyone's breakfast is almost over!"
As soon as the trio sat down at the table, their food magically appeared in front of them. Breakfast today was a full breakfast consisting of scrambled eggs, bacon, sausages, toast, and black pudding. They quickly wolfed down their meal before everyone's plates disappeared.
A loud ringing noise came from the staff table at the back of the Great Hall. Professor McGonagall tapped on her goblet to get everyone's attention. On cue, Dumbledore stood up in front of his podium, his blue eyes glinting behind his half-moon glasses.
"Good morning, everyone," he beamed. "I hope you all had a good night's sleep. I have a special announcement to make. In case you didn't see the message on the notice boards in your common room, for today, all classes have been cancelled."
Most of the students cheered. Others groaned, like Hermione, and a few had expressions of surprise, curious as to what the exact reason behind all of this was.
"Today, we will be hosting a rather special event," he continued. "The Ministry of Magic has agreed with the professors to organize an occasion where your parents will visit Hogwarts for the day. You won't be having any classes, but you can show them around and mingle with other students, their parents, and your professors. Keep in mind, though, that the Dark Forest is strictly forbidden to everyone."
"Boy, Molly's going to be angry with us," Fred moaned. "Maybe I shouldn't have offered Crabbe that Ton-Tongue Toffee. Snape probably still doesn't know that it's me who did it, but I'm sure he's suspicious."
"Well, she didn't send you a Howler yet," George reassured him.
"No, but I'm certain she's going to confront you when she arrives," Hermione interjected.
"For your knowledge," Dumbledore spoke, "the magical enchantment that disguises the school from Muggles has been lifted. Over the last week, Professor Snape has been sending letters by owl to your parents with an invitation for them to come to Hogwarts. Those who have not opened their letters, of which there are two families left, will receive a personal invitation from Snape. Everyone will then travel here via the Hogwarts Express, and we expect them to arrive by eleven o'clock. Until then, you may go back to your common rooms or to the library, or you can stay in the Great Hall, where your parents will arrive. Everyone should be back here by ten to eleven. See you then, and sorry for the late notice." Dumbledore stepped down from the podium and everyone began going their separate ways; some staying, others leaving. Harry, Ron, and Hermione decided to wander the corridors for a while.
"You'll finally get to see my parents," Hermione smiled. "They'll be very excited to meet you. They're actually quite interested in the wizarding world, despite them being Muggles. How about you, Harry?"
A horrible wave of dread washed over Harry, and his friends' faces seemed to share the same expression, as they remembered just who they met at the end of the first year...