Chapter 1
"Kill him." The deep voice sounded like Voldemort's and like a bolt of lightning Harry was running...running...running...vaguely somewhere he saw someone take a wand out of their pocket and he heard the dreaded words "Avada Kedavra." For a moment nothing else was know to him, then he woke up.
As Harry opened his eyes he was momentarily blinded by the bright orange walls in Ron's room. As he cried out Ron woke up and asked Harry sleepily "S'matter Harry? Last night I woke up and you were screaming! Are you ok now?"
"I'm fine," said Harry through clenched teeth, just remembering his nightmare and how much his scar had been hurting him when he woke up.
"Alright, just as long as you're sure..." said Ron tentatively.
"Yeah I'm sure. I'm fine now Ron really it was just a bad dream." Harry replied convincingly.
"Ok, let's go down to breakfast then." said Ron.
Harry said nothing but just quietly followed Ron down the stairs and into the kitchen. They came in quietly but stopped just before the kitchen door listening to Hermione and Ginny's conversation.
"No Hermione, I think you're right." they could hear Ginny's voice quite easily from the stairs. "I think that it is for the best that you let Krum go...I mean he's quite nice and all but I think you're right, he is a bit old for you and..." her voice trailed off to a whisper. "I think Ron's been rather taken with you as of late. Why just the other day I caught him looking at a picture of you with a very dreamy look in his eye."
At this Ron turned bright red and even Hermione turned an interesting shade of pink. Harry was caught up in silent laughter.
"Oh shut up you prat!" said Ron but he didn't mean it.
"Thanks a lot Ginny." said Hermione "And I'm sure Harry will come around and notice you soon enough."
It was Ron's turn to laugh at Harry as both Harry and Ginny slowly started to turn red.
"Sounds like she'll be reinstating the Harry Potter Fan Club again before long!" and doubled up again struck with laughter.
It might have been that Ron laughed just a little too loud, or perhaps it was that since Hermione and Ginny had stopped talking the room was quieter. Whatever the reason Ginny suddenly looked up and her blush deepened. Hermione, following Ginny's eyes realized that the boys were there and her eyes glistened ominously. Harry feeling that the best thing to do at the moment was to pretend that they hadn't been there long said to Ron very loudly,
"Who'll notice who? What? Do you know what they were talking about?"
Ron looked at Harry silently thanking him as they both noticed Hermione and Ginny sharing a relieved glance. Harry just winked in reply, but didn't tell Ron about the tumult of feelings inside him. He knew Ron liked Hermione, that was obvious, especially after the way he was so upset about her and Krum. But if it was so obvious with Ron was it as obvious with him? He knew that he managed to keep it pretty well concealed when he had liked Cho...but this was different. It hadn't really mattered to anyone that he liked Cho (whom he now liked just as a friend). He wasn't best friends with Cho's brother, and of course Cho hadn't ever sent him a singing valentine...Harry almost laughed just at the thought. But he wasn't really even sure about his feelings for Ginny. He liked her of course but just the thought of Ron and all her brothers and what they would do if they found out...it was after a while like this, deep in his thoughts that he realized that someone was calling his name.
"Harry?" said Ron "Harry? are you ok?"
Harry saw Hermione and Ginny almost falling out of their seats from laughing so hard.
"Oh sorry" he said. "I was just thinking over things."
"Obviously" said Ron snorting "Do you realize that you've been 'just thinking over things' for almost 10 minutes?"
Harry sighed. "Sorry, I was just lost in my own thoughts I guess." and with this he plopped himself down at the table (deliberately next to Ginny, who blushed) and reached for the toast.
"So Mum, what's in store for today?" asked Ron as Mrs. Weasley entered the kitchen.
"Oh hello dears" she greeted them all. "Well Ron, considering it is only one day till term starts and you still don't have any supplies, we must go to Diagon Alley. We have to do it right away though because you still need time to pack. We really must get a move on as it is getting awfully late. Where are those two brothers of yours? It's nearly 10 a.m. and they haven't risen yet!"
"Oh Mum relax. They were up late last night, until nearly four I think." As soon as he said this, Ron realized that he had made a mistake. He clapped his hands over his mouth and muttered something no one heard. His mother turned on him.
"Stayed up late?" she asked him innocently, though no one was fooled by her tone. "Stayed up late doing what?" she asked him curiously.
"Er" said Ron not quite sure what to say.
"Studying" said Harry coming up with the best answer that was possible after just a few seconds time, though he felt quite badly at having to lie, especially when Mrs. Weasley had been so kind to him.
"Yeah Mum" said Ron catching on, "they were studying!"
Mrs. Weasley snorted "That'll be the day!" she declared dumping liberal amounts of bacon onto Harry's plate. "And I'm surprised at you, Harry dear" she said turning to Harry. "It's not like you to lie."
"Oh but they're not!" said Hermione suddenly.
"What, love?" asked Mrs. Weasley
"I said that they aren't lying." explained Hermione. "I was up myself helping them a bit. I think that they've realized that since its their last year at Hogwarts that they should really start getting ready for their N.E.W.T.S now that it's their last chance at school." she said expertly.
Harry marveled at her. It wasn't like Hermione to lie like that, especially when ever since she had been made a prefect earlier in the summer, she was always badgering them about not doing the simplest thing out of line.
"Alright then, so realization has finally hit them! They can't make a living off of a joke shop!" she smiled to herself and started humming as she washed the dishes.
Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny exchanged glances as they all got up from the table.
"So, I'll just be waking them up then." said Ron.
"Thank you dear." said Mrs. Weasley still cheerful. "Tell them not to dawdle, we haven't got all day you know!" she said more crossly.
Just as the words were out of her mouth Mr. Weasley's head popped into the fire. "Molly" he said there's the trouble we've been expecting! Take the children and go to the save haven" he said "Now Molly! It's urgent!" And with that Mr. Weasley who was obviously distracted, disappeared from the flames.
"Ron, go! Get your brothers now! Tell them not to change, we don't have time!"
As Ron ran up the stairs she turned to the other children. "Don't worry" she said though her face was full of fear. We've been preparing for this for a long time."
Just as she said it there was a big BOOM! then a CRASH! and Harry knew no more...
"Kill him." The deep voice sounded like Voldemort's and like a bolt of lightning Harry was running...running...running...vaguely somewhere he saw someone take a wand out of their pocket and he heard the dreaded words "Avada Kedavra." For a moment nothing else was know to him, then he woke up.
As Harry opened his eyes he was momentarily blinded by the bright orange walls in Ron's room. As he cried out Ron woke up and asked Harry sleepily "S'matter Harry? Last night I woke up and you were screaming! Are you ok now?"
"I'm fine," said Harry through clenched teeth, just remembering his nightmare and how much his scar had been hurting him when he woke up.
"Alright, just as long as you're sure..." said Ron tentatively.
"Yeah I'm sure. I'm fine now Ron really it was just a bad dream." Harry replied convincingly.
"Ok, let's go down to breakfast then." said Ron.
Harry said nothing but just quietly followed Ron down the stairs and into the kitchen. They came in quietly but stopped just before the kitchen door listening to Hermione and Ginny's conversation.
"No Hermione, I think you're right." they could hear Ginny's voice quite easily from the stairs. "I think that it is for the best that you let Krum go...I mean he's quite nice and all but I think you're right, he is a bit old for you and..." her voice trailed off to a whisper. "I think Ron's been rather taken with you as of late. Why just the other day I caught him looking at a picture of you with a very dreamy look in his eye."
At this Ron turned bright red and even Hermione turned an interesting shade of pink. Harry was caught up in silent laughter.
"Oh shut up you prat!" said Ron but he didn't mean it.
"Thanks a lot Ginny." said Hermione "And I'm sure Harry will come around and notice you soon enough."
It was Ron's turn to laugh at Harry as both Harry and Ginny slowly started to turn red.
"Sounds like she'll be reinstating the Harry Potter Fan Club again before long!" and doubled up again struck with laughter.
It might have been that Ron laughed just a little too loud, or perhaps it was that since Hermione and Ginny had stopped talking the room was quieter. Whatever the reason Ginny suddenly looked up and her blush deepened. Hermione, following Ginny's eyes realized that the boys were there and her eyes glistened ominously. Harry feeling that the best thing to do at the moment was to pretend that they hadn't been there long said to Ron very loudly,
"Who'll notice who? What? Do you know what they were talking about?"
Ron looked at Harry silently thanking him as they both noticed Hermione and Ginny sharing a relieved glance. Harry just winked in reply, but didn't tell Ron about the tumult of feelings inside him. He knew Ron liked Hermione, that was obvious, especially after the way he was so upset about her and Krum. But if it was so obvious with Ron was it as obvious with him? He knew that he managed to keep it pretty well concealed when he had liked Cho...but this was different. It hadn't really mattered to anyone that he liked Cho (whom he now liked just as a friend). He wasn't best friends with Cho's brother, and of course Cho hadn't ever sent him a singing valentine...Harry almost laughed just at the thought. But he wasn't really even sure about his feelings for Ginny. He liked her of course but just the thought of Ron and all her brothers and what they would do if they found out...it was after a while like this, deep in his thoughts that he realized that someone was calling his name.
"Harry?" said Ron "Harry? are you ok?"
Harry saw Hermione and Ginny almost falling out of their seats from laughing so hard.
"Oh sorry" he said. "I was just thinking over things."
"Obviously" said Ron snorting "Do you realize that you've been 'just thinking over things' for almost 10 minutes?"
Harry sighed. "Sorry, I was just lost in my own thoughts I guess." and with this he plopped himself down at the table (deliberately next to Ginny, who blushed) and reached for the toast.
"So Mum, what's in store for today?" asked Ron as Mrs. Weasley entered the kitchen.
"Oh hello dears" she greeted them all. "Well Ron, considering it is only one day till term starts and you still don't have any supplies, we must go to Diagon Alley. We have to do it right away though because you still need time to pack. We really must get a move on as it is getting awfully late. Where are those two brothers of yours? It's nearly 10 a.m. and they haven't risen yet!"
"Oh Mum relax. They were up late last night, until nearly four I think." As soon as he said this, Ron realized that he had made a mistake. He clapped his hands over his mouth and muttered something no one heard. His mother turned on him.
"Stayed up late?" she asked him innocently, though no one was fooled by her tone. "Stayed up late doing what?" she asked him curiously.
"Er" said Ron not quite sure what to say.
"Studying" said Harry coming up with the best answer that was possible after just a few seconds time, though he felt quite badly at having to lie, especially when Mrs. Weasley had been so kind to him.
"Yeah Mum" said Ron catching on, "they were studying!"
Mrs. Weasley snorted "That'll be the day!" she declared dumping liberal amounts of bacon onto Harry's plate. "And I'm surprised at you, Harry dear" she said turning to Harry. "It's not like you to lie."
"Oh but they're not!" said Hermione suddenly.
"What, love?" asked Mrs. Weasley
"I said that they aren't lying." explained Hermione. "I was up myself helping them a bit. I think that they've realized that since its their last year at Hogwarts that they should really start getting ready for their N.E.W.T.S now that it's their last chance at school." she said expertly.
Harry marveled at her. It wasn't like Hermione to lie like that, especially when ever since she had been made a prefect earlier in the summer, she was always badgering them about not doing the simplest thing out of line.
"Alright then, so realization has finally hit them! They can't make a living off of a joke shop!" she smiled to herself and started humming as she washed the dishes.
Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny exchanged glances as they all got up from the table.
"So, I'll just be waking them up then." said Ron.
"Thank you dear." said Mrs. Weasley still cheerful. "Tell them not to dawdle, we haven't got all day you know!" she said more crossly.
Just as the words were out of her mouth Mr. Weasley's head popped into the fire. "Molly" he said there's the trouble we've been expecting! Take the children and go to the save haven" he said "Now Molly! It's urgent!" And with that Mr. Weasley who was obviously distracted, disappeared from the flames.
"Ron, go! Get your brothers now! Tell them not to change, we don't have time!"
As Ron ran up the stairs she turned to the other children. "Don't worry" she said though her face was full of fear. We've been preparing for this for a long time."
Just as she said it there was a big BOOM! then a CRASH! and Harry knew no more...