Chapter 1
I turned towards the open window at the Dursley's house to the sound of Hedwig's screech. She flew into the window and landed on my bed, folded her wings and decided to take a nap. After a couple long, tiresome nights I could understand why. I unbound the letter that was attached to her right foot. Excitedly, I opened up the letter and noticed that it was from Ron. It read:
Dear Harry,
In a few days we are going to come by to pick you up. You can stay the last month with us if you'd like. Hermione's here, and Bill and Charlie will be here in a few days. I also invited a couple of people to come here for the rest of the summer break, but you can find out who they are later.
Hope to see you soon,
Ron
As I put the letter down on my bedside table I heard Uncle Vernon yell for me, which was odd. He hasn't spoken to me since I got off of the train. I cautiously walked out of my room, which didn't pay off, he yelled again for me come and said that I was deaf or something like that.
I ran down the stairs skipping two with each step. I came to a halt when I saw who was standing at the door.
Mrs. Weasley waved to me as Mr. Weasley put out his hand to shake. "How are you, Harry?" He asked.
I took his and he shook it vigorously with an intense grip. Before I could take a step back Mrs. Weasley grabbed me in a giant bear hug that squeezed the air out of me and knocked my glasses askew.
"Oh, I'm so sorry dear, let me get that for you."
I ran upstairs to pack my bags and my meager school supplies that I owned. The Dursley's had decided to have a bonfire with my schoolbooks. Hermione is going to have a fit, I thought. I couldn't help but let a laugh escape me.
"Is that all you have, dear?" Mrs. Weasley asked with curiosity.
"Yes. You could say that they disappeared like magic," I said coldly, glancing over to the Dursley's to see them wince.
"Well, It seems as if we should be going," Mr. Weasley said, glancing quickly at his watch.
"I'm sorry, I wasn't expecting you for a couple more days, I just got the letter." Remembering the letter I rushed upstairs to get Hedwig. "Couldn't have left without you," I muttered to her.
As I came to the entrance hall Mr. Weasley asked "Do have everything now?"
I glanced around myself and answered, "Yes. Yes I do."
"Hurry, Harry, get in the car. We need to leave as soon as we can." Mr. Weasley ushered me into the car.
I set Hedwig down on the seat and threw his trunks into the back seat. Finally, I squeezed himself between the plump Mrs. Weasley and the tall and lanky Mr. Weasley.
"Comfortable?" Mrs. Weasley asked politely. She turned to look out the window and gazed at the scenery beyond her. "It's really quite lovely here. I wouldn't mind living here, if only we weren't wizards of course…" Her voice trailed off before she could finish her sentence.
"Your very lucky, Harry. You've escaped the chaos and confusion of our world since Dumbledore's death. Muggles and wizards alike are being killed left and right. I'd like for you to be careful this year at Hogwarts. It's not going to be the same as it once was." Mr. Weasley finished with a smile. "But, we wish for you to be in comfort for the remainder of your summer break."
"Oh, I will," I said reassuringly. You have no idea, he thought. I can't wait to see Ginny. I hope that she'll be happy to see me. "So how's life at the burrow? I heard that Bill and Charlie would be coming home in a few days."
"Oh dear, I forgot to tell you. Good thing that Ron told you in his letter. You did get his letter right?" Mrs. Weasley asked.
"Yes, just got it today," I said.
"Oh, dear, I forgot how long it took for Hedwig to get here. I'm so sorry." Mrs. Weasley turned to look at Harry and filled him on what had been going this summer. So far, Fred and George caused an explosion in their room, Ron got his head stuck in the toilet, because of George, and Mr. Weasley was promoted at the Ministry of Magic.
As we pulled up to The Burrow, I began to feel a bit queasy. It had been nearly two months since I have seen Ginny. Mr. Weasley helped me unload the vehicle while Mrs. Weasley had to rush into the house because she heard an explosion. I wonder who that was, I thought sarcastically.
Faintly, I could hear Mrs. Weasley screech "Fred! George! Down here NOW!"
I couldn't help but laugh as he walked into the house and noticed Fred's red hair smoldering.
"Well, hullo Harry, long time no see," George greeted, stifling a laugh.
I heard a pair of footsteps climbing quietly down the stairs. My stomach flipped over as he saw a body just short of himself with straight, long, red hair.
"Hey Harry," Ginny said smiling. I felt myself turning red. "Ron's upstairs in his room right now." She winked. No one else but me noticed this. Me and Ginny sprinted up the stairs, Ginny laughing and telling me stories about Ron getting his head stuck in the toilet and Fred and George blowing up their cauldron earlier that day.
When we came to Ginny's room I opened the door and allowed her to go in first. I quickly followed quietly closing the door behind him. I walked up towards Ginny slowly, then kissed her, brushing my lips against hers. Wow, I forgot how awesome this is, he thought. Ginny kissed me back, letting go minutes later. I turned around quickly as I heard a familiar voice. "Hello Harry. I would have rather not watched this, but it's nice to see you again." It was Hermione.
"Hi 'mione." This is awkward, I thought. "Do you think you could leave?" I could feel my face turning red. Why did this have to happen? This is so embarrassing.
"Well, no, I need to talk to Ginny. But now we'll have more to talk about." She giggled. "By the way, Ron's waiting for you upstairs. He didn't think you'd be taking a detour…" She didn't finish her sentence. She was laughing hysterically now.
"Thanks Hemione. Your such a help." Yeah right, I thought. Same old Hermione.
I climbed up the rest of the stairs to Ron's room. I knocked twice, opened the door, and walked in. I didn't see Ron on his bed, so I looked around the room to see where he was. I noticed a few more people were here. Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas, no surprise. "Where's Ron?" I asked them.
(As Harry arrived at the Burrow)
Lord Voldemort rolled up his sleeve and touched the Dark Mark on his arm. He reached into his robes and pulled out his wand. He muttered the incantation that was needed to call the Death Eaters. He got off of his throne in the graveyard and walked to where the Death Eaters would be within minutes.
At first nothing happened. Five minutes later, still no Death Eaters. Lord Voldemort was becoming angry. He muttered the incantation once again to call his Death Eaters to the graveyard.
First arrived Mr. Malfoy with a pop. Quickly following was his son. Mr. Crabbe and Mr. Goyle and their sons came within the minute. A few new faces appeared as well. Ten minutes later, 13 Death Eaters and three wizards that had decided to join, surrounded Voldemort.
Voldemort began to go down his checklist; most were there, except for a few who he would find later to destroy.
He then began his initiation process, which consisted of presenting his Death Eater cloak, hat, and mask; and the tattooing of the Dark Mark on their right arm. The newcomers screeched with pain as they were tattooed.
"Now that we are finished with that order of business, let's begin with what needs to be done. I and Wormtail have decided to "pay a visit" to the Ministry of Magic. I believe it's time that we raid the Ministry. Kill anyone in your way. And make sure that you take care of Fudge." Voldemort finished with a grin. He began to laugh, laugh like a maniac. The Death Eaters followed his example and laughed cautiously.
"Where's Ron?" I asked them again. I turned as I heard the bedroom door open. Ron walked in.
"Hullo, Harry. I see you've met Dean and Seamus." Ron said with a mouthful. "I've brought some treats from Fred and George's room. Don't worry, they're the safe kinds." He stuffed more candies into his mouth.
Dean and Seamus rushed up to Ron and grabbed as many treats as they could. Ron's face was glowing and his mouth had been twisted into a grin.
Dean began to wolf down the candies while Seamus slowly popped the treats one by one into his mouth. Minutes later, both boys had turned into frogs. I couldn't help but laugh at this, another brilliant idea from Fred and George.
"So, what are these called?" I asked Ron, releasing a laugh.
"I think that they're going to be called Toffee Toads, or something like that," Ron replied hesitantly. "You know what, I think that we should go." He glanced down towards the frogs.
"Agreed." I quickly ran out of the room and Ron followed, shutting the door on his way out.
"You want to go play some Quidditch?" Ron asked. "I'm pretty sure that we can get Hermione, Ginny, Fred, and George to play with us."
"Sounds great." I couldn't help but smile. I'm back where I belong, I thought. This will be more home than the Dursley's could ever be.
We rushed down the stairs to Ginny's room. Her door was wide open so we walked right in. Hermione was petting her devious cat, Crookshanks. Ginny was talking rapidly in a hushed voice to Hermione. Hermione gently nodded her head while rocking Crookshanks back and forth.
"Ginny? Hermione? Would you like to play Quidditch?" Ron asked.
"Sure. You want to Hermione?" Ginny asked. She paced back and forth excitedly.
Her eyes darted from Ron, to me, to Ginny, and finally stated flatly "Sure."
We ran down the stairs to find George sitting alone in the kitchen. He turned his head as we came into the kitchen.
"Where's Dad?" Ron asked, curiously.
"He went to work. He decided he could get some time in today." George answered.
"Do you and Fred want to go play some Quidditch?" I asked.
Fred walked into the room, chewing on a lemon drop. "The Constipation Crackers didn't work. We need to fix something with them. All that they made me do was throw up."
"Sick." Hermione and Ginny said in unison.
"I guess we can go for now, but we need to fix the Constipation Crackers." George stood up and walked to the door. When he pushed open the door and shouted some sort of incantation. Within moments, six brooms were lying on the porch in an orderly row.
I walked to the nearest one, a comet two-sixty, and picked it up. Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Fred, and George all did the same.
We walked through the garden, stomping on gnomes as they crossed our paths.
We set up in the field, and then decided teams. I was captain, along with Ron.
"I'll pick first. Ginny." Ginny smiled and skipped over to where I was. She crept up behind me and put her arms around my waist and gently put her head on my head. She whispered into my ear "Thank you, Harry." She kissed me on the cheek and backed up to stand behind me. My face turned red and Hermione laughed.
"I'll pick, George." Ron said as he glanced back and forth between Fred and George.
"Pick Hermione." Ginny whispered again. "I've been training her to be a chaser, she may even make the team. Of course she was shooting against Ron, which isn't the best practice."
I couldn't help but laugh. "Hermione, you're on my team." Hermione smiled and walked briskly over to Ginny and gave her a high five.
"I won't let you down, Harry." Hermione said.
"Thanks, Hermione." I looked down at broom and picked it up.
"I guess that I'll have Fred," Ron said.
"Well, that's the first time that I've been picked last for Quidditch." Fred said, obviously upset.
"On three. One...Two…Three…" Ron shouted. At once all six of us jumped into the air. Fred and George released the quaffle, snitch, and a bludger that they had bought with money from their joke shop.
(When they lifted up to play Quidditch)
Mr. Weasley was sitting in his desk looking across the overly cramped room upon an empty desk. The man who usually occupied that seat was not present. Mr. Weasley hadn't gotten a memo saying that he wouldn't be there. He thought loosely to himself, he must have gotten lost… again. He laughed quietly to himself then began to sort through the piles of memos that stacked his desk.
He could hear memos flying around, many more than usual. He stepped outside of the office to scope out why all the memos were flying around. He looked around, and seeing no one in the hallway, grabbed a memo as it flied past him and read it:
Alert everyone on your floor and direct him or her towards the nearest exit. Make sure that everyone gets out alive.
Signed, Minister of Magic.
That's odd, Mr. Weasley thought to himself. I doubt that something like this has ever happened.
He walked down the hall, up a flight of stairs, and found himself on the third floor. He walked farther down the hallway on the third floor and heard spells and jinxes being fired. He immediately sprinted around the corner and saw a dozen death eaters fighting members of the ministry.
Mr. Weasley decided that he was going to try to fight some of the Death Eaters. He ran towards the group of people fighting. Ministry workers were collapsing, cringing in pain, and being blown to pieces.
Mr. Weasley saw a woman with short, bright pink hair get hit by the Killing Curse, and watched as her legs collapsed beneath her.
How could they do this to her, he thought. Lupin's fiancé is dead. How am I going to tell him? That is, if I live to get out of here.
Mr. Weasley pulled his wand out from a pocket inside his already shabby robes. Be careful, he thought. I need to sneak up on one of them and knock him out or something.
Mr. Weasley ran towards the Death Eater that had killed Tonks. I'm going to avenge her death even if it's the last thing that I do.
"Stupefy!" Mr. Weasley shouted as he ran. The Death Eater nearest Tonks fell over backwards. "Stupefy, Stupefy, Stupefy!" he shouted again. Two of his shots missed narrowly, the third hitting the target squarely in the chest.
Oh crap, he thought, now the Death Eaters are after me. Bring it on.
Three Death Eaters charged towards Mr. Weasley, each stopping fifteen feet in front of him. "AVADA KEDAVRA!" The three Death Eaters shouted the killing curse and laughed as they watched Mr. Weasley fall face first onto Tonks' stomach.
"Well, there's one of the blood traitors out of the way, eh, Draco?" the middle Death Eater asked, pulling off his mask at the same time to reveal a head full of long, shiny, blonde hair.
"I wonder how Potter's going to take this news," said the boy next to the longhaired man.