A/N: I'm going to be updating this story, one chapter at a time, until I'm all the way through it, in order to use the info from the books that wasn't out when I began it.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot and a headache.

Almost

Harry Potter's summer holidays generally radiated atrocities. The Dursley's, his biological family, honestly hated him. His only comfort lie in the fact that in two days, his 17th birthday would arrive, and he would be a legal adult in the wizarding world. Fred and George had proved two years ago that at seventeen, the ministry would stop threatening to kick you out of school for magic during holidays. He wished he could just blast the house and his family into nothingness, but he knew that killing them wasn't the answer. However, he wouldn't have to see them again, so he could live without committing violence.

He sat looking out his bedroom window, wondering what his best friend's family was doing. That's where he really felt he belonged. Ron Weasley's family was close-knit, and kind. There were Bill and Charlie, Bill planning to be married to Fleur Delacour that summer. Next came Percy, whose refusal to see plain facts had gotten him forcibly removed from the family. Fred and George, their dream of owning a joke shop busy turning a vast profit thanks to their defensive and offensive products. Ron, Harry's best friend, was the second youngest child, and with him through everything Harry had seen thus far. Finally, there was the youngest Weasley child, and only girl, Ginny. He'd never been interested in girls, they just weren't very important to him, until Ginny. He'd pushed her away at the end of the previous year, and regretted it, but he was doing what he thought necessary to protect her.

"Harry!" Petunia Dursley cried, shrilly, beating on the door with her bony hands. "Open this door. The house needs painted; Dudley's principal is coming to dinner tomorrow night. Everything around this place needs cleaning up! You'll do the gardens after the house. Harry! Do you hear me?"

The boy stuck his tongue out and crossed his eyes, then rose. "I hear you, Aunt Petunia," he replied. He opened the door and politely looked down at his aunt. He'd grown to 6'3" during the last school year, making him even an inch taller than his Uncle Vernon. Because of the level of intensity his workouts had taken on due to the rising dark witches and wizards, he had developed his physique over the summer and was now quite muscular. He was no Adonis, by any means, but he was easily the strongest person in his aunt and uncle's house. And now that Ron and Hermione had already gone on to the Burrow, he didn't make much effort to even be polite.

"Was there something else, Aunt Petunia?" Harry asked with a dangerous smile.

She gulped and took a step back. Every year, the Dursley's grew more afraid of Harry. "N-no," she stammered.

Petunia went downstairs hurriedly, and Harry closed the door to his room. He started toward the stairs just as Dudley opened the door to his room.

"Where are you going?" Dudley asked. Three years of steady dieting had worked pretty well for Dudley. He was still overweight, but his weight was manageable enough for him to bully his classmates. In hand-to-hand combat, he would never be able to beat Harry fairly though.

"Down to paint the house. Your principal is coming, so I thought I'd paint 'lard-ass' over the windows in front."

Dudley glared at him. "At least I have prospects after school, I've got a scholarship to the London Business School, and a job waiting for me with Dad."

"In two days I'll have full use of my magic," Harry answered bluntly, staring at Dudley with acute disinterest. "I don't really care where you're going."

Dudley stepped back into his room. He stared at Harry in fear. "You aren't going to try anything...are you?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "Stop snivelling. I'm leaving here and going back to my world. No worries, you'll not see me again."

Dudley squeaked and slammed his door. Harry just laughed and went downstairs, all the while repeating, "Just two more days..."

However, at the Weasley house, things were beginning to get a little sticky for Harry's best friend. Ron had been helping his sister clean house in honor of Harry's birthday party being held in just a couple short days. He and Ginny had started arguing about why he was going to help Harry on his mission, and she couldn't, and she had mentioned that he was letting Hermione go, why couldn't Harry accept her help? Ron told her that if he'd had his way, Hermione wouldn't be going either. Stupidly, Ron had shouted that it was a man's job to protect the women, and Hermione had heard and gotten very upset.

Ron had been angry with Ginny and screamed that he wished she had some hobby or other ability that she was good at so that she would mind her own business once in a while. Ginny, hurt, went outside. He and Hermione had worked everything out, but no one knew where Ginny was.

After three hours of searching, they still hadn't found her, and Molly was beginning to fear Death Eaters.

"Ginny!" Ron yelled from the garden behind the house. "Ginny! I'm sorry, sis. Just come out! Please don't be really gone."

"That really hurt, Ron," Ginny's calm voice announced behind him. "I do have a talent that could help, I'm just not comfortable telling anyone about it just yet."

Ron spun around, relief splashed over his face. "I thought you were gone for sure. Don't ever disappear like that again!"

Ginny smiled, sadly. "I can't promise that. Let's go tell them I'm back."

"Where were you?"

"Somewhere. It's not really important. Did you fix everything with Hermione?"

Her brother nodded. "Barely. I'll be glad when Harry gets here. He understands what I mean when I cram my foot in my mouth."

"Ginny!" Molly Weasley's voice cried suddenly. "Where have you been?"

"I was doing some thinking, Mum."

"Can't you think inside the house?"

Ginny let her mother wrap in her in a strong bear hug. "Actually, I can't Mum. There are some things I have to work out, and I can't do that here with everyone else."

Molly leaned back and stared into her daughter's golden brown eyes. The slightly smaller redhead gazed back calmly, not afraid of what her mother would find there.

"You're being careful? You aren't putting yourself at risk? You're watching for signs of You-Know-Who?"

"Yes, Mum. You know I wouldn't put myself or anyone else at risk."

Molly sighed and squeezed Ginny again. "Didn't I tell you once that you aren't allowed to grow up?"

Ginny laughed quickly. "I think you have, Mum. Unfortunately, none of us was allowed to listen."

Molly nodded. "Let's all go inside. When your dad gets home, we're going to have to discuss who's going to get Harry."

The day before Harry's birthday, he was in his room, packing up his things. He had every intention of apparating to the Burrow, to surprise everyone. The Dursley's were so afraid that he would just explode and kill them; they hadn't spoken to him since the day before. Harry didn't mind; he preferred them when they weren't speaking.

Suddenly, a knock on the door and a slight scream from downstairs surprised him. He flung open the door to find Ron and Hermione grinning like crazy people. Harry grinned back.

"What was the scream for?" Harry asked.

Ron shrugged. "I dunno, maybe Ginny's gotten mad at them."

"Ginny?" the black haired boy repeated, instantly tensing. "Is she here too?"

Hermione nodded. "Mrs. Weasley thought there was comfort in numbers. We have a portkey for 3 o'clock. Since we surprised you, we thought we'd give you time to pack."

Harry looked at his watch. It was just fifteen after one. He groaned.

"I packed my stuff first thing this morning. I was actually coming out there tomorrow."

They were interrupted by a streak of red bounding up the stairs and hurling itself behind Harry. It took the three of them a moment to realize it was Ginny.

"Are all muggles stark raving mad, Harry, or just your family?" she asked in a breathless voice.

"What'd they do now?" he responded, trying to turn to see her.

Voices in the stairwell drew their attention.

"Petunia, your sister is dead, you did not see her on the steps."

"I know my sister, Vernon. Lily just came up the stairs. You know what a freak she was, maybe that kind doesn't stay dead!"

Harry rolled his eyes. "Oh bugger."

Ginny had straightened up and was staring at the others in a horrified awe. "They think I'm your Mum?"

"Boy!" Vernon's bellow seemed to echo throughout the house. "Where are you?"

Harry, stepping away from his friends, answered, "I'm right here, Uncle Vernon."

"Who are these people?"

"Hello, Mr. Dursley, I'm Hermione Granger."

She was wise enough not to hold out her hand. Vernon was looking shrewdly at Ron.

"You're one of those freaks who blasted my living room a few years back," he growled menacingly. "I ought to thrash you!"

Ginny, famous for her temper, popped out from behind everyone.

"You great bullying git!" she cried furiously. "Don't you dare threaten my brother! He is over seventeen and allowed to do magic!"

Ron blushed; Ginny was going to get him killed someday. He'd have said something, but Petunia was staring at his sister in a rather strange way.

"When were you born?" she asked.

Ginny stared at her, then answered, "August 11th, Nineteen-eighty-one."

Petunia nodded, staring at her with a sort of longing, and fear. "You don't look the same…"

"Lady," Ginny snapped, "I'm not your sister!"

She spun around and faced the others, "Can we go into your room, Harry? I'd like to get away from the muggles."

The four teenagers poured into Harry's room, Harry shutting the door firmly in Vernon's face.

"Harry, are you ready to spend the rest of the summer at The Burrow?" Ron asked, as soon as the door clicked.

"Yes, Harry, do come with us," Hermione pleaded. "But, you can stay here, if you'd like."

Harry nodded. "I think I'll be leaving. Gin, are you okay?"

Ginny smiled brightly. "Like I care what a crazy old muggle woman thinks of me! Let's go home!"

"We can't until three," Hermione pointed out. "Have we got any games?"

Harry shook his head. "Sorry, I'm not allowed games, or anything entertaining." He grinned while he said it. "We could always play Truth or Dare."

Ron and Ginny, having been raised in the wizard world, looked intrigued. Hermione looked insulted.

"Harry, really, that is such a juvenile game! Ron and Ginny don't want to play that!" she exclaimed.

"Actually," Ginny grinned, "it sounds interesting. If it's really childish, it'll take our minds off what happening out there." She gestured to the open window. "What could it hurt?"

Next chapter is the game, and the return to The Burrow! I need to know what you think before I go on!