The young boy walked down the deserted street, his green eyes wide with paranoia. His pale face showed a wisdom beyond his years, yet he hid shyly behind his long fringe.

Harry Potter was not the most social of teenage boys, but over the summer he had withdrawn further and further into himself, avoiding any social contact unless it was necessary.

But then, just a week into the summer holidays, he met her. Amalie Brooks moved into Privet Drive with her mother and her father. They had lived in France since Amalie was born, but had been natives of Britain, so they decided to return.

Amalie was 16, like Harry. They bumped into each other one night while walking near the park. Harry had never really taken much notice of how pretty girls were (with the exception of Cho Chang) but there was no denying that Amalie was beautiful. Her hair was remarkable, not black, but blue. She had dyed it that colour the year before, but confided in Harry that she was a natural blonde. She had the brightest blue eyes, that shone with mischief. She was sarcastic, yet warm and friendly.

Her parents and her younger sister were friendly too. They invited Harry round for dinner, asked him if he would like to stay over, really took a liking to him. Harry appreciated their offers, and often took the Brooks' offers. But every time he did, his insides squirmed with guilt. They thought Harry was a normal 16 year old boy, but he wasn't. He was a wizard.

And he so badly wanted to confide in Amalie that he was a wizard, but he knew he couldn't. Amalie was the most open minded Muggle that Harry knew, but he knew she would not believe him. So he kept his mouth shut.

It was a beautiful night in July, and Harry was walking to the park to meet Amalie. It was their favourite place, and they often spent a lot of time there. Harry had in his hand a CD of Amalie's. It was a Nirvana CD, it was called "In Utero" and Harry had greatly enjoyed it.

Amalie was waiting for Harry as usual, and was sitting in her favourite swing. The moonlight made her pale skin shine silver. She leapt up when he waved at her, and grinned her usual welcoming grin.

"Hey Harry, what's up?" She smiled. He sat in the swing beside her, and curled his arms round the chains.

"Not much. How was your aunt's?" He asked, knowing that she had visited her aunt in London that day. She looked at her feet.

"Oh, it was fine. Well, boring you know? But yeah, fine." She squirmed in her swing. Harry couldn't tell what was wrong exactly, but knew something was not right. He decided to drop the subject.

"Here's your CD. Thanks for loaning it to me, I really enjoyed it." She beamed. Amalie was passionate about music, she was passionate about everything. Harry loved her enthusiasm.

"Thanks. I'm glad you liked it."

"I did, I loved it. I can see why you like Nirvana so much, they're everything you said they were. I was thinking, seeing as how the Foo Fighters are playing in London in a couple of weeks, that we could go together." He suggested, eagerly awaiting her answer. His stomach was all tied up in knots, he was so nervous.

"Harry, I can't." She murmured to her feet. Harry's face fell, and his stomach done some sort of weird flop of disappointment.

"Oh. Well it's ok…" He began, but she cut him off.

"It's not that I don't want to, it's just…" She trailed off thoughtfully. "My parents have to go back to France for a while, and I have to go with them." She explained, never meeting Harry's gaze.

"You're leaving? For how long?" Harry could barely talk, he felt as if his whole world was falling apart around him.

"I don't know. Maybe for a long time. I wish I didn't have to go, but I do. But hey, I'll write to you and everything. And I'll call, I promise." She smiled softly, but Harry found no comfort in this.

"When are you leaving?"

"Tonight." She answered. Harry's stomach lurched. "I know it's fast, but my folks really need to leave. So I guess this is goodbye."

"Yeah, I guess it is." Harry muttered. Amalie reached over, and took Harry's cool hand in hers.

"This has been one of the best summers of my life. You're really special Harry, you're the best friend I've ever had."

"It's so unfair that you have to leave now." He muttered, looking at his feet. He did not want her to see his heart break, and if she looked into his eyes, she surely would. Harry felt like he was carrying his broken heart around with him on his sleeve for all to see.

"Well, I gotta go now." She said softly as she stood. Harry stood with her, they were still holding hands. Harry had the impulse to do something, anything.

And then he done, what was in his opinion, the most stupid thing he could have done. He kissed her.

But if Amalie thought it was stupid, she didn't show it. In fact, she kissed Harry back, to his shock.

"Bye Harry!" She ran off into the darkness, waving as she went. He sat back down on the swing, his knees weak. He touched his lips, and smiled to himself.

I sighed as my feet followed the already familiar path home. It was getting rather cold, and I yearned for the central heating warmth of my suburban house.

I opened the door, and hung up my long black coat on the rack as I always did. I heard my mother's French tinged voice call me from the kitchen. We had, it seemed, company.

I made my way to the small but clean kitchen to find my mother, father and my little sister sitting around the pine kitchen table with none other than Albus Dumbledore.

Albus was a rather interesting looking old man, with long white hair and a matching beard. While he looked quite old, his crinkly blue eyes shone with youth, and it seemed a smile was always playing about his lips. He had been a friend of our family for a very long time, even when we were in France.

"Professor, it's a pleasure to see you again." I said politely, while I sat in a chair. I swung my long legs up onto the table, resting my Nu Rock boots on the table. My mother was too pre-occupied to notice.

"Amalie, the pleasure is mine, as always." He responded, smiling widely. I looked up at him from behind my long blue fringe.

"Professor Dumbledore has a suggestion to put to you Amalie." My father spoke. I had every respect for my father, and I was closer to him than to my mother.

"Well shoot." I shrugged.

"I know your parents have the intention to return to France and go into hiding with you Amalie," He began. "But I believe it would be safer for you to come to Hogwarts, and remain there, where you could be under my supervision, and the supervision of other members of the Order at all times." He explained. I remained quiet. Secretly, I would love to go to Hogwarts. I was quite the student, and I knew Harry would be returning there.

"But Professor, the new term does not start till September. Where will I go till then?" I asked.

"I would like for you to come back to Grimmauld Place with me tonight. There you could be protected." He answered simply.

"And what of my parents?"

"We're going to go back to France with Kate. But we will send regular owls to make sure you're ok. Don't worry about us honey. It's you he's after. And this is probably the best way to keep you safe." My dad touched my arm. I forced myself to meet his gaze.

"You promise you'll be ok?" I murmured. He nodded, and touched my hair.

"We'll be just fine. Now you go pack your stuff. Professor Dumbledore also has another young boy to pick up." My dad told me. I grinned.

"Professor, are we going to meet Harry Potter?" I couldn't keep the excitement from my face.

"Ah, my father told me that you and Harry had become close friends. Yes, we are going to pick up Harry." He answered, returning my smile.

I ran upstairs, into my bedroom. I flung open my trunk and pulled open my drawers. With a wave of my wand, I was all packed. I flung all my books into the trunk, all my possessions. On top, I placed a framed photograph of my father, my mother, Kate and I. I had only been 12 when the photograph was taken. My hair was still blonde, my face still remarkably innocent. The photograph had been taken before we found out what I could do.

But I shook those thoughts from my head. Now was not the time for regrets or what ifs. I flung on my leather coat and picked up my Firebolt broomstick from the hall cupboard.

"I must apparate, but Hagrid will accompany you to Grimmauld Place with Harry." The professor told me, before disappearing with a quiet crack.

I had met Hagrid the previous summer. He had stopped to stay with my parents in France for a while with the headmistress of my old school, Madame Maxime. I grinned, and hugged him.

"Hagrid, it's so great to see you!" I exclaimed. He smiled at me through his thick black beard.

"Dumbledore tells me you're friends with our Harry? Well that's nice."

"Yeah, we met this summer." I told him as we strolled to Harry's house, number 4.

"Well that's good, good to know he had some company this summer. It woulda been harder for him if he spent it alone." Hagrid said gruffly. I hung my head - he was talking about Sirius.

"Harry did talk about Sirius with me. He thinks I'm a muggle though so he didn't tell me how he died." I explained.

"Why didn't you tell him you weren't a muggle?"

"My parents told me not to tell anyone, even Harry. I don't actually know why. And I think it was better for him to have a friend who didn't know he was "the famous Harry Potter", well I knew, but I didn't tell him." I confessed. Hagrid grinned down at me.

"You're a sharp one, ain't no mistake Amalie." I laughed.

"Do you want me to go to Harry's door?" I asked, knowing fine well that Hagrid couldn't.

"Yeah, that'd be a good idea." He nodded, and I walked up the garden path through the well tended lawn. I knocked on the door, and Harry's aunt answered still wearing her apron.

"Mrs Dursley, can I see Harry please? It's a matter of most importance." I said. The Dursley's actually liked me, well when I pretended I was a muggle anyway. I made sure to speak politely.

"Of course, come in Amalie." She opened the door wider. I thanked her, and made my way upstairs to Harry's bedroom. I knocked once on the door, and opened it smiling widely.

"Hey Harry." He was lying on his back, but when he saw me, he sat up and grinned in surprise.

"Amalie, I thought you had to go to France?" He stood, and gestured for me to come in.

"Change of plan. Harry, I have something to tell you…" I began. I sat down on the edge of his bed, and he sat beside me. "I'm a witch Harry. My parents are members of the Order Of The Phoenix, and they have to go to France. But Dumbledore thinks it's better for me to spend the rest of the summer in Grimmauld Place before going to Hogwarts." I spoke quickly, but Harry understood every word. His jaw dropped.

"Why didn't you tell me?" He asked.

"I dunno, I didn't see the point. I was supposed to be going back to France anyway at the end of the summer to go back to school. I know what it's like to crumble under the pressures that people put on you. But I didn't want to add to that by making you think you had to impress me. And to be honest Harry, I think you're impressive just the way you are." I grinned. I could tell Harry was warmed by my words, and they were totally sincere.

"Amalie, about tonight…when I kissed you…" Harry began. I looked at him, and he blushed to the roots of his hair, but continued. "I…well I don't really think there is a romantic way to say what I wanna say." He confessed, and I smiled at his honesty.

"Harry, I'm no romantic myself." I chuckled.

"Well I really fancy you Amalie. I have all summer." He told me. My heart leapt into my throat, and my stomach fluttered with joy. I had felt the same way about Harry, I had done since the first day I met him. I took his hand in mine, and pulled him to his feet.

"I really fancy you too Harry." I revealed, with a nervous giggle. He watched in awe as I packed his trunk with neat little flicks of my wand.

"Hey Amalie, how come you can use your magic outside school?" Harry asked me. I shrugged.

"I don't really know, maybe cuz I don't officially attend Hogwarts yet or something."

"Oh." Harry, satisfied with my answer, pulled open his wardrobe and plucked his Firebolt from its resting place.

"You have a Firebolt too!" I enthused. Harry's jaw dropped, and he ran a pale hand through his wild hair.

"You have a Firebolt?" He sputtered. I beamed in reply. My Firebolt was my pride and joy.

"Yeah, it was a birthday present from my folks. You're a seeker right?" I asked, not quite sure. Harry nodded.

"Yeah. Do you play Quidditch?" He asked, secretly loving that we had so much in common.

"Oh, of course. I was a chaser in France. Did you go to the world cup?" I asked, my eyes alight.

"Yeah, Ron's dad got us tickets. It was awesome, Krum rocked." Harry nodded.

"He's one of my favourite players, he's just so skilled. When he flies, it looks so effortless." I shrugged.

"And he's a not bad guy either. He was at Hogwarts for a while, he really hit it off with Hermione."

"I can't wait to get to Hogwarts, I'm looking forward to this year. I'm looking forward to spending this year with you." I smiled softly. Harry smiled back and took my hand in his. He didn't meet my gaze, he felt like he wasn't worthy or something. I kissed his cheek, and we walked down the stairs together.

"Hey, I'll be back in June!" Harry called out. As usual, no-one took any notice of him. He walked out of the door, and nearly walked right into Hagrid.

"Hello Harry." Hagrid beamed. Harry grinned in return.

"Heya Hagrid. We heading to Grimmauld Place?"

"'Course we are. You'll be flying your broomsticks then?" We brandished our broomsticks in reply, and he nodded.

"Well I'll be flying Sirius' old bike, be careful you don't fly too far ahead now." Hagrid warned. He led us to a big bush behind which he had hidden the bike. He climbed onto it, and it roared into life. Harry and I quickly mounted our broomsticks, and minutes later we were in the air, speeding towards London.

The wind whipped at my hair, and the night was cold. But eventually we touched down in front of a building that grew before our eyes. Harry looked positively thrilled.

"Welcome to Grimmauld Place Amalie." He whispered, beaming.

I looked back at him, and grinned.