Okay, so here's the newest Harry Potter fic i've been working on (and the only one that really seems to have worked out thus far LOL)! It's my own making of the seventh book, how everything's gonna end and all that jaz. Had to write something after the sixth one, i got real inspired (even though horribly devastated that Dumbledore died and that it was Snape who had killed him...Damn! He shoulda died, but anyway, i cried T.T, and anyway). Hope you enjoy, and please also enjoy the new D.A.D.A professor! They, however, do not appear in the first or second chapters, but you will meet them later! But anyway (jeese, i've said that a lot) enough of my rambling, and i understand if none of you want to read this as it may be an insult to the wonders of Miss J. K. Rowling's writing as mine compares insignificantly to hers. But if you do read it, please give me feedback! I'd really like that, and maybe some suggestions as to what to put in! Customer satisfaction baby! LOL - Now! On with the story:

Chapter One: Return to the Burrow

A month had passed since Harry Potter arrived back to the Dursleys' after a horrible ending to his sixth year. He now turned the age of seventeen on a beautiful July thirty-first and had waited forever for this moment. Now he stood as an adult in the wizarding world, and his plan from then on was to return to Number Twelve Grimmauld Place, the home he had inherited almost two years before by his godfather, Sirius. He was to tell the Dursleys' of this that morning at breakfast, but had stayed up so late that it was nearly one o'clock in the afternoon before Harry had awoken, yet again from the same nightmare. In his dream, Harry recalled a flash of green light, sent by the wand Severus Snape owned, leading straight into Dumbledore's chest. The headmaster had fallen from the astronomy tower, dead. It had all happened a month ago, and Harry would never forget what a traitorous thing Snape had done. He vowed not only to kill Voldemort, but also to kill Snape in the process. This was…unforgivable…

Harry sat up, took his bottle-top glasses from his bedside table, and put them on his face to read the time on his digital alarm clock. Soft music played still from when it had gone off at eight that morning. He turned off the music, then pulled on a pair of jeans and a long white t-shirt, then he walked down the stairs and into the Dursleys' overly clean white kitchen.

Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon and Dudley were gathered around the table, minding their own until Harry entered. Uncle Vernon gave a snort of disgust, accompanied by Aunt Petunia's look of the same, while Dudley sat watching his Saturday morning cartoon shows. Harry watched as they continued their lunch of chicken Caesar salads before taking a seat.

"Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, I need to talk to you," he started.

They said nothing, continuing to stare at him with great dislike.

"As of tonight, I'm leaving. I will be returning to the house that my godfather, Sirius, left me, which Dumbledore told you of last summer, and I shall remain there," Harry continued. "Try and stop me, but I warn you, not that I'm seventeen, I'm allowed to use magic to my will."

When only silence met his ears, Harry stood from the table and returned to his room. There, he took his litter of schoolbooks, parchment, ink bottles, quills, and the such and stacked them all neatly within his trunk. Then he sat and waited for darkness to settle. During this time, three owls came with parcels and letters. A small minute owl was sent from Ron with a letter saying:

Harry,

Haven't heard from you all summer, how're things? Bill and Fleur's wedding is on the second of August, just to let you know. Oh, and Happy Birthday! Hermione's staying over and we can't wait to see you. Hurry up and get here, though, 'cause Fred and George have some new products to test! They're brilliant!

Sorry I can't write much more, Mom's just asked me to help her with dinner. Hope to see you soon.

Ron

That's right, I forgot all about Bill and Fleur, thought Harry as he set down the letter and turned to the parcel with which it was sent. I wonder how Bill's doing…

Inside the parcel, Harry found something called Weasleys' Wizarding Money that he would be able to use in Fred and George's joke shop in Diagon Alley for any free item.

Almost five minutes later, arrived a barn owl with a letter written in a neat scrawl, which Harry guessed correctly was from Hermione. It read:

Harry,

Hey, what's going on? Haven't heard from you at all once this summer. How're things

with your aunt and uncle? They're notmistreating you are they?

Have you heard anything that might be a result of Voldemort attacking? There's been nothing in the Daily Prophet at all. No murders, no explosions, not even a sign of the Dark Mark anywhere! It makes me wonder what's really going on and if the Daily Prophet is keeping anything from us. Oh, I bet they are! I bet it's all that Scrimgeour's fault! I mean, like you said, he wanted to use you to help support our morale! I bet he's keeping things from us now! I bet he's taken control over what the Daily Prophet is allowed to print! That really irks me!

Anyway, Happy Birthday! Are you going to be taking your Apparition test soon? You should. It may not be very pleasant, but at least it's useful. I would come to visit you, but imagine what your aunt and uncle would think if I just appeared in your dining room!

Harry thought and knew that his Aunt Petunia would more than likely pass out in shock, Dudley would run screaming from the room, and Uncle Vernon would make to choke the life from his bushy-haired friend.

Well, hope to see you soon. Bill and Fleur are getting married! Can you believe it? I'm so happy for them. Fleur isn't all that bad either. After hanging around for almost half-a-month, she really has grown on me. She'll be delighted to see you, too! I'll go now, Ginny's asked me to help her with degnoming the lawn. Hope to see you soon! Bye.

Hermione

Harry began to unwrap her parcel to reveal a box of cauldron cakes and a large, forest green hard-bound book with silver letters spelling Advanced Defense Against the Dark Arts by Diana Black. On the inside of the book cover, Hermione had scrawled:

Hope this will help in the future. Some of the spells in here are really good!

Harry glanced down the contents of the book and began to look at some. Hermione was right in saying that it might be useful as he read the spells and what they were capable of doing.

Not ten minutes had passed before another owl zoomed into his bedroom window. This large gray tawny dropped onto Harry's bed with a heavy package and a note written in a very untidy scrawl. This, Harry knew, was from Hagrid, the half-giant keeper of Hogwarts. He first took the letter, and by now the owl had left, and unrolled it to read:

Harry,

Happy Birthday! How're yeh? Yeh haven' written.

Guess what? Hogwarts is reopenin'! The ministry approved! Professor McGonagall's makin' all sorts of plans for guarding the school, with help from Dumbledore in that portrait behind her desk. She's doin' great! Says she hopes to see you this year, though doubts you to be comin'. If you don't come back, visit or at least write.

Witherwings is doin' good! He misses you! And Fang's getting' on well. That fire didn' put him down one bit.

Gotta go now, Professor Sprout's asked me to help her with the Whompin' Willow. See you at Bill and Fleur's wedding.

Hagrid

Harry put a smile on to know that Hogwarts was being kept open. He hoped many of the students returned and knew that Professor McGonagall would make a wonderful headmistress. Speaking of Professor McGonagall, Harry wondered whether or not he would see her at the wedding.

He rolled the parchment upon which was Hagrid's letter and tore open the parcel beside him. Inside stood a box full of Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes merchandise, containing Darkness Powder, Extendable Ears, a Skiving Snack Box, and a load of other products. Harry seriously considered slipping on of the Tongue-Ton Toffees to Dudley before he left, but recalled the last time that had happened. It was three years ago that the Weasleys' had came to pick Harry up for the Quidditch World Cup. Fred and George had purposefully dropped the toffees and Dudley had eaten one. From that point, his tongue grew to the size of a python before Mr. Weasley was allowed to fix the problem. By the time it had been fixed, Harry was already at the Burrow, having traveled there by Flew Powder. It definitely was a memory Harry would not forget.

Happy with his gifts, Harry put them all in his trunk and started in on the cauldron cakes Hermione had given him. Soon he had opened Advanced Defense Against the Dark Arts to a spell that had interested him from the moment he lay eyes on it in the table of contents. Charoning was the title Diana Black had given the spell. The spell was supposed to bind one's opponent with chains, which would then shoot one hundred volts through the opponent's body. The movement was a simple jab in the direction of the opponent, but there came with it a warning. One mispronunciation and the spell would backfire, inflicting itself upon the one casting it.

Harry read the pronunciation softly, over-dramatizing each syllable. "Cheh-are-oh-knee-ngg," he said awkwardly, then tried putting a few of the syllables together. "Char-oh-ning…Charoning…Difficult word…"

Pulling out his wand and aiming towards Hedwig's empty cage, Harry said, "Charoning," as he gave a slight jab towards the cage.

Chains burst from his wand and coiled around the cage, which was then hit with a hundred volts and burst from the desk upon which it sat, flying towards Harry's head.

"Ah!" he ducked just in time, the cage bouncing from the wall onto the bed beside him.

"What's all that ruckus!" Uncle Vernon's voice bellowed from bellow.

"S-sorry!" Harry breathed in gasps at the shock of the cage nearly hitting him in the face. "I dropped a book."

"Don't let it happen again!" Uncle Vernon replied, and there was silence.

Harry was sure that spell would come in handy, not only in defeating Voldemort but in raising his uncle's temper, so he decided not to try any more from the book until he had reached Grimmauld Place. In his mind, he thanked Hermione for the book, which would surely help in the inevitable upcoming battle.

The rest of the afternoon passed with nothing but Hedwig passing through, into her cage with a fat mouse clamped in her jaw. Once she saw her charred cage, she nipped Harry reproachfully on the ear, interrupting his reading.

"Oh, sorry Hedwig. I tried a spell out. I'm going to have to get you a new one the next time I'm in Diagon Alley," he told her apologetically, stroking her wings.

Hedwig gave an indignant hoot, then flew to the top of Harry's cabinet and sat eating her prey. Harry decided to let her alone, knowing she would soon be happy without the cage, being able to fly to Grimmauld Place rather than having to be stuck in a cage. Later he would reward her with a snack of bacon.

Hours passed without any more noise to Harry (except Hedwig spitting an owl pellet up on the floor), and soon darkness arrived. Harry closed Advanced Defense Against the Dark Arts, told Hedwig to meet him at Number Twelve Grimmauld Place, then hauled his heavy trunk downstairs. His wand stood ready in his back pocket, as usual nowadays.

"I'm leaving now," he said to the Dursley's, who had sat down to watch the evening news.

When they made no reaction, Harry made his way to the door and opened it. Before entering into the cool night air, a voice behind him made him stop.

"Well then…" it started, "good luck…"

Harry turned, stunned, to find his aunt, uncle, and Dudley standing there behind him. He had never seen them look so solemn to see him part.

"Thanks…" Harry answered his uncle's voice awkwardly.

He stepped over the threshold and closed the door behind him, then walked to the end of the driveway and stood beside the street. Taking his wand from his back pocket, Harry raised it high into the air, then he wondered, Will the Knight Bus run since Stan Shunpike was never released from Azkaban? For a while, nothing happened, then Harry heard a familiar bang and breathed a sigh of relief. Looking up, he saw a violet, triple-decker bus fall from the sky and onto the road before Number Four Privet Drive. The door slid open, and the familiar old bus driver with overly large spectacles waved him in.

"Thanks," said Harry and he took a bed near the door. "The Burrow, please."

"Alright, hold on tight," said a shrunken head that hung from the rearview mirror, near it's center.

Harry knew all too well to do that. Rides on the Knight Bus were never exactly pleasant, but it was more comfortable than apparating. Many a time, Harry received the sudden jolt forward as they halted so suddenly as to send the beds scooting a few feet forward. And the take-off was not much different except that the beds made the same sudden movement backward. Harry lay down and let the bus shake and rattle and slide him all over. He felt too tired now to care.

"The Burrow," he heard Ernie shout as the bus halted for the fifth time that night.

Harry stood and dragged his school trunk out the door of the bus. Making sure he had his wand firmly placed in his back pocket, Harry made his way up the walk to The Burrow, a shabby house with magically added rooms in which his favorite wizarding family, the Weasleys', resided. The comfort of knowing he was there brought a smile to Harry's face and we could not wait to see Ron and Hermione for the first time since the day after Dumbledore's funeral. Before he could reach the door, though, it burst open and a short plump woman with flaming red hair came running toward Harry with her arms outstretched. She gave him a great hug before he said, "Hello, Mrs. Weasley."

"I thought you'd never get here. Ron and Hermione said they hadn't heard a word from you, and we all feared the worst. Oh, it's so good to see you!" Mrs. Weasley told him, backing away. "Come in, come in! I'll make up a cake and we can celebrate your birthday! After all, it's still quite early."

"Um…thanks, Mrs. Weasley…" Harry felt awkward, as he had not expected a greeting so soon.

Mrs. Weasley led Harry into the kitchen, where Harry saw Hermione reading a book on transfiguration and Ron, Ginny, Fred, and George playing a game of Exploding Snap. They all looked up when he entered the room and looked at Harry in a shocked kind of way. Mrs. Weasley left the room to give them time to catch up.

"Harry! We've missed you!" Ginny was the first to greet him, running toward Harry to give him a hug that equaled her mother's. "It's so good to see you! We were wondering when you'd get here!"

There came a loud explosion as the cards Ginny threw down in her haste to welcome Harry decided now was the time to blow up. Ron, Fred and George coughed through the smoke, but said nothing.

"It's, uh, nice to see you too Ginny," Harry remembered the brief period not long ago where he had been going out with Ginny and felt a stab of pain in his chest. He still loved her, but remained with what he said. Whatever happened, Harry did not want Ginny caught up in his battle with Voldemort. He would not be able to live if she were to die as well. "How's it been. I didn't get anything from you."

"Because I wanted to give you my gift in person!" Ginny released Harry from her death grip. "I made you something that you'd better like, or else be victim of my Bat Bogey Hex."

She ran off up the stairs, leaving Harry gaping after her.

Harry gulped. He knew, like so many others, that Ginny's Bat Bogey Hex was one to be feared. She was accomplished at this particular spell. And though Harry knew this, he also knew that there was no reason to fear. Whatever Ginny had made him, he was sure to like it.

While Ginny was away momentarily, it was Ron and Hermione's turn to welcome Harry to The Burrow.

"Oh, Harry, it's really good to see you! I was wondering if you were going to come at all," Hermione gave him a quick hug.

"Nice to see you could make it," said Ron with an almost reproachful look. "It's always nice to know our friend is still alive."

"Sorry, I've just had a lot on my mind," Harry apologized. "You know, Voldemort, his horcruxes, and all."

"Yeah, I know, but at least you could've written," Ron replied, though he hit Harry on the back in a "good to see you" way. "So, did you like my gift."

"Yeah, but I'm not sure what I'm going to do with it. Hagrid bought me a large Wheezes kit with everything you could think of," Harry smiled.

"We were wondering why Hagrid wanted that," Fred finally spoke. "Nice to see our products are getting into good hands."

"Yeah, we were wondering if he wanted to use them into driving McGonagall mad," George joked.

"Thanks for the book, too, Hermione. It's really great," Harry told his bushy-haired friend. "It'll definitely come in handy."

"I'm glad you think so," Hermione replied proudly. "Found it all the way in the back of Flourish and Blotts all covered and dust. It amazes me how good a condition I found it in. But anyway, I'm glad you like it."

"So how's business?" Harry took a seat at the table beside Fred and George.

"Never better," George answered. "Even in these fearful times, people all need a good joke or two."

"And how's the U-No-Poo selling?" Harry asked.

"It's a real hit!" Fred answered. "It seems kids are loving the look of constipation springing onto their parents' faces and also enjoying the fact that the effect doesn't wear off for days."

"That's just repulsive," Hermione put on a look of disgust as she took a seat in Ron's lap, who had taken a seat beside Harry.

Harry gave them an inquiring look.

"What?" Ron finally asked after minutes of enduring this look.

"I was hoping you could tell me," Harry answered as Ginny burst breathlessly into the room.

"Oh, didn't they tell you?" she asked, sitting on Ron and Hermione's other side. "Ron and Hermione have started dating!"

"What?" Harry's eyes grew wide with shock, but a grin spread across his face.

"Oh yeah, it's only been a couple of weeks, but I saw them snogging just yesterday morning," Ginny had a wide grin on her face.

"We weren't snogging," Hermione's face went a deep shade of red. "It was…just a little love peck…that's all…"

"You were snogging," Ginny teased. "Anyway," she turned to Harry, "here you go."

Harry took a brightly wrapped box from Ginny's outstretched hand and began to unwrap it. Inside lay a black hardbound book with gold lettering across the top spelling Our Hogwarts Adventures and underneath was drawn a picture of him, Hermione, Ron, Fred, George, and Ginny in the same gold ink.

"So that's what you've been shut up in your room for this past month," Ron looked over Harry's shoulder at the book.

"Yeah, so," Ginny said indignantly. "At least I was spending my time doing something useful rather than snogging all over the house."

Harry saw Ron's ears go red.

"You should talk! Wasn't it you I found snogging Dean all over the school last year?" he retorted.

"That was…a long time ago…" Ginny's face went red. "And never you mind!"

"Ginny, this is really amazing," Harry broke in as he flipped the pages of the book he received. "Your artwork is great. How long did this take for you to finish?"

"Well…I started it as soon as we got home from school," Ginny began. "I didn't finish it until yesterday."

"Well, you did great," Harry smiled at her.

"Reminds me of you two and your Wheezes," Ron replied to Fred and George. "Except that there were no explosions coming from Ginny's room."

"Just goes to show, whether quiet or not, the Weasleys' are geniuses…"George began.

"We're just wondering where mum went wrong with you," Fred sniggered.

Harry laughed with them and Ginny at the joke, while Ron muttered a near inaudible curse.

"Oh Ron, it was only a joke," Hermione gave him a peck on the cheek.

"So how's Bill?" Harry asked.

"He's the same," Ron answered, forgetting Fred and George's joke. "Like we said, the only difference is that now he prefers his meat a little rare."

"And Fleur's just wonderful!" Hermione told him. "She taught me only yesterday how to make desert croissants with glaze and everything! We're going to make them for the wedding!"

"Awesome," Harry replied.

"Cake, anyone?" Mrs. Weasley had reentered the room.

Harry spun his head around to see Mrs. Weasley, accompanied by Fleur, bringing a large cake into the room. Fred and George hurriedly scooped up the remainder of their Exploding Snap to make room for it on the table. When the cake had been set down, Mrs. Weasley magically conjured plates and forks and began slicing the cake into individual pieces. Soon, she and Fleur sat down to eat a slice with the group.

"So where's Mr. Weasley, Charlie, and Bill?" Harry asked after a particularly large bite of cake, which was delicious.

"Arthur, Charlie, and Bill are all at work. Bill and Arthur should be home soon, but we won't be seeing Charlie until the second," Mrs. Weasley answered.

"I just cannot wait," Fleur squealed in excitement. "Zee wedding eez almost 'ere! Only two days! I cannot believe I am getting married!"

"It is beautiful," Mrs. Weasley replied. "You should see the backyard. It's all set, and I must say Ginny and Hermione did a wonderful job degnoming. Hermione's even erected anti-gnome barriers around the garden to keep them away until after the reception dinner and party."

"Who's coming?" Harry asked.

"Well, there's all of us here, Hagrid and his half-brother Grawp, Madam Maxime, Minerva McGonagall-" Mrs. Weasley began listing.

"Professor McGonagall will be here?" Harry stopped her.

"Yes, Minerva will be here. Can you think of any reason she shouldn't?" Mrs. Weasley inquired.

"No, not any…" Harry told her, and Mrs. Weasley continued listing the names of all who would come. For some reason, Harry feared seeing Professor McGonagall again, and yet, he felt the urge to talk to her all the same.

"-Remus, Nymphadora, and Mad-Eye," Mrs. Weasley finished. "Harry, dear, are you alright."

She wondered this as Harry was now staring transfixed at his half-eaten slice of cake.

"Oh, yeah," he said, coming out of his stupor. "It's really good to be back."

"It's good to have you back," Mrs. Weasley gave him another of her heart-warming smiles.

Hours later, Mr. Weasley and Bill joined the party, which lasted until one the next morning. At that time Mrs. Weasley had sent them all to bed, telling them that there was still much to do for the wedding. She made up a cot in Ron's room for Harry and they all fell into a peaceful sleep, their stomachs full of delicious cake.

Well, that's it for chapter one! Hope you enjoyed! Give me your feedback and stick around for chapter two: the wedding! Haven't finished it yet, but it should be done soon (if i don't lolligag about it...yup, i'm a procrastinator, but i will finish it soon if you'd all wish it! if not, i'm still going to finish with it!). Anyway, give me some feedback please (i keep repeating myself) and have fun awaiting the next chapter anxiously (wait! that's no fun at all, leaving you all in suspense...well it is to me he he he! LOL I love you fans!). Later.

Sakura