"Harry," Ron cooed to his best friend, "Harry... Harry!"

He wasn't waking up, so Ron tried his secret weapon.

"Ginny's making a shrine of you and wants your boxers!" he shouted directly into Harry's ear.

"What?!" Harry sat up abruptly.

"Finally," Ron said dramatically.

"Why the hell are you waking me at a time like this?" Harry said angrily, pulling the covers up to his neck, shocked by the cold.

Ron gave him a look, "It's noon."

"Fine," Harry sighed dramatically.

In less than ten minutes, everyone in Grimmauld Place was having a late breakfast on the fifth of July.

Who is everyone, you ask? Well, the answer is Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Ginny Weasley, Fred Weasley, George Weasley, Charlie Weasley, Bill Weasley, Molly Weasley, Arthur Weasley, Remus Lupin, Mad Eye Moody, and Nymphadora Tonks.

"Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny," Mrs. Weasley said, "You have something from Dumbledore."

When the four finished up their chocolate-chip pancakes (A/N: I just love those!), they rushed over to four huge piles of packages. On top of it all was a note, which were all identical. It read:

Dear Student of Hogwarts,
I'm sure you have heard of the return of You-Know-Who. Since he has returned, it isn't safe to step outside or keep any doors unlocked, so it was my duty to send you all of your school supplies. We are in a dangerous time at the moment, but I assure you, it will pass. Keep faith in that and yourself, and you will get through this.

Yours Truly,
Headmaster and Headmistress of Hogwarts,
Albus Dumbledore and Minerva McGonagall

The next two months had been awful for everyone. They hadn't set foot outside since June 31st. When September 1st came around, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny were so anxious to return to Hogwarts. They were even the first students to board the train, being forty minutes early. They got a compartment at the very back of the train. Ginny sat next to the window and stared blankly out of it, longing to be outside and playing with her friends. Hermione sat diagonally from her next to Harry, while Ron sat across from her. No one talked, moved or even smiled. It was a pretty scary situation they were in, with Voldemort on the loose and having full power. Thirty long minutes went by, and not a word was muttered, until other people began to board the train.

"Ginny!" Luna Lovegood appeared at the door of the compartment with a huge grin and wide-spread arms.

"Luna!" Ginny exclaimed back and hugged her.

That left Harry, Ron and Hermione all alone in the awkwardly quiet compartment.

"So..." Ron said, shifting in his seat.

Harry thought it couldn't get any more awkward, but he was wrong.

Hermione just rolled her eyes and pulled out a book, Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty.

"Wow, I'm surprised," Ron said, "I thought you only read school books."

Hermione scowled at him, "As a matter of fact, I always have read stuff other than witchcraft."

"Did the library run out of spell books?" Ron asked sarcastically.

If looks could kill, Ron would have died from the daggers Hermione shot at him.

Harry slouched lower in his seat and stared out the window at the beautiful day that was being wasted. He felt so alone for some reason. His friends weren't talking to him. Things were so different because of the return of Voldemort. He wanted nothing more than to have everything go back to the way it used to be and have Voldemort dead. Harry prayed to god every night that he'd mercy him and send Voldemort down to hell, but it didn't work.

Only an hour into the train ride, the compartment door slid open, as usual.

"Potter!" it was Draco Malfoy, of course, "What a pleasant surprise!"

"Get lost, ferret," Harry said somewhat carelessly.

Malfoy only stepped further into the compartment.

"You may want to be extra careful about your manners this year, Potter," Malfoy said smugly with his trademark smirk, "That kind of thing could get you expelled."

Crabbe and Goyle, who were in their usual position, chuckled five seconds after.

"I get it!" Crabbe said with a stubby finger in the air.

The Slytherins left the compartment, closing the door with a bang.

"What's he talking about?" Hermione wondered.

Harry and Ron shrugged their shoulders.

A long while later, the train slowed down to a stop. It was definitely the longest train ride Harry's ever endured. A rush of excitement filled Harry's blood as the large crowd of students filed into the castle. It didn't last long, though.