A/N Right…well I'm being a bit cheeky with this one coz its actually my sister's fic n she has no idea I'm putting it up…so D…if ur reading this…hehe my bad!
This story is set after the Goblet of Fire, which was definitely one of the best in the series. Things go quite differently in the students' 5th year in this fic. I know this chapter isn't that great but carry on reading throughto the next chapter and you'll understand why i love it so much. On with the story…
Harry Potter opened his eyes and yawned. It was a bright and warm summer's day morning. He got out of bed thinking it was just another day of his long, tedious and lonely summer holidays. But then it dawned on him. Tomorrow was the 1st of September. He was going back to Hogwarts. A momentary urge to scream out loud in joy came over him though he contained himself knowing that the Dursleys would be less than happy to hear him bellow cries of joy first thing in the morning.
This summer had been a long one and certainly the worst one since he had started attending Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. In some of his other summer holidays he had at least been able to visit the Burrow where his best friend Ron Weasley and his all pure-blood wizarding family lived. The Weasleys weren't rich and had 7 children which was quite a predicament. However, they were a tight family who all loved each other and to Harry that was really what mattered.
Harry had been stuck at the Dursley's all summer, due to the fact that Voldemort, the most powerful dark wizard of this century and probably many other centuries to come, had risen again. Dumbledore, Harry's headmaster at Hogwarts, had decided that it was best for Harry to stay with the Dursleys and not leave their grounds. This was supposedly for Harry's own safety which Harry did not understand one bit.
Harry walked across his room to where he had packed all of his belongings. He took the muggle clothes he had put aside on his chair and changed into them. After about 10 minutes he was completely ready and packed. It was nearly 11 o' clock and the Weasleys were supposed to pick him up soon. They had gotten permission for Harry to spend the last night of the summer with them and to go to Kings Cross station by 11 o' clock on the 1st of September to leave on the Hogwarts Express.
Harry was contemplating how his 5th year at Hogwarts would be like and what adventures lay in store for him and his friends when he heard noises from downstairs.
"DON'T EVER COME NEAR MY HOUSE AGAIN!" He could hear Uncle Vernon bellowing. Harry grinned. The Weasleys were here. As he was about to get up he heard footsteps running up the stairs. The door burst open and two identical, red-headed, freckle-faced boys came in.
"Harry, mate, I think your uncle's about to explode!" one said with an evil grin on his face.
"Think we should help speed up the process a bit George?" the other one said with an identical evil grin to the other. Harry laughed. He's missed these two so much. Fred and George were Ron's identical, older twin brothers. They were about to start their 7th and last year at Hogwarts. They were also known as Hogwarts' biggest pranksters. "So you alright Harry? How's it been living with Duddy-dearest and Co. for the summer?" Fred said, trying not to laugh. Aunt Petunia's screaming and Uncle Vernon's huffing and puffing could be heard from downstairs.
"Don't even ask!" Harry replied picking up Hedwig, his snowy owl's cage.
"Ha! Now come on," George said picking up Harry's trunk "let's go before your uncle eats up Ron or something."
"Yeah," said Fred lifting Harry's bag "he's standing downstairs like a pillock not knowing what to say!" Harry laughed as they started to walk out of his room.
"Is that it?" George asked.
"Yep." Harry replied as they began walking down the stairs. When they got downstairs Harry saw Ron standing by the door grinning uncomfortably like an idiot and fidgeting like a maniac while Uncle Vernon was shouting at him like a nutter and telling him to get out.
A look of relief came over Ron's face as soon as he saw Harry and the twins. "Right…um…OK! We'll be going now! Nice seeing you again!" and with that he quickly left the house followed by Harry and the twins.
"And don't EVER come back!" Uncle Vernon shouted as he slammed the door behind them shut.
"Aahh…the smell of freedom." Harry said with his eyes shut while they walked towards the car.
"Damn right!" Ron said with an astonished look on his face while getting in the car. "I don't understand why they were fuming this time! I mean we couldn't have come to pick you up any more muggle-like than this!" he said in amazement.
"Discrimination against red-heads!" George said in a posh voice. "Honestly!" Harry laughed again as they pulled out of Privet Drive.
"Hey, whose car is this anyways?" Harry asked about the car which he hadn't seen before.
"Oh, this is dad's new car. He bought it a couple of weeks ago. It ain't enchanted at all though." Ron explained.
"Sucks innit! A boring old car it is!" Fred muttered.
"Aha, but does your mum know you're driving it?" Harry asked narrowing his eyes.
"Yes! Mummy the 2nd!" George said while driving. "Me and Fred got our licences over the summer, so we can 'legally' drive." Ron muttered something about those two getting their licences being a long, difficult process, and then Fred added, "God Harry, do you know how much you sounded like Hermione there?" Ron snorted and Harry said laughing, "Oh, god help me!" and they all laughed.
"By the way Ron, speaking of Hermione, have you heard from her recently, cause I haven't." Harry asked Ron. Ron's eyes narrowed a bit as Harry knew that Hermione Granger, their other best friend, the muggle-born, bossy but sweet smarty-pants, was definitely not Ron's favourite subject.
"Well not since she told me she was leaving for Bulgaria to visit VICKY!" Ron replied using his nickname for the famous Bulgarian Quidditch player, Victor Krum. Hermione had gotten close to him last year when he had visited Hogwarts for the Triwizard Tournament and he had asked her to visit him in Bulgaria over the summer holidays. Ron used to be quite fond of Krum, at present however, he didn't think much of him.
"Yeah, she told me she was going to Bulgaria as well." Harry said, "But I haven't a clue what she's been up to since then."
"Beats me!" Ron mumbled. "You know what? She's probably having a great time with the git that she's completely forgotten about home! Most likely she ain't even back yet and probably won't be back for a while." Ron ranted.
Fred and George both choked with surprise and Fred turned around to Ron sitting at the back. "You know what Ron, you stupid great prat? You-know-who would start line-dancing with all the death-eaters in flowery pink robes and touring the whole of England, BEFORE, Hermione would miss out on one day, no, one MINUTE, of precious education without a legitimate excuse!" He turned back to the front again. "A VERY legitimate excuse may I add." He added from the front seat.
"He's right mate," George continued. "Knowing Hermione she's been back for at LEAST a week to sort out all her stuff and to be prepared for the glorious notions, which are homework and lessons!"
Harry laughed at this. "Too true!" he said. That was the best way to describe their dear friend Hermione.
Ron made a smug face and said, "Well I suppose the only reason we haven't heard from her is that she's been too busy daydreaming about the dick!"
They were a couple minutes away to the Burrow. Fred all of a sudden turned around again and flashed a big, toothy grin at Ron.
"WHAT?" Ron said, bewildered. Fred continued grinning at him. "WHAT?" Ron repeated frustrated
"She loves you back!" Fred said maintaining his big, massive grin.
"What!...what do you mea…wha' the hell are you chattin' about!...Oh, just shut up you punk!" Ron stammered exasperated. He crossed his arms, sat back and frowned.
"Awww! Ain't that cute!" George said while pulling the break and stopping outside the Burrow.
"And you two can shut up and all!" Ron spit out.
Harry found it harder to control his laughter as he opened the door to get out of the car. It was obvious that Ron had taken a sudden peculiar interest in Hermione in the past year. That, which had become evident during and after the infamous Yule Ball last year. It had become quire clear that Ron was jealous of he fact that Hermione had attended the ball with Victor Krum. Even though he denied it, he simply insisted on being annoyed at her because, as his exact words were, 'she was fraternizing with the enemy'. Everyone including Harry and Hermione for that matter knew better though.
"OK Ron," Fred said while pulling Harry's stuff from the trunk of the car, "deny it all you want, but I'm warning you, you're going to have a VERY interesting 5th year."
"Oh Fred, by the looks of things we are too going to have an interesting year." George added while closing the trunk of the car. "We can torment our pig-headed lil' bro' on a whole new level. Imagine it." And the twins both started walking towards the Burrow, chuckling deviously.
"Aaarrgh!" Ron cried frustrated while slamming the car door and running towards his evil brothers, closely followed by Harry who was carrying Hedwig's cage. "Once and for all will you two bird-brains listen for Merlin's sake!" Ron bellowed catching up to then on the doorstep. "I-DON'T-LIKE-HER!" he shouted while stepping in front of them, blocking their way. "In fact, I CAN'T STAND THE BOSSY OLD HAG!" he screamed the last part.
Then suddenly the door opened and a soft voice from behind said "Who, or what Hag can't you stand Ron?"
The twins' faces turned into huge identical, mischievous grins. "Alright Hermione?" They said simultaneously.
Ron narrowed his eyes and turned around to face…"HERMIONE!" he cried in surprise.
A/N I changed the tiny mistake a reviewer decided to point out to me...rather rudely I might add. hmph!