Disclaimer: My stuff is my stuff. JK's stuff is JK's stuff.
Author's Note: By the way, this is an alternate of Harry's fourth year at Hogwarts. (This is only because I'm just starting to read the fourth book now. I know, I know, I should have read them all, but I'm working on it! Lol) Please read and review! I'll love you forever if you do! Jk! Oh yeah, also, this story used to be called Harry Potter and the Forest Secret. Just to let you know!
The Robbery
Harry looked out the window of his bedroom at the Dursley's, wondering when Ron was going to show up. He had been waiting an entire week since Ron's phone call, telling him when they'd be there to take him to the Burrow. Disturbed by listening to his Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon ask over and over, "When is that wizard friend of yours coming to pick you up?" Harry would just answer hopefully, "He'll be here." However, he was starting to doubt this, when he hadn't gotten a reply from the several letters he had sent.
The clouds passed by, showing patches of stars lighting up the dark, night sky. Harry found the brightest star and recited, "Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight, I wish I may, I wish I might, have this wish I wish tonight—I wish that Ron would come and take me to the Burrow!" He closed his eyes as the door to his room flew open.
"Oh star, I wish Ron would come!" his plump cousin, Dudley, mimicked sarcastically. "I wish! I wish!"
Harry turned a violent shade of red and looked out the window, avoiding any further comments from Dudley.
"Dudley, why don't you go play with your new komodo dragon?" asked Aunt Petunia as she walked past Harry's room, giving him a dangerous looking glare.
"Mum, I just heard the funniest thing! Harry was wishing—on a star!" Dudley chuckled as he walked down the hallway to his bedroom.
Aunt Petunia laughed slamming the door, making Harry jump. He crawled into his bed, covering himself up with the little blankets he had. The broken springs of the mattress jabbed him in the back. Why isn't Ron coming? Why? Harry thought, looking at the white ceiling. He said we were going to go see the World Cup.
Just when he was almost asleep, he heard a small knock at the window. He darted up, feeling the coldness of the floor below him. Mr. Weasley pressed his face against the window, grinning. Ron, Ginny, and Mr. Weasley were all sitting in their new and improved flying car.
"Where have you been?" Harry asked after he opened the window.
Mr. Weasley said, looking around Privet Drive, "We'll explain more later. We have to hurry, I don't feel safe in this muggle-neighborhood, someone might see us."
Harry nodded and grabbed Hedwig and his bag, which he had packed weeks ago, and handed it to Ron.
As Harry climbed into the car, Ginny blushed shyly, "Hi Harry."
"Hello," Harry bluntly replied, situating himself next to Ron in the back.
"We're sorry we're late!" Mr. Weasley wheezed, once they started driving. "We've been staying at Molly's mom's house because someone broke into our house, and we were forbidden to go back in. We should've come anyway…sorry."
Harry nodded feeling bad for doubting them.
"I know that we should have sent you a letter or something, but we just…"
"That's alright, really…I'm sorry."
"They stole all our old things from Hogwarts last year and an old useless picture of dad's, but that's it," Ron told Harry as they flew above the wispy clouds.
Harry shrugged, "Well, are you all okay?"
"Yeah, we were all asleep, nothing happened to us," Ron said like it was no big deal. "We're allowed back in our house next week."
The car soared high above the clouds, passing birds on their way to Ron's grandma's house. Once they landed on the front lawn, Harry surprisingly noticed that her house was much more unusual than Ron's. It was a one story, purple house that had other rooms branching off into the air. He saw Mrs. Weasley waving hysterically at them as she ran outside.
"Hello darling!" she was obliviously talking to Harry when she swooped him up in her arms.
"Mum!" Ron persisted, carrying Harry's bulging bag, and rolled his eyes.
"I'm just welcoming Harry!" Mrs. Weasley with her arm around him.
They walked into the purple house. Inside, there were so many wizard gadgets, Harry couldn't believe it! It was quiet, everyone was asleep. Harry was feeling quite tired himself; after all, it was almost midnight. Ron led him up the winding staircases up to a room with two beds. Hedwig was sitting on the bedside table beside Harry's duffle bag.
"You can sleep in that bed," Ron pointed to the bed next to Hedwig. "I'm going to get my pajamas on. I'll be right back. OK?"
"Sure. I'll change in here."
Harry plopped on the bed, finding it to be very fluffy. He took his pajamas out of his bag and slipped them on. By the time Ron was back, Harry was already under the covers.
"So, how was it at the Dursley's?" Ron asked sympathetically shutting the door.
Harry gave him an I-think-you-know look.
"I get the point. We really would've come sooner!"
"I know."
Ron jumped into his bed and turned to Harry. They talked for almost another hour, and then dazed into a tranquil sleep.
* * *
Harry sleepily walked down the stairs the next morning, rubbing his eyes. Everyone was at the table eating breakfast. Embarrassed that he had slept in, Harry turned to go back up stairs and get dressed.
Mr. Weasley noticed Harry and stopped him, "Ah, everyone, this is Harry, Ron's very best friend."
"Well, isn't he just as cute as button!" Ron's Grandma pinched Harry's cheeks, making them burn.
He smiled, trying to be polite, "Hi, Mrs. Weasley."
"Oh! Call me Granny!"
"Harry, take a seat over here!" George patted the chair between him and Ron.
As Harry walked over to the table, Ron mouthed, 'Sorry!'
Granny asked Harry a load of questions over breakfast. He felt as though he was being interrogated.
"Little Ron has told me oodles about you! What was that story about the Ginny and the…oh what was it? I heard you saved my sweetum's life!"
Harry blushed and said, "That was two years ago, it was nothing, really."
"Oh, what was that about your godfather? What was his name Blue? No, Black? What's about the Special Awards Serv—"
"C'mon Harry, we better get dressed, we'll be leaving for Diagon Alley soon," Ron grabbed Harry's arm, pulling him away from his breakfast, which was only half eaten.
They walked up the stairs, "Sorry about that, Granny can be really curious sometimes."
"That's okay, I don't mind."
"Are you ready for Floo Powder again?" Ron asked hesitantly.
Harry thought about his experience two years ago, when he had ended up in Knockturn Alley, and answered, "Er…I think so."
Ron laughed, "Don't worry, it's always easier the second time!"
Just as they entered their room, two owls flew in through the open window. Harry recognized them as Hedwig and Pigwidgeon. They were each carrying a letter, most likely from Hogwarts. Harry took the letter from Hedwig.
"Thanks."
He immediately noticed the Hogwarts seal and ripped it open. It read:
Dear Mr. Potter,
Enclosed is a list of your books for you forth year. Please come to Hogwarts prepared. Terms start on September first as usual. Please arrive at Kings Station at 10:00a.m, for the train will leave promptly at 11:00a.m.
Professor M. McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress
"Did you see the list of books for this year!" Ron exclaimed, eyes peeled to the piece of parchment.
Harry dug it out of the envelope, it read:
Books for Forth Year Students
Required Books:
A Book of Potions by Larry Miff
Growing Greenery by Gilderoy Lockhart
Dark Arts: Volume 4 by Wizard Co.
Charming the Mind by Eli Hamden
Transfiguration: Volume 4 by Wizard Co.
Future Fortunes by Gilderoy Lockhart
It's Alive by Anna Jensen
The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 4 by Miranda Goshawk
"At least it's not as much as last year!" Harry said hopefully.
"Still, they can't think that everyone is made of money!" Ron stuffed the list in his back pocket. "Especially after the robbery, we have no more hand-me-downs!"
That afternoon, the whole Weasley family was gathered around Granny's fireplace, ready to go to Diagon Alley.
"Who wants to go first?" Mr. Weasley asked, holding the Floo powder.
Percy stepped forward and took a pinch of Floo powder and let it float down into the fire, turning it green. He shouted, "Diagon Alley!" Faster than you could say Floo powder, the fire seemed to suck him in, and he was gone.
The line of Weasley's faded one by one into the emerald fire, until Harry was left standing next to Granny, who was staying behind.
"Well, go on now pet!"
He carefully took a pinch of the Floo powder, praying that he would end up in Diagon Alley, and threw it into the fire. When he stepped into it, holding his glasses to his head, he commanded powerfully, "Diagon Alley!"
Author's Note: It wasn't that bad now was it? Please, please, please review! You know you want to!
Author's Note: By the way, this is an alternate of Harry's fourth year at Hogwarts. (This is only because I'm just starting to read the fourth book now. I know, I know, I should have read them all, but I'm working on it! Lol) Please read and review! I'll love you forever if you do! Jk! Oh yeah, also, this story used to be called Harry Potter and the Forest Secret. Just to let you know!
The Robbery
Harry looked out the window of his bedroom at the Dursley's, wondering when Ron was going to show up. He had been waiting an entire week since Ron's phone call, telling him when they'd be there to take him to the Burrow. Disturbed by listening to his Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon ask over and over, "When is that wizard friend of yours coming to pick you up?" Harry would just answer hopefully, "He'll be here." However, he was starting to doubt this, when he hadn't gotten a reply from the several letters he had sent.
The clouds passed by, showing patches of stars lighting up the dark, night sky. Harry found the brightest star and recited, "Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight, I wish I may, I wish I might, have this wish I wish tonight—I wish that Ron would come and take me to the Burrow!" He closed his eyes as the door to his room flew open.
"Oh star, I wish Ron would come!" his plump cousin, Dudley, mimicked sarcastically. "I wish! I wish!"
Harry turned a violent shade of red and looked out the window, avoiding any further comments from Dudley.
"Dudley, why don't you go play with your new komodo dragon?" asked Aunt Petunia as she walked past Harry's room, giving him a dangerous looking glare.
"Mum, I just heard the funniest thing! Harry was wishing—on a star!" Dudley chuckled as he walked down the hallway to his bedroom.
Aunt Petunia laughed slamming the door, making Harry jump. He crawled into his bed, covering himself up with the little blankets he had. The broken springs of the mattress jabbed him in the back. Why isn't Ron coming? Why? Harry thought, looking at the white ceiling. He said we were going to go see the World Cup.
Just when he was almost asleep, he heard a small knock at the window. He darted up, feeling the coldness of the floor below him. Mr. Weasley pressed his face against the window, grinning. Ron, Ginny, and Mr. Weasley were all sitting in their new and improved flying car.
"Where have you been?" Harry asked after he opened the window.
Mr. Weasley said, looking around Privet Drive, "We'll explain more later. We have to hurry, I don't feel safe in this muggle-neighborhood, someone might see us."
Harry nodded and grabbed Hedwig and his bag, which he had packed weeks ago, and handed it to Ron.
As Harry climbed into the car, Ginny blushed shyly, "Hi Harry."
"Hello," Harry bluntly replied, situating himself next to Ron in the back.
"We're sorry we're late!" Mr. Weasley wheezed, once they started driving. "We've been staying at Molly's mom's house because someone broke into our house, and we were forbidden to go back in. We should've come anyway…sorry."
Harry nodded feeling bad for doubting them.
"I know that we should have sent you a letter or something, but we just…"
"That's alright, really…I'm sorry."
"They stole all our old things from Hogwarts last year and an old useless picture of dad's, but that's it," Ron told Harry as they flew above the wispy clouds.
Harry shrugged, "Well, are you all okay?"
"Yeah, we were all asleep, nothing happened to us," Ron said like it was no big deal. "We're allowed back in our house next week."
The car soared high above the clouds, passing birds on their way to Ron's grandma's house. Once they landed on the front lawn, Harry surprisingly noticed that her house was much more unusual than Ron's. It was a one story, purple house that had other rooms branching off into the air. He saw Mrs. Weasley waving hysterically at them as she ran outside.
"Hello darling!" she was obliviously talking to Harry when she swooped him up in her arms.
"Mum!" Ron persisted, carrying Harry's bulging bag, and rolled his eyes.
"I'm just welcoming Harry!" Mrs. Weasley with her arm around him.
They walked into the purple house. Inside, there were so many wizard gadgets, Harry couldn't believe it! It was quiet, everyone was asleep. Harry was feeling quite tired himself; after all, it was almost midnight. Ron led him up the winding staircases up to a room with two beds. Hedwig was sitting on the bedside table beside Harry's duffle bag.
"You can sleep in that bed," Ron pointed to the bed next to Hedwig. "I'm going to get my pajamas on. I'll be right back. OK?"
"Sure. I'll change in here."
Harry plopped on the bed, finding it to be very fluffy. He took his pajamas out of his bag and slipped them on. By the time Ron was back, Harry was already under the covers.
"So, how was it at the Dursley's?" Ron asked sympathetically shutting the door.
Harry gave him an I-think-you-know look.
"I get the point. We really would've come sooner!"
"I know."
Ron jumped into his bed and turned to Harry. They talked for almost another hour, and then dazed into a tranquil sleep.
* * *
Harry sleepily walked down the stairs the next morning, rubbing his eyes. Everyone was at the table eating breakfast. Embarrassed that he had slept in, Harry turned to go back up stairs and get dressed.
Mr. Weasley noticed Harry and stopped him, "Ah, everyone, this is Harry, Ron's very best friend."
"Well, isn't he just as cute as button!" Ron's Grandma pinched Harry's cheeks, making them burn.
He smiled, trying to be polite, "Hi, Mrs. Weasley."
"Oh! Call me Granny!"
"Harry, take a seat over here!" George patted the chair between him and Ron.
As Harry walked over to the table, Ron mouthed, 'Sorry!'
Granny asked Harry a load of questions over breakfast. He felt as though he was being interrogated.
"Little Ron has told me oodles about you! What was that story about the Ginny and the…oh what was it? I heard you saved my sweetum's life!"
Harry blushed and said, "That was two years ago, it was nothing, really."
"Oh, what was that about your godfather? What was his name Blue? No, Black? What's about the Special Awards Serv—"
"C'mon Harry, we better get dressed, we'll be leaving for Diagon Alley soon," Ron grabbed Harry's arm, pulling him away from his breakfast, which was only half eaten.
They walked up the stairs, "Sorry about that, Granny can be really curious sometimes."
"That's okay, I don't mind."
"Are you ready for Floo Powder again?" Ron asked hesitantly.
Harry thought about his experience two years ago, when he had ended up in Knockturn Alley, and answered, "Er…I think so."
Ron laughed, "Don't worry, it's always easier the second time!"
Just as they entered their room, two owls flew in through the open window. Harry recognized them as Hedwig and Pigwidgeon. They were each carrying a letter, most likely from Hogwarts. Harry took the letter from Hedwig.
"Thanks."
He immediately noticed the Hogwarts seal and ripped it open. It read:
Dear Mr. Potter,
Enclosed is a list of your books for you forth year. Please come to Hogwarts prepared. Terms start on September first as usual. Please arrive at Kings Station at 10:00a.m, for the train will leave promptly at 11:00a.m.
Professor M. McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress
"Did you see the list of books for this year!" Ron exclaimed, eyes peeled to the piece of parchment.
Harry dug it out of the envelope, it read:
Books for Forth Year Students
Required Books:
A Book of Potions by Larry Miff
Growing Greenery by Gilderoy Lockhart
Dark Arts: Volume 4 by Wizard Co.
Charming the Mind by Eli Hamden
Transfiguration: Volume 4 by Wizard Co.
Future Fortunes by Gilderoy Lockhart
It's Alive by Anna Jensen
The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 4 by Miranda Goshawk
"At least it's not as much as last year!" Harry said hopefully.
"Still, they can't think that everyone is made of money!" Ron stuffed the list in his back pocket. "Especially after the robbery, we have no more hand-me-downs!"
That afternoon, the whole Weasley family was gathered around Granny's fireplace, ready to go to Diagon Alley.
"Who wants to go first?" Mr. Weasley asked, holding the Floo powder.
Percy stepped forward and took a pinch of Floo powder and let it float down into the fire, turning it green. He shouted, "Diagon Alley!" Faster than you could say Floo powder, the fire seemed to suck him in, and he was gone.
The line of Weasley's faded one by one into the emerald fire, until Harry was left standing next to Granny, who was staying behind.
"Well, go on now pet!"
He carefully took a pinch of the Floo powder, praying that he would end up in Diagon Alley, and threw it into the fire. When he stepped into it, holding his glasses to his head, he commanded powerfully, "Diagon Alley!"
Author's Note: It wasn't that bad now was it? Please, please, please review! You know you want to!