Summary: No one at Hogwarts knows how their parents met, just that they all got together in their 7th years. The Sorting hat isn't the only magical hat out there. Voldie died in 6th year, Dumbledore is still alive.
Disclaimer: I agree not to own harry potter, can I have Draco?
Prologue:
Tap-tap-tap
Harry awoke with a start, looking around, and saw Pig tapping repeatedly at the window. Groaning, he got out of his warm bet and trod over to the window, pulled it open, and fed Pig some of the owl treats he had on his nightstand.
Pig hopped around for a few minutes on Harrys bed and then stuck his leg out for Harry to take the letter that was tied there.
Hey mate!
Well, things have kind of died down from last June when you defeated You-Kno-er Voldemort, and so I think it would be cool if you come stay with us now, we've only got a couple more days of summer before we've gotta get back to Hogwarts for our final year, but everyone misses you, and Hermione's here, so it would be a nice reunion. Also, we could get our school supplies together, Fred and George opened a new part of their store, it's just school supplies, like color-changing, self-inking sugar quills, its bloody brilliant. Anyway's my mum's got your birthday all figured out, and she's really excited this year because it's your last one before you're an adult. Since I'm not allowed to drive the car (my dad got a "bmw" thing, its really ordinary looking in my opinion, looks like a lot of cars I see on the street, but I still can't drive it because they're still hooked on what happened 2nd year), there's an old broken watch in the envelope, it's a portkey, so don't touch it until you're ready to go. Ehm, well, I guess you could come whenever, Charlie's here and he's been in Western America for a while, so he's on a different time zone, so there's always someone awake, you know your way up to my room, so ehm…..get packing, we have to get you here before the Summers gone!
--Ron
Harry peeked in to the envelope, there was indeed a broken watch with a shattered face. He made a mental note to be careful when he grabbed it later. He started to gather his things from his closet. Over the summer, he had gotten a new wardrobe with clothes that actually fit him, he had a bunch of jeans and tee-shirts, but he had gone to see a personal shopper in Diagon Alley that had set him up with a bunch of clothes that actually fit him, finally! They were sorted into levels of formality and then shrunk and put into his trunk.
The last thing he collected were his possessions from the floorboard under his bed, his invisibility cloak, and his photo album of his parents.
Harry looked around knowing that this was going to be the last time he would ever see Number 4 Privet Drive again, grabbed the watch and Hedwigs cage and vanished from sight.
Minutes later Petunia walked in for vacuuming and noticing he was gone, and knowing she would never see him again, sighed with regret that she hadn't treated her sister's son a little bit better.
--+--
Harry landed with a "Oomph" in the middle of the living room at the Burrow on top of a strategically placed pile of pillows, all the things in the room having been courteously moved to the walls. Ron and Charlie Weasley looked up form their late-night came of wizard's chess.
"Hey Mate!"
"Hi…er thanks for the soft landing."
"No problem, it was Hermione's idea; you know she thinks things through", Ron chuckled.
"Ok, I'll thank her in the morning…do you think I could go to bed, I'm kind of tired," Harry admitted.
"Yea sure, you know where you're stayin."
"Night, night Charlie"
"Night"
"Good Night"
Harry climbed up the steep crooked stairs to Ron's room, he passed by Ginny's room, he saw the light on under the door.
He peaked his head in and saw Ginny passed out on the bed, a book shielding her eyes from the light, laughing on the inside, we walked to her bedside table to turn out the light, placed the book on the table, and kissed his baby sister on the forehead before leaving and going the rest of the way up to Ron's room to crash on the second bed.
--+--
The light cutting in from the east window in Ron's room cast itself across Harry's eyes effectively waking him up. Focusing in on the surroundings, he heard Ron's monstrous snoring, and saw the maroon walls of the bedroom. Reaching for his wand he checked the time on his watch.
The small angular numbers of 8:14 flashed back at him and he laid his head down for a few more minutes.
Slowly nodding off again, he was jostled awake when someone climed into the bed with him.
"Hey Harry! How was your summer?" His visitor whispered.
"Oh, Hi Ginny, it was fine, the Dursleys didn't bother me that much, how was yours?"
"Fine, Dean broke up with me, but then Seamus asked me out!"
"That's great Ginny! I told you that Seamus liked you!"
Ginny sighed shifting a little in the bed to lie on her back.
"You know, now I can focus all my matchmaking skills on you. I told you late year that I was going to help you find the perfect guy!" she slyly mentioned while toying with a loose thread on the
Yes, Harry was gay, he came out after defeating Voldemort, but only to the Gryffindor house, he wouldn't bare the publicity from the press. No, keeping it within his family was a better idea. He didn't want the snakes knowing, and if they other houses knew, they were sure to catch on to something.
"GINNY!" Harry yelled, then cringed and laid still waiting for Ron to wake up, but when he just snorted and rolled over, he continued his snoring at a lower decibel. "I told you, I don't need you to set me up with anyone, the right person will show themselves soon."
Ginny pouted, "But as your best friend, ESPECIALLY after you set me up with Seamus, thanks by the way, I know you helped him a long. It's MY job, to find someone utterly PERFECT for you!"
"Ginny…"
"Fine, fine" Ginny said, but in her head continued, "but that doesn't mean that I won't interfere later."
--+--
Breakfast at the Weasley's was a jovial event, it was the annual "Save-Harry-from-Malnutrition-because-of-the-stupid-Dursleys" Breakfast and it really did live up to the name. There were oranges, sausages, bacon links, toast, porridge, eggs, jam, and hash browns. Every year it was a little different, but it always looked like a mini Hogwarts feast. Harrys mouth was watering all the way up in the bathroom when he was still brushing his teeth. Climbing down the stairs, he saw the Hermione was sitting and holding Ron's hand under the table. Smiling to himself at the cute PDA, he went over to the seat Ginny had saved for him and started loading up his plate with food.
"Hi Harry! Ron told me you came in late last night, was there enough of the soft landing? I was debating putting out a few more pillows…"
"Nah, it was fine, and really helpful, I didn't break my glasses this time! Thanks by the way!"
"No Problem, Just remember that because of the lack of non-possesed scars on you head, you should buy me something nice for my birthday," Hermione joked.
"Okay."
"Harry, I was joking!"
"Yea, I know, but I can't count the number of times you've saved my ass, you deserve something brilliant!"
"Well..thanks!"
"No problem."
Mrs. Weasley bustled in yelling for them to hurry up, they needed to get to Diagon Alley for their back to school shopping.
After walking around for a while and purchasing all their books and supplies Ginny finally convinced Ron and Hermione to give her and Harry some time alone. Together they wandered over to the ice cream shop and then with slowly melting frozen yogurt, meandered around the rest of the more entertainment-centered half of the streets.
By the time it reached three o'clock, their designated meet up time, Ginny and Harry were both laden with bags of supplies they claimed they needed to keep entertained for the year. Hermione and Ron joined the group late both with rumpled clothing and sporting swollen lips.
Laughing at their obvious but unintentional display of affection, all of them flooed back to the Burrow one by one.
--+--
The days passed quickly and before they knew it, everyone was on the platform of 9¾ looking for storage and seats. Everything had gone smoothly and now Harry was chatting animatedly with Neville and Luna. The hours passed by and the trolley woman went up and down the aisles. Sooner rather than later they were getting off the train and loading in groups of 6 into the carriages, into Hogwarts and skipping steps up to the ever familiar Great Hall for the Opening Feast.
The Sorting and Dumbledore's speech was finished with four chosen words, thimble, scallywag, Kleenex, and scissors (which was proudly pronounced wrong) and the food promptly appeared. Thanks to the training for eating great amounts at the Weasley's he was able to make rather noticeable dents in both entrée dishes and dessert plates.
Chatter reverberated from the great stone walls and some of the vibrations were absorbed into the ceiling, people laughing, and people telling exaggerated summer stories were going all around Harry. This was familiar, it was home.
At last, to the relief of everyone's bloated stomachs, but not to their taste buds, the food disappeared, and it came time for every 7th year to remember all of their past Opening Feasts. In remorse for it would be their last ones as students, and in excitement because every year after Dumbledore dismissed the Prefects to lead everyone to their dormitories; he always said the exact same thing:
"Would the 7th years stay for a minute, there's something I need to tell you all."