Chapter One:
Harry Potter is a tall, sixteen-year-old boy with messy jet-black hair and brilliantly birth green eyes, and he is no ordinary boy. For the past five years, Harry Potter had been attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. During those five years he had learned many things muggles (the term wizards use for non-magick folk) would never be able to conceive, even with the help of a wizard.
But now…now he didn't think he would ever see Hogwarts again. More importantly though, his two best friends, Ron Weasly and Hermione Granger. Harry had met them both in his first year of Hogwarts and he remembered it as if it were yesterday…
He had been trying to get to Platform 9 ¾ and was having a bit of trouble, because the only platforms visible were 9 and 10.
Harry had hear a group of fire red haired boys with a plump and pleasant looking woman pass behind him. They had mentioned the word 'muggle'.
Harry, who was scared out of his mind of missing the train to Hogwarts, walked over to the group and stuttered about not knowing how to get to the platform. That was when he met the youngest Weasly boy, they boarded the Hogwarts Express together. After several hours, a girl with loads of bushy brown hair and large front teeth came to them; she was helping a boy find his toad.
This girl was Hermione Granger; she had a bossy sort of voice and sounded rather stuck up. Harry laughed t the memory of his first impression of Hermione.
Very true, too, Miss Granger was horrible at first impressions! She tended to come off as a smart-mouth, bossy know-it-all and it wasn't until the middle of their first year (after Harry and Ron had beaten down a mountain troll that was about to pounce on Hermione) that they all became friends.
But that was all in the past, and how Harry longed to be back there. His Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon had moved him and Dudley, his cousin, from England to the United States of America.
The reason for this was that word got out that Harry Potter had been going to a wizarding school for the past five years.
His aunt and uncle would not stand for it. They were probably the biggest muggles Harry knew. They would have nothing to do with magick if they could help it. When word got around that Harry was a wizard-in-training, they packed up and left immediately.
To where, though, Harry had no clue, all he knew was that he was no longer in England, but North America.
Harry sorely looked out his window, saddened by the thought of never seeing his friends again. Caught up in his depression, Harry didn't notice a small, tawny owl at his window until it began clawing at the glass.
"Oh, god, I'm sorry!" Harry said to the owl, scrambling up. He quickly opened the window and the owl flew in, collapsing on the bed.
Harry sat next to the bird and took the letter from around it's leg (wizards and witches used owls to send their letters rather than a post office). With shaking fingers, he opened the crumpled paper. Who could possibly be writing to him from way out here? After a moment, he found Hermione's neat, loopy handwriting.
Ron told me what the muggles are doing to you, this is just awful! So…I've come up with a plane.
Do you remember Professor Delacour told us she wants us to get some experience in the muggle world over the summer?
Well, I called Ron, and he agrees with me, and said we should take the summer by car and travel!
Love from,
Hermione
Harry re-read the letter several times as a grin slowly spread across his face. He grabbed his quill and ink and scribbled back:
That sounds wonderful! I can't wait! Hurry!
Harry
Harry whistled to his own owl, which was a beautiful snowy white, and she came over immediately. "Take this to Hermione, okay? And make sure this little guy is all right…Please be quick, Hedwig," Harry said as he tied the letter around her leg.
Hedwig nipped at Harry's ear affectionately, then hooted at the tawny owl and they flew out the window. Harry watched as they disappeared into the clouds, whispering, "Please hurry Hedwig…please…"
* * *
Over the next week, Aunt Petunia, a tall, thin woman with a lot of neck, had found at least twenty reasons to make Harry clean the house or mend the garden.
Harry wiped sweat off his forehead and massaged his sunburnt neck as he took a break from weeding the unweedable garden. He glanced up at the cloudless sky and sighed.
Suddenly feeling an uneven breeze behind him, Harry spun around and saw Hedwig flying several feet above the ground. "What a relief," Harry said, taking the letter from Hedwig and reading it silently.
Make sure your fireplace is open and clear. Mr. Weasly connected it to the Wizard Connection so we can travel by Floo powder. We need it clear by Friday at 4 30 P.M.
Love from,
Hermione
Four thirty on Friday? Harry checked his watch, which was still set for time in England and nearly screamed. He had fifteen minutes to get his Aunt and Dudley out of the house.
Harry stood and entered the house through the sliding glass door and walked up to his aunt. "Aunt Petunia…?"
"What is it?" Petunia snapped.
"Err…we need soil for the flowers…"
"Oh you do, do you?" Aunt Petunia demanded, putting her hands on her hips and looking at Harry. "Looks like you've got it all over you!"
"Yeah…but this soil is too dry…"
"So hose it down!"
"We need a hose…" Harry said slowly.
"Ugh! Fine! But this is going to cost you!" Aunt Petunia claimed, walking out of the kitchen.
After several long minutes, she and Dudley were gone and Harry was free to wait by the fireplace. He looked at his watch…five more minutes to go. He was getting anxious as he stood up and paced back and forth across the living room. Four more minutes. Harry sat back down and looked at the clock on the opposite wall, watching the second hand travel slowly around the edge. As the minutes slowly passed Harry swore he heard sound from the fireplace, but it was just the wind.
Then he heard it. Hermione had tripped and fell with a thump in the ash at the bottom of the fireplace. She looked up at Harry and, without dusting herself off, scrambled to her feet and threw her arms around his neck. "I can't believe not seeing you for two weeks would make me miss you so much!" she cried.
Harry grinned and hugged her tightly, "I've missed you too, Hermione."
Hermione let go of him and stood back. "Ron will be here in a minute…when I left I heard Mrs. Weasly starting one of her lectures." Hermione now had to look up at Harry, as he was so much taller than she was. She slowly took in his messy, but adorable hair and his bright green eyes. Her gaze shifted to his broad shoulders and chest, then she looked away, blushing a light red.
Harry looked down at Hermione…his Hermione. She had really grown up since their first year at Hogwarts. Instead of a little girl she had now become a beautiful and rather shapely young lady. Her hair was still messy, but her teeth were all normal size (which she had fixed just two years ago). She was so much shorter than he, but Harry liked it that way, all the more easier to take her into his arms and hold her close.
Just as Harry was finished taking in Hermione's rather shy looks, there was another thump and Ron was in the fireplace. He grinned up at them and stumbled out of the fireplace. Ron was a tall, gangly boy with big hands and feet. He had flaming red hair (the Weasly trait) and freckles. "Heya Harry!"
"Nice to see you again too, Ron," Harry grinned.
"Where are the muggles?" Ron asked, walking over to his friends.
"At the story…so we're gonna have to hurry," Harry told them. "Let's get up to my room…we can talk there…"
Ron and Hermione nodded and followed Harry up the steep staircase to his room. Once inside, Hermione sat on the edge of Harry's bed and looked around the tiny room.
Ron sat at Harry's desk and looked at the papers that were strewn about. "Where are we anyway, Harry?"
"Alaska…" came the slow response.
Hermione's eyes lit up. "Are we? Oh are we really?!"
"Do you not trust his word, Herm?" Ron asked.
"This is wonderful! I've read so many books about this place!" Hermione stood up quickly, almost losing her balance. "And this is the perfect place to spend the summer!"
Ron looked up at her as if she were crazy. "You're kidding, right?"
"Kidding?! Of course not! Alaska is a magnificent place!" Hermione explained.
Harry looked from Ron to Hermione, clearly want to stay out of the argument.
"Oh, Harry! Don't you think it would be wonderful?" Hermione asked, taking Harry's hands into her own, "An Alaskan adventure! Oh please Harry!"
Harry looked over at Ron, who sighed and shrugged. "All right, Hermione," Harry said, "we'll travel Alaska."
Hermione smiled widely and threw her arms around Harry's neck. "Thank you Harry!"
"You're welcome, Hermione."
Hermione let go of Harry and turned to Ron. "Thank you so much!" She hugged him tightly and kissed his cheek.
Ron blushed a light red and shrugged, "No problem, Herm."
"So when are we leaving?"
"When the Dursley's fall asleep…"