Chapter 1: Growing Up
Harry Potter had been looking forward to going back to Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry all summer, just as usual. Though this time, he was even more excited. He was growing up and he knew he was. He saw the changes in the morning when he had his growth spurt and he was inches taller than he had been before. He heard it in his voice as it got deeper and deeper each day. And he felt it under his skin when he longed to be with someone else. a girl.
He knew the year ahead of him would be more thrilling. He felt tougher and was actually looking forward to taking on his constant rival, Draco Malfoy. He had to laugh to himself as he pictured the small little boy with blonde hair and blue eyes. What Harry forgot to realize was the fact that Draco had probably grown too.
The night before his trip to Hogwarts, Harry awoke in the middle night as he felt the lightning bolt scar on his forehead getting cold. It had the tendency to behave awkwardly after nightmares, but he didn't remember having one. "It feels like ice." He said to himself as he stroked the scar with his hand. Perhaps Headmaster Dumbledore would be able to tell him what was wrong with it tomorrow.
Before he knew it, he was on the Hogwarts Express and chatting up a storm with his best friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. "We'll be there in no time," said Hermione. "You better get dressed quickly." She reminded them as she often had to when it came to making them get their robes on in time. She left them alone and Harry and Ron finished getting dressed just as the train came to a stop. "We're here already, Harry. Can you believe it?"
As Harry Potter arrives at Hogwarts for dinner in the Great Hall, he takes his seat next to Ron and Hermione. "Harry, there's something quite different about you this year." Hermione says with a smile. "You've grown." She was right. Harry thought as he himself began to feel more mature. It is after all his 5th year at Hogwarts and he's feeling more like a teenager than ever. Over the summer, while watching television with his cousin Dudley, Harry even began to notice just how beautiful girls were. He formed small crushes on famous blondes and he fell madly in love with some of the brunettes too.
Harry also became more mature in a way that he felt he could now stand up to his evil Aunt and Uncle. He hadn't realized how good it felt to argue back until he received a telephone call from Hermione Granger and Uncle Vernon tried to take the phone away from him. "If you don't let me take this call, I'll turn Dudley into the pig he is!" Harry screamed before he could stop himself. Uncle Vernon knew that Harry wasn't allowed to do magic, but Uncle Vernon also knew that Harry wasn't afraid to break the rules. "Have your bloody telephone call, then!" He shouted and stomped out of the room. It was Harry's proudest victory over his Uncle and for the rest of the summer, he wasn't exactly shy about fighting back with his relatives.
"I guess I have grown." Harry said with a smile. "But you and Ron have to, you know?" He said sincerely. He couldn't help notice how beautiful Hermione had become and how much stronger Ron was beginning to look.
Ron finished stuffing a piece of chicken in his mouth and looked at Harry. "Well I don't think I've grown that much. I'm still not as old as Percy." He said awkwardly and continued eating his food.
"Well of course you aren't Ron," said Hermione though a giggle. "But I do agree with Harry. We are all growing up... some of us faster than others." She sneered as Draco Malfoy came strolling down the aisle.
"What happened to him?" Ron asked in shock while dropping a carrot. Draco was now taller than ever and his blonde-white hair was even longer than before.
"Good to see you all." He said as he stopped by the Gryffindor table and placed one hand on Harry's shoulder and one on Ron's. "I look forward to beating you all in Quidditch." He raised his eyebrows at the three of them and then walked to the Slytherin table.
"Is it me, or does he look even uglier than before?" Ron laughed and picked up his carrot again. "And what's wrong with his voice?" Ron began mocking him but was interrupted by Hermione.
"He's not ugly, he's... different." Both Harry and Ron's mouths dropped as they looked back and forth between each other. "And his voice is perfectly normal for his age. You didn't expect it to stay the same now did you? He's just growing up too."
Harry couldn't help but ask the question that had now formed in his and Ron's minds. "Do you. well, do you like Malfoy?"
"Of course not, Harry! He may have grown more handsome, but there's no doubt in my mind that he's also grown meaner." Hermione responded and then stood up quickly while grabbing her books. "Now, I'm going to the common room to study. It's a new year and our classes will surely be more challenging." She turned around and walked away.
Ron watched her leave and then began talking again. "She's gets stranger every year, Harry."
Harry started to laugh but then stopped himself. "She does, Ron. She also gets prettier too."
Harry Potter had been looking forward to going back to Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry all summer, just as usual. Though this time, he was even more excited. He was growing up and he knew he was. He saw the changes in the morning when he had his growth spurt and he was inches taller than he had been before. He heard it in his voice as it got deeper and deeper each day. And he felt it under his skin when he longed to be with someone else. a girl.
He knew the year ahead of him would be more thrilling. He felt tougher and was actually looking forward to taking on his constant rival, Draco Malfoy. He had to laugh to himself as he pictured the small little boy with blonde hair and blue eyes. What Harry forgot to realize was the fact that Draco had probably grown too.
The night before his trip to Hogwarts, Harry awoke in the middle night as he felt the lightning bolt scar on his forehead getting cold. It had the tendency to behave awkwardly after nightmares, but he didn't remember having one. "It feels like ice." He said to himself as he stroked the scar with his hand. Perhaps Headmaster Dumbledore would be able to tell him what was wrong with it tomorrow.
Before he knew it, he was on the Hogwarts Express and chatting up a storm with his best friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. "We'll be there in no time," said Hermione. "You better get dressed quickly." She reminded them as she often had to when it came to making them get their robes on in time. She left them alone and Harry and Ron finished getting dressed just as the train came to a stop. "We're here already, Harry. Can you believe it?"
As Harry Potter arrives at Hogwarts for dinner in the Great Hall, he takes his seat next to Ron and Hermione. "Harry, there's something quite different about you this year." Hermione says with a smile. "You've grown." She was right. Harry thought as he himself began to feel more mature. It is after all his 5th year at Hogwarts and he's feeling more like a teenager than ever. Over the summer, while watching television with his cousin Dudley, Harry even began to notice just how beautiful girls were. He formed small crushes on famous blondes and he fell madly in love with some of the brunettes too.
Harry also became more mature in a way that he felt he could now stand up to his evil Aunt and Uncle. He hadn't realized how good it felt to argue back until he received a telephone call from Hermione Granger and Uncle Vernon tried to take the phone away from him. "If you don't let me take this call, I'll turn Dudley into the pig he is!" Harry screamed before he could stop himself. Uncle Vernon knew that Harry wasn't allowed to do magic, but Uncle Vernon also knew that Harry wasn't afraid to break the rules. "Have your bloody telephone call, then!" He shouted and stomped out of the room. It was Harry's proudest victory over his Uncle and for the rest of the summer, he wasn't exactly shy about fighting back with his relatives.
"I guess I have grown." Harry said with a smile. "But you and Ron have to, you know?" He said sincerely. He couldn't help notice how beautiful Hermione had become and how much stronger Ron was beginning to look.
Ron finished stuffing a piece of chicken in his mouth and looked at Harry. "Well I don't think I've grown that much. I'm still not as old as Percy." He said awkwardly and continued eating his food.
"Well of course you aren't Ron," said Hermione though a giggle. "But I do agree with Harry. We are all growing up... some of us faster than others." She sneered as Draco Malfoy came strolling down the aisle.
"What happened to him?" Ron asked in shock while dropping a carrot. Draco was now taller than ever and his blonde-white hair was even longer than before.
"Good to see you all." He said as he stopped by the Gryffindor table and placed one hand on Harry's shoulder and one on Ron's. "I look forward to beating you all in Quidditch." He raised his eyebrows at the three of them and then walked to the Slytherin table.
"Is it me, or does he look even uglier than before?" Ron laughed and picked up his carrot again. "And what's wrong with his voice?" Ron began mocking him but was interrupted by Hermione.
"He's not ugly, he's... different." Both Harry and Ron's mouths dropped as they looked back and forth between each other. "And his voice is perfectly normal for his age. You didn't expect it to stay the same now did you? He's just growing up too."
Harry couldn't help but ask the question that had now formed in his and Ron's minds. "Do you. well, do you like Malfoy?"
"Of course not, Harry! He may have grown more handsome, but there's no doubt in my mind that he's also grown meaner." Hermione responded and then stood up quickly while grabbing her books. "Now, I'm going to the common room to study. It's a new year and our classes will surely be more challenging." She turned around and walked away.
Ron watched her leave and then began talking again. "She's gets stranger every year, Harry."
Harry started to laugh but then stopped himself. "She does, Ron. She also gets prettier too."