A spark can burn a heart:

Chapter 1: A letter changed Harry Potter's life

Harry lashed out in anger and kicked at his chest of drawers. Why did life have to be so confusing? He slammed down on his bed, breathing deeply, eyes shut. Yes Dumbledore's death had shocked him a lot but this was not what he was mad at. It seemed that death was all around him, it was a fact he had gotten used to. Of course he had grieved for Dumbledore but he knew this was not something the great wizard would wish for.

He reached over to his bedside table and picked up the letter that had been sent to him a few days previous. The letter read:

To Mr Potter

Shortly prior to his death Albus briefly notified me of your activities. I have no idea of the full details but he told me, should the position of headmaster (or in my case Headmistress) pass over to me I was to allow you to skip periods of school to work on what you both were doing. Note that this privilege is not to be used unwisely and can be taken away from you. (this only applies if you return to Hogwarts of course)

Hopefully we can see you at the beginning of school term on September 1st.

Sincerely

Professor Mcgonagall

To a stranger who just picked this letter up from the street it would meannothing and would be thrown on the ground again. But to Harry, it meant the world. It meant not only that he could go back to school again; but that he could see her. How he missed her, her smile, her touch, her eyes… Harry's stomach flipped when he thought of those eyes, warm and inviting. But still there was a shadow of doubt about returning. Now that she was with him Harry had nothing left there. Once again he replaced the letter where it was and seated himself at the window. The next day Harry would turn 17 therefore coming of age and able to leave the Dursleys, but until then anything could happen.

…………

Harry woke to a tapping on his window. He slowly opened his eyes and screamed and reeled back when he saw two big, amber eyes looking at him. On closer inspection he found it was just a large, tawny owl. As he let the owl in a great balloon inflated in his chest. A letter? I haven't gotten any all summer! Well Mcgonagall's doesn't really count. When he saw the handwriting on the front of the letter addressing it to him he became even more excited Only one person I know writes like that. It's her.

With shaking hands he slowly opened the letter. It read:

Dear Harry

How are you holding up? I'm at the Burrow, things are a little shaky here. Bill has recovered and the wedding is still on as planned. Are you coming? I hope so. It's very quiet and empty here, no one feels like doing much. Mr Weasley's working overtime, sometimes he even sleeps at the office. Fred and George are busy at the shop, Bill and Fleur are always in and out doing things for the wedding and Mrs Weasley is always in the kitchen. I'm worried about her. She's not happy anymore but then again I guess nobody is.

So basically its me Ron and Ginny here. But Ginny spends most of her time in her room…crying. So actually it's just me and Ron. Harry's insides boiled unexpectedly at the thought of Ron and Hermione…alone. He quickly calmed himself down and pushed the feeling away. Ron says hi. Ginny doesn't. (You probably don't want to hear what she said.) Oh and Happy Birthday Harry. We need some cheer right now.

Please come back.

We need you.

I need you.

Love

Hermione.

The page was so stained with teardrops that had Hermione's handwriting been any messier (which was almost impossible) the letter would've been illegible. That letter made up his mind. He was going back to Hogwarts. He glanced at his clock. 11:56. Excellent. In about five minutes he would be allowed to do magic. As to not wake the Dursleys Harry slowly and silently packed his trunk except for his broom, his cloak and his wand.

By the time he crept out of his room it was ten past midnight. He paused as he came to Dudley's room. A sudden wave of anger swept over him as he remembered all the years of torment he had endured at the hands of the overweight boy that snored in front of him now. He pulled from his pocket, a box. The box was labeled SKIVING SNACKBOXES: Guaranteed to make you sick enough to get out of any class! Harry chuckled softly at the memories the box brought back to him. From the box he removed a handful of sweets which included puking pastilles, nosebleed nougats, and one of the newest kinds, fainting fizzes. He silently walked over and placed them on Dudley's bedside table before turning out into the hall again.

Now what would he do for Vernon and Petunia? He glanced at Hedwig's empty cage that was balanced on his trunk. An idea came to him. He whispered a levitating charm on his trunk, levitated it down the stairs and stepped out into the cool night. Before he could make any further moves a flurry of white feathers crossed his vision and landed on a tree close to him.

"Hello there Hedwig. Listen, I have a job for you." Harry quickly wrote something down on a piece of parchment, tapped it with his wand and offered it to Hedwig. "It's a short flight so you can take it in your beak. Just up to Fatso and Horsey's room" he added with a wink. Hedwig took the letter in her mouth and flew off while Harry hid behind a tree to hear the effects of his trick. There was a scream and his voice could hear his voice blaring out from the house. "GUESS WHAT IT'S ME HARRY! I'VE COME OF AGE NOW SO NOW I CAN DO MAGIC! BE AFRAID 'CAUSE ILL BE WATCHING YOU. ALWAYS WATCHING YOU… I'M LEAVING. THANKS FOR NOTHING SUCKERSSS!!!!"

Hedwig returned to Harry looking quite pleased with herself. "Good girl." Harry said scratching her head. "Take us to the Burrow. You go on ahead I'll catch up." He asked. Hedwig flew of and Harry turned to his trunk. He shrunk it to the size of a tennis ball and placed it in his pocket. Covering himself with his invisibility cloak he kicked off from the ground and soared off into the night.

Hermione rested her forehead against the cool glass of the window as fat raindrops splashed onto it and trickled down in to the garden.

"Hermione?" A lanky teenager in the corner asked.

"Yes Ron?"

"I'm bored."

"Well what do you propose we do?"

"I don't know, snog?"

"Urgh," Hermione muttered in distaste, "Is that all you think I'm here for?"

"Well that's what couples do, don't they?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. Obviously Ron had a very different idea of what being in a relationship meant. "Well that's not all they do," Hermione explained very slowly, as if she was talking to a five year old, "a relationship can't be built on just a physical basis, it needs talking and understanding do you know what I mean? Do you want our relationship to end up like you and Lavender?"

"…"

"Ron?" Hermione turned around to find Ron asleep in a chair, snoring loudly. She actually spotted a line of drool hanging out of his mouth. "Fine, you don't want to listen I'll just go then." She muttered angrily, picking herself up and walking out the door. Still mumbling to herself she plodded down the stairs pausing to say hello to Mrs Weasley and receiving a distracted "Hello George" in return.

She pushed open the door and walked outside, not taking the slightest notice that is was raining. She let the raindrops splash upon her cheeks, each one sending a small shiver to the skin around it. It was quite relaxing, getting completely wet and not even caring. A feeling that the rain could wash everything bad away. To her surprise her mind was filled with thoughts of Harry. The time in first year when he saved her from the troll. In second year when she could hear his voice at her bedside. Riding with him on Buckbeak in third year. Seeing him cry over Cedric's body in fourth year. Her fighting alongside Harry at the department of mysteries in fifth year. And then she remembered, with a pang somewhere deep in her stomach, him and Ginny the year previously. Oh, how she missed him.

She was startled out of her memories by a hot draft on the back of her neck.

"Hello Hermione." Murmured a low voice next to her ear. The voice sent a shiver down her spine that had nothing to do with the cold. Slowly she turned around to see a tall boy with messy, jet black hair and startling emerald eyes. But those eyes were different to those she remembered. The fire was gone and only a spark was left. They say the eyes are the window to the soul; if this was true part of Harry's soul was gone. They were so sad and secretive she started to cry.

"What's wrong Hermione?" He asked as she sobbed into his chest.

"I've missed you Harry." She said, only telling half the truth.

"I've missed you too Hermione." She pulled away from him and wiped her tears on her sleeves.

"How did you get here?" she asked.

"Flew." Harry shrugged, pointing to his broomstick which lay a few feet away.

"But it's such a long way!"

"I don't mind…I could've done without being struck by lightning though."

"You got struck by lightning?!" Hermione exclaimed.

"Only a little one. Besides I had covered myself in a rubber charm, because I knew it was going to storm, but I guess after time it wore of on some parts." He said pulling down his left sleeve to reveal a burn that etched its way from his wrist all the way up half his forearm.

"Oh my god we have to et that fixed right away!" cried Hermione, pulling Harry just a he picked up his broomstick.

She dragged him into the kitchen, taking her sopping wet coat off and hanging it on the coat rack as Harry did the same.

"Sit." She commanded, indicating to the sofa. Obediently Harry sat. Hermione gingerly pulled back his sleeve wincing as she did so. "Ouch. Does it hurt?"

"It just stings a little." She grabbed a tub from the cupboard and screwed open the lid. Inside was a thick yellow paste that bore a pungent odor.

"Urgh what's that?" Harry asked, revolted.

"Burns-be-gone, it's from the same manufacturer as bruise-be-gone." She said as she dabbed it on to Harry's arm.

"Ouch!" Harry winced, but softly.

"Sorry, I should've warned you, it'll burn."

"That's ok. Hermione I need to tell you something." Hermione paused at her dabbing to look up into his eyes.

"Yes Harry?"

"You know how I'm not going back to Hogwarts?" he murmured.

"Yes…" she tried cautiously.

"Well I don't have to anymore, I can go back."

"Really? That's great!" Hermione exclaimed. "What made you change you mind?"

"This." He said and pulled McGonagall's letter from his pocket. Hermione quickly scanned over the letter, a smile spreading across her face as she did so.

"So are you…"

"Well I guess so." Hermione squealed in delight and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Where's Ron?" Harry asked after a few moments.

"Urgh, don't even say that name."

"Did you guys have a fight?" he asked, just barely keeping the note of excitement in his voice under control.

"I don't know. He just doesn't see me as a person anymore just…entertainment really. I'm not even sure where this is going with him." She paused and went of into her own little world only to return when a loud thunderclap rang out overhead. "Oh sorry Harry I'm probably boring you."

"No it's ok. Ron's a great guy…just has to get his head straight." Harry said cringing as he did so. As if on cue a tall boy with read slowly padded down the stairs.

"Hey Hermione weren't we gonna sno- Oh hello Harry," Ron yawned groggily. He proceeded down the stairs an plopped onto the couch next to Hermione. "Goshthat'sa nasty cutcha gotthere." Ron said, his words slurring together. He promptly fell asleep, his head on Hermione's shoulder.

"What the heck is wrong with him?" Harry asked as Hermione slid out from Ron's head and sitting on the other couch next to Harry.

"I dunno maybe he ate something weird…" Hermione responded.

"What is he doing here?" a spiteful voice suddenly came from the bottom of the stairs.

"Ginny I-" Harry said when he turned around to see Ginny standing there.

"Don't say it. I don't want to hear another word from you." She said and fled from the room, slamming the door behind her. Harry got up from the couch to follow her. "Sorry Hermione, I'll be right back."

"Yes go, go. I have to wake Ron anyway."

So he continued out the door. He eventually found her crying at the southern wall of the house, sitting against a great water tank.

"Ginny." Harry said taking a few steps closer and touching her gently on her shoulder.

"Don't touch me!" she snapped.

"Ginny I've told you before. I can't be with you."

"Why? We were perfect together and I-I I love you." She said, the last part barely a whisper.

"But I don't love you." Ginny continued sobbing. "I can only be your friend you have to understand." Ginny gulped back tears.

"I understand. It's just so hard…to let go."

"Don't worry. You're a special girl. I'm sure there's a special guy out there for you." He went in for a hug which she returned.

"Thanks Harry. You can go back now I'm just going to stay here for a while."

"Ok." Harry walked back up to the house.

"So…" Hermione asked when he got there.

"Don't worry I've sorted it all out."

"That's good. She was getting pretty messed up." A now conscious Ron said. Harry nodded and chose to ignore Ron's odd behavior and sat by the window only to see four dark spots flying in the sky.

"Hey look our Hogwarts owls have arrived!" Hermione and Ron rushed to the window and sure enough there were four owls a few meters away. Harry quickly opened the window and one by one they zoomed in. They untied the letters and offered the owls a drink from Pig's cage before they flew back to Hogwarts. They left Ginny's letter on the table so that she could open it later and proceeded to opening their own.

"AAAAAAAH!" Hermione squealed unexpectedly.

"What I it?" Ron asked.

"I got head girl! I bet you got head boy!" she squealed jumping up and down, hugging the envelope to her chest.

"No," Harry whispered, "I did."

OoOoOoOo

Oooooh suspense.

Why did Harry get Head Boy? What's up with Ron? Find out and to pass the time to the next chapter REVIEW!!

LAURA