Chapter 1

"Are you sure love, because this Convention lasts the full six weeks and being all the way over in Thailand, it'd be hard to get a quick flight back over here if there was something-"

"Yes Mum, really, I am staying at Ron's all summer. I need to because… well I think it's best that Harry has everyone around him at the moment."

It was the third day of the summer holidays after Hermione, Ron and Harry's fifth year at Hogwarts, and after exchanging numerous letters with Ron concerning the matter, they had both decided, along with the rest of the Weasley family, that Harry should spend the summer at the Burrow to take his mind off Sirius and, of course being one of Harry's best friends, Hermione wanted to go too.

"Well do take care, because like your mother said, if something were to happen we wouldn't be back over here like shot being all the way in Thailand," said Mr Granger, ruffling Hermione's hair affectionately which is something that she couldn't stand as she knew it was already abnormally bushy, as Pansy Parkinson would always gladly remind her. "We haven't got any of this fancy Loo Dust that you and your friends throw into fireplaces and go spinning off to goodness knows where, and we can't .. what is it? Appelgate ..?"

"Dad, seriously, you won't need to come back over here until six weeks time because I'll be fine and I can take care of myself." Hermione gave both of her parents a hug before heaving her trunk into the fireplace and getting in after it, holding Crookshanks tightly against her. "And this is Floo Powder, Dad," she added, shaking a fistful at her father. "Not Loo Dust! See you! THE BURROW!" She could just make out her mother's anxious shriek at the sight of green flames engulfing her daughter and her father's call of farewell before her head started spinning uncontrollably, and before she knew it she had tumbled rather ungracefully over her trunk onto the cold stone floor bringing an extremely irritated Crookshanks with her, and was looking up into the concerned yet bright eyes of Mrs Weasley.

"Hermione dear! How wonderful to see you! Oh just look at you, deary me, I really should get one of the boys to give that fireplace a good old sweep and scrub at some point this summer; there's dust all over you!" Mrs Weasley was frantically brushing down Hermione's clothes and hair, attempting to remove the coating of grey powder that made her look like a moldy iced sugar fairy, while Hermione clambered to her feet and Crookshanks went into a sneezing fit.

"Hermione!" Ron came rushing through the kitchen door and embraced his friend in a rather more forceful hug than she had anticipated, causing her to stumble again over her luggage.

"Goodness Ron, I saw you three days ago, after spending a whole year together!" Hermione laughed.

"Yeah well …" Ron muttered, his ears glowing the colour of his jumper. (Maroon, naturally.)

"He just can't live without you, Hermione!"

"Yeah, he's been pining for you for the last 72 hours – it's a relief that you're here finally to keep him satisfied."

Now it was Hermione's turn to blush crimson as two identically mocking voices came from the hallway, followed by two tall red-headed figures.

"Aha, you two, you can clean out this wretched fireplace for me can't you? Only it's in an awful mess …" Mrs Weasley jumped at the sight of the twins entering the kitchen. They had both presumably been shut up in their room all day as they were lazily stretching their limbs and squinting at the light pouring in through the open windows as they came into the room. As they made to sit down at the table they both roughly patted Hermione on the back as a way of welcome as they passed her.

"So when does Harry get here? I was thinking maybe he could test out some of our new Pooping Pies before we officially put them on the-" Fred began.

"NO! You are NOT to bother Harry with your silly little joke things this holiday! He is ABSOLUTELY DISTRAUGHT about Sirius and we are here to care for him and listen to him. How could you be so insensitive at a time like this!" Mrs Weasley snapped, turning on the twins, the colour in her face rising, resembling the colour of Ron's and Hermione's a few minutes ago.

"Look Mum, Harry's a top bloke, and we're not trying to be insensitive, but having a laugh will take his mind off things surely?" said George, defending his twin.

Mrs Weasley eyed them suspiciously.

"ONLY if he wants to then. You are NOT to go forcing things on him when he's in this fragile state, do I make myself clear?" Mrs Weasley pointed her finger at both of the twin's noses in turn.

"As mud," they chorused.

Just as Mrs Weasley gave a satisfied nod and was about to help Ron with Hermione's luggage, Mr Weasley entered the kitchen through the back door.

"Ah Hermione, good to see you! Alright Molly dear? Alright boys?" He puffed, as he was apparently rather out of breath and seemed slightly agitated.

"Hello Arthur, what is it? Are you ill?" Mrs Weasley approached her husband and held the back of her hand to his forehead.

"No, no certainly not, I'm as fit as a fiddle. But I'm afraid I've just had some news from Dumbledore, about Harry-"

"What? What is it? What's happened? Is it to do with You-Know-Who? Oh my goodness, my dear Harry!" Mrs Weasley's face had turned paper white as oppose to the scarlet it was earlier, and she had leapt up to quiz her husband,trembling with fear.

"Calm down Molly, there's absolutely nothing the matter with Harry, it's just that he won't be able to come here this holiday, at least not for the first fortnight anyway." Mr Weasley had taken off his coat and sat down at the kitchen table opposite his two identical sons, with all eyes in the room on him.

"What do you mean?" Asked Hermione.

"Why can't he come?" Added Ron, a wave of disappointment washing over both of their faces.

"Well Dumbledore seems to think that spending some time away from the wizarding world will let Harry calm down a bit, and it's less likely that he'll do something that he might regret. You know, there's a lot of emotion inside of him at the moment …" Mr Weasley began to explain.

"Yes, emotion that he can't bottle up! And that muggle family of his won't care for him at all or give him the support he needs! This is ridiculous Arthur, we're his real family and he needs us! Why didn't you protest to Dumbledore? Honestly, the man's a fool-" Mrs Weasley raged.

"Now my dear, you know just as well as I do that that's not true – Dumbledore above all people knows the best for Harry and wants him to be happy just as much as we do." Mr Weasley said calmly, taking his wife's hands in his to try and relieve her. Mrs Weasley was breathing heavily, and still shaking slightly, but seemed to be trying to understand the ancient headmaster's logic.

"Well," said Fred cheerfully, after a prolonged silence, "good old Dumblebums that's what I say!"

"Yeah, Harry'll be better in no time, and don't worry Mum, if we hear he's having a hard time, we'll send one of our extra-special Pooping Pies to his repulsive cousin, and then we'll see-"

"BOYS!" Mrs Weasley spun round just in time to see the heels of the twins whipping out of sight.