Chapter One-Convincing the Dursleys
When Petunia and Vernon Dursley found out that they would have four wizards in their house instead of the usual one, they were not happy people.
"Where do you expect them to sleep?" Petunia flung at her nephew.
"Ginny and Hermione will sleep in my room and Ron and I will sleep in the den."
"What if we say they can't stay?" Vernon inquired haughtily.
Harry hesitated a moment. It was hard to think about him when the memory of his death was still so fresh. When Harry spoke, however, his voice was calm and steady.
"Do you remember what Dumbledore said last summer? Or in the letter he wrote 16 years ago? I was to be treated like a son. This was supposed to be my home. I was not allowed anything as a child. You must allow me this. They will be here for three days and then you will never have to see them or me again."
"What a relief that will be," muttered Vernon.
"The feeling's quite mutual," Harry retorted.
There was a long pause with which Harry grew quite annoyed. He kept his peace all the same. He knew his last statement had an effect on Petunia, if not Vernon as well. She may act like she loathed his presence, but he was still her sister's child, and her only living relative at that.
"They may stay," she said slowly and almost undecidedly, "but only for three days."
"Yes, three days. That's all I ask." With this, Harry backed up, turned around, and headed upstairs to his bedroom.
Harry knew his snowy owl, Hedwig, would not like being awoken, but he was too excited to wait. He pulled out two pieces of parchment and copied onto each,
They said yes. See you in four days.
-Harry
One scroll he addressed to Hermione Granger, and the other he addressed to Ron and Ginny Weasley with a shakier hand. His stomach still did back flips whenever he thought about her. No one knew this had happened every night for a long time now. But at the moment he had other things on his mind. He woke Hedwig gently.
"I need you to take these to Hermione and Ron," he cooed. Harry could tell Hedwig was annoyed at not getting a good day's sleep after a long hunt, but she nipped his finger affectionately even still.
Harry secured the notes to her leg and opened his window. He watched the owl soar into the mid-morning sky line with a satisfied smile on his face. His friends were coming. He would be 17 in no time and able to leave this house forever. For a brief moment, the world was alright. Bad things such as death and evil didn't exist. All that mattered was that he was going to be with his friends-the people he truly loved. Everything was okay for that one, shining moment.