Here is the next chapter. i'll try to put the one after this up as soon as i can. it's coming along ok so far. please review and tell me what you think. creavtive critisism is always appreciated. :) enjoy


Hermione raced down the moving staircase, down the flights of stairs and out the front door of Hogwarts into the warm summer air. She ran across the grounds towards the two teenage boys sprawled on the grass with their brooms beside them.

"Get up, you lot," Hermione said teasingly, "Professor McGonagall really didn't take it that badly. I don't see why you made such a fuss about coming in with me."

Harry and Ron's eyes opened slowly at the sound of Hermione's voice and Harry yawned loudly.

"It's simple really. You're the only person that can talk to McGonagall. If we went in there she'd curse our butts back out here the second she saw my red hair. Do you honestly think she wants all of our trouble back I there. Imagine all of the stuff we did before we were of age. We got in crazy trouble. I suppose she expects it to be ten times worse," Ron answered, smiling up at Hermione.

"Why am I the only one that can talk to her," Hermione asked scathingly.

"That's simple too. Your mouth never stops moving when you get started. She won't have time to object to you," Ron said cheekily.

Hermione glared at him for a second before deciding it wasn't worth it.

"Honestly, I don't see why Harry had to come. If you had told me earlier that neither of you were coming in there with me, he could have just stayed at the Burrow," Hermione said, frustrated.

"I need someone to talk to, don't I? Seeing as I had to wait forever and a year for you to come back before we could all leave," Ron said, standing up and grabbing his broom.

"Speaking of Harry," Hermione said, gesturing to him on the ground, slowly falling back into sleep's clutches.

"Oi, Mate! Wake up," Ron shouted while pulling out his wand and blasting the ground just to the left of Harry's head.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh," Harry shouted as, in a panic, he scrambled up into a standing position.

He turned to glare at Ron. "What the bloody hell was that about," he asked angrily.

Ron just shrugged and mounted his broom, leaving room for Hermione behind him. She got on hesitantly and wrapped her arms tightly around her boyfriend's waist.

When Ron was sure that Hernione was settled he kicked off the ground and into the air, Harry close behind him.

They flew quickly back towards the Burrow and landed lightly in their back yard. Dismounting easily Harry and Ron carried their brooms inside, followed by an ecstatic Hermione.

"We get to go back you guys! We can learn more! I wonder if they have any new books in the library. What do you think Mrs. Weasley," asked Hermione as she sat down lightly on one of the stools by the kitchen counter.

"I'm sure they do, Hermione. I guess this means that you all get to go back," Mrs. Weasly said happily. This was confirmed by the frantic nodding of Hermione's head and the huge smile on her face.

"Well, we must celebrate then! I'll invite everybody. We can have a nice big dinner party to celebrate you lot going back. I'm sure Ginny will be thrilled. You'll be in the same classes as her," Mrs. Weasley said eagerly, already making a list in her head of all the things they would need and all of the people to invite, completely oblivious to the blush covering Harry's face.

He had gotten back together with Ginny a month ago and they were practically inseparable.

It was at that moment that an excited Ginny came running down the stairs and flung herself at Harry.

"I heard on my way down the stairs! I'm so glad that you're coming back! But while you were gone I was thinking. Do you think that Professor McGonagall will invite the Slytherians back? I wasn't sure," said Ginny curiously.

"I think she will. Everybody deserves a second chance. You saw how the Malfoys acted near the end. They didn't care if Voldemort was defeated, they just wanted to keep their family together," Hermione said thoughtfully.

"Yah and Narsissa told Voldemort that I was dead when she knew I wasn't so that she could save their son," Harry said, turning his head to look out the window.

"Blimey! You never told us that," Ron said in shock.

"I'm not sure how McGonagall will play her cards, but I think she will be fair and invite back those students who had no control over what was going on. I think young Mr. Malfoy will be included in that bunch. I am positive that you will not be disappointed with her decision, whatever it may be. I'm sure she's nervous to have you lot back though," Molly Weasley said wisely.

Harry nodded slowly and looked down at Ginny who was wrapped in his arms.

"Hard to believe it's all over," He said quietly. Ginny just smiled at him.

"Oh my! You do know what this means though, and so close to the start of school," Molly said as she began to bustle around the kitchen until she found a calendar.

"We most go to Diagon Alley! Ginny and I already went though! I have no more free time until a week after school has started either. I suppose Mr. Weasley could take you sometime but…" Mrs. Weasley said worriedly.

"Oh mum, we'll be fine. Were of age now," Ron said excitedly.

"Ron's right Mrs. Weasley. We can go on our own, the sooner the better," Hermione said with a reassuring smile in Mrs. Weasley's direction.

"We can go tomorrow. Get it right out of the way. School starts in three weeks," Harry said slowly, the realization finally dawning on him. He was going back to school in three weeks.

"Bloody Hell," Ron said softly, summing up Harry's feelings in two words.

"Ron! Watch your language young man. You may be of age but that doesn't mean you can go around saying things like that," Mrs. Weasley said, bristling in anger.

"Right, well go tomorrow," Hermione said quickly before Mrs. Weasley could think of a punishment for her son.

"Mum, can I go with them please? I'm almost of age now too," Ginny said hopefully, while giving Mrs. Weasley puppy dog eyes.

It was a matter of seconds before Molly caved.

"Alright fine, you can go. But that doesn't mean I like it and you have to be by them all the time. No wandering off," Mrs. Weasley said in her last attempt at a stern mother.

"Oh, I don't think that will be a problem," Ginny said with a smirk as she twined her fingers with Harry's.

Ron gaped and looked like he was about to protest to Ginny coming with them after all when Hermione shook her head slightly and he quieted.

Mrs. Weasley pretended not to notice and said, "Now you lot go up to your rooms and look over Ginny's supplies list. It'll tell you what you need for whatever classes you decide to take,"

"Thanks," Hermione said and proceeded to drag Harry, Ron, and Ginny up the stairs.

Ginny pulled free of Hermione and ran into her room, which she was sharing with Hermione, to grab the supplies list. Which she pocketed and followed the trio out into Harry and Ron's room. Normally it wouldn't be necessary for them to share a room anymore but they had guests and since Teddy and his grandparents who were taking care of him were staying there, they were a little pressed for space.

Ginny plopped down next to Harry on his bed across from Ron's bed, occupied by Hermione and Ron, and pulled the list out of her jeans pocket. She passed it to Harry who looked at it for a couple of seconds as if it might explode before passing it to Ron who made a point of not looking at it at all and handed it back to Harry. Harry handed it back to Ron who tried to touch it as little as possible, as if it burned him while still refusing to look at it. Ron passed it back to Harry who threw it at Ron so it bounced off his head.

"Open it! It's all yours," Harry said anxiously.

"No. You do it. I insist," Ron said throwing it back.

Harry tried to avoid catching it at all by throwing his hands up in defense, causing the letter to fall to the ground a few feet away from both of them. Ron and Harry exchanged relieved looks.

"Honestly! I don't know what's wrong with you two. First at Hogwarts now this," Hermione said angrily as she got off Ron's bed to pick up the letter. Once she had it she sat back down beside him and opened it up.

"Don't read it yet, Mione," Harry said softly as Hermione opened her mouth to start listing the things they would need.

"Why ever not," Hermione snapped, frustrated, "you lot had better tell me what's going on. I'm sick of your behavior."

"Guess we deserve that. We just aren't sure yet Mione. We don't know how to handle going back. We really are going back to Hogwarts. It's just a lot to handle at one time. So much has changed. We don't know what to expect," Ron said looking at his hands.

Harry looked at her sadly and said, "I'm sorry Hermione. I know it isn't what you want to hear right now but it's the truth. Have you even thought about everything that has changed? We aren't going back to the same old Hogwarts as always. The world crashed around everybody's heads. It's completely different and we can't just ignore it while people try to rebuild their lives. We need to fix ours too. We need a purpose. It isn't about Voldemort anymore."

Hermione replied softly, "I know that's why it's so important that we go back. The entire wizarding world is changing and we need to find our place in it. We need to find a way to start again."


hope you liked it. i'll try to update quickly so please review. :)