Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. This, as I stated previously is a fanfic based on the series written by J.K Rowling

Chapter 2

The next morning Harry woke up to the sound of banging on his door. He slouched to the door and opened it to find Ron fully dressed and free of bird droppings. He grinned at Harry's tired figure. Harry, who was quite grumpy at being woken up in such a fashion, checked his watch: it was half past six.

"What the ruddy hell are you doing," asked Harry grumpily. He had been dreaming about the kiss Ginny had given him. It had been such a good dream and he was not keen on being woken.

"Kreacher asked me to wake you up," said Ron, still grinning. "He reckons you shouldn't sleep in." Harry groaned and without another word headed for the bathroom.

Ten minutes later, Harry was downstairs in the kitchen. Kreacher apologized, clearly worried he displeased Harry.

"Kreacher knows that Master likes to sleep in, but Kreacher thinks Master should start the day early," said Kreacher timidly.

"That's ok. Besides, you're probably right," yawned Harry. Kreacher beamed.

"And it was great fun too," said Ron smirking. He was holding the scroll Hermione had sent to him. "I read her message," he said, noticing where Harry was looking "She said she's okay and all."

"I know," Harry said with an I-know-something-you-don't tone. "She sent me a scroll too." Ron frowned.

"Why are you talking at me like that," said Ron warily, his tone suspicious. Harry's already large grin, widened.

"Oh come on. She outlined your name with a heart," burst out Harry. "What's up with you? You haven't told me anything!"

Ron blushed, looked away and quickly said "If you must know, it something of a love letter. There's nothing new to know," he added defensively.

"Ok, ok," said Harry. He gave (what he hoped was) an understanding smile. Ron on the other hand, stared out the window ears red.

"So, what are we doing today?" asked Harry, feeling it was better to change the subject. Ron shrugged, looking thoughtful and Harry thought he heard a trace of relief in his voice.

"We could visit Diagon Alley," said Ron thoughtfully. "And get our training gear for A.T.C."

"Yeah," said Harry enthusiastically. "It'll be great to get out and about, not being inside the house or on the run."

"Then it's settled," said Ron. He stood up and stretched. Harry was thinking about how Diagon Alley would be almost normal by now, with its friendly crooked cobbled street, jam-packed with other shoppers-

Harry leapt to his feet, nearly knocking his chair over. An awful thought occurred to him. Ron seemed quite alarmed.

"What?" he asked, clearly startled by this sudden motion.

"The whole street will be full of shoppers now!" Harry said. "With so many people, we'll be gaped at everywhere we go now!"

"Let's go now then. The shops won't have too many people around," said Ron quickly checking his watch. Harry nodded.

Rather than climbing up the tall staircase, Harry and Ron Apparated to their bedrooms. Harry lunged for his Invisibility Cloak, which was hung neatly in his closet and stuffed it hurriedly into his pocket. Then he seized his wallet and Apparated back downstairs.

Ron was ready carrying his own wallet and glancing at his watch. It was now seven o'clock. The stepped out the front door, and bid Kreacher a good morning. A few moments later, Harry stumbled as he lost his balance Side-Long Apparating to the Leaky Cauldron, the pub located on Charing Cross Road. They entered the pub; Harry was gripping his Invisibility Cloak tightly in case there were wizards ready to mob him the moment he entered.

To Harry's relief however, the pub was mercifully empty. Only Tom the landlord was present, wiping a tankard behind the bar. He looked up as Harry and Ron entered. A smile spread over his ancient gummy walnut face and was so excited that he almost dropped the tankard.

"Harry Potter," he wheezed delightfully. "Such an honour to see you again. And Ronald Weasley too! You are heroes, you know. Come have a drink. Free of charge."

Harry could feel his face redden. He peeked at Ron's face. Ron seemed pleased by the compliment, his face stretched by his wide grin.

"Thanks, Tom. We really need to be going now," he said firmly and hoping he sounded as though his offer was really tempting.

Tom's face fell slightly but he was smiling again so abruptly that Harry wondered whether he saw it correctly. "Of course, Mr. Potter." He gave them a little wave and bowed them out as Harry and Ron proceeded to the courtyard.

The courtyard was a small walled place with few weeds and old dustbins. Harry practically ran across the yard, extracting his Phoenix feather wand from his robes. Above the dustbin he counted the brick three up and two across and tapped it three times.

The brick began to shift, leaving a gaping hole in the wall which widened slowly, each brick relocating itself until Harry and Ron found themselves facing a large brick archway. They stepped through it.

Diagon Alley had changed again for the fourth time. The cobbled, crooked street was no longer haunted by the Muggle-born wizards and witches begging and/or attacking people who were of pure blood. Though some shops were still boarded up, many of them had displays of new spell books and potion ingredients that brightened the Alley considerably.

The new stores that had been established and devoted to the dark arts had been closed and the shabby stalls that had once been selling cursed amulets and phony protective devices were history.

The few shoppers who were out at this early stared at Harry and Ron shamelessly with interest. Harry was quite aware of this and tried to hide behind Ron. He was so embarrassed it was a wonder that Ron couldn't feel it vibrating behind him. Ron however, stood straight and tall (much to Harry's delight so as to keep out of view better).He stopped abruptly, surveying the other shoppers with equal amusement.

Harry cleared his throat loudly. Ron, looking startled, jerked out of his trance. He was unmistakably hoping he too, was a cause of attraction. He gave Harry a what-did-I-do look and Harry responded by pointing to Flourish and Blotts, which was right across the street. Ron nodded dazedly and the two of them strolled across the street, entering the bookshop for this first time in over a year.

They entered the shop which did not change except for the new display of books. Harry could see a battered pile of books titled The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore hidden away in a corner of the store, much to Harry's pleasure. It took Harry a couple of moments to realize that Ron was tapping on his shoulder.

"What?" Harry said. Ron was holding his shopping list and looked thoroughly shocked. He wordlessly handed it to Harry, who read it:

All pupils of the A.T.C are required to have the following materials:

Set Books:

Antidotes and Poisons by Hector Dagworth-Granger

Disguises and Concealment by Claire Comuflauge

Tracking the Untraceable by Carisma Hopewell

The Dark Arts: Confronting the Foe by Professor Vindictus Viridian

Harry Potter: A Biography by Rita Skeeter

Other Materials:

1 wand

1 Advanced Potion-Making Kit

1 pewter cauldron (standard size 2)

1 set of scales

1 set of glass/crystal phials

1 pair of dragonhide gloves

Harry stared at the list in horror. He had no idea a book had been published about his entire life, let alone that it would be an ideal book to study about the dark arts from. His horror suddenly turned into a terrible anger that boiled through Harry. He could feel himself shaking with fury. Didn't anyone understand that he wanted to be treated normally? He glanced over at Ron, whose face seemed to become instantly stony. His temper exploded at the name of the author: Rita Skeeter.

"WHY DO THESE STUPID BASTARDS READ RITA SKEETER?" Harry roared so loudly that the shopkeeper, closely followed by his assistant, came hurrying out from behind a stack of enormous books which he realized bore large photographs of him smiling sheepishly. "HOW DARE SHE WRITE A BOOK ABOUT ME? SHE KNOWS NOTHING, NOTHING ABOUT ME OR MY PAST! SHE IS A FUCKING LIAR! SHE LIED ABOUT DUMBLEDORE, SHE LIED ABOUT HERMIONE AND NOW SHE DARES LIE ABOUT ME AGAIN!" He kicked over a table and all its books crashed to the floor, scattering at Harry's feet. His voice was now hoarse from yelling. He was taking deep rasping breaths, outraged that Rita Skeeter would write about a topic she was so woefully ignorant about and furious that Flourish and Blotts would even purchase copies of her dreadful books.

He looked at the shopkeeper and his assistant who both seemed to be cowering behind the books which they unmistakably dropped in response to Harry's sudden ferocity. Ron stood there silently, his face expressionless. He strode over to face the trembling shop employees.

"I reckon you should stop selling those books sir," he said quietly. "As you probably noticed, it's causing Harry a lot of… irritation."

They merely stared in terror at Harry, who was now cursing loudly. He turned to face them. "Do you honestly think Rita Skeeter has been writing the truth about me and Dumbledore?" he asked in a deadly calm voice that seemed more venomous then his rage.

The assistant shook his head, his eyes still wide at what he just witnessed. "Mr. Potter, please, we are only doing what is best for the shop. We never-"

"Never took the time to read and differentiate what is truth and what are lies did you? Never thought I might care about what shit is written about me, did you?"

"Harry. It's not entirely their fault. Save your breath for the old cow," said Ron worriedly. "But we're in public, where you stand out. This is bound to get out. That you lost your temper over a book." Harry did not reply and Ron sighed. "Don't worry. We'll have her landed in Azkaban before you know it."

Harry was aware that Ron was right and didn't care a pint. He had put up with so much from Skeeter's horrible quill that all he desired was to storm at her and curse her into a thousand pieces. It was a few tense moments before Harry yielded. He nodded, feeling as if he had been carrying a heavy weight and not noticing that Ron, the shopkeeper and his assistant all sighed with relief.

Ron quickly requested all the books needed from the supply list for both of them including Harry Potter: A Biography. Maybe he felt like defying the orders of the A.T.C, but not having all the supplies was a poor way to start their training. Harry glowered the whole time as he stood next to Ron.

Tactfully, the shopkeeper did not charge Harry or Ron for their copies of Harry Potter A Biography and bowed them out of the store, plainly pleased that they decided not to linger.

The pair of them noiselessly walked down the street. Harry did not even notice that the cobbled pathway had become slightly more populated by shoppers who continued to stare at them as they passed. Harry sincerely hoped he'd frightened the shopkeeper and the assistant from passing on rumors of his terrible rage.

They stopped at the apothecary and few other stores, their visits were thankfully uneventful. Harry's mood lifted as the day progressed. It was almost noon when they stopped for lunch at the Leaky Cauldron, insisting that Tom allow them to pay for it, and were allowed a private room, away from the ogling customers.

"Ron," said Harry seriously. "Why do you think Rita risked publishing a book about me if she knew Hermione could land her in jail for the rest of her life? Bit odd isn't it?" He took a bite of his beef casserole and waited for Ron to answer. Ron himself was busy digesting a large piece of shepherd's pie. He swallowed noisily.

"You know I was wondering that too. Really stupid thing to do and she knows we wouldn't let this pass without a fight," He took another bite, chewing slowly, his expression thoughtful. "Doesn't make any sense, does it?"

"Maybe she had the book ready while Voldemort (Ron flinched) was still in power. It could be that a Death Eater hired her to discredit me even more, you know, to turn the Wizarding World against me," said Harry quickly, his temper running high again. Ron frowned. He seemed to notice Harrys feelings and was obviously uneasy.

"But it's over isn't it? Nothing can be done to bring back You-Know-Who and she's not a Death Eater. I think she might have thought we forgot her little secret."

Ron toyed with the table cloth for a few minutes before Harry engaged him yet again in their obsessive discussion of why Skeeter had acted so foolishly.

Harry, who had finished his lunch rather quickly, was waiting impatiently for Ron since he enjoyed savoring his food. At soon as he put the last bite in his mouth, Harry said "Shall we call it a day?"

Ron nodded and without further ado, they left their private parlour, stopped to pay Tom (not before putting on the Invisibility Cloak) and were out the door with hast. They stepped out outside and Apparated back home.

Harry went straight up stairs to his bedroom, slamming the door shut so loudly, he was quite surprised Kreacher hadn't come running in alarm. He kicked his desk, but all he achieved a stubbed toe. He seized his copy of Harry Potter: A Biography and threw it across the room. It rebounded against the wall and landed on the floor. Harry threw himself onto his enormous bed and fell within minutes.

Harry awoke the next day. His head was throbbing terribly and it took him a moment to remember his predicament was probably the source of it. He stood up, yawning and stretching and checked the time. It was four in the morning. Having no wish to try to fall asleep, Harry got dressed and proceeded down the stairs to the kitchen to find an owl waiting for him. He broke the seal. His heart leapt when he read it. It said:

Dear Harry,

I'm so happy to hear you're doing okay in London. Mum was pleased. I don't think she believed you when you said Kreacher was a whole lot better until I told what you said.

So you're starting training at the A.T.C on the 1st of September? That's great. I suppose the sooner you have jobs, the better it is. Mum wants you and Ron to come over to the Burrow to celebrate your birthday. I hope you can come.

I received a letter from Hermione. She seems to be okay. Did you hear from her? I think she and Ron are getting serious about each other from her letter. I was wondering when they would.

I can't wait to see you again. I want to see you right now but obviously, I can't. I've been missing you so much. Write to me soon.

All my love

Ginny

Harry sighed and re-read the letter five times before tucking it into his breast pocket. He whistled a merry tune as he dug some food from the pantry and tried to forget what had transpired the previous day. It was fortunate for him that Ginny's letter came as a distraction from his anger. He set his some corn flakes down on the table and munched on it. He sat alone wondering why on earth Rita Skeeter would take such a foolish risk.

He spent an entire two hours pondering about it until he heard a clatter of pots and pans that announced the arrival of Kreacher. He hastily explained he had breakfast and insisted he go upstairs to a very concerned Kreacher and hurried to the drawing room.

He drew out a quill and some parchment. He sucked on the end of the quill before dipping into the ink. He wrote:

Dear Hermione,

Before I'd written my previous letter, so many things had happened. Well, there's more. Ron and I went to get our A.T.C gear and while we were in Flourish and Blotts, I found out a biography was published about me! And just guess who the author is? That bitch, Rita Skeeter (Harry paused, then crossed out "bitch" and replaced it with "hag". He reckoned Hermione would disapprove of with his choice of words, however much Skeeter deserved it). Ron and I were so angry. It was on our supply list too! Imagine, me studying myself in class out of a textbook? What if the teacher asked funny questions? What do I do?

I know this letter seems thoroughly miserable but I truly AM feeling horrible. Just after Voldemort is gone and all THAT type of suffering is over, I now have to deal with the Wizarding World's interest in me. I bet everyone will believe those lies printed about me, like they did about Dumbledore.

I'm feeling really down. Thanks again for hooking me and Ginny up. I got a letter from her and it really brightened my day.

All the best,

Harry

He sealed the scroll and sent Pigwidgeon off to Australia. He plopped himself onto the sofa, staring into the empty fireplace when he heard the door bell ring. Harry did not respond to it at all. On the contrary, he took no awareness that someone had come to call until he heard a sharp rap on the door.

Startled, he got up and opened the door. To his immense surprise, Hermione, with Ron by her side, were standing in the doorway together. He saw that Ron was squeezing her hand and they both looked solemnly at each other.

Harry was so surprised, he froze up until Ron pushed back onto the sofa and Hermione seated herself in front of him. Ron hastily closed the door behind them.

"I got your owl," she said breathlessly "Pig came as soon as I Apparated here. I told you I'd be coming back from Australia. You could have waited." Harry still did not speak.

Hermione ignored his silence. "So Rita Skeeter has been illegally publishing stories about you now? Well, we'll see if we can put a stop to this," she said loftily. "I can't believe she was so careless about this. Did she expect Voldemort to take charge and stay in charge forever?"

"I don't understand it either," said Ron quickly "It was kinda stupid to do it when You-Know-Who died. No one, 'cept the Death Eaters hate Harry and let's face it; who cares what those morons think?"

Harry sighed. While they continued conversing about Rita, Harry remained silent through the duration it the discussion. He wished to be alone instead of repeating the conversation he had with Ron at the Leaky Cauldron, or at the very least, take some sort of action against Skeeter.

"So, how did Kreacher fix this place up anyway?" said Hermione, and Harry was grateful for the change in conversation "It looks like a mansion now."

Harry and Ron explained everything that had taken place. Ron filled Hermione in about Kreacher and how they were now officially enrolled Harry noticed Ron was careful not to mention the owl incident as he retold his anger to Hermione. When they finished she seemed satisfied.

"Well, I guess everything is in order now," said Hermione "My parents gave me a house in London, not far from here. It's called Number 24 Springfield Road." You can see the place sometime soon. It's fairly big and I like it a lot …"

They spent the rest of the evening together, and when they retired, Harry offered a room for Hermione to spend the night and together, he and Ron over-powered her protests about going home.

Harry did not feel much better about Harry Potter: A Biography but was optimistic that with Ron and Hermione's support, he would prevail in his war against Rita Skeeter. He thought of Ginny's letter and smiled to himself… his last thought of the day before he drifted to sleep...