Chapter 2:

"What?! There's got to be a mistake!" Ron cried.

"No. There's a letter." Harry said and, his eyes fixed forward handed it to Ron. Ron read it, his eyes becoming larger as he read.

Mr Potter,

Congratulations Mr Potter you have been given the position of head boy. The school board and I have conferred and have decided that you would be the most suitable for the choice. Although you have not been a Prefect we have decided to bend that rule in your case. If you forfeit this role the position will go to Ronald Weasley.

Sincerely

Professor Mcgonagall

"Hey that's great you can give it to me!"

"I don't want to though."

"What do you mean you don't want to?" Ron snapped.

"I mean I don't want to as in I'm not going to give it to you."

"What?"

"I'm sorry Ron, I got it I think I can choose whether I can keep it or not."

"But I'm your best mate."

"That's why you should let me do this." At this Ron looked at Harry with pure rage.

"You know why they gave it to you?" He said as he left the room, "Because you're Harry Potter!" He spat and slammed the door. Harry just looked at his shoes.

"Well I guess we'll be sharing a common room." Hermione said, breaking the silence.

"You're not mad?"

"Of course not why would I be?"

"I dunno you might've thought I was being selfish." Harry said sheepishly.

"No… I mean it's only natural…Head boy is a big honor but I just want to know… why do you want it?"

"I guess I want to be remembered for being something other than "The chosen one" or "The boy who lived"."

"Yeah that's understandable but won't you be busy with the…you know."

"I don't know…" They slipped into a comfortable silence which was broken only by Ginny returning to her room.

AVADAKEDAVRA!

Harry's eyes snapped open. He breathed a sigh of relief when he realized it was just a dream. After picking up his glasses he rolled over to look at the clock. It was four in the morning. His throat was parched so he went downstairs to get some water. Slowly he got up from his bed, crossed the room and quietly, as to not wake Ron who was snoring in the bed next to his, closed the door. He crept down the stairs and into the kitchen. Rubbing sleep from his eyes he grabbed a glass and proceeded to fill it with water. He turned and fumbled through the dark for a light. He hadn't even done anything but a light suddenly turned on.

"Oh. It's you Harry." Harry whipped around in surprise but relaxed when he saw Hermione sitting on the couch with her wand in her hand rubbing sleep from her eyes.

"Oh Hermione you scared me." Then he saw her eyes. They were puffy and red, as if she had been crying. "Hermione are you alright?" He asked and dropped on his knees to her level.

"Yeah…I'm ok." She said, rubbing her eyes with a sleeve, gave a small smile that didn't quite reach her eyes and stared at the ground.

Harry lifted her chin and looked her in the eyes. "Tell the truth."

"I-I"

"Morning kids up early today?" Mr Weasley called out as he climbed down the stairs yawning and stretching.

"I have to go." Hermione sniffed and hurriedly scurried up the stairs mumbling a short "good morning" to Mr Weasley.

Harry moaned and held his head in his hands. What am I going to do? A loud yawn from Mr Weasley brought him back to earth. Deciding not to go back to bed he joined Mr Weasley for breakfast, in which most of the conversation was spent explaining how toasters worked. After saying goodbye to Mr Weasley Harry had the whole bottom floor to himself while the rest of the occupants of the house were asleep. After some hunting around the living room he found a quidditch magazine with "Ron Weasley" scribbled all over the inside cover. He removed the biscuit crumbs from the pages, lay down on the couch, and began to read.

"Harry…Harry…HARRY!"

"Ron don't hit him!"

"What was I supposed to do gently shake him awake?"

"Yes!"

"It's alright guys I'm awake." Harry pushed the quidditch magazine he was reading off his chest and rubbed his head. "Ow. My head." He glanced at Ron who quickly hid a large text book behind his back and whistled innocently.

"Sorry we woke you. It's just we were about to have breakfast. Are you hungry?" Hermione asked.

"No thanks. I already ate. I think I'll go change."

"Alright mate. See you in a bit." Ron said. As Harry walked away he thought he caught Ron glaring at him. I hope he's still not mad at me. But… judging at how hard he hit me I guess he is.

Harry returned to his and Ron's room and pulled on a dark blue t-shirt. He hunted around for a pair of jeans an, after tossing many things to the side found one that was clean. Man I need to do my washing. It was still baggy so he put on a shrinking charm, eternally glad he was able to do magic outside of school but also praying the charm would not wear off. After finding two matching socks and pulling on a pair of sneakers he quickly combed his hair and left the room with it sticking out everywhere as if he had done nothing. By the time he had finished breakfast was over.

The rest of the day was quite uneventful. Hermione acted like nothing had happened and Ron continued to glare at him all day. When Ron gave some suggestive looks to Hermione Harry made an excuse to disappear to Fred and Gorge's empty room where he finished up a potions essay. So when Harry went to bed he was pretty exhausted and glad to finally release the pressure on him. He soon settled into an uneasy sleep.

Harry woke to the smell of burnt cooking. It was oddly warm and he was sticking to his sheets. It was two in the morning. He crept from his bed and glanced outside. Something was not right. He stood at the top of the stairs and his jaw dropped open. Bright orange flames were licking the stairs and were covering the kitchen below. Luckily the fire department had visited his school when he was eight so he knew what to do. Just had to be in a house with no fire alarm or nothing. He ran into Ron and his room and violently shoved Ron.

"Ron! Wake up! There's a fire!"

"Butidontwanna…Fire?!" He immediately got up. They both shrunk their trunks and pocketed them. Harry was finished first so he ran through the rest of the house shouting "FIRE! FIRE!" soon several heads popped out the doors.

"Come on guys! Get down low and go! Go! Go!"

"…" Obviously they needed more explanation.

"Crawl on your stomach!" So they all immediately dropped down and followed Harry along the ground, a thick layer of smoke just above their heads. Just as they reached the stairs a loud crash was heard as the stairs collapsed. Someone behind Harry screamed.

"It's alright! We'll just have to go out the window!" Harry shouted over the roaring flames. They continued and crawled into Ron's room. Harry pulled his wand out of his pocket and shouted "Abeo!" The glass of the window instantly vanished. He conjured a thick rope and, after about a minute, had tied it to the ledge. "I'll go down first to see if it's safe!" Harry grabbed hold of the rope and expertly slid down.

He touched the ground lightly. "You can come down now!" He watched and counted as Ginny, Fred, George, Ron, Bill, Fleur and Mrs Weasley slid down (Mrs Weasley kind of plonked down though.) After a quick count Harry realized someone was missing. He pulled Ron to the side.

"Ron your Dad's missing."

"Oh he still hasn't come home from work. Now have you seen Hermione?" He asked airily.

"Hermione." Harry quickly looked over the garden area. Fred, George, Bill and Fleur were attempting to put out the fire, with little success, and Molly was comforting Ginny, but there was no sight of the familiar brown hair he knew and loved. "She's not here we have to go back!" He cried, running back to the rope. He stopped when he realized Ron wasn't following him. "Ron aren't you coming?"

"I don't know Harry isn't that kinda dangerous?"

"Of course it is! But Hermione's in there!"

"I'm sure she's just getting some books…or something."

By this time Harry was already half way up the rope. "Fine stay here. Some boyfriend you are. Heck, some PERSON you are. I'm sure you wouldn't care if she was dead right now."

"Harry-" But by then Harry had already stepped onto the ledge, pulled up his shirt and gone in.

Flames licked at his feet, ash fell in his hair and smoke stung his eyes, but he didn't care. All he cared about was finding Hermione. "Hermione!" He called with no reply. He reached Ginny's room which was where Hermione was sleeping. He went for the doorknob but pulled his hand away when it burned it. He kicked at the door with all his strength. The door buckled and after three more it finally gave way revealing the room almost totally consumed by flames. He wiped the tears forming in his eyes. There! An unconscious form was lying on the bed closest to the window.

He ran over to her, jumping over the debris that was lying everywhere. She lay there, completely still. Harry took he in his arms, thankful she was so light. Just as he turned to the door the doorframe collapsed, blocking the exit. Burning embers flew everywhere, and in his eyes. Momentarily blinded, he staggered back until he felt the cool glass press against his cheek. With some difficulty he pulled out his wand, and as he had before, made the glass disappear.

The flames were getting closer and he knew he wouldn't have enough time to attach a rope to the ledge so he enlarged a mushroom down below. It stopped growing about two meters below the ledge. Harry took a deep breath and jumped.

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Laura 3