Harry and Dudley started to take runs in the mornings on the weekends when they weren't meeting with Sergeant Fire. Their schedule worked out that they would be at PT Fitness (dubbed by Harry and Dudley as Pain and Terror Fitness) Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. This meant they had Wednesday and Friday as recovery days, but needed to get some sort of exercise in (according to their plan of improvement) on Saturday and Sunday. Harry and Dudley chose an easy run around the neighborhood, usually followed by a short walk to the community pool to cool off in the summer heat. This became a ritual every weekend of their summer.

Harry found the program was helping him to forget, and to prepare for whatever was looming over his head that summer. All three letters had been returned with no information about what was happening, but full of advice about not worrying. Ron's had been the most stress relieving of the responses, but he'd mostly just tried distracting Harry by talking about the Weasley family and Quidditch anecdotes. Sirius' reply had been more forthcoming about the situation even with a lack of information.

"No news as of yet. Mysterious disappearances, but the Ministry is being stubborn. Think it might have to do with re-election this fall; Fudge doesn't want to be the Minister that let Voldemort come back. Please just be safe and don't do anything foolish. Love, Sirius."

All of this Harry had gleamed from the Daily Prophet. Ginny sent him a Quibbler at one point and this seemed to have more interesting theories on going-on in the wizarding world, but Harry doubted most of it was founded in any truth. It did, like Ron's letter, keep his mind off of the mess and the note included explained its origins,

"This is my friend Luna's family paper. It's basically rubbish as far as the weird stories, but the way that the Daily Prophet is handling all this, it's probably helpful to read any and all pieces of information. Love, Ginny."

Harry shook his head as he finished looking through the Quibbler and put it on his desk with the stack of Daily Prophets. What was he going to do this year? It had become tradition that he'd face a new trial against Voldemort, making him wondered what that would mean this time.

Harry sighed and looked out the window into the early evening dusk. An owl was flying towards him carrying a package. He glanced at the clock next to his bed. It was only two hours until his fifteenth birthday. Harry sighed and opened his window for the owl, smiling as Hedwig dropped inside hooting happily. He ran his hand over her head affectionately, and took the package from her leg as Pig and another owl flew in last. Each had a package and a letter attached to it. Harry smiled at the gifts. Before his eleventh birthday, he had not looked forward to birthdays and now, his life included a great deal of people who thought of him on this day. Harry was glad that he had them to make it more than just another disappointing day in a line of disappointing days at the Dursley's house.

First, he opened the package from Hermione that Hedwig had brought in. As he pulled the small box open he was surprised at the material inside. An official British Quidditch Team Jersey, with Potter on the back unfolded as he pulled it out of the box. He smiled brightly and laid the jersey out on his bed. He opened the letter that came with it and read Hermione's neat handwriting.

"Dear Harry,

Happy Birthday! I hope your summer is going well, and that you're doing okay. Are you still having nightmares? I hope the Dursley's aren't treating you too badly. I'm glad that the working out has gotten better and that you're enjoying it. I've started to run regularly, as well. I've also been studying some of the advanced potions and spells that I want to teach you. I hope that you're being safe and we'll be seeing you soon, I'm sure. I have your gift still and I hope that you like yours a bit more than Ron seemed to like his. (He was a bit of a git about it.) Miss you.

Love, Hermione"

Harry folded the letter and put it with the jersey on the bed. How come Hermione was with Ron? Why wasn't he with them?

Pig was fluttering about the room with his small package still attached to his leg and Harry remembered he had more presents. He was able to catch the small owl long enough to disentangle the package. He pulled the brown paper off to reveal a new pair of Quidditch gloves. They were soft leather and seemed fairly nice considering the Weasley's financial situation. He felt bad as he fingered the new gloves and grabbed the accompanying letter.

"Harry,

Hermione and I thought you'd like these since you're old ones were getting ragged. So technically, they're from the both of us, but I found the kind you like and picked them out, so they're more from me. Mum, Dad and everyone say "hi" and Ginny is going to send you more Quibblers since that's (unfortunately) the only good information that's getting out right now with the Ministry so afraid to say what's actually going on. We're getting pretty bored here, so hopefully you'll be joining us soon.

Ron"

Again, Harry felt oddly jealous that Ron and Hermione were spending time together without him. He wished he could be with them wherever they were. It didn't sound like they were at the Burrow. The last bird was quite larger than Hedwig and actually had two packages attached to its legs. One was from Mrs. Weasley and included some brownies and Ginny had packed two more Quibblers. The other was from Sirius and contained only a business card for a Quality Quidditch Supplies. Harry frowned and pulled the note out; only one short sentence was scrawled on the paper:

"When you go to Diagon Alley for your supplies stop in and ask the owner for whatever you like." Harry read and reread the letters and stared at the card. There were too many things that were being left unsaid by the people he loved and trusted. Harry put his presents on his bed and stared at them. He should have been happy, but instead the entire summer was making him angry. He finally just put it all away in his trunk and changed into his running clothes. He was just exiting his room when Dudley was coming up the stairs.

"Going for a run?" Dudley asked curiously. Harry nodded curtly. "Can I come?"

Harry almost said that he needed to be alone, but being alone was what was making him so angry. He nodded and Dudley rushed to get changed. Harry was just tying his trainers in the entry when Dudley came down the stairs.

"Mum, Harry and I are going for a run. Be back soon," Dudley yelled towards the living room, and the two teens stepped outside onto the nearly dark street without waiting for her reply. They walked to the corner, not speaking, and then both started to jog at the same time. Harry enjoyed the running more than a lot of the training. He was getting better and stronger. Aunt Petunia had even started to cook an occasional normal meal, now that Dudley had dropped the required amount of weight. Harry let out a huge breathe, letting his body relax as they rounded another block, and night had settled around them. The street lights were turning on along the street.

"Feels good to be running now. Better than two months ago…" Dudley said as he huffed a little. Harry realized he'd been increasing his speed regularly until they were running all out, because he'd been distracted. He slowed down to a more comfortable pace. They'd reached the park they normally ran through and started on the gravel path at a more leisurely run speed. "Sarge should be pretty happy with us by the end of the summer."

Harry stopped abruptly as the air grew dramatically colder. Dudley stopped as well and looked around him.

"What's going on? Why'd it get so dark all of a sudden?" Dudley asked and Harry noticed it had grown noticeably darker than the normal night sky. Harry's stomach fell and he knew why he recognized these feelings.

"Dudley! Quick!" Harry grabbed his cousin and they started sprinting back through the park, but Harry stopped dead as a Dementor floated down in front of them. Harry turned to run the other direction, but more were descending that way as well. Dudley whimpered, but he had stopped frozen in place and was looking around wildly.

"Dudley!" Harry yelled, but the first Dementor was floating towards his cousin. Dudley was slowing loosing color in his skin and he crumbled to the ground. Harry scrambled to pull his wand out of his shorts band as his mother's screaming started in his head. He managed to tug it loose just as the Dementor leaned in towards Dudley's face.

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" Harry yelled trying hard to think of his friends and seeing Hogwarts. His stag burst from the end of his wand and Harry pointed to the Dementor near Dudley, "Get it!"
The silvery stage stampeded towards the Dementor piercing it with his antler. The Dementor made a horrible wailing noise flying into the air. The stag turned, charging toward the ones that had blocked their path across the park and Harry ran to Dudley. The Dementors flew into the sky and disappeared. Instantly, the stag disappeared as well and the night sky lit up again. Harry kneeled over Dudley, who was shivering and looking ash gray. Harry looked up as the sound of shuffling feet across pavement came from the edge of the park. Harry blinked at Mrs. Figg, in her faded bathrobe and slippers, ringing her hands nervously.

"Keep the wand out boy! I'll be no help if they come back. I'm going to kill Mundungus Fletcher."

She leaned over Dudley and clucked her tongue. She glanced around nervously, wrung her hands over and over mumbling to herself.

"Get him up and keep your wand out, we have to get back."

Harry hauled Dudley up and put his cousin's arm around his shoulders. Dudley had lost weight over the summer and Harry had gotten stronger, but Harry still struggled to move his cousin and hold his wand up. They shuffled along the road back towards Privet Drive.

"Dumbledore is going to kill us… Oh, I am going to beat Mundungus about the head, over and over for leaving me here. He knows I can't do magic… and now, this is exactly what Dumbledore didn't want to happen!" Mrs. Figg muttered to herself, continuously.

"How do you… what's going on? Are you a witch?" Harry asked her, as he struggled to keep Dudley upright.

"I'm a squib. Which Mundugus well knows," Mrs. Figg continued to grumble her eyes wild and her curlers falling down her hair. "Dumbledore told me to keep an eye on you, but I was just supposed to be a backup. Mundungus was supposed to be the one tailing you for actual trouble. Stupid man, stupid, worthless wizard."

Harry stopped listening to her and concentrated on keeping Dudley up and moving. He sighed in relief as they shuffled onto Privet Drive and Mrs. Figg looked around the street narrowing her gaze and holding her purse close to her body. They made it to the Dursley's stoop, and Mrs. Figg's mumbled something about getting in contact with someone and then disappeared down the street.