CHAPTER 2

Three days had seemed like forever at first to Harry but August 22nd soon found itself to be the present. Harry was overjoyed that today was the day he would leave the Dursley's. Hopefully forever, he thought. Harry was in his bedroom, stuffing his trunk with unusual gusto, constantly looking at his watch to check the time. It was then he realized that he didn't know what time to expect anyone to arrive. Oh well, at least today was the day.
Aunt Petunia seemed to be rather more irritated today, remembering that Harry had requested that she cook a meal for his freakish (by Aunt Petunia's standards only) friends. Harry thought back to the time when Mr. Weasley had blown away half of the living room when he, Fred, George, and Ron had tried to travel by Floo Powder only to find the fireplace boarded up. He laughed out loud a bit and then shut his trunk, sitting on it to keep down it's almost overflowing contents. Once this was done, Harry swept Hedwig's cage clean deciding it would be better to do it now than to have it stink much worse later.
Harry went down the stairs, three at a time, and landed with a thud at the bottom. He then walked into the kitchen to check on Aunt Petunia's cooking. Upon entering, Harry could smell a delicious Swiss steak and Aunt Petunia was cutting the fixings for a potato salad. Uncle Vernon was nowhere in sight and Harry assumed that he had already left for work. Hopefully Harry would be picked up before Uncle Vernon returned home so that Harry could leave without any major damage. Dudley wasn't around either but, unlike his hope that Uncle Vernon wouldn't be home, Harry prayed that Dudley would be here so that everyone could have a good look at him. Then maybe everyone would understand his deep loathing for his two-ton cousin. Everyone, that is, besides three of the Weasley brothers. They had seen Dudley last year and knew exactly what Harry must be feeling.

There was a knock at the door at promptly five o'clock that evening and Harry practically leapt off of the couch, where he was watching television, and sprinted to the door, sliding the last five feet in his socks. He threw open the door and his face fell. It was only a salesman. Harry glared at him.
"What do you want?" he said rather rudely.

The salesman looked as though he were about to bust up in laughter but in the end managed to keep a straight face.

I was wondering," the salesman said in a rather feminine voice, "if a young man by the name of. oh what was it.. Harry Potter?. yes that's it. If Harry Potter resides here."

Harry was dumbfounded. He knew that voice, but he couldn't quite place it. If couldn't be.

"Tonks.? No. It couldn't be." Harry looked sadly at the salesman. But then the salesman gave a little nod and winked. Okay, thought Harry, there's a strange guy standing at my door winking at me. What do I do? Then, for only the briefest moment, the guy's hair turned pink. The same bubble-gum pink that Tonks had changed to at Harry's house a year ago. Harry's eyes widened and he smiled.
"I knew it! Hurry; come inside."
Tonks laughed out loud. She stepped inside but held Harry's arm to keep him from closing the front door. She leaned quite close to Harry.
"I got a few people under a cloak and I'm sure they'd appreciate it if you didn't shut the door on their faces." she whispered.
"Right." Harry whispered back. He waited a moment before Tonks let go of his arm and he shut the door. Aunt Petunia heard the door and walked into the entryway at the exact moment that the invisibility cloak had been removed. She took one frightened look and screamed. Tow people appearing out of nowhere seemed to have been a bit much for some one who was both not use to and abhorred magic in any sense.
Tonks looked at Aunt Petunia as if she were certifiably insane.
"Calm down, woman! Jeez, one would think that you would be use to something like this by now."
Harry turned to the others that had been hiding under the cloak. Mad- Eye Moody and Lupin were positively beaming at the sight of Aunt Petunia all frightened out of her wits. Tonks took the time to change herself back to normal (although she had turned her hair electric blue with green tips, something Aunt Petunia would very much disapprove of). Harry ushered the three into the living room while he left Aunt Petunia in the entryway still looking shocked. Everyone - minus Aunt petunia - sat on the couches in the room looking around at each other. Harry was so happy to finally be in touch with people of his own kind. It was Lupin who first spoke. "Harry! How have you been?"
"Been better since we had a little chat with your uncle?" Moody growled.
"Yeah, much" Harry replied. "I still would much rather live with. you guys."

Harry was about to say Sirius but had to correct himself, remembering that Sirius was dead. He took a few seconds to compose himself before speaking again.
"What of Voldemort? What's going on? You will tell me this time instead of leaving me in the dark, right? Because if you don't, I'll -"
"You'll what Potter?" Moody gave a bark-like laugh. "Against two Arors and a werewolf? You're kidding me." Harry raised an eyebrow with a you-know-what-I-meant look. "Well?" he blurted out. He couldn't stand it anymore. Sure he was ecstatic to see them all again but he really wanted to know. "We can't really tell you. At least not here." Lupin spoke. "You'll have to wait until we're back at Grimmauld Place." "Well the let's get a move on! I've been packed almost ever since I got the letter that you were coming." Harry stood, totally prepared to leave at that precise moment. But no one else moved. "What?" Harry asked. "You really want to stay here with my Aunt Petunia? If you're lucky, you may be in time to meet my Uncle Vernon again when he arrives home from work." "Heck, Harry, we just want to see your aunt squirm." Tonks thought a moment, "And I want her food." she added licking her lips. Harry thought about his aunt would react to Tonks constantly knocking things over and smiled. "Alright, I guess we could stay for dinner. I told Aunt Petunia to make it anyway in case you guys were hungry, I didn't expect to want to get on in such a hurry." "'S alright Potter. Just take us to the grub." Moody growled hungrily.

The four of them had stuffed themselves to the bursting with Aunt Petunia's cooking. It wasn't as good as Mrs. Weasley's cooking or the Hogwarts food but it surely wasn't anything to complain about. Harry had about all he could take. He was just dieing to get back to Grimmauld Place and see the others and, despite his full stomach, urged the others to pick up the pace and get a move on. There was a scraping of chairs and Lupin, Moody, and Tonks (who had knocked hers over and made Aunt Petunia cringe) finally stood and prepared to leave. "So how are we going back this time?" Harry asked excitedly. "Are we flying?" "Oh heavens no." Lupin replied after thanking Harry's aunt for the "delicious meal that he was not likely to soon forget". "We're taking a portkey this time around. I seem to remember most of you frozen to your brooms the last time you came that way. No, no. A portkey it is." After a hurried goodbye to his aunt and cousin, Harry retrieved his trunk and huddled in the living room around the old briefcase Tonks had used while decked out as a salesman. There was the familiar jerk somewhere behind the naval and Harry found himself swirling about just waiting to land right near Number 12 Grimmauld Place.

No sooner had Harry thought about this, he had landed and tripped over his trunk, landing in a crumpled heap beside Tonks. Moody and Lupin looked windswept and shaken but otherwise were still standing. The door of Number 12 grew into view and Harry found himself walking through its door once more. The sight of Sirius's old place gave Harry a small lump in his throat and his eyes burned slightly. Only when Hermione bounded down the stairs and clamped her arms around Harry's neck did he swallow his emotions and hug her back. "Oh Harry I'm so glad to see you!" She hugged him so tight that Harry thought for sure she was going to strangle him. "Hermione," he choked. "Hermione! If you're so glad I'm not dead or something then I suggest you let me go before you kill me!" "Oh! Right, sorry Harry." She let go and another figure burst into view. "Harry!" Ron greeted him, slapping Harry a high-five. "How the heck is my best mate?" "Doing great now that I'm back!" Harry answered happily at the sight of his two best friends.
Harry took the time to look around again. He noticed that the picture of Sirius's mother had been removed and the picture of Sirius and the Potters at their wedding was put in its place. The sight of his dead parents and the now dead Sirius smiling and waving at him stirred his emotions again. He quickly declared that he was hungry again even though he'd been stuffed only a short time ago at his home in Privet Drive. They all went in the kitchen where Harry was accosted by Mrs. Weasley and folded into the second tight hug since his arrival. Ginny greeted him as well but not so physically.
"Hey Harry. Long time no see." Ginny smiled and waved for him to sit down at the table next to her. Harry took the seat and was joined by Ron and Hermione. Mrs. Weasley had sat down at the table and brought with her more food. Better food. Harry stuffed himself for the second time that night. The Weasleys, Lupin, and Moody, later joined by Mr. Weasley, all talked late into the night and finally ended when Hermione fell asleep where she was sitting and was knocked off her chair but Tonks who was standing to help clear the table. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny trudged up the stair and separated on the landing to go to their rooms. Harry was sharing a room with Ron again. The lights had been turned off and Harry and Ron climbed into their beds.
"Harry," Ron whispered.
"Yeah?"
"I'm glad you're back, mate."
"Me too Ron. Me too."
And with that, Harry fell immediately asleep, having been so full of all the good food.

"YOU ALL BETTER BE DOWN HERE IN THE NEXT FIVE MINUTES OR WE'RE LEAVING WITHOUT YOU!" Mrs. Weasley bellowed up the stairs. The vacation was good while it lasted but the few weeks that Harry had spent at Grimmauld Place flew by so quickly that September 1st was already upon them all. He and Ron were hurriedly packing all of their clothes into their trunks quite haphazardly and ran down the stairs, tripping over themselves, their trunks, and each other, landing in a tangled mess at the bottom of the staircase. Hermione's trunk floated down the stairs and landed neatly next to the two boys and their trunks. She stepped over the two, followed by Ginny and smiled sweetly at the two before going through the door, trunks in pursuit.
"Girls," Ron muttered. "Always trying to do things better than us guys can." He picked himself up brushed his clothes, and offered a hand to Harry.
"Yeah," Harry agreed rubbing his backside. "Kind of annoying isn't it?"
"Boys!" Mrs. Weasley barked. "Get out to the car or we'll be late!" After she left Harry turned to Ron.
"It's weird hearing your mum tell us to get in a car. Never thought she'd ever be comfortable with the idea."
"You and me both Harry."

The train ride to Hogwarts was uneventful as in past train rides and Harry was antsy, just waiting to get back to his fellow Gryffindors. Not only could he not wait to meat the rest of his friends, Harry wanted the feast most of all. He had a pleasant chat with Ginny, Neville, and Dean while Ron and Hermione went to attend to their prefect duties.

* I realize that the end of this chapter is really stupid and boring, not to mention not as long as the other chapters are going to be but what can I say, I was anxious to get on with the story and I think you all were too!