Chapter 3

"Those ruddy friends of yours are coming whenever they feel like it?" bellowed Uncle Vernon, his face tomato red. Harry had just told him what Ron had written him about, and Vernon Dursley was not taking it very well.

"Uncle Vernon, they just don't kn-"

"Sounds just like them, the rude people they are!" said Uncle Vernon, disregarding Harry. He continued to read his newspaper, his voluminous mustache twitching, while mumbling to himself. The words "rude" and "whenever they feel like it" could be distinctly heard.

Harry wanted to yell at his uncle for being so ignorant, but decided against it. Instead he went up to his room to pack the rest of his belongings. He secretly hoped that the Weasleys would come in the middle of the night so the Dursleys wouldn't blow up. Aunt Petunia hadn't particularly enjoyed the last time the Weasley came to pick up Harry, and Harry doubted she would be any better this time around.

Harry's aunt hadn't been too horrible this summer, now that he thought about it. Aunt Petunia had never struck him as a terribly compassionate person, (except when she was coddling her elephant of a son, Dudley), but she kept giving him strange, almost… maternal looks every now and again. It was unnerving, as if everything wasn't where it should be.

Hedwig was sleeping with her head under her wing, but awakened immediately after Harry entered the room. "Hey, Hedwig," Harry said to the owl. To the left of Hedwig was Harry's trunk. He threw the rest of his schoolbooks into it, loathing the task as he did it. McGonagall was crazy to think that he was actually going to return to Hogwarts. What if the letter was a forgery? Harry dug through his trunk and examined the letter. The signature looked legit, but there was no way of knowing with magic. Harry abandoned the thought of forgery when he remembered the owl that had delivered the letter. Professor McGonagall had used that owl numerous times to send letters to him in the past. He tossed the letter back into his trunk and locked it.

The doorbell rang just as Harry closed the trunk. He heard Uncle Vernon grunt and answer the call. He jumped when he recognized the matronly voice at the door.

"Mr. Dursley, I can assure you that Harry will be perfectly safe with us," said the voice of Mrs. Weasley from the downstairs hall.

Uncle Vernon made a grunting noise that indicated that he didn't care, (which Harry reminded himself, he probably didn't). "The boy's just up there," he said shortly.

"Ron, go help Harry with his things. I'm going to talk with Harry's aunt and uncle for a moment," said the voice of Mr. Weasley.

Harry quickly started down the hallway. He didn't want to have to spend any more time at the Dursley's than he needed to.

"Hiya, Harry," said a voice in front of him.

Looking at Ron, Harry could tell that the Weasleys had indeed not blown in through the chimney like they had three years ago. He was completely soot-free. "You passed your Apparition test then?" Harry asked grinning.

"Yup," said Ron, barely able to suppress a smile as well. "Nearly missed the mark and blew it like Charlie did his first time around, but it went well. Hermione was horrible, not at the test, mind you, she was great at that, but she kept nagging the whole week before about how I should be reading up on Apparating like she was and…"

Harry interrupted Ron with a laugh. "Is she with you?" he asked, walking back down the hall and opening his bedroom door.

"No, we've been in contact by letter like she has with you," said Ron simply. "Then I saw her when I went to go take my test. We're going to go get her after we finish here. By car though, since you can't Apparate yet."

Harry placed Hedwig on top of his trunk, and then he and Ron took either end and carried it downstairs. They placed it in front of the door, where Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were waiting.

"Got everything, dear?" Mrs. Weasley asked kindly. Although she still was her same motherly self, something seemed to be worrying her at the moment.

"Yeah," said Harry. "Yeah, I've got everything." He looked back at his aunt and uncle. "Good-bye, I guess," he said to them. Aunt Petunia's face softened a little. But in a second's time she returned to being the woman Harry had known for sixteen years.

"Go on then," she snapped. She looked at Mrs. Weasley. "He won't be back, will he?"

Mrs. Weasley looked shocked at being addressed like this. "No, I doubt he will," she replied coolly. "Come along, then, Harry."