Chapter 4
"Up! Up, up, up; Harry, dear, you need to get up, your friend is waiting downstairs!" Harry shot up straight at the sound of Petunia's voice. Friend, what friend? Harry rushed around to get her blue jeans and a plain, light blue shirt on before pounding down the stairs. "Harry!" She was clobbered in a hug by none other than Hermione, who was soon joined by Ron. Harry pulled back, grinning from ear to ear, "Guys, what are you two doing here?"
Ron spoke up, "Well, we were wondering if you wanted to spend the last week or two with us in the Burrow," he looks at Petunia and Vernon, If it's alright with your Aunt and Uncle, of course. Vernon opens his mouth, frowning, but Petunia beats him to the punch, "Of course she can dear! Harry, why don't you go and pack your things with Dudley?" Harry leapt into her aunt's arms, "Thanks, Aunt Petunia!" And with that, she promptly bounded up the stairs, ran into her bedroom, and started to pack her clothes and various other magical items.
At the Burrow:
Knock, knock, knock came the sound of the door being… pounded to say the least. Although it was close to her birthday, Harry and Hermione couldn't apparate legally yet, so they had to go with Ron, who had just turned 18 and taken his apparation test—though the legal age for the apparation test was 17. Mrs. Weasley could be heard on the other side of the door, "Ginny Weasley, I'll have you know that just because your brother owns the shop does not mean—"she opened the door and beamed at Harry. "Hello dear, how are you? Feeling alright? Well fed?" She turned back to Ginny," –that you can go around flaunting that you 'practically own Diagon Alley'. The shop owners are starting to come back you know!" Turning back to Harry she said, "You can share a room with Ginny and Hermione, if that's alright, my dear?" Harry couldn't help it; she started to laugh, and was soon followed by Ron, Ginny, and—eventually—Mrs. Weasley. "That would be perfect, Mrs. Weasley. Ronald, lead the way." She theatrically marched toward Ginny's room, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny struggling to keep up with her stride, and wacky personality.
The rest of the day was spent talking, laughing, and visiting with the Weasleys until it was time to go to bed. Harry, for whatever reason could not go to sleep…at all. She lay, tossing and turning in her bed, it was close to midnight—there was about a half-hour left—when she decided that if she couldn't go to sleep, she might as well go for a walk. The air was cool, for a summer night, and the stars were out. Harry, though most didn't know it, excelled in astronomy. It was, after DADA, her favorite subject at Hogwarts. She would miss the class next year, when they all had to go find their own jobs. Harry's dreams of becoming an Auror were quite strong, though she wouldn't mind starting with a smaller job, or even keeping that one for the rest of her life. She wasn't exactly going to be complaining about what type of job she got. She sat down in the long stretch of trimmed grass about 100 meters from the Burrow.
She missed Sirius, Moony, Mad-eye, Tonks, and all the others. Sirius would laugh at her dreams and expectations, and then very seriously say that she would not need a job, seeing as she would be staying with her forever, now. Padfoot would probably reprimand him, for saying that and then say that she could be whatever she wanted. Then Mad-eye would explain to her the dangers and pros and cons of being an Auror. Sometimes, she almost wished she were with them, but then reminded herself that she had so much to live for. She could never leave Hermione, Ron, the Weasleys, and all of her other friends behind. They had lost people in the war, but they had gained so much more than they lost.
Sighing at the stars one more time, she heard a sickening crack, a young girl screaming, and then she blacked out. Right before the stars faded from her view, she vaguely remembered that sounded just like me.
