I just deleted the author's note because now I see no point in it. So now the chapter numbers won't be confusing. Here's chapter 4!

Disclaimer: Harry's not mine.

Chapter 4: Precautions

"Harry, it doesn't make sense. Why would Voldemort read your mind then leave? Why didn't he just kill you?" Remus questioned.

After the Dark Lord disappeared, Harry and Hermione had rushed back to Headquarters and told Remus and Tonks what had happened. The four now sat at the kitchen table, discussing the matter.

"Remus", Tonks said, "You're making Voldemort's obsession of killing Harry awfully casual."

"Sorry", he said looking at Harry, "Harry, I didn't mean it like that."

"I know Remus. I'm as clueless about this as you are." Harry exclaimed. "It is a bit odd for Voldemort to spare me, his ultimate enemy. I would have thought he would have ripped me to shreds the next time he saw me."

Harry felt Hermione slip her hand into his under the table and clutch it fiercely. He glanced over and noticed her eyes beautiful eyes were still red. The raven haired boy squeezed her hand back in reassurance. She met his gaze and smiled.

"The Order must know about this, but we need to make sure that you two are protected. We must take precautions for your safety." Remus stated.

"What kind of precautions?" Harry asked.

"Since Voldemort found you, he will assume that your hiding place is nearby. This house isn't safe anymore. You and Hermione must be relocated to a safer place."

"Hogwarts?" Tonks asked.

"Yes, it is still the safest place in the world. The Order will probably meet there from now on as well."

"Are any teachers going to be there?"

"Yes. Hagrid, of course, McGonagall, Flitwick, Sprout, and, also, different Order members will be there from time to time."

"Ok." Harry said.

"You two need to leave quickly. We'll send your things, while you floo to Hogwarts." Remus exclaimed.

H & H

When Harry and Hermione exited through the floo fireplace, they were greeted by Professor McGonagall. The new Headmistress smiled upon seeing the two. "Mr. Potter, Miss Granger, it is a pleasure to see you two again. Your things have already been sent ahead of you and are in Gryffindor Tower."

"Thank you, Professor. It's a pleasure to see you two." Hermione said, cheerfully.

They started to leave before McGonagall spoke again. "Do not forget that the rules are still in effect, though, Mr. Potter, the Ministry has, for your safety, uplifted the law for underage wizardry for you."

"We won't forget, Professor and thank you." Harry waved before he and Hermione left the Head's office.

The young wizard and witch walked silently together through the corridors of Hogwarts. Harry noticed that the school had a completely different atmosphere during the summer. With the absence of students and the usual business, the castle seemed empty. It wasn't creepy or anything and it wasn't one of those "a part of me is missing" kind of things. It was just different, a good different. Harry was glad no one was there to ask him and Hermione about their summers yet.

They reached Gryffindor Tower and approached the picture of the Fat lady. She was currently having tea with other painting characters, none of which Harry knew. When the Fat Lady saw them, she squealed, "Mr. Potter! Miss Granger! How marvelous it is to see you again! You've caught me in the middle of my weekly tea, but no matter." She gestured to her guests. "These are some of my friends visiting from Beauxbatons"

She introduced one very small woman, around her forties, as Madam LaBu and an older gentleman as Sir John Claude. "Zis is a very fine establishment, zough it doesn't 'ave quite as much class as Beauxbatons." John Claude stated.

Madam LaBu looked at the two teenagers and said, "You two children look very pale. It is as if you 'ave seen your death of somezing. Go into ze tower and rest, young ones."

"Of yes, I forgot!" The Fat Lady exclaimed. "Password?"

Harry didn't recoil anyone giving him the new password.

"Swish and flick." Hermione stated.

"Correct!" The Fat Lady opened the portrait hole and Hermione climbed in, with a stunned Harry following her.

"How did you know what the new password was Hermione?" Harry asked once they entered the common room.

"I don't know the new password", Hermione answered, grinning; "I just assumed that they don't change passwords during the summer and gave our last password. And, of course, I assumed correctly."

Harry smiled. "You always do."

Hermione pranced over to the couch by the fireplace and pulled a thick leather bound book from her backpack. She sat gracefully on the cushions and began to skim the pages. Harry landed beside her and placed his feet on the coffee table in front of him. Glancing over to see the novel's title, he read Advanced Transfiguration for Masters. "Hermione Jane Granger", he tried to make his voice sound comedic, yet commanding, "I know that is not homework you are doing, young lady?"

"Oh but it is, Harry James Potter", she smiled without taking her eyes off of the book.

Using his expert Seeker reflexes, Harry swiped the novel right under her nose and jumped from the couch. Hermione gasped and stood up, holding out her hand. "Harry, give me that!"

"You'll have to come get it!" He held it over her head and stepped away from her.

"That's not funny, Harry. Now give it back." She tried desperately not to let a grin appear on her face.

He still held the book high and teased, "Is that a smile trying to emerge on the face of Little Miss Serious?"

"That does it, Potter!"

Hermione chased her raven haired friend around the common room, but the boy was always one step ahead of her. He chuckled at her continuous failed attempts to retrieve the book. "Come on, Hermione! You can do better than that!"

Suddenly Hermione stopped, making Harry stop as well. She put her head to her forehead and mumbled, "What am I doing?"

The brunette pulled out her wand from her robe and cast, "Accio book!"

The book immediately began to tug from Harry's clutches, but he refused to let release it. The book itself was slowly flying in Hermione's direction with the Potter boy still holding on. Harry soon lost his balance and his lower frame scooted across the floor as his hands still grasped the novel. Through gritted teeth, he exclaimed, "Not fair, Hermione."

The book finally landed in Hermione's arms and Harry fell to the floor in defeat. "You said I can do better than that", Hermione giggled at Harry's tired form, "While you used your physical strength, I used my own strength."

She glided back over to the couch, sat down, and continued to read. Harry crawled from the floor and settled beside her again. "Hermione", he asked breathlessly, "Do you do your homework first thing during the summer?"

"Usually yes." She still stared into the book.

"What do you do for the rest of the summer?"

"If I have nothing going on, I read the majority of the time. Most of the summer, though, I'm either with my parents on a trip somewhere or with you and Ron."

"Well, how about we just take a break tonight, it's been a long day and it's almost time for dinner. We'll start homework first thing tomorrow. Ok?"

Hermione looked at Harry for a minute before closing her book. "Did you just agree to do homework?"

"Well, if we get it out of the way now, we won't have to worry about it later, which gives us more time for fun things."

"You don't think homework is fun?"

"Not one bit." Harry said while shaking his head.

"For a second there, I thought my study habits had actually rubbed off on you."

"Sorry Hermione. I'm a hopeless case." He stretched and yawned deeply.

"Sleepy, young man?" Hermione teased as she put the book back into her backpack.

"A little bit."

"Why don't you go up to your dormitory and sleep before dinner?"

"Can't", Harry closed his eyes, "Too tired. You could carry me up there."

"Can't. Too tired." Hermione answered mockingly.

Harry chuckled lightly as he started to drift to sleep. Despite the day's horrible events, Harry's dreams were not entirely bad.

He was walking in a quidditch field alone and enjoying the peace and quiet. A breeze brushed his dark locks out of his eyes as he stopped center field and gazed at the goal hoops.

Suddenly Harry felt another presence floating in the atmosphere and looked down his right side to see a young boy clutching a broomstick. He wore casual black robes with two red stripes on the sleeves and the bottom and bared a striking resemblance to Harry. In fact, this young lad was a perfect replica to what Harry remembered his appearance was in his first year at Hogwarts. The boy wiped his hair out of his eyes, just as Harry did, and said, with a bright smile, "I made the team. I'm the Seeker." He showed Harry the word "Seeker" on the front right corner of his robe in white font.

Because of the lack of any other soul in the stadium, Harry assumed that the boy was talking to him. He crouched down to the boy's height level and said, "That's great!"

"I'm really good", the boy said, "But I was wondering if you could watch me fly and see if there's anything I need to improve on?"

"Sure." Harry watched as the boy quickly took off from the ground. Harry noticed on the back of the boy's robes, in big white lettering was the word "POTTER". It was at that moment that Harry realized that this was a dream. Most of the time when people dreamed, they thought it was real until they woke up or something impossible happens that lets them know it's a dream. This was one of those things. 'This boy must be a younger version of me', Harry thought, "Perhaps this dream is giving me a chance to be a mentor of some sort. I guess my imagination couldn't create a kid so they had to take one from my memory. Oh well."

The younger Harry soared through the air with perfect grace. Harry was impressed; he didn't remember himself being that good at that age. The young boy landed and trotted towards Harry. "How was that?" the boy asked.

"Brilliant!" Harry responded.

"Great! We'll crush the Thestrals for sure!"

That sentence didn't make any sense to Harry. "What?"

"The Thestrals. Our rivals."

"Rivals?"

"Yes, rivals. The Hippogriffs and the Thestrals have been rival Junior Quidditch League teams since the League was formed five years ago."

"The Junior League?" Harry was getting confused. He had never heard of a Junior Quidditch League. Surely he would have heard of it from Ron or one of the Weasley twins.

"Don't you remember? All wizard children in Britain who are not yet old enough to attend Hogwarts can play quidditch on teams around their area with other kids and compete against the other teams." The boy explained in a matter of fact tone. "You and Uncle Ron were the ones who presented the idea to the Ministry in the first place, Dad."

"Dad?" Harry was stunned.

As if on cue, Harry's dream began to blur and the last thing he remembered before waking up is looking into the young Seeker's eyes and seeing a familiar chocolate brown pigment shining back at him.

Harry's eyes shot open. He was back in the common room, but instead being in the upright position that he had fallen into his slumber in, he was lying down with a soft red blanket draped over his slender frame. He noticed that the warm pillow his head rested upon was in fact someone's lap. He turned his head slightly to see Hermione asleep, her neck tilted back and the Transfiguration back in her hand. 'Couldn't resist, could you Hermione?' Harry thought. He chuckled to himself as he rose from the couch and stretched.

The boy with the lighting bolt scar settled back on the couch. He gently pulled his friend over towards him, nestled her head on his lap, and covered her with the blanket like she did him. He smiled at her sleeping form. Harry knew how special Hermione was to him. They were best friends. She was kind of like his conscious and she had rescued him from numerous examples of disasters over the years. He really cared about Hermione.

These thoughts led him to remember the Voldemort incident from earlier that day. Voldemort knows how important Hermione was and now he's after her…maybe. Harry wasn't completely sure about what Voldemort's motives were, but he knew in his heart that Hermione must be protected. Without even realizing it, Harry pulled Hermione closer as a popping sound filled the common room.

"Harry Potter, sir?"

Right beside the fireplace stood Dobby the house elf. The bat ear creature bowed deeply, causing him to drop a hat Hermione hand knitted in their fourth year for house elves. He picked it up, placed it back on his head and announced, "Professor McGonagall asked Dobby to ask Mr. Harry Potter, sir, and Miss. Hermione Granger if they would mind eating their dinner in the common room, sir, for the teachers do not normally eat in the Great Hall during the summer unless guests visit, sir."

"That's fine, Dobby. We'll eat in here." Harry smiled at the elf, "How have you been?"

"Dobby is brilliant, sir, though he is still being sad over the passing of beloved Professor Dumbledore, sir." The elf burst into tears.

It had been a while since Harry had thought about his old Headmaster.

"Dobby" Harry pointed to the table in front of him, "Sit here, please."

He silently obeyed and his tennis ball eyes were glossy.

"Did you see Dumbledore's hand last year?"

"Yes, sir, Dobby saws it, sir."

"That was an effect of a curse that Vole…You Know Who had placed on Dumbledore. The curse was causing him extreme pain and was slowly killing him the entire year. Dumbledore's body could only take so much and it was only a matter of time until he…passed on."

Dobby had stopped crying, but his miserable features stayed put. "You know, Dobby", the elf looked up as Harry said, "The one's we love never really leave us. You can always find them…in here." Harry pointed to Dobby's heart.

Fresh tears exploded from Dobby's eyes as he tightly embraced Harry. "You is a great wizard, Harry Potter, sir! Dobby values the friendship between Dobby and Harry Potter more than anything, sir!"

Harry patted the elf's back. "I value it too Dobby."

"Dobby shall fetch Harry Potter's and Hermione Granger's dinner now, sir. Thank you, sir, for your kind words." As quick as he came, Dobby was gone.

"Hermione", Harry tried to waken his sleeping friend, "Hermione Granger, wake up."

"I'm sorry", she mumbled, "Hermione Granger does not wish to wake up and nothing will make her think other wise."

"How about the fact that dinner's on its way?" Harry smiled.

Hermione slowly sat up. "There are exceptions to everything."

She gave a tired grin and stretched her small frame as she and Harry waited for Dobby to reappear.

H & H

I know you guys have a lot of questions about the last chapter. Especially about why Voldemort didn't just kill Harry and stuff like that. This chapter leaves a lot of questions unanswered too, but you have to be patient guys. All of the questions will be answered as the plot unfolds.

Anyway…

Please review. Reviews tend to help speed up the writing process.