AN: Sorry it took me a while to get this up. I blame school and procrastination. But good news is that this is my longest chapter yet!...though it's not as long as other chapters on FF, but you know, for my first fic, it's not bad. (:
Also, if you ever find any errors in my writing, please let me know. I don't have a beta, and normally I do very little editing of my fic writings, so it's highly possible there will be grammar/spelling/typing errors.
Last, if there are any similarities between this story and others that are on FF that you start to notice, I'm honestly not trying to copy anyone's work. I've read TONS of fics on here, and what I really just want this one to be is my perfect fanfiction to read in the summer when I'm away with no internet access. I'm trying to make this my own, while still using epic ideas (creature fics/pairings) from other things that I've read and become addicted to reading. If you notice anything, though, please let me know and I'll try to fix it. (:
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.
"And so ends another year," Dumbledore said as he stood at the podium. It was my last day of Hogwarts. Well, for this year, anyways. I sighed quietly. Sure, I would be free of the manipulative headmaster for a few months, but I would have to come back here eventually, and when I did, Dumbledore would just try to control me again.
During my musing, I had completely ignored what was going on around me. By the time I was paying attention again, Dumbledore was just beginning to sit down as food appeared on the tables. It was then that I started thinking of the downsides of going back to the Dursleys'. As far as I knew, Dudley was still on a diet. I guess that would mean another starving summer for me, then.
"What's the matter, Harry?" a voice from next to me asked. Without my realizing, Ginny had sat down next to me. I didn't answer her. "Oh, come on. You're not still ignoring me, are you?"
"I tend to ignore people who don't support me and my decisions." I looked carefully at Ginny's features, but she didn't seem to be surprised by my answer.
"You can't expect me to go against the headmaster!"
"Yes, I can. I did, Hermione did, Luna did, and even Neville did! If you don't trust me, then don't talk to me." I turned away from Ginny.
"Fine," she said quietly. "I admit it. I probably should have trusted you more after all of these years, but can you really expect me to go against everything I've been taught?" I turned back in time to see her shake her head and sigh. "I'm sorry. Please, just give me one more chance."
I sat there for a moment, stunned that she would ask for a second chance after she had abandoned me and the rest of my friends. I thought about her words. Does she mean it? I thought to myself. Everyone deserves a second chance, I finally decided.
"Okay," I answered. Ginny's eyes automatically lit up and looked relieved.
"Oh, Harry you don't know how—" she began, but I cut her off.
"I wasn't finished. I'm giving you another chance, but if you blow this, then there will never be another chance for you again. I've been hurt too many times before by secrets being kept and lies being told." Ginny looked nervous, but finally began smiling again.
"Thank you, Harry," she replied. For a second, I thought her eyes flashed somewhere else, but I decided that my mind was playing tricks on me and let it go.
"You're welcome," I said, but she had already gotten up and begun to walk toward the exit of the Great Hall. "Strange," I muttered to myself.
When the meal was finished, we all went upstairs to grab our bags. While my trunk had been packed last night, Ron was still shoving the last few items into his. I took a moment to make sure my dresser had been cleared out, which meant that Ron left the room first.
"Good luck surviving without food from my parents this summer, git," he said loudly. I ignored him.
For once, I wasn't actually that sad about leaving Hogwarts. It no longer felt like home. Something felt missing. I shook my head to clear away the thought.
I only had my trunk, a knapsack, and Hedwig's cage to bring on the train, so it wasn't very hard for me to grab everything. Professor McGonagall was just warning everyone in the common room that they needed to leave Hogwarts within the next five minutes or they would miss the carriages to Hogsmeade. I quickly picked up my bags and left my dorm behind.
It took forever for me to find a compartment on the train, but finally I noticed a half-empty one, which ended up being the last compartment on the entire train. Inside were Luna and Hermione.
"Do you mind if I join you?" I asked as I slid the door aside.
"Not at all," Hermione said at the same moment that Luna dreamily replied, "Hello, Harry. You're covered in wrackspurts, you know." I smiled.
"Thank you for telling me, Luna. It wouldn't have been good for me to suddenly do something strange and have no reason to give." She nodded in response and went back to looking out the window.
"Have you seen Neville around, Harry?" Hermione asked me.
"No," I answered. The door slid open again from behind me just as I was putting my trunk onto the rack above the bench.
"I expect Neville has forgotten something again," a female voice said in disgust from behind me.
"Is something the matter, Ginny?" Hermione asked her coolly. I took a seat on the bench next to Hermione with Hedwig's cage on the space next to me. Ginny looked disappointed.
"Nothing is wrong, Hermione," Ginny answered stiffly in response. She sat down next to Luna without another word. The awkward silence was disrupted when the whistle on the train blew to let people know that we would be leaving in five minutes.
"I would expect that Neville should be here soon. Maybe he was just admiring the thestrals," Luna suggested.
"Maybe," I agreed easily. Ginny gave Luna and me a strange look. She looked away when someone knocked on the door. Draco entered the compartment. I greeted him with a smile, but Ginny sneered.
"What do you want?" she questioned.
"I happen to be coming to sit with my friends," Draco answered calmly.
"Ginny, I gave you a second chance. I won't be doing it again. If I were you, I would watch what I say," I warned. She glared once more at Draco and then looked down.
"May I join you?" he asked me nervously.
"Of course," I replied. He glanced around for an available seat, only to find that the last one was next to Ginny. I immediately lifted Hedwig's cage up and motioned to the newly emptied space next to me.
"What will you do with the cage?" Draco asked.
"Timed shrinking charm," I said. I quickly took out my wand and muttered a charm so that the cage was the size of a small box, which I placed it up on the rack next to my trunk as Draco sat down.
"So why is Ginny here?" Draco hissed in my ear. I shook my head in response, hoping that he would just drop the subject and we could discuss it later.
"Draco, did you happen to see Neville on the way here? None of us have seen him yet," Hermione spoke.
"He was talking with Professor Snape. I saw him right as I got on the train," Draco said. Just then, Neville appeared at the door.
"Neville!" I exclaimed happily. "We were just wondering where you were. What did Professor Snape need?" I asked curiously.
"Nothing," he muttered. I wanted to know more, but decided it would not be a good idea to push Neville into explaining more about something personal. There was silence for about a minute before Hermione finally spoke.
"So," she began, "what is everyone doing this summer?"
"Nothing. I'm staying at home, as usual. So boring," Ginny grumbled.
"Daddy and I are going to look for crumple-horned snorkacks," Luna said cheerfully.
"That's…well, that's great, Luna," Hermione stuttered in reply. Sometimes it was hard to understand Luna, but that's what made her all the more likeable. "What about you boys?" Hermione continued.
"I'm spending time with an acquaintance of the family," Draco said calmly. He didn't elaborate, so I guess that was all we would be getting.
"Dursleys," I said simply, and everyone seemed to understand that I would not be going anywhere nor doing anything.
"My gran said that we could go look at some rare plants this summer," Neville put in excitedly. "I've never been anywhere outside of England or Scotland, so maybe we'll be going to Ireland this summer," he mused.
"That sounds fantastic," I replied, and I truly meant it. Neville deserved something like this to keep him interested in herbology.
The rest of the train ride was spent discussing summer plans, what we would be doing next year at school, and how often we'd write. Hermione promised to even call if the Dursleys were ever out of the house, which I was extremely pleased about.
At last we arrived at King's Cross Station. Hermione ran to her parents, Luna looked dreamily around for her father, and Ginny went towards a group of redheads. Ron sneered at me as Neville, Draco, and I walked past. I didn't look at him; I just kept walking.
Neville finally spotted his grandmother at the back of the crowd. After a quick shake of hands, he was on his way. Draco and I were left walking together.
"Where are your parents?" I asked Draco. It was unlike them to just not show up to the station.
"I'm sure they're just running a bit late," Draco answered easily, but I could tell something was not right. I let it go.
"I need to go through that barrier now. Is this where you wait?"
"I'll go through with you. Perhaps they are waiting on the other side." Now I was really starting to get suspicious.
"I suppose," replied. I went through the barrier first, and Draco followed a few seconds later. On the other side of the brick wall, people bustled around, completely oblivious to the fact that a train had just arrived from a magical school, or that magic even existed.
I barely spotted Uncle Vernon. I guess barely didn't really explain it well; he was hidden in a crowd, but was easy to tell apart from everyone else just by his size. So there will be a diet, I thought sullenly.
"There's my uncle," I muttered to Draco. "I'll see you next year," I said with a sigh.
"See you later," Draco responded. I turned away from him and started walking toward my uncle and back to a life that I hated so very much. Unfortunately, I did not notice Draco suddenly disappear into thin air, but I did notice the phrasing of his words. Later, not next year.
What could that mean?
AN: Good? Bad? Did I make you want to throw your computer across the room? Are you bouncing in your seat yelling at me to write more? Please tell me in a review! I would greatly appreciate it, even if you're just giving me things I need to work on! ^_^