I am so terribly sorry, everyone! My iPad was confiscated by my parents AGAIN and I just got it back today.

In any event, here is the next chapter. I did well in picking the mystery person who will take Harry home. No one guessed!

Rumor has it JK Rowling is the owner of Harry Potter.

ENJOY!

(0)^_^(0)

The school year ended; and Harry began packing slowly, wishing with all his might that he would go elsewhere for the summer. Unknowingly, his prayer had been answered, but still he didn't know. Aileen didn't even know who would be there, she just knew there would be someone.

She accompanied him down to the station as he used the Levitation charm to carry his baggage. They met the other seven, and were quick to find an empty compartment to sit in. Some had to stack baggage, and others had to sit on single trunks, but they managed to fit.

"I don't want to go home for summer," Harry groaned.

"Neither do I." "Nor me!" "I don't either." The others joined in his lament.

"Surely it can't be that bad?" Susan asked.

Hermione, who was taking a sip of water, immediately choked and began coughing. Harry was sitting next to her and began thumping her on the back to clear the blockage, even as he held in hysterical giggles. Aileen sighed and buried her head in her hands quietly.

Hermione answered, between coughs, "Oh, you have no idea!"

Susan immediately looked worried. "What do you mean?"

"It's... pretty bad," Harry muttered, looking ashamed at his supposed weakness.

"By the way you're sounding, they abuse you every day!" Draco said, exasperated, only to stop dead in his tracks as Harry's face turned white.

"They do, don't they," Hannah whispered, hand coming up to cover her mouth.

There was dead silence as Harry nodded.

Aileen closed her eyes. His secret was out.

Suddenly, Daphne spoke. "Are they wizards? Can they access 9 3/4?"

"No, they're Muggles. Why?"

"We need a plan to keep you away from them. We have from now until we arrive to create it. I could take him, because my family is a fence-sitter, neither Light nor Dark. However it's me, my sister, and my mother most days. I don't think you'd appreciate hanging out with a ten year old and eleven year old."

"I couldn't take you. My family is notoriously Dark," Draco said simply.

"I could take you, Harry. My grandmother wouldn't approve though."

"My mum and dad are Muggles. There's a good chance your relatives would see you on the platform if you came with me."

"Me brothers and sisters would drive you mad afore a week was ha' gone," Seamus said dryly, to everyone's slight amusement.

Hannah shook her head. "Same with me. Also we're visiting relatives on the continent. You'd probably be very uncomfortable with us."

Susan had been silent the entire time, thinking with a slight frown. Finally her head came up.

"My parents and yours were great friends, Harry. Auntie wasn't especially close but she respected them both. I... may be able to take you to my house."

Harry's face had steadily been growing darker and sadder as the others named off reasons for him not to stay with them. When Susan spoke up, it was like the sun had come out. It almost fell again as she kept speaking- "I must warn you, Auntie is busy with work. It'll probably be mostly you and I if you come. But the wards are set so that no one can know if we have visitors, or who they are. You'd be hard-put to find a safer place to live."

Harry nodded eagerly. "I'd love to go. What does your aunt look like?"

"She wears a monocle, but not all the time. Usually she has a white shirt, dark skirt, and black robe on- it's her work uniform. She's rather slim, has red hair like mine, and navy eyes."

"Where does she work?"

"The Ministry. More accurately, the head of the DMLE."

"DMLE?"

"Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Honestly, Harry, at this rate you'll need lessons in the magical world."

"That would be excellent!"

Everyone laughed.

The rest of the trip was spent working on details of the plan to get Harry away from his aunt and uncle. Eventually they felt as if they were ready for anything.

And Aileen knew who would be there to take Harry away.

(0)^_^(0)

Harry slipped under his cloak as Susan levitated his trunk and began dragging hers. "All set?" she asked quietly. He nodded. He had said his goodbyes and was willing to leave.

Susan exited the train surrounded by her peers, minus Draco, who was worried about what his parents would say if he left with the others. She immediately split off and hurried to a woman that fit the description of her aunt.

"Hi Auntie!" she called, waving with her free hand as she deposited the floating trunk at her aunt's feet.

Amelia Bones raised an eyebrow at the extra trunk, but greeted her niece warmly. "Did you go shopping or something?"

"No, it's a friend's trunk. He asked me to keep it for him over the summer. He's Muggle-raised and they don't like magic." The group had settled on the truth as the best route.

"Alright... Well, ready to go?" Amelia took Harry's trunk in her hand and her niece's hand in the other.

"Yeah- oh! Can you check and make sure the trunk is locked? I think he forgot."

Amelia obediently checked the trunk. It opened as planned, and the prominently displayed note was on top. Curious, she drew it out and began reading:

"Auntie-" it read- "I know you're wondering why I'm bringing this trunk home. Truth is it belongs to Harry Potter and his relatives abuse him. Please, let us take him with us? -Susan"

Amelia eyed her niece sharply. Susan nodded and placed a hand on Harry's shoulder. He quickly slipped his cloak off and looked pleadingly at Amelia.

She seemed to contemplate her actions before nodding and holding out both hands to the two. The relief on Harry's face was so clear that Aileen, a silent observer to the whole deal, felt like she would collapse from happiness.

Immediately they glanced around for the co-conspirators. Smiles and nods were exchanged quickly and Susan and Harry left for the Bones' household.

(0)^_^(0)

One more chapter and then it's time for Darkness Wakening- Book 2!

Review please!