Chapter One
2:36 am, that was the time Harry saw when he woke up on the 26th of June, 1996. The nightmare that plagued him, hasn't left since the night his Godfather died a week ago. Just like previous nights, Harry tried to roll over and go back to bed, but it was no use. He sat upon his bed and grabbed the Dailey Prophet from the day before, that resided on his nightstand beside him. More disappointments, more deaths. He recalled what Mad-eye Moody had told him at the beginning of last summer. About how this was how everything started last time Voldemort rose to power. His mind began to wonder, back to Sirius at first. How much he missed him, how he had now lost the last connection to his mother and father. His last real family. His mind wandered back to the Department of Mysteries and Sirius going through the veil. Harry thought about everyone who fought for him and the light. Even the prophecy stole some of his thoughts. The thought of his friends and fellow D.A. members were willing to die for what they believe and went with him to fight. Then he le this mind wander, wander to Voldemort. How everyone Muggle and Wizards alike knew for a week now that he had returned. He and Dumbledore were right and now many more people would be dead by this time next summer because of it. Even Cornelius Fudge had been forced to say He was back. This called for a massive owl presence in the Ministry that morning calling for Fudge's resignation. Harry looked at the clock again. Damn… 4:00 am. Then Harry's thoughts went to his trip that would be taken today. Today was the day he would be taking then trip on the Hogwarts Express, back to his horrid excuse of an aunt and uncle. Just as he was thinking about these things, he heard a tapping on his window. He looked up to see a brown barn owl, tapping at the window. He stood up and walked over to the window, opening it up. The owl gracefully swooped down to the bed. Harry sat next to the owl and took the letter. "Thank you," he said as the bird nipped his finger playfully. Oddly Harry noticed that this was in fact an owl from the schools' owlery. Then he looked at the bird and said.
"Why are you not delivering this at Breakfast?" The owl nipped happily again, before flying out the window without making another sound. Harry stopped dead in his tracks hearing Ron stir in his bed. Seeing that his best friend had not woken up, he continued to his bed, grabbing his wand from its home in the bedside drawer. Harry sat on his bed, closing the curtain. "Lumos," Harry said quietly. Looking down at the letter the owl had just delivered way before the morning mail, that usually came at breakfast, he looked at his name in the letter. He noticed something very odd about his name like he knew the handwriting. Thinking for a few minutes he could not recall whos handwriting it was he was looking at, so he opened it carefully. He stopped just before opening the letter, making sure Ron still hadn't woken up. Once he was sure Ron hadn't woken up he unfolded the letter. It was a very short letter, so short it was only one sentence. It only said, "If you want to talk about Sirius, I am here for you ~ Ginny." Harry's heart leaped out of his chest onto his bed. He had been thinking about Ginny almost as much as he had been thinking about Sirius in the last week. He had liked Ginny ever since he saved her from the Chamber of Secrets just over three years ago. When Neville, Ginny, and Luna told Harry that they wanted to go with him to the Ministry to help Sirius, secretly Harry didn't want her to go. That way he knew she was safe. Thinking to the beginning of last school year, Harry had planned on asking her out at the start of the school year, but Michael Corner had already asked her out within the first week of school. In May they had broken up, so Harry wondered if this was the time to ask her. Was it too early? Was she ready? Harry didn't know. Was her letter hinting at something or was it her just being a good friend? It was that question that had him racking his brain for the next thirty minutes until he heard Ron stir and wake up. Harry decided when he heard Ron get out of bed to use the loo and get showered that he should do the same. He opened his curtains. "Good morning mate," said Ron. " Good morning, you going down to breakfast early today?" said Harry. "Yeah, they always have good bacon on the last day," said Ron. After he and Ron had changed into their clothes, they walked down the spiral staircase, into the common room. As soon as he entered the common room his heart leaped out of his chest for the second time that morning. When he stepped off the stairs the first thing he saw was Ginny smiling at him from across the room. He quickly followed Ron trying to hide the flushing of his face. Whether or not he was successful he didn't know. As Ron and Harry made their way down to the Great Hall for the breakfast of the school year, they met Hermione coming from the Library. Not surprised by her early morning activities they made their way down to breakfast talking quietly about their summer plans. Just then Draco Malfoy stuck his head out of the library door. Not seeing the three friends he also headed to the Great Hall. Harry and his friends entered the Hall, seeing hundreds of owls flying around, and Harry sat down, not thinking of his trip home, but of Ginny and her early morning letter.