Chapter 1: Where Are We?

UPDATED A/N: After coming back to update this story for the first time in a while, I needed to make changes to the previous chapters to smooth things out from when they were first written. This story takes place the summer before their 7th year. It was originally written before the 6th book came out, thus the no fuss move here at the beginning.

Original 2005 A/N: Hi! I thought of this and thought it would be fun. If you don't already know, The Sims2 is a simulation game in which you lead a 'Sim' through childhood, teens, (with the University expansion pack) college, and Adult life. Enjoy this!

Harry lay quietly in his bed, listening to Ron's snores coming from the other side of the room. He was at The Burrow with the Weasley's, who had picked him up from the Dursley's the day before his birthday. His Aunt and Uncle seemed to have vowed not to speak at all to him during his stay, so he had left them without acknowledging that he may not see them again for a very long time, if he could help it.

"RON! HARRY! BREAKFAST!" Ginny had stuck her head in the doorway, her yell causing the two of them to jump a foot off their beds, and landing with matching THUDs on the ground.

"OUCH! Ginny!" Ron grumpily stood up, trying to untangle the blankets he had fallen wrapped in. Ginny just stood there grinning at them. Harry saw Ron struggling, and met Ginny's eyes with a grin of his own as he stood up. Ron just scowled. They all headed down to the dining room, where Fred, George, Mr. Weasley, and Mrs. Weasley all sat eating. Harry took a seat next to Mr. Weasley and Ginny. He glanced at the front page of The Prophet that Mr. Weasley was reading. The front page read "MUGGLE FAMILY FOUND DEAD."

Mr. Weasley saw what Harry was looking at and said, "Luckily, this was the only one today. The poor family was found in their front yard. By the time the Ministry arrived, there was no sign of anything except the mark." Mr. Weasley sighed. "I can't believe they are still opening Hogwarts. Oh!" He put down the paper and turned to Harry. "You know, Rufus Scrimgeour offered himself to be the new Headmaster. But McGonagall refused to let him. Good thing too. He probably just wanted to get close to you, Harry." Harry thought that sounded like something Scrimgeour would do. He wondered whether this was the time to tell Mr. Weasley that he wasn't going to Hogwarts.

Before he could, Ginny stood up.

"Hermione will be here today," she said, taking her dish up to the sink. Ron seemed to step up a notch out of his dour mood at this.

"When?" He asked.

"Right now," said a voice behind them. They all turned and saw Hermione coming in, a pile of books and papers in her arms, which she promptly dropped as Ginny ran over to her. The two hugged, Hermione whispering something to Ginny, who grinned. Hermione then ran to Harry and Ron. She threw her arms around Harry and hugged him before turning to Ron and doing same, though the latter two stayed like that a touch longer than normal.

Harry let out a pointed cough, and the two sprang apart, each with a small blush on their face.

"Hey Harry, want to play Quidditch?" Ron asked. Harry nodded quickly.

"Yeah, that sounds good." He turned to the two girls. "Do you two want to?"

"Sure," Ginny replied. Hermione shook her head, amused they had even asked her, considering her hate of Quidditch, but she followed them outside.

Since it was only the three of them, Harry and Ginny took turns throwing the Quaffle at Ron. After an hour, Ron somehow convinced Hermione to try to fly with them. He ran and got Fred's broom and gave it to her. Nervously, she mounted. Glancing at Ron, who was in the air in front of her, she closed her eyes and pushed off. She felt herself leave the ground, but didn't dare open her eyes. She hated flying, starting with Hippogriffs and ending with broomsticks.

"Hermione! Stop going forward!" Ron yelled. Hermione opened her eyes. She grabbed on tight when she saw she was headed straight for a large tree. She tried to stop, she really did. But her body didn't do what her head told her to. She saw the tree come closer, and braced herself for the impact, squeezing her eyes back shut. But before she hit it, she felt a pair of arms grab her waist and pull her away from it. Squinting her eyes back open, she saw Ron holding her and flying downwards. Once they touched ground, Hermione jumped off the broom, promptly tripping and falling. Harry and Ginny let out stifled laughs, and Hermione glared up at them. She turned her glare to Ron, who, to his credit, seemed mostly concerned.

"Ronald Weasley, you will not force me to fly ever again!" Hermione was about to say something else, but a voice interrupted.

"Simulatis mortis!" The four snatched their wands up, looking around for the unfamiliar voice who cast the spell. Before they could see whom it was, they were pulled together by a strong wind, twisting around, before they disappeared.

Hermione woke up first. She stood up slowly, her head pounding from a sudden sharp headache, and tried to figure out where she was. Harry, Ron, and Ginny stirred next to her, laying on what Hermione realized was a sidewalk. They stood in front of a two-story house. In the sky, Hermione saw an odd sight. She knew what the shape was that she saw, but couldn't wrap her mind around it. It was a computer cursor. They all stood staring at the sky.

"Guys," Ginny said slowly, "where are we?"