A/N: Harry is finally getting out of England for a proper holiday. There should still be time for a quick trip to the Burrow before term starts, but Hermione, Chris and Ivy are going to see that Harry turns fifteen with some major fun.And of course , Hermione will probably insist they visit some of the more haunted spots, to add to their summer essays.( "But Harry, mine is only fifteen rolls of parchment so far!")
Chapter One - "Can It Be Real? Can It Be True?"
It still didn't seem real to Harry. After spending each summer that he could remember stuck on Privet Drive, he, Harry Potter, was actually going to have a true holiday. Each day when he woke up, Harry still had a moment, looking at the room that had been "his" for nearly fourteen years, expecting to have that hopeless feeling spread over him. Then his eyes would focus on the new furniture in the room and the shining wood floors. Then when Harry's eyes rested on the bright orange that was the trademark color of the Chudley Cannons Quidditch team, he began to grin.
Being a most unusual, nearly fifteen year old male, didn't stop Harry's thoughts from immediately going to the picture in his mind of his best and now something more, friend, Hermione Granger. In this was he was just like any other teenager who had so recently discovered that his friend was, well, she had changed in all the right ways. Even alone in his room, Harry felt his face go a bit red as he couldn't help thinking that she had changed in all the right places too.
Unfortunately, before Harry could pursue these very pleasant thoughts ,there was a knock outside his door. "Haarreey! Time to be moving in there. The Grangers will be here in an hour. Come and have your breakfast."
Harry still winced at his aunt Petunia's shrill voice, so different from that of his mother. Until this summer, Harry hadn't known his mother's voice, except for the terrified pleading he heard when he was near one of Azkaban's dementors. Now, however, thanks to Hermione's mom, he had an audio tape of his mother's voice singing to him,only weeks before she was killed.
Yeah, life was very changed this summer. He'd be surprised if it didn't get better still, in the next few days. His suitcase was packed with the new clothes he'd received from Ivy Granger, Hermione's mom, this summer. These, along with a few things he had purchased himself, were the only clothes, aside from his Hogwarts ' robes, Harry had ever owned that fit.For years, he'd been swimming in his porky cousin Dudley's cast offs, supplemented by a few of Uncle Vernon's uglier things.
Everything was set,he thought. Soon they'd be flying across the strip of water that separated England and France. He couldn't help thinking how much more enjoyable the trip could have been if he could have taken Hermione and traveled on his Firebolt, but an underage witch or wizard was strictly prohibited from practicing magic in the summers, away from Hogwarts. Besides, he knew Chis and Ivy would prefer the group to travel together
. He had seen Ivy's look of excitement though, when she told him she'd orded a Firebolt for herself. "It's a horrible extravagance for an older witch like me," she'd told him the day she sent in the owl with her order. "Still, it's the best and safest broom made. Chris insisted I order one, since I'll be assisting with the Quidditch training." She's paused a moment then went on, eyes twinking,"Perhaps Hermione will want to take it over in a few years. We'll work on that, right, Harry?"
It was a nice thought, Harry had to admit. They'd be almost through with school in a few years. It would be nice for he and Hermione to be able to travel as they pleased, with equally matched brooms. Right now though, he'd better get downstairs, or the Grangers would be here, and Dudley would doubtless be boring them with some long explanation of his "important position" the the sweet shop nearby. Harry suspected Dudley's position mostly consisted of taster. He'd heard Uncle Vernon complaining once that instead of bringing home money, Dudley had been told to bring money in to cover what he'd eaten that week.
Leaving his suitcase by the door, Harry walked toward the kitchen, where he could hear Dudley's whining voice."I don't see why he gets to go off with Hermione and her family. I'll bet if he hadn't always been nosing about, she'd have asked me instead."
Harry snorted, and heard Uncle Vernon say, "We wouldn't allow you to go off with those people anyway. I'm not saying the girl and her mother aren't attractive, but there's definitely something odd about the way that woman practices dentistry. I had her checked out, and she's been in a regular office for years but still....."
"Peculiar how much she looks like an old friend of my sister's, from her school days. But she was an odd duck, just like Lily. They were always up to some mischievous tricks, and making their sudden, unexplained little trips. Nearly drove Mum and Dad batty," added Aunt Petunia, "although they claimed they were so proud of Lily's cleverness."
Harry knew he'd better go in, else he would be rolling in the hall with laughter. Ivy and Hermione, attractive? That was a bit short. And Ivy an odd duck? If Vernon only knew!!!! No, it's was definitely best that he think Hermione's family were muggles, who just happened to have a few odd ways.
Harry rushed through a large plate of eggs, potatoes, sausages and toast, with a bowl of porridge on the side. "Nice eats, Aunt Petunia!" he remarked, attemping to hide a grin as he noticed the boiled eggs and dry toast on his cousin's plate, and Dudley's piggy eyes watching each bite that went into Harry's mouth.
"Those French may not feed you like your family does. You eat it all Harry, there's no telling when you'll get another good English breakfast."
'Anytime Ivy decides to make one appear' Harry thought.This certainly was a change from past summers, when some days he'd been lucky to get a cold bowl of soup.He heard doors slam outside and knew the Grangers had arrived. Pushing his chair back, Harry said "Thanks, Back down in a few moments."
Running upstairs, he grabbed the final things: his toothbrush, brush and comb, which seemed to look at him hopelessly, knowing there was nothing they could do to tame his messy black hair. Then he picked up the brand new razor he'd bought the day before.He doubted there was any need to pack it but...into the bag it went. Who knew? He wondered how Hermione would react if he should suddenly show the need for a shave. After the last few days, he thought she would notice immediately.
A laugh behind him made Harry whirl around, to find Hermione standing there with a totally unreadable expression on her face. "So, all set? Got some new things?" "Um, yeah, a couple. Not sure why I bother with some of this stuff. Ever seen my hair look as if it had met a brush?" Harry asked Hermione, quickly shoving the razor down under his toothpaste. He still had the feeling she'd seen more than he intended.
"Hurry then, Mom and Dad are downstairs with your aunt and uncle, and I expect Dudley will be up here any moment, hnting again about how good it would be to have a holiday from work. I can just imagine his work. The only part that moves, I'll bet, is his mouth." Laughing, they went downstairs, where Chris and Ivy were edging toward the door, and Petunia and Vernon were doing nothing to encourage them to stay. Uncle Vernon, Harry noticed, was looking extremely nervous and kept rubbing his head, as if he expected to find a large bald spot
. Finally they were all in the Grangers' Range Rover, and heading for the station. "Hope you don't mind, Harry, but our plans have changed a bit. Instead of flying, we've decided to take the Eurostar" said Chris. "Since Ivy's ordered her Firebolt, she says she'd rather not fly in the mugggle way for awhile."
"And it's much quicker, Harry. For a muggle invention, it's an amazingly efficient way to travel." Hermione said, looking very serious, as if she was afraid Harry would be really disappointed. He was tempted, just for a moment, to act as if this ruined the trip for him, but Hermione's anxious look was just too much for him.
"Ah, Hermione, I don't really care how we get there. Just going someplace, being away from the Dursleys and maybe having an adventure that doesn't involve a near death experience, the travel method isn't important." Harry leaned back against the seat, closed his eyes, and said with a contented sigh," Goodbye Dudley!"
To Be Continued ~
( Um, well, I know it's short, but I need reviews. More romance, or adventures and sights? A girl for Ron? I'll try.)