Harry Potter muttered in frustration. It had been impossible for the fifteen year old to do his homework lately. Dudley was throwing a very loud temperatanturm downstairs, complaining there was nothing good to eat. The school nurse had insisted Aunt Petunia keep Dudley on his diet, or she'd set him up for a camping fitness program during the school year. And heaven forbid Aunt Petunia's poor little Dudums be treated in such awful conditions! Harry chuckled at the thought of anybody else trying to describe Dudley as " little" . Due to his diet Dudley had gone down from the weight of a baby whale to that of an adult pig. Unfortunately , this meant everybody in the house was on a diet, and this time around Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon took Dudley out to restaurants when they thought he was doing well on his diet or when Aunt Petunia said he was weak from lack of good food. When they did this they left Harry at home , with nothing to eat but a lettuce leaf and two sick looking carrots. So Harry had to write his friends , begging for food again. Thank god for Mrs. Weasley and her kind hearted soul!
Harry sighed and closed his Potions book and went downstairs. By the time Harry got down stairs , Dudley had stopped yelling and Uncle Vernon was talking on the phone. Harry came into the kitchen, Dudley was red in the face and pouting , Aunt Petunia looked pale and Uncle Vernon's face was slowly back to it's normal shade of purple from a very dark and ugly shade of purple.
" Yes , I'm the boy's guardian." Uncle Vernon said, a sour look on his face, shooting an angry look Harry , like it was his flaut he existed.
" Oh I see. A dentist you say. Yes it is a shame your daughter is one of them too," Them is what Uncle Vernon called Harry's people, wizards , witches ,ect. "Your willing to take him for the rest of the summer? Alright then you'll pick him up tomorrow. Ok then goodbye." Uncle Vernon said , hanging up the phone.
" Pack your trunk , boy. The parents of one your terrible lot is willing to take you in for the rest of the summer. Brave man, said his name was Granger, he's normal , and a dentist. Say he'll let us bring Dudley in for a free check up."
Harry went up to his room to pack his trunk puzzled. Hermione Granger was one his best friends from Hogwarts, and on of the best students at the school, as far as he knew Hermione's parents didn't think it was a shame that Hermione was a witch. Harry decided he'd ask Hermione tomorrow when he saw. At least now he'd be able to get his homework done!
" That was brilliant dad! Pretending to think like Harry's Uncle so he'd like you." Hermione laughed in the back of the Granger's car.
" Well I figure that Mr. Dursley might be a bit nicer to Harry if he thought that their was someone else who didn't like magic and stuff. No offence to Weasleys, but they don't seem to be making things any better."
Hermione had to agree. It seemed every time the Weasleys got within ten feet of the Dursley house , they made the Dursleys hate magic even more. Especially since that incident with the Ton- Tongue toffees... although Hermione wished she was there to see it!
Mr. Granger pulled up to Number Four Privet Drive. There was Harry waiting on the front stoop, trunk in hand. Hermione quickly got out of the car to help Harry put his trunk into the boot of the car. Hermione explained to Harry why her dad had lied to his Uncle.
" Thanks Mr. Granger. Oh by the way Herm, thanks for my birthday present." Once again Harry had a wonderful birthday, thanks to his friends. Hermione had gotten Harry a book on Famous Charmers, considering Harry was doing so well in Charms , and since Hermione had found an article on Harry's mum in her own copy , she thought Harry would like it. Harry told Hermione what else he'd gotten from the others. Ron had gotten him a book on special Quidditch moves , and how to perform them. Hagrid had gotten Harry another book, this one titled " How to care for Cyberuses." Inclosing a letter small saying the cyberuses' were what the three headed dog , Fluffy, was. Hermione was thankful she didn't see that on the book list, the idea of dealing another Fluffy, although probably a smaller version, scared her witless. Sirius had gotten Harry a self made joke kit, complete with what looked like a muggle whoopee cushion which sent it's victim flying out of their seats and across the room. And last but not least Dobby had made Harry another pair of socks. These ones had the right sock brown with black dragons and the left was yellow with little brown wands on it.
" You don't mind that we're going to buy school supplies today do you? I know we still got two weeks but I couldn't resist! Ron's meeting us there too." Hermione asked.
" It's alright Hermione! Beside this way we'll probably avoid Malfoy this way." Harry laughed.
" Are still working on your 'Rights for House elves' thing?" Harry asked.
" No , the head elf at Hogwarts wrote me a letter of complaint explaining quiet clearly that House Elves loved to work, and getting them to get better conditions would be like trying get a pig to move into a mudless pen. I have new mission now."
" What's that?"
" Education for House Elves! You should of seen the spelling mistakes in the letter!"
Harry started to laugh, although Hermione couldn't see why.
" Oh by the way, Ron will be spending the rest of the summer with us too. Just to give Mrs. Weasley a break." Mr. Granger said , keeping his eyes on the road.
" Smashing!" Both Hermione and Harry said at the same time.
Ron waited impatiently for Hermione and Harry at the beginning of Diagon Alley.
" What's taking them so long?" Ron grumbled.
" What's wrong Ronny kins?" Fred teased, " Miss your girlfriend Hermy?"
" She is not my girlfriend!" Ron growled.
" Awe Ronny's in love!" George joined his twin brother in teasing Ron.
" I am not!" Ron growled again, the tips of his ears turning red.
" Your not what?" Harry asked , as he and Hermione came through Diagon Alley entrance.
" Nothing." Ron said quickly, giving both Fred and George a hard elbow in the ribs to keep them quiet, thankfully Lee Jordan came at that moment so George and Fred went off with him.
" Hello Hermione, hello Harry!" Mr. Weasley greeted , "Good to see you again Mr. Granger."
" Hello Hermione, hello Harry, how are things with the muggles?" Mrs. Weasley asked politely.
" Awful as always, Dudley is still on his diet. If it weren't for your fudge Mrs. Weasley, I would
of starved." Harry laughed. Mrs. Weasley beamed pride.
" Molly I was thinking , you could get the money , give it out to the children , so they could do their own shopping , then join me and Mr. Granger at the Leaky Cauldron." Mr. Weasley suggested.
" I don't know Arthur ..." Mrs. Weasley began.
" Please mum! It will help me to be responsible with money." Ron begged.
" Yes , oh mum please!" Ginny joined her brother's pleed
" We promise we won't send it on gags mom." said both the Weasley at the same time, appearing out of nowhere.
" Alright already!" Mrs. Weasley laughed, " Ron would like to come with me to the vault?"
" Sure mum." Ron said excitedly.
" Can go down with them too dad?" Hermione asked her father.
" Well... I guess so , considering since your going to be a witch, and have vault probably when your older, you might as well take a look. Here , I'm to going to go with Mr. Weasley now." Mr. Granger said , handing Hermione some muggle money , before going with Mr. Weasley, talking about dentist equipment.
Soon they were in Gringotts waiting for Hermione to change her muggle money for wizard money.
" Ok I'm done. So where do you line up to go to the vaults?" Hermione asked coming over to them.
" Follow me dear and I'll show you." Mrs. Weasley said leading them to a counter.
" Hello , how may I help you?" asked the goblin behind the counter.
" We'd let to go to the Weasley vault and the Potter vault." Mrs. Weasley stated, " Oh yes, we also have a young witch from a muggle family who'd like to see the vaults, so she can get use to them."
" Alright then, I'll take you to Buttons , he's taking another muggle born down to see the vaults Just a little warning, don't make fun of Buttons' name." said the little goblin, taking them to carts. There Buttons was leading a girl to a cart. She was about a year older then Harry and a few inches taller. She had black hair , which was pulled back into a pony tail. Her eyes were a bright blue-green colour. She was wearing typical muggle clothing , faded jeans and a green t-shirt with a muggle artist rendition of a wizard, white bread , balding head and red robes , hands up in the air with a white ball of light between his two hands. Harry knew the girl as a Gryffindor, she had helped him and Ron with their Defence Against the Dark Arts homework when Hermione had been turned to stone in their second year.... but he couldn't remember his name.
" Hello there." the girl said as Mrs. Weasley explained to Buttons what she wanted to do, " I'm Alanna."
" Hermione Granger."
" Ron Weasley."
" Harry Potter."
" Well if it isn't the famous trio! Hermione Granger best in Hogwarts' fifth year students, Ron Weasley , best damn chess player Hogwarts has ever seen. And well Harry Potter, what else can be said." Alanna said, grinning slightly.
" Well um.. thank you. You wouldn't be the same Alanna who hangs around Chad Masters? The same Alanna who helped Chad and my brothers , Fred and George, pull that exallent prank on Snape , turning his hair hot pink for two weeks in her first year?" Ron asked.
Alanna laughed , " The very same. Had dentions for the rest of the year for that one, Snape is still pissed at me for that one, and I haven't done a prank since."
"So you the one , eh?" said Mrs. Weasley , who had been listening in on the conversation the whole time.
" Well um.." Alanna stuttered , probably afraid Mrs. Weasley's anger of her helping her boys get into mischief.
" Don't worry child. Everybody does some evil in their first year, it's just Fred and George didn't stop!" Mrs. Weasley smiled.
" Come on I don't have all day!" Said Buttons, who Harry quickly learned was a very grumpy goblin. Quickly the group got into the cart and they were off. About halfway down to the vaults Mrs. Weasley tried to make conversation.
" Alanna dear, Fred and George never mention your last name , what is it?"
" If you don't mind Mrs. Weasley, I'd rather not talk right now." Alanna said, trying not to open her mouth as much as possible. Harry looked back at Alanna to see she was very pale , and her skin was slightly tinged green.
When the stopped at the Weasley's vault Alanna let out a sigh of relief.
" Could you a tiny bit slower please?" Alanna asked the driver , while Mrs. Weasley got some money.
" One speed only, unless you'd like to walk back." Buttons stated.
Alanna glupped and slid low into the cart. Harry had feeling that Alanna had no wish to get lost forever, or run into one of the dragons Gringotts had protecting their high security vaults.
Once again they were off. When they got to Harry's vault , Harry as quickly as possible put some money into his money bag and was back out.
" Geez Harry! Your rich!" Ron exclaimed, when they started off again.
" Well um...." Harry began , but was interrupted by a pathetic moan from Alanna, she looked like she had her skin dyed white then a sickly green colour green.
" Here dear take a sip of this, it should help." Mrs. Weasley said handing Alanna a small vial of white liquid. Alanna took a gulp of the stuff , and quickly returned to her original colour.
" Thank you very much Mrs. Weasley. I really hate it when I get motion sick." Alanna said, her voice no longer strained.
" No problem dear."
Soon they were back on Gringotts top floor. Quickly, to avoid the wrath of Buttons , they got out of the cart.
" I'm going to report that goblin , next time I'm here." raged Mrs. Weasley as they got out of Gringotts, " He was impossibly rude!"
" Very true, well there's my shopping partner, I'll see you three at Hogwarts. Thank you for the the potion Mrs. Weasley." Alanna waved as she went to go join a tall muscular blue eyed wizard. Harry recognized him as Chad Masters, the new Keeper for Gryffindor house Quidditch team. He had been the replacement Keeper for when Oliver Woods went to Hogwarts , but he never had a chance, since Oliver never missed a game. Harry only saw him play during practise, he was fast , and had good reflexes.
Mrs. Weasley gave out money to the Weasley children and headed towards the Leaky Cauldron.
" I'll go with you three ok? I'm afraid I still don't know Diagon Alley that well." said Ginny. Harry couldn't help see but how pretty Ginny looked when she wasn't being nervous or shy.
" We have to stop at the robe shop too. Fred and George gave me some money to buy a new dress robe, and I'm going to need it , Dumbledore decided to throw a Halloween ball this year. Any idea who your going to take this year Harry?" Ron asked.
Harry nodded , he had made the mistake last year of waiting too long to ask the girl he wanted to take to the dance.
" Yep. Ginny , would you like to go with the dance with me?"
Ginny froze, and for a second Harry feared she'd say no.
" I'd love to Harry." Ginny smiled.
" Harry... If you lay one unwanted finger on Ginny I'll..." Ron warned.
" Oh Ron , enough, what are you going to do to him anyway? He survived Voldemort didn't he?" Hermione laughed.
" True enough." Ron laughed.
Soon they were at there last stop, Flourish and Blotts.
" Lets see , I need one last book, Clearing the Path to the Future. By Monica Farsight." Harry said, reading his list.
" I need a copy too. Probably the only thing their good for is throwing them at Slytherin." Ron grinned.
" I don't think even divination book deserves such a fate." Hermione grinned, " Beside , you shouldn't throw books." she said , sounding a bit more serious now.
" I forgot, books are your best friends Hermione." Ron laughed.
Harry laughed as Hermione swatted Ron in the head with one of her books as Harry paid for his books.
Harry , Hermione, Ron and Ginny made their way back to the Leaky Cauldron laughing and chatting all the way there.
Ron packed his school supplies into his trunk and help Mr. Granger put he trunk in the boot of the car. He waved good bye to his mum and dad, and gave Fred and George a punch in the shoulder for good measure and got into the Granger's car and drove off. Today has been a good day. Ron thought to himself happily as he settled down for the drive to Hermione's.
I hoped you enjoyed this Chapter, next one will be done as soon as possible, if fanfiction.net can work out it's bugs!
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters other then the ones a create , so please don't sue me, unless you want all the fanatsy stuff, which is all I have to my name.
~ Aqua_Bolt
