Hello everyone! Bridget here. This is my very first fic, so PLEASE go easy
on me! And if you don't like it, blame it on my muse, BridgeJillephant, or
Bri for short!
*big huggles for BridgeJillephant*
Bri: *muffled* Get off of me!
Brig (me!): But you're so Kawaii!!!! *gets all starry eyed*
Bri: Whatever. Since Brig is indisposed at the moment *looks at Brig, who has pulled out the photo album and is looking at the pics of adorable little Bri* I'll say the disclaimer for her. She does NOT own Harry Potter. A lucky lady named J.K. Rowling does. However, Brig somehow thinks that she owns Oliver Wood from the movie "Harry Potter" *squeals of delight at the name 'Oliver Wood' are heard in the background* Uh oh, I hope she doesn't get out her other album.
Brig: Oh Bri, dear, come and look at pictures of Sean with me! (Sean Biggerstaff plays Wood in the movie)
Brig: And I was hoping to have a fun afternoon.
******************************************************
'Dear Hermione,' wrote 18-year-old Ginny Weasley.
'How have you been doing? Have your parents coped with the fact that you are now "all grown up" and not in school anymore? My parents are still in denial about Ron and me being finished. Speaking of the redheaded retard, he mentioned that he and Harry had come up with a route for us to travel when we go on our trip this summer. He had it all planned out on a map, carefully outlined in red ink- but he wouldn't show it to me! I saw just a corner of it when he snatched it out of my reach. Something about a "surprise for you girls". Absolute rubbish. I asked him when we were leaving, and he said to tell you to come on the nineteenth with all your things, and we will load everything up and leave on the twentieth. He's letting Harry know. Bring enough clothing for at least a month and ½, although we will have the opportunity to wash things. Just pack enough so that you will be seasonally equipped for a month and ½ from now. I'll send this as soon as I can convince Ron to let me borrow Pig. Could you bring some food? Your favorite snacks, and ingredients for some of your favorite meals.
Cheers,
Ginny'
With satisfaction, Ginny sealed up her letter and headed off to her twin brother's room to ask to borrow his owl, Pig (properly called Pigwidgeon).
She pounded her fist on the door, shouting "Ron! I need to borrow Pig to send Hermione the information about the trip!"
Grudgingly, a tall, handsomely freckled young man opened the door and shoved a ball of fluff into his sister's hand. " You may use Pig, but only because it's about the trip. Got it?"
"Yeah. Thanks!" She attached the letter to Pig's tiny leg, and sent him off. He shot through Ron's open doorway and out the open window like a rocket with a newly lit fuse. "That owl has enough energy to send a letter to the moon!" she laughed as she walked back to her room.
Once inside, she shut the door and headed over to her dresser. "What to pack, what to pack, what to pack," she grumbled. As she sorted through her piles of robes and Muggle clothing alike, she thought back to when she had first met Harry and Hermione.
****FLASHBACK****
A boy her age was coming over towards her family. "Um, hello."
"First year at Hogwarts School of Wizardry and Witchcraft?" Mrs. Weasley asked kindly.
"Yes, ma'am," he responded. "Could you."
"Show you how to get on Platform 9 and ¾? Right through that barrier. You see the one between platforms 9 and 10? That one."
"Thank you very much."
"It's easier to go at a bit of a run if you're worried. Here, why don't you go through with my son Ron? He's starting at Hogwarts this year, too."
Ron and the boy set off and made it through the barrier. "Mum, can I go next?" she asked.
"Yes Ginny. You go with Fred. George and I will go after that, and Percy can follow."
"Now that I'm a prefect, I'm glad that you respect me enough to allow me to go alone," her older brother Percy pompously announced to the annoyance of Ginny, Fred and George. Mrs. Weasley did not see their scowling faces behind her back as she gave Percy a proud smile.
"I'm so proud of you, dear, but we must get going if we don't want to miss the train. Hurry up you two," Mrs. Weasley said and urged Ginny and Fred towards the barrier.
After they crossed through, Fred and Ginny helped each other load their luggage. Ginny spotted Ron and the mysterious boy, and fought the crowds to catch up with them.
"Ron, wait up!" she called.
Ron gave her an annoyed look and called, "Hurry up, or all the good seats will be taken."
She hurried, and finally caught up with them. She turned to the boy and said, "Hi, I'm Ginny Weasley-"
"-Who is, unfortunately, my twin sister. I'm Ron. What's your name?" Ron interrupted.
"Hi, I'm Harry Potter-" he started to say.
"Harry Potter? The boy who defeated You-Know-Who? The only known survivor of the Killing Curse?" she squealed.
"Uh, yeah," he responded, almost embarrassed at the attention.
"Wow! I can't believe you're you! I mean, I can't believe I've met you- oh, nice to meet you Harry!" she cried, breathless, flustered, and star-struck.
Seeing that Harry didn't know what to say to her strange behavior, Ron said, "Oh don't mind her. She's a little nutters if you ask me."
They got on the train and settled in to a four-seated chamber. They had barely sat down when a girl with buckteeth and bushy brown hair stuck her head in the open doorway.
"Would you mind if I took that last seat? Everywhere else is filled."
"Sure," Ginny said, ignoring the look from Ron that distinctly said "No".
The girl, who introduced herself as Hermione Granger, quickly became good friends with Ginny. The boys ignored them as they talked about their summers, and what they thought school was going to be like-
****END FLASHBACK****
"Ginny! Time for dinner!" her mother called, sending her crashing back to reality.
"Coming!" she called.
-Later that evening-
"Finally, I can get back to packing. Now, where's my wand?" she wondered. Ginny, a skilled witch, was especially good at wandwork. She had the accuracy, aim, and memory for charms and curses that got her out of trouble almost as fast as she got herself into it.
"There it is!" she cried as she found it buried under a deep blue robe.
With a wave of her wand, all the clothes on her floor rose and hung in the air like they were on hangers in a closet. The clothes that were in her drawers flew out and joined them. She noticed that they were not sorted, so she waved her wand again and they were sorted mainly by type of clothing, and within each type, by color.
"That's better. Now I can pack much more easily."
She began selecting items from the imaginary rack and whisking them, with her wand, into the waiting carpetbag that lay open on her bed. She had magicked it to have an extremely spacious interior, so that she could fit dozens of outfits, food, and other necessities, all in one bag. When she had finished packing clothes, she summoned a quill and a piece of parchment to write her shopping list.
"Let's see. I'll need ink and parchment to write to mum. I should probably pick up a copy of 'One Minute Feasts- It's Magic!'- Mum can't bear to part with hers, even for a month- some of those Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans- that'll cause some laughs." She ended up lengthening her parchment three times to fit everything on the list.
"I think I'll go tomorrow- then I'll have time to still get things if I forget something or if I think of something that we'll need closer to when we leave. Well, I should probably get to bed if I'm going to be shopping tomorrow."
She walked out in the hall and called down the stairs- "Goodnight, Mum!"
"Goodnight dear," was the reply. "See you in the morning. Say, didn't you mention that you needed to go shopping?"
"Yes. I thought I might do it tomorrow."
"Would you add a few things to your list for me? It would save me a lot of time, and I would repay you of course."
"Sure. What do you need?" she said and summoned her quill and list.
"I need some standard black ink, some boomslang skin, a large jar of dried spiders, and a bundle of witchhazel, the largest you can find."
"That all?"
"That's it for me, but you might want to check with your brother to see if he needs anything."
"All right, I will. Goodnight!"
"Goodnight dear."
She went to Ron's room and knocked on his door. When he opened in, she said, "Sorry to bother you again, but I'm going to Diagon Alley tomorrow. Is there anything you'd like me to get you for the trip?"
He thought for a moment. "Get me- no, no, get me- no, that's not what I want, how about picking me up some- nah, they're too expensive."
"How about you come with me and pick out what you want?"
"All right. What time are you leaving?"
"8:30."
"8:30? Are you crazy? Vampires are still out at 8:30! How about 10?"
"9."
"9:45."
"9:15."
"9:30."
"Deal. Do you want me to knock on your door at 9 to wake you up?"
"Sounds good to me. 'Night Gin."
"'Night Ron."
She walked back to her room and quickly got ready for bed. Sitting on the edge of her bed, Ginny got out her diary and began to write.
'Dear Diary,
Not a lot happened today. I began packing for the trip, and I made my shopping list. I also sent Hermione a letter telling her the most current update in the trip plans. Hopefully, I'll get a response tomorrow. Ooh, I can't wait until we take this trip! I get to see Harry again.'
She smiled at that last thought as she closed the leather bound book and locked it shut. Lying down, she pulled the covers up to her chin and drifted off to sleep.
- The next day, at Hermione's house-
Hermione lifted her eyes from her book as she heard a tapping on her bedroom window. She peered out and, seeing Pig, hurriedly opened the window to let him inside. After letting him drink from her glass of water, she opened the letter. Her eyes scanned the parchment, and after seeing that Ron had FINALLY picked the dates for their excursion, squealed in delight. She ran downstairs and began to search for her mother. "Mum? Where are you?"
"Right here, dear," Mrs. Granger called from the kitchen.
Rushing in, Hermione skidded and nearly fell on the slippery floor.
"Just waxed the floor, be careful."
"Thanks for mentioning it now. Anyway, you know how I said that Harry, Ron, Ginny and I were planning that trip this summer?"
"Yes."
"Well, Ginny just sent me a letter telling me that Ron has finally planned a definite departure date! She said to come with all my things on the nineteenth, and that we'll leave on the twentieth. That doesn't conflict with any important events that I should be aware of, right?"
Mrs. Granger dried her hands and moved from the sink, where she was washing dishes, over to the calendar hanging on the wall. "No, nothing planned. You're free to leave. You do know that your father and I will miss you terribly, right?"
"Yes Mum, and if possible, I'll miss you two even more. But this is a once in a lifetime opportunity, to go on a roadtrip with my three best friends! I'll write often-"
"By normal post or by those crazy owls?"
"They're not crazy. They just take a little getting used to. And I'll probably use owl post most of the time, since Harry and Ron are bringing their owls with them. Hedwig is a sweetie, and Pig is just a little.er.excitable. He doesn't mean any harm. I'll give them specific instructions to stay so that you can send a return letter. You just tie it onto their leg.you'll see, when I send a letter. Just feed them some bread and give them some water, and if they've made a long journey they might want to kip a bit, but then they'll be off. Leave a window open if you can, because otherwise they might scare you in the night by tapping their beaks on the windowpane. As soon as we arrive at our first camp, I'll send you a quick note to let you know we got there safely. All right, then?
"Ok dear. I'm going to the store this afternoon. Is there anything you want me to get for you?"
"Could you pick me up the ingredients for spaghetti and meatballs, rock cakes, and those lovely little teacakes you make? Oh, and some dry cat food for Crookshanks. The extra big bag- I'll repay you for it."
"All right. Anything else?"
"No, that's ok. I'm going to go to Diagon Alley- the place where I got my things for school- and pick up a few things if you want to know where I am. Ok?"
"OK. Have fun dear. How will you be getting there?"
"I'm Apparating." Seeing her mother's blank look, she added, "You just kind of 'pop' and you're there. It takes less than a second- it's safe, I passed my test and I've practiced. Here, let me show you. Where do you want me to Apparate? Anywhere."
"Ok.how about to the other side of the room, in front of the refrigerator."
With a 'pop', Hermione disappeared from her place facing her mother and over in front of the refrigerator. "See mum? I'm all in one piece over by the refrigerator, like you said."
"I believe you. You have my permission to Appear at Dragon Alley-"
"It's Apparate at Diagon Alley, not Appear at Dragon Alley-"
"Sorry dear. You know I'm not good with all those magic hocus pocus piggledy wiggledy things-"
"It's ok, mum. All right, I have to go gather my things and get ready. Bye! Have fun shopping!"
"You too, dear! Bye!"
Hermione gave her mother a kiss and headed upstairs. She quickly found a piece of parchment and began a quick note to Ginny.
'Dear Ginny,
No conflicts on the nineteenth! What time do you want be to come? One more question: how am I supposed to get my things and Crookshanks there? Can one Apparate with a trunk and a cat? (I FINALLY passed my test last week!!!) Ask your father, and send a reply. If you can't Apparate with a trunk, ask him how I could get it there. Transfigure it into a pebble, put it in my pocket and then Apparate? But then, what would I do with Crookshanks? I don't think he'd want to be a pebble. Write me back.
Love,
Hermione'
She sealed up her letter, tied it to Pig (who was still drinking from the glass on her desk), and sent him off to deliver the message.
"My next task," she said to herself, "Is to write my shopping list for Diagon Alley."
Summoning a quill and parchment, she began to think of things she'd need. Crookshanks climbed into her lap, and she stroked him as she thought. As she thought of the things she needed, she wrote them down:
'To Get at Diagon Alley
-A new robe
-Shredded newt tail
-Jobberknoll feathers
-Pogrebin hairs
-Powdered Shrake spines
-Spellotape
-Parchment
-2 quills
-Ink
-A new collar for Crookshanks
-Cat treats
-Kitty toys'
Grabbing her handbag and her completed list, she Apparated from her room with a *pop*.
-At Harry's, that same morning-
"Get up you lazy bum! I need you to mow the lawn," Harry's Aunt Petunia said crossly as she shook Harry awake at 7 AM.
He rolled over groggily to the sight of her angry face leaning in close to his. "AH!" he shouted and promptly fell out of bed.
After washing his face and changing out of his pajamas, Harry sneaked into the kitchen and grabbed an apple before heading out to the tool shed. He grunted, yanking the lawnmower out of the shed, and struggled to get it started. 4 unsuccessful tries later, he finally started the contraption. "7 a.m. on a Saturday morning, mowing the lawn? The neighbors aren't going to be too terribly pleased with me."
As he passed over the grass, making sure to keep everything in straight rows, just like Uncle Vernon liked things, his thoughts wandered to the trip that grew nearer by the day. He couldn't wait! A month and ½ away from the Dursleys, and spent on holiday with his 3 best friends! Who could ask for a better way to spend the summer! But the Dursleys were squeezing all the work out of him that they could before he left. Waking up early and staying up late with chores for 3 more days was bearable. But if the trip were for any reason cancelled, he would go insane.
Finally, after what seemed like forever, he finished the lawn. Dusting off his hands, he pushed the lawnmower back to the shed and put it away. He barely had time to latch the door when Aunt Petunia opened the window. "Your Uncle's car needs to be washed. You know where to find the sponge. Oh, it could use a good waxing, too. Well, don't just stand there, get to work!" she called, mumbling something that sounded very much like 'ungrateful boy' and 'if he doesn't shape up, I'm going to teach him the lesson of his lifetime.'.
"Just 5 more days.then I'm out of here.5 days." Harry kept muttering under his breath. Counting down had been the only thing to keep him sane. "Oh, I wish the 19th would come sooner!"
When finally his work was done, Harry decided to go in and get a more proper breakfast. After all of his manual labor, he was quite hungry. He went inside ("Take your filthy shoes off at the door, I don't want you mucking up my clean floors!") and, after sticking some bread in the toaster, poured himself some orange juice.
As soon as he was finished with his breakfast, he sat quietly for a second to listen and see what Aunt Petunia was doing. When he heard the vacuum running in the sitting room, he set his dishes in the sink and sneaked up the stairs to his room. He got out a quill and a piece of parchment from under the loose floorboard, and began to write:
'Dear Ron,
How's your holiday been? I can't wait until the nineteenth. Bet you can't either. I know I wouldn't be able to wait to see Hermione if I fancied her, either.' At this, Harry smiled. He could just picture Ron's ears turning red at the comment. Ron had denied it since fourth year, but Harry knew that Ron had a soft spot for her. That is, when they weren't fighting.
'So, how are Fred and George doing? Is Weasley's Wizard Wheezes doing well? Who would have guessed that those two would own a joke shop. I mean, it's not like they're pranksters or anything, right?
How's Ginny?' Now it was Harry's turn to blush. He never mentioned it to anyone, but he had a bit of a soft spot, too, but for Ginny.
'Has she gotten into any more trouble yet? Honestly, she started out so nice, but then she turned into a trickster just like Fred and George. You didn't get anything like those Twitchy EarMuffs you got for Christmas, did you? Hope not. She hasn't figured out where we're going, has she? It's driving her bonkers, isn't it!
Is there anything you need me to get? Like random stuff that would be fun to have but it isn't really any one person's responsibility to bring? We need to bring interesting stories back to Mione's grandparents, remember. Any ideas that could spark some interesting moments? Well, if you think of any, write me and I'll see what I can round up. Ta!
-Harry'
Sealing his letter, he went over to Hedwig's cage and tied the letter to her leg. "I need you to take this to Ron, ok?" he said softly, and she hooted. "That's a good girl," he said and gave her an owl treat. She gobbled it up and flew out the window and soared upwards amongst the fluffy clouds.
*big huggles for BridgeJillephant*
Bri: *muffled* Get off of me!
Brig (me!): But you're so Kawaii!!!! *gets all starry eyed*
Bri: Whatever. Since Brig is indisposed at the moment *looks at Brig, who has pulled out the photo album and is looking at the pics of adorable little Bri* I'll say the disclaimer for her. She does NOT own Harry Potter. A lucky lady named J.K. Rowling does. However, Brig somehow thinks that she owns Oliver Wood from the movie "Harry Potter" *squeals of delight at the name 'Oliver Wood' are heard in the background* Uh oh, I hope she doesn't get out her other album.
Brig: Oh Bri, dear, come and look at pictures of Sean with me! (Sean Biggerstaff plays Wood in the movie)
Brig: And I was hoping to have a fun afternoon.
******************************************************
'Dear Hermione,' wrote 18-year-old Ginny Weasley.
'How have you been doing? Have your parents coped with the fact that you are now "all grown up" and not in school anymore? My parents are still in denial about Ron and me being finished. Speaking of the redheaded retard, he mentioned that he and Harry had come up with a route for us to travel when we go on our trip this summer. He had it all planned out on a map, carefully outlined in red ink- but he wouldn't show it to me! I saw just a corner of it when he snatched it out of my reach. Something about a "surprise for you girls". Absolute rubbish. I asked him when we were leaving, and he said to tell you to come on the nineteenth with all your things, and we will load everything up and leave on the twentieth. He's letting Harry know. Bring enough clothing for at least a month and ½, although we will have the opportunity to wash things. Just pack enough so that you will be seasonally equipped for a month and ½ from now. I'll send this as soon as I can convince Ron to let me borrow Pig. Could you bring some food? Your favorite snacks, and ingredients for some of your favorite meals.
Cheers,
Ginny'
With satisfaction, Ginny sealed up her letter and headed off to her twin brother's room to ask to borrow his owl, Pig (properly called Pigwidgeon).
She pounded her fist on the door, shouting "Ron! I need to borrow Pig to send Hermione the information about the trip!"
Grudgingly, a tall, handsomely freckled young man opened the door and shoved a ball of fluff into his sister's hand. " You may use Pig, but only because it's about the trip. Got it?"
"Yeah. Thanks!" She attached the letter to Pig's tiny leg, and sent him off. He shot through Ron's open doorway and out the open window like a rocket with a newly lit fuse. "That owl has enough energy to send a letter to the moon!" she laughed as she walked back to her room.
Once inside, she shut the door and headed over to her dresser. "What to pack, what to pack, what to pack," she grumbled. As she sorted through her piles of robes and Muggle clothing alike, she thought back to when she had first met Harry and Hermione.
****FLASHBACK****
A boy her age was coming over towards her family. "Um, hello."
"First year at Hogwarts School of Wizardry and Witchcraft?" Mrs. Weasley asked kindly.
"Yes, ma'am," he responded. "Could you."
"Show you how to get on Platform 9 and ¾? Right through that barrier. You see the one between platforms 9 and 10? That one."
"Thank you very much."
"It's easier to go at a bit of a run if you're worried. Here, why don't you go through with my son Ron? He's starting at Hogwarts this year, too."
Ron and the boy set off and made it through the barrier. "Mum, can I go next?" she asked.
"Yes Ginny. You go with Fred. George and I will go after that, and Percy can follow."
"Now that I'm a prefect, I'm glad that you respect me enough to allow me to go alone," her older brother Percy pompously announced to the annoyance of Ginny, Fred and George. Mrs. Weasley did not see their scowling faces behind her back as she gave Percy a proud smile.
"I'm so proud of you, dear, but we must get going if we don't want to miss the train. Hurry up you two," Mrs. Weasley said and urged Ginny and Fred towards the barrier.
After they crossed through, Fred and Ginny helped each other load their luggage. Ginny spotted Ron and the mysterious boy, and fought the crowds to catch up with them.
"Ron, wait up!" she called.
Ron gave her an annoyed look and called, "Hurry up, or all the good seats will be taken."
She hurried, and finally caught up with them. She turned to the boy and said, "Hi, I'm Ginny Weasley-"
"-Who is, unfortunately, my twin sister. I'm Ron. What's your name?" Ron interrupted.
"Hi, I'm Harry Potter-" he started to say.
"Harry Potter? The boy who defeated You-Know-Who? The only known survivor of the Killing Curse?" she squealed.
"Uh, yeah," he responded, almost embarrassed at the attention.
"Wow! I can't believe you're you! I mean, I can't believe I've met you- oh, nice to meet you Harry!" she cried, breathless, flustered, and star-struck.
Seeing that Harry didn't know what to say to her strange behavior, Ron said, "Oh don't mind her. She's a little nutters if you ask me."
They got on the train and settled in to a four-seated chamber. They had barely sat down when a girl with buckteeth and bushy brown hair stuck her head in the open doorway.
"Would you mind if I took that last seat? Everywhere else is filled."
"Sure," Ginny said, ignoring the look from Ron that distinctly said "No".
The girl, who introduced herself as Hermione Granger, quickly became good friends with Ginny. The boys ignored them as they talked about their summers, and what they thought school was going to be like-
****END FLASHBACK****
"Ginny! Time for dinner!" her mother called, sending her crashing back to reality.
"Coming!" she called.
-Later that evening-
"Finally, I can get back to packing. Now, where's my wand?" she wondered. Ginny, a skilled witch, was especially good at wandwork. She had the accuracy, aim, and memory for charms and curses that got her out of trouble almost as fast as she got herself into it.
"There it is!" she cried as she found it buried under a deep blue robe.
With a wave of her wand, all the clothes on her floor rose and hung in the air like they were on hangers in a closet. The clothes that were in her drawers flew out and joined them. She noticed that they were not sorted, so she waved her wand again and they were sorted mainly by type of clothing, and within each type, by color.
"That's better. Now I can pack much more easily."
She began selecting items from the imaginary rack and whisking them, with her wand, into the waiting carpetbag that lay open on her bed. She had magicked it to have an extremely spacious interior, so that she could fit dozens of outfits, food, and other necessities, all in one bag. When she had finished packing clothes, she summoned a quill and a piece of parchment to write her shopping list.
"Let's see. I'll need ink and parchment to write to mum. I should probably pick up a copy of 'One Minute Feasts- It's Magic!'- Mum can't bear to part with hers, even for a month- some of those Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans- that'll cause some laughs." She ended up lengthening her parchment three times to fit everything on the list.
"I think I'll go tomorrow- then I'll have time to still get things if I forget something or if I think of something that we'll need closer to when we leave. Well, I should probably get to bed if I'm going to be shopping tomorrow."
She walked out in the hall and called down the stairs- "Goodnight, Mum!"
"Goodnight dear," was the reply. "See you in the morning. Say, didn't you mention that you needed to go shopping?"
"Yes. I thought I might do it tomorrow."
"Would you add a few things to your list for me? It would save me a lot of time, and I would repay you of course."
"Sure. What do you need?" she said and summoned her quill and list.
"I need some standard black ink, some boomslang skin, a large jar of dried spiders, and a bundle of witchhazel, the largest you can find."
"That all?"
"That's it for me, but you might want to check with your brother to see if he needs anything."
"All right, I will. Goodnight!"
"Goodnight dear."
She went to Ron's room and knocked on his door. When he opened in, she said, "Sorry to bother you again, but I'm going to Diagon Alley tomorrow. Is there anything you'd like me to get you for the trip?"
He thought for a moment. "Get me- no, no, get me- no, that's not what I want, how about picking me up some- nah, they're too expensive."
"How about you come with me and pick out what you want?"
"All right. What time are you leaving?"
"8:30."
"8:30? Are you crazy? Vampires are still out at 8:30! How about 10?"
"9."
"9:45."
"9:15."
"9:30."
"Deal. Do you want me to knock on your door at 9 to wake you up?"
"Sounds good to me. 'Night Gin."
"'Night Ron."
She walked back to her room and quickly got ready for bed. Sitting on the edge of her bed, Ginny got out her diary and began to write.
'Dear Diary,
Not a lot happened today. I began packing for the trip, and I made my shopping list. I also sent Hermione a letter telling her the most current update in the trip plans. Hopefully, I'll get a response tomorrow. Ooh, I can't wait until we take this trip! I get to see Harry again.'
She smiled at that last thought as she closed the leather bound book and locked it shut. Lying down, she pulled the covers up to her chin and drifted off to sleep.
- The next day, at Hermione's house-
Hermione lifted her eyes from her book as she heard a tapping on her bedroom window. She peered out and, seeing Pig, hurriedly opened the window to let him inside. After letting him drink from her glass of water, she opened the letter. Her eyes scanned the parchment, and after seeing that Ron had FINALLY picked the dates for their excursion, squealed in delight. She ran downstairs and began to search for her mother. "Mum? Where are you?"
"Right here, dear," Mrs. Granger called from the kitchen.
Rushing in, Hermione skidded and nearly fell on the slippery floor.
"Just waxed the floor, be careful."
"Thanks for mentioning it now. Anyway, you know how I said that Harry, Ron, Ginny and I were planning that trip this summer?"
"Yes."
"Well, Ginny just sent me a letter telling me that Ron has finally planned a definite departure date! She said to come with all my things on the nineteenth, and that we'll leave on the twentieth. That doesn't conflict with any important events that I should be aware of, right?"
Mrs. Granger dried her hands and moved from the sink, where she was washing dishes, over to the calendar hanging on the wall. "No, nothing planned. You're free to leave. You do know that your father and I will miss you terribly, right?"
"Yes Mum, and if possible, I'll miss you two even more. But this is a once in a lifetime opportunity, to go on a roadtrip with my three best friends! I'll write often-"
"By normal post or by those crazy owls?"
"They're not crazy. They just take a little getting used to. And I'll probably use owl post most of the time, since Harry and Ron are bringing their owls with them. Hedwig is a sweetie, and Pig is just a little.er.excitable. He doesn't mean any harm. I'll give them specific instructions to stay so that you can send a return letter. You just tie it onto their leg.you'll see, when I send a letter. Just feed them some bread and give them some water, and if they've made a long journey they might want to kip a bit, but then they'll be off. Leave a window open if you can, because otherwise they might scare you in the night by tapping their beaks on the windowpane. As soon as we arrive at our first camp, I'll send you a quick note to let you know we got there safely. All right, then?
"Ok dear. I'm going to the store this afternoon. Is there anything you want me to get for you?"
"Could you pick me up the ingredients for spaghetti and meatballs, rock cakes, and those lovely little teacakes you make? Oh, and some dry cat food for Crookshanks. The extra big bag- I'll repay you for it."
"All right. Anything else?"
"No, that's ok. I'm going to go to Diagon Alley- the place where I got my things for school- and pick up a few things if you want to know where I am. Ok?"
"OK. Have fun dear. How will you be getting there?"
"I'm Apparating." Seeing her mother's blank look, she added, "You just kind of 'pop' and you're there. It takes less than a second- it's safe, I passed my test and I've practiced. Here, let me show you. Where do you want me to Apparate? Anywhere."
"Ok.how about to the other side of the room, in front of the refrigerator."
With a 'pop', Hermione disappeared from her place facing her mother and over in front of the refrigerator. "See mum? I'm all in one piece over by the refrigerator, like you said."
"I believe you. You have my permission to Appear at Dragon Alley-"
"It's Apparate at Diagon Alley, not Appear at Dragon Alley-"
"Sorry dear. You know I'm not good with all those magic hocus pocus piggledy wiggledy things-"
"It's ok, mum. All right, I have to go gather my things and get ready. Bye! Have fun shopping!"
"You too, dear! Bye!"
Hermione gave her mother a kiss and headed upstairs. She quickly found a piece of parchment and began a quick note to Ginny.
'Dear Ginny,
No conflicts on the nineteenth! What time do you want be to come? One more question: how am I supposed to get my things and Crookshanks there? Can one Apparate with a trunk and a cat? (I FINALLY passed my test last week!!!) Ask your father, and send a reply. If you can't Apparate with a trunk, ask him how I could get it there. Transfigure it into a pebble, put it in my pocket and then Apparate? But then, what would I do with Crookshanks? I don't think he'd want to be a pebble. Write me back.
Love,
Hermione'
She sealed up her letter, tied it to Pig (who was still drinking from the glass on her desk), and sent him off to deliver the message.
"My next task," she said to herself, "Is to write my shopping list for Diagon Alley."
Summoning a quill and parchment, she began to think of things she'd need. Crookshanks climbed into her lap, and she stroked him as she thought. As she thought of the things she needed, she wrote them down:
'To Get at Diagon Alley
-A new robe
-Shredded newt tail
-Jobberknoll feathers
-Pogrebin hairs
-Powdered Shrake spines
-Spellotape
-Parchment
-2 quills
-Ink
-A new collar for Crookshanks
-Cat treats
-Kitty toys'
Grabbing her handbag and her completed list, she Apparated from her room with a *pop*.
-At Harry's, that same morning-
"Get up you lazy bum! I need you to mow the lawn," Harry's Aunt Petunia said crossly as she shook Harry awake at 7 AM.
He rolled over groggily to the sight of her angry face leaning in close to his. "AH!" he shouted and promptly fell out of bed.
After washing his face and changing out of his pajamas, Harry sneaked into the kitchen and grabbed an apple before heading out to the tool shed. He grunted, yanking the lawnmower out of the shed, and struggled to get it started. 4 unsuccessful tries later, he finally started the contraption. "7 a.m. on a Saturday morning, mowing the lawn? The neighbors aren't going to be too terribly pleased with me."
As he passed over the grass, making sure to keep everything in straight rows, just like Uncle Vernon liked things, his thoughts wandered to the trip that grew nearer by the day. He couldn't wait! A month and ½ away from the Dursleys, and spent on holiday with his 3 best friends! Who could ask for a better way to spend the summer! But the Dursleys were squeezing all the work out of him that they could before he left. Waking up early and staying up late with chores for 3 more days was bearable. But if the trip were for any reason cancelled, he would go insane.
Finally, after what seemed like forever, he finished the lawn. Dusting off his hands, he pushed the lawnmower back to the shed and put it away. He barely had time to latch the door when Aunt Petunia opened the window. "Your Uncle's car needs to be washed. You know where to find the sponge. Oh, it could use a good waxing, too. Well, don't just stand there, get to work!" she called, mumbling something that sounded very much like 'ungrateful boy' and 'if he doesn't shape up, I'm going to teach him the lesson of his lifetime.'.
"Just 5 more days.then I'm out of here.5 days." Harry kept muttering under his breath. Counting down had been the only thing to keep him sane. "Oh, I wish the 19th would come sooner!"
When finally his work was done, Harry decided to go in and get a more proper breakfast. After all of his manual labor, he was quite hungry. He went inside ("Take your filthy shoes off at the door, I don't want you mucking up my clean floors!") and, after sticking some bread in the toaster, poured himself some orange juice.
As soon as he was finished with his breakfast, he sat quietly for a second to listen and see what Aunt Petunia was doing. When he heard the vacuum running in the sitting room, he set his dishes in the sink and sneaked up the stairs to his room. He got out a quill and a piece of parchment from under the loose floorboard, and began to write:
'Dear Ron,
How's your holiday been? I can't wait until the nineteenth. Bet you can't either. I know I wouldn't be able to wait to see Hermione if I fancied her, either.' At this, Harry smiled. He could just picture Ron's ears turning red at the comment. Ron had denied it since fourth year, but Harry knew that Ron had a soft spot for her. That is, when they weren't fighting.
'So, how are Fred and George doing? Is Weasley's Wizard Wheezes doing well? Who would have guessed that those two would own a joke shop. I mean, it's not like they're pranksters or anything, right?
How's Ginny?' Now it was Harry's turn to blush. He never mentioned it to anyone, but he had a bit of a soft spot, too, but for Ginny.
'Has she gotten into any more trouble yet? Honestly, she started out so nice, but then she turned into a trickster just like Fred and George. You didn't get anything like those Twitchy EarMuffs you got for Christmas, did you? Hope not. She hasn't figured out where we're going, has she? It's driving her bonkers, isn't it!
Is there anything you need me to get? Like random stuff that would be fun to have but it isn't really any one person's responsibility to bring? We need to bring interesting stories back to Mione's grandparents, remember. Any ideas that could spark some interesting moments? Well, if you think of any, write me and I'll see what I can round up. Ta!
-Harry'
Sealing his letter, he went over to Hedwig's cage and tied the letter to her leg. "I need you to take this to Ron, ok?" he said softly, and she hooted. "That's a good girl," he said and gave her an owl treat. She gobbled it up and flew out the window and soared upwards amongst the fluffy clouds.