Disclaimer: Yes, I own Hp, in fact, I own JKR herself. She BELONGS to me! MWAHAHAHAHAH! Right…
I do own Malfoy's Brother however (though if JKR makes him up in the future books I won't own him either…)
A/N: Ok, I know things are kinda slow right now, but it's only because I'm just trying to make it as much like the book as possible and the holiday is always less eventful! Now, to a question someone asked me (sorry, can't remember the name):
I'm afraid it will be long before you hear of the actual Curse Holders and what they are, BUT (a big but) things are starting to warm up, even in this very chapter and this is just the beginning! Once we get to Hogwarts things will really start moving, in all angles. I'm very grateful for the reviews and would be very thankful and grateful for more opinions!
--Tincerbel
CHAPTER FOUR
DRESS ROBES, BOOKS AND A REMINDER
"Hi Harry, morning,"
"Morning Ron." Yawned Harry and sat up in his bed. He felt a little weird, as he did the morning before he went to the Burrow, when the scar on his hand itched. Though this time it didn't hurt at all.
"So, wonna go down stairs for Breakfas? We should get dressed."
"Um, yeah sure." Harry said but remained in his bed; he had a really strange feeling creeping onto him, almost literally.
"Harry, are you all right?" Ron gave Harry a worried look. "You seem a little off color."
Harry was just about to answer but suddenly, he felt as if he was frozen. He simply couldn't move a single muscle.
"Harry? Harry what's wrong!?"
There was another silent second in which Harry felt just numb and then his scar started burning upon his head and his arm was more painful than ever before. He grabbed it hard, rocking forward and backward and groaning in pain.
"Harry!" Ron shouted trying to get Harry to take his hand off his arm, so they could see what was going on.
And just as suddenly as it appeared, the pain vanished, both from his scar and his arm.
"I'm fine," He breathed hard. "It's, it's okay."
Ron looked relieved but at the same time horrified.
"Just a reminder." Said a sharp whisper.
"What?" Harry asked Ron confused. "A reminder of what?"
"What? I didn't say anything, Harry, what's going on, why did you—"
"-- Before we begin." Came another whisper.
Harry then realized what it was and gave a gasp.
"I think…" He said in a low weak voice. "I think it was him."
Just then, hundreds of miles away, an old man, sliver-haired and long bearded, his glasses clad untidy on his rather long and very crooked nose, seated in the armchair he fell asleep on woke up shivering and frightened.
***
Harry told Ron about his arm and about the voice he heard. It seemed that Ron was so horrified with the idea of Voldemort being close enough to his house that he could whisper to Harry and he would hear that he was just speechless. "Harry…" He finally stumbled. "Harry, we… we've got to tell someone! Didn't you tell Sirius about it at all?!" Now that he was coming back to his senses Ron seemed to think Harry's choice of keeping it a secret was a dreadful idea and that seemed to be what bothered him the most. "We have to tell them Harry!"
"But if Sirius knew…" It was Harry's turn to look for words. "Then, I don't know what he would do!" That was in fact the reason Harry had told no one about his arm. He remembered all too well how last year when he told Sirius that his scar hurt one day, he came back north because he was so worried for Harry.
"It doesn't matter!" Ron said angrily resembling Hermione's tone for a moment. "We have to tell someone, it--"
"Boys!" A call cut Ron. "Are you coming down or not?" They heard Mrs. Weasley. "Your breakfast is getting cold!"
"Let's have breakfast," Harry said blankly. "I'm starving."
***
Hermione mailed Ron after a while saying she'll come over to Ron's house before the school starts instead of meeting them in Diagon ally on the last day of the Holiday. Harry suspected Ron owled her about what happened and wanted her to help him convince Harry to tell someone.
Hermione arrived a few days before it was time to go aboard the Hogwarts express. At eight in the morning Harry and Ron sat outside in the garden and waited for Hermione to arrive.
"By the way, how do you suppose she's planning to get here?" Asked Ron puzzled. "Why is she so mysterious about the whole thing?"
"Beats me…" Yawned Harry.
They just sat and waited for about half an hour but there was still no sign of Hermione.
"Where is she?!" Called Harry looking at his watch.
"Over here!" Said Hermione's voice out of no-where. Harry and Ron turned around wildly.
"Hermione?!" They called together.
"Hi!!!" Hermione sized Ron and Harry into a hug as she popped from somewhere in the garden. "Hey, sorry I'm late," She said still with her arms around them. "Oh, Harry! Ron! I was so, muah, muah," She kissed each of them on the cheek and let them go. "I was worried sick about you two!"
Hermione looked a little different than Harry remembered her, she seemed taller, or maybe sanding more strait, as she was last year in the Yale Ball. Her hair didn't seem as bushy as it usually was because she tied it up in a flattering ponytail, and her eyes seemed brighter, like she had less reading into the night and more sleep.
"Harry, what happened?!" She asked. Harry shot Ron a dirty look.
"Oh Harry, you weren't going to tell me about it, were you?"
Harry looked away not answering. He really didn't want Sirius to find out about it but he also knew that he probably should have told someone.
The three of them put Hermione's stuff in Ginny's room and went up to Ron's orange bedroom.
"Harry, you really have to tell them," She said harshly. "Think about what happened! You heard him! Harry, listen to me, he's back! He could have been just here! You're not thinking strait!"
Harry still said nothing; he just stared stubbornly at the floor.
"How about we tell Dumbledore, not Sirius?"
"He'll tell Sirius." Harry said still not looking at Hermione.
"Yeah but then Dumbledore will talk to him and he'll convince him not to come." Said Ron supporting her.
"Fine." Harry said finally. "I'll tell him when we get to Hogwarts." Ron and Hermione gave Harry a look, he knew that wasn't what they meant but seeing the stubborn look on Harry's face they gave up.
"Hermione," Harry finally said after a long moment of silence. "How did you get here?" Hermione blushed. "Just um…"
"Yeah, how did you get here?" Ron looked at her with sudden resentment in his look. "And where from?" He added in suspicion.
"What do you mean, where from?" She shot Ron a sharp look.
Harry smirked. He knew where this conversation was leading-- the word Bulgaria was to pop up in two seconds at the most.
"No really Hermione," He said loudly because Ron was just opening his mouth to say it. "How did you get here? You just seemed to pop up."
With the subject of Victor Krum threatening to enter the conversation Hermione decided to just tell them about her trip to the Burrow rather than tell them about where she was that summer. "Well… I was, I was Shimmered here." She said quietly.
"What?!" Ron looked at her amazed. "From where?"
"What do you mean Shimmered?" Harry asked puzzled.
"It means someone sent her here, it's like she was Apparated here." Ron said. "From where?!" He then repeated.
"Hogwarts." She said, in a whisper now.
"Why were you there!? And why?! And How?!"
True, Ron was bagging her with questions she probably shouldn't have answered because no one was suppose to know but at least he seemed to forget all about Krum.
"I was helping Professor Flitwick since the other teachers have much to do themselves and aren't very skilled with charms and I'm his best student. I helped him get some charms up on the castle; not that it lacks charms and enchantments. Dumbledore's preparing you know… With," She stumbled. "What's happening…"
Ron and Harry stared speechlessly at her.
***
On the last day of the holiday Harry, Ron, Hermione, Fred, George, Ginny, and Mrs. Weasley all went together to shop for their Hogwarts supplies in Diagon Ally.
They decided to split, because Fred and Geneeded to go get some joke supplies. Harry noticed that Mrs. Weasley wasn't as harsh on the twinabout the shop as she was last year, she was almost approving. Harry thought it might be because of the rest development with Fudge, and because she must have made some peace with the fact that that's just the way Fred and George are.
So Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Mrs. Weasley went to their shopping and said to meet Fred and George by 'Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions' two hours later to buy Ron his Dress Robe.
" But what about your text books?" Asked Ron.
"Got them last week." Said Fred.
"Even paid for them ourselves." Grinned George and winked to Harry.
They said good-bye to Fred and George and Ron, Harry, Hermione, Ginny and Mrs. Weasley headed to the wizard bookshop Flourish and Blotts. For Harry's relief he had enough money from the previous year in his wallet to buy everything he needed without needing to go to Gringotts the wizard bank. It would always get him very embarrassed whenever he went there with the Weasleys who didn't have half the money he had in the underground safe. The shop was very crowded, apparently they weren't the only ones who waited until the last day to buy their textbooks, the shop was filled with Hogwarts students, mostly first years. Harry read closely through the list of textbooks he got from Hogwarts for his fifth year in the school and searched for the books he needed, trying not to step on anyone.
"That's weird," Said Ron puzzled from Harry's right. "There's no textbook for Defense against the Dark Arts."
"That's impossible!" Said Hermione from Harry's left. "You must have accidentally skipped the book."
"I'm telling you there's no book for Defense Against the Dark Arts!"
"No way!" Called Hermione searching wildly in her list. "They couldn't have possibly taken off that subject! Especially now." She added in a hiss.
Harry looked down at his own list. "No, Hermione, he's right." He said in surprise. "There isn't any book for Defense against the Dark Arts."
"You found all the books you needed?" Asked Hermione fast and shortly.
"I think so…" Said Ron.
"Me too." Said Harry trying to see where Hermione's going with that.
"C'mon!" She muttered grabbing Harry's hand and dragged the two down the crowded shop to the counter. An old tired looking man stood behind the counter and neither did he or the people waiting in line noticed that Hermione slipped right to the front. Harry and Ron switched surprised looks. Hermione was not very likely to be the person to cut in a line.
"If it weren't for the books she wouldn't have done it." Ron whispered in laughter.
"Excuse me?" Said Hermione while the old man checked their textbooks.
"Yes?" Smiled the old man behind the counter, reviling two golden teeth.
"I was wondering, there was no book for Defense Against the Dark Arts for the 5th year students at Hogwarts, did anyone from the Ministry or the school tell you anything about it?"
"As a matter a fact, no." He said pondered, it seemed he didn't really take any notice to that fact until then. "I really don't know, I guessed they might have canceled the subject or… I'm sorry, I'm afraid I can't help you." He smiled nervously as he saw the huge lineup behind them. "Good day. Next!" He said as he handed each their bag after they paid.
When they got out of line they saw Mrs. Weasley and Ginny in the very back.
"Ron dear!" She called and waved. They went over to Mrs. Weasley almost tripping over two children running around the store. "Look, it would take us quite a while and you're already done, so why don't you go look around, me and Ginny will go buy your potion supplies for you and we'll meet you with Fred and George." Harry and Hermione gave Mrs. Weasley the money for the potion supplies and they left the crowded shop and went into to the crowded street.
They spent the time they had going from store to store and just watching the crowd. They even met up with Neville and his strict Grandmother.
"Come on," Harry said after they had ice cream. "We need to start heading to Madam Malkin's Robes for all occasions."
"All right, let's go." Said Ron and got up, but before Harry could get up as well Ron sat back down. "Over there!" He whispered staring at a point in the street.
"What?" Said both Harry and Hermione and turned to look in the crowded street for whatever Ron saw.
"Malfoy and his brother." He said and noted with his head towards the entrance of Flourish and Blotts.
Malfoy's brother looked about Bill's age. He was very tall, with short blond hair like Draco and he looked very strong and muscular, but what caught Harry eye was Draco. It was the first time Harry ever saw him smiling not in scorn or out of bad intentions, but out of happiness.
"Look at him!" Said Hermione staring at them as they made their way down the street.
"I know, he's gonna cut us in half! Malfoy will revenge us for what we did to him last year on the train!" Hermione shot him an angry look.
"I didn't know he had a brother." Said Harry.
"Well, he's not around a lot, works in some mysterious job far away." Shrugged Ron still staring in a bit of fear at the two. " Bill told me," He added. "He was a prefect too, he's Bill's age. I'm not sure if he's the best between the Malfoys or the worst. Bill said he didn't mock anything that moved like the rest of their family do, but then again, he and Draco are like best friends…"
"Yeah, you can tell," Said Hermione gazing at the two. "Look how happy he seems, probably because he hardly gets to see him, with that smile on his face he looks almost… like a nice person." She said a little shocked.
"Come again? I don't think I quite heard that, no, you know what? Don't repeat it, I think I'm just going to act as if these words hadn't come out of your mouth, ever!" Said Ron in anger. "C'mon! They're gone, let's go!" He muttered angrily and got back up.
They made it to the robe shop with Fred and George who were holding big sealed paper bags in which Mrs. Weasley kept staring at.
Ron took ages to decide which Robe he wants. At the end he decided to take a dark blue Dress Robe that looked the best with his red hair.
It was even harder to walk through the crowd than before because of all the bags each of them carried. They ate lunch in the Leaky Caldron and then got back to the Burrow.
They spent the rest of the day packing and talking about the new Hogwarts year.
After dinner Harry and Ron (after saying goodnight to Hermione who went to Ginny's room) went upstairs to Ron's bedroom. Harry was a sleep almost as soon as his head touched the pillow.
***
Albus Dumbledore was sitting in his armchair silently in thought. His pet Phoenix Fawkes was sitting comfortably on his shoulders. Suddenly, a knock on the door was heard.
"Come in." Dumbledore said shortly.
A very grumpy Snape and a Black dog entered and closed the door sharply. Dumbledore's eyes flashed with a grin as he saw the look of suspicion and resentment Snape was giving the dog, which now turned into a very grumpy Sirius.
"It's good to see you two," Dumbledore said in a bit of relief, still seated with Fawkes still on his shoulders "And in one piece." He added smiling.
They both nodded shortly. It was obvious that the two were exhausted but they both stood strait and very alert, it was also obvious that the two were not fond of each other but stood rather close to each other, making an effort for Dumbledore.
"So…" Sirius finally said impatiently after a long silence. "What're the news around? I can hardly keep track of time anymore."
"It's been quiet."
"It has been, but will it be?" Snape said a low voice.
"Well we shall wait and see about that shan't we Severus?"
"But if things are quiet…" Opened Sirius again, suspicious with the look of Dumbledore. "You seem very pondered and serious and you summoned us though you already know all the news we have--"
"Of course he's serious," Snape cut in. "These are serious times in case you haven't noticed!" he hissed at him. "Or is that a fact that's hard to keep track of as well?" He said sarcasticall.
"I thought I was the Dog here but you seem to be barking far louder." Sirius hissed in virulence.
Dumbledore shushed them with a look. "Though it has been quiet something Happened, something very serious. Twas an incident." Sirius looked anxiously at Dumbledore. "Not Harry." He quickly assured him, "I called the Weasleys and all is well… but what happened there… it worries me much, though only six simple word… 'Just a reminder. Before we begin.' "
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End of chap 4!! Again: MORE TO COME! Just one more chap and they're at Hogwarts! And now ppl, can u take a hint? See the review box bellow? *Hint-hint*
