Harry Potter and the crystal ball.
Chapter 1.
Happy Birthday Harry!
Harry was having the best years of his life. He lived with the Weasley's and he shared is little fortune with them. His 15th birthday was soon approaching. He wasn't expecting anything, as he knew the Weasley's didn't have that much money.
"Hey Harry!" It was Fred and George the Weasley twins. " We're on are way up to Diagon Alley. Want to come?"
"Ummmm I don't know if Ron's coming."
"You don't have to wait for him,"
"I'm not sure. May be later."
"O.k. see you later then."
Harry was daydreaming. Dreaming of the day he went back to school. He was looking forward to seeing a certain person, her face swimming in his mind 'I wonder why she kissed me last year?' Ron's father interrupted his thoughts.
"Hullo Harry! What are you doing then?"
"Just thinking. I was wondering if I could… oh never mind."
Well, Molly's not well so I'm working extra hard. Would you and Ron mind looking after Ginny?" Ginny was the youngest of the Weasley's and was in the Fourth year at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
"I don't mind… RON!"
"Yawn" Ron yawned massively as he came downstairs. "Yeah Harry?"
"Would you mind looking after Ginny while your Dad's at work?"
"No. As long as I don't have to help look after Mum as well!"
"Are you O.K. Ron? You look really tired."
"Well I've been up all night with mum not feeling well and all… Harry would you mind looking after Ginny while I get a few more hours sleep?"
"I don't mind at all. Well enjoy your nap." He couldn't see why Ginny couldn't look after herself though. Harry walked up with Ron to their room. Ron flopped onto his bed.
"Harry? I can't keep this inside me any longer."
"What?"
"Well, I know you and Parvati are really good friends. Well I really, really fancy…"
" Her sister Padma Patil. I know you talking about her in your sleep. You were saying how you couldn't wait to get back to school to see her and to ask her out." Ron's ears went incredibly bright pink.
"Oh my God! How embarrassing! I… I talked about her in my sleep?"
"Yeah and I think Fred And George heard you as well!"
"So when we go back to school do you think I should ask her out?"
"Well if it was me I would leave it a while, you know a couple of weeks into the term." Harry was feeling very embarrassed he couldn't tell Ron who he liked. He also felt ashamed that he couldn't even tell his best friend. "Well I'll see you later I better get some breakfast for Ginny and me"
A few minutes later the post had arrived. Hedwig was eating some of Harry's bacon and Ginny was reading the paper.
"Ginny there's a letter here for you. Oh and one for me!" The letter said:
Dear Harry,
I hear from Ron that you have been acting very strange lately.
I hope you are all right. As you know we will be able to have
2 extra free periods, one on Tuesday and the other on Friday.
I was wondering, on the Tuesday would you like to start up
a small business in Hogsmeade? We cold sell sweets or toys or
We could try and get a job at Honeydukes or the Three Broomsticks.
What do you say? Send me an owl with a reply.
Lots of love
Hermione.
x.x.x
Harry felt warm with the words 'lots of love'. But it wasn't as if she'd never written that before. Then He realised he loved her even more.
"Harry? Who sent you that letter?" Asked Ginny.
" Oh Just Hermione." Answered Harry casually while stroking Hedwig who was hooting with delight.
"Does Ron Fancy Padma Patil?" Ginny asked very quickly.
"You know about that?"
"Well I sort of over heard when I went past your room."
"Don't tell Ron, because he'll think I told you."
Ginny went back to reading the paper. "Later when Ron is up we'll go to Diagon alley. O.K.?"
"Yeah fine with me."
Harry wrote a reply to Hermione.
Dear Hermione,
I'd love to work with you. I've just thought how about
Working in Zonko's joke shop? I don't know why Ron
Said I was acting strange, it's him been who's actingStrange. Meet me in Diagon Alley on the 31st of August
And we can do some start of term shopping with
Ron.
Send me an owl with an answer,
Lots of loveHarry.
*
On the 18th of July no one apart from Harry was in the house. Harry trudged into the kitchen where Hedwig had been patiently waiting for him. There were at least six or seven parcels. Harry glanced at the calendar and he saw that today was his birthday!
The first parcel was from Hagrid, the Hogwart's gamekeeper. Inside was a pair of giant gardening gloves for Herbology and some of Hagrid's home made rock cakes with a letter:
Dear Harry,
I hope you have a really good birthday. At least
This year isn't wiv 'em Dursleys.
See yer at school.
Love Hagrid.
Harry smiled. The next parcel had curly emerald writing on it. He knew straight away this was from professor Dumbledore. He opened the parcel and there was a pair of green socks! This had been his and Harry's joke since his first year at Hogwart's.
Ron walked in to the house.
"Mornin' Harry. I'm sorry I didn't get you up. I've had to de-gnome the garden for Mum, again. Well Happy Birthday! Have you opened your present from me yet?"
"No. I hadn't really got that far. Which one is it?"
"That on there in the silver paper." Harry opened it to find a gold card with flashing lights like a muggle disco. Ron had got special permission from Hogwarts to do that enchantment because they weren't allowed to do magic during the holidays. Also in the present there was whole box of chocolate frogs.
"All I need now is Agrippa." Harry bit the first frog to find another Dumbledore. He picked up another one and offered one to Ron "Oh my God I've got him! Now I've got the full set. Yes!" Ron was pleased Harry had finished because now they could both help Ginny collect them. The rest of the presents were from:
Mr. And Mrs. Weasley and Percy a new magic notebook. (That never ran out of paper!)
Hermione A Broom clipper, 20 galleons and a box of Bertie Bott's every-flavour beans.
Fred, George and Ginny a voucher for Zonko's joke shop and Honeyduke's sweet shop.
And Last of all, Sirius Black and Buckbeak 25 sickles.
*
It was the 31st of August. Harry and Ron were waiting for Hermione outside Florean Fortescue's ice-cream parlour.
"Hey Guys!" Hermione had turned up "I hope you enjoyed your birthday?" Hermione's voice was like silk to his ears. He suddenly felt uneasy and was embarrassed. He couldn't tell Ron he fancied Hermione. "Yeah. I had a real nice birthday thanks."
"Harry? Can I talk to you about the owl I sent you?"
"Yeah sure. When?"
"Before you go home."
"O.K." Harry said quietly "How can I talk to you with him around? He might get suspicious of something."
"Well if we send him off to get an ice cream now or in a shop while he's buying something." Ron was fed up with waiting and he suddenly shouted,
"For crying out loud! Are we going to stand around like Dementors all day or what?" They all went in to Flourish and Blotts and bought their books and refills of other equipment for next term. They were going to be:
The Standard book of spells (grade 5) by Miranda GoshawkMummies, monsters and other creeps by Cleo Batwing
Studying the Crystal Ball By Sybill Trelawney
The history of The Dark Arts By R.J Lupin.
There were lots of other books and Harry complained.
"I don't want to have to waste all my money on these. I've got better things to by with it.
While Ron was getting the ice creams Harry and Hermione were coming up with wild and impossible ideas.
"We could melt down stick-your-jaw-together toffees and make it into a smoothie." Harry's ideas were somewhat more adventurous than Hermione's.
"Or we could get some plain muggle chocolate and melt that, conjure up some ice-cream and make a massive sundae."
"God that is sooooo boring!" Harry nudged Hermione in the ribs to tell her Ron was on his way back.
"God. Anybody would think you two were going out you talk that much!" Harry and Hermione smiled weakly at this comment.