Disclaimer: (Why do we have these things? Everyone knows anyway.) These
characters are not owned by me, but J. K. Rowling, with one exception.
Harry was frantic. Both Ron and Hermionie were coming over at the same time, and everything needed to be perfect. They were still friends with him, but after breaking their engagement, they hadn't spoken to each other in a long time. Harry had always made desperate attempts to get the trio back together again, but they had never worked. Tonight was another try, and Harry hoped desperately that it would work.
Harry, Ron, and Hermionie had graduated from Hogwarts eight years ago. Voldemort had been defeated in their seventh and final year at Hogwarts, and would never rise again. It had almost cost them their lives, and someone close to them had died, and they were still deeply grieved over it.
Harry heard a noise and went to see who it was. Sirius was standing there.
"Oh, Sirius," Harry said. "I'm so glad you're here. I don't think I can prepare everything in time." Harry had been thinking about hiring professionals, but Sirius stopped him, mumbling that a monkey could decorate his house.
Sirius's name had been cleared, and he was now a happy godfather.
Sirius shook his head. "Harry, where would you be without me?"
"Dead," Harry said.
"That's very true," Sirius replied. "Now what kind of atmosphere were you going for?"
"Not love, but not hate. Just friendly and fun."
"Sounds good to me. Now you change those flowers into geodes."
"Geodes?"
"Just do it! I've got plans." In the end, Harry's living room looked just like Harry wanted it to be, friendly and fun. The walls were blue and purple tie-dye, and the floor was yellow. The geodes pulled everything together.
"Wow," Harry said. "You should go into interior decorating! This is exactly what I wanted."
"You're welcome," said Sirius. "I guess I'd better go. They'll be here soon. See you later!" Sirius winked, and disapparated from the house.
After Sirius left, Harry raced into the kitchen. He had prepared pork chops cooked to perfection, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn on the cob, and rolls. It was a very tasty looking dinner, and Harry hoped that it would be good enough for Ron and Hermionie.
He apparated into his bathroom to make sure he looked alright. He was the spitting image of his father. Tall and scrawny, with hair growing every which way. He had his mother's eyes. He heard the bell ring and he aparated back down stairs. This is it. he thought. May God be with me.
He opened the door to find Hermionie standing there. Hermionie hadn't changed much. She still had her brown bushy hair, and she still had her same eyes. She had become less of a know-it-all, but that was only because she didn't have as much time to read.
"Hallo, Harry," she said.
"Hallo, Hermionie," he replied. "Won't you come in?"
He had just brought Hermionie into the living room when the doorbell rang again. It was Ron.
Ron was tall, with blazing red hair. He looked similar to his father, and worked with him in the same department.
"Hey Harry," he said.
"Hi Ron," Harry replied. "Come on in. It's dinner time."
When Ron and Hermionie saw each other, the room became very tense.
"Harry?" asked Hermionie. "What is HE doing here?"
"Well, um..."
"Harry, why is SHE here?" asked Ron.
"You see-" Then Hermionie and Ron both started shouting at him. He could barely hear.
"QUIET!" He shouted. They both shut up immediately. "I invited you over at the same time because you're both acting like idiots! You haven't talked to each other in so long. I just don't get it. You could have just become friends again. But your both just so stubborn-" Hermionie and Ron both looked sheepish. "that you refuse to even speak to each other! I'm not asking you to become a couple again. You're relationship can be platonic if you want it to be. Just be friends again please!" There was a stunned silence.
Hermionie started to speak. "Harry, I'm so sorry!"
"Don't say you're sorry to me, say it to Ron."
They both exchanged apologies.
"You know Harry," said Ron. "I've never heard you make a speech like that."
"Yes," Hermionie chimed in. "Did you plan it?"
"No, I didn't. I guess it was just, there."
"Impressive," Hermionie said and smiled.
"So, friends?" asked Harry.
"Friends," Hermionie and Ron said at the same time.
Harry let out a long sigh. "That's a relief! I didn't want to make another speech like that!"
They all started laughing. Harry happened to look out the window, and stopped laughing immediately.
"Ron, Hermionie, come take a look at this." They came over, and their jaws dropped. Thousands of birds were in the sky. It looked like they were flying towards something, or maybe away.
While they were staring, something shook the ground. Thud. Thud. Thud.
"Oh my God." Hermionie said. There, thudding towards them, was a giant. It didn't look like a nice giant. In fact, it looked ready to kill.
"Disaparate!" Harry yelled, though he knew it didn't matter. He was so scared that he would splinch if he tried.
"I can't!" Ron said.
"Well then, turn into your animugi forms!" They had taught themselves to do this from the fifth to seventh years, finally getting it in the beginning of the seventh. This they could do. Harry turned into a peregrine falcon, Hermionie a cat, and Ron a black Labrador retriever. Harry opened the door before changing and then flew frantically into the air. Hermionie and Ron followed on foot. They got away just before the giant reached Harry's house, and Harry looked back just long enough to see it being crushed by the giant's feet. He felt deeply grieved, but he flew on.
They stopped a few miles away from the house to rest. After turning back into humans, Hermionie said, "Harry, I'm so sorry about your house!"
"Thank you," he said. He was still in shock, after all he had nearly been trampled on by a giant. The last of the birds were gone, and the giant's roars could be heard in the distance.
"Can you guys disaparate?" Ron asked.
"No," Hermionie said.
"Not a chance," Harry agreed.
"Well I can't either, so I guess we'll have to keep going in animal form," Ron said.
So they changed back into their animal forms and continued. Harry felt increasingly sorry about his house. He had like that house, and he would never forget it. It was a good thing it was insured though.
They stopped to rest every five miles or so, and they were very tired by the time they got to a hotel. Ron was fascinated by the Muggle hotel and wouldn't stop talking about the electricity. Hermionie explained the concept to him several times. It was fairly late by the time they all went to sleep.
The next morning, they checked out of the hotel. They felt that they could apparate now, and went to a place where they wouldn't be seen. They apparated to the Ministry of Magic headquarters, and to see Ron's father.
"He'll be worried sick," Ron said. "Not to mention my mum. Today's going to be a very interesting day."
Harry was frantic. Both Ron and Hermionie were coming over at the same time, and everything needed to be perfect. They were still friends with him, but after breaking their engagement, they hadn't spoken to each other in a long time. Harry had always made desperate attempts to get the trio back together again, but they had never worked. Tonight was another try, and Harry hoped desperately that it would work.
Harry, Ron, and Hermionie had graduated from Hogwarts eight years ago. Voldemort had been defeated in their seventh and final year at Hogwarts, and would never rise again. It had almost cost them their lives, and someone close to them had died, and they were still deeply grieved over it.
Harry heard a noise and went to see who it was. Sirius was standing there.
"Oh, Sirius," Harry said. "I'm so glad you're here. I don't think I can prepare everything in time." Harry had been thinking about hiring professionals, but Sirius stopped him, mumbling that a monkey could decorate his house.
Sirius's name had been cleared, and he was now a happy godfather.
Sirius shook his head. "Harry, where would you be without me?"
"Dead," Harry said.
"That's very true," Sirius replied. "Now what kind of atmosphere were you going for?"
"Not love, but not hate. Just friendly and fun."
"Sounds good to me. Now you change those flowers into geodes."
"Geodes?"
"Just do it! I've got plans." In the end, Harry's living room looked just like Harry wanted it to be, friendly and fun. The walls were blue and purple tie-dye, and the floor was yellow. The geodes pulled everything together.
"Wow," Harry said. "You should go into interior decorating! This is exactly what I wanted."
"You're welcome," said Sirius. "I guess I'd better go. They'll be here soon. See you later!" Sirius winked, and disapparated from the house.
After Sirius left, Harry raced into the kitchen. He had prepared pork chops cooked to perfection, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn on the cob, and rolls. It was a very tasty looking dinner, and Harry hoped that it would be good enough for Ron and Hermionie.
He apparated into his bathroom to make sure he looked alright. He was the spitting image of his father. Tall and scrawny, with hair growing every which way. He had his mother's eyes. He heard the bell ring and he aparated back down stairs. This is it. he thought. May God be with me.
He opened the door to find Hermionie standing there. Hermionie hadn't changed much. She still had her brown bushy hair, and she still had her same eyes. She had become less of a know-it-all, but that was only because she didn't have as much time to read.
"Hallo, Harry," she said.
"Hallo, Hermionie," he replied. "Won't you come in?"
He had just brought Hermionie into the living room when the doorbell rang again. It was Ron.
Ron was tall, with blazing red hair. He looked similar to his father, and worked with him in the same department.
"Hey Harry," he said.
"Hi Ron," Harry replied. "Come on in. It's dinner time."
When Ron and Hermionie saw each other, the room became very tense.
"Harry?" asked Hermionie. "What is HE doing here?"
"Well, um..."
"Harry, why is SHE here?" asked Ron.
"You see-" Then Hermionie and Ron both started shouting at him. He could barely hear.
"QUIET!" He shouted. They both shut up immediately. "I invited you over at the same time because you're both acting like idiots! You haven't talked to each other in so long. I just don't get it. You could have just become friends again. But your both just so stubborn-" Hermionie and Ron both looked sheepish. "that you refuse to even speak to each other! I'm not asking you to become a couple again. You're relationship can be platonic if you want it to be. Just be friends again please!" There was a stunned silence.
Hermionie started to speak. "Harry, I'm so sorry!"
"Don't say you're sorry to me, say it to Ron."
They both exchanged apologies.
"You know Harry," said Ron. "I've never heard you make a speech like that."
"Yes," Hermionie chimed in. "Did you plan it?"
"No, I didn't. I guess it was just, there."
"Impressive," Hermionie said and smiled.
"So, friends?" asked Harry.
"Friends," Hermionie and Ron said at the same time.
Harry let out a long sigh. "That's a relief! I didn't want to make another speech like that!"
They all started laughing. Harry happened to look out the window, and stopped laughing immediately.
"Ron, Hermionie, come take a look at this." They came over, and their jaws dropped. Thousands of birds were in the sky. It looked like they were flying towards something, or maybe away.
While they were staring, something shook the ground. Thud. Thud. Thud.
"Oh my God." Hermionie said. There, thudding towards them, was a giant. It didn't look like a nice giant. In fact, it looked ready to kill.
"Disaparate!" Harry yelled, though he knew it didn't matter. He was so scared that he would splinch if he tried.
"I can't!" Ron said.
"Well then, turn into your animugi forms!" They had taught themselves to do this from the fifth to seventh years, finally getting it in the beginning of the seventh. This they could do. Harry turned into a peregrine falcon, Hermionie a cat, and Ron a black Labrador retriever. Harry opened the door before changing and then flew frantically into the air. Hermionie and Ron followed on foot. They got away just before the giant reached Harry's house, and Harry looked back just long enough to see it being crushed by the giant's feet. He felt deeply grieved, but he flew on.
They stopped a few miles away from the house to rest. After turning back into humans, Hermionie said, "Harry, I'm so sorry about your house!"
"Thank you," he said. He was still in shock, after all he had nearly been trampled on by a giant. The last of the birds were gone, and the giant's roars could be heard in the distance.
"Can you guys disaparate?" Ron asked.
"No," Hermionie said.
"Not a chance," Harry agreed.
"Well I can't either, so I guess we'll have to keep going in animal form," Ron said.
So they changed back into their animal forms and continued. Harry felt increasingly sorry about his house. He had like that house, and he would never forget it. It was a good thing it was insured though.
They stopped to rest every five miles or so, and they were very tired by the time they got to a hotel. Ron was fascinated by the Muggle hotel and wouldn't stop talking about the electricity. Hermionie explained the concept to him several times. It was fairly late by the time they all went to sleep.
The next morning, they checked out of the hotel. They felt that they could apparate now, and went to a place where they wouldn't be seen. They apparated to the Ministry of Magic headquarters, and to see Ron's father.
"He'll be worried sick," Ron said. "Not to mention my mum. Today's going to be a very interesting day."