Gramps tried to talk to me, convince me that Harry had no fault in this. What did he know though? I decided that the only way to make him stop was to stop myself. So that is just what I did. After I shut up, it was only a matter of minutes before Gramps got the hint.

"I'll be downstairs if you need me laddie."

I rolled over to say something and saw my door close. I went from looking at Gramps back to the Quidditch poster Julia had brought me last summer. Why must they fly around in their bright red cloaks and have fun while my world has fallen apart? Before I realized what I was doing, I had ripped the poster off the wall, sending all fourteen of them to the ground. My hands were about to rip the poster down the middle when I heard a meow from outside of my door.

I didn't have a cat. Neither did Justin. Had Gran and Gramps gotten one while we were gone? I threw the poster on my bed and opened the door a crack. Looking down at the floor, I saw a cat, white with gray patches all over it. Swinging my door open, I bowed low, "Enter Lily, and grace me with your presence."

As if on cue, Lily pranced into my room like she owned it. Without as much as a second thought, she jumped onto my bed and nestled herself on my pillow. I closed my door and sat next to Lily, "How are you?"

She looked at me with big bright green eyes. They were clear, but seemed to hold starlight captive in them. My eyes began to water, and I looked away from Lily, looking out the window instead.

It was sunny out. Pleasant… but not scorching hot. A chill ran across my back, reminding me that I was shirtless. I turned my fan off and reached into my drawer, pulling out the first shirt I got a hold of. It was an old gray shirt I had ripped the sleeves off of. Good enough for now.

I went over to my window, about to close it. Something moved on my bed, and I looked to see Lily who was now fast asleep. I looked out the window, over at Lily, then back out the window. Shrugging, I crawled out my window and onto the roof. Falling was the farthest thing from my mind. Ever since I was five I had crawled out here to be alone. Sure the tile on the roof was warm, but at least no one would bother me here.

It was humid, reminding me of the day we had left for Hogwarts this past year. In fact, I would swear the weather here was the same. I lay back on the roof, falling asleep once more. The events of that day flooded back into my mind. The past year began to play itself inside my head like one of those old movies they sometimes show at the theater. Quickly, the picture became clearer, like it was happening once more.

~*~*~*~

Platform 9 ¾ was crowded again. Justin was being fawned over by Gran and Gramps. It was his first year going to Hogwarts and he was nervous. Poor baby… like I really cared. So while my poor, sweet and innocent baby brother was being calmed, I went off to find Fred and George. I saw them further up the platform and waved. They waved back and motioned they would catch up in a minute. Apparently they were trying to make their sister cheer up and to make Percy shut up.

Then I realized something… Percy was a Prefect! The next three years at school had just been ruined.

I wrestled with my trunk and shoved it on the train and turned to get on.

"Andy! Wait up!"

I spun back around. There she was, but something was different. Maybe her hair was longer since the middle of the summer, or she had gotten taller. I couldn't tell, but wow… she was different.

"Hello silly boy! Return to Earth!" Julia was now waving her hand in front of my face.

I snapped back to my old self, "Oh sorry." I had been quiet longer than I planned.

"Hold them." She said, handing me a cage. I only guess her cat, Lily, was in it.

"I'll meet you on the train. I'm gonna grab a compartment before the first years fill them up." Somehow I was able to remain casual.

Julia was loading her trunk and didn't look up, "Ok. Be there in a sec."

I got on the train and went to the compartment we had occupied the last two years. Nothing had changed. Well, the wrappers from our goodies were gone, but other than that… it was the same good old compartment.

The cage meowed at me, so I sort of dropped it, set it on the seat next to the window. I sat opposite from it and looked out the window to where I had been standing. Julia wasn't there anymore. That just meant she would be here any minute.

"You can let them out of the cage you know."

Like I said, any minute.

"Sorry, wasn't sure what you wanted me to do with… did you say them? Who else do you have in there besides Lily?"

Julia went to the cage, unlatching the hook, "Carrie's cat, Midnight."

Along with Julia's cat, a jet black one pounced onto my lap "How original."

"That was mean!" she retorted, putting the cage under the seat.

"Well, the truth can hurt… Hey! Watch it!" Midnight had heard me apparently and decided to scratch me.

I set Midnight down on the floor, her already gaining my disapproval, and me her's. "So where is Carrie anyway?"

"Her parents insisted on seeing her through the barrier again. You know how muggles are… they couldn't get back through."

I opened my mouth about to say something about Carrie's parents; but Julia beat me to it.

"You have no room to talk Andrew Finch-Fletchley, your parents are muggles too!"

Once again, Julia was right. I was, how you would say in the wizarding world, a mudblood. Not the nicest thing to call someone, but if someone wanted to insult someone with muggle parents, that was the easiest way to do it.

Carrie on the other hand, well, Carrie McDougal was a sweet girl. Now and then though, I got under the impression that if she lost the glasses, people would see more of her eyes, which I have to admit, were rather beautiful.

Two redheads popped in, "Hey Julia" said one.

"Hey Andy" chorused the other.

"Hey Fred, George. What have you guys been up to? You are grinning from ear to ear." Julia had turned her gaze back from the window.

"You are not going to believe who we just saw!" Fred practically shouted.

"Shut up and tell us!" I said. So it made no sense… big deal.

George looked at me funny, "You do know that made no sense don't you?"

Julia crossed her arms, "He knows… will you tell us already?"

Fred grinned, "No. I think we should make you guess." George only nodded.

"Come 'on guys. The suspense is killing us here!" I had stood back up, impatient.

"Fine" sighed George, "But you are not going to believe me."

Julia smiled, "Try us."

I sat back down. Fred sat beside me and George plopped down next to Julia. She had grown impatient too. "Who was it already?"

Fred looked at Julia, "It was… drum roll please…"

George began rolling his tongue.

Fred continued, "The One…"

"…The Only…" continued George.

"… The Great…"

They joined together as in a chorus, "Harry Potter."

~*~*~*~

A/N~ Hope you liked… I'm trying to post these as often as possible… but with school, that just isn't possible.

A giant sized thank you to my reviewers!

andrea~ don't worry- there is plenty more to come!

PinkPinapple~ If I answered your questions, you would have no reason to read my story now would you? ;-)

Kitty Empress~ I know it's different and yes at times I must leave you hanging: oh well.

Quiet One~ Thank you soooooo much for beta reading this! I know I had other people help- but how can you forget email conversations at midnight while high on gummy worms? I don't mind if you use Carrie in one of your fics… but please remember: she is my OC; and like the rest of them, likes to drive me insane!