After an afternoon of busy shopping, Percy agreed to let everyone stop for some food. Ginny spotted as ice cream and sweet s shop, so the group stopped to sit at a table outside of the shop.

Hermione, who had gladly joined them after they'd left Flourish and Blotts, beamed with joy as she took out a little bag. It was filled with a large amount of sickles and knuts, and even a galleon or two. The bag was marked "Happy Birthday, Hermione".

"So what are you going to buy with that?" Harry said, startling Hermione. She was in her own little world, and was in the middle of thinking.

"You'll see," She stood up and picked up her bags, "Do you want to come with me?"

Ron and Harry got up as well, "Sure we'll come," Ron said, hauling a large shopping bag over his shoulder. While the guys were getting all of their school supplies loaded onto their backs, Hermione walked over to Percy, who was reading one of his new books. Even though Percy didn't attend Hogwarts any longer, he still enjoyed reading the books.

"I need to buy something; can I go with Harry and Ron? We'll be back shortly." Hermione said quietly so Fred and George wouldn't hear. Percy caught on. He knew that they'd want to leave as well.

"Just come back as quickly as you can," he adjusted his spectacles and continued to read. Hermione rounded the table again and met up with Ron and Harry. Hermione headed off to the left path, and they followed her. They wormed through crowds of other young wizards, until Hermione seemed to have found what she was looking for.

They came to a shop with many cages in the window. A little sign hanging over the door read "Eeylops' Owl Emporium".

"You're buying an owl?" Harry said.

"Yes, of course! I always want to talk to you guys over the summer, so my parents suggested that I buy an owl this year! I told them all about them." Hermione beamed as she opened the heavy wooden door. Inside was a wall with many elaborate cages filled with owls of all shapes and sizes. The opposite wall was displaying many different colored boxes-of food, Hermione guessed.

"Hello, May I help you?" A little man with wispy white hair clasped his hands together and walked over to them. Hermione noticed the many scars on his hands- probably from owl bites.

"Yes, I want to buy an owl, a cage and some food. Hermione tried to contain her excitement.

"The owls and cages are on this wall, and the care supplies are over there," He illustrated the map with his hands as he spoke, "Call me if you need any help or make a decision."

Hermione walked right over to the owls. Ron and Harry joined her in peering into each cage to see the owls inside. After looking at quite a few, Hermione spotted one that looked small enough to hold in your hands but large enough to carry packages. She had very fluffy white feathers that almost looked like fur. She was very round and chubby, and made lots of little clicking sounds. Her wide, round eyes were green like Harry's.

"Aww, look at this one! She's so cute!" Hermione pointed at her, and the man opened the cage with a rusty brass key. He stuck his hand into the cage and grabbed the owl's little clawed feet. He lowered her out of the cage and let Hermione take her. She hopped right onto Hermione's forearm, and Hermione held her up with pride.

The owl clicked again and tilted its head. Hermione squealed with joy, jumping a little. At the movement, the owl flapped her wings and flew right onto Harry's wrist. Despite how round and chubby-looking she was, she flew very gracefully. Her little beak was black and stubby.

Harry laughed a little and petted her head, "Wow, she's really soft." The owl looked like it would have smiled at Harry's touch, if it had a mouth instead of a beak, that is.

Ron and Hermione gathered around the little owl and petted her as well. That little owl loved the attention, and she loved Harry.

"Come here!" Hermione called to the owl, who gladly fluttered into her arms, "How much is this one?" she smiled at the little man.

"Aah, she's a beauty. That would be fourteen sickles, and the cage is the same." He said, walking over to the cash register.

Hermione glanced around, her hands quite full with the owl, cage, and the other bags of school things, "Ron dear, could you grab me a box of owl food from over there?" She was tilting over to balance the load, and walked carefully to pay for everything. He gladly ran and picked up a brightly colored box that said "Owl Pellets" on it. He handed it to her just in time for her to pay the man.

Once she had paid for everything, she put the owl in her new cage, and picked everything up, but with great difficulty.

"Herm, you want me to carry something for you?" Ron raised his eyebrows, looking at all of the stuff that Hermione was trying to carry.

"Nope, I've got it under control!" She took a step and shifted her weight to keep everything for toppling down on top of her. Ron held out his hands and took a few bags from her. She smiled at him and winked a little bit, and then they all walked out of Eeylops'.

They walked down the stone pathways back to the ice cream and sweets shop that the others had stopped at. They walked up to Percy, Ginny, Fred, and George, who were quickly finishing up their ice cream.

Percy got up first and starting picking up all of his stuff, "Come on, we've got to be getting home," he said, brushing off the table.

Everyone helped each other get everything, then they walked down Diagon Alley, lead by Percy. He walked up to a brick wall, tapped a few bricks with his wand, and the wall parted to let them through. On the other side was the leaky cauldron, a bar and restaurant.

They were dodging people and tables when Ginny screamed, "My purse! I must have left it at the ice cream shop!" She was frantically searching through her bags, but with no luck.

Ron, Fred and George groaned, and Harry spoke up, "I'll run and get it,"

"Me too" Percy said, putting his and Harry's bags on an empty table, "Hermione, I'm leaving you in charge!"

Fred and George looked at each other, and then glared at Percy, "Hey! We're the oldest!"

"Yes but that doesn't mean you're responsible. Hermione will keep all of you in line and you two especially," Percy pointed at the twins, and then ran after Harry, without giving them a chance to respond.

"Fake wand?" George whispered to Fred.

"You bet." Fred laughed.

The two of them headed back to the brick wall, and a tall, large bearded man met them at their table, "Hey! How are ya?" he asked them, smiling.

"Hagrid! Look!" Hermione held up her owl, which was happily gnawing on the bars of her cage.

"Isn't she cute?" Ginny said, poking her head near the owl's cage.

"Aww! She's beautiful!" Hagrid cooed, poking a thick finger through the bars, "What's 'er name?"

"I haven't thought about that yet." Hermione said, putting the cage down on the table.

"I can come up with something!" Ginny said.

"NO you won't. You named Pig when I got him, let Hermione name hers." Ron said, glaring at Ginny.

"It's Pigwidgeon," she glared back, "and fine, she can decide."

"Wow about Buckbeak?" Hagrid said, slamming a fist the size of a volleyball to his chest, "Bless 'is soul."

"Whisper," Hermione said proudly.

Ron whispered to Hermione, "Herm, why are we whispering?"

"No, Ron, I'm naming her Whisper." She said, petting whisper through the bars of her cage. Ron's facial expression said "I knew that."

"Got it!" Harry ran in, followed by Percy. Harry handed the bag to Ginny and she smiled at him.

"Thank you so much!" she hugged him and closed her eyes when he hugged her back.

"Well, now that we're all set, we have to get back to the Burrow." Percy said, trying to sound patient. HE adjusted his small glasses that sat on his pink, freckled face.

"Bye Hagrid!" everyone said, picking up their things.

"See you at Hogwarts!" he called to the group, who made their way out of the Leaky Cauldron.

Their journey home was rather like their trip through Diagon Alley; rather rushed and stressful. They got to Mr. Weasley's car, loaded the bags of books and supplies in the trunks, and got in.

"Seatbelts!" Percy said, pushing a button. All of the belts automatically buckled themselves. Hermione sat between Harry and Ron in the way back, with Whisper's cage sitting on her lap.

"I wonder what's new about Hogwarts this year! Dumbledore usually comes up with something," Ron said. Fred and George were playing catch with a stuffed bludger in the next row.

"I saw Pansy Parkinson in Flourish and Blotts, and she said she heard we were having a party!" Hermione said.

"A party? Why?" Ron said, and Harry looked confused as well.

"Okay, everyone out." They felt the car stop, and they saw that they'd arrived at the Burrow, the Weasley's house.

Everyone unloaded their bags and brought them into the house. By the time everyone had completely packed for Hogwarts, it was bedtime.

Ron and Harry were sitting in Ron's bedroom. Harry had a cot on the floor, and was cleaning up his Firebolt with the kit that Hermione had given him years ago. Suddenly, they heard a knock on the door. Ron and Harry got up and answered it, to see Hermione and Ginny in their pajamas.

"Good night! Remember, it's bright and early to catch the Hogwarts Express tomorrow!" Hermione hugged each of them goodnight, then Ginny walked up to Harry.

"Night Harry!" She said. He smiled at her, wrapped his arms around her and kissed her cheek. Ron grimaced as the girls left the room, waving.

"Harry, why are you always so um, 'friendly' with Ginny?" he looked rather uncomfortable.

"I'm not sure," Harry said, returning to his broom servicing kit. Ron followed him and stubbornly insisted on questioning him.

Harry thought for a moment, and then spoke up, "I've always felt like I was obligated to look after her, make sure she was safe. But recently, I felt like I wanted to, not that I had to," Harry looked at Ron with his green eyes, "She's not such a little girl anymore…"