Chapter Two "Minister of Magic?!"
After Harry woke up again and pulled on some of Dudley's
old clothes, he traipsed downstairs. When Harry reached the kitchen he
noticed that no one seemed to remember that today was his birthday, but
he wasn't surprised. He had grown used to the look of terror that Dudley
had on his face every time that he saw Harry, at first Harry had thoroughly
enjoyed this but after a month he grew tired of it.
Harry decided this was the time to ask to go to
Hermione's house next week, "Uh, Uncle Vernon?"
"Yeah," grunted Uncle Vernon.
"Well I was –er- wondering if –uh- next week I could
–um- go to my friend Hermione's house, and then stay there for the rest
of the summer." Harry could see the gears in Uncle Vernon's head working,
he was torn between getting rid of Harry a whole lot earlier than anyone
had expected, and letting Harry have some fun which was a number one unwritten
rule in the Dursley house; Harry should never be allowed to enjoy himself.
"Who is this, this, Hermione?"
"She –uh- goes to my school, she's my other best
friend, along with Ron, you know him, his family came to get me last year.
Remember?"
That had been the ticket, along with Sirius the
Weasleys were Harry's way to get out of things, or get things.
"I uh guess so, how are you going to get to this
girl's house? I'm not going to go drive you all around Great Britain, so
you can go to you friends houses, from that wretched school."
A stab of annoyance hit Harry in the stomach, but
he decided to dismiss it so that he cold get to Hermione's house next week,
"Well I assure you that we will not be using Floo powder. Hermione's parents
are M-... normal people like you," well at least they are nice thought
Harry, "they have a car and will probably be picking me up. We haven't
quite figured that one out yet, but I should know within the day."
"Well I guess so, as long as your gone we're happy."
So am I thought Harry, but instead he said, "Thank
you, Uncle Vernon."
Uncle Vernon just grunted and Harry ran up to his
room to start to clean it, to make sure he wouldn't forget anything next
week. Harry was so happy he couldn't contain himself, he wanted to go right
now, this instant. But Harry knew that he couldn't act to excited, the
Dursleys would disapprove and might take away the privilege.
So Harry decided to work on his homework that might
calm him down especially Snape's essay on Antidotes, and worst of all it
had to be three feet long. So Harry got out his Potions book, a quill,
and a roll of parchment, and began to work.
The next day Harry woke up from the taping on his
window, he had gotten a response from his two best friends. Hermione's
letter was short and to the point.
Harry-
My parents will be picking you up on August
2nd at 5:30 PM; they drive a new red Car. I'll see you then.
Love,
Hermione
"Well that works", thought Harry "well, let's see what Ron has got
to say. "
Harry,
Happy birthday again Harry. Hermione
has just owled me telling me that her parents will be picking you up on
the 2nd at 5:30 PM, just in case you haven't got her letter yet. Can't
wait to see you tomorrow!
Ron
P.S. Look at the clip!
"I just hope Hedwig gets back by then," Harry thought aloud. Harry decided
he better tell his aunt and uncle when he was leaving, hopefully for good.
As Harry read the Ministry of Magic had finally
admitted that Voldemort was still alive and now had a body. Also that Fudge
had been removed from the position of Minister of Magic. But the replacement
wasn't Dumbledore; Harry was relived to hear that. The replacement was
none other than… It was none other than Arthur Weasley, Ron's dad?!? Minister
of Magic?! Wow!
Harry went down to lunch and noticed what part of
Dudley's diet he was pretending to enjoy today; one carrot stick and one
celery stick.
"Uncle Vernon, my friend Hermione's parents will
be picking me up tomorrow at 5:30, by car I assure you."
"Well, at least it's by car not by flu sowder or
whatever that wretched stuff is," Uncle Vernon grunted.
"Thank you again, Uncle Vernon."
Mr. Dursley just grunted as if to mean you're welcome.
Harry sat down and savored the carrot stick and as he stood up to leave,
"That was really filling, wasn't it Dudley?"
The look of astonishment on Dudley's face was enough
to send Harry in to hysterics. Harry ran quickly upstairs to make sure
the Dursley's didn't catch him laughing at their blimp of a son. As Harry
entered his room Hedwig wasn't back yet, he went back to the clip from
the Daily Prophet he still couldn't believe that Ron's dad was the
new Minister of Magic, but Harry couldn't think of anyone more deserving
of the job.
"Well, at least Ron can get new dress robes. Wait,
if Fred and George have already bought him some, he can have a choice!
I wouldn't be in the slightest bit surprised if the twins bought him maroon
ones again."
Harry started laughing when he thought of the look
on Draco Malfoy's face. {Personally I am too.} Malfoy would hate that Ron's
father is now more powerful than his is. Harry also thought that now Ron
might get part of the spotlight and that Ron would learn being famous isn't
all its cracked up to be. Which Harry himself had learned all too well,
especially from Lockhart, who got famous on things that other people did.
Harry, well he was at least famous for something he actually did, but he
didn't remember.
You see, Harry Potter was different, even more than
by Dursley standards. Harry was different even in the magical world. When
Harry was just a year old, Voldemort came to his house and killed his father
and then his mother, but when he turned on Harry his curse backfired and
rebounded on himself, leaving Harry with a particularly odd scar, one the
shape of a lightning bolt. Harry's scar was the only souvenir, if you will,
of the attack. A few of Voldemort's powers were given to Harry when he
was attacked; for instance the ability to talk to snakes. Or plainly being
a Parslemouth.
Harry, no one for that matter, knows how he survived. But Harry
hadn't survived Voldemort only once; Harry had survived him, the original
time, in his first year, his memory in his second year, and fourth year
(last year), when Cedric Diggory had died. That would be a total of four
times. Each time more vivid than the last. Harry can still see perfect
as day, Cedric's body lying on the ground, and then speaking to his ghost
a few moments later when battling the Dark Lord himself. Harry chose not
to remember these events when possible, but they tended to find there way
into Harry's mind every once and awhile.
And this was one of those moments, Harry remembered
the look on the Diggory's faces when they saw their boy dead. He also remembered
the look on Cho Chang's face. Somehow that affected him more, she truly
loved Cedric, didn't she? This made Harry even more depressed. So as fast
as he started to think about that sad, sad day he turned his mind to going
to Hermione's house tomorrow, this made him much more happier.
All of this made Harry famous in the wizarding world.
He was famous for something he didn't remember. Being famous was a burden
on Harry everywhere he went in the wizarding world, people would gape at
his scar and point. Harry was quite fed up with it. Harry was sure this
was the reason that Malfoy didn't like him. Well besides the fact that
Harry always beat him at Quidditch. Both Malfoy and Harry were Seekers.
It was the Seeker's job to catch the golden snitch a small golden ball
with wings that traveled around the field at a very high speed, and it
was hard to see. Harry was on the Gryffindor team, his house. Malfoy was
on the Slytherin team, the same house he was in too. Slytherin and Gryffindor
were rivals, Gryffindor had beaten Slytherin out of earning the House cup
every year that Harry was there. This made Malfoy and Snape worse. Harry
didn't care though, he had great friends and without them he would have
a horrible life. His two best friends, Ron and Hermione, were the greatest
people he ever knew. Ron was part of a huge wizarding family, he was sixth
boy out of six, and he had one little sister Ginny. He also had to loving
parents, one of which is the new Minister of Magic. All of the Weasleys
had bright red hair.
Hermione was Muggle born, top of every course and
all around good guy {er girl.} Hermione, just like Harry, had no idea that
she had magical abilities until five years ago. Also just like Harry she
was an only child. And even though Hermione didn't like breaking rules,
she finally discovered that fighting the forces of evil mattered more than
getting expelled. As Ron would say, "She finally sorted out her priorities."
These two made Harry's years at Hogwarts the best
years of his life, well and Quidditch.
When Harry woke up the next day, he was so excited.
He once again checked to see if he had everything packed. Hedwig was still
gone. Hopefully she would get back soon. By the time five o'clock rolled
around Harry had his trunk and all of his stuff in the living room. Harry
ran back upstairs to his room to make sure that there weren't any extra
quills or pieces of parchment lying around. And sure enough there was Hedwig
looking for her cage, which was already downstairs.
"Hedwig your cage is downstairs, we are going to
Hermione's house for the rest of the summer!" Harry told his snow owl.
Hedwig flew downstairs to her cage, and landed on
the perch. Harry, following behind her, closed the door to her cage. By
now it was fifteen past five. Because Hermione always made sure she was
on time everywhere, Harry assumed that her parents were the same way. And
sure enough they were. It was 5:20 when Hermione and her parents arrived
at the Dursley house.
Once again Mr. Dursley was in his best suit and
once again not as a sign of welcome. He was wearing it of course so that
he looked superior, but what did you expect this is Mr. Dursley we are
talking about. He let them in the house and that was all that Mr. Dursley
found it necessary to do for these people that let their daughter go to
some crackpot school to learn magic tricks.
"Hello, you must be Harry's aunt and uncle," said
Hermione.
"Its worthless don't even try to talk to them,"
Harry muttered to Hermione, "we'll be going then."
Harry and Hermione lifted Harry's trunk while Mrs. Granger carried
Hedwig and her cage, apparently Mrs. Granger didn't have the same fear
of birds as Mrs. Mason did. {Book 2 if you don't remember who she is.}
"So Harry, how has your summer been?" asked Hermione.
"As good as it can be with those people."
"I guess that's good news, speaking of good news,
how's Sirius?"
"He seems to be doing well, he has color in his
face, which is a whole lot better than before. How's your summer been?
How's Viktor?"
"Summer's been great, but let's not talk about Viktor."
"Okay, but you know eventually I will want to know,
and it might be easier to tell me not in front of Ron."
"I know, but I can't not yet at least," as Hermione
said that her mother sent Harry a look like, don't ask.
Harry was happy with that news, (or at least what
he though it meant) but he couldn't show it. If Hermione and Viktor had
broken up, that meant Hermione was single again. Harry was already happier
than he had been all holiday.
A/N: Muhahahaha... I leave you here! *smiles innocently*
