Chapter 2:
Hermione's House
The next day was so tense that Harry jumped three feet in the air when Dudley's fork fell to the floor with a loud "CLANG" at lunch. Dudley also jumped, making him look like a large, bouncing blimp.
At 3:30 Harry was downstairs with his trunk. Uncle Vernon had carefully unboarded the fireplace in the living room. There was no use telling the Dursleys that the Grangers definitely were not arriving by floo powder, and that they were driving. He had told the Dursleys one summer that Ron was picking him up via car, and showed up behind the boarded fireplace, not thinking that the floo powder might fail. It had been a disaster, Harry grinned just thinking about it.
Dudley had hidden in his room, refusing to come out. Harry, however, (who was in the hall, away from his nerve racking aunt and uncle) saw that Dudley's curiosity was getting the better of him. Dudley would sneak down, quietly considering his weight, and peer around the corner of the landing, and see if they had arrived yet.
At 4:oo sharp the doorbell rang. Aunt Petunia gasped. Both she and Uncle Vernon had been eyeing the fireplace with increasing nervousness, and Harry could almost see the looks of shock from the other room. Harry grinned for the first time since getting Ginny's letters as he threw open the door, his aunt and uncle running up behind him and Dudley peering around the corner.
Hermione was standing on the porch, looking nervous. She looked strange to Harry momentarily, and he couldn't quit put his finger on it. Then he realized that Hermione was wearing Muggle clothes; a pair of jeans and a lavender blouse.
"Hey Harry," she said.
"Hi Hermione," Harry turned to his aunt and uncle. "Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, this is Hermione. Hermione, the Dursleys." Hermione smiled nervously. Aunt Petunia chewed her toungue, while Uncle Vernon looked over Hermione's head to see what car the Granger's drove. Harry was pleased to see that the Granger's navy blue sports car was much fancier than Uncle Vernon's company car. Harry could nearly see Uncle Vernon's thoughts as though they were written out in front of him; "They're wizards and they drive a nice car? That doesn't seem right…"
"Well, shall we go, then?" Harry asked, breaking the awkward silence.
"All right," Hermione replied. Harry stepped out onto the porch with her. "Um, bye?" she said to the Dursleys, but they just gave her icy stares. Harry and Hermioneran down the path toward the driveway after the Dursleys shut the door in their face.
"Not very friendly, are they?" Hermione muttered irritably as they climbed into the backseat of Mr. Granger's car.
"Nope," Harry replied honestly.
"Mum, Dad," said Hermione as they pulled out of number four's driveway, "This is Harry Potter. Harry, these are my parents." The Granger's gave a much warmer welcome than the Dursley's. They asked him how he was, (Okay) how his schoolwork was coming, (Ummm…) how his family was, (They're in shock) and they were very polite. They small talked their way to Hermione's house, then they pulled into the driveway of number seven, Brookfeild Lane.
It was a beautiful house, with a brick front and two large, white pillars. Flowers were overflowing from the garden in the front yard, and the lawn was every gardener's idea of perfection. Harry vaguely wondered of house elves mowed this lawn, but then he remembered Hermione's feelings about house elves.
"Wow," said Harry, for lack of something better to say. Mr. Granger grinned.
"Do you like it?" he asked.
"Yes, very much,"
"We'll get your things," said Mrs. Granger, "Hermione, why don't show him around?"
Hermione led Harry up the walkway, on the porch, and through the large, white, double doors. They were in a hallway, to the right was a fair sized room with a sound system, a piano, and a guitar. To his left was another room with a big screen tv, several sofas, and the fireplace. In front of him were the stairs, winding toward the second floor.
Harry followed Hermione up the stairs.
"That's the computer room," she said, pointing, "And the room next to that's mine. There's the bathroom, and that room at the end of the hall is yours." Hermione led him to his room, pointing out her parent's room (to the right of Harry's) as they passed it.
Harry's room was good sized, with a full sized bed, desk and mirror. It was, to Hermione's great embarrassment, painted pink. Harry really didn't mind, though. They went back to Hermione's room (painted sea green) and talked.
Harry knew that what they were really trying to do was get their minds off Ron. They talked about their adventure's at Hogwarts, carefully leaving the details of Ron's part in these escapades out. They talked about Sirius, Harry's godfather who was on the run for murders he didn't commit. They had a long discussion about the Triwizard Tournament three years ago.
"Yeah, remember how shocked every one was when Dumbledore told us that the tournament would take place after thousands of years?"
"Of course!" Harry replied enthusiastically. He had carefully been avoiding mentioning Cedric. "Remember how hard Fred and George tried to enter? And Ron wa sall for it, he…" Harry stopped, realizing that he was bringing up the subject that they had so carefully avoided. The both dropped the cheery charade.
"Don't worry, Harry," Hermione said quietly, "We'll find him."
"Yeah, I hope so,"
Hermione's House
The next day was so tense that Harry jumped three feet in the air when Dudley's fork fell to the floor with a loud "CLANG" at lunch. Dudley also jumped, making him look like a large, bouncing blimp.
At 3:30 Harry was downstairs with his trunk. Uncle Vernon had carefully unboarded the fireplace in the living room. There was no use telling the Dursleys that the Grangers definitely were not arriving by floo powder, and that they were driving. He had told the Dursleys one summer that Ron was picking him up via car, and showed up behind the boarded fireplace, not thinking that the floo powder might fail. It had been a disaster, Harry grinned just thinking about it.
Dudley had hidden in his room, refusing to come out. Harry, however, (who was in the hall, away from his nerve racking aunt and uncle) saw that Dudley's curiosity was getting the better of him. Dudley would sneak down, quietly considering his weight, and peer around the corner of the landing, and see if they had arrived yet.
At 4:oo sharp the doorbell rang. Aunt Petunia gasped. Both she and Uncle Vernon had been eyeing the fireplace with increasing nervousness, and Harry could almost see the looks of shock from the other room. Harry grinned for the first time since getting Ginny's letters as he threw open the door, his aunt and uncle running up behind him and Dudley peering around the corner.
Hermione was standing on the porch, looking nervous. She looked strange to Harry momentarily, and he couldn't quit put his finger on it. Then he realized that Hermione was wearing Muggle clothes; a pair of jeans and a lavender blouse.
"Hey Harry," she said.
"Hi Hermione," Harry turned to his aunt and uncle. "Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, this is Hermione. Hermione, the Dursleys." Hermione smiled nervously. Aunt Petunia chewed her toungue, while Uncle Vernon looked over Hermione's head to see what car the Granger's drove. Harry was pleased to see that the Granger's navy blue sports car was much fancier than Uncle Vernon's company car. Harry could nearly see Uncle Vernon's thoughts as though they were written out in front of him; "They're wizards and they drive a nice car? That doesn't seem right…"
"Well, shall we go, then?" Harry asked, breaking the awkward silence.
"All right," Hermione replied. Harry stepped out onto the porch with her. "Um, bye?" she said to the Dursleys, but they just gave her icy stares. Harry and Hermioneran down the path toward the driveway after the Dursleys shut the door in their face.
"Not very friendly, are they?" Hermione muttered irritably as they climbed into the backseat of Mr. Granger's car.
"Nope," Harry replied honestly.
"Mum, Dad," said Hermione as they pulled out of number four's driveway, "This is Harry Potter. Harry, these are my parents." The Granger's gave a much warmer welcome than the Dursley's. They asked him how he was, (Okay) how his schoolwork was coming, (Ummm…) how his family was, (They're in shock) and they were very polite. They small talked their way to Hermione's house, then they pulled into the driveway of number seven, Brookfeild Lane.
It was a beautiful house, with a brick front and two large, white pillars. Flowers were overflowing from the garden in the front yard, and the lawn was every gardener's idea of perfection. Harry vaguely wondered of house elves mowed this lawn, but then he remembered Hermione's feelings about house elves.
"Wow," said Harry, for lack of something better to say. Mr. Granger grinned.
"Do you like it?" he asked.
"Yes, very much,"
"We'll get your things," said Mrs. Granger, "Hermione, why don't show him around?"
Hermione led Harry up the walkway, on the porch, and through the large, white, double doors. They were in a hallway, to the right was a fair sized room with a sound system, a piano, and a guitar. To his left was another room with a big screen tv, several sofas, and the fireplace. In front of him were the stairs, winding toward the second floor.
Harry followed Hermione up the stairs.
"That's the computer room," she said, pointing, "And the room next to that's mine. There's the bathroom, and that room at the end of the hall is yours." Hermione led him to his room, pointing out her parent's room (to the right of Harry's) as they passed it.
Harry's room was good sized, with a full sized bed, desk and mirror. It was, to Hermione's great embarrassment, painted pink. Harry really didn't mind, though. They went back to Hermione's room (painted sea green) and talked.
Harry knew that what they were really trying to do was get their minds off Ron. They talked about their adventure's at Hogwarts, carefully leaving the details of Ron's part in these escapades out. They talked about Sirius, Harry's godfather who was on the run for murders he didn't commit. They had a long discussion about the Triwizard Tournament three years ago.
"Yeah, remember how shocked every one was when Dumbledore told us that the tournament would take place after thousands of years?"
"Of course!" Harry replied enthusiastically. He had carefully been avoiding mentioning Cedric. "Remember how hard Fred and George tried to enter? And Ron wa sall for it, he…" Harry stopped, realizing that he was bringing up the subject that they had so carefully avoided. The both dropped the cheery charade.
"Don't worry, Harry," Hermione said quietly, "We'll find him."
"Yeah, I hope so,"