Sorry about the time this took to get out. I've had some trouble getting
this like I want it to be like. I was also working on three chapters of
this at the same time as inspiration hit me, and both my digimon fic and a
Ranma one that is sitting in the ruff draft stage in my note book were my
homework should be... Anywise, here in the next chapter I should have the
next one out before x-mas and I might even have chapter 7 out before then
too.
Chapter 5
There are very few things that Harry Potter liked about his muggle life. This could well be true about most muggle born students, for how exciting could living as a normal person be after nine months of magic? Harry however had even less reasons to love being a normal at home.
Now most children at Hogwarts, with some notable exceptions such as Neville Longbottem and Harry himself for that matter, had happy homes to return to. Most had attest one parent that would be there for them and make the time that they were band from magic easier to deal with.
Harry was different in that respect then any other that he knew from school. Where Hermione one of his best friends and a muggle born witch had her parents to help her act like a normal child, Ron had his whole family and lived in the wizarding world and even Neville had his grandmother to keep him happy or at the very lest well fed, Harry had to deal with three people would be more then happy if he just dropped off the end of the world.
His Aunt was one of two blood relatives that he knew of and she had never showed him any sign of affection. And her husband seemed to take a perverse delight in belittling Harry and his other blood relation, his cousin Dudley, wasn't much better.
About the only thing he did like about being forced to live like this was when he got to leave. Harry savored his life at Hogwarts because he, better then most, knew just how lucky they were to be able to do all that they could at school. But for all its warmth and comfort, it was still just a school. And schools were transitory in life, what Harry needed and longed for most was a home.
Today he would be free from the prison that his room at number four privet drive was, and he would be headed to the home of his best friend. He would leave the cold faces of the people he called family and would be embraced by the warmth of people he hadn't even known four years prior. It was this that was the biggest joy of his muggle life that Harry was looking forewords too in a kind of evil anticipation.
In all four years prior of his schooling at Hogwarts, Harry had left in some spectacular, and most likely scaring, way from the Dursley home. The first had of course been when Hagrid had come for him and had given Harry one of his fondest memories. The picture of Dudley running around with a pig's tail could always make him smile.
The second was most likely the only one that hadn't truly been traumatic on his family. That was the year that the youngest Weasley boys had more or lest kidnapped him one night using their father's flying car. Harry was sure they were far more disappointed when he came back at the end of that school year then they had been when they had woken up to find he was gone.
And of course there was his third year. Looking back, now that the threat of expulsion or imprisonment wasn't hanging over his head, that too held one of his favorite memories. He had blown his uncle's sister up just like a rather large balloon. He chuckled softly, she had deserved it after all. No one had the right to talk that way about his parents.
And then of coarse their was what had happened last year. Uncle Vernon was still upset about that little episode. Harry guessed the idea that people could come out of his, blocked up, fireplace and then fix the hole just as easily couldn't sit easily in his simple, boring, little world.
As it turned out Harry was horribly disappointed. The doorbell rang at precisely three thirty that afternoon, he heard his aunt Petunia muttering to herself about who it could possibly be but for the most part he ignored it. No one who would be asking for him would use the doorbell after all. They wouldn't be using the phone either for that matter, Hermione was still a bit weary after Ron's one call a few years back.
He turned back to his packing and as such it took him a few moments before he realized he vaguely recognized the voice that was talking to his Aunt. Tossing his dress robes into his trunk Harry closed the lid before heading down stairs to see if he was right. Sure enough standing in the entry way, asking about drills, was a man that Harry had seen on occasion. Dr. Granger, Hermione's father.
*******
Harry stood there a little bemused by this turn of events. Ron had said that he was coming to get him today and yet Hermione's father shows up, coincidence? Harry didn't think so. Mr. Granger seemed to be curious about uncle Vernon business. Harry suspected it was a ruse but both he and his wife were dentists and Harry hadn't told Ron or Hermione about his uncle's work so it could have been legitimate.
Harry watched in silent contemplation for a few moments before he realized that the adults were not alone in the room. Standing a little off to the side was Hermione in all her bushy haired glory, and across the room from, and making moon eyes at, her was his rather large cousin Dudley.
Harry watched in utter fascination at Dudley's horrid attempts at flirting. He watched as Dudley misread every single that she was giving him and it was all he could do to keep himself from laughing out loud. His sides were beginning to ache from his barley contained laughter when he decided he really ought to go and save her from his over affectionate relative when Hermione suddenly smiled very sweetly at Dudley and said something that Harry couldn't quite catch. What ever it was made his pig-like eyes bulge slightly and an odd look of panic graced his features.
The blond boy's gaze flew to the door and he paled even more. He let out a sound somewhere between a squeak and a hiccup before bolting past Harry like all the legions of hell were hot on his heels. Harry looked towards the door himself to see what had caused Dudley's rather sudden flight and what he saw was enough to almost make HIM run for his room.
Ron Weasley was standing in the doorway using a glare that Harry had thought was reserved for Draco Malfoy, and even then only when he used a rather horrid name for Hermione in Ron's presence. Seeing as Ron had grown even taller and had started to fill out some, it was a rather intimidating look to say the lest.
Aunt Petunia, who had been doing nothing more then smiling and nodding at Dr. Grander by this time, was instantly suspicious that something was afoot, but Hermione smiled winsomely at her and said something before heading towards were Harry was hiding. Harry didn't have a clue what Hermione had said but with his Aunt farley beaming with pride he was sure he really didn't want to know. The glare she was sending his way wasn't the nicest of sights he had ever seen either.
"You could have been a bit more helpful back there you know Harry." She all but hissed at him. Now Harry was used to seeing Hermione mad, but her anger was normally directed at either Ron or Draco and not him so he was at a loss as to handle it correctly. So he settled for dropping his head and a mumbled 'sorry' in hopes it would placate the irate girl before she decided to hex him into oblivion, ban on magic or no.
It seemed to work as her next words were much wormier. Ron who had sneaked in wasn't so easily placated. Luckily for Harry his anger was directed at Dudley, though he did get a small taste of it when he couldn't hide a small grin as Ron muttered something about 'first Vicky and now some stupid muggle...'
Things went rather smoothly from there. Mrs. Granger was out in the car making space for Harry's trunk and with both Ron and Hermione helping and Mr. Granger running interference with Aunt Petunia and only one more death glare from Ron to Dudley and they were off in less then ten minuets.
The friends caught up with each other over the hour or so it took to get to the Granger home and from there after a few good-byes and thank you's it was a quick fluo ride to the Burrow. But what should have been a happy reunion between Harry and the Weasleys went south fast, for as soon as his feet hit the floor of the Weasley home his scar erupted in pain and the world went black.
Chapter 5
There are very few things that Harry Potter liked about his muggle life. This could well be true about most muggle born students, for how exciting could living as a normal person be after nine months of magic? Harry however had even less reasons to love being a normal at home.
Now most children at Hogwarts, with some notable exceptions such as Neville Longbottem and Harry himself for that matter, had happy homes to return to. Most had attest one parent that would be there for them and make the time that they were band from magic easier to deal with.
Harry was different in that respect then any other that he knew from school. Where Hermione one of his best friends and a muggle born witch had her parents to help her act like a normal child, Ron had his whole family and lived in the wizarding world and even Neville had his grandmother to keep him happy or at the very lest well fed, Harry had to deal with three people would be more then happy if he just dropped off the end of the world.
His Aunt was one of two blood relatives that he knew of and she had never showed him any sign of affection. And her husband seemed to take a perverse delight in belittling Harry and his other blood relation, his cousin Dudley, wasn't much better.
About the only thing he did like about being forced to live like this was when he got to leave. Harry savored his life at Hogwarts because he, better then most, knew just how lucky they were to be able to do all that they could at school. But for all its warmth and comfort, it was still just a school. And schools were transitory in life, what Harry needed and longed for most was a home.
Today he would be free from the prison that his room at number four privet drive was, and he would be headed to the home of his best friend. He would leave the cold faces of the people he called family and would be embraced by the warmth of people he hadn't even known four years prior. It was this that was the biggest joy of his muggle life that Harry was looking forewords too in a kind of evil anticipation.
In all four years prior of his schooling at Hogwarts, Harry had left in some spectacular, and most likely scaring, way from the Dursley home. The first had of course been when Hagrid had come for him and had given Harry one of his fondest memories. The picture of Dudley running around with a pig's tail could always make him smile.
The second was most likely the only one that hadn't truly been traumatic on his family. That was the year that the youngest Weasley boys had more or lest kidnapped him one night using their father's flying car. Harry was sure they were far more disappointed when he came back at the end of that school year then they had been when they had woken up to find he was gone.
And of course there was his third year. Looking back, now that the threat of expulsion or imprisonment wasn't hanging over his head, that too held one of his favorite memories. He had blown his uncle's sister up just like a rather large balloon. He chuckled softly, she had deserved it after all. No one had the right to talk that way about his parents.
And then of coarse their was what had happened last year. Uncle Vernon was still upset about that little episode. Harry guessed the idea that people could come out of his, blocked up, fireplace and then fix the hole just as easily couldn't sit easily in his simple, boring, little world.
As it turned out Harry was horribly disappointed. The doorbell rang at precisely three thirty that afternoon, he heard his aunt Petunia muttering to herself about who it could possibly be but for the most part he ignored it. No one who would be asking for him would use the doorbell after all. They wouldn't be using the phone either for that matter, Hermione was still a bit weary after Ron's one call a few years back.
He turned back to his packing and as such it took him a few moments before he realized he vaguely recognized the voice that was talking to his Aunt. Tossing his dress robes into his trunk Harry closed the lid before heading down stairs to see if he was right. Sure enough standing in the entry way, asking about drills, was a man that Harry had seen on occasion. Dr. Granger, Hermione's father.
*******
Harry stood there a little bemused by this turn of events. Ron had said that he was coming to get him today and yet Hermione's father shows up, coincidence? Harry didn't think so. Mr. Granger seemed to be curious about uncle Vernon business. Harry suspected it was a ruse but both he and his wife were dentists and Harry hadn't told Ron or Hermione about his uncle's work so it could have been legitimate.
Harry watched in silent contemplation for a few moments before he realized that the adults were not alone in the room. Standing a little off to the side was Hermione in all her bushy haired glory, and across the room from, and making moon eyes at, her was his rather large cousin Dudley.
Harry watched in utter fascination at Dudley's horrid attempts at flirting. He watched as Dudley misread every single that she was giving him and it was all he could do to keep himself from laughing out loud. His sides were beginning to ache from his barley contained laughter when he decided he really ought to go and save her from his over affectionate relative when Hermione suddenly smiled very sweetly at Dudley and said something that Harry couldn't quite catch. What ever it was made his pig-like eyes bulge slightly and an odd look of panic graced his features.
The blond boy's gaze flew to the door and he paled even more. He let out a sound somewhere between a squeak and a hiccup before bolting past Harry like all the legions of hell were hot on his heels. Harry looked towards the door himself to see what had caused Dudley's rather sudden flight and what he saw was enough to almost make HIM run for his room.
Ron Weasley was standing in the doorway using a glare that Harry had thought was reserved for Draco Malfoy, and even then only when he used a rather horrid name for Hermione in Ron's presence. Seeing as Ron had grown even taller and had started to fill out some, it was a rather intimidating look to say the lest.
Aunt Petunia, who had been doing nothing more then smiling and nodding at Dr. Grander by this time, was instantly suspicious that something was afoot, but Hermione smiled winsomely at her and said something before heading towards were Harry was hiding. Harry didn't have a clue what Hermione had said but with his Aunt farley beaming with pride he was sure he really didn't want to know. The glare she was sending his way wasn't the nicest of sights he had ever seen either.
"You could have been a bit more helpful back there you know Harry." She all but hissed at him. Now Harry was used to seeing Hermione mad, but her anger was normally directed at either Ron or Draco and not him so he was at a loss as to handle it correctly. So he settled for dropping his head and a mumbled 'sorry' in hopes it would placate the irate girl before she decided to hex him into oblivion, ban on magic or no.
It seemed to work as her next words were much wormier. Ron who had sneaked in wasn't so easily placated. Luckily for Harry his anger was directed at Dudley, though he did get a small taste of it when he couldn't hide a small grin as Ron muttered something about 'first Vicky and now some stupid muggle...'
Things went rather smoothly from there. Mrs. Granger was out in the car making space for Harry's trunk and with both Ron and Hermione helping and Mr. Granger running interference with Aunt Petunia and only one more death glare from Ron to Dudley and they were off in less then ten minuets.
The friends caught up with each other over the hour or so it took to get to the Granger home and from there after a few good-byes and thank you's it was a quick fluo ride to the Burrow. But what should have been a happy reunion between Harry and the Weasleys went south fast, for as soon as his feet hit the floor of the Weasley home his scar erupted in pain and the world went black.