Chapter Two
"Hi Harry" Ron said grinning. He gestured to a small car on the driveway, in the front seats were two very familiar looking red heads- Fred and George Weasley, Ron's two twin brothers.
"Well are you coming or not Harry?" Ron asked.
"Yeah course I am, I'll be back in a sec." Harry dashed upstairs to grab his stuff, dragged it downstairs and gave it to Ron who went to put it in the boot. Harry went back into the living room where the Dursley's were still sitting unaware of what was going on.
"I'm going to stay at a friends for the rest of the holiday. See you next summer." Harry walked out of the room before the Dursleys could say anything.
Harry got into the car, and the twins drove off.
"Does your mum know you're here?" Harry asked the twins as they pulled out of Privet Drive, remembering the incident in their second year involving the Weasley's flying Ford Anglia car, "And this car doesn't fly does it?"
"Yes and no. It's a normal muggle car and Mum told us to pick you up. She didn't want us to go by floo powder after what happened last summer." Fred told Harry.
"How's Weasley's Wizard Wheezes?" Harry asked, as they pulled out of Little Whinging.
"Better than it was now we have more money to use." George answered, grinning at Harry. It had been Harry who had given Fred and George one thousand galleons at the end of the previous year.
"Where did you get that money from, Fred?" Ron asked, genuinely intrigued.
"A good friend." Was the twin's only answer.
They eventually got to the Burrow several hours later. When Harry got out of the car he saw a small building that hadn't been their last time he visited. George followed his gaze.
"Oh that's Percy's new house! He complained so much about the fact he never got any peace and quiet Dad built it for him. It's only got two rooms, brilliant for us though only see Perce twice a day, mealtimes."
Harry and Ron went upstairs to Ron's room after saying hello to Mrs Weasley; Mr Weasley was still at work. Harry could see a half-finished Potions essay on his extremely cluttered desk. This reminded Harry he still hadn't done his essay for Snape, who would love an excuse to give Harry detention, he always did. Harry then noticed something unusual about the room it was no longer bright orange as it had been the last time he had visited, it was now completely white.
"Mum was sick of the orange she decorated last term and threw all the posters away." Ron said bitterly seeing Harry looking at the walls.
Harry put his trunk on the spare bed, and sat down next to it. He was suddenly belted round the head by a small furry tennis ball A.K.A Ron's pet owl Pig. Harry's own owl Hedwig was still in her cage. Harry undid the lock and let her out; she nipped his ear affectionately and flew of out the open window. They then heard Mrs Weasley shouting from downstairs that dinner was ready, so with that they trudged down several flights of stairs to where the rest of the Weasleys were already sitting.
When Harry woke up the next morning and went down to breakfast, he found his Hogwarts letter sitting on the table in front of him. It looked a lot thicker than it usually did. Harry opened the envelope and removed a piece of parchment.
Dear Mr Potter, We are pleased to inform you, you have been made a prefect. This is due to outstanding commitment to the school and good grades. You will find your badge enclosed in the letter. There will be a short meeting for all new prefects after the feast in the Great Hall.
Due to current circumstances all future Hogsmeade visits have been cancelled until further notice.
Term starts on the 1st of September.
Yours Sincerely M. McGonnagall
Harry looked up at Ron who had gone very pale and was breathing heavily, muttering something about there being a mistake.
"Ron what's wrong?" Ron's younger sister Ginny asked looking worried.
"I've been made a prefect," Ron replied still looking worried, "For contributions to the school and good grades."
"Same as me." said Harry fishing out a small badge with a P on it from the envelope, and putting it in his pocket.
"What was that dear?" Mrs Weasley asked Ron she seized his letter and read it "You've both been made prefects! How wonderful. Ron's the third in the family." Ron groaned and muttered under his breath 'I'm turning into Percy, someone kill me please before it's too late.' Harry laughed at this.
"Well we better be going to Diagon Alley you'll be needing school books and things." Mrs Weasley reached over to a little jar that Harry knew contained floo powder, he groaned inwardly; he couldn't stand floo powder. The last time he tried to go to Diagon Alley using it he had ended up in the dangerous Knockturn Alley by mistake.
He picked up a pinch of the powder threw it into the fire, called out Diagon Alley before stepping into the emerald fire and disappearing.
Harry opened his eyes a few minutes later to find he had appeared in Diagon Alley and was standing outside the wizard bank Gringotts. The snowy white building, which dominated the street, housed underneath it a network of tunnels more complex than anything Harry had ever seen. It contained hundreds of thousands of vaults Harry's own included. Gringotts itself was run by goblins. Harry was suddenly aware of someone yelling his name; he spun round and saw his other best friend Hermione Granger hurtling towards him, her parents following slowly behind.
"Hi Hermione" Mrs Weasley said smiling at her, "Going to Gringotts too?" Hermione nodded, Ron appeared behind them.
"Oh hi Herm, nice summer?" Ron asked.
"Yes and the names Hermione, not Herm!" Hermione replied savagely back. Ron looked taken aback at her sudden outburst, then he grinned. "So been made a prefect Hermione, as well?" Hermione if possible looked puzzled.
"I thought they told you when you got there?" She said slowly.
"You, er, do have your letter don't you Hermione?" Harry asked looking somewhat bemused.
"Of course I do, it came this morning, why?" Asked Hermione. Harry and Ron looked at each other trying desperately hard not to laugh.
"The letter told you if you are a prefect Hermione, me and Harry are." Hermione face went chalk white at this point. Harry couldn't help but laugh, followed soon after by Ron. Hermione not a prefect, it was too funny. Hermione didn't think so and she ran up the Gringotts stairs in tears. Harry and Ron ran after her, trying not to laugh and telling her it was okay.
Five minutes later the three of them all piled into one cart; Hermione had calmed down a bit. The rest of the Weasleys had all gone in another cart to their vault, while Harry, Ron and Hermione went down to Harry's. Hermione, who had never been down to the vaults before as her parents were muggles, was slightly nervous.
"I read somewhere that there are dragons down here." Hermione told them.
"Tell us something we don't already know Hermione, every one knows that!" Said Ron matter of factly.
Hermione scowled at him and let go of the sides for a minute to turn round to ask Harry something when the cart started moving. Hermione gripped the sides again quicker than Harry could say Quidditch.
A short while afterwards they arrived at Harry's vault. Hermione had gone slightly green and was shaking a bit. Harry opened the vault and quickly took out the money he needed from the piles of coins. Harry had never told the Dursleys about the fortune in wizard money that his parents had left him; they would have had in changed into muggle money and into their bank accounts before Harry could say a thing. Harry closed up the vault again and they got back in the cart for the ride back up to Diagon Alley.
They went back into to the bright summer sunshine blinking a little.
"Right then what do we need?" Ron asked Hermione.
"You mean you haven't read the supply list yet." Hermione said looking amazed at Ron "And they chose you as a prefect."
"Got a problem with that?" Said Ron. Harry broke them up before they got into another one of there infamous arguments.
Harry got out his own list and read the contents to Ron.
"Fifth Year Supply List Students will need The Standard book of Spells (Grade Five) by Miranda Bagshot. The Rise and fall of Dark Arts by T.T.Arthur. Apparation for Beginners by D.Isapear. O.W.L Revision guides for all subjects." Harry finished reading.
"I've already got one of those books, I got it before first year, The Rise and Fall of Dark Arts. That's one of the books you're in Harry." Hermione said. Harry groaned.
"I guess that book's on the list due to current circumstances. You know, with you know who being back " said Ron, " Anyway shouldn't we go to Flourish and Blotts, to buy them the books." They set off down to the winding street to where the bookshop was.
They spent the rest of the day wandering in and out of shops until they got to Quality Quidditch Supplies, where Harry and Ron's jaws dropped.
"Wow, look at that" Ron gasped. A broom was in the Window. It was shiny and sleek. Hermione walked over to the window and read the small sign next to the broom.
"The Lightening Bolt. This magnificent broom runs rings round the old Firebolt. It's twice as fast and twice as safe.
Price on request.
I don't know what you two are making such a fuss about - Harry's Firebolt is still good, it's only a broom for pities sake." Hermione shoved Harry and Ron away from the window back towards Gringotts where the rest of the Weasleys were waiting for them.
*** "Harry Potter you will die at my hands before the end of the year. Your mudblood mother may have got you a few extra years but it's not enough. She was delaying the inevitable. It was written in prophecy before you were born." Harry woke with a start his hands over his scar, which was burning painfully. Ron woke up groaning.
"What's wrong Harry, can't it wait till morning?" Then Ron looked over at Harry who was still clutching his forehead. "Oh my God Harry it's not your scar is it?" Not wanting to scare Ron who had already gone reasonably pale Harry shook his head.
"Nah I've just got a headache that's all." Ron still looking dubious muttered something about going back to sleep, rolled over and started to snore. Harry was still sitting there with his hand on his head, despite the fact the pain had gone. He lay back down on the bed again, going over the dream in his mind, meaning to write to Sirius about it in the morning. Then he fell back to sleep.
When he woke again the next morning neither Harry nor Ron remembered a thing. Except Harry had the vague suspicion he had forgotten something important.
The end of the summer came far too quickly for Harry. Agreed with the prospect of Voldemort being around the Weasleys had been a lot more careful about letting Harry out the house, but when compared to the Dursleys it was heaven. It felt like Harry had only been there a couple of days when he was in Ron's room packing his stuff to leave. Hedwig had returned a few days before with a letter from Hagrid saying how much he would like the new Defence against the Dark Arts teacher. Harry had already decided as long as they didn't turn out to have two faces, wipe his memory or turn out to be Voldemort's second in command they would be fine. The best teacher was Professor Lupin who had taught Harry in his third year. He had left when the entire school had found out he was a werewolf, not that it had bothered most of the students, just their parents.
Mrs Weasley had ordered two taxi's again, the drivers didn't look to happy to see them. Last time they had travelled in these taxi's they had been attacked by Crookshanks (Hermione's pet cat/tiger) and Fred and George - Harry wasn't sure which was the worst. The journey was quite uneventful compared with last year. They arrived at Kings Cross with 20 minutes to spare so Mrs Weasley after a lot of persuasion agreed that if they put their stuff on the train they could go to the newsagent and get a drink. After dragging Ron away from marvelling at magazines ("They don't move, the pictures don't move!" He said poking one of the people on the front cover) they realised they now only had five minutes to get back to platform nine and three quarters. They ran out of the shop and down several escalators. Harry was the last to reach the barrier and he ran towards it feeling confident he would go through it.
Harry felt himself go through the barrier and he opened his eyes which he had shut on impulse. He almost fainted with shock; the scene that greeted him was of a large grey room with twelve men wearing long black robes and masks. He was suddenly aware of his scar, which was feeling at that moment as though someone had just driven several red-hot pokers into it. He spun round to come face to face with his worst nightmare Lord Voldemort.
"So we meet again Harry Potter." Said the high cold voice. The same voice then muttered something that Harry didn't quite catch. Everything suddenly went black and Harry remembered no more.
"Hi Harry" Ron said grinning. He gestured to a small car on the driveway, in the front seats were two very familiar looking red heads- Fred and George Weasley, Ron's two twin brothers.
"Well are you coming or not Harry?" Ron asked.
"Yeah course I am, I'll be back in a sec." Harry dashed upstairs to grab his stuff, dragged it downstairs and gave it to Ron who went to put it in the boot. Harry went back into the living room where the Dursley's were still sitting unaware of what was going on.
"I'm going to stay at a friends for the rest of the holiday. See you next summer." Harry walked out of the room before the Dursleys could say anything.
Harry got into the car, and the twins drove off.
"Does your mum know you're here?" Harry asked the twins as they pulled out of Privet Drive, remembering the incident in their second year involving the Weasley's flying Ford Anglia car, "And this car doesn't fly does it?"
"Yes and no. It's a normal muggle car and Mum told us to pick you up. She didn't want us to go by floo powder after what happened last summer." Fred told Harry.
"How's Weasley's Wizard Wheezes?" Harry asked, as they pulled out of Little Whinging.
"Better than it was now we have more money to use." George answered, grinning at Harry. It had been Harry who had given Fred and George one thousand galleons at the end of the previous year.
"Where did you get that money from, Fred?" Ron asked, genuinely intrigued.
"A good friend." Was the twin's only answer.
They eventually got to the Burrow several hours later. When Harry got out of the car he saw a small building that hadn't been their last time he visited. George followed his gaze.
"Oh that's Percy's new house! He complained so much about the fact he never got any peace and quiet Dad built it for him. It's only got two rooms, brilliant for us though only see Perce twice a day, mealtimes."
Harry and Ron went upstairs to Ron's room after saying hello to Mrs Weasley; Mr Weasley was still at work. Harry could see a half-finished Potions essay on his extremely cluttered desk. This reminded Harry he still hadn't done his essay for Snape, who would love an excuse to give Harry detention, he always did. Harry then noticed something unusual about the room it was no longer bright orange as it had been the last time he had visited, it was now completely white.
"Mum was sick of the orange she decorated last term and threw all the posters away." Ron said bitterly seeing Harry looking at the walls.
Harry put his trunk on the spare bed, and sat down next to it. He was suddenly belted round the head by a small furry tennis ball A.K.A Ron's pet owl Pig. Harry's own owl Hedwig was still in her cage. Harry undid the lock and let her out; she nipped his ear affectionately and flew of out the open window. They then heard Mrs Weasley shouting from downstairs that dinner was ready, so with that they trudged down several flights of stairs to where the rest of the Weasleys were already sitting.
When Harry woke up the next morning and went down to breakfast, he found his Hogwarts letter sitting on the table in front of him. It looked a lot thicker than it usually did. Harry opened the envelope and removed a piece of parchment.
Dear Mr Potter, We are pleased to inform you, you have been made a prefect. This is due to outstanding commitment to the school and good grades. You will find your badge enclosed in the letter. There will be a short meeting for all new prefects after the feast in the Great Hall.
Due to current circumstances all future Hogsmeade visits have been cancelled until further notice.
Term starts on the 1st of September.
Yours Sincerely M. McGonnagall
Harry looked up at Ron who had gone very pale and was breathing heavily, muttering something about there being a mistake.
"Ron what's wrong?" Ron's younger sister Ginny asked looking worried.
"I've been made a prefect," Ron replied still looking worried, "For contributions to the school and good grades."
"Same as me." said Harry fishing out a small badge with a P on it from the envelope, and putting it in his pocket.
"What was that dear?" Mrs Weasley asked Ron she seized his letter and read it "You've both been made prefects! How wonderful. Ron's the third in the family." Ron groaned and muttered under his breath 'I'm turning into Percy, someone kill me please before it's too late.' Harry laughed at this.
"Well we better be going to Diagon Alley you'll be needing school books and things." Mrs Weasley reached over to a little jar that Harry knew contained floo powder, he groaned inwardly; he couldn't stand floo powder. The last time he tried to go to Diagon Alley using it he had ended up in the dangerous Knockturn Alley by mistake.
He picked up a pinch of the powder threw it into the fire, called out Diagon Alley before stepping into the emerald fire and disappearing.
Harry opened his eyes a few minutes later to find he had appeared in Diagon Alley and was standing outside the wizard bank Gringotts. The snowy white building, which dominated the street, housed underneath it a network of tunnels more complex than anything Harry had ever seen. It contained hundreds of thousands of vaults Harry's own included. Gringotts itself was run by goblins. Harry was suddenly aware of someone yelling his name; he spun round and saw his other best friend Hermione Granger hurtling towards him, her parents following slowly behind.
"Hi Hermione" Mrs Weasley said smiling at her, "Going to Gringotts too?" Hermione nodded, Ron appeared behind them.
"Oh hi Herm, nice summer?" Ron asked.
"Yes and the names Hermione, not Herm!" Hermione replied savagely back. Ron looked taken aback at her sudden outburst, then he grinned. "So been made a prefect Hermione, as well?" Hermione if possible looked puzzled.
"I thought they told you when you got there?" She said slowly.
"You, er, do have your letter don't you Hermione?" Harry asked looking somewhat bemused.
"Of course I do, it came this morning, why?" Asked Hermione. Harry and Ron looked at each other trying desperately hard not to laugh.
"The letter told you if you are a prefect Hermione, me and Harry are." Hermione face went chalk white at this point. Harry couldn't help but laugh, followed soon after by Ron. Hermione not a prefect, it was too funny. Hermione didn't think so and she ran up the Gringotts stairs in tears. Harry and Ron ran after her, trying not to laugh and telling her it was okay.
Five minutes later the three of them all piled into one cart; Hermione had calmed down a bit. The rest of the Weasleys had all gone in another cart to their vault, while Harry, Ron and Hermione went down to Harry's. Hermione, who had never been down to the vaults before as her parents were muggles, was slightly nervous.
"I read somewhere that there are dragons down here." Hermione told them.
"Tell us something we don't already know Hermione, every one knows that!" Said Ron matter of factly.
Hermione scowled at him and let go of the sides for a minute to turn round to ask Harry something when the cart started moving. Hermione gripped the sides again quicker than Harry could say Quidditch.
A short while afterwards they arrived at Harry's vault. Hermione had gone slightly green and was shaking a bit. Harry opened the vault and quickly took out the money he needed from the piles of coins. Harry had never told the Dursleys about the fortune in wizard money that his parents had left him; they would have had in changed into muggle money and into their bank accounts before Harry could say a thing. Harry closed up the vault again and they got back in the cart for the ride back up to Diagon Alley.
They went back into to the bright summer sunshine blinking a little.
"Right then what do we need?" Ron asked Hermione.
"You mean you haven't read the supply list yet." Hermione said looking amazed at Ron "And they chose you as a prefect."
"Got a problem with that?" Said Ron. Harry broke them up before they got into another one of there infamous arguments.
Harry got out his own list and read the contents to Ron.
"Fifth Year Supply List Students will need The Standard book of Spells (Grade Five) by Miranda Bagshot. The Rise and fall of Dark Arts by T.T.Arthur. Apparation for Beginners by D.Isapear. O.W.L Revision guides for all subjects." Harry finished reading.
"I've already got one of those books, I got it before first year, The Rise and Fall of Dark Arts. That's one of the books you're in Harry." Hermione said. Harry groaned.
"I guess that book's on the list due to current circumstances. You know, with you know who being back " said Ron, " Anyway shouldn't we go to Flourish and Blotts, to buy them the books." They set off down to the winding street to where the bookshop was.
They spent the rest of the day wandering in and out of shops until they got to Quality Quidditch Supplies, where Harry and Ron's jaws dropped.
"Wow, look at that" Ron gasped. A broom was in the Window. It was shiny and sleek. Hermione walked over to the window and read the small sign next to the broom.
"The Lightening Bolt. This magnificent broom runs rings round the old Firebolt. It's twice as fast and twice as safe.
Price on request.
I don't know what you two are making such a fuss about - Harry's Firebolt is still good, it's only a broom for pities sake." Hermione shoved Harry and Ron away from the window back towards Gringotts where the rest of the Weasleys were waiting for them.
*** "Harry Potter you will die at my hands before the end of the year. Your mudblood mother may have got you a few extra years but it's not enough. She was delaying the inevitable. It was written in prophecy before you were born." Harry woke with a start his hands over his scar, which was burning painfully. Ron woke up groaning.
"What's wrong Harry, can't it wait till morning?" Then Ron looked over at Harry who was still clutching his forehead. "Oh my God Harry it's not your scar is it?" Not wanting to scare Ron who had already gone reasonably pale Harry shook his head.
"Nah I've just got a headache that's all." Ron still looking dubious muttered something about going back to sleep, rolled over and started to snore. Harry was still sitting there with his hand on his head, despite the fact the pain had gone. He lay back down on the bed again, going over the dream in his mind, meaning to write to Sirius about it in the morning. Then he fell back to sleep.
When he woke again the next morning neither Harry nor Ron remembered a thing. Except Harry had the vague suspicion he had forgotten something important.
The end of the summer came far too quickly for Harry. Agreed with the prospect of Voldemort being around the Weasleys had been a lot more careful about letting Harry out the house, but when compared to the Dursleys it was heaven. It felt like Harry had only been there a couple of days when he was in Ron's room packing his stuff to leave. Hedwig had returned a few days before with a letter from Hagrid saying how much he would like the new Defence against the Dark Arts teacher. Harry had already decided as long as they didn't turn out to have two faces, wipe his memory or turn out to be Voldemort's second in command they would be fine. The best teacher was Professor Lupin who had taught Harry in his third year. He had left when the entire school had found out he was a werewolf, not that it had bothered most of the students, just their parents.
Mrs Weasley had ordered two taxi's again, the drivers didn't look to happy to see them. Last time they had travelled in these taxi's they had been attacked by Crookshanks (Hermione's pet cat/tiger) and Fred and George - Harry wasn't sure which was the worst. The journey was quite uneventful compared with last year. They arrived at Kings Cross with 20 minutes to spare so Mrs Weasley after a lot of persuasion agreed that if they put their stuff on the train they could go to the newsagent and get a drink. After dragging Ron away from marvelling at magazines ("They don't move, the pictures don't move!" He said poking one of the people on the front cover) they realised they now only had five minutes to get back to platform nine and three quarters. They ran out of the shop and down several escalators. Harry was the last to reach the barrier and he ran towards it feeling confident he would go through it.
Harry felt himself go through the barrier and he opened his eyes which he had shut on impulse. He almost fainted with shock; the scene that greeted him was of a large grey room with twelve men wearing long black robes and masks. He was suddenly aware of his scar, which was feeling at that moment as though someone had just driven several red-hot pokers into it. He spun round to come face to face with his worst nightmare Lord Voldemort.
"So we meet again Harry Potter." Said the high cold voice. The same voice then muttered something that Harry didn't quite catch. Everything suddenly went black and Harry remembered no more.
