CHAPTER 2

Harry tumbled out into the Weasleys kitchen and Mrs. Weasley turned around and said "Oh hullo Harry dear," as if it was completely normal for a 15 year old boy to tumble into your kitchen at 6:15 in the morning. "Hi, Mrs. Weasley." Harry said while standing up. He heard jumping and muffled yells. As he turned to face the door where the noise was coming from he heard Mrs. Weasley tutting about "time wasting" or something like that. With a loud clatter Fred, George and Ron fell through the door. Fred and George were identical twins and were in their sixth and last year at Hogwarts. They were also beaters on the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Ron was his best friend at Hogwarts. They had met on their very first day on the Hogwarts Express, the train that takes them to Hogwarts. "Harry!" Ron bellowed in an excited way as he avoided Fred and George who were still lying sprawled on the floor. "Fantastic to see you! How have things been?" said Ron. Before Harry had answered Mrs. Weasley had told Ron to take Harry up to his room to meet up with Ginny and Hermione. "We'll come to." Said Fred and George in unison. Mrs. Weasley looked stern and pursed her lips "No you won't, you will stay here and tell me what you have been studying." Fred and George had to sit their N.E.W.T.'s this year. Harry and Ron walk out the door to the sounds of grumbling and mutters.
* * *

Harry looked around the room he had been in twice before. Bright orange everything, and posters of Ron's favourite team, The Chudley Cannons, whose team colour was, orange. Before Harry had time to say hello to either Hermione or Ginny (who had both become very pretty all of a sudden) they had both thrown their arms around him while saying how worried they'd been about him. Harry looked pass them and could see Ron imitating Hermione, but unluckily for him, Hermione saw this and went into full steam about how could his own best friend not worry about him etc. "So Harry," said Ginny trying to change the subject. "How have you been?" Harry caught wind of what she was attempting to do and over the shouts said "Yeah, really good. You?" she smiled and said she'd been good. " Do you want to go out to the garden, leave them to bicker about nothing?" said Ginny. Harry agreed and they left the room. Hermione and Ron stopped arguing and gave each other side way glances and grinned cunningly.
* * * The next two weeks were fantastic. Harry and Ginny were getting on really well to Harry's surprise. Not that he'd never gotten on with her before but there was a complete change in her he'd never noticed before. She had a great personality. She actually wanted to have decent conversations with him instead of running out of the room every time she saw him. Ron and Hermione seemed to have changed too. One minute they'd be at each others throats and the next they'd be talking quietly to each other and laughing.
* * *

Harry yelled out his thanks to Mrs. Weasley and boarded the Hogwarts Express. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny found a compartment to themselves and sat down. Once they all sat down Hermione said in a worried voice "So how have you been?" Once again before Harry could answer Ron interrupted, "Oh leave him alone 'ermione. He doesn't need to be reminded about the fact that he has the most evil, dangerous and powerful dark wizard on his tail." Said Ron with a mouthful of pumpkin pasty. Hermione shot him a dark glance. "Ron, I still can't believe that you won't take this seriously, you are acting really childish and I'm fed up with." But they never did find out what Hermione was fed up with because at that minute Harry's worst enemy Malfoy, walked through the door. He was followed by his "body-guards" Crabbe and Goyle. They were quite tall and resembled gorillas. "Why if it isn't Potty, Weasel and a filthy little mudblood." Malfoy said in his drawling voice that Harry had not missed one bit. Ron shot up. "Those aren't new robes are they Weasley? Surely you couldn't afford them." Malfoy teased. Crabbe and Goyle sniggered. "Is there anything you want Malfoy?" said Ron through gritted teeth. "Yes there is, do you remember what happened on the way home on the Hogwarts express last year?" Malfoy asked. Ron took a quick glance at Harry. He remembered only to well what happened. Ron, Fred, George, and him had hexed Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle at the same time. "Yes." Said Ron. Harry wasn't looking forward to what was coming up. "Well, I'd just be careful, because no-one hexes me and gets away with it. Also please try and keep your mudblood girlfriend away from me." Malfoy sneered. That was what tipped Ron. He lunged at Malfoy and grabbed him around then neck and gave him a massive punch in the nose. Blood started pouring. Malfoy staggered up "You'll pay for that" he grunted holding his nose. He staggered out. "Ron, you know you shouldn't have done that." Said Hermione. "Yeah, well he shouldn't talk like that to you, and he knows it." Ron growled angrily as Hermione looked at the cut on his brow " You know Ron, I can look after myself." Said Hermione looking at Ron. Ron looked at her "Yeah, well.er.um, forget it!" said Ron storming off. They didn't see Ron for the rest of the afternoon.
* * *