Harry placed the Hogwarts letter on his pillow and removed the other from Hedwig's beak. He opened it up and read:

Hey Harry! I know I just wrote you a couple of days ago, but Ron
and I decided that you can come with me to Diagon Alley this
summer. I've already discussed it with my mum and dad, and they
said it'd be a privilege to have you come with us. They will be
contacting your aunt and uncle sometime this week with the news.
We'll pick you by car at your house, so be sure and have your robes
and everything you'll need for Hogwarts. You'll be staying at my
house for a couple days, so pack some extra muggle clothes also.
We've got the guest bedroom all fixed up for you. If everything
goes as planned, we'll pick you up the 25th of this month. Hope
your folks agree, we'll have lots of fun!

Hermione

Well that was certainly a pleasant surprise. Harry had never been to Hermione's house before; he wondered if it was far away from his. He quickly got out a blank sheet of parchment, a quill, and a bottle of ink and began to write back.

Hello there, Hermione. I'm glad to hear that we'll be spending
some time together this summer. I hope my folks agree to it too. My
house isn't too far away from yours, is it? I hope it's no trouble.
Tell your parents I'm very obliged for the offer.

See you soon,
Harry

Harry folded up his short reply, scrounged around in his desk for an envelope, wrote Hermione's name on it, and gave it to Hedwig.

"Send this to Hermione straight away, hear me?" Hedwig nodded in response, and soared off as soon as Harry had opened his window.

A splash of excitement, perplexity, and nervousness shot up into Harry's throat. He'd be in Hermione's house this summer. He just. didn't know what to think.

Later that week, Harry went downstairs for dinner one evening. Vernon mentioned that the Grangers called the house that afternoon.

"I told them that I'd think about it, and consider your behavior as a factor in deciding whether or not you may go. And with that damn owl of yours." "Uncle Vernon, I've told you countless times, I'm sorry about Hedwig--" "Don't use its disgusting name at the dinner table, boy. I was pressing your buttons; I told them that it would be all right as long as no funny business was involved. They reassured me they would be arriving and departing by car with you, and the neighbors would not suspect anything. You just better watch yourself, boy. I don't want any more shouting letters from crazy people in this house telling me how to raise you like last summer, understand?" "Yes, sir." "Good. They'll be here the 25th. Clear the table, clean off the dishes, and go to your room."

After Harry washed the dishes, he went up to his room (to find Hedwig in her cage with a frog) and turned off his lights to get an early sleep. But he didn't sleep for at least 4 hours, he didn't take the time to turn over and look at his clock. He spent his time staring out of his window at the moon, asking himself questions in his mind. Why had Uncle Vernon been so kind to him about going to Hermione's house? What was it about the thought of going there that made him feel so awkward and confused the night he received Hermione's letter? He wasn't attracted to her, he knew this. He never looked at her like someone he could be attracted to. He looked at her like a best friend would look at another best friend, as a. well. best friend, of course.

He finally fell asleep that night, and had a dream of Hermione whacking Malfoy in the face with Harry's broom, and having Ron run in being chased by another Malfoy, his evil twin, he presumed. Hermione then went and whacked the other Malfoy in the face with Harry's broom, breaking it. Ron wrapped it up with the same tape he used on his wand in their second year, and Hermione boarded it and it flew backwards, and she caught a snitch. but something looked wrong about the snitch, it was red and goopy, and when she caught it, it burst in her fist and its goop covered the grass and Harry felt as though he couldn't breathe.

He woke up in a sweat to realize he had been struggling to breathe through his pillow. "Figures," he thought. The sky was a grayish tone of lavender; the sun was beginning to rise. It was the 21st. He desperately waited for the day that he would be picked up by Hermione's parents and escape from this prison some called his home, and have fun for the first time in months.