Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters. They belong to J.K. Rowling.

A/N: OK, this is my first fanfic so please bear with me! This is supposed to be the 6th book- Harry Potter and the Rise of Voldemort. Please review!!! I hope you enjoy it! Oh yeah- special thanks to ArmachiA for all your help.

Chapter One

It was a hot summer's day, the kind in which most normal boys would be outside, playing basketball or swimming… but not Harry Potter. Harry was the perfect example of an unusual boy. He sat on his bed, facing the window. He hadn't moved for hours. He sat there, waiting, hoping, praying for that one letter that would change everything. The hours dragged by. Soon the afternoon became night, and the vast sky was littered with bright stars. Harry was a teenager who was in one of those awkward stages… he wasn't a boy, but he wasn't quite a man. He had grown at least 3 or 4 inches in the past month and a half, and he was starting to fill out rather nicely. He had given up trying to tame his hair, which simply grew all over the place. Even through his unruly hair, a thin, lightning-bolt shaped scar was still visible on his forehead. It was this scar that made Harry so different from other boys his age. Also, Harry had a variety of things in his room that most people would consider quite unusual. For example, there was an open trunk in the corner, containing spell books, cloaks, unusual potion ingredients, and other oddities. There also happened to be a shiny broomstick in the corner with the word Firebolt written across it. And then there was a cage on the dresser, which usually held a beautiful, snowy owl named Hedwig, but was now currently empty. Harry Potter was a very unusual boy indeed.

Harry finally gave up; he was simply too tired. He opened his window, in case any post arrived during the night. He removed his glasses and laid on his bed. Just as he was starting to get drowsy, he heard a faint fluttering outside his window. Figuring he was dreaming, Harry ignored it. Then, a loud "THWACK!" interrupted the lazy silence.

"What-?" Harry began, bolting upright in his bed. He turned to the window. There was nothing there. He turned to the other side of his room. It appeared as though an owl had flown right through his window and smashed headlong into the wall. Harry recognized it at once.

"Pig!" Harry said blankly. He jumped out of bed and peeled the tiny owl off the wall. No sooner had he done so when the miniscule owl flew out of his hand and began bouncing around the room, hooting shrilly.

"Stop that!" Harry panted, chasing after it. "I need my letter! C'mon… stop-for-just-one- GOTCHA!" he yelled triumphantly. He ripped the letter off Pig's leg, and released him.

He read-

Harry-

Mum talked to Dumbledore, and

it's all okay! Dad'll pick you up

Monday at 3. He's traveling by

Floo powder, though, so make sure

the fireplace isn't boarded up. I don't

think your aunt and uncle would fancy

having their living room blown up

again. I can't wait to see you! Til then-

Ron

Harry felt his stomach leap with joy. He was going to the Burrow, far away from the Dursleys… The thought of having to wait two whole days was unbearable. He grabbed some parchment and wrote a quick response to Ron.

Ron-

Great! Don't worry, the fireplace

isn't boarded up anymore, but

even if it was, your dad could blow

it up without worrying- the Dursleys

would probably be too scared of

Mad-Eye coming and turning them into toads to do anything about it. See you Monday, then-

Harry

Harry snatched Pig, who was currently banging off the walls like a feathery sort of bouncing ball, and tied the letter to his leg.

"Go on, then!" Harry instructed Pig. Pig was gone in a whirlwind of feathers, and Harry, laying on his bed, wondered if there was a spell that could make time pass quicker.