A/N: Blatantly ignores what happens in Book Five. I like Sirius, and he's staying, so there. Actually written before Book Five came out, so ignore the discrepancies. Thank you.

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Prologue

            It was almost midnight.

            Green eyes stared listlessly at the ceiling.

            Five… four… three… two… one.

            Dong!

            "Happy birthday to me," Harry whispered into the still night air. Sighing, he swung his legs over his bed and sat up, fumbling for his glasses. He got up and shuffled over to the window, and opened it. Shivering slightly as a blast of cold air hit him, he peered out, watching for any sign of Hedwig. He wondered absently why it was so cold even though it was July.

            A white shape was growing steadily larger. Harry leapt out of the way just in time as Hedwig flew in the window, closely followed by a few other owls. Pig immediately crash-landed into Harry's bed and flapped his wings dazedly. Harry stifled a laugh.

            A large eagle owl dropped his Hogwarts letter on his table and took off again. An unfamiliar brown owl had placed what looked like a bag of Hagrid's rock cakes on his bed and left.

            Eagerly, Harry untied the package from Pig's tiny legs. Freed of its burden, the minute owl immediately regained its energy and began flying around the room at top speed. Thankfully, he'd learnt not to hoot when he was at Harry's. All the same, Hedwig regarded him with firm disapproval. Harry hardly noticed, as he fingered the small snow-globe Ron had sent him. There was a house in it, surrounded by trees. Harry shook it slightly, and the snow stirred up and started flying. The door to the house opened, and – Harry's eyes widened – two children came out screaming and yelling, playing in the snow. Ron's letter simply said that he missed Harry, Hermione was staying with them, and that he'd see him at school.

            He placed the snow-globe on his desk, and reached for the package Hedwig had brought back. Every year, the snowy owl faithfully brought back something from Hermione.

            This time around, it was a book of curses – 1001 Curses and How to Avoid Them. Harry stared at it, and reached for her letter.

            I thought you could use this, it read. With You-Know-Who back and all that. The book tells you how to cast, and avoid a lot of curses, including the Unforgivables – although that's physical avoidance. I hope you'll put it to good use.

            As Ron might have told you, I'm staying with the Weasleys this summer. Mother and Father had to go to some conference overseas, and couldn't take me, so Mrs. Weasley agreed to let me stay here. Wasn't that nice of her? Apparently, she asked Professor Dumbledore if you could stay with us, but he refused. Something about you being safer with the Dursleys.

            I think Ginny's outgrown her crush on you, by the way. She keeps going on about Colin Creevey, at any rate.

            I certainly hope you've finished your homework. I'm not letting you copy mine anymore, you or Ron! It's time you learnt to take responsibility for yourselves, and actually do it instead of making it up. Speaking of responsibility, who do you suppose will become Prefects this year? Wouldn't it have been hilarious if Fred and George had been made Prefects?

            A snicker escaped Harry's lips. It would have been absolute mayhem if that had ever happened.

            I do hope I'll be a Prefect – I'm of two minds as to whether you'll be. After all, you do deserve it, but Dumbledore might think you've got enough responsibility already. What do you reckon? Do you want to be a Prefect?

Well, I'll see you Diagon Alley or on the train, I suppose. Miss you!

            Love,

            Hermione.

            Harry folded up her letter and set it beside Ron's, on top of his Potions book. For reasons previously unknown to him, the Dursleys had actually let him keep his school things with him. His wand and broom were still locked up, but his parchment, books and stationery were in his room – and he didn't have to hide them or anything. Sure, Vernon still grimaced if he saw them, but no one did anything about it.

            It had been most puzzling.

            Until the letter from Sirius had come. Apparently, he'd written to the Dursleys, threatening to turn them all into rats if they didn't start treating Harry well. Properly cowed, the Dursleys had agreed. As a result, Harry had started getting more food, and fewer chores. He'd finally gotten his growth spurt too. He still wasn't as tall as Ron, and likely never would be, but he didn't look so scrawny now, at least.

            And – Ron would faint – Harry had found he liked reading his school things. They really were interesting, and Harry had discovered a new-found passion for Potions. Probably because that was the only thing he could practice, without his wand. He'd even finished his Potions homework first, though the others had been done perfectly not long after. He had a feeling Snape would have rather a shock when he started quizzing Harry this term.

            He opened up Hagrid's bag of cakes, but didn't dare eat any. He read over the brief letter, then placed it with the other two.

            He snagged Pig out of the air, gave him some food, and sent him off again. Hedwig was roosting atop her cage already. Scanning his Hogwarts letter, Harry found that his books had already been bought for him. He was to be picked up from the Dursleys. The Ministry was apparently sending a car for him – Dumbledore had probably had to do a lot of fast talking to get that done. After all, Fudge was firmly convinced Harry was stark, raving mad.

            Content, Harry flopped back on his bed, which creaked slightly. His emerald eyes closed as he allowed himself to fall into a peaceful slumber.