Chapter 4
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.
Rating: PG or so
A/N: Although it says it's chapter 5 on the website.......since I put that lovely A/N it is chapter 4.
Friday dawned, and Harry woke up. It was the first day since Sirius had died that he woke up happy. He was going to the Burrow today. He didn't know exactly when he'd get a chance to go there.but he would get there. And he would go today.
He looked around his room, and realized he desperately needed to pack. He started on his desk. Books, quills, parchment, and the photo album went into his trunk. He cleared off his floor, where there was all sorts of clothes, and more books. He went to his closet, where there was the broomstick servicing kit that Hermione had given him in third year. His Firebolt was there too. He grabbed both and put them next to his trunk. He went onto his nightstand. There was the picture of Sirius, and his parents, on his parents wedding day. He'd put it there so it was almost like they were watching over him. Then he came to the mirror, shattered into about a thousand pieces.
He breathed in. It was his last link to Sirius.....broken or not. Even so, he knew he should just throw it out. He swept all the pieces into his hand. As he walked over to the garbage, he all of a sudden felt something pulling him back, and he felt almost as if a voice had screamed into his mind:
KEEP IT!
He jumped. Then the holding back was gone, and the voice had gone as quickly as it had come.
Normally he didn't listen to voices that randomly appeared in his head. He wasn't that crazy. But this time the voice had seemed so completely urgent and powerful.....like possibly something horrible would happen if he didn't listen.
He got a small bag that had once held Bertie Botts Every Flavored Beans, and put the shattered mirror in there. He tucked that into his trunk, too. He looked at his watch. Barely 10:30 am. He had a feeling that Hermione hadn't gotten there yet, so he waited.
The Dursleys were up already, and gone. They had taken Dudley to a boxing match, as he'd joined the summer league this year. He had no idea how long they'd be gone. They'd left around 6:30, when his uncle had called up to make sure he was awake. He'd mumbled a yes, and once he heard the door slam, he fell immediately back to sleep, and he'd just woken up again.
He lugged his stuff down to the fireplace around noon. He couldn't wait any longer. Whether Hermione had arrived or not, he was leaving now. He wrote a fast note to his aunt and uncle, explaining where he was, and that he'd be there all summer. Then he grabbed a handful of the Floo Powder, and shifted his grip so he was holding everything, and jumped in the fireplace, screaming "The Burrow!"
Nothing happened.
Of course nothing happened, he thought bitterly, The Dursley's house isn't connected to the Floo Network.
He looked in the fireplace. He couldn't really tell what was Floo Powder and what was ash.
Then he looked in the envelope. There looked like there would be just enough for one more journey. Where could he go to get to the Burrow? What other wizards or witches lived around him? Then suddenly, he saw a painting of cats on the wall of his aunt and uncle's house.
Mrs. Figg! He thought. Of course! She was a witch! There was now just the matter of getting there with all his stuff....in broad daylight. Impossible. He'd be seen. He'd have to wait for tonight, when it was darker.
At 9:30 that night, the Dursley's still weren't home. Harry then decided that it was dark enough to venture to Mrs. Figg's house. He must have been feeling a little paranoid, because he kept feeling like someone was following him. He didn't see anybody though, but he did look over his shoulder frequently on his way to Mrs. Figg's house. Once he'd gotten there, and lugged his stuff onto the porch, he rang the bell.
No one answered. It had never even occurred to him that she might possibly be out. This cannot be happening, he thought. Then the door opened. The funny thing was, it seemed to open by itself.....no one else was in there. He checked the back to the lock on the door. Well, that was creepy. The door was still locked. Then, with a gust of wind from the outside, the door swung shut. That was even creepier.
But he didn't have time to dwell on things like that now. He went to her fire place. Please let this work, he begged silently, please!
He grabbed the final handful of Floo Powder. He took all his stuff in the fireplace with him. He dropped the Floo Powder, and screamed "The Burrow!"
And it worked! As he spun around, passing fire place and fire grate, he silently thanked whoever it was that hooked up the Floo network that they hooked it up to Squib houses.
The trip was nearing an end, and he felt a jolt of pain, as he hit the floor-hard-of the Weasley's fireplace. He tumbled out, with his broom, and trunk and the kit. He heard footsteps running at him. Ron and Hermione appeared at the door of the room.
"Harry!" they both exclaimed at the same time. And Harry noticed that Hermione didn't run over to him and practically kill him hugging him this time.
"Hello!" he said, walking farther into the room. "Where is everyone?" He'd also noticed that only Hermione and Ron seemed to be here.
"Everyone went out for a walk, but Ron found Hedwig in his room two days ago with a note saying you were coming today, so we stayed behind." Hermione said.
"Oh," Harry said vaguely.
"So-erm-how are you doing?" Ron asked, looked both very uncomfortable, and very red.
"Good," Harry said, "And if you want to talk about Sirius.....I'm not ready yet."
"Ok," Hermione said.
The three stood in an uncomfortable silence for awhile.
Then Ron turned to Hermione and looked her in the eye. She returned his gaze. Harry looked from one to the other, wondering what he was missing, it looked like they were having a conversation with their eyes. Then they both nodded, and turned back to him.
"Right," Ron said.
"So, um, Ron and I have some news," Hermione began.
"Yes?" Harry said.
"Well, we've decided.." Ron began.
Hermione took Ron's hand and said, "We've decided that we're going to be more than friends."
"WHAT?!" Harry screamed.
"Ron asked me out just before you came and I accepted," Hermione said in a rush.
Harry's eyes went wide. His best friends were going out with each other? That was ok, he guessed. It wasn't that he liked Hermione was it? Although, he did feel insanely jealous right now.....
"Wow," was all he managed to say.
"Look, Harry, we know this is a lot, but-"
Harry cut Ron off. "No, no! It's not that I'm not happy for you! Wow, I'm really happy that you two are together."
"Really?" Hermione asked.
But Harry didn't get to answer, because right at that moment, Ginny, Fred, George, Mr. And Mrs. Weasley, Lupin, and Mad-Eye walked in.
He was met by a chorus of "HARRY!!!" and "When did you get here?! How did you get here?!" and "What exactly is going on?!"
He sat back. He assumed that he would have a lot of explaining to do when everyone calmed down. But until then, he sighed. Ron and Hermione's news was almost overbearingly HUGE. He wasn't lying when he said he was happy for them.....but he wasn't exactly telling the truth, either.
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.
Rating: PG or so
A/N: Although it says it's chapter 5 on the website.......since I put that lovely A/N it is chapter 4.
Friday dawned, and Harry woke up. It was the first day since Sirius had died that he woke up happy. He was going to the Burrow today. He didn't know exactly when he'd get a chance to go there.but he would get there. And he would go today.
He looked around his room, and realized he desperately needed to pack. He started on his desk. Books, quills, parchment, and the photo album went into his trunk. He cleared off his floor, where there was all sorts of clothes, and more books. He went to his closet, where there was the broomstick servicing kit that Hermione had given him in third year. His Firebolt was there too. He grabbed both and put them next to his trunk. He went onto his nightstand. There was the picture of Sirius, and his parents, on his parents wedding day. He'd put it there so it was almost like they were watching over him. Then he came to the mirror, shattered into about a thousand pieces.
He breathed in. It was his last link to Sirius.....broken or not. Even so, he knew he should just throw it out. He swept all the pieces into his hand. As he walked over to the garbage, he all of a sudden felt something pulling him back, and he felt almost as if a voice had screamed into his mind:
KEEP IT!
He jumped. Then the holding back was gone, and the voice had gone as quickly as it had come.
Normally he didn't listen to voices that randomly appeared in his head. He wasn't that crazy. But this time the voice had seemed so completely urgent and powerful.....like possibly something horrible would happen if he didn't listen.
He got a small bag that had once held Bertie Botts Every Flavored Beans, and put the shattered mirror in there. He tucked that into his trunk, too. He looked at his watch. Barely 10:30 am. He had a feeling that Hermione hadn't gotten there yet, so he waited.
The Dursleys were up already, and gone. They had taken Dudley to a boxing match, as he'd joined the summer league this year. He had no idea how long they'd be gone. They'd left around 6:30, when his uncle had called up to make sure he was awake. He'd mumbled a yes, and once he heard the door slam, he fell immediately back to sleep, and he'd just woken up again.
He lugged his stuff down to the fireplace around noon. He couldn't wait any longer. Whether Hermione had arrived or not, he was leaving now. He wrote a fast note to his aunt and uncle, explaining where he was, and that he'd be there all summer. Then he grabbed a handful of the Floo Powder, and shifted his grip so he was holding everything, and jumped in the fireplace, screaming "The Burrow!"
Nothing happened.
Of course nothing happened, he thought bitterly, The Dursley's house isn't connected to the Floo Network.
He looked in the fireplace. He couldn't really tell what was Floo Powder and what was ash.
Then he looked in the envelope. There looked like there would be just enough for one more journey. Where could he go to get to the Burrow? What other wizards or witches lived around him? Then suddenly, he saw a painting of cats on the wall of his aunt and uncle's house.
Mrs. Figg! He thought. Of course! She was a witch! There was now just the matter of getting there with all his stuff....in broad daylight. Impossible. He'd be seen. He'd have to wait for tonight, when it was darker.
At 9:30 that night, the Dursley's still weren't home. Harry then decided that it was dark enough to venture to Mrs. Figg's house. He must have been feeling a little paranoid, because he kept feeling like someone was following him. He didn't see anybody though, but he did look over his shoulder frequently on his way to Mrs. Figg's house. Once he'd gotten there, and lugged his stuff onto the porch, he rang the bell.
No one answered. It had never even occurred to him that she might possibly be out. This cannot be happening, he thought. Then the door opened. The funny thing was, it seemed to open by itself.....no one else was in there. He checked the back to the lock on the door. Well, that was creepy. The door was still locked. Then, with a gust of wind from the outside, the door swung shut. That was even creepier.
But he didn't have time to dwell on things like that now. He went to her fire place. Please let this work, he begged silently, please!
He grabbed the final handful of Floo Powder. He took all his stuff in the fireplace with him. He dropped the Floo Powder, and screamed "The Burrow!"
And it worked! As he spun around, passing fire place and fire grate, he silently thanked whoever it was that hooked up the Floo network that they hooked it up to Squib houses.
The trip was nearing an end, and he felt a jolt of pain, as he hit the floor-hard-of the Weasley's fireplace. He tumbled out, with his broom, and trunk and the kit. He heard footsteps running at him. Ron and Hermione appeared at the door of the room.
"Harry!" they both exclaimed at the same time. And Harry noticed that Hermione didn't run over to him and practically kill him hugging him this time.
"Hello!" he said, walking farther into the room. "Where is everyone?" He'd also noticed that only Hermione and Ron seemed to be here.
"Everyone went out for a walk, but Ron found Hedwig in his room two days ago with a note saying you were coming today, so we stayed behind." Hermione said.
"Oh," Harry said vaguely.
"So-erm-how are you doing?" Ron asked, looked both very uncomfortable, and very red.
"Good," Harry said, "And if you want to talk about Sirius.....I'm not ready yet."
"Ok," Hermione said.
The three stood in an uncomfortable silence for awhile.
Then Ron turned to Hermione and looked her in the eye. She returned his gaze. Harry looked from one to the other, wondering what he was missing, it looked like they were having a conversation with their eyes. Then they both nodded, and turned back to him.
"Right," Ron said.
"So, um, Ron and I have some news," Hermione began.
"Yes?" Harry said.
"Well, we've decided.." Ron began.
Hermione took Ron's hand and said, "We've decided that we're going to be more than friends."
"WHAT?!" Harry screamed.
"Ron asked me out just before you came and I accepted," Hermione said in a rush.
Harry's eyes went wide. His best friends were going out with each other? That was ok, he guessed. It wasn't that he liked Hermione was it? Although, he did feel insanely jealous right now.....
"Wow," was all he managed to say.
"Look, Harry, we know this is a lot, but-"
Harry cut Ron off. "No, no! It's not that I'm not happy for you! Wow, I'm really happy that you two are together."
"Really?" Hermione asked.
But Harry didn't get to answer, because right at that moment, Ginny, Fred, George, Mr. And Mrs. Weasley, Lupin, and Mad-Eye walked in.
He was met by a chorus of "HARRY!!!" and "When did you get here?! How did you get here?!" and "What exactly is going on?!"
He sat back. He assumed that he would have a lot of explaining to do when everyone calmed down. But until then, he sighed. Ron and Hermione's news was almost overbearingly HUGE. He wasn't lying when he said he was happy for them.....but he wasn't exactly telling the truth, either.