Author's Notes: I'm still alive! Sorry I haven't updated in a while, but the first few weeks of school have been pretty crazy. Between Frosh Week, lectures, labs, and assignments (already…they don't waste time, those crazy university folk…) it's been nuts. But fun. Except for Chaucer, who we're studying in English, and who is decidedly not fun. This guy wrote in like, the 1300's, so his English is different from ours. You know you're in trouble when you can't even decipher the first line. Whan that April with his shoures soote…yeah. Way to be, Chaucer.

Anyone wishing to join R.I.P. (Random Insanity Promoters) or S.A.S.S. (Students Against Stupid School), can contact Cryptic Dreams. I know I have.

To answer a couple questions – no, I have no clue how many chapters this fic will be. I'm guessing many. My plan was to do all of OotP, but I think I'm going to split it up into three separate fics: one for the summer, one from September til Christmas or so, and the last one from Christmas on. And no, Hermione does not think Harry wants to die, whoever asked that. Heh.

I hereby induct Emily, Azyne, and Madison into the Fangirls/boys United fold. ^_^

???

??? p.m.

Dementors. Dementors! They said he'd be safe there! They said people from the Order were watching him! And he was attacked by Dementors!!! Everyone's all in a flurry downstairs, running around and shouting…Mrs. Weasley just screamed at Mundungus Fletcher again. And I'm just sitting here with Ginny, writing in my stupid journal because I can't do anything else right now! Oh God, Harry, please be okay…please be okay…

Thursday, 3 August

12:05 a.m.

I promised Mrs. Weasley that I'd go to bed, but I just can't. Things have settled down somewhat, but my heart's still pounding, even though they said Harry's fine…thank goodness he's fine…

But he could be expelled! He almost was, but then Dumbledore showed up at the Ministry…still, Harry has to go to a hearing. A hearing for saving his own life! It doesn't make any sense! There's got to be something that says an underage wizard can use magic to save his own life, they cannot expel him for that, I have to look it up…

Okay, Hermione. Deep breath. Harry's fine, and he is not going to be expelled. I should start from the beginning…

Ginny and I went to bed earlier than usual tonight – at about nine o'clock or so. We were so exhausted from cleaning the guest room all day that we went to bed straight away without talking or anything. Then just as I was drifting off, sinking into a nice, deep sleep, I heard someone quietly calling my name, trying to shake me awake.

"Hermione…Hermione, wake up. Hermione!"

I was so tired that I tried to ignore it at first. But then my brain registered that the voice sounded suspiciously like Ron's. And I thought, What in the world is Ron doing in our bedroom in the middle of the night? And then I thought, I am in my nightdress. And it is slowly riding up my legs.

I bolted up in bed, yanking the covers up over me, and stared at a very pale Ron in the semi-darkness.

That's when I registered all the noise downstairs – shouting voices, doors slamming, and people running about. My heart seemed to stop for a moment as my mind immediately created all sorts of horrible scenarios – Voldemort had finally attacked, someone had been captured by Death Eaters, someone was dead…

"What is it?" I whispered to Ron, alarmed. I noticed Ginny's bed was empty – Ron must have woken her first.

"I don't know yet," Ron whispered back shakily as I slid out of bed. "I heard all the commotion downstairs and came to wake up you and Gin. I think…I think it's something about Harry."

I went rigid. Then wordlessly, we both rushed out of my room and joined Ginny and the twins on the landing.

Mrs. Black was wailing. Below us, Mrs. Weasley, wearing a bright pink bathrobe, was screaming her head off at a cringing Mundungus Fletcher. Mr. Weasley was hastily tying a message to Errol's leg. Behind us, Sirius thundered down the stairs and then flew past us, trying to shrug on a robe as he ran.

"What's going on?" I whispered to the twins just as Sirius hollered, "Molly, what's happening?"

"THIS…THIS…" Mrs. Weasley spluttered, shaking with rage and glaring at Mundungus. "THIS ABYSMALLY IDIOTIC, SELFISH, GOOD-FOR-NOTHING – "

"Molly!" Sirius interrupted anxiously.

" – LEFT HARRY BEFORE HIS SHIFT ENDED!" Mrs. Weasley screamed. "AND HARRY WAS ATTACKED! BY DEMENTORS!"

Sirius froze. I felt all the air rush out of my lungs. Beside me, Ron's hands shot out and gripped the railing tightly.

"Is he – " Sirius began mechanically. But he was cut off as Dumbledore suddenly Apparated into their midst.

I've never seen a person look so positively terrifying. Dumbledore seemed three feet taller, and his face was contorted into an expression of fury. He said something very quietly to Mr. Weasley, which was drowned out by Mrs. Black's wailing, and then whirled to glare at Mundungus.

"Mundungus Fletcher!" Dumbledore snapped. He didn't say it loudly, but his voice seemed to echo throughout the house. Even Mrs. Black fell silent. "You could have cost us a life tonight," Dumbledore boomed furiously. He said something else to Mr. Weasley, and then Disapparated.

"Oh, my God," I whispered, sliding down the wall and sitting on the ground. Everyone started shouting again, and then Mr. Weasley noticed us. He groaned.

"Get back to bed," he ordered wearily. No one argued. Numbly, we all walked back into my room. I slowly sat down on my bed, and Ron sat next to me.

"You don't think – " George started to say.

"No," Ginny said firmly. She was very pale. "Dumbledore said 'could have'. He has to be okay…"

Ron was very still next to me. Then he did something very unexpected…he fumbled around in the dark, and then grabbed my hand. I squeezed it, trembling slightly.

"'Get to bed'…forget this. You girls stay here," Fred said decisively. "We're going to find out what's bloody going on. C'mon, Ron."

Ron released my hand and nodded mutely, and then the three of them left and pounded down the stairs. That's when I grabbed my journal and scribbled something nonsensical and illegible in it. A few minutes later, the boys returned with Mrs. Weasley in tow.

"It's all right, dears, Harry's fine," Mrs. Weasley said immediately, seeing the terror-stricked looks on our faces. "He and his cousin were attacked by Dementors, but he used his Patronus and now he's safely back at his aunt's and uncle's. He was very brave."

I closed my eyes and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Oh, Hermione, you're pale as a ghost," Mrs. Weasley said sympathetically. "I'm sorry you all had to hear that downstairs, you probably assumed the very worst…"

"Who sent them, though?" Ron demanded. "The Dementors, that is."

"We don't know yet," Mrs. Weasley replied, sounding very tired. "Your father just sent Harry a letter to stay put and not surrender his wand – "

"Surrender his wand?!" I cried. "But they can't possibly…it was self-defense!"

"Fudge," George and Ginny spat.

"Dumbledore's gone to the Ministry to make things right, though," Mrs. Weasley assured us. "Don't worry, Harry won't be expelled. Things are going to be just fine. Now everyone get back to bed."
The twins protested loudly, but eventually Disapparated out of our room. A reluctant but relieved-looking Ron left on foot, and after promising Mrs. Weasley that we would go to sleep, Ginny and I were left alone. We spoke quietly in hushed voices for a little while.

"I hope Harry doesn't do anything rash, like leave his uncle's house," I said worriedly.

"Dad told him to stay put."

"He won't want to, though." A thought suddenly struck me. "They won't dare leave him alone after this, though! Maybe he can finally come here!"

"Maybe," said Ginny hopefully. She paused. "Who do you think sent the Dementors? You-Know-Who?"

"Maybe. Dumbledore did say they'd be quick to join his side."

We both fell silent after that, but I stayed wide awake, staring at the ceiling. I don't know how much time had passed before I heard Bill's voice out in the hall.

" – came as soon as I heard. They didn't take his wand, did they?"

"No, Dumbledore intervened just in time," came Mr. Weasley's voice. "He doesn't have as much influence as he used to at the Ministry, but it was enough. Harry still has to go to a disciplinary hearing on the twelfth, though…completely ridiculous…"

Their voices trailed off as they started up the stairs to the next floor. I sat up in bed, still wide awake, and grabbed my journal to write this all down.

They absolutely cannot expel Harry! Mr. Weasley's right, it's completely ridiculous! Hold on, I'm sure I've got a book in my trunk somewhere on Ministry laws…

1:22 a.m.

Aha! There is provision in the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery for the use of magic in life-threatening situations! They can't possibly expell him now!

I think I just spelled 'expel' wrong.

Okay, I'm going to bed.

Note: I realized that this chapter had a small mistake in it. Harry was attacked on the 2nd of August. Hermione starts writing after midnight, which would make that the 3rd of August. My bad, it's fixed. ^_^