Chapter One: The Weird Summer
It was a hot and humid summer's day and Harry Potter was lying on his bed looking up at the ceiling of Number 4 Privet Drive. He was seventeen and was about to begin his final year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The only problem was he was stuck at his aunt and uncle's house waiting for a miracle. In his sixth year he had defeated Lord Voldemort, with the help of his friends. In the end, as the prophecy had said, only one would be victorious and luckily Harry had managed to come out alive. The only problem was Voldemort's minions were still out and about, and very few had been captured, because of this Harry had been sent to live with his aunt and uncle for that summer. That was the only thought that kept him sane in that house. one more summer. "Boy! Get down here, you have a phone call!" called his Uncle from the bottom of the stairs. Ever since Harry had been able to use magic outside of Hogwarts, and the threat from the Order at the end of fifth year, the Dursley's had been both mad and scared. For these reasons they decided to let Harry do what he pleased, just as long as he didn't become overly destructive. Harry had jumped out of bed and ran downstairs. When he answered the receiver, a high shrill voice answered. "Mr. Potter, you are 90 Pounds in debt, if you do not pay within 24 hours we will have to take action." Said the voice on the other end. Harry chuckled to himself, of course it was her, who else would it be? "Hi Hermione!" he said with a small smile "How did you know it was me?" she asked with a tone of sarcasm in her voice. "Oh, well, no one else would ask me for muggle money."
"Right, guess where I'm calling from?" she asked, the excitement rising in her voice.
"Where?" Harry asked, he was hoping it wasn't long distance Uncle Vernon would kill him.
"Look outside." she said. Harry did as he was told and saw an elegant car pull up to the curb of Privet Drive, and from within the car he saw, none other than Hermione Granger waving from the passenger seat. Harry really couldn't see who was driving, probably her dad. He imagined. He immediately hung up the telephone and went outside.
"Hermione! What in the world are you doing here?" He asked as he gave her a hug.
"Well, in your last letter, you said that you wanted to be rescued, so we decided that we should."
"We?" he asked
"Yes we!" said a voice from inside the car. It was Ron Weasley. He had just parked the car and come outside.
"Ron? You drove here? With Hermione?"
"Shut up," Ron said in return
"Nice to see you too mate."
"Sorry," Ron said after a while.
"It's alright, anyways, whose car is this?" asked Harry finally noticing the silver chromed car in front of him.
"Mine," said Hermione from the back. " I got it for my birthday last year."
"So, why is Ron driving it, and why are you two here?"
"Oh, so we can't visit our best friend?" asked Hermione acidly
"No, it's just well, really what's the story?"
"Well nothing much really. We thought we would come and get you before you crack!" replied Ron. Hermione interjected.
"No, well this is the 'story', I decided to go and visit Ron at his house, and then I got a wild idea to well pick you up as well. So I think, why not take my new car; see if it's up for a long journey. When I get to Ron's place, we head out. It took us one day by surface streets and highways. Well then about yesterday when we stopped, it think it was what, um. somewhere in London?" she stopped and looked at Ron who nodded, and then she went on. " Well, anyways, I got sick of driving, so Ron took over for me. Then we made it here" she said with a smirk on her face.
"How did you call me then?" asked Harry.
"Car Phone." Replied Hermione
"Wait, why didn't you just Apperate? I mean that would have been easier." Asked Harry.
"Yes, but do you realize how much of a hassle that would have been?" replied Ron. "I mean, we'd have to carry your trunk, then Hedwig's cage, then we would have to try and get it back to my house without developing a hernia, okay? Oh, and after our fifth year on the Knight Bus, I am never ever going on that thing again! So I think the car was easier."
"Exactly, and I am just so happy to have my two best friends together" said Hermione giving both Ron and Harry a hug. "Oh, this is just how I imagined it!" she said before pinching their cheeks.
"Hermione, do us a favor, never do that again." Said Harry, rubbing his cheek. Hermione snorted and Ron just chuckled.
"Harry, go get your things. We're gonna get going now." Said Hermione after a while. Harry nodded and went back inside to get his trunk and Hedwig. Before he left, however, he merely told the Dursleys that he would never be coming back. Ron helped Harry heave his trunk into the car, and Hermione put Hedwig in the back seat. After double-checking that Harry had taken everything, Harry, Hermione, and Ron started their journey.
After about an hour of driving, Hermione had fallen asleep in the passenger seat and Ron decided to talk to Harry.
"So, do anything fun Harry?" he asked
"No, you?"
"Nothing much, I did get some Quidditch practice in, Oh yeah, I heard from Fred and George, they're doing great in Diagon Alley. They're shop is amazing. You have to go see it sometime."
"So Ron, did Ginny mention me anytime over the summer?" Harry asked cautiously. He knew it was a slippery subject. Ginny had broken up with Harry the preceding year. Harry was pretty heart broken, along with Ron. He really felt that Ginny did something right by getting together with Harry, but when she broke up with him, he went back to being the overprotective brother. Truth be told, Ron really didn't like it; the problem was he was uncomfortable whenever another boy was around Ginny. Harry was different. Harry was Ron's best friend and he felt that Ginny was safe with him.
"No, not much why?" Ron answered.
"Oh, no, just, you know. curious." Said Harry before he fell silent. He really didn't know why in the name of hell he had brought on that subject. Ron broke the silence.
"This car is amazing. I mean, the drive is just so smooth and you're gonna get a kick out of this mate, but it goes bloody fast! I mean, you can take the damn thing up to about 100 kilometers per hour and still have the smoothest ride you have ever experienced! It's awesome!" said Ron. Now he knew why he was so keen on driving.
"Cool!" Harry and Ron talked nonstop for a good 3 hours, then the subject wheeled around to N.E.W.T.s, after much further talking of idiotic subjects, Hermione had finally woken up. Night had crept up on them and they were halfway to Ron's house. They chatted happily, catching up on times. It was about eight PM when they decided to get something to eat. They stopped at a small diner on the way back. They walked in and sat down. A woman came by their table giving them their menus.
"So, what looks appealing?" Hermione asked.
"Hermione, how are we gonna pay for it. This is muggle diner, they expect us to pay in muggle money!" whispered Ron in an urgent voice.
"So?" replied Hermione imitating Ron. "I'm gonna pay Ron don't worry." she said going back to her menu.
"Oh, okay, then I'll have that one." He said pointing to an entrée on his menu. After fifteen minutes of choosing, the waitress came and took their orders. Harry seemed to be satisfied with what he had chosen, the problem was when his order came, the food itself wasn't satisfying one bit. Harry supposed it was because of the general location of the diner, but the food seemed to have been made weeks earlier and was beginning to mold. Ron and Hermione's food was the same. It seemed like a waste to pay for the food, and not eat it. They instead took it with them to feed Hedwig. Hermione paid the waitress, and left. Hedwig wasn't thrilled to be eating rotten food, but she didn't make too much of a fuss, she had not eating anything for the whole day.
They drove for many hours, stopping now and then for various reasons. They even stopped at a small town which had a Renaissance theme. The town had small bits of modern resources such as a sink and toilet, but other than that, everything else seemed like a trip to the sixteenth century. After an hour of siteseeing, they decided to head home.
At exactly 1:09 in the morning, they had made it to Ron's house. When they got inside they were all surprised to see that everyone was wide-awake and waiting for their arrival. Ginny was sitting on a chair with her arms crossed. Mrs. Weasley had come to give Harry a hug, while she told Ron to take up his things. Ron and Harry both heaved up the trunk and came down stairs for a late 'snack' as Mrs. Weasley had called it. After eating, Harry decided he would talk to Ginny who seemed oddly quiet through her whole meal. As he made his way upstairs he met Ginny and concluded that he would ask her for lunch the following day.
"Hey Ginny, can we talk?" asked Harry
"Sure, what about?"
"Well, I was wondering, you want to you know just go to lunch with me? I mean, only if you're not doing anything that is." he trailed off. Bloody hell. why are you asking your ex-girlfriend out on a date? He wondered.
"Oh, sorry Harry, me and a bunch of friends are going to see a Weird Sister's concert in London tomorrow, maybe some other time. okay?" She smiled vaguely and headed upstairs. As Harry watched her leave, for the second time in his life, he realized that this was going to be a weird summer indeed.
It was a hot and humid summer's day and Harry Potter was lying on his bed looking up at the ceiling of Number 4 Privet Drive. He was seventeen and was about to begin his final year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The only problem was he was stuck at his aunt and uncle's house waiting for a miracle. In his sixth year he had defeated Lord Voldemort, with the help of his friends. In the end, as the prophecy had said, only one would be victorious and luckily Harry had managed to come out alive. The only problem was Voldemort's minions were still out and about, and very few had been captured, because of this Harry had been sent to live with his aunt and uncle for that summer. That was the only thought that kept him sane in that house. one more summer. "Boy! Get down here, you have a phone call!" called his Uncle from the bottom of the stairs. Ever since Harry had been able to use magic outside of Hogwarts, and the threat from the Order at the end of fifth year, the Dursley's had been both mad and scared. For these reasons they decided to let Harry do what he pleased, just as long as he didn't become overly destructive. Harry had jumped out of bed and ran downstairs. When he answered the receiver, a high shrill voice answered. "Mr. Potter, you are 90 Pounds in debt, if you do not pay within 24 hours we will have to take action." Said the voice on the other end. Harry chuckled to himself, of course it was her, who else would it be? "Hi Hermione!" he said with a small smile "How did you know it was me?" she asked with a tone of sarcasm in her voice. "Oh, well, no one else would ask me for muggle money."
"Right, guess where I'm calling from?" she asked, the excitement rising in her voice.
"Where?" Harry asked, he was hoping it wasn't long distance Uncle Vernon would kill him.
"Look outside." she said. Harry did as he was told and saw an elegant car pull up to the curb of Privet Drive, and from within the car he saw, none other than Hermione Granger waving from the passenger seat. Harry really couldn't see who was driving, probably her dad. He imagined. He immediately hung up the telephone and went outside.
"Hermione! What in the world are you doing here?" He asked as he gave her a hug.
"Well, in your last letter, you said that you wanted to be rescued, so we decided that we should."
"We?" he asked
"Yes we!" said a voice from inside the car. It was Ron Weasley. He had just parked the car and come outside.
"Ron? You drove here? With Hermione?"
"Shut up," Ron said in return
"Nice to see you too mate."
"Sorry," Ron said after a while.
"It's alright, anyways, whose car is this?" asked Harry finally noticing the silver chromed car in front of him.
"Mine," said Hermione from the back. " I got it for my birthday last year."
"So, why is Ron driving it, and why are you two here?"
"Oh, so we can't visit our best friend?" asked Hermione acidly
"No, it's just well, really what's the story?"
"Well nothing much really. We thought we would come and get you before you crack!" replied Ron. Hermione interjected.
"No, well this is the 'story', I decided to go and visit Ron at his house, and then I got a wild idea to well pick you up as well. So I think, why not take my new car; see if it's up for a long journey. When I get to Ron's place, we head out. It took us one day by surface streets and highways. Well then about yesterday when we stopped, it think it was what, um. somewhere in London?" she stopped and looked at Ron who nodded, and then she went on. " Well, anyways, I got sick of driving, so Ron took over for me. Then we made it here" she said with a smirk on her face.
"How did you call me then?" asked Harry.
"Car Phone." Replied Hermione
"Wait, why didn't you just Apperate? I mean that would have been easier." Asked Harry.
"Yes, but do you realize how much of a hassle that would have been?" replied Ron. "I mean, we'd have to carry your trunk, then Hedwig's cage, then we would have to try and get it back to my house without developing a hernia, okay? Oh, and after our fifth year on the Knight Bus, I am never ever going on that thing again! So I think the car was easier."
"Exactly, and I am just so happy to have my two best friends together" said Hermione giving both Ron and Harry a hug. "Oh, this is just how I imagined it!" she said before pinching their cheeks.
"Hermione, do us a favor, never do that again." Said Harry, rubbing his cheek. Hermione snorted and Ron just chuckled.
"Harry, go get your things. We're gonna get going now." Said Hermione after a while. Harry nodded and went back inside to get his trunk and Hedwig. Before he left, however, he merely told the Dursleys that he would never be coming back. Ron helped Harry heave his trunk into the car, and Hermione put Hedwig in the back seat. After double-checking that Harry had taken everything, Harry, Hermione, and Ron started their journey.
After about an hour of driving, Hermione had fallen asleep in the passenger seat and Ron decided to talk to Harry.
"So, do anything fun Harry?" he asked
"No, you?"
"Nothing much, I did get some Quidditch practice in, Oh yeah, I heard from Fred and George, they're doing great in Diagon Alley. They're shop is amazing. You have to go see it sometime."
"So Ron, did Ginny mention me anytime over the summer?" Harry asked cautiously. He knew it was a slippery subject. Ginny had broken up with Harry the preceding year. Harry was pretty heart broken, along with Ron. He really felt that Ginny did something right by getting together with Harry, but when she broke up with him, he went back to being the overprotective brother. Truth be told, Ron really didn't like it; the problem was he was uncomfortable whenever another boy was around Ginny. Harry was different. Harry was Ron's best friend and he felt that Ginny was safe with him.
"No, not much why?" Ron answered.
"Oh, no, just, you know. curious." Said Harry before he fell silent. He really didn't know why in the name of hell he had brought on that subject. Ron broke the silence.
"This car is amazing. I mean, the drive is just so smooth and you're gonna get a kick out of this mate, but it goes bloody fast! I mean, you can take the damn thing up to about 100 kilometers per hour and still have the smoothest ride you have ever experienced! It's awesome!" said Ron. Now he knew why he was so keen on driving.
"Cool!" Harry and Ron talked nonstop for a good 3 hours, then the subject wheeled around to N.E.W.T.s, after much further talking of idiotic subjects, Hermione had finally woken up. Night had crept up on them and they were halfway to Ron's house. They chatted happily, catching up on times. It was about eight PM when they decided to get something to eat. They stopped at a small diner on the way back. They walked in and sat down. A woman came by their table giving them their menus.
"So, what looks appealing?" Hermione asked.
"Hermione, how are we gonna pay for it. This is muggle diner, they expect us to pay in muggle money!" whispered Ron in an urgent voice.
"So?" replied Hermione imitating Ron. "I'm gonna pay Ron don't worry." she said going back to her menu.
"Oh, okay, then I'll have that one." He said pointing to an entrée on his menu. After fifteen minutes of choosing, the waitress came and took their orders. Harry seemed to be satisfied with what he had chosen, the problem was when his order came, the food itself wasn't satisfying one bit. Harry supposed it was because of the general location of the diner, but the food seemed to have been made weeks earlier and was beginning to mold. Ron and Hermione's food was the same. It seemed like a waste to pay for the food, and not eat it. They instead took it with them to feed Hedwig. Hermione paid the waitress, and left. Hedwig wasn't thrilled to be eating rotten food, but she didn't make too much of a fuss, she had not eating anything for the whole day.
They drove for many hours, stopping now and then for various reasons. They even stopped at a small town which had a Renaissance theme. The town had small bits of modern resources such as a sink and toilet, but other than that, everything else seemed like a trip to the sixteenth century. After an hour of siteseeing, they decided to head home.
At exactly 1:09 in the morning, they had made it to Ron's house. When they got inside they were all surprised to see that everyone was wide-awake and waiting for their arrival. Ginny was sitting on a chair with her arms crossed. Mrs. Weasley had come to give Harry a hug, while she told Ron to take up his things. Ron and Harry both heaved up the trunk and came down stairs for a late 'snack' as Mrs. Weasley had called it. After eating, Harry decided he would talk to Ginny who seemed oddly quiet through her whole meal. As he made his way upstairs he met Ginny and concluded that he would ask her for lunch the following day.
"Hey Ginny, can we talk?" asked Harry
"Sure, what about?"
"Well, I was wondering, you want to you know just go to lunch with me? I mean, only if you're not doing anything that is." he trailed off. Bloody hell. why are you asking your ex-girlfriend out on a date? He wondered.
"Oh, sorry Harry, me and a bunch of friends are going to see a Weird Sister's concert in London tomorrow, maybe some other time. okay?" She smiled vaguely and headed upstairs. As Harry watched her leave, for the second time in his life, he realized that this was going to be a weird summer indeed.