AN; next chappie...nothing to say.EXCEPT I HOPE U ALL HAVE A HAPPY
CHRISTMAS!!! Deck the halls with boughs of holly, fal la la la la, la la la
la..while sheperds washed their socks by night all seated round the
tub..jingle bells my brother smells.and all the rest of it. Open a bon bon
for me!
Chapter seven... The Burrow.
Finally the day came when Harry would leave the Dursley's. They arrived in a car for him, Ron and his father, both looking much happier than the last time he had seen them.
The journey was not a long one. When Harry excited the car Mrs Weasley came out of the house and hugged him, thanking him again for having a word in Percy's ear. Percy himself shook Harry's hand next, and Harry noted that he had put on some much needed weight. Hermione was there too, wearing her Head Girl badge, and Ginny with her Prefect badge, and of course Fred and George (who didn't open the shop on Mondays) were teasing the two girls about their badges, the same way they had teased Ron last year.
As soon as the three friends snuck away to talk and Harry was filled in on the latest with Hermione's parents, whom Mr Weasley would take her to visit later. Harry was glad of that, because it gave him a chance to talk to Ron, after they had strolled up to the orchard.
"Ron,"
"Yeah?"
"There's something I should have told you a little while ago but couldn't."
Ron looked surprised, "What? What's wrong?"
Harry pulled the Head Boy badge out of his pocket and handed it to him, "I got this from Professor McGonagall last year."
Ron stared at the badge in his hand. Harry watched his friends face go a shade paler, ad his jaw muscle tighten.
"So you're Head Boy." Ron's voice was emotionless. Harry felt sweat beginning to for on his upper lip and wiped it away.
"Yeah."
"I should have guessed." Ron's voice took on a bitter edge as he threw himself on the grass. Harry sat down just out of arms reach and watched Ron blink more than was necessary.
"You always get the good stuff. I'm poor and I'm never going to become anything popular."
Harry remembered what Dumbledore had said to him first year about Ron competing with his brothers. He wondered if Ron was sick of competing with his family.
"You're wrong, Ron. You'll become a great Auror. And you've already become popular, I mean, who finally ended Gilderoy Lockharts fame? And what about who-"
"No, I'm right. I'll always be known as your friend. Not that I want your position in life, but sometimes I really would like to do better than everyone else in my family, just once."
"Well you could get more NEWT's than them, but I think you've done more than them already, you got me to the Stone. You got me to the Chamber. You (in a roundabout way) got me to Sirius. Your anger made me want to win the Triwizard Tournament. You helped get me to the Ministry, not that we did much there, and last year you stayed my friend. That's what really counts, I think anyway."
Ron was quiet. Harry continued, wishing that he knew exactly what to say. He rambled on.
"We all have destinies, mine may be a little bit bigger than yours, but on the great scheme of things yours is more important."
"Yeah right."
"We all need friends."
"So?" Ron handed him back the badge.
"Well, you're my friend, aren't you?"
"I guess."
"Well, friends are what keep the world revolving, as far as I'm concerned. If I didn't have you or Hermione I'd be lost, and not just cause she's smarter 'n me, either"
Ron smiled a little. But didn't reply. Harry stood, "I'll see you at tea."
He wandered down the hill and found Ginny and Percy de-gnoming the garden. He joined in, enjoying doing something for a change. As soon as the garden was gnome free they headed inside where Ron silently joined them, and they all ate, Mr Weasley arriving with Hermione just in time for third helpings.
After wards they all played exploding Snap until bed time.
That's how it was for the next week, Harry helped a little around the house and gave Ron room to clear his head, Hermione commented but didn't press after Harry told her it was a boy thing. She just shook her head a the folly of the male gender. Harry could agree with her sometimes.
Bill and Charlie popped in, both taking breaks from the order work for a while. Harry pressed them eagerly for information but they weren't talking, which made Ron and Hermione join Harry to put up a united front. Not that there was much happening anyway. Since the ministry last year and the attacks on the Order members there had been utter silence, which, Charlie confided, was more nerve racking than the attacks. Harry wondered whether Voldemort had recovered from his attack. Probably, and that would make him even madder.
They went to Diagon Alley. Not that Harry needed to, but it was nice to see all his friends, Sheamus, Neville, Luna, Parvati etc. The joke shop was great, it was painted bright yellow and had been bewitched to have retro purple swirls spinning around on the paintwork and Harry loved it. He bought quite a few things, at a discount of course, and was therefore in a very good mood until he was confronted by Malfoy.
"Think your so good, don't you Potter?"
"Piss off Malfoy." Said Harry, his good mood sliding down to below zero immediately.
"Why? It's a public place."
A cane came down on Draco's shoulder and Harry looked into the face of the only man he hated as much as Voldemort.
"Now, now, Draco, play nicely." Then he pretended to by apologetic. "I'm so sorry, you don't play now do you?" he laughed, "not that one years difference makes much difference to maturity, but I suppose I should call you Master Potter now, eh, Harry?"
This pretended politeness made Harry's skin crawl.
"I have a message for you Harry." Said the white haired man suddenly leaning forward. Harry stiffened.
"The Dark Lord knows your part in his defeat last year, Potter. He wants me to tell you that it was only a battle, not the war. He says when he meets you later this year it is time for the final deciding battle in the war and he would see to it that you loose." The evil man laughed, "And then Potter, you won't ever see me again!"
Harry stepped away, giving the man a look of utter contempt.
"That, 'sir', is my intention. I think I would benefit from such an arrangement much more than you, as you will either be dead or in Azkaban, along with your friends the Dementor's, and, probably, your son. Good day." Here Harry shot a cool glance at Malfoy before turning away. So Voldemort knew their final battle would be this year. No matter. Surprise was not an option anyway, as both he and the Dark Lord had known this was coming for a while.
But, he reflected as he hurried to meet up with the others, this conversation was not dinner time talk. Unless the Weasley's had seen him talking to Lucius, he wouldn't mention it. They would worry, and that was something he was convinced they knew too much of.
He joined the others at the joke shop, and listened to Ron complaining about how his brothers wouldn't give him a discount, saying that Harry got one and why shouldn't he? Eventually his two brothers turned him into a canary and they left him there to malt.
He was still annoyed when they picked him up, and Hermione didn't help the fact by giggling every now and then on the way to the large fireplace to floo back to the Burrow.
Two days later the Hogwarts Express was waiting for them when they arrived at the platform. Harry was feeling a little nervous, as he had not yet told anyone besides Ron that he was Head Boy and he wanted his friends to know before Dumbledore announced it at dinner. Hermione was chatting gaily with Parvati as the loaded their trunks in the storage bay and Harry detected a slight note of worry in her voice, probably wondering how she was going to see her parents. He, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville and Seamus all filled a compartment until it was time for Ron and Ginny to go to the first carriage and join the Prefects and Harry and Hermione to go to the guards cabin, where the teacher that had been assigned the duty of overseeing the train trip. Harry waited a minute after Hermione's departure before excusing himself and hurrying after her. He was waylaid by two first years who did not know how to get some food. Harry explained patiently that the cart would come round, and then one of them saw his scar and he had to shake hands with them so they could write home and tell their parents. Consequently he was five minutes late when he finally knocked and opened the guard room door. Professor McGonagall was sitting behind a desk, and Harry felt a moment's relief that it was not Snape who was to tell him of his duties. Hermione had turned in the arm chair she was sitting in and was staring at him with an open mouth. He gave her a watery smile and apologized to McGonagall for his lateness, explaining about the two first years.
As he sat Hermione said to him in an annoyed voice, "you might have told me."
"I tried." Said Harry truthfully.
"Ok, now you two, it's the first time in an awhile that both the head boy and girl have been in Gryffindor.." What followed was a seemingly endless but not hard list of obligations.
As the two were standing to leave, McGonagall handed them each a cloak with a specially embroidered H on them in gold thread, explaining that this would let everyone know who they were. Then she asked Harry where his badge was. He pulled it out, and then stuffed it back into his pocket, saying he would wear it when he got changed for Hogwarts.
They changed before they went back to the compartment, Hermione scolding Harry for his crooked badge and fixing it herself. They were on their way back to the compartment when the trains brakes squealed, and they were both thrown off their feet. Somewhere up the front of the train there was screams. Harry stood gingerly, drawing his wand and helped Hermione to her feet. Around him compartment doors were opening, and Harry felt a cold feeling trickled down his back. "GET BACK TO YOUR COMPARTMENTS!!" he yelled, waving his arm at them. Fortunately many say the new cloak and obeyed. The others Harry yelled at some more, and then gripped Hermione, "Dementor's. Get as many DA members as you can. And meet me up the end of the train."
Hermione nodded and Harry ran up the other end of the train, clearing his way with a shout of "GET BACK TO YOUR COMPARTMENTS!" of course, a couple Slytherin disobeyed, and Harry entertained them with a quick overview of the situation.
AN; I am so tired, its like three o'clock morning..and I cant write anymore..did I do Ron right when Harry told him??? Tell me wat u think, I don't think I did it too well.
Review, as usual.
Chapter seven... The Burrow.
Finally the day came when Harry would leave the Dursley's. They arrived in a car for him, Ron and his father, both looking much happier than the last time he had seen them.
The journey was not a long one. When Harry excited the car Mrs Weasley came out of the house and hugged him, thanking him again for having a word in Percy's ear. Percy himself shook Harry's hand next, and Harry noted that he had put on some much needed weight. Hermione was there too, wearing her Head Girl badge, and Ginny with her Prefect badge, and of course Fred and George (who didn't open the shop on Mondays) were teasing the two girls about their badges, the same way they had teased Ron last year.
As soon as the three friends snuck away to talk and Harry was filled in on the latest with Hermione's parents, whom Mr Weasley would take her to visit later. Harry was glad of that, because it gave him a chance to talk to Ron, after they had strolled up to the orchard.
"Ron,"
"Yeah?"
"There's something I should have told you a little while ago but couldn't."
Ron looked surprised, "What? What's wrong?"
Harry pulled the Head Boy badge out of his pocket and handed it to him, "I got this from Professor McGonagall last year."
Ron stared at the badge in his hand. Harry watched his friends face go a shade paler, ad his jaw muscle tighten.
"So you're Head Boy." Ron's voice was emotionless. Harry felt sweat beginning to for on his upper lip and wiped it away.
"Yeah."
"I should have guessed." Ron's voice took on a bitter edge as he threw himself on the grass. Harry sat down just out of arms reach and watched Ron blink more than was necessary.
"You always get the good stuff. I'm poor and I'm never going to become anything popular."
Harry remembered what Dumbledore had said to him first year about Ron competing with his brothers. He wondered if Ron was sick of competing with his family.
"You're wrong, Ron. You'll become a great Auror. And you've already become popular, I mean, who finally ended Gilderoy Lockharts fame? And what about who-"
"No, I'm right. I'll always be known as your friend. Not that I want your position in life, but sometimes I really would like to do better than everyone else in my family, just once."
"Well you could get more NEWT's than them, but I think you've done more than them already, you got me to the Stone. You got me to the Chamber. You (in a roundabout way) got me to Sirius. Your anger made me want to win the Triwizard Tournament. You helped get me to the Ministry, not that we did much there, and last year you stayed my friend. That's what really counts, I think anyway."
Ron was quiet. Harry continued, wishing that he knew exactly what to say. He rambled on.
"We all have destinies, mine may be a little bit bigger than yours, but on the great scheme of things yours is more important."
"Yeah right."
"We all need friends."
"So?" Ron handed him back the badge.
"Well, you're my friend, aren't you?"
"I guess."
"Well, friends are what keep the world revolving, as far as I'm concerned. If I didn't have you or Hermione I'd be lost, and not just cause she's smarter 'n me, either"
Ron smiled a little. But didn't reply. Harry stood, "I'll see you at tea."
He wandered down the hill and found Ginny and Percy de-gnoming the garden. He joined in, enjoying doing something for a change. As soon as the garden was gnome free they headed inside where Ron silently joined them, and they all ate, Mr Weasley arriving with Hermione just in time for third helpings.
After wards they all played exploding Snap until bed time.
That's how it was for the next week, Harry helped a little around the house and gave Ron room to clear his head, Hermione commented but didn't press after Harry told her it was a boy thing. She just shook her head a the folly of the male gender. Harry could agree with her sometimes.
Bill and Charlie popped in, both taking breaks from the order work for a while. Harry pressed them eagerly for information but they weren't talking, which made Ron and Hermione join Harry to put up a united front. Not that there was much happening anyway. Since the ministry last year and the attacks on the Order members there had been utter silence, which, Charlie confided, was more nerve racking than the attacks. Harry wondered whether Voldemort had recovered from his attack. Probably, and that would make him even madder.
They went to Diagon Alley. Not that Harry needed to, but it was nice to see all his friends, Sheamus, Neville, Luna, Parvati etc. The joke shop was great, it was painted bright yellow and had been bewitched to have retro purple swirls spinning around on the paintwork and Harry loved it. He bought quite a few things, at a discount of course, and was therefore in a very good mood until he was confronted by Malfoy.
"Think your so good, don't you Potter?"
"Piss off Malfoy." Said Harry, his good mood sliding down to below zero immediately.
"Why? It's a public place."
A cane came down on Draco's shoulder and Harry looked into the face of the only man he hated as much as Voldemort.
"Now, now, Draco, play nicely." Then he pretended to by apologetic. "I'm so sorry, you don't play now do you?" he laughed, "not that one years difference makes much difference to maturity, but I suppose I should call you Master Potter now, eh, Harry?"
This pretended politeness made Harry's skin crawl.
"I have a message for you Harry." Said the white haired man suddenly leaning forward. Harry stiffened.
"The Dark Lord knows your part in his defeat last year, Potter. He wants me to tell you that it was only a battle, not the war. He says when he meets you later this year it is time for the final deciding battle in the war and he would see to it that you loose." The evil man laughed, "And then Potter, you won't ever see me again!"
Harry stepped away, giving the man a look of utter contempt.
"That, 'sir', is my intention. I think I would benefit from such an arrangement much more than you, as you will either be dead or in Azkaban, along with your friends the Dementor's, and, probably, your son. Good day." Here Harry shot a cool glance at Malfoy before turning away. So Voldemort knew their final battle would be this year. No matter. Surprise was not an option anyway, as both he and the Dark Lord had known this was coming for a while.
But, he reflected as he hurried to meet up with the others, this conversation was not dinner time talk. Unless the Weasley's had seen him talking to Lucius, he wouldn't mention it. They would worry, and that was something he was convinced they knew too much of.
He joined the others at the joke shop, and listened to Ron complaining about how his brothers wouldn't give him a discount, saying that Harry got one and why shouldn't he? Eventually his two brothers turned him into a canary and they left him there to malt.
He was still annoyed when they picked him up, and Hermione didn't help the fact by giggling every now and then on the way to the large fireplace to floo back to the Burrow.
Two days later the Hogwarts Express was waiting for them when they arrived at the platform. Harry was feeling a little nervous, as he had not yet told anyone besides Ron that he was Head Boy and he wanted his friends to know before Dumbledore announced it at dinner. Hermione was chatting gaily with Parvati as the loaded their trunks in the storage bay and Harry detected a slight note of worry in her voice, probably wondering how she was going to see her parents. He, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville and Seamus all filled a compartment until it was time for Ron and Ginny to go to the first carriage and join the Prefects and Harry and Hermione to go to the guards cabin, where the teacher that had been assigned the duty of overseeing the train trip. Harry waited a minute after Hermione's departure before excusing himself and hurrying after her. He was waylaid by two first years who did not know how to get some food. Harry explained patiently that the cart would come round, and then one of them saw his scar and he had to shake hands with them so they could write home and tell their parents. Consequently he was five minutes late when he finally knocked and opened the guard room door. Professor McGonagall was sitting behind a desk, and Harry felt a moment's relief that it was not Snape who was to tell him of his duties. Hermione had turned in the arm chair she was sitting in and was staring at him with an open mouth. He gave her a watery smile and apologized to McGonagall for his lateness, explaining about the two first years.
As he sat Hermione said to him in an annoyed voice, "you might have told me."
"I tried." Said Harry truthfully.
"Ok, now you two, it's the first time in an awhile that both the head boy and girl have been in Gryffindor.." What followed was a seemingly endless but not hard list of obligations.
As the two were standing to leave, McGonagall handed them each a cloak with a specially embroidered H on them in gold thread, explaining that this would let everyone know who they were. Then she asked Harry where his badge was. He pulled it out, and then stuffed it back into his pocket, saying he would wear it when he got changed for Hogwarts.
They changed before they went back to the compartment, Hermione scolding Harry for his crooked badge and fixing it herself. They were on their way back to the compartment when the trains brakes squealed, and they were both thrown off their feet. Somewhere up the front of the train there was screams. Harry stood gingerly, drawing his wand and helped Hermione to her feet. Around him compartment doors were opening, and Harry felt a cold feeling trickled down his back. "GET BACK TO YOUR COMPARTMENTS!!" he yelled, waving his arm at them. Fortunately many say the new cloak and obeyed. The others Harry yelled at some more, and then gripped Hermione, "Dementor's. Get as many DA members as you can. And meet me up the end of the train."
Hermione nodded and Harry ran up the other end of the train, clearing his way with a shout of "GET BACK TO YOUR COMPARTMENTS!" of course, a couple Slytherin disobeyed, and Harry entertained them with a quick overview of the situation.
AN; I am so tired, its like three o'clock morning..and I cant write anymore..did I do Ron right when Harry told him??? Tell me wat u think, I don't think I did it too well.
Review, as usual.