A/N: Hey all! Sorry! I know it's been a couple days since I updated this one! I hope you all like what I have to write. This one won't be too gory, and I don't plan on offing anyone for another chapter or two...this one is just kind of an in between chapter explaining a few things that are going to happen. Please read and review and let me know what you think, and I will be sure to post another chapter as quickly as possible! Enjoy this one!

Chapter Six

Something Wicked This Way Comes

"Well, you certainly can't just try and stay up all the time, Harry. You'll be exhausted. How do you suppose you'll pass Potions this year if you're sleeping through it?" Hermione scolded.

Harry groaned. "Well, it is slightly different this year, Herms, what with Professor Snape away. Tonks is teaching the class, remember?"

"She won't let you sleep through class, Harry..." Luna whispered.

"Aren't you supposed to be on my side?" Harry whined.

Luna blinked. "Err..."

Ron shrugged. "Harry, just get some bloody sleep, all right? We certainly won't let you attack any of us, will we guys?" Ron waited, and the group collectively shook their heads. "Yeah, so go get some sleep. You know, if you don't do it on your own, Hermione has ways of making you sleep..." Ron suggested.

"That sounds quite evil. I think I can manage for myself, thanks." Harry smiled and yawned. "But...I'm serious you guys...something isn't right...besides the incident with Professor Sprout, I mean. I feel like something bad is coming..."

Ginny laughed. "Of course something bad is coming, silly! Hello! Voldemort wants us dead. If that isn't bad, I don't know what is..."

"I have to agree with Ginny about that one," sighed Neville. "Although I hope whatever's 'coming' gets really lost on the way and never makes it here..."

Everyone in the group laughed at Neville's comment, but the look on his face soon told all of them how serious he was. He frowned, sighed, and plopped down into the nearest red velvet chair.

Ginny smiled at him. "Don't worry Neville! There's six of us, and one of him. And the Professors...well, excepting Professor Sprout, are all on our side. Our odds are better than his, you see? The Professors, especially Dumbledore, they won't let anything bad happen to us as long as we live under this roof."

"Everyone seems to have forgotten about the three months when we aren't under this roof..." Neville smirked. "We'll go home, and they'll pick us off, one by one..."

Luna shivered. "Neville, you're creeping me out really bad."

"You won't be leaving this roof anytime soon," it was Dumbledore. Somehow, he had gotten inside their common room and was now standing between Harry and Ron. "I've sent owls to all your families, and I've received the replies. You will all be staying here over the summer holidays, until you graduate next year..." he frowned. "Except, of course, for Ginny. You'll be here a bit longer than the rest, my dear," he smiled at her. "This way, you all will be protected, and if you wanted to go out to Hogsmeade, there is almost no chance of anything happening there. There are so many magical people, and so little places to hide. It was your safest option." He paused. "I hope none of you mind?" he asked.

"Mind?" Harry nearly choked. "I get to stay here...practically next door to Hogsmeade...and I don't have to see the Dursleys for another year...I'll be of age by then...I'll never have to see them again!" Harry smiled. "I am so happy!"

"I'm glad you're so excited, Harry." Smiled Dumbledore.

"Um, Professor...I'm a little worried." Hermione admitted. "My parents are Muggles. You said earlier this year that the Death Eaters and the Order were watching my house? What if something happens to my parents while I am away?" she had begun to tear up. Apparently, she had been worrying about this for some time, and hadn't told her friends what she was thinking.

Dumbledore smiled at her as if she were his granddaughter. "Hermione, if you are that worried, then why don't we bring your parents here once the summer break starts? I've heard that they are quite curious about our world. This would certainly give them the opportunity to see it..." he twisted his beard as if he were thinking about something. "And you know what? I believe we loose our Muggle Studies teacher at the end of this year. Maybe one of your parents would be interested to take the position. After all, having a Muggle teach a Muggle Studies class only makes sense, doesn't it?"

"You'd do that?" Hermione smiled and wrapped him in a hug.

He nodded. "Don't worry. Just get yourself some sleep. The exams start next week, don't they?" he winked at her.

Despite what Dumbledore had told her he was planning to do, the next morning, Harry and Ron found Hermione sitting in the common room and reading the Muggle newspaper. She hadn't been at the Great Hall for breakfast, and neither had Ginny, Neville, or Luna.

"What are you looking for in there, 'Mione?" asked Ron. "It won't say anything in there. They don't know who Voldemort is...and they certainly don't know about any of the Death Eaters."

Harry shrugged. "I'd like to know how you even got a copy of that. I didn't know you could get those here. The pictures don't move or anything..." Harry smiled.

"I wasn't looking for mention of Voldemort...I know they don't know about him. I was just looking for...I don't know...odd stuff happening...freak accidents...you know, that kind of stuff..." Hermione frowned. "Any indication of what's going on would help."

Ron smiled. "Like I said, read the Prophet. It'll help you more than the Muggle news will..."

Harry nodded. "He's right, you know. I sat in my Aunt Petunia's begonia bushes a great deal the summer after fourth year trying to listen for news, and it didn't work at all. Got me whacked on the head a couple times, and quite filthy, but didn't help..."

"And you suppose reading the Daily Prophet will help? The Minister of Magic lost whatever marbles he had left a long time ago, you guys. He's trying to cover everything up. He doesn't want people to know how dangerous everything is right now...and I bet you he still thinks Dumbledore is trying to steal his job, too..."

"I see your point," Ron frowned. "Well then, what on Earth are we supposed to trust? How are we supposed to know what's going on at all?"

Harry pointed out the window. Dumbledore was floating Snape, unconscious, into the castle. "I think we may get to find out really soon," he whispered. "It looks like Professor Snape has finally returned to Hogwarts."

"Hey," Hermione looked up as if she'd realized something. "Have either of you seen Luna, Ginny, or Neville?" she asked them. "I haven't seen any of them since before we went to bed last night..."

Harry and Ron paled instantly. "No, we haven't..." they whispered in unison.

"We need to go tell Dumbledore!" Hermione gasped. "Why didn't you say something when you noticed they weren't at breakfast this morning?" she scolded.

"Because you weren't at breakfast either!" Harry snapped. "And we came up here looking for all of you...but we only found you, Hermione...and then we got sidetracked...I'll go get Dumbledore..." he ran through the portrait hole and disappeared.

Ron frowned. "I'll form a search party. Want to join?" he asked Hermione.

She nodded, and the two of them followed Harry's path, out the portrait hole and down the grand staircase. Soon, they were outside on the Hogwarts grounds. Several students were gathered here and there, but they didn't see Neville, Luna, or Ginny among them.

A/N: Well, I hope you liked it! Read and review and let me know!