Chapter 1: Phone Conversation

It was the 1st of August and the students were getting ready for school. Harry, of course, was very excited. It was his fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Hermione had called earlier that evening to wish Harry luck, with Ron on the other line. She patched him in so all three of them could talk.
"I got it! I got it! Finally!" Ron screamed over the phone.
"I can't believe you are the first Weasley to get a brand new broom! Well at least since Percy." Hermione said. "Well since we got that money all of a sudden, we were able to afford a new one for one of us. Fred and George are...well...Fred and George. It's just Ginny and me and she says she's happy using a school broom. I can tell she's extremely jealous..."
Ron was cut off by Harry who said mockingly, "...but you shouldn't talk...'Percy the Prefect gets everything new and I never do...' remember that?"

That was true. For a very long time, as long as he could remember, he's always been extremely jealous of Percy.

"Well that's not what matters," started Hermione, "what matters is that you two are able to survive the year. Everyone who reads knows that fifth year at Hogwarts is hardest of them all, what with the O.W.L.'s and everything."
She was right. The fifth year, as Percy stated, was full of tests and quizzes. Plus, this was the first year they got to start their career choices, and the teachers had to be really rough as well. Harry and Ron signed up for no more new subjects than they had to, but Hermione, being her usual self, chose them all.

Harry was going to stay with the Weasley's for the rest of the summer, which he was very happy about. He didn't have to stay with the intolerable Dursley's and Dudley anymore. Well, if he thought about it, it would probably be much worse to live with Malfoy. He yawned wide. When he yawned, he felt a strange tickle in his scar, not like what he felt like when around Voldemort, but a kind of good feeling.
"Hello? You there Harry?"
Ron was yelling.
"Sorry Ron. It was just my scar..."
"Oh, no! Where's You-Know-Who? Where?"
Ron started panicking because he knew as well as anyone that when Harry's scar hurt, stay away because Voldemort was getting stronger or was just nearby.
"It's ok Ron, it doesn't hurt, it just felt really weird." Harry said, barely able to be heard over Ron's panicking.
"I...I think something really weird is going to happen this year. Not necessarily bad, but just something weird." The three were silent.
"Ron, you're overreact..."
"Shut up Hermione!" Harry snapped back as soon as Hermione started to talk.
"Really Harry! Well you..." She started again.
"Sorry, I didn't mean it that way. I think I hear something in my room, but I can't see anything....there it is again!" Harry said. All three of them heard it this time: it was just like a creaking floorboard, but, which only Harry could notice, sounded like it was up in the air. Harry had the strange feeling he was being watched; like 2 short lasers were beating upon him. They felt, and this didn't really make sense to him, somehow loving, more in a sibling or parental way. He suddenly felt a rush of warmth go up and down his spine. He was no longer scared.
The three chatted for a while longer about the usual: what was coming up this school year, their first ever trip to Hogsmeade, which Harry couldn't attend because he would never be able to get Uncle Vernon or Aunt Petunia to sign his permission slip, and the most commonly talked about subject, who was going to try to kill Harry and destroy the world this year.

At about 9:00 pm, he told Hermione and Ron he had to go to bed.
"You guys, I better get going...we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow. Gotta get up earlier than usual. I'm going to your house tomorrow, right Ron?" Harry said.
"Ok, I'll see you when term starts, Harry!" Said Hermione.
"See you tomorrow!" Ron said.
Soon after Harry said goodbye, he was in bed. thinking...
Ron's house! The rest of summer vacation! It doesn't get better than this!
Slowly, he drifted off into a deep sleep, dreaming about the day ahead of him.