Dinner was a wonderful event. Harry had not enjoyed people's company in so long that the mass amount of guests there was refreshing. There was Kingsley Shacklebolt, Tonks, every Weasley family member, Hermione, Mundungus Fletcher, Professor McGonagall, Mad-Eye Moody, and Professor Lupin. Harry had been quite happy to see his favorite Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. He still looked very tired and pale, but his robes were not in their usual state of shabbiness.

"How are you, Harry?" Lupin had asked as he shook Harry's hand.

"I'm better than the last time you saw me," Harry replied.

"Things get better with time," Professor Lupin said with a sad smile.

Fred and George had apparated from work just as everyone was sitting down to dinner.

"Business is booming!" Fred said with a giant smirk on his freckled face.

"We'll have Zonko's gone under in no time!" George exclaimed with an identical smile. "You must come visit the shop when you buy your supplies for school," he directed at Harry and Hermione.

Ron turned to Harry and Hermione and began describing all the things he had seen at Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes. Harry couldn't wait to go, but as he argued with Ron that he didn't need a headless hat because he had an invisibility cloak, he heard Professor Lupin talking to Tonks about the joke shop.

"This store sounds wonderful," he said. "Maybe I should go there and get myself something."

"Well, thanks to that bag of gold and the generosity of a certain someone, we can all go buy us a little something," Tonks replied.

"What does she mean?" Harry asked Hermione.

"You're not the only one that benefitted from Sirius' will, Harry," she said solemnly. "It seems he had a vast family fortune and wanted to share it with all his friends. I believe everyone at this table got something."

"I'd rather have Sirius back," Harry said.

"Me too," Hermione said, her voice thick, and she quickly turned her back to him.

Mr. Weasley had caught wind of their conversation and tapped his glass with his spoon.

"I would just like to raise a toast to the man who gave us so much and gave his life for our cause. Would everyone please raise their glass for Sirius Black?"he said.

Harry stood up and said, "To Sirius."

"To Sirius!" everyone chorused back and raised their glasses.

The next morning Harry was woken by loud screams coming from the room next to Ron's. His door burst open, and Hermione ran in still her nightgown.

"All Outstanding!" she yelled, jumping on Harry's bed.

Harry grabbed his glasses and sat up. "What are you talking about?" he asked her, trying to no avail to smooth down his untidy hair.

"Our O.W.L. results are in! Here are yours. The school owls just brought them. I got Outstanding in everything," she said in one long breath.

Harry took his letter from her hand just as Ron walked in from the bathroom.

"What is all the screaming about?" he asked.

"O.W.L. results," Harry said as he tore open his unusually thick letter. Three pieces of parchment were inside. Hermione noticed and stopped her speech about her grades to Ron.

"That's curious, Harry. I only had two," she said, puzzled.

Harry looked at the first page, which was the normal school supply list. The second were his results. They read:

Defense Against the Dark Arts-Outstanding

Astronomy-Outstanding

Charms-Outstanding

Care of Magical Creatures-Outstanding

Divination-Acceptable

Herbology-Outstanding

History of Magic-Poor

Potions-Excellent

Transfiguration-Excellent

"I did well," Harry said, sighing with relief.

"I did okay," Ron said quietly. "I got Outstanding in Defense Against the Dark Arts, Care of Magical Charms, Acceptable in Herbology, Astronomy, History of Magic, and Poor in Potions and Divination."

"That's good, Ron," Hermione said encouragingly.

"It's alright," he said, shrugging his shoulders.

"I can't believe it," Harry said, reading his third letter once more to take it all in.

"What?" Ron and Hermione asked simultaneously.

"I'm the new Quidditch Captain," he said, still in shock.

"Wow! Congratulations!" Hermione said, jumping up and hugging him.

"That's fantastic, mate!" Ron said, giving Harry a high-five.

"I have so much to do," Harry said, and then turned to Hermione. "That book you gave me for my birthday is going to come in handy."

He turned to Ron, and they began discussing tryouts and moves.

"Boys," Hermione said, closing their door. "Thinking Quidditch is more important than grades!"

The weeks at the Burrow passed by all too quickly for Harry. Before he knew it, there were only three days before they were to return to school. He and Ron had been discussing Quidditch nonstop, and Hermione chastised them about leaving their summer homework until the last minute.

"We'll get it done in time," Ron said the day before they were to go to Diagon Alley.

"It's important," Hermione replied urgently. "Just because it's not a major exam year doesn't mean we should slack off on our studies."

"We understand, Herm," Harry said, twirling a garden gnome around and throwing it far out into the Weasley's backyard.

It was a beautiful summer day, and the three of them were soaking up some sun. Mrs. Weasley popped her head out of the kitchen window to check on them for the fiftieth time that day.

"Have you all got your school lists ready for tomorrow?" she asked.

"Yes," they all chorused back.

"Just making sure," she said before her head disappeared.

"I swear," Ron said, shaking his head. "That woman can be so ruddy nosy. We were trying to have a conversation."

"She's just worried, Ron," Hermione said, stroking Crookshanks, her squashed-face, ginger cat. "There aren't many Order members here today, just her and Charlie. Everyone else is at work."

"Why hasn't Charlie gone back to Romania?" Harry asked. "I know Bill got a desk job at the Ministry last year, but I thought Dumbledore wanted as many foreign wizards as possible."

"He's in the process of getting a job at the Ministry, too," Ron said. "Dumbledore said since Fudge is on our side now, we would have unlimited foreign information. Charlie said he wanted to stay near the family and the Order. It's everyone's main focus now."

"It should be," Harry said quietly, sitting up in his chair. "We all have to think about how to defeat Voldemort, especially me."

"Why especially you, Harry," Hermione said asked, sitting up quickly, Crookshanks falling off her lap. He hissed at her but then quickly caught sight of a garden gnome. "You're not thinking of taking him on alone are you?"

Harry breathed deep, wanting to tell his two best friends about the prophecy, but he didn't want them to have to worry about that on top of everything else.

"You'll never have to worry about taking him on alone, mate," Ron said, sitting up as well. "We'll always back you up."

"Er- I just meant with my past with him, he'll always come straight for me," Harry said quickly, making something up.

Ron nodded knowingly and sat back again, putting his arms behind his head. Hermione looked at Harry with deep concern but kept silent. Harry knew she thought something was up. She was the smartest witch Harry knew, and he had a feeling she would figure it out sooner or later. The trio sat there the rest of the afternoon talking and laughing until dusk fell.

Harry woke before sunrise the next morning. He put his glasses on and stretched. He walked over to Ron's open window and sat on the ledge. Pig hooted softly from his cage across the room as Harry pondered his situation.

"Why does the prophecy have to be about me?" he thought. "Neville could have just as easily been struck by Voldemort, but Neville couldn't have made it through what I've gone through."

Neville Longbottom was Harry's fellow Gryffindor, who was the most forgetful boy in their class. Harry tried to imagine Neville facing the basilisk or getting through the Triwizard Tournament. Neville had come very far in the past year, but Harry doubted he could have gotten through the trials and tribulations Harry had been placed in.

"I'm going to have to be nicer to him this year," he thought.

He didn't know why he was thinking about Neville, except that maybe he felt Neville could have easily been in his shoes. Just then a door slammed downstairs, and Ron stirred in his bed. Harry sighed and got up to dress. He knew it was going to be a long day at Diagon Alley.

They had a large group going. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Bill, and Charlie were coming. As Harry got ready to go, he heard the Weasley house come alive. He heard Hermione and Ginny giggling about something as they walked down to breakfast. Ron finally woke up and bumped into shelves and doors sleepily as he prepared to leave. After a hearty breakfast, the Weasley's living room became a madhouse as everyone gathered there. They were traveling by floo powder and just as Ginny was about to say her destination, Kingsley Shacklebolt and Tonks arrived to accompany them. Ginny got out of the fire and there were greetings all around. Everyone finally settled down, and one by one, they approached the fire. Harry was the last to go before the adults. He had a feeling they did it that way to keep an eye on him. He got into the fire which felt like hot breath.

"Diagon Alley!" Harry stated clearly and threw down his handful of floo powder.

He kept his arms tucked in and closed his eyes as the world swirled around him. He slid out of the grate and caught himself with his hands before he fell on his face. He stood up, wiped the dirt from his robes, and looked around. He was at a row of fireplaces right next to Gringotts, the wizarding bank, that he had never noticed before. He spotted Ron, Hermione, and Ginny to his right and walked over to them.

"I guess I got it right this time," Harry said, grinning.

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked, checking over her school supplies list.

"In our second year, I ended up in Knockturn Alley," he replied. "That was interesting."

"I remember that," Ginny said laughing.

The adults showed up a few seconds later, and they all went into Gringotts. After a stomach-turning ride on one of the Gringotts' carts, they headed down Diagon Alley. They all agreed to buy their school supplies first, and then visit Fred and George at the shop. Hermione split off at Madame Malkin's Robe Shop, saying that she needed some new robes since she'd grown a few inches. Harry remembered he needed some too, but decided to go later. He noticed Ron staring after Hermione as she walked off but didn't say anything. Harry, Ron, and Tonks entered Flourish and Blotts to find their books after splitting from the Weasley's and Kingsley who all had other errands. They had all agreed to meet at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor later on. As they looked around the store, Harry heard a voice he wished he never had to hear again.

"Well, well, scarhead," drawled Draco Malfoy, his pale, pointed face in a sneer. "Do you have to have a woman stand guard over you now? Can you not fight your own battles anymore?"

He was referring to Tonks, who at the moment was picking up a display promoting Isley Icerley's Incredible Invisible Ink, which she had knocked to the floor. Today, her hair was a violent orange and fell all the way to her lower back. She looked up, spotted who Harry was talking to, and quickly walked over.

"Harry, why don't we go meet Hermione," she said. Harry knew she wanted to avoid a scene with Lucius Malfoy's son.

"Oh, it's alright, Tonks," Ron said cooly, appearing by Harry's side. "Draco was just telling us how much he wanted us to beat his face in."

"Shut it, Weazel," Draco snapped. "So where's the Mudblood?"

"And you would care for what reason?" Harry said, gripping his wand at his side which he had taken out as soon as he heard Draco's voice.

"Oh, just wondering," he said nonchalantly. "Making sure 'someone' hadn't gotten her. That's all."

Ron rushed forward, but Tonks held out her arm and held him back.

"You're awfully brave with your words, Draco," Tonks said calmly. "With your father in jail and all."

"Oh, that'll change soon enough," he said secretively. "I have to go-."

"Draco, darling," a voice called from the entrance to the store. Draco's mother stood at the door. She was a very pretty woman, but her nose was so upturned it almost touched her forehead. "We must go, dear. We're having tea at four with some of your father's friends."

Harry and Ron burst out laughing, knowing that Draco had just eaten his words about being guarded by a woman. Draco turned quickly and stalked off.

"Narcissa is a lovely woman," Tonks said sarcastically. "I can see she's past her manners on to her son. Let's go boys."

As they walked to meet everyone at the ice cream parlor, Harry and Ron discussed what had just happened.

"What did he mean 'that'll change soon enough'," Harry said.

"I dunno, mate, but we had better keep an eye on him this year," Ron replied, and Harry nodded in agreement.

As they entered Fortescue's, Mr. Weasley ran up to Tonks and pulled her away to where all the adults stood huddled. Hermione was seated by herself at a table holding an armful of packages.

"What's going on?" Harry asked her as Ron and him sat down.

"I'm not sure. Some woman walked up to Mrs. Weasley a few minutes ago and whispered something to her. All of the adults started talking in hushed tones after that," she said.

"I wonder what's up," Ron said, glancing at the circle of grownups.

They finally broke up and walked over to their table.

"Let's go," Mrs. Weasley said, a strained look on her usually pleasant face.

"Are we going to Fred and George's store?" Ron asked.

"No, son," Mr. Weasley said. "We have to go to headquarters right away."

"But why?" Harry asked, not ever wanting to go back to that dreary place. "We haven't even gotten all our supplies."

"I'll come back for everything else before you kids go to school," Mrs. Weasley said, nervously glancing around.

"First, at least tell us what's going on," Hermione asked calmly.

All the adults shared sideways glances.

"There was a mass breakout at Azkaban. ," Charlie finally said in a hushed voice. "All the prisoners attacked at once, and the Aurors couldn't take them all. And it's not just the prisoners we got last June at the Ministry; it's all of them."

Hermione gasped. "Oh, this is terrible!" she said.

Mrs. Weasley sat beside her and hugged her.

"We had a feeling this might happen," Bill said, looking furious and scared.

"This is not the time or the place to discuss this," Mr. Weasley said, looking beyond stressed. "Let's get these kids back safe."

As they all walked back to the fireplaces at Gringotts, Harry silently fumed. "This was not a good turn of events for the Order," he thought. "Will anything ever go our way?"