My own Version of the 6th Harry Potter book.

Okay, and by no way are any of the following characters mine or the places. The only things that are mine is the plot and all the actual writing and the grades they all got on their O.W.L.s I decided on my own by going back and rereading all those chapters in the fifth book where they were taking the tests.

Chapter 1: When E Just Isn't Good Enough

Life back at number four Private Drive wasn't as bad for the scrawny and messy haired Harry Potter as usual. Yes, it was bad that he had to begrudgingly spend most of his summer with the Durselys. But at least now he knew why, it was for his protection. An ancient spell was placed on the abode of the one who was carrying the same blood as his mother. So as long as he was living with his Aunt Petunia he was safe from Voldermort. Whom killed his parents and tried to kill him when he was a baby because of a prophecy about them. The prophecy had said that one could not live while the other was alive and that one had to die at the hands of the other.
So Harry stayed at Private Drive, like Dumbledore wanted. But at least this year wasn't as bad as those preceding it. He was allowed to, and even expected, to write his friend every other day. Because if three days went by without word from him Mad-Eye Moody would come traipsing up the perfect garden path and demand to see Harry, as he had happened once before. Poor Aunt Petunia almost had a break down when she caught a neighbor staring at Moody from a window and Uncle Vernon almost had a heart attack, Moody forced Vernon to drink a calming draft so he wouldn't drop dead on the spot. Dudley ran to get Harry when seeing the knurled old wizard and practically carried him over to Moody just to show he was okay and to get the scarred and deformed wizard out of his house. Harry had thought the whole encounter was rather funny until Mad-Eye fixed both his normal and magical electric blue eye on him and gave him a strict reprimand about not writing back fast enough. Vernon had gotten quiet mad at Harry when he found out it was Harry's fault that Moody had come over and forced him to spend the rest of the week up in his room writing everyone he could think of.

Harry also spent a lot of time with his neighbor and once babysitter, Mrs. Figg, who he found out the previous summer was a squib. And even though she could not perform any magic he found her to be very delightful once she stopped making him look at photos of all the cats she ever owned. Harry even helped her clean up her house and et rid of about thirty of her what seemed like an endless multitude of cats. Which made the house seem bigger and not smell as bad.

This had to be by far Harry's best summer in little Whipping. He wasn't locked up in the cupboard, his stuff wasn't locked up, and he was allowed to keep in touch with his friends, and even though they still didn't tell him too much in their letters he understood now, though they did tell him more than they had last year. Harry could only think of one thing that could make the summer better, and that was if Sirius, his godfather, was still alive. But he wasn't and Harry finally believed and accepted that Sirius was dead and he wasn't coming back, ghost or otherwise.

As July was coming to an end Harry was staring to get worried about his O.W.L.s, Ordinary Wizarding Level test, results. The O.W.L.s would determine what classes he'd be in for his sixth and seventh years in Hogwarts and what jobs he'd be able to get. Harry had wanted to be an Auror but he didn't think he could get good enough grades. Who was he kidding? An Outstanding in Potions. He'd never make the cut, and even if he did Snape wouldn't accept him in his Advanced Potions class.

Sighing one day while thinking about carrier paths, he mused he'd have to go after a different and more obtainable goal when a golden brown hawk owl flew in his open window. The large bird landed smartly on top of Hedwig's empty cage, a yellow envelope with the Hogwarts crest sealing it in its beak. Harry stared blankly at the owl for a moment then jumped off his bed as the bird ruffled its golden plumage.

"Did I fail?" he asks, half scared, while taking the letter from the owl. Who answered with a hoot and a whoosh of large wing as he flew back out the window.

Watching the owl fly away till he could no longer see it he sighs and turned his attention back to the yellow envelope.

"I'll open you later." Harry said while walking over to his desk. He was about to set the letter down when it began to open itself.

Hovering in front of Harry the letter said in the strict voice of Professor McGonagall,
"Harry Potter. Your O.W.L. grades are as follows: Astronomy, P; Care of Magical Creatures, O; Charms, E; Defense Against the Dark Arts, O; Divination, D; Herbology, E; History of Magic, A; Potions, E;" Harry's heart let out a pang, "and Transfiguration, E. So thus you have grossed seven O.W.L.s. Soon more pamphlets on possible jobs still open to you will be sent. You will also receive your school supply list and a list of all your classes in a week or so. Hope you have a good summer holiday."

The letter started to fall to the ground and Harry caught it. He sighed and placed it on his desk and made his way back over to his bed. An Auror was out of the question now, he only got an E in Potions.

"Harry!" Aunt Petunia's shrill voice raised from the floor below.

"Boy, get down here!" came the gruff voice of the purple faced Uncle Vernon.

Sighing Harry got to hi feet and trudged downstairs. He blinked slowly at Vernon, Petunia, and Dudley, all dressed in their best. Dudley resembled a huge naked mole rat in an equally big black suit, his beady eyes looking up and down Harry searching for any hint of a wand before he spoke. He was just about to open his mouth when Harry took another step and the tip of Harry's wand became visible over the top of his baggy jeans pocket. Vernon also saw the wand and eyed it for a moment his face starting to become red, before he spoke in his gruff mezzo-bass.

"Boy, we're going to London for the day. So you better stay inside and behave or I'll lock you and all your stuff up." Harry nodded slowly to Vernon's empty threat.

"Yeah, I'll be a good boy." Vernon's face was now turning a brilliant shade of maroon.
"Don't you be sarcastic wit me boy or I'll teach you a lesson you won't soon forget!" Harry rolled his eyes and said in a sing-song voice,

"Sorry Vernon." He nodded and walked out the front door, the rest of the Durselys filing out behind him. Leaving Harry alone standing at the foot of the stairs.

(A/N: I hope you like my first chapter! Please review! And I'm just starting the second chapter today, so I hope it'll be up soon.)