Harry woke with a start. He looked around the room expecting to be at his aunt and uncle's house, but he was relieved to see that he was still at his friend Ron's house. Harry had been staying with Ron's family, the Weasley's, for over a fortnight now. The Weasley's had taken Harry away from number four Privet drive (his aunt and uncle's house) to live with them until school started again. Mrs. Weasley had pretty much adopted Harry by this time. He does house work, and he helps out in any way he can with dinner. Mrs. Weasley's always hated the Dursley's, she always thought that they should've treated Harry with more respect after everything he's gone through, after all they were all the family had left. Harry didn't mind living with the Weasley's really. He really liked them, they treated him as though he was family, and he appreciated it.
Harry looked over to his right to see Ron was still fast sleep. Harry couldn't figure his dream out. It seemed so real. Was that how he really how he escaped, but how does it explain his scar? The baby in his dream wasn't really hurt by anyone. Harry thought about it, as though he was determined to force it to make sense to him, but it didn't. The dream was so vivid and realistic. He heard the voices as clear as day, the faces were so clear he felt he could almost touch them. But his scar didn't hurt when Voldemort came into view. Was it possible that another person had escaped You-Know-Who?
Harry's thoughts kept him awake for the rest of the night. Ron finally stirred in his bed, and sat up to stretch and rub his eyes. He looked over at Harry and was a bit surprised to see him awake already.
"How long have you been up?" He asked Harry.
"A few hours." Answered Harry.
"Why were you up so early?"
"Oh I was just thinking that's all." Harry lied. He didn't want Ron to know he had a nightmare and it kept him awake. "Do you realize that we begin our sixth year at Hogwarts in two days? We're almost done, and then what do we do?" Harry said making it seem like that's what he was thinking.
"Well I guess we apply at the Ministry of Magic, but we might not get in right away. But you have nothing to worry about Harry, you still have a fortune." Ron said as he stretched again. "Well I'm hungry so I'm going to eat." At that Ron got out of bed and went down to the kitchen.
Harry sat in bed for a while longer, considering whether or not to tell Ron about his dream. The ghoul in the attic above Ron's room soon interrupted Harry's thoughts. The ghoul had decided to cause a ruckus in the attic and Harry couldn't think above all the noise. Therefore Harry decided it best to go down to eat.
Harry came into a kitchen filled with people. There was everyone from Ginny, the baby of the family to Bill, the oldest Weasley. Bill and Charlie were the oldest of the seven Weasley children. They weren't usually home, they're mostly at work but they decided to come home fore holidays. Charlie studies dragons in Romania, and Bill works for the wizard bank Gringotts. Percy the next oldest was also at the table eating his breakfast, then there were the mischievous twins Fred and George who appeared to be bewitching something to make it float. Ginny sat at the end of the table next to Ron, who was across form Bill and Charlie. She ducked under the table a little when she saw Harry come in. She always acted strangely around him, but it doesn't help that she's had a crush on him since the first time she saw him.
"Alright Ginny?" Harry said to her casually.
Ginny blushed a bit and ducked even more under the table.
"Oy, Harry! Good morning to ya!" Said two voices in unison.
Harry looked towards the other end of the table. Sure enough, it was his most favourite Weasley's, Fred and George. Fred and George were the funniest people Harry knew. They graduated from Hogwarts three years ago, when Ron and Harry were in their fourth year there.
Bill gave Harry a pat on the back as he sat down next to him. Charlie pushed a bowl in front of Harry and told him to help himself. Harry took the bowl and scooped up some porridge, and a bit of fruit to put in it. Charlie conjured a glass of milk in front of Harry, with his wand. Harry thanked Charlie, and continued with his breakfast.
Mrs. Weasley bustled into the room. "Today we need to go shopping for your school supplies. Now hurry up and eat, we want to get there early; it's going to be mad there! Oh Harry dear don't eat that, Fred and George made it, who knows what it will do." She said, as Harry was about to eat what looked like an innocent pastry.
Harry quickly put the pastry down and glanced over to Fred and George. Both boys had a grin on their faces.
"We'll get you one day Harry, you'll see." Said George.
"One day." Fred repeated.
Harry rolled his eyes. Once Ron had finished his breakfast he and Harry, Harry was waiting for Ron, went back upstairs to get ready for their trip to Diagon Alley. On the way up the stairs Ginny scampered right past Ron and Harry, without a word or anything. She bumped into Harry but kept going.
"Mental that one, I'm tellin' ya." Ron said.
Harry shrugged, and looked behind him back down the stair well. On the floor right beside Harry was a small piece of paper. Ginny must have dropped it, he thought. Harry picked it up and continued up the stairs.
Harry read the piece of paper Ginny dropped. It was a note from her to Harry, but Harry wasn't sure he should read it. But since he was human, curiosity got the better of him.
Harry,
I know I shouldn't write this, but I had to get it out sooner or later. As you no doubt know, I really like you. I don't know what you think about me, and I know you don't think of me that way, I'm Ron's baby sister right? I'm sorry to have bothered you about this. I really am, but as I said I had to get it out. Please don't act differently around me.
Ginny
"What's that Harry?" Ron said when they got back to his room.
"Oh nothing, just a reminder to, err…get new…err…Dragon hide gloves." Harry said knowing it was a bad lie.
"Right…" Ron said obviously not convinced.
The boys quickly got dressed. When they returned down the stairs, Mrs. Weasley and Ginny were standing outside waiting for them. Harry saw that Fred and George were de-gnoming the garden; Bill and Charlie were fixing a broken table, and Mr. Weasley was cleaning out the small shed they had in the backyard.
"That's it boys, get everything all tidy before we get back. Fred you need to swing them more! They're coming back already!" Mrs. Weasley shouted over at Fred who threw a gnome over the fence. There was a small cluster of gnomes coming back though.
Mrs.Weasley motioned to the boys to follow her and they went back into the house. She held out a small pouch to Harry, Ron and Ginny. They each went separately to the fireplace and threw a pinch of powder into the flames. They then stepped into the fireplace and said "Diagon Alley" and disappeared. After five minutes they found themselves standing inside Madame Malkin's Robes shop. Harry brushed ashes off of himself, and walked toward the front desk.
"Hello?" he said.
"Ah, hello my dear. Need new robes for Hogwarts right? Alright then, let's get your measurements." Said a short fat witch who came out of nowhere.
Harry stood on top of a stool and was getting measured for his new robes. He noticed the fat witch go back to the desk, and disappeared to the back room. Harry assumed the materials were there, and the measuring tape was still measuring him. Seven years ago he would have thought that to be strange.
"Potter, of course." Said a cold drawling voice from beside him.
Harry looked to his right. There stood his least favourite person in the world, Draco Malfoy. Harry again rolled his eyes and groaned.
"Of all the wizards in this world I have to run into you." Harry said to Malfoy.
"Believe me this isn't my cup of tea either Potter. Funny though this is where I first met you. You were with that great oaf Hagrid." Malfoy said as the measuring tape stopped measuring Harry. "Are you getting new robes too Weasley?" Malfoy said when he looked around Harry. "I mean can you actually afford new robes?"
"That's enough Malfoy." Harry said as he clenched his fists.
"Here you boys are three Galleons and two sickles please." Said the fat witch when she returned from the back room with brand new robes.
Harry paid the woman quickly and left the shop.
"I'm not going to tolerate it this year Harry." Ron said to him as they walked down the street.
Harry and Ron were often finding themselves to be running off to the Quidditch supplies shop. Mrs. Weasley was getting quite annoyed by this and finally put a bonding spell on each of them to keep them close to her.
"I told you boys, once we're done with the essentials then you can look at the toys."
"Mum, Quidditch supplies aren't toys!" Ron said.
Harry and Ron were literally dragged to Flourish and Blotts bookstore and bought their books, and final things on the list from Hogwarts. Finally they could go look in the quidditch shop!
"D'you think they've got a new one in yet Harry?" Ron said with excitement.
"A new what Ron?"
"Broomstick Harry! They've been making the newest one for the past year! It's destined to be greater than the Firebolt." Ron looked like he was shaking with excitement.
Sure enough as they entered the shop, it was there in a large glass case.
The Lightning Storm
Best rated broom since the Firebolt model.
Ranked as the best racing broomstick ever made.
"Whoa, better than the Firebolt? I wonder how much it is…" Ron said in a dream-like voice.
"I would hate to ask." Said Harry.
"Well why don't you boys ask that young lady over there? She's just bought one." Said an old voice from behind them. They turned around to see the shopkeeper.
Harry and Ron looked over toward the clerk's desk. A girl with long, pitch black hair stood in front of the store clerk's desk as the clerk wrapped up her new broomstick.
Harry couldn't believe that a girl bought that broom. This girl wasn't very big at all, in any aspect. She was about up to Harry's shoulder, Harry was six foot two, and her hair fell to the small of her back. She wore robes of deep scarlet, and gold. When she turned around Harry looked at her face. She was very pretty, her skin wasn't dark, but it was a creamy ivory colour. Her eyebrows were arched and below them were the iciest blue eyes Harry had ever seen in his life. He noticed her left eyebrow was pierced, and so was the right nostril of her perfectly shaped nose. That didn't even ruin her features at all. She brushed her hair out of her face, and placed t behind her ear. Harry noticed that those too were pierced, three times in her ear lobe, and once in the cartilage, Harry guessed the other ear was the same, give or take one earring. There was an air about her that made her seem, in a way, evil. Although she was pretty, she just seemed evil.
When she walked past Harry and Ron she didn't say a word, or even smile. She just walked right past them as though they weren't there, and out the door.
"She has got to be rich or something," said Ron, "I mean that thing just came out! But didn't she seem a bit Slytherinish to you?"
"Yeah, she kinda did." Harry replied.