******* = Entries in journal. Does anyone know how to make it italicized on Fanfiction.net? When I upload it, it just comes out normal.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize. The rest is mine.

CH2: Current Events

Harry Potter sat down on his bed, looking at the presents his friends had sent him and reminiscing about the summer he had been having....

June 30th

Harry was staring out the window of the car as his "Uncle" Vernon ranted on about all the annoying things around him: traffic, Harry, gas rates, Harry, teenage drivers, oh, and did I mention Harry? It didn't take Harry long to realize they were going the wrong way.

"Ummm, Uncle Vernon, where are we going?", he asked. Uncle Vernon got a small look of pride in his eyes.

"We moved while you were at that 'school' of yours.", he answered gruffly. "Got a bigger house, much closer to Grunnings."

"Oh", was Harry's reply.

The pulled into a small, urban neighborhood and up to a brick house almost twice the size of four Privet Drive. His uncle walked up to the door, leaving Harry to drag his trunk inside by himself. He unconsciously noticed that this place was within walking distance of the Leaky Cauldron. 'Any other year I'd be jumping for joy at this.', he sighed. When he got in, his aunt pointed down the hall to a small door. Harry trudged down the to it and opened it. The first thing that came to mind was blue. It had blue walls, curtains, and a blue rug and bedspread. It was small, probably the smallest in the house, and the Dursleys were using it to house Dudley's old things, but Harry loved it.

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Harry spent the rest of the afternoon unpacking and getting settled for the long summer before him. He ate a small dinner with the Dursleys. They seemed unusually subdued, but he didn't dwell on it. Making his way back to his new room and flopping onto the bed, the Boy Who Lived fell into a deep sleep.

He was in a dark room. He knew someone was watching and kept turning around trying to find out who it was.

"Is someone there?", Harry called out, fearfully. He finally focused in on a pair of cold gray eyes. Cedric Diggory.

"N-no, it's impossible, you're dead.", Harry stuttered, stumbling back. Cedric stared back at him.

"That's because you killed me."

"I di-didn't. It was Voldemort."

"It's too late for excuses now, Potter." The eyes turned red and the figure started laughing. All of a sudden, he was swept up in a sea of blood.

Then the room changed and he was in the Riddle house. Voldemort was there, addressing his DeathEaters.

"How is it that you can't tell me where the boy is.", he stormed angrily. "There are not many places to hide a 14 year old child. Find him! Crucio." He turned his wand on the nearest servant, who fell to the floor in screams.

Harry bit his lip to keep from screaming out as well. It felt as if there were thirty polka-dancing leprechauns in his scar. He rolled over and looked at the clock. 5:37. He went over to the nearest shelf and pulled off a non-used spiral notebook of Dudley's. Taking out a ballpoint pen, he proceeded to write down exactly what he saw. Harry knew that his vision wouldn't help Dumbledore, so he wouldn't send it to him, but he thought he should at least have what he saw written down.

'Now, what shall I do?' Harry paced around his room. He would never be able to get back to sleep now, so he decided to go out for a run. Pulling on some clothes, he stole out of the house.

Jogging around the block, Harry realized this was probably the closest thing to flying in the Muggle world. 'I really need to do this more often.'

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The next day, Harry set off in search for a summer job. He just needed something to take his mind off of... everything. He got one at the local library, restocking books and such. When he got home, he found out the Dursleys had signed him and Dudley up for Karate lessons. The Smeltings' (Dudley's school) Nurse had said Dudley had to have more "physical activities" instead of just a diet (which was a good idea, since he looked like a walrus). But, while Dudley was complaining to his parents, Harry thought this was a very good idea. The more ways he had to protect himself, the better.

Anyway, his summer had basically gone like that for weeks. He would wake up, run, go to work, Karate four times a week, and do his summer homework. He read tons of books he brought home from work and things Hermione had sent him. The days just flew by.

The Dursleys left him alone. Harry later found out, Dumbledore had sent them a detailed account of the TriWizard Tournament. Now, whenever he went near them, they started twitching, a definite improvement from yelling.

The only downside was his nightmares. Almost every night he had visions of Voldemort's exploits. When he thought they'd be useful, he wrote to the Headmaster. Mostly, he just kept them in his "Vision book". The things he saw were hushed up though. He had been having the Daily Prophet delivered and the acts he saw committed were told as "natural disasters" or weren't reported at all. It looked like the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, still didn't believe the Dark Lord was back.

And Harry had been getting lots mail that summer. His friends asking him how he was. Hermione, Sirius, Remus, all the Weasleys, Hagrid, Viktor Krum, Fleur Delacour, most of Gryffindor house, Cho Chang, the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw 5th years, and even Blaise Zambini and Jason Moon, Slytherin 5th years. Most were asking him how he was after the Third Task and Cedric's death, partially influenced by Rita Skeeter's article in the Daily Prophet saying he was "not quite right in the head", but Harry appreciated it all the same. He admitted to Neville that he knew what happened to his parents and the two were become close friends through the post.

With all the running he had been doing, Harry was growing fast. He now stood at 5'9 and had a nice tan from being outside a lot. He spent his paycheck getting new clothes and Neville had sent him an herbal remedy to fix his eyesight. Without his glasses, his unique green eyes stood out and contrasted nicely with his cute, messy black hair. All in all, he was very hunky.

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On the 20th of July, Harry set off to the town pool for a nice relaxing swim. After, he stretched out next to the pool with a copy of Shakespeare's Hamlet. A girl with short brown hair sat down next to him.

"Hello!", she said brightly. "Beautiful day, isn't it."

"Yeah, it is", he agreed, tearing his eyes away from the book.

"Are you new?", she asked curiously. "I don't recognize you."

"We just moved in. Harry Potter." He stuck out his hand.

She shook it. "Amy Tristian. You know, you're name sounds familiar, but I just can't place it."

"Really, I haven't a clue why?", he replied innocently before changing the subject. "What's there to do around here anyway."

They spent the afternoon walking around the neighborhood, chatting about friends and the like, until it grew dark. Harry walked Amy home and a little girl with brown pigtails raced out to meet them.

"There you are!", she exclaimed. "It's dinner time and I'm starving."

Harry chuckled and said, "You must be Amy's sister, Fiona. She told me lots about you."

"Really? Who are you?"

"This is my friend, Harry.", Amy replied for him. "We met at the pool today."

"Well, why don't you invite him for dinner. We have plenty.", said a voice from behind them. There stood an older man, presumably Mr. Tristian.

"If you're sure, sir?", Harry politely said.

Mr. Tristian smiled. "Of course."

The Tristians plus one Potter had a pleasant meal and were sitting in the lounge afterwards.

"That was excellent, Mrs. Tristian. Thank You for inviting me."

"It was our pleasure."

"So, Fiona, where do you go to school?", he asked, making small talk. Immediately, the room grew uncomfortable.

"Er...Ah...Hogwarts School for the....Gifted.", she stuttered.

Harry's eyes lit up. "Ah, well then I should probably tell you to watch out for the...'chemistry' teacher, Professor Snape. He's not the most likeable person in the world."

The Tristians were shocked, but Fiona exclaimed, "You're a wizard! I knew I heard you're name before. Hold on!" and she raced upstairs. Everyone was still staring at each other when she came back. "You're Harry Potter! The Boy Who Lived!" Harry nodded.

"Oh, that's where your name's from. Her incessant rambling." Fiona stuck out her tongue at her sister and Harry laughed.

"You can tell me all about Hogwarts!", Fiona gushed.

"I would love to, but not today. I really have to be getting home." Fiona's smile drooped a little, but it perked up again at Amy's next statement.

"We were planning on meeting at the pool tomorrow anyway, why don't I just bring her along."

"Alright, I'll see you two then." And Harry Potter set off back home.

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Harry spent all off his free time with the Tristian girls during the past week. He told stories of Hogwarts and Amy showed him the "Muggle pleasures in life" as she put it. Which included teaching him how to dance.

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This brings us back to where we left him. Harry had receive a box of food products from Mrs. Weasleys, a chain with the Gryffindor pendant from Ginny, a book on chess from Ron, some Egyptian coins from Bill, dragon tooth from Charlie, a book about the O.W.L.s from Percy, test products from Fred and George, a books on Defensive spells from both Remus and Neville, a book on Seeker Tactics from Cho and another Quidditch one from Viktor, wand polish from Fleur ( a joke from the Weighing of the Wands), and various candy from everyone else. But the best was from Sirius, who had given him a book of pictures of every prank the Marauders had played. It was the most Harry had ever gotten for his birthday and it was a little overwhelming. Yawning, he vowed he would start notes to everyone tomorrow when he got back. Amy had made him take the day off, so they could go to the movies to celebrate. He turned off his light, but before he could fall asleep, two more owls tapped on his window.