Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or its characters.

Author's Note: Thanks for reading and reviewing. I'll try to update at least once a week… school gets out on Monday and after that I should be able to write more often, but sometimes I get writer's block, so that's another reason why I might not update every day, too. Anyway, on with Chapter 2. )

Chapter 2 – At the Burrow

"Alright, back in the car you lot," Mr. Weasley said, "Harry, come and put your things in the trunk."

Harry lugged his trunk around the back of the car, "Mr. Weasley, did you rent this from the ministry?"

"Yes, it's small, but it was the only one they could afford to lend out at the moment. At least we didn't have to bring Fred and George; I'm sure it is probably a lot comfortable with just the four of you sitting in the back."

"Yeah," replied Harry and Mr. Weasley opened the trunk for him to put his things in.

Mr. Weasley climbed into the front passenger's seat and Harry sat in the back with Ron, Hermione, and Ginny. In a few minutes, they were on their way and Harry was glad to be leaving the Dursleys behind again, well, at least until the following summer.

"So, what's up?" Harry asked as he put on his seatbelt.

Ron yawned, "Nothing too interesting I guess, not that happened today anyway. Last night, she had me up all night practicing charms and spells." He pointed to Hermione. "I don't know why though, it is summer and our O.W.L.s are over."

"Well, we don't get our results back for another few days, a week at the most. I can't help feeling a bit apprehensive."

"Well there's no need to be worried; there's no question that you aced all of your exams… I, on the other hand…"

Hermione blushed.

Ron continued, "Am the one who should be worried. At least I'm pretty sure I won't be taking Divination anymore."

Harry laughed; he was glad to be back with his friends.

The car ride was long, but also fun and interesting. Harry told Ron, Ginny, and Hermione how nice the Dursleys had been to him since break had begun.

"That little talk Mad-Eye and the others had with him worked wonders; Dudley is even more afraid of me now. You've seen his face when your and your parents are around, but did you see the look on his face when Lupin and Mad-Eye came over? He was mortified!"

They all laughed.

Of course, Harry's story about the Dursleys received one of Mr. Weasley's, "That's exactly why Muggles and Wizards have such bad relations. If they could only get along…"

Then Hermione said something agreeing with Mr. Weasley and then she decided to bring up house-elves and SPEW again. Nobody really felt like saying anything against her, so an awkward silence fell over the car. Eventually, Ron got bored.

"Oi, Harry, did I tell you that I got a new chocolate frog card?" Ron asked. "It's pretty rare…ugh, but I got four Lockhart's. If we ever see him again, I'll give them all to him; I'm sure he'd be extremely happy, probably have the nurse tac them up on the walls."

They went on about chocolate frog wizard's cards and other odd things for a while and before they knew it, they were arriving at the Burrow. Hermione and Harry took their stuff upstairs; Hermione put her things in Ginny's room and Harry put his things in Ron's room.

Mrs. Weasley then told them as Hermione and Harry returned downstairs, "Your father and I have somewhere to be, some things to do for the Order. I was trying to get Bill to come up and watch you while we were gone, but he's busy; I'm definitely not having Fred and George watch you, don't know if there will be a house left if I leave you alone with them two. Anyway, we shouldn't be gone more than a few hours. Ron, I'm trusting you to make sure the house is still here when we get back. Do not leave the house for any reason; I'll be checking up on occasionally." she pointed to the fire.

Ron looked stunned; for once in his life, he felt slightly important, "Err, thanks Mum."

"We'll see you sometime later then. If we end up staying later than we expected, just throw something small together for dinner and don't stay up late."

Ron and the others nodded. Mrs. Weasley hugged each of them and then she and her husband grabbed a small handful of floo-powder and were gone.

"So, where's Pig… I need to send a letter," Ginny said to Ron.

He rolled his eyes; he was about to ask who she was sending a letter to, but decided not to, "Upstairs, my bedroom I think."

He walked off and sat in on of the chairs; Harry and Hermione followed suit.

"So, Harry, your summer's been good then?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah, I think this has been my best summer yet," Harry smiled, "How about you?"

"Well, not much happened. I almost went on vacation to Bulgaria; Vicktor invited me. He even offered to teach me how to play Quidditch and I really wanted to meet his family. Did you know that he has a sister? She's our age and apparently Vicktor told her all about me and he told his parents, too."

Ron was going to say something, but he found himself drifting off to sleep…

His head was rested comfortably on the arm of the oversized chair and the war fire kept him from opening up his eyes. The last thing he heard was Hermione asking something about that night in the Department of Mysteries. He then had a very odd dream.

The whole thing was really creepy; it started out normal. He was playing Quidditch, very badly mind, and the whole school was watching. And then odd things started happening… he was being attacked, but nobody could see what was happening to him. There was a large creature, covered in thick fluffy hair. It looked harmless from the far distance it was at, even funny in a way, but as it moved closer he realized something was wrong. It came upon him and he couldn't breathe; he was suffocating. The fur was covering his face, closing his lungs… the creature wasn't even touching him, but it was suffocating him with its strange powers. He tried to breathe, but air did not come into his lungs. The strange creature was laughing at him.

"Don't you think so Ron?" Hermione said, continuing to talk to Harry about O.W.L.s.

She looked over to see that his head was resting up against the side of the chair and he did not respond.

"Hey, Ron, you asleep, mate?" Harry asked

Harry leaned over and tapped Ron on the shoulder, causing him to open his eyes and take in a big gulp of air.

"Uh, Ron, are you alright?" Hermione asked.

Ron nodded and then blinked a few times, trying to get the tiredness out of his system. He breathed in the air which was around him, glad to be out of the dream.

"Are you sure, your face went all white…" Hermione said.

Ron nodded, "I'm fine, it was just a really strange dream."

He had never had a dream like that before, not before the night at the Department of Mysteries, the night he'd been hit by that curse. Ron remembered that night, when he and the others were taken back to Hogwarts and Ron was in the hospital wing, along with Ginny and Hermione. He was giggling like mad, but he couldn't help himself; someone hit him with a spell, he wasn't sure what though. When he was down there in the Department of Mysteries, it felt as though he were watching himself from outside of his body, watching himself giggling like a lunatic and then he saw the brain come out of the tank. It was strange, but he didn't mention it to anyone. When he got a very strange dream, like the one he had just had, that night when they got back to the school… he figured it was because of the spell. Hopefully, it would wear off.

"I think I'm going to go lie down, what time is it?" Ron said.

Hermione checked her watch, "It's seven o' clock. You should really go get a cup of tea and relax; you're as white as a ghost."

Ron just stood up and walked out of the room, "Yeah…"

He walked into the kitchen and filled the tea kettle with water. At the sink, he looked into the window and saw his reflection in the glass. Hermione had been right, he looked terrible. After placing the kettle on the stove top, he sat down at the table and put his head down on the table. He'd just been asleep for a couple of hours; he should have felt refreshed and full of energy, but instead, it was if the energy had been drained from him.

The tea kettle whistled and he woke up; he hadn't even been aware that he had fallen asleep. It seemed like only a few moments ago he was sitting there, thinking about the Department of Mysteries and then he couldn't remember anything else after that.

Odd, he thought.

He got up and poured the steaming water into the cup and then headed out into the living room to see if Harry and Hermione wanted any tea as well.

"Harry, Hermione," he said, "Would either of you like a cup of tea?"

Hermione stood up and Harry also followed suit.

"Sure, thanks," Hermione said.

"There's water in the kettle. I think I'm going to go check up on Ginny," he said.

Ron knocked twice on Ginny's door and then he heard her say, "Come in."

He opened up the door and walked in.

"Oh, hello Ron; what are you doing up here? I thought you were downstairs talking to Harry and Hermione." She said, "You look really sick. Are you alright?"

"I don't know; I feel terrible though."

"Don't you think maybe you should tell Mum?" Ginny asked; feeling quite concerned. "She'd probably know what'd wrong."

"They're at a meeting, though. I don't know if they'd be happy if I barged in."

"Fine, I'll do it then; you never get sick and look this bad. I'll use floo-powder; it will be fine."

Ron didn't feel like arguing, so he gave in and the both of them went downstairs.

"Hey Gin, do you want some tea?" he asked.

She shrugged her shoulders, "Sure."

Hermione came out into the living room, "Ron, your tea is going to get cold if you don't hurry up." She then noticed Ginny going to the fire, "Hey Ginny, what are you doing?"

"I need to ask Mum something; I'll be right in though."

Ron went back into the kitchen and sat down, putting sugar and cream into his tea and stirring it before taking a sip.

A few minutes later, Ginny came back. "Ron, Mum said she'll be here in a few minutes; the meeting is just ending. Dad is staying for dinner, so he'll be home in an hour or so."

Ron just nodded, "I'm sure there's nothing wrong; I just had a bad dream."

He took another sip of his tea and the Ginny started talking to Harry and Hermione.

"You know, Mum said that sometime this summer she'd let us visit Fred and George at their shop. I've only been there once so far; it's even better than Zonko's. They wrote a book full of "fun things to do to people who really bug you." I think they got the inspiration from all the fun they had bothering that Umbridge woman. Mum didn't think the book was nice, even if she didn't like Professor Umbrige, so she doesn't know I have a copy stowed away under my bed." Ginny turned around to make sure Mrs. Weasley hadn't gotten back from the meeting.

Harry and Hermione laughed.

"I can't wait to go there," Harry said, "Won't we have to go to Diagon Alley to get our school things? We'll get to see the joke shop then. This year is going to be weird without Fred and George. Who's going to take their place?"

"Take whose place?" Mrs. Weasley walked in.

"Oh, we were just talking about school, Mrs. Weasley," Harry said.

"Oh, well if you were talking about who would be taking the place of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Dumbledore already has a replacement whom I'm sure you will all enjoy."

Harry hadn't even thought of that and now he was wondering who be replacing Professor Umbridge; surely she wouldn't want to return.

Mrs. Weasley then looked over to Ron. "Oh yes," she said, "What's the matter dear? Ginny said you looked sick."

Ron looked like he was trying to hide, so Hermione spoke up.

"Ginny's right; Ron feel asleep a few hours ago and when he woke up, he looked horrible. His face is really pale."

"Well have your tea and then get some rest. If you aren't better in the morning, I'll take you over to Headquarters; I'm no good with cures, but I'm sure someone over there would know something. Besides, we're heading over there at the end of the week; three more meetings this weekend." She said and then went on, "Doesn't Dumbledore realize that some of us in the Order have families? All of this going on and I can't even spend time with my family because Dumbledore needs us to be at the meetings, talking about rounding up giants and what we're going to do about Azkaban and the dementors…"

Author's Note: End of Chapter 2. Thanks for reading, please review! D Next chapter should be up as soon as possible or by next weekend.