Potter47 "The most critical reader of all, myself, now finds many defects,
minor and major, but being fortunately under no obligation
either to review the book or to write it again, he will pass over
these in silence, except one that has been noted by others:
the book is too short."
~ Tolkien ~ Epilogue ~
No Place Like Home
Days passed, and all the "hubbub," as such things have been called, without particular explanation, had died down. Much to Snape's delight (and, presumably, Dumbledore's), Professor McGonagall returned from St. Mungo's, taking up her place as Headmistress. She had returned with a walking stick which on various occasions seemed to vanish, as if she didn't think she needed it. Of course, she then vanished for a bit, as if having a lie down.
The beginning of the summer holidays was fast approaching. It was becoming hotter and hotter in the usually not-so-hot mountains in which Hogwarts was located, and young witches and wizards could frequently be seen taking a swim in the lake. Rarely did someone wear their school robes, opting for the cooler alternative of Muggle T-shirts and trousers. Hermione, however, was rarely seen out of her school robes, claiming that "they were the uniform, and they were meant to be worn!" This seemed odd to Harry and Ron, as she had often worn Muggle clothes previously. Perhaps she was on strike.
For Harry, his last days with Ginny seemed to tick away. No, not second by second, prolonging the time until the train home -- more like, each day felt like a second. And, after all, there are only so many seconds that one can hold their breath. Eventually, he had to let it go, instead of trying to figure ways to extend the days. Ginny had suggested casting the Tempus Fugit spell on the two of them, but they hadn't attempted it. Harry wasn't very fond of the casting of spells with Voldemort's wand, and he wasn't entirely sure the spell could last. It might, for all he knew, project them into the future if it wasn't taken off after a certain amount of time. They were both a bit tired of living inside yesterday, and living in tomorrow couldn't be much more fun.
The breath was released.
The Hogwarts Express glistened in the distance, as Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Luna and Neville, all made their way down to Hogsmeade Station. It seemed almost amazing, that no more people could see the thestrals than the last time, when they went to the Ministry. No one had died. Yet.
Harry shivered in the warm air. If someone had died... He didn't want to think about it. But what if someone did die, in the future? What if Sirius died? Or Ron? Or Hermione? He shivered once again, wondering if anyone would notice his sudden quivering. What if Ginny dies?
He couldn't think about that. It...no. He could already sense the nightmares he would have at the Dursleys; dreams of the Burrow being attacked, Ginny lying dead in front of the rest of the Weasleys. Voldemort laughing, pointing Harry's own wand at its owner. The curse...the light...
Harry's eyes snapped open. He hadn't realised they were closed. Ginny was looking worriedly at him. She's okay... So were the rest.
"You okay, Harry?" asked Ron nervously. "You didn't have a...vision, did you?" he asked quietly, as if the thestrals were spying on them.
Harry's gaze connected with Ginny's, and he could feel her hand surreptitiously squeeze his own.
"No," Harry said surely. "No, I just drifted off. Must be the heat."
"You are sure you're alright, Harry?" asked Hermione, from across the carriage.
"He's fine, Hermione," said Ginny, smiling. "Yesterday, I nearly fainted by the lake, it was so hot. Too bad the founders didn't put some sort of...what's Dad call them? Mermotheters? The little dials..."
"Thermometers," corrected Hermione at once. "And you probably are thinking of thermostats, anyway."
"Whatever."
It took them what seemed a long time, to reach the train. In fact, it was the first thing that had taken a long time, for Harry, since he and Ginny...since the day on the Astronomy Tower.
As fate would have it, the four incompetent Gryffindors, one incompetent Ravenclaw, and one not-so-incompetent Gryffindor found themselves situated in the very same compartment they occupied at the beginning of the year.
"Chess?" Hermione asked the compartment at large, surprising everyone, save Luna, who merely said, "Alright."
"What?" demanded Ron. "Since when do you play chess, Hermione? You've never liked chess."
"Sometimes, people change, Ronald," said Luna sagely. "But sometimes they don't have too." The others looked at her oddly, as the second statement wasn't all-that-relevant. "What?" she asked. "Who's going to play winner?"
No-one indicated their interest, but Luna didn't even seem to notice. She proceeded to set up the chess board, taking the white pieces for herself, and leaving the blacks for Hermione. The game was quick; Luna being surprisingly skilled at chess. Ron's white pieces obeyed her without a single rude remark.
During the ride, the chessboard was passed from person to person; Ginny beating Luna; Neville beating Ginny; Harry beating Neville; until Harry was playing Ron, for what seemed to be the millionth time in five years.
"Hope I'm not interrupting anything..." drawled a cold voice from the compartment door. Everyone's gaze jumped from Harry's capture of Ron's bishop, to Draco Malfoy in the doorway of the compartment.
"You're always interrupting, Malfoy," said Harry. "It's what you do best."
"Thank you," the Slytherin said, bowing.
"What do you want, Malfoy?" said Hermione with her usual politeness-toward-Malfoy.
"I want a lot of things, Granger," snarled Malfoy, licking his bicuspid quite visibly.
"Toothpaste?" she suggested, causing a snort from Ginny's direction.
Malfoy turned on Ginny. "Guess who I saw snogging your boyfriend!" he taunted. Now, a more intelligent, and perceptive person than Malfoy would have noticed how very close Harry and Ginny were sitting, but, alas, this was not a more intelligent or perceptive person than Malfoy.
"Hmm..." Ginny murmured, rubbing her chin sarcastically. "Well, I know it isn't Cho Chang..."
"Huh?" said Ron confusedly. "What?"
"Ha!" cried Malfoy. "It is Cho Chang! Must be annoying, everyone you fancy turning to her...Speaking of people you fancy -- you were dating Chang, Potter. When did that end? Or did it..."
"If you were a more intelligent, and perceptive person, Malfoy," sneered Hermione, "you would have realised that Harry hasn't been dating Cho Chang since February. But, obviously you're not a more intelligent or perceptive person..." That's getting repetitive, isn't it?
"Be careful, Granger," Malfoy warned smugly, "you never know who's listening."
"And what's that supposed to mean?" she demanded.
Malfoy's voice was but a harsh whisper. "I hear my dad pulled the wool over your eyes, up at the Riddle House. Heard everything you said to that traitor." It was clear Malfoy's high regard for Snape had blown out the window and was now chasing its tail in the Forbidden Forest. "Wish I could've been there; I would've loved to see the look on your face... Oh, right, you never said; how is spew going these days?"
"Say, Malfoy," ground out Ron. "Did dear-old-daddy also say what Hermione here did to him?"
"Be quiet, Ron," snaped Hermione.
"I know she didn't swear..." Malfoy said knowingly, not paying Ron the respect of looking his way.
"She hit him right in the face," said Ron proudly, ignoring them both, "with the--"
"Silencio!"
Ron's final words were cut off by the Silencing Charm. His eyes widened, and he looked, enraged, at Hermione. But she paid him no mind, for she was too busy cursing Malfoy into oblivion.
"Iterius!"
No, seriously; Malfoy disappeared, with a muffled crack! It seemed, to all present, that Hermione had indeed cursed him into oblivion.
"Do you want me to go to Azkaban?!" Hermione hissed, practically jumping atop the still-silenced Ron. She shoved the much taller boy into the compartment wall, hands around his neck, cutting off the air from his lungs. "Never tell anyone that I did that. Ever."
"Let him go!" cried Luna, jumping up from her seat, wand drawn on the Hermione-that-does-not-seem-like-Hermione.
"Why should I?" she asked, pushing harder on the wheezing Ron.
"Because he's Ron!" Luna exclaimed, wand still raised. "He always does stuff like that. It's just how he is. He's proud that you used the..." Hermione glared at her. "The you-know-what." Luna had quieted to a near-whisper. "Let him go."
As if a spell had worn off, the Hermione-that-does-not-seem-like-Hermione snapped back into plain old Hermione-that-does-seem-like-Hermione. Her hands quickly released Ron's neck, and he slid down the wall, until sitting on the floor. His hands massaged his throat, as he tried to speak. Of course, the silencing charm was still in effect, so that didn't work out too well.
A horrified Hermione waved her wand, and the magic preventing Ron's vocal chords evaporated.
"I don't know what happened..." she murmured, staring at the hands that committed the crime. "I would never do that to Ron...never. W-why would I?" Tears were beginning to form in her eyes.
Harry, Ginny, and Neville stared at the scene, having no idea what was happening. Hermione was right; she wouldn't do that to Ron. She might threaten once in a while, but she never would actually hurt him...right? Of course not! It wasn't like she was a Slytherin or anything like that. No, something was wrong.
"Calm down, Hermione," said Harry awkwardly. "It's okay now."
"It's probably the weather," suggested Ginny.
And so it was excepted. No-one mentioned it again. Of course, no-one really believed it was merely the weather. Something was wrong. Hermione, being Hermione actually had a pretty good idea what was wrong, but, being Hermione, she didn't tell a soul.
"So," said Ron, once he and Harry had resumed their chess game. "Was he lying?"
"'Bout what?" asked Harry, trying desperately to rescue his queen-side-rook.
"About Cho Chang, and Corner," said Ron, ending Harry's attempts in one fell swoop, with his surviving bishop.
"What about them?" said Harry vaguely, despite knowing perfectly well what his best mate was talking about.
"Are they really...you know, dating?"
"Yeah, why do you care?" he said indifferently.
Harry could have sworn he heard a soft Yes! from Ron, but he didn't comment.
"I'm...really sorry, Ginny," Ron said, clearly anything but.
"About what?" she said, surreptitiously pointing out a move for Harry while Ron was distracted.
"That that Corner git broke up with you." Ron replied, wondering where his queen had gone. "I always knew he was an idiot..."
"Excuse me?" said Ginny. "Whoever said he broke up with me? If you need to know, I dumped him."
Ron stopped in the middle of a move, hoping to avenge his queen. "Really?" he said, almost proudly.
"Yeah, Ron," she said. "I dumped him. Why do you care?"
Ron was clearly smiling. "No reason. Just choose someone -- better -- next time." He cast Harry an oddly hilarious glance as he said it.
Both Harry and Ginny nearly burst out laughing. "Hmm..." she said, rubbing her chin coolly. "Would you say Draco Malfoy is better?"
"WHAT?!"
"I'm joking, Ron," said Ginny, laughing at the enraged look on her brother's face. "Everyone knows Hermione's the one that fancies Malfoy. I mean, after today's scene, who can deny it?"
"Yeah," said Ron, now also joking, "of course Hermione will fancy a Slytherin. It's so like her. She'd be more likely to marry Flitwick."
"Flitwick is married," stated Hermione out-of-the-blue, perfectly seriously. In fact, her tone closely resembled Luna's, when stating "everyday facts."
"Wait a minute..." said Neville, speaking for the first time in a while. "Hermione, what did you do to Malfoy? Where's he going to turn up?"
"It's difficult to be sure," said Hermione. "But he should find his way out of the Forbidden Forest by the start of term. Of course, he will have no recollection of the events that transpired here today."
Everyone laughed.
"You think I'm joking?"
The train arrived at Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, much too soon for Harry's liking. In just a few minutes, he would be leaving for the Dursleys, and he wouldn't see Ginny again for Dumbledore-knows-how-long; he wished the Headmaster would let him leave Privet Drive soon, this summer. Maybe he could see the Burrow again.
Harry and Ginny hung back, as the four others left the train.
"So," said Ginny, breaking the silence that had settled upon them. "I guess this is good-bye."
"Yeah," said Harry.
"Maybe you can come to the Burrow soon," she said. "Dumbledore's bound to let you, after all that's happened."
"Yeah," said Harry monotonously.
"Come on, Harry," said Ginny, shaking her head. "You're not even back at the Dursleys yet and your already acting all...grumpy. Do I need to be here every second to cheer you up?"
"Yeah," said Harry, his mouth quirking a little.
"Don't I wish..." She stepped up to him, and hugged him round the neck. "You're sure we can't use the spell?" she asked his shoulder.
"Yeah," he said once again.
"Quiet, you," she said, and quieted him the best way she knew. They didn't break apart until they heard someone outside call, "EVERYONE OFF?"
"Coming!" called Ginny, practically jumping down the Express' steps. Harry followed as best he could.
As they emerged on the other side of the barrier, they saw an unlikely group of people. Well, not entirely of people. There was also a rather large dog...
"Snuffles!" Harry said happily, running up to his godfather. Hermione was standing by, with the rest of the group, looking disapprovingly at the black canine. It seemed she, at least, remembered the close call they had at the start of term.
"It's good to see you, Harry," said Lupin, smiling down at the two -- or three, if you count Ginny, who was also nearby.
"'Course it is," said Tonks, standing next to the former professor. "And what else would you say? 'I'm really disappointed you had to come back so soon!' Not bloody likely."
"You too, Professor, Tonks."
"Dumbledore says to call her by her first name," said Fred, or George, grinning next to their parents, who were next to Moody, who was next to Lupin. "It's good for her, he says. Something about, 'Fear of a name...'"
"What was the rest, Nymphadora?" asked the other twin.
"'Only increases fear of the thing itself,'" recited Nymphadora. "Yeah, yeah. Dumbledore's not here is he? It's Tonks," she practically spit at him.
"I don't see what's wrong with Nymphadora," said Luna conversationally. "It's a lovely name."
"FOUR SYLLABLES!" she cried. "It's too bloody long to be a first name." Hermione glared at her.
"Would you prefer, Dora?" asked Lupin pleasantly.
"Only if you want me to call you Rey!" He winced. "Ha!"
"What is this, a bloody traffic jam?!" cried a familiar not-so-friendly voice. "Hand over the boy so we can be out of this freak show!"
"So this is the famous Vernon Dursley I've heard so much about..." grumbled Mad-Eye, circling around him, bowler hat in place.
"Famous?" asked Uncle Vernon, almost giddily, spinning around. "Who said that? I'm Vernon Dursley!"
Many an eye stared at the fat man waving a hand high in the air, to indicate his position.
"And we're freaks?" said Ron to no-one-in-particular.
After the immensely entertaining spectacle that followed, Harry and the Dursleys parted ways from the wizarding world. Harry felt as though he had come to a great crossroad, and it was worse than any year prior. Now he would miss not only Hogwarts, the Weasleys, Hermione, and Sirius, but he would miss this...feeling. This feeling he never even knew existed. The feeling he felt when near Ginny.
Harry had never been a particularly religious person, as he had never really had the chance to learn anything to do with any church. But now, for the first time in his life, he prayed. He prayed to God, that nothing would happen to Ginny, and he never was so serious about anything in his entire life. It felt unbelievably important, as if the entire fate of his future depended on this prayer. He was totally lost within his own mind, for God-knows-how-long, until he was shaken out of his reverie by a beefy hand.
"Dudley wants a new computer game, boy. We're stopping here."
Harry looked around. They were in a big car park, surrounded by shops on all sides. Dudley was running ahead of them, as fast as his fat legs could carry him, toward an electronics store.
"Of course, Uncle Vernon. I'll just wait here..."
"Oh, no you don't, boy." Harry's uncle shook his head furiously. "There is no way I'm going to leave you in this brand new car, by yourself. You'll wreck it."
Harry had no idea of which brand new car his uncle spoke. The car he was sitting in was five years old.
"Fine, Uncle Vernon. Let's hope I don't wreck the whole store," Harry grumbled.
His uncle seemed to be having second thoughts, but Harry just got out of the company car, and started in his trot to the electronics store.
"Harry, wait." He spun around, wondering who was calling him "Harry." It didn't seem to be such a common name with the Dursleys.
"Aunt Petunia?" he said confusedly. "What?"
It was the first time he had really looked at his aunt since they had come to King's Cross. She had hung back at the station. She seemed different. As if under some sort of spell. She reached into her purse, as she caught up with him.
"Buy her something." She stuffed twenty or so pounds into his fist, before striding away quickly after Dudley. Harry stared, confused, after her.
"Hedwig!" cried Ginny, jumping up from her bed. She had been home a day. One miserable day. She had dreamed for years that Harry would fall for her, but she never had really anticipated the feeling of loneliness when he wasn't there. The arrival of Hedwig was the greatest thing she could have wished for, short of Harry himself falling from the sky.
Hedwig plopped down on her desk, looking around in vain for a bowl of water, while holding out her leg.
Ginny supposed, later, that she should have been a bit more considerate of the owl's feelings, but she couldn't help but tear the package right off her outstretched leg. Hedwig hooted, irate, and flew right back out the window. Oh, well, thought Ginny. My boyfriend's owl hates my guts. No big deal. He got me a present!
For he did. There was a note, and a rectangular package. She scrambled for the note, and tore open the envelope.
"Dearest Ginny," she read aloud. "Dearest? I never thought Harry would say dearest..."
Dearest Ginny,
It's been...eight hours, since we parted ways. You probably are busy playing quidditch, or some other fun thing, so I'll make it short...
"NO!"
Well, on the way home from the station, Dudley made us stop at an electronics store--
"So that's how you spell eckeltronics!"
--and Uncle Vernon made me come in. Well...I saw this, and I thought of you. Not that I wasn't thinking of you...I just...well, you'll see when you open it. Or did you already open it? I don't know what you do first... maybe I'll leave another note inside the package, to make sure you read it first. Oh, right, I said I was gonna keep this short...
Well, I saw this at the store, and I immediately thought of you. I think it's a pretty fitting end to the school year. Too bad I'm a bit late...
Love,
Harry
P.S. Can't wait to come to the Burrow. It's my real home, and you know what they say; there's no place like home.
"They say that? Who's they?" Ginny shrugged, planning on asking him about it when she wrote back...damn. She'd have to use Pig.
"So, my first present from Harry..." She couldn't help but be sentimental about it. She'd waited five years for a real present. She didn't really count Lockhart's books, in her first year. Of course, if she said that to her eleven-year-old self, she'd be laughed at; she'd practically worshipped those books and it wasn't because of Lockhart.
She unwrapped the package. Sure enough, there was another note within it, saying pretty much the same things as the first one, minus the "I'll write another note..." part.
She looked down at the rectangular thing she held in her hands. She didn't particularly know what it was, but she knew what it said; she knew why it was fitting.
"So this is what he was talking about. I'll have to ask Dad how it works..."
For, at the bottom of the rectangle, there was a yellow-brick-road. Above it, there was a red-haired girl, a dog, a lion, a...is that a scarecrow? and a man made of metal. Atop the package, in big letters, read, The Wizard of Oz.
I FINISHED! Wow! Twenty plus chapters! In case you don't know, this was my very first novel-length story. It will not, however, be my last. I have the other three fics in the Yesterday Sequence all planned out... Okay, so I'm lying, I haven't got a couple of the chapters in the fourth fic, The Day after Tomorrow, planned, but the rest is all set. Now, if demanded, I may write a prequel after all four fics are complete, chronicling the other people the bell jar fell on (I thought it was rather obvious, but apparently some people haven't figured it out yet). However, I'd like to finish these first. Now, the next story in the Yesterday Sequence, which I will begin work on as soon as I finish typing this Author's Note, is called Believe in Yesterday. It takes place during the summer holidays directly after this one ended. It will, of course, be Harry/Ginny, but the actual plot follows Ron and Luna. Thus, it will likely go in that category on Fanfiction.net. Much of the filler, however, will be plotless H/G fluff that doesn't further the story of the sequence whatsoever. (Or does it?) All the H/Hers over there in the R/L section are gonna kill me.... Of course, I've been lucky with those die-hard R/Hers, so far, so maybe I'll live! Now, here's the summary of Believe in Yesterday, just to wet your appetites: What if you could reach back in time and change the one event that forever altered your life?
Would you do it? What would it be? It will be awhile before the prologue goes up, as I want to write a few chapters first.
So don't expect it in the usual five days. I believe it will be worth the wait. See you next time... ~ Same Bat Time... ~ ~ Same Bat Channel... ~ ~ Unless on fanfiction.net... ~
~ As stated above... ~
