Chapter 4: Summer vacation comes to an end

The hot summer days continued. Harry, Ginny and Ron spent many hours flying low on their brooms practicing quidditch. Hermione spent much of her time reading like always, occasionally making Ron and Harry do their homework and occasionally playing chess with Ron when Harry could not be found. The days were pretty relaxed but the haunting memories that they were in the middle of war hung over the heads of everyone.

Little was heard about the Death Eaters. A few spottings was all that had been reported. No attacks were head of, no plans were known, no nothing. People were becoming jumpy and edgy. Mrs. Weasley had dropped many pans and objects when someone would make a sudden sound or sneak up on her. She knew what had happened during the last war and what was going on now was nothing like before. This made her worry more.

One night, after Mr. Weasley had returned from the Ministry, Harry and Ron overhead a conversation between him and wife.

Mr. Weasley had entered the kitchen and scared his wife into dropping the plate she was putting away.

"I keep doing that. I'm afraid it'll be a Death Eater sneaking up on me ready to perform the killing curse." She said repairing the broken pieces with her wand.

"I know Molly. I'm worried too." Mr. Weasley said taking the fixed plate from his wife and putting it on the counter.

"He's planning something big. I can feel it Arthur." Mrs. Weasley said worriedly as she looked around the kitchen.

"I know Molly. We know he is but that's all we know. All we can do right now is take care and be ready for anything. I'll be glad when the kids are back at Hogwarts and safe. Dumbledore's added more spells and charms to the school. It's the safest place in all of England right now." Mr. Weasley said taking his wife's hand.

"I know Dumbledore wouldn't let anything happen to the kids but I'm still worried about them. Especially Harry. If only he had someone to confide in about everything with Sirius, maybe it wouldn't be as bad. Someone to talk to about anything. I have a feeling that he hasn't talked to Ron or Hermione. Maybe if he did he wouldn't be so quiet and standoffish." Mrs. Weasley said looking up at her husband.

"The kids will be okay. And Harry will be fine. He's strong Molly. He knows what's coming. He will be prepared. Dumbledore will make sure of that." Mr. Weasley said taking his wife into his arms.

At this point the boys stopped listening. Harry stepped away from the doorway and moved toward the fireplace. He stared into the ashes of the hearth.

"Hey you okay mate?" Ron asked walking over to Harry.

Harry shock his head slightly, hardly noticeable to his unobservant friend. "Your mum's right. He has to be planning something big for me." he spoke still staring into the hearth.

"But we already knew that mate. That's why we've been practicing. Bloody hell we are aware of the fact that he wants you dead." Ron said looking at his friend.

Harry turned to look at Ron and they stood staring at each other. Harry hadn't told anyone about what the prophecy said. How did Ron know? "How do you know about the prophecy?" Harry asked staring at his friend for the answer.

"What prophecy mate?" Ron raised an eyebrow in confusion. "It's obvious that he wants you dead. It has been since when he killed your parents," he answered in a confused tone. What the hell was Harry talking about?

"Yeah I guess that's true." Harry replied lowering his gaze wanting to stop the conversation now but Ron wouldn't let him. He wanted to know what Harry was talking about and why he didn't already know about it. The stubbornness in him was revealing it's self.

"What prophecy?" Ron repeated firmly. He wanted answers.

"Never mind." Harry said as he walked toward the stairs. He climbed the stairs two at a time as he rushed to avoid answering Ron's question. He still wasn't sure if he should bother his friends with the fact that he had to defeat the dark master or be defeated himself. They might overreact.

Ron stood in front of the coffee table for a few minutes pondering Harry's actions. He knew something was troubling his best friend but for the life of him, he couldn't figure it out. And he knew that Harry wouldn't tell him unless he wanted to. That was who he was. Not having anyone to talk to most of your life would do that to a person. Ron knew that everyone was stressing about the war and Voldemort but there was something else troubling Harry. Something Ron didn't already know to bothering his best friend.

Finally Ron followed after Harry intending to force his friend to tell him what was wrong.. He climbed the stairs and entered his room, assuming that it was where Harry had retreated. But he found it empty, except for Pig and Hedwig.

"Wonder where he is?" Ron wondered out loud as he pulled off his shirt. "Probably wanted to be alone. Like always." he thought with a sigh. It was so hard to get Harry to talk to him. He wanted to know what was going on with him but he didn't know how to go about asking it without making his friend angry. It would also have been nice if he could talk to Harry about stuff. But it was hard. Harry's life was so much more complicated then Ron's and everything in Ron's life seemed pathetic and unnecessary in comparison. He couldn't talk to Harry. At least not about what was truly on his mind.

Ron closed his eyes and rolled over to face the wall. He lay there awake staring at the moving pictures of his favorite quidditch team until Harry came in some thirty minutes later.

He heard the door open and dared sneak a peek. There in the light from the hallway stood Harry and Ginny. He listened quietly to the words that traveled between them.

"Thanks again Gin for listening." Harry said in his deep voice.

"No problem Harry. Any time you need someone to talk to, I'll listen." Ginny replied in a whisper.

"Well goodnight," Harry began. "And sweet dreams."

"You too Harry. I'll see you tomorrow." Ginny replied as she moved to give Harry a hug. At this Ron's line of sight became blocked and he turned back to the wall and closed his eyes, pretending to be asleep.

He heard Harry close the door and change out of his clothes and slide into bed.

"So he can talk to her but not me and I'm his best mate." Ron thought jealously. At that moment Ron made the decision not to bother Harry about anything anymore, whether it concerned his life or Harry's. If Harry had wanted to tell Ron, he would have but obviously Ginny was a better listener. At this he closed his eyes completely and waited for sleep to take him.

The night Ron and Harry had overheard the conversation between Mr. and Mrs. Weasley was not the last time Harry could not be found or that when he was found, he was in the company of Ron's little sister. Ron and Hermione both knew that he was having problems, but he had not confided in either of them. They were beginning to worry about him and let curiosity get the better of them. That was until the school letters arrived, which seemed to turn him back into his old self quite quickly.