Authors' Note: This is a co-written piece. We would of course appreciate feedback, and we hope you enjoy. Musicalmonk17 & Aubrey M. Black

Disclaimer: We do not take credit in any part to the genius of J. K. Rowling, only for the piles of wadded paper behind us.

Chapter One

The Beginning of the Journey

Harry woke up, and smiled out the stormy window in his bedroom. This was going to be such a beautiful day. Hermione had invited Ron and him to come with her parents on a vacation in the Southwest of Arizona for a whole week! The Dursleys were more than happy to agree into letting him go. For one reason it got him out of the house, and they were afraid to find out what would happen if they told him no.

Harry packed his bags. Since Hermione's parents were Muggles, they were going to come pick him up at about seven thirty, so as to get to the airport on time. It was seven now, so Harry brought his suitcase with all of his clothes and possessions he was going to take, to the front door. He had let Hedwig out the night before, and told her his plans. She had seemed somewhat hurt that she couldn't come along, but gave him an affectionate nip before heading off to have her vacation at the Weasley home, as Molly made sure that Hedwig felt at home.

"Potter," Uncle Vernon growled from the kitchen.

"Yes Uncle Vernon," Harry called back. He wasn't about to let Uncle Vernon's moodiness for missing a golf game with an important client spoil the fact that he was leaving their house for a whole week to spend with his friends.

"You aren't going to be calling for money on this bloody trip are you?" he growled again.

Harry had given it the slightest thought. "No," he called.

"Good. We'll see you when you get back I suppose."

Harry smirked. That was as close to a "Good-bye", "We love you", as he was going to get from this family.

Harry heard a car honk, and a door open and shut, and grabbed his bag. He opened the front door to find Hermione with an umbrella standing in the doorway.

"All ready Harry?" she asked excitedly.

"Yeah. Where's Ron?"

"He came over this morning by way of Floo Powder. Mum almost had a heart attack though. Well, let's go."

Harry put his trunk in the trunk of the taxi, and slid into the back seat with Ron and Hermione. Ron was acting as though he'd never been in a car before, being very squeamish, and acting claustrophobic. Hermione was trying her best to dry and warm her hair, without elbowing Ron and Harry in the eye. "Thank you for taking me on this trip Mr. and Mrs. Granger," Harry said.

"No trouble at all Harry. It was a trip for five we won, and we figured Hermione would need good friends to keep her from just spending time in the hotel and libraries."

Everyone had a good long laugh with that comment as they paid the taxi driver, and boarded the plane. Ron had to sit next to the window with Hermione and then Harry by the aisle, so as to keep Ron from exposing them by asking stupid questions. Throughout the whole flight, all they did was discuss what Ron and Hermione had done so far during their sixth year summer. Ron had gotten himself a part time job with his dad in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office, being a simple errand boy, and more often than not the coffee person. And Hermione had been going on some dates with her mystery boyfriend, that she flat out refused to tell Harry who it was, and that she was also being scouted by every major magic college throughout the world.

When the plane landed, and all of their luggage was in the hotel room, they took a small tour throughout the city of Albuquerque. They were going to spend the whole week around New Mexico and Arizona, and even going to see the Grand Canyon for a day. While passing by a Casino, Ron's stomach growled in hunger. Mr. Granger looked back and said, "I guess we'd better get something to eat."

Inside they ate a lovely buffet, and while the parents talked about "grown-up matters", the kids explored the gift shop. There were some shirts, shot glasses, and then something else caught Harry's eye. It was a ring of some kind with a specific kind of netting stretching across the middle, but there were holes through the netting, and the greatest hole was in the direct center. He took it to the cash register and asked, "What is this?"

She looked at him with disbelief at first, then realized he was a tourist. "It's called a dreamcatcher. They are supposed to trap the evil dreams, and allow the good ones to pass through the center."

"You want it Harry?" Ron asked. His presence startled Harry, as he had forgotten everyone was there.

"You want to buy it for me?" Harry asked.

"Yeah. I've got money that's just burning a whole in my pocket, and I owe you for some things. How much will that be?"

"Will you be paying in gold or cash?"

"Gold."

"That'll be one galleon, and three sickles."

"Okay."

"Thanks Ron," Harry said.

When they got back to their hotel rooms, Harry hung the dreamcatcher over his bed, and went to sleep.

Post Author's: We have to end it here so we can keep this going for a while. There is a lot of foreshadowing.