It is the summer after fifth year and Harry is totally depressed. Will anything show him that Dreams really do come true? Ron/Hermione later on.

Author's noteHarry Potter is not mine, and never ever will be… sigh Jo is so lucky.

Chapter One. Dreams and Owls

Harry sighed, had it really been a monthsince that day at the department of mysteries? It seemed like years had gone by, not just a month. He clearly remembered what happened after that curious-looking welcoming party of his met him, after he had gotten off the Hogwarts Express after his fifth year. How he wished that Sirius had been there…

"Darn!" Harry mentally shouted at himself, "why had he fallen for it? All it had really been was a false vision planted in his mind, and he had fallen for it!" Out loud, he spoke, his voice full of anguish, "Why did I do it? Why did I have to play the hero and try to rescue hum? If I had only worked harder with my Occlumency… then I would have known the vision was a fake, and Sirius would still be here…"

"No," a voice said in his head, "he was tired of being cooped up, he would have done something rash by now."

"No!" Harry mentally shouted back. "No! That's not true!"

"You know it is," the small voice replied.

"That's not true!" This time it was with less conviction.

Although it was only five, he suddenly did not want to be awake, drowsily, he stumbled over to his bed, and threw himself down. Without changing, Harry slipped off to sleep.

He was back at the department of mysteries. There were several still battling, but all Harry saw were two. He saw his godfather duck Bellatrix's jet of red light. He was laughing at her. Harry tried to scream out. He needed to stop him. He heard Sirius, he was yelling "Come on, you can do better than that!" Then time seemed to be standing still. He saw Bellatrix yell out the spell. Harry tried to warn him, he needed to duck! Maybe he could stop him! He found that he could not move. The jet of red light struck him squarely in the chest. The laughter had not died from his face. A shocked expression came over his face. He seemed to take ages to fall. His body arched slowly, and fell through the doorway behind him, and behind the veil. Harry heard Bellatrix's triumphant laughing…and woke up with a cold sweat.

It seemed to take Harry ages to fall back to sleep. A part of him did not want to. He did not want to live through his memories of the Department of Mysteries again. So when he finally slipped off to sleep, it was two o'clock in the morning.

He was in a small room. There was a smell of cinnamon and peppermint. Through the dark he saw a mirror. It looked oddly familiar. Harry wondered where he had seen it before. Suddenly it came to it… it was the Mirror of Erised. Slowly, he walked towards the mirror. Slowly his reflection became clearer. Taking a deep breath, He looked at the mirror. What he saw suprised him. Faintly he could see many different people behind him. He recognized Ron, Hermione, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, members from the order; Lupin, Tonks, Moody, Dumbledore, and was that Snape? He saw his parents, and Sirius… but his eyes were focused on a solitary figure. A figure he recognized. Who was she? And why could he see her best of all? "I know her," Harry realized. "But who?" She was turning. "Good, I will find out who she is," thought Harry. But fog was filling the small room; even the room was fading from view. "I wonder who she is?" wondered Harry, as he drifted into a deeper, calmer sleep.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Harry woke with a start. "What the…" Harry groaned and rolled over. The luminous numbers on his alarm clock read 6:03. He was slowly drifting off again when again it sounded.

Tap. Tap.

The noise finally persisted in waking him up. Harry sighed and slowly got up. It was probably Hedwig. She probably had another dead mole, or worse. But what he saw took him clear by surprise. Along with Hedwig were three others. He recognized Pig, Ron's owl flying in circles around the other owls' heads, but did not recognize the other two. Harry went to let them in, at the same time rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

All at once owls seemed to fill his room. Pig was flying around near the ceiling, while Hedwig and her companions landed on his bed. Harry realized that one of the owls on his bed had been carrying a letter bearing the Hogwarts crest. Quickly he gathered the letters that had been deposited there. With, the owl from Hogwarts soared out the window and disappeared out of sight. The second owl soon followed. Harry then went over to his desk, where Hedwig was patiently waiting. The letter she carried was thicker than he had realized at first. Harry offered her some water, which she gratefully drank. "Now for getting Pig," Harry thought to himself. When all five letters were on the bed, Harry finally relaxed.

Looking at his alarm clock, Harry suddenly realized that it was only seven in the morning. He decided to open his letters now. The first letter was definitely from Ron.

Harry,

How are you doing? Mum says we are going to Diagon Alley the first of August to get our school things. You should meet up with us then. Let me know if you can make it. I hope the muggles aren't treating you bad. Let me know about August first! Oh and Ginny wanted you to know that she was made a prefect.

Ron

"Now why would Ginny want me to know about that?" wondered Harry, as he ripped open the next letter. Harry instantly recognized it as being from Hermione.

Dear Harry,

I just wanted to write and see how you were getting along. Ron and I started to get worried when you would not write to us. I know how you must be feeling right now Harry. Well that isn't exactly true, I don't know how you feel, but I want you to know that we are thinking of you. Please don't let things get you down too much. I expect I will see you soon.

Love from,
Hermione

Ps. I am staying at Ron's for the summer if you would like to contact me.

"That was nice of her," Harry spoke out loud. "It is nice to have someone who understands you." He turned to the next letter. He did not know whom it was from.

When Harry opened it, he was taken clear by surprise. It was from Ginny. "Now why would she be writing me?" Harry wondered. "I guess I will soon find out."

Dear Harry,

Well, I don't exactly know how to begin. I know it must be surprising to hear from me, as I have never written you before, but…well, I've been thinking about you quite often lately. I wanted to write to you because I thought you would be feeling particularly bad this summer. I'm not sure what I can do to help, but I will do whatever I can.

I hope you will not think me silly for writing this. I am just hoping I might be able to be there for you, as you were there for me during my first year.

I look forward to seeing you, as always, and I hope this letter serves to help take your mind off things for a while.

Ginny

Shocked, Harry stared at the letter. He had not been expecting this. "When has Ginny become so generous and kind?" Harry asked himself. Suddenly he realized it. For years, all he had thought of Ginny was the fact that she was his best friend's little sister. Never had he known… "What am I thinking?" Harry silently asked himself, "When did I start to have those types of feelings towards her? After all the time I have known her?"

Mind still wandering, Harry turned to the last letter. "Of course… O.W.L. results, I might have known."

Dear Mr. Harry James Potter

This letter is to inform you of your scores on your recent Ordinary Wizarding Level examinations, which you took this passed June. We are happy to say that you have received 8 out of 9 OWLs.

Astronomy – Grade of A
PracticalA

TheoryE

Charms – Grade of O
PracticalO

TheoryO

Care of Magical Creatures – Grade of O
PracticalO

TheoryO

Defense Against the Dark Arts – Grade of O+
Practical—O+

TheoryO

Divination – Grade of A

PracticalP

TheoryA

History of Magic – Grade of P

TheoryP

Herbology – Grade of O
PracticalO

TheoryE

Potions – Grade of O

PracticalE

TheoryO

Transfiguration – Grade of E

PracticalE

TheoryE

We hope you are pleased with your results. A list of courses in which you are permitted to enroll can be found accompanying this letter. Please send your requested course list back no later than 17 August.

Sincerely,
The Wizarding Examination Authority

"Wow!" Harry exclaimed, awestruck, "Hermione is going to love this!"

By now, it was nearing eight o'clock. Quickly, he stuffed the letters under the loose floorboards, which were beneath his bed. There was a loud crash. Harry turned to see that his door was open. Suddenly Uncle Vernon's enraged voice was heard to bellow, "Those bloody owls!" As loud, angry footsteps sounded up the hall, Harry noticed that both Hedwig and Pigwidgion were not in the room, although the window was shut. "Oh no," groaned Harry.

It was just the beginning of another day at Number Four, Privet Drive.