Letters
Dear Ron & Hermione
FIVE MORE DAYS.
Harry
OOO
My Dear Harry,
For goodness sake, you can't spare ten minutes of your day to write a proper letter? How are you really? You won't do anything too drastic on your birthday will you? You had better be eating right because Ron's mum is getting huffy at Ginny for being too skinny, and she is not as skinny as you, no offence. Speaking of Ginny, are you going to write to her at all this summer?
Love From
Hermione.
OOO
Ginny,
Hey! I'm so sorry I haven't written to you all summer. I've been really busy doing work and stuff. How are you?
Love Harry.
OOO
Hermione,
Of course I am writing to Ginny, what do you take me for? Of course I'm going to be drastic. Drastic is my middle name. Right after Trouble, of course. Don't worry, no one will lose any important body parts. Probably.
Harry.
OOO
Harry,
How could you tell Ginny you didn't write to her because you were busy? It's such an obvious lie – you're not even going back to school, what work could you possibly have? She's not going to write back to you.
Oh Harry, can't you leave the Dursleys alone? I'm not even going to tell you what Ron said you should do in case it gives you ideas.
Love From
Hermione
OOO
Harry,
What are you going to do on your birthday? I think you should turn your cousin into something. Mind you, if it's the not the Restriction for Underage Wizardry, it'll be the Magical Law Enforcement after you, for messing with Muggles.
Ron.
OOO
Hermione,
I didn't say what kind of work I was doing, did I? I'm working on other stuff. Voldemort stuff. Please tell Ginny to write to me, I'm wasting parchment trying to convince her myself.
Stop being such a prig about the Dursley thing. It's a big deal for me.
-H.
OOO
Ron -
Transfiguration might be a dodgy idea. I really can't handle being arrested right now. Luckily I have something a bit more subtle in mind. How're Fred and George doing?
Harry
OOO
Dear Harry
I explained, but I don't think she's interested. In writing to you, that is. Sorry.
Aren't you reduced to their level if you exact vengeance? Just be glad you're leaving and you don't have to go back. Where are you staying, by the way? Won't Grimmauld Place be horribly lonely? Are you doing your Apparition Test later this summer?
Love From
Hermione
OOO
Hermione,
Damn you and your logic! Good thing it's too late to stop my ingenious plan, or you might have changed my mind. I am going to Number 12, but hopefully not for long. Thinking of getting my own place. Being seventeen has more than one great perk! Can't wait till tomorrow!
Harry.
PS. What's Ginny's deal? She was all gracious about it last month.
PPS. Exact vengeance? I really hope I'm not that dramatic.
OOO
Harry,
Happy Birthday! The twins are fine, thanks ever so much for changing the subject! I want to know your plan! I suppose I'll find out soon enough, though, probably from the Daily Prophet. I know the fact that we're not going to Hogwarts next year is sad, but the lack of homework is GREAT. Still not sure how to tell mum.
Ron
OOO
Harry
Of course she was gracious about it, you nut, you broke up with her in the middle of a funeral. She could see you were in a lot of pain and didn't want to make you even more upset.
You're probably doing something horribly illegal right now, though I suppose there's not much I can do about it. Be careful, all right?
Surely Moody and Lupin and the others won't let you get your own place? I know they're not Dumbledore and you're of age, but it must still be too dangerous for that.
Happy Birthday.
Love From
Hermione
PS. You didn't answer my question about Apparition.
OOO
Mate!
I knew I'd hear about it from someone other than you! BRILLIANT! Why didn't you tell us you were taking your Apparition test? Finally joined us in the land of the grown ups!
-Ron
PS. Fred and George want pictures!
OOO
Harry,
You didn't get yourself arrested, so I suppose that's something. You are an idiot for not telling anyone about Apparition, though. Mrs. Weasley was sure you'd get in trouble until we found out you'd gone and taken the test yesterday morning. I hope your relatives weren't too scared, but you realise that one day if you really do die, you won't be able to come back and haunt them because they'll think it was a trick? I knew you wouldn't have thought it through.
Love From
Hermione.
OOO
Ron,
Pictures enclosed.
H.
OOO
Hermione,
Thanks for making at least some attempt to make fun of my 'vengeance'. You wouldn't be you if you didn't, even though I can tell it was a joke. It was, right?
You didn't say a word about Ginny. Grimmauld Place is a hole. Really. I can't understand why Sirius hated it so.
Harry.
OOO
Harry,
Are you ok? Lupin said you threw a fit. With nicer words, but I know that's what it was. Was it about this whole independence thing you have going? You should have known they wouldn't let you off the leash so easily.
Your Friend,
Ron.
OOO
Harry,
I hope you didn't really try to hit Lupin. He could probably take your arm off, not that he would. You'd just feel really guilty.
Listen, Ron's really wound up about telling his mum about Hogwarts. She didn't take well to your leaving, you know how she was when Fred and George didn't finish their NEWTS, and Ron's a prefect. I think she expects him to be the next Bill, or at least the next Charlie. Could you write to him? I wish we were allowed to come over.
Sorry about Grimmauld Place, and about you having to stay there.
How am I supposed to know Ginny's reaction to your little stunt? Besides, I did write about her, you just never replied. She seemed amused at least, if that's any consolation.
Love from
Hermione.
OOO
Ron
Heard about your mum and that. Listen, if you want to go to Hogwarts next year I'm not stopping you, honest. But you could always pretend to be at school – you unregistered, right? So leave on the train and double back. Hermione will hate this plan, but I wouldn't fancy telling your mum about it either.
Harry.
PS. I just heard McGonagall talking to Lupin downstairs and it looks like they might close the school for a year anyway. You might not have to do anything.
OOO
Hermione,
Will you stop being so damn insufferably logical? Every one of your owls makes me feel stupid.
It looks like school is closing. McGonagall will at least regret having that whole blow-up with me over not going back, harhar. I do know some more but I can't tell you in this letter just in case. Let's just say that the castle will go to some use, anyway.
Love Harry.
OOO
Harry,
It's too bad about Hogwarts. But I'm not that upset, isn't that strange? If it had closed three years ago I would cried for hours. I've made arrangements to take my NEWTs next June at the Ministry, anyway. I keep prodding Ron to do the same, but I think he likes the idea of a whole year without schoolwork. It'll be really hard for Ginny, though – I reckon that 7th year is missable, but 6th year was just so necessary. I know I could never have learned all we did from textbooks. I'm thinking of tutoring Ginny in my spare time. What're your plans?
Love From
Hermione.
PS. If you feel stupid, it's because you are, not because I make you feel that way.
OOO
Harry,
Thanks for the update! I was on the brink of telling Mum about leaving before I got your letter, and then I decided to hold off telling her until I knew for sure what was happening with the school. Then Dad comes home with the good news! Well, not really good news, but good for me. Mum and Hermione are making me register for NEWTs in June. I might fake it, like you said. I don't want to do schoolwork, not because I'm lazy. I want to be useful to the cause. I get how Fred and George felt when Moody started utilising their talents.
Ron
OOO
Harry?
Stop being a prat and write to me!
Hermione.
OOO
Harry
Everyone's really worried about you – where the hell are you? Moody's going to go spare when he finds you, and I really don't want to see that. At least let us know you're ok?
Ron.
OOO
Dear Harry,
Ron and Hermione and actually everyone in my family is forcing me into writing to you, so don't think I'm doing it to be nice, or anything. Don't pretend you didn't totally forget about me for half the summer.
Anyway, everyone's worried sick. An answer of some kind would be nice.
Ginny.
OOO
Gin,
Thanks for that heartfelt plea, it meant a lot.
I'm fine, if it makes anyone feel better. Just needed to be out on my own. And before everyone starts with the selfish vibe, I've done more good here in three days than I have all summer. So they can just stop worrying.
Harry.
OOO
Harry?
I was being a brat before, I'm sorry. I know you didn't forget about me, or anyone. I know you're still out there somewhere reading these letters and making us all worry. Please, please, please write. Mum actually cried yesterday.
Love, your worried
Ginny.
OOO
Gin,
Sorry for making your mum cry. Tell her I'm fine, and I'm coming back soon. You'll find out why, probably tomorrow. No one will ever keep me locked up again, though.
Love
Harry.
OOO
Harry,
We saw you in the paper, you big git. Where are you?
Ron.
OOO
Harry,
A very flattering picture of you in the Daily Prophet. It's hard to see Pettigrew's face, but you look imposing. Don't let it go to your head. Come back soon?
Hermione.
OOO
Harry,
I saw your name on the headline and I thought you were dead. Then I thought I was dead, from the heart attack. Don't do that again.
Ginny.
OOO
Dear Everyone,
I'm coming back. Watch the path for me.
Harry.