Disclaimer: J.K.R owns everything but the plot and any new characters, i.e. Jaylin George. (Isn't J.K.R GREAT!)

Author's Note: I wanted to let you guys know that I am not at all pleased with this chapter. It came straight out of a writer's block period and I think it is definitely my worst one yet. Hope you enjoy it and sorry for the delay.

Dante Lewis: Thanks for your review. No, you did not read that part wrong. You were right when you said that I wrote First through Seventh years. I should havewrote Third through Seventh years. Thanks for catching that, I sure didn't see it. Again, thanks for reviewing it, and I hope you like this one. Really not my best work, but oh well, I am literally working in a sleep deprived body, and I'm only in high school… LOL.

Thanks to Rocks-my-socks, Ruinsul, and miss-energetic for reviewing.

Uploaded: Saturday, February 19, 2005

Chapter Seven: Hagrid's Hut

"Oh Merlin! What's happened here?" a breathless cry came from somewhere above Harry. Someone was shaking him, and she was scared. He could smell her perfume, quite strong lilac, and she was screaming for help. He felt himself return to his body, but he didn't remember ever leaving it. He opened his eyes groggily and tried to sit up in vain.

"Oh child, what have you done to yourself?" asked the nurse that had been shirty with him and Hermione. A group of nurses and doctors had formed around him, prodding and poking at him.

"Get off, get off! I'm okay! Honestly, I'm alright!" Harry pushed away the hands and sat up, looking around. "I just got dizzy, that's all. Just dizzy."

"Are you sure, son? Have you been taking any drugs?" Harry looked at the doctor and shook his head, deciding against saying anything cheeky. The medical workers filed off, shaking their heads and muttering about how some kids wanted all the attention. Harry got to his feet and steadied himself against the wall. Slowly he made his way back to Ron's room, thinking all the way. What just happened? How could I hear Voldemort making plans? He can't be in the hospital. Harry stepped into Ron's room and everyone instantly knew something was wrong.

"Harry what is it? You look… strange." Hermione stood, staring intently at the pale boy standing in front of her.

"Nothing's wrong. I probably ate something that didn't agree with me, that's all." Harry lied. "I'll tell you later," he hissed under his breath to Hermione as he passed to take his seat. The rest of the visit went without event, until Harry and Hermione got up to go.

"Are you guys going already?" Ron asked, looking crestfallen. "It gets so boring here."

"Excuse me Ronald, but are you insinuating that your father and I are not exciting company?" Mrs. Weasley mocked hurt.

"N-no of course not Mum. Well, actually yes. Let's face it, all you do is cry and worry and fret and Dad justsits there reading the muggle newspaper and cracking corny jokes." Ron looked sheepishly from his mum to his dad. Harry and Hermione laughed, promised that they would be back soon and went to the Waiting Room to Floo back to Hogwarts.

"Feeling alright now, dearie?" the nurse had suddenly changed personalities.

"Er, yes, thanks." Harry shot a glance at Hermione, who appeared not to have noticed the question. The pair Flooed into Dumbledore's office and landed with a THUD. Dumbledore was sitting in his chair, fingers steepled below his chin, looking thoughtfully at the teens before him.

"Umm, Professor, can we talk?" Dumbledore nodded and glanced at Hermione. "Oh, she can stay if she wants," Harry and Hermione sat down and Harry began to tell of what he had heard. Dumbledore listened carefully, not showing any sign of what he was thinking.

"Harry, are you sure that what you, er, witnessed wasn't a dream or some sort of illusion?" Dumbledore asked kindly. Harry stared at the old man.

"Of course not!" realizing his tone, he added in a more polite manner, "I know it wasn't a dream Professor. I couldn't see anything or anyone, but I could feel the Death Eaters there, and I would know Voldemort's voice anywhere." Harry recalled the icy tone Voldemort used and shuddered involuntarily.

"Yes, I was almost certain that what you had heard wasn't a dream. You say that you felt yourself 'return' to your body?"

"Yes Professor."

"I think that what you heard was truly Voldemort. But I don't think He planned for you to hear that. I am not sure what this means, but now we know that Voldemort is up to something and we may be able to protect ourselves against Him." Dumbledore got to his feet. "I think you two have had a most exciting day, it would be wise to go to dinner and return to your Common room." Harry and Hermione turned to go. "Oh, and Mr. Potter? Please do not hesitate to inform me of any other happenings of this nature." Harry nodded and followed Hermione down the staircase and into the hall.

A week later, Ron returned from St. Mungo's hospital. The doctors had decided that he was well enough to return to school. In fact, they needed his room for another patient. The wizard was sprouting tentacles from his head, due to a dose of muggle cough medicine.

"Honestly, I can't believe that a week ago, they wouldn't let me out of their sight, and suddenly they just chuck me out like a piece of rubbish!" Ron exclaimed, dropping his bags on his bed. Harry knew better than to take him seriously, he was just complaining to hide the fact that he was happy to be back at school. Harry sat down to fill Ron in on what had happened at school, when there was a tap on the window.

"Hedwig!" Harry cried. He raced to the window to greet his snowy owl. She hopped on the sill and climbed onto his arm when he offered it to her. Harry stroked her snowy coat and untied the note that was fastened to her leg.

"It's from Hagrid." Harry told Ron, recognizing the sloppy writing.

Harry,

How are yeh? Its bee' a while since I saw yeh last. How 'bout yeh an' Hermione an' Ron come an' visit me this aft' noon? I s'pose yeh don't have time for yeh old friend what with all the things goin' on now. Send Hedwig back with a reply.

Hagrid

Harry scrawled a reply, telling Hagrid that the three of them would be over around tea time. He gave Hedwig a sip of water from the pitcher on the sill and sent her off to Hagrid's hut.

That afternoon, Hermione, Harry and Ron set out across the field to Hagrid's hut. The wind blew strongly, hinting that frost was to come soon.

"I wish I'd brought my cloak," Ron complained, shivering and rubbing his arms to keep warm.

"If you'd listen to me, you wouldn't be complaining." Hermione said, wrapping her cloak even tighter around herself. As they neared the hut, they could see the huge form of Hagrid hunched over, as if looking for something.

"Hi Hagrid!" Harry called. Hagrid stood up and looked around.

"Harry, Hermione, Ron! Good to see yeh!" Hagrid led them into the hut, and started to light a fire.

"Shall I start some tea then?" Hermione asked, reaching for the teapot.

"Yeah. Start some tea." Hermione hustled around making the tea.

"So, how've the three of yeh been?" Hagrid asked, wiping his grubby hands on a towel, then settling himself in a chair near the fire. Harry, Ron and Hermione recounted all that had happened in the past two months.

"I can' believe you three are in Seventh Year now." Hagrid sighed. "It seems like on'y yesterday, that yeh were only steppin' off the Hogwarts Express." Harry looked uncomfortably at Ron, while Hermione patted Hagrid's back. "Jus' promise me yeh'll come an' visit me more often durin' the year an' yeh'll come even aft' yeh graduate." Hagrid was sobbing into his overly large hands now.

"Sure Hagrid, of course we'll come visit you." Harry assured the distraught half-giant. Hagrid sniffed and dabbed at his eyes with a handkerchief the size of a normal-sized towel. He tried to regain his composure and went outside to wash his face.

"Merlin, he's acting like he's never going to see us again," Ron commented once Hagrid was out of earshot.

"Have a little sympathy Ron. He's just worried that something'll happen with You-Know Who-er- Voldemort," Hermione gave Ron a stern glare. "And that we'll get hurt… or killed." Hermione faltered. Hagrid came back in, refreshed, and struck up a conversation about N.E.W.T.S. At six 'o'clock, Hagrid walked the three up to the school and left them at the Entrance Hall.

"What do you wanna bet that Snape assigns a six foot long essay tomorrow?" Ron grumbled as they climbed the staircase. Lately, Professor Snape had been giving his students who were taking the N.E.W.T.S Potions course, a large amount of homework for every class. Ron was convinced it was all directed at him, as some sort of revenge for his absence.

"Yes, well." Hermione said, airily. Harry looked across at her and saw that she was obviously off in some other world. As they reached the Common Room, Hermione suddenly remembered that she wanted to go to the library. Ron told Harry that he had a potions "make-up" assignment that Snape had given him. Harry shrugged and entered the Tower, only to find that there were very few people in it, despite the early hour.

"Where is everybody?" Harry asked Ginny, who was sitting in a corner, working on what looked to be a Transfiguration essay. Ginny started and turned to see who had spoken. When she saw it was Harry, she turned back to her paper, unable to hide her blush.

"They're all at dinner still, there's some sort of performance I think. Supposed to make up for no Hogsmeade trips." She mumbled. Harry nodded, though she couldn't see it, and took a seat across from her.

"Listen, Ginny-" he started.

"Harry wait. I wanted to apologize for, you know, coming onto you like that. It was stupid of me," Ginny hung her head.

"No, Gin, it was okay. Random, but okay." Ginny smiled shyly and stared into his eyes.

"So, ummm, does this mean that you're not mad at me?" she asked.

"No, why would I be?"

"Never mind," Ginny was glad that Harry wasn't mad at her. She didn't know what she was doing, jumping onto him like that. They talked for a while, and then Harry decided that he was going to go up to bed. As he got up to go, he leaned over and kissed Ginny on the cheek, blushing crimson and turned to the staircase.

"Goodnight, Ginny," he called.

"Night, Harry," Ginny whispered, knowing that he couldn't hear her. What just happened there? He kissed me! Harry kissed me! Ginny jumped up and floated over to the window, staring out at the rising moon, oblivious to the two students who had just crawled through the Portrait entrance and stood, locked in an embrace, before crawling up to their separate dormitories.