Goldenshadows: Thank you! Hope to see you review again!

Sych77: It's fun adding in magic naturally like that. Nice to write, hehe. More sweetness coming up!

Cat: Well, Gabrielle had to be there! I just thought it'd be pretty funny, hehe.

BabeBunny: They will be meeting Snape along the way, but not just yet.

Where have all my other reviewers gone! Come back! (sniff)

- CHAPTER THREE-

Promises

Harry was stood at the end of the long wooden gate of the Burrow's front yard when Ron and Hermione came running down the dirt path to meet him out of the house. They had arrived at the Burrow belatedly after Harry's arrival since they had made to say their goodbyes. Harry had left with his only goodbye to Ginny. He hoped the others would understand. Harry looked down to his trunk as it stood at it feet. It held all his worldly possessions - everything in that single trunk. He sighed as he raised his wand and flicked it slowly, "Gravisinor!" The trunk glowed blue for a moment before the light faded. He then swished his wand with an added flick, "Wingardium Leviosa!" The now lightweight truck hovered. Harry decided to make his trunk lighter before lifting it, to make his levitation spell last longer. Harry was now of age to use magic outside of school. His birthday had been a quiet affair since it was at the Dursleys, but being able to use magic was the best present he could ever wish for.

"That's come on well," said Hermione breathlessly as she arrived besides him, watching Harry's trunk hover at her waist. "Think I'll do that too.. full of books." She turned to her own truck, casting the same two spells on her trunk and helpfully doing it for Ron who was having difficulty with the Weightless Charm for his trunk, which just fell over stubbornly as he tried to cast the spell. Unfortunately, it had landed on his foot and so Ron was currently hopping around cursing under his breath as he held his foot.

"Yeah," came Harry's distracted reply as he watched Ron hop up and down. "Ron, you got Hermione a broom?"

"Well, I tried – " began Ron but Hermione cut in.

"I'm not riding a broom by myself," she said, glaring at Harry, "I've never ridden one before, and I'm not about to fly across England on one! What if something happens!"

Harry picked his broom up off it's lean against the stone wall, "Well you'll have to ride with one of us. Who do you want to ride with?"

Hermione looked over at Harry longingly, probably thinking of his natural skill on a broom. But Harry wasn't looking her way; he was busy binding his trunk to his broom end with rope that came out of his wand tip. Slowly, Hermione turned to look at Ron, whose ears had turned red. He limped slowly for a moment before his eyes met hers and watched her closely. Hermione averted her eyes shyly as she walked over to Ron, "Please don't drop me over some random city," she said softly.

Ron's ears went darker, "I won't," he mumbled, bending to fasten his trunk to his broom, "Harry, since Hermione's flying with me, will you tie her trunk to your broom instead?"

Harry made a noise that Ron assumed was a 'yes' because Harry began fastening Hermione's trunk on, as well as Crookshank's wicker cage.. With that done, he swung a leg over his broom. He raised his wand and touched himself on the head, "Dissicorpus!" and like a few years ago, a cold sensation swept down his body like someone had cracked as egg on his head. He heard Ron's cry and Hermione breathless admiration.

"Harry!" she said, and Harry turned his head to see her straddled on the broom behind Ron, "That's a Disillusionment Charm! We haven't learnt those.." she was going to say 'yet' but it was with a painful twinge in her gut that she realised she wouldn't ever have the chance to learn at Hogwarts anymore.

Harry, seeming to notice her quiet state quickly spoke, "Yeah, Moody used it on me a few years ago. I thought it would be useful since we don't all have invisibility cloaks. Can you cast it?"

Hermione raised her wand. "Dissicorpus!" and her wand connected with Ron's head. Ron blinked, sitting up straight and looking behind him. He shivered.

"What's – ah! That's cold Hermione what is it?"

"It's the spell," said Hermione as she watched Ron's currently green face, resembling the bushes behind him. She tapped herself on the head also and she turned the colour of the stonewall behind her. With no incantation spoken, Harry assumed she had used it non-verbally.

"Are we ready, then?" said Harry, rising off the ground a little on his broom. Hedwig fluttered above his head, watching Crookshank's meow in his basket.

Ron too rose his broom off the floor, "I think –" Hermione had just latched her arms around his middle since she stared wide-eyed as her feet left the ground, ".. so.."

"Right. Off to Grimmauld Place," he kicked off from the dirt, his broom sharply zooming up into the sky. Dust flew behind him from the sandy path. Ron watched Harry go before he looked round to offer a reassuring smile to Hermione, but the nerves from having Hermione clamped around his waist must have shown for Hermione didn't look at all comforted. Pig, who was perched on the tip of Ron's broom made a happy hoot as Ron kicked his own broom from the ground and rose up behind Harry, the dust swirling in his wake. Together, the two brooms rose higher.

At one edge of the meadow, Ginny stood looking at the sky. She had distantly seen the broomsticks lift from the Burrow, from the distance rightly assuming some sort of charm had been placed on their bodies. Music flooded over from the party, but Ginny did not join to dance. She focused on the moving brown specks that were coming closer. She began to walk backwards slowly until she was doing a slow run. She raised a hand waving to the sky. The two brooms flew overhead, and at close range she could make out the outline of the three. Harry swooped his broom lower, smiling down upon Ginny; he waved at her in return before he speeded away, with Ron close behind. Harry raced over the top of the party's heads. Moody swivelled his eye to the sky and Remus paused in his dancing. Mrs Weasley looked round, staring up at the brooms as they flew overhead. "Harry!" she cried.

"I'll see you soon, Mrs Weasley. I promise."

His eyes fell upon Moody, who saluted him with a smile, which made his scars crinkle. Remus waved to him, one hand around Tonk's waist. "Harry, if you need the Order. Send us your Patronus immediately," he called to the sky.

"Alright," said Harry, nodding gently. "Goodbye." He glanced over the group slowly before his hands tightened on his broom with one final nod he flew in a burst of speed into the sky.

"Bye, Mum!" cried Ron. Waving frantically down to the crowd, "Bye! I'll owl you!"

"Be careful," cried Mrs. Weasley, who's hands had flown to her face, "Please stay alive.." she whispered into her fingers. Her tearful eyes followed Ron as he rose into the sky behind Harry; Hermione managing a small wave before she nervously clung onto Ron again. Mrs Weasley turned and sobbed into her husband's shoulder.

The two figures disappeared the further away they flew, disappearing into the clouds. Ginny stood watching their disappearing point long after they had vanished..

Please review!

New spell!
Gravisinor - Gravitas (latin; weight) Minor (latin; less)
Grav - vis - in - nor

Dissicorpus - Dissmulo (latin; to conceal) Corpus (latin; body)
Diss - i - cor - pus