Chapter 5: The Burrow

Harry finally received a reply from Dumbledore thanking him for telling him about the dream and that everything was being dealt with. In his usual mystical style, Dumbledore hinted that there would be something new at Hogwarts this year. "I hope it isn't Dragons," Harry thought to himself.

The rest of the morning went by like any normal day at the Dursleys: Uncle Vernon went to work, Dudley sat watching TV in the kitchen like a loaf of bread and Aunt Petunia caught up on the latest gossip from her friends. After lunch: a leaf of lettuce, a carrot, some unflavored yogurt ( as Dudley was still on his diet), Harry went back up to his room to finish his History of Magic essay Almost as soon as Harry started work on his essay, "The Effect of the Salem Witch Trials on American Winches," an owl flew in Harry's window. "Nice timing," thought Harry to himself.

Dear Harry
We just got a letter from Dumbledore telling us that we should have you come to the Burrow for the rest of the summer. Luckily, we had already planned it. Dad has gotten a Ministry car so we don't have to use floo powder to pick you up again. Tell the muggles you live with that we will pick you up at 1:00 tomorrow afternoon.
See you soon - Ron

Harry sent pig back with a letter saying that he would be ready at 1:00 tomorrow. He decided that he wouldn't tell the Dursleys that he was leaving until right before. It couldn't do any good to let them get too happy.

At about 1:00 the next afternoon a black Ministry of Magic car pulled up in front of number 4 Privet Drive. Mr. Weasly, dressed in jeans and a golf shirt, got out of the car. Ron, dressed in similar muggle clothes, followed close behind him. They knocked on the door and Uncle Vernon told Harry to get it. Harry quickly ran upstairs, grabbed his trunk, yelled a quick good-bye to the Dursleys, and jumped into the car.

When they arrived at the Burrow, Harry was welcomed with open arms. It seemed the whole family was there for the summer. Percy had been forgiven for his behavior over the past year, Bill and Charlie had taken off work to spend with the family, Fred and George had exciting news about their own joke shop, and Ginny was as shy as ever. After lugging Harry's trunk up to Ron's room, the two boys went downstairs for a feast Mrs. Weasly had planned for Harry's birthday. Everyone stayed up late into the night telling all sorts of stories and eating wonderful food. Harry could not have been happier.

The next morning both Harry and Ron slept late. When they finally awoke they were both surprised to see Hermione reading in the living room. Actually, they were surprised to see her there, not reading. They expected that. She said that her parents had just dropped her off so she could spend some time with her friends and the Weaslys before going back to Hogwarts.

The next day when they awoke and dragged themselves downstairs, four Hogwarts letters were waiting at the table. The letters told them to catch the Hogwarts Express at King's Cross station on September the first on platform 9 3/4. They also contained a very short list of new books for Seventh Years, only two, Advanced Transfiguration by Minerva McGonagall and the Standard Book of Spells Grade Number 7 by Miranda Goshawk.

After breakfast they went to Diagon Alley to buy all the books they needed. They also went to Flourish and Blots to buy the books and then they went to Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions to get new school robes for the start of term. Mrs. Weasly even got Ron and Ginny new robes. After that Harry treated them all to ice cream at Florean Fortescue's Ice- Cream Parlor, despite Mrs. Weasly's protests. Finally, they all went home to the burrow.

The next day Fred, George, Ron, Harry, Bill and Charlie had an exhausting game of Quidditch. It was no coincidence that the best summers of Harry's life took place at the Weaslys.