Just before I carry on, thanks so much for all your really nice reviews! I just want to add that this is where the chapters start to get longer. (hopefully!)I've got into the story now, so it'll be easier for me to write more! ok, I'll shut up now, here's the third chapter!

Chapter 3

The sky darkened above Privet Drive. The Dursleys had been gone for five hours. Normally, Harry would have taken this opportunity to steal food from the fridge, or watch what he wanted on television. Instead, Harry lay on his bed fully clothed, non the better for the hours rest he'd just gained. He clutched the fake Horcrux in his hand, thinking hard. He remembered when Dumbledore had asked him if he ever felt like his head was too full of thoughts, and not knowing what he really meant. Now he did.

Outside, the mauve sky began to turn black. It was so quiet that you could have heard a pin drop.

Or a small popping noise by Number 3, as two shadowy figures appeared, seemingly out of thin air.

"Is this it?" A girl's voice whispered.

Whoever she was talking to didn't reply.

"Ron? Oh, this is silly. Lumos!"

A tiny beam of light appeared, and she shone it around, looking.

"Hermione! Help me out here!" Ron whispered from the rose bush he'd just fallen over.

"Ron! I told you. You need a tighter grip, otherwise stuff like this happens!" Hermione hissed, grabbing Ron by the hand and pulling him up.

"That's why I failed my exam, I suppose you're going to show off about that now?"

Hermione sighed with the air of someone who'd heard this a million times already.

"It wasn't your fault that you landed on the examiner, at least you got to where you were meant to go to. So, which is the Dursleys?"

"Number 4, over there." Ron nodded to it.

"Ok."

They walked quickly over to Number 4, Hermione holding her wand aloft with one hand and dragging Ron with the other.

"Are you sure this is the right place? There's no one in!" She whispered to Ron."The doors locked, you'd need a crowbar to get in-" She stopped, glaring at Ron, who was smirking."Ok, fine. Alohomora!"

The door of Number 4 burst open, and Hermione ran inside.

"Harry?" She shouted, running upstairs.

Harry began to feel sleepy again.Then he froze. There were noises coming from downstairs. The last thing I need is the Dursleys right now,he thought with a sigh, standing up with a yawn.

Hermione burst into Harry's room like a tornado, and gave him a bone-breaking hug. Ron followed, grinning.

"Oh Harry, I was so worried!" Hermione wailed into his neck. Harry, still surprised, laughed.

"I know. I got your letter."He grinned.

"Let him breathe, Hermione," Ron said. He might have been smiling, but somehow Harry didn't think so.

Hermione let go of Harry abruptly, suddenly looking worried.

"The Prophet says they're not opening Hogwarts this year. No one wanted the job of Defence Against the Dark Arts, and obviously no one can replace Dumbledore..."

There was silence in the room for a moment. Harry stared at the floor.

"Well, anyway..." Hermione said timidly, "We should be getting you back." There were tears in her eyes, and it looked like she might start dealing out more bone-breaking hugs if they stayed much longer.

"How?" Harry asked. "With Side-Along Apparition it's harder to take more than one person with you, isn't it?"

Hermione nodded.

"We've got to take the Knight Bus," She began, but was interupted by a snort from Ron.

"I'm not riding on that thing!" He protested. "I'll never, ever in a million years..."

"That was alright, wasn't it, Ron?" Hermione said cheerfully, as he emerged from the violent purple bus, ashen-faced.

Ron shook his head forcefully, clapping a hand to his mouth and running straight for the Burrow. Hermione stayed, helping Harry with his luggage. She looked at him weirdly, almost as if she was going to burst into tears.

"Are you ok?" She asked.

"Yeah," Harry replied wearily, holding one end of his trunk. Hermione didn't say anything else on the short walk up the hill, leaving Harry to think momentarily, as with a jolt he realised that he would be seeing Ginny again.

" 'Arry!" A throaty voice squealed, and his vision was temporarily obscured by what seemed to be a tent of white material.

"No, you'll crease the silk! Harry!" He heard Mrs Weasley shriek as she pulled him out of Fleur's embrace and into a hug similar to Hermione's."You go and unpack, dear, after we've sorted out wedding dresses dinner'll soon be ready." She looked at him worriedly, again much like Hermione, and ushered him in the direction of the staircase. He crept up the stairs, knowing that he, Ron and Hermione would no doubt talk about Dumbledore when he got to Ron's room. He had strategies for avoiding the subject, but now when he considered using them they seemed stupid and childish. He sighed, then froze when he saw Ginny on the first landing, wearing a plain white dress undoubtedly for Fleur and Bill's wedding, and looking very pretty.

"Hey, Ginny" He said, grinning weakly.

She grinned back,not awkward or angry like he'd expected her to be.

"Hideous, isn't it?" She grimaced, plucking the dress distastefully. Harry laughed.

"It's ok, you look fine"

"Nice to see you. When'd you arrive?"

"Five minutes ago-The Knight Bus not exactly Ron's favourite choice of transport."

She laughed.

"I know, he ran past looking green a few minutes ago, I thought Mum might've shown him his wedding outfit."

They both laughed, then there was an ominous silence.

"Well...See you at dinner, Harry!" Ginny waved, and disappeared into her bedroom. Harry stared at the door for a few seconds, incase she would come out again, then he continued up the stairs to Ron's attic room.

When he went in, Ron and Hermione were surprisingly not arguing. Hermione had a large stack of books, and was sat on the floor by Ron's bed, reading them, and Ron was searching for something under his bed. The ghoul moaned and dropped a pipe overhead, and Hermione looked up from her book.

"Harry, you look like you've seen a ghost!" Ron's muffled voice floated out from under his bed.

"Or your dress robes for Fleur and Bill's wedding." Hermione grinned, turning a page.

Harry sighed, as Ron emerged with his hair full of dust.

"How bad can they be?" Harry questioned, feeling worried.

"Silver. And blue. With patterns. Mum definitely said something about patterns." Ron shuddered, then sneezed as the dust got up his nose.

Harry gaped. Hermione clicked her tongue and marked the place in her book, then put it down.

"I'm sure it'll suit you."

"Yeah, Harry maybe, but-"

"I meant you, Ron, I'm just not sure how silver'll suit Harry's hair though."

Ron looked happier, and Harry laughed.

"Don't worry about it, Hermione."

"Anyway, what are you wearing to the wedding, if you're coming?" Ron asked, trying to hide his interest with.

"Oh, I've got to follow the dress code too, don't worry. Gold." She added in response to their questioning looks. Ron laughed.

"Ha! You get to look stupid too, then!"

Hermione picked up her book again, with the annoying air that she knew something Ron and Harry didn't.

"You've never even seen your dress robes. Your Mum, Ron, sent me the requirements a few weeks back. I went to get my clothes with my parents, so I know what I've let myself in for." She smirked again and turned another page in her book as if she'd never said anything. Ron shook his head in her direction as if he was trying to fathom how her brain worked, then carried on rooting around under his bed. Harry collapsed onto the small campbed he always slept on and pulled his trunk towards him to begin unpacking. The silence in the room gave him a chance to think properly. His mind was filled with horcruxes, Dumbledore and thoughts of Ginny, as he wondered how things would have turned out if he would have asked her out earlier, what would've happened if he would've somehow saved Dumbledore from Snape...

He removed a pair of old socks from his trunk, uncovering a small, unopened parcel. His birthday present. He picked it up and felt it's weight. It was quite heavy for it's size, even though it was balanced in the palm of his hand. He didn't want to open it for some reason, but he was too intrigued to back out now. He slowly tore the blue paper, not even knowing why he wasn't keen to open it. Then, suddenly, it was all over in a rush of wrapping paper, and Harry just sat and stared as the heavy object fell onto the campbed.