Chapter 3

One Last Time

Before Harry knew it, he and the Weasleys headed to Diagon Alley to buy his school supplies for the last time. "The last time," Harry repeated in his head over and over again. The end was bittersweet; his years at Hogwarts had been the best of his life, but yet, he still couldn't wait to get out into the Wizarding world on his own. He walked with Ron by his side down the all-too-familiar alley. Harry looked around to see many smaller children walking in shops to buy wands, robes, and owls. Many looked intrigued yet others looked frightened.

"To think, mate," Ron said, "this is the last time we have to come here to Diagon Alley to buy schoolbooks and stuff."

"Yeah," Harry said in awe. "It's amazing, isn't it?"

"Where are you going to live when we graduate? Grimmauld Place?"

"Probably. The Order will need my help. I'll be a fully trained Auror by then you know." Harry smiled.

"I suppose you will. How do those Auror training session things go anyway?" Ron asked inquisitively as they turned into Flourish and Blots.

"It depends on the day. Sometimes I practice spells, others I study from books, but lately Moody has had me run ten kilometers at five in the morning. He's convinced that I'm not physically fit yet."

"Is he kidding?" Ron asked loudly, his voice cracking. "You've been on the Quidditch team since our first year! If you're not fit, then I'll eat a hippogriff."

"You know Moody," Harry said as he grabbed a copy of Advanced Book of Spells: Grade Seven off the shelf.

"True," Ron said as they walked towards the back of the room to pick up their Defense Against the Dark Arts books: Conquering the Dark Arts: Deflection, Protection, and Reflection. Moody turned out to have chosen an immensely complex and difficult book—two thousand pages of complicated charms, spells, animals, and potions. Already Harry thought his bones were going to crack under the book's weight.

"Why…did Moody…have to pick…such…a bloody heavy…book?" Ron asked, panting.

"Don't give up now, Ron, we still have to pick up that N.E.W.T. workbook yet."

"The one Hermione had memorized last year?"

"That's the one."

Sure enough, as they walked farther down the back shelf of Flourish and Blots, they met up with Hermione and her parents. Holding a monstrous pile of books, she glanced at the list her father was holding for her. "No, that's not it…" she mumbled, "…it should be longer than that…" She looked rather irate as she glanced through the N.E.W.T. books, searching desperately for something.

"Hi, Hermione," Harry said as he and Ron came up behind her. She jumped in the air and threw her books by accident—they made a large thud when they hit the floor.

"Harry! Ron!" she threw an arm around both their necks. "You startled me!"

"We can see that," Ron said, looking at Hermione's outrageously large pile of books on the floor. They both started helping her pick them up.

"So how has your summer been so far, Hermione?" Harry asked politely.

"Oh, I've been busy studying, like usual!" she said, grinning. "The N.E.W.T. examinations are coming up so fast that I have to get a head start."

"Hermione, it's summer vacation," Ron said, strongly emphasizing the word vacation. "You're not supposed to be studying!"

"Oh, but they'll come up and I won't be prepared! You know me, getting the head start." She was talking a mile a minute; Harry had a strong feeling that she had started drinking loads of coffee.

"Do you want to go to the Leaky Cauldron to get something to drink before we continue our shopping?" Harry asked his best friends. Hermione's parents were glancing at Hermione's list nervously.

"Oh! I don't think I've ever formally introduced you two to my parents," Hermione said under her pile of books that she had cradled in her arms again. "Mum, Dad, this is Harry Potter and Ron Weasley."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Granger," both Ron and Harry said politely as they shook both Mr. and Mrs. Granger's hands.

"Hermione's told us all about you two, of course," Mrs. Granger said, smiling. "I hear you are quite the wizards." Mr. Granger readily agreed.

"Hey, how about you two talk with my parents," Ron said at once. "You've met them before…since Dad loves all Muggle things…" he rolled his eyes at which Harry had to promptly stomp on his foot—he didn't want Hermione's parents to feel bad.

"Sounds great," Mr. Granger said.

After the trio finished their beverages, they again walked outside to finish their shopping. After much prodding, Harry and Ron had managed to drag Hermione into Quality Quidditch Supplies where they could marvel at the newest racing brooms and the newest supplies.

"There still isn't a broom that matches the Firebolt," Ron said proudly, still marveling at Harry's own broom. "See?" He pointed to the large display case where a Firebolt lay on a gold pedestal.

"Don't you two ever think about anything but Quidditch?" Hermione asked in a bored tone.

"Nope," Harry said, walking over to a pile of books that was on display. He saw England's Quidditch team grinning widely as they dove and did loop-the-loops on their brooms.

"England's been dominant this year," the storeowner said, coming up behind Harry. "Still undefeated after playing Bulgaria, and Ireland." Harry remembered watching the Quidditch World Cup three years ago with the Weasleys. He had seen for himself what professional teams were like. "Without Adrian Berkley as Keeper, though, we definitely wouldn't be where we are today."

Harry knew this, as he had followed the Daily Prophet and had been able to keep up with Quidditch, something he hadn't been able to do for his whole life ever before. He excused himself from the conversation as Hermione dragged both him and Ron out of the store. "We still have to get Potion supplies," she told them.

"I don't," Ron said happily. "You have no idea how happy I am when I don't have Snape to worry about."

"Still, Harry and I have to replenish our supplies," she said, leading the way to the apothecary.

"You're mental, you know that, Harry?" Ron muttered under his breath. "Taking Snape's class when you really don't have to…"

Two hours later, Hermione was finally satisfied with their shopping trip. Ron had complained most of the time, but still put up with it. "Seventh year is the most important year of Hogwarts!" Hermione kept on expclaiming. "Do you want your education go to waste?" Ron replied with a sullen look.

As they entered the Leaky Cauldron again to meet up with the Weasleys, Harry realized that Hermione's parents weren't there anymore.

"Hermione?"

"Hmm?"

"Where did your parents go?"

"Oh, didn't I tell you? I'm going to stay at Grimmauld Place until the start of the school year."

"Don't you have some more nice studying yet to do?" Ron asked innocently.

"I'm way ahead right now. I think I'll take a break."

Ron looked shocked, but kept his exclamations in.

"Ready to go?" Mr. Weasley asked as they approached the table Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were sitting at. Ginny was there too.

"Mum, can we stop and see Fred and George before we go?" Ron asked. "Harry and Hermione haven't seen the shop yet."

"Oh that's right. Of course we can, dear." The Weasleys led the way out of the Leaky Cauldron and back into the wizard street.

"Harry! Splendid to see you mate."

"Riveting, just riveting!" Harry and everyone else found himself engulfed in the Weasley twins' hugs and pats on the back as he entered the shop Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. It was rather crowded, so the twins met them in the entrance to the shop.

"Still a fairly good turnout I see," Ron said, looking around at all the people in the shop.

"We've done a fair bit of advertising this year…" George said, grinning.

"…and the result you see right in front of you," Fred added, gesturing around the shop, grinning proudly

"You're just regular entrepreneurs, aren't you?" Hermione asked, but couldn't help smiling for all the success.

"Oh, better get going, that line's backed up already." Fred said, starting to move through the crowd. "Good to see you all…"

Mrs. Weasley stopped them. "Are you two coming home anytime soon?" she asked sternly.

"We were planning to visit Grimmauld Place next week."

"A well-deserved break in my opinion," George said, yawning widely. "Working every day of the week really wears you out."

"Bye, everybody!" With that the twins settled in behind the counter and started answering their customers' questions.

"Who knew they could get this far with only a joke shop?" Mrs. Weasley asked as they bowed out the door. "They're really quite a bit smarter than I ever gave them credit for."