Part 11
The days passed while Harry waited impatiently for Ron to write back. He wrote several more times but Ron never replied. For a change of track, Harry tried writing to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, but that didn't do much good.
Soon Harry was afraid that Ron was ignoring him on purpose. He knew that Hedwig was getting to the Burrow but she never came back with a replying letter.
Finally, Harry got fed up. He was starting to feel like he had the summer before his fifth year when no one would tell him what was going on. He had felt helpless that year, and angry at everyone for shutting him out. Harry knew that Hermione wasn't at the Burrow yet, so it would be no use writing to her. At least she wasn't in on shutting him out like that lonely summer. Like that year, Harry decided to send Hedwig to the Burrow. "And don't come back without an answer!" he called after her.
Sitting down at his desk, Harry gazed out his window. The sun was just setting, casting a golden light on everything. Even Privet Drive looked warm and welcoming. The well-trimmed lawns looked perfect and exactly the right shade of green. The drought from two years ago was over and all the lawns had recovered nicely. One of their more eccentric neighbors had made animal shapes out of their bushes. The neighborhood block watch was trying to get him to make his bushes normal again. Harry sighed and got up. Privet drive did not like abnormalities, even in bushes. Ironic wasn't it how one of the most abnormal of boys ended up on the most normal street?
Running his hands through his jet black hair, Harry paced. His socks shuffled on the well-worn wooden floor. "What could be going on? Why won't Ron write back to me? I've sent him at least six letters by Hedwig, and not one of them has gotten an answer. Why would he be ignoring me? Why would Mr. and Mrs. Weasley ignore me? What's the matter? Ron always answers my letters!" Harry stopped suddenly, a look of horror crossing his young face.
"No," he gasped. Harry sunk down onto the floor. "NO!"