I'm back!!! (evil grin)

Behold!! The glory that is the second chapter of this amazing story!!!!

Horray

Disclaimer: Harry Potter doesn't belong to me.

Chapter 2: Arrivals, Noodles, Talks, and Butterflies

"Hermione. Harry. Wake up. We're here." Mr. Granger's voice echoed in Harry's mind as he began to awaken. His eyes were still closed as he felt Hermione lift herself up off his lap.

"Come on Harry. You can sleep later." Hermione said while shaking him. Harry smiled and opened his eyes. She returned his smile as she picked up Hedwig's cage. Harry jumped out of the car and grabbed his Firebolt, as Mr. Granger had once again offered to carry his trunk.

Mrs. Granger led the way down the cobblestone pathway, up the stone steps and through the black door of Number Twelve Grimmauld Place, secretly the Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix. Mr. Granger, Hermione, Harry followed her with Harry's stuff. Upon entering the old house, Harry was engulfed into a friendly hug by his old Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Remus Lupin. After releasing him, Remus smiled and asked, "How are you feeling, Harry?"

"I'm feeling great, Remus." Harry answered, returning his smile.

Suddenly there was a huge explosion from the kitchen. Harry, Remus, and the Grangers ran into the kitchen to discover every inch of the room covered with spaghetti and a shocked looking Tonks standing by the oven, wand in hand. Her entire face was covered with sauce and a noodle hung from the top of her nose. She took a dishrag out of the cabinet and started to wipe her face as she noticed the condition of the rest of the room and the people staring at her in the doorway. "Oh crap." She said.

Remus finally spoke, "Tonks, what happened?"

"Well, I was cooking using this muggle cook book and I was doing pretty well, but it was taking too long. So I decided that I would just speed it up a bit with magic. A got the spices to add themselves in, but other things in the kitchen want to be added too. Eventually, it just exploded after a bag of gunpowder jumped in." Tonks replied sheepishly.

"If you like, Tonks" Mrs. Granger said, "I will help you cook dinner."

"Thanks", she responded with a grin, "I'm not much of a cook."

"I'll help too. I did learn something from living with the Dursleys." Harry said.

"We'll all help." Remus said. Hermione and Mr. Granger nodded in agreement.

Within minutes, the kitchen was packed with different smells that flooded the entire house. Mrs. Granger and Tonks were working on the sauce. It amazed Tonks to no end that Mrs. Granger had the cooking abilities that she did. "Pass me the salt, Tonks." Mrs. Granger instructed. Tonks passed the salt as she watched Mrs. Granger perform her own magic on the sauce.

Remus quickly cleaned the walls and began cutting the garlic bread. Mr. Granger was setting the table, while Harry and Hermione worked on the spaghetti noodles. "Now begin stirring the noodles clockwise, Hermione." Harry instructed.

"Yes, Sir." Hermione said with a grin. "You know, Harry, this is like Potions class, except you're the one giving orders now instead of me."

Harry grinned. "Yes, now Hermione add this ingredient and this, and do this for me, and kiss my feet."

"I do not sound like that!" Hermione said sounding hurt. "You're so mean to me Harry. I've never done anything to you." She tried to hide the grin forming on her lips.

"Hermione!" Harry fell to the floor and yelled dramatically from the floor near her feet. "Please forgive me, Hermione! I am such an insufferable git! Hermione, I'm so sorry!" Harry began to cry fake tears as everyone in the room turned around to see what the commotion was.

"Well, I guess I can forgive you." Hermione said, grinning, as she pulled Harry off the ground and gave him a gentle hug. Harry could feel his stomach starting to squirm and his face was beginning to feel a little hot. This confused Harry.

At around 5:15, dinner was set and everyone sat at the large table in the kitchen. Harry sat between Hermione and Remus. With not a minute to spear, food began going onto each individual plate and eaten by the owner of said plate. Everyone talked about how they spent the last week. Remus and Tonks had been at HQ all last week keeping the place clean, hosting Order meetings, and preparing for Harry's arrival. Hermione began to tell everyone about the Salem Institution in America as Harry felt truly happy for the first time in a while.

H & H

8:30

Harry sat alone on the rooftop of Grimmauld Place. Earlier, he had found a staircase in his closet that led to the roof. He enjoyed the peace and quiet up there; it gave him time to think. What was on his mind at that moment was something he had been thinking about for the last few weeks and had temporarily left his mind when the only thing he could think about was Hermione rescuing him from the Dursleys. Though, now that he was back a Sirius's old house, the thought that completely filled his before had returned. The Hocruxes and Voldemort's downfall suddenly returned to his mind after dinner.

"I don't know what to do." Harry thought to himself. "At first, I wanted to go immediately and find the Hocruxes so I could destroy Voldemort. But now...after thinking about it for the last week, I'm not sure what I want. Sure, I do want to destroy the Hocruxes and then Voldemort, but I also want to go back to Hogwarts. It's the only place I feel at home and this is my last year. Who even knows if Hogwarts is going to be opened this year? I hope...wait...I hear someone coming."

Harry turned around and saw Remus coming out of the trapdoor from Harry's closet. "Hello Harry." Remus said as he sat down beside Harry. "Thinking?"

Harry nodded. Remus didn't know about the Hocruxes and he, Harry, didn't feel like explaining. Remus continued, "About the Hocruxes?"

Harry looked at his former teacher. "How did you know about them?"

"Dumbledore told me about them and ask me to help him track them down last year. I'm still looking."

"The Hocruxes left are Slytherin's locket, Hufflepuff's cup, Voldemort's snake and something of Gryffindor or Ravenclaw."

"I see." Remus looked up at the crescent moon and let out a sigh, as if he was about to say something important. "Harry. I need to say some things to you, but please don't interrupt; I have a lot to say."

He took a deep breathe. "Harry. I know that you plan to not return to Hogwarts and seek out the Hocruxes. Don't ask me how I know. But, Harry, Professor McGonagall has informed me that she is indeed keeping Hogwarts open, seeing that it is one of the safest places in the world. I would like for you to please return to Hogwarts this year." Harry was about to interrupt when Remus said with a soft smile, "I'm not done. I'm going to be up at the school the year, as is Tonks and we will keep you informed on the Hocruxes. If one is discovered, you will be notified and you, along with Ron and Hermione if they want, will accompany us and the other Order members to destroy it."

Harry broke into a smile and hugged Remus. "That would be great, but Remus, why are you and Tonks going to be at Hogwarts?"

"You will see Harry." Remus said while returning his hug. "And also", he began while standing up, "If you three are to go on these missions with us, you will need to practice hard on your hexes and defense charms. Especially pay close attention in Defense Against the Dark Arts this year. The teacher is brilliant." Remus puffed out his chest a bit.

"Ok. Do you know where Hermione is?" Harry asked.

"Last time I checked, she was in her room." Remus answered.

"Great. I'll see you later Remus." Harry called as he climbed down the staircase back to his room.

Remus puffed out his chest even more and thought to himself as he stared at the moon again, "Yep. This year's Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher is very brilliant."

H&H

Hermione was indeed in her room. She was on her bed, back against the headboard, reading The Magical History of New York: Wizards, Witches, and the Tales That Make New York What It Is Today. Harry ran into her room, jumped, and landed on her bed. Hermione was startled at first, but then looked up, noticed it was Harry and smiled. "Well, don't you look happy?"

"Hermione, I have loads to tell you." Harry said. Harry told her all about his thoughts on Voldemort and the Hocruxes from the past week and also about the conversations he had just had with Remus.

"Wow Harry. So we get to return to Hogwarts and destroy Hocruxes too? This is great! Oh, we should probably start making a list now of what spells to learn. Harry you can't practice them until your birthday next month, but I'm already 17 so I could learn them now and then teach you later and…" Hermione continued to ramble on as Harry became nervous by how close Harry's hand seemed to be by hers. Harry noticed how pretty Hermione looked when she was talking about something that interested her. Then he noticed that he was staring at her and started blinking again.

"We should send a letter to Ron." Harry suggested.

"We should. I'll go get Hedwig." Hermione said as she left the room.

Harry took out a small piece of parchment and began writing a letter. He told Ron everything he had told Hermione and, at the end, signed it from both of them. Hermione returned with Hedwig perched on her arm. After Hermione, who was already at HQ, had received the letter from Harry she told Hedwig just to stay there and wait for Harry to arrive. Harry handed the letter to Hermione, who attached it to the owl's leg. "Take this to Ron, ok?" Harry said.

Hedwig hooted happily and flew out the window. The two teens sat on Hermione's bed. Harry began to yawn. "Harry", Hermione said, "Would you like to start that list in the morning?"

Harry nodded and said, "Yeah. Good night, Hermione."

"Goodnight, Harry" She said as she gave him a hug.

After Hermione released him, Harry left the room and walked next door to his own room. Five minutes later, he was in his pajamas and he crawled into bed. It took Harry a few minutes longer to get to sleep than usual because of the butterflies that entered his stomach after Hermione's hug.

H & H

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