FLAMES TO DUST

By bee-witch

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from the Harry Potter series. The plot is a figment of my wild imagination.

CHAPTER 1

Two years later

Hermione woke up that morning to a lot of loud banging noises.

"What the hell is that?" she muttered as she looked at her alarm clock "it's not even 8 o'clock yet"

Crawling out of the bed she made her way towards the window to see what was happening outside. There was a woman moving boxes into the house next door. At a closer look she looked sad and lost. Not how a person would look whilst moving into a new home.

"New neighbours" she sighed. "Might as well get up and get ready to go to diagon alley for next terms supplies". She was looking forward to starting her fourth year at Hogworts but it also meant another year closer to leaving the place she regarded as a second home. She smiled as she thought about all the scrapes and adventures she had gotten herself into or should that be, what Harry and Ron had gotten her into. "I wonder what's in store for this year?" she thought out loud

After taking a shower, she dressed and made her way to the kitchen to make some breakfast. She wasn't the only early riser. Her mother was already making the tea and toast.

"Morning mum, need any help?" she asked

"No love, I'm nearly done. You're up early we're not meeting Harry and the Weasleys till noon?" her mother asked as she placed the tray of tea and toast on the table.

"You'd have to be dead or have extra selective hearing like dad to sleep through all that commotion" she huffed.

She hated having her sleep disturbed as she knew that if something woke her up she wouldn't be able to get back to sleep again therefore she knew that she'd be in a bad mood for the rest of the day so god or Merlin help whom ever crossed her path that day.

For the rest of the morning Hermione started packing her belongings for tomorrow's journey back to Hogwarts. She still had plenty of room in her trunk for more books but she'd have to wait to see what new ones she could buy at diagon alley. Looking at her watch, it was nearly time to go. She ran out of her room and bumped into her dad.

"Hi pumpkin, ready to go?" he asked as he gave her a hug and kiss on the cheek. Just then his stomach gave a loud rumble. "I didn't have any breakfast, I woke up not long ago and didn't want to ruin lunch with the Weasleys" he smiled sheepishly.

"Dad you really can sleep through anything" Hermione laughed.

All three arrived at diagon alley just as Harry and Ron came rushing out from Fortescues ice cream shop both clutching an extra large raspberry ripple triple twirl filled honey waffle cone. They both stopped dead in there tracks as they saw Hermione march angrily at them.

"HARRY JAMES POTTER, RONALD ARTHUR WEASLEY what do you both think you're doing?" she screamed.

"Blimey, do you thinks she's angry that we didn't get her one or that we'll rot our teeth?" Ron asked in a scared whisper.

"You'll both ruin your appetites, we're meant to have lunch soon" she seethed

"I guess she didn't get much sleep last night" Hermione's dad whispered to his wife with a knowing smile

"Wrong guesses on both counts Ron" Harry said as he tried to stop Ron from hiding behind him. "Sorry Mione, we couldn't resist. You know that we don't often get the chance to go to Fortescues and they have every flavour imaginable. They even have your favourite, mint baileys with chocolate chip," Harry laughed with a gleam in his eyes.

"Harry, you can't tempt me that easily," She said as she led her parents towards the coffee shop where they had arranged to meet the Weasleys at.

"Not even if I'm paying," Harry shouted towards her retreating back. In answer to his question Hermione looked back and shook her head whilst frowning at him.

Ron looked at Harry with a smile "Well, if she doesn't want it mate, I'm pretty partial to mint baileys".

Harry shook his head and laughed at Ron as he ran after Hermione. "She's right, it'll ruin our appetite".

"Know it all" Ron mumbled as he trailed behind Harry.

After lunch, the trio of friends together with Ginny went to buy their school supplies. The adults had decided to let the children do their own shopping and arranged to meet them at the entrance of the leaky cauldron at 4 o'clock.

They made their way into Florish and Blotts.

Hermione had the list of books that they needed for their final year so she decided to look for them herself.

"You three go make yourselves useful and disappear. I'll get three copies of everything on this list and I'll meet you all outside the quidditch shop in a and hours time."

"You won't be able to carry all those books," Ron said as he snatched the list from Hermiones hand.

"Ron, I don't think it's too late for the sorting hat to re-sort you into Hufflepuff. I can shrink them. How on earth did you get put into Gryffindor?" She retorted as she snatched the list back from Ron.

"It's not my fault if my minds not as quick as yours" Ron said sulkily.

Harry gave Ron a supportive pat on the shoulder

"What are we going to do for an hour?" Harry asked

"I don't know, just don't get in my way, especially you two," She glared at the boys

"Mione, I'll help you" Ginny said with a half smile. "I've spent the whole summer with a house full of boys so I'll be glad for some female company. I also need to get some books"

"Hang on, I thought you were going to use my old books Ginny?" Ron asked

"I am but there are other books that I want to buy," Ginny said as she scowled at Ron

"Your hour is diminishing fast." Hermione shouted at the boys

Ron and Harry took this opportunity to run for the exit before Hermione released anymore pent-up anger at them. "See you both later," The boys shouted simultaneously.

"Hermione, are you all right?" Ginny asked as she touched Hermione on the arm before she could walk away from her. "Its just that, well, you've been really horrid all afternoon."

"Oh, Ginny. I'm sorry. I didn't get much sleep and all day I've had this feeling that something bad is going to happen,"

"Well, Well, Well. If it isn't the Mudblood and the ginger nut," came a voice from behind.

Both girls turned to glare at the owner of the malicious comments.

"What are you doing here?" Hermione said through gritted teeth. "After all the things you did last term you should be rotting in a cell."

"Hermione, There's something I haven't told you yet or Harry and Ron for that matter." Ginny said

"Tut, tut, tut, And there I thought you four kept no secrets from each other. What's the world coming to?"

"Ginny, for heavens sakes, just tell me,"

"I overheard dad talking to mum last week. He said that the ministry had allowed Draco to return to Hogwarts for his final year,"

"What? Are they out of there minds? Do they not realise the consequences. He tried to kill us all. He could try and do it again." She shouted. "I need to see the minister."

She went to push past Draco but he caught hold of her arm and yanked her back. "She hasn't finished telling you the rest, have you, Weaslette?" He said as he turned his smirking face towards Ginny. "I'm sure you would have stayed to hear everything that your father had to say."

"He said that, Dumbledore had left a parchment for the minister. It contained many request, one of those was for HIM to return to Hogwarts on condition that he has an official from the ministry to monitor his moves. There were other things also but I think it's best that you hear them from professor Mcgonagal. Hermione, you have to promise that you won't tell the boys, I'm not even supposed to know, dad will go spare if he knew that I listened in on his conversation."

All Hermione could do was just stare at he friend in disbelieve.

"So Granger. I guess I'll be seeing you in school," he smirked as he walked away.

A/N: I'm so sorry that it took me this long to update. I've got most of this story written down on paper but it just needs readjusting and typing up.

Thanks for reading.