Disclaimer; I don't own Harry Potter. Just the plot in which I like to torture the characters.

A/N; Such a short update after so long… I'm so sorry about that. I had trouble with the ending for some reason, otherwise I would have had it up not long after the other way. Rest assured that it is here, however! And in time for a special event, which happens to be my birthday tomorrow. I'm so happy and excited that I thought I'd share my enthusiasm with all of you wonderful readers with another update. This is a thanks to say 'thanks for sticking with me so long!' So enjoy!

Chapter Twenty-Four; The Dilemma

Ron tapped his quill impatiently on the low table in front of the fireplace, staring unseeingly at the five lines he had written of his Charms essay. If it had been up to him he would have given up an hour ago and tried to find something more interesting to do.

Unfortunately Hermione was sitting right there and it seemed that every time Ron even thought about moving, she would look up and give him a beady glare to keep him in place. This was particularly galling considering she spent the time she wasn't glaring at him staring into space. Finally Ron dropped his quill to the table, sat back and frowned at Hermione.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked.

"Just... wondering when Harry is getting back," Hermione said.

It was said casually, but it was the guilty start she gave upon being interrupted that told Ron something else was up. He couldn't possibly think what it was, though.

"Seamus and Dean mentioned as they passed that they dropped Harry off with mum," Ron said.

"Did they?" Hermione asked, blinking. "I didn't hear them."

"Everyone around us heard them, Hermione," Ron said incredulously. "How could you not?"

Hermione simply shrugged and pulled her transfiguration essay toward her. At first Ron thought she was looking through it, but then it occurred to him that her eyes weren't moving at all.

"What's wrong?" he demanded.

"Just... Harry looked upset, didn't he?" Hermione asked.

With vivid recollection Ron couldn't help but remember the last few times Harry had gotten upset. He cleared his throat.

"He looked fine," he said firmly.

"But he didn't even want to stay with us, Ron!" Hermione burst out. "I mean, I know he had done something bad, and we were right to tell him off, but there was just something else really wrong."

Ron hoped not. With the pranks Harry had been playing lately he didn't want to think what a Harry who felt he had been wronged could do.

"Well... maybe he just didn't like getting told off?" he suggested.

Hermione gave him a look that told him without words just how stupid she thought that idea was. Ron frowned and sat back. At least he was giving her ideas instead of just sitting there and thinking about it as she had done for the last hour.

Then he had a brilliant idea.

"We could go find him," he said brightly.

Not only would Hermione stop sulking (because that was what she was doing, no matter how much she might try and deny it) but he would also get out of doing his homework for the time being. Mentally Ron crossed his fingers as he watched her consider it.

"No," she said eventually, and Ron drooped. "You have to finish your essays and Harry will be back soon. I can talk to him then."

Ron barely had time to sigh and pick his quill back up before someone crashed into the common from, the portrait crashing into the wall with the force of their entry, which made the Fat Lady exclaim in annoyance. Looking up at the distraction Ron was surprised to see Ginny.

"What's wrong?" he asked his out of breath sister.

"I just... saw Harry and mum," Ginny gasped out, flopping onto a seat.

"We know Harry's with mum," Ron said. "Dean and Seamus took him there."

Ginny shot him a glare, trying to catch her breath. Silently Ron and Hermione waited, wondering what was wrong. Surely she hadn't run full pelt all the way up here just to tell them that.

"Mum looked really mad," Ginny said. "Madder than I've ever seen her. She took Harry to Professor Dumbledore."

"Was she mad at Professor Dumbledore?" Hermione asked.

"I don't know," Ginny said with a shrug. "I just... think there was something really wrong."

For a moment the three sat in quiet, thinking about this. It was different when Harry wasn't here at times like these; he was usually the one who would jump up and state that they needed figure out what it was...

Hermione jumped to her feet, startling the Weasley siblings.

"Let's go," she said abruptly, already striding across the room.

"Where?" Ron asked dumbly as Ginny got up and followed.

"To find out what's happening of course," Hermione said, opening the portrait and disappearing outside. Ginny grinned and followed.

Ron sat there and shook his head. He had thought it before, and now he was absolutely certain of it; Harry and Hermione definitely had been spending far too much time together.

HPHGRWHPHGRW

Hermione, Ron and Ginny would never tell another soul exactly how long it took them to guess the password to Dumbledore's office. Needless to say they were there far longer than they felt they should have been and it was in embarrassment that they finally scurried up the spiral staircase.

Unlike Harry the three students had not been in Dumbledore's office numerous times. For Ron it was only the second time, for Hermione and Ginny it was the first. Had their minds not been so occupied with what awaited them at the top of the stairs they might have been a bit more interested in what was going on around them.

Hermione, in particular, was anxious. Was Harry still up here? She didn't want to barge in on a meeting that Professor Dumbledore and Molly Weasley were having, but her concern for Harry overrode any worry she might have had about that.

Finally they reached the doors. Not even bothering to knock Hermione inched the door open slightly and peered inside.

The first thing she noticed was that it was absolutely absent of any adults.

Her eyes then zoomed in on Harry, who was crouching underneath a table, carefully eyeing the red phoenix (part of her felt thrilled that she would get to meet the phoenix Harry had spoken about) that was flying slowly about. Were they here by themselves?

She opened the door further, reassured that Dumbledore was not going to pop out of nowhere and tell her that she shouldn't be there. Ron and Ginny peered over her shoulders.

Suddenly, with a trilling cry, the phoenix dove to the floor and pulled up sharply, hovering in front of Harry. The shriek it gave then was undeniably triumphant.

"Aww..." Harry said disappointedly, scrambling out from under the table. "Your turn, Fawkes." He covered his eyes. "One... two... three..."

The three students watched in dumb-struck awe, not sure what to say.

"Are they... playing hide and seek?" Ginny finally whispered.

"Looks like it," Ron whispered back.

Hermione was trying to reconcile her knowledge of the great and powerful phoenixes with the image of this one hurriedly darting into a cupboard. It wasn't working.

It took them until Harry managed to find Fawkes that the teenagers were able to move, and they stepped into the room slowly, instantly catching the attention of the two occupants. For a moment Harry stared... and then his eyes lit up.

"Ron! 'Mione! Gin-gin!" he said cheerfully. "Will you play with us?"

Of everything Hermione had been expecting, it was not that. She had been sure that Harry would still be upset with them, but he was acting like that morning had never happened.

"In a little while, Harry," she said slowly, crouching down beside him. "Do you know where Mrs Weasley and Professor Dumbledore are?"

"No," Harry said with a shrug. "They said they'd be back."

"Did mum seem... upset?" Ginny asked.

"Uh huh," said Harry, eager to impart his knowledge. "She was mad."

"What about, Harry?" Hermione asked as Ron and Ginny joined them on the floor. Fawkes flew down from his perch on the rafters and fluttered down beside Harry's kneed.

"I dunno," Harry said, making the three teenagers deflate. "She was real mad. What does a-bu-sive mean?"

Hermione tensed, looking at the innocently curious green eyes staring up at her. When and where had he heard that word?

"Who said that?" she asked warily.

"Mama Molly," Harry said. "She said to Granpa... she said it wasn't best to leave him in an a-bu-sive home."

From the way he was saying it he was obviously quoting something that he had heard. So, Mrs Weasley had come up here and yelled at Professor Dumbledore, mentioning something about someone having been left in an abusive home...

"Then where did she go?" Ginny asked as Hermione's mind whirled with the thoughts she wasn't sure she liked.

"To Padfoot and Moony," Harry said proudly. "Granpa said they would be back."

"Did Professor Dumbledore go with her?" Ron asked.

"Yep."

Obviously bored with the conversation Harry began gently petting Fawkes, who crooned under the gentle touch. Hermione watched him with worried eyes.

"Harry, did Mrs Weasley ask you about the Dursleys?" she asked, hoping to god that her instincts were wrong this once.

When Harry tensed she knew she was right.

"Yes," he said cautiously.

Hermione didn't say anything; she didn't need to. Instead she reached out to him and gathered him up into a hug, trying to convey all the warmth and love she could with it. Harry relaxed instantly, not sure why she was suddenly hugging him but liking it just the same.

"Hermione?" Ron asked, confused.

Ginny's expression cleared and she turned away, hoping to hide the thunderous expression on her face. The hand that she laid on Ron's shoulder to prevent him from asking anymore was shaking slightly.

For long moments the four of them sat or stood in silence, Fawkes waiting patiently next to Harry's knee. Finally Harry wriggled out of Hermione's arms, upturned face curious.

"Harry, I'm really sorry I got so mad at you earlier," Hermione said, ruffling his hair and giving him a tremulous smile. "And you know I'll never, ever leave you alone, right?"

She wasn't to know that she had suddenly touched on and alleviated one of little Harry's fears. But she did know she had done something write when he offered her a blinding smile.

"Thanks, 'Mione," he said quietly, shyly slipping his hand into hers. "I know."

For just that one moment he seemed older than he looked, more like the sixteen year old that he had been only a few months ago, his green eyes glittering with knowledge beyond his physical age. And then he smiled again and the image was lost.

"Want to play?" he offered.

"I don't want to play hide and seek," Ron muttered, embarrassed, but Harry luckily did not hear.

Fawkes did, however. With a devious glint in his beady eyes he hopped closer to Ron and gave his foot a very sharp and bruising peck through his shoe, causing the red-head to yelp. Ginny smirked.

"We'd love to Harry," Hermione said, ignoring what was happening. "Who needs to count?"

"I think Ron does, don't you?" Ginny asked slyly.

"Ok!" Harry cheered, scrambling to his feet. "Close your eyes, Ron!"

HPHGRWHPHGRW

Whistling softly to himself as he approached the stone gargoyle guarding his office Dumbledore gave the password and let the stairs carry him to the top. He could not deny that he felt a strange uplifting feeling as though a great burden had been pulled down from his shoulder.

Truly he despise all forms of muggle baiting, and fought against it at every possible turn. This time, however, this one time, he would make an exception to that rule.

Still thinking about the Dursleys he almost missed the sound that came from his office. Ceasing his whistle he listened hard. Yes, there it was again, a soft giggle.

He could have passed it off as Harry had a distinctly feminine voice not said directly after "you got me". He was certain it was not Harry, who he had left in the office with Fawkes, so he carefully walked over to his ajar office door and peered inside.

He was surprised to see three more teenagers than he had expected inside. Currently a grumbling Ron Weasley was covering his eyes and counting exasperatedly as Ginny, Harry, Hermione and Fawkes hurried for hiding spots in his vast office.

Dumbledore's lips twitched into a smile as he pulled back. For a moment he contemplated what he had seen and then he turned and walked away, pulling a lemon drop from his pocket.

He would let them play for a little while longer.

Next Chapter; Chapter Twenty-Five; Slitherin' Nonsense;Harry runs into Mason, which does not impress Ron in the slightest. Furious Harry runs after Mason and runs into some more trouble with some not-so-nice Slytherins.

A/N; So many reviewers! I think we hit a record for this chapter! There are just a few things I'd like to address. Firstly, someone asked me about the Malfoys and the outside world and about the presence of the Weasleys. Honestly, I had the Weasleys arrive simply because I wanted them there at the time :) As for Malfoy and everything else; let's just pretend Dumbledore prevented it, okay? Don't worry, I will be dealing with all those issues in the coming chapters.

I'm glad everyone liked what happened to the Dursleys, though someone even said they deserved more! That made me laugh. And someone gave me an excellent idea of Harry versus the twins… oh, the possibilities. Thanks warrior.831!

Finally, I'm fielding it to all of you to give me ideas about what Dumbledore did to Petunia. I have a very vague idea, and I want to start hinting at it, but I'd like to no one the lot of you would like to see from him. So let me know!

I'm sorry I'm not going to individually name you all tonight, but I will make up for it in the next chapter and thank you all then as well as the reviewers for this chapter. Thank you to all of you though; your reviews brighten my day!