2nd Chapter

Thank you for your letter. I am doing quite well. Mother and Father

took me to France this summer, to improve my French and to visit the

Unicorn Resort in the Camargue. The unicorns were quite lovely, but

I kept thinking back to the one we saw in the forest last year, and now

that I've seen them alive and well, it's hard for me to imagine anyone

harming one.

How was your birthday? I hope it was lovely! I hope you like my gift.

Sincerely,

Your friend

Draco

I smile as I finish the rather short letter and turn towards the small parcel, neatly wrapped in silvery paper.

Go ahead, open it.

Wow, you're impatient.

It shouldn't bother me, how eager Aly is about anything Draco related, but it does. I pick up the parcel and unwrap the silver paper, revealing a beautiful metal silver box. On its lid, there is a beautifully engraved rose. I open it and stare in awe at the beautiful golden and ruby bracelet sparkling up at me. If I know Draco then these are real stones, for sure. I gently take it out of the box and put it on, admiring it. Then I see a little note stuck in the lid of the box.

I had father place an anti-theft charm on it.

PS: I was going to get you a green and silver one, but I didn't want to get lynched in your common room.

I laugh at that. How right he is. Ron would probably never speak to me again. I look back at the bracelet, glittering next to the silver one Neville gave me for Christmas.

You're a popular one, aren't you?

I ignore her, partially because I'm still upset from our conversation about Draco, and partially because… well, I don't know how to respond. It's all too confusing… Is Aly's story starting to repeat itself, and if so, is it because it's fate, or because I have somehow altered it subconsciously. I can't remember having ever been this confused…

The best thing, is probably, to not think about it too much. They're your friends, that's all there is to it.

Yeah, you're right. Now… Now I just need Harry to write back. He hasn't replied to my last three letters… How am I supposed to protect him if he ignores me?

That is the real issue.

Aly and I have decided that that's why she's here, to protect Harry. It has to be. The simple fact that Harry survived this time around changed everything. Voldemort is, mostly, gone and there is peace, where the would have been a war. Harry's the key, somehow, but until we figure out how, we have to keep him safe. And the only way that I know how to do that is to become his closest friend, the one he turns to before he does something stupid like facing Voldemort alone. Again.

That's definitely on top of our list of things that we can't let happen.

Agreed. But so far it doesn't look like he wants to be my friend….

I am trying not to feel rejected, not to take this personal, but after what the two of us had gone through together at the end of the term… Well, I have just been assuming that it connected us somehow. But perhaps I am the only one who is aware of this connection. Harry probably thinks I'm a freak or something.

I don't think so… From what I've seen in your memories he's a polite boy, kind… I don't think he'd ignore one of his friends for no reason. Something's wrong.

You think so? I ask worriedly. Aly's protective instinct of Harry seems to be rubbing off on me because now I need to find out. Maybe he's just busy… on vacation with his family or something…

Maybe… but I think it wouldn't hurt to check.

And how to you propose we do that? He lives in Surrey, with muggles. They're not exactly hooked up to the Floo network….Besides… there's no way Mom would let me go.

Right… and we can't apparate yet. Stupid underage magic law… We'll have to get started on practicing wandless magic as soon as possible, but till then…. Do you know of any wizards living close by?

Nope.

Well then! Muggle transportation it is.

What? Are you crazy? That would take forever! Mom would definitely notice….

Well then… what do you propose?

I stare at my mother over dinner, trying to figure out how to best bring up the issue. She doesn't like to meddle, never has, but well… Maybe.

"What is it, Lisha?"

I blush, trying to look innocent.

"What do you mean?"

"You've been staring at me intently for at least ten minutes, not even touching your potatoes… So I'm assuming that I've either got a nasty booger on my nose and you're too embarrassed to tell me about it, or you want something."

She gives me knowing smile and I sigh.

"I'm worried about my friend…."

My mom frowns.

"Neville?"

"No, no! Neville's fine, I think… No I mean Harry."

She puts down her fork, giving me her full attention.

"Harry, as in Harry Potter?"

I nod.

"Why are you worried about him? This doesn't have anything to do with what happened at the end of the year?"

Her voice is strained and I know I have to proceed carefully. She doesn't know exactly what happened at the end of the term, only that Harry and I were attacked by a Professor. She had been livid, as livid as I've ever seen her.

"Not really now… I mean… He hasn't replied to any of my letters… and I don't think that's normal for him, I mean, he's always nice and polite and we're friends and now… Well, I just think that something's not right."

The tension leaves her shoulders and a small smile appears on her face.

"Ah, I see. Well, honey… boys can be strange, and sometimes they don't know how to reply to a girl..2

"That's not it!" I say a little too loudly and my mother frowns again.

"Watch your tone, Lisha."

I blush. "Sorry… It's just… I don't think it's that. Harry and I have… well, he promised to write, and he hasn't. I'm just worried."

I can tell that she thinks it's nothing, but being the mother she is she tries to hide it.

"And what do you want to do?"

"I was wondering if you could take me to Surrey, to pop by, see if everything's alright. I would feel so much better after."

"Are you really that worried?"

I nod my head.

"Alright. In that case, we can go on Saturday when I'm not working, how's that?"

I get up and give her a hug, relief flooding through me. Saturday is in two days. He'll be fine till then, right?

It's Friday evening and I'm trying my best to calm down. I'm oddly nervous about the next day, when I'll finally get to check up on Harry. There's a tap on the window and I turn around to see a beautiful white owl there. It's not Neville's owl, that one's black, and Draco's is a soft brown. Maybe it's Hermkone's, she did promise to write to me. I get up and open the window, letting the beautiful bird into my room. She hoots and holds out her leg so I can untie the letter. It's from Harry!

Maybe your mother was right, and we were worried for nothing.

I open the letter.

Dear Lisha,

I'm so sorry that I haven't replied to any of your letters. I have a very good reason, and you're not gonna believe me when I tell you. They were intercepted by a crazy house elf! Alright, let me try and explain this. So this house elf, Dobby, showed up in my room the other night, trying to keep me from going to Hogwarts. He kept going on about how it was too dangerous for me to go, and then he told me that he had intercepted all my letters in hopes that I'd think I didn't have any friends to go back to. As if that would work… I'd rather be in Hogwarts friendless than stay with the Dursley's….

Speaking off… I'm not there anymore, so you'll have to address your letters to the Burrow for the rest of the summer. They rescued me with a flying car! Crazy, isn't it? It's also Dobby's fault that I had to be rescued in the first place… He dropped cake on our guests head, with magic, and then a howler came, because of the underage magic law… and then Uncle Vernon put bars on my window and said I could never go back to Hogwarts. I don't get it… I mean he hates me, why would he want me to stay with them? But Ron, Fred and George stole their father's flying car, flew out to Surrey and rescued me out the window, dropping Uncle Vernon in the bushes in the process. I know I shouldn't find that funny… But it's hard not to. Pigs were flying ( my Uncles' pretty fat).

I snort at that, imagining a pig flying out the window after Harry and the Weasley boys.

So now I'm here at the Burrow, and it's wicked! Seriously! I've never seen a cooler house. is fantastic, but she seems to think that I've never eaten anything in my life and now she has to make up for the last 12 years of my life. Not that I'm complaining, her food is delicious! Living with the Weasley's is fun, but Ron's sister Ginny is a bit strange. I think she's really shy… Don't know why though, but she hasn't said a single word to me so far… Girls are strange, no offence.

Oh! And they have a ghoul in the attic! How wicked is that?

What about you? How have you been?

I've had a couple nightmares about… you know… what happened at the end of the year. In these dreams we don't stop him and he comes back and comes after me, but I know that's silly. After all, what would he want with a twelve-year-old boy? Anyway… I just was wondering how you have been with all of that.

Oh! Before I forget! We ( The Weasley's and I) will be going to Diagon Alley to get our school supplies. Maybe we could meet up there?

Your friend,

Harry

Dear Harry,

It's good to hear from you! I was really worried, you know. It's a bit embarrassing, but I was going to make my mother take me to check on you. I just couldn't believe that you wouldn't write me back. I'm glad to hear that there was a really good reason, but not what that reason was. A crazy house-elf? Who sent him? I mean house-elves can't really do much without their master's permission, right?

The Burrow sounds like a lot of fun! I asked my Mom about Diagon Alley and she said I can go if there is an adult around. Mrs. Weasley will be, right? Is it alright if I invite Neville too?

About what happened at the end of the year… Yes… I do have nightmares, strange ones too. I'm still not really sure what exactly happened, I mean how did no one notice that Quirrell was possessed? How did we all get past the tasks so easily? Not that I don't think you guys were impressive, I do, but… well, they were supposed to hold out a serious intruder and they didn't. Except the mirror I guess. Was that it? Were they just diversions, not even strong enough to keep out eleven-year-olds? I just don't buy it. What are your thoughts?

Mom and I have mostly stayed home, since she's working. But I haven't been too bored. I made a new friend, Aly, and we get along most of the time. She can be a bit annoying sometimes, but she's really smart and she's been teaching me some wandless magic! How great is that? Maybe I can show you sometime? Well I need to go to bed, but I'm excited to see you soon! Say hi to Ron for me.

Best wishes,

Lisha

Dear Lisha,

Your friend Aly sounds pretty cool, but how old is she if she can do wandless magic? Is she at Hogwarts too? Except for visiting the Burrow my summer was just as boring as yours. At the Dursley's I just cleaned and did chores. They don't really like me much… they never have. It's because of my magic, I think. My aunt really hates it.

Yes, Mrs. Weasley will be there, so you can tell your mum that she doesn't have to worry. Of course you can invite Neville! It will be great fun if we all go together, don't you think?

I haven't really thought about that, you know, that we broke through enchantments that were supposed to hold out adults… But maybe you're right and the mirror was the real protection, and the rest was just to weaken them, or something. Speaking off, you never did tell me how you got through the fire. Hermione said you used an advanced spell. Is that true? And where did you learn it?

As for Quirrell… I think he just had everyone fooled, with his stuttering and stuff… I mean did you suspect him of being anything other than a wimp? I thought for sure that it would have been Snape… Did I tell you that I was right? He really does hate me. Apparently because my father saved his life… at least that's what Dumbledore said. I don't really understand that… I mean… you saved my life and I don't hate you. If anything I like you more now.

Well I assume the next time we talk will be in Diagon Alley. I'm looking forward to it.

Ron says hi back.

Best,

Harry