15 July 1992
Hermione as currently laying on the grassy bank beside her best friend Luna reading a book her brother Bill brought home with him. Luna had gotten worse since Hermione was in school. Her best friend spoke mostly in riddles now and believed all of her father's conspiracy theories whole heartedly. So, there beside the pond, she held her hand and told her best friend all about Hogwarts and the adventures she had with her friends.
She was getting increasingly worried about Harry, her friend who promised to write as soon as he got home. Hermione had a bad feeling about the muggles he went home with. The large one pushed him along and the horse faced woman dug her nails painfully into his shoulder when they were saying good bye. His aunt and uncle refused to even look at the Weasleys at the station, except his cousin who stared dumbly at her, his face scrunched up in confusion. Neville told her he had not responded to his letters either. Ron had not bothered to write anyone yet, too busy flying and playing chess with Bill.
"You could always fly." Luna's soft voice interrupted her inner turmoil.
"What?" Hermione turned to face her friend who was looking off in the distance with a serene smile on her face.
"In prisons, they have bars on the window. It's much easier to escape before the bars are installed." Luna told her with the same dreamy expression on her face.
"They're going to put bars on Harry's window?" Hermione asked after a pensive silence, her voice rising a few octaves.
"Mmm" Luna hummed. "And a cat flap."
"Well, we need to go then." Hermione said decisively, she pulled Luna up with her and dragged her to the house.
"Hermione! Wipe your feet!" Molly yelled when she saw her daughter march through the house.
"Mum, can we go get Harry?" Hermione asked quickly.
"We can invite Harry to stay the summer of course. He can stay in Ron's room." Molly smiled and turned back to the sink.
"No, mum can we go get him from the muggles. I think something's wrong. He hasn't replied to any of my owls." Hermione said in a panic.
"Now, Hermione, Luna ...here sit down." Molly ushered the girls into seat and summoned the tea pot. "Boys are flighty at this age dear. I know you like the boy and he's your friend but look at Ron, I don't think he's touched a quill since he's been home."
"No, mum-" Hermione sputtered as her mother patted her hand in such a condescending manner.
"It's wrackspurts, I wouldn't worry about it too much, Mrs. Weasley." Luna cut her off with a bright smile.
"Good good, now dinner will be ready soon. You girls go get cleaned up and let your brothers know." Molly smiled and cupped Hermione's cheek, her eyes growing misty with tears. "You're growing up so fast."
"Come along Mina, let's go make sure the nargles haven't stolen your potions essay." Luna chirped and held onto her hand. As they headed up the stairs they were forcefully pulled into a purple room that smelled strongly of burnt sugar and baneberry. Hermione glared at her brother, checking over her shoulder subtly for the other.
"He's gone to nick the keys." Fred said with a sly smirk.
"The keys?" Hermione asked hesitantly.
"To the Angelina, of course!" Fred exclaimed with a smile so bright it could blind.
"For what?" Hermione demanded.
"To rescue your Harrikens, of course." Fred retorted as though it were obvious.
"Why?" Hermione hissed, ignoring her brothers insinuation.
"Believe it or not, we like our star seeker and...well, we may have noticed some scars in the locker rooms." Fred whispered, his eyes looking pained. Hermione eyes widened and filled with tears.
"So, we go tonight?" Hermione whispered, looking over to Luna.
"I think I should stay here tonight, I'll make sure your mother doesn't see you're gone." Luna smiled absently, looking over Fred's shoulder.
"Alright...let Ronnie know, yeah?" Fred eyed the little blonde wearily.
That night the four Weasleys managed to sneak out of the house and make the 3 and half hour flight to Surrey, getting lost several times. Fred circled a strange thing called Thorpe Park several times, wanting to see all of the brightly colored metal things. When they finally got to 4 Privet Drive, it was already half past 2 in the morning. Ron eagerly stuck his head out the car window and started to rap his knuckles on Harry's window. Hermione snatched him back by the collar with a growl.
"You'll wake the muggles, you twit!" Hermione hissed and paused a moment before crawling over him to lean out the window to look in.
Harry was still sleeping on a small bed in the corner, she saw the shelves littered with broken muggle things and a dilapidated dresser. Being as quiet as possible, she reached out and started to open Harry's bedroom window, when it easy opened, Hermione gave a sigh of relief. Fred and George were both urging her to hurry up and Ron sat back with his arms folded across his chest. Summing up all her years of stealth, she gingerly climbed out of the car and into Harry's bedroom, pausing briefly when a floor board creaked. Edging over to Harry's bed, she saw that he was tossing in the throws of a nightmare. She placed a hand over his mouth, waking him instantly. Harry blinked several times, trying to focus through the darkness, he shrank away from the hand in obvious fear. It didn't feel like his uncles or cousins beefy hands or his aunts boney fingers. When he started to struggle, the person applied pressure to his mouth.
"Shh. We've come to rescue you!" The voice hissed. Harry sat up immediately, scrambling for his glasses.
"Hermione?" Harry whispered incredulously.
"You never wrote back, we were worried." Hermione backed away, thankful that the darkness covered her blushing cheeks.
"Where's your trunk?" Fred popped his head into the window looking around. "Cor, you should fire your decorator, mate."
"They've locked it in my- under the stairs because my aunt Marge is here." Harry mumbled cheeks red from shame.
"Not a problem." George pushed Fred out of the way and climbed into his room. "Be back in a jiff"
"Pack up anything you want till next year, you're coming home with us." Ron poked his head into the room next. "Unless you want to stay with the muggles." Harry hopped out bed quickly, pulling up a pair of jeans that were on the floor. He started frantically stuffing random articles of clothes in a rucksack. George appeared in the door only moments later with his trunk in tow.
"Come one pass it over." Fred whispered urgently as he looked at the clock. After loading all of Harry's belongings and Hedwig into the car, the three quickly scrambled to get into the old Angelina.
"One way Weasley express to the burrow!" Fred cried happily as they sped away from Privet Drive, asking all kinds of questions about the giant metal park they saw on the way.
The sun was peaking over the horizon when they finally reached the burrow, Harry looked at the strange house and rolling hillsides in awe. Granted it was probably the strangest house he'd ever seen, Arthur tended to look at muggle magazines for inspiration when adding additions, but it was certainly better than that muggle house.
"It's not much,but it's home." Ron came up behind Harry who seemed frozen to the spot as he took in the burrow for the first time.
"It brilliant." Harry breathed, his face stretching into a genuine smile.
"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!" Molly's shriek had birds flying from the tress in a panic, it echoed off the rolling hills that surrounded the burrow. The Weasley children all paled dramatically as they saw their mother standing in the doorway of the kitchen with her hands on her hips. Luna Lovegood stepped from behind her, a grimace on her face.