There was just one final day at Hogwarts and the school year would be over.

Each house was celebrating in their own way with Gryffindor being the loudest as they once again won the house cup because of their earning of the Quidditch cup. Meaning when it came to the leaving feast they were the great hall was decorated in red and gold and they were the loudest table there.

Even Harry, who was dreading going back to the Dursley's was happy and having fun during that final night.

The next morning Harry, Ron, Hermione, Jack, Elisa and Annie managed to get a compartment aboard the Hogwarts Express to themselves.

As it pulled out of the station Harry watched as the castle started to disappear behind the mountains. It will be two months before he would see it again.

"Oh Harry, cheer up," said Hermione sadly, upset at seeing her friend like this.

"I'm ok," he said quickly. "Just thinking about the holidays."

"Yeah me too," Ron said happily. "You guys have got to stay with me and my family over the summer." He said looking from Harry to Jack. "I'll set it up with mum and dad and then I'll call you. I know how to use a fellytone now."

"Telephone, Ron!" Hermione said rolling her eyes. "Honestly you should do Muggle Studies next year."

"You'd think that someone who's father runs the Muggle section in the Ministry would know how to say these things." Elisa said in a loud whisper to Jack.

"You'd think so, wouldn't you," Jack agreed. "But they are a century behind, and it's a half blood wizard teacher," he commented on this note again.

"It's the Quidditch World cup this summer!" Ron continued not having heard anything. "How about it? Come and stay and we can all go together. Dad can usually get tickets from work."

"Yeah I bet the Dursley's would be pleased to let me go… especially after what I did to Aunt Marge…"

oOo

Around lunch time the trolley came along and Harry bought something for everyone - although nothing with chocolate in it despite Annie's begging.

As the train made it's journey back to London, the last few hours of legal magic was used to play rounds of exploding snap and practising Patronus', Harry finally not needing to shout to councure it, Elisa having a more solid arctic fox, and Annie still getting mist, but it was brighter and shifting into an animal shape.

Jack didn't practise as he was very good at it anyway.

They were almost there, and packing up their magical items when Baby Tooth squeaked and pointed out of the window.

Looking in that direction everyone saw a small fluffy something obviously trying to keep up with the train but failing every now and then tumbling in midair before catching up again.

Quickly Harry opened the window and reached out to grab it before pulling it in.

"Awww he's so cute" Annie said, petting it and giggling as it hopped up onto her head and presented a letter to Harry.

After he had pulled it off the bird he cheered himself and flew around the compartment happy to have made the delivery.

Seeing that the new bird was disturbing Hedwig, Archie (Jack's owl), and Crookshanks, Ron grabbed it and tried to calm it down.

"It's from Sirius and Lupin" Harry said cheerfully.

"What's it say?" everyone asked.

"Dear Harry,

We hoped this letter would find you before you got to your aunt and uncle as we didn't know if they were used to owl post.

We have made it back to Lupin's house in the country and are doing fine even with his monthly problems.

As the Quidditch World Cup is happening this summer and I need a way to make up for everything I put you and your friends in this year, I will personally invite you all to come with me and watch it. (This includes the whole Weasley tribe if they want to come).

"YES!" Ron cheered loudly, making those closest to temporary lose their hearing.

One thing that I don't think was said while I was at the school, I was the one who sent you the Firebolt.

"See! I told you it was him!" Hermione said loudly.

"Yes, but he didn't jinx it did he?" Harry said looking up.

"No, but it was his dog-father who sent it, just like I said it was." Jack said, looking rather smug and getting Ron and Hermione to roll their eyes.

Crookshanks took the order to the Owl Office for me. I used your name but told them to use gold from my vault at Greengots number 711. Consider it 13 birthday presents from me.

Give our thanks to Jack, Elisa, and Neville, for all they did to get me to be a free man once again.

Take care of yourself until we see you Harry.

Write back with how many people are coming to the cup by 1st August so I can order the tickets.

Love from Sirius.

P.S We thought that your friend Ron would like this owl as it's because of us he no longer has a rat. He is a bit young we admit but he seemed to be the one most determined to deliver the letter.

"I can keep him?" Ron asked, looking down at the bird in his hands, before holding it out to Crookshanks. "What do you think? Definitely an owl?" he asked, to laughs from everyone else.

After a sniff and a moment of thinking the feline nodded purring gently.

"That's good enough for me, he's mine." he said smiling.

"You know a baby owl needs more responsibility to take care of than a grown human man-rat," Jack said calmly reaching into Archie's cage to pet him a little, getting a hoot of pleasure.

"Please, he's a baby, how much trouble can he be?" Ron asked rolling his eyes.

"A puppy isn't just for Christmas, young one," Elisa said sounding wise and older.

"It's not a puppy, it's an owl, and it's not even Christmas!" Ron said back.

"It's a figure of speech," Hermione said in her smart voice. "It's saying once you get a living pet, you need to look after it for as long as it's alive and well with you. Not just one or two weeks or until you get tired of it."

"And if it gets sick you take it to the vet, which costs money, not let it suffer in pain" Annie said getting nods from Jack.

"Guys I know how to look after an owl, we've had Errol for years." Ron said, trying to defend himself crying out a little as the new owl pecked at his finger.

"As I recall, Errol is a family owl, meaning the whole family - mainly maybe your parents - takes care of him." Jack said calmly. "If you want an owl of your own, you yourself need to look after it."

And this went on going round and round until they got to Kings Cross. Along the way having tuned the conversation out Harry had reread the letter a good few times and was still holding it as they got off the train.

The Dursleys were noticeable at once thanks to Harry's descriptions of them Vernon with his walrus like moustache, tall thin Petunia, and round 5 chinned Dudley.

They were all glaring towards Mr and Mrs Weasley who were standing with the Guardians, eyeing them suspiciously, as if thinking that would do something to them if they looked away, and intensed the glare when Mrs Weasley hugged Harry.

"Remember to write about the world cup!" Ron reminded Harry as they were about to leave.

"And you remember to send me those cookies," Jack said in the redheads ear who turned red himself a little as his mum asked what he meant.

After saying goodbye, the family of redheads left, leaving Harry and Hermione with the Guardians and the Dale sisters until Mr and Mrs Dale came to find their daughters.

Once they and Hermione had been gathered by their own parents, Harry set off towards the Dursleys, standing tall and brave, the letter still in his hand.

"What's that?" Uncle Vernon said loudly seeing it. "If it's another form for me to sign you can forget -"

"It's not," Harry said calmly "It's letter from my god-father."

"God-father?!" Vernon said loudly, sputtering a little. "You haven't got a god-father."

"Yes he does sir," Jack said, coming over to them, making the Dursleys back away a little. "Turns out he was that wanted criminal that escaped from a wizard prison last summer. Broke into the school a few times during the year and almost killed our friend. And would have too, if he wasn't such a light sleeper."

"But… he has been let off because it turned out he was wrongly imprisoned, but his stay in the wizard prison had made him crazier than before." Harry explained with a small smile. "But he likes to keep in touch, keep up with my news, check I'm happy, oh and he might be coming to collect me for a sporting event that's meant to be coming up this year, but he hasn't said when it is yet."

This made the Dursleys go pale and fear shone in their faces.

Giving one more hug to each of the Guardians, grinning broadly, Harry set off towards the exit of the station, Hedwig's cage rattling on top of the trunk for what he felt was a better summer than the last.

AN: And that (FINALLY) the end.

Few! Oh my gosh! 4 years!

I can't believe it has taken me this long to write this story.

(Hopefully, though not promising or saying i will write one, the next book will take a little less time - or at least not take 8 years to write)

Thank you for all those who have faved, followed, and commented on this and stuck to it to the end

If you want another one, let me know with a review, but please give me some time to cool off from this one first.

Hope you have all liked it, from (a very tired - as i'm burning the midnight oil literally to write this) Ugly-Duckling123 ? ﾟﾥﾱ