Act 2
Chapter 21
Summer, 1992
# 1
Oliver,
Have you ever noticed that the summer goes by so fast that the days just seem to run together? That's why I thought it best to date the letter as above. How are you? I hope you and your family are well. Sorry we didn't catch up again on the platform after the train arrived, but perhaps it was for the best.
My parents hounded me on the way home about where you were — they remembered seeing you hug me when we got off the train at Christmas.
Dad: "Where is that strapping young man we saw you with over the holidays?"
Mom: "Yes, he was quite handsome."
Both: "When are we going to meet him and have him over for dinner?"
Ugh, they drove me crazy on the way home... it was all that and more. I tried telling them we were just friends, but yeah... they didn't pay much attention to that.
Anyway, I was glad I didn't pull you into it or it could have been ten times worse considering you were the topic of a lot of conversations over the holidays. I have to wonder about them sometimes...
Oh, I wanted to tell you; Ron, Harry and I agreed to write to each other and Ron invited Harry to go stay at his house this summer. The thing is... Harry's reaction was rather...odd. Harry told Ron that he needed something to look forward to after thanking him for the invitation. Ron made a remark that he was still famous, and he used the fact that other people kept telling Harry goodbye to prove his point. Harry told him not where he was going. But even that wasn't the strangest thing.
Mrs Weasley accompanied him through the barrier with us to find his aunt and uncle were there with his cousin to get him, and, well... Mrs Weasley greeted them cheerfully, but his uncle was quite rude to her and Harry as well. When I wished him a good holiday, he just said that he was going to have fun because they didn't know he couldn't do magic outside of school.
Back at school, after we got back from Christmas holidays, Ron showed me something Harry gave him for Christmas. He said Harry told him it was from them. It was Muggle money... 50 pence. So really, they only sent him 2 Sickles 14 Knuts for Christmas. It's not even enough to refill all his potions supplies, except maybe for the beetle eyes.
I know that they likely don't know the conversions, but still, they should know that school supplies cost more than that. It's absurd. I think that was why Harry gave it to Ron... Ron was interested in what he called 'the weird shape of it', so regardless of the value, I think Harry knew it would mean more to him.
It's rather sad though, that even for being his friends, we don't really know what his home life is like. Well, I guess that none of us really know about each other's home lives, except maybe Ron just being from a large family, but still, you'd think he'd share something with us.
Maybe I'm worried about nothing, I don't know, but I just found it strange that when I made the comment when we were boarding the train that it felt strange to be going home, Harry said he wasn't going home...not really.
Hermione
Summer 1992
#1
Hermione,
I really like the way you think. Yes, the summer days do tend to run together, so your idea of new time markers for our letters makes sense. Your description of the conversation with your parents made me laugh, I truly wouldn't mind meeting them if they want to meet me. I told you over Christmas that I would be glad to meet them any time. I understand how you feel though, and I will leave that decision up to you.
It was nice of Ron to want to keep in touch with you and Harry, and invite Harry to his house over the summer holiday. I agree that is rather odd behaviour on the part of Harry's family. TheyareMuggles though, maybe magic makes them nervous, or perhaps he was just having a bad day? Or even a busy one maybe?
It's really hard to say. It's entirely possible that Harry's uncle didn't know about our currency or the cost of things here, but Idoagree with you that he should have known that school supplies would be more than that. At least Ron was interested in it and it got put to use rather than wasted.
As for not knowing about his home life, sometimes it takes time for people to open up and make friends. I know you and Ron are his friends, but maybe he feels that he would stand out more if he shared everything? He's famous after all, maybe he just wants some private things? All I can suggest is not to push him, I'm sure he'll share with you when he's ready.
Oliver
Summer 1992
#2
Oliver,
I'm becoming increasingly worried about Harry. I mean, we agreed a couple of weeks ago on the platform to write. I haven't heard anything from him. Ron told me that he and Hagrid haven't heard from him either. We've each sent out a letter so far this summer and there's been no response to any of them.
Hermione
Summer 1992
#2
Hermione,
Perhaps he's been busy? I really don't know what to say, other than that... perhaps you should try writing again?
Oliver
Summer 1992
#3
Oliver,
Ron wrote to me and said that he'd written to Harry again. He told me this time that if he didn't hear back they were going to go get him. I hope Harry contacts them soon. I also sent another letter, and I'm still waiting. I think Hagrid did as well, but I'm not sure.
Hermione
Summer 1992
#3
Hermione,
I'm sure he's okay. I hope you hear from him soon. Please keep me posted. I wish there was more I could do to help.
Oliver
Summer 1992
#4
Oliver,
Ron wrote to me again. He said that his family's going to go and get Harry. I think the whole family is worried they've not heard from him. Ron said they're going to go get him.
Hermione
Summer 1992
#4
Hermione,
You must be worried, you're repeating yourself. I wrote to the twins, and they confirmed that they will be going to get Harry if they've not heard from him by the end of the week. If they don't, they plan on going to get him on 3 August. I hope that helps put your mind at ease.
Oliver
Summer 1992
#5
Oliver,
Thank you for the confirmation. I already sent a letter to Ron. I hope that they have Harry with them by the time it arrives. We plan on going to get our school supplies on 19 August. Not that I really need my actual spell books, you know, the Charms ones — I have all of the Charms volumes already, but I might get some new ones anyway, they are getting rather worn. Then there's whatever books the other classes require. After that, I'll be meeting them to catch the train as usual.
Hermione
Summer 1992
#5
Hermione,
You're welcome. The twins wrote to me, they were able to get Harry, and yes, your letter arrived after he was there — the same day they got their Hogwarts letters. They said that their mum thinks it's a good idea to meet you at Diagon Alley when you go, too — just wanted to let you know in case Ron or Harry haven't written you back yet.
The twins said that their mum has them busy de-gnoming the garden, and helping with other chores, but they get out to the field behind the house to get in some Quidditch practice when they can. Of course they can't really practise Quidditch, they live too close to a Muggle village and it would be hard to explain if the Bludgers or Snitch got away. I will try and meet you there as well if you like. Maybe I can meet your parents then? If that's something you want anyway.
Oliver
Summer 1992
#6
Oliver,
If you really want to meet them, I can't stop you. I don't mind though. It would be good to see you again.
Hermione
Summer 1992
#6
Hermione
Come on, they can't be that bad, can they? I will mark my calendar and do my best to make it. I know that the twins will want to hang out before school starts anyway. Hope to see you then.
Oliver
Hermione put away the last letter she'd received from Oliver and sighed. She debated writing to him again, letting him know about her most recent letter from Ron, something he'd sent her, he said, without Harry's knowledge, but decided against it. She pulled the letter from Ron out as she tucked the ones from Oliver away.
Hermione,
I have to make this quick. Harry's in the bathroom at the moment, and he doesn't know I'm sending you this. I just wanted to let you know, he's thinner than he was at the end of the year — so it wasn't a shock when we met you. I went along with Fred and George to get him. We borrowed dad's car. It flies and has an invisibility booster in it.
Anyway, when we got there, those Muggles had bars on his window and were starving him. I'm not kidding, he'sreallyskinny. I wouldn't mention it to him, I just thought you should know. I don't know what's going on, but I better go now, I hear him coming back. See you in Diagon Alley.
Ron
She'd read the letter many times, and still didn't know what to think of it. Sighing, she put it away with the others and got ready for bed.