Part 9

Ron, Hermione, and Ginny are at the Burrow for the begining of the summer holidays. Harry is at number 4 privet drive.

Harry was sitting on his bed re-reading all of the letters he had received from his friends at Hogwarts. A couple of essay length warnings about nargles and crumple-horned snorcacks from Luna, a small tentacula plant and a laughable complaint about his grandma from Neville, a few letters from Ron complaining about Hermione, and Hermione complaining about Ron, and, Harry's personal favorites, accounts of Fred, George, and Ginny's notorious pranks, as well as memoirs of the many times they'd sent Mrs. Weasley into a rage, and the experiments gone wrong when the three of them were testing new joke products. He was re-reading about the time that Fred took polyjuice potion and pretended to be Ron, then went into Hermione's room and confessed his love for her. Meanwhile Ginny had locked Ron in a broom closet and George cast a silencing charm on him. A tap on the window interrupted his daydream. It was Pig, holding Ron's response to Harry's last letter.

Harry,

Everything's been kind of weird over here. Mum keeps randomly bursting into tears over Percy. I thought that would've ended a while ago but apparently mum still isn't completely convinced that Percy's a git, and that she should forgotten about him like the rest of us have. Hermione keeps giving me lectures about empathy. They are lovely opportunities for midday naps. (She just hit me) Dad's mostly shut up in his shed, he's got about fifteen weird metal boxes. Hermione says they're called 'radios'? Fred and George left for the shop a few days ago. I'm not complaining, since I can finally walk around my own house without worrying for my safety, but it seems like it's been torture for Ginny. Mum doesn't let any of us outside because of you-know-who, so she hasn't even got quidditch. I personally wish mum would loosen up a bit though, the sound of the quaffle constantly hitting Ginny's bedroom wall is driving me mad. Charlie's been working with some new species of dragon in Romania, and get this: some have gone missing recently, and Charlie reckons you-know-who is having deatheaters take them, and that he's  gonna start training dragons for his army. Hermione obviously thinks that's stupid but it's you-know-who! He'd probably do anything for world domination or whatever it is he wants. Bill and Fleur have moved in to a house somewhere in the middle of nowhere, they're probably having the time of their life. Nieces and nephews will be on the way soon. Hermione just hit me again. Anyway the point is we miss you, mate. I'd love to come rescue you again but I've only got a broom and getting to Surrey would take ages. Did Dumbledore say anything else about that favor he wanted? Let me know. Hermione sends love.

-R

A week later at the Burrow.

Ginny was in her room tossing a quaffle at the wall, and catching it again. Hermione was curled up on Ron's bed reading Standard Book of Spells, Grade 6 while Ron was sat at his desk polishing his broom. "GINNY IF YOU DON'T STOP THAT RIGHT NOW-" Ginny's quaffle suddenly flew into the room and hit Ron's Chudley Cannons poster hard, before falling to the floor. Ron stood up abruptly. "That's it, I'm going in there..." Hermione's quiet voice stopped him. "Stop it, Ronald. She's bored. We all are." Ron came over and laid down on the bed next to Hermione. Hermione closed her book and it was quiet for a moment. She began distractedly playing with Ron's hair. "What do you know about Lavender Brown, Hermione?" Ron asked suddenly. She snapped her hand away from Ron's head. "Lavender Brown?" Ron sat up. "Yeah, she's been sending me letters... A lot of letters." Hermione picked up her book again and pretended to read. "Oh." Then Ginny walked in, looking lost in thought, and slumped into Ron's chair. "How long do you reckon it would take to fly to Surrey?" Ron looked contemplative. "Don't even think about it, Ron." Hermione started. "It would take at least 3 hours to get there and 3 to get back. Not to mention birds. And your mum would get worried sick." Ginny looked at Hermione. "I have leftover slumber droughts from when we tested them for Fred and George! If we slipped mum one in her evening tea..." Ron sat up straighter. "And dad wouldn't even notice we were gone!" Both Ron and Ginny's faces lit up. "We could tell mum that Dumbledore brought Harry!" Hermione looked livid. "Need I remind you two that there is a powerful dark wizard out there who is trying to kill Harry? And that Harry being in a broom in the sky for three hours is basically a treat for him?" Ron and Ginny looked at their hands guiltily. "Honestly. Do you two ever think?" "Maybe you'd have more fun if you didn't think so much!" Ron piped up. "OH so you're saying I'm not fun?" Ginny slipped quietly out of the room. She could still faintly hear Ron and Hermione arguing when she entered her own. Pig was waiting for her with a letter in hand. "Guys!" Ginny yelled when she saw the letter. "It's from Harry!" And Ron and Hermione ran into the room. Hermione sighed with relief when she had skimmed over the letter. "Two more weeks." She said. "He'll be here in two more weeks."