Young Writers Society

CHAPTER 1

Boredom Buster


Harry never thought after everything that had happened that he would be packing his trunk full of clothes and equipment to go to Hogwarts. This year, however, would be different from previous years for Harry. Not just because it would be his last ever year at Hogwarts, not because the number of pupils would have dramatically decreased but because Harry wouldn’t be returning to Hogwarts to learn what we he would need for his N.E.W.TS (Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests). He would be returning to Hogwarts to stand against Voldemort if he attempted to take the school. Harry had had plenty of time over the summer to think things over and it had come to him on his last night at number 4 Privit Drive. Dumbledore had spoken of Voldemort wanting to have an article from each of the founders that he could use as horcruxes. The locket of Salazar Slytherin, which rightly belonged to him, the cup of Helga Hufflepuff and possibly something of Rowena Ravencalws. He had stated these items would hold some significance to him. Now that Dumbledore was dead what was to stop Voldemort walking into Hogwarts and taking the sword of Godric Gryffindor and destroying the school. This was too crude for Voldemort but there was nothing stopping him entering the school. Before Voldemort there was Tom Riddle and Tom Riddle loved Hogwarts as much as he could and possibly even more than Harry. That would not have stopped him destroying it though and there was no shadow of a doubt that it would stop Voldemort. Harry’s main reason to return to Hogwarts though was for Dumbledore. Dumbledore had loved the school and had protected Harry throughout his life as best as he possibly could without actually doing much. As a memory to Dumbledore Harry would not let Voldemort enter the walls of Hogwarts and would fight him and complete the prophecy even if it killed him just to keep what Dumbledore loved the most good and whole. A knock on the door brought Harry out of his reverie and he called for whomever it was too enter. The door opened and Hermione came in. She shut the door behind her and stood next to Harry. Harry pulled the lid of his trunk shut and looked at Hermione.

“ What do you want Hermione?”

“ Mrs Weasley sent me to make sure all your stuff was ready and Fleur asked if you would come down to the kitchen because she’s baked us all some cookies for the train journey.” Harry nodded and waited for Hermione to leave. She didn’t.

“ What else Hermione?”

“ Nothing. I just don’t feel too fabulous. I don’t know what’s wrong but I haven’t felt right all summer.”

“ Don’t worry. You’re not the only one.” Laughed Harry.

“ Yes. I have noticed that you’re being rather distant, even to Ron and he’s your best friend.”

“ He’s ONE of my best friends Hermione. Just like I hope Ron’s ONE of your best friends.” Hermione smiled and sat down on the bed next to Harry’s trunk. Harry banished his trunk off the bed and onto the floor so as he could sit next to Hermione. The trunk made a loud banging sound on the floor and both Harry and Hermione laughed.

“ Is there anything particular that’s bothering you?” Asked Harry. He was concerned about Hermione because she had changed over the summer. A lot and it wasn’t for the good. She had once been a bright, smiling young woman but now she was rather ill looking, thin and tired. Her face was slightly hollowed and her once bushy brown hair was dull and lank.

“ I don’t know. It could be a number of things. Dumbledore’s death, Voldemort and his Death Eaters. There are so many possibilities and I just don’t know which is bothering me.”

“ Hermione. Things will get better so there’s no need to worry. I am going to destroy all of Voldemort’s Horcruxes, protect the school. Then complete the Prophecy.” Hermione was astounded at the casualness in Harry’s voice. The way he had spoken was the way he would ask her for Sunday dinner. There was no fear, anger or upset in his voice whatsoever and Hermione knew that Harry wasn’t being brave or anything like that. He was being honest. Hermione felt tears welling up in her eyes and she flung her arms round Harry and hugged him. Harry put his arms round her and hugged her back. There was a knock at the door for the second time in five minutes and Ron walked in. Ron seemed more alive than he had ever been and this was most evident when he stood next to Hermione. Ron’s flaming red hair was redder than it had ever been and his freckles were few in number. He was tall and well built and no longer looked like a gangly teenager. He looked like a full-grown man and the expression on his face as he entered and saw Hermione hugging Harry was one of pure jealousy. Before Ron could say anything though Harry mouthed the words she’s upset to Ron, who nodded his head and wiped the jealous expression on his face clean off.

“ Hermione.” Ron said softly and quietly. Hermione let go of Harry and looked at Ron, her face stained red with tears and her eyes glistening.

“ What’s wrong?” He asked. Hermione shook her head and answered in a sorrowful voice.

“ I don’t know.” Harry stood up from the bed and walked past Ron, shutting the door behind him. He smiled knowingly and walked along the second floor corridor of Grimmauld Place and down the stairs and into the dining room. Ginny was lying on the floor, her legs crossed and in the air flicking butterbeer corks at the wall.

“ Bored I take it?” He asked and smiled at Ginny. She looked at Harry and immediately jumped to her feet, her face going red with embarrassment.

“ No I’m not bored. It’s just I’ve finished my packing and…” gabbled Ginny. Harry laughed and walked over to stand beside her.

“ There’s nothing else to do. I know. Have you packed your broom yet?” Ginny smiled at Harry and he smiled back.



“ GINNY! REMEMBER AND HIT KREACHER OVER THE HEAD IF YOU SEE HIM!” Shouted Harry.

“ GOT IT!” Ginny shouted back. She was in front of him on her recently polished Firebolt that Harry had bought her as a present. Harry was curious to know if both Ginny and Harry were on the same broom racing against each other who would win. For this question to be answered Harry had bought Ginny a Firebolt and had just challenged her to a race to try and combat her boredom but also to answer his question. Ginny was a very good flier and so was Harry so they were evenly matched and they now had the same course to run and the same broomstick so everything was fair except for ability. Harry would never have dared do anything like this when Sirius was owner of this house. He was unsure whether Sirius would have minded or not otherwise he would have asked a long time ago. Now that Harry was the rightful owner of the house however he could do whatever he wanted. He could give use it as a summer home he could never visit or he could use it as the Headquarters of the Phoenix as it had been in the past. Harry had decided to take up residency at 12 Grimmauld Place and allow it to be used as the Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix as Sirius had before him. As Harry owned the house there was no one who could tell him not to do what he wished in the house. Which was why he and Ginny were racing through the whole house on there broomsticks. Ginny flew past an ornate vase that Hermione had placed on a mahogany table in the third floor hallway and as Ginny flew past it the vase fell off the table and smashed to the ground. As Harry passed the vase he muttered reparo and the vase mended itself and lay on the ground, Kreacher would come and pick it up sometime and if Harry saw him he would give him a good, hard smack on the head. Hermione would normally argue with Harry on the behalf of Kreacher but she had come to realize that he was not like Dobby or other house elves. After all, his greatest ambition was to have his head cut off and placed on the mantelpiece with his relatives. Harry had obliterated the mantelpiece and the house elves heads upon it. As Kreacher had stuck his head round the door Harry had charmed Ron’s dirty socks to follow Kreacher around for five days until Ginny had asked him to stop it and get the socks washed as they were starting to smell horribly.

“ DO I GET POINTS FOR THE VASE?” Shouted Ginny.

“ NO.” Ginny swerved round the corner and jumped off her broom and slid gracefully down the stairs banister to the first floor and as the banister ended Ginny jumped onto her broom. She was further ahead than she had ever been in the entire race and Harry decided that he would take a slight detour from the route Ginny was taking. After all, he hadn’t said how you were to get to the kitchen. Harry spun his broom round and smashed through the door of the room that Kreacher used to spend a lot of time in. Kreacher was there now and as soon as he saw Harry he scurried away from him as fast as he could muttering insults as he always did. Harry skimmed past Kreacher and slapped him over the head before breaking through the other door in the room that opened onto a narrow staircase. Harry dived down the narrows staircase and smashed through the wooden door at the end. Everyone in the kitchen got a tremendous surprise when a door that they thought didn’t go anywhere splintered open to reveal Harry on his broomstick. He jumped off his broom and landed neatly in a chair at the small circular table in the kitchen.

“ Ginny here yet?” He grinned at Mrs Weasley and Fleur. Mrs Weasley was looking as shocked as Fleur yet within seconds the shock on their face’s had changed to twin looks of annoyance.

“ I WON!” Ginny screamed as she raced into the kitchen, only to fall off her broom as Harry spoke.

“ Fraid not Gin.”



CHPATER 2

Can’t be


Ginny stood up and regaining her composure faced Harry, her hands on her hips and a scowl fixed firmly on her face.

“ You cheated. You were behind me and you didn’t go past me. Did you apparate?”

“ No I didn’t cheat and no I didn’t apparate. I took a different route. I’m glad I did because I met Kreacher.”

“ Oh.” Ginny sat down next to Harry and flicked the splintered wood of the doors Harry had broken through out of his untidy black hair. Mrs Weasley was watching them both closely whilst Fleur was smiling sweetly at them both. Neither Ginny nor Harry noticed any of this.

“ Ginny. Can I talk to you in private?” Ginny nodded and stood up. She walked out of the kitchen followed by Harry. Mrs Weasley followed behind Harry a minute later. Fleur gave her a questioning look then picked up a cup of tea and sipped it as Mrs Weasley shut the door. She crept up the stairs and took a piece of flesh coloured string out of her pocket and fed it under the door. Mrs Weasley would never use Fred and George’s products but this was a matter of urgency to her. She had to find out what Ginny and Harry were talking about.

“ Ginny. Why did you do that?” Asked Harry sadly.

“ Do what?”

“ You know what. In the kitchen.”

“ Oh. Right. I couldn’t help myself. I still love you Harry. Do you know how difficult that is for me?”

“ Ginny. I’ve told you this before. We can’t. It would only put you in danger.”

“ If your talking about you-know-who Harry I’ve already been through that danger.”

“ And it almost killed you. A matter of minutes and you would have been dead.” Harry cut across Ginny’s words then took a deep sigh.

“ Ginny. I care about you and love you so much. It puts you in danger you can’t even imagine. Tom Riddle may have possessed you in the diary but that would be and is nothing compared to what he would do if he found out about your love for me. We are talking about Lord Voldemort here. He uses everything he knows and has to his advantage. Do you not understand what could happen if he found out? He could use you as bait to get to me and he would kill you in front of me as soon as he had me where he wanted. I couldn’t and can’t be with you Ginny because how would I be able to live with myself if you died?” There was silence for about three minutes and, satisfied, Mrs Weasley pulled back the extendable ear from her purge of them three years ago, put it back in her pocket and went back down the stairs to the kitchen. Little did she know that Ginny had flung her arms round Harry and kissed him and that Ginny was crying all her sorrow and upset out in the safety of Harry’s arms.



“ Harry! Oy! HARRY!” Harry opened his eyes and started as he saw Ron and Hermione staring concernedly at him. He sat up and rubbed his eyes.

“ What’s up?”

“ Mum wants you to have your trunk in the landing within five minutes.”

“ Why?”

“ Because it’s 10:15.”

“ Yeah. And?”

“ Are you ok Harry? Are you feeling all right?” Asked Hermione.

“ Yes I’m fine. Just not looking forward to…” Harry stopped speaking and looked down at Ginny whose eyes had just fluttered open. She yawned wildly.

“ What are you doing here Harry?” She asked sleepily oblivious to Ron and Hermione.

“ I live here Ginny.”

“ Your rooms down one floor.”

“ No it’s not. This is my room.” Ginny’s eyes flickered about the room and she shot up from the bed as she realized exactly where she was and who, apart from Harry, was looking at her.

“ Ron. Before you say anything nothing happened.” Ginny said hurriedly.

“ I know so don’t worry. Hermione and me sneaked in earlier this morning to wake you two up because Mum had made us all breakfast. I was going to wake you up but Hermione stopped me.”

“ Thanks Hermy.” Ron looked confusedly at his little sister.”

“ Hermy? What do you mean Hermy? Her name’s Hermione. If you’re even talking about her.”

“ Ronald. That is what you call a nickname.” Ron scowled at Hermione and everyone except Harry laughed. Even Ron laughed. Harry just lay back on his bed and stared up at the ceiling. Ginny lay next to him and stared up at the ceiling too.

“ What’s wrong?” She asked in a tone of voice that only Ginny Weasley possessed.

“ Things are just difficult. Everything will be coming to a head soon and I’m worried.”

“ What about?” She moved closer to Harry.

“ You most especially, Ron and Hermione. I can’t stress how much danger you are all in. The most frustrating thing is none of you are listening to me!”

“ That’s because we are stubborn.” Hermione and Ron said in unison before each giving the other a strange look.

“ And I love you.” Ginny’s voice was soft and Harry felt suddenly relaxed and less tense and highly strung than usual. Harry sighed and stood up from his bed. He walked over to his trunk and apparated himself and his trunk to the bottom floor landing. Hermione and Ron’s trunks were already there and Crookshanks was hissing from his wicker basket at nothing in particular. Pigwidgeon was zooming about his cage repeatedly and twittering in a high-pitched squeal. Harry remembered that he had left Hedwig upstairs in his room. He apparated onto the second floor and carefully and quietly opened the door to his room. He slipped in to find Ron, Ginny and Hermione grouped together and whispering about something.

“ It’s wise to whisper about someone when they’re not around.” Harry said calmly as he offered Hedwig an owl treat. She gracefully floated down from the top of the wardrobe in the corner of the room and landed on Harry’s arm. He gave her the treat and stroked her gently as he carried her across to her cage and gently putting her in it She nipped him affectionately and he gave her another treat. He took Hedwig’s cage and apparated downstairs then back onto the second floor and sneaked into his room. Ron, Ginny and Hermione were yet again whispering. Harry coughed loudly and they all spun round to look at him.

“ There’s not really anything wrong with me.”

“ That’s what I’ve told them.” Ginny said with slight anger gesturing to Ron and Hermione. Harry smiled sadly.

“ I know. I know. What time is it Hermione?” Hermione looked at the watch on her wrist that Ron had bought her for Christmas and yelped.

“ It’s 10:30! We’ve got 30 minutes!”

“ Hermione. There’s no reason to worry. We’re in London remember.” Hermione nodded but she was still flustered. Harry apparated downstairs to the landing and was surprised to see Tonks instead of Mrs Weasley.

“ Wotcher Harry. Is that you and the rest ready to go or do you need more time?” Tonks looked a whole lot better since Harry had last seen her. Instead of pink and short her hair was long, silky, shiny and a dark purple. Her heart-shaped face was bright and seemed to glow and her eyes glittered with happiness and good feeling.

“ No, no. We’re fine. Hermione and the others should be coming down soon.” No sooner had the words left Harry’s mouth Hermione and Ron appeared next to Harry and Ginny flew down the banister and landed neatly next to Tonks.

“ Tonks! How you doing?”

“ All right Ginny. Well, as all right as you can be during times like this.”

“ Well at least you have the one you love to stand beside you.” Tonks smiled at Ginny and Harry flung his hands up in the air, walked over to the front door, opened it and slammed it shut behind him. The door opened behind Harry and Tonks stood next to him.

“ Now then Harry. I am going to act like a serious adult here. I know that Ginny loves you, it’s as plain as the nose on my face. I also know that you love her. Ginny understands that she is in danger if you and her become an item. She understands it as much as you understand what you have to do. Well, not have to do. But you get my meaning here.” Harry nodded and Tonks paused.

“ She also fears it as much as you fear facing Voldemort.” Harry looked closely at Tonks to see whether she winced but she didn’t. Her hair changed from purple and long to mousy brown and short before changing back to long and purple but apart from that nothing happened when she mentioned Voldemort.

“ Do you remember when Bill was at the hospital wing after being bitten by Fenrir Greyback? When Molly and Fleur finally bonded properly? The discussion between Remus and myself? Do you remember it?” Harry nodded and Tonks continued.

“ His excuses were the same as yours. I might get hurt, I’d be in danger and a few others which don’t apply to you.” Tonks didn’t need to say anymore and Harry didn’t need to know any more.

“ Thanks Tonks.”

“ No problem! Harry. I know things are going to be difficult for you this year so if you ever need any cheering up I’ll be somewhere in Hogsmeade. Best get inside so we can all get going.” Harry smiled gratefully at Tonks and she returned the smile. Tonks pushed the door open and walked through it after Harry. Harry stood behind the closed door for a few moments. He took a deep breath, walked over to Ginny and before she could say anything kissed her. Ron and Hermione had been talking but there conversation had died so there was only silence. Harry broke off the kiss, took Ginny’s hand and led her out the door.

“ You two coming?” He said looking at Ron and Hermione’s astonished faces. He winked at Tonks and she just smiled back at him proudly.