Harry Potter and the Gryffindor Challenge

Chapter One

Back on Privet Drive

The moonlight streaming in through the window in the upper bedroom of Number Four Privet Drive was bright enough to wake the dead. In Harry Potter's case, he would have been happy if this was true. As he lay awake reading his very worn copy of Quidditch Through The Ages by the moonlight, his mind couldn't help wandering back to the beginning of the summer, when his godfather Sirius had died.

Harry and his friends had risked their lives to save Sirius from Voldemort. Voldemort was a very evil wizard who had been trying to kill Harry since he was one year old. Harry had had a very real dream about Sirius being harmed by Voldemort. After enlisting the help of his best friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, their friend Neville Longbottom and Ron's sister Ginny and her friend Luna Lovegood, he set off to the Ministry of Magic to fight Voldemort only to discover it had been a lie, a trap. He regretted not listening to Hermione pleading for him to make sure his dream was real. He regretted it, because now it was his fault Sirius is gone.

Harry took of his glasses and set them on his bedside table. He rubbed his eyes and lay back, listening to his owl Hedwig cooing softly in her cage. She had brought home a dead rat earlier that evening and now that she was full it was time for her to settle down for the night. Harry's stomach rumbled loudly, disturbing her.

"Sorry Hedwig," Harry whispered. He thought about getting out of bed and getting one of the mincemeat pies that Mrs. Weasley had sent him that week, but didn't want to risk waking the rest of the Dursley household. Along with the pies was a note from Ron:

Dear Harry,

Sorry for writing to you again mate, but Hermione and I are very worried about you. You haven't written back to either of us all summer. Dad wants to come get you as soon as Dumbledore gives him permission. Then we can celebrate your birthday with you.

I hope you're doing okay. Please owl me back ASAP so we can set up a time that is good to come fetch you. Hermione is here and insists I tell you hello for her and that she misses you.

Your friend,

Ron

Harry put the note in the floorboard with the pies so his uncle Vernon wouldn't find it in his room. Harry's uncle had a very nasty temper and his bloated purple face was the last thing Harry wanted to see. Anything that had to do with Harry's school or friends could send Uncle Vernon into a flying rage. Although, Harry's school and friends were anything but normal to a muggle like Vernon Dursley, as Harry was a wizard, who went to a school for wizards, called Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Harry looked like a normal fifteen-year-old boy. His messy black hair and glasses didn't really set him apart from the rest. His over-sized and very spoiled cousin Dudley, however, was always pointing out to his friends how extremely stupid and weird Harry was, just in case they noticed that there was something about him that scared Dudley. He still had to dress in Dudley's old clothes, but lately they didn't seem to be as loose as they once were. He had been eating well for the first time ever. Ever since Mad-eye Moody and the Weasley family had threatened Uncle Vernon and his horse-faced wife, Petunia, Harry had been getting the royal treatment. Even if he could hear them all muttering things under their breath while they are giving it to him.

He was looking forward to seeing Ron and Hermione and realized he needed to get out of the depression of losing Sirius and get back into the wizarding world. He had a death to avenge and no one, not even Professor Dumbledore would stop him. He slid out of bed and grabbed a piece of parchment and set out to writing Ron back. His quill was poised above the paper for a long while before the words finally came to him.

Dear Ron and Hermione,

I'm sorry I didn't write back to you sooner. I guess I wasn't really ready for contact from the wizarding world. I will tell you all about my summer and you can tell me about yours when I see you. You can come anytime. I think Uncle Dursley is ready to be rid of me. Just tell your dad to come the normal way.

I miss you guys a lot. Talk to you soon.

Your friend,

Harry

He walked quietly to Hedwig's cage and tucked her under the chin. " I need you to wake up and take this to Ron." She hooted dolefully and glared at him as he attached it to her leg.

He threw open the window and watched her soar out over the other houses on Privet Drive, feeling excited for the first time this summer. He couldn't wait to see his best friends again. With a sigh he lay back down and finally fell into his first peaceful night's sleep of the summer.

Chapter Two

To The Burrow

Harry awoke the next morning to the very loud rumbling of his cousin Dudley's voice.

"But Father, you know how much it means to me," Dudley whined outside Harry's bedroom door.

"Dudley, I told you once and I am not going to change my mind. You are absolutely NOT going to have a party here while we are visiting your Aunt Marge this weekend. And that is FINAL!" The last word was at a roar and seemed to literally shake the whole house. Until Harry realized that it was just Dudley slamming his foot down.

"I'm sick of having Harry here. You never let me have any fun, all because of him. All we do is make sure that those...those friends of his don't get wind of anything bad happening to him. If you're not going to let me have a party then leave me the keys to Mother's car," Dudley pleaded and he and his father moved away from Harry's door, sounding like a herd of dragons.

Harry sat up and reached for his glasses. Slipping them on, he moved out of his bed and padded over to the window. Hedwig still wasn't back from the Burrow. Harry wasn't worried. She probably needed to rest since he kept her up all night.

When he went down to breakfast, Dudley was still pleading with Uncle Vernon. Uncle Vernon's face was a very ugly puce color and he kept rattling his newspaper, trying desperately to signal to his wife to intervene.

Harry cleared his throat. "Ummm, Uncle Vernon?"

"Yes, yes what is it?" he growled, not looking up from his newspaper. There was a picture of a very large man standing on top of a hill. The man looked familiar, but Harry couldn't read the caption from where he was standing.

"Well, I just wanted to let you know that the Weasleys will be coming by to get me very soon," Harry told them, sitting down across from his uncle. He looked down into his plate, afraid to look up.

Dudley's head snapped up from where he was gobbling up what seemed to be huge slabs of bacon.

"You're leaving? Excellent. Now I can have that party, right Father?" Dudley asked, pieces of bacon spraying out of his large, foul mouth.

Harry's Aunt Petunia sniffed. He could tell she had something she wanted to say about Dudley having his obnoxious friends here in her perfect, clean house. He watched her eyes darted around to all the things she thought they might steal or break.

"I'm just waiting for them to owl me back," Harry muttered, knowing full well the word owl would make his uncle angry.

To the surprise of both Dudley and Harry, Uncle Vernon looked positively jovial.

"Very good, very good. They will be coming the normal way, I assume. By car?" he stressed, obviously worried that the neighbors might see something strange. "And they will be dressed appropriately?"

Harry was always unsure of how the Weasley's would dress. He knew they were aware of how his uncle felt about them showing up in full wizarding clothes. He doubted the Dursleys would appreciate the overflowing, tattered robes he had seen Mr.Weasley wear in past. Ron of course would be dressed okay, so he nodded, swallowing his toast and jam without chewing it properly. He choked on it, knocking his milk over in an attempt to grab his napkin.

His aunt yelled at him, "Mind the table. I don't have time to clean up after you!"

Harry cleaned it up and excused himself. He went up to his room to get some of his belongings together to put in his trunk for his trip to the Burrow. He couldn't contain his excitement. As he opened his door, he heard Hedwig hoot and rushed in.

"Oh Hedwig, I hope you have good news." Harry untied the parchment from her leg and handed her an owl treat. She grabbed it quickly and flew to her cage to enjoy it.

Dear Harry,

Dad says he got permission from Dumbledore yesterday so I'm sending you this note back as soon as I could to tell you we will be arriving tonight.

My dad got the Ministry to lend him a car, as your uncle would have a fit if we flooed to your house. They have been a lot nicer to him at work since you, well, you-know-who got into the Ministry lobby and you being right about him being back.

Anyway we will see you tonight, mate. Hermione is having a bird about making sure you're okay.

Ron

Harry couldn't wait until that evening when Ron and his dad would come to pick him up. He was puzzled about the bit about Hermione, but shrugged it off. He can't begin to understand girls. He packed up his trunk and cleaned out Hedwig's cage. He sent her ahead to the Burrow so she wouldn't have to travel in the car. When he was satisfied that he hadn't missed anything he dragged both the trunk and cage down the stairs into the front hall. Then he sat on the chair in the living room to wait.

His aunt was bustling around, glaring at him for being in her way. He watched as she cleaned the already clean house. She stared at him for a long moment before speaking.

"Your uncle and I are leaving in a few minutes. What are you doing just sitting there?" She glanced past him into the hall and saw his things. Comprehension dawned.

"Your...friends are coming to get you tonight? Just as well. Then we won't have to worry about you wrecking anything in our house while we are gone." She glared at him again and walked out of the room. As far as goodbyes from the Dursleys went, it wasn't that bad.

"HARRY POTTER!!" His uncle bellowed from the kitchen.

Harry got up from his chair and walked into the room where his uncle sat eating a snack the size of a seven-course meal and watching some ridiculous program on the television.

"Yes Uncle Vernon?" Harry replied, wondering what on earth he was going to be yelled at for now.

"Your aunt and I are leaving shortly. She tells me your friends are coming to get you this evening. Don't let them do anything strange while they are here. And keep them away from Dudley." His uncle dismissed him by going back to his eating and Harry took that as his cue to go back to his chair in the living room.

The Dursleys left in an uproar with Uncle Vernon shouting on the top of his voice about how Dudley still cannot have a party. If he heard from the neighbors about any goings-on Dudley would lose his privileges for a month. His portly cousin toddled his way upstairs, slamming his bedroom door. He didn't want to be downstairs when Ron and his dad arrived.

At quarter of seven there was a knock at the door. Harry ran to the door and threw it open. There stood Mr. Weasley, Tonks and Mad-eye Moody.

Mad-eye limped in over the threshold and gave Harry a once over. "Looks to me like he's okay Weasley. I guess Hermione can stop having birds now," he growled.

Harry looked past them for Ron.

"I'm afraid Mrs. Weasley wouldn't allow Ron or Hermione to come on the trip. Mad-eye and Tonks joined me for the trip. They were as eager to see you as the rest of my family. They are all waiting for you back at the Burrow. You have everything packed, Harry?" Mr. Weasley asked, looking around for the Dursleys.

"Yes, sir. I have everything right here," he said pointing to his trunk and Hedwig's cage. He explained where his aunt and uncle were. Mr. Weasley nodded, looking relieved.

"Hiya, Harry!" Tonks said as she pointed her wand at Harry's things. "Locomotor trunk." The trunk floated two feet off the ground and hovered behind her as she picked up Hedwig's cage and walked out the door to where the Ministry car was waiting.

Harry looked around one last time, knowing he wasn't going to miss anything in the Dursley's house, nor them. He shouted up the stairs, "I'm leaving Dudley!"

He heard a muffled, "Whatever." And he chuckled to himself.

"All ready, Harry?" Mad-eye asked.

"Never been more ready," Harry replied and he followed the others out the door.

Tonks drove the Ministry car, which surprised Harry. She was always knocking things over and tripping on things. She was known for being clumsy. He didn't see how her being the one to drive the car across country could be all that good. He settled in and closed his eyes. After a while, the others took this to mean he was dozing off and spoke in whispers around him.

"The poor lad looks so sad. I'm sure he must miss Sirius terribly," Mad-eye said quietly.

"He hasn't written back to anyone since they all left school. Everyone has been very worried," Mr.Weasley said in hushed tones.

"I'm sure he will feel better once he gets to the Burrow. You know he loves it there. All you crazy red-haired Weasleys can't help but make a person cheerful," Tonks replied, watching the road carefully. Mad-eye had his eye spinning around quickly looking for any signs of someone following them.

Harry didn't like that everyone was always so worried about him. As long as he made Voldemort pay for what he had taken from Harry, no one would have to worry anymore. This was the last thought Harry remembered thinking before falling into a deep sleep.

When he awoke the sun was shining brightly on his face and the landscape looked familiar. Soon they were upon the large, stacked shape of the Burrow. Tonks pulled up around the front and skidded the car to a halt outside the front door. For the first time that summer, Harry finally felt like he was home.