Harry Potter and the Very Different Year

Harry Potter and the Very Different Year

Chapter 1

The Granger's

    Harry sighed. He'd had a good summer of physical labor. He had, however unhappily, gotten some good knowledge on how much less the Dursleys liked him. Oh, no, they had never mentioned it out loud, but Harry could see it. He was, however, surprised that they were accepting that he was a budding wizard. Not that they wanted him to be, but Harry guessed they had gotten over the impossibility of keeping him normal. Now, they tried to keep him at Hogwarts over the summer as well, but Harry's intelligent aunt realized how easy life became when she could make Harry do all the work.

    "HARRY!" his Aunt Petunia shrieked. Harry groaned. Another job?, he thought helplessly. Only one day more, then, surprisingly enough, he would be gone for the last three weeks before school started. But the real surprise, however, was where Harry would be staying. Evidentially, the Grangers had somehow acquired Harry for the three weeks, much to the displeasure of the obviously distraught Mrs. Weasley, and the not-so-obviously distraught Ginny.

    Harry winced a little when he thought of Ginny, but after the yelling his aunt was doing, he forgot that he had done it, forgot to identify the importance of it. He grumbled silently and walked into the kitchen, where Petunia sat there fuming.

    "Yes, Aunt Petunia, what do you want me to do?" Harry asked with a yawn. He had three hours until the Grangers picked him up.

    "Go make Dudley some lunch, and don't burn the hamburgers!"

    Harry almost gave Petunia a look of shock. No Dursley had ever told him to make hamburgers. And those were on the list of things Dudley could not eat. Harry stood in the doorway, puzzled for a second. But only for a second, because Petunia had seen him standing there doing nothing, and nothing was worse than an already pissed off Petunia getting more pissed off.

    He walked to the grill and fired it up. It was, sadly, a present of Dudley's. He had wanted it to make s' mores, but, like his TV and third computer, he never touched it. It started really fast, and Harry sprinted in the house to grab what he needed.

    "How many burgers do you want?" Harry asked innocently.

    "Four! Give Dudley the biggest one you can find. But ONLY one! And don't burn them!" she screamed in Harry's ear. It was like they thought he was deaf. "Oh, and make yourself one, but eat it before we eat or you won't be eating for a while!"

    Harry was almost in shock. He was to have a hamburger? He shook the thoughts out of his mind in an instant, wondering what had prompted him to think like a house-elf. It could have been the reminder of Hermione's S.P.E.W. rant from last year, but he didn't care to know why. He grabbed the burgers and threw them on the grill. He seasoned them perfectly, knowing instinctively how to do it. Instinctively? he wondered. But he finished them and ate his in seconds. He brought them in the house, nice and warm.

    "Go set the table! And quick!" Petunia shrieked, even before Harry had showed her that he had finished the burgers. He placed the burgers down on the table, and went to set the table. He had it finished just before Vernon walked in the door, and everything was set perfectly, even the drinks, though Petunia had not told Harry to get them.

    "Hello, Vernon!" Petunia said as Vernon walked in the door. "Where's my Dudleykins?"

    "Dudley'll be in in a second. He's bein' a good boy and he's carryin' Daddy's notebook inside."

    "Oh, what a good boy! I'll give him extra dessert for helping his daddy!" Petunia cried, loudly enough so Harry knew he was making more dessert than usual. Dudley, too, heard, and moved faster, if that was even possible for him, to bring his father's stuff into the house.

    "Where do they go, Daddy?" Dudley asked with a big, goofy grin, knowing Harry was watching.

    "Oh you can put them on the sofa, Dudley. You'll get more dessert than your mommy was offering for bringing both notebooks in!" Vernon said happily. Then he turned nasty as he saw Harry in the kitchen.

    "Move faster, you dolt! We need dessert in five minutes, hear? Or you sleep in the cupboard tonight!"

    Harry was about to reply, saying he had just finished the dessert and that he wasn't going to be staying the night here for the rest of the year, but a car horn halted him. He set out dinner, ready for Petunia to grab and set on the table, and rushed to his room, grabbing all his stuff.

    "Hello, you must be Mr. Dursley," Mr. Granger said after Vernon opened the door. "This is my daughter, Hermione. We're here to take Harry for the rest of the summer."

    "Good, " Vernon replied gruffly. "You can take the brat from us. Try to convince him to stay at his damned school for the next ten years for all I care. He didn't kill himself his second, or third or fourth year, just make us think that he's dead. Then you'll have done us a favor."

    By that time, Harry had packed all his stuff and was at the front door, somehow managing with it all, and carrying it without a problem. He smiled weakly to Hermione, and walked out the door.

    "YOU BETTER NOT HAVE RUINED MY DINNER, BOY!" Vernon shouted at Harry, not even noticing that he was yelling in Mr. Granger's ear.

    Harry sighed and Hermione helped him get his bags in the car. She seemed quite nervous, no doubt because of his uncle, Harry thought. She didn't say anything, and again for the same reason, Harry thought.

    "G' bye, Uncle Vernon!" Harry yelled with such fake unhappiness it was enough for Vernon to go purple in the face. Petunia saw his face and maneuvered him into the big chair, holding a large glass of brandy for him.

    Harry sighed, as the car left the driveway, and realized that he might actually miss the Dursleys. There would be no Dudley to torture.

    "Harry, you weren't kidding when you said that your uncle wouldn't care that you'd saved the school," Hermoine stated, still shaking as they moved farther from the Dursleys and 4 Privet Drive. Harry smiled and just looked out the window.

    "Oh, I forgot to let Hedwig out of her cage! Mr. Granger, would you please let me take care of that?" Harry asked, thoroughly worried about his snowy white owl.

    "Sure, Harry," Mr. Granger replied. He stopped the car, and Harry jumped out, running to the back of the car. He opened the trunk and almost broke Hedwig's cage trying to snap the lock. But, finally he opened the cage, and Hedwig gave Harry an affectionate nibble on his ear before flying into the sky. Harry sighed happily and closed the trunk. He walked back into the car, and buckled himself in.

    "Thanks, Mr. Granger," Harry said, after he had finished. Mr. Granger smiled and started the car again. Harry looked out at the sights again, and sighed. It would be good to leave the Dursley's.

    After two hours of driving, they made it to Hermione's house. He looked at it and smiled. This house looked nothing like Ron's, but it had all the happiness, if not more, that Ron's had. He went to get his stuff, and followed Hermione into the house.

    "This is my room," Hermione said, after she made it up the stairs, and passed her door. "And here is the guest room, where you will be staying, Harry." She pointed to the door across the hall from her room. Harry walked in the door, and put his stuff neatly beside the bed. He set up Hedwig's cage by the window, opened both of them, so Hedwig could get back, and then walked out of the room.

    "So, Harry, how have you been?" Hermione asked as they walked down to the living room.

    "You know," Harry replied. "Same as usual. Seems that Aunt Petunia wants me to die working or something. Even Uncle Vernon tries to overwork me... but they haven't succeeded yet." He smiled. Even though they work him that much, they still haven't destroyed his smile? Hermione wondered, quite surprised indeed. Not only was Harry the Boy-Who-Lived, but he could withstand the torment of the Dursleys. Hermione smiled. "Dinner tonight was on time, and perfectly cooked, but you noticed how Uncle Vernon yelled in your father's ear?" Harry asked Hermione. Hermione, however was lost in her thoughts. "Hermione?"

    "Huh? Oh sorry Harry, um... what did you ask?" Harry repeated his question, and Hermione noticed his look of worry. "Yeah, I don't like him very much. Professor Dumbledore should find you a better place to stay. Oh well," she sighed. "It can't be fixed. Oh, we'll be meeting the Weasley's in Diagon Alley tomorrow, ok?"

    "Sure, Hermione," Harry said, still looking at her worried.

    "Wow! Look at the time Harry!" Hermione exclamed. It was already 10:30. Harry would have already been asleep; the Dursley's were very punctual people.

    Harry laughed. "Ok, Hermione, see you tomorrow!" Before he could walk to his room, Hermione gave him a hug and slipped up the stairs after a shocked Harry. What the hell is up with Hermione? Harry wondered, seconds before his head hit the pillow, and he was asleep.