***
August passed quickly; the leaves started to change color and the summer nights became chillier. Before Harry knew it, it was the last week of the summer holidays.
Harry was anxious to get to Diagon Alley and get away from the Burrow. He loved being there, but sometimes it just got too busy and he was ready for a break.
“God, these robes are disgusting,” announced Ron, as he rummaged through his old school trunk the day before their trip to Diagon Alley. He held up a pair of black robes, which were covered in dust, and smelt bad.
Harry grinned. He had been helping Ron sort through his trunk”getting rid of old text books, beetle eyes, frogs tails, and a number of other disgusting objects (such as a piece of raspberry pie that Ron had brought up to the dormitory one night, and had forgotten to finish).
“Remind me why we’re doing this again?” asked Ron, after being scared onto the bed when he saw a spider in his trunk.
“You are trying to get back into Hermione’s good books by showing her how responsible and organized you can be,” replied Harry.
Ron grimaced at the memory.
~*~
Their Hogwarts letters arrived early one, August morning. The early morning breakfast had been disturbed with a shriek when Hermione had run down the stairs showing off her new badge.
“Well done, Hermione,” Percy said. “This will definitely help when you go to apply for a job someday.”
Ron congratulated Hermione before ripping open his own envelope. However, there was no Head Boy badge in his envelope or in Harry’s for that matter” leaving Ron in a fowl mood.
Later that day, Harry walked into the living room, only to find himself in the midst of a great row between his two best friends.
“Oh yes Hermione, I’m sure you will enjoy getting all cozy with the new Head Boy!” Ron yelled.
“Well maybe if you had worked a little harder on your studies and shown up for prefect meetings once in a while, you would have gotten the badge!”
“That’s not the point,” Ron replied, obstinately.
“Well than what is Ron? You’re jealous that I got a badge and you didn’t? Harry didn’t get a badge either and he isn’t complaining!” yelled Hermione.
“He also doesn’t have to worry about a girlfriend who is the Head Girl and will be spending all her free time with the unknown Head Boy,” said Ron mutinously, but Hermione wasn’t listening.
The door slammed behind her as she left, fuming.
~*~
Ron looked at Harry, “You know she hasn’t spoken to me for a week.”
“Why don’t you apologize to her,” suggested Harry.
“Yeah sure, and then she’ll set some pigeons on me or something,” said Ron dejectedly.
“Well you have all day tomorrow in Diagon Alley to sort things out with her,” said Harry.
Ron grinned. “Maybe I’ll take her out for ice cream or something…what are you going to do?”
Harry didn’t reply. He had been planning on looking for a Pensieve in Diagon Alley, but wasn't sure if such a unique artifact could be found there.
***
Diagon Alley was vibrant and alive, as the Weasleys, Harry, and Hermione arrived the following morning”quite different from Harry’s last visit there.
It was if Voldemort had never existed. Everyone was cheerful, and most of the old shops had reopened.
As they made their way into Madam Malkins though, a run in with a blonde haired witch with glasses wiped the smile off of Harry’s face.
“Ah, Harry! I’m delighted to see you,” said Rita Skeeter. “You know, I’ve been trying to contact you for days. I hope we can arrange an interview soon?”
“Actually, I’m quite busy”school starts next week and””
“Well, then I’ll just have to talk to Professor McGonagall about arranging a suitable time. I’m sure she wouldn’t mind”after all, the boy-who-lived…” Rita trailed off.
“No I don’t think that will work,” said Harry irritably. “I don’t want a book written about me. I don’t want people coming up to me in the streets pestering me, and I don’t want to have an interview with you. You’ve ruined enough people’s lives. What about all that trash you wrote about Dumbledore?”
“That was not trash, it was the truth”people deserve the truth!” exclaimed Rita, clearly affronted.
“No, they don’t. Not when it hurts, and is written to make a person look bad. Now if you will excuse me, I need to get my shopping done,” said Harry, as he pushed his way out of the shop.
***
“A Pensieve?" asked the assistant.
“Yes. Do you have one?”
“Well, no”there isn’t much of a demand for them. We could order one for you, but it will take a couple of weeks to get here.”
“That’s fine,” said Harry. “How much?”
“One thousand galleons.”
Harry handed over a bag of gold galleons. “Could you please deliver it to Gryffindor Tower, and make sure it arrives at night?”
If the assistant thought these instructions were odd--he didn't show it. He nodded, and started to fill out the order form.
“Thank you,” said Harry as he exited the shop.
***
The rest of Harry’s afternoon was spent with Ginny. Ron and Hermione had gone off for some ice cream; leaving Harry and Ginny free to wander through the street of Diagon Alley. They looked into all of the shops--occasionally run into someone they knew from Hogwarts.
“Hello Harry, Ginny,” said Neville, running over from the Owl Emporium to meet them. “Had a nice summer, have you?”
“Yes, very nice Neville. How about you?” asked Ginny.
“It was brilliant. Gran brought me here today to get me new robes. She says I'm finally starting to turn out like my Dad,” he said with a proud grin, before glancing at his watch.
“Well, I’ve got to go. I promised to meet Gran at the Leaky Cauldron, and I’m already ten minutes late. I’ll see you at Hogwarts,” yelled Neville, as he ran off.
Ginny laughed. “Poor Neville.”
“Come on, let’s go see George,” said Harry, pointing towards Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes.
The shop looked the same”still brightly colored, and full of strange and funny objects.
A boy, about ten years old, was yelling for his mother to come see him. Harry watched as the boy’s mother nearly fainted when she saw him without a head, before he pulled off an invisibility hat, and yelled, “Surprise!”
As the mother scolded her young son, before leaving the shop in a huff, Ginny laughed.
“I think the first time Fred and George showed Mum that one, she did faint,” said Ginny.
“Excuse me, but I believe I heard my name”what have I done now?” asked George, smiling as he walked over to them.
Ginny hugged him and laughed saying, “Nothing, I was just telling Harry about the time that you and Fred pretended to have lost your head.”
George grinned, “I don’t think we got any meals for a week!”
They talked for a while longer. George showed them his latest inventions--a mirror which reflected a very ugly version of your image.
"I got this idea when Ron told me about the Mirror of Erised," George told them. "There's still some kinks in it that I am working out but I already have plans to give one to Fleur for Christmas, what do you think?" asked George. This comment resulted in a burst of laughter from Harry and Ginny.
They discussed more products”George occasionally cracking some joke which gave them all a good laugh. Soon, however, George was called away to help a customer, and Ginny and Harry decided it was time to meet the Weasleys at the Leaky Cauldron.
It wasn't until the sun started to set, and most of the shops had closed up before the Weasleys, Harry, and Hermione left for the Burrow. Before stepping into the fireplace, Harry looked at the setting sun, thinking that in just a few days he would be back at Hogwarts. He smiled as he stepped into the fireplace and announced, “The Burrow!”
***
Harry Potter: The Following Year by ginnygirl16
Chapter Notes: Okay, so here it is (after a few delays). Hope you enjoy it. Thanks to the talented betas: RCC and MJ_Padfoot. --ginnygirl16
Chapter Endnotes: Hope you liked it. Next chapter should be up soon. Until then...REVIEW!!! --ginnygirl16