Okay, let me just get this off my chest really quick: I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so, SO sorry!

Okay, I'm fine now. Well, hello everybody! I apologize for starting up this story so late, things have been so crazy and a lot of things have happened that will take too long to explain. But good news! We are now on Prisoner of Azkaban, and you cannot imagine how happy and excited I am to be starting the third book to my series! I know this first chapter isn't much, but I love it soooo much! Just as a heads up, I know my French accent dialogue is bad, so I apologize ahead of time. Please, please review, tell me what you like, what you don't like, and note any improvements that can be made. Thank you so much for sticking with me guys, it really means a lot to me. Enjoy the first chapter, I'll get the next one up as soon as I can. Love you all, enjoy!

Disclaimer: All things Harry Potter are not mine.

Chapter One: Happy Birthday Harry

MPOV

"Mia! Mia come on over and look, it's amazing!"

"Hermione, I told you, I'm perfectly fine right here next to the staircase!" Mia said, her feet frozen to the spot as she glared at her best friend. "I'm not moving an inch closer."

Hermione rolled her eyes as she peeked through the telescope that allowed her to view all the many buildings and traffic that was down below in the streets. She had been telling Mia to come over and look for the past ten minutes, but the girl was having none of it. The two of them were currently on the first floor of the famous Eiffel Tower, set in the very heart of Paris, France. It was their first week into their vacation, and so far, both Mia and Hermione were having a blast.

Mia and the Grangers had arrived in France just days before, and she was barely able to sit still in all her excitement. It was late at night when their plane had landed, but that didn't stop Mia from gazing out of the car windows in awe, staring at everything around her as they drove to their hotel. They had landed in the outskirts of the city, and had driven a good couple hours until they finally reached the hotel, where they were greeted by the staff and taken to their rooms. The minute they had walked in, Mia was breathless and speechless at how open it was. The walls were painted a lovely sky blue, with cherry wood furniture, a sliding glass door leading out to a small balcony overlooking the town, white curtains, two twin sized beds with white sheets and blankets, and paintings on the walls of flowers, seashells, and women in elegant dresses. Seeing the room was like breathing in fresh air, and Mia loved it. Everyone had gotten settled right away, and Mr. and Mrs. Granger had allowed the girls to go exploring as long as they stayed close to the hotel and as long as they stayed together. Mia and Hermione took their time observing the many shops that lined the streets, and they even bought a bun from the local bakery, which was mouth-watering to the scent. After spending the first few days exploring the town, Hermione's parents surprised them by telling them that would be taking a day trip into Paris, and to say that both girls were excited would be an understatement. They had gotten up especially early that Friday morning, getting washed up and scarfing down their breakfast, running out to the rental car before Mr. and Mrs. Granger could even finish their morning tea.

When they had finally reached the city, Mia couldn't help but gaze out of the window in awe. The buildings were so tall, almost as tall as the trees in the forests surrounding Hogwarts. There were many fountains that were made of the finest marble, stone and even golden plates, with sparkling water that shined like pellets of diamonds whenever they were caught in the sun's rays. The buildings themselves were even decorated with statues and lovely carvings, some detailing the history of the city, and others of angels, and saints. What really caught Mia's attention were the people. They seemed no different than the ones she saw back in England, but at the same time they were very different. They wore colorful styles of clothing, and as she cracked open the window to get a better look at them, she could hear everyone talking in rapid French. There was even a certain scent that lingered in the air—fresh baked pastries, and the alluring smell of ground coffee beans from the nearest café. They had spent the majority of the morning going around the shopping centers, where they bought gifts for themselves. There was a small corner store they had found that sold lotion, perfume, and all kinds of body products. Hermione was attached to the Strawberry Champagne bath set while Mia was fond of the Midnight Cherry Blossom. It made her feel as if she was sitting in a moonlit garden, and she fell in love with it instantly. After paying for their purchases, they came upon an antique book shop that not even Mia could find the will to pull herself away from. They ended up having a very nice conversation with the owner, who obviously knew they were foreign and was surprisingly patient with them as they looked through the tour book in order to communicate with him.

They went on to visit many more historical and popular attractions, including the Louvre, and the palace gardens. Now, they were observing the city from the Eiffel Tower, and Mia was cursing herself for getting into this. She was terrified of heights, and had only complied as long as she didn't have to go over to the railing, and they wouldn't go higher than the first floor. Mrs. Granger had politely decided to stay with Mia while Hermione's dad, Richard, went over to look through the telescopes with her.

"I don't know why I let you talk me into this," Mia mumbled.

"Because I'm your best friend and you can't say no to me," Hermione replied with a smile.

"That's debatable right now," Mia said, giving Hermione an even fiercer glare. The bushy haired girl just giggled and pointed something out to her father.

"Are you having a good time Mia?" Mrs. Granger asked.

"Definitely," said Mia, a smile tugging at her lips. Everything has been so incredible so far. Thank you so much for letting me come along."

"It was no problem dear," Mrs. Granger said with a smile. "We're glad you could come with us."

Mia smiled at Mrs. Granger as Hermione and her father came back over.

"Okay, how about we all go inside to eat?" Mr. Granger said. Mia and Hermione both happily agreed, and they all went inside the restaurant where they would be eating their dinner while having a perfect view of the city. They were seated at a booth in the left corner of the restaurant, next to a window overlooking the Arc de Triomphe. The sun was just setting over the borderlines of the city, painting the sky a beautiful pink and gold and making it so breathtaking that even though Mia didn't want to sit next to the window, she couldn't help but stare over Hermione's shoulder to gaze at its beauty. Even though there was still some daylight left on the horizon Mia could see some of the city lights flickering on in the streets below, and as she continued watching the sun sink lower into the sky, the reds, and greens, and pinks of the night life slowly and steadily starting flickering to life. While they all got comfortable and looked over their menus, Mrs. and Mrs. Granger were looking at the entrees while Mia and Hermione were quietly talking about the upcoming school year.

"I can't wait to start classes," Hermione whispered excitedly. "We get to start our electives this year!"

"Only you would think about schoolwork during the holidays Hermione," Mia giggled. I just can't wait to see everyone again—I'm really starting to miss Ron and his bottomless pit of a stomach."

"I miss him and Harry," said Hermione. "I wish they could have come with us."

"Me too," Mia admitted. "But we have two weeks left, and then we'll be home again. I still don't know what I'm going to get Harry for his birthday though."

"I found something for him in the Daily Prophet this morning," Hermione said. "A Broomstick Servicing Kit, it has everything from tail clippers to wood polish."

"He'll love it," Mia said, grinning. "Maybe I should just get him a helmet, because he's bound to hurt himself like he does every year."

Hermione giggled, and then she and Mia both straightened up as their waiter came over to take their orders. After writing down their requests, the waiter left their table, and the returned after about ten minutes with their drinks. Mia thanked him for her pink lemonade, and once he left, Mr. Granger raised his glass.

"A toast," he said. "To a marvelous day in Paris."

"To Paris," Mrs. Granger added in. "The City of Lights."

Mia and the Grangers all shared a delicious meal together, and by the time they were ready for their bill, Mia's eyes had started to droop and itch from tiredness. They left the restaurant shortly after and then started making their way back down the stairs to the ground level of the tower. Soon enough, they were back inside their car and driving off down the streets, heading towards the city exit. Mia and Hermione didn't say too much on the way back to the hotel, too full and tired to speak. The dark night skies had since been descended upon them when they finally reached their hotel, and Mia found herself dragging her feet up to their rooms. They took the elevator up to the second floor, and when they were outside in the hall, Hermione hugged and kissed her parents goodnight before Mrs. Granger wrapped her arms around Mia, causing her to blush.

"Don't stay up too late dears, we're going out tomorrow for breakfast," Mrs. Granger said.

"We won't Mum," Hermione assured her before they both bid them goodnight and headed inside the room. The minute Mia stepped inside, she slumped over to her bed and fell face-forward into it, letting out a loud moan of content at the feeling of her soft pillow. She heard Hermione turn on the light, and then she heard a sharp gasp. Wondering what was wrong, Mia picked up her head, looking over to her left—right into a pair of half open bright orange eyes.

"Eeeeeek!" Mia yelped, jumping back so quickly and so far that she tumbled off the bed and onto the floor, landing on her rear. Grumbling under her breath, Mia looked up to see a large brown owl laying on her bed, looking half-dead and completely still with a letter tied to its leg.

"Errol!" Hermione said, coming over and examining the bird. "How did he get in here?"

"I told you not to leave to window open," Mia said, rubbing her bum and standing to her feet. "Is he okay?"

"Yes, he's fine, just tired," Hermione replied. "He's got a letter from Ron!"

"Read it!" said Mia, jumping back onto the bed and pulling Errol onto her lap. Hermione took the letter of his leg, opened it, and began to read:

Dear Hermione and Mia,

How's it going? You two having fun? I tell you, I wish I could have gone with you guys, I'd rather be anywhere else besides with Percy right now—he just got a letter saying he's been appointed Head Boy. He's been an absolute nightmare, strutting around wearing his new badge. Fred and George are planning to steal it and fix it up as Percy's punishment.

Guess what? My dad entered himself in the Ministry Grand Prize Galleon Draw—he's hoping to win a little money so we can all go on vacation this summer. I really hope he gets it, it'd be nice to spend the summer somewhere else for a change. Not too much is going on at the Burrow, my brothers and I played some Quidditch with Ginny, and Fred and George have actually been spending some more time shut up in their room than usual. Mum thinks they're up to something, but I don't think it's much to worry about, there's all kinds of noises coming from their room all the time.

By the way, you guys remember when Harry gave us his phone number to call him? Well, uh, don't try it okay? I tried calling him last week, and it didn't end up so well. His uncle answered and I told him I wanted to talk to Harry—okay, I yelled actually, but that's not important—and he got a bit snappy. I think I might have gotten Harry into trouble, so I would suggest not calling. I feel kind of bad, Dad reckons I shouldn't have shouted—

Mia burst out laughing as Hermione read this, falling onto her back and startling Errol. Hermione just rolled her eyes, and as soon as Mia caught her breath, they continued on reading.

Anyway, when are you guys coming back? We should meet up to go shopping again in Diagon Alley before school starts. My mum and dad are taking me to Ollivanders to get me a new wand, I can't wait! Let me know in your next letter okay?

—Ron

"We probably should have told Ron exactly how to use the telephone before he used it," Hermione said.

"Probably," Mia agreed, still giggling. "The boy can win a life-sized chess game but can't use the telephone—honestly, we should have signed him up for Muggle Studies this year."

…..

The next week passed fairly quickly for Mia, and she was having so much fun! She and Hermione spent most of their time at the beach and hanging out around town, meeting strange and friendly people along the way. One day, Mia and Hermione rented a couple bicycles and rode along the pathway next to the beach, with Mia capturing every moment with her camera while keeping a hold of the handlebars. On a crisp Tuesday morning, Mia and Hermione decided to take advantage of the bright and sunny day and head on down the street from the hotel to the Farmer's Market, letting Mr. and Mrs. Granger have the morning to themselves. Hermione dressed in a simple pair of blue denim shorts, a forest green short-sleeved shirt, and a pair of sandals, tying her hair up in a ponytail. Mia put on a frosted pink, pleated skirt that reached just below her knees, a white beaded V-neck shirt, and a pair of her own sandals. As they walked down the road, they passed by some friendly venders who were setting up their carts for the morning crowds, waving and shouting warm greetings. When they reached the market, they eagerly checked out nearly all the carts, because along with food, the market also sold items such as clothes, jewelry, books, and all kinds of treasures that attracted tourists from all over.

Hermione dragged Mia over to the fruit cart, where they saw exotic fruits that neither of them had ever seen before. Wanting to try some, Mia, dug into her side bag and pulled out some money, buying a melon for both her and Hermione. As they turned away and started nibbling on their fruit, which was very sweet and juicy, Mia suddenly heard a voice that made both her and Hermione stop in their tracks.

"A leetle far away from 'Ogwartz aren't you dears?"

Mia whipped around to see a particular cart that was somewhat apart from the others. It was draped in rich purple and blue clothes, and covered from top to bottom in all kinds of interesting objects. There were golden chains with crystal beading dangling from the ceiling, a beautiful woven carpet displayed on a chair outside the cart, a few crystal balls lined up near the front, vials filled with, to Mia's shock, with what looked like potions for common medical needs, such as fevers and colds. Also, there were a lovely green and gold china set, a couple stacks of dusty volumes, and weird-looking amulets on the counter. But what really caught Mia's attention was the vender herself. She was an elderly woman, with grey hair mixed in with her ebony curls, which were secured in a blue scarf. She wore a royal blue ruffled skirt, and puffy white blouse, with golden earrings dangling from her ears. Mia's instant thought was that this woman looked very much like a modern day gypsy. She and Hermione stared wordlessly at the woman until she smiled, and beckoned them forward.

"No need to be surprized," she said, speaking low but clear enough for them to hear her. "You are from ze 'Ogwarts school, yes?"

"Um…how…" Mia said.

"You young ones are not ze only ones with treecks up zere sleeves," the woman replied, her fingers brushing against a pocket in her skirt which Mia could now see a wand poking forth from the top. "And you should keep yours more 'idden, too."

With a start, Mia looked down at her bag and saw that indeed, her wand tip was poking out and she quickly covered it with the top fold of her bag.

"How did you know we were from Hogwarts?" Hermione asked as they stepped closer to the cart.

"You Engleesh wizards stick out like a sore thumb," the woman chuckled. "I am Madame Zima, collector of fine gifts and treasures. You zee something you like?"

"You're the first magical person we've met since coming here," Mia said as she observed all the objects. "These are so beautiful…"

"Yes, I not zee many wizards in town," Madame Zima said. "All of zem go to Paris. You have shopping place in London, yes?"

"Yes," Hermione answered as Mia kept on looking around. She was looking over a set of glass scales when she saw something out of the corner of her eye. Buried under a feathered fan and a golden hat was a pure white conch shell, just sitting there on the counter. Mia carefully moved it from under the fan and hat, taking it gently into her hands. The shell was the color of snow, and it seemed to glow in the light of the sun, not a single scratch on its surface.

"What is this?" Mia asked Madame Zima.

"That ez something special," Madame Zima answered. "Eet 'as been charmed so ze person can hear ze music of ze ocean and rain. Much how like Muggles zay, but you can hear eet anywhere. It can also provide light to whoever holds eet, as long as they focus on ze object of zere love."

Mia stared down at the shell, and then held it up against her hear. Instantly, all other sounds seemed to fade away, and she smiled as she heard the roaring sound of the ocean waves as if she were standing right in front of it, along with the pitter-patter of gentle rain.

"It's beautiful," said Mia. "How much is it?"

"Well, eet 'as been here for a long time," Madame Zima said, looking thoughtful. "You can have eet for seven Galleons."

"I'll take it," Mia said, placing the conch down on the counter and digging through her bag for her money. Madame Zima took the conch, saying she will place it safely in a box so it wouldn't break and wrap it up.

"I'll get it for Harry," Mia said t Hermione as she counted out her gold coins. "He's never been to the ocean before—I'm sure he'll like it!"

After paying for Harry's gift, Mia and Hermione bid Madame Zima good day, and they walked around the market for a little while longer before heading back up to the hotel. Hermione's parents were fascinated with the conch shell, and took a few minutes to admire it before Mia and Hermione went to place their things down in their room. Once they walked in, Mia placed her shell on the desk and then sat down in the chair, taking out some parchment and quill so she could write a letter to her parents. In the meantime, Hermione reached under her bed and hauled a sleek black leather case with the words Broomstick Servicing Kits stamped across the front onto the mattress, frowning at it.

"How am I supposed to send this to Harry in time for his birthday?" she said. "What if they open it at customs?"

"I'm not sure," Mia said. "Maybe we can go back to the market and ask Madame Zima if there's an owl post somewhere close by?"

However, before Hermione could respond, their conversation was interrupted as the window suddenly swung open from a gust of wind, and in the next moment, Harry's pet owl Hedwig came soaring through the window gracefully.

"Hedwig!" Mia beamed. "What are you doing here girl?"

Hedwig did one lap around the room and then landed on the desk surface next to Mia, staring up at her with her amber eyes. Mia smiled down at the gorgeous owl, tracing her fingers through her soft feathers as she pet her.

"This is perfect!" Hermione said. "Now we'll be able to send both of our gifts to Harry—Hedwig sure is clever."

"That she is," Mia said as Hedwig hooted in an affectionate way. While Hermione came over to also pet Hedwig, Mia turned back to her letter, dipping her quill into the ink as she started to write.

Dear Mum, Dad, and Brian,

How are you guys? I miss you all so much. It's so amazing here in France, I can't even begin to describe how beautiful it is! I love the hotel we're in, it's so close to the sea, and Hermione and I are taking advantage to having a room to ourselves. And don't worry Mum, we are doing our summer homework, Hermione keeps getting on my case about that. She wants to rewrite her History of Magic essay based on the information she got here, and knowing her, she's bound to go overboard. Yesterday at dinner Hermione and I tried vanilla and peach Crepes, and our server put on extra cream and peaches on ours. I told Hermione it was because he liked her, because he kept staring at her, but she's in complete denial.

We've been spending the last few days wandering around town mostly, and yesterday we all went down to the beach. Hermione's getting a tan, and I only got burned. Last week Mr. and Mrs. Granger are taking us down to spend the whole day in the city! It was amazing, we went to the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, the Palace Gardens, the Notre Dame Cathedral, and we might be able to go to the theatre this weekend! I'm so very excited, and I'll make sure to take lots of pictures to show you guys when I get home.

How are things in Little Whinging? Has Harry been by lately? I feel bad that I'm missing his birthday again this year, but I finally found a nice present to get him. It's a conch shell I bought from a local witch at the Farmer's Market. It's been charmed so you could hear rain and the ocean, and it gives light to the holder if they focus on love, at least that's what the witch said. Do you think he'll like it? I hope so, I know he's not expecting to get many gifts for his birthday.

I love you guys so much, and I'll write again as soon as I can.

Love,

Mia

Mia Thatcher sighed as she signed off the letter she would be sending to her parents later on. She neatly folded up the parchment, and then she slipped it inside an envelope before sealing it and writing her home address on the front. As soon as she was finished with that, she took out a new piece of parchment and started writing out Harry's letter and birthday card. She was very grateful that Hedwig had turned up—Harry's birthday was just a couple days away, and she was worried that she wouldn't be able to get him a gift on time. As soon as she was finished with the letter, she sealed it up and then turned to Hedwig.

"You feel like taking a trip back to England tomorrow morning girl?" she asked.

Hedwig ruffled her feathers in a dignified way and Mia giggled. She should know by now that Hedwig was not one to refuse any kind of challenge.

…

Mia was running through a dark forest at night, thick, towering trees surrounding her on all sides, leaving her in almost complete darkness…and yet, she wasn't afraid. In fact, she felt happy, very near joyous. The cool air whipped her hair as she ran, dancing behind her, and the soft earth massaged her feet, leaving a trail of footprints behind her. As she ran, the thick bushes seemed to move out of her way as she approached, never giving her a scratch. She could feel her heart beat an excitement, and there was a sense of good fun, maybe even some mischief, that was coursing through her, and every once in a while she would look over her shoulder playfully, as if she were expecting someone to be behind her.

And indeed there was. Emerging from the darkness was a familiar raven haired boy, green eyes piercing through the shadows and a grin lighting up his face. Mia giggled and pushed her legs faster, as if this was all some great game. Soon enough, Mia broke through a thicket of trees and found herself in a clearing that was brilliantly lit by the light of the moon, chasing the darkness away. She smiled up at the moon before turning around, expecting harry to come running through the trees after her. However, instead of her best friend, there was a beautiful brown and white Stag that was emerging from the depths of the forest, its dark eyes fixed upon her. Instead of being scared or even confused, Mia smiled at the sight of the creature, holding her hand out to it. The Stag slowly approached her outstretched hand, sniffing it for a moment before he nuzzled her palm, and as she looked into its eyes, she could have sworn she saw a shade of green flash through them. In the next moment, the Stag suddenly began glowing a faint silver color, and as the seconds ticked by, the light grew brighter and brighter, with the Stag's fur turning into the color of starlight. The light grew so bright that Mia had to shield her eyes away from it…

Mia jerked awake with a soft, quiet gasp, staring up at the dark ceiling. Her heart was beating just a tad bit faster, and it took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the darkness of the room. Swallowing hard, Mia sat up in bed, where she was tangled in the sheets. The room was as quiet as can be, and she looked over to see Hermione was sleeping soundly, undisturbed. Mia let out a breath of relief—at least she didn't wake her up. Sighing quietly to herself, Mia laid back down on her pillows, trying to figure out what her dream had meant. She hasn't had that dream since her first year at Hogwarts, and she still had no idea what it could possibly mean. Nothing had changed, she was still running with Harry through the forest, and when she turned to look at him, he was gone, and a magnificent Stag took his place. She had no idea about the significance of the Stag, or what it had to do with Harry, but she knew that she didn't have the same dream twice so far to just overlook it.

A tired yawn escaped through Mia's lips and she decided to worry about her dream tomorrow morning. Maybe Hermione will have some sort of idea of what it could mean. Mia turned her head to look over at the alarm clock sitting on her bedside table, and she smiled slightly when she saw that it was just a little past midnight.

"Happy Birthday Harry," she mumbled sleepily before closing her eyes and falling back into her pleasant slumber.

HPOV

Harry couldn't help the grin that spread across his face as he looked at his three birthday cards and letters from his friends, Ron, Hermione, and Hagrid. He had been staying up late, hoping to get some of his schoolwork done, when Hedwig, Errol, and another owl from school had shown up through his window, carrying a handful of parcels and many letters and, to his delight, birthday cards. Harry was overcome with excitement, as he had only ever received birthday cards from Mia in the past. Ron had gotten him a Pocket Sneakoscope (an object that's supposed to tell you if someone untrustworthy is around) while vacationing in Egypt with his family. Mr. Weasley had won the Grand Prize Galleon Draw, and they were using the money to visit Ron's eldest brother, Bill, in Egypt for most of the summer. Ron had sent Harry a newspaper clipping with a picture of his family, all smiling and waving in the sun. Hermione had gotten him a Broomstick Servicing Kit for his Nimbus 2000, and Hagrid had sent him some sort of monster book that he said would be useful for his third year at school.

While the monster book remained a mystery to Harry, so far he has loved all his gifts. Now there's was only Mia's gift left. Harry grabbed hold of the second parcel that Hedwig had brought him, which was wrapped in green paper with blue ribbon. Curious as to what it could be, Harry ripped off the paper and saw a rectangular box underneath, he took off the lid of the box and his eyes grew wide as he looked inside to see a gleaming, spotless white shell resting on top of a cloth, with a short letter and a birthday card next to it. Harry picked up the letter and read:

Dear Harry,

Happy Birthday! I'm sorry I couldn't be there this year, so I tried to make it up by getting you a cool present. This is a conch shell, they're usually found in the sand on beaches. Hermione and I ran into a witch in the town we're staying at, and she said that this shell was charmed so that no matter where you are, you can hear the music of the rain and the ocean. She also said that if you focus on love, it will give light to whoever holds it. I thought it would make a nice gift, I hope you like it.

How are things at home? How is your family treating you? Ron told us about the phone call, so Mione and I decided to sign him up for Muggle Studies. Ron wants us all to meet up to go to Diagon Alley for our school shopping. Can you come? If not, then I'll see you when I get home, okay? Behave yourself, and I'll see you soon.

Love,

Mia

Harry placed the note down on the bed and stared down at the shell. He took it out of the box and then carefully held it up to his ear. A grin stretched across his face and he listened in awe as he heard the crashing sound of ocean waves mixed with the gentle fall of rain. He could easily imagine standing on a beach somewhere and listening to this wonderful sound. He had never been to a beach before, the Dursleys had left him with Mrs. Figg the one time they went, and he used to wonder what it was like. He loved it instantly, and his heart grew warm at the thought of Mia giving it to him. It has been pretty lonely without her in Privet Drive, and he missed her a lot. The Dursleys have been just as unbearable as usual, but he found some comfort in visiting her parents and Brian sometimes while she was away. Buying such a thoughtful birthday gift for him made him happy and he couldn't have asked for a better one…

Suddenly, the shell in Harry's hand started to glow a faint white color and he was so shocked he pulled it away from his ear and stared at it wide-eyed. He watched as the light slowly faded back into the shell, and after about a minute he realized his mouth was open. Blinking a few times, Harry's grin returned to his face, and he carefully placed the shell right next to him on his bedside table. He stared at it for a few more seconds before he turned his attention to his last letter, which had come from Hogwarts. Noticing that it was rather thicker than usual, Harry slit open the envelope, pulled out the first page of parchment within, and read:

Dear Mr. Potter,

Please note that the new school year will begin on September the first. The Hogwarts Express will leave from King's Cross station, platform nine and three-quarters, at eleven o'clock.

Third years are permitted to visit the village of Hogsmeade on certain weekends. Please give the enclosed permission form to your parent or guardian to sign.

A list of books for next year is enclosed.

Yours sincerely,

Professor M. McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress

Harry reached inside the envelope and pulled out the Hogsmeade permission form, his smile wiped clean off his face. Harry knew that Hogsmeade was an all wizarding village just outside of the school grounds, and he had honestly been looking forward to going. But how on earth was he going to convince the Dursleys to sign the form? He looked over at the alarm clock on his table and saw that it was now two o'clock in the morning. Deciding that he'd worry about the Hogsmeade form when he woke up, Harry got back into bed and reached up to cross off another day on the chart he'd made for himself, counting down the days left until his return to Hogwarts. Then he took off her glasses and lay down, eyes open, facing his three birthday cards. Harry felt more grateful than ever to his friends, and he felt extremely lucky to have them.

"Thanks guys," he whispered before falling into a peaceful sleep.

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