The night was clear – there wasn't a cloud in the sky.  The plane had taken off from Heathrow International Airport in London only a half hour earlier.  In about nine hours they would be landing in beautiful Hawaii.

It was the first time he'd ever been on a plane.  The Dursleys didn't even take him grocery shopping; they'd never take him on a flight.  And sure, he'd flown before, but only on a broomstick.  Swooping through the air chasing the small golden snitch was a lot different than sitting first class on one of the biggest airplanes known to man.  He was a bit uneasy, but he couldn't tell if it was from the plane ride or the excitement for his vacation.

            One of his best friends, Ron Weasley, sat next to him, his fingers entwined together in his lap, his thumbs twitching nervously.

            "Honestly, Ron, you need to settle down," said Hermione Granger, Harry's other best friend.  She was seated on the other side of Ron, studying a muggle book she'd bought at the airport.  "It's just a plane.  There's nothing to be frightened about."

            "I'm not scared," he retorted.  "I'm just… anxious.  We're thousands of feet up in the air!  Why couldn't we just use Floo Powder or something?  Why did we have to take the muggle way?"

            "There aren't many fireplaces in tropical Hawaii," Harry's godfather, Sirius Black, said as he turned around in his seat.  "And you might as well get used to the flight, Ron.  We've got a long ways to go."

            "Argh," Ron said.  "I hope my ears pop before then.  They're all plugged."

            "Gum might help," Harry said.  He reached into his pocket and took out a stick of unmarked gum.  He handed it to Ron, who took it and quickly unwrapped it, then hastily shoved it into his mouth.

            Hermione turned to Ginny Weasley, Ron's younger sister, who was wedged between Sirius and a man who was about the size of Harry's Uncle Vernon.  "How are you doing, Ginny?"

            Ginny's small figure turned around.  Her face was paler than usual, contrasting with her bright red hair.  It was the trademark Weasley shade of red.

            "I'm all right," Ginny said quietly.  She gave a small smile.  "I'm just anxious too, I guess."

            "I'm sure Harry would give you some gum if your ears are bothering you," Sirius suggested.

            Harry grinned.  "Trust me.  You don't want any."

            Ron made a moaning noise as his jaw snapped shut.  He started to panic and gasped for air.  "It's Fred and George's Super Jaw Lock Chewing Gum," Harry announced.  "They gave it to me before we left the burrow."

            The girls giggled, but Hermione stopped short.  "Harry, that's horrible!"

            "It's not a big deal," he muttered and turned to Ron.  "You can breathe through your nose, you twit."

            Ron stopped struggling and sucked in air through his nose.  He blushed as red as the hair on his head.

            "If you swallow the gum, your jaw should be back to normal in a few minutes.  I tried some while we took off from Heathrow.  I almost had a heart attack."  He laughed.

            It felt good to laugh again.  A vacation was just what Harry needed. His fifth year was somewhat uneventful.  His house, Gryffindor, had won both the Quidditch Cup and the House Cup at Hogwarts.  He hadn't heard from Voldemort since his fourth year, at the end of the Triwizard Tournament.  Sure, there were rumors, but no action.  His scar hadn't hurt in over a year.  But it felt as though he was waiting for the other shoe to drop.  He couldn't shake the ominous feeling of what was to come.

            But it was so easy to forget about Voldemort and concentrate on the tropical traits of the Hawaiian Islands.  He had butterflies in his stomach.  Ever since Sirius had finally been able to adopt Harry at the end of the Hogwarts term, life was more cheerful.  He didn't have to spend the summer at the Dursleys.  Instead, he would be soaking up the Hawaiian rays with his best friends the week before Hogwarts started up again.

            "Sirius," said Hermione, quite importantly, "I was wondering – are there a lot of wizards in Hawaii?  Do they have a school like Hogwarts there?"

            "Well, I suppose nobody knows for sure," Sirius replied.  "But Hawaii isn't really of wizard origin.  They have their own special magic – though a lot of it is Divination.  However, the Hawaiians have their own culture."

            "Culture?" Ron questioned, his jaw apparently unlocked.  "You mean language and everything?"

            Sirius nodded.  Ron was uneducated in the muggle department.  "They have their own language, food, local lore…"

            "Do you know any of it Sirius?" Ginny questioned.  "I've seen pictures of those women who wear grass skirts and cocoanuts."

            "Cocoanuts?" Ron questioned.

            "Yeah, they're Hula Dancers," Harry interrupted.  "They use their hips and hands to tell a story."

            "Oh really?" Ron said.  "I think I'd definitely like to see that – ouch!"

            Hermione had elbowed him in the ribs.  "I think you're definitely not going to see that."