A/N- Another Harry Potter story! This one'll be a fairly long story. Not sure how long but I'm leaning towards 20-30 chapters. Set in Harry's sixth year. Unfortunately because there are so many sixth year AU fics there might be some cliches and whatnot but I've an idea that I've never seen in any other stories. And yes, this is a Harry/Ginny fanfic. Anyways, enjoy an R&R!

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters, that all goes to the lovely JK Rowling. I only have the pleasure of writing this story featuring her beloved creations.

Chapter 1: Sensitive Moments

Harry Potter could not believe what was happening. No sooner had he gotten in the Dursleys' car when his aunt and uncle started insulting him, despite the warning they had received from Mad-Eye Moody. Harry silently fumed in the back seat, is ugly whale of a cousin Dudley smirking evilly at him. Harry bottled up his anger as best he could, refusing to stoop down to the level of his relatives. He barely noticed the time go by before he heard the familiar sound of the car pulling into the driveway of Number Four, Privet Drive. Harry barged out of the car as soon as it stopped, slamming the door behind him. He angrily opened the boot of the car, yanking out his trunk and slamming the door. He stalked into the house and up the stairs into his tiny bedroom and shut the door behind him.

Once he was alone he burst into tears. Sinking to his knees, he continued sobbing till the sun went down. Why did everything awful happen to him? Every godforsaken bad thing had happened to him. His parents' death, judgement and abandonment by the ones who claimed to love and care about him, and most recently, the death of his godfather, Sirius. And the worst part of all, it was all his fault. His fault that his parents had died almost fifteen years ago, his fault that nobody wanted to help him because of his freaky nature, and his fault that Sirius was killed in the first place. These thoughts continued to plague Harry as he settled down to sleep.

Harry's eyes were fixed on the stone arch, the veil billowing faintly in the nonexistent wind. Spells flew all around him, but he largely ignored them, instead focussing on the duel going on below the arch. Sirius was battling his cousin, trading spells back and forth.

"Come on, you can do better than that!" taunted Sirius, but he was struck by a spell, sending him tumbling into the veil with a look of shock on his face. Harry screamed and ran towards the veil, but was held back by Remus Lupin.

However, the sequence of events changed when Harry broke free from Remus' grip and charged straight into the veil. Blackness overtook his senses, rendering him blind. He stumbled through the darkness, hoping to find his lost godfather. Harry tripped over something, falling to the ground. He turned around and saw the blank eyes of Cedric Diggory, staring at him emotionlessly.

"You killed me Harry. Why did you make me grab the cup?" Cedric's haunting voice echoed through his rotting mouth.

"No, Cedric. I didn't know it was a portkey. you have to believe me!" pleaded Harry, terror clutching at his heart like a mangled hand. Harry tried to turn and run away from the corpse of Cedric but ran into another figure.

"Sirius?" whispered Harry. His godfather looked a thousand times worse than when he first saw him. No ounce of muscle or fat resided on his body, his skin clinging to his bones. Dark circles under his pale eyes were easily visible against Sirius' pale white skin, his eyes boring into Harry's soul.

"Stupid boy. Why the hell did you fall for Voldemort's trick? If you kept practicing Occlumency I'd still be alive!" rasped Sirius, his voice croaky.

"Sirius please, I never wanted you to die, I thought you were being tortured by Voldemort!" screamed Harry. Sirius barked out a laugh, though it held none of the humour or happiness that Harry was used to hearing. Instead, it sounded like the rattling of a Dementor's breath, seeming to suck he warmth from the air. Harry tried to escape the deathly form of his godfather, but was stopped by his ghostly white parents.

"Harry, we died trying to save you. And this is how you repay us? By getting others killed?" hissed his father. His mother, Lily, appeared to be crying, a look of utter disgust embedded into her features.

"Why haven't you killed Voldemort already? Are you too scared?" demanded Harry's mum.

"No, please. I never meant for any of you to die," whimpered Harry. Other people emerged from the darkness, looking like foul ghouls in the shadows. Harry recognised none of these newcomers, though Harry assumed they had all been killed by Voldemort and his Death Eaters. They all screamed and taunted Harry, blaming him solely for their deaths. Harry curled into a ball on the floor, wishing away the torment and sobbing.

"No... no..."

"NO!" shrieked Harry, sitting up from his bed, panting heavily. His shirt and bed sheets were soaked with his sweat, which continued to drip from his skin. It took several minutes for Harry to settle down before laying back down on the bed, grumbling, "bloody nightmares."

oOoOoOo

Two weeks into the holidays, Harry's life began to work almost like clockwork: Wake up, make breakfast for his relatives, do the almost impossible chores his aunt had set for him, have a small dinner, go to bed. Every few days he was required to write a brief letter to the Order of the Phoenix, explaining that he was fine. He replied as best he could to the letters he received from his friends, but didn't have the heart or patience to go into too much detail about anything. Mostly he told them that he was fine and dealing with everything as best he could.

Physically, he appeared to be fine. All the yard work his aunt had given him had helped develop some muscle to his thin frame, making him appear more lean. His shoulders had broadened and he had shot up a few inches, barely scraping the tall side. He was still not anywhere near as tall as his best friend, Ron Weasley, though his growth spurt was certainly noticeable. It helped that his aunt had been giving him more food to eat, almost twice as much as what he was used to when staying in Privet Drive. He had allowed his hair to grow out as well, the ends almost reaching his shoulders. Despite its length, Harry's hair somehow still appeared untidy, no matter how much he tried to tame it. Harry had noticed the looks the female population were giving him whenever he had the time to go to the park, though his opinion on the matter was very different to the reason why so many girls openly stared at him.

Inside, however, Harry felt broken. The loss of Sirius had affected him more than anything else had in his life, and he spent most of his nights crying or tossing in his bed in anger. It didn't help that he continued to have that same nightmare every night, taxing his mind and body heavily. His rage continued to build up inside him due to the constant bullying of his relatives, and it was only a matter of time before he exploded.

"ARGH!" screamed Harry before he kicked his trunk into the wall. That day had been his breaking point after coming home from Dudley and his gang heckling him when he went to the park, followed by his aunt Petunia screeching at him for tripping and dropping several dishes after dinner. He grabbed his desk and flipped it, sending books and pieces of parchment flying everywhere. Breathing heavily, he heard the heavy footsteps of Uncle Vernon coming up the stairs, but Harry didn't care. Uncle Vernon burst through the door, his face purple and looking as if he'd run a marathon.

"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE BOY!" bellowed his gigantic uncle. "I'VE JUST ABOUT HAD IT WITH YOU! YOU WILL CLEAN THIS ROOM UP AND STAY IN HERE FOR THE REST OF THE SUMMER AND HAVE NO-"

"SHUT UP!" interrupted Harry. Vernon froze, his face beginning to turn into one of terror. "JUST SHUT UP FOR A MINUTE AND LISTEN. I HAVE HAD THE WORST YEAR OF MY LIFE, WHICH IS SAYING A LOT SEEING AS I'VE BEEN STUCK WITH YOU LOT FOR THE FIRST TEN YEARS OF IT. I DON'T CARE ABOUT THIS BLOODY MESS I'VE MADE AND IF YOU TRY TO LAY A FINGER ON ME I SWEAR I WILL KILL YOU!"

To Vernon, Harry seemed to grow twice his height. His eyes glowed like emerald fire in the dim light of the bedroom, making Harry seem a hundred times scarier than his uncle had ever seen him. Power literally rolled off his shoulders, accompanied by several objects on the room shaking violently. Hedwig, Harry's owl, hooting nervously asher cage began to rattle. Unconsciously, Vernon took a step back, cowering in fear of the young man standing before could only splutter and nod before taking off as fast as his fat body could, closing the door behind him.

Harry exhaled deeply before collapsing to the floor again, his bit of accidental magic draining him. He carefully picked up his turned over desk, setting it back to where it was originally. He replaced his books and parchment on the desk, then lay back down on his bed, falling asleep as soon as his head touched the pillow.

oOoOoOo

Harry felt something nip at his ear as he slept. The first time, he ignored it. The second time, he tried to bat the annoyance away with his hand, grunting angrily. The third time, Harry finally woke up. Sitting up, his green eyes met glowing amber eyes, and Harry huffed. "Hedwig, what the hell are you doing waking me up?" he demanded. Hedwig hooted indignantly and stuck her leg out to reveal a letter tied to it. Untying it, Harry saw the familiar of Remus Lupin, the last true Marauder. Opening the letter he began to read.

Harry,

I know how much you must be hurting. Believe me, I'm feeling the same way. I just want you to know that it's not your fault. It may have been a trap for you, but you did what you felt was right at the time. That's what makes you so special Harry. You're willing to help and protect others at the risk of your own life. James was the exact same.

I have sent this letter in asking something of you. Perhaps we can meet up sometime and help each other get over the grieving process together? Please reply if you want to get together. Maybe we can rendezvous at the park near your house?

Best regards,

Remus Lupin.

Harry mentally slapped himself. Here he was, wallowing in self-pity when others, especially Sirius' best friend, were grieving as well. Harry could have kicked himself for his stupidity. He quickly stood up, grabbed his quill, ink bottle and a piece of parchment and wrote his letter.

Professor Lupin,

Thanks for the letter. It's great to know that I can count on someone to be here for me. I must apologise, however. I was too busy feeling sorry for myself that I completely forgot about how you would be feeling, and for that I'm so sorry.

Yes, I would love to meet up with you. When would you like to meet? I'm pretty much free tomorrow if that suits you (although between you and me, I'm free every day really).

Hope to see you soon.

Harry.

Folding up his letter, Harry tied it to Hedwig's leg before perching her on his shoulder and walking over to the bedroom window. Hedwig nipped his ear affectionately before she took off into the night. Sighing, Harry lay back down on his bed, resting his arms behind his head. Now fully awake, Harry started to think.

Since Sirius' death, Harry had blamed himself for his idiocy in falling for Voldemort's mind games. But if Remus didn't blame him, should he really be blaming himself? The real people to blame were Voldemort and Bellatrix Lestrange, Sirius' cousin. She was the one who cast the spell that sent Harry tumbling into that veil, not Harry. But then again, Sirius wouldn't have ever been in that position if Harry and his friends weren't there. But that blame could be placed on Voldemort, who had tricked them into going there in the first place.

With these comforting thoughts, Harry drifted off to sleep.

oOoOoOo

Harry was moving some boulders around his aunt's garden when he noticed the familiar white speck in the sky heading towards him. Smiling, Harry quickly finished his job and darted to his bedroom. He had barely opened the door when Hedwig flew into his room, landing atop of Harry's desk. Harry grabbed the letter from Hedwig's leg and quickly read the reply from Remus, saying that he'd meet Harry at the park in three hours. Harry quickly glanced at the clock hanging from the wall opposite his bed, noting the time. Satisfied and happy that someone had taken the time to see him personally, Harry went back down to the garden before Aunt Petunia could notice him 'slacking off'.

oOoOoOo

Harry hurriedly made his way to the park several blocks away from Privet Drive. He hadn't been so excited to see someone since... Harry didn't want to think about that right now, so he put his mind on the task ahead of him. After walking for five minutes Harry heard something, which gave him reason to pause. It sounded like somebody was following him. Making a quick glance behind his shoulder, Harry saw nobody behind him. At least, nobody visible. He wasn't sure if he was imagining things, so he pressed on but again heard the sounds of someone following him closely. He also detected the sound of an invisibility cloak swishing ever so slightly. This confused Harry. Invisibility cloaks were supposed to be almost completely inaudible and yet, he could hear it.

Focussing his hearing, Harry could detect the steady beating of someone's heart and breathing directly behind him. Not only could he hear it, but it sounded loud, like the thrumming of someone playing the drums in a closed off room. He could also hear other sounds coming from the area around him. The movement of various birds in the trees across the road, music playing inside someone's house even further down the road, even the rustling of leaves and dirt behind the bushes next to Harry as a snake stalked a small rodent. What the hell? thought Harry.

He checked to see if his mysterious stalker was behind him, and Harry deduced that it was probably a member of the Order of the Phoenix watching over him. He set off again towards the park, keeping his sense of hearing attuned to his surroundings. His newfound ability astounded him. He could hear everything. Unfortunately that meant Harry had a splitting headache by the time he had reached the park.

It looked the same as it did every summer. The grass had turned into a green-yellow colour from lack of rain, blowing gently in the warm summer breeze. The few trees surrounding the park appeared lush and green, providing a stark contrast against the bright blue sky. Dudley clearly hadn't been here recently, as the park appeared largly undamaged. Children played on playground, screaming in delight while their parents watched happily. Seeing this sent a pang of envy through Harry's heart. Not for the first time, he wished his parents and Sirius were alive, to love and guide him through his life. Maybe one day, if he managed to defeat Voldemort, Harry could settle down and start a family of his own. He pictured himself sitting on a chair situated on the front porch of a small home, watching his little children playing outside while his lovely redheaded wife-

What the? Red hair? Where the hell did that come from? Harry groaned in frustration. He was already planning his future when there was a very likely chance he wouldn't make it to his seventeenth birthday.

Harry sat down on a park bench, massaging his temples. His mysterious guardian had moved away from Harry, no doubt checking the park perimeter for danger before giving the all clear for Professor Lupin. It must have been clear, for Harry heard a muted crack of someone Apparating a short distance away (although for Harry, it sounded like a bomb going off).

The sound of footsteps alerted Harry to someone approaching. Harry looked up and saw the familiar face of his former Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher standing a short distance away, shuffling awkwardly. Harry smiled nervously at Professor Lupin and took his figure in. He was wearing a torn jacket and jeans His hair looked whiter than ever, no doubt from the combined stress of the recent full moon and Sirius' death.

"How are you Harry?" said Lupin as he approached Harry. Harry smiled in return.

"Not too bad, all things considered," replied Harry, shaking his former professor's hand. Lupin smiled.

"That's good. Mind if I sit?" Lupin asked, gesturing to the park bench Harry was sitting on. Harry nodded and the older man sat next to him. There was an awkward silence before Harry decided to break it.

"So how are you holding up?" he asked.

"To be honest, not well. Though I am happy that you seem to be doing well," replied Lupin. Harry's face fell at that.

"I'm not doing as well as I look," whispered Harry. At Lupin's inquiring look, he continued. "Physically, I'm doing alright. I'm working hard and eating pretty well, thanks to Moody's warning to my relatives. But I haven't been sleeping well and I've been having nightmares."

"What kind of nightmares?"

"I keep reliving Sirius' falling through the veil, but it doesn't end there. I follow him through but I'm attacked by Sirius, my parents, Cedric and other people I've never even met before and they all blame me for dying. I usually wake up after that screaming." Harry had put his head into his hands, fighting away the tears that threatened to spill. "Do you think they blame me?"

Lupin pulled Harry into a one-armed hug to console him. "No Harry, I don't believe for a second that they blame you for dying. Your parents knew that there was a high possibility of them dying, and they did so that you could live. Sirius went out fighting, just the way he wanted to. And you had no idea that that cup was a portkey, but you did the right thing in bringing Cedric's body back to his family," he said in a reassuring tone. Harry sniffed and wiped his face with his shirt sleeve, smiling sadly at the last Marauder.

"Thanks, Professor," said Harry meekly.

"Harry, I haven't been your teacher for over two years now. Remus will do just fine," laughed Lupin. Harry frowned at that. He wasn't entirely comfortable with calling his former teacher by his first name, regardless of the relationship lupin had with his parents and godfather.

"How about I call you uncle Moony?" suggested Harry. "It's what I probably would have called you anyway if my parents were still alive." Remus' eyes sparkled with unshed tears as he smiled.

"I'd like that, Harry," choked out Uncle Moony, pulling Harry into another one-armed hug.

"So who's stalking us?" asked Harry. Uncle Moony blinked in surprise.

"How did you know someone was watching us?" said Uncle Moony. Harry hesitated for a moment.

"Because I can hear them," answered Harry quietly. Remus raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Do you know where they are this instant?" Harry pointed to a seemingly vacant park bench on the other side of the park. "How do you know they're there?" asked Moony.

"I can hear their breathing and heartbeat," replied Harry. He looked at his newly adopted uncle, confusion on his face. Moony looked worried though.

"Harry, have you been attacked by anything this past week? Something like a large wolf-like creature?" demanded Moony urgently. Harry shook his head.

"No, I've been stuck at the Dursleys' this whole time and I only noticed my hearing has improved today," said Harry. "Besides, if I was attacked by a werewolf I would have let you guys know straight away." Moony sighed in relief, his posture loosening.

"How well can you hear, Harry?" asked Moony.

"Well, I can hear our stalker's heartbeat from way over there. I can also hear someone playing Mariah Carey a few blocks down that way," answered harry, pointing to where he could hear the music.

"All the way over there? Harry, even with my enhanced senses, I can't even hear that," said Moony. Harry raised an eyebrow.

"Really? I thought you would have," replied Harry, his face contorted into a thoughtful expression. "Do you know what's happening to me?" Moony stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"I have an idea. James told me something about the Potter family but couldn't go into too much detail because it's a closely guarded secret. But I'll do some research for you to find out more if you'd like," said Moony. Harry nodded his head.

"Thanks Uncle." Remus smiled.

"Oh, before I forget, Dumbledore has asked if you would be willing to receive some training for the rest of the holidays," said Moony. Harry perked up at this. "If you accept, Dumbledore has asked Moody, Tonks, Kingsley and myself to help you with you spellwork and dueling. We all know that sooner or later you're going to be fighting, and Voldemort will still be coming after you." Harry grinned at that.

"Excellent, when do we start?" said Harry in a determined voice. Moony grinned mischievously.

"Tomorrow, five o'clock in the morning. You up for that?"

"Count me in." Moony patted Harry on the back.

"Oh, and you'll be heading to the Burrow in two weeks. but don't worry, we can just move your training there when you move."

"Excellent. Maybe Ron and Hermione will like to join us," said Harry. "And Ginny too," he added.

"Which brings me to my next subject," began Moony. "When are you going to ask Miss Weasley out?" Harry's eyes widened in horror at that.

"What? What the bloody hell made you say that?" growled Harry. Moony only laughed.

"You mean to tell me that nobody's told you about the Potter Curse?" laughed Moony.

"What Potter Curse? And what does Ginny have to do with a curse?"

"Oh Harry, you have so much to learn about your heritage," answered Moony mirthfully. "You see, every Potter male for the last three hundred years has ended up married to a redhead, no exceptions. Your father, grandfather, great-grandfather, great-great-grandfather..."

"You're pulling my leg aren't you," interrupted Harry. This only set Moony to laughing even more.

"Oh no, I'm being fully serious. I only brought this up because sooner or later you're going to start noticing Miss Weasley and by then you're a goner," cackled Moony. "Might as well keep up the tradition, dear Harry. Besides, she's already got a crush on you."

"No she doesn't. She's dating Dean Thomas," snapped Harry. Moony however, didn't seem bothered by this.

"Don't worry, that'll only be a little fling, nothing more. She'll come back around eventually. And so will you," said Moony with mock seriousness.

"Whatever, I'm not having this conversation," grumbled Harry. "AND I CAN HEAR LAUGHING TOO TONKS SO SHUT IT," he bellowed to their invisible companion. The laughing stopped immediately from the park bench, followed by muttering about how the hell Harry knew she was there.

"But you have thought about her, haven't you?" though Moony said it as a question, it sounded more like a statement. Harry shrugged.

"She's sent me a couple of letters asking how I've been. At least I assume so. I haven't opened up many letters I've received," replied Harry.

"Well, I suggest you head on home and start talking to your friends again. They miss you Harry, and they're worried about you. Oh don't get angry," said Moony quickly before Harry could interrupt, "I'll tell them you're actually doing better than they think, which is true."

"Thanks Uncle Moony."

"Any time Harry."

oOoOoOo

Harry arrived back at Number Four, his headache reaching an all-time high from the amount of ambient noise filtering through. Uncle Moony had taught him a few techniques to help sort out what he wanted and not wanted to hear, though it would take some time before he would be able to master it. He clambered up the stairs to his bedroom, closing the door as quietly as he could. Inside, he found the stack of unopened letters addressed to him. Not finding anything else better to do, Marry began reading them. The first letter was from Ron.

Hey mate,

We just got permission from Dumbledore for you to come over to stay with us for the rest of the holidays. We'll pick you up on the 30th of July so be ready or Mum'll have kittens.

It's pretty boring here without you mate. Sure Hermione and Ginny are here but I need some guys to hang out with. Fred and George have moved into London just above their new shop in Diagon Alley. Bloody hell mate it's brilliant there. Even Mum's impressed with them since they're doing so well. Maybe we'll be able to go have a look there when we go to get our school supplies.

Oi I need your help with a couple things. Firstly, how can I attract the attention of a woman? I'm asking you because you've had experience in the matter and we all know how thick I can be when it comes to girls.

Secondly, how can we get Ginny to break up with Dean Thomas? I know he's a great guy and all but he's really not Ginny's type. We both know that Dean's almost as bad as Seamus when is comes to girls so I'm really worried that he'll hurt my little sister. Any thoughts on that?

Anyway, hope the Muggles aren't treating you badly otherwise they're gonna end up facing the wrath of Mum, and you know what she's like when she's angry.

From Ron.

Harry smirked. He knew exactly which girl's attention he was trying to get. They could be so thick sometimes. He grabbed the next letter from the pile, which was from Hermione.

Dear Harry,

How are you holding up? I know it must be hard for you to go through something by yourself, but just know that Ron and I are always here for you. And don't say 'I'm fine,' because we both know that for you it could mean 'I'm actually fine,' to 'I'm getting mauled by a manticore.'

Have you heard about when we get our O.W.L's back? I'm really worried that I might have failed my exams. I mean, I know I studied as much as I could but it still worries me that I could have done better. I'm sure you did fine in your DADA exam at least. Hopefully you did well in your potions. You did say you wanted to become and Auror, correct?

I hate to thrust this upon you but I may need some help. Hypothetically speaking, how you you try to get the attention of someone you liked? Cause I've been trying to get the attention of someone for years now but all we've ever done is fight. How would you react in this hypothetical person's place?

Life here at the Burrow is okay at best. I hate to admit it, but I miss the twin's antics. At least there was never a dull day whenever those two were around. Don't get me wrong it's fun being with Ginny but when you've been stuck here for nearly a month you start running out of things to talk about. I feel bad that we might be leaving Ron out of things, but Ginny says that it's revenge for him ignoring her for ages.

Hope you're doing okay Harry.

Love from,

Hermione.

Harry chuckled to himself. He clearly knew that Hermione was talking about herself in regards to her feelings towards Ron. It seemed that everyone in Hogwarts knew about them except them. In fact, there was a large bet taking place as to when those two would get a clue. Of course, Harry had started the bet and currently had the most galleons put into it. Chuckling again, Harry grabbed the next letter. It was from Ginny. In fact, the next three letters were from Ginny.

Harry,

How are you? And don't give me that rubbish excuse "I'm fine," cause we both know that isn't true. I can't say I know what you're going through, because I've never been in your situation. but I do know how Tom works. He tricks you into thinking your worst fears are coming true and uses that against you. I know you haven't been replying to many of your letters, and the ones you do reply to are very short and vague. Harry, this is what Tom wants, he wants you to feel cut off from the world, make you think that you can't talk to anyone about anything. It's what he did to me with the diary. Don't fall into that trap.

On a lighter note, this summer hasn't been too bad, all things considered. The Burrow's become the new headquarters for the Order because Dumbledore fears that Kreacher (that filthy bastard, but don't tell Hermione I said that about him) might have revealed the previous place's location. So there's been a lot of people coming in to our home. Some people are friendly enough, like Lupin and Tonks (I swear there's something going on between the two), but us kids are mostly ignored. The best thing about the Burrow being Headquarters is that I get to see Bill and Charlie a lot more now. They're doing well, by the way. Of course I don't know what's going on, I'm just a little 14 year old girl. Ron and Hermione don't know anything either, but everyone's starting to get nervous.

Hanging with Ron and Hermione isn't too bad, but Hermione keeps worrying about leaving Ron out. I reckon I'm being left out more than Ron is though. I swear that those two have been inseparable since Hermione got here. If you ask me, those two are in dire need of a snogging session, the tension between the two couldn't be broken with a Reductor curse.

Hope those Muggles are treating you alright Harry, otherwise I'll introduce them to my Bat-Bogey Hex.

Love,

Ginny.

Harry snorted in laughter at the last part of Ginny's letter, mostly because what she said was true. But he became serious again when he remembered what she said about the Order getting nervous. Something must definitely be going on to get everyone's nerves on edge.

Harry read Ginny's other three letters, which were pretty much the same as the first, though Harry could tell that she was getting frustrated with his lack of response. Ginny sure had changed since her first year. She was no longer the shy, clumsy girl who squeaked and ran away at the mere sight of Harry, instead becoming a remarkable young woman who exuded confidence. The past year he had also learned that she had a bit of a wicked streak in her comparable to the twins, though Ginny was more subtle in her pranks was far more capable of getting away with them.

With these thoughts, Harry began writing back to his friends, telling them about his summer, how he was doing really, and offering advice to Ron and Hermione. It wasn't until Harry began writing Ginny's letter that he smelt something. Sniffing the air, he smelt the scent of raw meat in the air. Confused, Harry checked Hedwig's cage, looking for any dead rodents she may have captured. There was nothing. Growing more wary, Harry began checking under his bed, inside his trunk, his draws and desk, anything that could be hiding a chunk of fresh meat. It wasn't until he opened the door to his room that he realised that the smell was coming from downstairs.

Curious, Harry walked downstairs into the kitchen, where his nose was fully assaulted by the different smells. He saw a piece of raw steak being cut up by Aunt Petunia, but also detected other smells pervading his nostrils. Different cartridges of herbs and spices lay on the kitchen counter, open for Harry to smell. He smelt the salty scent of sweat coming from the living room behind him, no doubt from his whales of an uncle and cousin as they suffered in the summer heat. His aunt's perfume was revolting, a mix of chemicals that made her smell like a walking chemical plant. Repulsed, Harry ran back into his room and closed the door, blocking the scents wafting from downstairs.

Harry opened up his bedroom windows to let some fresh air, but was almost overcome with dizziness as a wave of other smells struck him. He could smell the lilies growing in the garden below him. He could smell the bark from the trees, the scent of dog coming from the neighbours four houses down the street, the pollution in the air. He could smell the freshly cut grass, the scent of a field mouse eating one of Aunt Petunia's tomatoes in her beloved garden. He could almost taste the different smells coming from the breeze into his room as well. The most powerful smell, however, was of his beloved owl, who was perched atop her cage like a silent guardian.

Frustrated at these new developments, he grabbed a piece of parchment for Uncle Moony.

Uncle Moony,

Another interesting ability has developed. I'll let you know more about it tomorrow when we start training.

Love

Harry.

Harry signed the letter and gave it and the other letter to Hedwig, who hooted happily at the workload. Nipping his finger affectionately, she took off into the evening sky.

oOoOoOo

Ginny Weasley sat in the living room of the Burrow, reading a romance novel while Ron and Bill were concentrating on their intense chess match. Hermione was up in Ginny's room studying who-knows-what. Though she was reading her novel, it wasn't what was on her mind. Instead, she was worrying about Harry. He hadn't replied to any of her letters, and the ones he had sent to Ron and Hermione were very vague, providing little info as to what was really going on in Little Whinging. Not that Ginny was surprised that Harry hadn't written to her, she never had in the past.

So it came as a surprise when a familiar snowy owl swooped in carrying several letters and landed atop the chess board, much to Ron's annoyance and Bill's relief. Ron scowled even more when he saw that one of the letters was addressed to his little sister.

"Dean writing to you again?" growled Ron. Ginny and Bill rolled their eyes.

"Yes, Dean asked Harry to borrow Hedwig so that he can send me a letter despite having his own owl," replied Ginny sarcastically. "How thick can you get? The bloody letter's from Harry you prat!" Ron blanched at Ginny's retort, realising how ridiculous he sounded.

"Why is Harry writing to you then?" demanded Ron, trying a new tactic. Ginny rolled her eyes again.

"Because I wrote to him and he's decided to write back to me," replied Ginny, her temper rising. "Now if you don't back off I'm going to hex you so bad Hermione will never want to be with you." Ron's face paled at the threat and took off up to his room, taking his letter with him. Ginny grinned at Bill, who was laughing so hard he was clutching his ribs in pain.

"My, my, Ginny. You sure know how to scare a guy away. I don't think you even need my protection," laughed Bill, wiping a few tears from his eyes. Ginny stuck her nose in the air in an arrogant pose, brushing her nails on her shirt.

"Of course you don't. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself," she replied haughtily. She then laughed as well before heading up to her room with her's and Hermione's letters. She closed the door to her room, tossing Hermione's letter to the older girl and sat down on her bed.

Dear Ginny,

You're right. I wasn't fine. But I've been meeting up with Uncle Moony (that's Professor Lupin) and we've both been helping each other out and I'm doing loads better than I was a few weeks ago. I guess I've come to terms with his death, although I'm still plagued by nightmares.

The Durlseys aren't treating me too bad. Thanks to Mad-Eye, they're feeding me pretty good now, although it's not anywhere near as good as your mum's. Tell her that my relatives are actually looking after me for once, I know how much she worries about me. They're still making me work pretty hard but I find it refreshing and it leaves me feeling pretty tired at the end of the day.

I just want to say that I'm sorry for dragging you to the Department of Mysteries in June. I know that you came of your own accord but I still feel as if I put you in serious danger. That being said, I thank you, Ron, Hermione, Neville and Luna for being there with me because if I went by myself I probably would be dead.

You're right, Ron and Hermione really do need to get their act together and snog it out. I've sent them some letters as well to help them push each other in the right direction. If they don't then I'm going to be pretty annoyed by the time I get to the Burrow. If they do, well then I feel sorry for you, but at least it won't be long until I get there. Maybe we could hang out more? I feel bloody awful for not taking the time to get to know you better these past few years now that I know how brilliant you really are. I'm also sorry for not taking the time to make sure your were alright after you were taken into the Chamber. If you would like I'd love for us to be better friends. Merlin knows we need to be united against the Ron/Hermione dispute.

Dumbledore is organising some training for me over the rest of the holidays and I think he wants me to continue doing so when I get to the Burrow. If you want you're welcome to join in. Hopefully it'll take your mind off things and make you an even better fighter than you already are. I know how wicked your Bat-Bogey Hex is and I'd rather not be on the receiving end of that.

Of course the Order aren't telling you anything, they still think you're a little girl, but we both know you haven't been that for a long time now and you've faced much worse than what most adults have. I know exactly how you feel in that regard.

Hope you're doing well and Dean's treating you well, otherwise he'll have more than just six older brothers to deal with.

Your friend,

Harry.

Ginny's heart was beating incredibly fast by the time she had finished reading Harry's letter. He wanted to be her friend! He was genuinely concerned for her wellbeing! Sure, she hated it when people fussed over her but it was different with Harry. He understood perfectly. Not even her boyfriend was allowed to fuss over her. Ginny detected the faint tugging of the heartstrings that were tuned to Harry, and she grew annoyed. No! She couldn't go down that path, Harry would never see her in that way. Besides, she was already seeing Dean.

She was shaken from her reverie when Hermione shrieked and ran out of the room. Intrigued she followed her bushy-haired friend upstairs and ended up facing the closed door into Ron's room. Harry did say something about making his two best friend's see the light, so Hermione's reaction must have something to do with it. Ginny listened closely to hear whatever was going on, but the noises were very faint. Curious, Ginny opened the door slowly. She froze at the sight before her.

Ginny wasn't sure where Ron ended and Hermione began. Their bodies were so closely pressed to one another that it almost appeared that they had been morphed together by one of Tom's spells. Their lips were glued together, making disturbing sucking noises as the kissed passionately. An evil smirk crept onto Ginny's face as she snuck out and went back to her own room, grabbing a camera before returning. She set her camera's flash off and took a picture, then snuck out again. Oh, this photo would be excellent blackmail material, thought Ginny evilly.

oOoOoOo

Dinner with the Dursleys was interesting for Harry, to say the least. With his keen sense of smell, he was able to detect every ingredient in the food, but not only that, Harry noticed that each of his relatives had a unique scent. Uncle Vernon smelled of old bacon mixed with mud, Dudley, surprisingly, smelled like seawater and asparagus. Once he was able to get past the perfume, Harry noticed his aunt smelled like the flower for which she was named after. He thought about bringing this up to her, but decided against it, thinking that she didn't deserve to smell natural as she always put on a fake demeanor when guests were over. Once he was finished his food, Harry cleaned up his plate and made his way back up to his tiny bedroom.

He was surprised to see Hedwig back so soon, her leg carrying several letters. Unfastening the letters, Harry rewarded his bird with some owl treats before sitting back down on his bed. He picked the letter from Moony first, already knowing what it was going to be said. The next letter belonged to Ron.

GUESS WHAT MATE?!

Thanks to you, Hermione and I have come to our senses. Somehow you accidentally sent her letter to me and vice versa, so when we read it we kind of found out how we felt about each other. We really owe you one now, all you need to do is hurry up and get here.

Anyway I'll see you soon mate.

From Ron.

Harry grinned. His plan had worked, thanks to the Slytherin cunning the Sorting Hat had detected in his first year at Hogwarts. Some things were useful after all. He smiled at himself, then proceeded to read Hermione's letter, which said much of the same thing although Hermione hinted that she knew what Harry had done. He picked up the last letter, which was from Ginny, so he opened it up and began to read.

Dear Harry,

I'm glad to hear that you're doing well. At least you're beginning to open up more. Although I must ask, why me? I don't mean to sound rude or ungrateful but we haven't really spoken to one another until this past year. And of course I'll be your friend you prat!

I don't blame you for forgetting about the Chamber. After all, your mind was on more important things than little old me. It's good to hear that you're not alone and that you and Professor Lupin are helping each other out. Merlin knows you need it.

The Dursleys treating you well? Bloody hell they must be really scared of Mad-Eye if they're feeding you well. Oh, and mum says that she doesn't trust your aunt to feed you well so she plans on spoiling you rotten when you get here. I heard that you're arriving on the 30th? That's good because I could do with some company of someone who isn't treating me like a baby or not related to me.

Oh and I'm sure they've already told you but Ron and Hermione got the message. In fact, they haven't kept their hands off each other since. Actually I'm not sure it was such a good idea because now I'm really feeling left out. You'd better get here quick Potter, or I''ll be completely barmy by the time you get here. Honestly it's quite sickening the way they've been acting now. I hope Mum sorts them out because honestly, it's enough to make anyone sick.

I don't know why you asked to be my friend, Harry, I thought we already were. But I must warn you, if you think the twins are bad then you won't know what hit when when I'm through with you. And you're right, I guess it would be good to have someone around to brave this romance everybody but Ron and Hermione saw coming, Merlin knows it's going to be a rough year with them around.

Special training eh? Well, I can probably guess correctly who's going to be training you. Probably Professor lupin, Tonks, Kingsley Shacklebolt and Mad-Eye, am I right? I know I am, seeing as they're the best fighters in the Order besides Dumbledore and McGonagall. And yes, if I'm allowed, I'd gladly train with you. Maybe you can teach us some of the stuff you learn to the DA? You are planning on continuing the DA this year, right? You certainly helped us a hell of a lot more than that toad Umbridge.

Anyway, I have to get going, Mum's calling us for dinner and it looks like Hedwig's getting impatient with me. Your owl really is a smart one. Let me know how your training goes.

Love,

Ginny.

Harry smiled at Ginny's letter. Dean sure was a lucky bloke to have someone like her. Thinking about Dean with Ginny, however, made Harry's stomach lurch in an unfamiliar way. He ignored this and placed the letter on his bedside draw, took off his glasses and fell asleep.