By ten o'clock the following morning, Harry was packed and ready to go. His immensely heavy trunk sat in a corner with basically everything he owned inside it. Hedwig was munching on a dead rat in her cage, and Harry had dressed himself in his best-fitting jeans and a green t-shirt, one that Hermione had once said matched his eyes. A pair of his black robes were folded up at the top of his trunk so that he could put them on once he got to The Burrow later that day.
Now the only question was, what would he do for two whole hours. He had gone down for breakfast that morning to be completely ignored by the Dursleys. Well, not completely. Uncle Vernon had grunted at him, asking what time his "people" were showing up. After Harry had responded, Aunt Petunia had snapped at him not to be "smart" with them and how he was being ungrateful after all the things they had done for him. Harry wisely chose not to respond, and he had just quickly shoveled in the rest of his breakfast (causing Aunt Petunia to add that he was a fat, lazy old pig) and rushed up the stairs to his bedroom, where he packed. Somehow, he didn't think that he should venture downstairs again until about a quarter before noon. Sighing, Harry flopped back down onto his bed, staring at the ceiling, willing those two hours to pass in the blink of an eye.
*~*
And before he knew it, it was a quarter to noon and time to go downstairs. Harry quickly ran a comb through his hair, trying to smoothen it down, and then straightened his clothes before going down the stairs.
To his great surprise, all three Dursleys were sitting in a row on the couch, looking as if they were about to meet the Queen of England. Dudley's hair was slicked back, and he was dressed in a suit big enough to fit four people Harry's size. Uncle Vernon was also wearing a suit, and his purple face looked furious. Aunt Petunia was sharply dressed in a very unbecoming lavender sundress, and she looked from side to side with her beady little eyes every once in a while, as if the Weasleys were going to pop out of the wall or something.
Harry nervously entered the living room. "Er- hi," he said tentatively to his aunt and uncle.
"Well, boy?" snapped Uncle Vernon, looking up at him. "Are they here yet?"
"Er- not yet," replied Harry, glancing at his watch. "It's only ten minutes of noon," he added. "They said they'll be here at 12."
Vernon didn't respond, just went back to staring straight ahead of him.
"Erm-" began Harry again, then stopped.
"What?" barked Aunt Petunia.
"Nothing," Harry said quickly.
Dudley let out a huge fart.
"Dudley!" boomed Vernon. "Men don't do that in public!"
"Dudders!" exclaimed Petunia, scandalized. "Be more like your father, darling!"
"Sorry," muttered Dudley, not sounding at all sorry.
Harry was relieved when the doorbell rang at that moment. He started forward, but Uncle Vernon sprang up and pushed him back.
"I'll get it," he snarled, and he walked briskly to the door and flung it open. Aunt Petunia, Dudley, and Harry followed close behind.
On the porch stood every single one of the Weasleys. Arthur, Molly, Bill, Charlie, Percy, Fred, George, Ron, and Ginny all crowded around the door, each beaming up at Harry.
Uncle Vernon looked a bit scared, but then tried to get over his fear by scaring the Weasleys.
"WHO ARE YOU LOT?!" he boomed, looking down at Arthur, which was highly possible, since he was at least two feet taller than him, and many pounds bigger. "WHAT THE RUDDY HELL DO YOU WANT?!"
There was a brief silence while Mr. Weasley tried to regain his hearing, and then Mrs. Weasley took over.
"Vernon Dursley?" she asked, pushing her way to the front of the crowd and extending her hand. "I'm Molly Weasley. I presume you are Harry's uncle?"
Vernon stared down at this little red-haired woman being so bold in talking to him. "I- am-" he croaked, evidently having temporarily lost the power of speech.
"Excellent," Mrs. Weasley said briskly. "We're the Weasleys; we've come to take Harry to our home for the rest of the summer. I trust he's informed you about this?"
Harry pushed his way to the door. "Hi, Mrs. Weasley," he said, smiling at her. Mrs. Weasley smiled back and grasped him in a hug. "Good to see you, too," he said, grinning. "This is my uncle Vernon, my aunt Petunia, and my cousin Dudley. They've been- er- waiting to meet you-" From the back of the crowd came two identical snorts, no doubt from Fred and George. Harry paused and smiled at them, then continued, "Shall I go get my stuff, then?"
"Oh, of course," said Mrs. Weasley. "Wait, don't go all by yourself, take Bill and Charlie with you-"
"Mum, we want to come see Harry's room, too!" protested Fred and George.
"You've already seen Harry's room, you two," she replied, "we were here a couple years ago, remember?"
"But it might have changed from then-"
"Mum, I've never seen Harry's room!"
That was Ginny, edging her way to the front of the group. Mrs. Weasley sighed and threw up her hands. "Oh, might as well," she said. "Fine, all of you go and see Harry's room, but help him carry his things down as well."
Harry grinned and turned around, to find Uncle Vernon blocking his way. "Excuse me," he said firmly, pushing past him, and the rest of the Weasley gang followed.
Harry hung back, allowing Fred and George to take the lead. Vernon and Petunia, obviously realizing they were defeated, stalked out of the front hall and into the living room, slamming the door closed behind them. Dudley followed.
Harry could barely suppress a grin as he watched them go. The last people to follow in the crowd were Ron and- and- Hermione?!
"Hi, Harry," Hermione said, grinning at him.
Harry's mouth dropped open. "Hermione?!" he exclaimed. "You came?! But- but- I didn't even see you!"
"Oh, I was in the back," replied Hermione nonchalantly, still grinning at him. "So how are you?"
"Great!" Harry exclaimed, still unable to believe that Hermione was here, and suddenly, without warning, he threw his arms around her and hugged her.
"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed, obviously surprised.
Harry quickly let go of her, blushing deeply. "Sorry," he murmured, pink tinging his cheeks. "Sorry, I- don't know what came over me-"
But Hermione was grinning, her cheeks slightly pink, too. "No problem," she said, her voice strangely giddy. "Erm-"
Suddenly Harry noticed Ron, standing right there beside her. "Hey, Ron," he said, blushing even deeper now. "What's up?"
Ron cracked a smile. "Oh, hello, Harry," he said. "Didn't even notice you until now, sorry, I was busy hugging my other best friend."
Harry grinned and punched him on the arm. "Prat," he said playfully, and Ron shrugged, then punched fists with Harry, the "man" way.
Hermione rolled her eyes as she watched her two best friends try to act cool together.
"Whatever," she said. "You guys are so nerdy."
Harry simply smiled at her, and just then, the rest of the Weasleys came traipsing back down the stairs, lugging Harry's belongings. Bill, Charlie, Fred, and George were all heaving his trunk, Ginny had Hedwig's cage, and Mrs. Weasley was carrying his cloak, which he had draped over his trunk.
"Well, ready to go then, Harry?" asked Mr. Weasley briskly, walking over to the door and stepping out onto the front porch.
"Of course," replied Harry, following him, and everyone else did so, too.
Hermione, the last one, hesitated at the door.
"Shouldn't we- shouldn't we say goodbye to your aunt and uncle?" she asked.
Harry laughed. "Better not," he said. "That'll probably start a fight, and it's not like they care that I'm leaving, anyhow."
Nodding uncertainly, Hermione stepped down from the doorstep and closed the door firmly behind her, then followed the rest of them to the Weasleys' car.
When all of Harry's things had been loaded into the trunk, everyone slipped inside the car. It was quite extraordinary, really, that all eleven of them could fit inside such a small car, and have room to spare.
Mr. Weasley winked at Harry when he noticed him staring. "A little help on my part...." he murmured quietly.
Harry grinned and got inside. "Can't forget what happened last time we were in one of your cars," he said, and everyone laughed.