Collision (PJO/HP Crossover)

Chapter 5

Harry

Sunlight streamed in through the window of Ronald Weasley's near-attic room at The Burrow on a sunny July morning. The light beckoned Harry Potter and he slowly opened his eyes, squinting at the brightness. A few feet away a groggy Ron was struggling to sit up. Harry moved sluggishly as he rose and fumbled for his glasses before slipping them on.

"Morning," Ron said while rubbing his eyes. Harry grunted in reply as he stretched. "You ready to go to Diagon Alley later?"

Harry chuckled. "No. I'm beginning to regret returning for our last year. I should have just taken Kingsley's offer and become an Auror right after the war."

Ron snorted. "Me too."

"Well, you know what Hermione would say."

Ron straightened and spoke in a falsetto. "'You get places through hard work, not by taking shortcuts and charity.'"

"Are you sure you should be mocking your girlfriend like that?" a new voice cut in.

Harry and Ron both turned to the doorway, where Hermione Granger stood. "Hermione!" Ron shouted and jumped at her, giving her a hug and a short kiss.

Harry grinned and hugged Hermione in greeting before she deposited her things on the floor. She laughed as Ron spat out apologies, waving them off nonchalantly.

"What are you doing here?" Harry asked as they sat.

"Mrs. Weasley invited me to get school supplies with you," Hermione said. "And I agree with her, it's best to go earlier rather than later. Everything will be gone if we go near the end of August. When did you get here, Harry?"

"A few weeks ago. I tried living in Sirius's house the first week after the war but it didn't work."

"Breakfast!" Mrs. Weasley yelled up the stairs.

Ron ushered Hermione out of the room so he and Harry could change. Afterward, they thumped down the stairs, greeted Mrs. Weasley, and eagerly dug into the buffet Ron's mum had provided. Hermione and Ginny glanced at each other in disgust as Ron shoved his face and Harry followed suit, although he showed a bit more manners.

Harry's heart warmed as he looked at Ginny. After the Battle of Hogwarts, they had begun dating, but since Harry had moved into The Burrow temporarily, they tried not to show too much affection toward each other—at least not publicly. The house he had inherited from Sirius felt too big and empty for Harry to live in by himself yet, and the Weasleys had gladly taken him in.

They had received their Hogwarts letters a few days before. It seemed that Professor McGonagall was doing things a bit differently. Or perhaps McGonagall favored them and knew they would have liked to get their letters and purchase the items they needed sooner.

Part of the reason Harry had agreed to get school supplies early was because of his reputation. After defeating Voldemort, he was even more famous than he had been when he first attended Hogwarts. He didn't want to deal with students while at Diagon Alley, it would be bad enough with all of the shopkeepers.

Breakfast was finished quickly and Mrs. Weasley had excused them to do what they wanted for an hour or so. Harry, Ron, and Hermione raced up the stairs to Ron's room and there they filled each other in on what had happened in the past month.

Hermione had managed to track down her parents and restore their memories. Ron and his family spent the first few weeks of the summer mourning for Fred. Harry had tried not to overstep or do anything to upset them, but there was only so much he could do. George was the worst. He hadn't come out of his room except for meals during the week he'd stayed with his family. He couldn't handle it for very long and moved back into the flat above his joke shop in Diagon Alley.