Chapter One: O.W.L. results

It was around midnight that a boy in Number Four Privet Drive woke with a start. He had dreamed again about the room with the veil where he had seen his godfather die. As to feel by his wet cheeks, he had been crying. He walked to the mirror, wiping the tears from his face with the sleeves of his pyjamas. Out of the mirror a boy looked at him, with untidy black hair, round glasses and a lightning-bolt shaped scar on his forehead. Suddenly there were two small pops behind him. The boy called Harry Potter turned around.
"Are you alright there, mate?" said the first red-headed boy Harry recognized as George Weasley.
"I'm fine," said Harry, "but what are you doing here?"
"Dumbledore sends us. He told us that you may come to The Burrow again after another week in this place, " said Fred.
"He couldn't come in person since he's too busy with the Order and with finding a new Defence against the Dark Arts teacher," said George grinning.
"Has he found anyone yet, "asked Harry eagerly.
His favourite class has long time been Defence Against the Dark Arts.
"He's thinking about two people, we know that much," Fred said as though pondering the options.
"Lupin for one," George added.
"Wow," Harry said quite louder than he wanted to.
There was a load grown from the next bedroom as Harry's huge cousin Dudley stood up, to use the bathroom.
"Go," Harry urged Fred and George.
And with a crack they had Disapparated just like they normally did nowadays.
Harry went back, and to his own amazement fell asleep directly. He did not dream about the veil this time, but about seeing his friends again. Off course, they had send his letters, the past couple of weeks. He had even received a letter written by Luna, a very weird fifth-year girl, who was visiting Sweden with her father to seek the Crumple-Horned Snorkack.
He woke up the following morning with slightly higher spirits than before. He put on his glasses and found that his owl Hedwig was back and had a letter from him. Two other owls were sitting beside her on the ground. Her recognised the tiny grey one as Ron's owl Pigwidgeon, the other was a handsome barn owl, he didn't recognise. So he went to that one first. He untied the letter and the owl flew off. Then he untied the letters from Pigwidgeon and Hedwig. He read Ron's first.

Hi Harry - The results of our O.W.L.s are in. Didn't do to great, but still 6 are more than Fred and George got. I've got an A in Potions, so no more Snape for me. How many do you have? Dumbledore says you can come in a week, so Dad tries to borrow a Ministry car to collect you. Hope your well - Ron.

Typical Ron, criticising Snape. But Harry knew what this meant Ron could not become an Auror like he wanted to. You needed an O for Potions because you needed a N.E.W.T. in Potions to become an Auror, and Snape refused to take on anyone that got lower than an O, the highest grade.
Then he went to read the letter Hedwig had brought. It was from Hermione.

Hi Harry, I've got the results of my O.W.L.s this morning. I've got twelve. That's really good you know. I had an O in everything. Ron says he has 6. How many O.W.L.s do you have? Hope it is not too bad, seeing how your History of Magic's exam went. I heard Dumbledore lets you come to the Weasleys in a weeks time. They've invited me too you know. - Hermione

Harry had known this already: as Hermione had always been the top of her year, so she would be this time. He really hope to see Hermione at the Weasleys though. He now knew what the barn owl had brought. It was the Results of his O.W.L.s.

Dear Mr. Potter,
We are pleased to inform you that you have received 7 O.W.L.s.

Potions: O;
Care of Magical Creatures: O;
Transfiguration: E;
Charms: E;
Defence Against the Dark Arts: O;
Herbology: E
Astronomy: A;
Divination: P;
History of Magic: D.

Yours sincerely,
Griselda Marchbanks,
Head of Wizarding Examinations Authority

Harry couldn't believe his eyes. He received an O in Potions! This was as much to his dismay and to his delight. For he loathed the Potions Master Snape and now he had to endure two more years of Potions with him. On the other hand he had still a chance of becoming an Auror.
Hastily he scribbled two notes to both Ron and Hermione and send them with Hedwig. Then he went down to breakfast. When he arrived downstairs, he saw the kitchen table full of presents. How could he have forgotten again that it was Dudley's birthday. Dudley was already checking what he had got. It seemed as though he received a new set of Boxing gloves, a new Play Station and forty-eight more presents. Harry sat down at the table , while aunt Petunia shoved a plate with a piece of toast on it to him.
She and uncle Vernon had barely spoken a word to him since he came back home for the summer. They looked at him with other eyes now that he had saved Dudley from the Dementors the previous summer. They started to think it was also a bit handy to have a wizard in the family. They obviously didn't know how to handle such new visions, so they ignored Harry as usual.
The Dursleys dropped him off at Mrs. Figg while Dudley went with Piers to the swimming pool. This time it wasn't that bad with Mrs Figg. He still hadn't told the Dursleys that she was a squib, so he and Mrs. Figg chatted away about the magical world.