When one door closes... - Part 5

A reluctant smile spread across Harry's face. "Shut it," he mumbled, but it was no use. It was impossible to stay in a foul mood when he had Ron and Hermione here with him on Privet Drive.

"So…what kind of changes do you have in mind?" he asked, looking back at Hermione.

"Oh, something like this," Hermione said much too casually, as if she'd been thinking of nothing else since she'd arrived. She waved her wand toward the mess of Dudley's old things in the corner and vanished them completely.

She turned towards Harry's desk, and, with a brief flick of her wand, the chipped, sagging old wood transfigured into a polished cherry and doubled in size. Shiny brass knobs appeared on the drawers, and a small bookshelf formed on the top.

Harry's jaw dropped in amazement. "Nice transfiguration, Hermione."

She wasn't finished. She turned her wand towards his bed – really, just a threadbare old mattress on top of a box spring that sagged in the middle. It immediately transformed into a replica of his beloved four-poster bed at Hogwarts, complete with a fluffy red duvet.

Harry felt as if his face would burst from smiling so wildly. "Wicked," he said.

Hermione aimed her wand at the window. The bolts that had once held bars in place disappeared, and the window adjusted itself so the panes could swing outward, letting in a nice summer breeze. Heavy curtains in a shade of red that matched his bed linens appeared, tied back with gold braids.

Harry had never had curtains in his room before, and honestly, he'd never really even noticed. He was stunned at the difference it made.

"Oh, I know what I want to do with that," Ron said, sounding disgusted.

Harry turned to see him pointing towards the cat flap on the door.

"What is it?" Hermione asked.

Ron answered before Harry could change the subject. "They used to shove his food through there when they locked him up after first year."

Hermione's lips thinned into slivers. "What did you have in mind, Ron?" she asked, her voice sounding extremely shrill.

"Remember that drive-through place your parents took us to yesterday?" Ron asked, grinning.

Hermione's face lit up with a memory. "I know exactly what you have in mind," she said.

Harry frowned. He did want them together, but he wasn't certain that he liked this secret language that only they appeared to understand. "Erm?"

Hermione flicked her wand again, but the cat flap appeared unchanged.

"Did it work?" asked Ron.

"Try it," replied Hermione.

Ron lay down on his belly in front of the door.

"What are you doing?" Harry asked, perplexed.

"I'd like three cheeseburgers and some crisps, please," Ron said, speaking to the cat flap.

Before Harry even had the chance to ask Ron if he'd gone mad, the food Ron had requested slid from the flap on the door. Harry blinked in surprise.

"Have a nice day," a voice echoed from the cat flap.

Hermione grinned, and Ron looked as if he'd died and went to heaven. He unwrapped a cheeseburger and took a bite. "Mmmm."

"What do you think, Harry?" Hermione asked.

Harry had yet to remove his eyes from the cat flap. Slowly, a delighted grin spread across his face. "I think the smell of that food alone will drive Dudley mad."

"It's cold down here on the floor, though," Ron said, his voice muffled with burger. "Can you do something about that, Hermione?"

Hermione flicked her wand yet again, and a lush soft carpet covered the floor. "It's going to be a bit crowded in here, though," Hermione said thoughtfully before closing her eyes.