Prologue

As all the third years filed down to the great hall, gossip was flying everywhere about why professor Dumbledore had called all the third years for a meeting. Harry, Ron and Hermione where no exceptions, with Ron exclaiming loudly that he thought Dumbledore was going to give them more homework… he was almost right. As they arrived in the great hall the muttering and speculating ceased. With the look on the other professor's faces there was amusement, apprehension and downright fear on their faces. At this the buzzing stopped and everyone looked at the headmaster with growing trepidation as he began to talk;

"Now, many of you have grown up with wizards or at least some form of the wizarding world, in fact a majority of you have, this gives you only an understanding of one of the worlds around you, this month however you will be living with the muggle families of your class mates…" at the this harry blanched, unfortunately Draco Malfoy noticed and shouted over the buzz that had erupted;

"what, Potter, to afraid we will see how nice your relatives are to you" at this Ron and Hermione gave Harry an uneasy glance and they only knew a tiny fraction of what went on at the dursleys

"something like that" Harry yelled back, as Dumbledore hushed the shocked teenagers.

"We have enlarged the rooms and houses of these muggles so that you can fit, and we have given you each beds that replicate exactly what your host classmate has, you shall be in groups, I shall be splitting up friends and dorm-mates so you really experience their life, now the groups, we have 4 pupils here who live with Muggle families (A/N I could only be bothered to do the 4 I knew) Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Dean Thomas and Justin Finch-Fletchley, could they come up here please?" As they came up there were many jeers from the slytherins, with shouts of "mudblood" at this mcgonagall shut them up angrily, muttering about respect. When they arrived Dumbledore began talking again " these are the groups that you shall be staying in" he reeled of the 10 names going to each house, dread filled harry when his group was read out as Malfoy's name had not been called, and ron was going with Justin. " those staying with Harry Potter and the Dursley family will be; Draco Malfoy, Seamus Finnigan, Lavender Brown, Parvati Patil, Susan Bones, Neville Longbottom…"

"but that's 2 dorm-mates…" someone shouted

(A/N I am now going to make up some people) "James Arnold, Rebecca Thatch and Catherine Mead, You now have 1 hour to change into your muggle clothes and collect the bags that are on each of your beds and meet us back here so we can apparate…"

"but you can't apparate in school"

"Hmmm, privileges of being the headmaster, now go, 55 minutes" They all left apart from a shocked harry who looked at the headmaster pleadingly.

"Please don't make me show them, you must know what happens"

"what are you afraid of potter?" Snape's voice sneered, "is our golden boy afraid to boast of how rich he is and how well treated he is" Harry stayed silent, fuming, his sense of powerlessness he felt at the Dursleys returning such a resentful glare, he walked out knowing what would happen.

An hour later all of the third year were apprehensive, nervous, or in harry's case, scared to death, what would the Dursleys do? He wondered, he had no doubt that Dumbledore had bribed them to take them all, Harry decided he would keep his classmates away from them and take the blame as much as possible, even for Draco, he did not want to subject even one of his worst enemies to Vernon Dursley's wrath, although, he thought, he might just get the blame for everything anyway.

Dumbledore arrived and began to set out the rules, i.e No magic, not telling muggles of the wizarding world and to keep wands out of sight and to do the school work well, they would all be going to a local school and do muggle subjects, at this Hermione beamed while the rest groaned, they could keep their wands with them, but no magic unless to signal Hodwarts if they were in life threatening danger, at this they all laughed or scoffed, but harry went paler. "Now," Dumbledore announced "lets get going, those who live with the muggles will have to take their friends to the door, as we will apparate into the nearest alleyway, remember you are exchange students from the Milton School, a posh boarding school, looking into the lives of other people." We shall take the hosts first" He grabbed Harry's arm and disapperated into a little sidestreet that harry knew very well, where Dudley, on more than one occasion, had beaten him up in. Harry shivered at the memories, Dumbledore, disapperated and reappereated as he brought the others, harry was petrified now as Draco said arrogantly.

"well show us to your mansion Potter…" Dumbledore gave him a sympathetic glance, and disapperated, leaving harry alone as he realised this was Dudley's half-term. He lead them to his 'home'