Authors Note (AN): I do not own Harry Potter, that honor goes to J. K. Rowling.

Thank you for following my series. In the last book, Harry Potter was introduced into the wizarding world by his magical guardian, Albus Dumbledore. Harry's character, as an eleven-year-old boy, is evolving and changing as the world influences his life. Some of the influence into his character has come from Providence Preparatory Boarding School and others from his experiences with the Dursleys. Harry has come into his own as a young wizard, a friend to three different and distinct children, and has experienced death as an active and passive participant.

In this book, Harry will deviate farther from the original story. Characters and ideas will be introduced in, what I hope, to be a reasonable and realistic way. There are areas of this book I've rewritten multiple times to try and force the story in a direction I wanted. It didn't work. If anything, Harry's character as changed faster and 'sharper' than anything I'd prepared for (as every chapter for all seven books had a synopsis, character points, and plot points planned out.) If I've learned anything from this book, it's to think in broader terms and not try to pigeon hole a character into a specific timeline of events. Maybe some can do it, but I can't seem to keep my characters from running off.

As I have said before, I am an amateur writer and am trying to find the 'voice' that works for me. Some of the writing style will be different from the last book and some will remain the same. My goal in all my writing is to tell a story as I see it and it doesn't always come out the best way. To help me improve, please be brutally honest in any comments, reviews, or messages you'd like to send.

I hope you enjoy the story.

Chapter 1: The Burrow

"Gather your trunks, we're taking two Muggle cabs back to the Burrow," Mrs. Weasley ordered as she led her family and Harry through the throng of witches and wizards.

Harry spotted Draco Malfoy talking to an older, long-haired version of himself and a tall, skinny blonde woman with a pinched expression on her face. Her mannerisms made it seem like she looked down on everything and everyone. Harry and the blonde woman's deep blue eyes locked on to each other from a few yards away. Mrs. Malfoy's face contorted into a mask of rage as she mouthed something to him. Harry didn't think it was the family recipe for treacle tart. He lost track of the Malfoys when a large group of Hufflepuffs and their parents headed for the barrier.

The twins took the lead with matching grins as they helped everyone load up their trunks onto the battered trolleys. Harry secured Hedwig's cage to the top of his trunk and waited to one side. He glanced around, feeling the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. His knuckles hurt as he clutched his wand under a light rain-jacket draped across his arms.

Ron had difficulty securing his trunk. The small red-headed girl huffed and helped him strap everything down. She turned to see Harry watching them. Her face turned a brilliant shade of red, matching her hair. She sprinted to Mrs. Weasley and kept the matronly woman between her and Harry.

Harry assumed Ginny was shy and started to push his trolley, eyes peeled for any trouble. He hoped she wasn't scared of the burns on his face. Percy took the lead and pushed a path open for his family to reach the barrier. Fred and George took up the rear, behind Harry.

"Can't wait to show you the Burrow," they chorused. "We've got a surprise for you as well," Fred said with a smirk. George nodded and winked.

Kings Cross was busy as Muggles rushed along the platforms to their trains. The influx of wizarding families made the platform even more crowded. Ron stepped on Harry's foot twice as they fought to push through the crowd. By the time they escaped King's Cross, Harry received four new bruises. Harry only relaxed once they found the cabs, knowing the Malfoy's wouldn't attack him around Muggles.

The two Muggle cab drivers looked horrified by the group of seven trying to load eight trunks of varying sizes and an owl cage into the two cars. Ron clutched his rat, Scabbers, as he slid into the seat beside Harry. Ginny sat on Fred's lap as she pelted him with questions about Hogwarts. She demanded to know what pranks and trouble they'd gotten into with a small smirk.

Harry watched Mrs. Weasley as she directed her family with military precision. He wondered if the instructors at Providence would have been proud of the short witch. After everyone was loaded into the cab, the drivers took off through the streets. Harry's driver yelled at other motorists to get out of the way while cutting another off. The two cabs sped along in an effort to get to their destination faster.

Harry talked to Ron and Percy during the insanely long trip. Percy talked about his O.W.L. exam and his dreams to work with the Ministry. Ron talked about all the things they could do over the summer together. Harry half listened as he tried to contain his nervousness.

Once the cab drivers dropped the large family off and were paid, they sped off with a disgruntled look. Harry couldn't blame them as it had been a four-hour trip one way. He hoped Mrs. Weasley hadn't gone broke because of the price for the two cabs and the long trip. His back and legs were cramped after the long ride. Mrs. Weasley marched the group through the little town. Harry was amused when he heard people talk about them as they passed.

After a long walk toward the setting sun, a large, oddly-shaped structure appeared in the distance. Harry guessed the home was held up by magic. He thought he could see where the development of the house started. A tall rock wall with a few windows had a short roof attached and a large wooden and stone structure coming off the back. The expansion rose for two-stories above the small hut. After that, the planned look of the home changed drastically. A massive two-story addition stood over the roof of the original home, held up by several supports through the roof. The heavy addition listed to one side and was built from different types of wood. He realized after a moment, there were small additions to the main structures that hung out over mid-air. The entire house looked in disrepair.

"Magic, strong magic," Harry thought as he looked at the narrow support beams holding up the tons of weight being pressed upon it. His stomach somersaulted when he realized he'd be staying near the top of the structurally unstable building.

"The Burrow," Mrs. Weasley announced to Harry. She gave him a bright smile. "Come along, we're home." Harry felt his eye twitch as he gazed at the house again.

Ron muttered the entire way up the lane about having to drag his trunk so far. Fred and George looked excited to be home. Percy's face looked complicated. He thought he saw happiness and dissatisfaction in the older boy. Ginny bounced along beside Mrs. Weasley holding Hedwig's cage. She talked and crooned to the snowy owl.

Harry realized how enormous the house was as they reached the front door. Three chickens passed by the stoop, blocking their path for a moment. He wondered what the neighbors said about the Weasley family. Petunia had always worried about what the neighbors said. Harry looked around and noticed a small chicken coup, a large dilapidated barn, and a small stone outhouse.

Mrs. Weasley led everyone through the front door and into a small, rather cramped room. A long, worn table had eight chairs crammed around the table. The chairs were in different states of disrepair. A large stove sat to one side and a double sink was under a wide window. Pots and pans hung from hooks on the walls near the kitchen. A tall, grubby fridge was at the far end of the counters.

Mrs. Weasley smiled at them all and said, "it's wonderful to have you home, boys. Harry, you're welcome at the Burrow any time, dear. Now, trunks up to your rooms. Ron, show Harry to your room, please. Harry dear, you'll be staying in Ron's room on the fifth floor. Oh, I'm all excited to see you."

Harry tried to smile at her. "Thank you, Mrs. Weasley," he said as he looked around. Mrs. Weasley's excited voice reminded him of Fred and George's higher-pitched fake voices when he'd first met them on the train. He spotted a clock over the fireplace near the kitchen table. It had all the Weasley's faces on nine thin hands and words going around the outside instead of numbers. The three Weasleys he couldn't recognize had to be Bill, Charlie, and Ron's father, Arthur. The picture for Arthur on the longest hand pointed to the words, 'Work'.

"Oh, Arthur is running late, as usual," Mrs. Weasley explained as she stopped beside Harry. "If you need anything, feel free to ask, dear."

Ron led Harry through a short passage that led to a narrow spiraling staircase in the center of the house. He pointed out Ginny's room and the bathroom on the first floor. They clambered up the staircase with their trunks to the small second-floor landing. Percy and the twins had rooms on the second floor. Ron showed him Bill and Charlie's room and a single bathroom on the third floor. The fourth floor was the master bedroom. The tour ended at Ron's room on the fifth floor.

"We've got an attic, but there is a ghoul up there and no one wants to deal with it," Ron explained as he pointed to a trapdoor in the ceiling of the fifth-floor landing.

He opened the door and grinned. "Home sweet home," he said as he stepped inside.

Harry glanced around the messy room, decorated in the orange colors of the Chudley Cannons, Ron's favorite Quidditch team. He watched as Ron started to pick up his clothes and make a space to put his trunk in by the foot of the bed.

"Drop it here," Ron said as he threw the last of his clothes on the small bed. Harry put Ron's trunk at the foot of his bed.

"Your room looks wicked," Harry said after noticing Ron glancing at him.

Ron flashed a wide smile. "Thanks, mate," he said before cleaning up a spot by the worn dresser on the other side of the room.

Harry dropped his trunk off and went downstairs with Ron. "Mum, are we going to get Harry a bed?" Ron called as he entered the kitchen.

Ginny looked up from her plate and turned red. Ron snorted but Harry shrugged and ignored the youngest Weasley. Mrs. Weasley turned from the stove and flicked her wand. Two plates floated to the table from an open cabinet near the fridge.

"Have a seat dears," she called and pulled a large pot off the stove. She ladled small helpings of the stew into each of the plates. "Something to tide you over until supper a little later," she said with a smile.

Harry and Ron took the seats in front of the plates. Two forks floated to them a moment later. Harry ate in silence as Ron talked with a full mouth to his mother and sister. Ginny rolled her eyes and turned red again when Harry nodded to her when she looked his way.

"Ronald, do not eat with your mouth full," Mrs. Weasley chastised. She pointed the ladle in Ron's direction for emphasis. Harry tried not to laugh at his friend's discomfort.

"Ginny, when you finish, could you grab the wash, dear?" Mrs. Weasley called over her shoulder.

Ginny grimaced and stuck her tongue out at her mother. "Yes, mum," she huffed and crossed her arms.

"Don't stick your tongue out at me, young lady," the matronly woman scolded and turned with her hands on her hips to stare at Ginny.

Ginny started and huffed. " Sorry, mum," she said, but Harry didn't believe the girl. Mrs. Weasley eyed her youngest before turning back to her cooking.

Ginny stuck her tongue out again and darted out of the room with a giggle. Ron rolled his eyes and looked at Harry. " Girls, honestly," he muttered under his breath.

Harry tried not to laugh as he watched the Weasley family. Mrs. Weasley unnerved him and he wasn't sure why. He spotted Fred and George outside the house, standing in the middle of the dirt path. The twins were illuminated by two mismatched lampposts on either side of the path leading down to the small gate by the dirt road. They were arguing about something as they pointed to a suspicious-looking cylindrical object in Fred's hand. Harry wondered if they'd made any progress with the fireworks.

George snatched the firework out of Fred's hand and shoved it in his robe as he looked around. Seeming satisfied, George pulled a similar cylindrical object out of his robes and passed it to Fred. Harry watched with some amusement as the twins put their heads together and looked over the red firework in George's hand.

"Are the twins up to something?" Ron questioned as he leaned over. Ginny looked around and leaned over so she could see out the door too.

"They are just discussing Zonko's new work," Harry lied with a grin.

"Oh, boring," Ron muttered and went back to his food. Ginny turned back to Harry, her eyes narrowed.

Harry met her stare with a smirk. After a few seconds passed, Ginny's eyes widened and she turned a brilliant shade of red. She looked away and went back to poking her food with a fork.

"Dad's home," Ron announced.

"Dad's home!" the twins yelled as someone appeared out of thin air near the front gate.

Harry, glancing at Ginny again, raised an eyebrow at his excited friend. Ron grinned wider and pointed at the clock on the mantle. "It ticked over to 'Travelling'. It's like second nature to check the clock when dad's late," Ron explained with a shrug. "I can't explain how the twins do it," Ron said with a chuckle. Ginny snorted and smirked.

Harry had a feeling the youngest Weasley was in on whatever secret the twins had. "That is a wicked clock," Harry said and looked back out the open door.

A middle-aged man in black robes and a blue tie ambled up the short path to meet the twins. Mr. Weasley grinned and laughed as he hugged Fred and George. He looked between the twins and said something. The twins laughed at the same time and produced two pieces of parchment. Mr. Weasley took the papers and read them. He laughed and produced two Galleons from his pocket. He glanced around and passed a coin to both of his sons.

Grinning from ear to ear, the twins led the way up to the house. They winked at Harry as they entered the door. "Dad's home," one twin said and stepped aside to let Arthur in.

Arthur brushed past the twins as he caught Mrs. Weasley in his arms. With a big grin, Mrs. Weasley kissed her husband to the chorus of 'ewws' around the kitchen from the Weasley children. Harry shifted in his seat as he looked away.

"Dear, how I missed you," Mr. Weasley said to his wife as he broke apart. "Welcome home, Ron," he continued as he put his hand on Ginny's head. He ruffled her hair.

Ginny sputtered and tried to push his hand off her head. "Dad!" she cried and tried to smooth her hair back out. She cast furtive glances at Harry as she tried to tame the wild locks.

"Harry, how great it is to see you," Arthur said as he rounded the table. He stuck his hand out and Harry shook it.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Weasley. Ron said you worked in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts office?" Harry questioned, hoping the etiquette class tactic he'd learned at Providence would work on wizarding adults too. He felt uncomfortable around the jovial wizard but tried to smile.

"Yes! A fascinating people Muggles are. Living without magic. I have to ask. What is the exact purpose of a rubber duck?" Mr. Weasley asked as he produced a yellow duck from inside his robes.

Harry froze, waiting for the older wizard to crack a joke like the twins. When he realized Mr. Weasley was serious, he answered. It was a surreal experience to talk to an adult about a child's toy and having the adult hang on his every word.

Mrs. Weasley interrupted Arthur's barrage of questions a few minutes later. "Now Arthur, let the boy breathe," she chastised. The older wizard grinned and thanked Harry for the discussion.

Harry looked at Ron and Ginny, both shrugged back at him with identical smirks. He had the feeling their father amused and embarrassed them a lot. Harry cleaned the dishes from the table and put them in the sink as Mrs. Weasley talked to her husband.

Ron went upstairs to change and Harry went to find the twins. He knocked on their door and waited for it to open. "Got something to show me?" he asked as he glanced through the open door.

One twin sat on a long bed with a blanket over something lumpy at the foot of his bed. "Quick, come in," the twin by the door said and pulled Harry into the room.

"Fred here had the bright idea of leaving all of our work out," George glowered at his twin. Fred looked abashed as he waved his wand over the boards on the floor between the twin's bed. The wooden boards, in different sizes and lengths, floated into the air and piled themselves up in the corner.

Harry helped the twins dump the numerous joke shop items into the small cavity in the floor. He thought he could see into the dark room below between the boards at the bottom of the small compartment. "Ginny's room?" he questioned as George directed the boards back over the hole in the floor.

"Yep and you seem rather calm about our use of magic," Fred accused with a grimace. "You knew already?"

"An older girl from my stay at the Leaky Cauldron let me in on the secret before I left for Hogwarts," Harry explained with a laugh. "I don't know all the rules involved, but I'd guess simple charms and stuff won't get us in trouble. The law in 1233 prevents the Ministry from placing any spells on our wands after Llacheu the Wandless tried to take over the Wizards' Council."

"You're as bad as Hermione," George complained. "We don't know everything but keep it a secret from Ron and Perce. They would mess everything up," he continued with a shudder.

Harry noticed George hadn't mentioned the youngest Weasley. He understood why Ron couldn't be included in the secret, as he had a pension for not thinking and blurting out things at the worst of times. Percy either already knew, or more likely, would tell Mrs. Weasley the twins were using magic outside of school. "No problem, I won't get a lot of time to practice my spells anyway. I'm up in Ron's room," he said with a shrug.

"Don't be so sure. Ron sleeps like a log and you can sneak out at night like we do," the twins chorused with a laugh.

Harry grinned and pointed at Fred's pocket. "You finish testing the fireworks?" he felt a bubble of excitement in his chest as he watched the boy produce a red firework.

"We messed around with your design and have come up with a different solution," George said and pulled out a green firework from his pocket.

"We wanted to show you our work, but now, it'll have to wait until mum is out of the house. Dad won't care, but mum will give us a scolding and shakedown our room again," Fred said with a grin.

Harry sat with the twins as they talked about the various minor changes to his prototype firework. They heard Ron making a terrible racket as he descended the stairs. Harry noticed that his friend made it sound like a herd of stampeding elephants crashing down the stairs when they went to the kitchen the first time. He saw knowing grins spread across the twin's face as he felt his eye twitch.

"Bloody hell, he makes a racket," Harry muttered as he stood and brushed off his pants. He gave the tin of Itching Powder back to George. "I wonder if we could use powdered nettle and dittany in a mixture to make our own Itching Powder. It would soothe the area of contact but cause intense itching without pain. If we really wanted to be mean, we could use dried Flobberworm mucus and powdered nettle to make sure the powder sticks longer," he thought aloud.

"Harry… you scare us sometimes," Fred and George said together and shared a look. "Genius idea, but scary," they chorused with a laugh.

Harry rolled his eyes and left the room, closing the door behind him. He could hear Ron talking in a loud voice to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley in the kitchen. As he stepped off the bottom stair, he noticed Ginny stick her head back in her door and close it with a quiet thump. He made a mental note to ask Mrs. Weasley why the boisterous girl was acting strange. Mr. Weasley was looking over Ron's marks and congratulating him on his hard work. Mrs. Weasley was questioning Percy about how he felt his Ordinary Wizarding Level exams went at the other end of the table. Both parents glowed with pride as they talked to their sons.

Harry took a seat in the middle of the table and grinned at Ron's red face. "Harry, dear, Ron was telling us about your flash… card… idea," Mrs. Weasley said as she stumbled over the unfamiliar word. "It seems smart. Do you still have them?"

Harry blinked and pulled a small stack of cards out of his trouser pocket. He looked up to see Ron laughing at him. "Told you, mum! He never goes anywhere without them," his friend said with a smirk.

Harry rolled his eyes and passed the small stack to Mrs. Weasley on the other side of the table. Mr. Weasley got up and took a card out of the stack. "This spell requires the caster to understand the make-up and complexity of an object to vanish both animate and inanimate objects into non-being," he read aloud.

"Evanesco," Percy said as he sat straighter in his chair, looking at Harry. "That is a fourth-year spell and one I had to perform for my O.W.L. You're practicing them now?" he questioned as he looked Harry over.

"Yes and no," Harry hedged with a shrug. "I tried to learn it to vanish incomplete or incorrect potions a few months ago. It didn't go well, but it is still on my to-do list."

"Astounding," Mr. Weasley grinned and passed the card to Harry. "I wish I thought of something like this during my time at Hogwarts. That would be a useful tool to review with."

"Very smart of you, dear," Mrs. Weasley praised as she flipped over a few cards. She smiled and passed him the stack of cards back. "What did you get for marks?"

Harry froze, his hand hovering over the flashcards. "I did alright, Mrs. Weasley," he answered to Ron's snort of laughter and Percy's chuckle.

"Mum, he is one of the two smartest first-years in about a decade," Percy said with a grin. "Hermione Granger may have beaten him in one or two subjects, but his Transfiguration work is used as an example by Professor McGonagall in a lot of our lessons."

"Really?" Harry asked, trying to imagine the stern woman praising his work. He didn't have a great impression of the aging professor.

"Harry, we hear in every lesson how far you've progressed against how slow we are going. She uses you and Hermione as a prod to get us to work harder. I must admit, I don't want a first-year to beat me in my Transfiguration work," Percy answered, his white teeth flashing. "I know she's playing up how much you two know, but the others don't."

Harry shrugged and smiled. He noticed Ginny taking a seat beside Percy and looking between him and the flashcards still on the table. "Dinner will be in a few," Mrs. Weasley announced as she turned back to the large pot on the stove. She pointed her wand at the stairs. A moment later, the twins crashed down the stairs and took their seats with eager looks on their faces.

"Mum always makes the best Sheppard's Pie," one twin said as the other banged his knife and fork on the table.

"Behave," Mrs. Weasley warned as she pointed a large wooden spoon at the twins.

"Yes, Mum," they chorused and shared a grin.

It was well into the night before everyone got up from the dinner table. Harry stayed quiet as he watched and listened to the Weasley family chat and share their lives over the last few months. Mr. Weasley talked about the inner workings of the Ministry of Magic while Mrs. Weasley talked about their trip to see Charlie. Everyone, except Ginny, was interested in hearing about their older brother. The young girl played with her food and patted her foot on the floor.

Harry was thankful his friend didn't go into much detail about his confrontation with Quirrell. He was glad neither of the adults asked about his burns. Their eyes lingered on his face a little longer than was normal, but they didn't comment. Ginny stared at him a lot from the corner of her eye. He felt a little like an animal in a zoo. Mrs. Weasley sent everyone to their rooms after all the dishes had been piled in the sink. She waved her wand toward the sink. The brush and soap levitated off the counter and started to clean the dirty plates and glasses.

Harry grimaced as he realized he knew the spell from the bride-to-be book by Philippa Lyttleburye. He followed Ron up the stairs and wished the twins a good night. Percy disappeared into his room without a word. Mrs. Weasley appeared at Ron's door a moment later, levitating a camp-bed into the room. She waved her wand and cleared a path on the dirty floor by the wardrobe in the corner. "We'll get you a real bed tomorrow, Harry. We'll ask Bill and Charley if they are comfortable with us letting you use their room in our next letters," Mrs. Weasley said as the camp-bed unfurled and erected itself by the wall.

"Thank you, Mrs. Weasley," Harry said as he opened his trunk by Ron's dresser.

"You're welcome, dear. Ron, leave your clothes in the basket in the living room tomorrow morning. You too, Harry. I'll get everything washed by mid-day. Don't stay up too late and sleep well," Mrs. Weasley said as she left the room. Harry heard her light footsteps descend the stairs.

"You good, mate?" Ron asked as he changed into his pajamas for bed.

"Yeah, thanks for having me over," Harry said with a smile. "You going to bed now?"

"I'm kipped, mate. I'll see you in the morning," Ron yawned and shoved all the clothes off his bed and onto the floor. He crawled under the covers and rolled over toward the wall.

Harry snorted and got into his sweatpants and workout t-shirt from Providence. He pulled out his An Anthology of Eighteenth Century Charms by Brior Corre and settled onto the uncomfortable camp-bed. There was a lump in the middle of the cushion around the small of his back. The curtains in the window were drawn back, letting the moonlight into the dark room. It was enough light for Harry to read by as he tried to find a comfortable position.

Harry woke before Ron the next morning. His internal clock said it was around 05:45 as he clambered out of the camp-bed. He changed into a spare set of clothes from his trunk and gathered up all his dirty clothes. The stairwell was dark as he descended to the kitchen. He dropped his clothes into the large basket in the living room and looked around. The Weasley's living room was cozy with a sofa and armchairs. It had a fireplace and a huge wooden bookshelf filled to the brim with books. He ran a finger over the leather spines of a few of the books before realizing a lot of the titles were coursebooks used at Hogwarts. Harry grinned and pulled down Advanced Potion-Making by Libatius Borage. He took the book outside and read on the little bench as the sun started to rise.

Mrs. Weasley found him a little while later when she walked outside with the basket. "Oh!" she gasped and dropped the basket on the ground. "Harry, dear, you gave me a fright. Did you sleep all right?" she asked and looked him over.

"Yes, Mrs. Weasley. I always wake up early," Harry answered, looking up from the book with a smile. He'd found the book a challenging read but he was excited to read what Libatius had to say about potions.

"I should have known," Mrs. Weasley said with a smile. "Ron wrote and said you were always up first. Did you add your clothes to the basket?" she asked as she scooped the clothes up from the ground, dropping them into the large basket.

"Yes, Mrs. Weasley. Mine should be the ones on the bottom there," he said with a smile. He was itching to get back to the second chapter.

"If you need anything, let me know. Breakfast will be in a few hours," Mrs. Weasley called as she went around the side of the house.

Harry didn't say anything and went back to reading. The sun warmed his face as he finished the third chapter of the book. Mrs. Weasley had come out to check on him a few times but hadn't bothered him. Fred and George were in the living room playing exploding snap, much to their mother's displeasure. Ginny stumbled out of the house and collected a few eggs from the chicken coop. She didn't see Harry on the bench as she blearily wandered back in the house with her small basket. Percy appeared outside for a few minutes to throw Errol, the family owl, into the air and watch as the owl took flight.

"Morning, Harry," Percy greeted when he turned around. "Sleep well?"

"Yes, thank you, Percy. Did you?" Harry asked and looked up from the book.

"Mostly… reading one of Bill's old coursebooks?" he questioned, coming closer.

"Didn't realize it was Bill's book, but yeah it is an interesting read," Harry answered with a genuine smile.

"Keep it up," Percy said in an imperious tone and went back inside.

Harry tried not to laugh at the older boy and went back to his reading. Mrs. Weasley called them in for breakfast. Harry put the book back on the shelf and found a seat at the table. It was a boisterous morning as the Weasley family prepared for the day. Mr. Weasley gave hugs to each of his children after breakfast before leaving for work. Percy looked annoyed but Harry didn't miss the curve to his lip as Mr. Weasley left.

"Harry, we're going up to the orchard to play Quidditch," Ron said with a grin. Fred and George smiled and nodded. Ginny looked excited.

"You will each clean your rooms before you do anything else. You left them a mess. Harry, dear, I need help here in the kitchen. Ginny, if you'll make sure everyone has got their clothes in the baskets. Yours too, dear," Mrs. Weasley said as she inserted herself into the conversation.

Harry found it hard to say no to Mrs. Weasley as the Weasley children wandered off with muttered curses and sour faces. He stepped over to the sink and looked for something to do. "What did you need help with, Mrs. Weasley?" he asked, looking at the dishes being scrubbed by magic.

"Would you be a dear and reorganize my spices? Poor Arthur tried to cook the other day while I was out with Ginny. It's become a right mess. If you'll put them in alphabetical order, that would be great."

Harry fought down his suspicion the matronly woman was giving him busy work while her children did chores. With a shrug, he opened the cabinet next to the stove and realized Mrs. Weasley hadn't been lying. Little bottle holders lined the cabinet door but many of the slots for bottles were missing. He crouched lower and realized all the missing bottles were scattered through the cabinet. Harry groaned when he picked up two bottles. After reading the labels, he tried to figure out why Mr. Weasley used cinnamon and lemongrass in the same recipe. He shuddered to think of how the food turned out.

"Mrs. Weasley," Harry called as he sorted through the many spice bottles on the floor.

"Yes, dear?" Mrs. Weasley answered from the sink next to him. She peered down at him with kindly eyes.

"Is Ginny scared off by my burns?" he asked, wanting to get the hard question out of the way first.

"No dear, I'm afraid our youngest has a bit of hero-worship. You see, she grew up reading all those books about you as a child. I'm sure she'll come around when she realizes you didn't do all those things at the ages of three and four. I apologize for her until she does," Mrs. Weasley laughed with a wink at him. "Don't let it get to you. She'll be the boisterous troublemaker she always is in a few days."

"Uh, thanks," Harry muttered and went back to his task.

"Since you brought it up, dear. What happened if you don't mind me asking?" Mrs. Weasley questioned as she turned away from the sink. She looked him full on in the face as her eyes roamed.

Harry felt his skin crawl but didn't let his displeasure show on his face. "Curse got me, ma'am. Quirrell wanted me dead for his Master," he answered in a clipped voice. He realized how harsh his voice sounded.

"Oh? Quirrell? Dear, I'm sorry but wasn't that your Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor?" Mrs. Weasley said, concern evident in her voice.

"Yeah, he was. He tried to kill me for Voldemort," Harry answered and felt a surge of vicious pleasure at the adult's startled gasp. He tried to suppress his unstable feelings.

"I'm glad you're alright dear. I'll be writing Albus on the subject," Mrs. Weasley said with a warm smile. The smile turned hard as she looked toward the stairway.

Harry felt a shiver run through his body as he thought he felt an invisible power radiating off Mrs. Weasley. He turned back to his task, thankful to have something to occupy his hands. Mrs. Weasley wasted no time and wrote a rather long letter at the kitchen table. She didn't ask Harry any more questions. Harry watched as she called Errol to her. The owl didn't appear after her first or second call, so she got up and went upstairs.

Harry wondered if he should mention Percy had already used the owl that morning but decided to lay low and stay out of the angry adult's way. His mind turned to the Headmaster. He wondered why Mr. and Mrs. Weasley weren't told their son was attacked by a Voldemort supporter. Harry was under no illusion that all of them could have died that night if Quirrell hadn't needed to getaway. Since leaving the Hospital Wing after the incident, he tried to guess at Quirrell's plan to leave Hogwarts. If too many students were killed, it would spark a Ministry of Magic manhunt for him, making getting away with the Stone almost impossible.

Harry finished his chore before any of the other children. He read the Advanced Potion-Making book at the table while he waited. Ron appeared first and all but drag Harry outside the house before Mrs. Weasley could stop them. Harry put the book back on the shelf and followed his friend outside. Ron led him to the dilapidated outhouse and pulled on the lock to the wooden door.

"Aw, mum's locked it," Ron grumbled and kicked the door in his frustration. "If I had my wand I could open this in a snap," he sighed.

Harry tried to hide his smile as he patted Ron on the shoulder. "We'll go ask for the key," he consoled and walked back toward the house. Fred and George rounded the building, huge grins on their faces.

"Hey, we got the key!" one twin shouted and shot past Harry and Ron in a dead run. The other twin wasn't far behind.

Ron grinned and took off after his older brothers. Harry shook his head and followed at a more sedate pace. Fred and George had the outhouse door open and was pulling out four brooms. "Here Harry, this one doesn't pull to the right as much," one twin said and offered a broom to Harry.

"Don't trust them," Ron warned with a grin. "They all pull hard to the right," he finished with a laugh.

The twins grinned and passed the last broom to Ron. "Come on, the orchard is up the hill. It'll hide us from the Muggles as we play. Here, Harry, you and Ron take the trunk with the balls."

Harry took one handle of the trunk and Ron took the other as they followed the chattering twins up the hill. The apple orchard was enclosed by a paddock with a wooden gate. The huge clearing in the middle of the orchard had three stone goalposts on the far end of the oval field.

"George says we can go higher than the trees without getting spotted but mum will all have our heads," Fred explained and pointed to four tall pillars at the corners of the clearing. "Those are the boundaries, if you go outside or above them, you drop the Quaffle and have to touch the ground before you can play again. Bill enchanted the boundary markers to shock you if you fly outside them. Ron, you taking Keeper again or do you want a go, Harry?" Fred asked as George opened the trunk.

"I want Keeper," Ron said with a grin. "Let's see you three try and get it past me," he boasted.

Harry grinned and mounted his broom. Ron hovered between the goalposts as Harry, Fred, and George took turns to try and get shots past him. It took time for Ron to warm up but he managed to block many of the shots. Harry saw how worn out Ron looked after the first hour of play. He switched out with Ron for a little bit and felt the physical and mental strain of trying to guess where the Quaffle was going and block the shots to the best of his ability.

"Wow, that was a great save," Fred said with a laugh.

Harry dangled one-handed off his broom and struggled to pull himself back up. He'd guessed the upper post and had to swing his broom around so he could kick the Quaffle away. His foot stung from hitting the hard ball. "Thanks," he muttered as he got situated on the broom again. "This is tiring," he said with a smile.

Harry noticed Ginny watching them from the tree line as the other boys fought for who would go next. So far, Harry hadn't blocked as many shots as Ron had.

"Fred, you want a turn or are we going to do two versus two Chaser fights?" George called after Harry missed another shot from Fred.

"Two versus two, we'll do you and me versus Ron and Harry," Fred said with a grin.

Harry tried not to groan when he realized how mismatched the teams were. The twins had a lot of experience whereas he and Ron had a little bit from the pick-up games. "All right," he called and flew over to Ron. "How are we going to do this?"

"Try and out fly them?" Ron answered with a shrug. "Who knows, just have fun!"

Harry laughed and did as Ron suggested. He got in close and slammed against Fred to make him drop the Quaffle as they flew up the field. Fred cried out and dropped the Quaffle but Harry wasn't fast enough to get the red ball. George swooped under them and snagged the Quaffle. Ron attempted to block him but missed.

"You hit hard," George said a while later as the four boys walked back to the house. They'd left the trunk under a large tree so it would be there after lunch.

"Couldn't get the Quaffle any other way," Harry answered with a grin.

"Ron you've got to work on your stamina if you want to play on the team. Right now, Angelina could fly circles around you," Fred said with a laugh.

"I know," Ron groaned and rubbed his forearms. "It's hard to fly, fight the brooms, and block both of you. My arms are shaking."

"Harry, you did well! Have you thought about trying out for the team?" George praised and clapped Harry on the back.

"I hadn't given it much thought. I know Ron wants to try out for the Seeker position," Harry answered with a shrug.

"Harry, can we work on those exercises from the Quidditch prep book?" Ron asked as they walked into the kitchen. The boys had put the brooms up in the outhouse before going inside.

"Sure," Harry answered and found a place at the kitchen table.

Mrs. Weasley greeted them with a smile and asked how the Quidditch game went. The Weasley boys all excitedly told their mother about the game and how each of them did. Ginny walked into the kitchen from outside a few minutes later. Harry smiled at her, knowing she'd been watching them play.

"That's nice boys. Go wash up before you eat," Mrs. Weasley said and waved her wand. Five plates with sandwiches on them floated to the table. After everyone returned from the bathroom they took a seat at the table again. "Eat up, we'll have dinner earlier tonight. Tomorrow everyone is de-gnoming the garden."

The Weasley boys groaned as they dug into their food. Harry wondered if they were going to move lawn ornaments. Ginny looked excited by the prospect of de-gnoming with her brothers and Harry. After everyone ate, Ron announced he would take a shower.

"Harry?" a quiet voice said.

Harry turned to see Ginny staring at him with a faint blush to her cheeks. "Yes?" he said, rising from the table.

"Can I look through your coursebooks for Hogwarts?" she asked sitting a little straighter.

"Don't bother him, Ginny. Go play with your dolls or something," Ron spat from the doorway. He poked his head back in and started to scold his sister for bothering his friend.

"Ronald Weasley, you will apologize to your sister this instant," Mrs. Weasley thundered from the scullery door. She appeared in the kitchen a moment later and glared at her youngest son. "Well?" she challenged.

Harry felt the hairs on the back of his neck and arms stand on end as the stern woman launched into a tirade when Ron didn't apologize fast enough. He watched, awed and cowed by the kindly woman's temper. Ron seemed to deflate and draw in on himself under her wrath. Harry noticed Ginny looked sullen and upset her mother interfered on her behalf. She left without a word after Ron stammered an apology.

Ron took a long time to reappear downstairs, something that hadn't bothered Harry. He sat at the table and read more of the Potions book. After two more chapters, he noticed his body odor and made his way up to the bathroom.

Ron was asleep on his bed, still in his clothes from earlier. He snored into his pillow as Harry grabbed a change of clothes. After a shower in a small, cramped bathroom, he went back downstairs to find Fred and George sitting with Ginny. They were whispering in low, conspiratorial voices as they read from a long bit of parchment. Harry stopped by the doorway to the hall and watched as Fred and George's smiles grew wider as Ginny talked.

Mrs. Weasley made a noise in the scullery, causing the Weasley children to jump and hide the parchment behind their back. They breathed out a sigh of relief only to jump in unison when they saw Harry leaning against the door frame of the hallway. He grinned at them but didn't say anything.

"Do you ever make any noise, mate?" one twin groused as Harry plopped into a chair by the fireplace.

"Not if I can help it," Harry chuckled and gestured with his chin toward the parchment behind Ginny. "Get any farther with the idea?" he asked with a smirk.

"We're going to test gunpowder with the spell. See what that does for rocketing the firework higher and maybe producing more fireworks," the other twin answered. He pointed to Ginny. "Let me introduce our brains behind some of our more ingenious pranks."

Ginny flushed and sketched a sitting-bow. Harry laughed. "They need all the help they can get," he said.

"Oi!" the twins chorused to Ginny's giggles. They turned and tickled her, causing her giggles to turn into laughter.

"Don't make her wet the couch," Mrs. Weasley called from the scullery.

Ginny flushed redder and beat her brothers off her with her fists. Harry winced as the twins howled in pain and jumped off the couch.

"Mad I tell you," they chorused. One twin rolled up the parchment and tucked it into his shirt.

"Have fun, Gin," the other twin said and led the way out of the room, headed upstairs.

Ginny scowled at her brothers but a small grin played at the corner of her lips. "Harry?" she asked and turned her bright brown eyes to Harry.

"Pick one subject," Harry answered with a smile.

Ginny froze and bit her lip. He watched as her eyes fell on his chest pocket, where he kept his flashcards. Harry waited in silence as Ginny seemed to war with herself over what subject she wanted to read. "Charms!" she said in a firm voice.

"You won't be able to cast the charms yet, not without a wand," Harry said after a moment.

"That's fine! I just want to learn how to cast spells!" Ginny said in a strong voice. She sat up straighter and looked Harry in the eye.

"Charms it is then," Harry said with a grin and went upstairs to get his book The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk.