Authors Note: I have read a huge amount of fanfiction so I may not always remember where I got a spell or idea. I apologize now if I miss an acknowledgement. My social structure was inspired by the wonderful Katling my knowledge base is not as indepth as hers so bare with me. Many of my spells come from Awakening a Magus by The-Dreamer4. I have no clue who first came up with the extreme version of the magical trunk who ever it was thankyou and as it is so widely used I figured it was fair game. For many of the Rituals Loralee1 was the inspiration and she seemed Ok with my using them.

Disclaimer:I I do not own in any way shape or form anything from the Harry Potter verse. I'm just here to twist and turn some of the plot points for my own amusement. All ships will more than likely be canon if I get that far.

Small Changes

CHAPTER I

The ride home on the Hogwarts express was very quiet as the three friends thought about their first year of school. Ron and Hermione were giving their friend worried glances every now and then, as he stared out the window. Finally leaning his forehead on the window and sighing. Harry rolled his head against the window and closed his eyes briefly. "He's not going to let me grow up is he?" He said quietly.

Hermione shook her head sadly and Ron's eyes widened as realization hit. Then he too shook his head.

"But why?" Ron asked.

"The first time as a baby I don't know. Dumbledore won't tell me. He says I'm too young." Harry snorted at that. "You'd think that young or not I should know at least something. Apparently he's still out to kill me."

"Yeah, and to Dumbledore you might still be too young at 100." Ron snipped.

"RONALD WEASLEY!" Hermione glared then her eyes widened and she started giggling. "You know Ron you just might be right." At this Ron nearly fell over in shock and it even pulled a laugh out of Harry.

"Wha…. d.did you just tell me I'm right?"

"Yep she did mate." Agreed Harry grinning. "As for trying to kill me this year, well it's just a bit much isn't it? I mean why this year and not last year or any year before? Why bring the Stone here? Sure Hagrid said there's no place safer, but really, it's still a school."

"Why would the Headmaster put all those students in danger?" Asked an appalled know-it-all and worshipper of those in authority. That belief may have taken just a little beating.

"Know your enemy." Ron mumbled.

"That's what I think too." Harry agreed. "I think, or hope, that he didn't expect me to be alone when it happened. He was supposed to be there but things got all messed up. He knew almost everything we did." Pausing he glanced over to Hermione. "How does he do that anyway?" He watched an almost manic gleam enter the curious witches' eyes, and know that somehow she would figure it out. Maybe not right away but probably before they left Hogwarts for the last time. MostMore than likely much sooner. It just might keep her busy enough to let up on him and Ron a bit.

"You two need to read all your first year books again." Maybe not. "Or for you two maybe the first time" She smirked as they both gave an indignant "Hey" But continued on with "And read your second year books as soon as you get them."

"But it's summer Hermione." Whined Ron. Harry however was starting to follow her logic.

Banging his head against the back of the seat (at least it was padded) he groaned and said. "She's right, at least for me. He's going to keep coming after me especially now. He kept going on and on about power and if I would join him we could rule the world." He snorted here then went on. "As if I'd join him. He killed my parents. He's the reason I have to live with people who hate me." His friends gaped at him as he revealed that Voldemort had tried to recruit him. A very faint gasp came from the corridor, in stereo, but they didn't notice as Harry went on.

"Rule the world, why would I want to do that? Sounds like a giant headache if you ask me. Then if you actually do it someone is always out to kill you so that they can rule it after you did all the hard work." Harry sounded appalled at the idea. His friends looked shocked then started laughing. Harry looked at them puzzled at what was so funny. Just then the door slid open and in fell two identical red heads laughing their butts off.



"Oh Harry, that is priceless. Only you would turn down the chance to rule the world because it's too big of a headache." Gasped out Fred? Maybe George...

"I'm thinking only Harry would get an offer like that at Eleven." Put in the other twin.

Harry turned an amazing shade of red at that statement. (Only a Weasley could have done better.)

"Well" Started one twin getting up off the floor

"Now that we know" followed the other

"You're not plotting"

"To take over the world."

"We'll go visit Percy"

"Who just might be." They finished together and with that they left

The three friends looked at each other "Naa..." said Ron, and then looked thoughtful "At least not yet." He added with a smirk. They all chuckled at that. Then Harry sobered up, but was still in a much better mood now.

"Anyway where this was going is that I need to learn as much as possible as soon as possible just to survive school." The others nodded there their head in agreement. "To bad we can't do magic. I'd love to practice anything I learn." Harry said sadly.

"Well potions don't use enough magic to get a warning or the Twins would have been expelled long-ago." Ron said absently.

"That's great Ron!" Hermione exclaimed. Ron looks startled, then what he had said sunk in and he groaned. The one thing that they could do, he hated the most.

"You still haven't told us the reason he wants you dead now." Hermione referred back to the original subject. Harry had forgotten.

"Oh! Yeah well in all the talk of how powerful he is in everything. I realized he'd basically gotten beat up by a baby. If you go by the way everyone believes. If he does find a way to come back He's going to want to want his followers back. He will want a lot more followers to. It's kind of hard to 

come off as all-powerful if you've been beat up by a baby." His friends nodded in agreement. "Then even if you know, it was my mum and not me." They looked like they were going to disagree. He glared them down and went on "He came to kill me and I lived I'm basically the one that got away. Then, this year I did it again. He has to kill me to keep his all-powerful image plus, I think that I pissed him off." Harry finished offhandedly.

"Harry! Language." Hermione scolded.

"It's true though." He came back with a smile.

Hermione sighed. "We really do need some sort of self defense sense we can't do magic."

Green eyes lit with excitement and Harry jumped up and opened his trunk. "Self-defense. That's it! There were a couple of kids at my old school, they came back from the summer holidays and could defend themselves from Dudley. Scared him spit less actually. They had started martial arts training, they could defend themselves and they said it was fun as well. Most of the time anyway." He rambled while digging through his trunk finally coming up with a sack filled with galleons. "Last year I had no idea about how much stuff cost. So I just put as much as possible into my pockets. In Dudley's jeans they're really big pockets. I had loads left over." Ron stared at the bag with an odd sick look at what's a combination of awe and envy.

"Harry that must be a fortune you need to be more careful." Hermione said, with wide eyes.

"I'll try to see how much I can spend and make it last through the school years I promise." He said earnestly. "But this is already out. Sooo." Handing it over to her. "Could you have your dad gave me pounds for these? That way he won't have to pay a fee for the exchange at Gringots." She just gaped at him so he went on. "Keep what you need for martial arts training and send enough for Ron." Here Ron's ears started going red a mutinous look appeared on his face.

"I don't need your charity!" He yelled.

"It's not charity" Harry said firmly. Ron looked unconvinced. "Look mate, you wouldn't have to do this if it wasn't for me." Calmer but still not convinced. "If it bothers you keep track of what I spend now and you can pay me back later, w. When we get jobs." Ron was caving he could tell. Hermione seemed to be fascinated with whatever was in hall a hand over her mouth desperately hiding her amusement at Harry's maneuvering. Who knew he had it in him? Harry allowed a small smile and pushed gently one 

last time. "Hey, if you let me pay for stuff we need now and agree to pay after we leave school that means you think I'll live long enough to get a job after Hogwarts."

Ron narrowed his eyes. He may be thick but not that thick. "How very Slytherin of you" he said with a snort.

"Why thank you." Harry grinned unrepentant.

"Okay. We'll let you pay the way for now, but I will pay you back." Ron agreed. Hermione finally let herself giggle at the boys. Ron was about to comment when the compartment door opened and their three least favorite people entered.

"Well, if it isn't Potty and his little groupies." Draco Malfoy sneered.

"Wow! You know what a groupie is!" Harry exclaimed with wide innocent eyes. "I didn't think you knew about anything Muggle"

Draco looked horrified that anything he said could be Muggle. Opening his mouth to reply, he found he didn't know what he could say that. So he just glared and settled for "You chose the wrong sort. Now you'll pay" with that he left.

"That was the lamest excuse of a threat I've ever heard." Hermione said, and then rolled her eyes at the boys who are practically rolling with laughter. After they recovered a bit Harry started again.

"Okay, so I'll pay for stuff now, you know extra books, lessons, supplies stuff that we wouldn't normally need. Fun stuff to." At Ron's narrow eyed look. He rushed on "I want to do as much as possible have as much fun as possible. You know, just in case." He finished the last and almost a whisper.

"HARRY JAMES POTTER! Don't you even think that way; if you do he's already won." Hermione yelled.

"Yeah mate. You'll make it I know you will." Ron added

Harry looked at his friends were touched then he could ever say. "Thanks guys." Taking a deep breath, he went on to make an offer that nearly ripped out his young heart. "It might not be too late for you, you know, next year. You could just quietly find other friends to hang around with. It would be so much safer for you."



Suddenly, both his friends were yelling at him, each talking over the other. And they looked at each other turned back to him and in a truly frightening unison, stated. "You're stuck with us." The rest of the train ride was spent with junk food games and somewhat determined laughter.

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As the train started slowing down. The trio started to clean up their games and trash Harry asked thoughtfully. "Um, do you think there is enough gold in there to pay for the Twins to? They may be in danger by being related to you, and they seem to take their beater duties seriously off the field, as well as on."

"Yeah, they do don't they" Ron smiled. "They seem to like you for some strange reason, can't think why." He dodged an empty chocolate frog container headed his way from his friend. Hermione just rolled her eyes. Taking out the bag of gold. "I really don't know." She said weighing it then peeking inside. Ron held out his hand and she handed the bag over without question. He repeated her actions then paled and gulped.

"I think there is more in here than has ever been in our vault. Ever. Enough to buy five or six Nimbus 2000's." He said in awe.

"Trust Ron to put it in Quidditch terms." Hermione said. "But when you got your broom Harry. I, I heard they were quite expensive. So there should be plenty here for whatever you want."

"Do you want…?"

"NO! Well yes, but not right now, the training is much more important." It looked like saying that almost killed Ron, the longing for a new broom warred with his pride. That was still struggling to accept Harry's offer. The Ron most people knew did have some common sense and wasn't quite as dumb as most people thought. He couldn't be the unbeatable demon that he was at chess, if he was. He just didn't see the point of really trying when all of his brothers had excelled or somehow left their mark at Hogwarts already. He lacked any purpose, and then realized that even in this first year. He had done some things that his brothers never had all because of his friend Harry and looking at his friend he realized that if being famous meant facing a Dark Lord and he could do without it.

Both of his friends watched as Ron stood up taller and a determined glint lit his eyes. He was missing that clueless look he usually wore. They weren't actually sure of what just happened, but it looked good on their friend.

"Do you think Percy?" started Harry to be interrupted by a snort of disgust.

"Not likely. Maybe if it'd been last year or the year before, but this year. He has the perfect rulebook so far up his…."

"RON!" Hermione exclaimed in shock.

"Well it's true." Ron came back. "If you can't find a rule or a law that says it's not allowed. He'll find a reason to tell mum. And that will end that because…"

"WE're TO YOUNG" they all finished together, laughing.

Hermione suddenly turned to Harry and asked "Did you keep money out for your own training?"

Harry flushed a little and fished around in his trunk again finally pulling out a nasty looking the old sock reached in to pull out a handful of galleons.

"And were you going to exchange them for Muggle money?" Hermione pressed trying to hide her amusement.

"I forgot okay." He said now a deep red, and the sending his friend a glare that just didn't seem to faze her. Behind him. He heard coughing fit; he knew it was Ron laughing at him. Before he could do anything about that a sudden thought popped into his head. "Hermione will your parents be able to exchange all that?"

She looked thoughtful for a moment. "I think so, they make pretty good money. They won't cheat you, if they can't do all of it. They'll send you back what's left after" she nodded at the gold in his hand. "Well. We'll see how much they have on them so you can get started right away."

The train finally came to a complete stop, and they all (well Ron and Hermione) rushed to greet their families. Ron drug them over to meet his family first as they were magical and could be on the platform and for the first time Harry could remember. He got a hug from an adult, one he was sure cracked some ribs. It was the best feeling in the world. Even if he didn't know how to respond. Finally he awkwardly hugged her back.

The Grainger's were right outside the barrier and immediately scooped Hermione up in a family hug. She whispered something to her dad and he shook hands with both Ron and Harry asking how many galleons he needed to change Harry glanced around quickly seeing no Dursley's yet. He handed over his gold. Mr. Granger's eyes widened a bit as he counted the coins; he leaned over to his wife and asked her how much money she had. Together, they were able to change most of what was there. He had ended up with a little over 200 pounds and five Gallion Galleons still left. The Grainger's and the Weasley's were just about ready to leave when the Dursley's finally showed up.

"BOY! Come along, we don't have all day." Without checking to see if he'd heard them, (though the whole station probably had) or to see if he had followed. They turned and walked away Harry smiled sadly, at his friends said. "See you" then to the adults. "Goodbye, nice to have met you." Turned and hurried after the Dursley's.

"How rude" Mrs. Weasley looked outraged. The Grangers didn't look happy about what they'd just seen either. They nodded in agreement.

"You have no idea mum no idea." Ron said quietly and with a glance at the retreating Harry. Then one to Hermione receiving a nod agreeing to a non-spoken commitment to Harry. Everyone turned to go home.

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Hermione sat on her bed and stared at the gold Harry had given her without as much as a blink. She gave a small giggle remembering her father's near heart attack when she had asked if he could change it for Harry. He said no at least not all of it. Not without emptying their savings account. After making some calls for fees at several Dojos. She took the most expensive one, multiplied that by four than doubled that then asked her father if he could change that amount. He said yes, but he wanted some explanation.

"Well Harry is always being bullied by that cousin of his and since we can't use magic outside of school he thought it would be a good idea to be able to defend himself, the Muggle way." Hermione took a peek at her father. He was listening and not convinced she realized that explained for Harry, but not for the rest of them "when he started talking about it. I thought it was a great idea for me to; wizards don't seem to have any idea of physical fitness (a brief flash of endless stairs and hallways raced through her mind as she 

continued). Well there are some of the Pureblood wizards that take it as a personal insult, and I'm allowed to go to school with them."

"Are…?" Her father started with a frown.

"Don't worry daddy. Not everyone thinks that way. Ron is a pureblood, and he doesn't care Harry is considered a half blood, and he doesn't even know he's supposed to care." She added with a smirk. "They always look out for me, but they can't always be there. So I thought this would be a good idea for self-defense as well. Harry and I convinced Ron and his brothers that it would help with their Quidditch." She grinned as her dad laughed at that.

"But…" He waved a hand at all of the gold. Not sure how to ask.

"He doesn't know." She said softly. "Oh he knows it's a lot. It's more than he's ever had, but he doesn't know how much he's terrified that his aunt and uncle will find it and take it away from him."

"Aren't they in control of it?"

"No, it's part of the world they want nothing to do with. They left Harry alone at King's Cross Station last year to find his own way. They would be interested long enough to take it all away from him. He would never see a Knut of it. He doesn't openly talk about them, but from offhand comments and little bits here and there. I know they buy the best of everything for their son. It's obvious from what we saw at the station. They get more than enough to eat. They are not poor. Yet Harry is dressed in rags, and when I met him last year. He was so thin it was scary. Another reason he doesn't know. Maybe because when he took this out, it didn't even make a dent in what was in his vault." Her father gave a low whistle.

"He's 11 for goodness sake."

"Almost 12" she put in quickly.

"The point is, he's underage, and someone is probably in charge of his money in some way." He pointed out, Hermione quickly found a pen and paper making her father laughs.

"What should he know or ask about?" She asked.

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Ron sat on his bed staring wide-eyed and slack-jawed at the weird money Hermione had sent him. He knew it was coming. Even what it was for but the reality of it was almost overwhelming. Just then, identical troublemakers came bouncing into his room. They came to an abrupt stop as they spied what was lying on his bed.

"Is that "one of the twins started

"What we"

"Think it is?" They finish together.

"Yeah, yeah it is." Ron looked over to Fred (at least he thought it was). "Fred go get Ginny I only want to explain this once." The twin opened his mouth for the usual. 'I'm not Fred' but shut it quickly as he noted the unusually firm and mature look on Ron face. He raised a brow at his twin but quickly did his ordered.

Once Ginny was there, Ron explained what they had discussed on the train.

"Harry figures, you-know-who isn't going to care how old he is in fact, a younger Harry is the easier it will be to kill him. But Dumbledore and the teachers…"

"Mum" added Ginny

"Everyone else." Added the Twins.

"Think that we are too young to hear, let alone have extra training. They think that they can protect us."

"But Quirral got Harry alone last year." Fred said.

"Harry thinks Dumbledore wanted him to meet his enemy in a somewhat controlled way." A chorus of snorts met that statement. "Yeah, well it didn't work out quite the way he thought. Harry supposes he meant to be there with him."

"He was testing him." George said.

"Seeing if he had" Fred started.

"What it takes." George.

"To face, you-know-who" Ginny finished, startling the Twins by interrupting their routine. "He wants Harry to be his weapon but thinks he's too young 

and he can't openly train him. Soooo." She trailed off as realization hit them all.

Ginny tried for wide-eyed innocence as her brothers were stared scared by what she has had said and that she had figured it out. And that maybe their baby sister might not be such a baby anymore.

"Oh okay." Ron said, giving her an almost frightened look. He really didn't want to think about her growing up. He had asked her to join them because he really wanted her safe if some Slytherin tried something when one of her brothers weren't around. Quickly holding up the money both Muggle and wizarding. (Hermione figured they'd need supplies for their extra studies, and it took a bit more of the money her father couldn't exchange off her hands). This is for the martial arts training, that's a muggle form of self defencedefense Hermione sent some books to explain some of them."

"Do you know what it is?" the twins asked.

"Not a clue" Ron admitted with a shake of his head. He turned a bit red but pulled the book out for them to look at. The twins tried to get the pictures to move and Ron had to explain that Muggle pictures never moved.

"Weird" the twins echoed his response from last year when he found out.

Dad will explode with excitement if he finds out. There is a little place in town that teaches a few of them. There should be enough for any extra supplies we may need Harry said it's because of him we have to do this" he raised his hand to quiet his siblings protest. "He doesn't want to do this alone. Okay, maybe he does, but since Hermione and I won't let him. He is determined to pay for it."

"And you took it!" One of the twins exclaimed. They were all aware of how sensitive Ron was about being poor.

The tips of Ron's ears went red then the rest of his face followed. "He said I could pay him back by the surviving." He said sadly. Taking a deep breath he continued "but if I really insisted I can keep track, because he won't, and pay him back after we have leave Hogwarts and get jobs." Even at after only just one year Harry really knew their little brother. The others thought.

Ron gulped then asked something he never thought he would "could you two help Ginny and I with our schoolwork, especially potions." A really scary gleam lit in their eyes and Ron wasn't sure that had been a good idea.

"We found out something last year." One started



"The Slytherins'get an entirely different potions kit than anyone else." Said the other.

"They are assigned additional books."

"We were able"

"To nick a set." Ron didn't want to know how they had done that.

"So much better."

"Then blowing ourselves up,"

"Trying to figure stuff out."

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The next day in three different parts of the country, it began. Even being so far apart they chose the same discipline, thinking one dealing with swords and other weapons would be the most helpful in their world.

Hermione was the one least used to physical activity and was the hardest hit by that aspect of the new summer routine. It took a couple of weeks before she could get out of bed in the morning without groaning in pain.

She had been understandably outraged at the Slytherins' special potions kit (the Weasley's wished they could have seen it when she read that bit of news); though she had bought some of the extra books on her own without even knowing they were needed last year. She sent the ones she had already read on to Ron, saying he could give them back when school started. She was getting very worried though they'd been out of school for four weeks now and Harry hadn't answered any of her letters. Something had to be wrong.

At the Weasley's Ron was shocked at how much he had missed. He did find it easier to read, this time. The really surprising thing was how much easier potions were with the additional reading, and the Twins made it really fun, though their mum might kill them if they kept blowing stuff up. Ginny turned out to be excellent at creating a diversion. They found this out, early, when they sent the Twins to Diagon alley to get books and supplies. They turned out to have more smarts than just for pranking.



When they came back, in addition to what they were sent for they brought catalogs for most of the stores (three sets), and book bags with several expanded compartments, including a very large one that would hold most any equipment needed ( swords, knives, staffs and cauldron sets). They had feather light, impervious, unbreakable and password charms on them. Pulling out a catalog from the luggage store where they found the book bags. They pointed out what to them was the coolest thing ever a multi-compartmented trunk that came with one normal compartment three expanded and the compartment that could be anything from a nice size efficiency to a six bedroom mansion. Depending on how much you are willing to spend. A very a special addition came with an additional compartment that simulated a park like area. They all drooled over it for a while then decided that they were happy with their book bags. Deciding to give Harry and Hermione theirs as part of their birthday presents was weird considering where the money had come from but Ron insisted. It added a presents and he was sure, there had to be few of those if any for Harry at the Dursley's and he was sure girls always loved presents, which Ginny confirmed with many not-so-subtle hints for her birthday.

The martial arts training had a few surprises as well for them. Ron did surprisingly well with swords and the staffwith the physical training. Not surprising the twins were an excellent team what was surprising about them was how seriously they took the training. Ginny however sent them all into shock, with the speed and deadly precision of her attacks. All of them were very pleased with the visible results for training was showing. Their sensei was greatly surprised by the intensity with which they approached learning. All of them had incredible reflexes (playing a sport that is played 30 feet in the air at speeds up to over 100 miles per hour might have something to do with that) and learned at an incredible rate. He felt this may be a family trait. They all showed great promise, even with these beginning practices. weapons.

Ron and Hermione had kept up a steady stream of correspondents keeping each other up-to-date on where they were in their studies and physical training, and each worrying more and more about the lack of letters from Harry. They both knew that Harry would not have started this just to abandon them now. Ron decided after three weeks to start bugging his parents to check on him. After a week of that. He went to the Twins, and they started planning a rescue. The four youngest Weasley children felt it was time for Harry to come home. And they were going to do something about it.