Disclaimer: I acknowledge that I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters or universe. No offense is meant by the situations portrayed in this or any other fanworks.
A/N: The following is a sequel to Hattie Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, which is essentially Harry as a girl who looks like Lily, but has James' eyes. There is a short summary of the first fan novel on my livejournal (my homepage) in case you don't want to dive right in.
Chapter One: The Burrow
Hattie, Ron, Fred, and George tried to get through a Quidditch game in the Burrow's backyard. Fred and George, determined to get Hattie on the Gryffindor team as a seeker, constantly whipped around golf balls for Hattie to spot and find. Ron, frustrated that the game hardly had any structure (like most things the twins did), simply practiced his flying around what they had made their goal post.
Ginny and Dudley sat on the ground watching them, both of them sulking for not being included, but were still interested enough to stick around outside of going inside to watch the telly. Dudley often threw an insult at Hattie for not being able to catch something, and Ginny made similar comments to her brothers.
Ron, flying high up and loitering in the air, spotted three familiar figures approaching the house. "Oi," Ron shouted down, "Dumbledore's walking up with McGonagall and Hagrid."
"I wonder what they're here for," Hattie replied, noticing Dudley's ears perking up at the mention of Hagrid.
Ginny and Dudley headed inside while Hattie and Ron landed on the ground. "Maybe they're here to talk about your rubbish grades," Ron said, shoving her.
"Maybe they heard about how I had to live in your smelly room and they're here to get you to clean in," Hattie said, shoving him back.
"You're quitting?" Fred shouted down.
"We'll be back," Ron said, "unless something's good on the telly."
"We're just going to see why they're here," Hattie shouted.
The movement of a television into the Burrow was quite the event. Arthur Weasley wholeheartedly accepted the new muggle technology into his house. With Aunt Petunia residing in the Burrow, they would need a few necessities, mainly a telephone. Arthur simply suggested a few more things that he always wanted to play with, such as the telly and a few electric lamps. Aunt Petunia noticed Arthur snooping around her car, and she decided to mark it off-limits.
The pictures moving across the screen had yet to get old for the Weasley children (and Arthur). They only needed to be reminded from time to time that the stories generally weren't real. Only Percy and Molly upturned their noses at the telly, though Molly has been seen watching a few soap operas with Aunt Petunia, scoffing when so-and-so had an affair with what's her face. Percy would only sigh when he saw his siblings watching the telly, and then he would go back up to his room.
Whenever Dudley came over, he would bring over his videogames. They were less of a hit than movies, with only Ron, Hattie, Ginny, and Dudley playing. The twins generally preferred to do something that had actual consequences, such as Quidditch or pranks, and Percy's dislike for the television extended to videogames. Even Arthur only curious poked his nose in and asked a few questions before moving onto something else. The four generally didn't mind because it made it easier to rotate the two controllers (Dudley only had a Sega Genesis and a Super Nintendo) between the four of them. Ginny and Dudley played it the most since they were generally excluded from the other games, specifically games that required magical expertise, something that Dudley did not have.
When Hattie and Ron stepped inside, Ginny and Dudley were already on the couch flipping through the channels. The volume of the television was low so they could easily eavesdrop. Hattie and Ron simply walked into the kitchen where the business would be held. Aunt Petunia and Molly sat drinking tea, discussing Lockhart's "Break with a Banshee," the only one of Lockhart's books that Aunt Petunia had read.
"How's the job searching?" Hattie asked.
"I've put in my resume at a few of the craft shops in town," Aunt Petunia replied. "I know I could just get a job cleaning, but if I'm going to do that I'd rather wait until you're back at school so I'm home more often."
Hattie had simply suggested that Aunt Petunia live off of her money, but Aunt Petunia absolutely refused. She knew her sister wanted the money for Hattie, and she was determined to keep it that way. It was tempting, though, to spend her days drinking tea with Molly and cooking meals for the Weasleys.
There was a knock at the door, and Molly eyed Ron and Hattie curiously as she got up to answer it. Ron poured two glasses of water, one for him and one for Hattie. Ron thought that if they had a reason to be in the room, perhaps they would not be kicked out as quickly.
"Any scrapbooking places?" Hattie asked, knowing that scrapbooking was Aunt Petunia's favourite thing to do.
"One," Aunt Petunia said with a smile. "They're pretty small though. I'm not sure they'd have a spot for me."
Ron and Hattie took a seat at the table as Professor Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, and Hagrid stepped into the kitchen, the latter leaning over slightly to fit into the kitchen. Hattie couldn't help but notice that Hagrid seemed to carry something gift wrapped with him as well. "I see everyone seems to have settled in nicely," Professor Dumbledore said. "I suspect there have been no issues?"
"Aside from this monster television," Molly said, "the transition is going well."
"I brought yeh a housewarming gift, Hattie," Hagrid said. "Why don't we head in ter the other room and yeh can open it?"
"Okay!" Hattie replied, excited.
Hagrid's flute had a special place in Hattie's temporary space, and she was hoping for something else handmade. Hedwig was furious anytime Hattie blew it. She would hoot up a storm and fly off into the bushes. Rubeus had a similar reaction, but would fly into Dudley for protection, howling the entire time. Hattie and Ron always found the owl's temper tantrums hilarious, even after they got scolded.
Rubeus, too, had moved into the Burrow soon after Hattie had. The first day Dudley came over, he announced that Uncle Vernon wasn't letting him keep the poor owl at Privet Drive anymore. He said he'd let them use Rubeus to make up for the extra space that the owl took up. Dudley was heartbroken at only being able to have Rubeus some of the time, but no temper tantrum would change Uncle Vernon's mind.
Molly shooed Ron out of the room as well, and it didn't occur to Hattie until after they were in the living room that they may have simply been trying to get Hattie out of room. "Hi Hagrid!" Dudley said enthusiastically.
Hagrid seemed taken aback to see Ginny and Dudley in the room as well, and it was clear to Hattie that Hagrid couldn't remember Dudley's name at that moment. "Hullo!" he said, just as enthusiastically. "Have yeh moved in?"
"Nope, just Hattie," Dudley said. He added, a bit sheepishly, "I wish though."
Hagrid chuckled and sat down in a chair that creaked dangerously under the weight. Hattie and Ron took a seat on the couch nearest Hagrid, and he handed over Hattie's present. She flipped it over in her hands once before opening it. It felt like a book. It was wrapped in pages of the Daily Prophet. A picture of Quirrell looked up at her, bracing himself for the experience of being torn in half.
Ron curiously eyed up Hattie's gift as she unwrapped it. It was a handsome, leather-covered book. Hattie opened it to find pictures of wizards waving and smiling at him. Every page were pictures of her mother and father.
"Sent owls off ter all yer parents' old school friends, askin' fer photos... knew yeh didn' have any... d'yeh like it?"
For a moment, Hattie was speechless. "What is it?" Dudley asked, getting bored.
"Pictures of her parents," Ron said.
"Oh Hagrid," Hattie said, doing her best to suppress her tears. "Thank you so much. I love it."
She closed the book and held it close to her chest. Hagrid gave Hattie a satisfied smile.
"Can I see?" Dudley asked.
"No," Hattie replied.
"Come on," Dudley said. "I'm not gonna break it, I just wanna look at it."
"No," Hattie repeated, more definite this time.
"You let him look at it," Dudley said, motioning to Ron. He still hadn't gotten the Weasleys brother's names straight.
"He was lookin' over my shoulder," Hattie replied.
Dudley stood up and Hattie soon followed, with the book clutched to her chest. They had a few minor scuffles since being at the Burrow, but nothing too serious. Ron stood up too, feeling the tension in the air. Aunt Petunia, too, must have sensed it as she came into the living room.
"Hattie, could you come into the kitchen for a second?" she asked.
"Mum, Hattie won't let me look at her new book," Dudley said.
Aunt Petunia started, "Well, you can look at it now that-"
"No," Hattie repeated.
"Don't be a child, Hattie," Aunt Petunia replied.
"I'm not being a child," Hattie said. "He'll wreck it."
Ginny, Ron, and Hagrid shifted in discomfort for witnessing something that felt a little too personal and familial, the latter of which feeling guilty for possibly starting it in the first place.
"Well then I'll just have to take the book," Aunt Petunia said.
"Fine," Hattie said, shoving the book into her Aunt's arms. "Better you than him."
As Hattie followed her Aunt into the kitchen, she noticed Dudley make a crude gesture, and Hattie made one just as crude back. Luckily, she shifted out of it just before Professor McGonagall spotted it, and the Professor eyed her up curiously.
She heard Dudley in the other room telling Hagrid, "I saw your dragon. He looks super cool."
"Did you catch wind of the stone?" Hattie asked.
"No," Dumbledore replied, quickly. "We are just letting you in the loop about the blood bonding. You remember me telling you about the charm?"
"Yes," Hattie replied, fearing that she was being left out of the loop about something else.
Dumbledore started, "If you recall, I visited your Aunt once during the school year. She wrote me, wondering if the bond would follow her if she moved to a new location. I have looked into it, and the bond should apply to anywhere where your Aunt calls home, and where you call home. Petunia admitted to me that she was worried about the Weasleys' safety-"
"Oh you shouldn't have, dear," Molly said with a smile.
Dumbledore continued, "So we wanted to be certain that the bond could, in fact, be moved."
"And it can?" Hattie asked.
"It seems to," Dumbledore replied.
"Professor Dumbledore, I was wondering. Because the bond of blood works with those who have the same blood as my mother's, would it work with Dudley?" Hattie asked.
"Your cousin?" Professor Dumbledore asked, stroking his beard. "Perhaps, I will have to look into that."
"Has there been any sign of Quirrell?" Hattie asked.
"No," Professor McGonagall replied. "We have Wanted pictures of him in the Daily Prophet and scattered around. We're currently debating putting him up Wanted in the Muggle world as well."
"Well you should," Aunt Petunia replied. "Who knows what that man is plotting with unlimited finances behind him."
Molly added, "And with extra time to spend."
Dumbledore and McGonagall exchanged glances. Aunt Petunia did not know that Voldemort was attached to Quirrell. They had not released this information publically as Hattie was still the only one who had seen Voldemort directly, which was why it was so important to get him.
Professor McGonagall cleared her throat. "Yes, of course," she said.
Molly eyed them suspiciously, but said nothing.
"Have you been able to find a job, Petunia?" Dumbledore asked, clearly changing the topic.
"I have options," Aunt Petunia said.
"Arthur wants to get her a job at the Ministry," Molly said. "He thinks he can get her a job working for the Muggle Government and relay information to the Ministry."
"But you have agents working in the government that would be better because of their magical abilities," Petunia replied. "I think it would be better if I work where I'm doing things that I'm comfortable doing."
"That sounds rational," Professor McGonagall replied.
"Actually, since we're on the topic of the Ministry, we haven't been getting any of our mail," Molly said. "Arthur thinks it may be someone at the Ministry."
Dumbledore thought for a moment. "We had trouble with Lucius last term," he replied, "but it had little to do with your boy. Does anyone know Hattie is staying with you?"
Molly shrugged. "If Arthur was feeling out a job for Petunia, it's possible someone pieced it together," she replied. "Do you think-" Molly hesitated to look at Hattie, but continued nonetheless, "Do you think that Hattie has something to do with it?"
"Perhaps," Dumbledore replied. "So you haven't received any? You haven't gotten some and it looks rifled through?"
"We just haven't received any," Molly replied.
"I'll look into it," Professor Dumbledore said, giving a nod to Professor McGonagall. "Keep me updated, though I suppose I won't be able to send an owl in reply."
Hattie sat as Molly and Aunt Petunia asked more school-related questions. Hattie watched her photo album, trying to decide how she could pull it out of her Aunt's hands before she looked through it.
After what felt like an eternity, Professor McGonagall, Professor Dumbledore, and Hagrid left the Burrow. Only Professor McGonagall seemed tense, but she usually did, and Hattie thought nothing of it. She remembered, too, to thank Hagrid again for the gift. As they stood at the door waving goodbye, Hattie left and managed to retrieve the photo album from the kitchen before her Aunt remembered it.
"Hagrid is so cool," Dudley said. "How'd he get so big? Can you do that for me, Hattie?"
"Maybe Hermione can," Hattie said. "I wouldn't know where to start."
"Engorgio," Ginny suggested. "We should try it."
"We're not supposed to do spells outside of Hogwarts," Hattie said.
"Besides we might make you so big you'd explode," Ron said, taking into consideration Dudley's already large size.
"Well I haven't been told I can't do spells," Ginny said.
"Then you cast it," Ron said. "We'll see you later."
Ron and Hattie began walking up to Ron's room to put away the photo album. Hattie reiterated what she heard in the kitchen, Ron nodding and following along. Hattie hid the photo album under her mattress, worried about how her Aunt would react and about Dudley's sausage-like fingers, and they headed back downstairs.
"So are we going to watch telly or go back with the twins?" Ron asked.
"I don't know," Hattie replied. "What do you feel like?"
Ron shrugged and scratched at his arm. "Quidditch," he said, "but a real game, none of these chucking golf balls into the air."
"All right," Hattie said. "But they're just trying to help."
"They've done nothing to help get me on the team," Ron said.
"I don't think they'll have an opening for Keeper next year, Ron," Hattie said. "I'm sure they'll train you just as hard as me when a position opens."
"Sure," Ron said. "Let's just play."
"But you and me'll be on the same team, right?"
"Yeah, of course," Ron said.
Ron and Hattie waved at Fred and George to come down to talk to them. Hattie's Cleansweep Seven jumped into her hand. She bought the same brand as the Weasley twins, but they suggested upgrading to a newer model, which she did. She only received one lecture that evening from Aunt Petunia about splurging, but she expected more if she began spending money again, and she hadn't yet.
"We're going to play an actual game," Ron said. "Hattie's going to take a break from training."
Ginny and Dudley came outside, but they were tired of watching. "Come on," Dudley said. "Let us play too. Fly me around, Hattie."
"I would need ten brooms to lift you, Dudley," Hattie said.
"I can take you up, Dudley," George said, landing on the ground. "You can be on our team."
"And I'll carry you, Ginny," Hattie said, not wanting her to be left out.
Ginny showed Hattie her room, and Hattie noticed all the Quidditch posters on her walls. Of course, Ginny was bound to have Quidditch interests being raised in a family of primarily Quidditch-lovers, but it was Ginny's devotion to female teams that Hattie liked. So Hattie wanted to make sure Ginny got the complete female experience.
Ginny climbed onto the back of Hattie's broom, wrapping her arms tightly around her waist. Hattie noticed Dudley do something similar with George, and Dudley stuck his tongue out at Hattie, probably for ditching him or the comment about his weight.
They kicked off the ground and the game quickly deteriorated into an insult throwing contest, chasing, and simply flying around. Ginny began telling Hattie which way to fly and where to go and Hattie obeyed, somewhat reluctantly at first, but began having fun with it later.
"Have you tried on my uniform yet?" Hattie asked.
Aunt Petunia talked Hattie into buying a new uniform since she seemed to be growing upwards, and her Aunt hated seeing her robes too short, which meant she was going to give Ginny her old uniform. Ginny was thrilled, partly because they were in better shape than Hand-me-Downs, but mainly because she was wearing Hattie Potter's old robes.
"Yes!" Ginny said. "Did you want to see them? The next time I try them on I'll show them to you. You were a bit taller than me, but that just means that I'll grow into them!"
Hattie laughed. "We should open up my box of clothes and see if there's anything else you want to try," she said. "There're a ton of clothes you might like."
Hattie had gone back to Privet Drive, but most of her belongings were still sitting in boxes. She didn't feel comfortable unpacking in Ron's room, especially since she'd likely just be packing up again at the end of the summer.
"I'd really like that," Ginny said.
Hattie asked her, "Is this your first time flying?"
She knew Ginny didn't have a broom, and she knew many of the students at Hogwarts hadn't flown before, so it was possible that her brothers wouldn't fly with her. "Promise you won't tell?" Ginny asked.
"You-Know-Who wouldn't be able to pry it out of me," Hattie replied, debating whether or not she would tell Ron.
"I've taken my brothers' brooms out before," Ginny said. "I want to be able to make the team when I get to school."
"They don't take first years," Hattie said.
"Well in second year then," Ginny replied.
"What position do you want to play?" Hattie asked.
"Chaser," Ginny said.
The game continued with Ginny chatting to Hattie over her shoulder. Eventually, after much complaining from Ron, the game turned back into a game. As Hattie flew by the kitchen window in an attempt to catch the ball, she noticed Aunt Petunia and Mrs. Weasley chatting in the kitchen. Hattie suspected that Aunt Petunia was enjoying her stay at the burrow just as much as Hattie was. She just hoped the summer continued in the same, happy manner.
But then they heard a scream from inside the Burrow. The scream could only have come from Percy Weasley.