Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognise.
I read a great story on the other day, about a social worker taking the Weasley children because none of them go to school (as far as they know,) have had their shots, their house doesn't have electricity or plumbing, the house looks like a unstable shack, Molly and Arthur don't have jobs in the Muggle village so are assumed unemployed and their lack of Muggle knowledge, clothes and strange behaviour make Muggles think they're drug addicts or insane. It's a good story, unfortunately my computer died two chapters in and I lost it and can't seem find again to ask to use their idea. But after a chat with my sister I came up with my own way for the story to go. I know in real life they might not get taken away from their parents for that, but this is just a story.
Fred POV
Hearing a knock at the door George and I walk over, expecting to see Cedric or Luna. But instead see a Muggle woman.
"Who are you?" George and I ask together.
"What's a Muggle doing here?" I ask my twin over our telepathic link.
"No idea Freddie," he replies.
She smiles a fake smile, "Hello boys, are your parents' home?"
We shake our heads, "There at a friend's" George tells her, "I can get Bill, he's the oldest. Almost 17."
She nods, "Please do."
George leaves to get our oldest brother.
"So how old are you?" she asks me.
"Nine" I tell her, wishing George was back already.
She takes out a notepad and writes it down "And how many siblings do you have?"
"None of your business" Ron tells her walking up to me glaring at her. "Who are you?"
"My name is Alice Daniels, I'm with Social Services."
"What's that?" Ginny asks joining Ron and me.
Daniels frowns, "How many of you are there?"
"Why does Social Services want to know?" Bill asks entering the room with George, Charlie and Percy.
"We've had reports from people in the village of a large family of red-heads living in a shack in this area, that were very… worrying," she tells us.
"Oh, boy" George and I think together, thinking about our trip into the village last week were a very worried looking grown-up tried to answer Ron's questions about what electricity, plumbing, shots and primary school was.
"I need to talk with all of you," she tells us walking in through the door.
Bill quickly looks at a portrait on the far wall and it freezes along with the rest of them.
We follow her to the living room, where she sits up and motions for us to do the same, "So how many of you are there and what are your names and how old are you?"
"This is all of us, I'm Bill, I'll be 17 in November," Bill tells her. "This is Charlie, he's 15, Percy who is 11, Fred and George are 9, Ron is 7 and Ginny 6."
She writes something in her notepad, "Good, now does your house have electricity and water?"
"What's eckeltricity?" Ginny whispers loudly to Percy, who shrugs having no idea.
Frowning she keeps writing.
"We've got water, Dad put it together himself," Ron tells her which results in more writing.
"Alright, I want everyone to pack," she tells us "This is not a good way to live, I'll be taking all of you with me."
Charlie goes for his wand, but Bill stops him, whispering "You hurt her, you get kicked out of school and they'll just send more people. Mum and Dad will fix this, we have to trust them."
Percy takes out some parchment and writes quickly then gives the note to Errol, "Go find Mother and Father, now!"
Errol flies off and Daniels stares in confusion.
"It's is pet owl, he-" George starts.
"-Trained it to deliver messages like pigeons," I finish the lie.
She writes again, "Alright go get your things."
We run upstairs and into Bills room.
"What's gonna happen?" Ginny asks with tears in her eyes.
Charlie hugs her, "It will be okay sis. They'll probably send us to foster homes, but it will only be for a little while, just til Mum and Dad come and get us."
"What's a foster home" George and I ask.
Charlie sighs, "My friend Alex is a Muggleborn, he grew up bouncing around the foster system. It's were the Muggle government pays someone to let a kid with no parents or a family that can't take care of them live with them. Some can be pretty bad and sometimes they spilt up siblings, so we may not stay together."
George hugs me, "They can't spilt us up! Never!"
"It will be okay," Bill tells us in a calm voice, "Even if they do it won't be forever. We'll be back here before you know it."
I look at my twin, we've never been a part for more than 10 minutes, and even then, we're just in different rooms.
"How did she even find us?" Percy questions hugging his rat "We have anti-muggle wards."
Bill shakes his head, "They must be faulty, Dad and I will need to redo them."
"Come on" Percy sighs, "We need to pack before she comes upstairs and tries to help."
"And no magic stuff" Charlie tells us, "We can't risk her searching our bags. And that includes prank stuff."
I pout.
George puts hand on my shoulder, "Don't pout brother, this is a golden opportunity to try out some Muggle pranks."
We share a grin and run off to our room.
20 minutes later she's loading us into a long kind of car she calls a 'van' and we're off.
"Where are you taking us?" Percy asks after about a hour.
"A orphanage in London" she replies, not taking her eyes off the road. "A foster home won't take all seven of you and I assumed you would want to stay together."
I share a relieved look with my siblings, they won't be separating us.
After a long drive, filled with whispered conversation and odd looks from the Muggle, then finally she pulls up in front of a big brink building and lends us to the door, and chatting with the woman there, then running off, talking about having to speak with our parents.
At the door a strict but tried looking Muggle woman with messes brown hair and blue eyes greets us, "You must be the new arrivals, I'm Mrs Burn. I run this house and while you are here you will follow my rules; no running, in bed by 8:30, meals are severed between 7am-9am 12pm-1:30pm and 5pm-7pm if you miss a meal then you wait till the next one."
She lends us inside and upstairs, still talking. "There are four people to a room, since you are siblings and we are short on rooms at the moment your sister may share a room with the oldest three boys. You other three with be sharing with…. Harry. I ask that you be nice to him, he came from a very bad home only a few months ago and is having trouble getting use to everything."
I share a look with George, what happed to this Harry?
Burn opens a door, showing and blue room with two bunkbeds, "This will be for…" she checks her list for our names "Bill, Charlie, Percy and Ginny."
They walk in, Percy putting Scabbers on the bed and Ginny climbing up to a top bunk with Bill and Charlie watching her in case she falls.
Burn walks two doors down and knocks, "Harry the boys I told you about are here."
We walk over to the door and look in, it's the same as the other room but one of the beds has a small dark-haired boy sitting on it reading a book. He looks up at us with fearful eyes, "Hi."
George and I share a look and smile at him. "Hey, I'm George, this is my brother-" I tell him.
"-Fred and Ickle Ronnikins" George smiles.
"Don't call me that!" Ron glares before looking at Harry, "I'm Ron and don't listen to what those two say. Knowing them they just claimed to be each other…. Not that anyone can tell the differences anyway."
Harry smiles a little.
Seeing his smile Burn leaves.
"I'm Harry Potter, nice to meet you."
My eyes go wide, and I look at his forehead, yep there's the scar. "What the hell is Harry Potter doing in a orphanage?"
"No idea brother, let's find out" George tells me while Ron stares at him with wide eyes.
Harry looks away awkwardly, not understanding our looks.
"George, I don't think he knows" I tell him looking at Harry.
He sends a mental nod of agreement, "You don't know why we stared when you said your name do you?"
"Ron go get Bill, he can tell it better than us" I tell Ron, who nods and runs out of the room.
George and I sit down on the other bed, putting our bags under it. "Let's start with the basics; what do you know about magic?"
"It's not real," he speaks immediately.
"It is" Bill tells him walking in, "People with magic live apart from muggles…non-magic people. Everyone in my family has magic and so do you."
I take out a chocolate frog and let it hop over to him, Harry stares with wide eyes and Bill gives me a look. "Charlie told you no magic stuff, that includes sweets."
I send him an innocent look, "It's just the one frog Billy, I didn't think it would hurt."
He sighs while Ron tells Harry about the cards that come with the frogs and gets him to take a bite.
"Ho-how did you know my name?" Harry asks after finishing the frog.
"Harry," Bill starts "You know that not all Muggles are good and not all Muggles are bad, it's the same with Wizards and a few years ago there was a magical war. Your parents fought in it, now I don't know all the details but for some reason the leader of the other side came after them. He killed them with a dark curse that is impossible to survive, at least until you. When he tried to kill you something happen, he was destroyed, and you got that scar."
Harry touched his scar.
"People credit you with stopping the war and killing him, they call you the Boy-Who-Lived," George adds.
"But I was just a baby," Harry tells us looking confused "It was probably my parents that killed him."
Bill nods in agreement, "It's likely, but a lot of people think it was you. When you go to Hogwarts… that's a magic school, you'll start when your 11. People will probably look at you like you did."
He nods looking thoughtful.
"So why are you here?" Ron asks.
Harry looks away, "My aunt and uncle were mean. I told a teacher about…. What they did, and they were arrested, and my cousin was sent to a special foster home for troubled kids and I was sent here."
I look at my twin "Still why is he here? Shouldn't someone have been watching over him, to get him out of that home when it went bad and not stick him in a Muggle orphanage?"
"They should of," he agrees "Not much that can be done now, we'll tell Mum and Dad when we see them, they'll get Harry put in a good home."
The next few hours go by with stories of the magical world (and lots of pranks) and Harry telling us about the Muggle world (including having to explain the light switch once it got dark) but he's mostly talking to Ron, who he's taken a instant liking to.
After dinner (where Harry had to explain burgers to all my siblings, including a very excited Ginny.) everyone gets together in our room with George and I are happily talking about all kinds of Muggle pranks while Charlie helps Percy with his holiday homework, Bill reads to Ginny, and Harry and Ron talk about flying.
When there's a loud POP and Dad is standing in the middle of the room.
"Daddy!" Ginny yells jumping up and running to give him a hug.
He hugs her tightly, "Is everyone alright?"
"Where're okay Dad," George and I tell him, "Ickle Ronnikins even made a new friend" I add looking at Harry.
Dad looks at Harry, eyes on his scar, "Harry Potter" he breaths "How-what are you doing in an orphanage?"
Bill says something to him quietly and Dad's eyes soften, "I see, well it's nice it's meet you Harry."
"Where is Mother?" Percy asks suddenly.
I blink, good point where is Mum? Shouldn't she be here smothering us with hugs and worrying about the few hours we were out of her reach.
"Well about that" Dad looks away, "Your mother didn't react well to finding out the Muggles had taken you, The people we spoke to at the ministry told us we will have to wait to get you back for a few weeks while they Obliviate all the Muggles involved and make sure they can't find our house again… Molly yelled at them quite a lot and went for her wand. Three Aurors fired before she could, she'll be alright, but she'll be in St Mungo's for a few weeks."
"That sounds like Mum alright, she can get scary protective" George tells me.
"She'll be okay right?" Percy asks quietly.
Charlie hugs him and Ron, "I'm sure she'll be fine."
Dad and Bill hug Ginny, George and me "Now, there's a lot I have to do, you'll only be here for a few weeks and I visit as often as I can. Bill you're in charge, take care of your siblings" Dad looks over to Harry and smiles "And young Harry too, Harry if I could I ask that you watch out for my children they don't know very much about the Muggle world and will find it quite confusing."
Harry nods, "I'll help them Mr Weasley."
Dad hugs Harry, who flinches at the touch and doesn't seem to know how to hug back, "Thank you Harry and I'll talk with Dumbledore, find out what's going on with you."
George smiles at Harry, "And we can show him around too, Diagon Alley's not too far from here I'm sure we can have some fun there."
I grin at George I'm sure there's lots of fun stuff we can do with (or to) Harry.
After Dad leaves Harry takes us down to a living room sort of place and puts on something called a 'movie' and happily explains television and Disney before we watch Mary Poppins and The Jungle Book before going off to bed.
the next two weeks goes by quickly with TV, trips into the city, the public Library (where we found books on Muggle pranking,) pranks, learning about Muggles, a trip to Diagon Alley, trips to the movies and a water park.
Harry and Ron quickly become best friends and when Harry introduce his best friend from Muggle school Hermione (who after a incident with a flying book we find out is a Muggleborn) become the best of friends.
Harry opens up to his two new best friends, George and I overheard it, Harry told them about his cupboard, his uncle beating him, how his aunt made him work like a house-elf and his cousin tormented him. George and I didn't mean to listen in to something like that, but at least Harry is opening up to someone.
"What are you two up to now?" Hermione asks from the doorway of our room.
"Nothing" George and I say together hiding Muggle fireworks behind our backs.
"What are you doing here?" I ask.
"Percy said I could borrow his copy of Hogwarts a History," she says walking over to Ron's bed where Percy had been reading this morning because apparently, we were too loud in his room playing exploding snap.
She moves Scabbers off the book were he's sleeping and picks it up turning to us with a sharp look, "You better not do whatever it is your planning."
We smirk, "We have no idea what you're talking about" George tells her.
"Yeah us planning something? Why would you think that?" I add, "She better not wreck our plans."
"Yeah, setting off fireworks in the library is gonna be too much fun" George agrees.
"What's going on?" Ron asks, entering the room with Harry and closing the door behind them.
"Your brothers are up to something" Hermione glares at us, "The last time they had that look on their faces they had put blue dye in the public pool."
Harry shivers, "Don't remind me. It took a week for my skin and hair to stop being blue."
We share a grin, it was tricky figuring out how to dye people without magic, but it was fun in the end.
A sound starts coming from behind us and Hermione's eyes go wide, "Please tells me you're not hold fireworks next to that ancient heater?"
Before we can ask what a heater is the fireworks go off on their own, making loud noise and blasting all over the room, setting things on fire.
"We need to get out of here!" Harry yells running back to the door and trying to open it.
"It's jammed!" Ron yells, giving it a pull himself.
We run over, avoiding the fire on the beds and curtains and give it a pull, but its stuck.
Scabbers lets out a loud squeak, waking up and runs over to the door. Then to our shock turns into a balding, overweight man who takes out his wand and squeaks "Alohomora" at the door.
When it opens he runs out and straight into Bill, Charlie and Percy who just ran out of their room.
When they see him they immediately take out their wands.
"Expelliarmus!"
"Stupefy!"
"Colloshoo!"
The man that use to be a rat blocks the spells and sends his own at Percy, "Diffindo!" cutting our brothers arm very badly.
Without thinking George and I jump at him from behind and wrestling him to the ground, Bill sends a spell that ties him up before turning to our room and putting out the fire and fixing the room.
"What happed?" Bill asks, eyes on the man.
"Scabbers turned into a man!" Ron yells looking freaked.
"The twins accidentally set off fireworks that set the room on fire, we couldn't get out and Scabbers turned into a man to get himself out" Hermione clarifies.
Still on top of the man I noticed something on his arm, I pull his sleeve back and immediately jump away seeing the Dark mark. "Bloody hell!"
"What the hell is a Death Eater doing pretending to be a rat!" George speaks.
"Hiding out" I realise, "Percy found him just weeks after You-Know-Who was killed. He's Animagus hiding out from the Aurors."
"Bill, Percy needs a healer!" Charlie tells him, wrapping his coat tightly around Percy's arm.
"Okay, Fred take Percy down to Mrs Burn, I think she said something about first aid training. Charlie send a owl to Dad. George take Ron, Harry and Hermione into our room, I'll keep a eye on this guy."
I walk over to Percy and take him off Charlie, lending him downstairs. "You okay Percy?"
"Not really," he mutters clutching his injured arm tightly.
"Don't worry big brother, they're fix that arm up no problem" I pat him on the back.
When we get downstairs, thinking fast I smash a window.
"Why did you do that?" Percy glares.
I look at him like he's an idiot, "If someone had heard the fireworks Burn would have been upstairs already and seen magic, if we tell her you got hurt upstairs she might go up there to check the damage and see something. We're going to tell her you tripped on the bottom step and put your arm through that window."
He looks surprised "Oh, that's good thinking."
Adam, one of the older boys runs around the corner probably having heard the window break. "Are you okay?" he looks at the blood quickly soaking through the coat wrapped around Percy's arm, "Oh, fuck. Okay kid come on let's find Burn."
He leads us to the living room, where Burn is reading to a group of little kids.
She goes pale when she sees Percy, "Adam watch the children. Percy come with me."
She quickly lends us to her office and takes out a large bag with a red cross on it. "What happed?" she asks unwrapping the coat from Percy's arm.
"I tripped, put my arm through a window" he lies.
"You've lost a lot of blood" she tells him looking at the large and deep gash on his arm, "George can you call an ambulance."
I don't even bother correcting her, "What's an ambulance? And how would I call it?" I ask.
"Right, grew up isolated" she mutters, "Okay go get one of the other carers and tell them to call an ambulance."
I nod and run off to the kitchen where the cook Ashley should be making dinner. "Percy cut up his arm really bad" I tell her, getting her and the two other cooks attention "Burn said to call an ambulance."
One of the cooks runs off and I turn to Ashley, "What a ambulance?"
"It's a special kind of van" she answers kindly, "It's full medical equipment with trained people that will take your brother to a hospital. George you should go find your other siblings."
"I'm Fred" I tell her before going back upstairs.
"Percy's with Burn" I tell Bill and Charlie who are standing in the hall way with their wands aimed at the Death Eater, "There going to take him to a hospital, the cuts pretty bad."
They nod looking worried, "I sent the letter, hopefully Aurors will be here soon."
Just as Charlie says those words there's a series of pops and 10 Aurors and standing with us, the famous Mad-Eye Moody in front of them, he does a silencing spell before wrapping the Death Eater in even more ropes. "Where's the one who was hurt?"
"Down stairs" I answer as George, Ron, Ginny, Harry and Hermione come and stand next to me, "The Muggles are calling a ambulance to take him to a hospital."
"Jones, take out the driver and take the witness to St Mungo's and watch him" Mad-Eye orders.
One of the Aurors nods and disappears.
Mad-Eyes walks up to the Death Eater and pours a potion down his throat. "What is your name?" Mad-Eye asks.
"Peter Pettigrew" the Death Eater answers, causing the Aurors to start whispering in shock.
"Are you a Death Eater?" Mad-eye asks.
"Yes."
"Did you fake your own death?"
"Yes."
"Why?" Mad-Eye glares.
"I betrayed James and Lilly to the Dark Lord, Sirius came after me. He would have hunted me till the end of time, so I framed him for killing those Muggles and me then escaped."
Mad-Eye turns to glare at one of the other Aurors, "Why didn't this come out when you questioned Black?"
The Auror goes pale, "W-we didn't. It looked like he was guilty, we sent him straight to Azkaban."
Mad-eyes glares at him, "Turn yourself in for disciplinary action and have everyone who was on that team do the same."
The Auror disappears and Mad-Eye turns back to Pettigrew, "Why did you pretend to be the Weasley's rat?"
"I wanted to hide but be somewhere I could hear if the Dark Lord returned."
Bill turns to us, "Come on. We should go back to my room, let the Aurors do their job."
A few minutes after Bill made us leave the hall the door opens, and Dad runs in, hugging all of us.
"Is everyone alright?" he asks.
"Percy was hurt, but he should be at St Mungo's by now" Bill tells him.
Dad nods, "Good work boys," then Dad turns too Harry. "Harry you may have heard some of the things Pettigrew said, about James and Lilly and Sirius?"
Harry nods.
"Harry the James and Lilly he was talking about were your parents. And Sirius Black is your godfather, Sirius will be getting his trial this afternoon and he will likely be set free and get custody of you."
I look at Harry and see hope in his eyes and the idea of this family member.
Dad smiles at him, "Now I need to check on Percy. I'll be back soon with news" then with a pop he's gone.
"How are you doing Harry?" Bill asks kindly.
He shrugs, "I don't know. I'm really happy cause I have a godfather, but…. what if he doesn't like me? Or treats me like my aunt and uncle did?"
Hermione puts a hand on his shoulder, "Then he is a idiot. And even if he didn't want you, you would still have us."
"Yeah mate" Ron nods, "No matter where you are we can see each other all the time with the floo or we can owl, and when were 11 we'll be at Hogwarts together."
Harry smiles slightly and nods, "How are you doing? Your family pet turned out to be a man, that must be…. weird for you."
"How is it that my life has come to the point in the last week that that sentence makes sense?" Hermione mutters to herself.
George and I share a grin.
"It's definitely weird" Ron answers Harry's question, "Could use a distraction. Any chance you could show me that Doctor What thing?"
Harry and Hermione share a amused look, "Its Doctor Who Ron."
After a few hours watching the time traveller Dad comes back and times us to see Percy.
"Hey books-for-brains, how you feeling?" I ask kindly.
He rolls his eyes at the nickname, "I will be alright" he nods, "I'll have to take a potion for a few days, but it shouldn't even scar."
Hermione smiles muttering about wonderful magic is.
"Good to hear Perce" Bill smiles.
"Oh and Harry" Percy looks to Harry, "A nurse told me Sirius Black arrived a few hours ago. I am sure he would be pleased to see you."
Harry looks to his feet nervously, "Ron, Hermione will come with me."
"Always mate" Ron smiles putting a arm over Harry's.
"We're always going to be with you" Hermione promises as they leave the room.
"Those three are going to be lifelong friends" George predicts.
I grin, "They've going to find all kinds of trouble together."
ONE-SHOT.