DISCLAIMER: Nothing belongs to me except the crazy things these characters get up to. I'm just playing with Rowling's wonderful characters.

AN: This is a first in a series. I plan on writing through seven years of adventures. I hope you all enjoy it. Thanks to etj4eagle for helping me building this story.

If you could all please leave some reviews, that would be very much appreciated! I really love those.

Enjoy!!


Chapter 1: A New Home

Little Whinging was a peaceful place. The neighbours were all friendly to each other and said good morning and good evening whenever they met in the streets. Even though most of them tended to keep to themselves, life was pleasant in this little part of the world. People lived well around here. They all had nice houses, nice cars and happy children, who loved to go to the little town school, even though most did hate doing their homework.

However, at number four, Privet Drive, one small, skinny boy wasn't happy at all. In fact he was most positively miserable. He was crying softly, curled up in a small ball, his knees pulled tightly to his chest. A small spider was crawling over his arm, but he didn't seem to notice. It was dark in the cupboard he was locked in and he barely had the room to move around in it. A few more months and he would have to sleep while sitting up in his very small bedroom.

He winced when he tried to move himself in a slightly more comfortable position. He was hurting all over his body after the enormous beating his Uncle had treated him to today. He had large bruises on his arms, his back and his face. Whenever he took a deep breath, his chest hurt and he had to keep himself for crying out. His black, always messy hair was coated with blood from where he had hit his head and the round glasses on his nose were broken from when his Uncle's fist had contacted with his face.

It's sad to say that Harry Potter was used to this sort of injuries. His Uncle always punished him this way for everything that went wrong in the house and had done so for as long as Harry could remember. Harry lived with his Uncle, Vernon Dursley, and his Aunt Petunia ever since his parents had died when he was just a baby. They had died in a car crash, his Aunt once told him, and that was when he got the lightning bolt shaped scar on his forehead, but other than that he knew next to nothing about his real parents. He knew better by now than to ask his Uncle or his Aunt about them. From an early age he had found out that the only way to avoid more beatings was not to ask any questions.

So he kept himself silent and hidden away as much as he could. He was still beaten once in a while, especially if something strange happened. And strange things did happen around Harry quite often. And time and time again, Harry was blamed for them, even though he had no idea how they happened. Like this one time; Harry was really hungry and had once again gotten next to nothing to eat from his relatives. All the while his cousin Dudley was stuffing his face. 'Little' Dudley was Vernon and Petunia's only pride and joy, even if he was a fat and horribly rude bully. As usual, Dudley had filled up his plate with everything he could get his hands on. Harry remembered looking jealously at the enormous heap of food on his cousin's plate and wishing he could have that food for himself. The next thing he knew, Dudley's plate was empty and his plate was full. He got a terrible beating for stealing after that and was locked in the cupboard without food for almost a week.

Another time, Harry was asked to clean up Dudley's bedroom when he had gotten sick all over his bed. He was disgusted by the job, but before he could even begin, the sick had disappeared without a trace, which Harry didn't mind at all, mind you, except for the unfortunate detail of the bed disappearing with it. Once again, he got punished, even though he had tried to explain he couldn't even lift the thing, much less take it out of the house. His relatives wouldn't listen however and they just stuffed him in his closet like always.

And then there was today. It was the twenty-third of June and thus it was Dudley's eleventh birthday. As a treat, his Aunt and Uncle had taken the boy to the zoo. Since they had no one to look after Harry and didn't trust him around the house on his own, he had been allowed to go with them. This made him happier than he had been in quite some time since he had never been allowed to go anywhere before. They usually left him with this batty old lady that lived by the road. Mrs. Figg was somewhat nice, but all she ever did was talking about her many cats and Harry usually had a terrible headache by the time he got to go back home.

At the zoo, Harry hung back a little to enjoy his afternoon away from his prison as he had begun to call it. He didn't know why but he started talking a bit to this huge snake, a python, that resided in one of the glass cages there. He didn't tell it anything special, just how he hated living with his relatives and that he hoped that someday someone would come for him. Amazingly enough, the snake seemed to listen to him and lifted his head in attention. Dudley saw the strange movements of the snake and pushed Harry roughly out of the way to get a better view of his own. Harry got real angry at that and suddenly the glass in front of the cage had disappeared. Next thing, the snake slid out of the cage and coiled itself around Dudley trying to squeeze the life out of it.

The face of Harry's fat cousin started turning blue fast. Harry hated his guts, but still didn't think his cousin deserved to die, so he tried to pull the snake of and yelled at it to let go. To his utter astonishment, the snake listened immediately and slithered quickly out of the building.

His relatives of course started accusing him of causing the whole episode and he had gotten his worst beating ever. He was pretty sure one of his ribs was broken, since he had trouble breathing, and the rest of his body was covered in bruises.

Harry realized this could not go on for much longer. Who knows what his Uncle might do next time. But he didn't see any way out. He didn't have any friends to go to since his cousin beat up anyone that got within five feet of him and he had no idea who else to turn to. He was stuck in this awful house and all he could do was try to survive.

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The next week passed very slowly and finally Harry was let out of his closet. His bruises had taken on a faint yellow and his chest kept aching when he breathed. He tried to do everything they told him to, but he was still in much pain and found it difficult to move. Still, he didn't complain, as that would only cause him more trouble.

He was ordered to clean the whole living room that day and quietly set to work. He spent the entire morning vacuuming the thick, ugly pastel rug, dusting all the pictures that stood and hung everywhere in the room – all of Dudley of course – and cleaned the windows. By the time he was done, every part of his body ached in ways he didn't even hold possible before today.

After dinner – another very small portion for him – he had to clean the table. He hardly could lift his arms by then and when he tried to put the dishes in the sink, he dropped the whole bunch on the floor. His Uncle immediately exploded and started yelling. He closed in threateningly on Harry, his face red with anger. Harry knew he couldn't take another beating this close after his previous one and he did something he had never done before. He ran for it!

He ducked under Vernon's fist and sprinted to the front door. He yanked it open and ran outside into the rain. Harry ran for several blocks, before the adrenaline wore off and all the pain streamed back into his body. He was hurting all over and couldn't take another step. Wet and cold, he dragged himself towards a small shack that was erected next to a small house at the edge of town. He stumbled in, pulled his legs close to himself and shivered himself to sleep.

When he woke up the next morning, it was still early. His clothes were damp, but he wasn't cold anymore, since the day had started with nice weather and a very agreeable temperature increase. He stood up and tested his sore muscles. Every move he made still hurt, but the pain had lessened somewhat since yesterday and it wasn't as though he wasn't used to it. His stomach grumbled loudly to protest its emptiness. He could go back to his relatives and hope for some food, but he really didn't want to. He probably wouldn't get any anyway. Instead he settled for an empty stomach for now until he could figure out how to survive out here with no money and no place to live.

Quietly, he got out of the small shack and started walking alongside the road, his feet taking him slowly further away from his relatives. He left the town behind and turned into a small dirt road that led into the forest. Suddenly he heard a small pop behind him. He turned around and saw a large man standing there. His first thought was that this was obviously a crazy old person, since his appearance was nothing if not odd. He had long silver coloured hair that hung to his waist and an equally long beard that was tucked in his belt. He was wearing some sort of purple robes that shimmered in the morning sun and were decorated with stars and moons that seemed to move over the fabric. On his head he wore a purple pointed hat. His nose was long and crooked and Harry was sure it had been broken several times already during the man's life. But what Harry noticed most were his eyes.

His eyes were partially hidden behind half-moon spectacles. They were a bright blazing blue and they seemed to twinkle every time they moved. They radiated wisdom, trust, power and a slight hint of mischief. Harry was inclined to trust this man; but the adults in his life had never been kind to him, so he was still apprehensive.

"Good morning, Harry," the old man greeted. Harry was speechless. This man knew who he was. He backed away a little, staring at the man in front of him in shock.

"You are far from home today," he continued pleasantly. His voice was kind and soft. "Why aren't you with your Aunt and Uncle? They must be worried."

Harry stiffened. This man knew his relatives. He would take him back to them. He backed away a bit further and then turned around and started to run again. However, when he rounded a corner he suddenly stood in front of the man again.

"Don't be afraid, Harry. I'm not going to hurt you."

Harry eyed the man suspiciously. "Who are you, sir?" he asked softly. His voice was shaking a bit and he was seriously considering trying to run for it again.

"My name is Albus Dumbledore," the man stated a little proudly. "I am the headmaster of Hogwarts."

"Hogwarts?" Harry asked.

The old man looked surprised for a moment, but then he hid his surprise behind a smile again. "Yes, Hogwarts. It is a school for gifted children such as yourself. But you will know about that later," Dumbledore said. "Please tell me, Harry, why aren't you at home right now? This is no hour to be so far away from your house."

"I don't have a home," Harry answered simply.

"You don't have a home?" Dumbledore asked. "What about your Aunt and Uncle's house? I thought you lived with them."

"How do you know?" Harry asked suspiciously.

"That doesn't matter for now. All that matters is that I do and that you should go back. They will be worried about you."

At this Harry actually laughed, though his laugh was filled with misery and anger. "Them? Worried? I think they're glad I'm not there. Anyway, I'm never going back and you can't make me!"

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow and looked intently at the boy. His eyes opened wide in surprise and horror when he saw the bruises on his face and the dried blood in his hair. The old man forced his face back into a smile. "What happened, Harry? How did you get hurt?"

"It's nothing," Harry mumbled softly, looking away from the piercing look the blue eyes gave him.

"Did your relatives hurt you? Your uncle?" Harry didn't answer, which confirmed the man's suspicions. The twinkle was gone from the man's eyes and he seemed to grow older at the spot. He was silent for a few moments, "Do they hurt you a lot?" he asked softly, kneeling besides the boy. He moved his hand to the boy's shoulder, but Harry flinched when the hand got close and pulled away.

The old man gave a great sigh. "Come on, Harry. Let's sit down for a moment." He walked to the side of the dirt road and sat down on the stem of a fallen tree. Harry hesitated for a moment, but finally moved to sit down next to the man. Somehow, he couldn't help but to trust Dumbledore.

"What do you know about your parents, Harry?" Dumbledore asked suddenly, after another moment of silence.

"My parents?" Harry asked shocked. "Nothing. Aunt Petunia doesn't talk about them. All I know is that they died in a car crash." He sighed deeply and continued in a soft voice laced with sadness. "I don't even know their names."

Dumbledore looked distressed for a moment, but then smiled again as though nothing was wrong. "I knew your parents, Harry. I even knew you when you were just a little baby. Do you want me to tell you about your parents?"

Harry nodded enthusiastically. This strange man knew his parents! Finally he would know something about them. He turned all his attention to the person sitting next to him.

"Your parents went to my school when they were young. Both of them were very good students and wonderful persons. They were magical people and I mean that quite literally," he said with a small smile. "Your mother was a witch and your father a wizard. And you, dear boy, are a wizard too."

Wizard? Witch? This man was making fun of him.

"I am not making fun of you, Harry," Dumbledore said, voicing his exact thoughts. "I am quite serious. They could both do magic. I am a wizard too, just like your father was." When Harry still looked sceptical, Dumbledore spoke again. "Would you like me to prove it?" Harry nodded cautiously. Dumbledore pulled a small wooden stick out of his sleeve. "This is a wand. We use it to focus our magic." He waved it around a few times. Out of thin air a small table appeared, laden with all kinds of food.

"Wow!" Harry said softly.

"Thank you. I believe you are hungry, Harry. Please do eat something," Dumbledore chuckled, pointing at the table.

Harry looked amazed at all the food in front of him. "Is – is it all for me?" he asked. He had never seen so much food at once, especially food that was for him to eat.

"Yes. Please, tuck in."

Harry started eating fast, afraid the food would disappear again before he was full.

"Would you like me to tell your parent's story, while you eat?" Harry nodded, without interrupting his meal. "You look so very much like your father, Harry. James Potter was his name. You're the exact spitting image of him when he first came to my school. Maybe he was a little better fed but that is beside the point. You look just like your father, except for the eyes, though. Your mother, Lily, had the same, beautiful green eyes as you do. They were amazing people, your parents. Both powerful in magic and kind hearted. They were very good students and became very good friends of mine after they graduated." The man paused for a moment.

"Now, you must know, not all wizards are good. Some time ago, there was a wizard who went bad – very bad, and he started hurting a lot of people. His name was Voldemort and he was as powerful as he was evil. Your parents, good hearted and brave as they were, fought this wizard and did a good job of it for some time. But nine years ago, on Hallowe'en, they were attacked by Voldemort at their house and he killed your parents." A tear escaped Dumbledore's eye at that moment and Harry's appetite was suddenly greatly reduced.

"You were there too that night and Voldemort tried to kill you too. But somehow he failed. The curse that easily killed so many others couldn't kill you and rebounded onto him. He disappeared that very same day and hasn't been seen since."

"He tried to kill me?" Harry asked softly. Instinctively he reached to his forehead and traced his finger over the scar.

"Yes, Harry, he did. The curse he used had killed many powerful witches and wizards, but it only gave you that scar. And because Voldemort disappeared that night, you are famous among the other witches and wizards."

Harry was done eating by now. "You said earlier that I'm a wizard too. Are – are you sure? I mean, I can't do any magic."

"No? Have you ever done anything strange when you're angry or scared?" the old wizard asked chuckling. Harry looked thoughtful for a moment and then smiled. "I thought so. Now, I really love to talk around here but I'm afraid have a lot of work to do, being headmaster and all. We need to find you some place to stay for the moment, though, unless you want to go back to your Aunt and Uncle?"

Harry shook his head forcefully. "I understand and I will make sure you don't have to go back again. Now, where do I take you? Ah, I know. I'm sure Mrs. Weasley will take care of you for the time being." Dumbledore ducked to take a stick from the ground. "Please hold this, Harry," he said, thrusting the stick in Harry's hands. "Portus," he muttered, tapping his wand against the stick. Instantly, Harry felt something pulling behind his navel and he was pulled through a very narrow tunnel.

When Harry got his vision back, he noticed he was standing on a dirt road that cut through a small field. He looked around and saw the strangest thing he had ever seen not too far in front of him. It was a house. The strangest house he had ever seen. From the looks of it, it used to be a pigsty, but all kinds of parts had been added. The building reached four floors upwards, but the placement of the different levels was not perfect. It was crooked and imperfect and Harry thought it should not be standing at all, but then again, it did. Harry realized it was probably held up by magic and he decided he was going to like this magic thing.

A soft pop was heard and then Dumbledore was standing next to him.

"Ah, Harry. Welcome to the Burrow," he smiled, his eyes twinkling again. "This is the home of the Weasleys, one of the nicest wizarding families I have the pleasure to know. I am sure you will be most welcome to stay until we find you a more permanent place. They have lots of children so you won't be bored. I will let Mrs. Weasley make the introductions."

Harry and Dumbledore walked to the house and Dumbledore knocked on the door. A short, plump and kind-faced woman opened the door. She looked friendly and motherly. She was wearing a flower-patterned apron with a wand sticking out of the pocket. What Harry noticed most was the flame red dishevelled hair on top of her head. She smiled when she saw the two persons in front of her.

"Albus!" she exclaimed, a smile on her face. "To what do we owe your visit?"

"Good morning, Molly," greeted Dumbledore. "How are you today?"

"Just perfect this morning, Albus, thank you. And who are you?" She smiled at Harry and he immediately perceived her as a kind person, but he still pulled back a bit.

"I am Harry, Mrs. Weasley," he answered shyly.

"Harry?" A look of recognition came over her face and her eyes flickered to his forehead. "Are you Harry Potter?"

"Yes, I am," he answered softly.

"Young Harry here needs a place to stay for a few days. Could you look after him?" the headmaster asked.

"But of course," she smiled. "You are more than welcome here, Harry. We are just having a spot of breakfast. Do you want to join us, Albus?"

"I would love to, Molly, but I have some business to attend to. I will come back tonight to check up on Harry." He kneeled down next to Harry now. "You are in good hands now, Harry. I will see you tonight, ok?" Harry nodded. "Thank you for doing this, Molly. One more thing. Harry has some bruises. Could you please give him a check over? I will explain what happened tonight. Please don't ask Harry how he got them." The woman nodded. "Thank you, Molly. Until this evening. Good day, Harry."

Dumbledore turned on the spot and disappeared. Mrs. Weasley turned to Harry.

"Why don't we go inside, Harry dear?" she said softly. "The others are in the kitchen, but perhaps we should look at those bruises first, don't you think?" Even though she asked for his opinion, Harry sensed that it was not a request.

"Sure, Mrs. Weasley."

She led him through the door into a living area. It was the strangest place Harry had ever seen. In all aspects, it was the complete opposite to the living room of the Dursleys. It was filled with worn, but comfortable seats and sofas in all shapes and sizes. In awe he looked around. A large fireplace was lined against the wall. On the mantelpiece were a lot of pictures, but they were not like anything Harry had seen before. The figures moved around in their frames and waved from time to time. When he looked closer, he could see lots of different faces, but each and every one of them had flaming red hair.

He looked further. Above one of the sofas, two long needles were knitting what looked like a jumper, but they were moving entirely on their own, clicking and clacking as they went. A large clock adorned the wall, but it did not tell time. The clock had nine hands, and each hand had a picture and a name. They didn't point to numbers, but to words like 'at home', 'at work', 'travelling' and even 'mortal peril'.

"Come here, Harry and sit down. Let me look at those bruises," Mrs. Weasley called out. She reached into a cabinet and pulled out a small jar with a cream coloured paste in it. "Now Harry. Tell me where it hurts. This will remove the bruises in a jiffy."

Embarrassed, he pointed at his face, not because he really wanted the care, but because it was too obvious to hide and adults didn't like to be lied to. She gently took of his glasses and softly and carefully rubbed the paste on the bruise. He flinched when she touched him, but she didn't pull away. The paste smelled like mints and was cold to the touch, but the moment it touched his skin, the pain began to fade.

"There we go. Much better, isn't it?" she asked smiling. Harry nodded and tried to get up again, but he couldn't hide a pained look when he moved. "Harry, you have more bruises, don't you?" she asked softly. "Come on, take of your shirt. Don't be afraid. I'm not going to hurt you." Hesitantly he did as he was asked. Mrs. Weasley gasped when she saw all the purple and blue on his body, but she forced a smile back on her face and gently started rubbing the paste on his torso. Harry pulled away each time she reached out to him, but she gently held him in place while she took care of him.

When she rubbed it onto a particular large bruise on his side, Harry screamed out in pain and wrenched himself away from her grip.

"Oh, my. This rib is broken!" she exclaimed horrified. "Sit still; this will only hurt a second." She pulled out her wand and aimed. "Episkey." His side glowed yellow for a moment and then the pain was almost gone. "There, much better, isn't it?" Harry nodded and took a deep breath without feeling pain for the first time in over a week. A small smile formed around his lips.

"Thank you, Mrs. Weasley," he whispered shyly.

"My pleasure, dear boy. Now put your shirt back on," she said. She reached for his glasses, tapped them with her wand and they repaired themselves. She gave them back and gestured for him to get up. "I will introduce you to the rest of the family, at least those who are home for the moment." She led him through a door to the kitchen. At a large table, filled with all kinds of food, five children were eating their breakfast, all of them sporting the same flame red hair. There were four boys, two of which were twins, and one girl, obviously the youngest of the family. They were all talking loudly and laughing and joking with each other.

"Boys! Can I have your attention for a moment? Sorry, honey, and girl too of course," Mrs. Weasley added when the little girl looked indignant at being overlooked. "This is Harry. He is going to be staying with us for a while. Please be nice to him." She looked especially at the twins when she said this. "Harry, these are five of my children. This," pointing at the eldest, "is Percy. The twins are called Fred and George, but no one ever knows which is which. They are too much alike, in every way imaginable. That over there is Ron and my daughter is called Ginny." They all mumbled a 'hi' or a 'good to meet you' and Harry shyly did the same. "Why don't you sit down, Harry?"

He did as told and sat down next to Ginny. He took in the persons around him. Percy was clearly the eldest of the pack. He was tall and thin and looked like he was about fourteen or fifteen years old. The twins were much stockier built. They were shorter, had broad shoulders and they were identical down to the last freckle. Ron was the youngest of the boys, but he was already as tall as the twins. Ginny was a small girl and he estimated her about a year younger then he was. She had the most beautiful chocolate brown eyes he had ever seen and her hair shone brightly when the light caught it. She smiled broadly at him and he found himself smiling back. The first real smile he had since – ever.

The four boys started bombarding him with questions about who he was, where he came from, what he liked and loads of other questions. Harry was overwhelmed and couldn't get a word between it, not that he really felt like talking anyway. Ginny must have felt his discomfort somehow, because suddenly she yelled, "Shut up!" Her brothers looked shocked, but were silent immediately. "He will be here while. You can ask him later." She turned to her mother. "Mum, can I show Harry around?" she asked.

"Sure, honey. Go ahead."

Ginny took Harry's hand and pulled him out of his chair. At first he flinched at the contact, never been touched like that before, but immediately found he kind of liked it. Her hand was soft and warm in his and it felt nice and comforting. She led him out the door and back outside. The sun was shining brightly by now and it was promising to be a nice day. They walked side by side for a while, holding hands and it felt to Harry like the most natural thing to do and the best thing in the world at the same time. She led him to a small wooded area behind the house. A creek was softly flowing through it, the water cackling down little waterfalls.

"I'm going to show you my secret place," she said softly. Her voice was nice and friendly. "But you can't tell anyone, ok?" Harry nodded and found himself smiling again. What was going on? He had never smiled much before but now he didn't seem to be able to stop. She stopped in front of some bushes and pulled some branches to the side. It opened to a rather large open space, surrounded by bushes at all sides. On the ground were two small boxes, presumably to sit on.

"Come on in, Harry," she said jovially. "Welcome to 'Ginny's place'." She gestured for him to sit on one of the boxes and sat down on the other one. "I like it here," she said. "I come here when I need some time alone or when I'm sad or angry. I need that sometimes. Sometimes I can get really worked up when my brothers tease me and then I can get really angry. My mum always says I've got too much passion but my brothers keep saying I've got a wicked temper. Anyway, the sound of the water calms me down. I find it peaceful here. It relaxes me."

She was silent for a moment and reached for Harry's hand again. Harry immediately took hold of it and he smiled again. "Do you have a place like this?" she asked carefully. He tensed up a bit, but she squeezed his hand reassuringly and he was surprised to find himself talking.

"Not really," he answered sadly. "My Aunt and Uncle never let me out of the house except to go to school. They don't really let me do anything."

"Don't you live with your parents?"

"No, they died when I was little and I lived with my relatives ever since," Harry sighed and a tear escaped his eye. "According to Dumbledore, my parents were murdered when I was little by some evil wizard named Voldemort." A shiver went through Ginny when Harry said the name and she squeezed his hand a little harder. Harry ran his other hand through his hair. This action exposed his scar and Ginny gasped in recognition.

"You're Harry Potter!" she said surprised.

"You know me?" he asked flabbergasted.

"Everybody does in the wizarding world. Didn't you know?"

"Dumbledore said something about me being famous, but I guess I didn't realize that he meant that everyone knew me. I only found out about wizards and witches this morning. I never knew there was anything like magic until Dumbledore told me," Harry sighed. "My relatives are not magical and they never told me anything about my parents."

"They weren't very nice to you, were they?"

It wasn't a question.

"I can't remember them ever doing anything nice to me," he responded softly. "I ran away from them yesterday. Dumbledore said he would make sure I didn't have to return. I really hope he wasn't lying."

"If he said he would then he will. He's the headmaster of Hogwarts, a school where you can learn magic," she added for good measure as he knew next to nothing about the wizarding world. "My brothers talk about him all the time. They say he's brilliant and the greatest wizard of our age."

"I hope so. I really don't ever want to go back there," he said forcefully.

"Where will you live then?"

"I have no idea. Dumbledore said I could stay here for a few days until they found a more permanent home."

"Maybe you can come live with us? I'm sure my mum will let you. She always lets my friends stay over. She's used to cooking for a lot of people. I don't know if you noticed, but I have a lot of brothers," she said grinning.

"Yeah, I noticed. Your mum said that wasn't even all of them. How many do you have?" he asked.

"Six older, thoroughly annoying brothers but I love every one of them," she said smiling. "The only ones you haven't met are Charlie, who works in Romania with dragons, and Bill, who is the eldest. He is a curse-breaker for Gringotts and works in Egypt at the moment."

"Do you like it that your family is this big? I mean, I only have this one cousin and all he ever did was beat me up."

"Most of the time, it is incredible. You are never alone and there is always someone around to play with. My brothers are all very nice to me, except when they tease me, that is," she answered, making a face. "I wouldn't trade my family for the world, but it has his downsides too. All those kids are expensive and my mum doesn't always have the money to buy us new stuff. Like this t-shirt," she said plucking at the faded shirt she was wearing. "It used to be Ron's, but he grew out of it and now I have to wear it. I really hate it sometimes, but I can live with it. Since I'm a girl, I do get some new stuff from time to time."

"I always get my cousin's hand-me-downs, but they are always way to large for me. My Aunt always says he's just big boned, but he really is about the size of an elephant. The clothes I get are always too large and most of the time they are even ripped. Now I don't even have those. I didn't really have time to pack when I ran away."

"You don't have to run anymore, Harry. You don't ever have to go back to those people." She squeezed his hand in reassurance. "Now, are you ready to go back to the house? You really could use a shower. You're a nice boy, but at the moment you stink," she teased.

Harry laughed broadly. "Yeah, I guess I do stink. Sorry about that." He got to his feet, without letting go of her hand and pulled her up. Together they walked back to the house in a very comfortable silence.

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After a very long, hot shower – the first time he could ever shower as long as he liked – he put on the clothes that Mrs. Weasley had given him. They were still a bit too large, as they were Ron's, but he didn't swim in them like he did in Dudley's. He went back down and immediately looked for Ginny when he entered the living room. She was playing a game of chess with her brother. At least he thought it was chess but the pieces were moving on their own and whacking each other of the board. He sat down next to her and immediately took her hand in his own. He had never sought contact with anyone before, but he couldn't help but to reach out for her now. It made him feel at ease and safe.

"It's Wizard Chess," explained Ron when he asked about the game. "It is the same as Muggle chess, except the pieces move by themselves. You want to play?"

"Muggle?" Harry asked.

"A person that's not a wizard," Ginny explained.

"I would love to play, but I don't know the rules," Harry said sadly.

"Don't worry, mate," Ron grinned. "Me and Ginny will teach you. Why don't you and Ginny play a few games together against me, so you can learn?"

They spent a very good afternoon together. He immediately liked this boy. He was funny and always making jokes, but when he concentrated on his chess play, nothing could disturb him. His brows would furrow as he thought about his moves and when he did make his move, it was almost always a good one. Ginny claimed that she had never won a game against Ron in her life. The only one who had a chance at winning was her dad, and that was probably only because he had a lot more experience playing.

"So, are you really Harry Potter?" Ron asked after three games. Harry just nodded. "Do – do you really have that scar?" Ron made a lightning bolt movement with his finger.

"Yeah, I do," Harry answered softly. If everyone would ask this, he would soon get tired of it. He lifted his fringe so he could show Ron.

"Wicked," the boy smiled.

"Ron," Ginny said angrily. "He is not some thing to gawk at. That was very rude of you."

Ron's mouth opened and closed a few times before he said, "Sorry, mate. I shouldn't have asked that."

"No worries. I guess I should get used to that if everyone knows who I am."

"Did you really live with Muggles after your parents, you know –" Ron asked hesitantly.

Harry cringed a bit at the question, but he answered anyway. "Yeah, but they were horrible people. I ran away last night. I don't ever want to go back."

"So you're looking for a place to live?" Harry nodded his confirmation. "I really hope my mum let's you live with us. I would like to have a friend around here. The twins are nice, but they always play pranks on me. And Percy is no fun at all. Always studying and talking about his future."

Harry was touched. "I'm your friend?"

"Of course you are," Ron answered like it was the most normal thing in the world. "What else would you be?"

"I've never had a friend before," Harry said quietly.

"Really?" Ron said shocked. "You never had a friend before?" He was quiet for a moment. "Well, you do now," he finally said firmly. "I would love to be your friend." Ron held out his hand grinning and Harry shook it gratefully. He finally had a friend and Dudley wasn't around to bully him. This was the best day in his life.

-------------------

"Good evening, Harry. How was your day?" Albus Dumbledore asked that evening.

"Best day of my life, sir," Harry answered grinning. He was sitting at the table in the kitchen at the Burrow next to Ginny, their hands still linked together. Mr. Weasley had come home an hour ago and he and Mrs. Weasley had a long talk together about something. Now they were all having dinner. The food was amazing and he got to eat as much as he wanted. Mrs. Weasley even persuaded him to take second and even third helpings.

Dumbledore had just stepped out of the fireplace in the kitchen in a whirl of green fire. Harry had jumped three feet high from shock when that happened but he still found that way of travelling brilliant. Travelling by Floo-powder, they called it.

"I hope I can make it even better, Harry," Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling. "I went to the Ministry today and I had a talk with someone about your guardians. They have treated you horribly and therefore you are not required to return to them." Harry let out a whoop of joy that was shared by Ginny and Ron. "I see you already made some friends here," Dumbledore smiled. "Excellent." He folded his fingers together on the table and looked at Harry. "We still need to find you a family to live with," he said. "We need to appoint some new guardians to you."

Mrs. Weasley spoke next. "Albus, me and Arthur talked about that. We would love to take Harry in with us but we fear we are not strong enough financially, especially when Harry goes to Hogwarts after the summer."

"I had a feeling you would feel this way," he answered smiling. He didn't look surprised at the least. "I can give you some reassurances financially though. Harry's parents set up a trust fund before he was born to pay for his studies when he got old enough to go to Hogwarts. It will be available to him the moment he turns eleven."

"Really?" Mr. Weasley said, running his hand over his head. His hair was just as red as his sons, but it was thinned and he was beginning to bald. His face broke out in a smile. "Well, since we don't have to worry about the money, we would love to adopt Harry. That is, if he would want us to." He looked expectantly at Harry.

"You want to adopt me?" he asked softly, afraid that this would be a dream.

"We would be honoured to have you in our house," Mr. Weasley said seriously. "What about you guys? Do you mind having another brother?"

There were shouts from all of the other Weasleys, varying from a dignified 'welcome to the family' from Percy to a round of applause from the twins, a handshake from Ron and a hug and a kiss on the cheek from Ginny. For some reason his face felt warm after she did that and something made a flip flop in his stomach. It was a pleasant feeling though. He softly squeezed her hand in thanks and he was thrilled to feel the pressure returned.

"Then I would really like to live here," Harry grinned.

---------------

The weather had been terrible the last three weeks. It had been raining practically non stop for days. Harry didn't mind though. He was used to being stuck inside. Except lately it was much more enjoyable than it used to be. Now he had friends. He filled his days playing wizard chess with Ron, chatting with Ginny and reading in the old school books from the twins. He found everything about magic fascinating. He couldn't wait to get his wand but you had to be eleven before you were allowed to own one. Ron already had one but it was not new. It used to belong to his brother, Charlie and it missed some chunks here and there.

Harry and Ginny were still found together at every single moment they could and always holding hands. There was just something about that simple gesture that made him feel secure and at ease. He felt restless when she wasn't near or in the morning when she was still asleep. It was not just him either. The moment she saw him, she would grab his hand and didn't let go until she really had to. He had caught Mrs. Weasley shooting them strange looks from time to time and the twins were always joking about the cute little couple. But Harry and Ginny didn't care. The just laughed it away and kept holding hands anyway. Ron too looked strange at them from time to time, but he seemed to accept their rather strange relationship and just pretended he didn't notice.

Harry was really content in his new home, but it soon became clear he still had a long road to go. He still flinched whenever someone touched him, except when that person was Ginny. He tended to avoid any physical contact that was not necessary. Sometimes, his mood dropped for no particular reason and Harry would retreat in a corner of the house, his legs pulled close to him and staring into nothingness. Ginny always joined him when he did that and held his hand in silence. After a minute or ten of silence, the two of them would begin to talk. Sometimes about light subjects, like Ginny's brothers or Hogwarts or the work Ginny's father did. But more often than not, he would spill his heart to her. He told her about all the horrible things that had happened in his life and she listened to him and comforted him when he needed it. He always felt better afterwards and would keep on smiling for the rest of the day.

Today was the first day in ages that it wasn't raining and the children at the Burrow practically ran outside when they saw the sun shining in. The twins stated solemnly that Ron and Harry were now old enough to take their first steps in the Quidditch universe. Mrs. Weasley had always forbidden Ron and Ginny to ride a broomstick until they had had proper instruction at Hogwarts but today she wasn't at home and the youngsters were taking advantage of their temporary freedom. They walked to the small paddock behind the Burrow. It was a clearing surrounded by high trees where they could fly without the Muggles seeing them.

"Are you ready for your first lesson?" George asked in a loud voice. His brother put the two brooms he was carrying on the ground.

"Stand next to your broom." Fred said.

"Now hold your hand above it," George continued.

"What about me!" Ginny shouted angrily. "Why can't I fly?"

"But, little sister, you are still too young."

"Yes, dear sister. We will teach you next year."

Harry stepped away from the broom he was using and turned to Ginny.

"You can use mine, Ginny," he said seriously.

She smiled at him. "Yeah, I know, but these two gits need to learn that I'm not a little girl anymore. If I want to learn how to fly, they are going to teach me." She turned back to the twins, crossing her arms threateningly. "Isn't that right?"

They cowered under her stare and gave in without any more protests. Ginny smiled in triumph and ran to the broom shed to get another broom. She put the broom next to the others in the grass and stood next to it.

"Now, are you ready?" Fred asked, still looking uncertainly at his sister.

"Stand next to your broom and –," George said.

"– hold your hand above it," Fred finished.

"Say 'up' and the broom will jump to your hand."

The three did as they were told. Harry was surprised when his broom jumped to his hand at the first try. Ginny did well too. Hers jumped up at the second try. Ron had a bit more trouble. His broom kept wriggling over the ground but refused to go up. At last, after ten times saying 'up' he finally got his broom in his hand.

"Finally, Ron. We thought we would be here until dinner."

"Yeah, let's hope you have more talent at the flying thing than that."

The twins grinned at Ron who scowled in return, but refused to react otherwise.

"Now, mount your brooms. Very good."

"Make sure you have a good grip on the handle, but don't grip too tightly."

"Now kick off hard to hover. Don't move your upper body yet. Very good."

"Ron, keep your back straight!" George yelled, when Ron started gliding forward. "Good."

"Now if you lean forward and you think about going faster, you will accelerate. If you lean backwards and you think about braking, you will slow down."

"Lean left and you will turn left, lean right and you will turn right."

"Push the handle down and you will descend, pull the handle up and you will ascend."

"Simple isn't it?" the twins finished together.

Harry thought it sounded all pretty straightforward. He leaned forward and slowly accelerated to a fairly fast speed, then turned sharply when he reached the tree line. He pulled the handle up and ascended until he reached the top of the trees and then pushed the handle down and leaned forward to go in a dive. He pulled up just in time to skim the grass and landed gracefully. He looked up and saw the twins looking at him with open mouths.

"What?" Harry asked bewildered. "Did I do something wrong?" He tried to remember what he had done but couldn't think of anything that he could have done wrong. At least, that was what he thought. It was his first time on a broom, so he really had no references to compare it to.

"Wrong?" the twins said together. "That was bloody BRILLIANT."

"Are you sure that was –"

"- your first time on a broom?"

Harry nodded and felt elated.

"Wood will be thrilled to have new talent on the Quidditch team. You do want to play Quidditch, don't you?"

"Yeah, I really would like to play it," Harry replied. He had heard all about the game from Ron.

In the meantime, Ginny and Ron had gained control over their broomsticks. Ginny was flying quite fast and gracefully around the pitch, while Ron still had some difficulty controlling his broomstick, even though he was not flying too badly himself. Harry got back on his broomstick and started flying around the pitch, his moves becoming more spectacular and daring by the minute. After a half hour of flying, the twins called them back down, because their mother would soon be home and they really didn't want to get caught.

"That was amazing!" Ginny breathed when she landed. She was sweating and panting from the flying but she was positively glowing with glee. "We have got to do that again."

"It seems like we have a lot of Quidditch talent here today," George said appreciatively.

"I guess we underestimated our little sister," Fred agreed.

The twins looked at each other, nodded and both dropped on their knees in front of Ginny.

"Oh no, not again!" Ginny groaned.

"All heil Ginevra Weasley, Lady of the Burrow," Fred and George chanted simultaneously. "We have underestimated your incredible talents once again. Your humble servants seek your forgiveness. Please have mercy on our poor, unworthy souls."

"Mum made them apologize once for some prank they pulled," Ron explained in a hushed voice, when Harry looked confused. "They didn't really feel sorry, so they just made a joke out of it by doing it this way. Ever since then, they always act like this when they apologize to Ginny. She hates it, by the way."

"Really," Harry muttered. He walked over to Ginny and offered her his arm like he had once seen in a movie at the Dursleys. "My Lady, May I have the pleasure of escorting you to the Burrow?" he said in a very formal voice with a small bow.

She looked stunned for a moment but started giggling when she saw the look on the face of the twins. They were shocked to see little, shy Harry joking around like that with their sister.

"Certainly, My Lord," Ginny played along. She took his arm gracefully and they walked arm in arm back to the Burrow, both of them grinning broadly.

-----------------

Harry woke up early on his birthday, just like any other day. He looked around the room he got from the Weasleys – Bill's old room – and still couldn't believe his luck. He no longer lived with the Dursleys and never had to go back. On top of that, he now had a wonderful family and two very good friends. Ron and Harry really got along great and were most of the time hanging out together, but Ginny had fast become his best friend.

They had a lot of fun together. They joked around, laughed together and lately they had taken on the habit of pranking the twins. Two days ago, they had put a little bit of clay in the tips of the shoes of the twins. When Fred and George tried to put them on, they found that the shoes were too small, but only just. They walked around with sore toes all day, fully convinced that their feet had grown two sizes in one night. When they finally discovered the clay, they cornered the three younger children and asked if they knew anything about the foreign substance in their shoes. Ron didn't know anything, but he made himself look guilty when he started laughing. Ginny and Harry put on an innocent face and pretended that they knew nothing about it. Ginny was so convincing in her act, that even Harry would believe her, if he hadn't seen her putting the clay in the shoes in the first place.

While they had a lot of fun, they had their serious moments together too. When one of them felt down for whatever reason, the other would listen to what was wrong, offer comfort and then the both of them would be cheerful again.

Harry had really bloomed open these last weeks, but he still didn't trust easily. Charlie had come home four days ago and it had taken Harry three days to relax a little around the guy. Charlie was a sight to behold too, anyways. He had broad shoulders and thick, muscular arms. On one of them, there was a big, shining burn. From one of the dragons, he had said, when Ron had asked about it.

Today, however, Harry turned eleven. He would get his Hogwarts letter today, or so Dumbledore had told him. Harry relished the moment for a second and then got out of bed. He dressed quickly in some of the new clothes he got from Dumbledore (they actually fit!) and went downstairs.

When he entered the kitchen, he got the shock of his life.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" ten voices screamed. Before he knew it, he was swept of his feet in a hug by an overenthusiastic Ginny. Both of them fell backwards on the ground, laughing out load. Ginny was lying on top of him and was struggling to get up, but that proved difficult since Harry was struggling too. Finally she gave him a kiss on the cheek, which caused him to lay still long enough for Ginny to roll of off him.

Ron pulled both of them on their feet, a smirk on his face, and Ginny led Harry to the people in the room that he had never met before. One of them, he recognized from the pictures in the living room. It was Ginny's brother, Bill. He didn't look at all like any of the pictures Harry had seen, though. His hair was long now where it used to be short and in his ear he wore a large fang from some sort of animal. Bill claimed it was a dragon's tooth but Charlie had told him in confidence that it was actually the tooth of a large dog. The eldest of the Weasley children had come home from Egypt to celebrate Harry's birthday and to welcome him to the family. That and the fact that Bill was Ginny's favourite brother, made him extremely likeable to Harry.

The other was a massive man. He simply looked too big to be allowed. His long jet-black hair and beard were tangled and wild and gave the man a dangerous look. But once you saw his eyes, you just knew that this man would never hurt a thing in his life. They were kind and loving and Harry liked him on sight. He smiled broadly when he saw Harry.

"Hiya, Harry," he said. "I'm Rubeus Hagrid. Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts." He smiled proudly when he stated his title. "I haven't seen you since you was only a baby. Blimey, look at you now! You look jus' like yer father. Great man, he was, great man." The giant man was silent for a moment and his eyes were unfocused. "Oh, righ'. I've got a letter for ya," he said, smiling again. "Dumbledore sent me to give it to ya. He wanted to come himself to wish ya a happy birthday but he had important business to attend to."

Harry smiled at the man and opened the letter he got.


HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore
(Order of Merlin, 1st Class, Grand Sorc.,Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)

Dear Mr. Potter,

We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on 1 September. The train will leave from King's Cross at 11 a.m. from platform nine and three quarters. We hope to see you then.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress


"I guess we're going to Hogwarts together then," he smiled at Ron. Ginny was standing a little sad to the side. "I really wish you could come too," he whispered to her. She gave him a sad smile and squeezed his hand seeking comfort.

"Presents next!" Ron shouted.

Presents? He was getting presents? He had never got any presents before. His face lit up like a Christmas tree. The first present he got was from Ron. The boy had given him a Chudley Cannons hat – Ron's favourite Quidditch team – and a bunch of magical sweats. He liked the chocolate frogs best. They were moving pieces of chocolate, but the interesting part were the cards of famous witches and wizards that came with them. You could collect them. Ron already had over five hundred.

From Charlie he got a dragon leather belt and from Bill a miniature walking mummy. Percy had given him a beautiful eagle feather quill. The twins had given him some joke-stuff from a store called Zonko's. He was especially pleased with the present from Dumbledore. The headmaster had sent him a picture of his parents, the first one he had ever seen. Harry's eyes became moist when he saw it but he was happy to finally see what his parents looked like. He had to admit it; he really did look like his father. Except for the eyes, of course.

Hagrid had bought him a beautiful snowy owl. He and Ginny immediately named her Hedwig, a name they had read in a History of Magic text book from the twins. Finally Ginny gave him two nice shirts. One bottle green and the other one black. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley gave him a very special present. First they gave him an official paper confirming that he finally was adopted by the Weasleys. Mrs. Weasley pulled him in for a bone-crushing hug. At first he stiffened at the touch, but Ginny's hand in his allowed him to calm down and relax into the hug. Next they led him to the living room and showed him the family clock. He nearly got a tear in his eye when he saw the extra hand on it.

"Since you are now an official member of this family, you get your own place on the family clock," Mr. Weasley explained. "We are proud and glad to call you our family. Happy birthday, Harry!"

"Thank you, Mr. Weasley," he said with watery eyes.

"Now, Harry. Since you are family, none of this Mr. and Mrs. Weasley stuff. You can call us mum and dad, but if you think that's too weird Molly and Arthur will do."

"Thank you – Arthur," Harry replied smiling. "I don't think I'm ready yet to call you mum and dad. Maybe someday. Thank you for accepting me in your family."

He really had a family now. A good family. One that really liked him. It still seemed surreal to him.

He enjoyed his breakfast with his family. Molly really had outdone herself. She had made every kind of breakfast food imaginable. Apparently she did this each time when it was one of her children's birthdays. It made him feel special and normal at the same time. It made him feel – accepted. A feeling he had never had before in his life. For the first time he really felt like – home.

------------------

After breakfast, Ginny took him to their secret place. Since they always went to the secret place together, Ginny had wanted to change the name. It was now called 'Ginny and Harry's place'. She sat down next to him and pulled a small package out of her pocket.

"I've got another present for you," she said, "but I wanted to give it to you in private."

He looked at her in surprise. "Thanks, Gin," he said delighted.

She raised an eyebrow. "Gin?"

"I just like the sound of that," he said shrugging. "You don't mind me calling you Gin, do you?"

"Since it's you, no, I don't. Every other person would be in big trouble for calling me that."

"Thanks, Gin. That makes me feel special." He turned his attention to his gift. Slowly he unwrapped it, savouring the feeling that getting presents gave him. Inside was a beautifully woven, leather bracelet.

"I made it myself," she said brightly. "Do you like it?"

"I love it," he answered smiling, admiring her work. "Can you put it on?" He gave her the bracelet and stuck out his arm. Carefully she attached it and then he held his arm up to see the result. "It's beautiful, Gin. Thank you." He gave her a kiss on the cheek to express his gratitude. It was the first kiss he had given in his life. Ever. She turned a little pink in the cheeks after that. She really looked lovely that way.

He felt something growing in his heart when he saw her like this but he had never felt anything like it before. It felt comfortable and warm but it scared him a bit at the same time. It was something to think about. Right now, he just wanted to enjoy his birthday with this girl who had become so important to him.