Harley Potter and The Chamber Of Secrets
The Girl Who Lived
Chapter Two
At The Burrow
"Ah crap." Harley groaned as she stumbled out of the fireplace of the Burrow. She tripped over something rather solid before falling to the floor with a crash. "Oops." She hissed to herself as she stood shakily to her feet. Standing up on wobbly feet the twelve year old turned to look at her bag that had fallen out before she had, along with her owl cage, which didn't have Hedwig inside. That was what had made her trip. Sighing Harley bent down and quickly picked up her bag and tossed it over her shoulder. She placed her silver metal cage on the table before looking around the room she was in. Emerald green eyes scanned the room she had arrived in with interest. A long couch was across from the fireplace with a wooden table in front of it. Two love seats were placed on both the right and left side of the room across from each other. Two chairs were in the corner of the rooms on both sides with a small table in between them. The two sets of chairs near the doorway allowed you two look out the window out to the front lawn. Shelves were against the walls, with many knick-knacks and books of different size and colors. The floor of the house was wood and only had a carpet beneath the wooden table in front of the couch. The Burrow had a warm feeling to it, giving it a feeling of home.
"Oh, Harley dear, so lovely to see." Mrs. Weasley explained as she pulled the twelve-year-old girl into her arms for a tight hug. Harley could feel the breath leave her as she gave a gasp.
"It's…nice to see you…too…Mrs. Weasley." Harley grunted out. "But…I can't breath." She stated with a look of desperation on her face. Looking over Mrs. Weasley's shoulder she noticed a pair of knitting needles knitting what looked like a sweater. A cloth was floating through the air, dusting and whipping off any hard surface. The things magic could do was simply amazing to Harley.
"Oh, I'm so sorry dear." Mrs. Weasley stated as she pulled away from the girl and gave a warm smile. "You look a bit peaky dear. Have you been eating?" Molly questioned with a squint of her eyes. Her thin and affectionate hand rose to Harley's head as she rubbed the girls face with her thumb. Patting her check lovingly Mrs. Weasley lowered her hand with a smile across her lips. She yet again had another motherly figure for Harley to have. Which was a hard time processing. Perhaps they felt bad for her? And that's why Mrs. Granger and Mrs. Weasley felt the need to pamper her? Shaking the thoughts away she replied when she realized Mrs. Weasley was staring her down with a thoughtful look in her dark blue eyes.
"Oh…uh…yeah, when…I can." Harley finally got out with a small shrug. Mrs. Weasley tisked at her reply and grabbed the girl gently by the arm before taking her to the kitchen.
"Those people at that Orphanage shouldn't feel the need to feed someone when they want." Mrs. Weasley muttered underneath causing an amused look to grace Harley's face. "Are you hungry dear? I was about to start breakfast." Molly questioned Harley as she allowed the young raven-haired girl take a seat at the long wooden table. Dropping her bag at her feet with a thump, Harley looked around the large kitchen. Five chairs were place on either side of the table while a chair placed at each end of the table. Pots and pans cleaned themselves with no help. A broom was sweeping along the dirty and dusty floor, moving the entire mess into a dusting pan. Other things like eggs broke themselves into a bowl before getting stirred by a whisk. Pans sizzled with bacon and eggs as they were turned or flipped. Another bowl stirred in what Harley assumed as pancake mix. She watched with wonder at everything that was going on before snapping herself yet again out of her thoughts.
"Yeah, I'd love some breakfast. Do you…need any help?" Harley questioned. She felt wrong just asking for food without asking to help the motherly figure.
"Oh no dear. I'm fine. Why don't you go wake Ronald and the others for me?" Molly ordered, more than asked of the young girl. Harley nodded her head and quickly stood. Bending down she grabbed her black backpack and tossed it over her shoulder once again before making her way out of the kitchen. Her newly gray converses, which had been the only colors, the store had at the moment and to which Mrs. Granger had bought for her even when Harley tried to talk the woman out of it, slapped against the tile flooring of the kitchen as she walked out of the kitchens doorway. Walking out into the hallway she walked past a large clock with the different faces of the Weasley family, including Mrs. Weasley's nieces and nephews.
"Interesting." Harley muttered as she took a sharp left and began making her trek up the steep and narrow staircase. Her feet slapped dully against the wooden stairs as she took two at a time. Her bag that hung at her shoulder continued to swing and hit her in the side, causing annoyance to bubble. After reaching the landing Harley looked around the long hallway. Turning right she made her way down the hallway. Looking around the halls she furrowed her eyebrows in thought. She stopped as she came across a door with the words Forge and Gred. Chuckling to herself, she raised her hand and warily grabbed hold of the doorknob. With a turn of the doorknob she pushed it open which emitted a loud squeak. Realizing nothing happened she stepped forward into the messy room. Hands went to her hips she raised an eyebrow at the sight of the room and her two friends. It seemed they hadn't cleaned up lately. Fred and George slept partly hanging off their beds as they snuggled into their pillows. "Isn't this so cute." She remarked in a high-pitched voice, causing the twins heads to quickly snap up before groaning at the bright sunlight streaming through their window. "Come on mates. Your mum wanted me to wake you up." Harley stated with a cross of her arms. Fred and George looked at each other and then tiredly at Harley.
"Watcha ya doin' here." Grumbled one of the twins from the bed with confusion.
"I'm staying here for a few days. Now, get up." Harley ordered with a smirk. "If you don't, I'll be forced to use the water technique." She stated as she turned on her heel, closing the door behind her. She distantly heard them grumbling about her and overbearing mothers. Rolling her eyes to herself she began in search of another door when, Percy the Prat, across one of the doors a little ways away from Fred and Georges room caught her attention. It made Harley chuckle knowing who made it look like that. 'Ah, Percy.' She thought to herself as she stopped in front of his door. With a loud knock she waited for the door to open. A few minutes after knocking the door swung open to reveal Percy already dressed and showered.
"Yes?" Percy demanded in annoyance with a raise of his eyebrow.
"Your mum wanted me to wake everyone up for breakfast." Harley replied back with an annoyed look on her face at how rude this Weasley was being.
"Thank you." Percy replied before slamming the door in her face. Harley's mouth dropped open slightly in shock before clenching shut with a snap. Her eyes squinted into a glare as she stared at the door.
"Stupid flippin' prat. He didn't have to slam the damned door on me." Harley muttered to herself as she walked farther down the hallway. Her footsteps echoed in the small hallway as she glanced at each door with different names of the Weasley children on it and two doors with the words, bathroom, across it. Harley wondered how Mrs. Weasley was able to raise all her own children and then her nieces and nephews as well with their home not as large. A door with the words, Ginny, captured her attention as she realized she had to wake up the younger girl now. With a knock on the door she listened to the sound of shuffling of feet before the door swung open to show an eleven-year-old girl with messy red hair. "Ello Ginny. Your mum wanted me to wake you up for breakfast." Harley explained to the girl that began to blush a bright red color.
"Uh…oh…okay…thank you." Ginny stuttered out before closing the door with a slam.
"Yeah…no problem." Harley muttered with a sigh. 'What is with Weasley's and slamming doors in my face?' She questioned with a shake of her head she made her way to the end of the hallway and to the next staircase. Looking up at the staircase Harley frowned and made her way up the stairs. Reaching the third floor landing the twelve-year-old girl noticed another row of bedrooms. 'Well, I now know how she raised all those kids.' She thought to herself. Walking swiftly down the hallway she noticed many doors with each name of Mrs. Weasley's nieces and nephews. At the end of the hallway was a door with Ron's name on it. Opening the door she frowned at another set of stairs. "Too many bloody staircases in this place." She muttered as she rushed up the stairs. Her feet made loud thumps with each step. Reaching the room Harley gazed around before landing on the sleeping form of Ron. With a smirk Harley gave a short run and jumped onto her best friends bed before she began jumping on it.
"Wake up Ron!" Harley hollered as she jumped up and down on the decently large bed.
"Blimey!" Ron screamed in fright before tumbling backwards off his bed and onto the floor in a heap of blankets on the hard wood floor. "What the bloody hell was that?" Ron asked in a high-pitched tone as his dark blue eyes widened comically. Harley gave a laugh and shrugged before flopping down on his bed with her legs crossed in an Indian style.
"That my nark and frazzled mate was a lovely wake up call." She exclaimed with a dazzling smile and a glint in her vivid, electric, emerald green eyes.
"You call that a bloody wake up call?" Ron questioned with a raise of his eyebrow in disbelief. Harley nodded her head swiftly before her eyes scanned the boy's messy and cluttered room. His room was painted a bright orange with yellow. Posters of bands and his favorite Quidditch team decorated the walls of his room. A bookshelf in the corner of the room showed he had some decent collection of books to read. Clothes cluttered the floor, making it almost impossible to see the floor. A broomstick was beside the bookshelf, hung up. Ron's dresser and nightstand were over cluttered with cslothes that spilt over the drawers. His closet was in similar disarray.
"Yes. Your mum wanted me to wake you and your siblings up and I did." Harley explained with a shrug. "Percy was a bit of a berk. Was a bit mucky with me. Slammed the damned door in my bloody face. He wasn't being very polite." Ron gave a snort of laughter and shrugged his shoulders from where he still remained on the floor of his bedroom. Harley leaned forward and looked down at him with a smirk of amusement. "What is so funny?" She questioned with curiosity.
"Percy is always a bugger." Ron stated through his small laughing fit. Harley gave a small noise of thought before jumping up from the bed. She flattened down her already dirtying crinkled newly bought jeans. The jeans were light colored on the front of her thighs and to her knees and was darker everywhere else. Tearing in the pants was already beginning, seeing as she had to clean at the Orphanage, no matter what clothing she was. That was another thing Harley hated about the Orphanage. They always made her clean, no matter what she was wearing. It was bad enough she got a good beating when she got back after they discovered she had new clothes, but they soon forced her to clean afterward. Even when she was in pain and sore, they didn't give a damn. Shaking herself from her memories she turned to look at Ron who was staring at her with a raised eyebrow and a worried look on his face.
"You alright mate?" Ron questioned his friend. Harley gave a small smile and pushed away her dark thoughts.
"Fine. Now hurry the bloody hell up. I'm starving for that good smelling food of your mums." The girl explained with a bigger smile. At the word food Ron quickly shooed his friend out of his room, making her laugh as she jogged down the steps. Her footsteps were loud and obnoxious, on purpose of course. She walked out of the staircase that lead to Ron's room and shut the door behind her with a click.
"There's our Harley. We wondered where you gotten off to." Explained the twins as they suddenly appeared at the stop of the staircase down the hallway. Their younger sister Ginny stood behind them with a blush on her cheeks as she looked at her idol in awe.
"I was hiding from you two of course." The raven-haired Potter stated playfully. Her unruly hair fell over her shoulders and into her eyes as she shook her head to try and get her fringe out of her face. All it did was make it worst. Rolling her eyes in annoyance Harley walked forward and just barely missed getting hit by Ron's door, as it swung open. "Oi! You're lucky that door didn't hit me mate." Harley explained as she turned to look at Ron with a squint of her eyes.
"You should have watched where you stood." Ron replied with a smirk across his face. "Don't need to made you more of a headcase than you bloody are." The red haired boy teased with a sparkle in his dark blue eyes.
"Hey! Watch it!" Harley exclaimed. "I have you know I'm perfectly undamaged. I may be a bit nutty, but that's what you get when you live in a blooming manky place like an Orphanage." She replied back with a defensive look, but the affect was ruined by the bright sparkling glint in her electric, emerald green eyes.
"That shows how much luck we're in then." Fred or George stated from the staircase as the two twelve year olds walked over to them.
"You two are the ones that made her even more bonkers than she would be." Ron stated with amusement at what this conversation was about.
"Can we go eat now?" The small voice of Ginny questioned, but was ignored or not heard over her louder brothers that continued to argue over who made Harley even more bonkers than she could be.
"Oi! Are you three daft?" Harley demanded as she stood at the top of the staircase and beside the three older boys. Fred, George and Ron all looked to Harley with wide eyes and raised eyebrows. "Your baby sis just suggested we got get some nosh." Harley enlightened as she made her way down the staircase, not before giving the younger girl a small kind smile.
"Best watch where you're going dear." Molly Weasley stated to Harley who had almost run into the older woman as she walked in the kitchen from the back door.
"Sorry Mrs. Weasley." Harley stated as she shut the door behind her. "Just a bit too mucky out there." She walked over to the table and took a seat. Sweat dripped down the side of her face from the harsh Quidditch game she had just endured with her best mates and their baby sister.
"Did you have fun?" Mrs. Weasley questioned from her spot at the sink as she finished making lunch for everyone.
"I did. It's brilliant to have a game of Quidditch." Molly gave a smile as she set a glass of ice-cold tea in front of Harley. Giving a small 'thanks' to Mrs. Weasley she raised the glass to her lips and took a hearty drink of the cold liquid. It was refreshing to feel the cold smooth liquid go down her throat and past her chest. It made her feel much more cooler.
"There you are dear." The motherly woman stated with a kind smile. While lunch was getting finished Molly took a seat across from Harley. Mrs. Weasley crossed her hands over each other and placed them at the table as she looked at the young twelve year old with a thoughtful look. Her red hair cascaded over her shoulders, but most of it was held back in a loose ponytail as she looked at the girl that looked so much like James and Lily Potter, that she felt like she was almost sitting in front of them. "You look so much like your parents." Molly stated softly, causing Harley to pause in her drinking and set the already half full glass of ice tea on the table.
"What do you know about my mum and dad?" Harley demanded with interest and a raise of her right eyebrow. She leaned forward, her arms on the table as she looked at the older woman with concentration.
"From what Ronald has told me, you've got both your parents personalities." Molly began. The older woman didn't want to tell too much to Harley about her parents. "You have your mothers quick thinking when you need to have a steady head, intelligence about anything you learn and if I'm not mistaken, you have her kindness to those you met or just meet, a hot temper when you get angry or upset about something, bravery when facing anything thrown at you and thoughtfulness on those around you." Harley tilted her head to the side as her bright green eyes, so much like her mothers, stared at the older woman with contemplation.
"What about my dad?" Harley questioned with attention. Molly pulled out her wand and gave it a swift flick, causing a hot steaming cup of tea to appear in front of her. Holding it in her hands the older woman took a sip of the warm tea.
"I believe you have your fathers adventurous side. He was always going on some wild adventure at school. He was known to be quite a prankster as well. Though I haven't heard of you doing pranks, only except one last year." Mrs. Weasley stated with a stern look at the girl. "If I'm not wrong, you also have loyalties to your friends, rebelliousness for rules, hard headedness when you make up your mind and confidence when dealt with a hard task. That's some of the characteristics your father had while at school and afterwards. Though he matured after marrying your mother." Molly explained with a sad smile. She may not have known Lily and James Potter as well as most did, but from the short time she had spent with the couple, they had made a huge impact on her and her husband, Arthur.
"Really? So I'm like both of my parents?" Harley questioned with surprise.
"Oh yes dear. You look like both of your parents as well. Your eyes remind me so much of your mother when I look into them." Molly confirmed. "And your hair, you have your fathers messy raven hair that he tended to run his hands through when thinking or stressed. Which I noticed he did a lot back when You-Know-Who was around." Molly murmured as she raised the china cup to her lips and took another sip of her honey tea.
Harley bit her lip in thought at this sudden revelation. She knew Mrs. Weasley had to have been a few years older than her parents had been. They were probably already in their seventh year of school when her parents arrived, but if she was able to get that much information off of just seeing them a couple of times, then who else would she be able to get to tell her more about her parents? Molly watched the young girl think to herself as she continued to drink her tea. She would have been more than happy to adopt the girl and give her a home she deserved. Dumbledore hadn't decided what family he wanted her to place in yet though. Or perhaps, he was going to let her stay with different families? A furrow of her red eyebrows showed her in deep thought as well on this new eye-opener of hers.
When Fred, George, Ron and Ginny stepped into the kitchen, which is where they found the two in sitting at the table. Both Molly and Harley had remained silence for a long time, both lost in their thoughts and unaware of the world outside of their befuddled mind. "Mum? Harley?" Ron questioned with wary. At the sound of his voice both adult and child snapped themselves out of their thoughts and looked at the four standing at the counter near the doorway to the backyard. "You two alright?" He questioned with a cautious look.
"Of course dear. Just got lost in my thoughts is all." Mrs. Weasley said as she stood up from the table. With another wave of her wand the now empty cups on the table disappeared with a pop. Another wave of her wand and bowls of hot stew and homemade bread appeared at the table. The delicious smell of the food made their stomachs rumble to life. Eagerly the four Weasley's and Harley began to eat hungrily. All of them were tired and hungry from playing Quidditch outside, but Harley was also tired from being in such deep thought.
"This is great Mrs. Weasley." Harley remarked from her spot at the table. Her stew was almost gone, much like how Ron's, Fred and Georges were too.
"Thank you dear." Molly stated with a smile. "Why don't you five go into the living room after your done eating and relax before helping out around the house?" Molly suggested. All she got in reply was grunts and shrugs. Shaking her head with a roll of her eyes Molly went back to eating her own food. Harley wasn't afraid to admit it, but Mrs. Granger and Mrs. Weasley's cooking was amazing.
"I'm not doing that dare Fred or George, whichever one you are." Harley stated with a laugh of disbelief and a shake of her head. The five children sat scattered amongst the living room. Harley sat on one of the love seats in the living room sideways. Her feet hung off of the arm rests as her head was turned to face the red haired siblings. Fred and George sat on the couch with their feet propped up on the aging oak wood table. The twins looked to their friend with identical looks of mischief. Ron, who was sat on the other love seat across from her, was in a similar position as Harley was and was chuckling with amusement. Ginny was sitting on a comfortable cushion in the fireplace, her light blue eyes looked between her older twin brothers and her idol.
"Why not?" The twins questioned in unison.
"Well, for one, it's got to do with swimming out to the Giant Squid in the Black Lake at Hogwarts and trying to become its friend." Harley stated with disbelief. "Do you remember the last time anyone tried to befriend the squid?" The girl questioned with a raise of her eyebrow while crossing her arms over her chest.
"Err…no." Fred and George replied with shakes of their head.
"Exactly. There hasn't been anyone barmy enough to try to." She scoffed with another roll of her eyes.
"Oh come on Harley – " Began Fred with a sigh.
"Where's your sense of adventure?" George finished with a raise of his eyebrow.
"You're asking me where my sense of adventure is?" Harley questioned with disbelief. She looked to Ron who was shaking with silent laughter. Ginny was staring at Harley with wide eyes as she continued to watch Harley with amazement. "Have you gone bonkers?" She inquired. When she got a shake of their heads in reply she began her rant. "Well for one I dealt with the whole Quirrell being host of Voldemort –" She ignored the shutters her friends gave at the dark wizards name. "And I fought two trolls trying to protect Mione." She explained with a shake of her head. "So don't bloody ask me for my sense of adventure when I'm usually getting stuck in things I don't want to have to flippin' do but do anyways because no one else will!" The Weasley's were silent and wide-eyed at Harley's exclamation and looked between each other with wide eyes. "Sorry bout that. Just a bit annoyed at being the one to save the day." She grumbled with a squint of her eyes.
"Its alright mate. No one really blames you now do they?" Ron questioned from where he sat on the love seat. Fred and George shook their heads while Ginny just shrugged. "So what are you going to do Harley when you go back to the Orphanage?" Ron inquired from his best mate.
"Don't know mate. I'll find something to do." Harley explained with a shrug of her shoulders. "For now, I don't want to think of going to that blasted place until I need to in four days." She replied with a smile. "So, let's go find something to do for fun." Harley spoke as she stood up from the love seat. The other four nodded eagerly before the five children rushed out of the living room and out into the backyard and towards the large green hill a few yard away. Harley hoped she'd be able to come back to the Burrow and go back to the Grangers soon. She didn't know if she'd be able to last at the Orphanage for too long.
There you have it. Chapter Two is up and running.
Now you see Harley having a bit of fun at the Weasleys and learning more about her personality traits that her parents also had.
Not only that, but we learn that Mrs. Weasley thinks of Harley as another child and she's more than willing to adopt but Dumbledore hasn't decided anything yet. I can see a bit of trouble in the way soon when Harley learns about this.
R&R like usual and tell me what you think of this chapter and the story so far. I love getting reviews they make me smile.
Also, I'll have another few chapters up later today, hopefully.
Your Writer,
TheWeepingRaven
