Chapter 2

A/N: Back with the editing guys. I know it must seem even more confusing now but remember that things will have to get worse before they can get better!

Disclaimer: Recognizable characters, scenes, and settings are all the property of JK Rowling but this is my plot and Megan is my character. Enter stranger, but take heed. Of what awaits the sin of greed. For those who take but do not earn. Must pay most dearly in their turn.

And now, please enjoy the story!

Harry looked, warily from the slightly yellowed parchment on his desk to the innocent face of his little sister. It became clear that Cally hadn't been the one to save Harry's letter from a permanent death in the weekly incineration cycle, a three-year-old wouldn't understand the importance of the letter. Harry had resigned himself to the occasional bouts of good parenting that could be brought on by an absence of Rosy or an over-presence of Harry. Evidently Harry was around too much.

James had crashed into Harry's room brandishing the lightly singed envelope, "Hey, look what I found in the trash! You got your Hogwarts letter!"

It was clear that James believed Harry hadn't seen the letter at all, "Oh? I suppose I should read it then." There was no way Harry would be confronting the Potters until Cally was safely under her big brother's guardianship. He had grown used to the painful days of affection but Cally still believed in the Potters and Harry wasn't prepared to watch her break under their neglect. He was prepared to weather the caring side of James and Lily to keep them from giving his sister false hope.

"Trust me, son, you will love Hogwarts and I'm sure you'll get into Griffyndor! Did I tell that it was my house when I was a student? Your mom too!"

James looked expectantly at Harry but if there was a good response to that then Harry didn't know it. "Ok, dad, I will send my acceptance letter in soon!"

Mustering up fake excitement was hard under any circumstance but Harry's mental walls were challenged more than ever when James reported that he had already sent the letter in with Rosy's. With Rosy gone and Harry more present in Potter Manor than ever James and Lily were forcing their presence on Harry at every possible moment. In his efforts to prevent interaction with their biological parents they had begun making the trip to Diagon Alley more often. Cally had fallen in love with the Knight Bus and, seemingly, the off-season Quidditch player serving as the conductor over the summer. When the small family boarded Barry, the conductor, would hold Cally for Harry as he got situated then helped situate her in a conjured car seat.

Naturally, Barry took notice of the two kids that took the Knight Bus to the shops every day and the next day their tickets were already paid for and the two seats next to his own had been saved for them. The first day Harry had been nervous and on edge the whole ride but as the days turned into weeks both of the children grew at ease around him. The final wall broke down between them when the decrepit bus driver, Ernie, told Barry that he could take the rest of the day off. "I want you to go with those kids and find out about what brings them to Diagon every day alone."

Barry was happy to do as the old man asked as he was growing suspicious of their living conditions as well. When the Bus pulled up to the curb Barry and the kids both got out, "Would you guys mind taking me around with you? I don't really come down her often."

It seemed that Harry was going to say no but then he shifted Cally's weight in his arms. Barry offered to carry the heavy three-year-old during the trip and the ache building in Harry's arms compelled him to say yes.

Barry became a regular fixture in Harry's life as he offered to teach Harry flying and Quidditch. The closeness that developed between the two gave Harry the strength to face Hogwarts.

A/N: Sooooo, originally I was planning on touching up on the writing only but then I was re-reading the whole story when I realised that the whole thing felt so rushed and I ended up not really liking my Harry. Because of how little I like it I will also be editing the plot line, if there is anything that you really want me to keep from the original storyline then please message me or if you have suggestions on how to further improve then please message me. Basically, just keep the reviews coming in. They feed the mental sweatshop and those guys deserve some love!