AN: I love you guys so much! In just over 24 hours I have 22 followers and 20 favorites and 2 reviews! Speical thanks to LeviosaLove and serenityselena for being my first reviewers. I was wondering if any of you are Irish or know what an Irish accent should look like on paper. I'm hoping to get a special guest in the next episode. I've already given up on Oliver's accent, but I really want a good Irish one. Also, if I have any British readers, let me know if I don't get some details authentic. I probably won't update till Thursday, so Happy Holidays! Or if you don't celebrate holidays, Happy Winter! Or if it's not winter where you live, Have a Happy Week! Final word count before author's note: 2,127

Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter franchise.

Harry stared forlornly out his window, hoping to catch a glance of something, anything, that could be mistaken for an owl. It was three weeks into vacation, and the only letters he'd received were from Katie. Not that the letters weren't welcome, just that Harry had thought he'd had more friends than the lone blonde chaser. Harry glanced down at the letter he was writing to her right now.

Dear Katie,

I'm glad that your dog is okay. I've only ever had Hedwig as a pet, but I know I'd be really worried if she got sick. My summer is going mostly good. The Dursleys don't really talk to me, and that's just the way I like it.

Harry paused, deliberating. Should he tell Katie he wasn't getting any other letters and risk sounding desperate, or brush it off and never know what happened to his friends? Finally, he decided to slip it in casually, almost like he didn't really care, just to hear what she thought.

How are the others? I haven't heard anything from any of them all summer.

Harry

P.S. Will Binns actually check my essay, or can I get away with just writing random words on parchment?

There, he thought. Soon he'd get her reply and find out just what was going on. He grabbed the book of stamps he'd swiped from Dudley and stuck one on. Uncle Vernon had bought them so that Dudley could keep in touch with his friends, but Dudley was too lazy to actually write a letter. Harry decided that if he sent one letter to Katie each week, he'd have just enough stamps. Harry stood and left his room.

"Uncle Vernon?" Harry asked cautiously. His uncle was watching television and just grunted.

"Would you take this letter and put it in the post for me? I already put a stamp on it."

Grunt.

"I'll leave it on the table, thanks." He turned to leave.

"Wait, boy." Harry froze. "Next Thursday is an important day," Uncle Vernon began.

Next Thursday? Harry's heart raced. Next Thursday was his twelfth birthday. The Dursleys had never, ever treated his birthday as important, and sometimes ignored it all together.

"Some important associates of mine want me to make a business deal with a client. His name is Mr. Mason, and he'll be bringing his wife. I expect you to not inform them of your, er, presence." Uncle Vernon shifted. "That means no coming downstairs, no loo, no loud noises, and absolutely no…no," Uncle Vernon struggled with the word.

"Magic?" Harry offered.

"GET OUT!"

Stupid, Harry cursed himself when he was back up in his room. How could Harry have possibly thought that the Dursleys wanted to celebrate his birthday? He was the worst thing that had ever happened to them. He didn't have any friends or any family.

"Looks like it's just you and me, girl," He muttered, stroking Hedwig's feathers lovingly. She hooted at him in response, her feelings seeming to mirror his own. He sighed and sat on his bed. Right now, he just wanted summer to be over with.


"Get down here!" Petunia yelled. Harry trudged down the stairs. Today was his birthday and it was also the day the Masons were coming over. Harry hadn't received a reply from Katie yet, and there was still no mail from his supposed friends. Aunt Petunia wore a hideous salmon pink dress and was fussing over the dinner she prepared for the Masons.

"This is your dinner. Take it and leave," she snapped, pointing at two moldy pieces of bread and a lump of cheese. The doorbell rang and Aunt Petunia gave a small scream. "Go!" She whispered furiously. She smoothed out her dress and walked quickly to the door. Her wonderful Dudders and lovely Vernon stood, ready to greet their guests. She smiled in the mirror, picked out a bit of spinach, and pushed back her shoulders.

"Welcome," she beamed as she swung open the door to reveal-

A bunch of teenagers? All of the miscreants stared at her and her perfectly normal family. The oldest one, a boy with brown hair, muttered "Are you sure this is the right house?"

A blonde girl cleared her throat and said "We're looking for Harry Potter-do you know-"

"I'm here!" Harry couldn't contain himself. He couldn't believe it. It seemed almost like a dream. They were all here-Ron, Hermione, the Quidditch team, even Percy!

"Get your stuff, Harry!" The twins chorused.

"Mr. and Mrs. Er…" Angelina began.

"Dursley," Hermione supplied.

"Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, we're here to take Harry for the rest of the summer. No need to worry-"

"We won't," Uncle Vernon said nastily.

"Right, well, I'll go help you with your stuff, Harry," Oliver said.

"I'll help, too," Percy added. The two came into the house, ignoring Aunt Petunia's protest. Harry led them to his room, Oliver gazing in wonder at all the strange muggle objects.

"Your relatives aren't very…pleasant," Percy said hesitantly.

"That's an understatement," Oliver snorted.

"I was just trying to be polite," Percy frowned.

"It's okay. I don't mind," Harry told them.

"Percy? Can you get the trunk by yourself?" Oliver asked, gravitating towards Harry's Nimbus 2000. He picked it up as if it were made of glass and drooled. Percy heaved the trunk down the stairs, and Harry followed with Hedwig, who he told to go to the Weasleys' house. Oliver carried the broom, and looked about ready to declare his love for it soon. All of the others were waiting awkwardly outside the door with the Dursleys glaring at them.

"Come on Harry!" Ron shouted, looking ready to get far away from Privet Drive. Fred and George took the trunk from Percy and put it in the back of a 1954 blue Ford Anglia. Harry looked at the small car in dismay; how would they all fit inside?

"Alright, you lot better get going soon. We're expecting some very important guests, and they won't mix with your kind," Uncle Vernon blustered.

"Oh, you mean the Masons?" Oliver began evilly.

"They won't be here for a while," Percy finished.

Uncle Vernon's face became as gray as old porridge. The twins and the girls piled into the backseat of the car and the other boys slid into the front. Ron poked his head out.

"Merlin, mate, don't just stand there." Harry hesitantly got in the front and found that there was quite a bit of room.

"That was brilliant, what you two did," Fred exclaimed.

"What exactly did you do?" Alicia asked.

Oliver and Percy traded looks. "Actually, nothing. It's illegal to do magic to a muggle, and we're underage." Everyone took this in, and then the twins began laughing uproariously.

"Oh, Ollie, you've corrupted our brother," George said, wiping away a fake tear.

Percy grunted but didn't take his eyes off the sky. Wait, what?

"How are we flying? And how did we all fit in here?" Harry wondered.

"It's Dad's," Ron explained. "He managed to cast a bunch of charms on it. Mum has no idea."

"Sorry Lee couldn't be here. He had to go to his aunt's house for dinner, so we couldn't pick him up," Angelina said.

"Here's the plan," Oliver began. "I'll drop you and the Weasleys off at the Burrow. Then I'll drop the girls off at all of their houses, and then swing back to the Weasleys, put the car in the shed before Mr. Weasley gets home and pretend that my mum's just apparated me there and then left. Ron will say 'Harry just turned up in the middle of the night' and Percy will say 'I invited him' and then you will give Mrs. Weasley big, sad eyes and no one will be the wiser. Any questions?"

"Just one," George piped up.

"Yeah, why Percy?" Fred continued.

"Because your mum actually trusts him," Oliver said with a pointed look.

"What's apparating?" Harry asked.

"A means of magical transport," Hermione lectured. "Quicker and cleaner than Floo, although it can drain your magic. It can also cause "splinching", the loss of a body part, which is why it is only done by wizards and witches who pass the Apparition test. The test is administered only to those sixteen and older."

"Oliver and I will be taking our test this year," Percy informed them. Harry nodded as if he understood when another question occurred to him.

"What's the Burrow?"

"Blimey, Harry, didn't you read my letters?" Ron said.

"Of course he didn't Ronald, that's why Katie owled all of us," Hermione said, exasperated.

"Oh, yeah," he murmured, ears turning red.

"It's where we live," The twins said together.

"Wait, why did you all pick me up? Not that I don't appreciate it," Harry said hastily.

"We're making up for lost time," Angelina explained. "You haven't gotten our letters, so we haven't been able to talk to you. But now, we'll actually get to see you face-to-face. All of us, including Lee, will be dropping by over the summer to see you."

"I, wow…thanks, guys," Harry was overwhelmed. These were his friends. And they were real friends too. Maybe summer wasn't too bad after all.


"This is your house?" Harry said in awe.

"It's not much," Ron said, embarrassed.

"It's perfect," Harry grinned. The whole home was leaning to one side, and Harry was certain the only way it stayed up was magic. The whole inside was decorated in oranges and browns, and it all felt very Weasley. Ron took him to his room, where Harry had never seen so much orange in his life. Chudley Cannons memorabilia was all over Ron's room, with Marvin the Muggle Comic books covering the floor.

"When I heard you were coming I pulled out a sleeping bag," Ron said quietly.

"Thanks, mate," Harry whispered, moving to get inside the bag.

"No, that's for me. You get the bed," Ron muttered.

"Are you sure?" Harry asked.

"It's just for tonight. When Mum finds out you're here, she'll bring up another bed for you. Probably Charlie's old one," He murmured.

Harry settled in to Ron's bright orange sheets and shut his eyes. It was real! He never believed that his friends would come and rescue him. He felt warm all over, and probably looked like a madman, with the cheesy grin he was sporting. His last thought before going to sleep was that he'd like to be a part of this family.


Oliver got to the Burrow at around six in the morning. Percy and Mrs. Weasley were the only ones up to see him. Mrs. Weasley was making breakfast while Percy hunched over a piece of parchment.

"Whatcha workin' on, Perce?" Oliver said, swinging himself into a chair.

"Summer homework."

"I'm surprised you're not done already," Oliver teased.

"I know. I shouldn't have taken the first two weeks off," Percy paused for a moment, looking incredibly stressed.

"I was joking! I bet most people haven't even started. And y'know, we'll get our O.W.L. results soon," Oliver said cheerfully.

"Yes, I know. That's partly what I'm so worried about. How do you think you did?"

"Ah, well…not so good," Oliver admitted sheepishly.

Percy frowned. "You always sell yourself short. You're not stupid. I'm sure if you paid half as much attention to studies as you do to Quidditch, you'd have some of the best grades in our year."

"What's this?" George cried in fake shock as he, Fred, and Ginny entered the room. "Did our dear brother just call Ol' Ollie smart?"

"In case you didn't know, darling Ginny," Fred said to his sister, "Oliver here is the Quidditch Captain."

"That means you know Harry Potter!" she squealed.

"Set the table, dear," Her mother said absently.

"Speaking of Harry, Mum, I invited him over to stay for a bit," Percy said calmly.

Ginny squeaked, dropped a plate, and caught it just in time.

"Really? When?" Mrs. Weasley asked, flustered.

"Oh, you see, that's the thing. He's here right now, up in Ron's room." Percy took a bite of his toast.

Ginny let out a shriek and dropped the plate with a crash. "Right now?" She whispered. Percy nodded. Ginny ran up the steps and slammed her door shut. Mrs. Weasley paused. Oliver held his breath. Percy stopped chewing his toast. The twins wore identical expressions of hope. Ron and Harry thundered down the stairs.

"Hey Mum," Ron said blearily, rubbing his eyes.

"Hi Mrs. Weasley," Harry said cautiously. "Thanks for the jumper and fudge."

"Oh it's nothing, dear," Mrs. Weasley waved off his thanks. "Now let's go get you some breakfast, you're entirely too skinny. Don't go in the kitchen! Ginny dropped a plate earlier…"

All six boys grinned at each other. Operation: Get Harry Home was a success!