Harry flooed over to Prewett's Pride about eleven thirty in the morning. He stumbled out, still not used to travelling by floo powder. He heard laughter, and looked up to see a set of feet near his head.

He quickly got off the floor and dusted himself off. "And for my next trick..."he quipped.

Ginny laughed. "Hi. Think you might need a bit of practice. Still, you made it here and in one piece, that's good."

Harry looked around. The room was dark and quite imposing. Old books lined a whole wall and the furniture looked old too.

"Is your aunt-" he began when they heard a voice.

"Gi-neve-ra. Gi-neve-ra, where are you?"

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Coming, Auntie." She whispered to Harry. "Stay here. I'll come back as soon as I can and we'll go to the library. I've found something to show you." She quickly left.

Harry took the time to look around. He found some photos, but had no idea who they were of. He did see a wedding photo of Arthur and Molly. He could see that they hadn't changed much, they'd just got older.

"Intruder in the house, intruder in the house." Harry quickly turned around to see an old house elf pointing at him.

He held up his hands. "No, I'm a friend of Ginny's. She invited me here. I'm Harry."

Ginny came into the room, and hurried over to them. "Whinnie, it's okay. I invited Harry here."

"Mistress did not tell Whinnie to set another place for lunch," frowned Whinnie.

Harry heard Ginny's aunt again. "Whinnie, where are you?"

Whinnie's eyes widened. "Whinnie must go, but Whinnie is keeping an eye on you, Mister Harry." She glared at him as she disappeared.

"I think she thought you were here to steal the silver," giggled Ginny. "I told my aunt you're here. She wants to meet you. Come on." She grabbed his hand and led him out.

As they headed for Ginny's aunt, Harry could see this was an old grand house. He didn't know why one lady needed such a big house, though.

"Aunt Muriel, this is my friend, Harry. Harry, my great aunt, Muriel," introduced Ginny.

Aunt Muriel looked at Harry over the top of her spectacles from the chair she was sitting in. "Hmm, not much of him, is there?"

Harry flushed. "Aunt Muriel!" said Ginny, looking embarassed.

"What? Am I not allowed to speak my mind in my own house. You can tell he's not a Weasley, even without the red hair. No appetite, boy?" asked Aunt Muriel.

"He lives with horrible Muggles who don't feed him enough," said Ginny, taking his hand and squeezing it.

"Well, you'd better come through and have a good meal today. Never let it be said that a body left my table hungry. Ginevra, if you please, bring him to me."

Ginny hurried to Aunt Muriel's side and helped her out of her chair. Harry followed her. waiting patiently as she got up.

Aunt Muriel looked at him. "Please escort me to the table, Harry."

She put her arm through Harry's and guided him out to the dining room. He helped her to her seat at the head of the table. She sat down and nodded approvingly. Ginny and Harry took seats either side of her. She picked up a bell and rang it. Whinnie immediately appeared, and started dispersing plates with food. It smelled delicious, and Harry's stomach rumbled. Ginny heard and giggled at him. Aunt Muriel shot her a look, and Ginny lowered her head in apology, although her eyes still sparkled mischievously.

"Thank you Whinnie, that is all for now. Children, you may eat," said Aunt Muriel. She picked up her utensils and began eating. Harry and Ginny picked up theirs and started eating too.

"Tell me more about these Muggles you live with, Harry. Do they know you're here today?" asked Aunt Muriel.

Harry had just taken a mouthful and swallowed nervously at being put on the spot. He started coughing.

"Sorry," he said when he stopped. "Er, my aunt is my Mum's sister. I've lived with them since, well, my parents died. They don't approve of magic and everything in our world, especially my uncle. They don't really like me at all," said Harry.

"Your aunt isn't magical then? It is quite common when one child in the family is magical and the other isn't. It can split the family. Were your grandparents magical?" asked Aunt Muriel.

"Oh. I'm pretty sure they weren't, but from what my aunt has said, their parents were thrilled about my Mum being magical," said Harry. Truthfully, he had never given his grandparents on either side of his family a thought.

"More wine, Auntie," said Ginny, holding up a carafe. Aunt Muriel nodded and held up her glass.

Her attention was still on Harry.

"These Muggles, they don't treat you right?" asked Aunt Muriel, taking a large sip of her drink.

Harry shrugged, not really wanting to get into it. He kept eating, hoping to not have to answer any more questions.

"I must say, I'm surprised that you have been left all alone these last few years. Surely someone from our world must have checked in with you a time or two over the years?"

Harry shook his head. "Well, if they did, I never saw him or anyone. It wasn't until my eleventh birthday that I got my Hogwarts letter, and Hagrid told me I was a wizard."

"My word. So you went to Hogwarts having no idea of anything at all in the wizarding world. Not even He-Who-Must-Not-Be- Named?"she asked him, taking another large sip. Ginny quickly re-filled it.

Harry nodded. "My friends, like Ginny and Neville Longbottom have helped me. There's still lots I'm learning."

"Ah yes, Augusta's grandson. Fine boy, a bit timid though. He'd make a good match for you, Ginevra."

"Aunt Muriel! I'm twelve, for Merlin's sake. Besides, I intend to play Quidditch professionally. I won't have time for a husband," protested Ginny.

"I'm sure that will give your mother a heart attack," said Muriel, dryly. "I don't think she believes in careers for witches."

"She's been trying to teach me to cook and clean house. She didn't make the boys do it," said Ginny defiantly.

"Your mother is a traditionalist, and you can't change her. She'll always expect a witch to be at the heart of her home."

"I'm going to marry a wizard who understands there's more to being a wife than cooking and cleaning. My husband will support my career, and I'll support his, whatever it is," said Ginny, determinedly.

Aunt Muriel sighed as she looked at her great niece. Despite being the youngest and only girl, her niece had more determination than a couple of her older brothers. She turned her attention back to Harry, saying no more about Ginny and her future happiness.

"You know, you remind me of someone, but I can't quite put my finger on it. What did you say your surname was, Harry?" she asked him.

"Potter. Harry Potter, ma'am," said Harry nervously.

"Merlin's beard, that's it. You look so much like your grandfather. Oh yes, so much like a young Fleamont," she sighed in happy remembrance.

"You knew my grandfather? Everyone says I look like my father," said Harry, surprised.

"Oh yes, well, James was a lot like his father to look at, but more like his mother in deed. My word, Fleamont and Euphemia Potter. I haven't thought about them in ages," she sighed again.

"You knew my grandparents and my dad? That is great. Can you tell me something about them? Please," begged Harry earnestly.

Aunt Muriel looked at the young man and could see how important this was to him. She smiled at him. "Of course, Harry. Let's see, I met your grandfather at Hogwarts; we were both Gryffindors. He was a nice young man, didn't tease us witches like some of the other boys. A lot of us had quite the crush on Monty Potter but he had eyes for no-one, until he met Euphemia. None of us were surprised that they married straight after she finished Hogwarts. The Potter men are known to be one-witch wizards. Monty was devoted to Euphemia and they were very happy," said Aunt Muriel.

Both Harry and Ginny were looking at Aunt Muriel like she had told them it was Christmas. "Go on, Auntie, please," begged Ginny. "What about their son, Harry's dad?"

"Well now," said Aunt Muriel, enjoying being the centre of so much positive attention, as both children were riveted on her, "the only downfall was that Euphemia just couldn't seem to carry a child. She miscarried several times, and was quite despondent over it, poor thing Of course, this only made Monty more protective of her and he really doted on her. We all wished that they would have a child, and miraculously, after so long, they had a son."

Aunt Muriel chuckled. "Monty was over the moon. You'd think no witch had ever given birth before. He was so proud of his son and Euphemia doted on the boy. He grew up to be quite pampered, although not in a spoiled way."

"When was he born? Do you know the date?" asked Harry, his eyes wide with wonder. He was soaking every piece of information in about his family. His family! Aunt Muriel didn't realise what a gift she was giving this young man.

"Hmm, let's see, it was February, no March. Late March, 1960, I'm sure. I have a book in my library, listing all of the noble houses of the wizarding world, you may both go and check after lunch. It will certainly have the dates there," said Aunt Muriel.

Harry and Ginny smiled at each other. "Tell us more, Auntie,"encouraged Ginny.

"Well now, I didn't see much of them for many years. They were busy with young James. I heard he was quite a handful. Once he went to Hogwarts and became friends with Sirius Black, well, the two of them were quite a handful."

"Sirius Black was friends with my Dad?" asked Harry, unbelieving. "The Sirius Black who is in Azkaban for killing a load of Muggles the same night my parents were killed?" he asked bluntly.

"Best friends, actually. Sirius Black was practically disowned by his family when he was Sorted into Grffindor. He always was the odd duck in that family," said Aut Muriel.

"I know how he feels," said Ginny gloomily. Her aunt looked at her with affection.

"When they were a bit older, Sirius ran away from his home. He sought refuge at the Potters, and practically became another son to them. He was also best man at James and Lily's wedding," she said.

Harry remembered the photo album Hagrid had given him. It showed a photo of his parents at their wedding, and then some of them at home when Lily was pregnant, and then some with baby Harry. There were none of his grandparents or Sirius Black.

"Can you tell me anything about my mother please, Aunt Muriel?" asked Harry.

Aunt Muriel smiled at the way he addressed her. "Of course, dear. I don't know much about her and James's courtship, but I believe it began in the last year or two at Hogwarts. Lily was such a pretty thing, with lovely red hair and beautiful green eyes. She was a Gryffindor, and was prefect, I believe in her sixth year. Both James and Lily were Head Boy and Head Girl in their seventh year."

"Wow, I wonder if you'll end up as Head Boy one day too, Harry," said Ginny.

Harry remembered Ron and himself looking in the Mirror of Erised. Ron had wanted to be Head Boy and Quidditch Captain, but Harry had only wanted to see his family. "Maybe," was all he said.

"I'm not sure exactly when they married, but it was in the year after they'd finished at Hogwarts. James became an Auror, and Lily was planning on becoming an Unspeakable. However, James parent's were ill, and Lily and James were looking after them. They had just found out that Lily was pregnant when first Euphemia then Monty passed away. Dragon Pox, you know. Pity, they would have loved being grandparents. I saw James and Lily at the funerals. I only heard from a mutual friend that she'd had a boy in late July. I sent a gift and got a thank- you card back, along with a photo of the happy family. I planned to see them around Christmas time, but it just never happened. Then, next thing i heard, they had gone into hiding, and, well, you know," sighed Aunt Muriel.

"Would you still have the card and photo, Aunt Muriel?" asked Ginny, hopefully. She guessed it would be important to Harry.

Aunt Muriel took a large sip of her wine, and felt her head start to swim a bit. "Why don't you go check in the library. I'm feeling a bit light headed, must have been the morning sun. I think I'll go and lay down for a bit. Ginevra, you know where the family album is. Look for a shoe box in one of the drawers, the card may be in there. Run along now. Whinnie," bellowed Aunt Muriel, then put her hand to her head.

Harry and Ginny got up from the table. "May we help you, Aunt Muriel?" asked Ginny, feeling a bit guilty for being too generous with the wine, especially with all the information she had given Harry.

"Harry, your arm," said Aunt Muriel. She threaded her arm through his, and leaned on him to get back to the lounge. He gently helped her to her seat, with Ginny hovering.

"Thank you, my dear," she said.

"No, thank you. Apart from Hagrid, you're probably the only person who's told me anything happy about my family. It...it means a lot to me," he said softly.

Ginny took his hand and squeezed it, a fact that did not go unnoticed by Aunt Muriel.

"You're welcome, my dear. Now go, run along, children," she said. Ginny settled a blanket over her aunt's lap, just as Whinnie appeared.

"A cup of tea, Whinnie," said Aunt Muriel. The house elf bowed and apparated back to the kitchen.

"I bet you a galleon that she's asleep before Whinnie gets back with the tea," whispered Ginny, as they left the room.

"Asleep or passed out," grinned Harry. "You're bad, Ginny Weasley."

She grinned back at him, and grabbed his hand again. "Come on, let's go find your family."

Later that night, as he lay in his bed at the Leaky Cauldron, he though about the day he'd had. They'd found the book of the noble families in the wizarding world, and sure enough, the Potter family were mentioned. It thrilled Harry to see his family tree, to see his name at the bottom of it. It gave him a sense of connection, of belonging to something, to somebody, even if he was now alone.

They'd been surprised to see that Draco was related to Sirius Black, through Sirius' cousin Narcissa's marriage to Lucius Malfoy.

The best thing had been finding the box with the thank you card and photo. To Harry's disappointment it was the same photo that was in the album that Hagrid had given him. Ginny pointed out it was probably sent to everyone who sent a gift.

However, when he picked up the card and opened it, he saw his mother's writing. His fingers traced her letters, marvelling that he was touching something that his mother had touched. He read the words over and over-

"Dear Ms Prewett,

Thank you so much for the lovely blanket and booties you sent us for our darling Harry. He loves to lay on it and kick his feet around. With the cooler weather approaching, I'm sure we will get much use of both. James also wanted me to thank you for your kind words to him at his father's funeral. Both Euphemia and Fleamont would have been so happy with their grandson. I think Harry's birth is helping James to deal with the loss of his parents. We hope we may visit you sometime so we may show you our Harry. Until then-

Best wishes,

Lily Potter.

Harry smiled to himself, and re-read it through tear filled eyes. His eyes focused on certain words. 'Our darling Harry. Harry's birth is helping James to heal. Our Harry.'

He was so glad that Ginny had shown it to Aunt Muriel who had immediately told Harry he could keep it. He'd been so happy that he'd hugged her, which had surprised both of them. She'd patted him on the shoulder, and Harry had blushed. He wasn't one to usually initiate contact.

He re-read the card again. He'd been wanted. He'd been loved. His birth had meant something important to somebody, well two somebodies. Now, his parents were more real to him than ever.

Today Ginny had given him the gift of his family.